Short Cultivation Period Research Articles

Nutritional Values of Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica) and other Millets Used for Common Diseases and Management

Abstract: The ever-increasing population and malnutrition in tropical and sub-tropical countries upsurge the demand and security for poor people’s food and nutrition. In erratic climatic conditions, millets can survive as they require less water, short cultivation period and are somewhat tolerant to biotic (bacteria and fungi) and biotic stresses (drought, salinity, nutrient deficiency, etc). Millets possess several nutrient rich components and several health benefits. Despite having superior nutritional, health and agricultural advantages, millets have not received their due attention. Among the millets, foxtail millet is one of the major millets in terms of its second in global production and millets’ yield, quality, and quantity are affected by various diseases. This review provides an overview of the origin and distribution of eight millets, their morphological characteristics with chemical composition, potential health benefits and the fungal, bacterial and viral diseases affecting the growth and yield of millets and their effective management in the framework of ensuring food and nutritional securities in the tropical and sub-tropical countries.

Integrated RNA Sequencing Analysis Revealed Early Gene Expression Shifts Associated with Cancer Progression in MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells Cocultured with Adipose-Derived Stem Cells.

Breast cancer remains a prevalent global health challenge, with tumor-removal surgeries being among the most common treatments but often leading to aesthetic defects. Adipose-derived stem cell (ADSC)-enriched fat grafting in breast reconstruction offers promising therapeutic benefits. However, concerns about its oncological safety persist, particularly regarding the potential risks of promoting cancer recurrence. This study investigated the effects of ADSCs on breast cancer progression by coculturing ADSCs with the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line for a short cell cultivation period of 3 days. We performed an RNA-seq analysis to identify significant transcriptomic changes in cocultured MCF-7 cells and carried out functional enrichment analyses to uncover key biological pathways influenced by ADSCs. Our findings revealed that transcriptomic alterations in MCF-7 cells are linked to aggressive cancer traits, including the upregulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the HIF-1 signaling pathway, which indicate a shift toward aerobic glycolysis. Some of the observed gene expression changes also correlated with relapse risk and mortality. These findings underscore the need for further research to explore the implications of these genes and pathways in driving aggressive cancer phenotypes and assess the safety of ADSCs in clinical settings.

Mycelial mass, microbial lipids and γ-linolenic acid (GLA) by Cunninghamella elegans cultivated on agro-industrial residues

In the current study, the Zygomycetes fungus Cunninghamella elegans NRRL Y-1392 was evaluated for its ability to grow in extracts derived from dried and ground agricultural residues, such as mushroom stalks and roots from hydroponically cultivated lettuces and produce poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and γ-linolenic acid (GLA) rich lipids. Initially, the compositions of stalks and lettuce roots were analysed, and the fungus was batch-flask cultivated on six different commercial semi-defined substrates containing different sugars detected in stalks and roots to evaluate its catabolic ability. C. elegans was capable to assimilate all sugars, but at a lower rate in the case of arabinose. Subsequently, C. elegans was cultivated on tailor-made semi-defined commercial substrates, resembling hydrolysates containing carbohydrates found in mushroom stalks, under both nitrogen-excess and nitrogen-limited conditions, and resembling that of hydrolysates of roots, under nitrogen-excess conditions. Based on the results, under nitrogen-excess conditions, in the case of media resembling stalks hydrolysates, higher production values for biomass, PUFAs, and GLA were observed (20.3 g/L, 1906 mg/L, 668 mg/L), accompanied by high productivity values due to short cultivation periods, while under nitrogen limitation, high lipid accumulation (lipid in dry cell weight =48%, w/w) was presented, and lipids rich in oleic acid were produced. Finally, the fungus was cultivated on a medium derived from hot water-extraction applied to mushroom stalks, enriched with organic nitrogen sources. The fungus was successfully grown on the sugar-rich water-extract derived from mushroom stalks, resulting in dry biomass of 14.5 g/L, lipids of 1.8 g/L, with 15% (w/w) of GLA in cellular lipids.

