Increase In Height Research Articles

Long-Term Structural Changes in the Osteochondral Unit in Patients with Osteoarthritis Undergoing Corrective Osteotomy with Platelet-Rich Plasma or Stromal Vascular Fraction Post-Treatment

This pilot study examined the long-term structural changes in the osteochondral unit of 20 patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) who underwent high tibial osteotomy (HTO) and received post-treatment with either platelet-rich plasma (PRP) or stromal vascular fraction (SVF). Ten patients were injected with autologous PRP (PRP subgroup), while another ten patients received autologous SVF (SVF subgroup) six weeks after surgery and were monitored for 18 months. Histological samples of bone and cartilage (2 mm in diameter and 2 cm long) were taken from tibial and femoral sites during surgery and 18-month post-HTO, and morphometric analyses were conducted using Mega-Morf12 software. Both post-treatment resulted in an increase in articular cartilage height at both sites (p < 0.001 in the tibia and femur), indicating positive outcomes. Significant improvements in subchondral and trabecular bone architecture were also observed, with SVF injection showing higher reparative capacity in terms of bone volume (p < 0.001 for the tibia and p = 0.004 for the femur), subchondral bone height (p < 0.001 for the tibia and p = 0.014 for the femur), trabecular bone volume (p < 0.001 for the femur), and intertrabecular space (p = 0.009 for the tibia and p = 0.007 for the femur). This pilot study, for the first time, demonstrates that HTO surgery combined with PRP and SVF post-treatments can lead to significant enhancements in knee articular cartilage and bone architecture in KOA patients, with SVF showing higher regenerative potential. These findings may contribute to improving treatment strategies for better clinical outcomes in HTO therapy for patients with KOA.

Three years of morphological dune development after planting marram grass on a beach

AbstractCoastal regions globally face escalating challenges from climate change, including rising sea levels and intensified storm events. To address these threats, coastal resilience emerges as a critical paradigm advocating the integration of nature‐based solutions with traditional engineering approaches. Coastal dunes, acting as protective barriers, offer a promising avenue. This three‐year study assesses the efficacy of an artificial dune system to address local sand‐related nuisances on the adjacent seawall featuring planted marram grass in Oosteroever, Belgium. The focus is on understanding sediment accumulation, dune morphology and vegetation development. The results demonstrate a significant increase in dune height, reaching up to 2 m in the zones planted with marram grass, surpassing the height of the adjacent seawall. Comprehensive profiles and drone surveys revealed consistent dune growth of 27 m3/m, which contrasted with the substantial erosion in the adjacent unvegetated beach areas of up to 30 m3/m. One storm event caused dune toe erosion of 1.5 m3/m, but the dune demonstrated rapid recovery through natural aeolian processes. Marram grass development was not impacted by the initial planting configuration and density and was more pronounced at the perimeter edges of the dune. This study highlights the success of the ‘dune‐in‐front‐of‐a‐dike’ approach, offering insights for sustainable coastal resilience strategies.

Can periodical cicadas contribute to urban greening?

The potential fertilization effect of the decomposition of periodical cicadas on plant growth has been often discussed, but little quantified. I demonstrated this effect in an urban context by examining the effect of decomposing cicada carcasses and commercial lawn fertilizer on the growth of lawn grass in an 80-day greenhouse experiment. Deposition of cicada carcasses benefited aboveground growth of several lawn grasses in a dose-dependent manner, as did lawn fertilizer addition. The effect of cicadas at high levels of deposition was similar to that of the application of lawn fertilizer at half recommended rates. Notable increases in plant height and greenness were also observed in grasses given either treatment indicating the decomposition of cicadas can benefit growth in ways similar to lawn fertilizer, at least during the season following emergence.

