Changing Climatic Conditions Research Articles

Sustainable Organic Farming Crops in Nepal in Climate Change Conditions: Predictions and Preferences

Sustainable Organic Farming Crops in Nepal in Climate Change Conditions: Predictions and Preferences

Chlorophyll Fluorescence in Wheat Breeding for Heat and Drought Tolerance

The constantly growing need to increase the production of agricultural products in changing climatic conditions makes it necessary to accelerate the development of new cultivars that meet the modern demands of agronomists. Currently, the breeding process includes the stages of genotyping and phenotyping to optimize the selection of promising genotypes. One of the most popular phenotypic methods is the pulse-amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometry, due to its non-invasiveness and high information content. In this review, we focused on the opportunities of using chlorophyll fluorescence (ChlF) parameters recorded using PAM fluorometry to assess the state of plants in drought and heat stress conditions and predict the economically significant traits of wheat, as one of the most important agricultural crops, and also analyzed the relationship between the ChlF parameters and genetic markers.

Mycorrhizal fungi as critical biotic filters for tree seedling establishment during species range expansions

AbstractGlobal warming has been shifting climatic envelopes of many tree species to higher latitudes and elevations across the globe; however, unsuitable soil biota may inhibit tree migrations into these areas of suitable climate. Specifically, the role of mycorrhizal fungi in facilitating tree seedling establishment beyond natural species range limits has not been fully explored within forest ecosystems. We used three experiments to isolate and quantify the effects of mycorrhizal colonization and common mycorrhizal networks (CMN) on tree seedling survival and growth across (within and beyond) the elevational ranges of two dominant tree species in northeastern North America, which were associated with either arbuscular mycorrhiza (AMF, Acer saccharum) or ectomycorrhiza (EMF, Fagus grandifolia). In order to quantify the influence of mycorrhiza on seedling establishment independent of soil chemistry and climate, we grew seedlings in soils from within and beyond our study species ranges in a greenhouse experiment (GE) as well as in the field using a soil translocation experiment (STE) and another field experiment manipulating seedling connections to potential CMNs (CMNE). Root length colonized, seedling survival and growth, foliar nutrients, and the presence of potential root pathogens were examined as metrics influencing plant performance across species' ranges. Mycorrhizal inoculum from within species ranges, but not from outside, increased seedling survival and growth in a greenhouse setting; however, only seedling survival, and not growth, was significantly improved in field studies. Sustained potential connectivity to AMF networks increased seedling survival across the entire elevational range of A. saccharum. Although seedlings disconnected from a potential CMN did not suffer decreased foliar nutrient levels compared with connected seedlings, disconnected AM seedlings, but not EM seedlings, had significantly higher aluminum concentrations and more potential pathogens present. Our results indicate that mycorrhizal fungi may facilitate tree seedling establishment beyond species range boundaries in this forested ecosystem and that the magnitude of this effect is modulated by the dominant mycorrhizal type present (i.e., AM vs. EM). Thus, despite changing climate conditions beyond species ranges, a lack of suitable mutualists can still limit successful seedling establishment and stall adaptive climate‐induced shifts in tree species distributions.

Framework for strategic deployment of hybrid offshore solar and wind power plants: A case study of India

Renewable energy sources are gaining prominence as eco-friendly and sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels due to their availability and minimal greenhouse gas emissions. Nonetheless, the critical challenge is the availability of renewable resources, which fluctuates with changes in climatic conditions. This limitation poses a consistent challenge to generating base load power if it relies solely on a single type of renewable resource. Addressing this, integrating multiple renewable sources into hybrid systems has emerged as a viable solution. This study presents a framework, integrating Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Hybrid Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) techniques to identify plausible locations for the deployment of Hybrid Offshore Solar and Wind Power Plants (HOSWPP) and the developed framework is demonstrated considering Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as a study area. Using the proposed approach, Indian EEZ region is classified into five suitability classes. The effectiveness of regions within each class is further assessed in terms of complementarity measured using Kendall's coefficient. Findings suggested that Kendall's coefficient for highly suitable class is −0.41 indicating the regions identified in this study are the prime locations for installing HOSWPP. A total of twenty optimal sites for HOSWPP deployment, predominantly in the offshore regions of Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. Eighteen sites are located along Kanyakumari to Thisayanvilai in Tamil Nadu, including areas in the Gulf of Mannar and near Valinokkam are found plausible. The rest of the two sites are in the offshore regions of Gujarat. This study provides a strategic roadmap to increase the renewable footprint, contributing to the global transition towards cleaner energy sources.

