Terms Of Profitability Research Articles

Techno‐economic and policy analysis of hydrogen and gasoline production from forest biomass, agricultural residues and municipal solid waste in California

AbstractTechno‐economic and policy analyses were performed of hydrogen and gasoline production from forest biomass (FB). They were compared with fuels produced using agricultural residues and municipal solid waste in California. Twelve process designs were analyzed, with and without carbon capture and storage, and life‐cycle analysis was performed, using California's Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) 3.0 model, to calculate the average life‐cycle carbon intensity of different process designs for hydrogen and gasoline. Discounted cash flow models were developed to assess profitability in terms of the net present value and internal rate of return (IRR). The results showed that forest‐to‐fuel pathways (positive IRR between 2%−16%) were the least competitive biomass‐based pathway option. Sensitivity analysis was performed on economic parameters including feedstock price and renewable identification number (RIN) credit price. In the case of RIN credits, profitability declined significantly as the proportion of FB from federal lands increased given existing statutory limitations. Given the importance of increasing forest management to reduce wildfire risks, the necessary additional policy incentives were quantified to equalize the cost of forest‐to‐fuels pathways with the other biofuels pathways. To ensure FB‐to‐fuels pathways are cost competitive with agricultural residues, policymakers could increase the low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) credit price for forest fuels (additional credit price support of $41–75 t/CO2e), give additional credit to lifecycle emissions reductions from forest fuels (additional carbon intensity decrease of 19–76 gCO2e MJ−1), provide concessionary debt or equity with a target weighted average cost of capital (WACC) = 3–4%, subsidize capital costs (12–22% of costs), or subsidize FB delivery ($35–66 per dry ton delivered).

Harvesting of Photon Energy through PV on Building Envelope and Windows Canopy

It often does not occur to us that there is a space or point in the construction of a house or residence that has the potential to develop new and renewable energy sources (EBT) that produce additional electrical energy. The position of the window canopies and building walls has the potential to place solar panels (PV) according to the canopy design without requiring additional installation costs. This position is known as passive energy. The advantage is that it is easier to maintain compared to PV panels installed on the roof of the house. Although this position is not optimal to get sunlight, at least there will be photon energy captured by placing PV in the path of the sun’s shadow. This means that the solar thermal value that PV does not like will decrease, while what is needed for PV semiconductors is photon light. Therefore, this study aims to increase profits in terms of construction management of exterior walls and building canopies, especially window roofs. The observation results show that The position of placing the PV panels in one direction of the sun’s shadow, which is on the west side of the building gives better advantages to PV on the building envelope compare with window canopy. The PV output power generated on the building envelope is about 6 Watt, while the window canopies are only around 4 Watt. Need further investigation on different site of the building.

The Effect of Intellectual Capital, Production Costs, and Operating Costs on Profitability

A company's ability to maximize revenue while making the best use of its resources is referred to as profitability. It is stated that good profitability can improve a company's performance and draw in stakeholders. Technology limitations and a lack of human resource potential have led to a heavy reliance on imported pharmaceutical raw materials, which can result in high production costs and operating expenses that have an impact on a company's profitability. This demonstrates that the firm must efficiently manage its production costs, operational costs, and intellectual capital in to maximize the firm ’s potential and enhance profitability. Therefore, the goal of this study is to ascertain the impact of intellectual capital, production costs, and operating costs on profitability in the Pharmaceutical Sub-Sector listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) for the years 2017 through 2021. A corporation in the pharmaceutical industry that is listed on the IDX between 2017 and 2021 is the object of this research. In this study, 44 observation data were collected over 5 years from 9 corporations after issuing outlier data using the purposive sampling method. Panel data regression analysis with the EViews 12 program is the data analysis technique employed. The results of this study show that intellectual capital as measured by VAIC has a positive and significant effect on profitability. Meanwhile, production costs and operational costs partially do not affect profitability. Companies in the pharmaceutical sub-sector are expected to maintain profitability by utilizing their assets to obtain maximum profit. Additionally, risks that impact the loss in profitability in terms of the company's internal and external operations are cautioned against by advisors to businesses.