Symphonies of Growth: Unveiling the Impact of Sound Waves on Plant Physiology and Productivity

The application of sound wave technology to different plant species has revealed that variations in the Hz, sound pressure intensity, treatment duration, and type of setup of the sound source significantly impact the plant performance. A study conducted on cotton plants treated with Plant Acoustic Frequency Technology (PAFT) highlighted improvements across various growth metrics. In particular, the treated samples showed increases in the height, size of the fourth expanded leaf from the final one, count of branches carrying bolls, quantity of bolls, and weight of individual bolls. Another study showed how the impact of a 4 kHz sound stimulus positively promoted plant drought tolerance. In other cases, such as in transgenic rice plants, GUS expression was upregulated at 250 Hz but downregulated at 50 Hz. In the same way, sound frequencies have been found to enhance the osmotic potential, with the highest observed in samples treated with frequencies of 0.5 and 0.8 kHz compared to the control. Furthermore, a sound treatment with a frequency of 0.4 kHz and a sound pressure level (SPL) of 106 dB significantly increased the paddy rice germination index, as evidenced by an increase in the stem height and relative fresh weight. This paper presents a complete, rationalized and updated review of the literature on the effects of sound waves on the physiology and growth parameters of sound-treated plants.

Evaluation of the Plant Growth Regulator SPGP4 in Agricultural Crops: A Case Study in Oaxaca, México

The search for new plant growth regulators is a cornerstone of agricultural research; however, laboratory studies rarely go on to be evaluated in the field. This is because greater production is required, as well as longer studies. Particularly, brassinosteroids present these difficulties, and although they have been evaluated in crops with good results, their high production cost gives rise to the search for new alternatives. 22-Oxocholestanes such as SPGP4, previously used in silico and in vitro studies, have shown great potential, so their evaluation in crops grown from native seeds from the study region becomes of interest. Based on these data, SPGP4 was evaluated under crop conditions in three agricultural plots located on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec region, Oaxaca, México. The seeds were treated with a 0.5 mg/L aqueous solution of the 22-Oxocholestane compound SPGP4 by imbibition one night before sown. Later, 45 days after sowing, a solution of 0.5 mg/L at a rate of 200 L per hectare was applied. At the production level, the bean harvest showed an increase in the range of 21.0–38.1%, and the corn harvest increased between 22 and 32%. In addition, the latter also demonstrated an increase in biomass production, given the increase in diameter and height observed in the corn plant. This indicates that SPGP4 functions as a regulator of plant growth at the crop level to increase both seed and biomass production.

Effects of harvest height and time on hay yield and quality of some sweet sorghum and sorghum Sudangrass hybrid varieties.

This experiment was conducted in the Research and Application Field of Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Faculty of Agriculture, during the 2020 and 2021 summer period. The objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of different harvesting heights on forage yields and crude ash, fat, protein, and carbon and nitrogen content of leaves and stalks of sweet sorghum (SS) and sorghum sudangrass hybrid (SSH) cultivars. Nutri Honey and Nutrima varieties of SSH and the M81-E and Topper-76 varieties of SS were used in this study. The experiment was conducted using the randomized complete block design with four replications. The main plots each included two early and late varieties of SS and SSH cultivars, while the subplots were used to test different harvesting heights (30, 60, 90, 120, 150 cm) and physiological parameters of each crop. The results of this study showed that dry forage yields increased with plant growth, with the amount of forage produced at the end of the growth cycle increasing 172.2% compared to the early growth stages. Carbon (C) content of leaves decreased by 6.5%, nitrogen (N) by 46%, crude protein (CP) by 54%, crude fat (CF) by 34%, while crude ash (CA) content increased by 6% due to the increase in plant height harvest. At the same time, in parallel with the increase in plant height at harvest, the nitrogen content of the stems of the plants decreased by 87%, crude protein by 65%, crude ash by 33% and crude fat by 41%, while the carbon content increased by 4%. As plant height at harvest increased, hay yield increased but nutrient contents of the hay decreased. However, the Nutrima, Nutri Honey and M81-E sorghum cultivars, harvested three times at heights of 90 to 120 cm, are recommended for the highest yield.

Clinical and anthropometric evolution of individuals with cystic fibrosis during COVID-19 pandemic: A 24-month cohort study.

