Unfavorable Weather Conditions Research Articles

Perceptions of farmers on risk management strategies in Son La province, Vietnam

Commercial fruit farmers in Son La province of Vietnam face substantial risks and they often struggle to implement appropriate risk management responses. A field survey was conducted to achieve a comprehensive view of the risk perception and risk management practices of fruit farmers in Son La province. Our findings indicated that there were 14 sources of risks, which were grouped into production, market, human, and finance categories. Among the risk sources, production was the most serious source of risk, which including seedling quality, unfavourable weather conditions, and disease risk as single risks. Risk management strategies were also categorized, namely, diversification, product quality, human resource, and consultancy. Within these categories, quality regulation, disease prevention, and product preservation were perceived as the most important risk management strategies.

The effect of a vegetation period on protein percentage in seed of the pea collection samples

The purpose of the study was to identify the effect of the length of a vegetation period of collection samples on protein percentage in pea seed. The study was carried out in the southern part of the Rostov region on the fields of the FSBSI «ARC «Donskoy» in 2017–2020. The objects of the study were 100 collection pea samples from the N. I. Vavilov ARIPGR (VIR), including 53 leafless samples and 47 leafy ones. The longest vegetation period on average for the collection (93.8 days) was identified in 2017. The intervarietal variability of this trait, expressed by a variation coefficient, this year was 5.5 % with a minimum value of 63 days and a maximum of 101 days. In the group of varieties of the leafless type, the intervarietal variability was 6.4 % (min. 63 days; max. 100 days), in the leafy group it was 4.2 % (min. 80 days; max. 101 days). In other years, there was a reduction of a vegetation period and a decrease in its intervarietal variability due to unfavorable weather conditions in the form of a lack and shortage of precipitation against the background of elevated and high air temperatures. But they also led to the maximum accumulation of protein in seeds of collection samples, thereby showing the greatest intervarietal variability of this indicator. The calculation of the correlation coefficient showed the absence of a correlation dependence of protein percentage on length of vegetation, both on average for the collection (r = 0.03+0.10) and for the groups of leafless (r = 0.08+0.14) and foliate (r = 0.05+0.15) leaf morphotypes. The construction of graphs with errors for groups of leafy morphotypes revealed samples with a protein percentage of more than 25.0 %. In the group of the leafless morphotype, they had a vegetation period of 78–80 and 83–85 days, and in the group of the leafy morphotype, it was 77–79 days on average over the years of study.

Shading Net and Partial Covering Plastic Film Do Not Affect Phenology, Photosynthetic Activity or Fruit Quality Traits of Kensington Pride Mango.

Mango cultivation in a protected environment is becoming widespread in the Mediterranean basin where the species has to face unfavorable weather conditions which do not occur in its native cultivation areas. Besides open-air cultivation, greenhouses-and other protection systems such as shading nets and partial covering of plastic films-have been tested recently. In this study, we focused on assessing the effect of a shading net, and a partially covering plastic film, on the development of "Kensington Pride" mango fruit skin-color, its final quality, and the plants' photosynthetic activity. A new method of measuring mango skin-color on different sides of the fruit is proposed. No difference was observed with regard to the observed parameters between the plants cultivated under the two different protection systems and those growing in the open air. It can, therefore, be stated that such cultivation techniques do not alter the development of the mango fruit and its appearance, nor the plant's photosynthetic activity.

