Traditional Crops Research Articles

Landscape Metrics and Land-Use Patterns of Energy Crops in the Agricultural Landscape

Energy crops are a new player in the traditional agricultural landscape. The present paper analyses the land uses surrounding and the spatial characteristics of the main energy crops in Sweden (willow, poplar, hybrid aspen and reed canary grass) compared to traditional agricultural crops during the period 2006–2018. Spatial metrics (number of shape characterising points, shape index and rectangularity ratio) are calculated for each field, as well as the nearby land uses at varying distances, at radius: 500 m, 1000 m, 2000 m and 5000 m. A total of 1560 energy crop fields are studied in the 2006 dataset and 3416 fields in the 2018 dataset, which are compared to 58,246 fields with cereal crops in 2006 and 131,354 fields in the 2018 dataset. Results show that, despite being established on previous agricultural land, energy crops present a different spatial profile compared to traditional agricultural crops. Field shapes present less complexity than before, and the overall spatial features become more regular with time in both cases of energy crops and cereals, suggesting an increasing trend in cost-efficient agricultural practices and planning. Important differences concerning land use diversity at different scales are found between plantations versus grasses. In general, willow plantations are located in agriculture-dominated areas (> 70% at 500 m, > 50% at 2000 m), whereas reed canary grass is in forest-dominated landscapes (> 30% at 500 m, > 60% at 2000 m); both contribute to diversifying existing land uses although with varying effects. The results of this study are a basis to assess the impacts of energy crops at landscape level and can translate into applications in energy policy and planning.

Trends, challenges and opportunities in the in situ conservation of cereal landraces in Scottish islands

Landraces are traditional crop varieties that often have special adaptations to the farming environment in which they have evolved and are therefore a valuable source of useful traits for plant breeders. In most agriculturally advanced countries, landraces of the main crops have generally been superseded by modern varieties. An exception to this in the United Kingdom is the cultivation on the Scottish archipelagos of Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides of three cereal landraces: bere, a 6-row barley (Hordeum vulgare), small oat (Avena strigosa) and Hebridean rye (Secale cereale). Our study focused on trends in their cultivation and use over the past 20 years. In the Outer Hebrides, a mixture of all three has continued to be grown on more than 200ha for feed because of its tolerance of nutrient-deficient sandy soils. Future cultivation is threatened, however, by damage from geese and deer, especially to fields used for seed production. In Orkney and Shetland, only bere and small oat are grown, and always as sole crops. The area of bere has increased in Orkney, from about 10ha in 2004 to almost 75ha in 2020 and has been driven by two supply chains producing bere for milling and malting. However, small oat in Orkney, and both small oat and, especially bere, in Shetland have been grown by very few farmers since 2018 and are at serious risk of being lost from cultivation. We discuss these results in the context of measures to support greater on-farm cultivation of these landraces.

Evolution of the rice blast pathogen on spatially structured rice landraces maintains multiple generalist fungal lineages.

Traditional agrosystems, where humans, crops and microbes have coevolved over long periods, can serve as models to understand the ecoevolutionary determinants of disease dynamics and help the engineering of durably resistant agrosystems. Here, we investigated the genetic and phenotypic relationship between rice (Oryza sativa) landraces and their rice blast pathogen (Pyricularia oryzae) in the traditional Yuanyang terraces of flooded rice paddies in China, where rice landraces have been grown and bred over centuries without significant disease outbreaks. Analyses of genetic subdivision revealed that indica rice plants clustered according to landrace names. Three new diverse lineages of rice blast specific to the Yuanyang terraces coexisted with lineages previously detected at the worldwide scale. Population subdivision in the pathogen population did not mirror pattern of population subdivision in the host. Measuring the pathogenicity of rice blast isolates on landraces revealed generalist life history traits. Our results suggest that the implementation of disease control strategies based on the emergence or maintenance of a generalist lifestyle in pathogens may sustainably reduce the burden of disease in crops.

