Food Reserves Research Articles

Local adaptation of trophic strategy determined the tolerance of coral Galaxea fascicularis to environmental fluctuations

The escalation of global change has resulted in heightened frequencies and intensities of environmental fluctuations within coral reef ecosystems. Corals originating from marginal reefs have potentially enhanced their adaptive capabilities in response to these environmental variations through processes of local adaptation. However, the intricate mechanisms driving this phenomenon remain a subject of limited investigation. This study aimed to investigate how corals in Luhuitou reef, a representative relatively high-latitude reef in China, adapt to seasonal fluctuations in seawater temperature and light availability. We conducted a 190-day plantation experiment with the widespread species, Galaxea fascicularis, in Luhuitou local, and from Meiji reef, a typical offshore tropical reef, to Luhuitou as comparison. Drawing upon insights from physiological adaptations, we focused on fatty acid (FA) profiles to unravel the trophic strategies of G. fascicularis to cope with environmental fluctuations from two origins. Our main findings are threefold: 1) Native corals exhibited a stronger physiological resilience compared to those transplanted from Meiji. 2) Corals from both origins consumed large quantities of energy reserves in winter, during which FA profiles of local corals altered, while the change of FA profiles of corals from Meiji was probably due to the excessive consumption of saturated fatty acid (SFA). 3) The better resilience of native corals is related to high levels of functional polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), while insufficient nutrient reserves, possibly due to weak heterotrophic ability, result in the obstruction of the synthesis pathway of PUFA for corals from Meiji, leading to their intolerance to environmental changes. Consequently, we suggest that the tolerance of G. fascicularis to environmental fluctuations is determined by their local adapted trophic strategies. Furthermore, our findings underscore the notion that the rapid adaptation of relatively high-latitude corals to seasonal environmental fluctuations might not be readily attainable for their tropical counterparts within a brief timeframe.

IDENTIFIKASI MINERAL SEKUNDER UNTUK MENILAI POTENSI TANAH LAHAN PERTANIAN CABE HIYUNG DI DESA HIYUNG KABUPATEN TAPIN KALIMANTAN SELATAN

Hiyung Village is part of Tapin Tengah District, Tapin Regency, South Kalimantan. Besides rice, superior agricultural commodities in this village is Hiyung Cayenne Pepper. High demand and prices have caused more and more cayenne pepper to be cultivated. Hiyung Cayenne Pepper Cultivation is expected to increase farmers' income, so efforts are needed so that agricultural activities can continue. The sustainability of agricultural can be maintained if they are managed well. Appropriate management actions can be implemented if the soil and land characteristics are known. Soil is one of the things that really determines the success of an agricultural business, especially the availability of nutrients. Analysis of the secondary mineral composition of soil (sand) is very important in order to determine the nutrient reserves in the soil. Information about nutrient reserves in the soil can be used as a basis for good soil management so that it meets plant needs and does not cause damage to the soil and the environment. The specific aim of this research is to determine the composition of primary minerals (sand) to identify nutrient reserves in the soil. This research was carried out using a survey method to obtain data or information on soil and land characteristics and current management. Observations and soil sampling in the field were carried out at 5 locations with a distance of 1 km between locations. Sand mineral analysis uses a polarizing microscope to determine the mineral composition. Primary minerals (sand) at the research location are dominated by rock fragments and quartz. The weatherable mineral content is very small so the potential for nutrient reserves is very small.

Administrative Hierarchy of the Gandan Monastery According to the “Regulations of 1840”

