Variety Of Choices Research Articles

Impact of hybrid variety adoption on the performance of rice farms in Bangladesh: A propensity score matching approach

Cultivating hybrid rice variety has the potential to fulfill the ever-increasing demand for rice in Bangladesh due to its high yield. This study is intended to explore the determinants and impact of hybrid rice variety adoption on the yield and technical efficiency (TE) of Bangladeshi rural rice farms. The stochastic frontier production has been employed to approximate production frontier and TE using 15,952 rice plots from Bangladesh. This study has addressed self-selection into the hybrid variety choice by using propensity score matching (PSM) that adjusts observed selection bias, potentially influencing decisions to choose a hybrid variety and TE. The marginal effect of the Probit model reveals that farm size, education, subsidy card, irrigation access, irrigation machinery ownership, and non-farm business have positively while drought risk and household head age have negative influences on choosing a hybrid variety. We found that the hybrid rice variety adopters is significantly 6.24% more efficient and 12.03% higher frontier predicted yield than their counterparts. The average treatment effect on the treated also confirms that adopting a hybrid variety significantly impacts rice yield and TE. The primary and significant source of the varietal yield gap (19.3%) was differences in endowments (6.7%) and coefficients (12.1%). Fertilizer, irrigation, seed, clay, and clay loam soil have significantly contributed to explaining the difference and is critical in closing the existing yield gap. Policy implications include introducing hybrid rice varieties by motivating farmers through extension services, price policies, and irrigation services can help achieve desirable yield and enhance farm efficiency.

ПРОДУКТИВНОСТЬ КАРТОФЕЛЯ В ЗАВИСИМОСТИ ОТ ФАКТОРОВ ВОЗДЕЛЫВАНИЯ НА ТЕМНО-КАШТАНОВЫХ ПОЧВАХ САРАТОВСКОГО ЗАВОЛЖЬЯ ПРИ ОРОШЕНИИ

The aspects of increasing potato productivity under the influence of the developed agrotechnical techniques and factors of cultivation in the irrigated agrocenosis are considered. The research was carried out on experimental plots of fields of the experimental production farm of the Volga Research Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Land Reclamation on dark chestnut medium loamy soils with an area of 200 hectares. It was found that the studied factors had different effects on the productivity of potato varieties. The most important determining factor affecting potato productivity is the choice of potato varieties with high adaptive characteristics for use in regional crop cultivation technology. Analysis of the formation of the photosynthetic potential of potato plantings was best performed by the Colombo variety, the net productivity of photosynthesis of plantings was 5.5 g/m2 per day, and the accumulation of dry biomass was 48.6 t/ha. Based on the dynamics of the growth of tubers over the periods of plant development, the most effective was the planting density of 40-50 thousand pieces / 1 ha. The productivity of this crop is significantly influenced by the irrigation regime. It was found that the most favorable pre-watering soil moisture is 80% HB, where the yield of Flamingo, Memphis and Colombo varieties was 45.0, 42.0 and 52.0 t/ha, respectively

DESIGN OF A COMPACT BROADBAND ANTENNA USING CHARACTERISTIC MODE ANALYSIS FOR MICROWAVE APPLICATIONS

A compact broadband antenna of dimensions 27 mm x 28 mm x 1.6 mm and with good impedance matching is designed for high-bandwidth radio systems with a short range. To improve the impedance matching, two rectangular slots are created on the radiating element, and the ground plane size is reduced to extend the ultra-wideband frequency band. The antenna bandwidth and radiation performance are analysed using characteristic mode theory (TCM). The performance is compared to the desired specifications, and the shape and size are modified to produce efficient radiation and dominant radiation patterns. The findings clearly demonstrate that the six modes are resonant with (λn = 0). This implies that the eigenvalues of the six modes contribute strongly to dominant electromagnetic radiation and have high modal significance values around 1 at their respective frequencies. Furthermore, the characteristic angle indicates that the antenna resonates at 180°, since the six modes intersect the axis line at 180° at their respective frequencies. Experimental results show a bandwidth of 109.7% between 5.64 and 19.34 GHz, a maximum gain of 6.3 dB, and a maximum efficiency of approximately 86.5%. These results make this antenna a versatile and effective choice for a wide variety of communications and electronics applications and easy to install in narrow spaces due to its easy design characteristics, small size, and light weight.

