High Fertility Levels Research Articles

Susceptibility of Tetranychus cinnabarinus and Tetranychus urticae (Trombidiformes: Tetranychidae) to Neozygites floridana (Entomophthorales: Neozygitaceae)

Abstract Tetranychus urticae (Koch) (Trombidiformes: Tetranychidae) is a cosmopolitan spider mite species that infests more than 900 species of plants, including commercial species. Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boudreaux) is characterized by a red coloration, in contrast to the green-colored T. urticae. Both are occasionally found coexisting in warm environments, and, for that reason, they are considered by some to be synonyms. In this study, we identified specimens of the two morphospecies using optical and electron microscopy and amplification of a segment of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene. Bioassays determined the level of susceptibility and survival of both morphospecies when they were infected with the entomopathogenic fungus Neozygites floridana (Weiser and Muma). For the evaluation of the susceptibility of these morphospecies to N. floridana, bioassays were conducted under conditions of 25 ± 2°C, 60 ± 5% relative humidity, and a 12:12-h photoperiod regime. From these bioassays, we found that T. cinnabarinus was less susceptible to N. floridana and that there is a higher level of fertility, survival, and development in the T. cinnabarinus than in the T. urticae mites. Within a mass rearing system, T. cinnabarinus appears be a more efficaceous functional food for predatory mites, such as Phytoseiulus persimilis (Athias-Henriot) (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae), than T. urticae to support rearing and release of biological agents for integrated pest management.

Forage characterization of Carajás grass (<i>Cenchrus purpureus</i> × <i>C. americanus</i>) fertilized with a range of doses of protected urea under irrigation during the growing season

The objective of this study was to assess the agronomic and nutritional responses of Carajás grass (Cenchrus purpureus × C. americanus, syn. Pennisetum purpureum × P. glaucum, cultivar ‘Carajás’) fertilized with protected urea. The experimental design was completely randomized blocks in split-plot arrangement over time. The treatments consisted of 5 levels of nitrogen (0, 100, 200, 400 and 800 kg N/ha/year) and measurements were made over 2 seasons (spring 2015 and summer 2016), with 8 replicates. Leaf and stem elongation and senescence rate of tillers increased as N dosage increased, while tiller density, leaf:stem ratio, live:dead material ratio and phyllochron declined. Forage biomass increased with N dosage reaching 47 t DM green forage/ha at 800 kg N/ha but DM production per unit of N applied declined dramatically as level of N applied increased. There was no effect of season. For crude protein (CP) and fiber concentrations, a positive effect was observed with increasing N application, with maximum CP% of 172 g/kg with 800 kg N/ha in spring. Further studies are warranted to determine if economics indicate that the higher fertilizer levels are justified and even protected urea should still be applied on a number of occasions, but still less often than conventional urea, rather than as a single dose at the beginning of spring.

Peningkatan Nilai Tambah Ekonomi Usaha Crisp Enye-Enye!! Kampung Cigundi dengan Pemanfaataan Teknologi

Partners in this program are the PAGODA Women's Group in Cigundi Village, Cibadak District, Kab. Lebak-Banten. Lebak Regency is one of the regencies with the largest area in Banten Province. Based on data from the Agricultural Service of Lebak Banten Regency, Cibadak as one of the sub-districts has a high level of soil fertility. KWP members consisting of more than 20 housewives. So that it can be concluded in this PKM including (1) Increased partner capabilities by 75% related to making special packaging designs (packaging) by updating from the previous packaging to new packaging that is more specific and has a wide variety of colors to distinguish the type of taste it makes. (2) Partners are able to provide services through market places such as Tokopedia, with the Covid-19 pandemic not preventing KWP members from marketing these Crisp!! Enye-Enye products. At this stage it increased by 70% who previously did not really understand E-Commerce. (3) Apart from e-commerce, KWP members also partners are able to do digital marketing through Instagram, whatsapp and others at the digital marketing stage, an increase of 70% which previously only sold from whatsapp status, now they are starting to venture through Instagram.(4) By making new designs, providing good service and being active in digital marketing will make partners increase their income.The income per one-time production has increased to 150% only because the stock of raw materials is currently starting to be difficult to find in the Cigundi area which makes KWP members buy cassava at a lower price. different and the quality is different.

