Increase Product Yield Research Articles

A parametric experimental validation of a biorefinery concept based on anaerobic digestion of fruit and vegetable waste

AbstractThe goal of this paper was to assess the possibilities for one‐stage reactor anaerobic digestion processing of fruit and vegetable biomass within a biorefinery concept for optimum products. Co‐digestion was the simplest strategy to implement to increase product yield among the variables tested (pH, ultrasonification, and co‐digestion). Methane yields from co‐digestion of fruit and vegetable waste (FVW) and pig manure (PM) ranged from 318 to 434 NmL /g VS, with the highest yield (434 NmL /g VS) achieved at a co‐digestion ratio of FVW75:PM25, representing a 20% increase over the methane production from FVW alone. The pH value was determined to be the most effective variable for enhancing methane production, with pH = 8 producing the maximum cumulative methane yield of 497 NmL/g VS. There was no significant change in the composition of volatile fatty acids (VFA) with pH in terms of dominant product type; valeric acid was the predominant VFA synthesized at all starting pH values except pH = 12, where formic acid was the predominant acid formed. As a digestate post‐treatment procedure, hydrothermal carbonization was combined with anaerobic digestion. At 200 °C, the maximum hydrochar yield production was 58.2%, with a higher heating value of 10.75 MJ/kg. © 2022 The Authors. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining published by Society of Industrial Chemistry and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Phytotoxicity of Natural Molecules Derived from Cereal Crops as a Means to Increase Yield Productivity

Phytotoxicity including autotoxicity and allelopathy is the immediate or indirect biochemical impact of one organism on the germination, growth, survival, and reproduction of other organisms or improvement of neighbouring plant species through the arrival of substances into the environment. This biological phenomenon effect might be either growth-enhancing (synergistic) or inhibiting (hostile), contingent upon the chemical substances delivered from donor plants and target species. Allelopathy has been viewed not just as a nature-accommodating way to control unwanted plant spices and biocidal products, but, additionally, a potential explanation for causing autotoxicity in yield. The application of chemical agents to reduce weed infestation may have negative consequences on human health as well as the environment. Plants with allelopathy activities derived from secondary metabolites could be an alternative strategy and have an expected function in sustainable weed biocontrol and boost global agricultural production and food security. Thus, protecting biodiversity, ensuring food safety, improving food, and nutrient quality, as well as crop production, are urgently needed as population and consumption are increasing. So, the objective of this study is to present recent advancements on phytotoxicity and allelopathic effect of plant extracts (sorghum, sunflower, rice, and corn), for sustainable food and crop production in agroecosystems.

Conformation traits of Holstein cows and their association with a Canadian economic selection index

Pro$ is a Canadian economic selection index aimed to maximize profit by increasing production yields, while maintaining conformation and functional traits. Currently, there is an interest in understanding the individual contributions of conformation traits recorded in Canada to the overall economic value of a cow and whether they are equally important. We used multiple polynomial regression and principal component analysis to assess the association of 26 conformation traits with Pro$ using relative breeding values (RBVs) from 9351 proven bulls. The best reduced regression model explained 72.5% of the variance in Pro$, with heel depth and body depth having the highest and lowest effect on Pro$ values, respectively. Four traits classified as intermediate optimum traits, e.g., teat length, showed significant linear association with Pro$ instead of quadratic, whereas bone quality was not significantly associated with the index. Principal component analysis indicated that highly profitable bulls share similar RBV, with a subclustering of bulls of daughters with better mammary system versus better dairy strength and feet and legs. These results provide understanding of the individual contributions of conformation traits to Pro$ and give information to guide the Canadian dairy industry on how to best consider these traits in recording and genetic evaluation programs.