AGRONOMIC VIEW OF SOIL SALINITY, ITS EFFECTS AND RECLAMATION - A Review

Abiotic stress, particularly soil salinity, is currently to blame for a decline in the quality of world crop production and significant losses to global agricultural output. Plants are faced with enormous difficulties as a result of this stress, which has a detrimental effect on their productivity, growth, and development. In recent years, the amount of cultivated land with salinity and alkalinity issues has expanded. Agro-techniques for reclamations of saline soils such as leaching, drainage, using soil amendments, suitable choice of crops and varieties, etc. have been standardised over the years for its management due to the need to increase agricultural productivity as the global population grows exponentially. To improve crop output, it is necessary to increase agro techniques for managing and reducing soil salinity. The mechanism, traits, impacts, and reclamation of soil salinity for improved crop growth and development will all be covered in this paper

Выбор сортов картофеля при возделывании двух урожаев в Центральном Нечерноземье

The development of potato plants when cultivating two crops occurs in a short period. In this case, field conditions change and do not repeat over time. Crop formation when cultivating two crops in the Central Non-Black Earth Region finds itself in different growing conditions: the first harvest falls on long days and moderate temperatures, as well as sometimes returning frosts, the second harvest falls on short days and high temperatures, as well as lack of moisture. The purpose of our research was to substantiate the choice of varieties for cultivating two crops. The research was carried out at the Research and Production Center Vegetable Experimental Station of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education RSAU-MAA named after C.A. Timiryazev, Moscow and at the Central Experimental Station of the All-Russian Research Institute of Agrochemistry Barybino, Moscow Region, 2017‑2022. The experiment was carried out using the method of random placement of plots. Planting density – 47.6 thousand plants per 1 hectare. Sprouted tubers were used for planting during the first planting of the large fraction; during the second planting, the middle fraction was germinated with the addition of dry hydrogel. The second planting was carried out in the vacant space after the first planting had been cleared. The cultivation technology is standard. Cleaning took place at the beginning of July and at the end of September. As a result of the study ni different climatic conditions, it was revealed that planting of 1 crop should be carried out with ultra-early ripening varieties (Riviera) and for 2 crops with mid-early and mid-ripening varieties (Udacha).

Factors Related to Farmers’ Acceptance of Improved Technologies: A Case Study of Small-scale Sugar Cane Farmers in Kakamega County, Kenya.

Improvement of agricultural technologies has been a global focus, aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity for economic growth and improved livelihood. Through research, many agricultural technologies, loaded with potential benefits have been produced but their acceptance by the intended users has been a global challenge. This calls for need to develop effective mechanism to enhance technology acceptance so that their potential benefits may be realised. This study focused on these phenomena through establishment of various factors related to acceptance of improved sugar cane varieties among small-scale sugar cane farmers in Kakamega County. Understanding of these factors was critical, as it would pin point critical conditions that would facillitate wider acceptance of improved technologies by the targeted users. The study was built on Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT); and the theory of Diffusion of Innovations (DOI). A Cross-Sectional Survey research design was used. The target population was 137,355 sugar cane farmers from Kakamega County, from which a sample of 384 farmers was randomly selected. Questionnaires were used to collect data. Statistical analysis was done using chi-square at 0.05 significance level. The study findings established significant relationships between gender, age, education, land ownership, experience in farming, source of income, sugar cane varietal attributes, variety choice, seed sources, availability of advisory services and marketing of sugar cane, with farmers’ acceptance of improved varieties. Addressing these factors is of great importance to technology developers and promoters as they would facilitate acceptance of the improved technologies produced by farmers. The study recommended extension service providers and sugar millers to provide farmers with adequate information on improved sugar cane varieties, required facilitating resources and supportive services in effort to enhance production of these varieties by farmers. The study has also contributed valuable information to the existing literature in agricultural extension.

