Value Of Pods Research Articles

Exploring Genetic Variability and Diversity in Exotic Germplasm Collection of Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.)

The current research investigates the genetic variation and diversity in exotic accessions of cocoa to identify materials with desired characteristics as well as important traits contributing to yield and variability. The experiment was conducted at Cocoa Research Centre, Kerala Agricultural University, from 2021 to 2023. The study comprises 23 exotic genotypes in which observations were recorded on quantitative traits on flowers, pods, and beans. Statistical analysis was carried out based on the observations recorded. The morphological evaluation revealed ample variability among the genotypes for all the quantitative characters studied. The average dry bean weight recorded was 1.08 grams, which is a desirable trait in selecting individuals with high processing efficiency for the chocolate industry. Characters such as single bean dry weight, pod value, pod index, and efficiency index have recorded high values of GCV, heritability and genetic advance as percent of the mean. Principal component (PC) analysis showed that the first three PCs with more than one Eigen-value contributed to 92.18 percent of total variability among the germplasm. Yield components viz. pod value, total bean weight pod-1 and single bean dry weight significantly contribute to maximum variability among the exotic germplasm. Moreover, genotypes were grouped into five clusters based on hierarchical agglomerative clustering technique. Hybridization program involving superior genotypes identified in diverse clusters as parents can produce high-yielding hybrids. The high values recorded for the genetic parameters by yield components suggest the selection of genotypes based on which can result in better-performing progeny.

Accuracy evaluation and comparison of GSMaP series for retrieving precipitation on the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Study RegionMin River Basin on the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Study FocusPrecipitation is critical for hydrological processes, making accurate data essential for water management and flood forecasting. Satellite precipitation products offer valuable high-resolution spatiotemporal information, with the GSMaP series being widely used. However, comprehensive evaluations of different versions are limited. This study assesses the accuracy of Gauge and MVK products (versions 06, 07, and 08) across spatial and temporal scales and evaluates their performance in detecting precipitation events of varying intensities. New Hydrological Insights for the Study Region(1) GSMaP versions 06 and 07 exhibit higher detection rates for precipitation events, with POD values exceeding 0.8, while version 08 has a lower false alarm rate, with FAR values below 0.15. (2) GSMaP products are more successful in capturing precipitation events during the rainy season than the dry season. (3) With increasing elevation, the Gauge product consistently maintains a high hit rate and reduced false alarm rate, whereas the MVK product's hit rates improve. (4) For different rainfall intensities, GSMaP products more accurately detect moderate and heavy rain events, with the Gauge product outperforming the MVK product in terms of accuracy. These insights enhance the understanding of GSMaP product performance on eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, aiding in improved water management practices.

A multi-perspective assessment of satellite surface Ozone products in China: Spatiotemporal variability, land cover impacts and pollution monitoring capability

Accurate Ozone concentration datasets are essential for comprehensively understanding air quality, climate change, and the health and societal impacts related to Ozone exposure. Currently, there is limited research comparing near-surface Ozone concentration products. In this study, we employed continuous evaluation metrics (R2, RMSE, RB) and classified statistical indicators (POD, FAR, CSI) to comprehensively compare and assess three near-surface Ozone concentration products (CHAP O3, LGAP O3, TAP O3) in China from 2015 to 2020. Our findings indicate that CHAP outperforms other products in estimating near-surface Ozone concentration and monitoring Ozone pollution in China. In terms of temporal scale, the three Ozone products exhibited a strong correlation in specific regions across multiple time scales (R2> 0.6). The RMSE values of the products were lower in CHAP, followed by TAP, and higher in LGAP. Notably, LGAP significantly underestimated Ozone concentrations over time. Regarding spatial scale, CHAP and TAP align closely with ground observations, whereas LGAP shows significant underestimation in latitude and longitude, with the discrepancy increasing gradually along the longitude. All three products exhibited strong correlations with measured data at various sites (R2> 0.6). The RMSE and | RB| distributions of CHAP and TAP were similar and superior to LGAP. CHAP and TAP perform better than LGAP under specific land cover types, especially in urban and vegetation-covered areas, while their performance is relatively poorer in farmland-covered areas. Concerning pollution events, CHAP and TAP exhibit strong detection capabilities for Ozone pollution events in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region and other majority areas, with POD values exceeding 0.6, and FAR values below 0.1, showcasing excellent CSI performance. In contrast, LGAP has weaker detection capabilities, with POD values primarily in the 0–0.2 range and lower CSI values. This comprehensive evaluation sheds light on the strengths and weaknesses of different near-surface Ozone concentration products and their implications for assessing Ozone pollution in China.

