Vegetative Stage Research Articles

Maize Pest and Natural Enemies in the North-West of Türkiye

Maize Pest and Natural Enemies in the North-West of Türkiye ABSTRACT Maize is one of the most significant cereal crops in the world, and insect pests cause the highest economic loss. The objective of this study was to assess the level of insect pests and natural enemies during 2020 and 2022 in the maize fields of Düzce and Sakarya, Türkiye. We performed weekly surveys from the vegetative growth stage of maize to harvest from April through November. A hundred plants were selected with regular and irregular samplings from each field. In the maize fields, a total of 13 pest species from six families in four orders, along with 19 natural enemies from eight families in five orders, were identified. Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn. (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) was found as the primary pest, followed by Helicoverpa armigera Hbn. and Mythimna unipuncta Haw. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Meteorus pendulus Müller (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was a new record for the East Marmara and Western Black Sea regions, as well as a new host record in Türkiye. Larval parasitoids of M. unipuncta, Nemoraea pellucida Meigen and Pales pavida Meigen (Diptera: Tachinidae) represent new host records for Türkiye. Among the predators, Orius minutus L. (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) and coccinellids showed an especially notable common in the maize fields of both provinces. Ketwords: Maize, pests, natural enemies, pest status

Thermal sum accumulated in development stages of tomato crop for industrial processing

Tomato crop for industrial processing is very sensitive to weather variations. Therefore, the objective of this research was to quantify the duration (days and thermal sum) of each developmental stage of different hybrids in two different planting date. For this, 12 commercial hybrids were evaluated: H-1301, BS-P0033, CVR-8161, HM-7885, CVR-6116, HM-7883, H-1536, CVR-2909, TPX-26856, CVR-8126, CTI-35 and N-901, in Abadia de Goiás, Brazil, planted on 03/31/2020 and 05/26/2020. Experimental area with 3,120 m2, 4 blocks with 12 experimental plots each (12 hybrids), and each plot, formed by 3 double planting lines of 10 m, spaced 0.6 m x 1.2 m, with plants every 0.37 m, totaling 27 plants per line and 162 plants per plot. Plant phenology was monitored daily: phase I (planting to set), phase II (set to flowering), phase III (flowering to beginning of maturation) and phase IV (IVa beginning of maturation up to 50% of mature fruits and phase IVb (from 50% to 90% of mature fruits). The results show, on average of all hybrids, thermal sum of 1,394 and 1,364 oC obtained in 124.6 and 116.1 days of cycle, in first and second cycle, respectively. In first cycle, there was a difference in thermal sum between the hybrids in stage IV and in total cycle, which hybrids BS-P0033, CVR-8161, HM-7885, HM-7883, CVR-2909 and TPX-26856 accumulated from 81.29 to 112.88 oC in 6 to 9.3 days to complete maturation, while other hybrids accumulated from 122.85 to 148.11 oC in 10.3 to 13 days. The hybrids BS-P0033, CVR-8161, HM-7885 and HM-7883 had a shorter total cycle duration from 1,334.21 to 1,379.98 oC (119 to 123 days), while other hybrids variated of 1,391.45 to 1,437.05 oC (124.3 to 129 days). The stages of setting, vegetative and beginning of maturation up to 50% of ripe fruits, showed variation in thermal sum and duration of phase, depending on planting date. For the first cycle, the duration of average vegetative stage was 21.7% longer, accumulating 34.1% more oC, compared to the second cycle, providing greater plant height (43.8%) and higher productivity (19.8%). This shows that is need to change irrigation management strategy between transplanting date and crop development stages, making irrigation adjustments by thermal sum and not by number of days for development stage.

Ensemble transfer learning using MaizeSet: A dataset for weed and maize crop recognition at different growth stages

Maize holds significant importance as a staple food source globally. Increasing maize yield requires the effective removal of weeds from maize fields, as they pose a detrimental threat to the growth of maize plants. In recent years, there has been a drive towards Precision Agriculture (PA), involving the integration of farming methods with artificial intelligence and advanced automation techniques. In the realm of PA, deep learning techniques present a promising solution for addressing the complex challenge of classifying maize plants and weeds. In this work, a deep learning method based on transfer learning and ensemble techniques is developed. The proposed method is implementable on any number of existing CNN models irrespective of their architecture and complexity. The developed ensemble model is trained and tested on our custom-built dataset, namely MaizeSet, comprising 3330 images of maize plants and weeds under varying environmental conditions. The performance of the ensemble model is compared against individual pre-trained VGG16 and InceptionV3 models using two experiments: the identification of weeds and maize plants, and the identification of the various vegetative growth stages of maize plants. VGG16 attained an accuracy of 83% in Experiment 1 and 71% in Experiment 2, while InceptionV3 showcased improved performance, boasting an accuracy of 98% in Experiment 1 and 81% in Experiment 2. With the proposed ensemble approach, VGG16 when combined with InceptionV3, achieved an accuracy of 90% for Experiment 1 and 80% for Experiment 2. The findings demonstrate that integrating a sub-optimal pre-defined classifier, specifically VGG16, with a more proficient model like InceptionV3, yields enhanced performance across various analytical metrics. This underscores the efficacy of ensemble techniques in the context of maize classification and analogous applications within the agricultural domain.

