Good Fertility Research Articles

Effects of cow dung and wood biochars and green manure on soil fertility and tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus L.) performance on a savanna Alfisol

Two field experiments were conducted concurrently in 2019. The study investigated the effects of single and combined application of wood biochar (WB) and cow dung biochar (CDB) with green manure (GM) on soil properties, performance, and tuber qualities of tiger nut. The treatments consisted of: CDB at 10 t ha−1, WB at 10 t ha−1, GM—Tithonia diversifolia at 10 t ha−1, CDB + GM, WB + GM, control. The six treatments were arranged in RCBD with three replications. CDB, WB, and GM either sole or combined increased moisture content, SOC, nutrient contents, culturable microorganisms, performance, moisture, ash, fiber, and protein contents of the tiger nut compared with the control. CDB has a higher N, C: N ratio, P, K, Ca, Mg, CEC, and pH relative to. CDB alone and CDB + GM increased growth and yield compared with WB alone and WB + GM. CDB + GM has the highest value of growth and yield of tiger nut. GM alone improved growth and yield of tiger nut compared with the two sole biochar treatments. CDB + GM and WB + GM increased growth and yield of tiger nut compared with their sole forms. This was adduced to biochar allowing the retention of nutrients from rapidly decomposing Tithonia within the rooting zone, thereby promoting better effectiveness of nutrient uptake and increase in yield. Therefore, for good soil fertility and tiger nut yield, it is important that the addition of a fast releasing nutrient source to biochar be sought.

Semen quality in non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivors: a monocentric retrospective study.

How is semen quality affected by treatment in survivors of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL)? Before cancer treatment, most NHL subjects were normozoospermic and, while standard first-line treatments seemed compatible with post-treatment recovery after 18 months, salvage therapy followed by haematopoietic stem cell transplant caused permanent damage to spermatogenesis in many cases, with 66% azoospermic subjects in the long term. Testicular function has been widely investigated in relation to the most common malignancies in men of reproductive age, such as testicular cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma, but NHL has been somewhat under-investigated. The available reports generally show a post-treatment worsening of semen parameters in NHL survivors, but they involved small caseloads or a subgroup of broader caseloads, and their results are not comparable. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 222 subjects who attended our University Hospital Sperm Bank between 2002 and 2017 for sperm cryopreservation after a diagnosis of NHL. The study included 222 patients with NHL who underwent sperm cryopreservation before any antineoplastic treatment. Subjects with any comorbidity and/or other conditions interfering with sperm parameters were excluded. All patients underwent a careful medical history and physical examination at the time of sperm cryopreservation (T0) and had at least one follow-up visit at 6 (T6), 12 (T12), 18 (T18) and/or 24 months (T24) or more than 24 months (T > 24), with a median follow-up of 47.5 months (range 28-140 months). Fertility information was collected through the administration of a questionnaire. Pre-treatment, more than 80% of NHL patients were normozoospermic and in 15.9% of cases had already fathered a child. Aggressive lymphomas were associated with worse baseline semen volume and total sperm number compared to indolent subtypes (P < 0.05). Post-treatment analyses showed that standard first-line treatments alone had a more favourable outcome than intensified regimens for semen parameters, with total sperm number returning to near-baseline values at 18 months (T0: 195.0 ± 189.8 versus T18: 113.4 ± 103.1, P = 0.278), and a 7.7% prevalence of azoospermia at 2 years. In this subgroup receiving standard first-line treatments, radiotherapy of the pelvis versus other 'high' sites (mediastinum, latero-cervical and axillary lymph nodes, etc.) was associated with an increased risk of developing post-treatment azoospermia (odds ratio 4.29, 95% CI 1.81-10.14; P = 0.001). Two-thirds of subjects who had relapsed or had disease progression after first-line treatment and then underwent salvage treatment ± haematopoietic stem cell transplant became azoospermic. Fertility data were available for 176 patients: 15.9% already had at least one child prior to the NHL diagnosis and 12.5% (22 patients) desired children after treatment. Fourteen patients achieved fatherhood: 12 through natural conception and two following ART. The main limitations of the study are the lack of data on blood hormones for evaluation of testicular function as a whole and the non-compliance of several patients in attending follow-up visits at all time points, resulting in a reduced sample size for the treatment subgroup analyses. Furthermore, despite a good fertility questionnaire response rate (>80%), the low number of NHL survivors actively seeking fatherhood limits the generalization of results. The increased survival of NHL patients of reproductive age makes it essential to focus on the testicular toxicity of the treatment. Sperm cryopreservation must be suggested before any treatment. Two years after first-line treatments, sperm number showed signs of recovery: this finding is of the utmost importance for oncofertility counselling, as it indicates that only a standard first-line chemotherapy in many patients may be compatible with at least a partial spermatogenesis recovery in the long term. Nonetheless, it is expected that up to 30% of subjects will require treatment intensification, which could result in permanent testicular damage; in such cases the use of banked semen might represent the patient's best chance for future fertility. This work was supported by a grant from the Italian Ministry of Education and Research (MIUR-PRIN 2015-2015XSNA83-002) and the 'Sapienza' University of Rome, Faculty of Medicine. The authors report no conflicts of interest. N/A.

