Crop Maturity Research Articles

Monitoring soil arsenic content in densely vegetated agricultural areas using UAV hyperspectral, satellite multispectral and SAR data

Accurate and effective monitoring of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in soil across vast regions is crucial for environmental modeling and public health. While remote sensing (RS) technology provides a promising approach by detecting soil spectrum, dense and persistent vegetation cover in subtropical agricultural areas hinders acquisition of bare soil signals, limiting soil PTEs monitoring. To address this challenge, the present study proposed an innovative method for monitoring soil arsenic (As) content by using vegetation characteristics retrieved from RS data as proxy variables, given soil-vegetation interactions. The method was evaluated in a densely vegetated cropland of southern China, where 104 surface soil samples were collected. Vegetation information was extracted both individually and synergistically using time-series Sentinel-2 multispectral and Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images throughout the entire growing season, and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) hyperspectral image during the crop maturity. Multiple machine learning algorithms, including Random Forest, Support Vector Regression, CatBoost, and Stacking were applied to model the relationship between soil As and vegetation variables. The SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) technique was introduced for identifying key variables and corresponding thresholds indicating significant accumulation of soil As. Results showed that time-series satellite-multispectral images outperformed other single RS data types in terms of prediction accuracy. Moreover, the synergy of optical and SAR images significantly improved model accuracy. Particularly, the combination of time-series satellite multispectral and SAR data using the stacking algorithm achieved the best results, with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.71 and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 20.22 mg/kg. Key predictive variables included red-edge vegetation index (RENDVI3) on August 7 and May 26, and the blue band on October 26, with values below 0.018, 0.013 and 0.052, respectively, indicating the As accumulation in soil. In summary, the proposed method of using multiple RS data to retrieve vegetation characteristics for inferring soil PTEs in densely vegetated areas was convenient, cost-effective, and reliable, offering new insights and technical support for environmental monitoring.

Pilot Study on a Liquid Mineral Foliar Fertilizer Mixed with Herbicides for Maize Protection and Nutrition

The purpose of this study was to develop a complex composition of a foliar liquid mineral fertilizer containing NPK macroelements and microelements including Fe, Mg, B, S, Zn, Cu, Mo, Ni, V, and Cr. This complex fertilizer aims to support the optimal development and maturation of maize crops, thereby enhancing both the quality and quantity of production. In our study, an original recipe was established for a complex composition of foliar liquid mineral fertilizer, and a technological process was developed in order to obtain the recipe at the laboratory level. The designed fertilizer was a complex mixture of fertilizers with herbicides with multiple purposes, which can be used in different pedo-climatic areas and which present, at the same time, low toxicity and minimal ecological impact. A wide-spectrum mixture DICOPUR TOP containing 2,4-D acid and Dicamba was chosen as a systemic herbicide which is absorbed by plants both in the root system and also on the leaves. For conditioning the complex mixture of fertilizers with herbicides, different types of polyvinyl alcohol with different degrees of hydrolysis were used. The liquid fertilizer mixture with DICOPUR TOP was applied over two years (2021 and 2022) to the Felix maize hybrid, demonstrating significant positive effects on grain yield while effectively controlling both dicotyledonous and monocotyledonous weeds.

Emergy-based evaluation of production efficiency and sustainability of diversified multi-cropping systems in the Yangtze River Basin.

