High Fertility Research Articles

Do rotation and fertilization practices shape weed communities and affect rice yield in low input rainfed agroecosystems in the Malagasy highlands?

Weeds are a major threat in tropical regions where climate conditions favor their growth and development. This is particularly true in low-input rice-based cropping systems in the Malagasy highlands, where weed management is mainly done by manual removal. Crop rotation is often promoted as an efficient way to control weed infestations, while the role of fertilization is more controversial. In this study, we compared rice monoculture to three rainfed rice-based two-year rotations: rice followed by groundnut, rice followed by sorghum-cowpea mixture, and rice followed by a velvet-bean crotalaria mixture. Each rotation was tested with two levels of fertilization (5 t DM ha−1 organic manure, sole or in combination with mineral fertilizer - 400 kg ha−1 NPK + 200 kg ha−1 urea). We assessed the effect of rotation and fertilization on weed composition, diversity, biomass and rice yield. Additionally, the farmers’ perception of weed harmfulness and the relation between their assessment of weed harmfulness and rice production was tested. Our results showed that weed biomass significantly decreased rice yield but only under the low fertilization level. The rotation of rice with the velvet bean-crotalaria mixture was efficient in reducing weed biomass, modified weed community composition and allowed to achieve the highest rice yield. A significant negative relationship was found between weed community harmfulness index and weed species richness. Yet, the lowest rice yield was observed under rice monoculture despite a higher species richness over years and under high fertilization level. The lack of significant correlation between the harmfulness index and the actual rice yield is probably because our index is partly based on farmer’s perception, and only on major weeds. More studies on tropical weed harmfulness are needed to support the design of ecologically intensified cropping systems.

Reproductive qualities of French selection of the White Large breed of sows and their evaluation according to some mathematical models

Objective. To investigate the reproductive qualities of sows of the large white breed of French selection and to evaluate the indicated group of traits according to some mathematical models of selection indices. Methods. Zootechnical and statistical research methods were used to achieve the goal. The experimental part of the work was carried out in the breeding breeder for breeding pigs of the large white breed of the experimental farm of the Institute of Agriculture of the Northeast of the National Academy of Sciences. The assessment of sows of the large white breed of French breeding was carried out according to the indicators of reproductive qualities, taking into account the following quantitative characteristics: multifertility, goal, high fertility, kg; milk yield, kg; the number ofpiglets at the time of weaning, goal; nest weight at the time of weaning at the age of 28 days, kg; nest weight at the time of weaning at the age of 60 days, kg; preservation, %. A comprehensive evaluation of sows for reproductive qualities was carried out using the selection index of reproductive qualities of the sow (SIRQS) (Tsereniuk O. M. et al., 2010) and the index of Shatalina Yu. D. (Vashchenko P. A., 2019). Biometric research results were processed according to generally accepted methods (Kovalenko V. P. et al., 2010). Results. Studies have shown that sows of experimental group I prevailed over sows of the same age in groups II and III in terms of multifertility by 15.67 and 34.32 %, milk yield - 23.29 and 34.94 %, number of piglets at the time of weaning at the age of 28 days - 13.91 and 33.30 %, by the weight of the nest at the time of weaning at the age of 28 days - 17.39 and 27.60 %, by the weight of the nest at the time of weaning at the age of 60 days - 17.89 and 28.30 %. The difference between the animals of the I, II, and III experimental groups (intrabreed differentiation according to the index of Shatalina Yu. D.) in terms offertility, milk yield, the number ofpiglets at the time of weaning at the age of 28 days, the weight of the litter at the time of weaning at the age of 28 days and the weight of the litter at the time of weaning at the age of 60 days is highly reliable and is equal to 23.58 %. The maximum indicators of high fertility and survival ofpiglets at the time of weaning at the age of 28 days and the minimum values of the sow nest alignment (homogeneity) index based on the live weight of piglets at the time of their birth (IVH0) were established in sows of the III sub-experimental group of intrabreed differentiation according to SIRQS and the index of Shatalina Yu. D. Conclusions. Sows of the large white breed of French breeding are characterized by pretty high indicators of reproductive qualities, and in terms offertility and litter weight at the time of weaning at the age of 60 days, they belong to the 1st class and the elite class. The number of reliable pairwise correlation coefficients between the absolute indicators o f reproductive qualities of sows, SIRQS, the index of Shatalina Yu. D. and the index of evenness (homogeneity) of the sow's nest according to the live weight ofpiglets at the time of their birth (IVH0) is 100 %. This indicates a high level of efficiency of their use for evaluation and selection of highly productive animals in controlled populations. Keywords: sow, breed, reproductive qualities, index, variability, correlation.