The article is devoted to the analysis of the system of administrative positions in the Gandan Monastery of Mongolia during the Qing era in the context of the distribution of material wealth based on the author’s translation of an archival document entitled “Regulations of the Gandan Monastery”, compiled in 1840. During the study, the author relied on source studies, historical and sociological methods, and also a method of historical and ethnographic reconstruction. The use of these methods made it possible to restore the administrative structure of the Gandan monastery, as well as to identify the specifics of the everyday life and economic structure of the Buddhist clergy of the mid-19th century. As a result of the source study and historical-ethnographic analysis of the text of the “Regulations” and the identification of the main contexts for the mention of Buddhist monastic positions in the “Regulations”, the author came to the following conclusions: most of the cases of mentioning positions are related to the range of administrative and economic responsibilities (control, accounting and distribution of material wealth monastery), while the greatest attention of the drafters of the “Regulations” was paid to organizational aspects of preparing and conducting calendar Buddhist prayers, as well as issues of subordination between lamas. According to the text of the “Regulations”, the material assets that came under the jurisdiction of the Gandan monastery consisted mainly of cattle, food products (meat, pressed tea), pieces of silk fabric (Mong. mangnuγ), as well as various types of ritual hadaks (Mong. sonom-hadak, sambai-khadak), etc. The economic structure of the Gandan monastery was based on regular offerings (Mong. bar’ts) from the rich patrons of the monastery, princes and their closest relatives, as well as on the material support of the aimags-communities located at the monastery. It was also revealed that food surpluses from the offerings were sold, which indicates significant food reserves and, accordingly, the presence of large funds among the monastery leadership. In general, we can say that monastic everyday life in the context of the administrative hierarchy of Buddhist positions and statuses has its own eastern characteristics, it can be considered as a separate type of organization of everyday life of the eastern steppe society, which gradually moved to a semi-nomadic and sedentary way of life.

Role of government policy in food security: Economic and demographic challenges

The state policy on food security should take into account economic (e.g., expansion of agricultural production following domestic food demand, exports, and imports) and demographic (e.g., adequacy of food reserves and production capacities of the agrosector to the pace of population growth, considering urbanization, migration, and a culture of rational consumption) challenges. Government policy should maintain the balance between the stability of the food system, economic development, and demographic changes. Therefore, this study aims to identify implicit (hidden) structural and functional relationships between these elements. The paper employs structural modeling using STATISTICA; the dataset consists of six food security, eight economic, and seven demographic indicators (using World Bank and Food and Agriculture Organization databases for 2011–2021, targeting 39 countries with different levels of GDP per capita (depending on the availability of statistical data)). The results proved the direct impact of the economic variable on food security and the indirect effect of the demographic variable (demographic changes are the engine that triggers economic transformations that further affect food security). When demographic changes increase by one unit, economic development increases by 0.57 and stability of the food system by 0.454. When economic development increases by one unit, the stability of the food system increases by 0.473.

The response rules to maintain social stability facing the climate change in ming dynasty

Studying the mechanisms by which climate change interacted with human societies during the historical period can provide historical insights and cultural roots for climate policy building in the region. In this study, we constructed Stability-Robustness-Resilience Model (SSR model) and used the TOPSIS method (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) and the entropy weight method to assess the change processes of robustness, resilience, and stability of Ming's society in response to climate threats. We have also compared three extreme droughts that occurred in different periods of social robustness-resilience combinations by using the SRR model. The results are as follows. (1) The stability of the Ming society was high in YongLe - HongZhi period (1402–1505 CE), when both social robustness and resilience were higher than the average level of Ming Dynasty (0.5611 for the former and 0.4215 for the latter), but there was a significant decline in social stability in TianShun period (1457–1464 CE). In ZhengDe - ChongZhen period (1506–1644 CE), the stability of Ming society gradually decreased, and it rebounded shortly in the LongQing-WanLi period (1506–1620 CE). (2) The high stability benefited from higher socio-economic levels, better government finance levels, larger national food reserves, safer social environments (high robustness), and higher levels of ruling class governance and risk response (high resilience); whereas insecure social environment induced by war, declining socio-economic levels and government finance levels were the main reasons for the decline in society's stability. (3)The ChengHua and WanLi droughts both happened at a time with high social robustness, so although their meteorological anomalies were severe, their impact on society was small. While the JiaJing drought happened at a time with low social robustness and resilience, so although the meteorological anomaly was relatively weak, it resulted in a more severe social consequence than the other two events.