Enhanced suppression of saprotrophs by ectomycorrhizal fungi under high level of nitrogen fertilization

Ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) are widespread in northern conifer forests. By competing with the free-living saprotrophic fungal and bacterial communities for limited soil nitrogen, EMF are expected to suppress litter decomposition and thus drive soil carbon accumulation. The EMF may also stimulate rhizosphere microbial growth through inputs of labile plant carbon, and subsequently contribute to the soil carbon pool via microbial necromass. Here we examined the relative strength of these two potential EMF effects in a northern conifer plantation of the Saihanba Forest, the largest plantation in China. The soil fungal and bacterial biomass, as well as their respiration, were quantified within the two types of soil cores that either allow or exclude the ingrowth of EMF. We also set up a nitrogen fertilization gradient (0, 5, 10, 15 g N m–2 y–1) in this plantation to quantify the influence of external inorganic nitrogen on the EMF effects. We found evidence that EMF inhibit the overall fungal and bacteria biomass, confirming the suppression of saprotrophs by EMF. In addition, high levels of external nitrogen fertilization (15 g N m–2 y–1) might further enhance the suppression by EMF. In contrast, the presence of EMF consistently increased soil microbial respiration across all nitrogen fertilization levels, indicating that the carbon allocated to EMF could have been largely consumed by microbial respiration and contributed minimally to the accumulation of microbial biomass. Our results also indicated that the suppression of saprotrophs by EMF may play a critical role in driving continuous soil carbon accumulation in this northern pine plantation under atmospheric nitrogen deposition.

Effectiveness of short-term crop rotations under different fertilization systems in the insufficient moisture zone of the Right-Bank Steppe of Ukraine

Topicality. In the condition of insufficient moisture in the Right Bank Steppe of Ukraine, agriculture is associated with weather risks, non-compliance with the appropriate structure of sown areas and fertilization systems, which makes it difficult to obtain high and stable yields of agricultural crops. The development of agricultural systems is the basis for increasing both yield levels and the competitiveness of the agricultural industry as a whole. Aim. To study the influence of fertilization systems on the fertility of ordinary chernozems and crop productivity in biological short-term crop rotations. Methods. Field trial, laboratory, statistical methods. Results. It was found that the field crops of both grain-fallow-row and grain-row crop rotations were formed the highest productivity under high level of fertilization. Under different fertilization systems, it was noted that the productivity of grain-fallow-row crop rotation is higher than grain-row crop rotation by 8.3 t/ha or by 5.6 %. The productivity of both crop rotations was increased by an average of 6.4–7.8 % due to the application of microbial preparations against the background of mineral and organomineral fertilization systems. The content of mobile phosphorus and exchangeable potassium in all variants of both crop rotations increased due to studied fertilizer rates, but these rates were insufficient to maintain the content of nitrogen and humus at the initial level. In both crop rotations, it was noted that the lowest degree of "burning" humus was on the background of the organomineral fertilizers. When organomineral fertilizers were applied in the grain-fallow-row crop rotation, this indicator was 0.50 % that was 0.06 % less compared to variant with the mineral fertilization and control, and in grain-row crop rotation, this indicator was 0.46 % that was less by 0.11 and 0.06 %, respectively. Conclusions. Profit at the level (on average) of UAH 9114.4/ha was obtained in grain-fallow-row crop rotation, it is more by UAH 1039/ha, or 11.4 % compared to grain-row crop rotation. The advantage was that the predecessor residues in the organomineral fertilizer system was used as organic fertilizer, which have a positive effect on the synthesis of organic matter in the soil, productivity and economic efficiency. Keywords: crop rotations, fertilizers, yield, productivity, soil fertility, economic efficiency.

Growth and Mechanical Characterization of Mycelium-Based Composites towards Future Bioremediation and Food Production in the Material Manufacturing Cycle.