The combination of RNA-seq transcriptomics and data-independent acquisition proteomics reveal the mechanisms and function of different gooses testicular development at different stages of laying cycle

Egg production performance is an important economic trait in the poultry industry. In previous studies, attention has often been paid to the growth and development of the ovaries, while there has been less research on the testicular tissue of male goose. Due to various factors, there are usually significant differences in the process of testicular spermatogenesis among different goose breeds. The Jilin white goose (JL) is a high-production local goose species in China, domesticated from Anser cygnoides, which has a high egg-laying performance and the egg-laying period can last from February to July. In the production of goose within Jilin Province, the female goose of Jilin White goose is considered as an important maternal parent of synthetic lines, and ganders from Hungarian white goose (HU), Wanxi white goose (WX) and Jilin white goose are the main male parents. Each year, all 3 gander species begin to exhibit breeding capacity in February and reach the peak of reproductive capacity by April, marked by high fertilization rates. With the gradual increase in temperature, the testicular tissue of Hungarian and Wanxi goose gradually diminishes in its ability to produce sperm. the testicular tissue undergoes significant shrinkage by the end of June, resulting in a near loss of sperm production capability, thereby yielding low fertilization rates. However, the Jilin White goose demonstrates the ability to maintain a stable sperm production capacity. Individuals with low sperm motility contribute to increased seed production costs and pose constraints on the industrial development of livestock and poultry varieties. In this study, transcriptomics and proteomics data from gooses testicular of 3 different goose breeds inclouding Jilin white goose, Wanxi white gooseand Hungary white goose sampled in 2 stages, peak of laying cycle (PLC) and end of laying cycle (ELC). In a comparative analysis between PLC and ELC groups (ELC vs. PLC) of 3 breeds, we identified 401,340,6651 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 18,225,323 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), respectively. Differentially expressed genes and proteins were significantly enriched in Gene Ontology (GO) terms such as phosphotransferase activity, cytoskeletal protein binding, microtubule motor activity, channel activity and carbohydrate metabolic process. The KEGG enrichment analysis of the DEGs in testicular showed that most differentially expressed mRNAs participate in the KEGG pathways, including ECM-receptor interaction, MAPK signaling pathway, carbon metabolism, Cell cycle, VEGF signaling pathway, Lipoic acid metabolism and p53 signaling pathway. The differential expression of 4 selected DEGs (SPAG6, NEK2, HSPA4L, SERF1A) was verified by qRT-PCR, and the results were consistent with RNA-seq data. In conclusion, this study reveals the differences in gene expression regulation in testicular tissues of different goose species, and screening candidate genes and proteins related to spermatogenesis.

CsPHRs-CsJAZ3 incorporates phosphate signaling and jasmonate pathway to regulate catechin biosynthesis in Camellia sinensis.

Catechins constitute abundant metabolites in tea and have potential health benefits and high economic value. Intensive study has shown that the biosynthesis of tea catechins is regulated by environmental factors and hormonal signals. However, little is known about the coordination of phosphate (Pi) signaling and the jasmonic acid (JA) pathway on biosynthesis of tea catechins. We found that Pi deficiency caused changes in the content of catechins and modulated the expression levels of genes involved in catechin biosynthesis. Herein, we identified two transcription factors of phosphate signaling in tea, named CsPHR1 and CsPHR2, respectively. Both regulated catechin biosynthesis by activating the transcription of CsANR1 and CsMYB5c. We further demonstrated CsSPX1, a Pi pathway repressor, suppressing the activation by CsPHR1/2 of CsANR1 and CsMYB5c. JA, one of the endogenous plant hormones, has been reported to be involved in the regulation of secondary metabolism. Our work demonstrated that the JA signaling repressor CsJAZ3 negatively regulated catechin biosynthesis via physical interaction with CsPHR1 and CsPHR2. Thus, the CsPHRs-CsJAZ3 module bridges the nutrition and hormone signals, contributing to targeted cultivation of high-quality tea cultivars with high fertilizer efficiency.

