Department Of Agriculture Research Articles

Genomic Features of the Host-Specific Fungal Biocontrol Agent Ramularia crupinae Approved for the Management of the Federally Noxious Weed Crupina vulgaris

Ramularia crupinae is a novel host-specific fungal pathogen of the invasive rangeland weed common crupina ( Crupina vulgaris). The foliar and stem blighting pathogen was originally identified in France and has been approved by the United States Department of Agriculture–Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service as the first biological control agent for the management of common crupina in the western United States. In this study, a chromosome-level genome assembly of R. crupinae 00-010 was performed using PacBio sequencing technology. The assembly had a total size of 37.9 Mb distributed across 14 (telomere to telomere) chromosomes, with a GC content of 47.6%. The genome encoded 10,159 protein-coding genes with 890 predicted secreted proteins that comprised both unique and conserved canonical pathogen effectors. Genome comparisons with closely related pathogen species in the family Mycosphaerellaceae demonstrated family-wide orthologous effector groups and Ramularia-specific orthogroups. This new reference sequence is a valuable genomic tool that will assist in characterizing Ramularia–Crupina interactions and increase our understanding of Ramularia pathogenicity on both crops and weeds. [Formula: see text] The author(s) have dedicated the work to the public domain under the Creative Commons CC0 “No Rights Reserved” license by waiving all of his or her rights to the work worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law, 2024.

Pedigree-Based Genetic Diversity in the South African Boerboel Dog Breed.

The Boerboel dog breed (BBD) is indigenous to South Africa (SA) and plays an important role in safeguarding homes and farms. The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development (DALRRD) classifies the BBD as a protected species, and it is valued for its intelligence, boldness, and strength, as well as for continually ensuring the safety of its owners. The aim of this study was to investigate genetic diversity within the BBD population using pedigree information. The original BBD data, which contained 87,808 records, were obtained from the Integrated Registration and Genetic Information System (INTERGIS). After editing, the pedigree data included 87,755 records of animals born between 1971 and 2019. Pedigree analyses were performed using PEDIG (Fortran 77 software) to determine the completeness, inbreeding coefficients, and genetic diversity as defined by the genetic contributions of the most important ancestors of the current animals. This study identified 91.2% inbred animals in the BBD population, with an average and maximum inbreeding of 7.5% and 50% of inbred animals, respectively. The estimated inbreeding rate per year was 0.20% with an effective population size of 83.1. The most influential ancestors explained 82.63% and 80.92% of the total genetic variation for males and females in the studied populations, respectively. Only 10 important ancestors explained more than 50% of the entire population's genetic diversity. The numbers of founders (f) were 348 and 356, and the effective numbers of founders (fe) were 57.4 and 60.1, respectively, for males and females. The numbers of founders were higher than the effective numbers of founders, implying a loss of genetic diversity due to unequal founder contributions. The BBD population was not critically endangered based on the inbreeding rates and effective population size; however, the population experienced a significant loss of genetic variability, unequal genetic contributions by founders, and a genetic bottleneck. Future breeding strategies could benefit from using equal proportions of parent stock and including new genetically distant breeds.

Вплив зрошення мінералізованими водами на процеси засолення ґрунтів Південно-Бузької та Кам’янської зрошувальних систем

In Ukraine, irrigation development is hampered by a shortage of high-quality irrigation water. Irrigation with mineralized irrigation water causes soil salinization, which negatively affects crop productivity, soil quality, and surface water conditions. The purpose of this article is to analyze the impact of irrigation water of different mineralization on soil salinity in the Southern Bug and Kamianske irrigation systems. The field and laboratory studies used the methods and criteria of the salinity laboratory of the US Department of Agriculture and the Food and Agriculture Organization. The studies showed that irrigation is carried out with water that has an average risk of soil salinity (ECw = 0.7-3.0 dS/m). At the same time, there is some spatial differentiation in the quality of irrigation water. The lands of the Southern Bug irrigation system are irrigated with water with an electrical conductivity of 0.90-1.07 dS/m, and the lands of the Kamianska irrigation system are irrigated with water with an electrical conductivity of 1.86-2.65 dS/m. The mineralization of irrigation water determines the degree of soil salinity. While the soils of the Southern Bug irrigation system are not saline (ECe is less than 2.0 dS/m), the soils of the Kamianske irrigation system have a significant accumulation of salts (ECe reaches 5.5 dS/m). According to the Food and Agriculture Organization classification, such soils are classified as saline. Analysis of the salinity tolerance of individual crops showed that any crops of any salt tolerance can be grown on the irrigated lands of the Southern Bug irrigation system. And on the lands of the Kamianske irrigation system, only moderately sensitive and least sensitive crops to soil salinity can be grown without loss of yield. The conducted research allows us to adjust the structure of sown areas and the structure of crop rotations in terms of salt tolerance of certain crops.

