Agricultural Problems Research Articles

A Systematic Literature Review on the Role of Human Ecology Higher Education Institutions in Policy Development for Food and Nutrition Security in the Philippines

The issue of Food and Nutrition Security (FNS) in the Philippines has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and persistent social, environmental and agricultural problems. To address this concern, the involvement of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) is explored by reviewing the local policies in the Philippines. Applications and recommendations on how human ecology can address the complex problem of FNS were then noted. This systematic literature review used a framework synthesis approach wherein the Australian National University (ANU) Transdisciplinary Framework was used to check if the stated policies, applications, and recommendations were aligned with the framework components, which are interactive, integrative, change-oriented, systemic, context-based, and pluralistic. This transdisciplinary framework is expected to promote policy change and development related to FNS. After that, 38 articles were included in the review. Upon the review, no local policies fit all of the ANU Transdisciplinary Framework’s components. Nonetheless, these policies mostly separately address food security and nutrition security. However, there are still no established responses to the concern of FNS as an integrated concept of food security and nutrition security. HEIs contribute to developing FNS-related policies by intensifying advocacy for integrating food and nutrition security and improving FNS-related research and programs.

Effect of Different Weed Management Practices on growth and yield in Potato at Khumaltar, Lalitpur, Nepal

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is the fifth most important crops in the world in terms of production with an estimate of 375 million metric tons. In Nepal, potato ranks second in terms of production and sixth in terms of area coverage. Potato production is affected by weed infestation. Weeds compete with crops for nutrients, water and other resources, which eventually reduce the crop yield. The critical period of crop-weed competition for potato is 25-40 days from planting depending on the climatic-zone and planting seasons. The most common method of weed control in Nepal is manual method, while herbicides are uses in less areas. Weeds are considered as the major problem in conventional and organic farming, due to lower yields by weeds and higher costs of labor for weed control. Mulching is one of the best and safest practice for effective weed management in potato due to which micro-climate manipulation is developed. Metribuzin is widely used herbicides in potato that controls a range of broadleaf weed species and suppresses many grassy weeds. To study the performance of different weed management practices in potato ten treatments were set up viz., three herbicides (pendimethalin@ 1.0 kg a.i ha-1, metribuzin@ 0.5 kg a.i ha-1 and atrazine @ 0.25 kg a.i ha-1) constituting seven treatments, one mulching with rice straw, one treatment with two manual hoeing, and another treatment with no any weed management practices as control.The treatments were laid out in RCB design with 4 replications. The potato variety Janak Dev was planted on 12th Feb 2021 and 23rd Jan 2022 with tuber rate of 4.1 t.ha-1 with row spacing of 60 cm and plant to plant 20 cm in a plot size of 4 x 3 meter in flat bed. Growth parameters such as plant height, plant fresh and dry biomass were recorded. Data on weed density, weed dry biomass, and tuber yield were taken.The economics of the different treatments were calculated. Among the treatments metribuzin@ 0.25 kg a.i ha-1 as pre-emergence proved effective in controlling weeds showing highest weed control efficiency (200.7 %) and tuber yield (32.79 t ha-1) . However, the treatment rice straw mulch @ 6 t ha-1 produced the highest tuber yield (38.31 t ha-1), 73.4 % increased yield over control, weed control efficiency(147.1%), economic benefit (NRS 13,40,850), benefit cost ratio (4.93).The treatment rice straw mulch @ 6 t ha-1 showed superiority among the different weeds management practices.

Improved Agronomic Practices on Enhancement of Quality Forage Production for Livestock Farming

The lack of nutrient-rich fodder and forage is one of the problems of livestock farming. Adequate tillage operations, timely and suitable water management, weed management, insect pests and disease management, fertilizer management, seeding at the proper time and seed rate, timely harvesting, and other agronomic techniques can all help to increase the nutritional content and yield of fodder and forage crops. A number of research and review papers have been systematically reviewed in this study. The use of tillage practices such as primary, secondary, conventional, and deep tillage enhances dry matter and yield of green fodder as compared to zero tillage. The organic matter (OM) content and dry matter (DM) of fodder crops are increased by regular and appropriate irrigation. The DMD (dry matter digestibility) and CP (crude protein) contents of early harvested forages are higher than those of late harvested forages. The application of nitrogen promotes crop development and growth, increasing the production of green fodder and improving its quality. Intercropping is essential for increasing the yield of fodder crops. Compared to sole cropping of maize and cowpea, the yield is found higher in intercropping of maize + cowpea. The production and quality of fodder are decreased by late seeding. The management of insect pests and diseases enhances the production and quality of fodder and forage. Thus, we draw the conclusion that fodder and forage crops production and their quality parameters are greatly influenced by agronomic practices.