To analyze the evolution of clinical and anthropometric characteristics of children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis (CF) over 24 months, including the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. A longitudinal study with data collection from May 2018 to November 2020 in physical and electronic records from a pediatric reference center, including individuals with CF aged up to 18 years. The sample encompassed 72 individuals. Weight (p < 0.01), height (p < 0.01), and body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.043) were higher in 2020 than in 2018. There were no significant changes in BMI-Z (p = 0.977) and in percentiles of weight (p = 0.540), height (p = 0.458), and BMI percentile (p = 0.454) between both periods. Pancreatic insufficiency was observed in 91.7% of patients in 2020, and there were twice as many confirmed cases of diabetes compared to 2018. There was a 9.7% increase in individuals colonized by the oxacillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (OSSA) (p = 0.039) and an 11.1% reduction in non-colonized individuals (p = 0.008). Although there was an increase in weight, height, and BMI from 2018 to 2020, there were no significant changes in BMI-Z and in percentiles of weight, height, and BMI percentile, suggesting that the anthropometric aspects of nutritional status did not change in this period of 2 years. Moreover, there was an increase in the prevalence of individuals colonized by OSSA and a reduction in the prevalence of individuals non-colonized with any bacteria.

Quantifying response of azospirillum and phosphate solubilizing bacteria liquid inoculants seed treatment on productivity and profitability of kharif grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor)

A field study was carried out during 2017–19 at Sorghum Research Unit, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola, Maharashtra to assess the effect of liquid bio-fertilizers inoculation over existing powder form inoculants on kharif grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]. The experiment comprised of 6 treatments, viz. no bio-fertilizer control i.e. with RDF alone (T1 ); RDF + Azo. (Azospirillum) + PSB @50 g each/kg seed (T2 ); RDF + Azo. + PSB @2 ml each/kg seed (T3 ); RDF + Azo. @2 ml and PSB @4 ml/kg seed (T4 ); RDF + Azo. @4 ml + PSB @2 ml/kg seed (T5 ); and RDF + Azo. + PSB @4 ml each/kg seed (T6) conducted in randomized block design (RBD) with 4 replications. Pooled data revealed that seed inoculation with Azo. + PSB @2 ml each/kg seed (T3 ) has improved the sorghum biological, grain yield and net returns 21.13, 19.83 and 17.92% over their powder form of inoculants i.e. T2 (14.71 t/ha, 3.56 t/ha and 73,116). These enhancements in biomass, grain yields and net income was owing to liquid bio-fertilizer seed treatment. Liquid-based inoculants were found to boost growth and yield parameters, which was ascribed to the concomitant increase in plant height and number of grains/panicle, respectively. Increase in quantity of liquid bio-fertilizers beyond 2 ml/kg seed proved not-rewarding from both productivity and profitability point of view. Sorghum seed inoculation with liquid bio-fertilizers @2 ml each/kg seed proved to be a potential substitute for existing powder form without any additional cost.

Numerical analysis of a solar air heater with offset transverse ribs placed near the absorber plate

Solar air heater (SAH) is used to convert readily available solar energy into useful thermal energy. Several studies have been conducted with different roughness elements on the absorber plate. However, study with ribs which are placed slightly above the heated plate, termed as offset transverse ribs, are still scant in the literature. Such study would explain the effect of flow between the ribs and the absorber plate on heat transfer augmentation in a SAH. With this objective a 2-D numerical study is performed here by solving steady RANS equations with RNG k−ɛ turbulence model. The effect of offset transverse ribs on heat transfer, pressure drop and thermal enhancement factor (TEF) is investigated. The geometrical parameters, such as, relative gap (α), relative height (β) and relative pitch (λ) are varied in the range of 0.0–0.045, 0.015 to 0.09, and 0.0333 to 0.1, respectively. The performance of SAH is evaluated on the basis of highest enhancement in relative Nusselt number (NuR/Nu) and thermal enhancement factor (TEF). A slight gap between the ribs and the absorber plate (α = 0.0075) is observed to yield better thermal performance than that for the attached ribs (α = 0). The maximum enhancement in NuR/Nu is found to be 1.52 for α = 0.0075. However, increasing the gap (i.e., α) prevents the flow reattachment with the absorber plate. Increase in rib height, on the other hand, is found to be more effective in heat transfer enhancement, but with a price of a significant enhancement in pressure drop. This leads to a reduction in the overall performance of SAH. Increment in pitch distance, however, reduces the enhancement in both Nusselt number and friction factor. By considering these three parameters, the highest TEF is found to be 1.042 for α=0.0075, β=0.030, and λ=0.0333 at Re equal to 13000. Finally, correlations for NuR and fR are derived as a function of the parameters investigated for helping the design of SAHs.