Regeneration of the Austrian forests and browsing impact – Insights from the latest National Forest Inventory

Abstract The initial development stage of forests forms the basis for the future tree generation. Various driving and interacting factors determine the regeneration process at small and large scale. Based on the latest Austrian National Forest Inventory 2016–2021 the regeneration assessments and estimation methods were collated. Analyses were conducted to estimate the forest area regarding regeneration necessity and occurrence, the causes of regeneration deficits, the origin from natural and artificial regeneration, tree species occurrence as well as browsing impact. The results show a sea level gradient of increasing shares of necessary but missing regeneration, ranging between 15% at the lowest and 60% at the highest altitudes. Accordingly, high shares can be found in protective forest without yield (50%) and in the growth regions of the mountainous areas of the Alps (up to 40%). Due to the multitude of driving and interacting factors, the assessed causes of regeneration deficits show divers patterns. Light as a limiting factor appears to be more relevant at low altitudes, and competition through ground vegetation is highest at low and high altitudes. The influence of the humus layer on the seed bed was assessed to increase with altitude, as well as the impact of forest pasture, while game browsing as cause of regeneration deficits show no clear tendency over the analysed strata. About 91% of the necessary and occurring regeneration originates from natural regeneration and the remaining from artificial or a mixture of both regeneration types. The number of tree species in the ground vegetation layer decreases with altitude. Considering browsing impact the results show percentages of affected areas between 40% and 80%. The highest browsing impacts were found at intermediate altitudes between 600 and 1,500 m above sea level. From a large-scale perspective as provided by NFIs, the results show divers patterns of regeneration necessity and occurrence and impacts on the regeneration. Representative large-scale monitoring by NFIs provides the opportunity to identify and quantify the adverse impacts and forest strata that are affected by regeneration deficits, and therefore support the development of forest management strategies that aim at the establishment of the future tree generation under changing climate conditions.

Cost-effective and optimal pathways to selecting building microgrid components – The resilient, reliable, and flexible energy system under changing climate conditions

Amidst the changing climate conditions, electricity retailers-led demand response programs and the emergency backup power for possible grid outages are often discussed in isolation, although several underlying linkages exist, which are important for how the existing building stock evolves with the energy transition. This study navigates through the linkages while investigating the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE)-based building microgrid components and undertakes a comparative analysis of energy optimisation models with and without emergency diesel generators. It also examines the building energy system’s resilience, reliability, and flexibility by using OpenStudio and HOMER Grid to develop energy simulation and optimisation models and other probabilistic models for a chosen building archetype in Sydney, Australia. This study finds that excluding the emergency diesel generator will require a larger battery storage system, increasing LCOE from A$0.17/kWh to A$0.20/kWh across climate scenarios. However, the larger battery storage system increases the probability of surviving outages (> 4 h) by around 10 % across climate scenarios. The LCOE increases up to 45 % for outages up to 8 h across climate scenarios and up to 85 % for outages up to 12 h. Additionally, for the building archetype, the probability of grid purchase (below the current average) is 0.78 in 2030, which drops to 0.55 in 2050. The probability of grid sales (above the current average) also drops from 0.69 to 0.46. Thus, while the narratives around the building energy system’s flexibility overstate the electricity exchange between the building and the grid, this study finds that increasing the on-site production utilisation rate and larger battery throughput contributes to demand response application and flexibility.

Small chemical molecules regulating the phytohormone signalling alter the plant's physiological processes to improve stress adaptation, growth and productivity.