Farm-level medicinal plants production and economic analysis in the Indian state of Punjab

Farmers all across the world conduct experiments, and have done so for a long time, way before modern experimental science and its forerunners were acknowledged. Farmer techniques, based on their experience, have some advantages over agricultural specialists' field trials under the relevant local conditions, making documentation of successful agricultural practises essential. In this article, we document the successful farmer’s practices of selected medicinal plants i.e. Aloe vera, Ocimum sanctum, and Curcuma longa in the Indian state of Punjab through farm-level observations and data. Following that, the cost-return structure of these medicinal plants was examined using average prices obtained from personal interviews utilising a questionnaire in order to demonstrate their economic potential over traditional crops (wheat and paddy). The study highlights that Aloe vera has Indian Rupee (INR) 92,876 (1127.55 USD) profit per one acre area, Curcuma longa has INR. 73,725 (895.05 USD) profit per one acre area, while Ocimum sanctum have INR 35,515 (431.16 USD) return over variable cost which is comparatively higher than wheat and paddy. The article underlines Ocimum sanctum as a successful competitor and replacer of paddy in Kharif/Monsoon season. The study's selection of common agricultural indicators and agricultural practises was mostly dependent on the inputs and average values provided by the farmers. Little variations, however, that cannot be measured to arrive at the compiled data may exist. The economic analysis in the present study is representable to only Punjab, however, the cost-return structure may vary in different states, and nations depending on ecological, and trade patterns. This article will serve as a guidance document for farmers interested in medicinal plant adoption owing to its on-field effective farmer practises and agro-economics.

A Status Review on the Importance of Mulberry (Morus spp.) and Prospects towards Its Cultivation in a Controlled Environment

One of the major challenges that global society is facing nowadays is finding sustainable and safe methods for crop growth and development. Besides the traditional crops cultivated worldwide (tomatoes, potatoes, lettuce, strawberries, etc.), there is a general trend in the exploitation of polyvalent plants. Mulberry (Morus spp.) faced no exception; with its undeniable proprieties, it became suitable not only to be used in the sericulture industry, but in the food chain, the pharma industry, and environmental safety. Spare parts of the plants can be used in a very wide range, starting from introducing mulberry leaves in supplements to increase the protein content of a meal to extracting biologically active compounds from fruits and roots to be used in phytotherapy. However, the outstanding proprieties of this plant come with some requirements related to space availability and watering; requirements that can be easily surpassed by using vertical farming methods, such as hydroponic, aeroponic, or aquaponic systems. The present paper aims to evaluate vertical farming techniques’ applicability to mulberry propagation in a controlled environment and their prospects for a more sustainable and safer agricultural practice.

A machine learning modeling framework for Triticum turgidum subsp. durum Desf. yield forecasting in Italy

AbstractThe forecasting of crop yield is one of the most critical research areas in crop science, which allows for the development of decision support systems, optimization of nitrogen fertilization, and food safety. Many tested modeling approaches can be differentiated according to the models and data used. The models used are traditional crop models that require data that are often difficult to measure. New modeling approaches based on artificial intelligence algorithms have proven to be of high performance, flexible, and can be tested based on available data. In this study, four independent field experiments conducted on Triticum turgidum subsp. durum Desf. in central–southern Italy were used to train a set of machine learning (ML) algorithms to predict the yield using 16 variables: fertilization, nitrogen management, pedoclimatic, and remote sensing data. Four ML algorithms were calibrated and validated over two independent sites, and a linear regression model was used as a control. The calibrated models can predict the grain yield in the two regions by using ancillary data, topsoil physical and chemical properties, multispectral drone imagery, climatic data, and nitrogen fertilizer applied at the site. Among the four ML algorithms, stochastic gradient boosting (root‐mean‐square error = 0.58 t ha−1) outperformed others during calibration and transferability. Nitrogen application rate, seasonal precipitation, and temperature are the most important features for predicting wheat yield.

Agriculture in the Baksan Gorge of the Central Caucasus, Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia

No agriculture is possible without soil. This article reviews available data on the soils of the Baksan Gorge located in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Russia. The research objective was to collect and analyze information on the soil composition and crop yields in this region of the Central Caucasus. The review covered the last five years of scientific publications cited in Scopus, Web of Science, and Elibrary. It also featured contemporary and archival documents on the soil composition and periglacial agriculture in the Baksan Gorge. The agriculture and cattle breeding started in the Central Caucasus in the first millennium BC when the local peoples began to develop these lands as highland pastures and, subsequently, for agricultural farming. During the second millennium BC, crop production became one of the most important economic sectors in the Central Caucasus. Corn, barley, wheat, and millet were the main agricultural crops in the Baksan Gorge. Millet has always been a traditional Kabardian crop, and millet farming occupied the largest flatland areas. Barley was the staple crop in the highlands. Currently, the list of local staple crops includes corn, wheat, and sunflower. Barley, oats, peas, potatoes, vegetables, berries, nuts, grapes, and annual herbs are also popular. The past fifteen years have seen an extensive development of intensive horticulture in the Baksan Gorge. Agricultural ecology and production problems depend on the localization of agriculture in the Central Caucasus. This research reviewed data on the effect of soil composition on the yield and value of agricultural crops in the Baksan Gorge of the Central Caucasus.

