Traditional Crops Research Articles

Applying circular economy principles to intensification of livestock production in Sub-Saharan Africa

In the context of sustainable agricultural development, much has been made of the need to apply agroecology or regenerative principles to improve rural livelihoods and to align the sector with critical planetary health boundaries. This movement is a reaction to the perceived private and social costs arising from both production and consumption associated with industrialised agriculture, mostly in upper-income countries, with several default assumptions being apparent about applicability elsewhere. The notion of circularity, or the circular economy, is frequently conflated with agro ecological rhetoric, often overlooking a longer tradition of circular resource use efficiency in traditional mixed crop–livestock farming in low-income settings. This paper examines the concept and origins of circularity and reviews some examples of historic circular economy research within the international agricultural research system as applied to smallholder agriculture. These include (i) studies focusing on the impact of crop residue retention, (ii) work on residue incorporation and/or mulching and their effects on crop yields and soil fertility, (iii) research on the effects of manure use on crop yields and soil fertility and (iv) work on the feeding of crop residues to livestock. We consider some promising innovations or practices adhering to circular economy principles. Candidate innovations focus on the improvement of livestock feeding practices including the breeding of dual-purpose crops to enhance livestock nutrition, conversion of cereal straw residues to high-quality feed, use of cassava waste as livestock feed and use of insects as livestock feed. We conclude by considering how circular bio-economy principles might be maintained in the future evolution of food systems in Sub-Saharan Africa.

WHCrop: A novel water-heat driven crop model for estimating the spatiotemporal dynamics of crop growth for arid region

Crop models are widely used to assist in agricultural management decision-making and water productivity optimization. However, traditional crop models often depend on artificial and specific field management inputs, posing challenges in maintaining crops within a desired stress range. Consequently, the derived optimization schemes from these models become highly uncertain. Moreover, the complexity of the mechanisms involved and the multitude of parameters make it challenging to apply traditional crop models uniformly across various crops and regions. In this study, we have developed a novel crop model called WHCrop (Water-Heat Driven Crop model) that effectively captures, reflects, and controls the impact of various environmental factors (meteorology, topography, soil, and management) on crop growth process. The WHCrop model combines the simulation principles of biomass and yield from the CERES module in the DSSAT model, along with the soil water balance from the AquaCrop model, to estimate the dynamics of crop growth and production processes. Results indicated that WHCrop-based simulations, including canopy cover (CC), daily evapotranspiration (ET), and yield, matched well with ground-based measurements, and were better than the traditional crop model (DSSAT and AquaCrop) at both field and regional scales, especially under deficient irrigation conditions. Besides capturing the key variables associated with crop growth, WHCrop model could reproduce the adaptive response of these various to regional-scale temperature changes. Notably, the WHCrop model could effectively minimize uncertainties resulting from individual environmental change, thanks its incorporation of dynamic response mechanisms for crop growth under stress factors. Overall, the novel and informative WHCrop model offers some advantages over traditional crop models since it allows for optimal decision making to be derived from the randomly different inputs. As a result, the WHCrop model proves instrumental in assisting decision-makers in formulating critical water allocation strategies and developing effective management recommendations to enhance regional agricultural water productivity.

Data-driven approaches to improve water-use efficiency and drought resistance in crop plants

With the increasing population, there lies a pressing demand for food, feed and fibre, while the changing climatic conditions pose severe challenges for agricultural production worldwide. Water is the lifeline for crop production; thus, enhancing crop water-use efficiency (WUE) and improving drought resistance in crop varieties are crucial for overcoming these challenges. Genetically-driven improvements in yield, WUE and drought tolerance traits can buffer the worst effects of climate change on crop production in dry areas. While traditional crop breeding approaches have delivered impressive results in increasing yield, the methods remain time-consuming and are often limited by the existing allelic variation present in the germplasm. Significant advances in breeding and high-throughput omics technologies in parallel with smart agriculture practices have created avenues to dramatically speed up the process of trait improvement by leveraging the vast volumes of genomic and phenotypic data. For example, individual genome and pan-genome assemblies, along with transcriptomic, metabolomic and proteomic data from germplasm collections, characterised at phenotypic levels, could be utilised to identify marker-trait associations and superior haplotypes for crop genetic improvement. In addition, these omics approaches enable the identification of genes involved in pathways leading to the expression of a trait, thereby providing an understanding of the genetic, physiological and biochemical basis of trait variation. These data-driven gene discoveries and validation approaches are essential for crop improvement pipelines, including genomic breeding, speed breeding and gene editing. Herein, we provide an overview of prospects presented using big data-driven approaches (including artificial intelligence and machine learning) to harness new genetic gains for breeding programs and develop drought-tolerant crop varieties with favourable WUE and high-yield potential traits.