Comprehensive assessment of combined inorganic and organic fertilization strategies on cotton cultivation: implications for sustainable agriculture.

The integration of inorganic and organic fertilizers is increasingly being recommended to address the demand for sustainable cotton cultivation and to mitigate the ecological impacts of reliance on inorganic fertilizers. However, the nuanced effects of this combined fertilization approach on soil quality, cotton growth, yield, and their interaction mechanisms, remain unclear. To elucidate this, a 2-year field trial (2022-2023) was conducted, incorporating five fertilization treatments: low inorganic fertilizer (BI1), high inorganic fertilizer (BI2), organic fertilizer (BO), combined low inorganic and organic fertilizer (BIO1), and combined high inorganic and organic fertilizer (BIO2). This study aimed to evaluate the influence of these treatments on soil quality, cotton growth, and yield. The results indicate that the BO treatment significantly enhanced plant height growth rate, and BIO1 treatment increased leaf area index and dry matter accumulation growth rate. Critical soil parameters such as alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen and available potassium emerged as pivotal determinants of soil quality over the trial period, corresponding to soil quality index (SQI) values of 0.482 and 0.478, and yields of 7506.19 kg ha-1 and 6788.02 kg ha-1, respectively. Water productivity reached optimum levels at SQI values of 0.461 and 0.462, with corresponding efficiencies of 13.31 kg (ha mm)-1 and 12.16 kg (ha mm)-1. Partial least squares path modeling revealed that integrating organic fertilizer with reduced inorganic fertilizer usage significantly boosts cotton yield by enhancing soil quality (path coefficient: 0.842). In conclusion, this integrated fertilization strategy not only improves soil health but also increases agricultural productivity. It presents a promising approach for optimizing crop yields while fostering sustainable agricultural practices. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Divergent effects of long-term fertilization on the carbon management index across soil profiles in key Chinese croplands

Evidence for the variability of the carbon (C) management index (CMI) across surface and subsurface soil layers due to long-term fertilization in diverse agroecological settings is inadequate. Thus, our study aimed to explore the variations in soil organic C (SOC), CMI, and its response ratio (RR-CMI) along soil profiles (0–60 cm) across four croplands in China. These croplands represented two high-fertility sites in Gongzhuling (GZL) and Chongqing (CQ) and two low-fertility sites in Zhengzhou (ZZ) and Qiyang (QY). We evaluated various treatments: control (CK; no fertilizer), inorganic fertilizer (NPK), NPK combined with standard manure (MNPK), and 1.5 times the standard rate of manure and NPK (1.5MNPK). The results indicated a significant increase in SOC content across all depths, ranking as 1.5MNPK > MNPK > NPK > CK, with ranking for the pattern observed across sites as GZL > CQ ≈ QY > ZZ. This led to the most substantial increases, reaching 107, 86, 105, and 62 % more than CK across the soil profile (0–60 cm) under 1.5MNPK across all sites. Moreover, the same treatment showed a significantly higher CMI at 0–60 cm compared to CK, with increases of 37, 19, 65, and 25 % for ZZ, QY, GZL, and QY, respectively. Notably, for the low-fertility soils (ZZ and QY), a higher CMI was observed in the 0–20-cm soil layer), whereas the opposite was true for the high-fertility soil (GZL). Consequently, low-fertility soils exhibited a higher RR-CMI in the 0–20-cm soil layer, whereas the high fertility site (GZL) showed a higher RR-CMI in the 40–60-cm soil layer, suggesting differential accumulation and loss of SOC regulated by soil depth and inherent site fertility. Partial least squares regression analysis further indicated that soil and climatic factors predominantly influenced CMI under long-term fertilization in typical Chinese soils. In conclusion, the long-term application of manure combined with inorganic fertilizer promotes SOC sequestration and enhances CMI, presenting a viable management strategy for enhancing soil quality in the studied regions.