Bokashi Fertilizer Production from Waste Processing at Rusunawa Muara Baru

Waste that is not managed well may potentially cause diseases and negatively affect the quality of life. Rusunawa Muara Baru, Jakarta, is one of our partner communities that need continuous training in all aspects, including waste management. Therefore, the present community service program was carried out to educate the residents of Rusunawa Muara Baru on the importance of sorting waste and how to process household organic waste into liquid organic fertilizer and bokashi compost. The program was conducted twice in two weeks. At the first meeting, an introductory questionnaire was distributed, an interactive discussion was performed, and a fertilizer production workshop using simple composters was initiated. Two weeks later, the composting results were evaluated, and the participants filled out the evaluation questionnaire. Approximately 83% of the participants agreed to sort household waste after the program was completed, which showed the participants' increasing awareness in waste processing. The liquid biofertilizer produced was used for planting vegetable seeds even though it still had a foul odour. The quality of the compost produced, however, was still below expectations. We suggest that in the future, education and workshops on simple household-scale composting methods capable of producing good quality liquid organic fertilizer and compost without odour should be conducted.

Biosynthesis of ZnO Nanostructures Using Azadirachta indica Leaf Extract and Their Effect on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Tomato: An Eco-Friendly Approach

In this study, we report synthesis of Zinc oxide nanoparticles using simple chemical and green methods. The ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized using leaf extract of Azadirachta indica (neem) as reducing agent. The as obtained product was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) and TEM techniques. XRD analysis confirms that ZnO nanoparticles were crystalline having hexagonal Wurtzite structure with (1 0 0), (0 0 2), (1 0 1), (1 0 2), (1 1 0) and (1 1 2) planes. SEM analyses show that the as synthesized ZnO NPs were in the form of agglomerates and no other impurity peak was found in the EDS. TEM analyses confirm that the size of the nanoparticle was approx. 50 nm. Here in, we investigate the effect of chemical and green synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles on germination and growth of lycopersicum esculentus (tomato) using petri plate seed germination method in loamy sand soil. The impact of concentration of applied ZnO nanoparticles via green synthesis and chemical methods were analyzed. Results revealed that green synthesized Zinc oxide nanoparticles showed maximum growth of seedling as compared to chemically synthesized Zinc oxide nanoparticles, bulk ZnO and control. After 50 days of tomato growth analysis, it was recognized that ZnO NPs can be a good green synthetic fertilizer by increasing shoot length, wet weight, dry weight and yield over conventional control. Hence, green method is found to be more effective.

Effect of Digestion Temperature and Stirring Time on Biogas Properties Using Vertical and Horizontal Units

This work was carried out in order to compare the performance of two digesters types (horizontal and vertical) for biogas production from animal wastes as a source of renewable energy at the biogas laboratory of the Agricultural Engineering Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University. Daily biogas production and its content of methane was recorded. The biogas production rate, productivity and the calorific value were determination during batch process anaerobic digestion of buffalo dung. Three different digestion temperatures (35 oC, 40 oC and 45 oC) with stirring time of 15 minutes every 2 hours and total solid 12% were investigated to choose the best digestion temperature (B.D.T). The best digestion temperature was used with two different stirring times (15 minutes every 3 hours and 15 minutes every 4 hours daily) to define the optimal condition for biogas productivity. The stirring speed for all experiments was adjusted at 120 rpm and hydraulic retention time of 60 days. Chemical analysis and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of influent and effluent slurries were also carried out. The obtained results indicated that, biogas production from vertical digester is more than that from horizontal one. It is recommended to use temperature of 40 oC with stirring time 15 minutes every 3 hours at total solid of 12% and stirring speed of 120 rpm. According to chemical analysis, the effluent slurry of different experiments could be used as a good organic fertilizer. It contains high concentration of plant nutrients and organic matter and it had tendency to give higher crop yield and soil microbial activities.