Drought‐tolerant succulent plants as an alternative crop under future global warming scenarios in sub‐Saharan Africa

AbstractGlobally, we are facing an emerging climate crisis, with impacts to be notably felt in semiarid regions across the world. Cultivation of drought‐adapted succulent plants has been suggested as a nature‐based solution that could: (i) reduce land degradation, (ii) increase agricultural diversification and provide both economic and environmentally sustainable income through derived bioproducts and bioenergy, (iii) help mitigate atmospheric CO2 emissions and (iv) increase soil sequestration of CO2. Identifying where succulents can grow and thrive is an important prerequisite for the advent of a sustainable alternative ‘bioeconomy’. Here, we first explore the viability of succulent cultivation in Africa under future climate projections to 2100 using species distribution modelling to identify climatic parameters of greatest importance and regions of environmental suitability. Minimum temperatures and temperature variability are shown to be key controls in defining the theoretical distribution of three succulent species explored, and under both current and future SSP5 8.5 projections, the conditions required for the growth of at least one of the species are met in most parts of sub‐Saharan Africa. These results are supplemented with an analysis of potentially available land for alternative succulent crop cultivation. In total, up to 1.5 billion ha could be considered ecophysiologically suitable and available for succulent cultivation due to projected declines in rangeland biomass and yields of traditional crops. These findings may serve to highlight new opportunities for farmers, governments and key stakeholders in the agriculture and energy sectors to invest in sustainable bioeconomic alternatives that deliver on environmental, social and economic goals.

Estimation of the Leaf Area Index of Winter Rapeseed Based on Hyperspectral and Machine Learning

Leaf area index (LAI) is essential for evaluating crop growth and development. Destructive manual measurement methods mainly achieve traditional crop LAI acquisition. Due to the advantages of being fast and non-destructive, spectroscopy technology provides a feasible method for obtaining crop LAI. In order to achieve efficient acquisition of winter oilseed rape LAI, this study collected hyperspectral data and LAI data at the full-bloom stage of winter oilseed rape. It calculated the spectral indexes related to the LAI of the original spectrum and the first-order differential spectrum, respectively. The index with the highest correlation with the LAI of winter oilseed rape at the flowering stage was selected as the optimal spectral index for input. Subsequently, three machine learning methods, Back Propagation Neural Network (BPNN), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Random Forest (RF), were used to construct the LAI model of winter oilseed rape, and the model was tested. The results show that the correlation coefficient between the spectral index calculated by the first-order differential processing of the original spectral data and the LAI of winter rapeseed is significantly improved compared with the original data. Among them, the spectral index NDVI with the best correlation coefficient with LAI can be obtained under the first-order differential: the correlation coefficient is 0.734, and the wavelength combination is 716 nm and 724 nm. At the same time, we found that when the input variables are the same, the RF model has higher estimation accuracy than the other models. The best estimation accuracy is obtained when the input variable is the first-order differential spectral index. The R2 of the model validation set is 0.810, RMSE is 0.455 cm2/cm2, MRE is 10.465%, and the model accuracy is high. The results of this study can provide a theoretical basis for crop monitoring based on spectral technology and provide a theoretical basis for crop growth.