Excessive agricultural investment brought about by increased multiple-cropping index may compromise environmental sustainability. There are few studies on the sustainability of diversified multi-cropping systems in the Yangtze River Basin (YRB). Therefore, this study selected five representative locations in the YRB. According to the local climate characteristics and food demand, diversified multi-cropping systems were designed, and the main local winter crops were selected as the previous crops of the corn-soybean strip compound cropping system, with the local traditional double-cropping model as the control (CK). The emergy evaluation method was introduced to quantitatively compare the efficiency and sustainability of diversified multi-cropping systems in the YRB. The results showed that by incorporating soybean by intercropping with corn, compared with the CK, the total energy input, annual energy output, and annual economic output increased by 15.80%, 9.78%, and 33.12% on average, respectively. The unit emergy value (UEV) and unit non-renewable value (UNV) increased by 6.03% and 5.98%, respectively; the emergy yield ratio (EYR) and environmental loading ratio (ELR) decreased by 0.91% and 0.44%, respectively; the emergy sustainability index (ESI) was the same. In the third mature crop selection, compared with that of corn, the ELR of soybean decreased by 14.32%, and the ESI increased by 18.55%. In addition, the choice of winter crops plays a vital role in the system's efficiency and sustainability. Compared with those of other winter crops, the annual economic outputs of potato (upper reaches of the YRB), potato or forage rape (middle reaches of the YRB), and wheat (lower reaches of the YRB) increased by 51.02%, 32.27%, and 0.94%, respectively; their ESI increased by 71.21%, 47.72%, and 12.07%, respectively. Potato-corn/soybean or potato/corn/soybean (upper reaches of the YRB), forage rape-corn/soybean or potato/corn/soybean (middle reaches of the YRB), and wheat-corn/soybean (lower reaches of the YRB) were chosen to facilitate the coexistence of high economic benefits and environmental sustainability. Additionally, promoting mechanization and reducing labor input were essential to improve the efficiency and sustainability of multi-cropping systems. This study would provide a scientific basis and theoretical support for the development of efficient and sustainable multiple-cropping systems in the dryland of the YRB.

Weeding force saving to improve profitability of cassava-legumes cropping systems in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

Weeding is a common farming practice for optimal emergence, growth and maturity of crops. Smallholders in Central Africa use a traditional hoe for weed control. This is a hard and time-consuming activity. To address this bottleneck, a study was conducted at three sites, namely Walungu, Uvira, and Mulungu in South-Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), over two growing seasons (September 2020 and February 2021). The purpose was to minimize the workload involved in weed control and boosting cassava yields via time-, labour, and energy-saving through adjusted weeding. Experiments were carried out as a split-plot design with three randomized blocks at multiple locations. Weed control was assessed for hand hoe, herbicide, and single-wheeled hoe (a weeding tool that combines manpower with improved weeding precision) in a cassava-legume intercropping system. Results show that the use of herbicide translated into about 6 times less energy use than a hand hoe, accounting for a ca. 4 times reduced weeding workload, and a reduction in weeding time up to 84%. The single-wheeled hoe use accounted for almost 61% reduction in weeding energy consumed, a reduction of 40% of the weeding time, and for about 38% of the weeding load saving. Although the three weeding methods gave statistically similar yields, it nevertheless turned out that herbicide treatment achieved the lowest cost-benefit ratio (CBR) (0.2), evoking its superiority in terms of profitability over both the hand hoe and the single-wheeled hoe. The study asserted that weed control is ‘moderately heavy’ and ‘light’ when involving the single-wheeled hoe and herbicide, respectively.

Current Insights into Weak Seed Dormancy and Pre-Harvest Sprouting in Crop Species.

