Crop Harvest Research Articles

Design, Fabrication and Analysis of Battery Operated Brush Cutter

Crop harvesting involves either removing the plants after they have been torn out or cutting the crops close to the earth. It entails cutting coral crop stems, such as tuar, Jawar, Bajra, and maize, close to the ground. In our nation, a sharp sickle is typically used to cut things. Mainly, small-scale rice farmers are using conventional methods or, we could say, traditional methods in farming. The reaping process of the rice crop is very time-consuming as well as it requires more human effort. The labour required for farming is also more compared to other crops. So, the development of mechanical operated reaper is come but the reapers are costly for the use for the farmers those farms are small in size. They cannot afford harvesters and other expensive machinery. So, we have developed a small and low-cost solar assisted rice reaper machine which runs on electricity by use of batteries.

Parasitic Characteristics of Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) Collected from Water Deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus) and Spatiotemporal Distribution Prediction within Host-Influenced Cultivated Areas.

Tick-borne diseases result from human-ixodid tick encounters, making it crucial to understand host-ixodid tick interactions and host-dependent distribution for epidemiology and prevention. This study examines water deer patterns and ixodid tick interactions in designated croplands of South Korea over two years, finding that the highest deer presence occurred in July and the lowest in May, during crop harvesting. Four tick species were identified, with Haemaphysalis longicornis being predominant (92.2%). Tick life stage analysis revealed peak nymphs and adults in July and larvae in October. Nymph abundance correlated positively with nearby water deer. MaxEnt biodiversity prediction results indicated wider water deer distribution in summer, reflecting their tendency to use multiple croplands. Areas with nymphs and adults aligned with predicted deer presence in summer, while larval areas aligned in autumn. Increased agroforestry expanded water deer habitats, enhancing tick dispersion. Prevention involved minimizing human-deer encounters by strategic land use in tick-prone areas. This comprehensive study provides insights into preventing severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome in agricultural workers, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions based on host behavior and tick life stages in different seasons.

ODN-Pro: An Improved Model Based on YOLOv8 for Enhanced Instance Detection in Orchard Point Clouds

In an unmanned orchard, various tasks such as seeding, irrigation, health monitoring, and harvesting of crops are carried out by unmanned vehicles. These vehicles need to be able to distinguish which objects are fruit trees and which are not, rather than relying on human guidance. To address this need, this study proposes an efficient and robust method for fruit tree detection in orchard point cloud maps. Feature extraction is performed on the 3D point cloud to form a two-dimensional feature vector containing three-dimensional information of the point cloud and the tree target is detected through the customized deep learning network. The impact of various feature extraction methods such as average height, density, PCA, VFH, and CVFH on the detection accuracy of the network is compared in this study. The most effective feature extraction method for the detection of tree point cloud objects is determined. The ECA attention module and the EVC feature pyramid structure are introduced into the YOLOv8 network. The experimental results show that the deep learning network improves the precision, recall, and mean average precision by 1.5%, 0.9%, and 1.2%, respectively. The proposed framework is deployed in unmanned orchards for field testing. The experimental results demonstrate that the framework can accurately identify tree targets in orchard point cloud maps, meeting the requirements for constructing semantic orchard maps.

Impact and Assessment of Climate Change on Agricultural Production in India: A Geographical Perspective