Transcriptome analysis reveals differences in developmental neurotoxicity mechanism of methyl-, ethyl-, and propyl- parabens in zebrafish embryos

Studies on the comparison of developmental (neuro) toxicity of parabens are currently limited, and unharmonized concentrations between phenotypic observations and transcriptome analysis hamper the understanding of their differential molecular mechanisms. Thus, developmental toxicity testing was conducted herein using the commonly used methyl- (MtP), ethyl- (EtP), and propyl-parabens (PrP) in zebrafish embryos. With a benchmark dose of 5%, embryonic-mortality-based point-of-departure (M-POD) values of the three parabens were determined, and changes in locomotor behavior were evaluated at concentrations of 0, M-POD/50, M-POD/10, and M-POD, where transcriptome analysis was conducted to explore the underlying neurotoxicity mechanism. Higher long-chained parabens were more toxic than short-chained parabens, as determined by the M-POD values of 154.1, 72.6, and 24.2 µM for MtP, EtP, and PrP, respectively. Meanwhile, exposure to EtP resulted in hyperactivity, whereas no behavioral effect was observed with MtP and PrP. Transcriptome analysis revealed that abnormal behaviors in the EtP-exposed group were associated with distinctly enriched pathways in signaling, transport, calcium ion binding, and metal binding. In contrast, exposure to MtP and PrP mainly disrupted membranes and transmembranes, which are closely linked to abnormal embryonic development rather than neurobehavioral changes. According to the changes in the expressions of signature mRNAs, tentative transcriptome-based POD values for each paraben were determined as MtP (2.68 µM), EtP (3.85 µM), and PrP (1.4 µM). This suggests that different molecular perturbations initiated at similar concentrations determined the extent and toxicity outcome differently. Our findings provide insight into better understanding the differential developmental neurotoxicity mechanisms of parabens.

EVALUATION OF THE CORDEX-SEA MODELS PERFORMANCE IN SIMULATING CHARACTERISTICS OF WET SEASON IN INDONESIA

Indonesia's climate is known to be challenging to adequately simulate by climate models because of the complexity of the weather system and sea-land distribution. Model evaluation is essential to measure confidence in the model results. This study evaluates the performance of the CORDEX-SEA model in simulating monthly rainfall patterns and the characteristics of seasonal rainfall, i.e., pattern, timing, length, and intensity, in Indonesia during 1986-2005. The performance of weighted (WMME) and unweighted ensemble methods are also calculated. Corrected CHIRPS data with similar seasonal patterns with point observation data is used as reference data to evaluate models. Percentage of the agreement of seasonal patterns between models and observation, FAR, and POD values were used to assess the model's ability to simulate seasonal patterns. WMME has the best seasonal patterns agreement with observation, 67% of all grids. The best model performance is shown by monsoonal patterns, with a POD value of 83% by WMME. Otherwise, all models could not describe an anti-monsoonal pattern, with a small POD (0-33%) and a high FAR (60-100%). In simulating the wet season on climatological, annual, and annual mean scales, both MMEs have similar performance and are better than individual models, with WMME performing best. However, on an annual scale, the yearly wet season produced by all models tends to approach its climatology value, making it less reliable in extreme years. Most models have higher daily and monthly rainfall than observation. In conclusion, the weighted ensemble method describes Indonesia's rainy season well, thus providing a reasonable basis for further research in climate projection analysis.

Prosopis juliflora: nutritional value, bioactive activity, and potential application in human nutrition.