During the domestication of crops, seed dormancy has been reduced or eliminated to encourage faster and more consistent germination. This alteration makes cultivated crops particularly vulnerable to pre-harvest sprouting, which occurs when mature crops are subjected to adverse environmental conditions, such as excessive rainfall or high humidity. Consequently, some seeds may bypass the normal dormancy period and begin to germinate while still attached to the mother plant before harvest. Grains affected by pre-harvest sprouting are characterized by increased levels of α-amylase activity, resulting in poor processing quality and immediate grain downgrading. In the agriculture industry, pre-harvest sprouting causes annual economic losses exceeding USD 1 billion worldwide. This premature germination is influenced by a complex interplay of genetic, biochemical, and molecular factors closely linked to environmental conditions like rainfall. However, the exact mechanism behind this process is still unclear. Unlike pre-harvest sprouting, vivipary refers to the germination process and the activation of α-amylase during the soft dough stage, when the grains are still immature. Mature seeds with reduced levels of ABA or impaired ABA signaling (weak dormancy) are more susceptible to pre-harvest sprouting. While high seed dormancy can enhance resistance to pre-harvest sprouting, it can lead to undesirable outcomes for most crops, such as non-uniform seedling establishment after sowing. Thus, resistance to pre-harvest sprouting is crucial to ensuring productivity and sustainability and is an agronomically important trait affecting yield and grain quality. On the other hand, seed color is linked to sprouting resistance; however, the genetic relationship between both characteristics remains unresolved. The identification of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase-3 (MKK3) as the gene responsible for pre-harvest sprouting-1 (Phs-1) represents a significant advancement in our understanding of how sprouting in wheat is controlled at the molecular and genetic levels. In seed maturation, Viviparous-1 (Vp-1) plays a crucial role in managing pre-harvest sprouting by regulating seed maturation and inhibiting germination through the suppression of α-amylase and proteases. Vp-1 is a key player in ABA signaling and is essential for the activation of the seed maturation program. Mutants of Vp-1 exhibit an unpigmented aleurone cell layer and exhibit precocious germination due to decreased sensitivity to ABA. Recent research has also revealed that TaSRO-1 interacts with TaVp-1, contributing to the regulation of seed dormancy and resistance to pre-harvest sprouting in wheat. The goal of this review is to emphasize the latest research on pre-harvest sprouting in crops and to suggest possible directions for future studies.

Assessment of Urban Farming Production, and Contribution to the Households’ Livelihood: A Case of Kigali City and Musanze District

Agriculture plays an important role in the economic growth and food security control in developing countries including Rwanda. This research study was carried out in Kigali and Musanze. Urban farming is one way to best use useless places closed inside household fences, resulting in high yields. Due to their short production cycle, Horticultural crops provide a quick response to emergency food needs, particularly in cities. These species have considerable yields that generate more income for farmers when used appropriately. The main objective of this study was to analyze the factors influencing urban farming production, profitability, and contribution to the households’ livelihoods in Rwanda. The population of interest for this research study constituted smallholder farmers of vegetables and fruits in Kigali and Musanze cities. The sampling unit was the garden household. A multistage sampling technique was employed involving purposive sampling of four districts Gasabo, Kicukiro, Nyarugenge, and Musanze. The study used a sample frame of 1085 population and a sample size of 112 respondents. The results from the study indicated that ten factors over fourteen have a positive influence on urban farming production while four have a negative influence in the study area. The results also showed that the productive fruits grown are classified into five classes indicated in Figure 1. The results of the study revealed different places/methods used to grow vegetables/species and fruits such as bags, baskets and basins, hanging baskets, old wheels, pallet gardens, open ground, trellises, arches, shelves, fences window box walls. The results displayed that the crops do well in small areas/places closed inside the household’s fences. The results proved that urban farming contributed to the social economy through different parts example malnutrition control, money saving, and food security. The results pointed out that urban farming production is constrained by some challenges such as small owned parcels, lack of urban farming knowledge, lack of technologies, period of crop maturity, lack of capital, lack of awareness, habitation system, and infrastructures. However, urban farming development should be enhanced to maintain national food security and improve income for farmers.

