Cultivar Type Research Articles

Soil Potassium Balance in the Hilly Region of Central Sichuan, China, Based on Crop Distribution

The problem of soil fertility imbalance in hilly agriculture is prominent, and accurate estimation of soil potassium balance is key to achieving precision fertilization at the regional level. Crop distribution has a significant impact on potassium balance, but studies on potassium balance with a focus on crop cultivation types are scarce, especially with regard to hilly areas. In this study, the spatial distribution characteristics of soil potassium balance under different cropping conditions and its influencing factors were analyzed for a hilly region. The results showed that (1) the soil rapidly available potassium (RAK) and slowly available potassium (SAK) content in the 0–20 cm soil layer ranged from 29.37 to 122.07 mg kg−1 and from 472.31 to 772.77 mg kg−1, respectively. (2) The soil potassium equilibrium status varied considerably among different cropping systems and the soil potassium deficit was greatest under the rapeseed–maize rotation, reaching −129.50 kg K ha−1 yr−1. The difference in soil potassium deficits between the rice–rapeseed and wheat–maize rotations was not significant, at −46.79 kg K ha−1 yr−1 and −44.07 kg K ha−1 yr−1, respectively, and only the rice–wheat rotation showed a potassium surplus. Due to the low potassium absorption of crops, the equilibrium value of soil potassium is higher than that of crop rotation, and rice and wheat can achieve different degrees of potassium surplus. Rapeseed planting was generally under-applied with potassium, and the potassium deficit could reach −70 kg K ha−1 yr−1. (3) Climate, topography, anthropogenic activity, and soil available potassium explained 20.8% of the variance in soil potassium balance. Anthropogenic activity such as roads and population density had the greatest influence, with 0.797. Topography and average annual precipitation had the weakest influences. These findings emphasize the importance of anthropogenic activity for soil potassium balance, and also provide regional evidence for formulating efficient measures for regional potassium resources management.

Pattern Orientation Finder (POF): A Robust, Bio-Inspired Light Algorithm for Pattern Orientation Measurement

We present the Pattern Orientation Finder (POF), an innovative, bio-inspired algorithm for measuring the orientation of patterns of parallel elements. The POF was developed to obtain an autonomous navigation system for drones inspecting vegetable cultivations. The main challenge was to obtain an accurate and reliable measurement of orientation despite the high level of noise that characterizes aerial views of vegetable crops. The POF algorithm is computationally light and operable on embedded systems. We assessed the performance of the POF algorithm using images of different cultivation types. The outcomes were examined in light of the accuracy and reliability of the measurement; special attention was paid to the relationship between performance and parameterization. The results show that the POF guarantees excellent performance, even in more challenging conditions. The POF shows high reliability and robustness, even in high-noise contexts. Finally, tests on images from different sectors suggest that the POF has excellent potential for application to other fields as well.

Stable isotopic fingerprinting of authentic basmati rice from Pakistan

Basmati rice is a popular, high-value aromatic rice which is an easy target for fraudulent activities such as mislabeling and substitution with non-basmati cultivars. Bulk isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) combined with multivariate analysis was employed to develop a model to identify the geographical origin of rice and authenticate different rice cultivars from Pakistan. ANOVA showed significant statistical differences for δ13C, δ15N, δ2H and δ18O isotopes amongst different basmati and non-basmati rice cultivars. δ2H and δ18O values showed a larger variation between basmati and non-basmati rice cultivars. Multivariate ANOVA showed a significant influence on rice from different regions, cultivars and their stable isotopic values. Regional effects contributed the highest variation for both δ13C and δ15N isotopes (56.6 % and 42.7 %), whereas cultivar type largely contributed to differences in δ2H and δ18O values. Finally, supervised classification models (LDA and PLS-DA) were constructed to assess origin classification ability. The PLS-DA model achieved a higher origin classification accuracy in both training and validation sets (76.7 % and 70.0 %, respectively). In conclusion, isotopic fingerprints along with multivariate statistical analysis showed good potential to characterize rice according to cultivar type and production region. This study provides valuable insights to authenticate Pakistan basmati rice from other non-basmati cultivars, and will be instrumental in developing new tools for industry and regulatory agencies to control fraudulent labeling of basmati rice.