Comparative analysis of fatty acids, volatile and non-volatile components in red huajiao (Zanthoxylum bungeanum maxim.) and green huajiao (Zanthoxylum armatum DC.) using GC-MS, UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS/MS and HPLC-DAD

In China, huajiao, a traditional industrial crop, is categorized as red huajiao (RHJ; Zanthoxylum bungeanum maxim.) and green huajiao (GHJ; Zanthoxylum armatum DC.) based on the peel color. There were significant differences in sensory and biological activities between RHJ and GHJ in practical application. However, there is no sufficient and comprehensive metabolome-based explanation for these differences so far. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), ultra-performance liquid chromatography-linear trap quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry (UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS/MS), and high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detection (HPLC-DAD) were employed in this study to analyze the differences in fatty acids (FAs), volatile components (VCs) and non-volatile components (non-VCs) between 6 RHJ and 9 GHJ. The findings demonstrated that 12 FAs, 68 VCs, and 101 non-VCs were detected in huajiao, of which 5 FAs, 28 VCs, and 46 non-VCs were identified as differential metabolites (DMs) between RHJ and GHJ. And the DMs were enriched in multiple metabolic pathways by KEGG analysis. Moreover, kaempferol, kaempferide, berberrubine, scoulerine, saponaretin, naringenin, and 3-P-coumaroylquinic acid were identified as key bioactive DMs based on the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) database and analysis platform. In this study, the possible reasons for the differences in sensory and biological activities between RHJ and GHJ were comprehensively revealed at the metabolic level using non-targeted and targeted metabolomics, and the results provide a better theoretical understanding of the different application of them.

Understanding the rationale and advantages of a traditional Mediterranean intercropping system in the nineteenth century

Traditional agricultural systems in Mediterranean Europe were characterised by diversity and multifunctionality, and polycultures played a fundamental role in them. Some of these farm systems and the traditional agricultural practices linked to them have now largely disappeared, but they are increasingly recognised as a valuable source of agroecological knowledge. In this study, we seek to recover the long-lost experience from a traditional Mediterranean intercropping system that combined the cultivation of vines and cereals. Using local historical resources available for a Catalan village for the second half of the nineteenth century, we compare the characteristics and functioning of intercropping and monocultures of vines and cereals using socioeconomic and agrarian metabolism indicators, and discuss the advantages of the traditional intercropping system as an adaptation to the productive limitations of the agroecosystem (particularly in terms of soil quality and productivity, and availability of labour and draft force), but also as a peasant economy strategy that responded to a multifunctional balancing rationale. This way, this research contributes to recovering the knowledge and experience of a long-lasting traditional crop system that had been used until the second half of the twentieth century, and provides an understanding of the rationale and advantages of traditional Mediterranean crop systems beyond productivity and profit maximisation strategies.

Carob as an Agrifood Chain Product of Cultural, Agricultural and Economic Importance in the Mediterranean Region

The carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua L.) is a typical Mediterranean species with over a 4000-year history. From ancient Egyptians to Cretans, carob products have been used as emergency food in the absence of basic goods. In the previous few decades, the global agricultural economy has replaced traditional crops with more profitable ones, which has led to soil degradation and a greater requirement for inputs. The rediscovery and use of plants that have best adapted to their growing territory is of crucial importance to preserve biodiversity and promote sustainable agricultural practices in a bioeconomy perspective. In recent years, carob’s commercial value has increased due to its use as a raw material in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and biofuel industries. This is expected to give a new impetus to the crop. Since the Mediterranean basin is the place of the origin of the carob tree, its cultivation will contribute to the sustainability of the Mediterranean agro-ecosystems and increase the socio-economic status of the local population.JEL Codes: Q570

Simulating the effect of perennialized cropping systems on nitrate-N losses using the SWAT model

Several newly released crop varieties, including the perennial intermediate wheatgrass (grain marketed as Kernza®), and the winter hardy oilseed crop camelina, have been developed to provide both economic return for farmers and reduced nutrient losses from agricultural fields. Though studies have indicated that these crops could reduce nitrate-nitrogen (N) leaching, little research has been done to determine their effectiveness in reducing nitrate-N loading to surface waters at a watershed scale, or in comparing their performance to more traditional perennial crops, such as alfalfa. In this study, nitrate-N losses were predicted using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model for the Rogers Creek watershed located in south-central Minnesota, USA. Predicted looses of nitrate-N under three perennialized cropping systems were compared to losses given current cropping practices in a corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) rotation. The perennialized systems included three separate crop rotations: intermediate wheatgrass (IWG) in rotation with soybean, alfalfa in rotation with corn, and winter camelina in rotation with soybean and winter rye. Model simulation of these rotations required creation of new crop files for IWG and winter camelina within SWAT. These new crop files were validated using measured yield, biomass, and nitrate-N data. Model results show that the IWG and alfalfa rotations were particularly effective at reducing nutrient and sediment losses from agricultural areas in the watershed, but smaller reductions were also achieved with the winter camelina rotation. From model predictions, achieving regional water-quality goals of a 30% reduction in nitrate-N load from fields in the watershed required converting approximately 25, 34, or 57% of current corn-soybean area to the alfalfa, IWG, or camelina rotations, respectively. Results of this study indicate that adoption of these crops could achieve regional water quality goals.