Production of Somatic Hybrids of Pleurotus florida Through Hyphae Anastomosis Fusion with Agaricus bisporus

Background: Production and cultivation of edible mushrooms are one of the commercial applications of microbial technologies in order to biodegrad agricultural waste into valuable food products. One of the edible mushrooms that uses these agricultural wastes for its growth and development is Pleurotus florida. In P. florida, various enzymes are responsible for the decomposition of lignin compounds in the compost environment from the beginning of mycelial growth to the end of the fruiting period. One of the most important of these enzymes is manganese peroxidase (MnP), which plays a major role in the breakdown of lignin compounds. In addition, the most important compost-degrading mushroom that produces the enzyme MnP is Agaricus bisporus. Objectives: The aim of this study was to produce hybrids of P. florida by increasing the production efficiency through hyphae fusion of P. florida and the A. bisporus. Methods: The hyphae fusion and hybridization were performed for two strains P. florida and A. bisporus, in PDA culture media. Samples were isolated from the fusion areas and were transferred to the culture media, and then spawn was produced. Performance testing was carried out with hybrids and P. florida. We designed a specific primer pair of P. florida MnP gene by Primer Premier software (V.7.0). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to confirm the MnP gene. For this purpose, RNAs were extracted, and their cDNA was synthesized by reverse transcriptase enzyme. PCR with specific primers was performed, and electrophoresis was loaded on 1% agarose gel. Results: This study performed hybridization with formation clamp connections at the junction line. Hybrid N09 strain with biological efficiency (82.92) produced the highest performance in all evaluations compared to other hybrids and the parent strains. Based on the results of PCR product electrophoresis, banding pattern N09 (hybrid N09 strain) indicated that this hybrid, in addition to the P. florida MnP gene of P. florida, also received the amino acid sequences of this gene in A. bisporus. Conclusions: According to the obtained results, the use of hyphae fusion increased the traits as a result of mixing the genetic contributions of parent strains, followed by the diversity of hybrid strains and increased production yield.

Vapor/gas separation through carbon molecular sieve membranes: Experimental and theoretical investigation

The separation of H2O vapor from (hydrogen-rich) gaseous streams is a topic of increasing interest in the context of CO2 valorisation, where the in situ water removal increases product yield and catalyst stability. In this work, composite alumina carbon molecular sieve membranes (Al-CMSM) were prepared from phenolic resin solutions loaded with hydrophilic boehmite (γ-AlO(OH)) nanosheets (0.4–1.4 wt. % in solution) which partially transform to γ-Al2O3 nanosheets upon thermal decomposition of the resin, improving the hydrophilicity and thus the adsorption-diffusion contribution of the H2O permeation. The γ-Al2O3 nanosheets showed no influence on the pore size distribution of the membranes in the range of micropores, but they increased the membrane hydrophilicity. In addition, the use of boehmite in the resin solution causes an increase in the viscosity and thus an increase in the carbon layers thickness deposited on the porous α-Al2O3 support (from 1 to 3.3 μm). Furthermore, the alumina sheets introduce defects in the carbon matrix, increasing the tortuosity of the active layer, as concluded via phenomenological modelling and parametric fitting of the experimental results. As a consequence, the water permeability exhibits a maximum (1.3ꞏ10−6 molꞏs−1 Pa−1 m−1 at 150 °C) with boehmite/alumina content of ca. 0.8 wt. %, as the combined effects of increasing hydrophilicity (which favour H2O permeability) and increasing thickness and tortuosity (which hamper permeability) upon increasing boehmite loading. Similarly, the H2O/gas perm-selectivity is optimum at 1.2 wt. % boehmite loading. We further investigated the H2O permeation mechanism by modelling the mono- and multi-layer adsorption and capillary condensation of water in microporous media, which result as the main transport mechanisms in the explored conditions.