A single nitrogen application maintains wheat yield and quality in dryland Mediterranean Vertisol

AbstractIn dryland Mediterranean Vertisols, split nitrogen (N) application is usual in wheat crops. Because of the high clay content of these soils and the low rainfall, a single application might offer ecological and economic benefits without yield loss. We conducted a 5‐year study as part of a long‐term experiment and compared the split application of N (50% at tillering, 50% at stem elongation phase) with a single application (tillering) in 10 cropping systems resulting from the combination of type of cultivation (no‐till and conventional tillage) and 2‐year crop rotations (wheat–wheat, wheat–fallow, wheat–chickpea, wheat–faba bean and wheat–sunflower). Depending on the system × crop rotation interaction, a single application of 100 or 150 kg N ha−1 maintained grain yield, protein content and apparent N recovery, with no effect on nitrate content compared with a traditional split application. The average grain yield did not differ between split and single application of N (3.27 and 3.23 Mg ha−1, respectively, for single and split application of 100 kg N ha−1 rate; 3.46 and 3.40 Mg ha−1, respectively, for single and split application of 150 kg N ha−1 rate). The soil nitrate concentration at pre‐seeding in the 0–0.3 m layer showed similar results, except in the case of the wheat–faba rotation, with lower nitrate concentration in the sub‐subplots of single application and no‐till. This work shows that adopting the single N application strategy in rotations on Mediterranean dryland Vertisols will reduce economic and environmental costs.

An artificial intelligence-integrated analysis of the effect of drought stress on root traits of "modern" and "ancient" wheat varieties.

Due to drought stress, durum wheat production in the Mediterranean basin will be severely affected in the coming years. Durum wheat cultivation relies on a few genetically uniform "modern" varieties, more productive but less tolerant to stresses, and "traditional" varieties, still representing a source of genetic biodiversity for drought tolerance. Root architecture plasticity is crucial for plant adaptation to drought stress and the relationship linking root structures to drought is complex and still largely under-explored. In this study, we examined the effect of drought stress on the roots' characteristics of the "traditional" Saragolla cultivar and the "modern" Svevo. By means of "SmartRoot" software, we demonstrated that drought stress affected primary and lateral roots as well as root hair at different extents in Saragolla and Svevo cultivars. Indeed, we observed that under drought stress Saragolla possibly revamped its root architecture, by significantly increasing the length of lateral roots, and the length/density of root hairs compared to the Svevo cultivar. Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis of root anatomical traits demonstrated that under drought stress a greater stele area and an increase of the xylem lumen size vessel occurred in Saragolla, indicating that the Saragolla variety had a more efficient adaptive response to osmotic stress than the Svevo. Furthermore, for the analysis of root structural data, Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms have been used: Their application allowed to predict from root structural traits modified by the osmotic stress the type of cultivar observed and to infer the relationship stress-cultivar type, thus demonstrating that root structural traits are clear and incontrovertible indicators of the higher tolerance to osmotic stress of the Saragolla cultivar. Finally, to obtain an integrated view of root morphogenesis, phytohormone levels were investigated. According to the phenotypic effects, under drought stress,a larger increase in IAA and ABA levels, as well as a more pronounced reduction in GA levels occurred in Saragolla as compared to Svevo. In conclusion, these results show that the root growth and hormonal profile of Saragolla are less affected by osmotic stress than those of Svevo, demonstrating the great potential of ancient varieties as reservoirs of genetic variability for improving crop responses to environmental stresses.

High-Zn wheat alleviates P-Zn antagonism by improving Zn activation, acquisition, and translocation at key growth stages

