Maturity Date Research Articles

The automated cell counter for the analysis of morphological characteristics and the quantitative estimation of starch granules in different potato varieties

Relevance. Potato starch is widely used in the food, textile, perfume and pharmaceutical industries. The starch content and the size of starch granules in potato tubers are varietal characteristics (Solanum tuberosum L.). The knowledge of morphological properties of starch plays a key role in the technologies for the production of consumer and industrial goods.Materials and methods. The studies were carried out in 2020-2021 at the experimental base of Federal State Budget Scientific Institution “Federal Scientific Center of Agricultural Bio-technology of the Far East named after A.K. Chaiki” (Primorsky Krai). The object of the research were 11 varieties of different maturity dates. Morphological structure of starch granules was evaluated by image analysis on Countess II FL automated cell counter.Results. The varieties studied had predominantly rounded and oval pellets regardless of maturity and genetic origin. Differences in starch granule size depending on tuber size and ripeness group were noted. Early maturing varieties had granule size less than 20 microns regardless of tuber fraction. The exception is the variety Queen Anne, in small tubers of this variety starch granules larger than 20 microns is 67.86%. It was noted that the proportion of medium and large grains increased in varieties with a longer growing season. For example, the variety Augustin medium-ripening had a proportion of medium and large grains in the large and small tuber of 47.72 and 41.48%, respectively. The maximum number of grains larger than 20 microns was observed in the mid-late varieties Kazachok (63.77%) and Smak (92.22%).Conclusion. The method using a cell counter and subsequent processing of microphotographs of starch granules is an accessible, economical, simple and effective approach to phenotyping potato varieties and hybrids of Solanum tuberosum L. by physical and chemical parameters of starch. This method can be used for accelerated analysis of a large number of samples on a limited amount of natural material, including in field and farm laboratories.

An automated extraction of small- and middle-sized rice fields under complex terrain based on SAR time series: A case study of Chongqing

Spatial assessment of rice cultivation area is a crucial activity, which is the foundation for the government to effectively improve the comprehensive rice production, promote the continuous increase of farmers' income and accelerate the construction of a modern rice industry system. In recent decades, large areas of arable land in Chongqing were converted to built-up land or restored to forests and grasses, resulting in a rapid decline in the rice planting area. Chongqing has an annual average of 104 cloudy and foggy days, the terrain is complex, and rice fields are generally fragmented with small- or middle-sized. How to timely obtain updated and accurate rice planting maps in Chongqing remains challenging. In this study, we processed 411 time series Sentinel-1A SAR scenes of vertical-horizontal polarization in 2020 over Chongqing, and analyzed the characteristics of rice phenological parameters under different terrain conditions, including rice transplanting date, mature grain date, length of growing season, rice agronomy flooding decline speed during sowing-transplanting period, and green-up speed during transplanting-mature period. On these bases, a decision tree algorithm integrating topographical features and rice phenological characteristics was proposed for collectively mapping patches of rice field. The identified rice results had user, producer, and overall accuracies of 0.96, 0.85 and 0.88, respectively. Meanwhile, SAR-derived rice area was compared against official rice statistical area at the county/district level with the correlation coefficient of 0.96. According to the rice map in 2020, there was a total area of 6125.70 km2 paddy rice in Chongqing, which was 6.27% lower than the data from the Chongqing statistical yearbook. Our study demonstrates the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed rice mapping method that comprehensively deliberate the topographical and rice phenological features in the complex landscapes with diverse crop types, small-medium sized and fragmented rice fields, and frequent cloudy and foggy weather.

