Significant Increase In Yield Research Articles

Effect of Herbicidal Weed Management on Productivity and Profitability of Summer Cowpea

Background: The presence of weeds in cowpea reduced the yield to the tune of 60-82% depending on the weed flora and density. The critical period of weed competition in cowpea was 20-25 DAS. Therefore it is essential to control weeds effectively to harness the maximum yield potential of the crop. To manage weeds in cowpea it is also important to determine the efficacy of pre and post-emergence herbicides. Sequential application of herbicides in a short duration crop not only increases the cost of production but also create cumbersome in its application. Therefore ready mix herbicides are now becoming popular among farming community. These new ready mix herbicides need to be tested for its bio-efficacy to manage weeds and its effect on crop productivity and symbiotic characters of cowpea. Therefore, a field experiment was carried out to evaluate the impact of herbicides on the productivity and profitability of summer cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) at Agronomy Main Research Farm, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha (India) during summer season. Methods: The experiment was laid out at Agronomy Main Research Farm, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha (India) during the summer season of 2021 and2022 in a randomized block design (RBD) comprised of eight treatment with three replications. Standard procedures were followed for the observations and statistical analysis of the data. Result: The experimental results revealed that ready mix of pendimethalin+imazethapyr-750 g/ha significantly control the mixed flora of weeds which resulted significant increase in growth and yield. Ready mix application of pendimethalin + imazethapyr 750 g/ha registered the highest benefit to cost ratio.

Exome sequencing improves genetic diagnosis of congenital orofacial clefts.

Objective: This retrospective study aims to evaluate the utility of exome sequencing (ES) in identifying genetic causes of congenital orofacial clefts (OFCs) in fetuses with or without other structural abnormalities, and to further explore congenital OFCs genetic causes. Methods: The study enrolled 107 singleton pregnancies diagnosed with fetal OFCs between January 2016 and May 2022, and categorized them into two groups: isolated cleft lip and/or palate (CL/CP) and syndromic CL/CP. Cases with positive karyotyping and chromosomal microarray analysis results were excluded. Whole-exome sequencing was performed on eligible fetuses and their parents. Monogenic variants identified by ES and perinatal outcomes were recorded and evaluated during postnatal follow-up. Results: Clinically significant variants were identified in 11.2% (12/107) of fetuses, with no significant difference in detection rate between the isolated CL/CP group and the syndromic CL/CP group (8/83, 9.6% vs. 4/24, 16.7%, p = 0.553). Additionally, sixteen (16/107, 15.0%) fetuses had variants of uncertain significance. We identified 12 clinically significant variations that correlated with clinical phenotypes in 11 genes from 12 fetuses, with CHD7 being the most frequently implicated gene (n = 2). Furthermore, we observed a significant difference in termination rates and survival rates between the isolated CL/CP and syndromic CL/CP groups (41.0% vs. 70.8% and 56.6% vs. 20.8%, p < 0.05 for both). Conclusion: Based on our findings, it is clear that ES provides a significant increase in diagnostic yield for the molecular diagnosis of congenital OFCs, thereby substantially improving the existing prenatal diagnostic capabilities. This study also sheds light on seven novel pathogenic variants, broadening our understanding of the genetic underpinnings of OFCs and expanding the disease spectrums of relevant genes.

A novel sustainable phosphorus-containing heteroatom-based coating for polyamide 6.6 textiles: Enhanced flame retardancy and hydrophilicity