Succession of Major Pests and Predatory Fauna in Okra

Investigations on pest succession in okra crops were carried out during kharif, 2023 at the Department of Entomology, B. A. College of Agriculture, Anand Agricultural University, Anand. Pest succession based on crop growth stages showed that the population of sucking insect-pests viz., jassid (Amrasca biguttula biguttula Ishida), aphid (Aphis gossypii Glover), whitefly (Bemisia tabaci Gennadius.) observed from vegetative stage and remained up to crop matured while, red spider mite, Tetranychus cinnabarinus incidence appeared from reproductive stage to maturity stage. Among the lepidopteran pests, the infestation of semi-looper, Anomis flava (Fabricius) started in the second week after germination and remained till maturity of the crop whereas, shoot and fruit borer (Earias insulana Boisd.) and fruit borer (Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) Hardwick) damaged the crop from the vegetative stage and remained up to crop maturity. Coccinellids and spider activity initiated with sucking insect-pest incidence and remained up to crop maturity. The weather parameters, Bright sunshine hours and maximum minimum temperature had significant relationships with A. biguttula biguttula, T. cinnabarinus, E. vittella and H. armigera. Whereas, relative humidity significantly negatively influenced the activity of red spider mite, E. vittella, H. armigera and positively on predator coccinellids. Furthermore, windspeed had a significant positive association with A. biguttula biguttula and E. vittella (shoot damage) while, negative with H. armigera larva.

AtWRKY1 at the intersection of plant development and defense: The cost of coping with adversity

The life cycle of many plants including our most important crops is short, with weeks to months between germination and death. Monocarpic plants flower only once, with seed/grain filling dependent on nutrient remobilization from senescing parental plants. A mature crop stand such as a harvest-ready wheat field is the result of mass suicide, with only the seeds/grains as living entities.

Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi as fungal biofertilizer on the growth and yield of okra (Abelmoschus Esculentus l.) in Kebbi

Studies on effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi of biofertilizer on growth and yield Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L).The study was carried out in the greenhouse, the department of biology ADAMU AUGIE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION ARGUNGU in polythene bags (50g). A total of 420 seeds of Okra were collected from national cereals Research Institute Gwadangaji. A sun dried seeds of the samples was sown in polythene bags and distributed into seven treatments which were used in the study as follows, control (without treatment), biofertilizer only, organic fertilizer only, chemical fertilizer only, organic fertilizer + biofertilizer, 20% chemical fertilizer + biofertilizer, and biofertilizer (two doses). Using complete randomized block design (CRBD). From the result shows that the biofertilizer only in all parameters shows significant differences (P< 0.05) compared with the control, which gives an indication that biofertilizer helped plant growth and been able to provide the plants with nutrients as it promoted rapid growth, increased leaf size, leaf length, number of leaves, number of branches, fresh weight and dry weight of the plant, hastened crop maturity, and promote fruit and seed development. It was concluded from the result of the study that a fungal biofertilizer play a role as biofertilizer. Were it is clear that the use of biofertilizer affect the growth of Okra. Biofertilizer (two doses) do not affect the growth of Okra as biofertilizer (one dose).It may be due to competition of fungi. The combination of treatments with biofertilizer were recommended for the optimum growth and the yield of Okra. The experiment may be repeated using another fungi or mixture of different fungi. Potassium solubilizing fungi, phosphate solubilizing fungi or another N-fixing microorganism. Cultivation of the plants in field instead of the polythene bags, to provide an appropriate environment to the fungi.

Determination of critical crop-weed competition period: Impact on growth, nutrient dynamics and productivity of green gram (Vigna radiata)

The critical period of crop-weed competition (CPCWC) varies by cultivars, management strategies, cropping seasons, soil, and climate. Hence, a study was done to assess CPCWC in green gram under different cropping seasons and its impact on nutrient mining, agro-physiological characteristics, and productivity of green gram during the summer and rainy seasons. The experiment comprised of 12 treatments (weed interference until 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 days after sowing (DAS) and crop maturity, weed-free until 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 DAS and crop maturity). The treatments were placed in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Results revealed that, summer green gram outperformed rainy green gram by boosting nutrient uptake, growth and productivity. Weed interference up to crop harvest lowered the green gram dry matter accumulation by 34.11 %, seed index by 8.98 %, grain yield by 76.21 % and biological yield by 31.06 %. However, weed-free until crop harvest boosted nitrogen content by 50.4 %, phosphorus by 87.7 % and potassium by 42.9 %. Similarly, weed-free environment until harvest of the crop raised chlorophyll-a content by 2.9–6.6 fold and 2.7–7.0 fold, chlorophyll-b by 3.8–5.8 fold and 3.8–6.5 fold over season-long weedy plots during summer and rainy season, respectively. This study suggested that the critical duration for crop-weed competition under 5 % relative yield loss (RYL) was 11–43 DAS in summer and 4 to 36 DAS in rainy. Whereas, critical duration for the crop-weed competition at 10 % RYL was 21–36 DAS in summer and 8 to 27 DAS in rainy seasons.