Relaying of Maize With Potato Under Maize-Fallow-T. Aman Cropping Pattern in Charland

A field experiment was conducted in the charland of the Jamuna river under Sundargonj upazilla (AEZ 3) of Gaibandha during 2017-18 and 2018-19. Two cropping systems were compared: Potato/Maize-T. Aman (relay cropping of maize with potato) and Maize-Fallow-T. Aman. The experiment was laidout in six dispersed replications maintaining randomized complete block design (RCB) design. The results revealed that the improved cropping pattern (Potato/Maize- T. Aman) produced the higher system rice equivalent yield (21.58 t ha-1) than the existing cropping pattern (11.61 t ha-1), that is almost double than the existing cropping pattern. Similarly, the production efficiency (PE) was 44% higher in the improved cropping pattern with a value of 70 kg ha-1 day-1 than the existing ones (48.5 kg ha-1 day-1). The land use efficiency (LUE) was also 29% more in the same cropping pattern (84.5%) compared to the farmers existing cropping pattern (65.5%). The profitability in terms of gross margin was almost double in the improved cropping pattern (Tk. 1,95,630) than the farmers’ existing cropping pattern (Tk. 1,00,750). Inclusion of Potato relay with the existing cropping increase the system productivity and MBCR (1.91) of the farmers in the char areas. Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 46(1): 99-106, March 2021

An analysis of market power and efficiency of Islamic banking in Indonesia and Malaysia

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate whether the Islamic banking industry in Indonesia and Malaysia is collusive or efficient. Indonesian Islamic banking is expected to meet the Qualified ASEAN Bank (QAB) to compete with other Islamic banks, including Malaysia.Methodology – The data used in this study was panel data on Islamic banking in Indonesia and Malaysia from January 2010 to December 2019. Data analysis employed static panel data regression.Findings – The findings of the study disclosed no collusive behavior from Islamic banking in Indonesia and Malaysia to increase profitability. Meanwhile, market share has been shown to boost profitability in terms of equity, despite the fact that there is an endogeneity problem. Technical efficiency and scale efficiency in Islamic banking in Indonesia have been shown to significantly increase market share, but not profitability and market power. This study concludes that if Islamic banking market in Indonesia and Malaysia are opened and state boundaries are lifted, Indonesian Islamic banking still will not be able to compete since it has not been able to acquire economies of scale.Implications – Islamic banking in Indonedia needs to establish Islamic-Finance-Friendly Regulations. It is expected to pave the way for the value-added character of Islamic banking, it is the most important strategy to boost market share of Indonesian Islamic banking.Originality – This study seeks to fill the validation gap of endogeneity test in Islamic banking. There is the limitation on studies of Islamic banks since the validation of endogeneity test deal only with conventional banking studies.

Impact of advertisements on retailer's inventory for time-varying perishable rate with preservation technology investment under customer return and trade credit policy

In any business worldwide, inventory management is a challenging task for every organisation. This article demonstrates an inventory model for deteriorating products from the retailer's point of view in which: 1) demand is determined by price and frequency of advertisement; 2) the influence of trade credit on expanding small business and their consumers is the focus of this research; 3) product deteriorates with an expiry date; 4) retailer invests money in preservation technology to preserve the deterioration of a product; 5) customer returns the product to the company are the significant factors among the interrelation of supplier and retailer for a highly demanding product. The main objective of this article is to optimise the retailer's total profit in terms of cycle length, price, frequency of advertisement, and capital in preservation technology. Also, for optimality, an algorithm is created. Finally, the results were validated by solving two numerical illustrations and conducting sensitivity analysis of the main factors resulting from the following managerial implications: 1) if the retailer receives a longer allowable delay period from the supplier, the retailer can maximise total profit; 2) an increase in the ordering cost per order the overall profit decreases.

