Production In Different Regions Research Articles

Climate-related risk to maize crops in China from Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda

AbstractThe Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, invaded China late in 2018 and was responsible for substantial crop losses, especially to maize. This work focuses on the suitability of climate across China for Fall Armyworm survival and spread. It uses climate metrics derived with guidance from experts to enable assessment of the risks posed by Fall Armyworm on maize production in different regions of China. The locations and time of year when temperature conditions are within a viable range for Fall Armyworm survival (minimum temperature higher than 9.7$$^\circ$$ ∘ C and maximum temperature lower than 39.2$$^\circ$$ ∘ C) are used to estimate the spatial distribution of winter breeding and overwintering zones, which helps understand the regions and timing of Fall Armyworm migration risk into northern maize production regions. In addition, meridional wind conditions across the Yangtze River basin area are assessed, and a metric of migration potential from the winter breeding and overwintering regions in the south towards northern regions with maize production is established. Results show that temperature during the winter months currently limits Fall Armyworm winter breeding populations to the very southern regions of China (and bordering countries to the south). However, due to the consistent timing and direction of the East Asian Summer Monsoon winds, the Fall Armyworm could easily be directed northwards to the Yangtze River basin during summer months with a peak in July. For this reason, pest management actions against the Fall Armyworm on summer maize should be taken.

Features, reasons, and significance of radon and thoron attributable radiological dose in the indoor environment

Humans receive around 50% of natural radiation dose due to 222Rn (radon), 220Rn (thoron) and their decay products. Several field campaigns measuring these gases and the decay products in different regions of India have been conducted in the recent past. Some of these studies measured indoor activity concentration and/or dose due to these gases and the associated decay products. This work compares the fraction of 222Rn and decay products and 220Rn and decay products in inhalation dose for 10 studies conducted in Uttarakhand state. It is seen that AEDT (annual effective dose due to 220Rn and decay products) for these regions varies between 21 and 48% and it is significantly higher than the averaged worldwide reference value of 6%. Based on elaborative measurements performed in the Bageshwar district (present work), Almora and Nainital districts (our previous campaigns); the reasons for this high value have been explored. It was observed that a higher source term for mud houses could be the main reason for the high AEDT range. Interestingly, preliminary analysis revealed that the fraction is higher for the dwellings situated at higher altitudes thus indicating the role of the unavailability of modern building construction materials at remote locations. The study highlights the significant contribution of thoron in the Indian Himalayas.

The impact of land use change on food security under the background of rapid urbanization - a case study of Xiamen city

Abstract China has undergone a long period of rapid urbanization from 2000 to 2020, resulted in huge conversion of arable land into built-up areas. This situation has raised concerns regarding food security, including issues like reduced food supply and challenges to achieving food self-sufficiency, particularly in certain regions and during special period. To address these issues, this study focuses on Xiamen, a rapidly urbanizing coastal city in China, and examined both the food supply and demand. On hand of the supply, this study mainly analyzed the attributes of the food availability, indicators like the food production (FP) of the ecosystem service value (ESV), per capita grain production, imports and exports along with food price were calculated. The findings revealed a significant expansion of built-up areas in Xiamen, mostly at the expense of arable land. The declining arable land coupled with population growth due to rapid urbanization contributed to a decrease in per capita grain production, drop to 6 kg in 2018, which is merely 1% of China’s average. A comparison of per capita grain production across various regions, as well as changes in China’s grain import and export, highlighted a notable discrepancy between urbanization rates and food security in Xiamen. It has become challenging for Xiamen to rely on outside for sustained food import. Therefore, it is imperative for Xiamen to implement a range of measures and policy interventions to ensure a certain level of food self-sufficiency and protect basic arable land.