Efficiency of organic technologies of winter rye cultivation in Ukraine's Polissya in the context of climate change adaptation

In the conditions of the Polissya region of Ukraine, the cultivation of winter rye in organic farming is promising, but it is constrained by low crop yields. Therefore, the urgent task is to find ways to improve the efficiency of the fertilisation system of this traditional Polissya crop. The purpose of the study was to analyse the feasibility of using liquid complex fertilisers against the background of three fertilisation systems for organic and convection cultivation of winter rye in the conditions of Ukrainian Polissya. Field, laboratory and analytical, mathematical and statistical research methods were used. The results of a stationary experiment on light grey forest soil were analysed. It was found that the highest yield of winter rye was when grown using convection technology with a mineral fertilisation system – 4.2 t/ha, which provided an increase in grain yield of 1.07 t/ha or 34.4% compared to the control option. The use of organic technology based on organic and organo-mineral fertilisation systems provided a significantly smaller increase – 0.6 and 0.75 t/ha or 19.3 and 24.0%, respectively. However, the level of profitability for the mineral system decreased by 0.54 thousand UAH/tonne or 39.1%, net operating profit – by 1.6 thousand UAH/tonne or 26.0% compared to the organic fertilisation system. The latter was also better from the standpoint of energy efficiency. It is proved that double foliar top dressing with liquid organo-mineral fertilisers significantly increases the efficiency of the fertilisation system. In the conditions of the experiment, this was expressed in an additional increase in productivity by 0.47-1.16 t/ha, a reduction in the cost of production by 0.14-0.36 thousand UAH/ha, an increase in profitability by 19.3-48.3%, energy efficiency – by 0.14-0.71, and the plasticity of the crop to dry conditions during the growing season. The findings can become the basis for improving the fertilisation system for organic cultivation of winter rye, which would ensure the formation of sustainable yields by minimising the impact of stress factors (dry periods during the growing season) and increase the economic efficiency of grain production in agricultural enterprises of various forms of ownership

Vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal influence on growth of cancer bush (Sutherlandia frutescens) and alleviation of saline stress

Lack of arable land on a global scale, agricultural malpractices and high soil salinity have prompted the development of alternative eco-friendly ways to increase crop production. The usage of vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) has been reported to positively improve crop production under harsh soil conditions but no such effort has fixated on traditional underutilized crops such as cancer bush (Sutherlandia frutescens). Given its significance as a versatile remedial crop, it is critical to cultivate this plant and regulate the agronomic necessities for its effective cultivation. Therefore, two separate experiments were conducted at the University of Mpumalanga, Mbombela, South Africa in 2021 and 2022, with an objective to investigate whether VAM will improve growth of cancer bush under saline soil conditions. Three weeks old cancer bush seedlings were planted in pots under microplot conditions. The in a 4 x 4 factorial treatmentarrangement in a randomized complete block design. The seedlings were grown in four geometric series of NaCl : CaCl2 (3 : 1) of artificial chloride salinity levels: 0, 0.25, 0.5 and 0.75 ds/m and four levels of VAM: 0,10, 20, and 30 g/pot, with four replications in the two successive years. At 60 days after initiation of treatments, dry root mass and number of branches were significantly affected by treatments in Experiment 1, with total treatment variation (TTV) of 11-17 and 9-34%, respectively of the variables. Dry shoot mass was significantly affected by treatments in Experiment 2, with TTV of 26-32%. In both the experiments, treatments had significant effects on soil EC, contributing 26-42% in TTV in Experiment 1, whereas in Experiment 2 the treatments contributed 4-76% in TTV of the respective variable. In conclusion, findings in the current study demonstrated that VAM in presence of salinity improved growth relative to plants under saline stress.