Today’s architectural and agricultural practices negatively impact the planet. Mycelium-based composites are widely researched with the aim of producing sustainable building materials by upcycling organic byproducts. To go further, this study analyzed the growth process and tested the mechanical behavior of composite materials grown from fungal species used in bioremediation. Agricultural waste containing high levels of fertilizers serves as the substrate for mycelium growth to reduce chemical dispersal in the environment. Compression and three-point bending tests were conducted to evaluate the effects of the following variables on the mechanical behavior of mycelium-based materials: substrate particle size (with or without micro-particles), fungal species (Pleurotus ostreatus and Coprinus comatus), and post-growth treatment (dried, baked, compacted then dried, and compacted then baked). Overall, the density of the material positively correlated with its Young’s and elastic moduli, showing higher moduli for composites made from substrate with micro-particles and for compacted composites. Compacted then baked composites grown on the substrate with micro-particles provided the highest elastic moduli in compression and flexural testing. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insight into the selection of substrate particle size, fungal species, and post-growth treatment for various applications with a focus on material manufacturing, food production, and bioremediation.

Почвы залежного поля Ямальской опытной станции: эколого-аналитическая оценка

The agricultural use of soils is limited by their contamination with various compounds and low contents of nutrients. We aimed to study the unique soils of the Yamal Experimental Station to determine their contamination with heavy metals and assess their potential fertility. Established in 1932, the Yamal Experimental Station (Salekhard, Russia) has bred new varieties of vegetable crops in open and protected ground. In August 2021, we made a soil section and 40 pits in a 0–10 cm layer. X-ray fluorescence was used to determine 11 metals and oxides. The qualitative assessment was based on the total soil pollution, soil pollution, and geoaccumulation indexes. Finally, we determined the contents of nutrients. The metals and metal oxides showed regressive-accumulative distribution along the soil profile. The concentrations of all ecotoxicants (except for arsenic) were within the maximum/approximate permissible values. Since arsenic has a high regional background content, its elevated concentrations make the soil suitable for agricultural use if proper quality control is in place. The total soil pollution index classified the level of pollution as “acceptable”. The geoaccumulation index showed the soils as mostly “unpolluted” with metals. The soil pollution index had values below 1, which indicated the absence of pollution. The fallow soils of the Yamal Experimental Station have a high level of potential fertility and are suitable for agricultural reuse according to the soil quality indexes applied. They can also serve as a local geochemical standard that has a long history of agrogenic transformation in cryogenic ecosystems. Taking into account increased concentrations of arsenic, we recommend primary quality control of agricultural products to identify its possible migration in the soil-plant system.

Understanding the contribution of soybean crop residues inoculated with Bradyrhizobium spp. and not harvested on nitrogen supply in off-season corn cultivars.

Excessive rainfall in the soybean preharvest period can make mechanized crop harvesting technically and economically unfeasible, causing 100% losses in soybean grain yield. An alternative to reduce the economic losses of farmers would be using unharvested soybean crop residues as a source of nitrogen (N) for the subsequent corn crop. However, a question that still needs to be understood is whether the amount of N released from unharvested soybean residues (straw and grains) is sufficient to meet all the nutritional demand for this nutrient in the off-season corn. Therefore, this study investigated the impact of unharvested soybean crop residue persistence on the yield response of off-season corn crop (Zea mays L.) to the application of N fertilizer rates when grown in tropical Cerrado soils of medium and high fertility. Four simple corn hybrids (SYN7G17 TL, 30F53VYHR, B2433PWU, and AG 8700 PRO3) were grown in soils of medium fertility and medium acidity level (UFMS 1) and high fertility and low acidity level (UFMS 2) and fertilized with five of N fertilizer rates (0, 40, 80, 120, and 160 kg ha–1 of N) applied at 30 days after emergence (DAE). Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) was used to investigate the interrelationships between the groups of independent (agricultural production areas, corn cultivars, and N application rates) and dependent (corn agronomic traits) variables. Crop residues remaining on the soil surface from soybeans not harvested and inoculated with Bradyrhizobium spp. can supply most of the nitrogen requirement of off-season corn grown in succession, especially in tropical soils of medium fertility. However, in high-fertility tropical soils, the maximum grain yield potential of off-season corn cultivars can be obtained with the application of mineral N fertilizer in supplement the amount of nitrogen released from unharvested soybean residues. Therefore, the N requirement depends on the corn cultivar and the agricultural production area. However, our results show that when off-season corn is grown on unharvested soybean residues, nitrogen fertilization in topdressing can be dispensed. The agricultural area with high fertility soil (UFMS 2) enhances the grain yield of the off-season corn crop. The corn cultivar AG 8700 PRO3 has a higher thousand-grain mass and high grain yield potential under Brazilian Cerrado conditions.