Abstract P197: Dietary Quality Determined by Healthy Eating Index-2015 and Endothelial Function in Healthy Adults

The Healthy Eating Index (HEI) is a measure of diet quality based on Dietary Guidelines for Americans and developed in collaboration with the US Department of Health and Human Services and the US Department of Agriculture. Clinical interest in HEI has increased due to its association with obesity, inflammatory biomarkers and risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. Indeed, higher HEI-2015 score has been linked with reduced cardiovascular risk, morbidity, and mortality. Endothelial dysfunction, particularly impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation, is a central etiological factor underlying cardiovascular risk and events. We and others have previously demonstrated that diets high in saturated fat and other proatherogenic diets are associated with endothelial vasodilator dysfunction. It is currently unknown whether HEI-2015 dietary score is associated with endothelial function. If so, assessing dietary quality based on HEI-2015 may provide targeted nutritional guidance for enhancing vascular health and mitigating cardiovascular risk. The aim of this study was to determine whether HEI-2015 score is associated with endothelial vasodilator function in healthy adults. Using data from 4-day dietary records, HEI-2015 scores were determined in 103 adults (65 M/38 F; age 44-68 years) free of overt cardiometabolic disease. The HEI-2015 score is based on 13 components summed to yield a total score from 0 to 100; higher score representing higher diet quality. The adults were stratified by HEI-2015 score quartiles: Q1: HEI < 52.5 (n=25; 23 M/2 F); Q2: HEI 52.6-59.1 (n=26; 14 M/12 F); Q3: HEI 59.2-66.0 (n=26; 15 M/11 F); and Q4: HEI > 66.0 (n=26; 13 M/13 F). Endothelium-dependent vasodilation was determined by forearm blood flow (FBF) (via plethysmography) responses to intra-arterial infusion of acetylcholine (ACh: 4.0, 8.0, and 16.0 μg/100 mL tissue/min) and sodium nitroprusside (NTP: 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 μg/100 mL tissue/min). There were no significant differences in endothelium-dependent vasodilation across the HEI-2015 score quartiles. FBF blood responses to ACh were remarkably similar between Q1 (5.1±0.2 to 13.0±0.7 mL/100 mL tissue/min), Q2 (4.3±0.2 to 12.1±0.7 mL/100 mL tissue/min), Q3 (4.4±0.2 to 13.0±0.7 mL/100 mL tissue/min) and Q4 (4.5±0.2 to 14.4±0.6 mL/100 mL tissue/min). Moreover, HEI scores were not significantly associated with the vasodilator response to either ACh (r=0.15, P=0.13) or NTP (r=-0.04; P=0.72). In summary, although diet quality determined by HEI-2015 score has been shown to be associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and events, HEI-2015 was not associated endothelial function in mid-life and older adults. Given the established experimental and pathophysiological evidence linking between diet, endothelial vasodilator function and cardiovascular risk, HEI-2015 score is not a sensitive dietary indicator/biomarker of vascular function.