Regulating the Pore Structure and Heteroatom Doping of Soybean Straw Carbon Based on a Bifunctional Template Method for the High-Performance Carbon Supercapacitor.

The previous research addressed the waste problem of agriculture and forestry residues by exploring the efficient utilization of liquefied soybean straw in supercapacitor. The structures of the liquefied soybean straw were controlled by coupling microwave hydrothermal treatment with carbonization under the influence of a C3N4 bifunctional template. What's more, C3N4 could effectively regulate the pore structures and provide an effective N active site of carbon materials C3N4. The obtained N-SLR Carbon-700 possess a specific surface area of up to 1593.7 m2 g -1, and the pore size is mainly concentrated in the range of 1.8-2.5 nm, providing efficient ions transmission channels and storage space. Its specific capacitance is up to 261.5 F g-1 (current density of 0.5 A g-1), and the capacity retention is 74.04 % when the current density is expanded by 20 times. In the two-electrode system, the energy density of N-SLR Carbon-700 could reach to 31.3 W h kg-1 at a power density of 360 W kg-1, as well as the energy surface density is maintained at 69 % when the power density is increased by a factor of 20. This work enhances effectively the charging and discharging stability and capacitance value of carbon-based supercapacitor.

AGRICULTURAL CONSULTING AS A TOOL TO ENSURE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SUSTAINABLE RURAL DEVELOPMENT

The article analyzes the current state of implementation of sustainable rural development in Ukraine. Ensuring sustainable rural development today is a priority for all of humanity, which is due to the desire of countries to ensure the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals. It is noted that rural development is an important task aimed at ensuring food security, increasing the competitiveness of agriculture, stimulating economic growth and social development of rural areas in the system of European integration priorities. It is proved that the peculiarities of the functioning of the agro-industrial sector, the processes of digitalization and the consequences of full-scale military operations necessitate the need for highly qualified and multidisciplinary specialists. It is substantiated that the need of small agricultural enterprises for high-quality staffing will only increase in the future, due to the need to revitalize the de-occupied territories of Ukraine and the further rapid development of digital technologies. It is noted that the lion's share of agricultural enterprises in Ukraine is small. These agricultural enterprises are focused on the domestic market, and they ensure the country's food security and sustainable rural development. However, these agricultural enterprises face significant problems with logistics and human resources, high production costs, lack of markets, etc. In addition, most of them are geographically remote from the centers of civilization. All this, as well as the need to eliminate the negative consequences of full-scale military operations in rural areas, further revitalization of the de-occupied territories, and the introduction of digital technologies, make it expedient for small agricultural enterprises to use agro-consulting as a tool for ensuring the implementation of sustainable rural development. It is noted that agricultural consulting in Ukraine is mainly represented by agricultural advisory services. Prospect for further research is the problem of using consulting to optimize the development of rural tourism in Ukraine.

Preference and Toxicity of Sulfoxaflor, Flupyradifurone, and Triflumezopyrim Bait against the Fire Ant Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and Their Efficacy under Field Conditions.

The red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is native to South America; however, its introduction to other countries has caused serious biodiversity, agricultural, and public health problems. As toxic bait is an effective method to control fire ant populations, the aim of this study was to determine the most effective concentration of sulfoxaflor, flupyradifurone, and triflumezopyrim as ingredients for baits against S. invicta under laboratory and field conditions. Sulfoxaflor, flupyradifurone, and triflumezopyrim had no effect on the feeding behavior of the fire ants. However, they significantly reduced the climbing, walking, and arrest abilities of the fire ant workers after 10 days of treatment, and insecticides were horizontally transferred from workers to alates or larvae. Specifically, sulfoxaflor and triflumezopyrim at 0.05% concentration were the most effective in exterminating fire ants. Sulfoxaflor and triflumezopyrim are nonrepellent and effective insecticides against S. invicta.