Iron toxicity in lowland rice influenced by application of high potassic fertilizer with suitable cultivars enhanced productivity and climate resilience

Iron poisoning in low-land rice in India develops gradually and is primarily caused by anaerobic conditions in submerged rice fields. A high concentration of ferrous ions in the soil solution disrupts the potassium balance in rice plants, leading to adverse effects on crop growth. In the 2021–2022 period, an experiment was conducted in non-saline, iron-rich soil (pH–4.82, Fe–458.6 mg kg–1) to mitigate iron toxicity in rice cultivars through potassium nutrition. The experiment involved 4 potassium application doses (K-40, K-80, K-100 and K-120) and 32 rice cultivars, replicated twice using a split-plot design. Higher potassium doses led to increased tiller counts, but gradually decreased root length. Notably, cultivars like Kanchan, Indravati, Jagabandhu, Santepheap and Salibahan exhibited the lowest iron concentration in their grains compared to susceptible cultivars. Administering K-120 resulted in a yield increase of over 36.70 q ha-1. Grain yield increased with higher K dosage, although it did not affect total iron content. However, K doses did influence specific fractions of iron in the soil. Hence, potassium nutrition appears crucial in managing iron toxicity in inceptisols, especially when paired with cultivars tolerant to iron toxicity.

PiRNA expression patterns in high vs. low fertility bovine sperm

PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are 24–32 nucleotide RNA sequences primarily expressed in germ cells and developing embryos that suppress transposable element expression to protect genomic integrity during epigenetic reprogramming events. We characterized the expression of piRNA sequences and their encoding clusters in sperm samples from an idiopathic fertility model of Holstein bulls with high and low Sire Conception Rates. The piRNA populations were determined to be mostly similar between fertility conditions when investigated by principal component and differential expression analysis, suggesting that a high degree of conservation in the piRNA system is likely necessary for the production of viable sperm. Both fertility conditions demonstrated evidence of ‘ping-pong’ activity – a secondary biogenesis pathway associated with active transposable element targeting and suppression. Most sperm-borne piRNAs were between 29-30 nucleotides in length and originated from 226 clusters across the genome, with the exception of chromosome 20. Mapping analysis revealed abundant targeting of several transposable element families, suggesting a suppressive function of sperm piRNAs consistent with their established roles. Expression of genes targeted by sperm-borne piRNAs is significantly reduced throughout early embryogenesis compared to the mRNA population. Limited transposable element expression is known to be essential for spermatogenesis, thus epigenetic regulation of this pathway is likely to influence sperm quality and fertilizing capacity.

Understanding woody plant encroachment: A plant functional trait approach

AbstractThe increasing density of woody plants threatens the integrity of grassy ecosystems. It remains unclear if such encroachment can be explained mostly by direct effects of resources on woody plant growth or by indirect effects of disturbances imposing tree recruitment limitation. Here, we investigate whether woody plant functional traits provide a mechanistic understanding of the complex relationships between these resource and disturbance effects. We first assess the role of rainfall, soil fertility, texture, and geomorphology to explain variation in woody plant encroachment (WPE) following livestock grazing and consequent fire suppression across the Serengeti ecosystem. Second, we explore trait‐environment relationships and how these mediate vegetation response to fire suppression. We find that WPE is strongest in areas with high soil fertility, high rainfall, and intermediate catena positions. These conditions also promote woody plant communities characterized by small stature and seed sizes smaller relative to a comparative baseline within the Serengeti ecosystem, alongside high recruit densities (linked to a recruitment‐stature trade‐off). The positioning of species along this “recruitment‐stature axis” predicted woody stem density increase in livestock sites. Structural equation modeling suggested a causal pathway where environmental factors shape the community trait composition, subsequently influencing woody recruit numbers. These numbers, in turn, predicted an area's vulnerability to WPE. Our study underscores the importance of trait‐environment relationships in predicting the impact of human alterations on local vegetation change. Understanding how environmental factors directly (resources) and indirectly (legacy effects and plant traits) determine WPE supports the development of process‐based ecosystem structure and function models.