Experiences and aspirations of seaweed farmers in Palawan, Philippines

Many coastal dwellers engage in seaweed farming despite of various challenges because of its simple farming technology, low capital investment, and short cultivation period. This paper explored the attitudes of seaweed farmers (n = 187) from nine coastal communities of Aborlan, Puerto Princesa, Roxas, and Taytay, Palawan towards the difficulties and challenges they experienced. The farmers’ experiences in seaweed farming, mid-term aspirations, and factors affecting their positive attitudes towards seaweed farming were gathered using a Likert-scale questionnaire in KoBoToolbox. Focused group discussion (FGD) sessions were also conducted to obtain more data about their optimistic attitudes. Participants are 55% male and 45% female. Results revealed that farmers had a high level of optimism toward seaweed farming. The majority (75%) ‘will continue to engage in planning the next cropping cycle’, most (89%) ‘are expecting to have a good harvest’, and almost all (96%) ‘are planning to generate raw dried seaweeds from their harvest.’ Many (59%) of the respondents obtained high earnings from seaweed farming, but most (93%) experienced economic losses. As recovery options, 92% aspired to culture other organisms such as sea cucumber and abalone. Further, most of them wanted to seek assistance from government offices (91%), participate in seaweed product development (86.5%), and join a cooperative (87.5%). This study could serve as baseline information in designing relevant training and educational activities to assist seaweed farmers in managing their farms sustainably. Subsequently, this could aid in formulating effective policies to address similar problems of seaweed farmers in other municipalities of Palawan.

Assessing the impact of biofertilizer on soil microbial dynamics and metabolic activity in a controlled maize pot-grown experiment

Biofertilizers, consisting of carefully selected microorganisms across various species and genera, exhibit distinct features that enhance soil fertility and promote plant growth. Embracing the principles of eco-friendly agriculture, the use of biofertilizers emerges as a pivotal strategy for sustainable farming, contributing to environmental preservation and the overall health and biodiversity of the soil. In this study, a commercially available biofertilizer, containing a specialized strain of Priestia megatherium with nitrogen-fixing capabilities, was employed alongside chemical fertilizers at two different doses (30 and 40 mg per kg of soil). The primary objective was to evaluate the impact of biofertilizer on the metabolic activity and structure of microbial communities in a short-term experiment involving potted maize plants, utilizing the BIOLOG® EcoPlates technique. Parameters such as average well-color development (AWCD) and substrate utilization across six guilds (SAWCD) were assessed to gauge microbial metabolic activity. Additionally, functional indexes, including Shannon diversity, Shannon evenness, and Simpson diversity, were calculated as indicators of soil microbial community functionality. While statistically significant differences in AWCD among the studied variants were not observed, all estimated functional indexes consistently revealed heightened microbial diversity and evenness following the application of biofertilizer. This noteworthy finding, achieved within a relatively short period of plant cultivation, underscores the necessity for further research to explore the biofertilizer's enduring effects on soil communities, both in controlled laboratory environments and under real-world field conditions.

Replacing Plastic with Bamboo: A Review of the Properties and Green Applications of Bamboo-Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites.

Natural fiber composites are receiving more and more attention because of their greenness and low cost. Among natural fibers, bamboo is characterized by fast growth, a short cultivation period, high strength and good toughness, and is one of the strongest natural fibers in the world. A bamboo-fiber-reinforced polymer composite (BFRPC) has the characteristics of high mechanical strength, low density, degradability, etc. It has the industrial applicability comparable to metal materials, the same strong corrosion resistance as composites such as glass and carbon fibers, and the same immunity to electromagnetic interference and low thermal conductivity as natural materials. Its unidirectional specific strength and unidirectional specific modulus is higher than that of glass fiber, second only to the extremely high price of carbon fiber, which is playing an increasingly important role in the field of composite materials, and can be widely used in the fields of wind power, construction, aviation, automotive, medical care and so on. At present, it has been initially used in packaging, automotive and transportation fields, and is expected to replace petroleum-based plastics in various fields. In addition to their environmental protection and green production, they have excellent physical properties. This paper provides an overview of the mechanical properties of bamboo-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites and thermoset composites that have been developed so far, such as tensile strength, flexural properties and impact strength. In addition, the prospects of bamboo-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites for automotive, packaging and agricultural applications are presented.