Satisfaction Level of the Farmers Regarding Kisan Call Centre (KCC) Advisories

The Kisan Call Centre (KCC), initiated on January 21st, 2004, by the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, serves as a crucial support system for farming communities across India. This study, conducted in 2021-22 in Chamarajanagar District of Karnataka, aimed to assess the Satisfaction Level of 200 KCC beneficiaries regarding its advisory services. Utilizing stratified random sampling, the study employed an ex-post facto research design to gather insights. The data collection involved secondary data from the KCC in Bengaluru and primary data through structured interviews with beneficiaries. Results revealed that 76.00% of beneficiaries expressed high satisfaction with the technical knowledge of KCC experts, with 74.50% satisfied with expert availability, and 73.50% with expert guidance in advisory services. Additionally,70.50% were highly satisfied with patience of expert in listening to the complete query of the farmers through helpline services. Regarding technological information provided by the KCC 53.00% expressed high satisfaction with the technological information provided by the KCC, and 52.50% acknowledged the assistance of advisory services in crop preservation and yield improvement. However, including all the aspect like technical information, helpline services and advisory services provided by the KCC. Notably, a significant 44.00% of both dryland and irrigated land farmers expressed high satisfaction with the overall services of the KCC. This research highlights the importance of ICT-driven initiatives like the KCC in empowering farmers and improving agricultural productivity and sustainability.

Contrasting PRRSV temporal lineage patterns at the individual farm, production system, and regional levels in Ohio and neighboring states from 2017 to 2021

Porcine reproductive and respiratory virus (PRRSV), one of the most significant viruses in the swine industry, has been challenging to control due to its high mutation and recombination rates and complexity. This retrospective study aimed to describe and compare the distribution of PRRSV lineages obtained at the individual farm, production system, and regional levels. PRRSV-2 (type 2) sequences (n = 482) identified between 2017 – 2021 were provided by a regional state laboratory (Ohio Department of Agriculture, Animal Disease Diagnostic Center (ODA-ADDL)) collected from swine farms in Ohio and neighboring states, including Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Additional sequences (n = 138) were provided by one collaborating swine production system. The MUSCLE algorithm on Geneious Prime® was used to align the ORF5 region of PRRSV-2 sequences along with PRRSV live attenuated vaccine strains (n = 6) and lineage anchors (n = 169). Sequenced PRRSV-2 were assigned to the most identical lineage anchors/vaccine strains. Among all sequences (n = 620), 29.8% (185/620) were ≥ 98.0% identity with the vaccine strains, where 93.5% (173/185) and 6.5% (12/185) were identical with the L5 Ingelvac PRRS® MLV and L8 Fostera® PRRS vaccine strains, respectively, and excluded from the analysis. At the regional level across five years, the top five most identified lineages included L1A, L5, L1H, L1C, and L8. Among non-vaccine sequences with production system known, L1A sequences were mostly identified (64.3% – 100.0%) in five systems, followed by L1H (0.0% - 28.6%), L1C (0.0% – 10.5%), L5 (0.0% – 14.4%), L8 (0.0% – 1.3%), and L1F (0.0% – 0.5%). Furthermore, among non-vaccine sequences with the premise identification available (n = 262), the majority of sequences from five individual farms were either classified into L1A or L5. L1A and L5 sequences coexisted in three farms, while samples submitted by one farm contained L1A, L1H, and L5 sequences. Additionally, the lineage classification results of non-vaccine sequences were associated with their restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns (Fisher’s exact test, p < 0.05). Overall, our results show that individual farm and production system-level PRRSV-2 lineage patterns do not necessarily correspond to regional-level patterns, highlighting the influence of individual farms and systems in shaping PRRSV occurrence within those levels, and highlighting the crucial goal of within-farm and system monitoring and early detection for accurate knowledge on PRRSV-2 lineage occurrence and emergence.