Impact of Irrigation Scheduling, Moisture Conservation Practices and Nutrient Management on Performance of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

A field experiment was conducted during two consecutive Rabi seasons 2020-21 and 2021-22 at Students’ Instructional Farm of Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India, situated at 125.9 meter altitude, 26.491220 North latitude, 80.3070120 East longitude, to study “Impact of irrigation scheduling, moisture conservation practices and nutrient management on performance of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)”. The experiment consisted three irrigation scheduling viz: I1: two irrigations at CRI and Jointing stage, I2: three irrigations at CRI, Jointing and Booting stage and I3: Four irrigations at CRI, Tillering, Booting and Milking stage, two moisture conservation practices viz: M0: without mulching and M1: Organic mulch @ 10 t ha-1 + Kaolin 6% spray and three nutrient management practices viz: N1: 100% RDF (150:60:40 kg ha-1 NPK), N2: 85% RDF + FYM @ 5.0 t ha-1 and N3: 75% RDF + FYM @ 10.0 t ha-1. The experiment was laid out in double split plot design with three replications. On pooled basis of two years experimentation the results indicated that, four irrigations at CRI, Tillering, Booting and Milking stage (I3) recorded highest value of grain yield (4381.60 kg ha-1), straw yield (6651.15 kg ha-1) and harvest index (39.70 %) with profitability in terms of net return (Rs. 83908.79 ha-1), under moisture conservation practices, organic mulch @ 10 t ha-1 + Kaolin 6% spray (M1) recorded significantly highest grain yield (4230.40 kg ha-1) and straw yield (6578.57 kg ha-1). Among the nutrient management treatments, 85% RDF + FYM @ 5.0 t ha-1 (N2) also recorded maximum grain yield (4117.60 kg ha-1) and straw yield (6338.71 kg ha-1) and net return (Rs. 77770.83 ha-1) compared to other treatments.

Penerapan Limit Fungsi untuk Mencari Keuntungan Maksimum Ditinjau dari Biaya Marginal

Marginal costs are changes in total costs in the form of increases or decreases in total costs due to changes in the quality of goods or services. Through the types of production costs used as processing costs, it will be seen to what extent the use of capital will be used and profits will be obtained. This analysis will help to what extent a company can determine the planning for the business that is built, whether to get maximum or minimum profits. This study uses literature study, which is research in which data sources and data collection are obtained by taking library data, reading, recording and processing the data as research material. Based on an analysis of literature data regarding "Maximum Profits from Fishermen Business in East Balikpapan District" the results obtained are the maximum profit in terms of marginal costs, namely the maximum profit for the total catch of fishermen and occurs at a maximum catch rate (Q) of 159.92. So it was concluded that the fishing business in East Balikpapan District had not yet achieved maximum profit, because the fishermen's catch exceeded the maximum catch level requested.

Penerapan Limit Fungsi untuk Mencari Keuntungan Maksimum Ditinjau dari Biaya Marginal

Marginal costs are changes in total costs in the form of increases or decreases in total costs due to changes in the quality of goods or services. Through the types of production costs used as processing costs, it will be seen to what extent the use of capital will be used and profits will be obtained. This analysis will help to what extent a company can determine the planning for the business that is built, whether to get maximum or minimum profits. This study uses literature study, which is research in which data sources and data collection are obtained by taking library data, reading, recording and processing the data as research material. Based on an analysis of literature data regarding "Maximum Profits from Fishermen Business in East Balikpapan District" the results obtained are the maximum profit in terms of marginal costs, namely the maximum profit for the total catch of fishermen and occurs at a maximum catch rate (Q) of 159.92. So it was concluded that the fishing business in East Balikpapan District had not yet achieved maximum profit, because the fishermen's catch exceeded the maximum catch level requested.

New indicators for delineating priority regions for ecosystem conservation based on the criterion of cost-effectiveness