Salt stress effects on growth, physiology, and ionic concentrations in hydroponically grown barley genotypes

Soil salinity is a major abiotic stress that severely affects crop production in different regions of the globe. Barley is an essential cereal crop and there is a significant genetic variation among barley varieties for tolerance towards salt stress. Understanding of salinity tolerance mechanisms assists in developing salt tolerant barley varieties in a hydroponics experiment. There were twelve barley varieties and two NaCl stress levels (Control, 100 and 200 mM) in this study. The nursery of barley was seeded in sand and at two-leaf stage; plants were transplanted into hydroponic tubs. The plants were grown under salt stress for 65 days and data regarding several morpho-physiological parameters were collected. The statistical analysis of the collected data was implemented by using completely randomized design (CRD) with factorial arrangement. Exposure to NaCl stress significantly reduced shoot and root growth and relative leaf water contents (RLWC), while increasing Na+ concentration, with B-9006 showing the highest root dry weight (0.39 g) and YSM1 recorded the lowest root dry weight (0.10 g) under 100 mM NaCl. The maximum (232 ppm) Na+ concentration in leaf sap was observed in variety B-15011 (70 % from control) and minimum was observed in B-15018. Maximum K+ mM concentration in leaf sap was found as 72 % in Aia-03 and minimum was observed as 50 % in B-15035. At stress level of 200 mM, highest shoot dry weight (2.52 g) was observed in ZP2 (73 % decreased from control) while minimum shoot dry weight (0.19 g) (96 % decrease from control) was recorded in Franklin genotype. Maximum root dry weight (0.24 g) was observed in B-9006 genotype while minimum root dry weight (0.04 g) was recorded in Gairdner. Maximum K+/Na+ ratio (1.20) was recorded in B-15018 and minimum (0.14) was seen in B-15035. Therefore, based on our results, barley genotypes can be classified into salt-tolerant (B-9006, B-15018, Yerong, Aia-03), salt-sensitive (Gairdner, Franklin, B-15035, B-05011), and moderately tolerant groups at both 100 and 200 mM NaCl levels.

ENERGY INDEPENDENCE STRATEGY: NEW APPROACHES TO COMPETITIVE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The energy independence impact on the competitive and sustainable development of the country has been researched in the article. Key challenges and problems related to maintaining the stability and the energy system efficiency are identified, including insufficient generation facilities capacity, dependence on energy imports, and environmental pollution issues. Energy problems have been examined at the individual, household, and national levels, as well as their interrelation. Attention has been paid to the fact that the issues in the country’s energy system affect the quality and reliability of energy supply to the population, limiting their freedom of choice and interaction with energy management systems. Dependence on energy imports complicates the country’s energy situation and puts it in a vulnerable position in the global energy market. The development trends of crude oil market have been considered, its production in different regions of the world was analyzed, as well as the role of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (hereinafter – OPEC) in regulating the prices and volumes of the oil market. In connection with the increase in world needs for energy resources, there is an increase in oil production, particularly, in 2022, a historical record for the production of this resource has been observed. This is by 1.6% higher than in 2021. The leaders in terms of crude oil production are primarily the countries of the Middle East, where the production of this resource in 2022 increased by 13%, in particular at the expense of countries such as Saudi Arabia (16%), United Arab Emirates (15%), Kuwait (8.1%) and Iran (5.9%). Information about the largest oil producers and their contribution to the overall extraction volume has been provided. Attention is paid to the problems of oligopoly in the world oil market, noting the significant influence of several large companies and exporting countries on this market. The first place in terms of crude oil production in the world is occupied by the USA – 762 Mt, the second – Saudi Arabia – 601 Mt, the third – russia (539 Mt), significant volumes of oil are also produced in such countries as Canada, Iraq, China, United Arab Emirates (hereinafter – UAE), Iran, Brazil, Kuwait, Mexico and Norway. Attention is focused on the challenges of oligopoly in the global oil market, noting the significant influence of several major companies and exporting countries on this market. Attention has been drawn to the difficulties of unmonopolization of the energy market because of the peculiarities of the natural resources’ placement and existing technological and economic developments. It has been proven that the development of a competitive environment and the increase in energy independence and security are strategic tasks necessary for sustainable economic development. The achieving competitive and sustainable development of countries economy possibilities through the alternative energy sources use and the energy cooperatives creation have been justified, which will contribute in providing access to sustainable, efficient, and environmentally friendly energy, thereby promoting the development of local communities and competitive and resilient development of socio-economic systems. Suggestions are made for the development of alternative energy sources and energy-efficient technologies as key directions of the strategy for energy independence. The necessity of innovative solutions and international cooperation has been emphasized to ensure energy security and stimulate sustainable economic growth of Ukraine.