Strengthening nutrition incentive and produce prescription projects: An examination of a capacity building and innovation fund

The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP), funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), is a federal program designed to address financial barriers to fruit and vegetable (FV) purchases among consumers with a low income by using financial incentives. To fur­ther strengthen both nutrition incentive (NI) and produce prescription (PPR) GusNIP projects, the GusNIP Nutrition Incentive Training, Technical Assistance, Evalu­ation, and Information Center (NTAE) and its Nutrition Incentive Hub offer Capacity Building and Innovation Fund (CBIF) awards to GusNIP grantees and their partner organizations. The present study applies multiple methods to systematically understand the types of resources requested by CBIF applicants to expand the capacity and impact of their NI and PPR pro­jects by rigorously analyzing the CBIF proposals submitted from 2020 to 2022. Applicants (N = 130) requested funds to build capacity and innova­tion around one or more domains: leadership and staffing (n = 72); communications (n = 67); diver­sity, equity, and inclusion (DEI; n = 57); and tech­nology (n = 42). Three significant qualitative themes emerged around future needs: (1) staffing and technology to streamline applicants’ projects; (2) training, resources, and funding to enhance DEI in their projects; and (3) improved NTAE support, including improvements to the CBIF funding mechanism. Findings from this study can increase awareness about the capacity building and innovation needs of NI and PPR projects for the NTAE, policymakers, and funders to consider when supporting healthy food financial incentive projects.

AGRIBUSINESS CLINIC PLANNING STRATEGY IN JOMBANG REGENCY

Agribusiness clinics are institutions that act as suppliers of agricultural technology innovations so that they are more easily disseminated to farmers and business owners as end users. The concept of clinical agribusiness has been present in Jombang Regency in 2008 as part of Primatani. Currently, the Department of Agriculture has re-launched the agribusiness clinic as the main program in agricultural development in Jombang in 2022. The purpose of this research is to describe the transformation from the old agribusiness clinic concept to a new agribusiness clinic concept, find external and internal environmental support systems in implementing agribusiness clinics in Jombang, and knowing the right strategic planning in the implementation of agribusiness clinics in Jombang Regency. This research is ascriptive qualitative research (level of explanation). Data analysis used is qualitative analysis to describe the transformation of the old concept of agrobusiness clinic to new a concept. Analysis of EFE, IFE, SWOT matrix, IE matrix, and QSPM to determine external and internal environmental system support for clinical agribusiness implementation in Jombang and to find out the right agribusiness planning strategy clinic activities in Jombang. The results of this study are the agribusiness clinic in Jombang has undergone a transformation from the old concept in 2008 to a new concept in 2022. The new concept is the development of the old concept which has undergone adjustments due to changes affecting the agricultural sector. The main external environment support system in the implementation of agribusiness clinics in Jombang Regency the need for healthy and quality agricultural products is increasing. While the main support system of the internal environment is the existence of an extension institution at the district level, namely UPT Implementing Agricultural Extension, and efforts to increase the capacity of farmers and extension workers. The right planning strategy for implementing an agribusiness clinic in Jombang is an Strategy which means utilizing strengths to gain opportunities, namely through strengthening the duties and functions of BPP as the center for implementing agribusiness clinics.

Scaling use of the rust fungus Puccinia punctiformis for biological control of Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.): First report on a U.S. statewide effort

Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop., CT) is one of the worst weeds threatening temperate regions of the world. A host-specific rust fungus, Puccinia punctiformis (F. Strauss) Rohl., is known to cause systemic disease of CT, ultimately killing individuals and reducing stand densities. In 2013, it was demonstrated that fall inoculation of rosettes with coarsely ground leaves bearing P. punctiformis telia can successfully initiate epiphytotics. In the same year, a cooperative project between the Colorado Department of Agriculture and United States Department of Agriculture was initiated, in which CT patches across the state of Colorado (USA) were inoculated and tracked over subsequent years for changes in stem density. Here, we report our findings from 8 years (2014–2021) of monitoring effort. At most sites (N = 87), CT stem densities declined, from a mean (±SE) of 87.9 (±6.5) stems to 44.7 (±4.2). These declines however were spatially-autocorrelated, and likely attributable to local growing conditions, as mean annual daily maximum temperature and standard deviation of elevation, as well as climatic conditions around the times of both treatment and monitoring, were found to be important predictors of CT decline. Further, we observed that the amount of inoculum deployed, timing since last release, and method in which it was spread locally at a site were also associated with the magnitude of CT stem decline. These results are indicative of the value of P. punctiformis as a CT biological control agent.