Atmospheric blocking and temperatures in the Antarctic Peninsula

The Antarctic Peninsula (AP) has displayed a propensity for persistent blocking ridges and anticyclonic conditions, particularly during recent summertime extreme weather events. This study investigates atmospheric blocking patterns over the AP through historical (1981–2010) and future (2071–2100, SSP5–8.5) periods using ERA5 reanalysis and six CMIP6 models, including multi-member realizations from two models totaling ten simulations. We focus particularly on 500 hPa geopotential height (Z500) and near-surface air temperature (T2m) anomalies. The historical analysis highlights significant differences between the CMIP6 models and ERA5 reanalysis, especially in the austral winter, with EC-Earth3 and INM-CM4 models matching closest with the ERA5. Future projections show that while the northern AP and the Drake Passage largely do not exhibit a clear trend towards increased blocking, there are exceptions. The EC-Earth3 model predicts more blocking–like conditions northwest of the AP in summer and a pronounced ridge over the Bellingshausen Sea in winter, indicating a potential increase in blocking events. The INM-CM4 model projects a minor increase in summer Z500 heights off the western and southern AP, without clear blocking patterns over the AP, and negligible winter changes. Localized intensification is noted in the northern parts of the blocking domain and southern AP during extreme blocking conditions. These variations are mirrored in T2m anomalies, suggesting warming in the northern and southern sections of AP but little change elsewhere. The results of this study underscore the need to more accurately capture complex blocking mechanisms and their impacts on regional climate patterns around the AP. We also suggest employing refined blocking definitions and incorporating a broader range of climate models to enhance our understanding of blocking patterns and their impacts in a changing climate.

Breaking the misery wheel? Fertility control, social mobility, and biological well-being in rural Spain (1835–1959)

Abstract Fertility control strategies became widespread in rural Spain through the twentieth century: a significant number of parents decided to reduce their marital fertility once the advantages of control strategies became widely known. This paper explores the impact of those practices on children through a comparative study of the heights and occupations of grandparents, parents, and children. We analyze more than 1,200 individuals from three different generations born between 1835 and 1959 in 14 rural Spanish villages, studying whether the advantages associated with fertility control were maintained over time favoring a better family status or whether they were diluted in the next generation. The largest increases in height were among children whose parents controlled their fertility by stopping having children before the mother's 36th birthday. However, it does not seem that this increase in biological well-being was accompanied by major episodes of upward social mobility.

Growth Hormone Therapy in a Child with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Personal Experience with Literature Review

Introduction: Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is associated with a positive maternal history of drinking during pregnancy and the presence of characteristic dysmorphic features due to alcohol teratogenic effect. No evidence is yet available regarding the use of growth hormone (GH) for children with FAS for whom GH deficiency has not been confirmed. Case Presentation: We have highlighted an improvement in auxological parameters of a child with FAS and normal GH stimulation tests, using a GH dosage similar to that used in idiopathic GH deficit, without side effects. Conclusion: GH therapy in children with FAS may lead to an improvement in growth rate and an increase in final height, although, this condition is not included in the specific recommendations for use of GH. Prolonged follow-up and prospective studies are needed to evaluate long-term efficacy and monitor any possible onset of side effects.