Natural and semi-natural ecosystems are increasingly threatened by human activities and their conservation conflicts with the ever-increasing spatial demands of human habitation and food production. Identifying the regions in most need of specific ecosystem conservation measures is an urgent problem in order to address this sustainability issue. However, the ambiguous definitions and methods of delineating these regions have led to difficulties in decision-making. To solve this problem of identifying priority regions, we developed new indicators (the marginal profit in terms of supplied ecosystem services and the area of land required to host permitted human activities) and rules for the determination of variable thresholds. Based on the criterion of cost-effectiveness, the concept of marginal profit was introduced and two variable thresholds were determined for its delineation: (i) the largest marginal profit with the highest efficiency and (ii) a marginal profit equal to zero as the potential upper limit. Taking four counties in the water conservation region of Beijing, China as case study areas, the proposed method was applied and tested. The results showed different spatial variations in water conservation services between the four counties, demonstrating the spatially distinct importance of services, which is strongly related to their priorities for conservation. Using the variable strategy, our new indicators and method were able to quantify these spatial characteristics and select particular areas with high-value ecosystem services for delineating priority regions for conservation. Compared to the non-variable threshold with a fixed target, our variable thresholds realized differentiated targets in the four different counties with smaller areas of land conserved for more ecosystem services. The developed indicators also avoided the likelihood of unreasonable outcomes from the use of a fixed target, which, although it could use more land, it would pay for fewer ecosystem services. Our results show the effectiveness of our developed indicators and overall method, which is easily operable and provides differentiated outcomes for priority regions for ecosystem conservation, leading to more informed decision-making.

Present and future scenarios of changing land use patterns from the perspective of agroecosystem under the shadow of ever-expanding shrimp culture

Conversion of cultivation lands into shallow water bodies is a trend in several shrimp growing regions in the world. The main aim of this research is to evaluate the current and future eco-economic scenarios of these converted lands for shrimp culture through the perspective of agroecosystem. To analyze the cost-benefits of respective lands, financial data with and without addition of some hidden costs associated with shrimp production for three specific sites were compared of Purba Medinipur district, West Bengal, India. One of these three sites was a control site located outside the range of shrimp culture with agricultural activities; one was affected site, adjacent to shrimp farms with agricultural activities and the third was the leased land for shrimp culture. Vital abiotic components of soil were studied and compared between these three sites in order to distinguish specific changes caused by the shrimp culture. As well as the large scale temporal changes due to land conversion was visualised by satellite images. From the interpretation of the cost-benefit analysis, switching from leasing to re-cultivation has the lowest profitability in terms of Net Present Value. Net present value for the leased land became negative at 5% discount rate and above, during re-cultivation after the end of leasing tenure. Adjacent affected farms are equally vulnerable to the gradual production loss and would have no viable alternative to leasing for fishery. Significant differences in soil components were found between these sites. The entire ecological nature of the lands is altered when fertile lands are converted into shrimp farms. Finally, the ecological functional imbalance impacts the economic outcomes from the lands. It causes non-sustainable changes throughout the agricultural landscape. This study result is flagship to interlink between the growing of shrimp economy with the local agro-economy and agro-ecosystem for all shrimp growing regions in the world, especially south Asian shrimp producing countries. Some top-down policy measures were discussed in order to achieve a sustainable balance between the agroecosystem and shrimp culture.

Activity Ratio and Profitability Ratio Analysis to Know Causes of Decreasing Profit

The Village Credit Institution (LPD) of DesaPakramanSuwat has productive assets in the form of loans provided to the community. The loan disbursed fluctuated from 2019-2021. Based on the report on activities and credit developments at the PakramanSuwat Village LPD, the loans granted in 2019-2021 are fully eligible for current collectibility. However, this is not in line with the development of LPD profits which have decreased in 2020 and 2021.This study aims to analyze the causes of the decline in LPD profits in terms of credit turnover, BOPO, net profit margin, return on equity, and return on assets. The type of research used in this research is descriptive research with a qualitative approach. The analysis techniques in this research are activity ratio analysis, profitability ratio analysis, and trend analysis.The results of this study indicate that the level of LPD activity in PakramanSuwat Village has decreased which can be seen based on the credit turnover which has decreased from 2019-2021. The decrease in credit turnover was caused by a small amount of collectible loans so that loan interest income decreased so that it affected the decline in LPD profitability. The level of profitability of the LPD PakramanSuwat Village also experienced a decrease which can be seen from the BOPO ratio and the decline in the ratio of NPM, ROE, and ROA. This decrease in profitability was due to operating expenses, decreased operating income, decreased other operating income, the company's capital being not managed optimally, and the company's assets being not managed optimally.