Effects of different timing and rate of glyphosate application on the residue level, grain quality, and processing performance of two Canadian malting barley varieties

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesA preharvest application of glyphosate on malting barley can assist in the management of perennial weed growth before harvest and serves as a harvest aid by drying down the crop. The main objective of this study was to assess the effects of preharvest glyphosate application at two glyphosate rates (900 or 1125 g ae/ha) and three application timings based on the maturity and seed moisture level (soft dough, hard dough, or mature).FindingsThe levels of glyphosate residue in barley grain were highly variable among locations and years ranging from 0 to 95 mg/kg. Glyphosate application at both rates at the soft dough stage significantly decreased the kernel weight of barley grain. Barley grain with up to 40 mg/kg of glyphosate residue exhibited adequate germination energy required for malting purposes; however, the residue negatively affected the growth of roots during the malting process. The levels of α‐amylase in malt decreased with increasing levels of glyphosate residue in barley. Other malt and wort parameters were generally not affected by the glyphosate application on barley.ConclusionsToo early application of glyphosate at the soft dough stage of barley grain development reduced the kernel weight and size, interfered with roots production, affected synthesis of α‐amylase, and reduced the malt extract in several cases.Significance and NoveltyResults indicated that in the majority of environments, when glyphosate was applied at the recommended stage and rate, neither the maximum residue limit was exceeded nor were the germination and malting quality of barley impaired. In real farming conditions, it might be hard to achieve similar results despite adherence to the recommended timing of glyphosate application because of the nonuniform level of crop maturity in the field and/or uncontrollable environmental effects.

A Review on the High-Efficiency Detection and Precision Positioning Technology Application of Agricultural Robots

The advancement of agricultural technology has increasingly positioned robotic detection and localization techniques at the forefront, ensuring critical support for agricultural development through their accuracy and reliability. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of various methods used in detection and localization, including UWB, deep learning, SLAM, and multi-sensor fusion. In the domain of detection, the application of deep algorithms in assessing crop maturity and pest analysis is discussed. For localization, the accuracy of different methods in target positioning is examined. Additionally, the integration of convolutional neural networks and multi-sensor fusion with deep algorithms in agriculture is reviewed. The current methodologies effectively mitigate environmental interference, significantly enhancing the accuracy and reliability of agricultural robots. This study offers directional insights into the development of robotic detection and localization in agriculture, clarifying the future trajectory of this field and promoting the advancement of related technologies.

Green synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using Lantana camara leaf extract for the enhancement of plant growth

Abstract Zinc is an important micronutrient for plants, involved in numerous physiological processes as well as numerous enzymatic and metabolic events. Zinc deficiency results in slowed plant development, higher chlorosis rates, smaller leaves, and fewer tillers, which lengthen the crop maturity period and lowers crop quality. In the present study, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) were synthesized through co-precipitation approach by using Lantana camara plant leaf extract. The synthesized ZnONPs were hexagonal in shape with mean size of around 60 nm. The bactericidal activity of ZnONPs was assessed against three phytopathogenic bacterial strains namely Ralstonia solanacearum, Xanthomonas campestris and Erwinia carotovora through broth dilution method. The MIC50 of ZnONPs was 248.33 μg ml−1, 320 .27 μg ml−1 and 320.95 μg ml−1 against R. solanacearum, X. campestris and E. carotovora respectively. The fungiciadal activity of ZnONPs against three phytopathogenic fungal strains was studied by poison food technique. It was observed that 500 ppm ZnONPs could inhbit 86%, 85% and 55% growth of Alterneria solani, Fusarium oxysporum and Athelia rolfsii respectively. The efficacy of ZnONPs as nano fertilizer was evaluated in Solanum lycopersicum Linn. by foliar spray under laboratory condition and it was observed that in comparison with micron sized ZnO, ZnONP treatment could significantly boost up fresh and dry weight, root and shoot length, chlorophyll, lipid and carbohydrate content of the plants.

