Decrease In Yield Research Articles

THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT LIME RATES ON THE YIELD AND QUALITY OF WINTER WHEAT UNDER MINERAL FERTILIZATION ON A SOD-PODZOLIC SOIL

Stable productivity, essential for winter wheat as a strategic crop, can only be achieved by meeting its growth and development requirements, especially nutrition. Soddy-podzolic soils, typically highly acidic in their natural state, are unsuitable for realizing winter wheat's full yield potential. Combined fertilizer and lime application is a key factor for grain yield and quality. While lime (CaCO3) is widely used to reclaim acidic soils, determining the optimal application rate, particularly in combination with mineral fertilizers, is crucial. This research investigated the effect of applying 0,5-2,0 lime norms based on soil hydrolytic acidity (Hh, mmol/100 g) combined with a moderate norm of N60P60K60 mineral fertilizers on winter wheat grain yield and quality. The soil had an initial pHKCl of 4.8 and a hydrolytic acidity of 2,3 mmol/100 g of soil. Field, laboratory, calculation, statistical, and generalization methods were employed. The experiment revealed the lowest grain yield in the control and N60P60K60 treatments without liming. Lime application at various rates with N60P60K60 increased grain yield by 0,74-0,89 t/ha compared to the control, with the 1,5 CaCO3 norm by Hh achieving the best results. The application of 2,0 norms of CaCO3 led to a statistical decrease in yield by 0,14 t/ha (p≤0,05) due to a reduction in available nutrient compounds in the soil. Liming also affected the main indicators of grain quality of winter wheat. An increase to the control was found for the weight of 1000 grains and protein content, while the actual weight of the grain decreased. As the most optimal treatment, regarding grain quality, was found out the option of 1,0 CaCO3 norm based on soil hydrolytic acidity in combination with N60P60K60, with the winter wheat grain yield of 3,54 t/ha and an increase in the protein content in it by 6,8% to the background

Investigation of the co-pyrolysis characteristics and gas emission properties of spent bleaching earth and biomass in a thermogravimetric analyser and a fixed bed reactor

The co-pyrolysis of spent bleaching earth (SBE) for adsorption decolorization and biomass can promote the resource utilization of industrial waste. The thermal behaviour and kinetics during the co-pyrolysis of SBE with sawdust (SD) were comparatively evaluated with thermogravimetric analysis at different mixing ratios and heat rates. Activation energies corresponding to the different conversion rates were determined by the distributed activation energy model (DAEM). The pyrolysis yield and evolved gases were measured by a fixed bed pyrolysis system. The results demonstrated that as SBE increased, the activation energy during the initial stage of pyrolysis clearly decreased. The fixed bed isothermal pyrolysis experiment showed that the increase in SBE had a significant effect on the gas production components, resulting in a decrease in CO and CO2 yields and an increase in alkane content. At 800°C, the addition of 30 % SBE had the highest H2 yield, indicating that SBE is a valuable additive.

Irrigation-Initiated Changes in Physicochemical Properties of the Calcisols of the Northern Part of Fergana Valley