Context or problemApplication of phosphorus (P) fertilizer has achieved a remarkable increase in yield but has also resulted in decreased zinc (Zn) concentration and its bioavailability in cereal grains. ObjectivesSelecting, breeding, and understanding the mechanism for wheat cultivars with high-yield and high-grain Zn under P application is urgent and difficult, with the purpose of alleviating P-Zn antagonism and solving Zn malnutrition globally. MethodsIn a five-year field experiment on the southern Loess Plateau, China, selected high-yield wheat cultivars with contrasting grain Zn concentrations were assessed for rhizosphere Zn activation, root Zn acquisition, and Zn translocation among plant parts at the key growth stages under different P fertilization rates. ResultsResults showed that although the grain Zn concentration decreased with P application, it decreased less and still remained around 49–65 mg/kg in the grain of high Zn (HZn) cultivars. This was 58–72% higher than that of the low Zn (LZn) cultivars on soil with 2.7 mg/kg Olsen-P and 0.55 mg/kg DTPA-Zn due to 32.9–55.4% higher shoot Zn uptake in HZn cultivars at harvest. P application enhanced the rhizosphere Zn activation of HZn cultivars by 21.6% higher than that of LZn cultivars at the jointing stage. However, P application inhibited the root Zn acquisition of both types of cultivars, except for that of the HZn cultivars at the anthesis. The Zn translocation from root to shoot was remarkably enhanced at the grain-filling stage, but much more for HZn cultivars with P application, with the transfer factor being 154% for HZn cultivars and 7.9% for LZn cultivars, respectively. ConclusionsTherefore, HZn cultivars alleviated the P-Zn antagonism and achieved higher grain Zn concentration than the recommended target of 40–60 mg/kg, by maintaining higher rhizosphere Zn activation at the jointing stage, stable high Zn acquisition at the anthesis, and higher Zn translocation capacity from root to shoot during the grain-filling stage. ImplicationsBreeding and selecting cultivars with excellent acquisition performance and translocation capacity for Zn, accompanied by relatively lower soil available P and reasonable P application, may be an applicable Zn biofortification strategy for wheat and other cereals, overcoming the P-Zn antagonism.

Effect of Drought and Pluvial Climates on the Production and Stability of Different Types of Peanut Cultivars in Guangdong, China

The production and breeding of peanuts was restricted by the frequently extreme climatic conditions in Guangdong province, China. To understand the influence of drought and pluvial climates on peanut traits and yield, a phenotypic investigation of seventy peanut cultivars was conducted from 2018 to 2022; comprehensive field meteorological data collection, and typical drought (2021) and pluvial (2022) climates were recorded. The results revealed that the cultivars achieved the highest single plant pod weight (SPPW) and single plant seed weight (SPSW) of 61.03 g and 45.84 g, respectively, in drought conditions, followed by the control, and finally the pluvial. The SPPW, SPSW and eight agronomy traits exhibited significant differences across the different climatic conditions. Correlation analysis revealed the yield traits and key yield-related traits were positively or negatively correlated with soil water content (SWC), total global radiation (TGR), total precipitation (TP) and total net radiation (TNR). The intermediate and Spanish type cultivars were more stable and productive than the other botanical types of cultivars, commercial varieties exhibited better performance than landraces, and seven cultivars were identified with good production potential, under drought and pluvial conditions. Our study showed that pluvial climate was detrimental to peanut yield, and the SPPW and SPSW were significantly influenced by climates with genotype differences.

Cross-regional scale studies of organochlorine pesticides in air in China: Pollution characteristic, seasonal variation, and gas/particle partitioning

Few simultaneous studies of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the atmosphere have been conducted across Southeast and Northeast China, and no data on the gas/particle (G/P) partitioning behaviors of several current-use OCPs are available. In this study, a one-year synchronous monitoring program was conducted for OCPs in Chinese atmosphere spanning 30° latitude and 60 °C temperature. A total of 111 pairs of gas and particle samples were collected from Mohe and Harbin in Northeast China and from Shenzhen in Southeast China. The detection frequency for 66.7 % of the OCPs exceeded 80 %, indicating their prevalence in the atmosphere. The concentrations of individual OCPs spanned six orders of magnitude, indicating different pollution levels. Highest levels of hexachlorobenzene were observed at all sites. Banned OCPs were found predominantly in secondary distribution patterns, whereas current-use OCPs were dominated by primary distribution patterns. In Harbin and Mohe, the concentrations of OCPs were highest in summer, followed by autumn and winter. No obvious seasonal variation was observed in Shenzhen associated with different cultivation types. At all three sites, OCPs were predominantly found in the gas phase, and higher percentages of particle-phase OCPs were observed in Harbin and Mohe than in Shenzhen. In this study, G/P partitioning models were used to study the G/P partitioning mechanism of OCPs. The Li–Ma–Yang model provided the most accurate prediction of the G/P partitioning behavior of OCPs with high molecular weights and low vapor pressures, particularly at low temperatures. However, OCPs with lower molecular weights and higher vapor pressures were predominantly in the equilibrium state, for which the Junge–Pankow model was suitable. This systematic cross-scale study provides new insights into pollution, G/P partitioning, and the environmental behavior of OCPs in the atmosphere.