Small chemical molecules are attractive agents for improving the plant processes associated with plant growth and stress tolerance. Recent advances in chemical biology and structure-assisted drug discovery approaches have opened up new avenues in plant biology to discover new drug-like molecules to improve plant processes for sustained food production. Several compounds targeting phytohormone biosynthesis or signalling cascades were designed to alter plant physiological mechanisms. Altering Abscisic acid synthesis and its signalling process can improve drought tolerance, and the processes targeted are reversible. Molecules targeting cytokinin, Auxin, and gibberellic acid regulate plant physiological processes and can potentially improve plant growth, biomass and productivity. The potential of molecules may be exploited as agrochemicals to enhance agricultural productivity. The discovery of small molecules provides new avenues to improve crop production in changing climatic conditions and the nutritional quality of foods. We present the rational combinations of small molecules with inhibitory and co-stimulatory effects and discuss future opportunities in this field.

Investigation of the electrical quality and long-term stability of aluminum ground stud connections in automotive applications

The rapid advancement in the electrification of modern vehicles has led to a continuous increase in electrical consumers for various comfort and safety functions. Ground studs serve as the electrical interface between the conductive vehicle body and the onboard network. Drawn arc stud welding is an economical and established joining process for producing ground stud joints. The circuits in the onboard network are increasingly subject to greater demands regarding current-carrying capacity and long-term stability. Reliable signal and power transmission require minimal contact resistance at the electrical connection points of the ground stud system and must withstand various operating and environmental conditions over the entire service life. In this study, a ground stud made of AlMg5, with a ZnNi-coated steel cap nut was used on a 2.0 mm thick sheet of AlMg3. The electrical connection of the ground studs was made using tinned copper cable lugs and 35 mm² cables. To analyze the electrical resistance behavior in an accelerated test, the ground studs were subjected to a superimposed load with a cyclic current profile for 1008 hours under changing climatic conditions. The results show that under the chosen operational and environmental conditions, accelerated aging and intermittent resistance behavior occur. A characteristic drop in resistance during the test indicates the failure point of the electrical connection. The cause of failure can be attributed to media penetration into the electrical contact zone. A failure of the electrical connection was observed after 512 hours.

Paired X‐Ray Micro CT Scanning and Individual Foraminifera Isotopic Analysis Reveal (De)coupled Changes in Carbonate Preservation and Temperature

AbstractThe composition and preservation state of biogenic carbonate archives, such as foraminiferal tests, record ocean chemistry during the lifetime of the organism and post‐depositional changes in ambient conditions via carbonate compensation. Depending upon the specific paleoclimate proxy, post‐depositional processes, including dissolution, may alter original paleoenvironmental signals captured by the foraminifer's test composition. Accordingly, quantifying dissolution independent of geochemical measurements can improve proxy interpretation. Developing independent tools may also be useful for investigating whether changes in paleoclimatic conditions are associated with changes in seawater carbonate chemistry. Such approaches can be improved further if they are applied to individual foraminiferal tests, as specimen‐to‐specimen differences can record higher‐frequency environmental changes compared to conventional bulk‐scale analyses. Here, we combine individual foraminiferal carbon and oxygen isotopic analyses (IFA) with X‐ray MicroCT Scanning to generate paired analyses of test density (a proxy for the extent of post‐depositional dissolution) and isotopic composition. As a proof‐of‐concept application of this approach, we analyze Globigerina bulloides tests from both coretop and latest Miocene/earliest Pliocene‐aged sediment from Ocean Drilling Project (ODP) Site 1088 (Agulhas Ridge). Our measurements and mixing model calculations show that within‐population differences in carbon and oxygen isotopic ratios are largely independent of dissolution extent. By comparing population averages from coretop and downcore sediments, we find that lower oxygen isotopic ratios (likely driven by higher calcification temperatures) are associated with greater extents of dissolution at ODP Site 1088. We interpret this finding to reflect coupled changes in carbonate chemistry and climatic conditions over million‐year timescales.