Adolescent learning and health behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: COVID-19 pandemic, in its first year, forced restrictions on social, economic, work, education, and religious activities. All activities were diverted and conducted online to avoid exposure to the coronavirus. These online activities had an impact on students, particularly learning behavior and behavior related to health aspects. Objective: This research aimed to analyze adolescent learning and health behavior. Methods: A descriptive method with a cross-sectional study design was used. The research was conducted from November to December 2021 among students of the Faculty of Public Health, Halu Oleo University, Kendari City, South East Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. Data were collected using online questionnaires with Google Forms and were processed using epi info. Results: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescents from the aspect of learning behavior was, during the online learning process, many adolescents experienced constraints, such as the lack of optimal internet networks in their areas in rural areas, the limited quota due to the pandemic also had an impact on the economy of students’ parents, power outages and unfavorable weather condition. In addition, changes in adolescent learning behavior became more skilled in using various applications. In terms of health behavior, there was a change in perspective and behavior, which is more sensitive to health, including dietary habits, exercise pattern, and readiness to face the new normal. Conclusion: The students got difficulty learning technically due to online learning, but there were also many positive impacts, namely increasing skills related to the use of technology, social communication, and health behavior.

Relationship between meteorological variations, seasonal influenza, and hip fractures in the elderly: A modelling investigation using 22-year data

With the heavy negative health effect and economic burden of hip fractures in the elderly, the relationship of hip fractures with climate and seasonal influenza has not been quantified explicitly. In this study, we aim to make use of population-based data to evaluate the impact of meteorological factors and influenza activity on the hip fracture admissions for the elderly in Hong Kong from 1998 to 2019. Weekly numbers of admissions for the elderly due to hip fractures were used as the study outcome, and were matched with the meteorological factors included air temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, and total rainfall. Strain-specific influenza-like illness-positive (ILI+) rates were employed as proxies for seasonal influenza activity. Quasi-Poisson generalized additive model in conjunction with distributed-lag non-linear model was used to elucidate the association of interest. According to the results, a total of 191,680 hip fracture admissions for the elderly aged ≥65 years were recorded over a 22-year span. The cumulative adjusted relative risks of hip fracture were 1.35 (95 % CI, 1.26–1.44) at the 5th percentile (15.05 °C) of air temperature, and 1.06 (95 % CI, 1.02–1.10) at the 95th percentile (20.91 MJ/m2) of solar radiation, with the reference value set to their respective medians. ILI+ rates were not associated with the risk of hip fracture. In the stratified analyses, a stronger association between cold condition and hip fracture was observed in males. Based on the results, strategies for preventing hip fractures with a focus on behaviors under unfavorable weather conditions should be targeted at individuals at risk.

STUDY ON THE PERCEPTION OF CIVILIANS IN THE LIMITED SITUATION OF FORCED DISPLACEMENT IN THE COLD CLIMATE ENVIRONMENT

The present study aimed to make a diagnosis among the civilian population regarding the perception of confrontation with a limited situation represented by the possibility of an armed conflict in which the need to move in a safe area, far from the horrors of the war, is achieved in hostile weather conditions. Refugees are some of the most vulnerable people in the world, many have suffered on the way to a safer place, violence, losses and hunger, but in winter it beats relocated families are facing significant risks for their health. Providing bythis study that the perception of civil and incompletely informed civilian persons regarding the movement, transport of weights and physical effort at low temperatures and unfavorable weather conditions can be an important factor that can be speculated. The study was conducted on a sample of 107 subjects, university customers, bachelor's degree. Before carrying out and applying the questionnaire, discussions were held with the study participants. The study method used was the questionnaire. The centralization of the results leads tothe need to establish well-defined and realistic objectives, correlated with the real level of theoretical knowledge and physical capacities of the civilian population. The study shows a real challenge in terms of structuring a civilian training plan. The level of information on the risks that appear with the exposure to low temperatures over a longer period of time is minimal, the perception of the majority of the study being in a small correlation with the real capacities to bear low temperatures to carry moderate weights or to move

Thirty-Year Dynamics of the Pine Stand Sanitary Conditions of Boyarka Forestry Research Station