Structural Development of Marine Green Alga (Ulva rigida C. Agardh, 1823) during Cultivation

Ulva rigida C. Agardh (sea lettuce) is a marine green alga. It grows naturally near shorelines in areas with freshwater influence. It can also be cultivated easily on farms and can be developed into many healthy food products, which bring in revenue for Thailand. It is important to develop an effective way to cultivate the alga. In this research, the molecular biology of sea lettuce using the tufA gene for the identification of Ulva genus and morphological characters at different culturing periods of U. rigida thallus were investigated using a light microscope (LM), a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The results revealed that the U. rigida alga consisted of various cell shapes including elliptic, irregular triangle, irregular quadrilateral, pentagonal and polygonal. The cell size increased with increasing periods of culture. However, when the alga was cultured for 28 days, the cell sizes were smaller than the original cells due to cell division during aging, resulting in an increase in cell numbers. U. rigida had grown rapidly in 14 days which was a relatively short period of cultivation. The results of this study indicate that U. rigida has a potential to be scaled up in pilot and commercial scales. HIGHLIGHTS The molecular analysis of sea lettuce from Phetchaburi Coastal Aquaculture Research and Development Center, Sub District: Bang Kaeo, District: Ban Laem at Phetchaburi Province, Thailand was found to be rigida The morphological and anatomical characters of rigida thalli were studied with light microscope, transmission electron microscope and scanning electron microscope techniques The cell sizes of rigida thalli changed with culturing days. They were the largest at 14 days in the surface view, and at 14 and 21 days in the transverse section GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

A novel simulation calculation model based on photosynthetic electron transfer for microalgal growth prediction in any photobioreactor

The microalgal research field is currently lacking a unified theoretical computing system to explain various experimental results related to microalgal growth. Thus a novel universal theoretical model was created to predict microalgal growth with carbon dioxide (CO2) fixation in any cultivation system. First, a new “light-effect colorimetric method” was proposed to estimate the actual f2 value of suspended microalgal cells during regular experimentation using a formula explaining the photosynthetic effective electron transfer rate (ETR = PFD·ΦII·f1·f2), which only requires the use of a simple spectrophotometer. A mathematical relationship between photosynthetic electron transfer and the microalgal growth rate was then identified based on this modified ETR by simplifying factors influencing the cultivation conditions (e.g., nutrients and CO2) into the slope and intercept of this formula. Subsequently, software was written to allow the above relationship to stimulate any 3-D microalgal cultivation system. Many example cases were conducted to clarify the significance and application of this theoretical model. It was found that the average ETR of a cultivation system describes microalgal tolerance to high CO2 concentrations. A photobioreactor at any given location under a certain light condition has a theoretical maximum yield of microalgal biomass, irrespective of how the other cultivation conditions change. A new concept of “biological similarity” is proposed as a basic principle for scaling up microalgal experiments with photosynthetic CO2 fixation to perform a repeated growth curve with < 5 % error. Finally, a “multi-batch dilution method” was demonstrated to increase the microalgal biomass yield by 64.4 % over a short cultivation period. General application of this calculation model would change the empirical status of microalgal engineering designs.

Production of phycobiliproteins, bioplastics and lipids by the cyanobacteria Synechocystis sp. treating secondary effluent in a biorefinery approach.