Attitude of English Language Teachers at Higher Education Institutions towards the Varieties of English Language in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

In English language education, the choice of an appropriate English language variety to be used in the classroom for second language learners becomes a controversial issue due to the global spread of the English language. This study aims to solve this puzzle of selecting which English language variety be used in universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Most of the work focuses on learners and teachers’ attitudes towards varieties of the English language. The proposed study uses a mixed-method research design to obtain data. A structured questionnaire and a semi-structured interview have been selected for 78 lecturers. 46 EL instructors from KUST and 32 EL teachers from KKKUK completed the questionnaire. The study identify that English language teachers belief in British and Pakistani English's as the best varieties, while they have some positive attitude towards American English variety. The study finds out the clear differences among teachers attitude between two different groups.

FEED QUALITY AND PRODUCTIVITY IN SOME VARIETIES OF ITALIAN RYEGRASS- LOLIUM MULTIFLORUM LAM.

The Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) provide a large amount of feed per surface unit due to its high productivity. Due to its wide use, a number of varieties are found on the market, the farmer being put in the situation to choose between those varieties that best meet the needs of his own farm. In this context, the paper aims to evaluate the production capacity at anthesis and the content of feed in protein and fiber in two vegetation phenophases in three varieties of Italian ryegrass. Three varieties were used as biological material; two tetraploids (Linos and Ivan) and one diploid variety (Sprint), grown under the conditions of Agricultural Research and Development Station Lovrin, Romania. According to the research, the tetraploid varieties Linos and Ivan are more productive than the diploid variety Sprint. The Linos variety behaved the best, which in the anthesis phenophase (BBCH65) recorded a production of 92 t.ha-1, with the feed containing 8.7 % protein and 36 % fiber. Regarding the protein and fiber content, the varieties analyzed are grouped according to the harvesting phase: BBCH49 and BBCH65. The highest content in the protein was found in the BBCH49 phenophase and decreased in the BBCH65 phenophase as the fiber content increased. These results can be useful for the farmer in making decisions on the choice of varieties of Lolium multiflorum Lam. and the harvest period.

Multi-objective optimization for integrated sugarcane cultivation and harvesting planning

Sugarcane and its by-products make a relevant contribution to the world economy. In particular, the sugar-energy industry is affected by the timing of sugarcane cultivation and harvesting from which sucrose and bio-energy are produced. We address this issue by proposing a mixed-integer non-linear programming model to schedule planting and harvesting operations for different varieties of sugarcane. The decisions to be made include the choice of sugarcane varieties to be grown on a given set of plots, the periods for their cultivation, the subsequent harvesting periods, and the type of harvesting equipment. These decisions are subject to various constraints related to matching cultivation periods with harvesting periods according to the maturity cycles of the selected sugarcane varieties, the availability of harvesting machinery, the demand for sucrose and fiber, and further technical requirements. The tactical cultivation and harvesting plans to be determined account for three conflicting objectives, namely maximization of the total sucrose and fiber production, minimization of the total time devoted to harvesting, and minimization of the total cost of transporting the harvesting equipment. We develop a tailored exact method based on the augmented Chebyshev scalarization technique extended with a mechanism for identifying an initial feasible integer solution that greatly helps reduce the computational effort for obtaining Pareto-optimal solutions. Our computational study with instances that reflect the current cultivation and harvesting practices in Brazil demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. In addition, a comparative analysis reveals the trade-offs achieved by alternative planting and harvesting schedules, thereby facilitating the decision-making process.