Consequences of variation in interval from insemination to ovulation on fertilization in pigs

This review describes effects of variation in the interval between insemination and ovulation on the fertilization process in the sow. Inseminations performed too early or too late relative to ovulation decrease litter size and especially farrowing rate. This effect can be explained to a large extent by the increase in the percentage of non-fertilized eggs, resulting in partial fertilization or no fertilization at all. No effects of variation in the interval from insemination to ovulation are found on the percentage of degenerate embryos. Only moderate effects are found on mean embryonic development and variation in embryonic development at day 5 after insemination. In general, insemination between 0 and 24 h before ovulation gives good fertilization results. Factors influencing the optimal interval from insemination to ovulation, such as number of sperm cells used for insemination, storage time of liquid semen and use of frozen semen, and sow factors such as parity and breed are discussed.

Evaluating Soil Quality for Some Soils of South East El- Qantara

The governmental strategy aims tothe reclamation and cultivation of about 400.000 feddans concentrated mainly in El-Tina Plain (50.000 feddans), South East El-Qantara (75.000 feddans), Rabaa (70.000 feddans), Bir El-Abd (70.000 feddans) and El-Serw and El-Qawarir (135.000 feddans) areas.. The current study revealed the variation in soil fertility status of soils developed on various landforms in the area as the soils were having low to high in organic carbon (1.4 to 21. 5 mg kg-1)and having low available nitrogen (4.32 to 58.30mg kg-1); low to abundant phosphorus (2.06 to 59.23mg kg-1) and deficient to adequate in available K (23.50to 1360mg kg-1) contents. The result showed the value of soil fertility quality index (SFQI) ranging from 0.022381to 0.665533with an average 0.310947. When fertility quality of the studied soils was examined (according to SFQI); only 27.692% of the soils has very low fertility quality, about 40.00% of the soils has Low, about 28.462% of the soils has moderate and 3.846 % has good fertility quality. The soil fertility quality index, easier to compute with fewer parameters, can be used as a quick tool to evaluate soil quality and to measure changes occurring after using different management practices. This study suggests that using soil fertility quality index to evaluate agricultural soil fertility quality can provide similar results even when different indicator methods and models have been used in the study area. In this study, SFQI determined to be the most accurate method for evaluation of soil fertility quality, because it took all soil parameters into consideration and gave the most consistent results. We suggest using the SFQI to evaluate agricultural soil fertility quality for desert soils because of its highest correlation with economic yield of desert soils.

New device for sperm preparation involving migration-gravity sedimentation without centrifugation compared with density-gradient centrifugation for normozoospermic intrauterine insemination

ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy of a new device for sperm preparation involving migration-gravity sedimentation without centrifugation (MIGLIS), compared with density-gradient centrifugation (DGC) for normozoospermic intrauterine insemination (IUI).DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingNot applicable.PatientsA total of 10,318 cases of IUI (3,015 MIGLIS and 7,303 DGC) between October 2013 and September 2019.InterventionsNone.Main Outcome MeasuresSperm analysis, subsequent pregnancy outcomes, and complications.ResultsMIGLIS was associated with a lower sperm recovery rate and fewer injected sperm compared with DGC. However, the overall pregnancy rates following MIGLIS and DGC were similar (MIGLIS 8.8%, DGC 9.3%). In a subanalysis according to age, the pregnancy rate was higher for MIGLIS among women 40–41 years of age (8.6% vs. 5.9%). Peritonitis was the only recorded complication, with similar frequencies in the MIGLIS and DGC groups (MIGLIS two cases, DGC four cases). No cases became severe, and all improved after antibiotic treatment. There were no cases of uterine cramping or pain symptoms.ConclusionsMIGLIS is a new sperm preparation method that does not require centrifugation. Its use was associated with pregnancy rates similar to those with DGC and a higher pregnancy rate in older women. MIGLIS is a novel sperm preparation method for selecting spermatozoa with high motility and good fertilization ability in patients undergoing IUI, in vitro fertilization, and intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

Effects of Interspecific Chromosome Substitution in Upland Cotton on Cottonseed Micronutrients.