Why no-till system sequesters more carbon and is more resilient and productive with contrasting fertilization regimes in a highly weathered soil?

Land management systems that comprise the principles of conservation agriculture (CA) can lead to soil organic carbon (SOC) gains over time. Nonetheless, how fertilization regimes interfere with their performance in highly weathered soils is still uncertain. This study presents results on SOC storage, crop yield, and soil resilience from a long-term experiment in southern Brazil (Ponta Grossa – Paraná State) 26 years after its establishment in 1989 combining a gradient of soil disturbance through diverse soil management strategies with contrasting fertilization regimes. We hypothesized that preserving soil structure rebuilt over time through no-till system plays a significant role in SOC persistence and the fertilization regime can impact land management performance on soil resilience and crop yield. The experimental design was laid out as a split plot through completely randomized blocks. The main plots comprised the treatments related to soil management systems: 1) conventional plow-based tillage – CT; 2) minimum tillage (Chiselling replacing plowing) – MT; 3) no-till with one chisel plowing every three years – NTch; and 4) continuous no-till system – NTS. The sub-plots comprised full crop fertilization (FCF) for all crops and low crop fertilization (LCF) by suppressing K and P fertilization and maintaining N in broadcast application. SOC stocks significantly improved as the soil disturbance diminished, resulting in higher soil resilience indexes for NTS and NTch. Differences in SOC stocks between the contrasting treatments NTS and CT were higher under low fertilization, resulting in C and N sequestration rates of 1.14 and 0.14 Mg ha−1 year−1 under LCF compared to 0.77 and 0.08 Mg ha−1 yr−1 in FCF at the 0–100 cm layer. Such higher differences were induced by overall higher SOC stocks of CT when under FCF and higher SOC stocks in subsoil depths promoted by NTS when under LCF. High fertilization treatments produced cumulative yields 1.5 times higher for soybeans and 2.5 times higher for corn throughout the 26 years of the experiment. Labile C fractions extracted by hot water (HWEOC) and K-permanganate (POXC) were systematically increased as the disturbance diminished. Gains in labile fractions were promoted in deeper layers in lower disturbance treatments (NTch and NTS). We conclude that combining conservation agriculture principles ultimately defined the potential for SOC sequestration. The high soil resilience under the NTS in this research indicates a considerable potential to reverse the soil degradation and decline of the SOC and labile fractions by conversion to intensive NTS (high and diversified annual C input) associated with absence of soil disturbance.

ROLE OF GOVERNANCE IN TRANSITION FROM MIDDLE-INCOME TRAP

This study examines the role of governance in transitioning from middle-to high-income status in 20 countries. All the growth models indicate that the rule of law plays a significant role. Significant interactions among government effectiveness were observed in the post-transition period. A significant effect of political stability and corruption control and a significant interaction effect of government effectiveness were also observed in the transition to high income, using extended Cox regression. The probit regression revealed that the interaction of low government effectiveness, low insurance, heavy reliance on agriculture, high fertility rates, high inflation, limited foreign investment and excessive public debt posed obstacles to achieving high-income status. The weak rule of law, corruption control and regulatory quality also affected the failure of the 42 upper-middle-income countries to reach a high-income level.

Organic fertilizer substitution benefits microbial richness and wheat yield under warming

Climate warming poses a serious threat to soil biodiversity and crop yield. Application of organic fertilizer has been extensively practiced to improve soil health and crop productivity. However, information is limited about the effects of organic fertilizer on microbial communities and diversity (richness) under warming. Thus, to investigate the interactive effects of temperature (ambient temperature and warming) and fertilizer (chemical fertilizer and partial substitution of chemical fertilizer with organic fertilizer) on microbial properties and wheat yield, a two-factorial pot experiment was conducted using soils with high and low fertility The results showed that warming and organic fertilizer had minor effects on bacterial Shannon and Simpson indexes. Due to concomitant reductions in soil moisture, warming decreased the average Chao index by 5.4 % and Ace index by 3.8 % for soils with high and low fertility (P < 0.05). High-throughput sequence presented that dominated genus was Bacillus with spore-forming ability. Under warming and drying conditions, microbes with adaptive traits (spore-forming ability) would outcompete the other microbes, and decrease microbial Chao and Ace index (richness). However, organic fertilizer counteracted the adverse effects of warming on microbial richness attributed to positive interaction between temperature and fertilizer on soil nutrients and organic carbon. The strong relationships between bacterial richness and wheat yield, as well as soil nutrients, highlighted the importance of soil biodiversity in improving soil nutrients and crop productivity. Partial substitution of chemical fertilizer with organic fertilizer significantly increased wheat yield by 27.1 % and 14.9 % under ambient temperature and by 28.0 % and 19.6 % under warming for soils with high and low fertility, respectively. Overall, this study provided the possibility to increase bacterial richness related to nutrient turnover and crop production by organic fertilizer application with reduced chemical fertilizer, especially under climate warming.