Agriculture in Central Asia and in the Fergana Valley in general strongly depends on irrigation and drainage of agricultural lands. The Fergana Valley includes about 45% of the irrigated area in the Syr Darya River basin. Active use of irrigation in agriculture can lead to changes in the soil’s natural composition, as well as pollution and changes in the soil’s physical and chemical properties. Soil degradation in the process of irrigation can lead to a decrease in crop yields and, as a consequence, to a decrease in food security in the region. In this study, a comparative analysis of three main types of Calcisols (Dark, Light, and Typical) before (uncultivated soil) and after agricultural use (surface-irrigated agricultural soil) was carried out. Irrigation leads to increment of SOC stocks in Typical (from 113.8 to 126.3 t/ha) and Light (from 62.8 to 100.1 t/ha) Calcisols and to decreasing of SOC stocks in Dark Calcisols (from 160.1 to 175.3 t/ha). In general, the content of biophilic elements (SOC and TN) is lower in irrigated soils, and their distribution in the soil profile is close to the functional relationship (r2 0.98 to 0.99). In uncultivated Calcisols, the profile distribution of SOC and TN is more heterogeneous (r2 0.67 to 0.97). Changes in the humification processes of soil organic matter are also identified; in soils after irrigation the carbon ratio of humic/fulvic acids (CHA/CFA) is lower (<1) compared to their uncultivated counterparts (~1). The alteration of the soil water regime also resulted in transformation of the individual compositions of amino acids. All studied types of Calcisols are characterized by changes in particle-size distribution of soils especially in the number of the silt fraction (0.01–0.05 mm) and the difference between uncultivated and irrigated soils, 10–20%, which is associated with the processes of colmatage by accumulation of a fine fraction and replacement of sub-fractions in the fraction of sand. The highest concentrations of nutrients are characteristic of the upper soil horizons (P up to 231, K up to 2350 mg/kg), which indicate their pedogenic and agrogenic origins rather than inheritance from the parent material. Soil P and K availability is rather high, with non-labile forms prevailing, although of near reserve. The surface irrigation results in apparent accumulation of water-soluble Mg2+ (1.6–2.1 meq/100 g) and K+ (0.6–0.9 meq/100 g), but the cation of Ca2+ predominates in the base cations’ composition, which is the most favorable in terms of soil agrogenic property formation. Data obtained will be useful for development of strategies for effective land use in arid, subtropical, overpopulated regions of Central Asia that have deficient water sources and intensive soil degradation.

Characterization of TEMPO-Oxidized Cellulose Nanofiber From Biowaste and Its Influence on Molecular Behavior of Fluorescent Rhodamine B Dye in Aqueous Suspensions

AbstractCellulose nanofiber (CNFs) obtained through TEMPO oxidation was structurally characterized using FT-IR (Fourier Transformed Infrared) and SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) spectroscopy. The molecular aggregation and spectroscopic properties of Rhodamine B (Rh-B) in CNFs suspension were investigated using molecular absorption and steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy techniques. The interaction between CNFs particles in the aqueous suspension and the cationic dye compound was examined in comparison to its behavior in deionized water. This interaction led to significant changes in the spectral features of Rh-B, resulting in an increase in the presence of H-dimer and H-aggregate in CNFs suspension. The H-type aggregates of Rh-B in CNFs suspensions were defined by the observation of a blue-shifted absorption band compared to that of the monomer. Even at diluted dye concentrations, the formation of Rh-B’s H-aggregate was observed in CNFs suspension. The pronounced aggregation in suspensions originated from the strong interaction between negatively charged carboxylate ions and the dye. The aggregation behavior was discussed with deconvoluted absorption spectra. Fluorescence spectroscopy studies revealed a significant reduction in the fluorescence intensity of the dye in CNFs suspension due to H-aggregates. Furthermore, the presence of H-aggregates in the suspensions caused a decrease in the quantum yield of Rh-B compared to that in deionized water.

Robust synergistic effect between Zn1Mo1 bifunctional TiO2 for efficient ethyl levulinate production from furfural alcohol

Bifunctional ZnxMoy-TiO2 were prepared through sol-gel methodology for efficient furfuryl alcohol (FAL) alcoholysis to ethyl levulinate (EL). From the comprehensive analysis, the abundant Brønsted and Lewis acidity distribution, enhanced reducibility ability, and the synergistic effect between Zn and Mo were found in Zn1Mo1–TiO2. Specially, Zn played an important role in enhancing acidity strength and reducibility from NH3-TPD and H2-TPR profiles, whereas Mo exhibited the highest FAL adsorption capacity. The simulative structure with the adjacent Zn–Mo and non-adjacent Zn–Mo with O vacancies in TiO2 showed no difference in FAL adsorption energy and bader charge transfer capacity. After optimization, Zn1Mo1–TiO2 exhibited the highest FAL conversion (98 %) and EL yield (80 %) with negligible 2-(ethoxymethyl)furan (EMF) and 5-ethoxy-5-(ethyl-oxidaneylidene) pentan-2-one (intermediate 4) yield under optimum condition (50 mg Zn1Mo1–TiO2, 170 °C, 7 h). Most importantly, the catalyst recyclability was performed in continuous flow until 700 min without obvious EL yield decrease. The rational design of the cost-effective bimetallic based TiO2 will drive the green and efficient EL production in industrial scale.