Sanitary management and the presence of Salmonella spp. in a small-scale aviary and poultry carcasses

Salmonella spp. is one of the primary foodborne pathogens and is a problem for public health and poultry farming. This study aimed to evaluate the sanitary management of a small poultry farm of a family farming company under female management in Jataí-GO and how such management affects the presence of Salmonella spp. Samples were collected for microbiological analysis from the environment of two batches of chicks at the entrance (D0), on the 28th (D28) and the 60th (D60) day of the chicks; from the carcass, from the evisceration table and the chicken plucker. The presence of Salmonella spp. was not detected in any of the samples, which were taken from the bottoms of the transport boxes, from eggshell residues, from the growth and fattening rations, from shoe covers, from chicken litter, from the reception sheds, from the feeders and water fountains, from the walls and screens, from the external area of ​​the shed, from the compost pile and the carcasses. The pH, water chlorine, ambient temperature, and carcass temperature were assessed using a good production practices monitoring form and were considered adequate. The descriptive analysis of the data considered the current legislation. Therefore, strict monitoring of the standards underlying the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Standard Hygiene Operating Procedures (SHOP) programs controlled the spread of Salmonella spp. in the poultry meat rearing and processing process and also ensured the quality of the final product for consumption.

Cakile maritima: A Halophyte Model to Study Salt Tolerance Mechanisms and Potential Useful Crop for Sustainable Saline Agriculture in the Context of Climate Change.

Salinity is an increasing problem for agriculture. Most plant species tolerate low or, at best, moderate soil salinities. However, a small (<1%) proportion of species, termed halophytes, can survive and complete their life cycle in natural habitats with salinities equivalent to 200 mM NaCl or more. Cakile maritima is a succulent annual halophyte belonging to the Brassicaceae family; it is dispersed worldwide and mainly grows in foreshores. Cakile maritima growth is optimal under slight (i.e., 100 mM NaCl) saline conditions, measured by biomass and seed production. Higher salt concentrations, up to 500 mM NaCl, significantly impact its growth but do not compromise its survival. Cakile maritima alleviates sodium toxicity through different strategies, including anatomical and morphological adaptations, ion transport regulation, biosynthesis of osmolytes, and activation of antioxidative mechanisms. The species is potentially useful as a cash crop for the so-called biosaline agriculture due to its production of secondary metabolites of medical and nutritional interest and the high oil accumulation in its seeds. In this review, we highlight the relevance of this species as a model for studying the basic mechanisms of salt tolerance and for sustainable biosaline agriculture in the context of soil salination and climate change.

The nucleolin MoNsr1 plays pleiotropic roles in the pathogenicity and stress adaptation in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae

The rice blast disease, caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, is a significant agricultural problem that adversely impacts rice production and food security. Understanding the precise molecular pathways involved in the interaction between the pathogen and its host is crucial for developing effective disease management strategies. This study examines the crucial function of the nucleolin MoNsr1 in regulating M. oryzae physiological functions. ΔMoNsr1 deletion mutants showed reduced fungal growth, asexual sporulation, and pathogenicity compared to the wild-type. Mutants exhibited impaired conidial germination and appressoria formation, reducing infection progression. Additionally, ΔMoNsr1 deletion mutant had less turgor pressure, confirming that MoNsr1 is essential for cell wall biogenesis and resistant to external stresses. Furthermore, ΔMoNsr1 deletion mutant showed enhanced sensitivity to oxidative stress, reactive oxygen species, and cold tolerance. Our results offer a thorough understanding of the function of MoNsr1 in the virulence and stress-resilient capability in M. oryzae. These findings provide insights into the novel targets and contribute to the emergence of innovative approaches for managing rice blast disease.

Curcumin attenuates ochratoxin A and hypoxia co-induced liver injury in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) by dual targeting endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis via reducing ROS content