POSTULATION OF YR RESISTANCE GENES TO STRIPE RUST IN 12 COMMERCIAL WHEAT CULTIVARS OF RUSSIAN BREEDING

Stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici) is a common wheat disease of economic importance in all world wheat production regions. In most of the regions stripe rust causes yield losses of 10-70 %, depending on the time infection occur, host susceptibility, disease development, and the duration of the epidemics. In South Russia even in unfavourable conditions for the pathogen, stripe rust occurred in the region every year, and in some areas there are foci of the disease with of up to 50% severity.
 Phytopathological testing is one of the least expensive and most effective methods for the rapid identification of juvenile resistance genes in varieties against pathogens. It allows to obtain detailed information about the genetics of the host and pathogen in a short time. In the research Yr resistant genes and its combinations were postulated in winter wheat varieties of Russian breeding to North-Caucasus population of stripe rust by this method.
 Purpose of this study was identification of known stripe rust resistance genes in 12 commercial winter wheat cultivars by phytopathological testing.
 Material and methods: The postulation of known resistance genes was carried out in a greenhouse complex (seedling stage) and at the research station (adult plant stage) of the Laboratory of Plant Immunity to Diseases of the Federal Scientific Center for Biological Plant Protection (Krasnodar).
 For postulation, we chose the method by Dubin et al. (1989), based on the comparison of response types of differential cultivars and studied varieties to Pst isolates.
 Results. In 10 out of 12 winter wheat varieties of Russian breeding, 13 stripe rust resistance genes and their combinations were postulated.: Yr3, Yr3a, Yr6, Yr32, Yr2+6, Yr2+9, Yr39+Alp, Yr4+12, Yr4b, Yr3a+4a+H46, YrA, YrSp, YrSU. The following resistance genes have not been identified: Yr2, Yr5, Yr10, Yr10+Mor, Yr24, Yr27, Yr25+32, since no isolates virulent to carriers of these genes were isolated from the North Caucasian population of P. striiformis; and they are highly effective against this population. Highly effective (Yr3, Yr2+9, Yr3a, Yr4+12, Yr3a+4a+H46) resistance genes were identified in the Kurs, Morozko, and Step’ varieties. We note a combination of effective Yr2+6 genes in the Gurt variety.
 In field conditions, high resistance (degree of damage up to 10%) to the North Caucasian population of the stripe rust pathogen was shown by lines and differential cultivars containing the following resistance genes: Yr2, Yr3, Yr8, Yr10, Yr24, Yr25, Yr27, Yr10+Mor, Yr3a, Yr25+32, Yr3a+4a+H46, Yr3с+Min, Yr4+12, Yr7+25, Yr8+19, 8+6+25, YrSp. Due to the low degree of damage, these genes and their combinations are classified as highly effective and can be involved in the breeding process to create new resistant varieties. Varieties containing these genes can also be recommended for breeders and used in production for effective disease control.

Optimization and reactor-scale production of plant growth regulators by Pleurotus eryngii.