Beet sugar enterprises in Kazakhstan: balanced management, reserves

The goal is to analyze production indicators of sugar beets and sugar for 1990-2023, to recommend measures to increase volume of sugar industry products. Methods - statistical, on the basis of which primary data on production of beet raw materials and sugar, its consumption per capita, export and import, and foreign trade turnover are collected. Results - the authors note that development of beet-sugar subcomplex is accompanied by stable decrease in quantity of this product, resulting in reduction in acreage and decrease in yield. The deterioration of parameters is due to high cost and low profitability of crop produced, outdated technical base, the use of lowquality seeds, problems with irrigation, and insufficient capacity of sugar factories. The current situation has a direct impact on the demand for sugar, which is met through imports and raw sugar obtained from processing. State measures aimed to increase sugar from domestic raw materials, set out in the Comprehensive Plan for the Development of Sugar Industry in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2022-2026, were considered, in the framework of which it is provided to ensure the enterprises with unused agricultural land suitable for cultivating sugar beets within a radius of 150 kilometers to ensure their own raw materials taking into account the requests of the processors. Conclusions - the implementation of the set tasks will reduce sugar import dependence and saturate the domestic market with own products. At the same time, logistics issues, reducing cost of transporting finished products, and financing construction of railways need to be worked out.

Частота встречаемости гетеродеза на масличных культурах семейства Капустные в Краснодарском крае

A beet cyst nematode Heterodera schachtii Schmidt is an obligate parasite, which infected many kinds of agricultural crops in different countries. It penetrates into internal tissues of plant root and causes mechanical destructions of cells. The disease manifests itself in a form of plant wilting. Yield decrease can reaches up to 50%. The purpose of the research was to determine frequency of occurrence of the beet cyst nematode Heterodera schachtii Schmidt in sowings of winter and spring oil crops from a Brassicaceae family in the Krasnodar region. The observations of sowings of the studied crops were conducted in phases of a vegetative period 2–4 true leaves and green pod on fields of the V.S. Pustovoit All-Russian Research Institute of Oil Crops in 2010–2023. In these phases, 20 plants were selected on ten equidistant plots diagonally across the sowings of each crop. The frequency of occurrence of Heterodera schachtii was calculated as a ratio between numbers of sick and healthy plants expressed as a percentage, and then divided into groups: infected plants are absent; low (to 10% of infected plants); average (from 11 to 50% of infected plants); high (51% and more of infected plants). The beet cyst nematode was allocated in plants of all studied crops, besides winter and spring false flax. In years, when the disease was stated in sowings of oil crops from the Brassicaceae family, the frequency of the diseases occurrence was low (up to 10%) in both phases of plant development 2021. And in 2021, it increased to average level (11–18%) on winter and spring rapeseed and brown mustard. An infection degree of plants of all studied groups was equal 1–3 points with a predominance of 1 point.

Toleransi Kekeringan Sawi Hijau pada Osmopriming Benih dan Interval Pemberian Air Sampai Kapasitas Lapang