Psychological and Behavioural Drivers of Short-Term Investment Intentions

Analysing the factors that influence the short-term investment intentions of investors is critical for investment institutions. If investment institutions are informed about these factors they can create a framework to more accurately profile their clients to provide clients with the desired liquidity, maturity dates and desired risk and return expectations. Risk tolerance is one of the elements that has been used over time to profile investors, however, this paper found that other factors should also be included. Therefore, this article aimed to determine what drives investors’ short-term investment intentions following a more sociological and behavioural approach by including investor personality traits, behavioural finance biases and investors’ risk tolerance behaviour. Secondary data was obtained from a private investment firm surveying private investors in South Africa. Male investors were also more likely to invest in the short-term compared to female investors. Several personality traits, risk tolerance and a single behavioural finance bias were found to influence investor intentions to invest in the short-term. It is therefore recommended to portfolio management companies that several sociological and behavioural variables do explain whether investors will be willing to invest in short-term or more long-term investment portfolios.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the degree of persistence of US stock prices and bond yields

This paper analyses the possible effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the degree of persistence of US monthly stock prices and bond yields using fractional integration techniques. The model is estimated first over the period January 1966-December 2020 and then a recursive approach is taken to examine whether or not persistence has changed during the following pandemic period (up to February 2021). We find that the unit root hypothesis cannot be rejected for stock prices while for bond yields the results differ depending on the maturity date and the specification of the error term. In general, bond yields appear to be more persistent, although there is evidence of mean reversion in case of 1-year yields under the assumption of autocorrelated errors. The recursive analysis shows no impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the persistence of stock prices, whilst there is an increase in the case of both 10- and 1- year bond yields but not of their spread.

Good for patients but not learners? Exploring faculty and learner virtual care integration.

The pandemic catapulted the adoption of virtual care far ahead of its anticipated maturation date, forcing faculty to role model and teach learners with barely enough time to master it themselves. With a scant body of prepandemic literature now accompanied by experience gained under extraordinary circumstances, we can benefit from understanding ad hoc strategies implemented by those on the front lines and from listening to learners about what is working and what is not. The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of learner integration into virtual care from both the faculty and learner perspectives. Using a constructivist grounded theory methodology and sociomateriality as a sensitising concept, we recruited participants using purposeful and theoretical sampling from a Canadian University with limited prepandemic virtual care provision. We interviewed 16 faculty and 5 learners spanning a breadth of specialties and years of practice/education to probe their experience of teaching and learning virtual care. Data collection and analysis were conducted iteratively with themes identified through constant comparative analysis. Integrating learners into virtual care proved challenging initially because of a lack of familiarity with the process and later because of disrupted workflow, triggered by the structure and logistics of the virtual care clinic. Both faculty and learners identified learning deficiencies in the virtual care experience when compared with in-person clinics, but several unique and valuable learning affordances were noted. All faculty expressed a desire to keep virtual care as part of their future clinic practice, but paradoxically most felt that they were unlikely to include learners. Training learners in virtual care is an educational challenge that will not disappear with COVID-19, even if our participants wished it could. The perceived value for patients but not learners begs a reconsideration of the sociomaterial contribution to this pandemic paradox.

A Method for Prediction of Winter Wheat Maturity Date Based on MODIS Time Series and Accumulated Temperature

Accurate determination of crop phenology is key to field management and decision making. The existing research on phenology based on remote sensing data is mainly phenology monitoring, which cannot realize the prediction of phenology. In this paper, we propose a method to predict the maturity date (MD) of winter wheat based on a combination of phenology monitoring method and accumulated temperature. The method is divided into three steps. First, 2-band Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI2) time series data were generated using the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) reflectance data at 8-day intervals; then, the time series were reconstructed using polynomial fitting and the heading date (HD) of winter wheat was extracted using the maximum method. Secondly, the average cumulative temperature required for winter wheat to go from HD to MD was calculated based on historical phenological data and meteorological data. Finally, the timing of winter wheat HD and the current year’s Meteorological Data were combined to predict winter wheat MD. The method was used to predict the MD of winter wheat in Hebei in 2018 and was validated with data from the phenology station and the Modis Land Cover Dynamics (MCD12Q2) product. The results showed that the coefficient of determination (R2) for predicting MD using this method was 0.48 and 0.74, the root mean square error (RMSE) was 7.03 and 4.91 days, and Bias was 4.93 and −3.59 days, respectively. In summary, the method is capable of predicting winter wheat MD at the regional scale.