Climate change is an imminent global challenge that poses significant threats to our planet’s ecosystems, human societies, and overall well-being. Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperature and weather patterns (UN) 2023 has shown all too clearly that climate change is here, and human activities have been the main driver of climate change. At the core of climate change is Global Warming which has triggered the melting of glaciers, sea level rise, weather fluctuation, erratic rainfall, and an increase in temperature patterns over the next century is predicted. The main objectives of this research paper is to examine the various causes of climate change in India and what is the impact of climate change on agricultural production in different parts of the country. The entire study is based on secondary sources of data. The result of the study shows that agricultural sector, which is already having difficulties as a result of the growing need for food, is being negatively impacted by climate change. In India, agriculture is very important because it is the foundation of the country's economy and provides a living for most of the population. 17.4% of India's GDP, or its gross domestic product, is derived from agriculture (Economic Survey, 2015–16). Drought, heat waves, storms, flooding, delayed monsoons, and variations in seasonal temperatures are some of the elements that negatively affect agricultural operations, such as planting, tending, and harvesting crops like Zaid, Rabi, and Kharif. These factors affect India's agricultural productivity as well as livestock farming. The study also reveals that Climate change has resulted in altered cropping patterns and decreased output of crops such as sugarcane, ground nuts, and paddy in states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Orissa, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. Some Indian states, including Bihar, Maharashtra, and Kerala, have demonstrated climate variability by experiencing drought-like conditions in certain areas and flood-prone areas in others. Also, it results in the failure of crops, which drives farmers in some states to take their own lives due to crippling debt. On top of that, there is a risk to food security, a change in the quality of nutrition, a modification in pest and disease, but—above all—it is making life harder for the people having poor socio-economic status.

Socio-demographic, agricultural, and personal protective factors in relation to health literacy among farmers from all regions of Thailand.

Farmers are vulnerable to adverse health effects from pesticide exposure due to their health literacy (HL). Therefore, this study aims to investigate HL among farmers in four main regions of Thailand, investigating socio-demographics, agricultural, and personal protective factors to their HL. This cross-sectional design study was conducted on 4,035 farmers from January to July 2023. The European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire-47 items were used to measure HL. Thai farmers had a mean HL score of 34.7 ± 8.7, and the farmers in the North region of Thailand had the highest frequency of limited HL (75.8%). Socio-demographic factors that were associated with HL included gender, region of living, marital status, education level, co-morbidity, and number of family members. Agricultural factors associated with HL included planting status, working hours on farm, spraying pesticides, harvesting crops, pesticide use of >1 type, access information from government officers, access information from posters/brochures, information from online multimedia, and access information from neighbors. Personal protective factors that were associated with HL included wearing a hat, goggles, a rubber apron, and a long-sleeved shirt. Our study recommends that strategies and interventions to enhance the HL of farmers should be focused on the target populations, which include men, widows, or divorced, those with low levels of education, those who have co-morbidities, and those who applied pesticides of more than 1 type and improper personal protective equipment (PPE) use. The primary emphasis needs to be on the North region of Thailand, making that the target area to improve health equity in Thailand. These efforts would enhance the HL of farmers and sustainably improve pesticide safety behavior. Additionally, there is an urgent need for supportive measures aimed at altering on-farm practices and promoting education on alternative pest management strategies, particularly non-chemical crop protection, to ensure sustainable agriculture.

Economics Analysis of Production of Litchi Air Layered Plants by using Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPRs)

"Traditional harvesting is a labor-intensive and expensive procedure; farmers often spend 25 to 30 percent of crop production costs on harvesting. Harvesting at right time is most important factor, as delay of harvesting operation results in significant grain loss due to shattering their by reducing yield of a crop. The feasibility and adoptability of developed pulse crop harvester was evaluated by following constrains such as benefit cost ratio, breakeven point, cost of operation, net present value payback period and revenue cost ratio by using standard test procedures. The cost of operation is 1757.40 `/ha, developed harvester can save cost up to 4242.60 `/ha over traditional method. The estimated revenue cost ratio, breakeven point, benefit cost ratio, payback period, and net present value were 3.86, 314.47 h/yr,2.41:1, 1.37 yr, and 4.14 duly. The total cost spend for fabrication of harvester was 47,500 `. The total amount spend by farmer can return with in one years. The created technique was effectively deployed due to its low cost and ease of usage."

Economic Analysis and Feasibility of Tractor Operated Pulse Crop Harvester

Traditional harvesting is a labor-intensive and expensive procedure; farmers often spend 25 to 30 percent of crop production costs on harvesting. Harvesting at right time is most important factor, as delay of harvesting operation results in significant grain loss due to shattering their by reducing yield of a crop. The feasibility and adoptability of developed pulse crop harvester was evaluated by following constrains such as benefit cost ratio, breakeven point, cost of operation, net present value payback period and revenue cost ratio by using standard test procedures. The cost of operation is 1757.40 `/ha, developed harvester can save cost up to 4242.60 `/ha over traditional method. The estimated revenue cost ratio, breakeven point, benefit cost ratio, payback period, and net present value were 3.86, 314.47 h/yr,2.41:1, 1.37 yr, and 4.14 duly. The total cost spend for fabrication of harvester was 47,500 `. The total amount spend by farmer can return with in one years. The created technique was effectively deployed due to its low cost and ease of usage.