Effects of position of seed perforation by cowpea weevils, Callosobruchus maculatus (F.), on viability and vigour of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) seed

Cowpea, Vigna unguiculata, is a high-protein legume crop that is often susceptible to pest damage. The cowpea weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus, predates on cowpea seeds in storage which renders grain unsuitable for human consumption. In the larval stage, cowpea weevils consume food reserves from the seed endosperm and may deter seed germination. The problem is more pervasive among resource-poor farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa, who grow cowpea for subsistence and keep the surplus grain for sale and use it as seed in the subsequent growing seasons. Unsuitable storage structures and ineffective methods of weevil control may increase weevil infestation of cowpea seeds in storage which constrains the production of cowpeas. The aim of the study was to determine if the position of seed perforation by cowpea weevils affects seed viability and growth of cowpea seedlings. Undamaged cowpea seeds ‘black-eyed peas’ were infested with cowpea weevils and stored for three months to allow for infestation. Thereafter, seeds with a single perforation or hole were selected from the infested seed lot and sorted into groups of damage according to the position of the hole on the seed. Five categories of potential damage were identified namely seeds with holes on the top, bottom, side, back or hilum area of the seed as presented schematically in the paper. The positions of holes on seeds served as treatments for the study and undamaged seed served as control. Data on germination and seedling height were collected and analysed statistically. Results reveal that the positions of damage on seed affects seed germination and seedling height. Seed germination on day two was significantly poorer for seeds damaged at the top, relative to both undamaged seeds and the alternative sites of damage. The results of top damaged seed being inferior than other treatments, remained consistent for germination on day seven and for seedling height at two weeks after the first emergence. Small holder farmers should therefore refrain from planting top damaged cowpea seed.

Geographical Peculiarities of Pinus sibirica Du Tour Natural Regeneration as Related to its Seed Crops

Forest ecology faces a significant challenge in understanding the dynamics of populations of forest-forming trees during their renewal phase, as it shapes the subsequent development and structure of forest ecosystems. The forest regeneration process relies on the dynamics of the seed yield of the woody plants and the unique characteristics of their distribution. In the case of the Cembrae sp. five-needled pines belonging, which have wingless seeds, their renewal is closely linked to the activities of Nucifraga sp. birds that scatter the seeds to create food reserves in the soil. This research aims to explore the geographical variations of Siberian stone pine (Pinus sibirica Du Tour) natural regeneration as a function of seed abundance. This study was conducted in three Russian mountain regions known for their forests predominated by Pinus sibirica: the Aldan Highlands, the Northern Urals, and the Khamar-Daban Mountains. It was discovered that each region exhibited distinct patterns in both cone yields and Pinus sibirica regeneration. The fluctuations in the thin-billed nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes macrorhynchos Brehm C. L.) populations during the seed harvest season, influenced by the nature of the seed production dynamics in each region, we believed to play a major role in the quantity of Pinus sibirica seedlings appearing in the subsequent year. These findings explain the observed variations in the renewal dynamics of annual emergent seedlings of Pinus sibirica and its reliance on cone yield in the examined regions.

Technical and Economic Performance Assessment of Solar Milling Plants in Zambia

In 2015, the Zambian government embarked on a proactive endeavor to enhance the accessibility of economical maize meal through the inception of the Solar Powered Milling Plants (SMPs) Project. The Chinese Government and the Government of the Republic of Zambia jointly provided co-financing, supporting this audacious initiative with a significant financial commitment of US$200 million. However, there have been no documented results on the technical and economic performance of the solar milling plants. To this effect, this study aimed to establish the technical and economic performance of the milling plants installed by the Zambia Cooperative Federation. To achieve this, the study sought to: (1) establish the technical operational characteristics of the installed SMPS; (2) establish the factors that influenced the sitting of the plants; (3) determine the economic benefits of the SMPs; and (4) benchmark the technical operating conditions of the installed SMPs. The study employed a mixed methods approach, where benchmarking observations and semi-structured questionnaires were used as data collection instruments. The sample size of the study was 168, comprising cooperative leaders, solar milling plant operators, and community members from the 12 sites in Masaiti, Chikankata, Solwezi, and Kapiri Mposhi districts where the milling plants were installed. The field observations and questionnaires that were used for the study showed that all twelve sites in the Solwezi, Masaiti, Kapiri Mposhi, and Chikankata Districts needed the same amount of power to run, which was between 7.5 kW and 9.0 kW. However, only Site 3 in Solwezi and Sites 4 and 5 in Masaiti Districts strictly followed the standard operation time of 8 hours. The study has also shown that the two main factors that influenced the placement of the solar milling plants were proximity to the main roads of the communities and the availability of land near the Food Reserve Agency(FRA) shades. With regards to economic benefits, the generated results showed that the installed milling plants brought about employment creation as two operators were employed for each of the 12 sites. However, the revenues generated by the solar milling plants were not economically viable for loan repayment. The study recommended that predictive and corrective maintenance, in addition to project management training for cooperatives and operators, be carried out to improve the technical and economic performance of the solar milling plants.