The drying up of coniferous forests is a problem for both Europe and Ukraine, where drying area of pine stands covered the Polissia region and spread to other natural areas, therefore, the analysis of pathological factors of the reasons for the weakening and deterioration of the sanitary condition is relevant. The purpose of the study provides for generalisation of the reasons for the deterioration of the sanitary condition of pine stands and pathological processes in dynamics over 30 years. The results are based on data from 12 permanent and 10 temporary sample plots established in a separate subdivision of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine “Boyarka Forestry Research Station”. The study used empirical and systematic methods. The predominance of drying of pine stands due to infection with the pathogen Heterobasidion annosum ((F.) Bref.) was revealed, at the same time, with the highest infestation coefficient, the dominant species in the stands under study were ash bark beetles Tomicus piniperda L. (54%), Tomicus minor Hartig (46%) with high and medium infestation rates and Monochamus galloprovincialis Olivier with a tree population ratio of 52% and an average degree of population in trunk areas with transitional and rough bark. In the dynamics of observations since 2011, an increase in the index of sanitary condition of pine stands and deterioration of forests due to changes in weather conditions and climate aridity have been established. After the dry growing seasons of 2015-2017, the drying of pine trees with mass reproduction of stem pests was revealed, the infestation coefficient of which indicates the dominance of the sharp-dentated bark beetle Ips acuminatus Gyll. and a large ash bark beetle Tomicus minor which are aggressive species. Since 2019, there has been a decrease in the number of bark beetles due to exceeding the long-term precipitation rate due to a decrease in the temperature at the beginning of the growing season and unfavourable weather conditions for wintering of these insect species. The results obtained would become an informational component in the development of a strategy for managing damaged forest areas

Wheat supply logistics in wartime in Ukraine

The year 2022 was marked for the world as the year of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation. The war caused considerable damage, not only to the Ukrainian economy, but also disrupted global economic relations. The agricultural sector was especially affected as agricultural enterprises cannot transfer their capacity to other, safer regions, like other sector enterprises, to conduct their activities. A significant part of the grain harvest was lost due to the war, so taking into account that Ukraine is one of the main exporters of grain, many countries did not receive the ordered deliveries. Among grains, in terms of value, wheat ranks third after corn and rice. Wheat is used not only for consumption but is also exported as seeds. Obstacles to harvesting, transportation, and export of wheat have become an extremely urgent issue for countries that are very dependent on the supplies of Ukrainian wheat. The purpose of the study is to develop a model of the Ukrainian wheat supply system in war conditions for groups of importing countries in terms of the volume and stability of supplies, to ensure food security. The ABC-XYZ analysis was used while conducting the study. This method is based on the use of statistical data on the volume of Ukrainian wheat supplies to other countries. According to this method, all countries are grouped in terms of their order volume and stability. This approach indicates the countries that are strategically important for Ukraine as a wheat exporter. As the results of the analysis show, at the beginning of the war, the behaviours of the wheat-importing countries changed. If they could previously diversify the wheat supply channels, choosing the most profitable channels for themselves, since 2022, many countries have cancelled supplies of wheat from the Russian Federation and have become more dependent on other producers. In addition, unfavourable weather conditions and the desire of powerful wheat producers to create additional stocks of wheat for their own needs have been added. It was found that such countries as Egypt, Indonesia, Morocco, Yemen, Tunisia, Lebanon, and Libya are most dependent on Ukrainian wheat and have positive previous experiences of cooperation with Ukraine. The presented logistics model of wheat supply can be adapted to new changes, but the ultimate goal of its implementation should be to indicate conditions to ensure global food security.

Simulation of Current Distribution Through Elements of the Overhead Contact Line

Abstract The compilation of unfavourable weather conditions, such as negative temperature and high humidity, leads to the formation of an ice layer and deposits on the elements of the overhead contact line, which leads to its degradation and prevents the supply of electricity to the traction vehicle. The traction line is located on a very large area and it is extremely difficult to effectively remove the remaining layers of ice. During planning the anti-icing measures it’s very important to know the current distribution in wires. The authors of the article analysed the catenaries operated in Poland and in EU in terms of the current distributions in contact and catenary wires in through spans. The approach presented in this paper allows to take into account the wear of the contact wires during calculations of the current distributions.