Rainwater harvesting as a sustainable solution for the production of urban hydroponic crops

ABSTRACT Population growth and poor agricultural practices demand an improvement in the efficiency of food production. Urban hydroponic crops represent a potential solution to this challenge. However, the use of drinking water for urban agriculture is not a priority. Consequently, rainwater harvesting can reduce the use of drinking water for other purposes than human consumption. This study evaluated the efficiency of rainwater harvesting for the production of hydroponic crops in an Andean city. We developed a rainwater harvesting model to analyze the efficiency and optimization of two hydroponic production scenarios: (1) domestic production (30 plants) and (2) small-scale commercial production (200 plants). We found an efficiency of 99.71 and 75.79%, for scenarios 1 and 2, respectively. The 75.79% efficiency is given by the presence of low precipitation periods, which in the case of the study area are sporadic. Furthermore, scenario 2 could reach efficiencies of 100% if the roof capture area increases up to 40 m2. Rainwater harvesting in Andean cities, with sustained precipitation throughout the year, is enough to supply water for domestic and small-scale commercial hydroponic production with basic household modifications. We show promising results by combining rainwater harvesting and hydroponic crops for improving urban food and water security.

The Application of Wheat Farmers to Modern Agriculture Technology Related to Improve Crop Production in Thi-Qar

The research aim is to determine the level of application farmers of Modern Agricultural Technology have in improving wheat crop production in Thi-Qar Province. A multistage sample probability proportionates of size (PPS) was used to conduct this study. The sample number was (75 farmers from the Qalat Sukkar district, 105 farmers from the AL-Rifai district, 45 farmers from the AL-Shatrah district, and 29 farmers from the AL-Nasr district) (15% of the total number of farmers) it was 254 farmers. Questionnaire techniques and interviews with the farmers were adopted to collect the data (March to May 2019). The study has revealed that the highest percentage (62.6 %) belonged to the medium category in applying modern agricultural technology to improve wheat crop production. The application level of modern agricultural technology was significant and positive at a 1% probability level under six variables. Multiple regression analyses have been studied with ten variables: social class, age, Education, Occupation, Farm power, Size of land holding, Family type, Family size, social participation, and source of information utilized. This research has contributed nine independent variables with significant levels of variation to the extent of the application level of modern agricultural technology in improving wheat crop production (R2= 0.759). The importance of farmers using modern agricultural technology with the parts (Soil preparation, Planting and crop service, harvesting processes and marketing) was high according to (72.12, 70.72, and 68.41) respectively. The data were used for analysis: Frequency, percentage, mean, Standard deviation, and multiple regression analysis. According to the result, farmers' application of modern technology in improving wheat crop production was good. Modern agricultural technology will reduce costs, increase productivity, and save soil quality. The importance of farmers with the parts (Soil preparation, Planting, crop service, harvesting processes, and marketing) was high according to (72.12, 70.72, and 68.41) respectively. Because of this, it is necessary to improve the cultivation of wheat crops to achieve high productivity and reduce the problems that happen during agricultural production. Keywords: Technology, Independent variables, Farmers, Harvesting, Size of land holding

The Application of Wheat Farmers to Modern Agriculture Technology Related to Improve Crop Production in Thi-Qar