Изучение перспективных сортов сорго сахарного

Abstract. Sweet sorghum in several large agricultural regions of the Russian Federation with unstable or insufficient moisture is becoming a real alternative to traditional feed grain crops. It has high adaptability and provides a stable green mass yield for silage. The purpose of the current work was to estimate and characterize promising sweet sorghum varieties developed by the ARC “Donskoy”. Methodology: the current study was carried out in the FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” from 2020 to 2022. The soil of the experimental plot was ordinary calcareous heavy loamy blackearth (chernozem). The objects of research were 17 new varieties being studied in the nursery of the competitive variety testing. Scientific originality lies in the study of morphological, biochemical, and productive indicators of the new promising sweet sorghum varieties; in identifying among them the most adaptive ones to the conditions of insufficient (or unstable) moisture in the North Caucasus. Results. During the study there was found out that when selecting varieties according to economically valuable traits, it should be taken into account that the growing conditions have no effect only on a vegetation period and a number of leaves are practically, other traits can change significantly. According to green mass productivity, the most stable samples were ‘M’ (V = 2.7 %), ‘ZR-1/44’ (V = 7.3 %), ‘KL-12198/2’ (V = 8.2 %), ‘RS-124/ 19’ (V = 9.3 %), ‘Sakharnoe 105/3’ (V = 10.2 %). The analysis of quality and productivity indicators there were identified the new sweet sorghum varieties ‘Yuzhnoe’, ‘Amazanit 301’ and ‘Feniks’. The identified varieties have exceeded the standard one on 4–13 t/ha of green mass, on 2.9-–4.3 t/ha of dry matter, on 0.24–0.36 t/ha of digestible protein. The varieties ‘Feniks’ and ‘Yuzhnoe’, approved for use in the North Caucasus, the Central Blackearth and the Low-Volga regions of the Russian Federation, can be recommended for widespread introduction into agricultural production.

Sustainable enhancement of biogas and methane yield of macroalgae biomass using different pretreatment techniques: A mini-review

Macroalgae can be grown without the use of fertilizer, fresh water, or arable land. These qualities support its use for biofuel production because it frees up land for other traditional energy sources and food crops. It has been investigated as biogas feedstock to substitute for fossil fuels burning with attendant effects on the ecosystem. The microstructural arrangement of macroalgae biomass is restricting their conversion to biogas. Therefore, application of pretreatment before anaerobic digestion is needed to enhance their availability to microbial degradation and subsequent increase in biogas yield. Pretreatment application for substrate catalysis is vital to recovering eco-friendly and economical energy from macroalgae. This study summarizes the state of the art of various pretreatment methods employed to enhance macroalgae biomass's anaerobic digestion process. These methods were categorized as thermal, biological, chemical, nanoparticle additives, mechanical, and combined. Merits and challenges associated with each of these methods were also considered. The study shows that all the pretreatment methods considered can improve the biogas yield if the appropriate method is selected based on the type of macroalgae species. Pilot-scale studies that will assist in assessing their feasibility on the full-scale implementation are still missing.

Selenium improves the medicinal safety and quality of Bletilla striata by promoting the fixation of cadmium in root: Pot and field experiments

Soil cadmium (Cd) pollution poses a considerable threat to the safe production of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in China. The tubers of Bletilla striata, a precious TCM, are widely used to treat various ailments. However, the medicinal safety and quality of tubers are significantly affected by high Cd accumulation. While selenium (Se) is known to reduce Cd concentration in traditional crops, its impact on Cd content in medicinal parts and overall quality remains underexplored. To bridge the gap, a pot experiment and field validation were conducted to determine the effectiveness of foliar Se application. The results revealed that Se effectively counteracted Cd damage. Compared to Cd treatment alone, Se at 1.5 mg L−1 significantly decreased Cd content by 46.33 %, increased the biomass by 21.48 %, and raised the total phenolic, flavonoid, saponin, and polysaccharide contents by 46.31 %, 30.46 %, 27.08 %, and 29.01 %, respectively, in tubers. Furthermore, this study explored the mechanism of Se action. Se facilitated Cd accumulation in root cell walls and soluble fractions, enhanced the synthesis of phytochelatins (PC), and stored them in the form of PC-Cd complexes. These findings have profound implications for the cultivation of TCM, ensuring its safety, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.