Occurrence of leaf blight of cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta) caused by Phytophthora colocasiae in Jos East L.G.A, Plateau State, Nigeria

Production of cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta) in Nigeria has declined in the last few years due to several constraints including poor yield of local cultivars worsened by the spread of Taro Leaf Blight (TLB). Accurate identification and control of the causative pathogen responsible for TLB is a promising option to reduce disease incidence and increase the yield of cocoyam. This study sought to profile occurrence and identity of fungi associated with TLB in Jos East LGA of Plateau State, Nigeria. Eleven farms were surveyed for disease incidence and sampling of infected leaves carried out. Katton Rikkos (Lamingo road) farm had the highest disease incidence of 70% while Koreme and Rifar farms recorded the least (20%). Pathogenicity tests of all isolates showed no visible symptoms four weeks after inoculation. However, Phytopthora spp., used as a positive control showed symptoms of a water-soaked lesion on the leaves three weeks post inoculation. This was followed by a dark brown fleck on the leaves four weeks after inoculation consistent with observed field symptoms in cocoyam. Re-isolation of the isolates confirmed that Phytophthora colocasiae was the potential causal agent of TLB. Further characterization of this pathogen using molecular methods will help in informing appropriate control measures for managing the disease, to increase yield production of cocoyam. Keywords: Taro leaf blight, yield, Phytopthora spp., water soaked lesion, cocoyam

Pengaruh pemangkasan dan pemupukan NPK terhadap tanaman pare (Momordica charantia L.)

Pare Plant is a type of horticultural plant originating from the cucurbitaceae family. Bitter gourd contains antioxidants that help suppress the inflammatory response and lower glucose levels in diabetes. Cultivation of bitter melon by using pruning and the use of NPK fertilizer can increase production yields. Pruning on plants needs to be done in order to increase the number of flowers produced by plants. NPK fertilizer is a macro nutrient needed by plants to be able to grow and metabolic processes in plants can run well. This research was conducted in the Patrang sub-district, Patrang sub-district, Jember district which was carried out from March to June 2021. This research method used a completely randomized design (RAL) with a 4x3 factorial design which was repeated 3 times. The first factor is pruning which consists of 3 levels of treatment P1 (without pruning), P2 (3 branches pruning on segments 1-3 and P3 (6 pruning branches on sections 1-6), and the second factor is the dose of NPK fertilizer which consists of 4 The treatment levels were N1 (0 g/plant), N2 (10g/plant), N3 (20 g/plant) and N4 (30 g/plant).
 The experimental results showed that there was an interaction effect on NPK fertilization with pruning which gave very significant different results to fruit diameter. The effect of NPK fertilizer application was significantly different on fruit length and fruit volume. In the treatment, the effect of giving NPK fertilizer was not significantly different on the initial appearance of flowers, the number of fruits and significantly different on the number of fruits.

Dynamics of organic carbon and nitrogen in deep soil profile and crop yields under long-term fertilization in wheat-maize cropping system

Soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (N) are two of the most important indicators for agricultural productivity. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the changes in SOC and N in the deep soil profile (up to 100 cm) and their relationships with crop productivity under the influence of long-term (since 1990) fertilization in the wheat-maize cropping system. Treatments included CK (control), NP (inorganic N and phosphorus (P) fertilizers), NPK (inorganic N, P and potassium fertilizers), NPKM (NPK plus manure), and M (manure). Crop yield and the properties of topsoil were measured yearly from 2001 to 2009. C and N contents were measured at five different depths in 2001 and 2009. The results showed that wheat and maize yields decreased between 2001 and 2009 under the inorganic fertilizer (NP and NPK) treatments. The average yield between 2001 and 2009 under the NP, NPK, NPKM, and M treatments (compared with the CK treatment) increased by 38, 115, 383, and 381%, respectively, for wheat and 348, 891, 2 738, and 1 845%, respectively, for maize. Different long-term fertilization treatments significantly changed coarse free particulate (cfPOC), fine free particulate (ffPOC), intramicroaggregate particulate (iPOC), and mineral-associated (mSOC) organic carbon fractions. In the experimental years of 2001 and 2009, soil fractions occurred in the following order for all treatments: mSOC>cfPOC>iPOC>ffPOC. All fractions were higher under the manure application treatments than under the inorganic fertilization treatments. Compared to the inorganic fertilization treatments, manure input enhanced the stocks of SOC and total N in the surface layer (0–20 cm) but decreased SOC and N in the deep soil layer (80–100 cm). This reveals the efficiency of manure in increasing yield productivity and decreasing risk of vertical loss of nutrients, especially N, compared to inorganic fertilization treatments. The findings provide opportunities for understanding deep soil C and N dynamics, which could help mitigate climate change impact on agricultural production and maintain soil health.