Analysis of consumption preference of goat products in different regions of Mexico

Objective: To characterize and determine the consumption preferences for goat products in different regions of Mexico. Design/methodology/approach: An exploratory study was carried out through a survey addressed to 300 consumers. The sample was obtained through convenience sampling. The semi-structured questionnaire was divided into the following sections: sociodemographic information, willingness to consume, type of derivative products known, and frequency of consumption. The Kruskal-Wallis test was applied to determine significant variables. Results: It was found that milk, cheese, and meat are the most relevant foods for goat consumption. These products are ideal for expanding the diversification of consumption in Mexican regions. Limitations on study/implications: To deepen the analysis of the sociodemographic and consumption characteristics, it is necessary to consider a greater number of variables. Findings/conclusions: Knowing the products that are consumed most frequently allows more effective and efficient strategies to be generated and, in turn, opens the pattern for consumption diversification.

New insights in the Spanish gene pool of olive (Olea europaea L.) preserved ex situ and in situ based on high-throughput molecular markers.

In Spain, several local studies have highlighted the likely presence of unknown olive cultivars distinct from the approximately 260 ones previously described in the literature. Furthermore, recent advancements in identification techniques have significantly enhanced in terms of efficacy and precision. This scenario motivated a new nationwide prospecting effort aimed at recovering and characterizing new cultivated germplasm using high-throughput molecular markers. In the present study, the use of 96 EST-SNP markers allowed the identification of a considerable amount of new material (173 new genotypes) coming from areas with low intensification of production in different regions of Spain. As a result, the number of distinct national genotypes documented in the World Olive Germplasm Bank of IFAPA, Córdoba (WOGBC-ESP046) increased to 427. Likewise, 65 and 24 new synonymy and homonymy cases were identified, respectively. This rise in the number of different national cultivars allowed to deepen the knowledge about the underlying genetic structure. The great genetic variability of Spanish germplasm was confirmed, and a new hot spot of diversity was identified in the northern regions of La Rioja and Aragon. Analysis of the genetic structure showed a clear separation between the germplasm of southern and northern-northeastern Spain and indicated a significantly higher level of admixture in the latter. Given the expansion of modern olive cultivation with only a few cultivars, this cryptic germplasm is in great danger of disappearing. This underlines the fact that maintaining as many cultivars as possible will increase the genetic variability of the olive gene pool to meet the future challenges of olive cultivation.

КРАФТОВІ НАПОЇ ЯК СЕРВІСНА ІННОВАЦІЯ В ГОТЕЛЬНОМУ ТА ТУРИСТИЧНОМУ БІЗНЕСІ

The current state, significance and prospects for the development of the hotel and restaurant business and tourism in Ukraine and the world are analyzed. The concept of craft products and drinks as a component of tourism, prerequisites for the emergence of craft productions, advantages and prospects for their development are considered. The advantages of the development of craft beverages as a service innovation in tourism have been studied. Characteristics of wines, gastronomic tours and wine regions of Ukraine are given. The relationship between craft drinks and the hospitality and tourism industry is shown. Measures to support craft production in different regions of Ukraine were considered. The essence of gastrotourism is substantiated and the objects to be visited are determined. It was determined that there is a high potential for the development of wine tourism in Ukraine, and the most popular craft wineries of Ukraine are listed. It has been established that Ukraine has great potential for the development of craft production, which is an integral part of tourism. Craft production definitely contributes to the entrepreneurial activity of the local population, and as part of the cultural heritage of the region, it fulfills the function of tourism development. The development of tourism is closely related to the formation of high-quality, exclusive products that are similar to the region and will form a regional brand. The impossibility of producing craft products on a large scale, as a disadvantage for attracting a large number of tourists, turns into an advantage in modern conditions, since its originality and accessibility become decisive factors when planning a trip. Each producer of a craft drink is distinguished by its individuality and accessibility. It is necessary to stimulate the promotion of Ukrainian production of craft products on the world and European market by various methods, including with the help of gastronomic routes, tours within the country itself, which will expand the understanding of Ukrainian viticulture and winemaking for both domestic and foreign tourists. It is shown that craft beverages as an innovation in the hospitality and tourism industry can become an additional revenue segment for local and state budgets.