Pengaruh GCG Terhadap Profitabilitas dari Aspek EPS Pada Perusahaan Basic Industry dan Chemical

This study aims to analyze the effect of Institutional Ownership (INST), Number of Directors (DIR), Independent Commissioners (INDEP) and Audit Committee (AUD) as a structural part of Good Corporate Governance (GCG) on company profitability as a proxy for Earnings Per Share (EPS). in Basic and Chemical Industry companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX). This type of research is descriptive, a population of 64 companies, a sample of 25 companies in 2014-2017 listed on the IDX, with multiple linear regression analysis testing using Eviews in processing the data.
 The results of the analysis of each independent variable with the dependent variable show that: (1) Institutional Ownership (INST) has a coefficient value of -0.471696 and a p-value of t-stat 0.2990 which means negative and not significant, (2) the coefficient of Directors (DIR) value -0.043827 and p-value t-stat 0.9044 which means negative and insignificant effect, (3) Independent Commissioner (INDEP) has a coefficient of 0.654381 and p-value t-stat 0.0000 means positive and significant effect, (4) Audit Committee (AUD) has a coefficient value of -1.038939 and a p-value of t-stat 0.0000 which means a negative but significant effect. Meanwhile, simultaneously obtained the R2 value of 0.025736, which means that the independent variable cannot explain the Earning Per Share (EPS) variable as the dependent variable with an effect of only 2.57%. So that as much as 97.43% is influenced by other variables that are not discussed in this study.
 Finally, the researcher concludes that Institutional Ownership, Number of Directors, Independent Commissioners and Number of Audit Committees cannot affect the company's profitability in absolute terms from the aspect of Earning Per Share (EPS). The magnitude of the influence on the profitability of a company can come from the system and process of implementing GCG or from other factors that require further research.

Effect of harvest aid herbicides on germination and vigour index of mungbean seeds

Mungbean ( Vigna radiata) is an economically important pulse crop. It is widely grown by farmers due to its dual profitability in terms of production and enriching soil fertility through biological nitrogen fixation. Harvesting of mungbean is complicated due to its indeterminate growth habit and presence of green weeds. To dry plants and speed up harvesting of crops, pre-harvest herbicides are used as harvest aids. In the present study, two harvest aid herbicides (paraquat and glyphosate) at three different levels (2.47, 3.70 and 4.94 L ha -1) along with a non- treated control were tested for two mungbean varieties ('NM-2011' and 'NM-2016') to evaluate their effects on germination parameters. Germination under laboratory conditions, field conditions and mean germination time showed non-significantly different results, while vigour index showed significant differences. Seeds of 'NM-2011' had 97% germination following 3.70 L ha-1 paraquat or 4.94 L ha-1 glyphosate. Similarly, seeds of 'NM-2016' had 100% germination following 4.94 L ha -1 paraquat, while all levels of glyphosate showed non- significant decreases in germination as compared to the non-treated control.

Retrotransposon Insertion Polymorphisms (RIPs) in Pig Reproductive Candidate Genes.

Retrotransposons account for more than one-third of the pig reference genome. On account of the genome variability in different breeds, structural variation (SV) caused by retrotranspos-on-generated deletion or insertion (indel) may have a function in the genome. Litter size is one of the most important reproductive traits and significantly impacts profitability in terms of pig production. We used the method of bioinformatics, genetics, and molecular biology to make an analysis among different pig genomes. Predicted 100 SVs were annotated as retrotransposon indel in 20 genes related to reproductive performance. The PCR detection based on these predicted SVs revealed 20 RIPs in 20 genes, that most RIPs (12) were generated by SINE indel, and eight RIPs were generated by the ERV indel. We selected 12 RIPs to make the second round PCR detection in 24 individuals among nine pig breeds. The PCR detection results revealed that the RIP-A1CF-4 insertion in the breed of Bama, Large White, and Meishan only had the homozygous genotype but low to moderately polymorphisms were present in other breeds. We found that RIP-CWH43-9, RIP-IDO2-9, RIP-PRLR-6, RIP-VMP1-12, and RIP-OPN-1 had a rich polymorphism in the breed of Large White pigs. The statistical analysis revealed that RIP-CWH43-9 had a SINE insertion profitable to the reproductive traits of TNB and NBA but was significantly affected (p < 0.01) and (p < 0.05) in the reproductive traits of litter birthweight (LW) in Large White. On the other hand, the SINE insertion in IDO2-9 may be a disadvantage to the reproductive traits of LW, which was significantly affected (p < 0.05) in Large White. These two RIPs are significant in pig genome research and could be useful molecular markers in the breeding system.