From one field to another—Unsupervised domain adaptation for semantic segmentation in agricultural robotics

In traditional arable crop fields, tractors treat the whole field uniformly applying large quantities of herbicides and pesticides for weed control and plant protection. Autonomous robots, instead, offer the potential to provide a per-plant treatment, thus turning weed control and plant protection environment-friendly. To this end, an autonomous robot has to reliably distinguish crops, weeds, and soil under a diverse range of environmental conditions using its onboard sensors. Such recognition ability forms the basis for targeted plant-specific treatments in the form of spot applications. Basically, all such perception systems used today rely on some form of machine learning technique. However, current learning-based solutions often show a performance decay when applied under new field conditions. This is a major bottleneck for real-world application and finally commercial adoption. In this paper, we propose a simple yet effective approach to unsupervised domain adaptation for semantic segmentation systems so that an existing segmentation pipeline can be adapted to different fields, different robots, and different crops. Our system yields a high segmentation performance in new target fields without the need for extra manual annotations. It exploits only annotations from the source domain, i.e., the original field used for training the robot’s vision system. Our thorough evaluation shows that our approach achieves high accuracy when transferring an existing segmentation system to different environmental conditions, different plant species, and different robotic systems.

Durum wheat-lentil relay intercropping enhances soil mycorrhizal activity but does not alter structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community within roots

In intercropping systems, crop species select host-adapted microorganisms and influence the associated plant-microbial interactions like in the case of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Attempts to assess the impact of intercropping on the activity, diversity, and community composition of AMF remain inconclusive, more so in intercropping systems involving traditional Mediterranean crops such as durum wheat and lentils. We carried out field experiments in Central Italy to assess the impact of relay intercropping durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf. cv. Minosse) and lentil (Lens culinaris Medik. cv. Elsa) on soil mycorrhizal inoculum potential (MIP) (2019 and 2020), AMF root colonization (2019, 2020, and 2021), and root AMF diversity and community composition (2020 and 2021), compared to the respective sole crops. Results showed that relay intercropping enhanced lentil grain yield and durum wheat grain protein concentration but marginally reduced durum wheat grain yield and lentil grain protein concentration. In addition, relay intercropping enhanced soil mycorrhizal activity but differentially influenced mycorrhizal root colonization compared to sole cropping. Sequencing analyses generated a total of 234 amplicon sequence variants belonging to Glomeromycota, which were assigned to 31 virtual taxa using the MaarjAM reference database. Glomeraceae and Claroideoglomeraceae were the most abundant taxa but had contrasting abundances in 2020 and 2021. The overall changes in AMF species diversity and community structure were affected by the interaction between crop species and year, and not by intercropping. Claroideoglomus and Septoglomus showed a strong association with lentil roots while Rhizophagus and Paraglomus were associated with durum wheat roots in 2020, affirming host genotype-AMF preferences. The principal component analysis showed that grain protein concentration was associated with selected mycorrhizal parameters such as community richness and AMF root colonization. Further studies on the functional analysis of the different AMF communities selected by the crop genotype and year may reveal the importance of intercropping in maintaining soil functionality and productivity under low-input systems.

Потенциал сорго зернового в качестве компонента комбикормов для цыплят бройлеров

The search for solutions to reduce the cost of feed while maintaining nutritional value has been an urgent task for many years. On the basis of the FSBI RosNIISK "Rossorgo", studies are being conducted to assess the possibility of replacing traditional cereal crops with alternative ones in compound feeds. We have developed experimental formulations of compound feeds for broiler chickens, with the inclusion of grain sorghum, an assessment of the nutritional value of the feed and the fractional composition of protein. The peculiarities of the biochemical composition in compound feeds depending on the botanical composition are revealed. It was determined that the most optimal combination of all nutritional characteristics, as well as high quality indicators of crude protein, were found in experimental compound feeds, which contain 35% of grain sorghum. Keywords: FEED PRODUCTION, COMPOUND FEED, GRAIN SORGHUM, CRUDE PROTEIN, FRACTIONAL COMPOSITION OF PROTEIN, LATHYRUS SATIVUS L.