Performance of Different Crop Models in Simulating Soil Temperature

Soil temperature is one of the key factors to be considered in precision agriculture to increase crop production. This study is designed to compare the effectiveness of a land surface model (Noah Multiparameterization (Noah-MP)) against a traditional crop model (Environmental Policy Integrated Climate Model (EPIC)) in estimating soil temperature. A sets of soil temperature estimates, including three different EPIC simulations (i.e., using different parameterizations) and a Noah-MP simulations, is compared to ground-based measurements from across the Central Valley in California, USA, during 2000-2019. The main conclusion is that relying only on one set of model estimates may not be optimal. Furthermore, by combining different model simulations, i.e., by taking the mean of two model simulations to reconstruct a new set of soil temperature estimates, it is possible to improve the performance of the single model in terms of different statistical metrics against the reference ground observations. Containing ratio (CR), Euclidean distance (dist), and correlation co-efficient (R) calculated for the reconstructed mean improved by 52%, 58%, and 10%, respectively, compared to both model estimates. Thus, the reconstructed mean estimates are shown to be more capable of capturing soil temperature variations under different soil characteristics and across different geographical conditions when compared to the parent model simulations.

Status and prospects of cultivation of niche crops in Ukraine

Аіm. To find out the place and role of niche crops in agricultural production in Ukraine and to identify the main risks of their cultivation technology. Methods. The general approach to the study of the problem is dialectical. The general scientific methods (induction and deduction, analysis and synthesis, scientific generalization, scientific abstraction) are used. Results.The article covers the issues of the state of cultivation of traditional and niche crops in Ukraine for the period from 2012 to 2022. The advantages of introducing niche crops into production and the reasons that hinder the growth of their acreage are presented. Conclusins. The necessity of improving the technologies of growing niche crops in order to adapt to climate change is indicated. The main components of obtaining the maximum yield and possible losses in the technological process are presented.

Combined Effects of Cytokinin and UV-C Light on Phenolic Pattern in Ceratonia siliqua Shoot Cultures

Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) is an underutilized traditional crop in the Mediterranean regions that has gained much interest due to its high nutritional traits and resilience to drought and salinity. However, conventional methods of carob propagation are not enough to meet its increasing market demands. The present study analyzes to what extent benzyl adenine (BA) treatments (0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 mg L−1) alone or in combination with UV-C irradiation (3.34 and 10.01 kJ m−2) affect the antioxidant capacity and the levels of phenolic compounds in in vitro carob shoot cultures as well as their performance in terms of the content of photosynthetic pigments and sugars. Results showed that the combination of both treatments resulted in an increased content of chlorophylls, carotenoids, and sugars, particularly at 0.5 mg L−1 BA and the highest UV-C dose. Antioxidant capacity, assessed by the DPPH method, and the levels of soluble flavonoids, flavones and flavonols, and hydroxycinnamic acids were highly influenced by the interaction between BA and UV-C in the combined treatments. This indicates a clear dependence on BA concentration in the response of carob in vitro shoots to UV-C. This could be the basis for the implementation of more efficient carob micropropagation processes.

Trends in Hydroponics Practice/Technology in Horticultural Crops: A Review

Currently, hydroponics, a soilless production method, promises to deliver high quality, nutritious, fresh, residue-free crops, overcoming the problems of climate change, freshwater shortage, necessity of fertile land, and the overwhelming requirement of the expanding food demand. Hydroponics production is now garnering prominence across the world because of its effective resource management and cultivation of high value crops. Developed nations like Netherlands, Australia, France, England, Israel, Canada, and the United States are among the world leaders in hydroponic innovation/cultivation. Certain advantages of this technology include shorter crop growth times than traditional crop soil-based, year-round output, low disease, and insect attack, and removal of several labour-intensive intercultural procedures such as weeding, spraying and watering. Nutrient film technique has been successfully employed in the large-scale cultivation of leafy and other vegetables across the world with water savings of 70 to 90%. Commercial hydroponic technology must be successfully implemented, thus it's essential to devise low-cost methods that seem to be simple to use and sustain, need less manpower altogether, and have reduced installation and function costs. Therefore, hydroponics could represent a superior approach to grow various fruits, vegetables, and livestock feed in addition to fulfil the upcoming need for world nutrition.

Chromosome-scale Genome Assembly of the Yellow Nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus).

The yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L. 1753) is an unconventional oil plant with oil-rich tubers, and a potential alternative for traditional oil crops. Here, we reported the first high-quality and chromosome-level genome assembly of the yellow nutsedge generated by combining PacBio HiFi long reads, Novaseq short reads, and Hi-C data. The final genome size is 225.6 Mb with an N50 of 4.3 Mb. More than 222.9 Mb scaffolds were anchored to 54 pseudochromosomes with a BUSCO score of 96.0%. We identified 76.5 Mb (33.9%) repetitive sequences across the genome. A total of 23,613 protein-coding genes were predicted in this genome, of which 22,847 (96.8%) were functionally annotated. A whole-genome duplication event was found after the divergence of Carex littledalei and Rhynchospora breviuscula, indicating the rich genetic resources of this species for adaptive evolution. Several significantly enriched GO terms were related to invasiveness of the yellow nutsedge, which may explain its plastic adaptability. In addition, several enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways and expanded gene families were closely related with substances in tubers, partially explaining the genomic basis of characteristics of this oil-rich tuber.

Efficiency of herbicides on cropped onion (<i>Allium cеpaL.</i>)

Relevance. Onions are a traditional vegetable crop that is in demand all year round. To obtain high and stable yields, it is necessary to renew the assortment of herbicides in the fight against weeds, to use compositions of preparations of different spectrum of action, toxic to the most harmful weeds and giving the maximum herbicidal effect with minimal labor and financial resources.Results. The article presents the results of tests of new herbicides Bandura and Boxer, unregistered in the Russian Federation on onions, at optimal rates, which showed high selectivity to the crop, but were inferior in efficiency to the Stomp Professional standard. The tank mixtures of Bandura and Stomp Professional with Dual Gold were more effective, exceeding the level of efficiency of the standard. Due to the action of the mixture Stomp Professional + Dual Gold (2 + 1 L / ha), the weediness of onion crops decreased by 78-89% (by quantity) and by 87 - 95% (by weight), which contributed to a significant increase in the yield of bulbs by 12.2% in comparison with control. The efficiency of Goal 2E 0.5 L/ha (42%) in the phase of 2 leaves of onion was insignificant due to the overgrowth of most annual dicotyledonous weeds by the time of treatment (3-10 leaves). The herbicide completely eliminated weeds at an early stage (up to 5 leaves), as well as older white and smoky grass. The remaining weeds experienced oppression in the form of suspension of growth, twisting and necrosis of leaves. Goal 2 E must be included in the system of protective measures against the background of pre-emergence herbicide treatment to suppress annual dicotyledonous weeds, poorly controlled by soil herbicides.

Emergent molecular traits of lettuce and tomato grown under wavelength-selective solar cells.

The integration of semi-transparent organic solar cells (ST-OSCs) in greenhouses offers new agrivoltaic opportunities to meet the growing demands for sustainable food production. The tailored absorption/transmission spectra of ST-OSCs impacts the power generated as well as crop growth, development and responses to the biotic and abiotic environments. To characterize crop responses to ST-OSCs, we grew lettuce and tomato, traditional greenhouse crops, under three ST-OSC filters that create different light spectra. Lettuce yield and early tomato development are not negatively affected by the modified light environment. Our genomic analysis reveals that lettuce production exhibits beneficial traits involving nutrient content and nitrogen utilization while select ST-OSCs impact regulation of flowering initiation in tomato. These results suggest that ST-OSCs integrated into greenhouses are not only a promising technology for energy-neutral, sustainable and climate-change protected crop production, but can deliver benefits beyond energy considerations.

Current Progress, Applications and Challenges of Multi-Omics Approaches in Sesame Genetic Improvement.

Sesame is one of the important traditional oil crops in the world, and has high economic and nutritional value. Recently, due to the novel high throughput sequencing techniques and bioinformatical methods, the study of the genomics, methylomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabonomics of sesame has developed rapidly. Thus far, the genomes of five sesame accessions have been released, including white and black seed sesame. The genome studies reveal the function and structure of the sesame genome, and facilitate the exploitation of molecular markers, the construction of genetic maps and the study of pan-genomes. Methylomics focus on the study of the molecular level changes under different environmental conditions. Transcriptomics provide a powerful tool to study abiotic/biotic stress, organ development, and noncoding RNAs, and proteomics and metabonomics also provide some support in studying abiotic stress and important traits. In addition, the opportunities and challenges of multi-omics in sesame genetics breeding were also described. This review summarizes the current research status of sesame from the perspectives of multi-omics and hopes to provide help for further in-depth research on sesame.