Prosopis juliflora is a xerophytic, nitrogen-fixing plant distributed in arid and semi-arid regions. The fruits of this plant are pods, which have seeds inside, and both pods and seeds have high nutritional value and bioactive potential. Different derivatives can be obtained from the pods and seeds: flour, starch, syrup, protein concentrate, and gums. This review aims to gather information from the literature on P. juliflora. It focuses on the nutritional value, bioactive activity, and technological application of pods, seeds, and their derivatives, highlighting their use in human nutrition and new research perspectives. The pod of P. juliflora can be used in several ways, as it has high levels of nutrients. It is used as a food supplement; it has antimicrobial effects and phytochemicals associated with other bioactive activity. Among the pod derivatives, flour is the most studied and can be widely used in bakery products. The seed of P. juliflora also has high nutritional potential and bioactive activity. Among its other derivatives, the gum stands out and can be used for various purposes in the food industry. To expand the use of pods, seeds, and their derivatives in human nutrition, further studies are needed on chemical composition, bioactive activity, toxicity, and nutritional, bioactive, technological, and sensory effects of their application in food products. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

A Preliminary Assessment of the GSMaP Version 08 Products over Indonesian Maritime Continent against Gauge Data

This study is a preliminary assessment of the latest version of the Global Satellite Measurement of Precipitation (GSMaP version 08) data, which were released in December 2021, for the Indonesian Maritime Continent (IMC), using rain gauge (RG) observations from December 2021 to June 2022. Assessments were carried out with 586 rain gauge (RG) stations using a point-to-pixel approach through continuous statistical and contingency table metrics. It was found that the coefficient correlation (CC) of GSMaP version 08 products against RG observations varied between low (CC = 0.14–0.29), moderate (CC = 0.33–0.45), and good correlation (CC = 0.72–0.75), for the hourly, daily, and monthly scales with a tendency to overestimate, indicated by a positive relative bias (RB). Even though the correlation of hourly data is still low, GSMaP can still capture diurnal patterns in the IMC, as indicated by the compatibility of the estimated peak times for the precipitation amount and frequency. GSMaP data also manage to observe heavy rainfall, as indicated by the good of detection (POD) values for daily data ranging from probability 0.71 to 0.81. Such a good POD value of daily data is followed by a relatively low false alarm ratio (FAR) (FAR < 0.5). However, the GSMaP overestimates light rainfall (R < 1 mm/day); as a consequence, it overestimates the consecutive wet days (CWD) and number of days with rainfall ≥ 1 mm (R1mm) indices, and underestimates the consecutive dry days (CDD) extreme rain index. GSMaP daily data accuracy depends on IMC’s topographic conditions, especially for GSMaP real-time data. Of all GSMaP version 08 products evaluated, outperformed post-real-time non-gauge-calibrated (GSMaP_MVK), and followed by post-real-time gauge-calibrated (GSMaP_Gauge), near-real-time gauge-calibrated (GSMaP_NRT_G), near-real-time non-gauge-calibrated (GSMaP_NRT), real-time gauge-calibrated (GSMaP_Now_G), and real-time non-gauge-calibrated (GSMaP_Now). Thus, GSMaP near-real-time data have the potential for observing rainfall in IMC with faster latency.