Status of Avocado Production, Postharvest Handling and Utilization in Kenya

Avocado is an exotic fleshy fruit dicotyledonous plant grown for its fruit though leaves of the plant have also been used for avocado flavored tea production while the seed is known to contain antioxidants. The consumption of avocados is on the increase in Kenya; however, the value chain experiences losses estimated to be around 40% due to inability of the sector players to convert fresh fruits into more shelf stable products due to limited preservation technologies. Limited information exists on the production status of avocado, postharvest handling and consumption pattern of avocado in Kenya. This paper aims at determining the current Kenyan avocado distribution patterns, production volumes, nutrition properties and post-harvest handling practices. A semi systematic literature review approach was used to review research materials relevant available articles. The most current articles published in reputable journals within the last 10 years were considered. From the literature, avocado crop popularity is on the increase and has surpassed traditional cash crops such as coffee and tea. According to the findings, avocados can be converted to various products which include avocado oil, guacamoles, dry avocado powder, dehydrated products and avocado blended ice creams. There are gaps in avocado fruit preservation with an estimated 40% loss occasioned by low technologies in product transformation. In conclusion, the sector is in need of knowledge and technologies in product transformation to enable the sector avert losses occasioned by poor post-harvest handling techniques. This literature review provides information on the current status of avocado production, postharvest handling and utilization in Kenya which is useful to avocado marketers, policy makers, authorities, consumers and other stakeholders as well as avocado production and post-harvest handling researchers.

CARACTERIZACIÓN DE SISTEMAS AGROFORESTALES CON CACAO (Theobroma cacao L) EN TRES MUNICIPIOS DEL DEPARTAMENTO DE BOYACÁ, COLOMBIA

<p><strong>Background:</strong> In Colombia, most traditional cocoa crops are developed under agroforestry systems (SAF), associating shrubs and trees that provide shade for cocoa. They generate additional economic income and various ecosystem services. <strong>Objective:</strong> To characterize agroforestry systems with cocoa in three municipalities in eastern Boyacá (Miraflores, Berbeo, and Páez) belonging to the province of Lengupá. <strong>Methodology:</strong> A semi-structured interview was applied in 15 selected farms to learn about socioeconomic aspects, agronomic management of cocoa, and the use and management of trees. The botanical and structural composition and the Simpson (S), Shannon-Weaver (H´), and Jaccard (J) plant diversity indices were determined. <strong>Results:</strong> Cocoa producers in that region develop smallholder production under agroforestry systems with irregular tree species distribution, which are used for wood, firewood, shade, and food. At the regional level, 189 forest individuals accompanying cocoa were found, grouped into 18 families, 17 genera, and 28 species. The municipality of Berbeo presented the highest abundance (73 individuals), followed by Miraflores (67) and finally, Páez (49). In Berbeo, the species with a high importance value index (IVI) were <em>Ceiba pentandra</em> and <em>Cedrela odorata</em> (35 and 33, respectively), in Miraflores <em>Trichant<strong>h</strong>era gigantea </em>and <em>Persea americana</em> (44 and 42) and, in Páez <em>Cedrela odorata</em> (104). <strong>Implications:</strong> The selective felling of forests in SAF with cocoa, which intensifies the production of wood, has favored the loss of diversity; Therefore, the floristic composition studies serve as a basis to identify other potential forest species for the establishment of SAF to promote the diversification of the productive system and contribute to its resilience and sustainability. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> The agroforestry systems with cocoa in three municipalities in eastern Boyacá presented a differential composition and diversity, marked by a lower diversity in the municipality of Páez, where the species <em>C. odorata</em> had greater representation, related to the affinity of farmers for timber species of commercial interest.</p>

Assessing the suitability of traditional food crops and resource use efficiency in kalmegh [Andrographis paniculata (Burm. F.) Wall ex. Nees] based intercropping systems