Subsurface influences on watershed nutrient concentrations and loading in a clay dominated agricultural system

Water quality issues in the Great Lakes Basin persist despite management and monitoring efforts. With changing land use and climatic conditions, the need for improved understanding of nutrient loss from agricultural field to surface water is imperative to reduce consequences on human and aquatic life, such as perpetual algal blooms and contaminated drinking water. There remains a gap in holistic rural water management studies that investigate the understanding of the water cycle in rural settings and the interconnections between different components of the water cycle, including artificial drainage. In the current study, a year-round paired investigation of subsurface and nutrient dynamics was conducted in a small, intensively managed agricultural watershed within southwestern Ontario, Canada. Nutrients (Nitrate and Phosphorus) and stable isotopes of water (δ2H and δ18O) were sampled at varying scales (i.e., field and watershed), from multiple hydrologic components (e.g., groundwater, surface water, tile flow, and soil water), from 2020 to 2022. Results indicate that nutrient concentrations in surface water were elevated during the growing season, while nutrient loading was greater during the non-growing season in surface water. Monthly nitrate loads were found to be significantly (p < 0.01) related to groundwater elevation, soil moisture and tile flow, whereas total phosphorus loading was found to be significantly (p < 0.01) related to soil moisture and tile flow. δ2H and δ18O signatures revealed that during the growing season nutrient movement was predominantly through interflow pathways (including tile drainage) comprised of event-water. In the non-growing season, there was an increased subsurface influence on nutrient transport. This study highlights the importance of including subsurface characterization in nutrient management studies. A comprehensive understanding of varying seasonal hydrologic mechanisms that control nutrient movement within an agricultural watershed is essential to sustain growing rural communities.

Soil carbon and nitrogen cycling at the atmosphere-soil interface: Quantifying the responses of biocrust-soil interactions to global change.

In drylands, where water scarcity limits vascular plant growth, much of the primary production occurs at the soil surface. This is where complex macro- and microbial communities, in an intricate bond with soil particles, form biological soil crusts (biocrusts). Despite their critical role in regulating C and N cycling in dryland ecosystems, there is limited understanding of the fate of biologically fixed C and N from biocrusts into the mineral soil, or how climate change will affect C and N fluxes between the atmosphere, biocrusts, and subsurface soils. To address these gaps, we subjected biocrust-soil systems to experimental warming and drought under controlled laboratory conditions, monitored CO2 fluxes, and applied dual isotopic labeling pulses (13CO2 and 15N2). This allowed detailed quantification of elemental pathways into specific organic matter (OM) pools and microbial biomass via density fractionation and phospholipid fatty acid analyses. While biocrusts modulated CO2 fluxes regardless of the temperature regime, drought severely limited their photosynthetic C uptake to the extent that the systems no longer sustained net C uptake. Furthermore, the effect of biocrusts extended into the underlying 1 cm of mineral soil, where C and N accumulated as mineral-associated OM (MAOM<63μm). This was strongly associated with increased relative dominance of fungi, suggesting that fungal hyphae facilitate the downward C and N translocation and subsequent MAOM formation. Most strikingly, however, these pathways were disrupted in systems exposed to warming, where no effects of biocrusts on the elemental composition of the underlying soil nor on MAOM were determined. This was further associated with reduced net biological N fixation under combined warming and drought, highlighting how changing climatic conditions diminish some of the most fundamental ecosystem functions of biocrusts, with detrimental repercussions for C and N cycling and the persistence of soil organic matter pools in dryland ecosystems.

Climate warming effects on temperature structure in lentic waters: A bibliometric analysis from the recent 20 years

Global climate warming and intensified summer heatwaves have exacerbated thermal stratification in inland lakes and reservoirs, leading to increased issues of deep-water hypoxia and harmful algae blooms. This study aims to systematically review the developments, barriers, and future directions of thermal phenology in freshwaters under warming conditions through a visualized meta-analysis. According to the Web of Science Core Collection database, we retrieved 3262 articles published between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2023, using an advanced search query that included terms related to global warming, temperature stratification, and freshwater bodies. The data was then analyzed via bibliometric visualization tools to create comprehensive visual maps, highlighting research hotspots and development trends. Key findings include a significant upward trend on this topic, in the annual number of published articles post-2015, in which China and the USA are leading in the publication output. Keyword co-occurrence analysis identified climate change, global warming, and temperature as central themes, with specific environmental issues linking to lake eutrophication and runoff being prominent as well. The study also delves into the collaboration networks among researchers, institutions, and countries, revealing strong international partnerships primarily between China, the USA, and European nations. Based on the analysis, we recommend future research should focus on integrating machine learning and advanced modeling techniques to better predict and mitigate the impacts of climate warming on thermal dynamics of inland waters. By upscaling the research from traditionally local (or regional) to global perspective, our work is vital, not just for science, but also for management of the aquatic systems under rapidly changing climate conditions.