BackgroundOchratoxin A (OTA) is a toxin widely found in aquafeed ingredients, and hypoxia is a common problem in fish farming. In practice, aquatic animals tend to be more sensitive to hypoxia while feeds are contaminated with OTA, but no studies exist in this area. This research investigated the multiple biotoxicities of OTA and hypoxia combined on the liver of grass carp and explored the mitigating effect of curcumin (CUR).MethodsA total of 720 healthy juvenile grass carp (11.06 ± 0.05 g) were selected and assigned randomly to 4 experimental groups: control group (without OTA and CUR), 1.2 mg/kg OTA group, 400 mg/kg CUR group, and 1.2 mg/kg OTA + 400 mg/kg CUR group with three replicates each for 60 d. Subsequently, 32 fish were selected, divided into normoxia (18 fish) and hypoxia (18 fish) groups, and subjected to hypoxia stress for 96 h.ResultsCUR can attenuate histopathological damage caused by coming to OTA and hypoxia by reducing vacuolation and nuclear excursion. The alleviation of this damage was associated with the attenuation of apoptosis in the mitochondrial pathway by decreasing the expression of the pro-apoptotic proteins Caspase 3, 8, 9, Bax, and Apaf1 while increasing the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, and attenuation of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) by reducing Grp78 expression and chop levels. This may be attributed to the fact that the addition of CUR increased the levels of catalase (CAT) and glutathione reductase (GSH), increased antioxidant capacity, and ensured the proper functioning of respiratory chain complexes I and II, which in turn reduced the high production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), thus alleviating apoptosis and ERS.ConclusionsIn conclusion, our data demonstrate the effectiveness of CUR in attenuating liver injury caused by the combination of OTA and hypoxia. This study confirms the feasibility and efficacy of adding natural products to mitigate toxic damage to aquatic animals.

A Review on ML and DL Techniques in Detecting Plant Diseases

In Our country, Agriculture is the main occupation of the people. Plant diseases are a major problem today as they affect the quality and production of agricultural production. Most plant-borne diseases are caused by viruses and fungi. Identifying the diseases in early stage by manual power is not possible in large sector of Area. Subsequent maintenance of plants conditions are major challenging task. To overcome this problem in Agriculture, we use Image Processing Technique to identify the disease in beginning stage . To Apply Image Processing Technique, we have to undergo certain Image concepts that deals with image acquisition, image pre-processing, image segmentation, feature extraction and classification of disease. This Methodology reduces the destruction of plants and make the crop production high. The digital Image Processing Technique is the main solution to solve the problems in Plant diseases by identifying the plant diseases in early stage. It is very much useful to the Farmers who are facing plant diseases problem in their Agriculture Area. Many techniques are used to identify the diseases in plants using classifiers such as , K-Nearest Neighbors ,Support Vector Machine methods etc. This paper gives the overview of available methods for plant disease detection

Defense Molecules of the Invasive Plant Species Ageratum conyzoides

Ageratum conyzoides L. is native to Tropical America, and it has naturalized in many other tropical, subtropical, and temperate countries in South America, Central and Southern Africa, South and East Asia, Eastern Austria, and Europe. The population of the species has increased dramatically as an invasive alien species, and it causes significant problems in agriculture and natural ecosystems. The life history traits of Ageratum conyzoides, such as its short life cycle, early reproductive maturity, prolific seed production, and high adaptive ability to various environmental conditions, may contribute to its naturalization and increasing population. Possible evidence of the molecules involved in the defense of Ageratum conyzoides against its natural enemies, such as herbivore insects and fungal pathogens, and the allelochemicals involved in its competitive ability against neighboring plant species has been accumulated in the literature. The volatiles, essential oils, extracts, residues, and/or rhizosphere soil of Ageratum conyzoides show insecticidal, fungicidal, nematocidal, and allelopathic activity. The pyrrolizidine alkaloids lycopsamine and echinatine, found in the species, are highly toxic and show insecticidal activity. Benzopyran derivatives precocenes I and II show inhibitory activity against insect juvenile hormone biosynthesis and trichothecene mycotoxin biosynthesis. A mixture of volatiles emitted from Ageratum conyzoides, such as β-caryophyllene, β-bisabolene, and β-farnesene, may work as herbivore-induced plant volatiles, which are involved in the indirect defense function against herbivore insects. Flavonoids, such as nobiletin, eupalestin, 5′-methoxynobiletin, 5,6,7,3′,4′,5′-hexamethoxyflavone, and 5,6,8,3,4′,5′-hexamethoxyflavone, show inhibitory activity against the spore germination of pathogenic fungi. The benzoic acid and cinnamic acid derivatives found in the species, such as protocatechuic acid, gallic acid, p-coumaric acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, and ferulic acid, may act as allelopathic agents, causing the germination and growth inhibition of competitive plant species. These molecules produced by Ageratum conyzoides may act as defense molecules against its natural enemies and as allelochemicals against neighboring plant species, and they may contribute to the naturalization of the increasing population of Ageratum conyzoides in new habitats as an invasive plant species. This article presents the first review focusing on the defense function and allelopathy of Ageratum conyzoides.