Green mustard (Brassica chinensis L.) is widely cultivated commercially. The problem is that some farmers use self-propagated seeds with simple processing and storage facilities so that the quality of the seeds is not guaranteed and is low. Apart from seed quality, limited water, especially during cultivation in the dry season or on dry land, is also a limiting factor. Low seed quality can be overcome by invigorating seeds using the osmopriming method; water limitations can be overcome by periodically fulfilling field capacity water. This research aimed to measure and analyze the growth response and drought tolerance of green mustard plants in seed osmopriming treatments and setting water intervals to field capacity. The research was carried out at the Experimental Field and Plant Physiology Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, IBA University in Palembang, in October-December 2020. The research used a 5x3 Factorial Randomized Block Design, with 3 replications, so there were 45 experimental units. The first factor was seed osmopriming, O1= control (water), O2= CaCl2 1.5% - soaked 4.5 hours, O3=CaCl2 3%-soaked for 4.5 hours, O4=KNO3 1%-soaked for 5 hours, and O5=KNO3 1.5%-soaked for 5 hours. The second factor was watering interval to field capacity, P1= every 24 hours, P2= every 72 hours, and P3= every 120 hours. The research results showed that osmopriming produced values of germination power, vigor index, growth speed, growth simultaneity and maximum seed growth potential of 100%, and with fast and relatively the same germination age of 4.22 to 5.05 days after planting (dap). In plants 14 dap, osmopriming with 1.5% KNO3 and soaking for 5 hours produced plants with the highest height, number of leaves and root length. The interaction of osmopriming with intervals of water supply to field capacity every 24 hours and 72 hours produces plants with the highest height, number of leaves, root length and weight/yield. There was a decrease in plant growth and yield at the interval of providing water to field capacity every 120 hours. The drought tolerance of green mustard is in watering intervals to field capacity every 72 hours.

Exploration of mechanism underlying the lipid alterations in the yellowing leaves of ‘HAES344’ macadamia

Macadamia variety ‘HAES344’, cultivated widely in tropical and subtropical regions for its premium edible kernels, is prone to generate the yellowing leaves under high temperature, resulting in a decrease of yield. Lipids are the important components of membrane and cuticle in leaves that perform the vital roles in plant growth, development, and responses to environmental fluctuations. However, the profile and the metabolic mechanism of lipids during leaf yellowing of ‘HAES344’ macadamia remain unclear. In this study, the lipid composition and the transcript of genes related to lipid metabolism were explored, based on an integrative analysis of metabolome and transcriptome. The results showed that a total of 22 differential accumulated lipids, including 9 glycerolipids, 5 free fatty acids (FAAs), 5 lyso-phosphatidylcholines (lysoPC) and 3 lyso-phosphatidylethanolamines (lysoPE), were identified, and all these lipids were significantly down-regulated in the yellowing leaves. Transcriptomic analysis revealed 132 differential expressed genes (DEGs) related to lipid metabolism, among 71 DEGs with a mean FPKM>1.0 were selected and classified into 10 pathways of lipid metabolism, and the largest proportion of genes involved in the cutin, suberine and wax biosynthesis and the α-linolenic acid metabolism, while the least genes participated in the sphingolipid metabolism. Of these 71 DEGs, the most were significantly down-regulated in the moderately and/or severely yellowing leaves compared with the green leaves. Correlation analysis showed that a total of 33 DEGs, mainly including 3 HHT1, 2 DOX1, 2 CYP86B1 and 2 KCS12, were significantly correlated with all these 22 lipids except for lysoPE 18:2 (2n isomer) and octadeca-11E,13E,15Z-trienoic acid. And a regulatory network of lipid metabolism was established. This result of the differentially expressed genes was positively connected with the reduced lipid metabolites during macadamia leaf yellowing.

Chlorophyll fluorescence in sentinel plants for the surveillance of chemical risk