Identification of Floral Resources Used by the Stingless Bee Melipona beecheii for Honey Production in Different Regions of the State of Campeche, Mexico

The stingless bee Melipona beecheii is experiencing colony decline due to floral resource scarcity caused by deforestation. A study was conducted to identify the floral resources used by M. beecheii using honey samples collected in four regions of the state of Campeche, Mexico. A melissopalynological analysis of sixteen collected honey samples identified 69 plant species from 24 families, and established that Fabaceae was the main plant family visited. Based on botanical origin, seven samples were classified as monofloral and nine as multifloral. The predominant species were Bursera simaruba, Lonchocarpus longistylus, Piscidia piscipula, Senna pallida and Senna racemosa. Shannon diversity index values (2.06–2.55) indicated moderate diversity in floral resources and Simpson diversity index values (0.82–0.89) indicated a moderate dominance of plant species in the studied regions. The results suggest M. beecheii is polylectic with some degree of specialization. The plant species identified as predominant in the studied honey samples are candidates for use in strategies intended to conserve the food resources used by M. beecheii on the Yucatan Peninsula.

Crystallographic characteristics and mechanical behavior of laser welded joints of hot roll bending parts

In this work, laser welding was performed on the hot roll bending parts obtained by local-induction-heating bending forming. The influence of the crystallographic characteristics of the phase transformation products in different regions of the laser welded joint on the mechanical properties was systematically studied, and the reasons for the performance degradation were discussed in detail. The results show that upper-critical HAZ (UCHAZ) forms coarse prior austenite grain (PAG) and bainite, resulting in the lowest dislocation density of 2.5 × 1014 m−2 and the lowest impact toughness value of 46 J/cm2. Sub-critical HAZ (SCHAZ) forms tempered martensite, causing the joint to soften and the tensile strength to decrease by 18%. The number of variants in SCHAZ is the lowest, where short laths with smaller misorientations merge into long laths, and precipitates nucleation and growth occurs. The uniform orientation of the variants in SCHAZ forms low-angle grain boundaries (LAGBs), which reduces the hindrance to crack propagation, so the mechanical properties of SCHAZ decrease. In addition, the texture analysis found that UCHAZ has the highest 〈001〉//RD orientation volume fraction, indicating that UCHAZ is most prone to rapid expansion of brittle cracks on the {001} cleavage plane, so the toughness of UCHAZ is reduced. SCHAZ has the highest {001}〈110〉 texture volume fraction and the lowest proportion of high-angle grain boundaries (HAGB), indicating that the deformed grain structure with the {001} cleavage planes distributed along the LAGB after welding heat tempering is the main reasons for the delamination of SCHAZ.

Causal relationship between gut microbiota with subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue: a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian Randomization study.

Numerous studies have revealed associations between gut microbiota and adipose tissue. However, the specific functional bacterial taxa and their causal relationships with adipose tissue production in different regions of the body remain unclear. We conducted a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) study using aggregated data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for gut microbiota and adipose tissue. We employed methods such as inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR Egger, weighted median, simple mode, and weighted mode to assess the causal relationships between gut microbiota and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) as well as visceral adipose tissue (VAT). Cochran's Q test, MR-Egger regression intercept analysis, and MR-PRESSO were used to test for heterogeneity, pleiotropy, and outliers of the instrumental variables, respectively. Reverse MR was employed to evaluate the reverse causal relationships between SAT, VAT, and gut microbiota with significant associations. IVW results demonstrated that Betaproteobacteria were protective factors for SAT production (OR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.80-0.96, p = 0.005) and VAT production (OR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.83-0.99, p = 0.030). Various bacterial taxa including Ruminococcaceae UCG002 (OR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.89-0.99, p = 0.017), Methanobacteria class (OR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.92-1.00, p = 0.029), and Burkholderiales (OR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.83-0.98, p = 0.012) were associated only with decreased SAT production. Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group (OR = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.02-1.10, p = 0.005), Eubacterium hallii group (OR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.01-1.15, p = 0.028), Peptococcaceae (OR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.01-1.17, p = 0.034), and Peptococcus (OR = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.00-1.10, p = 0.047) were risk factors for SAT production. Meanwhile, Eubacterium fissicatena group (OR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.91-0.99, p = 0.019), Turicibacter (OR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.88-0.99, p = 0.022), and Defluviitaleaceae UCG011 (OR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.89-0.99, p = 0.024) were protective factors for VAT production. Furthermore, Bacteroidetes (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.01-1.17, p = 0.018), Eubacterium eligens group (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.01-1.19, p = 0.037), Alloprevotella (OR = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.00-1.10, p = 0.038), and Phascolarctobacterium (OR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.00-1.15, p = 0.042) were associated with VAT accumulation. Additionally, reverse MR revealed significant associations between SAT, VAT, and Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group (IVW: OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.18-2.09, p = 0.002) as well as Betaproteobacteria (IVW: OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.01-1.29, p = 0.029), both acting as risk factors. Sensitivity analyzes during bidirectional MR did not identify heterogeneity or pleiotropy. This study unveils complex causal relationships between gut microbiota and SAT/VAT, providing novel insights into the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of gut microbiota in obesity and related metabolic disorders.