The aims of the this study are to select the best cultivation type for plant growth regulator (PGR) production, to optimize PGR production with statistical experimental design, and to calculate bioprocess parameters and yield factors during PGR production by P. eryngii in flask and reactor scales. Submerged fermentation was the best cultivation type with 4438.67 ± 37.14, 436.95 ± 27.31, and 54.32 ± 3.21mg/L of GA3, ABA, and IAA production values, respectively. The Plackett-Burman and Box-Behnken designs were used to determine effective culture parameters and interactive effects of the selected culture parameters on PGR production by Pleurotus eryngii under submerged fermentation. The statistical model is valid for predicting PGR production by P. eryngii. After these studies, maximum PGR production (7926.17 ± 334.09, 634.92 ± 12.15, and 55.41 ± 4.38mg/L for GA3, ABA, and IAA, respectively) was reached on the 18th day of fermentation under optimized conditions. The optimum formula was 50g/L fructose, 3g/L NaNO3, and 1.5g/L KH2PO4, 1mg/L thiamine, incubation temperature 25°C, initial medium pH 7.0, and an agitation speed of 150rpm. The kinetics of PGR production was investigated in batch cultivation under 3-L stirred tank reactor conditions. Concentrations of GA3, ABA, and IAA of 10,545.00 ± 527.25, 872.32 ± 21.81, and 60.48 ± 3.48mg/L were obtained at the reactor scale which were 4.1, 3.4, and 2.3 times higher than the initial screening values. The specific growth rate (µ), the volumetric (rp) and specific (Qp) PGR production rates, 486.11mg/L/day and 107.43mg/g biomass/day for GA3, confirmed the successful transfer of optimized conditions to the reactor scale. In the presented study, PGR production of P. eryngii is reported for the first time.

Functional characterization of 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase gene family in chickpea

Chickpea is an important leguminous crop plant with two cultivated types, desi and kabuli. It is nutritionally enriched in flavonoid content in addition to minerals and vitamins imparting huge health benefits to human beings. Our study elucidates the functionality of 2-oxoglutarate dependent dioxygenase (2-ODD) gene family members i.e., flavanone-3-hydroxylase (F3H), flavonol synthase (FLS) and anthocyanidin synthase (ANS) in chickpea using heterologous bacterial system and in-planta studies in Arabidopsis. This provides information about the biosynthesis of two very significant sub-classes of flavonoids- flavonols and anthocyanins. Here, we show that all the three homologs of F3H in chickpea can utilize not just naringenin but also eriodictyol as their substrate. Moreover, we show that FLS in chickpea exhibits bifunctionality having both FLS and F3H activity. Also, our study indicates the richness of desi chickpea over kabuli type through gene expression and metabolite content analyses. Overall, our study establishes the functionality of 2-ODD gene family involved in the early and late steps of flavonoid biosynthesis pathway in chickpea. It paves way for better genetic manipulation of the pathway for direct or indirect synthesis of three major subclasses of flavonoids (flavonol, anthocyanin and proanthocyanin) to develop nutritious, environmentally stable and healthy chickpea (Cicer arietinum) crop.

Dynamics of Aphelenchoides besseyi in different rice cultivars

Summary Aphelenchoides besseyi is among the most devastating plant-parasitic nematodes and causes severe loss, mainly on japonica rice in China. Recently the nematode has been found to be present in the seeds of indica rice and the hybrid rice cultivars also show symptoms of the nematode damage. To understand the variations in different rice cultivars against A. besseyi, the dynamics of nematode population, the incidence of symptoms and the effects on plant yield were investigated in field experiments during 2017-2018 by inoculation of mixed stages of A. besseyi onto the seeds and seedlings of different types of rice cultivars. The results showed few nematodes could be recovered from the plants at the seedling and the end of tillering stages in all the cultivars. After flowering, the number of nematodes per panicle increased and the highest number was found in ‘Zheyou 18’ in 2017 (1050.2) and 2018 (732.1). The average incidence of the inoculated plants showing white-tip symptoms ranged from 0.5 to 10.3% and from 0.0 to 75.7% at the tillering stage in 2017 and 2018, respectively. The incidences of white-tip symptoms in the indica cultivars, including ‘9311’, ‘Minghui 63’ and ‘Nei 5 you 39’, were significantly lower than in ‘Xingxiang’, a japonica cultivar and ‘Zheyou 18’, a hybrid rice cultivar, both at the flowering stage in 2017 and at the end of the tillering stage in 2018. A strong interaction of the treatments and cultivars on the 1000-grain weight and panicle length was evident.

Nutritional, chemical, and antioxidant screening of selected varieties of lentils (Lens culinaris spp.) from organic and conventional agriculture.