Micronutrients are essential for plant growth and development, and important for human health nutrition and livestock feed. Therefore, the discovery of novel germplasm with significant variability or higher micronutrients content in crop seeds is critical. Currently, there is no information available on the effects of chromosome or chromosome arm substitution in cotton on cottonseed micronutrients. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of chromosome or chromosome arm substitution on the variability and levels of micronutrients B, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, and Ni in cottonseed from chromosome substitution (CS) cotton lines. Our hypothesis was that interspecific chromosome substitution in cotton can affect cottonseed micronutrients content, resulting in significant differences and variabilities of these nutrients among CS lines and between CS lines and the controls. Nine CS lines were grown in two-field experiments at two locations (in 2013 in South Carolina, USA; and in 2014 in Mississippi, USA). TM-1 (the recurrent parent of the CS line) and AM UA48 (cultivar) were used as control. The results showed significant variability among CS lines compared to the controls AM UA48 and TM-1. For example, in South Carolina (SC), B concentration in cottonseed ranged from 10.35 mg kg−1 in CS-M02 to 13.67 mg kg−1 in CS-T04. The concentration of Cu ranged from 4.81 mg kg−1 in CS-B08sh to 7.65 mg kg−1 in CS-T02, and CS-T02 was higher than both controls. The concentration of Fe ranged from 36.09 mg kg−1 to 56.69 mg kg−1 (an increase up to 57%), and six CS lines (CS-B02, CS-B08sh, CS-M02, CS-M04, CS-T02, and CS-T04) had higher concentration than both controls in 2013. In 2014 at the Mississippi location (MS), similar observation was found with CS lines for micronutrients content. The CS lines with higher concentrations of these micronutrients can be used as a genetic tool toward QTL identification for desired seed traits because these lines are genetically similar with TM-1, except the substituted chromosome or chromosome segment pairs from the alien species. Chromosome substitution provides an effective means for upland cotton improvement by targeted interspecific introgression, yielding CS lines that facilitate trait discovery, such as seed micronutritional qualities, due to increased isogenicity and markedly reduced complexity from epistatic interactions with non-target alien chromosomes. The positive correlation between B, Cu, and Fe at both locations, between Ni and Mn, between Zn and Cu, and between Zn and Ni at both locations signify the importance of a good agricultural and fertilizer management of these nutrients to maintain higher cottonseed nutrient content.

Information Needs of Rice Farmers on Inorganic Fertilizer Use in Ebonyi State, Nigeria

This study ascertained information needs of rice farmers on inorganic fertilizer use. One hundred and twenty rice farmers purposively selected from Ebonyi State, Nigeria constituted sample for the study. An interview schedule was used to collect data while percentage, mean scores and factor analysis were used for data analysis. Findings indicated that the majority (92.5%) of the respondents obtained information on inorganic fertilizer use from families and friends, all (100%) the respondents obtained fertilizer from the markets while 98.4% had no training on inorganic fertilizer use. Important areas that respondents required information on inorganic fertilizer use for rice production were on how to get fertilizer easily (x̄ =1.89), how to detect good or bad fertilizer (x̄=1086) among others. Institutional, technical, logistic and health constraints limited the farmers from using inorganic fertilizer in rice production. Provision of fertilizer subsidy by government (99.2%) and increase in accessibility of fertilizer by farmers (98.3%) were some of the strategies for improving inorganic fertilizer use on rice production. Extension should furnish farmers with information and training on where to get good fertilizer easily and how to use them in rice production.&#x0D; Key words: Rice farmers, inorganic fertilizer, information needs

PRODUKTIVITAS SOM JAWA (Talinum paniculatum Gaertn.) PADA BEBERAPA KOMPOSISI BAHAN ORGANIK