Pengaruh Dividen Change Dan Profitabilitas Terhadap Return Masa Depan Dengan kategori Saham Sebagai Variabel Moderasi (Survey Pada Kelompok Agribisnis/Non Agribisnis di Bursa Efek Indonesia Periode 2016-2020)

ABSTRACT&#x0D; Investment, either directly or indirectly, aims to obtain certain benefits (profits) from the investment, with the hope of getting profits in the future. For a rational prospective investor, his attention will be directed to the rate of return on investment, and the chosen investment is the one that promises the highest return with a particular risk. Investors in investing must assess the risk of future returns through the influence of dividend changes and profitability in terms of the company's stock category.&#x0D; This study aims to determine the effect of dividend change and profitability on future returns, with the category of agribusiness/non-agribusiness companies being the moderating variable. The sample in this study consisted of 127 Agribusiness/Non-Agribusiness Group companies on the Indonesia Stock Exchange from 2016-to 2020 with the purposive sampling method. This research is quantitative research where the analytical tool used is a multiple linear regression test with SPSS version 22.&#x0D; The study's results indicate that the dividend change variable does not affect stock returns. At the same time, the level of profitability has a positive effect on stock returns. The classification of agribusiness companies does not moderate the effect of dividend changes and profitability on future returns.&#x0D; Key Words: Deviden Change, Profitabilitas, Return, and the company's stock category

Performance of Conventional Banking, Impact of Indonesia's National Economic Recovery Program Due to the Covid 19 Pandemic

The goal of this study is to look at how traditional banking has performed over the previous three years, specifically the impact of LDR(X1), CAR(X2), BOPO(X3), and NIM(X4) on ROA(Y), where stimulus measures have been used to keep the economy moving forward after the COVID-19 epidemic.&#x0D; Research methodology: Financial services authorities provide time-series analysis of traditional banking performance reports from 2018 to 2021, processing with Stata 16 and the multiple linear regression techniques.&#x0D; Results: The average ROA is 2.23 percent, with a standard deviation of 0.32 percent, and swings in all independent variables may explain 80 percent of changes in bank profitability. The LDR Loan to Deposits Ratio significantly impacts bank profitability in terms of return on assets. The greater the CAR ratio, the higher the bank's profitability concerning its ROA. Assume that the BOPO grows while all other variables remain constant. In such an instance, a rise of 0.013 NIM will occur, positively impacting bank profitability on ROA. Limitations: The limitation of this research is the post-pandemic banking relaxation data. Contribution: To policymakers, to see the impact of final actions, whether they were correct or not.

Do industry 4.0 technologies improve Cantabrian manufacturing smes performance? The role played by industry competition

This paper studies whether investments in Industry 4.0 improve performance and give SMEs (Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises) an opportunity to get ahead. We base our research on the competitive context by considering the number of firms in specific industries and the inverted-U framework. We analyze the effects of investing in five digital enablers (Big Data, Cloud Computing, Cybersecurity, Advanced Robotics, and the Internet of Things) on firm revenues, labor performance, and profitability in terms of neck-and-neck and leader-laggard competition models. Results from 274 SMEs for the period 2005–2018 show that these effects depend on the technology implemented. Big Data contributes to competitive advantages, while investing in Advanced Robots is negative for sales growth. We do not have conclusive results about Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, and the Internet of Things. These findings have relevant implications for both managers and public administrations, as they demonstrate that investing in Industry 4.0 improves productivity in the case of some of the enablers.