Performance of Different Peach Varieties at Lower Altitude (4000 ft) of Murree Hills

Peach is unique stone fruit belongs to subtropical zones. It is getting high in demand due to its immense nutritional importance and dessert quality. High quality peach produce is dependent of various factors such as variety, rootstock, climate and soil etc. In pursuit of that the performance of eight different cherry varieties namely Florida King, Peach 8, Mario Delicizia, Peach 3, Early Grand, A-669, Nectarine and Spring Crest were evaluated in the climatic conditions of Tret (4000 ft). The experiment laid out according to randomized complete block design (RCBD), with four replications and one plant per treatment for the consecutive three years. Data regarding Flowering time , Fruit setting, Color break stage, Date of maturity, Ripening Stage , Fruit Weight (g), Fruit Length (cm), Fruit Width (cm), Yield per plant (kg), TSS % and Firmness. Peach 8 is the early maturity variety followed by Florida king. The Highest TSS value was shown by Florida King (13 oBrix) followed by Peach 8 (12 oBrix). Regarding the firmness (15) Florida king surpasses all other varieties. Regarding yield per plant Early Grand exhibited better results (15 kg/plant). In the long run, it will be an effective protocol for production of peach on commercial scale and development of market as well as storage on sound basis

Yerfıstığında (Arachis hypogea L.) Mikoriza, Demir ve Çinko Uygulamalarının Verim ve Tarımsal Özellikler Üzerine Etkisi

The exogenous applications of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), iron and zinc have the potential to increase yield in peanut. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of AMF, Fe and Zn combinations on yield and yield components in peanut. Seed coating with AMF and foliar sprays of Fe and Zn were arranged in split-split block design with four replications under farmer’ condition in 2020. The highest values for pod number per plant, pod and kernel yield (kg ha-1) and 100 seed weight were recorded in parcels where AMF, Fe and Zn were applied together. The combination of AMF, Fe and Zn favorable affected maturity date and harvest index. It was highlighted that AMF, Fe and Zn combinations could be used successfully to improve the yield and in peanut cultivation.

PENGARUH LIKUIDITAS, WAKTU JATUH TEMPO, DAN KUPON OBLIGASI TERHADAP HARGA OBLIGASI PADA PERUSAHAAN KORPORASI YANG TERDAFTAR DI BURSA EFEK INDONESIA

This study aimed to find out the effects of the variables of the Liquidity with the Current Ratio as its proxy, Maturity Date Duration, and Bond Coupon on the Bond Price of companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange. The period in the study was 4 years, from 2017 to 2020. The research population comprised 116 bonds of companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange in the periode 2017-2020. The sampel was selected by means of the purposive sampling technique and it consisted of 14 bonds of companies. The data analysis technique was panel regression analysis. Based on the results of the data analysis, partially the Current Ratio did not have an effect on the Bond Price, the Maturity Date Duration had a significant positive effect on the Bond Price, and the Bond Coupon had a significant positive effect on the Bond Price

EUROPEAN PUT OPTION PRICING MODEL WITH GRAM-CHARLIER EXPANSION IN THIRD MOMENTS

The Black-Scholes model is one of the most popular and widely applied option pricing models in both academic and practical contexts developed by Black and Scholes (1973). The practical assumption in the Black-Scholes model is stock return following the normal distribution with constant volatility. However, many stock returns are not normally distributed, so should consider the skewness and kurtosis of the stock return. This developmental model adapts the Gram-Charlier expansion to adapt skewness and kurtosis to the Black-Scholes formula. Approximation method used is an alternative approach with Hermite polynomial. The observed stocks are SPG, C, and AXP by taking stock price data from November 11, 2016 to November 11, 2017 with maturity date at January 18, 2019 and interest rate (r) of 1,25%. After comparing the average MSE of both models, found that the third moment Gram-Charlier expansion is better than the Black-Scholes model in modeling SPG, C, and TSLA stock prices

Demographic responses to climate-driven variation in habitat quality across the annual cycle of a migratory bird species.