Use of Optical Emission Spectroscopy Data for Fault Detection of Mass Flow Controller in Plasma Etch Equipment

To minimize wafer yield losses by misprocessing during semiconductor manufacturing, faster and more accurate fault detection during the plasma process are desired to increase production yields. Process faults can be caused by abnormal equipment conditions, and the performance drifts of the parts or components of complicated semiconductor fabrication equipment are some of the most unnoticed factors that eventually change the plasma conditions. In this work, we propose improved stability and accuracy of process fault detection using optical emission spectroscopy (OES) data. Under a controlled experimental setup of arbitrarily induced fault scenarios, the extended isolation forest (EIF) approach was used to detect anomalies in OES data compared with the conventional isolation forest method in terms of accuracy and speed. We also used the OES data to generate features related to electron temperature and found that using the electron temperature features together with equipment status variable identification data (SVID) and OES data improved the prediction accuracy of process/equipment fault detection by a maximum of 0.84%.

Comparative Study of Soil Samples and its Physico Chemical Parameter from Wadwani Tehsil

Abstract: India is one of the populated countries and Indian economy is highly depending on agriculture field. Indian farming is the main source of income for most of the population. So farmers are always curious about yield prediction. To increase yield production many factors are responsible like soil, weather, rain, fertilizers and pesticides. In the present study we are investigate the soil samples for its physico-chemical analysis in Wadwani Tehsil. The main purpose of present study is analyse the fertility level of the soil with the help of pH, EC, Organic Carbon, Nitrogen, Potassium, Phosphorous, Sulpher, Zinc etc. and recommend essential nutrients necessary in Wadwani Tehsil Marathwada region Maharashtra. Six representative samples were obtained and analysed for its pH, EC, Phosphorus, Potassium, and other important nutrient useful for agricultural. Keywords: Soil Properties, Nutrient Parameter, pH, EC, P, K, S, Zn, Mn, Beed.

Persepsi Petani Padi terhadap Program Billing System di Kecamatan Candipuro Kabupaten Lampung Selatan

This research aims to determine the perception of rice farmers on the Billing System program, the factors related to the farmers' perceptions of the Billing System program. This research was conducted in Candipuro District, South Lampung Regency. The research location was chosen purposively with the consideration that Candipuro District was the first sub-district to implement the Billing System program. This study used a survey method and obtained a sample of 30 rice farmers. Data analysis in this research was carried out by descriptive analysis with a quantitative approach. The results showed that rice farmers' perceptions of the Billing System program were classified as moderate, which with the program, farmers felt that there wasn't a delay in the distribution of fertilizers, the number of fertilizer needs fulfilling, the existence of this program made farmers being proactive in groups, and with the program very influential in increasing production yields and increasing farmers' income. Factors related to farmers' perceptions are the level of knowledge (X₂) and level of motivation (X₃), while the level of education (X₁), length of farming (X₄), and land area (X₅) are not related.

Physiological and Morphological Responses of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) to Rhizoglomus irregulare Inoculation under Ample Water and Drought Stress Conditions Are Cultivar Dependent.