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Productivity of Talinum paniculatum Gaertn. on several of organ ics matter composition&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Talinum paniculatum Gaertn. is a tuber producing crop To produce (he optimum yield Ihe crop needs the soil with good physical properties and fertility The soil conditions may be improved by applying organic matter. An experiment was conducted to evaluate Ihe effect of the composition of organic matter (compost, stable manure and casting) on tuber yield of talinum. The experiment was carried out at the Research Institute for Spice and Medicinal Crop. Bogor. from September 1996 to September 1997. in a randomized block designed with four replications. The treatments evaluated were Ihe ratio of soil organic matter, i.e (I) soil, (2) soil + stable manure (3:1); (3) soil + casting (3:1); (4) soil + bamboo leaf compost (3:1): (5) soil + casting + bamboo leaf compost (6:1:1); (6) soil + stable manure + bamboo leaf compost (6:1:1); (7) soil + stable manure ♦ casting (6:1:1). Seedling was planted in polybag containing 20 kg of tested media Plants were applied with I g urea, 3 g TSP and 3 g KCI/polybag as basal dressing, while 2 g of urea was applied as top dressing at 3 months after planting. Plants were harvested at I year after planting Result of experiment found thai 3 kinds of organic matter treatments could increase Ihe number, fresh weight, and dry weight of tuber The highest tuber production were 165.40 g fresh/plant and 26.75 g dried/plant resulted from soil and casting treatment (3 I).&lt;/p&gt;

All-Biomass Double Network Gel: Highly Efficient Removal of Pb2+ and Cd2+ in Wastewater and Utilization of Spent Adsorbents

Besides excellent adsorption performance of adsorbents, the disposal of spent adsorbents should be considered for environmental concern. In this study, a new all-biomass double network Jute/sodium alginate (Jute/SA) gel is prepared via the simple dripping technique. 80 wt% water of Jute/SA hydrogel endows the adsorbent with high permeability for heavy metal ions diffusion onto internal adsorption sites. The Jute/SA gel adsorbent can efficiently remove heavy metals from melting wastewater, especially Pb2+ and Cd2+. The adsorbent shows high adsorption capacities of 291.3 mg g−1 for Pb2+ and 149.9 mg g−1 for Cd2+ at 298 K. The adsorption equilibrium reaches within 45 min for 45 mg L−1 Cd2+ and Pb2+ using 1 g L−1 adsorbent, showing 98% removal efficiency of Pb2+ and Cd2+. Moreover, the removal efficiencies in 45 min reach up to 99.1% for Pb2+ (7.539 mg L−1) and 89.9% for Cd2+ (4.743 mg L−1) in actual melting effluent containing Zn (43.95 mg L−1), Cu (16.50 mg L−1), Mn (19.24 mg L−1), Ni (4.90 mg L−1) and Fe (33.75 mg L−1) using 1 g L−1 adsorbent. The concentrations of Pb and Cd decrease below 0.001 mg L−1 using 4 g L−1 adsorbent. Furthermore, the adsorption efficiencies for Pb2+ and Cd2+ remain above 95% in the tenth cycle, and the desorption efficiency is up to 99%. In addition, the spent Jute/SA gel was a good organic fertilizer for plant growth. This work develops an efficient and eco-friendly biomass adsorbent for the removal of heavy metals in actual wastewater.

Productive performance and quality of arugula (Eruca sativa) under different doses of cassava wastewater containing potassium source

Cassava wastewater has high organic load and concentration of nutrients and can cause damage to the environment when discarded indiscriminately. However, the residue can help agricultural production. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the appropriate doses of cassava wastewater to enable the highest production and quality of arugula. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, in a completely randomized design, consisting of eight treatments composed of the following doses: D1 = 0, D2 = 6.5, D3 = 13, D4 = 19.5, D5 = 26, D6 = 32.5, D7 = 39 and D8 = 45.5 m3 ha-1 of cassava wastewater with four replicates each. We used the arugula cultivar “Cultivada”, and samples of plant height, fresh matter, and shoot dry matter were performed at 15 and 30 days after emergence. The quality of arugula was evaluated through pH, total soluble solids and titratable total acidity. Cassava wastewater had a significant effect on plant height, fresh matter and dry matter of above ground part, pH and total soluble solids of arugula. However, titratable total acidity was not affected by treatments. Our results show that cassava wastewater is a good alternative fertilizer for arugula cultivation but at proper doses up to 26 m3 ha-1 applied through the crop cycle to avoid the deleterious effect of some nutrients in excess, such as potassium.