The demand for "green" materials increases due to concerns about the effects of flame-retardant textiles. Using natural plant-base compounds such as phytic acid (PA) and the most abundant green amino polysaccharide chitosan (CS) as effective and durable flame retardants for textiles is essential for creating sustainable and ecological textile products. This study aims to develop a novel, eco-friendly, phosphorus- and nitrogen-containing flame retardant known as ammonium phytate (AP), intending to improve the flame retardant properties of polyamide 6.6 (PA6.6) textiles. UV-induced grafting with 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS) increases the surface functional groups of PA6.6 fabrics. Later, the surface-modified fabrics were coated with phosphorus-containing heteroatom-based components, namely, sulfur, nitrogen, silicon, and boron, onto a single flame retardant system via layer-by-layer (LBL) deposition of positively charged chitosan/boron drop (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane/silicon dioxide (CS/BAPTES/SiO2) sole solution and negatively charged AP solution to enhance superior hydrophilic and durable flame retardant performance. According to the data, a weight pick-up of 56.5% is attributable to only 4 BLs. However, all the flame-retardant-coated fabrics can completely stop the melting-dripping tendency and achieve B-3 to B-2 ratings after the UL-94 vertical burning test. In addition, the LOI values of treated fabrics increase from 18.5% to 23.5% compared to a pure sample. The AMPS grafted with a 4BL-deposited fabric sample exhibits a maximum decrease in peak heat release rate (PHRR) of more than 54%. Moreover, the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) test reveals a significant increase in thermal stability and char yield. Additionally, the as-prepared phosphorus-containing heteroatom-based coatings impart a water contact angle value of approximately 0⁰ within 2 s, demonstrating that the treated fabrics exhibit superior hydrophilic performance. Moreover, using AMPS-grafted and only 2-BL-deposited treatments improves coating stability in washing and imparts durable flame retardancy that can resist up to 20 washing cycles. It is proposed that the sustainable phosphorus-containing heteroatom-based coating may be a potentially effective replacement for existing durable flame retardants routinely used in textile finishing operations.

Desempenho produtivo do milho em diferentes arranjos de plantas

ABSTRACT Sowing arrangements composed of double-row spacing in corn can favor the interception of solar radiation by the canopy and, consequently, the yield performance of the crop. However, it is possible that the microclimate provided by this spacing, especially at high plant densities, favors the occurrence of leaf diseases. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the effect of 0.45 m and double-row spacing arrangements on the severity of foliar diseases and yield performance of corn grown in the first and second-crop seasons. Two independent experiments were conducted (with and without the fungicide fluxapyroxad + pyraclostrobin) in the first and second-crop seasons in a randomized block design arranged in a split-plot scheme with four repetitions. The plots consisted of spacing (0.45 m) and double-row (0.30 × 0.60 m), and the subplots, four plant densities (59,200, 74,000, 81,400, and 96,200 plants ha-1). In the plant density factor, in the second-crop season, there is a decrease in the severity of white spot as plant density is increased. Also, for the plant density factor, in the first-crop season, there may be a significant yield increase as the plant density is increased.

Soil properties affect crop yield changes under conservation agriculture: A systematic analysis

AbstractConservation agriculture (CA) has the potential to sustain soil productivity and benefit agroecosystems, yet it is not fully understood how yield responses of different cropping systems are affected by inherent soil characteristics, for example, texture and dynamic soil properties, such as aggregation, nutrients and erosion. In this study, we conducted a systematic review to compare crop yield from cropland with conventional management versus different CA practices, specifically reduced‐ or no‐tillage, agroforestry, organic farming and cover crops. The data were first analysed for different climatic regions, soil textures and cash crop types. We then quantified how yield responses correlated with soil properties change under different CA practices. The results showed that CA practices were associated with an overall mean crop yield increase of 12%. This response was primarily driven by corn, which had a mean yield increase of almost 41% after CA implementation, whereas other cash crops did not have significant yield responses or showed slight decreases, as rotation with mixtures of multiple cash crops had a mean decrease of 6% when using CA. The increase in corn yield after CA may be related to the enhanced ability of that crop to absorb nutrient elements (e.g. nitrogen) and reduce nutrient leaching. Agroforestry increased crop yield by 66% and cover cropping increased yield by 11%, likely due to increases in soil water content and nutrient availability and decreases in erosion and surface runoff. However, other agricultural systems showed no significant increase after CA compared with conventional row cropping practices. Using CA practices had the greatest yield benefit in tropical climates and when farming in coarse‐textured soils. In addition, legumes and grass‐legume mixtures resulted in significant cash crop yield increases, possibly because legumes promoted the increase of soil nitrogen and depleted soil moisture less compared with other cover crops. The results provide new insight into how interactions between soil properties and CA practices affect crop yield and at the same time can help guide the development of practical, evidence‐based guidelines for using conservation practices to improve yield in corn and other cash crops.