Orange grower's perception of drought impacts and strategies for mitigation and adaptation: A study of the Vidarbha region in India

Vidarbha, a region in Maharashtra, India, is famous for its sweet-sour-flavoured Nagpur Orange. Vidarbha is witnessing droughts after every alternate year resulting in crop failure and causing distress to orange growers. The present study attempts to – 1) identify critical challenges Vidarbha orange growers face during drought impact and 2) examine the farmers' perception and awareness about drought impacts, and different adaptation and mitigation strategies in practice at the farmer's level. This research used a field study approach in the drought-prone Vidarbha region to acquire orange farmers' perceptions of the drought impact. We have used a three-stage method to carry out this study. In the first stage, a Delphi method is adopted to identify and validate orange growers' challenges due to drought impact. The second stage comprises utilising multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM)-based best-worst method to prioritise and determine the most critical challenges. This is followed by descriptive statistical analysis in the third stage to determine the overall perception of orange growers about drought and its adaptation and mitigation strategies. It is observed through findings that – “inadequate water bodies, lack of availability of capital, and high cost of drip irrigation” are critical challenges orange growers witness during drought. While “installing an efficient irrigation system and pest control” are the adaptation strategies, and “seeking guidance from the agriculture department” and “reliance on weather forecast” are the mitigation strategies widely adopted by Nagpur orange growers to alleviate drought stress.

Impacts of Crop Type and Climate Changes on Agricultural Water Dynamics in Northeast China from 2000 to 2020

Northeast China (NEC) is one of the most important national agricultural production bases, and its agricultural water dynamics are essential for food security and sustainable agricultural development. However, the dynamics of long-term annual crop-specific agricultural water and its crop type and climate impacts remain largely unknown, compromising water-saving practices and water-efficiency agricultural management in this vital area. Thus, this study used multi-source data of the crop type, climate factors, and the digital elevation model (DEM), and multiple digital agriculture technologies of remote sensing (RS), the geographic information system (GIS), the Soil Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA-SCS) model, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Penman–Monteith (FAO P-M) model, and the water supply–demand index (M) to map the annual spatiotemporal distribution of effective precipitation (Pe), crop water requirement (ETc), irrigation water requirement (IWR), and the supply–demand situation in the NEC from 2000 to 2020. The study further analyzed the impacts of the crop type and climate changes on agricultural water dynamics and revealed the reasons and policy implications for their spatiotemporal heterogeneity. The results indicated that the annual average Pe, ETc, IWR, and M increased by 1.56%/a, 0.74%/a, 0.42%/a, and 0.83%/a in the NEC, respectively. Crop-specifically, the annual average Pe increased by 1.15%/a, 2.04%/a, and 2.09%/a, ETc decreased by 0.46%/a, 0.79%/a, and 0.89%/a, IWR decreased by 1.03%/a, 1.32%/a, and 3.42%/a, and M increased by 1.48%/a, 2.67%/a, and 2.87%/a for maize, rice, and soybean, respectively. Although the ETc and IWR for all crops decreased, regional averages still increased due to the expansion of water-intensive maize and rice. The crop type and climate changes jointly influenced agricultural water dynamics. Crop type transfer contributed 39.28% and 41.25% of the total IWR increase, and the remaining 60.72% and 58.75% were caused by cropland expansion in the NEC from 2000 to 2010 and 2010 to 2020, respectively. ETc and IWR increased with increasing temperature and solar radiation, and increasing precipitation led to decreasing IWR in the NEC. The adjustment of crop planting structure and the implementation of water-saving practices need to comprehensively consider the spatiotemporally heterogeneous impacts of crop and climate changes on agricultural water dynamics. The findings of this study can aid RS-GIS-based agricultural water simulations and applications and support the scientific basis for agricultural water management and sustainable agricultural development.