Sweet corn in no-tillage system on cover crop residues in the Brazilian Cerrado

In recent years, the growth of the cultivated area with sweet corn in conventional tillage system in Brazil expanded, although crops can be grown on different residues of cover crops, which improve nutrient cycling and crop productivity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the biomass production and to quantify the rate of plant residues decomposition of different cover crops, and correlate the results with the production and grain yield of sweet corn in an area located in the Cerrado biome. The experimental design used was randomized blocks with eight treatments: PM - pearl millet; SH - sunn hemp; SG - signal grass; PM + SH; PM + SG; SH + SG; PM+ SH + SG; FW - fallow (spontaneous vegetation), which preceded the cultivation of sweet corn. Fresh biomass (FB) and dry biomass (DB) of the cover crops were evaluated, as well as the rate of plant residue decomposition. Sweet corn productivity, straw and corncob weight, and grain yield were also determined. Pearl millet presented a better performance in FB production, decomposition rate, residue half-life (T½ life) in soil, yield, corn cob strawweight and yield of sweet corn. Pearl millet, when mixed with other plants, presented reduced rate of residue decomposition and increased residue T½ life. The FW presented the lowest biomass production, with great rate of decomposition and low T½ life. Cover crops grown before sweet corn in soils of good fertility did not affect crop agronomic characteristics. Pearl millet is the best cover crop adapted to Cerrado Brazilian climatic conditions to be used in monoculture or in mixtures with other plants.

A feasibility study on the potential, economic, and environmental advantages of biogas production from poultry manure in Iran

Abstract Biogas is the gas produced by the anaerobic degradation of organic matter. In addition to the usual uses in burning, it has widespread applications as a raw material in some industries. The biomass of organic matter decomposition is a good fertilizer for agriculture. Unfortunately, despite such a large potential for reasons such as the cheapness of energy in Iran, the use of this benefical capacity has not been addressed so far. This paper investigates the potential of biogas production from poultry manure sources in Iran and demonstrates the examples of biogas plants in Iran. Also, the information about the capacity of biogas production has been investigated and reported in different provinces in Iran. The results consist of economic analysis as the cost of biogas production, and the environmental analysis as the environmental impact of the biogas production and carbon footprint. Kermanshah, Chaharmahalbakhtiari, Golestan, Bushehr and North Khorasan provinces have the highest capacity for biogas production from poultry manure. The highest cost savings by using the biogas are in Khorasan Razavi and Isfahan provinces and the lowest levels have been found in Ardebil and North Khorasan provinces.

Online Monitoring of Fertilizer Granulation

Fertilizer is a low cost product which is industrially produced in very large tonnages. The actual granulation processes are well established and somewhat controlled. However, in the production of a good and stable fertilizer, many different factors play a large role in the granulation process. Online control of the Particle size and shape help to optimize the process and increase the quality and give a higher output of good fertilizer product.

Water and nitrogen water use efficiency in forage palm irrigated with salt water in the Neossolo

The objectives were to analyze the water and nitrogen use efficiency by forage palm in different irrigation depths with saline water and nitrogen fertilization levels in the Brazilian semi-arid region. The experiment was conducted under field condition during one year of cultivation (360 days). The experimental design was a complete randomized block and 5 x 5 factorial scheme with five irrigation depths (125, 100, 75, and 25% of ET0) and five levels of nitrogen fertilization (0, 150, 300, 450 and 600 kg ha-1 of N) and three replicates. Irrigation and acceptable nitrogen fertilization resulted in a good water and fertilization management. Water and nitrogen use efficiency of forage palm were higher, when water depths and the nitrogen levels supplied to the soil were increased. The 125% ET0 depth showed a higher efficiency of water and nitrogen use in the forage palm during 360 days of study. In conditions of low nitrogen supply, the efficiency of nitrogen use is directly and indirectly associated with the fresh mass yield; while under high supply, the efficiency of the use of nitrogen is more effective. The use of irrigation and nitrogen fertilization in the semi-arid region is recommended to obtain higher productivity of water and nitrogen from the forage palm.

