Harsh Conditions Research Articles

In situ Blending For Co-Deposition of Electron Transport and Perovskite Layers Enables Over 24% Efficiency Stable Inverted Solar Cells.

Simplifying the manufacturing processes of multilayered high-performance perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is yet of vital importance for their cost-effective production. Herein, an in situ blending strategy is presented for co-deposition of electron transport layer (ETL) and perovskite absorber by incorporating (3-(7-butyl-1,3,6,8-tetraoxo-3,6,7,8-tetrahydrobenzo- [lmn][3,8]phenanthrolin-2(1H)-yl)propyl)phosphonic acid (NDP) into the perovskite precursor solutions. The phosphonic acid-like anchoring group coupled with its large molecular size drives the migration of NDP toward indium tin oxide (ITO) surface to form a distinct ETL during perovskite film forming. This strategy circumvents the critical wetting issue and simultaneously improves the interfacial charge collection efficiencies. Consequently, n-i-p PSCs based on in situ blended NDP achieve a champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 24.01%, which is one of the highest values for PSCs using organic ETLs. This performance is notably higher than that of ETL-free (21.19%) and independently spin-coated (21.42%) counterparts. More encouragingly, the in situ blending strategy dramatically enhances the device stability under harsh conditions by retaining over 90% of initial efficiencies after 250h in 100°C or 65% humidity storage. Moreover, this strategy is universally adaptable to various perovskite compositions, device architectures, and electron transport materials (ETMs), showing great potential for applications in diverse optoelectronic devices.

Insights into the genomic homogeneity of Moroccan indigenous sheep breeds though the lens of runs of homozygosity

Numerous studies have indicated that Morocco’s indigenous sheep breeds are genetically homogenous, posing a risk to their survival in the challenging harsh climate conditions where they predominantly inhabit. To understand the genetic behind genetic homogeneity through the lens of runs of homozygosity (ROH), we analyzed the whole genome sequences of five indigenous sheep breeds (Beni Guil, Ouled Djellal, D’man, Sardi, Timahdite and Admixed).The results from principal component, admixture, Fst, and neighbour joining tree analyses consistently showed a homogenous genetic structure. This structure was characterized by an average length of 1.83 Mb for runs of homozygosity (ROH) segments, with a limited number of long ROH segments (24–48 Mb and > 48 Mb). The most common ROH segments were those ranging from 1–6 Mb. The most significant regions of homozygosity (ROH Islands) were mostly observed in two chromosomes, namely Chr1 and Chr5. Specifically, ROH Islands were exclusively discovered in the Ouled Djellal breed on Chr1, whereas Chr5 exhibited ROH Islands in all breeds. The analysis of ROH Island and iHS technique was employed to detect signatures of selection on Chr1 and Chr5. The results indicate that Chr5 had a high level of homogeneity, with the same genes being discovered across all breeds. In contrast, Chr1 displays some genetic variances between breeds. Genes identified on Chr5 included SLC39A1, IL23A, CAST, IL5, IL13, and IL4 which are responsible for immune response while genes identified on Chr1 include SOD1, SLAMF9, RTP4, CLDN1, and PRKAA2. ROH segment profile and effective population sizes patterns suggests that the genetic uniformity of studied breeds is the outcome of events that transpired between 250 and 300 generations ago. This research not only contributes to the understanding of ROH distribution across breeds but helps design and implement native sheep breeding and conservation strategies in Morocco. Future research, incorporating a broader sample size and utilizing the pangenome for reference, is recommended to further elucidate these breeds’ genomic landscapes and adaptive mechanisms.

Comparative analysis of cultivated and wild olive genotypes to salinity and drought stress

The Mediterranean region’s harsh conditions, characterized by low rainfall, high solar radiation, and elevated temperatures, pose challenges for vegetation, particularly in the face of climate change. Cultivated olive (Olea europaea subsp. europaea var. europaea) holds historical and economic significance as one of the oldest crops in the Mediterranean. Due to their high germplasm diversity and greater flowering abundance compared to the offspring of cultivated olives, wild olives (Olea europaea subsp. europaea var. sylvestris) could be utilized for selecting new olive cultivars capable of adapting to a changing climate. This research aimed to compare the effects of salt and drought stress on wild and cultivated genotypes by analyzing morphological, physiological, and biochemical parameters. Results showed that shoot length, shoot dry mass, and leaf area are key drought stress indicators in wild olive trees. The results indicated the olive trees more susceptible to salinity stress had lower Na+ and Cl- concentrations in their leaves and took longer to stabilize salt ion levels. Decreased K+ content in roots across all treatments indicated a general stress response. The uptake of Ca2+ appears to be the most energy-efficient response of olive trees to short-term salinity and drought. In contrast to proline and malondialdehyde, trends in superoxide dismutase activity suggest that it is a reliable indicator of salinity and drought stress. Regarding olive adaptability to salinity stress, promising results obtained with two wild olive genotypes merit their further physiological study.