GROWTH AND YIELD OF GREEN BEANS RESPONSE ON GIVING NPK AND RICE HUSK BIOCHAR IN ALLUVIAL SOIL

Mung bean (Vigna radiata L) Wilczek) is one of the important legumes or legumes and is widely consumed by the public, especially in Indonesia. Green beans are a source of vegetable protein, vitamins A, B1, C, and E, as well as several other substances that are very beneficial for the human body. Green beans can thrive in loose soil and proper fertilizer application. Rice husk biochar can improve soil physical properties, such as loosening the soil, increasing porosity, aeration, and soil microorganisms, so that roots in the soil can develop properly. NPK fertilizer functions as a supplier of macro nutrients to meet the nutrient needs of plants. This study aims to determine the interaction between NPK and rice husk biochar and to determine the best dose of NPK and rice husk biochar on the growth and yield of green beans in alluvial soil. This research was carried out at a location located in Jl. Sungai Raya Dalam, Pontianak, this research takes place from 22 May 2022 - 11 August 2022. This study used a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) Split Plot namely the effect of NPK fertilizer and rice husk biochar. In this study there are 2 factors, namely Biochar rice husk (b) as the main plot (main plot) as many as 3 treatment levels and NPK 16:16:16 (p) as subplots with 3 treatment levels so that there were 9 treatment combinations with 3 replications, and 5 plant samples. The total number of plants observed was 135 plants. The first factor is the main plot of rice husk biochar (b): b1 = 3 tons/ha, b2 = 5 tons/ha, b3 = 7 tons/ha. The second factor is NPK fertilizer (p): p1 = 400 kg/ha, p2 = 600 kg/ha, p3 = 800 kg/ha. The variables observed were plant height (cm), root volume (cm3), plant dry weight (g), number of pods per plant (fruit), dry seed weight per plant (g), and 100 seed weight (g). Based on the results of the study, it was shown that the effect of NPK and rice husk biochar interacted on the variables of plant height at 4 WAP, number of pods per plant and dry seed weight per plant. The administration of NPK at a dose of 600 kg/ha and rice husk biochar at a dose of 5 tons/ha was the best dose for growth and yield of green beans with an average weight value of fresh pods per plant, which was 36,5 g/plant. Keywords: Alluvial, Green Beans, NPK, Rice Husk Biochar, Response

Hong Kong Airport Wind Shear Now-Casting System Development and Evaluation

A wind-shear now-casting system for Hong Kong International Airport is described. The system has been configured and run retrospectively for the period from January to April 2018 at 20-min intervals using two sets of meteorological inputs to quantify uncertainty. Outputs from the system include calculations of headwind for the northerly and southerly runways at the airport. Six metrics have been defined that attempt to identify areas of strong wind shear; these involve quantification of headwind and headwind gradient in both the horizontal and vertical directions. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves have been generated for all metrics, runways, and meteorological conditions using pilot wind-shear reports to define wind-shear events. These curves allow for derivation of metric thresholds that could be used within an operational system to provide wind-shear alerts. The skill of the system for the 4-month period was quantified in terms of the probability of detection (POD, ideal value 1.0) of wind-shear events; system performance was better for the southerly runway, with the majority of POD values in the range 0.6 to 0.8.

Application of NIRS adaptive technology for prediction of in vitro digestibility parameters of feed ingredients from Fermented Cocoa Pods

Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS) is an alternative method that can be applied in the evaluation of feed ingredients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro digestibility value of fermented cocoa pods using the NIRS method of feed analysis. This study used 18 samples of fermented cocoa shell waste, where the material used was fermented cocoa pod skin (KBK) then in vitro analysis was carried out. Samples were acquired spectrum by Thermo Integrative. Chemical analysis is intended to compare the data from chemical analysis and the NIRS method. The parameters analyzed were pH, dry matter digestibility (KCBK), and organic matter digestibility (KCBO). Spectrum data were processed using PLS with the pre-treatment methods of multiplicative scatter correction (MSC) and DeTrending (DT). Based on the analysis that has been carried out using the NIRS method with a prediction model that has been built on pH parameters, KCBK has a good predictive model with the DT pre-treatment method and KCBO has a good predictive model with the MSC method where (pH = LV: 8, r: 0 .79, R2: 0.62, RMSEC: 0.04 and RPD: 2.00; KCBK= LV: 8, r: 0.86, R2: 0.74, RMSEC: 1.30 and RPD: 2.02 ; KCBO= LV: 8, r: 0.88, R2: 0.78, RMSEC: 1.39 and RPD: 2.21). Rough predictions for pH were obtained with Non pre-treatment and MSC pre-treatment (pH and MSC = LV: 8, r: 0.74, R2: 0.55, RMSEC: 0.05, RPD 1.58) and rough predictions on KCBK were obtained with Non Preatment (KCBK=LV: 8, r: 0.83 R2:0.70, RMSEC: 1.30, and RPD 1.87).