Selection of Genotypes for Enhancing Tef Productivity Through Farmers’ Participation in Potential Environments of Ethiopia

Tef, <i>Eragrostis tef</i> (Zucc.) Trotter is the main crop grown in Ethiopia. However, its productivity remains low compared to its potential yield. A multi-location trial was conducted to evaluate selected best-performing lines from previous trials in terms of stability and yield coupled with farmers’ opinions and preferences, aiming to identify superior lines. A total of twenty tef genotypes, including a standard and a local check were field evaluated using RCBD with four replications. The lines were grown in 4 m² plots across eight different locations in Ethiopia during the 2018/19 and 2019/20 cropping seasons. Additionally, an on-farm participatory variety evaluation involving 198 participants, comprising farmers and agricultural experts, was conducted during the 2019 cropping season. Phenological and agromorphological traits were collected and subjected to statistical analysis to identify the best genotypes. The pooled analysis of variance revealed significant variation (at the 0.01% level) among genotypes, locations, and years for all traits except grain yield and days to maturity. While some genotypes produced comparable grain yields, none surpassed the standard check variety Negus. Additionally, Participatory variety selection was conducted during the crop maturity stage using the direct-matrix ranking method. Farmers sets their own selection criteria, these are crop stand, tillering capacity, panicle weight, lodging tolerance, culm strength, and pest infestation or infection. Based on their evaluation, the genotypes DZ-01-974 X GA-10-3 RIL 51, DZ-01-974 X GA-10-3 RIL 47 and DZ-01-974 X GA-10-3 RIL 68 were identified as farmers preferred varieties from direct matrix ranking evaluations and chosen for their performance in the field. Thus, this study highlights the feasibility of participatory variety selection in gaining insights into farmer’s perceptions, preferences, strengths and weaknesses of tef genotypes.

A Comprehensive Review of LiDAR Applications in Crop Management for Precision Agriculture.

Precision agriculture has revolutionized crop management and agricultural production, with LiDAR technology attracting significant interest among various technological advancements. This extensive review examines the various applications of LiDAR in precision agriculture, with a particular emphasis on its function in crop cultivation and harvests. The introduction provides an overview of precision agriculture, highlighting the need for effective agricultural management and the growing significance of LiDAR technology. The prospective advantages of LiDAR for increasing productivity, optimizing resource utilization, managing crop diseases and pesticides, and reducing environmental impact are discussed. The introduction comprehensively covers LiDAR technology in precision agriculture, detailing airborne, terrestrial, and mobile systems along with their specialized applications in the field. After that, the paper reviews the several uses of LiDAR in agricultural cultivation, including crop growth and yield estimate, disease detection, weed control, and plant health evaluation. The use of LiDAR for soil analysis and management, including soil mapping and categorization and the measurement of moisture content and nutrient levels, is reviewed. Additionally, the article examines how LiDAR is used for harvesting crops, including its use in autonomous harvesting systems, post-harvest quality evaluation, and the prediction of crop maturity and yield. Future perspectives, emergent trends, and innovative developments in LiDAR technology for precision agriculture are discussed, along with the critical challenges and research gaps that must be filled. The review concludes by emphasizing potential solutions and future directions for maximizing LiDAR's potential in precision agriculture. This in-depth review of the uses of LiDAR gives helpful insights for academics, practitioners, and stakeholders interested in using this technology for effective and environmentally friendly crop management, which will eventually contribute to the development of precision agricultural methods.