Seed coating with minerals and plant growth-promoting bacteria enhances drought tolerance in fennel (Foeniculum vulgare L.)

The seeds of many plants, including fennel (Foeniculum vulgare L.), are tiny and have low food reserves. Therefore, planting them accurately in the soil to achieve optimal yields is challenging. The present research aimed to study the impact of bio-priming and seed coating on seedling and vegetative growth of fennel plants under drought stress. The experiments were conducted in laboratory and greenhouse conditions triplicate using a completely randomized design (CRD). These experiments applied mineral and biological coating treatments as the first factor and drought tolerance at three levels (0, −0.3, and −0.6 MPa) as the second factor. Perlite (P), Vermiculite (V), and Kaolin (K) were used as a mineral coating. The mineral coating mixture was P10V10K5. The numbers mean the material (gr) ratio based on the seed weight. Combinational treatments of seed coating were CHA0 + coating, PF56 + coating, T39 + coating, T36 + coating, and non-coating (as control). Pseudomonas fluorescens P.F56, P. fluorescens CHA0, and Trichoderma harzianum T36 and T. harzianum T39 were employed as biological treatments. Experimental results showed that at 0 and -0.3 MPa osmotic potential levels, the T39 + coated seeds had the highest percentage of seedling emergences. At the −0.3 MPa level, the T39 + coated seeds had an increased seedling emergence percentage by 24% compared to un-inoculated seeds. At all levels of drought stress, the CHA0 + coated treatment had the highest level of chlorophyll a content, CAT, and APX enzyme activity. Seed coating with CHA0 and T39 enhanced fennel's early vegetative growth and biochemical characteristics under normal and drought stress and mitigated drought stress.

Effects of different combinations of pre- and post-grazing heights on herbage mass and nutrient reserves of Leymus chinensis in Northeast China.

The preservation or removal of apical meristem in Leymus chinensis is contingent upon grazing intensity and has a significant impact on above- and belowground biomass, nutritive value, and sustainability of L. chinensis grassland. However, this topic remains understudied. Therefore, a manipulative trial was conducted to induce grazing defoliation through mowing, where two post-grazing heights (preservation or removal of the apical meristem) and four pre-grazing plant heights (i.e., 18, 24, 31, and 35 cm) are combined factorially to create gradients of grazing intensities, resulting in a total of eight treatments. Additionally, two identical control treatments are also incorporated. Our results showed that apical meristem removal at various pre-grazing heights resulted in varying degrees of increased grazing intensities, thereby enhancing the nutritive value of L. chinensis. However, this practice also led to detrimental effects on the plant's carbohydrates reserve as well as herbage mass. The results indicated that although defoliation in treatments involving apical meristem removal resulted in the highest number of frequent cuttings, it did not confer any advantages in terms of herbage mass and nutrient preserves, except for herbage nutritive values when compared to treatments involving apical meristem preservation. The apical meristem preservation treatments demonstrated the highest CP yield over a 2-year period compared to the apical meristem removal treatments. Furthermore, within these apical meristem preservation treatments, only when the pre-grazing height is 35 cm and post-grazing height is 17 cm, there is no significant decrease in above- and belowground biomass. This establishes this specific defoliation regime as an optimal and effective management strategy for L. chinensis grassland.

Lipid composition differs in diapause and nondiapause states of spotted stem borer, Chilo partellus