Assessing the Determinants of the Usage of Contraceptive in Family Planning in Punjab, Pakistan

Background: Contraceptive use is pivotal for managing birth rates, particularly in regions with high fertility such as Pakistan. This study highlights the role of family planning in controlling population growth by assessing the determinants affecting contraceptive usage in Punjab, a province characterized by diverse demographic and socio-economic conditions. Objective: The research aims to evaluate the impact of education, age, residential area, residential status, and media access on contraceptive use among ever-married women in Punjab, Pakistan. Methods: Data from the 'Annual Contraceptive Performance Report 2019-20' by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics were analyzed. A total of 78,563 ever-married women were sampled using random stratified techniques. Multiple statistical tests, including logistic regression, chi-square, and independent sample t-tests, were applied to identify key factors influencing contraceptive usage. Results: Educational level, residential area, status, wealth index quintiles, and media access were significantly associated with contraceptive use across Punjab. Statistical analysis showed that women's age and the number of children significantly affected contraceptive use. Key predictors identified include media access, reproductive history, and residential characteristics, with media access and residential area being particularly impactful. Conclusion: This study confirms that socioeconomic and demographic factors significantly influence contraceptive usage in Punjab. Enhanced focus on education and targeted media campaigns could improve family planning outcomes. Effective interventions should consider local cultural and social contexts to increase contraceptive uptake.

Seed development-related genes contribute to high yield heterosis in integrated utilization of elite autotetraploid and neo-tetraploid rice.

Autotetraploid rice holds high resistance to abiotic stress and substantial promise for yield increase, but it could not be commercially used because of low fertility. Thus, our team developed neo-tetraploid rice with high fertility and hybrid vigor when crossed with indica autotetraploid rice. Despite these advances, the molecular mechanisms underlying this heterosis remain poorly understood. An elite indica autotetraploid rice line (HD11) was used to cross with neo-tetraploid rice, and 34 hybrids were obtained to evaluate agronomic traits related to yield. WE-CLSM, RNA-seq, and CRISPR/Cas9 were employed to observe endosperm structure and identify candidate genes from two represent hybrids. These hybrids showed high seed setting and an approximately 55% increase in 1000-grain weight, some of which achieved grain yields comparable to those of the diploid rice variety. The endosperm observations indicated that the starch grains in the hybrids were more compact than those in paternal lines. A total of 119 seed heterosis related genes (SHRGs) with different expressions were identified, which might contribute to high 1000-grain weight heterosis in neo-tetraploid hybrids. Among them, 12 genes had been found to regulate grain weight formation, including OsFl3, ONAC023, OsNAC024, ONAC025, ONAC026, RAG2, FLO4, FLO11, OsISA1, OsNF-YB1, NF-YC12, and OsYUC9. Haplotype analyses of these 12 genes revealed the various effects on grain weight among different haplotypes. The hybrids could polymerize more dominant haplotypes of above grain weight regulators than any homozygous cultivar. Moreover, two SHRGs (OsFl3 and SHRG2) mutants displayed a significant reduction in 1000-grain weight and an increase in grain chalkiness, indicating that OsFl3 and SHRG2 positively regulate grain weight. Our research has identified a valuable indica autotetraploid germplasm for generating strong yield heterosis in combination with neo-tetraploid lines and gaining molecular insights into the regulatory processes of heterosis in tetraploid rice.