Assessing the efficacy of utilizing biochar derived from oil palm biomass as a planting medium for promoting the growth and development of oil palm seedlings

The recent adoption of biochar in Malaysia's oil palm industry offers numerous benefits, including soil enhancement, resource efficiency improvement, pollution remediation, and greenhouse gas mitigation. With approximately 66.15% of agricultural land dedicated to oil palm cultivation, a substantial amount of biomass, mainly from empty fruit bunch (EFB) and mesocarp fibre (MF), is generated. This study focused on carbonizing MF and EFB at temperatures ranging from 580 to 695°C to produce biochar. The assessment of biochar's effectiveness as a planting medium in nurseries revealed significantly accelerated growth rates in seedlings cultivated in a composite of biochar and soil. At 8 months-after-treatment (MAT), the BMF-75 treatment showed remarkable growth enhancements, with the highest increase in height (64.9%), number of leaflets (60.5%), and girth size (55.3%) compared to the initial values at 3 MAT, indicating its effectiveness in promoting growth in oil palm seedlings. Additionally, compared to the control group, the biochar-mixed media resulted in favourable outcomes regarding the assimilation of both macro- and micro-nutrients. For instance, nitrogen uptake increased by 2.7% with BMF-50, magnesium by 25.2%, phosphorus by 24.1% with BEFB-75, calcium by 36.8% with BMF-75, chlorine by 10.5% with BMF-50, iron by 25.5% with BEFB-25, copper by 20.1% with BMF-25, and zinc by 6.3% with BMF-25. Additionally, biochar-treated soil exhibited higher organic carbon content, improved cation exchange capacity (CEC), enhanced nitrogen retention with greater biochar proportions, and likely improved soil fertility due to biochar’s porous structure. Further potential research can be explored to investigate its long-term effects on oil palm plantation.

Microstructure and properties nonuniformity of Ti6Al4V component fabricated by high-power laser melting deposition

High-power laser melting deposition provides an efficient solution for the fabrication of large-sized titanium alloy components. In this study, Ti6Al4V blocks with well-formed structures were prepared using a 7 kW laser power, and their internal defect distribution, microstructure along the deposition direction, tensile properties, and fatigue performance were investigated. The results showed that the density of the as-deposited Ti6Al4V blocks could reach 99.94%, and the main internal defects were cavities, primarily spherical and dispersed, with a maximum diameter of 326.7 μm. Among them, 65.53% of cavities had a diameter smaller than 100 μm, and 92.76% had a diameter smaller than 200 μm. The microstructure at the top region of the specimen consisted of a needle-shaped α phase, the middle region had a mixture of needle-shaped and lamellar α-phase, and the bottom region showed a lamellar α-phase structure. With an increase in deposition height, the aspect ratio of α-phase increased, and the average width decreased from 3.22 μm to 0.88 μm. The internal structure was mainly composed of a basket-weave structure, with a small amount of Widmanstätten structure present at grain boundaries. Hardness and tensile properties exhibited significant non-uniformity along the deposition height. The tensile strength and yield strength at the top region were approximately 50 MPa higher than those in the middle and bottom regions, while the elongation was about 2% lower. The top region's tensile fracture surface displayed a sawtooth pattern, whereas the middle and bottom regions exhibited fractures along the 45° direction of the principal stress. The length of α-bundles and the interface density within the bundles were crucial factors affecting crack propagation. In the top region, α bundles were the longest, and the interface density was the highest. During crack propagation, when the crack extended perpendicular to the α bundles, it encountered high resistance, and when it extended non-perpendicular, it rapidly propagated along the bundle boundaries, exhibiting high strength and low plasticity. The fatigue performance of the Ti6Al4V specimens fabricated by high-power laser melting deposition showed significant dispersion, with cracks originating from subsurface lack of fusion defects. At different stages of fatigue crack propagation, the role of α phase laths varied: during the fatigue source region, cracks primarily propagated along the boundaries of α laths, displaying significant cleavage fracture characteristics. In the fatigue propagation region, crack propagation velocity was mainly influenced by the direction of the laths, and in the fatigue final rupture region, ductile fracture was predominant. Α laths parallel to the tensile direction exhibited the best plasticity, promoting the formation of large dimples and high tear ridges.