Influence of crop development and fruit retention on the timing of crop maturity in Ultra-narrow row cotton

Ultra-narrow row (UNR) cotton, a production system with rows spaced less than 40 cm apart, has been proposed as a system for earlier maturity without substantial yield loss. However, trials in the U.S.A. and Australia have found maturity benefits difficult to achieve consistently. Studies undertaken in high input cotton systems that compared UNR to conventionally (1 m) spaced cotton found yield differences but failed to demonstrate differences in crop maturity. This paper examines crop development and fruiting dynamics of the two systems in more detail to understand why there were no differences in maturity. Results showed that lack of difference in maturity between the row spacings was not influenced by differences in the time to reach crop development stages nor by lower fruit retention of early bolls in the UNR plants. Node production and fruiting site production on a per plant basis were significantly slower in the UNR plants from early in the growing season. Slower node and fruiting site production delayed maturity in the UNR plants as they set fewer fruit within the same period of time compared to plants grown in conventional spaced rows. The number of fruiting sites produced per plant was highly dependent on the amount of dry matter per plant. Fruiting site production was reduced in the UNR crop because each plant produced less total dry matter, and hence plant development was slower. To further help understand the reasons for outcomes generated in these studies, and how UNR could possibly mature earlier without impacting yield, a conceptual modelling framework was developed to integrate seasonal patterns in fruiting site production, retention, and boll growth. A key component of this framework is translating from a per plant basis to an area basis. The analysis showed that for individual UNR plants to mature earlier and maintain yield on an area basis, early node production and fruiting site production must proceed at a similar rate to conventionally spaced crops. In this scenario 90 % of final yield would be present 14 days earlier in the UNR crop compared to conventionally spaced crops. To realise any benefits of potential earlier maturity further research is needed to explore genetic or management interventions that might avoid the early competitive stress response that slows node development in UNR.

Effects of haze and weather in 2023 on crop maturation and yield in Ohio

Plain Language SummaryWildfire smoke in 2023 led to hazy conditions throughout the United States in late June and early July. Farmers often asked what effect the haze had on the weather as well as crop growth and development. This report used weather data from Ohio to measure the impacts of smoke and haze on light availability, and to determine how temperatures may have been affected. Light during the season was reduced by up to 9% during the months of May–August, but reductions in temperature were more likely caused by northerly wind patterns rather than the haze. Cooler seasonal temperatures also contributed to delayed maturation and grain drydown in corn. Despite the haze and cooler temperatures, the 2023 state average yield of corn, soybean, and wheat were highest in 10 years. If haze conditions had occurred later in the season, the effect on corn and soybean maturation and yield may have differed.

ECONOMIC AND BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF RADISH HYBRIDS FOR GROWING IN OPEN SOIL IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE CENTRAL PART OF THE RIGHT BANK FOREST-STEPPE