Rainfall Consistency, Variability, and Concentration over the UAE: Satellite Precipitation Products vs. Rain Gauge Observations

Recent advancements in remote sensing have led to the development of several useful technologies that would significantly improve our understanding of atmospheric sciences. The ability to identify atmospheric conditions and determine the possibility and intensity of rainfall over a specific location represents one of the most important advantages. However, the use of remote sensing to measure precipitation in arid regions has revealed significant disparities due to a mixture of climatic and terrestrial factors. The objective of this study is to assess the precipitation consistency, variability, and concentration over the UAE using four multi-satellite remote sensing products, namely CHIRPS, CMORPH, GPM-IMERG, and the PERSIANN-CDR, considering daily rainfall data from 50 rain gauges for the period from 2004 through 2020. The study area is divided into various geomorphological regions to assess the accuracy of the products in different regions. Results reveal that the products with a finer spatial resolution such as CHIRPS and CMORPH are better in terms of annual and daily average values. CHIRPS and GPM-IMERG demonstrated better POD values of 0.80 and 0.78, respectively, while CMORPH and the PERSIANN-CDR showed POD values of 0.72 and 0.44, respectively. The correlation and error estimate analysis showed that the performance of different products varies in each region. The PERSIANN-CDR registered the highest correlation of 0.8 for the East Coast, while for other regions it could not correlate well. IMERG and CHIRPS were able to exhibit a good correlation value (up to 0.8) with the gauge observations. Precipitation concentration and variability analysis revealed that GPM-IMERG represents a better alternative to gauge data. It is concluded that multiple hydro-climatological measures should be utilized to assess the effectiveness of satellite products and select the best product for specific studies.

Numerical simulation of a widespread lightning event over north India using an ensemble of WRF modeling configurations

Widespread event of lightning occurred in two states of eastern India on June 25, 2020, killing 83 people in Bihar and 24 people in Uttar Pradesh (UP). Lightning event is studied using ground-based lightning observational data and Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. A Specialized forecast system for lightning and thunderstorm is needed to minimize the loss of lives. The updraft and ice particle concentration play essential roles in the initialization of lightning inside the thundercloud. The charge generation and separation inside the clouds play an essential role in the severity of lightning. The Lightning Potential Index (LPI) measures the potential of charge generation and separation inside the clouds. It plays a significant role in determining lightning-prone zones.As the monsoon intensified over the Indo Gangetic Plains, lightning simulation is carried out using an ensemble of different WRF model configurations. The model has been integrated from 24th June 0000 UTC to 26th June 0600 UTC with an ensemble of 9 members. 8 members are simulated with a single domain (3 km resolution), and only the second member is simulated with a triple nested domain (9, 3, and 1 km resolution) over Bihar. The ensemble consists of 1 control +8 members with different configurations of the WRF model. LPI is calculated using the model-derived parameters. Furthermore, the model explicitly simulated lightning flash count using a lightning parameterization scheme. The results are analyzed using the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) ground-based observation data. Every ensemble member's results are distinct from each other. This shows the sensitivity of every configuration. Member 2 (M2) is the triple nested member; it uses the same physics option as member 1 (M1). Moreover, M2 shows comparatively good results towards the observation. Simulated radar reflectivity is compared and analyzed using Indian National Satellite System (INSAT-3D) 3D Brightness Temperature (BT). To check the results of all ensemble members model skill score has been calculated. Ensemble probability is calculated to measure the spatial pattern and threat of lightning based on LPI, and it recorded the high lightning threat (90–100) % probability over northwest Bihar (Gopalganj), and it also recorded the heavy rainfall (300 mm). The skill scores of simulated lightning flash count in M2, M8, and M9 showed reasonably good POD values (0.6, 0.5, and 0.69, respectively).