Profiling contact ridge of soft substrates with metallic thin films using a novel interference technique

HypothesisAs technology moves toward flexibility, embedded systems, and miniaturization, which often have metallic elements integrated with the functional substrates, understanding the contact deformation of such soft substrates coated with thin metallic films is crucial. However, probing nanoscale deformations optically, typically in a few hundred nanometers, poses challenges. Dual Wavelength - Reflectance Interference Contrast Microscopy (DW-RICM) holds promise in unveiling nanoscale deformations. However, when paired with conventional glass probes to measure deformation of underlying soft substrates, DW-RICM faces limitations due to light reflection at the glass-air interface, impeding accurate determination of the contact zone (e.g., contact area, contact ridge). Here we hypothesize that using alternative probes to eliminate unwanted reflections can enhance understanding of soft substrate deformation with thin metallic films (bilayer substrates). ExperimentsIn this work, we investigate the deformation profile of viscoelastic soft substrates with sputter-coated gold thin films (referred to herein as bilayer substrates) using DW-RICM. We employ millimeter-sized black ink-coated glass spheres as probes, absorbing most light under DW-RICM. We focus our laser beams associated with DW-RICM at the contact zone between the probe and the underlying soft substrates. FindingsOur new technique of using black ink-coated glass probes in contact with soft bilayer substrates enables us to accurately extract the deformation profile, particularly the contact ridge. With the increase in the gold sputter coating time, the contact area and contact ridge of gold-polymer bilayer substrates decrease. Further, long-term contact analysis of gold-coated soft substrates reveals a steady increase in the contact ridge height over time, unlike the gradual decrease observed in their bare counterparts until reaching a steady state.

Interbody cages versus structural bone grafts in lumbar arthrodesis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The role of interbodies in lumbar arthrodesis has been insufficiently supported by evidence, impacting clinical decision-making and occasionally insurance coverage. This study aimed to compare clinical and radiological outcomes between lumbar arthrodesis with a synthetic interbody spacer (cage) versus structural bone graft alone (autograft or allograft) in patients with degenerative spine disease. A systematic review of the literature was performed to identify studies directly comparing outcomes of lumbar interbody arthrodesis with and without interbody cage use. The outcomes of individual studies were synthesized in meta-analyses using random-effects models. Twenty studies with 1508 patients (769 with an interbody cage and 739 without an interbody cage) were included. Interbody cage placement was associated with a significantly greater increase in disc height after surgery (4.0 mm vs 3.4 mm, p < 0.01). There was a significantly greater reduction of back pain (visual analog scale [VAS] score) in cases in which an interbody cage was used (5.4 vs 4.7, p = 0.03). Fusion rates were 5.5% higher in the cage group (96.3% vs 90.8%) and reached statistical significance (p = 0.03). No statistically significant differences were identified between the two groups regarding all-cause reoperation rates, complication rates, or improvement in Oswestry Disability Index score or leg pain (VAS score). These results suggest that implantation of an interbody cage is associated with higher rates of fusion, more effective maintenance of disc height, and greater improvement of back pain. This study underlines the clinical value of interbody cages in lumbar arthrodesis for patients with degenerative spine disease.

Joint stress of a hinged platform composed of eight boxes

The box-type hinged platform has important applications in ocean engineering. In this paper, a multi-module assembled box-type platform is described. The mid-section load of the platform is numerically simulated based on the three-dimensional velocity potential theory and the indirect time-domain method through the hydrodynamic module AQWA in ANSYS. The stress of the hinged joints of platforms was performed using finite element analysis software in ANSYS software. The results show that: (1) In irregular waves, the shear force and bending moment in the middle section of the platform increases with the increase of the significant wave height; (2) Under the same towing scheme, the stress of the hinged joints between box platforms shows an increasing trend with the increase of wave level. Under the same wave working condition, the stress at the uniaxial nut of the hinged joints is relatively high, which is prone to fracture.