Kalmegh [Andrographis paniculata (Burm. F.) Wall ex. Nees] has industrial potential due to the presence of bioactive substances, which always upsurges its demands in the pharmaceutical industry. The purpose of the present study was to identify the suitable companion crops (cereal crops: maize, pearl millet, and sorghum; vegetable crops: okra, cluster bean, tomato, and brinjal; oilseed crops: sunflower and sesame; and pulses crop: pigeon pea) in kalmegh based intercropping system. To accomplish this goal, a field experiment was conducted at the experimental research farm of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP) Lucknow, India, for three successive years. The results of the experiment revealed that among all the treatments of intercrops, T10 (Kalmegh + Pigeon pea), T4 (Kalmegh + Okra) in vegetables, T2 (Kalmegh + Pearl millet) in cereals had significantly higher kalmegh dry herbage yield (increased by 30.55%, 29.32%, and 16.53%, respectively), and andrographolide yield (increased by 87%, 49.09%, and 53.17%, respectively) in comparison to kalmegh sole-crop, this is likely related to the sciophytic behavior of kalmegh. Although, kalmegh shows strong competitiveness with all the treatments except T6 (Kalmegh + Tomato), T7 (Kalmegh + Brinjal), and T9 (Kalmegh + Sesame). In a similar manner, the land equivalent ratio ranged from 1.37 to 2.19 and the area time equivalent ratio ranged from 1.25 to 2.0, demonstrating that the kalmegh based intercropping system is a beneficial approach to maximize resource use efficiency. Consequently, in a world facing limited land resources, our research outcomes could help smallholder’s in improving their agricultural systems to achieve greater production efficiency.

Effect of storage duration and storage technologies on pest infestations and post-harvest quality loss of stored sesame seeds in Ethiopia

Sesame seeds, being a crucial traditional oilseed crop in Ethiopia, face challenges related to storage and insect pests that can adversely affect their quality and quantity. Farmers often sell their sesame seeds immediately after harvest at lower prices due to concerns about pest damage during storage. This study aimed to assess the impact of different storage containers and storage durations on reducing infestation by storage insect pests and minimizing losses of stored sesame seeds over a six-month period. The findings revealed that hermetic storage solutions, particularly PICS and SGP bags, effectively suppressed insect development, minimized losses, and maintained seed viability without the need for insecticides. Weight loss in PICS and SGP bags remained consistent regardless of the storage duration, whereas jute and PP bags exhibited a significant increase in weight loss. Lower seed germination rates were observed in PP and jute bags, whereas PICS and SGP bags maintained consistent germination rates throughout the storage period. PICS and SGP bags also exhibited a significant decrease in oxygen levels and an increase in carbon dioxide levels, contributing to the reduction in insect infestation. In comparison, traditional storage bags such as jute and PP bags exhibited higher insect counts, seed damage, and greater weight loss compared to hermetic bags. Therefore, hermetic storage solutions are recommended for farmers to minimize losses and preserve seed viability. During the study, three insect species were identified as the most prevalent in stored sesame seeds: Corcyra cephalonica, Tribolium spp (T. castaneum & T. confusum), and Rhyzopetha dominica. The maximum insect counts of these species were recorded in jute bags. At the beginning of the experiment, the average seed damage across all storage units was 1.9%, which increased to 14.1% in jute bags and 9.3% in PP bags after six months of storage.

Epigenetic Regulation in Heterosis and Environmental Stress: The Challenge of Producing Hybrid Epigenomes to Face Climate Change.

Epigenetic regulation has the potential to revolutionize plant breeding and improve crop yields by regulating gene expression in plants. DNA methylation and histone modifications are key epigenetic modifications that can impact plant development, stress responses, productivity, and yields. Higher-yielding crops not only generate greater profits for farmers and seed producers, but also require less land, water, fuel, and fertilizer than traditional crops for equivalent yields. The use of heterosis in crops can influence productivity and food quality, but producing hybrids with superior agronomic traits to their parents remains challenging. However, epigenetic markers, such as histone methylation and acetylation, may help select parental and hybrid combinations with better performances than the parental plants. This review assesses the potential applications of epigenetics in crop breeding and improvement, rendering agriculture more efficient, sustainable, and adaptable to changing environmental conditions.