The research aim is to determine the level of application farmers of Modern Agricultural Technology have in improving wheat crop production in Thi-Qar Province. A multistage sample probability proportionates of size (P.P.S.) was used to conduct this study. The sample number was (75 farmers from the Qalat Sukkar district, 105 farmers from the AL-Rifai district, 45 farmers from the AL-Shatrah district, and 29 farmers from the ALNasr district) (15% of the total number of farmers) it was 254 farmers. Questionnaire techniques and interviews with the farmers were adopted to collect the data (March to May 2019). The study has revealed that the highest percentage (62.6 %) belonged to the medium category in applying modern agricultural technology to improve wheat crop production. The application level of modern agricultural technology was significant and positive at a 1% probability level under six variables. Multiple regression analyses have been studied with ten variables: social class, age, Education, Occupation, Farm power, Size of land holding, Family type, Family size, social participation, and Source of information utilized. This research has contributed nine independent variables with significant levels of variation to the extent of the application level of modern agricultural technology in improving wheat crop production (R2= 0.759). The importance of farmers using modern agricultural technology with the parts (Soil preparation, Planting and crop service, harvesting processes and marketing) was high according to (72.12, 70.72, and 68.41) respectively. The data were used for analysis: Frequency, percentage, mean, Standard deviation, and multiple regression analysis. According to the result, farmers' application of modern technology in improving wheat crop production was good. Modern agricultural technology will reduce costs, increase productivity, and save soil quality. The importance of farmers with the parts (Soil preparation, planting, crop service, harvesting processes, and marketing) was high according to (72.12, 70.72, and 68.41) respectively. Because of this, it is necessary to improve the cultivation of wheat crops to achieve high productivity and reduce the problems that happen during agricultural production. Keywords: Technology, Independent variables, Farmers, Harvesting, Size of land holding

A perspective on varied fungal virulence factors causing infection in host plants.

Pathogenic fungi and their spores are ubiquitously present and invade the tissues of higher living plants causing pathogenesis and inevitably death or retarded growth. A group of fungi kills its hosts and consume the dead tissues (necrotrophs), while others feed on living tissue (biotrophs) or combination of two (hemibiotrophs). A number of virulent factors is used by fungal pathogens to inhabit new hosts and cause illness. Fungal pathogens develop specialized structures for complete invasion into plant organs to regulate pathogenic growth. Virulence factors like effectors, mycotoxins, cell wall degrading enzymes and organic acids have varied roles depending on the infection strategy and assist the pathogens to possess control on living tissues of the plants. Infection strategies employed by fungi generally masks the plant defense mechanism, however necrotrophs are best known to harm plant tissues with their poisonous secretion. Interestingly, the effector chemicals released by Biotrophs reduce plant cell growth and regulate plant metabolism in their advantage causing no direct death. All these virulence tools cause huge loss to the agricultural product of pre- harvest crops and post-harvest yields causing low output leading to huge economic losses. This review focusses on comprehensive study of range of virulence factors of the pathogenic fungi responsible for their invasion inside the healthy tissues of plants. The compiled information would influence researchers to design antidote against all virulence factors of fungi relevant to their area of research which could pave way for protection against plant pathogenesis.

Key role of microbial necromass and iron minerals in retaining micronutrients and facilitating biological nitrogen fixation in paddy soils

Paddy fields, as the largest anthropogenic wetlands on Earth, face a high risk of micronutrient loss through surface runoff and leaching due to their frequent irrigation-drainage cycles, as well as removal with crop harvest. While micronutrient’s losses largely impede biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) in soils, agricultural practices and mechanisms that retain micronutrients and thus increase BNF in paddy soils remain underexplored. Here we showed that the long-term (40 years) application of fertilizers increased the contents of microbial necromass in paddy soils by 20%–43% compared to the unfertilized control. In particular, long-term organic fertilizations increased poorly crystalline minerals through intensifying mineral weathering, which further contributed to the increased stable carbon burials in paddy soils. Synchrotron radiation based spectromicroscopy analysis provided direct evidence demonstrating a differential control of hydroxyl functional groups from mineral surfaces on C functional groups at the submicron scale in paddy soils. Notably, microbial necromass and short-range ordered minerals had a strong correlation with the content and bioavailability of micronutrients in paddy soils, indicating their key roles in the retention of micronutrients. Metagenomic sequencing analysis further indicated that the content and bioavailability of micronutrients were strongly correlated with the abundance of the key N-fixing genera (i.e., Azospirillum and Bradyrhizobium). Unexpectedly, structural equation modeling (SEM) identified that microbial necromass exerted the strongest control on N-fixing genera, highlighting an underappreciated role of microbial necromass as a reservoir of micronutrients. Based on micronutrient's bioavailability and metagenomic sequencing, we conclude that micronutrients are the key factor for BNF in paddy soils, offering significant implications for managing BNF in paddy soils.