The demography and dynamics of migratory bird populations depend on patterns of movement and habitat quality across the annual cycle. We leveraged archival GPS‐tagging data, climate data, remote‐sensed vegetation data, and bird‐banding data to better understand the dynamics of black‐headed grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) populations in two breeding regions, the coast and Central Valley of California (Coastal California) and the Sierra Nevada mountain range (Sierra Nevada), over 28 years (1992–2019). Drought conditions across the annual cycle and rainfall timing on the molting grounds influenced seasonal habitat characteristics, including vegetation greenness and phenology (maturity dates). We developed a novel integrated population model with population state informed by adult capture data, recruitment rates informed by age‐specific capture data and climate covariates, and survival rates informed by adult capture–mark–recapture data and climate covariates. Population size was relatively variable among years for Coastal California, where numbers of recruits and survivors were positively correlated, and years of population increase were largely driven by recruitment. In the Sierra Nevada, population size was more consistent and showed stronger evidence of population regulation (numbers of recruits and survivors negatively correlated). Neither region showed evidence of long‐term population trend. We found only weak support for most climate–demographic rate relationships. However, recruitment rates for the Coastal California region were higher when rainfall was relatively early on the molting grounds and when wintering grounds were relatively cool and wet. We suggest that our approach of integrating movement, climate, and demographic data within a novel modeling framework can provide a useful method for better understanding the dynamics of broadly distributed migratory species.

Perlindungan Hukum Terhadap Investor Pemegang Obligasi Atas Gagal Bayar Yang Dilakukan Oleh Emiten Selama Pandemi Covid-19

The development of the Indonesian Capital Market is currently running very rapidly. The rapid development Indonesian Capital Market can’t be separated from the role of Investors and Issuers as the main actors in the capital market. Bond as one of the investment instrument in Indonesian Capital Market which currently circulating in line with high demand among investor considering bond have lower risk than other capital market instruments. However, investing in bond is not without risk, because Issuer may fail to pay their obligation. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) Pandemic has caused bond default rates to increase. Such condition can lead to a crisis of Investors confidence in Indonesian Capital Market. Therefore, this study aims to find out and understand the form of legal protection for Investors who suffer losses due to default during Covid-19 Pandemic and the legal actions that can be taken by Investors for losses arising from default. The research method used is normative juridical with descriptive analytical research specification. Based on the Indonesian Civil Code and Indonesian Capital Market Law, it can be concluded that the Issuer who issue bond is responsible for paying bond interest and returning the principal of the bond loan on the maturity date to Investors. Bond default give Investors the right to demand the return of their rights to bond interest and to the principal of maturing bond through the Trustee. Legal actions that can be taken by bondholders are internal dispute settlement, external dispute settlement through Integrated Alternative Dispute Resolution Institution, or through litigation.

Decoupling of impact factors reveals the response of cash crops phenology to climate change and adaptive management practice

Variations in phenology are regarded as a dynamic bio-indicator of global climate change. Rising incomes and the shift toward a diverse diet have been increasing the cash crop demand. However, the response of cash crop phenology to climate change and adaptive management practice remains largely unknown. In this study, using phenology records from 1991 to 2010, we separate the effects of climatic factors and management on phenological changes in the cash crops of sorghum, peanut, and canola based on the statistical and machine learning models. Our results show: (1) The sowing, emergence, three-leaf, and milk ripening date of sorghum showed a significantly (p < 0.05) advanced trend. The sowing, emergence, and five-leaf for canola likewise exhibited a significantly advanced trend (0.55 to 0.91 days a−1). The phenophases of the peanut were generally delayed (0.12 to 0.86 days a−1). (2) For sorghum, canola, and peanut, there is a delayed effect of increasing sunshine hours on heading/anthesis dates. The sowing date for sorghum and peanut delayed with the increased temperature. The three-leaf and milk ripening date of sorghum were sensitive to the wind speed. (3) Sunshine hours contributed to the extension of the whole growth period for sorghum, peanut, and canola, by 68.1, 60.7, and 40.0 %, respectively. The wind speed and temperature had comparable contributions to the maturity date, the former even dominating the heading date of sorghum. (4) Adaptive management practice partially offsets the effect of climate change and supports the length of the whole growth period for sorghum and peanut. Climate change exerts a positive effect on the vegetative growth period for three crops. Our results identified the main climatic factors regulating cash crop phenology. Wind speed must be incorporated in the process-based model to better account for the phenological variations associated with climate change.