Analiza uticaja ispada proizvodnih jedinica u TENT A i B na gubitke u prenosnom sistemu Srbije

This paper analyses the impact of outages of large generating units in the electric power system of Serbia. In December 2021, there was an outage of the largest thermal capacities - thermal power plants Nikola Tesla A and B. At the same time, the wind generators did not produce much power, due to unfavourable weather conditions, i.e. low wind speed. At the same time, the total installed capacity of wind power plants in Serbia is not large. In order to compensate for the deficiencies, it was necessary to import electricity. All of the above had the effect of changing the power flows in the branches of the electric power network. Importing electricity significantly increases the distance between the source of electricity and the consumption. This leads to the conclusion that there will be a change in the total losses of electrical energy in the system. The paper analyses how much the losses would be in the power system if the Nikola Tesla thermal power plants A and B were in operation and what the losses would be if the wind farms were working at full capacity.

МОЖЛИВОСТІ УТИЛІЗАЦІЇ ЗОЛО-ШЛАКОВИХ СУМІШЕЙ В ДОРОЖНЬОМУ БУДІВНИЦТВІ

The article considers the issue of utilization of thermal power plant waste by using it as man-made soil or granulometric additive to improve the properties of local soil during the construction of road foundations and by replacing the mineral part of bituminous-mineral mixtures with thermal power plant waste, which can in many cases successfully replace deficient asphalt concrete mixture The results of determining the physical and mechanical characteristics of materials using ash-slag mixtures are given. The obtained results indicate the feasibility of using ash-slag mixtures as man-made soil or granulometric additives to improve local soil properties, as well as the possibility and feasibility of using "ash-slag-asphalt-concrete" mixtures for pothole repair under both favorable and unfavorable weather conditions in different categories streets and roads, in various structural layers of road clothing structures (covering, base, additional base).

Research of Indonesian license plates recognition on moving vehicles

The recognition of the characters in the license plate has been widely studied, but research to recognize the character of the license plate on a moving car is still rarely studied. License plate recognition on a moving car has several difficulties, for example capturing still images on moving images with non-blurred results. In addition, there are also several problems such as environmental disturbances (low lighting levels and heavy rain). In this study, a novel framework for recognizing license plate numbers is proposed that can overcome these problems. The proposed method in this study: detects moving vehicles, judges the existence of moving vehicles, captures moving vehicle images, deblurring images, locates license plates, extracts vertical edges, removes unnecessary edge lines, segments license plate locations, Indonesian license plate cutting character segmenting, character recognition. Experiments were carried out under several conditions: suitable conditions, poor lighting conditions (dawn, evening, and night), and unfavourable weather conditions (heavy rain, moderate rain, and light rain). In the experiment to test the success of the license plate number recognition, it was seen that the proposed method succeeded in recognizing 98.1 % of the total images tested. In unfavorable conditions such as poor lighting or when there are many disturbances such as rain, there is a decrease in the success rate of license plate recognition. Still, the proposed method's experimental results were higher than the method without deblurring by 1.7 %. There is still unsuccessful in recognizing license plates from the whole experiment due to a lot of noise. The noise can occur due to unfavourable environmental conditions such as heavy rain.