Nitrogen and potassium application effects on productivity, profitability and nutrient use efficiency of irrigated wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

The development of robust nutrient management strategies have played a crucial role in improving crop productivity, profitability and nutrient use efficiency. Therefore, the implementation of efficient nutrient management stratigies is important for food security and environmental safety. Amongst the essential plant nutrients, managing nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) based production systems is citically important to maximize profitable production with minimal negative environmental impacts. We investigated the effects of different fertilizer-N (viz. 0–240 kg N ha-1; N0-N240) and fertilizer-K (viz. 0–90 kg K ha-1; K0-K90) application rates on wheat productivity, nutrient (N and K) use efficiency viz. partial factor productivity (PFPN/K), agronomic efficiency (AEN/K), physiological efficiency (PEN/K), reciprocal internal use efficiency (RIUEN/K), and profitability in terms of benefit-cost (B-C) ratio, gross returns above fertilizer cost (GRAFC) and the returns on investment (ROI) on fertilizer application. These results revealed that wheat productivity, plant growth and yield attributes, nutrients uptake and use efficiency increased significantly (p<0.05)with fertilizer-N application, although the interaction effect of N x K application was statistically non-significant (p<0.05). Fertilizer-N application at 120 kg N ha-1 (N120) increased the number of effective tillers (8.7%), grain yield (17.3%), straw yield (15.1%), total N uptake (25.1%) and total K uptake (16.1%) than the N80. Fertilizer-N application significantly increased the SPAD reading by ~4.2–10.6% with fertilizer-N application (N80-N240), compared with N0. The PFPN and PFPK increased significantly with fertilizer-N and K application in wheat. The AEN varied between 12.3 and 22.2 kg kg-1 with significantly higher value of 20.8 kg kg-1 in N120. Fertilizer-N application at higher rate (N160) significantly decreased the AEN by ~16.3% over N120. The N120treatment increased the AEK by ~52.6% than N80 treatment. Similarly the RIUEN varied between 10.6 and 25.6 kg Mg-1 grain yield, and increased significantly by ~80.2% with N120 as compared to N0 treatment. The RIUEK varied between 109 and 15.1 kg Mg-1 grain yield, and was significantly higher in N120 treatment. The significant increase in mean gross returns (MGRs) by ~17.3% and mean net returns (MNRs) by ~24.1% increased the B-C ratio by ~15.1% with N120 than the N80 treatment. Fertilizer-N application in N120 treatment increased the economic efficiency of wheat by ~24.1% and GRAFC by ~16.9%. Grain yield was significantly correlated with total N uptake (r = 0.932**, p<0.01), K uptake (r = 0.851**), SPAD value (r = 0.945**), green seeker reading (r = 0.956**), and the RIUEN (r = 0.910**). The artificial neural networks (ANNs) showed highly satisfactory performance in training and simulation of testing data-set on wheat grain yield. The calculated mean absolute error (MAE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) and root mean square error (RMSE) for wheat were 0.0087, 0.834 and 0.052, respectively. The well trained ANNs model was capable of producing consistency for the training and testing correlation (R2 = 0.994**, p<0.01) between the predicted and actual values of wheat grain yield, which implies that ANN model succeeded in wheat grain yield prediction.

Combination of survival movement strategies in cyclic game systems during an epidemic

Disease outbreaks affect many ecosystems threatening species that also fight against other natural enemies. We investigate a cyclic game system with 5 species, whose organisms outcompete according to the rules of a generalised spatial rock–paper–scissors game, during an epidemic. We study the effects of behavioural movement strategies that allow individuals of one out of the species to move towards areas with a low density of disease vectors and a high concentration of enemies of their enemies. We perform a series of stochastic simulations to discover the impact of self-preservation strategies in pattern formation, calculating the species’ spatial autocorrelation functions. Considering organisms with different physical and cognitive abilities, we compute the benefits of each movement tactic to reduce selection and infection risks. Our findings show that the maximum profit in terms of territorial dominance in the cyclic game is achieved if both survival movement strategies are combined, with individuals prioritising social distancing. In the case of an epidemic causing symptomatic illness, the drop in infection risk when organisms identify and avoid disease vectors does not render a rise in the species population because many refuges are disregarded, limiting the benefits of safeguarding against natural enemies. Our results may be helpful to the understanding of the behavioural strategies in ecosystems where organisms adapt to face living conditions changes.