The Impact of Extreme Temperatures on Grain Production in the Huaihe River Basin

The Huaihe River Basin is an important major grain producing area in China, maintaining the stability of grain output is of great significance to food security. However, with global warming, the frequency of extreme temperature events has increased, and the frequent meteorological disasters have brought great challenges to the stable supply of food production. In this paper, the impact of extreme temperature on grain production in the Huaihe River Basin was analyzed by using the daily temperature and agricultural production related data of 28 prefecture-level cities in the Huaihe River Ecological Economic Belt from 2001 to 2020. The following conclusions are drawn: 1) The influence coefficient of extreme high temperature on grain production in the Huaihe River Basin is -0.021, extreme low temperature has no significant impact on food production. 2) The effects of extreme temperature on food production in different regions in the river basin were heterogeneous, but the overall impact was negative. The influence coefficients of extremely high temperature days on the eastern region and Midwest region were -0.035 and -0.052, respectively, while the influence coefficients of extremely low temperature days on the eastern region were -0.413. The results showed that the increase in the number of extremely high temperature days would reduce production in the eastern region andMidwest region of the basin, while the northern region was not significantly affected by extreme heat. The increase in the number of extremely low temperature days will reduce grain production in the eastern region, and the impact on the Midwest region and the northern region will not be significant. Based on the above conclusions, three suggestions are put forward to maintain the safety of food production in the Huaihe River Basin: 1) enhance the ability to detect climate change in the basin; 2) Protect the stability of grain cultivated land in the river basin; 3) Innovative breeding of climate-resilient food crop seeds.

Agricultural Efficiency in Different Regions of China: An Empirical Analysis Based on Dynamic SBM-DEA Model

This study applies the dynamic slacks-based measure (DSBM) and the total-factor agricultural efficiency (TFAE) to explore the overall agricultural production efficiency of 30 administrative regions and the eastern, central, and western regions of China from 2012 to 2016. The previous literature has mainly focused on China’s economic development and experience, but as the economy continues to grow, more food is needed and agricultural labor is shifting to urban areas. Little attention has been paid to the impact of limited agricultural land on agricultural production efficiency. Therefore, this paper uses the agricultural land area as the carry-over variable and uses agricultural labor, total agricultural machinery power, rural electricity consumption, agricultural fertilizer use, and agricultural GDP as variables to discuss the efficiency of agricultural production in different regions. The empirical results show that from 2012 to 2016, the best administrative region in terms of overall agricultural production efficiency in China was the east. In terms of the overall analysis of the region, the east had the highest overall agricultural production efficiency, while the central region had the lowest. The input variable that needed the most improvement was rural electricity consumption, with the largest adjustment in rural electricity consumption being observed in Hebei and Liaoning provinces of the eastern region. Furthermore, from 2012 to 2016, both overall agricultural production efficiency and agricultural GDP showed upward trends. However, adjustments are still needed for other relevant agricultural input variables to effectively allocate resources and improve the overall agricultural production efficiency.