Lentils are an ancient legume established worldwide for direct consumption and with great potential for application in food processing. In addition, it is a sustainable crop owing to its ability to scavenge nitrogen and carbon, and it improves the nutrient status of the soil. A diet rich in lentils has been linked to significant health benefits. However, the composition of lentils can be influenced by both the lentil variety and the growing conditions. The aim of this work was to evaluate the nutritional profiles and antioxidant potential, as well as the impact that the type of cultivation (conventional or organic) and the variety could have on these parameters, in different lentil varieties. Overall, carbohydrates are the major macronutrients in all varieties, with notable amounts of fibre (11.62-27.36%) and starch (41.98-50.27%). High amounts of protein and ash were also identified, particularly in the Beluga variety, with 21.9-23.3 and 1.38-1.82 g 100 g-1 fresh weight, respectively. Fructose and sucrose were detected (high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with refraction index detection), along with oxalic, quinic, malic, and shikimic acids (ultra-fast liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection), and α- and γ-tocopherol isoforms (HPLC with fluorescence detection). Fatty acid methyl ester assessment showed the prevalence of polyunsaturated fatty acids (33.5-46.3%). Good antioxidant capacity (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and oxidative haemolysis inhibition assay) was also noted. The results obtained showed that all the varieties analysed are an excellent source of fibre and have a good antioxidant capacity. Lentil variety has a greater influence on its nutritional composition than the type of cultivation. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Five Cultivars of Ziziphus spp. Cultivated in Southern Iraq

Ziziphus spp. is one of the economic fruit trees whose cultivation spreads in southern Iraq. This study characterized the morphological, molecular, and genetic diversity of five cultivars (Malasy, Normal, Zaytony, Bambawi, Tofahy), using 12 morphological indicators for leaf and fruit and six primers for RAPD technology. The results of the morphological characterization showed that the two cultivars (Normal and Malasy) recorded the highest genetic kinship between them, amounting to 10.04. In comparison, the farthest genetic distance between the two cultivars (Zaytony and Normal) was recorded, which amounted to 29.3. As for the molecular characterization results, the primers produced 113 20 bands, with an average of 18.8 bands for each primer, and the percentage of polymorphism was 100% and unique bands totaling 51 bands appeared, including 17 bands with different molecular weights characteristic of the cultivars. The genetic tree diagram showed the distribution of cultivars in two groups. The combination of morphological and molecular characterization is one of the most important tools that can be relied upon in finding genetic differences and determining fingerprints, especially between types of genders or cultivars of the same species. Keywords: fingerprints, genetic distance, Morphological, RAPD, Ziziphus.

Spectral library of crops and discrimination of major vegetables grown in the eastern Himalayan ecosystem: A proximal hyperspectral remote sensing approach

Identifying, characterising and mapping, unique vegetable crops grown on small mixed lands in the eastern Himalayan mountain ecosystem (EHME) using traditional methods is a challenge. The exploration of high-resolution, multispectral optical satellite data for vegetable mapping is hindered by heavy rainfall, clouds, and year-round fog/snow cover. Hyperspectral imaging is restricted in the region that borders several international countries because of security concerns. In the global literature on spectroscopy, information on vegetable crops cultivated in the Himalayan ecosystem is marginal or never covered. Thus, we used a portable Field Spec Handheld2 (ASD) spectroradiometer for spectral characterization of 28 important vegetables, from 10 different families. During the summer and winter seasons of 2020–2022, they were grown without stress and in good health in the experimental field at Umiam, Meghalaya. The ground radiometer was able to achieve a spectral resolution of <3 nm in the 325 to 1075 nm wavelength range. At critical growth stages, data were acquired on cloudless days in 1100 and 1300 nm, with a height of 1 m above the crop and a field of view (FOV) <25°. Crop-specific sensitive wavebands were identified and estimated 12 vegetation indices (VI) that relate to biophysical and biochemical properties for crop discrimination. The near infrared region (NIR: 700–1070 nm) was effective for crop discrimination. Of the 10 families, the mean NDVI values varied in the following descending order: Umbelliferae(0.878) > Malvaceae(0.863) > Cucurbitaceae(0.802) > Lamiaceae(0.732) > Solanaceae(0.721) > Leguminosae(0.651) > Cruciferae (0.607) > Amarantha ceae(0.604) > Zingiberaceae(0.595) > Liliaceae(0.531). Among vegetables, the highest NDVI was reported for Fenugreek (0.922) and the lowest for Broccoli (0.421). The position on the red edge (700-750 nm) varied greatly. Similarly, crop families had varying VI values for chlorophyll, carotenoid, xanthophyll and anthocyanin pigments. The ranges of these indices were defined as healthy or stressed crops for the region. From the multi-season spectral signature, a spectral crop library (CSL) for all vegetables was developed under clearly defined conditions (e.g. growth stage, time and year, soil, cultivar type, and climate). The CSL generated from the study provides a reference spectral source for spatial mapping and quantitative spectral modelling to assess crop conditions and prescribe measures. This will be a crucial step in promoting precision agriculture in the eastern Himalayas and other similar ecosystems.