Biological, physiological and economic characteristics of Onobrychis chorasanica Bunge ex Bois. (Sainfoin) under sowing conditions

Onobrychis chorasanica Bunge ex Bois. (Sainfoin) is a valuable pasture plant that is resistant to drought, produces high biomass and is not inferior to alfalfa in terms of nutrient content. It is urgent to research the possibilities of cultivation of this plant for the purpose of growing hay in hilly conditions. The presence of nitrogen-fixing Rhizobium bacteria in the roots of plants is important in increasing the fertility of desert soils and this feature increases its role in the creation of artificial grasslands in hilly conditions. In the experiments, it was shown that it is possible to reach 100 % germination by mechanical scarification of the seeds isolated from O. chorasanica pods using sandpaper. Germination of unscarred seeds in field conditions depends on the year and the depth of planting them in the soil. In a dry year, the highest fertility was observed to be 13.3-15.0 % in the options where the seeds were buried at a depth of 3-4 cm, and in years with abundant rainfall, this indicator was 35.3 % in the option where the seeds were buried at a depth of 3 cm. The viability of lawns in the 2nd year of life was 72-95 % in different options. Hay productivity of O. chorasanica was found to be 41 centners per ha in hilly conditions and seed yield was up to 250 kg. The results obtained in the research are promising for the intensification of feed production of O. chorasanica in local conditions. The obtained results serve to increase the biomass yield of pasture plants and the variety of used feeds in farms specializing in animal husbandry.

Large-Scale Conversion of Livestock Blood into Amino Acid Liquid Fertilizer and Dry Protein Feedstuff: A Case Study

Livestock blood, typically considered a waste byproduct of the slaughter industry, has the potential to be a valuable resource in the environmental and agricultural industries owing to its high protein content. This study reports the mechanisms involved in developing a continuous process capable of processing 5 tons/day of livestock blood into high purity amino acid liquid fertilizer and dried protein feedstuff simultaneously. Large-scale processing units were fabricated for the ultrasonic pretreatment and solubilization of proteins, enzymatic degradation of dissolved proteins for amino acid conversion, solid-liquid separation using a membrane filter press to produce high purity amino acid liquid fertilizer, and microwave drying of the solid component to produce dry protein feedstuff. The main processing units were integrated into a continuous, efficient system. The final amino acid liquid fertilizer and dry protein feedstuff contained &gt;20% amino acids and approximately 78% protein, respectively. An economic feasibility analysis of the integrated system based on an annual processing capacity of 3000 tons of livestock blood yielded a total annual profit of 17.4 million euros (5812 euros/ton). This study presents an efficient and profitable approach to repurposing the waste generated by slaughterhouses toward agriculture and feed production.

ACCUMULATION AND VERTICAL DISPLACEMENT OF NUTRIENTS AT IRRIGATED FRUIT GROWING AREAS

The application of soluble fertilizers without planning burdens agricultural production and leads to soil salinization, a very evident problem in irrigated agriculture in the semiarid region. The soil management practices used in grape and mango cultivation are the main responsible for the loss of nutrients by leaching and soil salinization in the São Francisco submedium’ Valley. The objective of the work was to quantify the accumulation and vertical displacement of nutrients in 0-20, 20-40, 40-60, 60-80 and 80-100 cm layers of cultivated and native areas. The study was carried out in the municipality of Petrolina/PE, in 43 areas with different cultivated grapevine, mango and Caatinga crops in the São Francisco submedium’ Valley. PH, EC, OM, P, K+, Ca++ and M++ were evaluated at different depths. The movement of nutrients, especially P, was favored by the continuous application of high fertilizer doses as well as by the sandy texture of the soils studied. The high levels of nutrients observed in the areas cultivated with grapevine suggest an adjustment in the recommended fertilizer doses, aiming at the reduction of environmental impacts and fertilizer losses.