Marketing strategies for the development of regional poultry markets

The article considers the main characteristics of the attractiveness of regional markets for enterprises such as product manufacturers and trade enterprises, namely: intensity of competition; availability of local producers of products in the region; availability of solvent population in the region; population density; the presence of a developed trade network for the sale of poultry products; growth rates of market capacity. The proposed model for determining marketing strategies for the development of regional markets is given, which is based on the construction of a «three by three» matrix, the cells of which are located within a five-point system, drawing the distribution limit at intervals of 1.0; 3.0 and 5.0 points according to the results of the study of product consumption. To build the matrix, the results of the consumption of poultry products in different regions of Ukraine were used: vertically «attractiveness of the regional market» (growth rates of consumption of poultry products over the last 2 years in the regions); horizontally «competitiveness of the regional market» (the share of the total consumption of poultry products on the territory of Ukraine that is consumed in this region). When assessing the competitiveness and attractiveness of the regional market, the conversion of quantitative indicators into a normalized score was used. Based on the results of the study, the following marketing development strategies were proposed for the Ukrainian regional markets of poultry products: the strategy of protecting positions is recommended for enterprises that sell poultry meat in the Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk oblasts; development strategy for enterprises selling poultry meat in the Kharkiv oblast and the city of Kyiv; selective development strategy for enterprises selling poultry meat in Vinnytsia, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Luhansk, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Zhytomyr and Sumy oblasts; harvest strategy for enterprises selling poultry meat in Volyn, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava, Rivne, Ternopil, Kherson, Khmelnytskyi and Chernihiv oblasts; harvest elimination strategy for enterprises selling poultry meat in Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Cherkasy and Chernivtsi oblasts. Keywords: marketing strategies of development, regional markets of poultry products, matrix, competitiveness of the regional market, attractiveness of the regional market, enterprises, trade intermediaries, consumers of products, normalized assessment.

Поліморфізм мікросателітних локусів хромосоми 5H ячменю (Hordeum vulgare L.) і асоціації алелів з морозостійкістю

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is a crop of great economic importance for many countries of the world, including Ukraine. One of the main reason limiting barley production in different regions of Ukraine is low-temperature stress. Prediction of frost resistance in the development and choice of resistant genotypes is one of the main tasks of the breeding. Applying the tools of molecular genetic analysis involves increasing the efficiency of traditional methods of identification and genotype screening with the necessary traits in a specific climatic area. The 5H chromosomal loci are a component of a complex system of genes involved in the formation of resistance to low negative temperatures. The polymorphism and allele distribution of nine microsatellite loci in chromosome 5H, which are localisation in the region of the key NT- resistance genes Fr-H1, Fr-H2 and close to these regions in 35 varieties of the autumn barley collection, were studied. Allelic polymorphism with the presence of two (UMB702) to five (Bmag0223) alleles was detected at the loci Bmag0223, Bmag0323, Bmag0760, GMS061 and UMB702. The frost resistance of 31 varieties with different durations of hardening was evaluated and essential differences between them were noted for this feature. According to the results of the analysis of polymorphism of microsatellite loci and data on evaluation of varieties for frost resistance, the connection of allelic differences of four out of five polymorphic loci with the level of frost resistance and hardening rates was revealed. Reliable associations were established between the presence of alleles Bmag0223, Bmag0323, Bmag0760, GMS061 and indicators of the level of frost resistance. Allelic differences at the UMB702 locus were not associated with differences in any of the traits. Alleles of the microsatellite locus Bmag0223 are recommended for negative choice of less frost-resistant barley genotypes at the early plant breeding stages.

Screening of sweet and grain sorghum genotypes for green biomass production in different regions of Kazakhstan

As the impact of global climate change increases, the interaction of biotic and abiotic stresses increasingly threatens current agricultural practices. The most effective solution to the problem of climate change and a decrease in the amount of atmospheric precipitation is planting extremely drought-resistant and high-yielding crops. Sorghum can grow in harsh conditions such as salinity, drought and limited nutrients, also it is an important part of the diet in many countries. Sorghum can be introduced in many zones of Kazakhstan. Plant height and yield of green plant biomass of 16 sorghum samples in arid conditions were determined based on a set of agrobiological characteristics for field screening. The height of the studied samples of grain sorghum was 0.47 ±0.03 m, and the height of sweet sorghum was much longer, reaching up to 2.88 ±0.12 m. Also, there was a strong difference in green biomass in cultivated areas under different soil and climatic conditions, the green biomass of sweet sorghum was 3.0 Mg∙ha –1, and in grain sorghum, it reached up to 57.4 Mg∙ha –1. Based on the data of the field assessment for various soil and climatic conditions, the following samples were identified for introduction into production: samples of sweet sorghum for irrigated and rainfed lands of the Almaty Region and in the conditions of non-irrigation agriculture of the Aktobe Region – a promising line ICSV 93046. For non-irrigation agriculture of the Akmola Region, genotypes of sweet and grain sorghum are ‘Chaika’, ‘Kinelskoe 4’ and ‘Volzhskoe 44’.