Effect of Hairamin and Fertilizer Application on Grain Yield and Its Attributes in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Varieties

A field experiment was conducted at the Research farm of the Department of Agriculture, Maharishi Markandeshwar University, Mullana, Ambala during Rabi season of 2021. Response of three wheat varieties to integrated nutrient management involving Hairamin (protein hydrolysate from human hair) and inorganic fertilizers (NPK) for grain yield and its attributes was studied in a field experiment. The soil was sandy loam, well-drained, alkaline (pH 7.23), low in nitrogen, medium in phosphorus, and high in potassium, with an electrical conductivity of 0.89 d/Sm. Eight treatments comprising a control and seven combination application of Hairamin, Azotobecter and recommended dose of inorganic fertilizers were evaluated in three wheat varieties “DBW 222", "HD 2967" and "PBW 723” in a randomized block design (RBD) with three replications. The T7 treatment, 75% recommended N, P, K dose throughout synthetic fertilizers and appropriate dose of Hairamin foliar spray, exhibited highest grain yield, biological yield and harvest index. This treatment was shown to be statistically comparable to T6 (50% recommended N, P, K dose throughout synthetic fertilizers and appropriate dose of Hairamin Foliar spray). This increase in yield was reflected in higher expression of yield attribute in traits namely (ears per running meter row length, spikelets ear-1, grains ear-1, 1000 grain weight, grain yield, straw yield, biological yield and harvest index). Therefore, use of Hairamin as bio-stimulant with reduced fertilizer doses is recommended for sustainable wheat production.

Human exposures to Brucella canis from a pregnant dog during an international flight: Public health risks, diagnostic challenges and future considerations.

This report documents the exposure of passengers and crew of a commercial international flight to the zoonotic pathogen Brucella canis after an infected dog aborted in the passenger cabin of the aircraft. This case demonstrates the challenges associated with brucellosis screening and the risks that airline personnel, airport employees and travellers face when animals with unrecognized zoonotic infections are transported. The public health investigation of this case was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, the Illinois Department of Health and the Illinois Department of Agriculture, in collaboration with a local veterinary clinic and several academic and federal diagnostic laboratories. It included an extensive diagnostic evaluation of the dam and aborted foetuses to confirm a diagnosis of canine brucellosis. Passengers, airline personnel and staff from the veterinary clinic where the dogs were treated underwent risk assessments, and clinic staff also received detailed guidance regarding infection prevention practices. Animal shelters and breeding programs are recommended to screen dogs routinely for brucellosis, but it is not unusual for domestic or imported animals to have unknown health histories, including the dog's brucellosis status, at the time of purchase, adoption, or re-homing. Testing recommendations and requirements vary by state, making it challenging for state public health and animal health agencies to monitor and respond appropriately. This case highlights the importance of Brucella spp. screening in sexually intact dogs prior to breeding, purchase, or domestic or international transportation of the dogs. The transportation of pregnant dogs may present a previously unrecognized public health threat in addition to contributing to unnecessary stress and health risks for pregnant animals.

Silvicultural Management Strategies: A Determinant for a Successful NGP Plantation in Northern Isabela, Philippines

The National Greening Program is the most extensive reforestation program in the Philippines. It aimed for climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, and food security. This paper provides initial information on the performance of NGP in Northern Isabela, focusing on the general information of the plantation site, the participation of stakeholders, and the implementation of selected forestry management strategies. Three sites were considered, which are located in Delfin Albano, Cabagan, and San Pablo, Isabela. Findings revealed that the plantation sites were grasslands and previously were of corn plantations. Yemane is the common species planted in the three study sites because it is less susceptible to the effects of drought, fire, pests, diseases, and typhoons, according to the implementers. Other tree species planted in Delfin Albano are teak, kadamba, acacia, and mahogany. It was further validated during the field site visit and inspection that the above-mentioned tree species have 100% survival because the implementers were equipped with knowledge on some silvicultural strategies for maintaining the plantation. Implementers considered the period of planting, the ideal size of seedlings, the proper spacing, fertilization requirements, and intermediate treatments for sanitation. Nevertheless, it is recommended to all plantations that the implementers should integrate agroforestry crops in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture. Finally, since the DENR was tasked with the monitoring and validation of the performance of the program, the DENR should also partner with various research institutions, including academic institutions, to assess the progress of the NGP for enhancement.