Coupled multiple heterogeneous interfaces lychee-like FeSiAl@C@SiO2@BTA for self-healing corrosion protection and enhanced microwave absorption

Corrosion-resistant ferromagnetic absorbers (FMAs) with self-healing properties are crucial for enhancing their durability under harsh conditions. Herein, we fabricated lychee-like FeSiAl (FSA)@C@SiO2@1H-Benzotriazol (BTA) coupled with multiple heterogeneous interfaces by coating FSA with a C@SiO2@BTA layer using sol-gel, thermal reduction, and molecular encapsulation techniques. The FSA@C@SiO2@BTA showed superior microwave absorption (MA) performance than FSA, with a widest absorption bandwidth of 10.44 GHz at 1.98 mm and a maximum reflection loss of −57.81 dB at 2.98 mm. The enhanced MA performance was due to the better impedance matching and the synergistic effects of interfacial and dipole polarization induced by the C@SiO2@BTA layer. Moreover, the FSA@C@SiO2@BTA exhibited a remarkable corrosion resistance, with a corrosion rate of 3.28 × 10−10 m/s, which was two orders of magnitude lower than that of FSA, and a corrosion protection efficiency of 99.0 %. The epoxy resin coating containing FSA@C@SiO2@BTA also demonstrated a self-healing ability within 5 min after being damaged mechanically. This study presents a novel model that integrates MA, corrosion resistance, and self-healing, heralding new avenues for developing corrosion-resistant FMAs in marine applications.

Flexible Aqueous Cr‐Ion Hybrid Supercapacitors with Remarkable Electrochemical Properties in all Climates

AbstractThe integration of hostless battery‐like metal anodes for hybrid supercapacitors is a realistic design method for energy storage devices with promising future applications. With significant Cr element deposits on Earth, exceptionally high theoretical capacity (1546 mAh g−1), and accessible redox potential (−0.74 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode) of Cr metals, the design of Cr anodes has rightly come into our focus. This work presents a breakthrough design of a flexible Cr‐ion hybrid supercapacitor (CHSC) based on a porous graphitized carbon fabric (PGCF) substrate prepared by K2FeO4 activation. In the CHSC device, PGCF acts as both a current collector and cathode material due to its high specific surface area and superior conductivity. The use of a highly concentrated LiCl−CrCl3 electrolyte with high Cr plating/stripping efficiency and excellent antifreeze properties enables the entire PGCF‐based CHSC to achieve well‐balanced performance in terms of energy density (up to 1.47 mWh cm−2), power characteristics (reaching 9.95 mW cm−2) and durability (95.4 % capacity retention after 30,000 cycles), while realizing it to work well under harsh conditions of −40 °C. This work introduces a new concept for low‐temperature energy storage technology and confirms the potential application of Cr anodes in hybrid supercapacitors.

Full-Length Transcriptome Assembly of Platycladus orientalis Root Integrated with RNA-Seq to Identify Genes in Response to Root Pruning

Platycladus orientalis (P. orientalis) is a common tree used for vegetation restoration in northern China, and its large area propagation helps to improve site conditions. However, under harsh conditions such as poor land, the survival rate of P. orientalis is very low. Numerous studies have shown that root pruning can promote the formation of lateral roots in seedlings, enhancing the roots’ capacity to absorb soil nutrients and water, and thereby improving the survival rate of seedlings. In this study, a one-third root pruning treatment was applied to P. orientalis seedlings, and the whole transcriptome of seedlings subjected to both control (CK) and root pruning treatments was sequenced to analyze their gene expression profiles. This study investigated the regulatory mechanisms of lateral root development in response to root pruning damage at the molecular level. Using nine cells, 15.28 Gb of clean data were obtained, which yielded 101,688 high-quality full-length transcript sequences and 22,955 low-quality full-length transcript sequences after clustering. Redundancy was then removed using CD-HIT, and Illumina RNA-seq sequencing produced 139.26 Gb of clean data. A total of 2025 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified at three time points following root pruning treatment. Enrichment analysis revealed that the peroxidase gene family plays a significant role in lateral root proliferation. Furthermore, the expression levels of the peroxidase gene family were notably upregulated in comparison to the control group. Pathway enrichment analysis identified 22 relevant genes, which appeared to be highly associated with root growth and resilience to stress. Through examining the expression patterns and correlations of these genes, five central genes emerged as key players. The findings of this research suggest that the peroxidase gene family plays a crucial role in the stress response and root development of P. orientalis, providing reference and guidance for root development in other plant species.