Influence of air humidity on variability of morphological features of <i>Vigna unguiculata</i> (L.) Walp. in artificial conditions

Vigna unguiculata (cowpea) is a species widely cultivated in southern countries, it occupies the third place in the world in terms of cultivation area among leguminous crops. Cowpea is distinguished by its resistance to drought and infertile lands, productivity, nutritional value and excellent culinary qualities of pods and seeds. In recent years interest in vegetable varieties of cowpea has increased in Russia. It is necessary the creation of new varieties that adapted to cultivation in different regions and suitable for mechanized cultivation. The type of stem growth habit is one of important signs in the selection of modern cowpea varieties. Knowledge of variability and stability of this feature and its interrelationships with other morphological features is necessary for the effective implementation of culture breeding programs.
 4 cowpea samples with different growth types were the material in this study. The plants were grown in contrast air humidity conditions at 60% and 90%. At total 14 morphological features were analyzed in 110 plants. The analysis revealed the significant influence of air humidity on the variability of the length and width of the first leaf. It was shown influence of humidity on the ability of plants to form a climbing shoot. The variability of length of the second internode, the pod length and the width of the middle leaflet was depended on the individual characteristics of the genotype. The variation in plant length was due to a complex of factors and it was interrelated with growth conditions and genotypic characteristics. In addition, an unidentifiable effect of air humidity on the growth habit type of different samples was revealed.

Evaluation of multiple satellite precipitation products and their potential utilities in the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin

Hydrological modeling in the Third Pole remains challenging due to the complex topography and scarcity of in-situ precipitation observations. In this study, we assessed five satellite precipitation products (SPPs) including TRMM3B42, PERSIANN-CDR, GPM-IMERG, CMORPH, and GSMaP, and simulated daily streamflow in the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin (YZRB) with VIC model. The performance of SPPs was evaluated by CC, RB, RMSE, POD and FAR, to compare with daily observations. Overall, all SPPs showed decreasing trends of precipitation from east to west compared to 10 km rainfall data. PERSIANN had the highest values of POD (0.65), RB (91.6%) and FAR (0.59) but worst performed in streamflow. CMORPH, GPM and TRMM fit well with the observations annually but overestimate the precipitation in the southeast during wet seasons. Simulation from GPM and CMORPH yield satisfactory results (NSE of 0.86 and 0.82, RE of − 20% and − 13%, respectively), while TRMM outperformed GPM in modeling runoff with smaller relative error. Results indicated the potential of GPM and CMORPH in providing alternative rainfall information in YZRB. Accurate evaluation of multi-source SPPs and their hydrological utility in YZRB would benefit further hydrometeorological studies and water resources management in this area.

Zn alleviated salt toxicity in Solanum lycopersicum L. seedlings by reducing Na+ transfer, improving gas exchange, defense system and Zn contents

Soil secondary salinization is a serious menace that has significant influence on the sustainability of agriculture and threatens food security around the world. Zinc (Zn) as an essential plant nutrient associated with many physio-biochemical processes in plants and improve resistance against various abiotic stresses. The role of Zn in acclimation of Solanum lycopersicum L. challenged with salt stress is miserly understood. A hydroponic study was performed with two tomato varieties (Riogrande and Sungold) exposed to the salinity stress (0 mM and 160 mM NaCl) under two Zn concentrations (15 μM and 30 μM ZnSO4). The results revealed that salt stress exerted strongly negative impacts on root and shoot length, fresh and dry biomass, plant water relations, membrane stability, chlorophyll contents, Na+/K+ ratio along with inferior gas exchange attributes and activities of antioxidant enzymes. Moreover, Riogrande was found to be more resistant to salinity stress than Sungold. However, Zn supply significantly alleviated the hazardous effects of salinity by altering compatible solutes accumulation, photosynthetic activity, water relation, soluble sugar contents and providing antioxidant defense against salt stress. The salinity + Zn2 treatment more obviously enhanced RWC (19.0%), MSI (30.8%), SPAD value (17.8%), and activities of SOD (31.7%), POD (28.5%), APX (64.5%) and CAT (23.3%) in Riogrande than Sungold, compared with the corresponding salinity treatment alone. In addition, salinity + Zn2 treatment significantly (P > 0.05) ameliorated salinity stress due to the depreciation in Na+/K+ ratio by 63.3% and 40.8%, Na+ ion relocation from root to shoot by 10.4% and 6.4%, and thereby significantly reduced Na+ ion accumulation by 47.4% and 16.3% in the leaves of Riogrande and Sungold respectively, compared to the salinity treatment alone. Therefore, it was obvious that 30 μM Zn concentration was more effective to induce resistance against salinity stress than 15 μM Zn concentration. Conclusively, it can be reported that exogenous Zn application helps tomato plant to combat adverse saline conditions by modulating photosynthetic and antioxidant capacity along with reduced Na+ uptake at the root surface of tomato plant.