Intermittent drying of Lippia origanoides: influence of the process on the quality of the extract and energy consumption

This study investigated the effect of intermittent drying on the specific energy consumption, plant extract yield, content of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity of L. origanoides leaves. Drying tests were carried out at the Postharvest Laboratory of Medicinal, Aromatic and Spice Plants of the Agricultural Engineering Department of the Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brazil (20 ° 46 '13, 5 ”S; 42 ° 52 ' 23.3 ”W, and 645 m altitude) in June 2019. The experiment was conducted using a 3 × 4 factorial scheme matching three drying temperatures (50, 60 and 70 °C), with two drying methods: drying continuous and intermittent drying (with three intermittent ratios between drying and resting in minutes: 10/20, 15/15 and 20/10). The design used was completely randomized and with three replications. Drying with a 10/20 intermittency ratio reduced the specific energy consumption during the drying of L. origanoides leaves at 50 and 70 °C. The application of the 10/20 intermittency ratio maximized the yield of plant extract during the drying of the leaves of L. origanoides at 60 and 70 °C. Drying with a 10/20 intermittency ratio maximized the content of total phenolic compounds and total flavonoids at all evaluated drying air temperatures. Intermittent drying did not significantly affect the antioxidant activity of the plant extract of L. origanoides leaves.

Sieve classification and bean defects of coffee genotypes from the Big Coffee VL group

The aim of this study was to evaluate large-bean coffee genotypes from the Big Coffee VL group in terms of bean size and the percentage of post-harvest defects, according to the official Brazilian classification. The experiment was carried out in the Coffee Crop Sector of the Department of Agriculture at the Federal University of Lavras, where the progenies with the greatest production potential were selected, known as "elite" progenies. The experimental design was the Completely Randomized Design. Twelve progenies were selected, arranged in 6 replicates. The samples consisted of 300 grams of fruit from each progeny, which were classified according to grain size: large grains were those retained on the 17 (round sieve) and 13 (oblong sieve) sieves; medium grains were those retained on the 15 (round sieve) and 10 (oblong sieve) sieves and small grains were those retained at the bottom of the sieves. The percentage of mocha grains was obtained from the sum of all the sieves for mocha grains 10 and above. The data was submitted to analysis of variance and grouped using the Scott-Knott test at 5% significance. It was observed that there is genetic variability between the progenies that are segregating for the grain size characteristic, with some progenies standing out for their superior performance: M20, M4, G16 and G17. In terms of defect analysis, P14, P23, P32, M4, M5, M11, M20, G9 and G16 showed the lowest percentage of bored fruit. As the selected progenies are still segregating, further studies could be carried out.

Application of satellite images and GIS to assess the site situation and propose solutions for developing pineapple cultivation in U Minh Thuong, Kien Giang, Vietnam

The study was conducted to assess the site situation and propose solutions to develop the cropping area of pineapples in U Minh Thuong (UMT), Kien Giang province. The study used the Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) classification method to create a map of pineapple cropping in the U Minh Thuong area in 2016. Data on rainfall, soil type, temperature, and water reserves are inherited from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Kien Giang Province and analyzed by the GIS method. Water irrigation in pineapple was estimated based on the formula of Mladen Todorovic, 2016 comparing freshwater reserves in the research region and irrigation water on pineapple, researched spatial distribution map of water response capacity for pineapple. The research results showed that the agricultural area in U Minh Thuong has natural conditions suitable for pineapple cultivation. The size of pineapple cultivation in this area was 4,387.29 ha, the largest in the Vinh Thuan district. The total freshwater reserve in the region varies, where the rainfall is, with the highest volume being 4,546.2 m3/ha (in September 2015) and the lowest 67.7 m3/ha (in March 2016). However, the U Minh Thuong region lacks water in the dry months from January 2016 to April 2016. The amount of water during this period is starved, with watering demand from 2,385 to 2,969 million m3 on the total cultivated area of pineapple. In contrast, the surplus water was quite high in the rainy season, about 2,252 - 27,257 million m3 in Vinh Thuan district in September 2015. The study proposes a solution to store water during the rainy season and use them effectively during the dry season. This solution is compatible with the main pineapple farming habit and model in U Minh Thuong, Kien Giang Province.