Multidisciplinary perspective: A review of the importance of communication in managing climate change challenges

Climate change is a global issue that affects the entire world, associated with greenhouse gas emissions and resulting in long-term changes in climate conditions. Scientists conduct numerous research studies focused on climate change and mitigating its effects, making it a central topic of discussion. Overall approaches are typically centered around sustainability and reducing greenhouse gas emissions through green and innovative technologies. However, these approaches and scientific expressions can appear complex and abstract to the public, governments, and civil society organizations. In this regard, the role of communication is significant in creating long-term awareness among the public and generating action-oriented solution proposals. The use of effective language and storytelling techniques, localization, visualization, and effective use of media can help contextualize climate change issues, raise awareness, and build consciousness. The role of communication is undeniable in breaking down barriers between scientists and the public, ensuring that solutions to climate change problems are sustainable and effective, and facilitating the development of appropriate policies by governments and civil society organizations. It is essential to prioritize and conduct advanced research and develop innovative strategies for coordinated efforts between scientists and communication experts in addressing climate change and developing effective solutions. The scope of this review is to examine the role of communication in addressing climate change. This article provides an overview of climate change, its impacts, and solutions, explores the relationship between climate change and communication, and highlights the explanation of communication strategies and intergenerational connectivity to increase awareness of climate change.

The Seasonal Variations in Hydrological Factors in the Activity Zones: An Essential Examination of the Ecosystem in Badagry Creek, Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract: The season is a pivotal representative in ascertaining the health status of a coastal ecosystem in a changing climate condition. The physico-chemical parameters of Badagry Creek were spatially and temporally investigated for twelve months (July 2017 to May 2018 for dry and wet seasons). Water samples were collected bi-monthly from nine stations, grouped into five activity zones during the water flow, covering upper, middle and lower courses. Seasonal variations in the physicochemical characteristics of Badgry Creek were found to be significantly different (&lt;0.05) in salinity, phosphate, total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), depth, and dissolved oxygen (DO). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA and Spearman correlation at α₀.₀₅. The wet season had greater values of conductivity (551.27±79.09µS/cm; 412.77±42.7µS/cm) , pH (7.43±0.39: 7.41±0.41), salinity (5.04±1.11ppt: 1.22±0.40ppt), DO (6.72±0.26: 5.39±0.58mg/l), and chloride (Cl̉ˉ, 684.51±82.50 µmol/L: 674.22±73.44 µmol/L) than the dry season respectively. An increase in salinity during the wet season indicates the seawater intrusion and the waste discharge effluents from domestic and aquaculture processes into the stream from the higher course. Significant differences were observed between the Aquaculture (AQ) and Aquaculture combined Dredging (AQ_DG) zone for Sulphate and Chloride (Clˉ). The Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) varied significantly between zones; they were 3.12±0.74mg/l in the Aquaculture zone (AQ) to 4.00±0.42 mg/l in the Domestic Waste (DW) zone and 2.10± 0.5 mg/l in the Aquaculture and Dredging (AQ_DG) zone to 19.2±9.44 mg/l in the Domestic Waste (DW) zone, respectively. The Highest value of TOM in DW station indicates anthropogenic effluents from domestic waste in this zone. The seasons were used to describe variations in Badagry Creek's physicochemical parameter values because the wet season noted higher parameter values, which may be related to an influx of water from the upper to the lower course.