Cyanobacteria have been identified as promising organisms to reuse nutrients from waste effluents and produce valuable compounds such as lipids, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), and pigments. However, almost all studies on cyanobacterial biorefineries have been performed under lab scale and short cultivation periods. The present study evaluates the cultivation of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. in a pilot scale 30 L semi-continuous photobioreactor fed with secondary effluent for a period of 120 days to produce phycobiliproteins, polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and lipids. To this end, the harvested biomass from the semi-continuous photobioreactor was transferred into 5 L vertical column batch photobioreactors to perform PHB and lipid accumulation under nutrient starvation. Three hydraulic retention times (HRT) (6, 8 and 10 days) were tested in the semi-continuous photobioreactor to evaluate its influence on biomass growth and microbial community. A maximum biomass concentration of 1.413 g L-1 and maximum productivity of 173 mg L-1 d-1 was reached under HRT of 8 days. Microscopy analysis revealed a shift from Synechocystis sp. to Leptolyngbya sp. and green algae when HRT of 6 days was used. Continuous, stable production of phycobiliproteins in the semi-continuous photobioreactor was obtained, reaching a maximum content of 7.4%dcw in the biomass. In the batch photobioreactors a PHB content of 4.8%dcw was reached under 7 days of nitrogen and phosphorus starvation, while a lipids content of 44.7%dcw was achieved under 30 days of nitrogen starvation. PHB and lipids production was strongly dependent on the amount of nutrients withdrawn from the grow phase. In the case of lipids, their production was stimulated when there was only phosphorus depletion. While Nitrogen and phosphorus limitation was needed to enhance the PHB production. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the feasibility of cultivating cyanobacteria in treated wastewater to produce bio-based valuable compounds within a circular bioeconomy approach.

Remediation of soils on municipal rendering plant territories using Miscanthus × giganteus

Phytoremediation, as a cost-effective, highly efficient, environmentally friendly, and green approach, gained attention to the removal of metals, including heavy metals, from contaminated soils. The toxic nature of heavy metals can have an adverse effect on human health and the ecosystem, and their removal remains a worldwide problem. Therefore, in this study, a field experiment was carried out to evaluate the potential of Miscanthus × giganteus for the removal of ten microelements and heavy metals (Al, Zn, Fe, Pb, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni) from contaminated soil in the territory of a Municipal Waste Rendering Plant. Moreover, the effect of the incorporation of soil improver obtained upon composting biodegradable waste as well as the addition of highly contaminated post-industrial soil on the efficiency of phytoremediation and plant growth was described. The soil improver (SK-8) was applied to the soil at a rate of 200 Mg ha−1 and 400 Mg‧ha−1. Meanwhile, in the last object, 100 Mg‧ha−1 of highly contaminated post-industrial soil was added. Herein, the research was aimed at assessing the possibility of phytoextraction of heavy metals from soils with different physicochemical properties. The results showed that plants cultivated in soil with 400 Mg‧ha−1 of soil improver exhibited the highest yield (approximately 85% mass increase compared to the soil without additives). Furthermore, the application of a single dose of SK-8 (200 Mg ha−1) increased the uptake of Al, Fe, Co, Pb, Mn, Ni, and Cd by Miscanthus × giganteus compared to the soil without additives. Additionally, the performed biotests demonstrated no or low toxicity of the investigated soils affecting the test organisms. However, in all experiments, the phytorecovery of the elements did not exceed 1% of the amount introduced to the soil, which may result from a short cultivation period and large doses of SK-8 or highly contaminated post-industrial soil.

Early Transcriptional Changes of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells (ADSCs) in Cell Culture.

Background and Objectives: While autologous fat grafting has been carried out in the clinical field for many years, the utilization of isolated and cultured adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) is highly restricted in many countries. However, ADSCs are under investigation currently and heavily researched in many cell-based therapy approaches in the field of regenerative medicine. Objective: For the utilization of future cell-based therapies with ADSCs, in vitro cell expansion might be necessary in many cases. Thus, the cellular characteristics of ADSCs may be altered though the process of being cultured. The aim of this study was to assess changes in the gene expression profile of ADSCs after cell expansion for 48 h. Materials and Methods: Isolated ADSCs from five different donors were used for in vitro expansion. For the evaluation of the gene expression profile, mRNA deep Next-Generation Sequencing was performed to evaluate the differences between cultured and freshly isolated cells. Results: Our study gives insight into transcriptional changes in ADSCs after a short cell cultivation period. This includes the most prominent upregulated genes such as PPL, PRR15, CCL11 and ABCA9, as well the most downregulated genes, which are FOSB, FOS, EGR1 and DUSP6. Furthermore, we showed different biological processes that changed during short-term cell expansion, which led to downregulation of fat-associated metabolism hormone processes and to an upregulation of extracellular matrix-associated genes. Conclusion: In conclusion, our study reveals a detailed insight into early changes in the gene expression profile of cultured ADSCs. Our results can be utilized in future experiments.