Okra is an important crop species for smallholder farmers in many tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Its interaction with mycorrhiza has been rarely studied, and little is known about its mycorrhizal dependency, especially under drought stress. In a glasshouse experiment, we investigated the effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Fungi (AMF) inoculation on growth, evapotranspiration, mineral nutrition and root morphology of five okra cultivars under ample water and drought stress conditions. ‘Khartoumia’, ‘HSD6719’, ‘HSD7058’, ‘Sarah’ and ‘Clemson Spineless’-cultivars commonly used by farmers in Sudan were chosen for their geographical, morphological and breeding background variations. The plants were either inoculated with R. irregulare or mock-inoculated. Seven weeks after seeding, the soil–water content was either maintained at 20% w/w or reduced to 10% w/w to impose drought stress. Drought stress resulted in plant P deficiency and decreased shoot dry biomass (DB), especially in HSD7058 and Clemson Spineless (69% and 56% decrease in shoot DB, in the respective cultivars). Plant inoculation with AMF greatly enhanced the shoot total content of P and the total DB in all treatments. The mycorrhizal dependency (MD)—the degree of total plant DB change associated with AM colonization—differed among the cultivars, irrespective of the irrigation treatment. Key determinants of MD were the root phenotype traits. Khartoumia (with the highest MD) had the lowest root DB, root-to-shoot ratio, and specific root length (SRL). Meanwhile, HSD6719 (with the lowest MD) had the highest respective root traits. Moreover, our data suggest a relationship between breeding background and MD. The improved cultivar Khartoumia showed the highest MD compared with the wild-type Sarah and the HSD7058 and HSD6719 landraces (higher MD by 46%, 17% and 32%, respectively). Interestingly, the drought-affected HSD7058 and Clemson Spineless exhibited higher MD (by 27% and 15%, respectively) under water-deficiency compared to ample water conditions. In conclusion, the mediation of drought stress in the okra plant species by AMF inoculation is cultivar dependent. The presence of AMF propagules in the field soil might be important for increasing yield production of high MD and drought susceptible cultivars, especially under drought/low P environments.

Meat Substitution with Oat Protein Can Improve Ground Beef Patty Characteristics.

The consumer acceptance of alternative plant-focused ingredients within the meat industry is growing globally. Oat protein is insoluble and used to increase product yield and fat retention. Furthermore, inclusion of oat protein can provide manufacturers another option for extending beef supplies. As the consumer diet shifts for improvements in nutritional density, oat protein is an alternative ingredient that lacks information on inclusion in a ground beef formulation. Coarse ground beef was allocated to one of four treatments, mixed with oat protein (0%, 1.5%, 3.5% and 4.5%), water, salt, pepper, textured vegetable protein, soy protein concentrate, and sodium tripolyphosphate. Meat blocks (n = 3 batches) were finely ground and formed into patties (N = 65/treatment). Patties were placed onto an expanded polystyrene tray, overwrapped with polyvinyl chloride film and displayed for 7 days. Instrumental color (L*, a*, and b*) decreased throughout simulated display (p = 0.0001). Increased usage rates of oat protein in patties resulted in greater cook yields (p = 0.0001). Objective measures of Allo-Kramer shear force values increased as oat protein inclusion rates increased (p = 0.0001). Oat protein can be incorporated in ground beef patties with positive effects on cook yield, but inclusion rate may have a deleterious impact on color and instrumental tenderness.

Mapping Spatial Management Zones of Salt-Affected Soils in Arid Region: A Case Study in the East of the Nile Delta, Egypt

Soil salinization is a global problem that affects a large part of the world, especially arid and semi-arid regions. Hence, diagnosing soil salinity is the first step towards appropriate management. The current work aims to assess and map soil salinity in the eastern Nile Delta using principal component analysis (PCA). In order to develop appropriate solutions for rational management to mitigate the impacts of soil salinization and increase yield production 34 soil profiles were dug that covered the variation in the soils located at the northeast of the Nile delta. The spatial variation of soil parameters was mapped using ordinary kriging interpolation. The results of PCA illustrated that, among the studied soil properties, soil electrical conductivity (ECe), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), exchangeable sodium percent (ESP), and bulk density (BD), are the critical factors affecting management practices in the Nile Delta. Two spatial management zones (SMZ) were identified; SMZ 1 occupied 45.04% of the study area and SMZ2 occupied 54.96% of the study area. The average of soil pH, ECe, SAR, CEC, ESP and BD were 8.31, 20.32 dSm−1, 47.19, 32.9 cmolckg−1, 32.85% and 1.47 Mgm−3 for the first cluster (SMZ1), respectively. In addition, the second cluster (SMZ2) had average soil pH, ECe, SAR, CEC, ESP and BD of 7.75, 12.30 dSm−1, 26.6, 25.23 cmolckg−1, 26.6% and 1.27 Mgm−3. The results showed p-value < 0.05 which confirms that there is a significant statistical difference between the two zones. Finally, the results obtained could be used as a fundamental basis for improving agricultural management practices in such salt-affected soils.