Using expression data to fine map QTL associated with fertility in dairy cattle

BackgroundFemale fertility is an important trait in dairy cattle. Identifying putative causal variants associated with fertility may help to improve the accuracy of genomic prediction of fertility. Combining expression data (eQTL) of genes, exons, gene splicing and allele specific expression is a promising approach to fine map QTL to get closer to the causal mutations. Another approach is to identify genomic differences between cows selected for high and low fertility and a selection experiment in New Zealand has created exactly this resource. Our objective was to combine multiple types of expression data, fertility traits and allele frequency in high- (POS) and low-fertility (NEG) cows with a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on calving interval in Australian cows to fine-map QTL associated with fertility in both Australia and New Zealand dairy cattle populations.ResultsVariants that were significantly associated with calving interval (CI) were strongly enriched for variants associated with gene, exon, gene splicing and allele-specific expression, indicating that there is substantial overlap between QTL associated with CI and eQTL. We identified 671 genes with significant differential expression between POS and NEG cows, with the largest fold change detected for the CCDC196 gene on chromosome 10. Our results provide numerous candidate genes associated with female fertility in dairy cattle, including GYS2 and TIGAR on chromosome 5 and SYT3 and HSD17B14 on chromosome 18. Multiple QTL regions were located in regions with large numbers of copy number variants (CNV). To identify the causal mutations for these variants, long read sequencing may be useful.ConclusionsVariants that were significantly associated with CI were highly enriched for eQTL. We detected 671 genes that were differentially expressed between POS and NEG cows. Several QTL detected for CI overlapped with eQTL, providing candidate genes for fertility in dairy cattle.

Neonatal mortality rate and determinants among births of mothers at extreme ages of reproductive life in low and middle income countries

Neonatal mortality, which refers to the death of neonates during the first 28 completed days of life, is a critical global public health concern. The neonatal period is widely recognized as one of the most precarious phases in human life. Research has indicated that maternal extreme ages during reproductive years significantly impact neonatal survival, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Consequently, this study aims to evaluate the neonatal mortality rate and determinants among neonates born to mothers at extreme reproductive ages within these countries. A secondary analysis of demographic and health surveys conducted between 2015 and 2022 in 43 low- and middle-income countries was performed. The study included a total sample of 151,685 live births. Researchers utilized a multilevel mixed-effects model to identify determinants of neonatal mortality. The measures of association were evaluated using the adjusted odds ratio within a 95% confidence interval. The neonatal mortality rate among neonates born to mothers at extreme ages of reproductive life in low- and middle-income countries was 28.96 neonatal deaths per 1000 live births (95% CI 28.13–29.82). Factors associated with higher rates of neonatal mortality include male gender, low and high birth weight, maternal education (no or low), home deliveries, multiple births, short preceding birth intervals, lack of postnatal checkups, and countries with high fertility and low literacy rates. This study sheds light on the neonatal mortality rates among neonates born to mothers at extreme ages of reproductive life in low- and middle-income countries. Notably, we found that neonatal mortality was significantly higher in this group compared to neonatal mortality rates reported regardless of maternal ages. Male babies, low and high birth-weighted babies, those born to mothers with no or low education, delivered at home, singletons, babies born with a small preceding birth interval, and those without postnatal checkups faced elevated risks of neonatal mortality. Additionally, neonates born in countries with high fertility and low literacy rates were also vulnerable. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions tailored to mothers at extreme ages. Policymakers and healthcare providers should prioritize strategies that address specific risk factors prevalent in these vulnerable populations. By doing so, we can improve neonatal outcomes and ensure the survival of these newborns during the critical neonatal period.

Did the one-child policy accelerate gender equality in China? A cross-country difference-in-differences analysis

Classic feminist theories have long emphasized high fertility as the main cause of gender inequality and predict that a significant reduction in fertility would lead to reduced gender inequality. In this project, we investigate whether the one-child policy accelerated gender equality in China. We measure gender inequality by Gender Development Index (GDI), Gender Inequality Index (GII), maternal mortality ratio, and infant mortality rate at the national level from China and five populous middle-income countries in an analysis of difference in differences (DiD). A cross-country DiD sets up a framework in which China with the treatment of the one-child policy could be compared with the control countries without the treatment of the policy. Our analysis shows that China lowered GII by additional 20%, maternal mortality ratio by additional 10% and infant mortality rate by additional 6% relative to the five comparison countries during the period of the one-child policy.