A CONCEPTUAL DESIGN MY FASHION MULTI-SIDED BUSINESS MODEL: ENHANCE JOB OPPORTUNITIES, UPSKILLING AND RESKILLING B40 COMMUNITY INTO FASHIONPRENEURS

The purpose of this conceptual paper is to provide a one-stop clothing center that assembles different types of apparel products or services on a digital platform and in physical stores aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in no poverty, decent work, economic and growth and responsible consumption and production. The global pandemic has made our circumstances challenging, particularly financially. The population most affected is the B40 community, commonly known as the Bottom 40%, whose household income is less than RM4,850. With the Movement Control Order, the majority of the businesses were shut down and this has had an effect on commercial retailers as well. This paper also highlights the pains and challenges faced by the customer segments, the B40 community, unemployed/ retrenched workers, commercial retail customers, donors, and clothing service providers. The Design Thinking (DT) process was applied as the methodology that includes the literature review and the usage of tools like Business Model Canvas (BMC) and Value Proposition Canvas (VPC). This paper also aims to provide customers with trendy and variety choices of clothes and style senses that also promote and encourage people to recycle their unused clothes. In addition, through reskilling and upskilling the B40 community,especially along with the unemployed workers, can gain relevant skills and nurture themselves to be environmental fashionpreneurs.

Diet at the onset of the Neolithic in northeastern Iberia: An isotope–plant microremain combined study from Cova Bonica (Vallirana, Catalonia)

The emergence of Neolithic societies was transformative, impacting many aspects of life, particularly diet. The process of Neolithization in Iberia is increasingly understood as the arrival of new people from the Central Mediterranean, who dispersed along the Iberian coasts introducing cereal production, herding, and Cardial pottery and associated material culture. Although research has clarified aspects of the cultigen-dominated economy of these new people, questions remain due to the limitations of conventional archaeobotanical and archaeozoological methods that tend to produce indirect evidence. The extent to which these early farmers adopted Mesolithic staples, which are often difficult to detect with other methods, remains unclear. Furthermore, questions surround the nature of methods of food preparation Cardial Neolithic people used when incorporating grains into their diet. In this study, we examined direct evidence of the diet from the Iberian Cardial Neolithic site of Cova Bonica (Vallirana, Baix Llobregat, Catalonia) using CN stable isotopes on bone and plant microremains trapped in dental calculus from six human individuals and associated fauna. Isotopes show a diet based on terrestrial C3 resources, with no isotopic evidence of aquatic or C4 resource consumption. Plant microremains (starches and phytoliths) provide evidence of cereal use, as well as of other plant foods. However, perhaps due to Bonica’s early farmers’ choice of grain variety, their grain processing methods, or due to specific dental calculus formation factors, the grain assemblages are rather limited and provide scarce information on food preparation.

A Difficult Task: Determining Oral Anticoagulation Efficacy (OAC) in Patients with HIT Type II