Genetic progress in seed and fiber quality traits of cotton in Argentina

Context:The Argentinian national cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) breeding program has demonstrated a 3.24 kg ha−1 y−1 genetic progress in lint yield from 1965 to date. Although previous studies have examined different trends in cotton lint yield, lint quality parameters, and other agronomic traits of cultivars over time, there have been no investigations in Argentina analyzing the genetic progress in the different components of technological fiber quality, cottonseed oil and protein composition. Objectives:(i) to estimate the genetic progress of the lint and seed quality parameters among cultivars released in Argentina since 1965, (ii) to evaluate the variation of genetic progress for the lint and seed quality parameters under different environmental conditions, and (iii) to determine the correlations between lint quality and lint yield traits. Method:This study was conducted over a two-year period, involving 20 cotton cultivars grown in four different environments (achieved through varying sowing dates) in Reconquista, Santa Fe, Argentina. Several fiber variables were evaluated, including upper half mean length (UHML), strength (Str), uniformity index (UI), micronaire (Mic), short fiber index (SFI), and spinning consistency index (SCI), as well as seed measurements, such as cottonseed oil content (Oil), protein content (Prot), and cottonseed oil fatty acid composition. Results:Significant differences were observed in all the quality parameters evaluated according to the environment and genotype, highlighting the importance of agronomic management in improving the different quality parameters. Oil content in the genotypes and years studied showed significant increases over time. Likewise, the maintenance of quality parameters despite the significant increases in lint yield and some of its components is considered a positive result for the Argentinian breeding program. Pearson correlation analysis showed that LY was positively correlated with UHML, UI, SCI, oil, and linoleic acid, whereas LY was negatively correlated with SFI, and both stearic and oleic acids. Conclusions:The data obtained from this study would serve as a basis for future research to explore the mechanisms responsible for altering or increasing both the fiber quality parameters and the concentrations of these by-products to improve cotton quality in Argentina.

Reduction of the risk of caesium-137 transition into the milk of lactating cows in the long-term summer period

The article presents data on the use of smectite trepel as a natural mineral additive with active sorbing properties as part of a grain mixture fed to lactating cows in the summer, which are kept in areas with a soil pollution density of 15 Ku/km2. The results of the scientific and economic wholesale indicate a significant increase in daily milk yields by 5.3%, primarily due to compensation for the mineral metabolism of lactating cows, as well as a decrease in the accumulation coefficient of caesium-137 in the milk of cows by 5.0% who received smectite trepel as part of the diet. Hematological parameters of blood and biochemical markers of its serum varied within the limits of normative physiological values.

Stimulating growth, root quality, and yield of carrots cultivated under full and limited irrigation levels by humic and potassium applications

Water stress poses a significant challenge for carrot cultivation, leading to decreased yield and inefficient water use efficiency. Therefore, it is crucial to provide plants with suitable supplements that enhance their stress resistance. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of humic and potassium applications on carrot growth, yield characteristics, root quality, and water use efficiency under varying irrigation levels. A split-split plot experiment was conducted, with two levels of gross water requirements (GWR) (100% and 80%) assigned to the main plots. The subplots were treated with humic acid through foliar application (Hsp) or soil drenching (Hgd). The sub-subplots were further divided to assess the impact of foliar potassium sources (potassium humate, Kh) and mineral applications (potassium sulfate, K2SO4). The results revealed a substantial reduction in carrot yield under limited irrigation, reaching about 32.2% lower than under GWR100%. Therefore, under limited irrigation conditions, the combined application of Hgd and K2SO4 resulted in a significant yield increase of 78.9% compared to the control under GWR80%. Conversely, under GWR100%, the highest average yield was achieved by applying either Hsp and Kh or Hsp and K2SO4, resulting in yields of 35,833 kg ha−1 and 40,183 kg ha−1, respectively. However, the combination of Hgd and Kh negatively affected the yield under both GWR100% and GWR80%. Nonetheless, applying Kh in combination with Hgd under GWR80% led to improved nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, potassium/sodium ratio, and total sugar concentrations, while reducing sodium content in carrot roots. Based on this study, it is recommended to adopt GWR80% and treat plants with a combination of Hgd and foliar K2SO4. This approach can help plants overcome the negative effects of water stress, improve yield and root quality, and achieve optimal water use efficiency.