METHODS OF FORECASTING GRAIN CROP YIELD INDICATORS TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE INFLUENCE OF METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS IN THE INFORMATION-ANALYTICAL SUBSYSTEM

Forecasting crop yields is one of the key challenges for the agricultural sector, especially in the context of a changing climate and unstable weather conditions. Kazakhstan, possessing significant territories suitable for growing grain crops, faces many challenges related to the effective management of agricultural activities. In this regard, yield forecasting becomes an integral part of planning and decision-making processes in agriculture. Information and analytical subsystems that integrate yield forecasting methods allow agribusinesses to estimate future production more accurately, minimise risks associated with climate change and optimise resource use. An important component of such systems is the consideration of weather conditions, as weather factors have a direct impact on crop growth and development. The purpose of this article is to develop and evaluate modern methods of forecasting grain yields taking into account the influence of weather conditions, as well as their integration into information-analytical subsystems to improve the accuracy of agricultural forecasting. To achieve this goal, the article addresses the following tasks: to analyse existing methods of yield forecasting and identify their advantages and disadvantages, to develop forecasting models, including machine learning methods such as gradient bousting and recurrent neural networks, to validate the developed models on the basis of historical data using cross-validation methods, to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed methods and compare them with basic models such as linear regression and simple average, to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed methods and to compare them with the basic models such as linear regression and simple average. This article reviews modern methods of forecasting grain crop yields in Kazakhstan, as well as technologies used in information-analytical subsystems. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the influence of meteorological conditions on yields and the development of models that take this factor into account. The presented review and research results are aimed at improving the existing approaches to the management of agricultural processes under conditions of growing uncertainty caused by climate change. The article explores an important scientific task related to the development of methods for step-by-step forecasting of agrometeorological factors and grain yields, relying on the principle of analogy.

Digital mapping of dates of transplanting and accumulated thermal requirement of rice (Oryza sativa L.) in the subtropics of North Eastern Hill Region, India

ABSTRACT Accurate and timely mapping of rice areas is crucial for effective agricultural planning and food security management in the North Eastern Hill Region of India, especially amid changing climate conditions. This study developed a method to estimate rice transplanting dates by utilizing VH polarized backscattering-coefficients rom Sentinel-1A SAR data and also assessed thermal requirements for rice productivity in Ri-Bhoi district, Meghalaya during kharif 2021. The methodology involved 3 steps- (i) preprocessing data to construct time-series SAR images (ii) rule-based classification of SAR data integrating phenological and topographical information to identify transplanting windows (iii) assessing mapping accuracy. The results when compared with field data, revealed five distinct transplanting windows from early June to early August across 9031 ha of rice area. Overall accuracy was 85%, with a kappa coefficient of 0.74. User and producer accuracies ranged from 0.74 to 0.93 and 0.75 to 0.92, respectively for various transplanting windows. GDD varied between 1432.8°C day and 3290.4°C day, with higher values corresponding to earlier planting dates. This study formulates a robust methodology for rice mapping in hilly, small-field landscapes with multiple transplanting dates by integrating Sentinel-1A SAR data with ancillary and crop phenology information, contributing to improved crop management and climate change adaptations.

Spatiotemporal Rainfall Analysis of El Nino, Neutral and La Nina Years Across Belg and Kiremt Seasons Over Oromia Region Ethiopia

ENSO is the primary natural hazard that contributes to food insecurity and poverty. It has been influencing countries’ climatic regimes for decades, bringing frequent floods and droughts. There is limited knowledge on El Niño and La Niña occurrences that affect agricultural activities in the Oromia Region and occur during the Belg and Kiremt seasons when rainfall is distributed. Evaluating the spatiotemporal rainfall performance of ENSO years spanning Belg and Kiremt seasons rainfall distribution over the research area is the primary goal. For the study’s spatial and temporal analyses, satellite rainfall data from 1981 to 2021 was obtained from CHG-UCSB and https://earlywarning.usgs.gov/fews/ewx_lite/index.html, respectively. The study’s findings demonstrated a substantial association between the Belg and Kiremt seasons spanning El Niño and La Niña periods, with a range of correlation values indicating a weak, moderate, and strong relationship. Because of the spatial and temporal dynamics of this study area, ENSO phases indicate that exceptionally dry years are probably linked to El Niño occurrences in the region, whereas extraordinarily rainy years are likely linked to La Niña events. Seasonal rainfall performance and rainfall variability are impacted by ENSO events and other regional systems, with both positive and negative effects observed throughout the research area. In addition to examining the ENSO (Neutral, El Niño, and La Niña) that have a major impact on the seasonal rainfall performances in the Oromia region, this study also looked at the water availability, yield production, pastoralist and agro-pastoralist activities, and water availability. In summary, the results of this research can help us better understand the mechanisms underlying regional ENSO events and their causes, which will be especially useful when future climate conditions change.