Nutrient retention after crop harvest in a typic hapludults amended with biochar types under no-tillage system

The utilization of biochar’s as soil amendments for enhancing nutrient retention in subsoils present potential limitations. To address this issue, we conducted a greenhouse experiment to assess the effects of various biochar’s derived from animal manures (swine manure, poultry litter, cattle manure) and plant residues (rice straw, soybean straw, corn straw) when applied to surface of an acidic soil. Our study focused on wheat crops under a no-tillage system, with a subsequent evaluation of the residual impacts on soybeans. The experimental design involved the application of biochar’s at different rates i.e. 10 and 20 Mg ha−1, followed by the assessment of their influence on NPK levels, pH, and exchangeable Al in stratified soil layers (0–5, 5–10, 10–15, and 15–25 cm). Furthermore, we investigated the interplay between biochar doses and the application of nitrogen (N) in the top 5 cm of soil, specifically examining NO3-\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\ ext{NO}}_{{3}}^{ - }$$\\end{document}, NH4+\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\ ext{NH}}_{{4}}^{ + }$$\\end{document}, P and K levels. Our findings revealed that in the top 5 cm of soil, biochar doses and N application significantly affected NO3-\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\ ext{NO}}_{{3}}^{ - }$$\\end{document}, NH4+\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\ ext{NH}}_{{4}}^{ + }$$\\end{document}, P and K concentrations. However, in deeper soil layers, no significant differences were observed among biochar doses with or without N application. Interestingly, K levels were impacted throughout all soil depths, regardless of the presence or absence of N application. Moreover, biochar application up to a 5 cm depth induced favorable changes in soil pH and reduced exchangeable Al. In contrast, deeper layers experienced a decrease in soil pH and an increase in exchangeable Al following biochar treatment. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that biochar’s can effectively retain NPK nutrients, enhance soil pH, and decrease exchangeable Al, independent of the type and dosage of application under a no-tillage system. Nonetheless, the efficacy of biochar amendments may vary with soil depth and type of nutrient, warranting careful consideration for maximizing their benefits in sustainable agricultural practices.

Review on Vertical Farming in Agricultural Area

Vertical farming has the capability to produce the food or any other services in urban areas which are related to it. The goals and vision of vertical farming is planned with the aim of generating sustainable cities around the world. The recent traditional farming approaches due to an imbalance in the environment. At the end it appears that the concept of the vertical farm in the city centre of urban area could solve various issues that is related to food production and environmental degradation. No crop harvests would fail by severe weather like droughts, floods and hurricanes etc. Hence the vertical farming aims at the making of the sustainable city environment that inspires the people to live there for the safe and the healthy environment that encourages the people to live there for the safe and healthy environment, cleaner air, safe drinking water, safe usage of public liquid waste, new employment chances, vertical farming has the benefit of a seasonally wet and warm weather. They can easily minimize cooling and heating water. Use of indoor temperature and artificial light and also have a plentiful amount of natural resources such as long hours of sunlight and enough water from daily rain to cultivate.

Environmental risks in agrophytocoenoses under the influence of segetal phytobiota

Abstract In this article the influence of abiotic factors on agrophytocoenoses is considered, these are: moisture supply, rising air temperature, increasing carbon dioxide concentration, and the probability of environmental risks in particular. The degree of ecological risk has been established. Environmental risks due to the influence of climate change on agrophytocoenoses have been identified and substantiated and are: the spread of adventive and invasive plant species; loss of competitiveness of agrophytocoenosis crops relative to segetal phytobiota; increase in the number of species and distribution areas of segetal phytobiota; change in the sown area, productivity and quality of the harvest of agricultural crops; acquisition of tolerance of segetal phytobiota of agrocoenoses to herbicides and deterioration of their effectiveness under agroclimatic fluctuations. All of the above-mentioned environmental risks, which are associated with aggravation of the phytosanitary condition of crops inevitably, lead to a loss of the productivity of agrocoenoses. They lead to a decrease in the quality of the obtained plant and agricultural products as well. Along with the loss of productivity of the weedy agrocoenosis, there are environmental risks caused by the increased need for the use of plant protection products to ensure the control of the phytosanitary state of the agrocoenosis. Ensuring the reduction of environmental risks and enhancing the ecological safety of agrocoenoses is timely environmental monitoring, considering appropriate agronomic, protective, and preventive measures. These measures increase the adaptive capacity of agrocoenoses. r atmospheric levels in analyzing pertinent cases.