Spotted stem borer, Chilo partellus, undergoes larval diapause (hibernation and aestivation), and depends on the food reserve accumulated during feeding stage for its survival. Lipids are the primary source of energy during diapause, and essential for different cellular, biochemical and physiological functions. However, there is no information on lipid and lipophilic compound contents during different stages of hibernation, aestivation and nondiapause in C. partellus. Thus, we compared the concentration and composition of lipids in pre-diapause, diapause and post-diapause stages of hibernation and aestivation with nondiapause stages of C. partellus. The studies revealed significant differences in total lipids and various lipophilic compounds during different stages of diapause as compared to nondiapause C. partellus. The total lipids were significantly lower during diapause stage of aestivation and hibernation as compared to nondiapause larvae. Further, the linoleic acid, Methyl 3-methoxytetradecanoate, and l-(+)-Ascorbic acid 2,6-dihexadecanoate were significantly lower, and oleic and palmitoleic acids greater during pre-diapause and diapause stages of hibernation and aestivation as compared to nondiapause larvae. The cholesterol content was significantly greater during pre-diapause stage of hibernation, and diapause and post-diapause stages of aestivation as compared to nondiapause stages. The unsaturation ratio was significantly higher in the pre-diapause and diapause stages and lower in post-diapause stage of aestivation than the hibernation and nondiapause states. This study provides insights on differential lipid profiles during different phases of diapause, which could be useful for further understanding biochemical and physiological cross-talk, and develop target-specific technologies for the management of C. partellus.

Klasifikasi Rimpang Menggunakan Metode K-Nearest Neighbor dan Ekstraksi Ciri Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix

Rhizome is a modification of plant stems that grow under the soil surface and function as a storage place for food reserves. This plants have internodes that function produce new shoots and roots. Rhizomes are commonly used by people as spices in cooking and herbal medicine. Rhizomes have many types, such as ginger, sand ginger, fingerroot, turmeric, galangal, and curcuma. These types have similarities to each other, such as texture, shape, and color. These similarities can cause problems such as difficulty in identifying the type of rhizome. The solution to this problem is a computer system that can classify the type of rhizomes. The system in this research was built using the K-Nearest Neighbor method and Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix texture feature extraction. Research data amounted to 500 images with ginger, sand ginger, fingerroot, turmeric, and galangal classes. The stages of this research are data collection, image resizing, conversion to grayscale, GLCM feature extraction, storing the extraction results into dataframe, dividing data into train data and test data, classification with K-NN, and implement GUI to make operation easier. Accuracy results on this system get a value of 74% on test data and 64% on train data with value of K=11.

PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY ANALYSIS AND GROWTH OF EBONY SEEDLINGS (Diospyros celebica Bakh) TREATED BY VARIOUS BIOFERTILIZER COMBINATIONS

Ebony is one of slow-growing spe- cies), that of suspected to be the triggering factors to prone to extinction. In addition, the nature of ebony seeds is recalcitrant, so they cannot be stored for a long time. Other factors affecting seed germination are the degree of maturity, size, and weight of the seeds. Seeds harvested before the physiological maturity level would not have high viability and even could not germinate well due to the in-sufficient of food reserves, and un-perfect embryo formatio. Bio-fertilizer is used to help accelerate the growth of ebony. This study aims to analyze the combination of bio fertilizers which would be giving a better effect on the physiological activity and growth of ebony seedlings. Morphological and physiological variables measurement were used in this study. The research design used a Completely Randomized Design at a real level of 5%. If the fingerprint results obtained have a real effect, then a further test of the Duncan Multiple Range Test is carried out. Re- search results showed that seed coating treatment of 45% Penicillium microbial solution + seed coating) gave the best results in each variable of both growth and physiology of ebony seedlings, while in the treatment without seed coating, Sargassum microbial solution 30% indicates good results in each variable of growth and physiology of ebony seedlings. Treatment with the immersion of seeds in microbes can produce a high percentage in each variable.

Phenological observations on the growth and development of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) in the conditions of the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine

There is a need to summarise information using phenological models to develop a sustainable saffron production technology with further regulation of flowering at a certain phenological stage and determination of the appropriate flowering period to improve yield and quality under different environmental conditions. The purpose of the study is to establish the course of phenological phases of saffron growth and development in the conditions of the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. Phenological observations and biometric measurements were performed in the study. According to field observations, there are a total of 6 phenological stages of saffron development. The rest period lasts from the third ten days of May to October and is divided into primary and secondary dormancy. During the primary dormant period, corms do not show external morphological changes and growth, but internal physiological and morphogenetic changes occur. In the secondary dormant period, the initial emergence of leaves and flowers and their differentiation take place. During the dormant period, saffron plants were left without aboveground organs. The flowering period falls in October. The passage of this phenological stage may be affected by changes in environmental conditions or agricultural technology. The growth of the root system began with the appearance of flowers and leaves. During the growing season, the growth of the leaf apparatus and the development of the root system continue. During this period, daughter corms are also formed from the buds of the mother corm. During the winter, the replacement corms continue to grow using the nutrient reserves of the mother corm. In early March, the development of the root system slows down and the daughter corms reach almost the final size. At the end of the growing season, the root system of the mother corm stops growing. The leaves begin to age from the top to the base. By the end of May, the daughter corms are fully developed and are preparing for the transition to a dormant state. The number of corms produced per unit area depends on the age of the plot, nutrient supply, and the level of agricultural technology. Older fields produce more corms. Due to the higher density, a larger yield of stamens is formed. Therefore, understanding the phenological reactions and influence of climatic factors on the stages of saffron growth and development in certain soil and climatic conditions is useful for future forecasting of harvest time

Production and Quality Characteristics of Royal Jelly in Relation to Available Natural Food Resources

Royal jelly is a secretion produced from the hypopharyngeal glands of worker bees, which requires significant pollen reserves to stimulate gland secretion. The natural sources of food available to the hive during beekeeping season can greatly affect the quantity and quality of produced royal jelly. In this study, samples of royal jelly were collected throughout the beekeeping season, and their physical and chemical characteristics were analyzed to understand how natural variations in bee diet affect royal jelly production. Before each sample collection, the bees’ food reserves were removed from the experimental colonies so that the royal jelly was produced solely from natural sources. The results showed that the production was significantly lower during the summer months compared with spring and autumn. Additionally, the moisture, protein, fructose, and glucose content of fresh royal jelly also showed significant changes in the summer, and all physical and chemical characteristics decreased when the fresh samples were converted into dry matter. It seems that the quality of pollen entering the hives has a direct impact on the physical and chemical properties of the final product, highlighting the crucial role of available resources in stimulating bees to produce royal jelly.

A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE LONG-TERM STORAGE OF UNUSED FOOD FOR THE PURPOSE OF CREATING FOOD RESERVES AND PREVENTING FOOD WASTE IN POLAND

The goal of this study is to create a theoretical model for the assessment of the least resource-intensive storage methods for the buffer stocks. The subject of the study was the available literature on food waste and food preservation methods. Food waste is often mentioned in the context of food security. Meanwhile, research on food waste mainly focuses on ex-post management of food waste rather than reducing food waste in the future. Thus, research on food waste tends towards energy security rather than food security. The bibliometric analysis shows that most of the research conducted focuses on the proper functioning of the supply chain and secondarily on economic food security. Therefore, the paper chooses to link the relevant elements of the analysis of food stock research to possible ways of processing food for long-term storage, based on the literature review. This is a preliminary analysis carried out using the expert method. This may allow some food to be processed into long-term food reserves, whose role is to stabilize food prices and make efficient use of resources in the value chain. To make proper use of such food, its processing and storage must be economically viable. According to this preliminary study, vacuum sealing may be the most efficient of the studied long-term storage methods, although it is not as durable as other methods.

Influence of ecotourism on grizzly bear activity depends on salmon abundance in the Atnarko River corridor, Nuxalk Territory

AbstractEcotourism management can draw on theory and data related to non‐consumptive effects of risk on wildlife. The asset protection principle (APP) predicts that variable food supply and its associated risks will affect antipredator behavior; responses to predation risk should dominate when food reserves are high, while nutritional risk becomes more important when food reserves are limited. Additionally, the human shield hypothesis (HSH) describes how some individuals might seek human presence if it repels potential sources of risk. Using camera traps, we used generalized linear mixed effects and multinomial regression models to test components of the APP and HSH where ecotourism co‐occurs with grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) foraging during hyperphagia. When salmon abundance was high (+1 SD), bear activity (weekly detections) decreased by 13% with every 100 visitors/week. Under low salmon conditions, bear activity increased with visitor numbers, creating ‘high bear‐high visitor’ conditions. Consistent with HSH, detection data revealed an increased likelihood of detecting subordinate age‐sex classes compared with adult males when visitor numbers were high. Our findings suggest that when salmon are low, managers might consider limiting visitors to mitigate disturbance. More broadly, understanding how wildlife allocate anti‐predator behavior as a function of risk and food can inform conservation science and practice.