Systematic Review of the Agro-Ecological, Nutritional, and Medicinal Properties of the Neglected and Underutilized Plant Species Tylosema fassoglense

Neglected and Under-utilized plant Species (NUS) can contribute to food system transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa, but many are understudied. Here, we conducted a systematic review of 37 empirical studies to synthesize the evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa about the agro-ecological characteristics, nutritional properties, and medicinal properties of the NUS Tylosema fassoglense. Overall, the evidence is highly fragmented and lacks a comprehensive description of the species characteristics, properties, and benefits. Most reviewed studies focus on the eastern part of Africa and a few on the southern part, suggesting its limited geographic distribution. Studies on agro-ecological properties, and especially on morphological characteristics, indicate that the species’ long tuberous roots and large vegetative systems help it adapt to harsh climatic conditions. The species is also utilized for medicinal and nutrition purposes by different communities across its range due to its phytochemical, macro-, and micronutrient content, along with its favorable physico-chemical properties. In particular, the seeds contain many different amino acids, while their calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and carbohydrate content is comparable to Tylosema esculuntum, the better studied species in the Tylosema genus. These demonstrate the species’ potential to contribute to nutrition and food security. Furthermore, parts of the plant contain many phytochemicals, such as phenolics, alkaloids, flavonoid, terpenoids, and tannins (mainly in the roots), and for this reason local communities use it to treat various conditions. Overall, our systematic review suggests that although Tylosema fassoglense has some potential to contribute towards food security, nutrition, health, and livelihoods, there are many remaining knowledge gaps that constrain its effective integration into agricultural production systems and possible contribution to food system transformation in the region.

A mild synthetic route to α-nitroso diaryl pyrroles.

A new synthetic method to access α-nitroso pyrroles is presented. This method utilises the nitrosonium salt NOBF4, enabling short reaction times (<10 minutes) and avoiding the harsh acidic conditions usually associated with pyrrole nitrosation. Application of this procedure to diarylated pyrroles yielded several novel nitroso-pyrroles. Modifications to the method, through exclusion of air and inclusion of a mild base, allowed for the nitrosation of pyrroles bearing aryl groups substituted with electron-donating groups. Attempts to nitrosylate pyrroles bearing alkyl substituents resulted in the formation of a dimeric material composed of a pyrrolic unit and a 2-hydroxyimino-protected 1,5-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-2-one.

Impact of Different Amounts of Lithium Plating on the Thermal Safety of Lithium Ion Cells

Abstract Safety tests are usually conducted on fresh cells. However, occurring lithium plating for example due to harsh aging conditions or electrode inhomogeneities can negatively affect the thermal properties of cells over their lifespan. Recent literature studies showed serious deterioration of the thermal cell properties due to lithium plating while other studies showed no impact at all. These differences are at least partly explained by different amounts of metallic lithium. Here, the impact of the amount of lithium plating on the thermal cell properties was investigated. 1 Ah LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NMC811) || artificial graphite pouch cells were aged at 0 °C between zero and ten cycles. The amount of lithium plating was found to influence the self-heating-rates reached during the initial phase of a thermal safety experiment, but did not have a major impact on the safety at higher temperatures. Despite the presence of lithium plating of up to 15% of the initial capacity, none of the cells showed exothermic self-heating for more than three consecutive measuring points below 85 °C. An impact on the onset temperature of first permanent exothermic reactions could only be reliably detected if a cell had already suffered from 10 % capacity loss due to lithium plating.