Real‐time semantic segmentation network for crops and weeds based on multi‐branch structure

AbstractWeed recognition is an inevitable problem in smart agriculture, and to realise efficient weed recognition, complex background, insufficient feature information, varying target sizes and overlapping crops and weeds are the main problems to be solved. To address these problems, the authors propose a real‐time semantic segmentation network based on a multi‐branch structure for recognising crops and weeds. First, a new backbone network for capturing feature information between crops and weeds of different sizes is constructed. Second, the authors propose a weight refinement fusion (WRF) module to enhance the feature extraction ability of crops and weeds and reduce the interference caused by the complex background. Finally, a Semantic Guided Fusion is devised to enhance the interaction of information between crops and weeds and reduce the interference caused by overlapping goals. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed network can balance speed and accuracy. Specifically, the 0.713 Mean IoU (MIoU), 0.802 MIoU, 0.746 MIoU and 0.906 MIoU can be achieved on the sugar beet (BoniRob) dataset, synthetic BoniRob dataset, CWFID dataset and self‐labelled wheat dataset, respectively.

The state of domestic agriculture: The Mari El Republic case

Subject. The article considers actual problems of agriculture in the Russian Federation on the Mari El Republic case. Objectives. The purpose is to identify and assess the condition of agriculture in the Mari El Republic to identify current problems. Methods. The study employs various research methods, like synthesis, analysis, comparison, induction, and deduction. Results. We investigated the key problems of agriculture, like aging infrastructure, the outflow of population from rural areas to cities, a decrease in the number of investments, a shortage of personnel, and others. Furthermore, we examined modern ways of support: financing, subsidies, support for entrepreneurs, improving access to medical and educational services. The paper considers the main theoretical features in the field of economics and agriculture, analyzes statistical material presented by Rosstat. Conclusions. The study suggests specific qualitative measures, i.e. the development of agricultural entrepreneurs’ culture, increased subsidies, improving the agricultural education, R&amp;D, and innovation in this industry.

Socioeconomic Impact of Livestock Farming: A Case Study of Baitadi and Darchula Districts, Nepal

Dairy is the oldest staple food, along with fruits and vegetables, for humans. This study investigated the socioeconomic factors influencing milk and dairy production in Baitadi and Darchula districts, Shailyashikhar municipality, and Dilasaini rural municipality, Nepal. Among the 5384 livestock farmers, 100 livestock farmers were randomly selected for the investigation. The findings demonstrated the existence of a subsistence agricultural system for livestock farming with small landholdings. There is a dominance of males over females in decision-making, and workload is common for females. There is a unique practice of management for milk produced during the first three weeks of lactation: 99% of people do not consume milk for 19.81±4.597 mean days; 96% of people do not sell milk; 53% do not sell ghee; 73% of parents refuse to give their kids cow's milk during the first three weeks of breastfeeding; and 16% do not consume ghee because of their tradition. There are various problems in livestock farming, i.e., feed management, low land holding, disease, cost of production, less government support, and lack credit. Feed management was ranked first, whereas lowland holding was ranked second. Worms are the most common disease causing organism seen in livestock in the study area because of the lack of access to improved and well-sanitized barns. Herbal plants are commonly used in disease management. Sociocultural factors directly affect livestock production. Different traditional beliefs, a lack of improved breeds, disease, and feed management have direct impacts on milk production. Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 12(3): 166-179.

EFFECTIVENESS OF MANGROVE LEAF EXTRACT Avicennia marina ON DAILY GROWTH OF VANNAME SHRIMP (Litopenaeus vanname)

One of the problems in shrimp farming is the high price of feed. The objective of this study was to find out the effect of the addition of mangrove extract Avecenia marina pada feed on the growth of vanname shrimp. The study used a completely randomized design (CRD) with 4 treatments and 3 replicates. The treatment used for growth is the addition of A. marina leaf extract at a dose: A (275 ppm in 500g feed), B (285 ppm in 500g feed), C (295 ppm in 500g feed), D (305 ppm in500g feed). The results of analysis of variance (ANOVA) on the growth of Vanname shrimp specific growth rate described that F value is greater than F Table, which indicates that the administration of Avicennia marina leaf extract has an effect on the best specific growth rate of 6.52% achieved in treatment D. The highest EPP calculation results amounted to 88.33% and Survival Rate reached an average of 97.25% for all treatments. Water quality during the study was within a reasonable range to support shrimp growth.