Long-Term Optimal Management of Rapeseed Cultivation Simulated with the CROPGRO-Canola Model

Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is an important oilseed crop grown worldwide with a planting area of 6.57 million ha in China, which accounts for about 20% of the world’s total rapeseed planting area. However, in recent years, the planting area in China has decreased by approximately 12.2% due to the low yield and economic benefits. Thus, to ensure oil security, it is necessary to develop high-efficiency cultivation for rapeseed production. Crop growth models are powerful tools to analyze and optimize the yield composition of crops under certain environmental and management conditions. In this study, the CROPGRO-Canola model was first calibrated and evaluated using the rapeseed planting data of four growing seasons in Wuhan with nine nitrogen fertilizer levels (from 120 to 360 kg ha−1) and five planting densities (from 15 to 75 plants m−2). The results indicated that the CROPGRO-Canola model simulated rapeseed growth well under different nitrogen rates and planting densities in China, with a simulation error of 0–3 days for the anthesis and maturity dates and a normalized root mean square error lower than 7.48% for the yield. Furthermore, we optimized the management of rapeseed by calculating the marginal net return under 10 nitrogen rates (from 0 to 360 kg ha−1 at an increasing rate of 40 kg ha−1) and 6 planting densities (from 15 to 90 plant m−2 at an increasing rate of 15 plant m−2) from 1989 to 2019. The results indicated that the long-term optimal nitrogen rate was 120–160 kg N ha−1, and the optimal planting density was 45–75 plants m−2 under normal fertilizer prices. The optimal nitrogen rate decreased with increasing fertilizer price within a reasonable range. In conclusion, long-term rapeseed management can be optimized based on rapeseed and nitrogen cost using long-term weather records and local soil information.

Long term assessment of salinity impact on fruit yield in eighteen date palm varieties

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) growth and production in the arid regions is adversely affected by increasing soil and water salinities. Although many aspects of date palm nutrition, physiology, genetics, and many more are extensively researched, the evaluation of salinity impact on date palm growth and productivity are limited to short duration studies and/or focused mostly on the seedling stage. A large gap in understanding salinity impact on mature date palms is therefore very evident. A long-term experiment (2001–2016) was established in 2001 using eighteen local and regional date palm varieties from the Arabian Peninsula on 2.5 ha to evaluate the impact of three levels of irrigation water salinity (5, 10 and 15 dS m−1 ECW) on date palm productivity. Eight years of yield data showed that fruit yield at Rutab and maturity stages was severely reduced at high salinity. Rutab fruit yield ranged from 67 to 146 kg tree-1 at low salinity (5 dS/m) while at the high salinity (15 dS m−1 ECw) yields ranged from 21 to 98 kg tree-1. At maturity, fruit yield reduction at the high salinity relative to the low salinity reached 67%. The 18 date palm varieties were widely different with regard to the impact of salinity on yield stability. Regression fitting and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) led to the identification of four different groups of date palm varieties in relation to salinity tolerance and thresholds. Group 1, including varieties Lulu and Barhi, are high-yielding varieties with high salinity tolerance; average salinity level at 50% yield reduction was 12 dS m−1 ECw. The second group includes the varieties Khisab, Sukkari, Jabri, Shahla, which are characterized as high-yielding varieties with sensitivity to increase in salinity, yield decline significantly at elevated salinity. Average salinity level at 50% yield reduction is 10 dS m−1 ECw. The third group includes varieties Fardh, Um Al Hamam, Naghal, Abu-Maan, Rhothan, which are characterized by medium to high yield potential under low salinity with moderate salinity tolerance. Average salinity level at 50% yield reduction is 9 dS m−1 ECw. The fourth group includes varieties Shagri, Khnizi, Nabtat Saif, Ajwat Al Madinah, Khalas, Maktoumi which demonstrate low yield potential with low salinity tolerance. Average salinity level at 50% yield reduction is 8 dS m−1 ECw. The present findings will provide a better understanding of the impact of salinity on date palm yield and guide future work on genetic enhancement and the development of integrated crop management approaches for date palm under marginal conditions.