Functional evidence on the involvement of the MADS-box gene MdDAM4 in bud dormancy regulation in apple

Over the course of the year, temperate trees experience extremes in temperature and day length. In order to protect themselves from frost damage in winter, they enter a dormant state with no visible growth where all leaves are shed and buds are dormant. Also the young floral tissues need to withstand harsh winter conditions, as temperature fruit trees like apple develop their flower buds in the previous year of fruit development. So far, the genetic control of induction and release of dormancy is not fully understood. However, the transcription factor family of DORMANCY-Associated MADS-box (DAM) genes plays a major role in the control of winter dormancy. One of these genes is MdDAM4. This gene is expressed in the early phase of bud dormancy, but little is known about its function. Six transgenic apple lines were produced to study the function of MdDAM4 in apple. For plant transformation, the binary plasmid vector p9oN-35s-MdDAM4 was used that contains the coding sequence of MdDAM4 driven by the 35S promoter. Transgenicity of the lines was proven by PCR and southern hybridization. Based on siRNA sequencing and phenotypic observations, it was concluded that line M2024 overexpresses MdDAM4 whereas the gene is silenced in all other lines. Phenotyping of the transgenic lines provided evidence that the overexpression of MdDAM4 leads to an earlier induction and a later release of dormancy. Silencing this gene had exactly the opposite effects and thereby led to an increased duration of the vegetation period. Expression experiments revealed genes that were either potentially repressed or activated by MdDAM4. Among the potentially suppressed genes were several homologs of the cytokinin oxidase 5 (CKX5), five LOX homologs, and several expansins, which may indicate a link between MdDAM4 and the control of leaf senescence. Among the potentially activated genes is MdDAM1, which is in line with observed expression patterns during winter dormancy. MdDAM2, which shows little expression during endodormancy also appears to be activated by MdDAM4. Overall, this study provides experimental evidence with transgenic apple trees for MdDAM4 being an important regulator of the onset of bud dormancy in apple.

Strategies for combating plant salinity stress: the potential of plant growth-promoting microorganisms

Global climate change and the decreasing availability of high-quality water lead to an increase in the salinization of agricultural lands. This rising salinity represents a significant abiotic stressor that detrimentally influences plant physiology and gene expression. Consequently, critical processes such as seed germination, growth, development, and yield are adversely affected. Salinity severely impacts crop yields, given that many crop plants are sensitive to salt stress. Plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPMs) in the rhizosphere or the rhizoplane of plants are considered the “second genome” of plants as they contribute significantly to improving the plant growth and fitness of plants under normal conditions and when plants are under stress such as salinity. PGPMs are crucial in assisting plants to navigate the harsh conditions imposed by salt stress. By enhancing water and nutrient absorption, which is often hampered by high salinity, these microorganisms significantly improve plant resilience. They bolster the plant’s defenses by increasing the production of osmoprotectants and antioxidants, mitigating salt-induced damage. Furthermore, PGPMs supply growth-promoting hormones like auxins and gibberellins and reduce levels of the stress hormone ethylene, fostering healthier plant growth. Importantly, they activate genes responsible for maintaining ion balance, a vital aspect of plant survival in saline environments. This review underscores the multifaceted roles of PGPMs in supporting plant life under salt stress, highlighting their value for agriculture in salt-affected areas and their potential impact on global food security.

Surprising Effects of Ti and Al2O3 Coatings on Tribocatalytic Degradation of Organic Dyes by GaN Nanoparticles

GaN is more stable than most metal oxide semiconductors for the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants in harsh conditions, while its catalytic efficiency has been difficult to be substantially improved. In this study, the tribocatalytic degradation of organic dyes by GaN nanoparticles has been investigated. Stimulated through magnetic stirring using homemade Teflon magnetic rotary disks in glass beakers, the GaN nanoparticles were found to induce negligible degradation in rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl orange (MO) solutions. Surprisingly, the degradation was greatly enhanced in beakers with Ti and Al2O3 coatings on their bottoms: 99.2% and 99.8% of the 20 mg/L RhB solutions were degraded in 3 h for the Ti and Al2O3 coatings, respectively, and 56% and 60.2% of the 20 mg/L MO solutions were degraded in 24 h for the Ti and Al2O3 coatings, respectively. Moreover, the MO molecules were only broken into smaller organic molecules for the Ti coating, while they were completely degraded for the Al2O3 coating. These findings are important for the catalytic degradation of organic pollutants by GaN in harsh environments and for achieving a better understanding of tribocatalysis as well.

Palladium-Catalyzed Addition of Aryl Halides to N-Sulfinylamines for the Synthesis of Sulfinamides.

Sulfinamides are versatile, synthetically useful intermediates, and final motifs. Traditional methods to synthesize sulfinamides generally require substrates with preinstalled sulfur centers. However, these precursors have limited commercial availability, and the associated synthetic routes often require harsh reaction conditions and highly reactive reagents, thus severely limiting their application. Herein, we report the synthesis of sulfinamides from aryl and alkenyl (pseudo)halides and N-sulfinylamines, enabled by palladium catalysis. The reactions use mild conditions and are achieved without the use of highly reactive preformed organometallic reagents, resulting in transformations of broad generality and high functional group tolerance. In particular, substrates featuring protic and electrophilic functional groups can be used successfully. The modification of complex aryl cores and natural product derivatives demonstrates the utility of this method.