Management Effect on the Weed Control Efficiency in Double Cropping Systems

There are often negative side-effects associated with the traditional (silage) maize cropping system related to the unprotected soil surface. Reducing soil disturbance could enhance system sustainability. Yet, increased weed pressure and decreased nitrogen availability, particularly in organic agriculture, may limit the implementation of alternative management methods. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted at two distinct locations to evaluate the weed control efficiency of 18 organically managed silage maize cropping systems. Examined parameters were relative weed groundcover (GCweed) and its correlation with maize dry matter yield (DMY), relative proportion of dominant weed species (DWS) and their groups by life form (DWSgroup). Treatment factors comprised first crop (FC—winter pea, hairy vetch, and their mixtures with rye, control (sole silage maize cropping system—SCS)), management—incorporating FC use and tillage (double cropping system no-till (DCS NT), double cropping system reduced till (DCS RT), double cropped, mulched system (DCMS Roll) and SCS control), fertilization, mechanical weed control and row width (75 cm and 50 cm). The variation among environments was high, but similar patterns occurred across locations: Generally low GCweed occurred (below 28%) and, therefore, typically no correlation to maize DMY was observed. The number of crops (system), system:management and occasionally management:FC (group) influenced GCweed and DWS(group). Row width had inconsistent and/or marginal effects. Results suggest differences related to the successful inclusion of DCS and DCMS into the rotation, and to the altered soil conditions, additional physical destruction by shallow tillage operations, especially in the early season, which possibly acts through soil thermal and chemical properties, as well as light conditions. DCS RT could successfully reduce GCweed below 5%, whereas DCS NT and particularly DCMS (Mix) suffered from inadequate FC management. Improvements in DCMS may comprise the use of earlier maturing legumes, especially hairy vetch varieties, further reduction/omission of the cereal companion in the mixture and/or more destructive termination of the FC.

Ganhos econômicos usando fonte orgânica de P e inoculação com bactérias solubilizadoras de P em cana-de-açúcar

ABSTRACT Biological agribusiness has grown substantially worldwide and requires efficient strategies to maintain or increase crop production. However, little is known about the real economic gains associated with belowground mechanisms in agriculture, including those of traditional crops such as sugarcane. This study aimed to identify potential microbiological indicators related to yield increase and value the soil microbiological services through the development of a structural equation model (SEM). The SEM was constructed based on a dataset from a previous sugarcane field experiment in which the effects of inoculation with phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) and the input of organomineral fertilizer were evaluated. The SEM indicated that the β-glucosidase and alkaline phosphatase activities were potential indicators of yield increases in four scenarios (current, plausible, optimistic, and futuristic). Increases of 158 and 195 t ha-1 were projected based on the β-glucosidase activity for the current and plausible scenarios, respectively. These increases resulted in economic gains of R$ 453.02 ha-1 (US$ 86.07 ha-1) for the current scenario, and R$ 1,571.53 ha-1 (US$ 298.59 ha-1) for the plausible scenario, considering the exchange rate from February 2022 (R$ 0.19 US$-1). Regardless of the scenario, bacterial inoculation was associated with increased β-glucosidase or alkaline phosphatase activity and higher yields, which translates into economic gains for sugarcane farmers.

Plant Health Prediction and Monitoring Based on convolution Neural Network in North-East India

Agriculture is the main backbone of any society. In this modern era as the population continuously increases, resources for farming are also decreasing. If the health condition of the plant’s determined at a regular interval, farmers can take action timely to improve the plant’s health condition. Plant monitoring and plant health status at regular intervals may lead to better growth of foods. But the regular physical visit to the crop field to monitor plants and plant health is a critical task for a large crop field. To overcome this situation, we need to shift from a traditional cropping system to smart agriculture. Now, these days, a smart agriculture-based approach can use the internet of things, machine learning, and deep learning to predict the health condition of plants. In this paper, the internet of things (IoT) based smart agriculture system has been presented along with machine learning, deep learning, and transfer learning to monitor and health prediction of plants. The IoT-based system has been used to monitor the plant’s surrounding parameters such as humidity, temperature, light intensity, and soil water moisture. The leaf images of plants have been used in deep learning (DL), machine learning (ML), and transfer learning (TL) to predict the health condition of plants. In this paper, the convolution neural network (CNN) based model has been proposed and it has been compared with the support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), VGG19, and mobilenet model. It has been concluded that the accuracy of the proposed CNN model is 81.5 %, which is the highest among SVM, RF, VGG19, and mobilenet..