Effects of biochar application on rice physiological growth and water use efficiency under dry direct‐seeded mode

AbstractTo investigate the effects of various biochar application levels on the growth physiology and water use efficiency of dry direct‐seeded rice (DDSR) in the black soil region of north‐east China, five biochar application treatments consisting of 2% (BC1), 4% (BC2), 6% (BC3), 8% (BC4) and 10% (BC5) were set, and no biochar application was used as the control treatment (CK). The differences in photosynthetic properties, dry matter accumulation characteristics, water consumption pattern, yield and water use efficiency of DDSR under different biochar application levels were compared and analysed, and the effect of the water use efficiency of leaves (WUEL) at each growth stage on the water use efficiency of yield (WUEy) was also investigated. The results showed that the photosynthetic properties, dry matter accumulation and water consumption of rice increased and then decreased with increasing biochar application level. Compared with CK, the rice yield increased by 1.6%–52% with biochar application, and the 4% biochar application level showed the most significant increase in rice yield (P &lt; 0.05). The WUEy in the BC2, BC3, BC4, BC1, CK and BC5 treatments gradually decreased in that order. Among the WUEy values, significant increases of 27%, 13% and 8% in the BC2, BC3 and BC4 treatments, respectively, compared with the CK were observed (P &lt; 0.05). The effect of WUEL at the prophase tiller, late tiller and milk ripening stages on WUEy enhancement was significant.

Melamine Acetate Preparation as a Urea-Formaldehyde Resin Additive for Particleboard Production

Urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin binders for wood-based panel production often use melamine as an additive to improve both mechanical properties and environmental compliance. Direct fortification for efficient use of melamine remains a problem due to low solubility. Pizzi &amp; coworkers suggested the use of more soluble melamine salts and demonstrated success in terms of product performance. However, their preparation method showed low productivity and inefficient use of material and energy. In their scheme, a batch reactor fed with 1 kg of water and 75 g of a stoichiometric amount of melamine and acetic acid produced only around 25 g of solid melamine acetate crystal. In contrast, the remaining 50 g remained dissolved in 991 g of water, which requires high of energy to evaporate. This paper reports an attempt to increase batch productivity and work towards the more efficient use of material and energy. The experiment showed that the successive addition of melamine and acetic acid to the batch up to the solubility limit of melamine at the same reaction condition increased melamine and acetic acid fed from 75 g to 165 g. This was followed by a significant increase in dry crystal yield from 25 g to 117 - 132 g. Feeding the mother liquor to the next batch decreased the water use to only 8% of the original requirement. This resulted in a highly efficient process, eliminating the need for energy-intensive melamine acetate recovery from the mother liquor. The addition of 2% - 4% wt. of the product to UF resin resulted in particleboard with significantly lower thickness swelling, an increase in MOR &amp; IB strength, and lower formaldehyde emission.

A Meta-Analysis Approach to Estimate the Effect of Cover Crops on the Grain Yield of Succeeding Cereal Crops within European Cropping Systems

Farming practices such as cover cropping, crop rotation systems, and soil tillage practices, along with climate conditions and soil type play important roles in determining final crop production. Numerous empirical studies have documented the heterogeneous effects of cover crops on the yield of successive crops, exhibiting variations across diverse regions, climate regimes, soil characteristics, cover crop types, and agricultural management practices. A meta-analysis was conducted to comprehensively summarize and evaluate the impact of cover crops (CCs) in the agroecosystem. The main goal of the study is to promote a transition towards more sustainable cereal crop production by exploring the potential of currently unexploited CCs in Europe. The study demonstrated that the incorporation of legume CCs resulted in the most pronounced and statistically significant increase in grain yield among cereal crops. CCs from the Brassicaceae family also demonstrated a positive impact on grain yield under southern European climates. Cover cropping had a positive effect on the subsequent cash crop under conventional tillage practice. A positive, but not significant impact, was detected under both conservation tillage practices, which include reduced tillage (RT) and no-till (NT). The result of the study suggests that NT practices are more suitable for Northern Europe, while RT practices are preferable for Southern Europe zones. This study indicates that the adoption of cover cropping represents a viable and effective agronomic strategy for enhancing grain yield in cereal crops cultivated across European agricultural systems.