This research aimed to develop natural plant systems to serve as biological sentinels for the detection of organophosphate pesticides in the environment. The working hypothesis was that the presence of the pesticide in the environment caused changes in the content of pigments and in the photosynthetic functioning of the plant, which could be evaluated non-destructively through the analysis of reflected light and emitted fluorescence. The objective of the research was to furnish in vivo indicators derived from spectroscopic parameters, serving as early alert signals for the presence of organophosphates in the environment. In this context, the effects of two pesticides, Chlorpyrifos and Dimethoate, on the spectroscopic properties of aquatic plants (Vallisneria nana and Spathyfillum wallisii) were studied. Chlorophyll-a variable fluorescence allowed monitoring both pesticides' presence before any damage was observed at the naked eye, with the analysis of the fast transient (OJIP curve) proving more responsive than Kautsky kinetics, steady-state fluorescence, or reflectance measurements. Pesticides produced a decrease in the maximum quantum yield of PSII photochemistry, in the proportion of PSII photochemical deexcitation relative to PSII non photochemical decay and in the probability that trapped excitons moved electrons into the photosynthetic transport chain beyond QA−. Additionally, an increase in the proportion of absorbed energy being dissipated as heat rather than being utilized in the photosynthetic process, was notorious. The pesticides induced a higher deactivation of chlorophyll excited states by photophysical pathways (including fluorescence) with a decrease in the quantum yields of photosystem II and heat dissipation by non-photochemical quenching. The investigated aquatic plants served as sentinels for the presence of pesticides in the environment, with the alert signal starting within the first milliseconds of electronic transport in the photosynthetic chain. Organophosphates damage animals' central nervous systems similarly to certain compounds found in chemical weapons, thus raising the possibility that sentinel plants could potentially signal the presence of such weapons.

Enhanced reductive catalytic fractionation of lignocellulose using a water-resistant RuNiZnOx/Nb2O5 catalyst with synergistic hydrogen spillover and acidic properties

Eco-friendly lignin depolymerization into monomeric phenols in an aqueous system is essential for the sustainable and green valorization of lignocellulosic biomass. However, a major challenge in this process is the development of efficient and stable catalysts for aqueous reductive catalytic fractionation (RCF), as water can cause catalyst deactivation and reduce monomer yields. In this study, a water-resistant RuNiZnOx/Nb2O5 catalyst is developed that demonstrates excellent catalytic activity and stability in aqueous systems, achieving a near-theoretical monomeric phenol yield of 40.1 wt% under reaction conditions of 240℃ and 3 MPa H2 for 4 h. The excellent performance of this catalyst is attributed to the synergistic hydrogen spillover effect between Ni and Ru and the strong acidic properties of ZnO, as revealed by in-situ XPS analysis and NH3-TPD, respectively. This hydrogen spillover effect significantly alters the product composition, promoting the generation of POH-S/G from lignin model compounds. Additionally, screening of the catalyst support materials revealed that Nb2O5 not only enhances Ru dispersion but also improves its stability, resulting in a minor decrease in lignin monomer yield observed after three cycles.

A random forest-based analysis of cassava mosaic disease-related factors affecting the on-farm livelihoods of cassava farmers

This study aimed to identify key CMD-related factors affecting Cameroon cassava farmers’ incomes originating from both the sale of cassava cuttings (V215) and the sale of cassava roots (V216). To achieve this, nine CMD-related variables were used to independently train two Random Forest models. These models were later employed for regression-based prediction of both financial targets V215 and V216. The Random Forest (RF)-based mean absolute percentage error for targets V215 and V216 were 0.19 and 1.25 respectively. The RF-based mean Gaussian deviance for targets V215 and V216 were 0.07 and 0.51 respectively. Based on RF feature importance scores (RFFI), the top 3 factors affecting income originating from the sale of cassava cuttings were found to be: late appearance of symptoms as a difficulty associated with regular field monitoring (RFFI of 0.2594), removal of infected plants as a method of controlling frequent occurrence of viral diseases in respondents’ cassava fields (RFFI of 0.1633) and lack of healthy planting material due to frequent occurrence of viral diseases in respondents’ cassava fields (RFFI of 0.1495). Also, the top 3 factors affecting income originating from the sale of cassava roots were found to be: the replacement of infected plants with healthy cuttings as a method of controlling the frequent occurrence of viral diseases in respondents’ cassava fields (RFFI of 0.1974), decrease in yield due to frequent occurrence of viral diseases in respondents’ cassava fields (RFFI of 0.1530) and poor plant growth due to frequent occurrence of viral diseases in respondents’ cassava fields (RFFI of 0.1388).