SELECTED PROBLEMS OF AFRICAN AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PRODUCTION

SELECTED PROBLEMS OF AFRICAN AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PRODUCTION

Vertical Farming: A Promising Solution to Urban Agriculture

Urban agriculture refers to the agricultural activities such as plant production for home consumption and income generation in the urban areas especially cities. The concept of urban agriculture has been popularizing but in today’s century it is also facing certain problems such as limited land resources, population increase etc. Vertical farming is a type of urban agriculture, through which we could seek solutions to the problems that urban agriculture has been facing in the recent times. Vertical farming refers to the growing of crops in vertically stacked structures especially under controlled environmental conditions and using a suitable growing medium to increase the crop production per square metre by utilizing the vertical space for cultivation [1]. A wide range of crops can be cultivated in vertical farming with the use of techniques such as hydroponics, aeroponics, aquaponics, artificial lighting, inside the controlled environment of a greenhouse. Vertical farming is needed to provide solution to the problems of urban agriculture in terms of providing food security to the growing population, efficient land utilization, water conservation, increased crop production etc. However, vertical farming has certain disadvantages as well such as high initial investment cost, high energy cost and high maintenance cost. Therefore, further research and development strategies are necessary to overcome such disadvantages for increasing its effectiveness to meet the food demands of the growing population as well as the future generation in a sustainable manner.

Exposing tail biters by automatic scream detection

Tail biting is a major problem in pig husbandry and early intervention is essential to maintain animal health and welfare. To facilitate early identification of tail biters a detector software was created that can detect scream-linked biting events through analyzing video and audio recordings.Undocked weaner pigs housing in different pens and batches were recorded for a duration of 39 days. Scream-linked tail biting events were firstly identified manually and then automatically through the developed detector by analyzing the audio track of the video recordings. The detector's performance was evaluated by testing different sensitivity parameters (e.g., loudness threshold, call duration, frequency range).In four pens (748 h), a total of 2,898 screams were manually detected, with 52.8 % caused by tail biting. In the second step, 89.9 % of the detected screams were classified correctly as screams by the detector (precision 0.81–1.00). From the detected screams, 64.0 % were caused by tail biting. The detector automatically analyzes the latest videos in user-defined periods and sends warning messages if a threshold of screams per hour is exceeded. Then, biters can be identified manually using the detector extracted incidence video clips.In conclusion, automatic analysis of pig screams has high potential as an early intervention tool by detecting tail biting events followed by evaluation of time synchronized video clips for biter identification.

Bacterial and fungal aerosols in poultry houses: PM2.5 metagenomics via single-molecule real-time sequencing

Microbial aerosol contamination is a common problem in poultry farms, posing potential health risks to poultry and their caretakers. Exploring the distribution and diversity of the microbial community in poultry farm aerosols is crucial for effective mitigation strategies. The composition of bacterial and fungal aerosols is poorly understood, particularly the prevalence of potential pathogenic microorganisms in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in various types of poultry houses. In this study, 27 PM2.5 samples were collected from 5 chicken houses and 4 duck houses in Shandong Province, China. Species-level diversity of bacterial and fungal components in PM2.5 samples was determined using advanced single-molecule real-time sequencing (SMRT) technology, based on the 16S and internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS) ribosomal genes. Microbial diversity and community composition varied significantly across the different poultry house. Notably, duck houses had higher concentrations (p < 0.01) of PM2.5 (92.8-143.1 μg/m3) than chicken houses (42.0-56.4 μg/m3). Furthermore, microbial variation in PM2.5 samples was associated with the type of poultry facility. The predominant pathogenic microorganisms included Aspergillus sydowii, Penicillium sp., Aspergillus insolitus, Cladosporium sp., Aspergillus sp., Aspergillus pseudoglaucus, Cladosporium sp. C4092-2-PD1, and Colletotrichum sp., all of which were classified as second category of pathogens. Aspergillus sydowii and Penicillium sp. were the dominant species in chicken houses, while Cladosporium sp., Aspergillus sp., and Aspergillus pseudoglaucus were the dominant species identified in duck houses. To our knowledge, this study is the first to investigate bacterial and fungal diversity in PM2.5 samples collected from various types of poultry houses. These findings advance our understanding of poultry environmental microbiology and have important implications for safeguarding the health of both poultry and their caretakers.