Theoretical and experimental analysis of guided wave propagation in plate-like structures with sinusoidal thickness variations

Guided waves have attracted significant attention for non-destructive testing (NDT) and structural health monitoring (SHM) due to their ability to travel relatively long distances without significant energy loss combined with their sensitivity to even small defects. Therefore, they are commonly used in damage detection and localization applications. The main idea of incorporating guided waves in NDT and SHM is based on processing the received signals and appropriate interpretation of their characteristics. A great amount of research devoted to diagnostics of plate-like structures considers specimens with constant thickness, which significantly facilities the diagnostic process. In such a case the velocity is also assumed to be constant. However, the developed diagnostic methods should be applicable, especially for the structures exposed to an aggressive environment, excessive load, or unfavorable weather conditions, etc., when the probability of damage occurring is much higher. In such cases, the assumption about the uniform thickness alongside the propagation path cannot be applied in every case. Thus, the present study is focused on wave propagation in metallic plates with variable thickness. The results of theoretical, numerical and experimental investigations of antisymmetric Lamb mode propagation in aluminum plates with a sine-shaped surface are presented. In the first step, the influence of non-uniform thickness distribution on wave velocity has been described. Next, the inverse problem aimed at shape reconstruction based on time of flight (ToF) analysis and spatially varying wave velocity was solved and compared with the standard dispersion curve-fitting method.

Influence of Planting Date on Winter Rye Performance in Kentucky

Winter rye (Secale cereale L.) is a grain crop well known for its outstanding tolerance to unfavorable weather and soil conditions. Because of rye’s wide range of possible uses (e.g., cover crop, feed for livestock, bread, cookies, distilled and brewed beverages), its pro-health properties and unique flavor, interest in this crop is increasing in the United States. In 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 we tested 24 winter rye varieties that were available in the US at 3 planting dates: early, intermediate, and late. The aims of this study were to (1) identify conventional and hybrid varieties suitable for the US mid-south environment; (2) establish an optimal planting date of winter rye and (3) quantify genotype x planting date interaction. At both locations and in both growing seasons the best yielding, and most resistant to disease and lodging entries were European hybrids (KWS Serafino, KWS Daniello, KWS Bono and KWS Brasetto), and the best yielding conventional varieties were AC Hazlet and ND Dylan. There were statistically significant (p < 0.01 in 2019 and p < 0.0001 in 2020) differences in yield between planting dates both seasons. The response to planting date differed between varieties. In the 2018/2019 growing season we observed that, on average, rye performed better when planted early, but in 2019/2020, a severe May freeze caused extensive damage in early planted rye, and the best planting date was the late one. Overall, the majority of varieties analyzed individually performed the best at intermediate and late planting dates.

The Use of Lime for Drainage of Cohesive Soils Built into Hydraulic Engineering Embankments

This paper examines whether lime can be used for the drainage of cohesive soils built into hydraulic engineering embankments. It is a common practice, as early as the planning stage, to seek to reduce costs and accelerate work while maintaining the quality of work. Although lime stabilisation is not currently a widely used solution in the hydraulic engineering sector, it can play an important role in the future. Lime stabilisation can be considered an optimal solution as it shortens the embankment construction by eliminating the need to replace the soil when it is over-wet. This paper investigates whether it is possible to apply lime treatment in the forming of hydraulic engineering embankments as well as analyses the efficiency of mechanical soil drainage and compares it against chemical drainage (lime stabilisation) based on the example of the construction of the Szalejów Górny dry flood control reservoir located in south-western Poland. It presents the results of geotechnical investigations carried out during the construction phase and compares them with cases reported in the literature. The observation of the construction process reveals a high efficiency and effectiveness of quicklime (CaO) as a stabiliser in the soil used for reservoir dams. Adoption of this technology made it possible to achieve significantly higher embankment formation rates (max. approx. 14,000 m3/week) than when mechanical drainage was used (max. approx. 11,000 m3/week). It was also noted that the lime stabilisation process was significantly independent of unfavourable weather conditions, resulting in frequent high weekly efficiencies. Geotechnical tests on samples of the lime-stabilised soil built into the dam body confirmed the possibility of obtaining favourable strength parameters, particularly with regard to the angle of internal friction, cohesion and degree of plasticity. Therefore, it can be expected that lime will be used more widely in the formation of hydraulic engineering embankments and that soil stabilisation technology will be applied more frequently.