Estimation of canopy nitrogen content in winter wheat from Sentinel-2 images for operational agricultural monitoring

Canopy nitrogen content (CNC, kg/ha) provides crucial information for site-specific crop fertilization and the usability of Sentinel-2 (S2) satellite data for CNC monitoring at high fertilization levels in managed agricultural fields is still underexplored. Winter wheat samples were collected in France and Belgium in 2017 (n = 126) and 2018 (n = 18), analysed for CNC and S2-spectra were extracted at the sample locations. A comparison of three established remote sensing methods to retrieve CNC was carried out: (1) look-up-table (LUT) inversion of the canopy reflectance model PROSAIL, (2) Partial Least Square Regression (PLSR) and (3) nitrogen-sensitive vegetation indices (VI). The spatial and temporal model transferability to new data was rigorously assessed. The PROSAIL-LUT approach predicted CNC with a root mean squared error of 33.9 kg/ha on the 2017 dataset and a slightly larger value of 36.8 kg/ha on the 2018 dataset. Contrary, PLSR showed an error of 27.9 kg N/ha (R2 = 0.52) in the calibration dataset (2017) but a substantially larger error of 38.4 kg N/ha on the independent dataset (2018). VIs revealed calibration errors were slightly larger than the PLSR results but showed much higher validation errors for the independent dataset (> 50 kg/ha). The PROSAIL inversion was more stable and robust than the PLSR and VI methods when applied to new data. The obtained CNC maps may support farmers in adapting their fertilization management according to the actual crop nitrogen status.

Combination of Biochar with N–Fertilizer Affects Properties of Soil and N2O emissions in Maize Crop

One of the challenges of harnessing higher productivity levels and sustainability of agriculture related to N fertilization is in expanding soil N2O emissions, which has become a serious issue in recent years. Recent studies suggest that biochar may be the solution to this problem, but there is still a knowledge gap related to biochar application rates and its reapplication in Central Europe; therefore, in this study, we investigated the effect of biochar (initial application and reapplication in 2014 and 2018, respectively, at rates of 0, 10 and 20 t ha−1) combined with N-fertilizer (N0—0 kg N ha−1; N1—108 kg N ha−1 and N2—162 kg N ha−1) during the growing season of maize in 2019 (warm temperature with normal precipitation) on the changes of soil properties and N2O emissions in the silty loam, Haplic Luvisol, in the temperate climate of Slovakia. The results showed that the application and reapplication of biochar proved to be an excellent tool for increasing soil pH (in the range 7–13%), soil organic carbon—Corg (2–212%), and reducing the soil’s NH4+ (41–69%); however, there were more pronounced positive effects when biochar was combined with N-fertilizer at the higher level (N2). The same effects were found in the case of N2O emissions (reduction in the range 33–83%). Biochar applied without N-fertilizer and combined with the higher fertilizer level had a suppressive effect on N2O emissions. Biochar did not have any effect on maize yield in 2019.

Female employment and first childbirth in Italy: what news?

In the last decades, female participation in the labour market has been found to be increasingly associated with higher fertility levels in high-income countries—albeit to a lesser extent in countries characterised by poor welfare support to working mothers. Among the latter camp, Italy is an intriguing case study, which is marked by lower female labour force participation and fertility rates when compared to most other European countries. Recent macro-level evidence suggests that a reverse in the female employment/fertility relationship is gradually taking place in Italy, driven largely by the Northern regions. However, the evolution of the relationship between female employment and fertility has (to the best of my knowledge) never been addressed at the micro-level. Through the use of individual-level retrospective data, this study analyses the link between female employment and fertility, paying special attention to differences between Northern and Southern Italy, and its evolution over time. The results suggest that female employment began to be positively associated to fertility at the individual level, both in Northern and Southern Italy (although to slightly different extents), from 2010 onwards.