Antireflective Superhydrophobic and Robust Coating Based on Chitin Nanofibers and Methylsilanized Silica for Outdoor Applications.

Antireflective coatings with superhydrophobicity have many outdoor applications, such as solar photovoltaic panels and windshields. In this study, we fabricated an omnidirectional antireflective and superhydrophobic coating with good mechanical robustness and environmental durability via the spin coating technique. The coating consisted of a layer of phytic acid (PA)/polyacrylamide (PAM)/calcium ions (Ca2+) (referred to as Binder), an antireflective layer composed of chitin nanofibers (ChNFs), and a hydrophobic layer composed of methylsilanized silica (referred to as Mosil). The transmittance of a glass slide with the Binder/ChNFs/Mosil coating had a 5.2% gain at a wavelength of 550 nm, and the antireflective coating showed a water contact angle as high as 160° and a water sliding angle of 8°. The mechanical robustness and environmental durability of the coating, including resistance to peeling, dynamic impact, chemical erosion, ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, and high temperature, were evaluated. The coating retained excellent antireflective capacity and self-cleaning performance in the harsh conditions. The increase in voltage per unit area of a solar panel with a Binder/ChNFs/Mosil coating reached 0.4 mV/cm2 compared to the solar panel exposed to sunlight with an intensity of 54.3 × 103 lx. This work not only demonstrates that ChNFs can be used as raw materials to fabricate antireflective superhydrophobic coatings for outdoor applications but also provides a feasible and efficient approach to do so.

Protein hydrolysates of millets: an effective therapeutic to wide range of diseases

Purpose Millets are underused crops that have the potential to withstand harsh environmental conditions. Recent research has proved immense nutritional benefits associated with millets which have increased their utilization to some extent but yet their sole potential is left to be exploited. Different millet varieties have exceptional nutritional and nutraceutical properties which can ameliorate even the deadly conditions of cancers. They have significant protein composition ranging from 10% to 12% which possess effective bioactive potential. Protein hydrolysates containing bioactive peptides have been evaluated for their therapeutic effects against a variety of diseases. This review aims to discuss the bioactive potential of different millet protein hydrolysates to encourage research for development of effective natural therapeutics. Design/methodology/approach The present article elaborates on effective studies on the therapeutic effects of millet protein hydrolysates. Findings Several effective millet peptides have been reported for their therapeutic effect against different diseases and their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antimicrobial and antidiabetic effects have been investigated. Originality/value This review focuses on millet bioactive peptides and their significance in treating variety of diseases. Thus, will further encourage research to explore the novel therapeutic effects of millet proteins hydrolysates which can eventually result in the development of natural and safe therapeutics.

Coleopteran burrows from foreshore settings in Florianópolis, Brazil

While insects are versatile animals capable of occupying harsh environmental conditions, not many are present in the marine environment, and has generally been discounted as trace makers in such settings. During the intra-congress field trip of ICHNIA 2024, however, we observed multiple surficial burrows on foreshore sediments that were constructed by beetle larvae. While there are several reports of insect burrows from backshores, eolian dunes, salt marshes, tidal creeks, washover fans, and distributary channels, we are not aware of ichnological studies of these burrows from the foreshore. Moreover, some of these studies failed to identify or mention the entity of the trace makers, and have not stressed enough the significance of burrowing marine insects on palichnology and paleoecology. Some entomologists on the other hand have recognized insects in marine environments, and some insect groups (such as Coleoptera and Diptera) have burrowing larvae in brackish to marine environments. Understanding the burrow morphologies of marine insects compared to freshwater insects or other marine invertebrates may help us understand the ecological significance and evolutionary history of insects in marine habitats.

Direct Optical Patterning of Metal-Organic Frameworks via Photoacid-Induced Etching.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of porous materials constructed from organic linkers and inorganic building blocks. Coordinative competition labilizes some MOFs under harsh chemical conditions because of their weak bonding. However, instability is not always a negative property of a material. In this study, we demonstrated the use of the acidic lability of MOFs for direct optical patterning. The controllable acid release from the photoacid generator at the exposed area causes bond cleavage between the linkers and metal ions/clusters, leading to solubility changes and pattern formation after development. This process avoids redundant steps and possible contamination in traditional photolithography, while maintaining the original properties of patterned MOFs. The preserved porosity and crystallinity promoted the development of MOFs for gas sensors and solid displays.