Oxygen stress mitigation for microalgal biomass productivity improvement in outdoor raceway ponds

Dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations at supersaturated levels are commonly observed in microalgae cultures due to photosynthesis. Unlike cultivation in closed photobioreactors, the impact of excessive oxygen and the mitigation methods in open systems such as raceway ponds have hardly been studied. In this study, photosynthetic rates of Monoraphidium minutum 26B-AM and Scenedesmus obliquus UTEX393, two of the top DISCOVR strains for outdoor raceway cultivation, were compared at different DO levels. Increasing DO from 0 to 30 mg L−1 caused a 36.6 % and 26.1 % reduction in photosynthetic rate for M. minutum 26B-AM and S. obliquus UTEX393, respectively. To improve the outdoor pond biomass productivity of each strain, three oxygen stress mitigation methods were tested. The first method raised the dissolved bicarbonate concentration by an order of magnitude to favor bicarbonate transport into the cell, increasing the CO2:O2 ratio near RuBisCO, thus reducing photorespiration. Although this method increased the observed photosynthesis rate of M. minutum 26B-AM by 26 % and S. obliquus UTEX393 by 13 % in laboratory testing, it failed to improve biomass productivity under outdoor pond conditions for both strains. The second method added sodium sulfite as an oxygen scavenger to chemically lower the DO concentration in the culture. Chemical reduction of dissolved molecular oxygen did not significantly improve the biomass productivity of M. minutum 26B-AM; however, a 10 % improvement in biomass productivity for S. obliquus UTEX393 was observed. The final method sparged cultures with air to strip oxygen out of the liquid medium. This did not improve the biomass productivity of M. minutum 26B-AM, likely due to unfavorable weather conditions during cold season cultivation; however, an improvement of 36 % in biomass productivity was achieved for S. obliquus UTEX393 during the warm season cultivation. Of the three tested methods, air-sparging was the most effective and practical for improving outdoor biomass production.

МАТЕМАТИЧНЕ МОДЕЛЮВАННЯ ТА МЕТОДИ ПІДБОРУ СКЛАДУ ПОРИСТОГО ЦЕМЕНТОБЕТОНУ

Introduction. The construction and operation of airfield elements such as runways, taxiways, and parking places that meet the requirements of regulations and modern methods of road works are significant in the system of aviation security in modern conditions. In order to ensure safe conditions for landing aircraft on the runway during downpours and heavy rains, porous cement concrete should be used as the surface source, which will further reduce hydroplaning. Research problem. Due to a large number of aircraft crashes and their rolling outside the runway, which is associated with the frequent failure of the coating to perform drainage because of unfavorable weather conditions (including thunderstorms, showers, and snowfalls), there is the need to improve the existing structures of airfield pavements or to develop new technologies to improve the drainage of pavement and, accordingly, the safety of takeoff and landing of aircraft on the runway. The use of modern airfield pavement structures made of porous cement concrete with drainage properties is one of the ways to solve this problem. The purpose of the study. The research aims to prove that the use of porous cement concrete in mathematical modeling of porous cement concrete composition and improvement of airfield structure will guarantee safe conditions for takeoff and landing and taxiing of aircraft on the runway. Materials and methods. During the research, the analysis of monographs, normative documentation, methodical instructions and recommendations was made. These documents establish requirements concerning the selection of materials for porous cement concrete structure, its use in the construction of elements of an airfield, and their exploitation. Results. The feasibility of using different methods of design and selection of the design and selection of porous cement concrete is proved. Conclusion. The revision and analysis of the literature showed that in order to obtain products and structures with specified properties the most appropriate approach is the use of several methods simultaneously to project and select components for the composition of porous cement concrete. The benefits of the simultaneous use of several methods such as the reduction of information processing time, the improvement of mixture quality, the flexibility of the model to adjustment, the simplification of analysis, and the comparison of indicators of mathematical modeling and laboratory tests were highlighted.