Full-length transcriptome reconstruction reveals genetic differences in hybrids of Oryza sativa and Oryza punctata with different ploidy and genome compositions

BackgroundAllopolyploid breeding is an efficient technique for improving the low seed setting rate of autotetraploids in plant breeding and one of the most promising breeding methods. However, there have been few comprehensive studies of the posttranscriptional mechanism in allopolyploids.ResultsBy crossing cultivated rice (Oryza sativa, genome AA) with wild rice (Oryza punctata, genome BB), we created hybrid rice lines with different ploidy and genome compositions [diploid hybrid F01 (AB), allotetraploid hybrid F02 (AABB) and F03 (AAAB)]. The genetic differences of the hybrids and the mechanism of allopolyploid breeding dominance were revealed through morphological and cytological observations and single molecule real-time sequencing techniques. The tissues and organs of allotetraploid hybrid F02 exhibited "gigantism" and the highest levels of fertility. The numbers of non-redundant transcripts, gene loci and new isoforms in the polyploid rice lines were higher and the isoform lengths greater than those of the diploid line. Moreover, alternative splicing (AS) events occurred twice as often in the polyploid rice lines than the diploid line. During these events, intron retention dominated. Furthermore, a large number of new genes and isoforms specific to the lines of different ploidy were discovered.ConclusionsThe results indicated that alternative polyadenylation (APA) and AS events contributed to the complexity and superiority of polyploids in the activity of translation regulators, nucleic acid binding transcription factor activities and the regulation of molecular function. Therefore, these APA and AS events in allopolyploid rice were found to play a role in regulation. Our study provides new germplasm for polyploid rice breeding and reveals complex regulatory mechanisms that may be related to heterosis and fertility.

Scenario Analysis of Livestock Carrying Capacity Risk in Farmland from the Perspective of Planting and Breeding Balance in Northeast China

In this paper, we selected the northeast region as a study area from the perspective of soil nutrient demand, calculated the livestock carrying capacity of farmland under three scenarios where nitrogen nutrient accounts for 35% (low level), 45% (medium level), and 55% (high level) of fertilization, and carried out a risk analysis. The results show that the scale of husbandry breeding is expanding and the scale of the planting industry has remained basically unchanged. Under the three scenarios, there were 23 regions where the livestock manure exceeded the maximum value that could be absorbed by farmland in 2008 and 28 regions in 2019. These regions in the potential area are mostly located in Heilongjiang province and the regions in the restricted area are mostly located in Liaoning Province. On the whole, the northeast region is generally faced with the problem of livestock overloading, and the insufficient utilization and treatment capacity of livestock manure poses a huge threat to regional ecological security. Based on this, adjusting the structure of regional planting and breeding, promoting the development of the livestock manure processing industry, enhancing the production capacity of organic fertilizer, and constructing an integrated pattern of regional planting and breeding are effective ways to realize the sustainable utilization of farmland in northeast China.

Assessment of spatial variability of soil fertility index in a Dystrofic Yellow Latosol

The lack of knowledge about the variability of the soil fertility index often leads to the use of inadequate amounts of fertilizers for certain areas within the crop. Aiming to analyze a set of variables from the soil chemical analysis, the multivariate analysis was applied in order to condense these variables into a smaller group of factors without important information loss to create a Soil Fertility Index. Soil sampling was carried out in a total area of approximately 740 ha, with a sampling grid of 5 ha, making a total of 148 sampling points. Four factors: (1) exchangeable aluminum (Al), aluminum saturation (m%), base saturation (V%), calcium, pH, Mg and P. Al and m% (2) the CTC and OM variables (3) Fe and Mn variables and (4) B, S and Zn were extracted from the factorial analysis explaining 74.79% of the total variance of the data, which is satisfactory by the criterion of the variance percentage. The analysis showed that in the sample dataset, an intersection was occurred in the mean dataset forming three centroids which coincides with the number of properties where the set of samples was collected. The use of multivariate analysis proved to be efficient for the proposed study, since the analysis of variance could not show efficiency due to the interrelations between the variables causing bias in the results. Based on the universe analyzes studied here, approximately 97% of the sampled area presented satisfactory or high soil fertility levels, which leads to the use of reduced amounts of fertilizers in most of the growing area.