Effect of Postharvest UV-C Radiation on Nutritional Quality, Oxidation and Enzymatic Browning of Stored Mature Date

The effect of three doses of UV-C radiation (1, 3 and 6 kJ m−2) on conservation potential after harvest of the Deglet-Nour date for five months of storage at 10 °C was studied. Contents of water, total sugar, carotenoids, proteins, total polyphenols, flavonoids and condensed tannins, as well as browning index, enzyme activities of polyphenoloxidase and peroxidase and antioxidant capacity of samples were monitored during storage using standard methods. Doses 1 and 6 kJ m−2 significantly slowed the water loss of samples until the second month of storage, with 17.68% and 16.02% of loss compared to control (31.45%). In the second month of storage, a significant increase in carotenoids was also observed for doses 1 and 6 kJ m−2, with values of 4.17 and 4.02 mg kg−1 versus the control (3.45 mg kg−1), which resulted in deceleration in carotenoid degradation. A gradual decrease in total sugar content was noted for all samples; it was slower within irradiated ones at the second month, where the slowing down of sugar consumption was significantly favored in the samples irradiated at 1 and 6 kJ m−2, which was marked by decreases of 4.98% and 4.57% versus 8.96% in the control. Protein content of irradiated samples (3 and 6 kJ m−2) increased at the third month, giving 1.70 and 2.41 g kg−1 compared to 1.29 g kg−1 for the control. An important decrease in enzymatic activity of polyphenoloxidase was detected, in addition to a fluctuation in peroxidase during storage. The browning index was lower in the irradiated sample until the fourth month of storage, where the result was more significant. An increase in the content of condensed tannins was detected, especially during the two first months, and while the significant increase in the content of flavonoids was read at the last month, it was detected from the first month for polyphenols. This was more significant for the highest dose, were the content reached 0.537 g kg−1 versus 0.288 g kg−1 in control at the first month. A dose-dependent increase in antiradical activity was noted during the last months of storage, while the increase in iron-reducing power was detected at the first month. UV-C delayed installation of Deglet-Nour browning and enriched it with antioxidants.

Optimal Time-Consistent Government Debt Maturity, Fiscal Policy, and Default

Abstract I develop a tractable model to study the optimal debt maturity structure and fiscal policy in an environment with incomplete markets, lack of commitment, and opportunity to default by the government. I show that the Lucas and Stokey time-consistency result can be extended to environments with an opportunity of outright default. The maturity is used to resolve the time-consistency problem. I show that if both risk-free interest rates and risk premiums can be manipulated, then the optimal maturity structure tends to have a decaying profile: The government issues debt at all maturity dates, but the distribution of payments over time is skewed toward the short end. The model allows for numerical characterization of the optimal maturity structure of debt with an arbitrarily large number of maturities. Debt maturity data across countries are consistent with model predictions.