A Field Survey of Grapevine Germplasm Susceptible to Eutypa Dieback

Eutypa dieback of grapevine is a trunk disease that impacts vineyard productivity worldwide. Grape germplasm is typically evaluated for resistance to Eutypa dieback through controlled inoculations in the greenhouse, although the high level of replication required of this approach (40 plants per genotype) can limit the total number of genotypes evaluated. An alternative approach is to evaluate naturally infected genotypes in the field. We rated the incidence and severity of vines with the diagnostic leaf symptoms of Eutypa dieback and the incidence of mortality among such vines of 973 Vitis vinifera accessions (planted in duplicate) at the US Department of Agriculture, National Clonal Germplasm Repository in Davis, CA, USA, which is maintained as a living collection for grape research. Across 3 years and spanning a total of 5 years (2011, 2013, and 2015), 120 accessions had leaf symptoms in one or more years (“susceptible accessions”). Courbu blanc [Davis Vitis identification tag (DVIT) 2313], Frankenthal blanc (DVIT 2115), and Pinot gris (DVIT 0907) were the only accessions with leaf symptoms each year. Accessions with the most severe leaf symptoms (a rating of 5 points) were Chasselas Napoleon (DVIT 0375) and Queen of the Vineyard (DVIT 0496). We identified susceptible accessions—namely, those related to ‘Chasselas’ and ‘Muscat’—with a shared genetic background, based on a previous single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping effort of the collection. Especially for grapevine, a long-lived perennial that is meant to produce a crop for decades, knowledge of susceptible accessions and their pedigrees can help inform breeding programs and studies on the host response to infection.

Plant Infrastructure

This essay analyzes Miami as a place where plants are a major component of urban infrastructure. The centrality of tropical plants to the growth of Miami connects that city to the history of empire, where control of plant matter was the violent model for the standardization and distribution practices of modern infrastructure. In Miami, the US Department of Agriculture established a Plant Introduction Garden in 1898, with “Agricultural Explorer” David Fairchild activating networks connecting India, Kew Gardens, and Washington to bring mostly Asian tropical fruits, shrubs, and flowers to South Florida. A close reading of archives of botanical gardens, plant nurseries, and community organizations shows that Miami plant infrastructure was created jointly by these elite political/scientific networks and by vernacular, informal networks of Black labor migration and horticultural know-how. The essay focuses on the cultivation of Miami’s best-known plant product, the Haden mango, and the vital role in its propagation played by Black Bahamian gardener Nathan Sands, whose letters to his employer David Fairchild are preserved in the latter’s papers. Recovering the stories of people like Nathan Sands is vital to understanding the development of a global metropolis whose plant infrastructure erased the Black horticultural work on which it depended.

Assessing the Productivity of Forage Based Cropping System under Different Farming Practices in the Western Himalayan Region

A field experiment was conducted at CSK Himachal Pradesh, Krishi Vishwavidyalaya Palampur, Department of Organic Agriculture and Natural Farming, College of Agriculture, during 2019-20 to study the effect of conventional, organic and natural farming practices on growth and yield of fodder oat. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three replications with comprising of 5 farming practices (F0: Absolute control, F1: Organic farming package of practices, F2: Natural farming package of practices (SPNF), F3: 10 t FYM + Natural farming package of practices (SPNF), F4: Recommended fertilizer dose and 3 cropping system (CS1: Oat, CS2: Oat + Fodder Sarson, CS3: Oat + Berseem). The results concluded that, among the farming practices, higher number of shoots per meter square, dry matter accumulation, green fodder yield and dry fodder yield was recorded with recommended dose of fertilizer followed by 10 t FYM + natural farming package of practices (SPNF). In case of cropping systems, significantly higher number of shoots per square meter, dry matter accumulation, green and dry fodder yield was observed with oat + berseem cropping system as compared to oat alone.