INFLUENCE OF FUNGICIDES ON ELEMENTS OF THE YIELD STRUCTURE OF SPRING WHEAT

Grain crops are the source of the initially necessary raw materials for most bakery products, as well as a food product for livestock farming. Grain is of inherent strategic importance to the country or is considered as a factor in the state’s food reserves. The problem of increasing grain production remains relevant to this day; the reason is the high value of grain products with the subsequent demand for these products. There are many factors reducing wheat productivity, the most significant being diseases. The main weapon in the fight against wheat diseases are fungicides of various spectrums of action, including Soligor. Research has shown that with the use of the Soligor fungicide at a consumption rate of 0.4 l/ha to 0.6 l/ha, the percentage of leaf rust development decreased to 0.7 %. Biological effectiveness was 92.5 %. At a consumption rate of 0.5 l/ha of the Soligor preparation, the development of leaf rust is reduced to 0.9 %, with biological efficiency – 82.5 %. By the number of grains in an ear – 23.2 pcs. – and the weight of 1000 seeds is 33 g. – the indicators were higher at a consumption rate of 0.4 l/ha. The number of productive stems was higher at a consumption rate of 0.6 l/ha with an indicator of 261 pcs/m2. On wheat crops with an application rate of 0.6 l/ha, the biological yield was higher by 1.2 c/ha than at a rate of 0.4 l/ha, 18.1 c/ha and 16.9 c/ha, respectively. Keywords: fungicide, application rates, yield, Soligor, efficiency.

A Review on the Distribution, Economic Importance and Nutritional Value of Underutilized Plants in Sikkim's Agricultural Scenario

This literature review provides a brief reference to the current status and socio-economic importance of some of the selected underutilized crops of Sikkim. Some wild fruits show great potential for cultivation due to their high antioxidant content, good fat, medicinal biochemicals, and even higher fruit yield per tree compared to commercial plant varieties, making them horticulturally competent for cultivation. The use of these wild local plant species as a supplementary food reserve holds promise. The avocado crop is versatile and can be utilized in various ways, such as for producing processed goods, for export, for oil extraction, and as a raw material in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, thereby generating high-value products. There is a significant interest in this crop in different parts of India, including Eastern India, as indicated by the high demand for information on avocados.

Unraveling the relationship between soil carbon-degrading enzyme activity and carbon fraction under biogas slurry topdressing

Biogas slurry, a by-product of the anaerobic digestion of biomass waste, predominantly consisting of livestock and poultry manure, is widely acclaimed as a sustainable organic fertilizer owing to its abundant reserves of essential nutrients. Its distinctive liquid composition, when tactfully integrated with a drip irrigation system, unveils immense potential, offering unparalleled convenience in application. In this study, we investigated the impact of biogas slurry topdressing as a replacement for chemical fertilizer (BSTR) on soil total organic carbon (TOC) fractions and carbon (C)-degrading enzyme activities across different soil depths (surface, sub-surface, and deep) during the tasseling (VT) and full maturity stage (R6) of maize. BSTR increased the TOC content within each soil layer during both VT and R6 periods, inducing alterations in the content and proportion of individual C component, particularly in the topsoil. Notably, the pure biogas slurry topdressing treatment (100%BS) compared with the pure chemical fertilizer topdressing treatment (CF), exhibited a 38.9% increase in the labile organic carbon of the topsoil during VT, and a 30.3% increase in the recalcitrant organic carbon during R6, facilitating microbial nutrient utilization and post-harvest C storage during the vigorous growth period of maize. Furthermore, BSTR treatment stimulated the activity of oxidative and hydrolytic C-degrading enzymes, with the 100%BS treatment showcasing the most significant enhancements, with its average geometric enzyme activity surpassing that of CF treatment by 27.9% and 27.4%, respectively. This enhancement facilitated ongoing and efficient degradation and transformation of C. Additionally, we screened for C components and C-degrading enzymes that are relatively sensitive to BSTR. The study highlight the advantages of employing pure biogas slurry topdressing, which enhances C component and C-degrading enzyme activity, thereby reducing the risk of soil degradation. This research lays a solid theoretical foundation for the rational recycling of biogas slurry.