Radish is an early vegetable crop with a very short growing season, widely cultivated worldwide. At the same time, the extensive varietal resources of radishes and the changing environmental conditions compel agroproducers to perform more careful selection of varieties/hybrids to achieve high yields of marketable products. For this purpose, an agro-biological evaluation of eight radish hybrids of different maturity periods was conducted in open-field cultivation. Differences were found in both the duration of phenophases and the growing period of radish plants. The hybrids Stellar and Rockstar were characterized by faster entry into phenological phases, root formation, and maturation, reaching the technical maturity phase on the 25th day. In terms of biometric indicators at the technical maturity phase (BBCH 49), the hybrid Adele stood out, with plants having the highest height (18 cm), leaf rosette width (18 cm), number of leaves per plant (8 pcs), and area (17.6 thousand m2/ha). Over the years of research from 2017 to 2019, which were marked by contrasting weather conditions, the highest yield was obtained from the Adele hybrid, at 26.1–27.3 t/ha, with a 15% advantage over the control and a yield increase of 3.5 t/ha. The hybrids were ranked by yield as follows: Adele > Eliza > Stellar > Rockstar > Rosetta > Roxanne > Donar > Rolex. The highest quality indicators were found in the root crops of the Adele, Stellar, and Rockstar hybrids. Based on the visual assessment of radish root crops, analysis of their linear dimensions, and quality indicators, the hybrids were ranked as follows: Adele > Stellar > Rockstar > Eliza > Rosetta > Roxanne > Donar > Rolex. A strong direct correlation was found between yield and root weight (r=1), as well as between the developmental phases of the plants (seedling emergence, appearance of the first true leaf, growth and development of leaves and roots) and the technical maturity of the root crops (r=0.90–1.00). The number of leaves per plant correlated with plant height (0.97) and the developmental phases of the plants (0.91–0.97). The sugar content in the root crop correlated with the dry matter content and the root diameter (0.92). Based on the agro-biological evaluation of radish hybrids of different maturity groups, it was determined that the most productive hybrids with quality root crops for open-field cultivation are the early-maturing Stellar, the mid-maturing Eliza, and the late-maturing Adele, which are recommended for cultivation in farms of various ownership forms in the central part of the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe.

Tomato maturity stage prediction based on vision transformer and deep convolution neural networks

Automated assessment of tomato crop maturity is vital for improving agricultural productivity and reducing food waste. Traditionally, farmers have relied on visual inspection and manual assessment to predict tomato maturity, which is prone to human error and time-consuming. Computer vision and deep learning automate this process by analysing visual characteristics, enabling data-driven harvest decisions, optimising quality, and reducing waste for sustainable and efficient agriculture. This research demonstrates deep learning models accurately classifying tomato maturity stages using computer vision techniques, utilising a novel dataset of 4,353 tomato images. The Vision Transformer (ViT) model exhibited superior performance in classifying tomatoes into three ripeness categories (immature, mature, and partially mature), achieving a remarkable testing accuracy of 98.67% and the Convolution neural network (CNN) models, including EfficientNetB1, EfficientNetB5, EfficientNetB7, InceptionV3, ResNet50, and VGG16, achieved testing accuracies of 88.52%, 89.84%, 91.16%, 90.94%, 93.15%, and 92.27%, respectively, when tested with unseen data. ViT significantly surpassed the performance of CNN models. This research highlights the potential for deploying ViT in agricultural environments to monitor tomato maturity stages and packaging facilities smartly. Transformer-based systems could substantially reduce food waste and improve producer profits and productivity by optimising fruit harvest time and sorting decisions.

Life cycle water and energy consumption and efficiency analysis of major crops in China

Water and energy are key elements in food production. However, only a few studies have investigated water and energy consumption simultaneously in a crop cultivation life cycle. In this study, we established a bottom–up framework to explore water and energy consumption in each period of the crop growth process, including sowing, germination, growth, maturation, and harvesting. We propose a novel homogenization index, the Water–Energy Efficiency for Food (WEEF) index, to compare crop production efficiency by reasonably eliminating regional location effects. Changes in water and energy consumption were evaluated for six major crops in China, including wheat, maize, rice, soybean, peanut, and cotton. The results showed that the water and energy consumption during the main growth period were largely synchronized in most regions, with peak periods occurring in July–August and May–June. Owing to the increased use of agricultural machinery and irrigation energy, the total energy consumption per unit yield of cotton, maize, and rice increased by 28%, 19%, and 16%, respectively, in 2018 compared with 2012, reaching 25.81, 2.53, and 2.49 MJ/kg, respectively. The WEEF index revealed that the efficiency of wheat and soybean production in China surpassed that of other crops. In general, the average crop production efficiency in the northern region was about 4％ lower than that in the southern region. Implementing spatiotemporal refined water and energy management strategies is imperative to attain sustainable agricultural development.