ПЕРСПЕКТИВИ ВИРОБНИЦТВА КВАСОЛІ В КОНТЕКСТІ НІШЕВОЇ ДИВЕРСИФІКАЦІЇ СІЛЬСЬКОГО ГОСПОДАРСТВА ТА НАРОЩУВАННЯ ЙОГО ЕКСПОРТНОГО ПОТЕНЦІАЛУ

The global trends in the production and trade of beans were analyzed, the level and dynamics of export-import operations of Ukraine in this market segment were investigated, the prospects of crop production were substantiated in the context of niche diversification of the domestic agrarian sphere and the expansion of its export potential. It is noted that during the last decade, the volume of world production of beans has remained relatively stable within 29 million tons. The leading countries are India and Brazil, the combined share of which in the world crop harvest in 2022 was 36.2%. A third of the world's bean exports go to Myanmar – the main exporter of legumes to India. The main importers of beans are India and China, these countries supply 32.5% of the world's import of the crop.In the overall structure of foreign trade, the share of Ukrainian beans in 2022 was 1.2%. During 2018-2022, the value of culture exports from Ukraine was characterized by an upward trend. Almost all export (99.9%) and import products (95.4%) are white bean varieties The main buyers of Ukrainian beans were Italy, Pakistan and Poland. In 2022, 53.4% of exports were sent to these countries. On the foreign market, Ukraine mainly buys elite bean seeds. In 2022, 85.6% of its total imports were supplied from Poland. It is noted that in modern conditions, beans are a promising niche crop for the domestic agriculturist, since logistics is less affected by it than grain crops, the demand in foreign markets is high, in addition to economic, the introduction of beans in crop rotation also provides an ecological effect. The export potential of beans is determined by the growth of global demand for processed legume products (chips, hummus, vegetable minced meat, nuggets, burger patties, etc.).

Biological and Chemical Vicissitudes in Soil Rhizosphere Arbitrated under Different Tillage, Residues Recycling and Oilseed Brassica-Based Cropping Systems

In this study, the impacts of long-term soil and crop management practices on crop productivity and soil health in oilseed brassica-based production systems were examined. Different tillage, crop residue recycling and cropping systems (fallow–mustard, cluster bean–mustard, green gram–mustard, maize–mustard, pearl millet–mustard and sesame–mustard) were studied for 5 years at two soil depths (0–15 and 15–30 cm) in a split-plot design with three replications. No-till permanent beds with crop residue (PB + R) noticeably improved soil organic carbon (SOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), enzymes (dehydrogenase (DHA) and alkaline phosphatase (AlP)), nitrogen fractions (available and total nitrate) and available phosphorus and potassium content in both soil layers compared to conventional tillage without crop residues. However, the plough soil layer (0–15 cm) showed higher concentrations of soil carbon, enzymes, N fractions and available P than in the subsoil (15–30 cm). The dynamic soil biological and chemical properties also varied with the crop stage, and higher MBC at 30 days, SOC and enzymatic activities at 60 days, and N fractions and available P and K during the harvesting of mustard crop were recorded. Green gram–mustard rotation showed higher values in terms of biological and chemical parameters. Thus, the legume-based mustard crop rotation following no-till permanent beds and residue recycling was found to be holistic in terms of improving soil health and nutrient cycling.