Since 1937, heparin has remained the anticoagulant of choice for a wide variety of clinical scenarios. There remains a relatively high prevalence of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), an immune-mediated syndrome in which antibodies (most frequently IgG) bind to a complex of heparin and platelet factor IV, resulting in platelet destruction and the release of prothrombotic platelet derived microparticles. Serious complications include thrombocytopenia (usually occurring between 6-12 days after initiating therapy) and thrombosis. The risk of thrombosis in patients with HIT is estimated at 30% and mortality rates have been reported as high as 20-30%. In cases of HIT type II when patients require continuous anticoagulation, such as following implantation of mechanical heart valves, alternative anticoagulants such as direct thrombin inhibitors can be used. The difficulty of using drugs such as argatroban for bridging therapy to warfarin is that they have been found to elevate both the aPTT as well as INR. Therefore, is it difficult to assess whether patients will maintain therapeutic INRs when argatroban is held and they are continued on warfarin monotherapy. The standard treatment regimen calls for argatroban to be started until INR reaches some therapeutic level at which time argatroban is held and INR is rechecked 4-6 hours later. The risk of major bleeding associated with supra-therapeutic INR's is substantial, and as such patients should be continued on bridging therapy to the lowest INR level that is still found to be therapeutic once argatroban is held. Previous research has examined the efficacy of transitioning from argatroban to warfarin in patients with HIT type II. This case report reviews the care of a patient following a diagnosis of HIT, the methods used to measure the efficacy of oral anticoagulation (OAC), and the complications that arose with management. The patient is a 51-year-old woman who received a mechanical mitral valve replacement for mitral valve regurgitation. Two weeks later, she returned to the hospital with lower extremity swelling. On admit, the patient's INR was sub-therapeutic at 1.2. Enoxaparin was initiated with plans to bridge to warfarin until the INR reached 2.5-3.5. Within four days of enoxaparin initiation, platelets decreased from 238,000/uL to 114,000/uL. On day four, a new non-occlusive right internal jugular thrombus was found. A serotonin release assay (SRA) and HIT antibody with reflex were ordered. While labs were in process, enoxaparin was held and argatroban initiated. The PTT was checked and found to be 62.6 seconds, and it was determined that the patient was adequately anticoagulated. A 4-T score of 6 indicated a ~64% probability of HIT with the patient requiring indefinite anticoagulation due to the mechanical mitral valve. When the patient's INR reached 2.5 argatroban was held, however the following INR was found to be subtherapeutic at 1.3. Argatroban was restarted with plans to continue argatroban therapy until INR>4, at which time argatroban was to be held and INR rechecked in 4-6 hrs. If the INR remained therapeutic off argatroban then it was determined that the patient was appropriately anticoagulated. When the INR reached 4.9 and argatroban was held, the recheck 5 hours later was 3.1. Using this algorithm, the patient ultimately achieved a therapeutic INR with platelet counts of >300,000/uL at time of discharge without any major bleeding events or other serious complications. For patients in whom HIT is diagnosed, immediate discontinuation of heparin infusions and elimination of heparin from all flushes and ports is a necessity as the first step of treatment. Argatroban may be used as a bridging agent, but OAC efficacy cannot be monitored solely using the parameter of INR due to argatroban's INR-elevating effect. By trending the aPTT to monitor anticoagulation status and only utilizing the INR once argatroban therapy was removed, we ensured that the patient had achieved OAC efficacy prior to discharge. In our patient an INR of 5 did not result in any major bleeding incident; however, by initially discontinuing prematurely at an INR of 2.5, the patient's hospital stay was extended. The chromogenic factor X assay has shown some accuracy in predicting INR free of argatroban influence by measuring the amount of vitamin x, but further studies are warranted to establish an optimal method by which to convert patients from argatroban to warfarin. Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal

Diagnosis of Tomato Plant Diseases Using Pre-Trained Architectures and A Proposed Convolutional Neural Network Model

Tomato is one of the most important vegetables in the world. Presence of diseases and pests in the growing area significantly affect the choice of variety in tomato. Early-stage diagnosis plays an important role in determining whether the tomato is subject to effective and economical chemical, mechanical and biological controls, and internal and external quarantine. In this study, deep learning was used to diagnose some diseases in tomatoes. For this purpose, a novel deep CNN-based approach and some Keras models including DenseNet201, InceptionResNetV2, MobileNet, VGG16 architectures were used. Early, middle, and late stages of 18.456 images of Bacterial Spot, Early Blight, Leaf Mold, Septoria Leaf Spot, Target Spot, Mosaic Virus, Yellow Leaf Curl Virus and healthy leaves were examined. The experimental results showed that the custom CNN model produced 99.82% training accuracy. We recommend this model in terms of monitoring and diagnosing of tomato diseases. The results obtained with this study can be used in robotic spraying and harvesting operations.