Influence of tomato plants nutritional status on the fitness and damage of Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

Abstract1. Fertilization input is required to improve productivity and attend the market demand for tomatoes. However, providing crops with nutrients can affect plant–insect interactions via bottom‐up effects. The South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is a main pest of tomato crops worldwide but little is known about the effects of macro‐elements fertilization inputs on its biological traits.2. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of low, high and normal fertilization levels calcium, sulphur, nitrogen and potassium to tomato plants on T. absoluta development, survival and crop damage.3. Larval mortality was lower in tomato plants fertilized with high sulphur fertilization level. The number of mines per leaf was not affected by calcium, sulphur and potassium fertilization, but low nitrogen input resulted in higher crop damage. Overall, our results indicate that nutritionally unbalanced tomato plants improve the biological performance of T. absoluta in comparison with balanced plants.4. The results provide useful information that can be used in fertilization programmes of tomato and planning of strategies and tactics to reduce tomato suitability to T. absoluta.5. In addition, the obtained findings provide an insight into the basic understanding of the interactions between crop fertilization and the performance T. absoluta.

The direction of the chernozem soils evolution under the influence of agrogenic effects

Long-term irrigation caused a rise in the groundwater level and the chernozem evolution into meadow-chernozem soil, which in wet years are in the meadow mode. Soils, used in grain-grass crop rotations, were characterized by high fertility level. Perennial grasses stabilized the content of humus at the level of 6.5–7.2%. Under conditions of irrigated farming, its amount increased to 7.2–8.0%. Humic acids prevailed in the qualitative composition of humus, the value of which decreased against the background of the combined application of mineral and organic fertilizers. The share of fulvic acids was lower in irrigated soils in the variants without and with the application of mineral fertilizers. The use of mineral fertilizers against irrigation reduced the water-resistance of soil aggregates by 20–40%. Soils occupied by vegetable crop rotations had a low fertility level. With the cultivation of vegetable crops without fertilizers application, the amount of humus set at the level of 3.9–5.0%. Irrigation caused an increase in the soil-absorbing complex of exchangeable magnesium and sodium on average by a factor of 2 and led to the tendency of development of soil alkalinity. Against the background of high content of exchangeable sodium, the soil structure completely lost its resistance to the water eroding action. The aggregate state of the soil is satisfactory, but the number of agronomically valuable aggregates was below the optimal level.

Antioxidant properties and transcriptome of cauda epididymis with different levels of fertility in Hu lambs

Oxidative stress damages the structure of sperm and affects its fertility. Further maturation and storage of spermatozoa occur in the epididymis. Thus, a balanced environment between free-radical production and the antioxidant–enzyme system is important. This study aimed to investigate differences in antioxidative activity in epididymis between high and low fertility levels of Hu sheep. A total of 179 Hu ram lambs aged 56 days were fed up to 6 months in the same environment. After feeding trial, all rams were slaughtered. According to the epididymis weight, cauda sperm concentration, and histo-morphological observation, 18 individuals were selected and divided into low fertility (n = 9) and high fertility (n = 9) groups. The RNA sequencing results showed 1404 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), with 735 genes upregulated and 669 genes downregulated in the high fertility group compared with the low fertility group. Sixteen DEGs related to lipid metabolism and oxidative stress, including GPX3, GPX5, LRP1, PLCB1, CRISP2, BSPH1, and ACSBG1, were screened by qPCR, and results were correlated well with the sequencing data. Antioxidative indices such as total antioxidant capacity (21.29 ± 5.97 vs. 30.23 ± 4.56 μM/gprot) and glutathione peroxidase (39.75 ± 7.61 vs. 68.84 ± 12.51 U/mgprot) increased in the high fertility group. However, the relative expression of mtDNA and malondialdehyde concentration (0.75 ± 0.15 vs. 0.54 ± 0.10 nmol/mgprot) and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) content significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Therefore, epididymis from high-fertility group had strong antioxidative activity and protected spermatozoa from ROS.