Economic Impact of Trypanosomosis on Camels (Camelus Dromedarius) in North-West, Nigeria

Desert encroachment accelerated by global warming threatens the lives and livelihood of scores of farming families. However, camels can withstand the harsh climatic conditions and provide draught power thereby supporting subsistence agriculture and other economic activities. This study aimed to investigate the economic-impact of camel Trypanosomiasis (Surra) in two communities in North-West, Nigeria using structured questionnaires. All the 99 respondents interviewed were males and over 30 years of age with majority of them having Islamic/Quaranic education. The economic impacts identified include death (42%), poor milk production (38%) and reduced draught power (38%). The mean prices of live camels differ between the two study areas; ₦301,928.57 vs. ₦128,100.00 and ₦184,377.55 vs.₦82,100.00 for healthy adults and young camels in Kano and Katsina states, respectively. About 38−54% loss in value of live camels estimated at ₦114,581.63−₦164,755.09 in Kano and ₦48,850−₦76,100.00 in Katsina was attributed to Surra. Similarly, Surra is believed to account for over 90% loss in milk production in camels, where an estimated daily loss of over ₦7,000.00 was recorded. Although the estimated impacts were based on the opinion of a few randomly selected respondents, the huge financial cost associated with Surra is alarming and deserves attention. It is evident that this disease threatens food security and impedes the achievement of sustainable development goals. These findings bring to fore the socioeconomic importance of Surra in the study area and call for the formulation of cost-effective control measures.

К ТЕХНОЛОГИИ ВОЗДЕЛЫВАНИЯ ЯРОВОЙ ПШЕНИЦЫ НА ЧЕРНОЗЕМЕ ОБЫКНОВЕННОМ В КРАСНОЯРСКОЙ ЛЕСОСТЕПИ

The purpose of research is to develop an effective technology based on assessing the impact of reducing energy costs for soil cultivation with an increase in the use of chemicals (fertilizers and herbicides) on the productivity of different varieties of wheat. Based on the results of many years of research at the laboratory of varietal agricultural technologies of the Krasnoyarsk Research Institute of Agriculture, an assessment was made of the effect of surface tillage using the BDM-6 “Rubin” disc harrow and milling, without main treatment, on the yield of 4 varieties of spring wheat in comparison with traditional technology based on moldboard plowing (control ). The harvest was formed under harsh weather conditions, which limited productivity to 0.6–3.6 t/ha. The energy coefficient with minimal processing using ammonium nitrate was 4.8 and with direct sowing without the use of mineral fertilizers it was 4.4. This circumstance necessitates the need to expand methods of soil preparation for sowing, especially after the use of minimal tillage. As an experiment, the surface of the soil was milled with FBN 1.1 for high-quality sowing using a disc seeder SN-16. Treatment with a milling cutter was carried out after the scattering of ammonium nitrate. In general, resource-saving technologies (sowing after disking and sowing without main tillage before milling) reduced production costs by 11–13 %, and fuel consumption decreased by 42–43 % compared to technology based on plowing. Carrying out pre-sowing treatment with a milling cutter guarantees complete cleansing of the soil from early weed shoots; control is carried out using a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle). Differences in yield levels between tillage options are insignificant; NSR05 was 0.4 t/ha. And the influence of mineral fertilizers, well mixed with the soil in the surface layer using a milling cutter, has increased sharply.

Cost‐Effective Carbon Quaternization with Redox‐Active Esters and Olefins

Quaternary carbons are embedded in various natural products, pharmaceuticals, and organic materials; however, constructing this valuable motif is far from trivial. Conventional approaches mainly rely on classical polar disconnections and encounter bottlenecks concerning harsh conditions, functional group tolerance, regioselectivity, and step economy. In this context, Kawamata, Baran, Shenvi, and coworkers recently demonstrated that two feedstock chemicals, alkyl carboxylic acids and olefins, could be utilized to construct tetrasubstituted carbons in the presence of an inexpensive iron porphyrin catalyst and a suitable reductant combination through quaternization of radical intermediates. The method enabled access to various sterically encumbered quaternary carbons under mild and robust conditions. Taking a complete detour from conventional approaches, the present heteroselective radical‐radical coupling simplifies the synthesis of quaternary carbon‐containing molecules through an innovative and distinctive disconnection approach.