Influences of water filling timing on the deformation mechanism of crushed gangue in goaf

In order to investigate the effect of different water filling times on the compression deformation of filled gangue, a large-scale crushed gangue deformation testing system was utilized, and two sets of gradient loading experiments were designed. Through rigorous experimental analysis, distinct patterns of deformation during loading and constant load stages are elucidated, with a particular focus on the influence of water filling timing. Quantitative assessment reveals that early water filling induces rapid gangue deformation, primarily during loading stages, while later water filling stages exhibit a heightened impact on constant load stages. Moreover, the study identifies a stepped deformation phenomenon attributed to the irregularities in crushed gangue particles, shedding light on the underlying mechanisms governing gangue behavior under varying water filling conditions. Notably, an in-depth analysis of energy consumption patterns underscores the dominant role of strain, especially in later water filling stages, significantly influencing deformation characteristics. The study further explores the implications of water filling timing on mining subsidence effects, offering quantitative insights into the stability of gangue backfilling. Under the action of the cumulative deformation and concentrated filling effect, the equivalent filling height is slightly higher than that of the early water filling state, but this trend weakens with the increase of mining height. The conclusions of this study can provide experimental data for stability analysis of crushed gangue filling the abandoned mines with different water filling timing.

Agronomic performance of forage corn for cattle feeding in Amazonas, Peru

Corn (Zea mays) silage is an important and popular feed for dairy production in the Amazon region, so it is necessary to evaluate the agronomic performance of forage varieties of corn for cattle feeding in Amazonas. For this purpose, three corn varieties were evaluated (variety 1: Yellow Starchy Corn, variety 2: Chuska INIA 617, and variety 3: DOW 2B710), with two planting densities (density 1: 30 × 80 cm and density 2: 35 × 75 cm) and two fertilization conditions: with fertilization (F1) and without fertilization (F2). The parameters evaluated were plant height, number of leaves, leaf length and width, stem diameter, fresh forage, and dry matter. Student t-tests, correlation analysis of variables, and principal component analysis using R software version 4.1.3 were used for data analysis. The results indicated that variety 2 obtained the best values for the variables leaf width (12.33 cm) and stem diameter (3.25 cm), fresh forage (17.77 kg/m2), and dry matter (4.8 kg/m2), which would explain the directly proportional correlation found between leaf width and stem diameter with fresh forage and dry matter. The principal component analysis showed constant height and leaf length increases, and the best-evaluated parameters were associated with applying fertilizer. The variety that showed the best agronomic performance under Chachapoyas conditions was Chuska INIA 617, emerging as a potential feed for cattle.

Sustainable seedling pots: Development and characterisation of banana waste and natural fibre-reinforced composites for horticultural applications

Plastic pots used in horticultural nurseries generate substantial waste, causing environmental pollution. This study aimed to develop biodegradable composites from banana pseudo-stem reinforced with agricultural residues like pineapple leaves, taro and water hyacinth as eco-friendly substitutes. The aim of this study is to develop optimised banana biocomposite formulations with suitable reinforcements that balance mechanical durability, biodegradation, and seedling growth promotion properties to serve as viable eco-friendly alternatives to plastic seedling pots. This study was carried out by fabricating banana fibre mats through pulping, drying and hot pressing. Composite sheets were reinforced with 50 % pineapple, taro or water hyacinth fibres. The mechanical properties (tensile, yield strength, elongation, bursting strength), hydrophilicity (contact angle, water absorption), biodegradability (soil burial test), and seedling growth promotion were evaluated through appropriate testing methods. The results show that banana-taro composites exhibited suitable tensile strength (25 MPa), elongation (27 %), water uptake (41 %) and 82 % biodegradation in 60 days. It was observed that biodegradable seedling trays fabricated from banana-taro composite showed 95 % tomato seed germination and a 125 cm plant height increase in 30 days, superior to plastic trays. The finding shows that the study demonstrates the potential of banana-taro biocomposites as alternatives to plastic nursery pots, enabling healthy seedling growth while eliminating plastic waste pollution through biodegradation.