Variety and Seeding Time Influence on Flowering Characteristics and Trichodesmine Content in Sunn Hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.)

Background: Sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.) is an important annual legume used as green manure. It contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which are apparently effective in suppressing nematodes. It is pertinent to know the growth stage during which pyrrolizidine alkaloid concentrations become higher. Methods: The period of days necessary for flowering, pod growth and the concentrations of one pyrrolizidine alkaloid in pods at different stages in five sunn hemp cultivars with May and July seeding were investigated. Result: Findings indicated that flowering of the two cultivars occurred later than the others, especially for May seeding. The pods grew to 20 mm length in 6-11 days from flowering. Then the pods grew to maximum size (40 mm length) in only few days. A main pyrrolizidine alkaloid in sunn hemp seed, trichodesmine, increases as pod size grow; then it increases considerably as pod mature. However, it in matured pod hull contains similar values of whole immature pod. These results demonstrate that both day-neutral and short-day cultivars with July seeding shorten the days to first flower and indicate that cutting after 10 days from first flowering is effective for increasing pyrrolizidine alkaloid concentration.

Comprehensive Evaluation and Error-Component Analysis of Four Satellite-Based Precipitation Estimates against Gauged Rainfall over Mainland China

The Integrated Multi-Satellite Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement (IMERG) V06 product has been widely studied, but the errors and the source of the errors within IMERG over diverse climate regions still need to be quantified. To this end, the final run gauge-calibrated IMERG V06 (V06C) and uncalibrated IMERG V06 (V06UC) products are comprehensively evaluated here against 2088 precipitation gauges acquired between March 2014 and June 2018 over China. Moreover, V06C and V06UC rainfall estimates are compared against the Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Imagery using Artificial Neural Networks (PERSIANN)-Climate Data Record (CDR) and the Climate Prediction Center morphing technique (CMORPH) gauge-satellite blended (BLD) products. Continuous statistical indices and two error decomposition schemes are used to quantify their performance. Key results are as follows. (1) Except for V06UC’s relatively high underestimation over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and high overestimation over Xinjiang (XJ), Northeastern China (DB), and Northern China (HB) and CDR’s severe overestimation over TP, all four satellite-based precipitation products can generally capture the spatial pattern of precipitation over China. Moreover, the satellite-based precipitation estimates agree better with gauge observations over humid regions than over semi-humid, semi-arid, and arid regions. (2) All the statistical indicators show that CDR has the worst performance, whereas BLD is the best precipitation product. As for the two IMERG products, V06C has improved V06UC’s precipitation estimate. Results show that the gauge calibration algorithm (GCA) used in IMERG has active effect in terms of r, POD, and CSI. (3) Within all subregions, all four satellite-based precipitation products demonstrate their worst performance over the arid XJ region which exhibits the highest FAR and lowest POD and CSI values among all regions. (4) In terms of intensity distribution, for summer over China, the four satellite-based precipitation products generally overestimate the frequency of moderate precipitation and light precipitation events (<25 mm/day) and underestimate heavy precipitation events (>42 mm/day). (5) The relative bias ratio (RBR) analysis shows that the contribution of missed precipitation tends to be lower over wetter regions. In addition, for the same climate region, the contribution of missed precipitation is clearly lower in summer than in winter. In summer, false precipitation dominates the total error, whereas missed and false precipitation are the two leading error sources in winter. Future algorithm refinement efforts should focus on decreasing FAR in summer and winter and improving missed snow events during the winter.