Comparison of Viral Production and Decay Rates at the Surface and Bottom of the Euphotic Zone in the Summertime in the Southern East China Sea

Viral dynamics are the result of the balance between the rates of viral production and decay. Here, we have carried out independent measurements of viral production and decay rates in different depths of the southern East China Sea in summer (August and October 2021). In this study, the prevalence of viral abundance at the surface waters (14.2~27.6 × 105 viruses mL−1) was significantly higher than the bottom of the euphotic zone (2.9~12.6 × 105 viruses mL−1). As for viruses to bacteria ratio (VBR) values, we found a wide variability both at the surface (1.4 to 3.2) and bottom of the euphotic zone (2.1 to 16.2). The results of our study showed that at all stations examined, in the southern East China Sea, the values of gross viral production (GVP) were significantly higher in the sunlit surfaces compared to the bottom of the euphotic zone. In particular, our analysis indicates that no significant viral decay rates (VD) were observed in some regions at the bottom of the euphotic zone. Here, we also provide a budget for viral abundance and net viral production in different regions in the southern East China Sea. The GVP or VD is not applicable in our case to explain VBR is high at bottom of the euphotic zone. The mechanisms underlying VBR uncoupling, viral production, and viral loss in marine systems are still being investigated.

Screening and the ability of biogenic amine-degrading strains from traditional meat products in Inner Mongolia

Biogenic amines (BAs) are widely contained in fermented meat products and are harmful to human health with high level content. Reducing BAs content with microorganisms that don't produce decarboxylase seems beneficial. This study screened three strains had the capacity to degrade BAs from meat products in different regions of Inner Mongolia. Three strains were screened because they didn't have amino acid decarboxylase activity and had good growth performance and abilities of acid producing, salt resistance and antibacterial. X22-2 and HX2-1 were identified as Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, and X6-6 was identified as Pediococcus pentosaceus through 16S rDNA sequencing. All the three strains could degrade seven kinds of BAs, especially the tryptamine and phenethylamine. The reduced content of tryptamine of the three strains were all above 93 mg/L. Both the suspension and supernatant of the three strains effectively degraded BAs content produced by BA-producing bacteria (Enterococcus faecium, E. faecalis, and Enterobacter aerogenes). Tryptamine and phenethylamine could not be detected both in suspension and supernatant of the three strains in the medium containing Enterobacter aerogenes. In view of their good fermentation capacity and strong ability to reduce BAs, the three strains can be used as starter cultures in meat products.

Analysis of Regional Satellite Clock Bias Characteristics Based on BeiDou System

With the continuous development of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), the calculation theory and strategy of the global Satellite Clock Bias (SCB) tends to be mature. However, in some eventualities with restricted conditions, the calculation and application of the global SCB are limited; hence, the application of regional SCB is derived. This paper focuses on the quality of regional SCB products in different regions, calculates three groups of regional SCB products, and analyzes their properties and application effects. We expand the double-differenced assessment method for SCB and extend satellite clock accuracy assessment to regional satellite clock products. Additionally, the Regional Effect Bias (REB) is introduced to analyze the influence of the relative position of satellite geometry on the SCB products due to the regional effects. The conclusions are as follows: (1) In low-latitude regions, SCB products have a high degree of completeness and a large number of satellite observations, which is conducive to expanding the positioning application range of regional SCB; (2) the low-latitude regions SCB will be affected by ionospheric activity, and the accuracy will be slightly lower than that of satellite clocks deviation in mid-latitudes; (3) in this paper, the REB in this area is in the level of 10−7. The experiment displays the result that the values of REB in low-latitude areas are larger, leading to fluctuated Precise Point Position (PPP) results. However, there are fewer stations in the mid-latitude regions, which will also affect the accuracy of PPP; (4) the accuracy of the positioning results of the regional satellite clock deviation in the Chinese region is higher than that of the global clock.

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.