Preliminary Results of the Use of Sowing Time and Variety Choice as Techniques of Adaptability of Durum Wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) to Temperature Increases

In the 21st century, global climate change is a key concern for countries all over the world as, in the future, crops will face several extreme events, including an increase of 2–4 °C in the mean temperature with a possible consequent reduction in yield. Wheat (Triticum durum Desf) is one of the most important foods as it provides 20% of the protein for the world population. Since temperature is one of the most limiting factors of crop development, the aim of this trial was to verify the agronomic response of durum wheat to a temperature increase of about 1.5–2.0 °C through the use of short-time adjustment techniques, such as sowing time and variety choice. The experiment foresaw the comparison between two different temperature conditions (ordinary, OT—in the open field, and high, HT—under a polyethylene tunnel), two sowing times (ordinary—OS, and delayed—DS), and three varieties (Ofanto, modern variety; Cappelli, traditional variety; and a mix of the two). HT conditions caused a decline in the wheat yield (−52.5%), but without differences between the two sowing times. The grain quality resulted positively when affected by late sowing times with an increase in 1000 seeds weight and protein percentages and a decrease in shrunken grains. Therefore, it seems that in areas characterized by high temperatures, delayed sowing can improve grain quality without reducing yield quantity compared to ordinary sowing times.

Quantitative trait loci analysis of glucosinolate, sugar, and organic acid concentrations in Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa

Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa is a leafy vegetable of the Brassicaceae family known for its pungency. Variation in growing conditions, leaf age, agronomic practices, and variety choice lead to inconsistent quality, especially in content of isothiocyanates (ITCs) and their precursor glucosinolates (GSLs). We present the first linkage and Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) map for Eruca, generated using a population of 139 F4 lines. A significant environmental effect on the abundance of primary and secondary metabolites was observed, with UK-grown plants containing significantly higher concentrations of glucoraphanin, malic acid, and total sugars. Italian-grown plants were characterized by higher concentrations of glucoerucin, indolic GSLs, and low monosaccharides. 20 QTL were identified and associated with robust SNP markers. Five genes putatively associated with the synthesis of the GSL 4-methoxyglucobrassicin (4MGB) were identified as candidate regulators underlying QTL. Analysis revealed that orthologs of MYB51, IGMT1 and IGMT4 present on LG1 are associated with 4MGB concentrations in Eruca. This research illustrates the utility of the map for identifying genes associated with nutritional composition in Eruca and its value as a genetic resource to assist breeding programs for this leafy vegetable crop.

The potential of conservation agriculture to improve nitrogen fixation in cowpea under the semi-arid conditions of Kenya

Low-cost but productive crop intensification options are needed to assist smallholder farmers in the tropics to move away from poverty. This study assessed the capacity of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) to perform biological N fixation (BNF) under no-tillage practices, crop residue cover and intercropping with maize (Zea mays L.). The study was performed during the long rains of 2017 at Kiboko experimental station, located in semi-arid eastern Kenya. The research field trials had been running for three years (6 cropping seasons) by the time the sampling took place. The experimental set up was a split-plot design: main plots being tillage system (no till + maize stover retention (CA), and conventional tillage to 15 cm depth without mulch retention (CT)), sub-plot being cropping system (maize-cowpea intercrop, maize monocrop, and cowpea monocrop). Cowpea plants were sampled at 50% flowering stage and at physiological maturity to investigate biomass production and %N derived from the atmosphere (%Ndfa) through the 15N natural abundance technique, using maize as a reference control. Results showed that the number of nodules per plant was higher in CA treatments rather than in CT although not significant (p>0.05). Mean cowpea grain yield at harvest varied between 472 – 590 kg ha‐1 in intercrops whereas grain yield in monocrops was between 1465 - 1618 kg ha-1. Significant differences were however recorded between treatments with CT monocropped cowpea at flowering recording the highest mean %Ndfa (62%) and CT intercrop the lowest (52%). At harvest stage CA inter recorded the highest %Ndfa (54%) while CT intercrop the lowest (41%). The %Ndfa was higher (p<0.05) at flowering (between 57- 69%) compared with 45 - 64 % at harvest stage. Overall cowpeas in intercrops derived between 17.8 - 22.8 kg ha-1 of their total N from atmospheric dinitrogen fixation while monocrops between 54.9 - 55.2 kg ha-1. The effect of CA on BNF was positive but not significantly different from CT. These results suggest that CA has the potential to enhance the BNF process but there is a need to explore in future alternative spatial arrangement and variety choice in intercropping of cowpea and maize to optimize the BNF process.