Optimizing herbicide doses for weed control in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the Moscow region of Russia

One of the main reasons for the reduction of winter wheat yields in Russia, as in most major wheat-producing countries, is the massive infestation and rapid spread of annual weed species. Thus, this study was conducted during 2022 at D.N. Pryanishnikov Russian Research Institute of Agro chemistry, Russia with main objective to optimize the concentration of broad-spectrum herbicides: Lintur, VDG (659 g/kg dicamba-sodium + 41 g/kg triasulfuron), Bucephalus, KE (480g/L carfentrazone-ethyl), Camaro SE (6. 25 g/L florasulam + 300 g/L 2,4-D), Prima Forte 195 SE (180g/L 2,4-D + 10g/L aminopyralid +5g/L florasulam), and their plant growth regulator mixtures Moddus, KE (250 g/L trinexapac-ethyl) to protect winter wheat crops from weeds at Barbino (Russia). An inventory conducted on the study plot showed that the total number reached 434 pants/m2 weeds, with a total of 9 weed species namely Cirsium arvense, Cardaria draba, Galium aparine, Matricaria discoidea, Chenopodium album, Polygonum aviculare, Galeopsis tetrahit, Capsella bursa-pastoris, and Sinapis arvensis of which 73.9% are annual species with a vegetative cycle parallel to that of winter wheat. Herbicide application at 50% showed little difference in weed control efficacy (%) compared to standards and ranged from 56.0 to 100.0% depending on treatment and weed species. Both individually applied herbicides and their mixtures with Moddus and free weed control contributed to a significant increase in yield and the increase was from 12.3 to 23.7%. Yield when using the options mixture with the growth regulator Moddus was higher than the individual application of herbicides regardless of the dose. Yield at a dose of 50% was slightly higher or lower compared with the manufacturer's standard. In general, the growth regulator did not affect herbicide efficacy, but its combination with herbicides improved yield structure elements and increased yield quality of winter wheat.

Highly efficient production of L-valine by multiplex metabolic engineering of Corynebacterium glutamicum

As a branched chain amino acid, L-valine is widely used in the medicine and feed sectors. In this study, a microbial cell factory for efficient production of L-valine was constructed by combining various metabolic engineering strategies. First, precursor supply for L-valine biosynthesis was enhanced by strengthening the glycolysis pathway and weakening the metabolic pathway of by-products. Subsequently, the key enzyme in the L-valine synthesis pathway, acetylhydroxylate synthase, was engineered by site-directed mutation to relieve the feedback inhibition of the engineered strain. Moreover, promoter engineering was used to optimize the gene expression level of key enzymes in L-valine biosynthetic pathway. Furthermore, cofactor engineering was adopted to change the cofactor preference of acetohydroxyacid isomeroreductase and branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase from NADPH to NADH. The engineered strain C. glutamicum K020 showed a significant increase in L-valine titer, yield and productivity in 5 L fed-batch bioreactor, up to 110 g/L, 0.51 g/g and 2.29 g/(L‧h), respectively.

Direct steam reforming of the product gas from ethanol gasification with supercritical water

A continuous process for producing hydrogen from the gasification of ethanol with supercritical water (SCWG) is investigated, which involves a fixed bed steam methane reforming (SMR) reactor downstream of the SCWG reactor. Increasing temperature and decreasing space velocity in the SMR reactor resulted in increased hydrogen concentration and methane conversion. The catalyst activity was more affected at low than high pressures, presumably due to the kinetics of the SMR reaction. The significant increase in total hydrogen yield based on ethanol in the feed showed the importance of installing the reformer after gasification. The excessive steam from the SCWG reactor helped to prevent carbon formation, but it might have resulted in the sintering of the active metal. A long-time experiment proved the stability of the catalyst up to 49 h of time on stream (TOS) with a minor decrease in methane conversion from 84% to 78%.