Coffee agroforestry systems capable of reducing disease-induced yield and economic losses while providing multiple ecosystem services

Crop losses caused by pests and diseases decrease the incomes and threaten the livelihoods of thousands of families worldwide. A good example of the magnitude of these impacts are the massive crop losses experienced by coffee farmers in Central America due to coffee leaf rust. Coffee farmers need agroecosystems that are capable of regulating the negative impacts of pests and diseases while providing other ecosystem services on which their households and society depend. In this study, we aimed to identify the most promising coffee agroforestry systems for regulating diseases and ensuring the provision of other ecosystem services. During two years, in a research network of 61 coffee plots under a wide variety of shade and management conditions in Turrialba, Costa Rica, we quantified primary and secondary coffee losses (yield and economic losses) and indicators of three other ecosystem services: provisioning of agroforestry products (bananas, plantains, other fruits, and timber), maintenance of soil fertility and carbon sequestration. We then performed an analysis of the relationships between losses and ecosystem service indicators. Based on the results of relationships and on three criteria, we identified the coffee agroforestry systems that had the lowest losses due to diseases and that provided desirable levels of agroforestry products, soil fertility and carbon sequestration. We found multiple significant relationships between losses and ecosystem services (including both tradeoffs and synergies) which allowed us to derive recommendations for better management strategies to reduce yield losses. We identified six coffee agroforestry systems (CAFs) as the most promising ones for reducing losses while simultaneously providing other ecosystem services. One of these CAFs was a simple agroforestry system (dominated by service trees), three were medium diversified CAFs and two were highly diversified CAFs (systems including service trees, timber trees, fruit trees and musaceas). The six CAFS differed in their cropping practices and farmer profitability objectives. The six CAFs offer several options for the design of new coffee plantations or for the transformation of existing plantations. Several of this promising CAFs use little fungicides, which is an indicator that the reduction of chemical inputs could be possible. Our results suggest that the regulation of diseases and associated losses in agroforestry systems should be based on, and take advantage of, the positive effects of plant biodiversity, adequate shade cover, good soil fertility, and minimal use of fungicides.

Fertility-sparing Surgery (FSS) in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer (EOC): A Case Report

Background: Epithelial ovarian cancer is the most common and lethal ovarian cancer. Now a days Fertility preservation is an important issue because of the constant shifting of childbearing age towards higher ages. The increasing incidence of epithelial ovarian cancer in women with active childbearing potential constitutes a therapeutic dilemma. Fertility sparing techniques are being increasingly incorporated in the therapeutic strategies in early stages of the disease. Established organ-preserving techniques in early stage epithelial ovarian cancer includes preservation of the contralateral ovary and uterus.&#x0D; Aim: To report the case of a Epithelial Ovarian Cancer, who had conservative surgery followed by chemotherapy with a good fertility outcome.&#x0D; Case presentation: A 31-year-old nulliparous woman with a right sided ovarian mucinous cystadenocarcinoma was treated by right adnexectomy and omentectomy followed by chemotherapy. A 3years follow-up showed no signs of relapse, and she completed a fullterm natural pregnancy which was delivered by caesarean section.&#x0D; Conclusion: Fertility sparing surgery in early stage Epithelial Ovarian Cancer has good prognosis. However, due to the rarity of the disease in early stages, the fertility outcome of this group of patients has not been established.&#x0D; Bangladesh J Obstet Gynaecol, 2020; Vol. 35(1): 46-48

Yield, quality, alternate bearing and long-term yield index in pecan, as a response to mineral and organic nutrition

The pecan nut is produced in 57 countries in the world. Alternate bearing is one of the main biological problems that affect pecan cultivation. Mineral and organic fertilization is a good strategy to maintain and increase pecan nut production. In this study, several mineral and organic doses of fertilization were tested using a factorial arrangement 56 bounded to 25 treatments was used in structure Taguchi L25: nitrogen (N) 0 - 240 kg ha-1, phosphate (P2O5) 0 - 120 kg ha-1, potassium (K2O) 0 - 100 kg ha-1, calcium (CaO) 0 - 400 kg ha-1, liquid humus 0 - 3600 L ha-1 and solid humus 0 - 8000 kg ha-1. The study was carried out in Aldama city, Chihuahua (Mexico). An average yield of 2.4 t ha-1 was obtained, 157 nuts per kilogram and 58.9% of edible nut. The average alternate bearing intensity was 31.58%, and the long-term yield index (IRLP) was 9.59%. It is concluded that the factors whit the greatest impact on the analyzed variables were N and P2O5. In addition, it was found these mineral and organic fertilization systems help to reduce alternate bearing in pecan and simultaneously improve production and long-term productivity index. Optimal fertilization doses were defined: 181.4 kg ha-1 of N, 93.5 kg ha-1 of P2O5 and 3287.2 L ha-1 of liquid humus. Finally, the mineral fertilization complemented with organic fertilization is considered a good fertilization strategy for pecan trees, to increase production and with lower environmental impact.