Different responses of the rhizosphere microbiome to Verticillium dahliae infection in two cotton cultivars.

Verticillium wilt is a disastrous disease caused by Verticillium dahliae that severely damages the production of cotton in China. Even under homogeneous conditions, the same cotton cultivar facing V. dahliae tends to either stay healthy or become seriously ill and die. This binary outcome may be related to the interactions between microbiome assembly and plant health. Understanding how the rhizosphere microbiome responds to V. dahliae infection is vital to controlling Verticillium wilt through the manipulation of the microbiome. In this study, we evaluated the healthy and diseased rhizosphere microbiome of two upland cotton cultivars that are resistant to V. dahliae, Zhong 2 (resistant) and Xin 36 (susceptible), using 16S rRNA and ITS high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that the healthy rhizosphere of both resistant cultivar and susceptible cultivar had more unique bacterial ASVs than the diseased rhizosphere, whereas fewer unique fungal ASVs were found in the healthy rhizosphere of resistant cultivar. There were no significant differences in alpha diversity and beta diversity between the resistant cultivar and susceptible cultivar. In both resistant cultivar and susceptible cultivar, bacterial genera such as Pseudomonas and Acidobacteria bacterium LP6, and fungal genera such as Cephalotrichum and Mortierella were both highly enriched in the diseased rhizosphere, and Pseudomonas abundance in diseased rhizospheres was significantly higher than that in the healthy rhizosphere regardless of the cultivar type. However, cultivar and V. dahliae infection can cause composition changes in the rhizosphere bacterial and fungal communities, especially in the relative abundances of core microbiome members, which varied significantly, with different responses in the two cotton cultivars. Analysis of co-occurrence networks showed that resistant cultivar has a more complex network relationship than susceptible cultivar in the bacterial communities, and V. dahliae has a significant impact on the bacterial community structure. These findings will further broaden the understanding of plant-rhizosphere microbiome interactions and provide an integrative perspective on the cotton rhizosphere microbiome, which is beneficial to cotton health and production.

Overview and Challenges of Large-Scale Cultivation of Photosynthetic Microalgae and Cyanobacteria.

Microalgae and cyanobacteria are diverse groups of organisms with great potential to benefit societies across the world. These organisms are currently used in food, feed, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. In addition, a variety of novel compounds are being isolated. Commercial production of photosynthetic microalgae and cyanobacteria requires cultivation on a large scale with high throughput. However, scaling up production from lab-based systems to large-scale systems is a complex and potentially costly endeavor. In this review, we summarise all aspects of large-scale cultivation, including aims of cultivation, species selection, types of cultivation (ponds, photobioreactors, and biofilms), water and nutrient sources, temperature, light and mixing, monitoring, contamination, harvesting strategies, and potential environmental risks. Importantly, we also present practical recommendations and discuss challenges of profitable large-scale systems associated with economical design, effective operation and maintenance, automation, and shortage of experienced phycologists.