Expediency of protecting corn crops from progressive phytophages

Monitoring of phytophages of corn crops in the conditions of Kabardino-Balkaria in the steppe arid zone for 2000–2021 was carried out in dynamics. It was noted that climate change in the direction of warming and significant increase in the areas of corn crops changed the phytosanitary situation, which led to the formation of foci of high numbers and harmfulness of cotton budworm. Control agents against cotton budworm and corn borer from different groups of chemical and biological compounds were studied. Protective measures were planned and implemented based on the predicted and actual phytosanitary situation in order to obtain ecologically cleaner and biologically nutritious grain products. Based on long-term observations, the outbreak of cotton budworm and corn borer was found to be periodic for 5 ± 1 years. This will allow timely spraying in years of maximum outbreaks of these pests. Determination of biological efficacy and competent rotation of the group of chemical insecticides will reduce their resistance to progressive pests on corn crops. Values of biological efficiency of insecticides in the variants of Voliam Flexi, SC and Avant, EC preparations corresponded to 97.1 and 95.6 %. The economic efficiency of the insecticides was evaluated by grain yield increment, where Voliam Flexi, SC, Avant, EC and Lepidocid, SC and had the values of 1.1; 1.0 and 0.5 t/ha, respectively. Long-term studies have established that yields depend on the degree of damage to cobs and corn grain by cotton budworm caterpillars. The reserve of significant increase of corn grain yield by 0.5–1.1 t/ha is the use of effective insecticides of chemical origin with low rates of consumption (Voliam Flexi, SC, Avant, EC). It has been revealed that 2-fold spraying with bioinsecticides Lepidocid, SC and Bioslip BT, P on the beginning and mass hatching of caterpillars significantly reduced the harmfulness of these pests, the biological efficiency of which amounted to 77.9 and 73.5 %, respectively.

Performance evaluation of vertical bifacial and single-axis tracked agrivoltaic systems on arable land

This study evaluates and compares two types of interspersed bifacial agrivoltaic systems in Belgium: a fixed vertical system and a dynamic single-axis tracker, focusing on sugarbeet cultivation. Additionally, the impact of different tracking algorithms on crop yield and quality is investigated. The main approach involves developing an empirical crop model based on radiation use efficiency (RUE) and utilizing a radiation tool to simulate crop yield and quality. Field measurements of electricity and crop output are conducted over a span of two years, 2021 and 2022. The findings reveal that the dynamic solar tracker outperforms the fixed vertical bifacial setup in both years. The smart-tracking algorithm, applied under optimal watering conditions in the 2021 season, leads to a significant increase in energy yield (＋30%) and land use efficiency (＋20%) at a lower cost, while maintaining comparable crop yields to the vertical setup. However, limitations are observed in the empirical crop growth model’s ability to account for climatic variability in the dry 2022 year, reducing its usefulness during the design phase. Notably, the practical implementation of the systems highlights challenges during construction and exploitation, emphasizing the significance of considering these practical factors together with climate, structure and crop choice assessing the effectiveness and to de-risk investments.

Temperature-dependent THz properties and emission of organic crystal BNA.

As high-average power ultrafast lasers become increasingly available for nonlinear conversion, the temperature dependence of the material properties of nonlinear crystals becomes increasingly relevant. Here, we present temperature-dependent THz complex refractive index measurements of the organic crystal BNA over a wide range of temperatures from 300 K down to 80 K for THz frequencies up to 4 THz for the first time. Our measurements show that whereas the temperature-dependent refractive index has only minor deviation from room temperature values, the temperature-dependent absorption coefficient decreases at low temperature (-24% from 300 K to 80 K). We additionally compare these measurements with conversion efficiency and spectra observed during THz generation experiments using the same crystal actively cooled in the same temperature range, using an ultrafast Yb-laser for excitation. Surprisingly, the damage threshold of the material does not improve significantly upon active cooling, pointing to a nonlinear absorption mechanism being responsible for damage. However, we observe a significant increase in THz yield (+23%) at lower temperatures, which is most likely due to the reduced THz absorption. These first findings will be useful for future designs of high-average power pumped organic-crystal based THz-TDS systems.