Optimizing winter climate control in high-altitude smart greenhouse through renewable energy integration

In the context of food security in mountain regions, this study explores the potential of a Smart Greenhouse (SGH) to address the challenges posed by climate change and limited resources. The SGH utilizes an 8 m2 solar water heating system, weather stations for external temperature and humidity monitoring, as well as internal light, humidity, and temperature sensors to create an optimized environment for crop cultivation. Experiments were conducted with various crops within the SGH during the harsh winter months, typically rendering the cultivable land fallow due to extreme cold conditions. The SGH is equipped with sensors and communication technologies, ensuring continuous data collection and the automated regulation of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. Located in Genekha, Thimphu, this pilot SGH seamlessly integrates renewable energy technology to provide heat during the cold winter season, obviating the need for external heating sources in the summer. The study employed TRNSYS and OpenStudio simulation software to assess the SGH's performance, focusing on temperature and humidity control inside and outside the greenhouse. Additionally, soil pH and nutrient content were examined, and the time required for crop growth and harvesting was recorded. In conclusion, this paper acknowledges some of the current design's limitations and presents recommendations for future enhancements, with a focus on the specific context of improving crop production and food security in mountainous regions.

Do newer maize hybrids grow roots faster and deeper?

AbstractUnderstanding historical changes in root depth attributes is needed for crop productivity and sustainability assessments, but such information is rare. We explored whether newer maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids grow roots faster and deeper than older hybrids and quantified the role of management and environment on root trait expression. We measured root front velocity (RFV) and maximum root depth in 11 Bayer Crop Science legacy hybrids released from 1983 to 2017 across five environments in the US Corn Belt during 2021 and 2022. Root depth was measured weekly during vegetative stages with manual probes and the maximum root depth at crop harvest with a Giddings probe. Results indicated that the RFV and maximum root depth slightly increased with the year of hybrid release (0.13% per year, p = 0.1) at 8.7 plants m−2. Historical increases in plant density from 4.7 to 8.7 plants m−2 lowered RFV and maximum root depth, but the new hybrids compensated for this loss, resulting in 4% higher RFV and 3% higher maximum depth when comparing systems from 1983 to 2017. The environment strongly influenced root trait expression (>41%). Rain anomaly and soil bulk density explained a portion of this variation. We found a linear relationship between root depth and leaf number (R2 = 0.95) and a nonlinear relationship between RFV and maximum root depth (R2 = 0.77), which can stimulate crop model improvements. Faster and deeper roots were not correlated with maize yields in our environments. This study enhances our understanding of maize breeding impacts on root traits.

In Situ Sucrose Injection for Alteration of Carbohydrate Reserve Dynamics in Grapevine

Inconsistent yield of subtropical table grape across seasons is often associated with low carbohydrate reserves during flowering. In an attempt to increase TNC and thus yield, sucrose was injected into treated trunks during periods of high carbohydrate demand (i.e., between budburst and flowering). Total non-structural carbohydrate (TNC) concentration dynamics were assessed in the grapevine root and trunk tissues of both control and treated vines. In the control (untreated) vines, the TNC concentration in root and trunk tissues was 13.5% and 7.5% w/dw at leaf fall and 7.2% and 3.7% w/dw at flowering, respectively. This decrease in carbohydrate reserve was estimated at ~500 g/vine and is associated with the re-establishment of the plant canopy in early spring. Carbohydrate reserves remained stable or rose slightly between flowering and harvest and recovered between crop harvest and leaf fall. In treated vines, a constantly pressurised low-pressure in situ trunk injection system (69 kPa) with 5% w/v sucrose solution over 45 days from budburst (to flowering), in each of the two seasons, delivered a widely variable amount of sucrose into each vine with variation ascribed to the amount of internal dead wood in the trunk. In the best circumstances, an average of 150 g sucrose/vine/season was injected, and sucrose-injected vines had higher trunk TNC reserve (4.1% compared to 3.6% w/dw in the control) at flowering. A δ13C (‰) analysis confirmed the presence of injected sucrose in the shoot at flowering. However, the correlation between the amount of loaded sucrose and δ13C in young shoot tissue was poor, indicative of variable partitioning patterns. Inflorescence number per vine and berry yield were markedly higher in sucrose-injected vines, but differences were not significant given the high variation between vines. The addition of KCl to the sucrose solution and use of the healthy vines are recommended to increase sucrose loading using the injection method to address inconsistent yielding of subtropical table grape.