Evaluation of various varieties of peas as raw material for deep processing

The article provides an overview of the criteria for choosing pea varieties to evaluate economically valuable traits. For the effective use of peas as raw materials for deep processing, two directions can be considered: a joint increase in the content of protein and starch or the choice of varieties with the required indicators. The results of laboratory studies of processing for starch and protein isolate of 37 variety samples of peas from the collection of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution «Federal Scientific Center of Legumes and Groat Crops» are presented. As evaluation criteria determining high technological properties, providing the most complete extraction of starch and protein isolate there have been selected coefficients of extraction of these components. When selecting a variety of peas, it is also necessary to consider the physicochemical properties of starch, which depend on the mass fraction of amylose. According to the results obtained, the most promising varieties for the processing of grain into starch and protein isolate are Orlovchanin, Alla, Rodnik, Sibirsky 1, Pharaon, Jaguar, Sophia. The most efficient extraction of the main processed products ‒ protein isolate and starch is established for the variety Alla, protein extraction coefficient 81.2 %, starch 90.6 %. Among the wrinkled pea varieties for industrial processing, the Amius 1241 breeding line is the most interesting, with protein isolate and starch extraction coefficients of 70.3 and 69.1 % and a mass fraction of amylose in starch of 81.5 %. It is found that the mass fraction of starch and protein in pea grains does not correlate with the extraction coefficients of protein and starch isolate during processing by two-stage extraction of protein from pea flour using the alkaline method. When processing wrinkled pea varieties, there are difficulties in separating the starch and residual protein undissolved in alkaline medium, since these pea varieties are found to have complex starch granules, which are easily crushed into small irregular and polygonal granules. In smooth pea varieties, the starch granules are oval in shape with a high percentage of large size and therefore there are no problems with separation of the starch-protein suspension. The dependence of viscosity of 3.0 % pea starch paste on the mass fraction of amylose in pea starch has been determined. The choice of pea variety for processing makes it possible to produce starch that has lifetime modification, i.e., that has the required physical and chemical properties and resistance. In addition, depending on the choice of pea variety, it is possible to predict the yield of isolate and protein concentrate.

Effect of Thiram on the Bacteria-Pea (Pisum sativum) Symbiotic Complex

Background: Algerian agriculture, like many developing countries, has developed production systems based on the use of phytosanitary products. But today, the use of these products is called into question, with the awareness of the risks they can generate for agriculture, the environment, and even for human health. Methods: A trial was conducted in the greenhouse on two varieties of pea (Pisum sativum), with and without thiram treatment (recommended dose), to estimate the effect of the latter on the establishment of symbiosis and biological nitrogen fixation. In addition, a rhizospheric soil microflora count was carried out to determine and assess the bacterial concentration including PGPRs in each sample from two varieties tested with and without treatment. Result: The fungicide treatment and variety choice have no effect on the number of nodules and the fresh and dry weight of the aerial and root parts, and the low nodulation can be attributed to the low population of native rhizobia in the soil. A low bacterial concentration was observed in the rhizospheric region of the Gros Vert variety treated with the fungicide compared to the untreated control and Onward variety; this result may be due to the effect of fungicide thiram influencing the abundance of microflora in the soil and the differential response between cultivars of the same species.

Magnesium Accumulation in Two Contrasting Varieties of Lycopersicum esculentum L. Fruits: Interaction with Calcium at Tissue Level and Implications on Quality.