Improving the resolution and light yield in CsI(Tl) scintillators

In the search for Dark Matter, very low-energy sensitive detectors are needed that would be able to distinguish minute differences in closely residing energy peaks. To increase the ability of CsI(Tl) scintillator detectors to do so, a different wrapping material will be used on the innermost layer of the detector. This wrapping material is a 3MTM Enhanced Specular Reflector (ESR) material which is hypothesized to produce a higher light yield with better resolution than the PTFE wrapping of plumber’s tape due to its high reflectivity. Two different types of measurements were carried out to test this hypothesis. Each test was run on a different half of a CsI(Tl) rectangular crystal of volume 48 in3. First, a source of 60Co was used to test the difference between the wrappings. The test was run an hour for the PTFE and the ESR wrapping. We observe a 35% increase in the ADC count for each 60Co energy peak and 15% decrease in the value of the standard deviation around those peaks. Secondly, a source of 241Am was used to test the low-energy capabilities of the ESR material. Here also we see a significant increase in the ADC count for the two energy peaks of the 241Am source. Due to the high photon reflectivity capability of the ESR film, our detector is more capable of collecting photons created by low-energy interactions. As we know Dark Matter produces very low-energy recoils, while interacting with the detector target material, so the ability to contain a maximum number of photons within the detector volume will help us move one step closer to detecting the rare interaction. Because of this significant increase in light yield and general decrease in standard deviation, it is clear that the ESR material has a greater ability to gather higher resolution data than its predecessor. This could lead to a greater understanding of low-energy particles, which in turn could help us understand what Dark Matter really is.

Metagenomic analysis of ethylene glycol contamination in anaerobic digestion

Anaerobic digestion is an established method for the biological conversion of waste feedstocks to biogas and biomethane. While anaerobic digestion is an excellent waste management technique, it can be susceptible to toxins and pollutants from contaminated feedstocks, which may have a detrimental impact on a digester’s efficiency and productivity. Ethylene glycol (EG) is readily used in the heat-transfer loops of anaerobic digestion facilities to maintain reactor temperature. Failure of the structural integrity of these heat transfer loops can cause EG to leak into the digester, potentially causing a decrease in the resultant gas yields. Batch fermentations were incubated with 0, 10, 100 and 500 ppm (parts per million) of EG, and analysis showed that the EG was completely metabolised by the digester microbiome. The concentrations of EG tested showed significant increases in gas yields, however there were no significant changes to the digester microbiome.

Characterizing indigenous plant growth promoting bacteria and their synergistic effects with organic and chemical fertilizers on wheat (Triticum aestivum).

The excessive use of chemical fertilizers is deteriorating both the environment and soil, making it a big challenge faced by sustainable agriculture. To assist the efforts for the solution of this burning issue, nine different potential native strains of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) namely, SA-1(Bacillus subtilis), SA-5 (Stenotrophomonas humi),SA-7(Azospirillum brasilense), BH-1(Azospirillum oryzae), BH-7(Azotobacter armeniacus), BH-8(Rhizobium pusense), BA-3(Azospirillum zeae), BA-6(Rhizobium pusense), and BA-7(Pseudomonas fragi) were isolated that were characterized morphologically, biochemically and molecularly on the basis of 16S rRNA sequencing. Furthermore, the capability of indigenous PGPB in wheat (Triticum aestivum, Chakwal-50) under control, DAP+FYM, SA-1,5,7, BH-1,7,8, BA-3,6,7, DAP+ FYM + SA-1,5,7, DAP+FYM+ BH-1,7,8 and DAP+FYM+ BA-3,6,7 treatments was assessed in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). The results of the study showed that there was a significant increase in plant growth, nutrients, quality parameters, crop yield, and soil nutrients at three depths under SA-1,5,7, BH-1,7,8, and BA-3,6,7 in combination with DAP+FYM. Out of all these treatments, DAP+ FYM + BA-3,6,7 was found to be the most efficient for wheat growth having the highest 1000-grain weight of 55.1 g. The highest values for plant height, no. of grains/spike, spike length, shoot length, root length, shoot dry weight, root dry weight, 1000 grain weight, biological yield, and economic yield were found to be 90.7 cm, 87.7 cm, 7.20 cm, 53.5 cm, 33.5 cm, 4.87 g, 1.32 g, 55.1 g, 8209 kg/h, and 4572 kg/h, respectively, in the DAP+FYM+BA treatment. The DAP+FYM+BA treatment had the highest values of TN (1.68 µg/mL), P (0.38%), and K (1.33%). Likewise, the value of mean protein (10.5%), carbohydrate (75%), lipid (2.5%), and available P (4.68 ppm) was also highest in the DAP+FYM+BA combination. C:P was found to be significantly highest (20.7) in BA alone but was significantly lowest (11.9) in DAP+FYM+BA. Hence, the integration of strains BA-3, BA-5, and BA-7 in fertilizers can be regarded as the most suitable choice for agricultural growth in the sub-mountainous lower region of AJK. This could serve as the best choice for sustainable wheat growth and improved soil fertility with lesser impacts on the environment.