Efficiency of using the "Meadow of Health" feed table cover

The results of using the polymer cover of the feed table "Meadow of Health" in comparison with the concrete feed table are presented. The research was carried out in the conditions of the dairy livestock complex of the Kirov region on milk cows of the Black-and-White Holstein breed during the lactation period. Concrete feed tables for cows during the lactation stabilization period at the time of carrying out had average wear, while the cover of the feed table "Meadow of Health" remained smooth and even for 6 months. The study of microbial contamination of feed table covers showed, that already one month after the beginning of the experiment, the number of microbial cells was 54.7% lower (p < 0.05) in the 1st experimental group, where the "Meadow of Health" cover was used, compared to the concrete table. The amount of uneaten feed residues on the feed tables with the "Meadow of Health" cover was less in comparison with the concrete feed table (p < 0.05), which indicates better palatability of forage mixture from this cover. When transferring cows from polymer cover to concrete from the 2nd month of lactation, a decrease in average daily milk yields by 0.9 kg was observed. By the 4th month of lactation, the reduction in milk yield was 4.8 kg of milk per head per day. When transferring cows from a concrete feed table to a polymer one, there was an increase in milk productivity by 0.4–1.3 kg per head/day. In the first 3 months, the consumption of feed from a polymer-coated table increased by 2.3–5.6% compared to the concrete one. During 5 months of lactation, cows from the cover of the feed table "Meadow of Health" ate feed by 6.8–8.6% more than from concrete, which led to greater productivity of the animals during the analyzed period. The use of the polymer cover of the feed table "Meadow of Health" allowed to get additional profit in the amount of 20,460 rubles and recoup the costs of its installation already on the 39th day of use.

Substantiation of the Use of a Flexible Chain-Type Subsoiler for Improving the Agrotechnological Properties of Soil

Technogenic influence on agricultural soils leads to the transformation of their morphological features, significantly worsens their agrochemical, physical, mechanical and agrotechnological properties, prevents the optimal use of potential soil fertility and, as a result, leads to a decrease in crop yield. Mechanical soil decompaction when using various types of subsoilers, including the flexible chain-type working body (the chain), is used to prevent the negative consequences of technogenic influence. According to the results of the analytical calculations, the proportionality factor of the chain length, which determines the ratio of the width of the plow grip to the chain length of a flexible subsoiler, was established. The specified coefficient is proportional and equals 2.4. The use of the specified coefficient allows us, at the stage of the development of the design and technological documentation, to determine the main design parameter of the flexible subsoiler, which is the length of the used chain depending on the width of the plow grip. The surface of the field cultivated with the experimental tillage tool meets the requirements for sowing the agricultural crops without performing additional technological operations.

Ionic copolymer-modified hexagonal carbon nitride tube as a high-performance catalyst for regioselective synthesis of hexahydroquinoline frameworks

The conventional structure of carbon nitride materials presents limitations, especially in the catalysis field, attributed to a restricted number of active sites and a low surface area. To address these challenges, we developed a unique design for a mesoporous carbon nitride tube (CNT), which was constructed by incorporating the ionic imidazole-epichlorohydrin copolymer ([IMEP][Cl]) as a template in the fabrication process. The self-assembly behavior of [IMEP][Cl] influences the formation of the melamine-cyanuric acid aggregate (as precursors) through electrostatic forces and polarity, potentially resulting in the creation of a thin-wall CNT with unique pore morphology. Synthesized three-dimensional hollow CNT demonstrated key factors of a high-performance catalyst in terms of high thermal stability (up to 550 °C), good specific surface area (108 m²/g), and significant recoverability (seven runs without a significant decrease in reaction yield). The CNT architecture was employed as a heterogeneous catalyst, and its catalytic efficiency was investigated in the regioselective synthesis of hexahydroquinoline ring systems. Based on the obtained results, CNT shows super-fast synthesis (5 min) of different pharmaceutical quinoline frameworks with exceptional yields (94–98 %) under ultrasound agitations. For the first time, an effective synthesis method is introduced for constructing hollow carbon nitride tubes, utilizing an ionic polymer (produced via chemical crosslinking rather than radical chain polymerization) as a template. This work offers a new viewpoint on improving the catalytic capability of traditional graphitic carbon nitrides through the utilization of ionic copolymers, presenting potential advancements for various technological applications.