Mass Biosynthesis of Coumestrol Derivatives and Their Isomers via Soybean Adventitious Root Cultivation in Bioreactors.

Coumestrol (CMS) derivatives are unique compounds, which function as phytoalexins; they are derived from soybean roots, following abiotic and biotic stresses. As a phytoalexin, CMS forms a defense system that enables plants to maintain their viability. However, it is still challenging to achieve the mass production of phytoalexins, which exhibit pharmacological values, via plant breeding. Here, the synthesis of CMS derivatives from the seedling, plant, and adventitious root (AR) of Glycine max were investigated under artificial light, as well as via a chemical elicitor treatment. In the presence of constant light, as well as under treatment with methyl jasmonate, the CMS monoglucoside (coumestrin; CMSN) and malonyl CMSN (M-CMSN) contents of the AR culture (4 weeks) increased drastically. The two CMS derivatives, CMSN and M-CMSN, were obtained as a mixture of isomers, which were identified via nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. These derivatives were also observed in a soybean plant that was grown on artificial soil (AS; 5 weeks) and a Petri dish (9 days) although in considerably lesser quantities than those observed in the AR culture. Compared with the two other media (AS and the Petri dish), the AR culture achieved the superior synthesis of CMSN and M-CMSN within a relatively short cultivation period (<1 month) in laboratory-scale (3 L) and pilot-scale (1,000 L) bioreactors. The isoflavone content of AR under the constant light conditions was three-fold that under dark conditions. Significant quantities of malonyl daidzin and malonyl genistin were produced in the root of AS and the seedling of Petri dish, respectively. Flavonol glycosides were not produced in the AR culture under the dark and light conditions, as well as in AS under the dark condition. However, significant contents of kaempferol glycosides were produced in the leaves of AS and seedling of Petri dish, following the light treatment. Thus, we proposed that the established soybean AR-cultivation approach represented a better method for biosynthesizing phytoalexins, such as the CMS derivatives, as plant-derived functional materials.

Synchrotron-Based HR-Fluorescence and Mineralogical Mapping of the Initial Growth Stages of Polynesian Cultivated Pearls Disprove the ‘Reversed Shell’ Concept

In a series of Polynesian pearls collected after short cultivation periods, early post-grafting mineral deposits were characterized by high resolution synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence with unprecedented accuracy. Morphological patterns and elemental composition are correlated through simultaneous imaging processes. Evidence that aragonite and calcite occur in neighboring units during the earliest biomineralization stages reveals that the grafting process can result in a greater degradation than usually admitted in the widely shared ‘reversed shell’ concept. Compared with ultrastructure of the pristine nacreous tablets, this method enables a precise evaluation of the possible biological changes in the biomineralization mechanism during grafting.

Seasonal changes in soil properties caused by slash and burn agriculture practice in a humid temperate region of northeast Japan

ABSTRACT We investigated the influence of slash and burn (SBA) practice on selected soil properties and its influence on the dynamics of mineral nutrients in a typical humid temperate climate region of northeast Japan. Soils were sampled from an SBA site and compared to an adjacent original forest site (control) located in Shonai area, Yamagata Prefecture, from August 2018 to August 2019 with monthly intervals for SBA and bi-monthly intervals for control, except the snow cover period. The results showed that SBA could not evidently affect soil pH, electric conductivity, available phosphorus, exchangeable cations (Ca2+, Mg2+ and K+), and effective cation exchange capacity. This was likely due to the low severity of fire in the SBA site. On the other hand, cultivation of turnip affected seasonal changes of soil NH4 + and NO3 − mainly attributed to crop absorption. Soil MBC and MBN were significantly increased after one month of burning due to available soil nutrients from plant biomass burning which stimulated microbial growth. There were no significant changes in SOC and TN between the clear-cut stage (before SBA), and after one year at the end of the study period. This was largely due to the short turnip cultivation period and the quick covering by succession plants. In conclusion, our results showed the SBA practice affected soil properties in this study was not relatively significant.