Combined gene and environmental engineering offers a synergetic strategy to enhance r‐protein production in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Environmental growth-inhibition conditions (GICs) have been used extensively for increasing cell-specific productivity (qP ) of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, with the most common being temperature downshift and sodium butyrate (NaBu) treatment. B lymphocyte-induced maturation protein-1 (BLIMP1) overexpression in CHO cells can also inhibit cell growth and increase product titers and qP . Given the similar responses, this study evaluated the individual and combined effects of BLIMP1 expression, low temperature, and NaBu treatment on culture performance, cell metabolism, and recombinant protein production of CHO cells. As expected, all three interventions decreased cell growth, arrested cells in G1/G0 cell cycle phase, and increased qP . However, CHO cells presented different responses when considering cell viability, recombinant gene expression, and cell metabolism that indicated differences in the molecular loci by which BLIMP1 and GICs generated higher productivities. Combinations of BLIMP1 expression and GICs acted synergistically to inhibit cell growth and maximize r-protein production, with the BLIMP1/NaBu condition leading to the most significant improvements in product titers and qP . This latter condition also proved to substantially increase product yields (up to 9.8 g immunoglobulin G1 [IgG1]/L and 2.2 g erythropoietin-Fc [EPO-Fc]/L) and qP (up to 179 pg/cell/day [pcd] for IgG1 and 30 pcd for EPO-Fc) in high-density perfusion cultures. These findings offered mechanistic insights about the productivity-enhancing effects of BLIMP1 and GICs, as well as their complementarity for generating highly productive processes.

Penerapan Teknologi Tepat Guna (E-Ox Level) kepada kelompok pembudidaya Ikan Lele di Desa Kepongpongan Kabupaten Cirebon

Partners realize that the production of cultivated fish can still be increased, one of which is by monitoring water quality by providing aeration to maintain water health. Partners need a technological assistance that can improve the quality of results and production levels in a shorter time, and of course not incur large electricity costs from using this technology. This community service program activity is designed to solve partner problems. The proposal team provided a technology product called E-Ox Level, a proven technology to monitor pond water quality and control the aerator engine to keep it at optimum water quality standards. This technology is energy efficient, because it utilizes solar energy. This product can reduce operating costs and increase production yields. This program shows positive results. The results of its installation in the Budikdamber pond showed that the growth rate of fish length and weight was faster than the pond without the help of technology, and the mortality rate was recorded to be lower. These results are similar when the technological device is applied to larger biofloc ponds.

Mutagenesis of the l-Amino Acid Ligase RizA Increased the Production of Bioactive Dipeptides

The l-amino acid ligase RizA from B. subtilis selectively synthesizes dipeptides containing an N-terminal arginine. Many arginyl dipeptides have salt-taste enhancing properties while Arg-Phe has been found to have an antihypertensive effect. A total of 21 RizA variants were created by site-directed mutagenesis of eight amino acids in the substrate binding pocket. The variants were recombinantly produced in E. coli and purified by affinity chromatography. Biocatalytic reactions were set up with arginine and four amino acids differing in size and polarity (aspartic acid, serine, alanine, and phenylalanine) and were analyzed by RP-HPLC with fluorescence detection. Variant T81F significantly improved the yield in comparison to wild type RizA for aspartic acid (7 to 17%), serine (33 to 47%) and alanine (12 to 17%). S84F increased product yield similarly for aspartic acid (7 to 17%) and serine (33 to 42%). D376E increased the yield with alanine (12 to 19%) and phenylalanine (11 to 26%). The largest change was observed for S156A, which showed a yield for Arg-Phe of 40% corresponding to a 270% increase in product concentration. This study expands the knowledge about positions governing the substrate specificity of RizA and may help to inform future protein engineering endeavors.