Agronomic evaluation of ‘Riesling Itálico’, ‘Chardonnay’, ‘Merlot’ and ‘Cabernet Franc’ grapevine clones

This study aimed to evaluate clones of ‘Riesling Itálico’, ‘Chardonnay’, ‘Merlot’ and ‘Cabernet Franc’ grapevines that best adapt to the edaphoclimatic conditions in Veranópolis, RS. The experiment was carried out at the State Center for Diagnosis and Research in Fruticulture - DDPA/SEAPDR. Three 'Riesling Itálico' clones (ISV-1, RI12V23, VCR-365), four 'Chardonnay' clones (INRA-95, INRA-132, INRA-548, VCR-6), four 'Merlot' clones (INRA-181, INRA-347, VCR-13, VCR-494) and seven 'Cabernet Franc' clones (INRA-212, INRA-214, ISV-8, ISV-101, VCR-2, VCR- 4, VCR-10) were evaluated. The experimental design was randomized blocks, with 4 replications and 10 plants per plot. The clones were evaluated in the 2020/2021 cycle for phenology (budburst and maturation dates), production (kg/plant, ton/ha weight/bunch) and fruit quality (soluble solids-SS, titratable acidity-AT, pH). The results showed the potentiality of the clone RI12V23 for 'Riesling Itálico', INRA-132 for 'Chardonnay', VCR-13 for 'Merlot' and VCR-10 for 'Cabernet Franc'. The 'Riesling Itálico' and 'Chardonnay' clones showed greater production precocity than the 'Merlot' and 'Cabernet Franc' clones.

Impact of Climate Change on the Yield and Water Footprint of Winter Wheat in the Haihe River Basin, China

Climate change can impact the yield and water footprint of crops. Therefore, assessing such impacts carries great significance for regional water and food security. This study validated and verified the variety parameters of winter wheat for the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) model, using the long-term (1993–2013) growth and yield data observed from six agricultural experiment stations in the Haihe River Basin (HRB), China. The growth process was simulated under three representative concentration pathways (RCPs), named RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5—climate scenarios driven by the HadGEM2-ES model. The variety parameters of winter wheat showed high accuracy in the simulation of the anthesis and maturity dates, and could be used for long-term prediction of the growth process. The trends of climate change had positive impacts on the water footprint of winter wheat but adverse impacts on the yield. The growing period was shortened by 3.6 days, 4.7 days, and 5.0 days per decade in the RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5 scenarios, respectively, due to the rapid accumulation of heat. The yield would be increased in lower emissions scenarios (17% in RCP2.6), but decreased in high-emissions scenarios due to high temperatures, which may restrict the growth of wheat. The water footprint was decreased by 10%, 11%, and 13% in the RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5 scenarios, respectively, indicating that the water-use efficiency could be improved in the future. The results showed broad application prospects of the DSSAT model in simulating the response of crop growth to climate change.

Studies on Earliness of Bt Cotton Influenced by Moisture Conservation and Fertilizer Levels under Rainfed Condition

A field experiment was conducted at Cotton Research Station, Nanded (M.S.) India during kharif season of 2019 and 2020 to study effect of moisture conservation practices and fertilizer levels on earliness of Bt cotton under rainfed condition. The trial was conducted with Bt cotton hybrid NHH 44 (BG II) in split plot design and was replicated thrice. Four moisture conservation treatments (M1- flat bed, M2- opening of furrow at 60 DAS, M3- application of superabsorbent @ 12.5 kg ha-1 and M4- broad bed and furrow) were evaluated in main plot along with four NPK levels (F1- 80:40:40 kg ha-1, F2 - 100:50:50 kg ha-1, F3 -120:60:60 kg ha-1 and F4 - 140:70:70 kg ha-1) in sub plot. The broad bed and furrow (BBF) practice of moisture conservation was found to have significantly higher seed cotton yield (1369 kg ha-1) and per cent share to the total seed cotton yield was 58.58 per cent in first picking over control. However, opening of furrow recorded more seed cotton yield (1125 kg ha-1) and its share to total yield was 47.97 per cent at second picking. Seed cotton yield in second picking was significantly increased in moisture conservation practices. The BBF was found to have earliness with respect to various indices (Bartlett’s index, combined picking and day index, fraction of first picking index, mean maturity date index and production rate index) followed by other moisture conservation practices over flat bed.&#x0D; Fertilizer levels didn’t affect seed cotton yield in first picking. Higher fertilizer levels of F3 and F4 being significant over lower levels for seed cotton yield in second picking; showed delayed crop maturity based on various earliness indices.