As the productivity and quality of tomato fruits are responsive to Mg applications, without surpassing the threshold of toxicity, the assessment of potential levels of Mg accumulation in tissues, as well as the interactions with Ca and physicochemical properties, prompt this study. An agronomic workflow for Mg enrichment, consisting of six foliar applications of MgSO4 with four concentrations (0%, 0.25%, 1% and 4%), equivalent to 0, 43.9, 175.5 and 702 g ha−1, was applied on two tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum L.) genotypes (Heinz1534 and Heinz9205). During fruit development, leaf gas exchange was screened, with only minor physiological deviations being found. At harvest, Mg contents among tissues and the interactions with Ca were analyzed, and it was found that in both varieties a higher Mg/Ca ratio prevailed in the most external part of the fruit sprayed with 4% MgSO4. However, Mg distribution prevailed relatively near the epidermis in H1534, while in H9205 the higher contents of this nutrient occurred in the core of the fruit, which indicated a decrease of the relative proportion of Ca. The morphologic (height and diameter), physical (dry weight and density) and colorimetric parameters, and the total soluble solids of fruits, did not reveal significant changes in both tomato varieties. It was further concluded that foliar application until 4% MgSO4 does not have physiological impacts in the fruit’s quality of both varieties, but in spite of the different patterns of Mg accumulation in tissues, if the mean value in the whole fruit is considered, this nutrient prevails in H1534. This study thus suggests that variety H1534 can be used to attain tomato fruits with added value, providing an option of further processing to achieve food products with functional properties, ultimately proving a beneficial option to producers, the food processing industry and consumers. Moreover, the study reinforces the importance of variety choice when designing enrichment workflows.

제품유형과 조절초점이 다양성 묶음상품과 동일제품 묶음상품 선호에 미치는 영향

This research examines the influence of consumer regulatory focus on preference for product bundles. Product bundling is a type of consumer promotion in which multiple products are combined as a single comprehensive package, commonly accompanying with price discounts. This research focuses on the non-variety bundle that includes multiple units of the same item and the variety bundle that is composed of different products that vary in terms of ingredients, taste, or flavor, and examines the influence of consumer regulatory focus on preference for non-variety and variety bundles. It is hypothesized that between the two types of bundles, variety (vs. non-variety) bundle is preferred for consumers with higher promotion (vs. prevention) focus. This prediction is based on the theory of regulatory focus that people with promotion-focus tend to seek diversification, whereas people with prevention-focus tend to prefer safety in their purchase. The results of two empirical studies show that regulatory focus has a significant influence on preference for product bundles. Study 1 tested the influence of consumers’ chronic regulatory focus on choice between variety bundle and non-variety bundle options. The results showed that the regulatory focus of the participants was significantly related to the choice of variety (vs. non-variety) bundle. Consumers with higher promotion (vs. prevention) focused were more likely to select the variety (vs. non-variety) bundle. Study 2 re-examined the influence of regulatory focus on preference for bundle by examining its influence on the attitude toward the variety and non-variety bundle products. The results of Study 2 showed that the attitude toward the variety bundle was positively related to the participants’ chronic promotion-focus, whereas the attitude toward the non-variety bundle was positively related to the participants’ chronic prevention-focus. Consequently, the results of two empirical studies present strong evidence that evaluation of the variety bundle is positively related to consumers’ promotion focus, whereas evaluation of the non-variety bundle was positively related to prevention focus. The result was significant in bundle choice (Study 1) and attitude toward bundles (Study 2). The paper also present theoretical contributions, managerial implications, limitations, and directions for future research. This research contribute to the related research domains by presenting that consumer regulatory focus is one of consumer characteristics has a strong influence on preference for bundle types. This research also contribute to the sales promotion research by testing the factors that influence consumer preference for variety and non-variety bundles. In addition, this research presents important practical implications. For instance, this research highlights the importance of identifying the right target consumers when promoting bundled products. A firm should target its marketing effort toward the consumers with promotion focus when promoting variety bundle and toward the consumers with prevention focus when promoting non-variety bundles. This paper also presents directions for future research.