Reliability Evaluation of Photovoltaic Modules Fabricated from Treated Solar Cells by Laser‐Enhanced Contact Optimization Process

According to the International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaics, passivated emitter and rear solar cells dominate the market in 2021 of up to 80% and are forecast to remain state of the art at least for the next 5 years. Within the production process of solar cells, it is typical to have cells with lower efficiency grades due to variations in manufacturing processes or material defects. Reprocessing such solar cells could save cost due to increased production yield and simultaneously reduced cost for recycling of unusable/unsellable low‐efficiency cells. Herein, the impact of the laser‐enhanced contact optimization (LECO) process on the power output and reliability of solar modules using commercial off‐spec cells of different manufacturers is analyzed. LECO is a downstream process for optimizing metal−semiconductor contacts on finished solar cells. The treatment leads to a significant economic gain due to enhanced cell efficiency (Wp ↑, therefore manufacturing cost per Wp ↓) even of already good solar cells. Herein, the first evaluation of the impact of the LECO process on the cell output power on an industrial scale (>1000 cells) and on module reliability is presented. The results for common short‐term effects like light‐induced degradation and light‐ and elevated temperature‐induced degradation are within expected limits and the durability against, for example, potential‐induced degradation is not changed due to the LECO process. The results further show that cell sorting is crucial for a reliable module and to avoid outliers in terms of unexpected degradation and recovery phenomena of individual cells.

Evaluating the implementation of fertilizer-based decision support systems to increase yield productivity and efficiency of irrigated rice farming in West Java

Nutrient management and fertilizer application are paramount elements for increasing rice productivity. However, most of farmers are still applying fertilizer in an improper way and hence economic benefit of the yield remain low. The objective of this study was to examine various fertilizer recommendations and hence the best and efficient dose of fertilizer can be obtain to increase growth and yield of rice. This experiment was conducted in farmers irrigated lowland Sukabumi, West Java in dry season 2019. The material used was high yielding IR-64 rice variety subjected to six fertilizer recommendation, namely urea only (A), LKP (B), factory’s recommendation (C), PUTS, (D), KATAM (E) and farmer’s practice (F). This experiment was arranged in randomized block design (RBD) with four replications. The quantitative morphological and physiological traits and financial analysis were observed. The result showed that fertilizer significantly affected morphological, physiological parameters and grain yield of rice. PUTS and KATAM (9,7t/ha) treatments had higher grain yield compared to other treatments. Fertilizer by farmer’s practice tended lower in morphological, physiological and grain yield responses compared to other fertilizer recommendation. Similar pattern showed for yield components such as panicle number, grains number and % empty grain were also affected by fertilizer recommendation. Based on the financial analysis that treatment with LKP fertilizer recommendation had higher profit (75.61%) compared with farmer’s practice. That treatment can reduce fertilizer costs by 61.57%, can increase revenue by 14.04% and give a profit of Rp. 5,580,969,-.

Seaweed biosecurity in Tanzania: Lessons to be learned from other major plant crops

A decline in seaweed production in Tanzania is attributed to a rising prevalence of pathogens that have subsequently reduced the quantity and commercial value of the crop. This constraint has led to severe socio-economic implications for the seaweed industry, threatening the livelihoods of tens of thousands of farmers. Despite the growing demands for seaweed biomass and its significant economic benefits for low- and mid-income earners, the fundamental development of seaweed aquaculture lags far behind that of terrestrial agriculture in terms of biosecurity and technology of production practices.This paper highlights the biosecurity mitigation measures implemented in the agricultural sector in Tanzania that could be adapted to the seaweed cultivation industry: the use of disease-resistant seedlings; use of fertilizer; site selection; quarantine; preferential selection; pruning; timing of planting; crop rotation; intercropping and pathogen surveillance. These mitigations supported by biosecurity legislation and policies would contribute to increasing production yields and greater economic returns for the seaweed farmers.