Evaluation of grain yields of selected bread wheat (triticum aestivum l.) Varieties in changing climatic conditions using different analytical models

In the present study were determined the variety or varieties with high grain yield and stability despite changing climatic conditions, and also to include these varieties as genetic material in parent lists in breeding programs. The additive main effect and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) analysis results the effects of cultivars (C), environments (E) and cultivar x environment interaction (CEI) were found to be important over grain yield at p≤0.01 level. Also, showed that grain yield performance of bread wheats were greatly affected firstly by the environment (70.42%), secondly from the interaction (7.29%), the least by variety (6.79%). The polygon graph obtained by genotype, genotype x environment (GGE) biplot analysis showed that two separate mega environments were formed, Nurkent variety was the best for first mega-environment, while Pehlivan variety for the second mega environment. GGE biplot determined that the ideal environment for bread wheat was environment 9 (E9) and the ideal genotype was Nurkent. Due to the visual presentation of AMMI and GGE biplot graphs, analysis results showed that these two models can be used to visually identify the best genotypes. Bangladesh J. Bot. 53(3): 545-554, 2024 (September)

Analysis of land use changes and soil erosion using the EPM-IntErO model in the Sokobanja Basin, Serbia

Soil erosion, with the progressive loss of fertile topsoil and its negative impact on agricultural productivity, has become a critical global environmental problem. In the second half of the 20th century, many municipalities in Serbia experienced significant changes in land use, vegetation, and environmental conditions. The drive towards industrialization and urbanization aimed to improve the living standards of the population, but as a consequence, it led to substantial depopulation of rural areas and the adoption of inadequate agricultural practices, which, in turn, further intensified soil erosion. This study focuses on the Sokobanjska Moravica River basin (Eastern Serbia), extending to the Bovan Lake Dam and upstream, with a total area of 540.4 km². The basin is situated in a characteristic karst landscape. Changes in erosion intensity and runoff from this basin are analyzed using the Intensity of Erosion and Outflow (IntErO) model, which algorithmically integrates the widely used Erosion Potential Method (EPM) with innovative computational techniques to predict sediment production and runoff from the river basin accurately. This analysis utilizes GIS software and official statistical yearbook data, focusing on the period from the second half of the 20th century, including the analysis of the current state. According to our research, the most intensive changes in land use occurred between 1961 and 1971, marking the beginning of the period of a decline in rural population and, consequently, a decrease in erosion intensity. Key findings indicate that predominant changes in land use and vegetation led to a shift from crop farming to animal husbandry. After 1971, ongoing depopulation, particularly in rural areas, resulted in a gradual and steady decrease in erosion intensity. The primary aim of this study is to support policymakers in developing more effective soil and water conservation regulations. By making recommendations for the protection of vegetation, and thus the soil within this river basin, this research helps ensure their long-term preservation. Future research should focus on the long-term impacts of current land use practices and develop strategies to mitigate erosion in the context of changing climate conditions.

Research Progress of Bacillus subtilis in Wheat Growth Promotion and Disease Control

Wheat is one of the main food crops in the world, and its output is related to the world food security. In recent years, with the change of climate conditions and the overuse of chemical pesticides, the growing environment of wheat is facing severe challenges, and wheat diseases occur frequently, which seriously affects the growth and yield of wheat. As a new type of green growth promotion and control measures, biological control provides a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way for crops to cope with the challenges of the growing environment. Bacillus subtilis is a kind of PGPR widely found in plant rhizosphere soil. It has strong broad-spectrum antibacterial activity and resistance to stress. In this paper, the mechanism of Bacillus subtilis in promoting wheat growth and the control principle and effect of pathogenic bacteria in wheat were reviewed, and the existing problems were analyzed and prospected in order to provide reference for the application of Bacillus subtilis in agricultural field.