Advances in Laboratory Diagnosis of Coronavirus Infections in Cattle.

Coronaviruses cause infections in humans and diverse species of animals and birds with a global distribution. Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) produces predominantly two forms of disease in cattle: a respiratory form and a gastrointestinal form. All age groups of cattle are affected by the respiratory form of coronavirus, whereas the gastroenteric form causes neonatal diarrhea or calf scours in young cattle and winter dysentery in adult cattle. The tremendous impacts of bovine respiratory disease and the associated losses are well-documented and underscore the importance of this pathogen. Beyond this, studies have demonstrated significant impacts on milk production associated with outbreaks of winter dysentery, with up to a 30% decrease in milk yield. In North America, BCoV was identified for the first time in 1972, and it continues to be a significant economic concern for the cattle industry. A number of conventional and molecular diagnostic assays are available for the detection of BCoV from clinical samples. Conventional assays for BCoV detection include virus isolation, which is challenging from clinical samples, electron microscopy, fluorescent antibody assays, and various immunoassays. Molecular tests are mainly based on nucleic acid detection and predominantly include conventional and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. Isothermal amplification assays and genome sequencing have gained increased interest in recent years for the detection, characterization, and identification of BCoV. It is believed that isothermal amplification assays, such as loop-mediated isothermal amplification and recombinase polymerase amplification, among others, could aid the development of barn-side point-of-care tests for BCoV. The present study reviewed the literature on coronavirus infections in cattle from the last three and a half decades and presents information mainly on the current and advancing diagnostics in addition to epidemiology, clinical presentations, and the impact of the disease on the cattle industry.

Land Degradation Affects Soil Microbial Properties, Organic Matter Composition, and Maize Yield

Land degradation severely affects soil functions, thereby weakening crop productivity. However, the quantitative effects of the soil organic matter (SOM) composition and soil microbial properties on maize yield remain unclear under different levels of land degradation. Here, a gradient of land degradation was selected for sampling in the Horqin Sandy Land in northeast China. The results show that the relative abundances of aliphatic and aromatic groups decreased by 21.51% and 86.01% with increasing land degradation, respectively, and the considerable increase in polysaccharide groups led to a decrease in stability and resistance to SOM decomposition. Microbial properties, such as microbial biomass carbon, basic respiration, qCO2, and enzyme activities, decreased as a result of land degradation. The phospholipid fatty acid content and the ratio between bacteria and fungi markedly decreased with an increasing level of land degradation, and the ratio of G+ to G− markedly increased. Correlation analysis confirmed that the microbial properties were significantly related to the SOM composition, and the random forest model indicated that fungi were key factors affecting maize yield (7.15%, p < 0.05). Moreover, the results of the structure equation modelling revealed that land degradation reduced the soil physiochemical properties, resulting in a decrease in microorganisms, causing variations in the SOM composition and directly leading to a decrease in crop yield. The effect of microorganisms (β = 0.84 ***) on maize yield was greater than that of the SOM composition (β = 0.53 **). Our investigation can provide a theoretical basis for the conservation of the cropland in Horqin Sandy Land.