Methodological fundamentals for obtaining high quality food grain and increasing the yield of winter wheat in crop rotations of Central Chernozem Region

The increase in the production and application of organic and mineral fertilizers, the cultivation of crops using intensive technology require the balance of the elements of productivity at the highest level. One of the leading places among them is occupied by plant nutrition. The intensive technology is characterized not only by a high level of fertilization, but also by the exact adherence to the rates, timing and methods of application. The ultimate goal of the intensive technology is not only to increase yields and improve the quality of winter wheat grain, but also to maintain or increase soil fertility. It was found that fertilizers improved the quality of wheat grain in all years of the study. Fractional application of nitrogen led to an increase in the content of protein and gluten in the grain in all the studied links of crop rotations. In increasing the yield of agricultural crops and the quality of grain, the development of scientifically substantiated crop rotations with correct alternation of crops in them in relation to specific soil and climatic conditions is by no means unimportant. Crop rotations also influence the elements of soil fertility. Changes in the structure of sown areas should be carried out taking into account the need to increase the area under high-yielding crops, both grain and row crops.

CONTEXTUAL DETERMINANTS OF FERTILITY TRANSITIONS AMONG BLACK SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN: A MULTI-LEVEL ANALYSIS

Fertility declines (transitions) and their contextual determinants are concerns to the government and other stakeholders in South Africa. These are so, especially among the Black South African women of childbearing age. The South African Demographic Health Survey (SADHS) 2016 data was used to examine the role of three hierarchical layers of variables (individual, household and community level characteristics) in determining fertility transitions among Black South African women of childbearing age. Based on the Social-Ecological (SEM) and the Easterlin’s micro-economic models, the chi-squared test and multilevel logistic regression were performed at the bi-variate and multivariate levels of analysis. The multilevel logistic regression was performed using the generalised linear and latent mixed model (GLLAMM) to obtain fixed and random effects. Findings suggest that close to half (48.1%) of these women had low fertility levels (1-2 children) in South Africa. Those in rural areas had a higher fertility level (4 plus children), compared to those in urban areas. Factors such as mother’s age, employment and wealth status, owning a house with water and electricity, access and distance to health facilities and workers, etc., were strongly associated (significant) at different hierarchical model levels (p&lt;0.05). Results of random effect revealed a non-existance (0.00%) of variations in their log odds of predicting fertility transitions across the communities (clusters/layers). The study recommends that these findings be considered in all programme and policy developments around the issue in South Africa.

Stud-breeding work in sheep breeding based on cytogenetic monitoring

The article presents the results of the cytogenetic monitoring in the breeding, selection and reproduction of sheep in the ecological conditions of Ukraine. A cytogenetic analysis of sheep with low and high vigor and different levels of fertility was carried out. In the ecological conditions of Ukraine, the individual level of chromosomal abnormalities in all the studied animals of the Tsigai breed and prekos is within the natural background. No translocations were found. Among the violations, such as single and paired fragments, hypo- and hyperploidy (mainly hypoploidy), polyploidy were encountered. The maximum average level of chromosomal abnormalities was found in local lambs (5.5 ±1.73%). The minimum average level of chromosomal abnormalities (2.0 ±1.41%) was recorded in lambs with high growth intensity. Among the structural changes, mutations of the chromosomal type prevailed in the 3-year-old group of rams - 0.46%, in the 8-year-old group - 0.59%. Chromatid disturbances were 0.37% and 0.34%, respectively. The average level of chromosomal abnormalities in rams by groups was 0.84 ±0.14 and 0.93 ±0.13, respectively. In the group of ewes with low fertility (n = 4), the level of chromosomal abnormalities was 3.5%, which is lower than ewes (n = 7) with high fertility by 0.79%.