Automated Identification of “Dunkelflaute” Events: A Convolutional Neural Network–Based Autoencoder Approach

Abstract As wind and solar power play increasingly important roles in the European energy system, unfavorable weather conditions, such as “Dunkelflaute” (extended calm and cloudy periods), will pose ever greater challenges to transmission system operators. Thus, accurate identification and characterization of such events from open data streams (e.g., reanalysis, numerical weather prediction, and climate projection) are going to be crucial. In this study, we propose a two-step, unsupervised deep learning framework [wind and solar network (WISRnet)] to automatically encode spatial patterns of wind speed and insolation, and subsequently, identify Dunkelflaute periods from the encoded patterns. Specifically, a deep convolutional neural network (CNN)–based autoencoder (AE) is first employed for feature extraction from the spatial patterns. These two-dimensional CNN-AE patterns encapsulate both amplitude and spatial information in a parsimonious way. In the second step of the WISRnet framework, a variant of the well-known k-means algorithm is used to divide the CNN-AE patterns in region-dependent meteorological clusters. For the validation of the WISRnet framework, aggregated wind and solar power production data from Belgium are used. Using a simple criterion from published literature, all the Dunkelflaute periods are directly identified from this 6-year-long dataset. Next, each of these periods is associated with a WISRnet-derived cluster. Interestingly, we find that the majority of these Dunkelflaute periods are part of only 5 clusters (out of 25). We show that in lieu of proprietary power production data, the WISRnet framework can identify Dunkelflaute periods from public-domain meteorological data. To further demonstrate the prowess of this framework, it is deployed to identify and characterize Dunkelflaute events in Denmark, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

Managing weather- and market price-related financial risks in algal biofuel production

Large-scale algae production has garnered interest due to its potential as a biofuel feedstock. Previous research assessing the profitability of algae products has been mostly based on values averaged over time, but algae production and resulting financial returns exhibit significant variability due to weather and fluctuations in selling prices for algae-based products. In other sectors, producers often reduce weather- and market price-related financial risk with financial instruments such as insurance, but little research has been performed on the design of insurance products to protect algae producers. This study develops a novel index-based insurance instrument that pays-out during unfavorable weather and market conditions, then explores the instrument's effectiveness, combined with a cash reserve, in reducing revenue stream variability for an algae producer. Results indicate that a biophysically based index-insurance product tailored to the specific financial risks in algae production can reduce variability in net revenues and can do so at a lower cost than relying solely on cash reserves, the most common financial risk management tool. Assessing the performance of index-insurance in algae production is particularly timely given the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, which newly opens opportunities for the USDA to provide crop insurance to algae producers.

Potential of Purple Non-Sulfur Bacteria in Sustainably Enhancing the Agronomic and Physiological Performances of Rice

Cereal grains and tubers are among the highly consumed staple foods globally; however, due to unfavorable weather conditions and the competition for natural resources, the major staple cereal crops, such as rice, are under production threat. On the other hand, the overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to increase crop yield is deteriorating the growing environment for plants and animals, including humans. As such, sustainable management practices are the key method that can be employed to increase crop production without harming the environment. Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), such as the purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB), have recently gained much attention in crop production due to their ability to accumulate higher-value compounds that are highly beneficial to crops. Some of the major benefits PNSB holds are that it can fix atmospheric nitrogen, solubilize phosphate, remediate heavy metals, suppress methane emissions from waterlogged paddy fields, and assist in carbon sequestration. These benefits allow PNSB to be an important bacterium for improving plant growth and yield much more sustainably while benefiting the environment. This review article discusses the beneficial effects of PNSB on rice crop plants through careful screening of previous work in this area. The review also identifies the research gaps and suggests future research pathways to make PNSB an important bacteria for sustainable rice crop production. The review paper aims for the United Nation’s sustainable development goal number two, “Zero Hunger,” target 2.4, indicator 2.4.1, “Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture”.