Efficient and stable CsPbBr3/Cs4PbBr6 composite powders passivated and encapsulated with a novel silicon-based ligand

The metal halide perovskite have garnered significant attention for their exceptional photoelectric properties. However, their inherent instability and the sharp decrease of photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) in the solid-state significantly limit their practical applications. Appropriate heterojunction structures or matrix encapsulation can efficiently improve the PLQY and stability of the metal halide perovskite. Herein, we report a new silicon-based ligand hydrolysis condensation encapsulation to synthesize CsPbBr3/Cs4PbBr6/BTESPA-x (CPB–Si-x) composite powders with improved luminescence properties and enhanced thermal stability. With the increase of BTESPA (from 0 to 150 μL), the efficient hydrolysis condensation process occurs on the surface of CsPbBr3/Cs4PbBr6. Finally, the abundant amino-silane groups in BTESPA bind to undercoordinated Pb2+, thereby suppressing the surface defect states and enhancing the PLQY from 34.3 % for CsPbBr3/Cs4PbBr6 (CPB) to 82.1 % for CPB-Si-5. Simultaneously, the thermal stability of CPB-Si-5 exhibits a 13 % improvement over that of CPB after undergoing thermal cycling. Furthermore, tricolor white light-emitting-diode (WLEDs) with high color rendering index were fabricated using on-chip blue LED with bright green-emissive CPB-Si-5 composite powder and red-emissive K2SiF6:Mn4+ phosphor, demonstrating the potential applicability of these powders in WLED backlight systems.

Dataset Generation and Automation to Detect Colony of Morning Glory at Growing Season Using Alignment of Two Season’s Orthomosaic Images Taken by Drone

Weed control has a significant impact on crop yield during cultivation. In this research, semantic segmentation is used to detect morning glories in soybean fields. By removing morning glory earlier in the growing season, the decrease in soybean crop yield can be minimized. However, it is difficult to create annotated images necessary for semantic segmentation at the growing season because soybeans and morning glories are both green and similar in color, making it difficult to distinguish them. This research assumes that morning glory colonies, once located at the growing season, remain stationary during the harvest season. The colonies of the morning glory at the growing season are identified by aligning the orthomosaic image from the growing season with the orthomosaic image from the harvest season because the leaves of the soybeans wither and turn brown during the harvest season. The proposed method trains a model of morning glory at the growing season based on its location at the harvest season and estimates the colonies of morning glory on the harvest season orthomosaic image. In this research, we investigated the accuracy of a deep learning-based morning glory detection model and discovered that the performance of the model varied depending on the proportion of morning glory areas on each image in the training dataset. The model demonstrated an optimal performance when only 3.5% of the proportion of the morning glory areas achieved an F2 score of 0.753.

Enhancing wheat protein through low-water-fertility under climate change without yield penalty

Efforts to enhance wheat quality without compromising yield are imperative in the context of climate change. However, the quantification of management measures that simultaneously elevate wheat protein concentration, especially its components, while maintaining yield has been scarcely addressed due to its inherent complexity. In this study, we investigated the impact of various combinations of sowing dates, nitrogen fertilizer, and irrigation on improving the protein concentration of strong gluten winter wheat (Jimai 20) using a validated wheat grain protein component simulation model in Tai'an, Shandong. Our results indicate that climate change between 2031 and 2060 is anticipated to cause a significant decrease in wheat yield and an increase in wheat protein concentration compared to the period from 1981 to 2010. Albumin and globulin are projected to decrease, while gliadin and glutenin are expected to increase, respectively. The average glutenin-to-gliadin ratio in the baseline is 1.096, whereas in scenarios SSP2–4.5 and SSP5–8.5, it is 1.093 and 1.102, respectively. Adapted measures can effectively synergize to enhance both wheat protein quality and yield under climate change. Specifically, delaying sowing and reducing nitrogen application to 210–240 kg·ha−1 with 200–240 mm of irrigation contribute to maintaining yields at the current conventional treatment level. Furthermore, these practices result in a 3.89 % and 0.13 % increase in grain protein concentration, and a 1.19 % and 6.02 % enhancement in the glutenin-to-gliadin ratio under scenarios SSP2–4.5 and SSP5–8.5, respectively, compared to conventional treatments. This comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights into practical strategies for synergistically improving wheat yield and protein quality in the face of climate change.