Night warming from tillering to jointing increases post-anthesis flag leaf photosynthetic capacity and wheat yield

Global warming is asymmetric, with the increase in temperature at night being greater than that during the day. The objectives of this study were to assess the effects of night warming during different growth stages on the wheat grain yield, dry matter accumulation and distribution, photosynthetic characteristics, and enzymes related to sucrose metabolism. For that, field experiments with passive night warming were conducted using local spring type cultivars ‘Yangmai 18′ and ‘Sumai 188′ and semi-winter type cultivars ‘Yannong 19′ and ‘Annong 0711′ in two growing seasons in the Yangtze River Basin of China (average night time temperature increases of 1.45 °C and 1.56 °C for 2019–2020 and 2020–2021, respectively). The cultivars were exposed to night warming between four different growth stages (tillering to jointing [NWT-J], jointing to booting [NWJ-B], and booting to anthesis [NWB-A]) after 50% of plants had attained the treatment-start stage (tillering: Zadoks growth stage 21, main shoot and one tiller; jointing: Zadoks growth stage 31, the 1st node was detectable; booting: Zadoks growth stage 41, flag leaf sheath extension stage; anthesis: Zadoks growth stage 60, the beginning of pollination). Plants grown under ambient conditions were considered as the control (NN). Treatment NWT-J increased dry matter accumulation in flag leaves and spikes at anthesis and maturity, ultimately benefiting the yield, and the increase was higher in the semi-winter type cultivars. NWT-J increased not only the chlorophyll content, photosynthetic traits (net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate), and the activities of the maximum efficiency of PSII photochemistry under dark-adapted wheat flag leaves at the grain-filling stage (14 days after anthesis) but also the activities of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase), and glycolate oxidase (GOX), and thus improved the photosynthetic capacity of wheat flag leaves and facilitating photosynthate accumulation. NWT-J also increased sucrose-phosphate synthase activity in flag leaves at the grain-filling stage, which could improve sucrose content. Collectively, early vegetative night warming (warming during tillering-jointing) improved the photosynthetic capacity of the flag leaves during the grain-filling stage and promoted the post-anthesis accumulation of dry matter and the transfer of dry matter to the grains, which ultimately benefited the yield.

Purchasing decisions on date palm fruits: A quantitative analysis of the Khalas cultivar.

This study examines the attributes of date palm fruits that influence consumer purchasing decisions and measures the attributes' relative importance weights for understanding consumption patterns relative to the cultivation areas. A case study was conducted for a selected date fruit, Khalas, which is cultivated in Saudi Arabia and ranked first in the world in exported dates. Our empirical investigation is based on utilizing a proposed quantitative analysis that integrated the entropy weighting method and binary logit models. With this survey design, 486 questionnaires were collected. Analysis results revealed a ranking list of preferred attributes, with size, mellowness, price, and color being the most valued. However, this ranking list fluctuates when different cultivated types of Khalas dates are available. The results also showed that consumption patterns may change in terms of preference index and shopping location. The paper concludes with a discussion of managerial implications, limitations, and future research directions.

Combined Effects of Different LED Light Recipes and Slow-Release Fertilizers on Baby Leaf Lettuce Growth for Vertical Farming: Modeling through DoE

The modern agriculture system based on open-field crops requires a lot of energy and resources in terms of soil, water, and chemicals. Vertical farming (VF) systems could be a viable alternative for some types of cultivation that are receiving interest thanks to their high modularity, optimized water and nutrients use, and LEDs employment as an energy-efficient light source. However, VF design and installation are expensive and require well-tailored optimization depending on the specific crop to increase its competitiveness. This work analyzed the effects of different combinations of NPK (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium) slow-release fertilizers and LED-based light recipes on the growth of baby leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), taking advantage of the Design of Experiments (DoE) methodology. The type of slow-release fertilizer, its quantity measured as the number of aggregates from 0 to 6, and the type of light recipe were considered as input factors, and their possible influence on the growth of lettuce (in terms of morphological parameters) in a controlled indoor farming system was measured. Results suggest that using higher fertilizer inputs equal to six aggregates leads to an increase of average leaf area equal to 46% (from 13.00 cm2 to 19.00 cm2), while the fresh weight of lettuce increases by 65% (from 1.79 g to 2.96 g). However, the height of plants also depends on the combination of the light recipes. In particular, the separate coupling of higher inputs of two fertilizers and light recipes leads to an increase in the height of lettuce equal to 33% (from 6.00 cm to 8.00 cm).