Novel molecular biological tools for the efficient expression of fungal lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases in Pichia pastoris

BackgroundLytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are attracting large attention due their ability to degrade recalcitrant polysaccharides in biomass conversion and to perform powerful redox chemistry.ResultsWe have established a universal Pichia pastoris platform for the expression of fungal LPMOs using state-of-the-art recombination cloning and modern molecular biological tools to achieve high yields from shake-flask cultivation and simple tag-less single-step purification. Yields are very favorable with up to 42 mg per liter medium for four different LPMOs spanning three different families. Moreover, we report for the first time of a yeast-originating signal peptide from the dolichyl-diphosphooligosaccharide-protein glycosyltransferase subunit 1 (OST1) form S. cerevisiae efficiently secreting and successfully processes the N-terminus of LPMOs yielding in fully functional enzymes.ConclusionThe work demonstrates that the industrially most relevant expression host P. pastoris can be used to express fungal LPMOs from different families in high yields and inherent purity. The presented protocols are standardized and require little equipment with an additional advantage with short cultivation periods.

Multi-omics analysis provides insights into lignocellulosic biomass degradation by Laetiporus sulphureus ATCC 52600

BackgroundWood-decay basidiomycetes are effective for the degradation of highly lignified and recalcitrant plant substrates. The degradation of lignocellulosic materials by brown-rot strains is carried out by carbohydrate-active enzymes and non-enzymatic Fenton mechanism. Differences in the lignocellulose catabolism among closely related brown rots are not completely understood. Here, a multi-omics approach provided a global understanding of the strategies employed by L. sulphureus ATCC 52600 for lignocellulose degradation.ResultsThe genome of Laetiporus sulphureus ATCC 52600 was sequenced and phylogenomic analysis supported monophyletic clades for the Order Polyporales and classification of this species within the family Laetiporaceae. Additionally, the plasticity of its metabolism was revealed in growth analysis on mono- and disaccharides, and polysaccharides such as cellulose, hemicelluloses, and polygalacturonic acid. The response of this fungus to the presence of lignocellulosic substrates was analyzed by transcriptomics and proteomics and evidenced the occurrence of an integrated oxidative–hydrolytic metabolism. The transcriptomic profile in response to a short cultivation period on sugarcane bagasse revealed 125 upregulated transcripts, which included CAZymes (redox enzymes and hemicellulases) as well as non-CAZy redox enzymes and genes related to the synthesis of low-molecular-weight compounds. The exoproteome produced in response to extended cultivation time on Avicel, and steam-exploded sugarcane bagasse, sugarcane straw, and Eucalyptus revealed 112 proteins. Contrasting with the mainly oxidative profile observed in the transcriptome, the secretomes showed a diverse hydrolytic repertoire including constitutive cellulases and hemicellulases, in addition to 19 upregulated CAZymes. The secretome induced for 7 days on sugarcane bagasse, representative of the late response, was applied in the saccharification of hydrothermally pretreated grass (sugarcane straw) and softwood (pine) by supplementing a commercial cocktail.ConclusionThis study shows the singularity of L. sulphureus ATCC 52600 compared to other Polyporales brown rots, regarding the presence of cellobiohydrolase and peroxidase class II. The multi-omics analysis reinforces the oxidative–hydrolytic metabolism involved in lignocellulose deconstruction, providing insights into the overall mechanisms as well as specific proteins of each step.

Construction of co-culture of microalgae with microorganisms for enhancing biomass production and wastewater treatment: a review

The development of microalgae cultivation in wastewater has been explored for years. Several wastewaters and nutrient sources related to biomass generation have been combined in recent years. On the other hand, several factors seem to reduce the possibility of industrialized this concept shortly. The growth rate and harvesting cost of the algae are often pointed as the leading cause of the gap for industrialization of this concept. In order to counteract these problems, constructing microalgae in the form of co-culture consortia with microorganisms, such as bacteria and yeast, have been reported to enhance the production of biomass under a short period of cultivation. This review highlights the strategies to combine microbial strains and microalgae for improving the process of biomass generation based on the comparison of the productivity of single and consortium of microalgae cultivation. Subsequently, mechanisms to enhance microalgae growth are scrutinized based on their interaction. Furthermore, critical factors regarding the construction of the consortia are discussed. Eventually, identifying gaps in this concept is displayed to describe the path of future focuses in this potential field.