Evaluation of Global Precipitation Products over Wabi Shebelle River Basin, Ethiopia

This study presents three global precipitation products and their downscaled versions (CHIRPSv2, TAMSATv3, PERSIANN_CDR, CHIRPS_D, PERSIANNN_CDR_D, and TAMSAT_D) estimated with observed values from 1983 to 2014. Performance evaluation of global precipitation products and their downscaled versions is important for accurate use of those measured values in water resource management, climate, and hydrological applications, particularly in the data-sparse Wabi Shebelle River Basin, Ethiopia. Categorical and quantitative evaluation index techniques were applied. The spatial downscaled global precipitation products outperformed raw spatial resolution estimates in all statistical indicators. TAMSAT-D had acceptable performance ratings in terms of RMSE, CC, and scatter plots (R2). CHIRPSv2 showed the least performance at a daily timestep. Performance of global precipitation products and their downscaled versions increased when daily data were aggregated to the monthly data. CHIRPS-D performed better than other products with a minimum error value (RMSE) and higher CC at a monthly timestep. On the other hand, PERSIANN_CDR_D showed a relatively good performance with a lower, positive Pbias and higher POD values compared to other products for daily and monthly timescales. For spatial mismatch analysis, the bias and RMSE from reference data (individual rain gauge station vs. the average of all available eight stations) against satellite rainfall estimates (PERSIANN_CDR) had a significantly different weight, which could be related to the position of the gauge station to provide the “true” spatial rainfall amount. Overall, TAMSATv3 and CHIRPSv2 and their downscaled version satellite estimates showed good performance at daily and monthly timesteps, respectively. PERSIANN_CDR performed best with low Pbias and the highest POD values. Thus, this study decided that the downscaled version of CHIRPSv2 and PERSIANN_CDR-D satellite estimates could be applicable as an alternative to gauge data on a monthly timestep for hydrological and drought-monitoring applications, respectively.

Performance Evaluation of IMERG GPM Products during Tropical Storm Imelda

Tropical Storm Imelda struck the southeast coastal regions of Texas from 17–19 September, 2019, and delivered precipitation above 500 mm over about 6000 km2. The performance of the three IMERG (Early-, Late-, and Final-run) GPM satellite-based precipitation products was evaluated against Stage-IV radar precipitation estimates. Basic and probabilistic statistical metrics, such as CC, RSME, RBIAS, POD, FAR, CSI, and PSS were employed to assess the performance of the IMERG products. The products captured the event adequately, with a fairly high POD value of 0.9. The best product (Early-run) showed an average correlation coefficient of 0.60. The algorithm used to produce the Final-run improved the quality of the data by removing systematic errors that occurred in the near-real-time products. Less than 5 mm RMSE error was experienced in over three-quarters (ranging from 73% to 76%) of the area by all three IMERG products in estimating the Tropical Storm Imelda. The Early-run product showed a much better RBIAS relatively to the Final-run product. The overall performance was poor, as areas with an acceptable range of RBIAS (i.e., between −10% and 10%) in all the three IMERG products were only 16% to 17% of the total area. Overall, the Early-run product was found to be better than Late- and Final-run.

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Soil fertility, growth, nutrient uptake and yield traits of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L. var. JL24) were investigated under two organic fertilizers (indigenous microorganisms (IMO) or effective microorganisms (EM) with three replications. Application of IMO or EM fertilizers had significant effects on soils fertility compared to untreated soils. Total nitrogen, organic carbon, total phosphorus, calcium and magnesium led to a significant increase under organic fertilizers. IMO fertilizer supply at 20 g significantly increased the shoot length and the number of leaves compared to the EM fertilizer and untreated plants. In contrast, the highest values of stem diameter and leaf area were recorded at 40 g of EM supply. The highest values of pod (1.25 and 1.18 t/ha) and grain yield (0.96 and 0.98 t/ha) were recorded at 10 and 20 g for IMO and EM, respectively. Application of EM and IMO at 10 or 20 g led to a significant increase in nitrogen and phosphorus contents in leaves and roots with the highest accumulation of nitrogen at the roots level of treated plants. Nitrogen and proteins contents of peanut seeds were positively influenced by IMO and EM supply at 10 and 20 g, respectively. The use of IMO and EM fertilizers could enhance peanut growth performance in sandy ferralitic soils. Key words: Field performance, plant growth, fertilizers, yield traits, Arachis hypogaea.