The cadmium tolerance development of poplar callus is influenced by silicon.

Cadmium-tolerant plants were studied for their possible usage in phytoremediation techniques. However, their response to cadmium cations at a cellular level has not been properly studied. Silicon is a beneficial element that seems to change the plant's response to the Cd2+ presence. The aim of the present study was to investigate the Cd2+ tolerance patterns of poplar callus cells exposed to Cd+2 and/or Si over short and long cultivation periods. We determined the growth parameters of the callus, the growth dynamics, cell vitality, photosynthetic pigment concentrations and the activity of antioxidant enzymes. The effects were studied over short (21 days) and long (63 days) cultivation periods. The most important result proved that the poplar callus tissue is able to build up a tolerance to Cd2+ after a longer cultivation period. On the 63rd day of the cultivation, Cd2+ stressed calli showed improvement in studied parameters and the callus cells accumulated Cd2+ more efficiently than on the 21st day. Supplementation with Si in higher concentrations (2.5 mM and 5 mM) heightened the Cd-tolerance potential of the tissue. The treatment of Cd2+, and Si in a 2.5 mM concentration was the most efficient variant for Cd2+ removal from medium. The activity of antioxidant enzymes showed that poplar callus cells effectively develop tolerance against Cd2+ after a longer cultivation period.

AN ECONOMIC STUDY OF AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AND AGRICULTURAL INTELLIGENCE IN CHINA

China has a large population but has less arable land. With it owning about 7% of the world's cultivated land, China must feed a fifth of the world's population. Therefore, Chinese agriculture is one of the important economic hubs. This sector has developed rapidly since reforms began in rural areas in 1978. China experienced strong growth in the early 1980s, great optimism in the early 1990s, and a long period of low growth after 1995. Market reform, public investment, and technology played an important role. During this comprehensive successful process. However, this shift has also increased inequality between the agricultural and non-agricultural populations, and there are still fundamental institutional issues that need to be fully addressed. Given the relatively short development period of smart cultivation, this general review is limited because literature may be an insufficient source for understanding the recent state of smart cultivation. Since there are many key areas that are not clear about the development of smart agriculture, it is proposed to conduct future research to fill these gaps. First, the impact of information technologies is unclear, specifically, whether or how the development of information technology affects smart agriculture is unknown. Second, questions about interactions between humans and technologies await to determine answers, as information technology alone does not create value, and then there is an urgent need for both quality and quantity of research to explore and examine questions such as what is the economic return provided by agricultural intelligence and how, and what are the factors Essential to adopt and spread agricultural intelligence, and the type of institutional arrangement is the perfect choice. With regard to the unbalanced geographical distribution of smart agriculture in China, more study is needed on questions such as why and how this imbalance is occurring and how to allocate resources effectively.

English

Soil is the medium for all crop production activities and many of the tropical soils especially soils of South Eastern Nigeria show nutrient deficiency problems after only a short period of cultivation because of the fragile nature and prevailing environmental condition. Land available for further crop production purposes in this area is very limited. To offset some of these problems and boast crop production and yields as well as economic returns, farmers use chemical fertilizers extensively on their field. These chemical fertilizers have their attendant problems ranging from non-availability, high cost, and nutrient imbalances to soil acidity. Consumers of agricultural products and farmers are getting more aware of the dangers caused by these chemicals in soil, environment, and health problems in consuming heavily chemically fertilized crops. An alternative to these chemicals is intercropping due to its environmentally friendly approach. Beside the labour management and adequate use of resources available, intercropping system promotes soil fertility maintenance, conservation and balanced nutrient which will improve crop quality and yield. It ensures farmers&rsquo; flexibility, reduction against crop failures, weed control and profit maximization. This paper reviews the various contributions of intercropping system to soil fertility enhancement, nutrient recycle, and transfers among intercrop species; its effect on growth and yield of crop species as well as enlightenment on the various terms used to describe the intercropping system. &nbsp; Key words: Intercropping, nutrient recycle and transfer, sole cropping, soil nutrients.