Prevalence of Snails and Farmers' Practice Towards the Management of Giant African Snail, Achatina fulica Bowdich, 1822 in Kapilvastu, Nepal

The Giant African Snail (GAS), Achatina fulica Bowdich, 1822, is the world's largest, most damaging, and highly invasive land snail, capable of consuming about 10% of its body weight daily and affecting at least 500 types of plants. Despite the high incidence of this pest, management options are limited and ineffective. In this context, this study was carried out to assess overall snail distribution, damage and management practices adopted by farmers against GAS. A household survey of randomly selected 60 households was carried out using semi-structured questionnaires at Banganga Municipality-01, Kapilvastu, Nepal. The results revealed the prevalence of three different snails: the GAS, Achatina fulica Bowdich, 1822, the Common snail, Indoplanorbis exustus (Deshayes, 1834), and the Paddy Snail or Ghonghi or Ghongi, Pila globose (Swainson, 1822) in moist areas, drains, and grassy lands, among them, GAS causing the most significant damage during the rainy season. The most vulnerable stage of crops to GAS was the vegetative stage of development (53.3%) in vegetables and fruits, with the most preferred crop family being the Cucurbitaceae (45%). The majority of respondents (48%) believed that the lack of effective control measures was the main reason for the growing infestation and extent of damage. The 'Hand-picking and killing' method was considered the most effective and suitable method in the farming community over other control measures. It has been reported that the snail problem has increased over the years, and very little effort has been made by the concerned authorities to manage this pest. In conclusion, snails, especially GAS, pose major challenges to agricultural production in Nepal. Therefore, appropriate and cost-effective management strategies are required for their sustainable management.

NMR Fingerprinting of Conventional and Genetically Modified Soybean Plants with AtAREB1 Transcription Factors.

Drought stress impacts soybean yields and physiological processes. However, the insertion of the activated form of the AtAREB1 gene in the soybean cultivar BR16, which is sensitive to water deficit, improved the drought response of the genetically modified plants. Thus, in this study, we used 1H NMR in solution and solid-state NMR to investigate the response of genetically modified soybean overexpressing AtAREB1 under water deficiency conditions. We achieved that drought-tolerant soybean yields high content of amino acids isoleucine, leucine, threonine, valine, proline, glutamate, aspartate, asparagine, tyrosine, and phenylalanine after 12 days of drought stress conditions, as compared to drought-sensitive soybean under the same conditions. Specific target compounds, including sugars, organic acids, and phenolic compounds, were identified as involved in controlling sensitive soybean during the vegetative stage. Solid-state NMR was used to study the impact of drought stress on starch and cellulose contents in different soybean genotypes. The findings provide insights into the metabolic adjustments of soybean overexpressing AREB transcription factors in adapting to dry climates. This study presents NMR techniques for investigating the metabolome of transgenic soybean plants in response to the water deficit. The approach allowed for the identification of physiological and morphological changes in drought-resistant and drought-tolerant soybean tissues. The findings indicate that drought stress significantly alters micro- and macromolecular metabolism in soybean plants. Differential responses were observed among roots and leaves as well as drought-tolerant and drought-sensitive cultivars, highlighting the complex interplay between overexpressed transcription factors and drought stress in soybean plants.

Influence of Urea Foliar Nutrition and Leaf Harvesting Intensity on Growth, Yield Attributes and Yield in Cowpea [Vigna unguiculta (L.) Walp.

A field experiment was undertaken at Farming Systems Research Station (FSRS), Sadanandapuram, Kollam district, Kerala Agricultural University in summer 2022 for studying the effect of growth, yield attributes and yield of cowpea through foliar application of 2% urea and intensity of leaf harvesting. Experimental treatments comprised of 4 levels of foliar nutrition management (2% urea spray at vegetative stage (f1), 2% urea spray at flowering stage (f2), 2% urea spray at vegetative stage and flowering stage (f3), water spray control (f4) and 3 levels of leaf harvest (20% leaf harvest (l1), 40% leaf harvest (l2), and no leaf harvest (l3). Among the foliar nutrition management treatments, f3 showed significantly the taller plants (91.97 cm), more number of branches (15.13), leaves (34.76), leaf area/ plant (884.29 cm2), leaf area index (1.96) dry matter production (42.39 g) and chlorophyll content (3.544 mg/g) and were comparable with f1. The nodule parameters such as nodule number (37.44) and effective number of nodules (32.11) were the highest in treatment f3 and was on par with f1. Further, days to 50 per cent flowering (53.65 days), pod length (17.27 cm), 100 seed weight (12.40 g), pod number (24.58), foliage yield (1484.57 kg ha-1), grain yield (925.85 kg ha-1) and haulm yield (2722.70 kg ha-1) were the highest in treatment f3 and was on par with f1 except for pod weight (21.19 g). Among the leaf harvest intensity, treatment l3 recorded the taller plants (92.45 cm), leaf area per plant (902.71cm2) leaf area index (2.01), less days to 50% flowering (47.60 days) and haulm yield (2754.85 kg ha-1). It was on par with l1 pertaining to plant height. The number of branches (15.03), dry matter production per plant (40.78g), pod weight/plant (19.43 g), pod number/plant (23.59) and grain yield (925.85 kg ha-1) were the highest in treatment l1.

Control Efficacy of the Bt Maize Event DBN3601T Expressing Cry1Ab and Vip3Aa Proteins against Beet Armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Hübner), in China.

The beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Hübner), is a major pest of maize, cotton, soybean, and many other crops globally. Despite the widespread deployment of Bt transgenic maize for pest control worldwide, the efficacy of Bt lepidopteran-resistant transgenic maize in managing S. exigua remains rarely studied. In this study, we quantified the expression level of pyramided Cry1Ab and Vip3Aa toxins in Bt maize (event DBN3601T) and evaluated their control efficiency against S. exigua under both laboratory and field conditions. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) results showed that the expression levels of Cry1Ab and Vip3Aa proteins in DBN3601T maize tissues followed a decreasing order as follows: V5-leaf > V8-leaf > VT-tassel > R2-kernel > R1-silk. Diet-overlay assay results showed that the LC50 values of Cry1Ab and Vip3Aa proteins against S. exigua larvae were 11.66 ng/cm2 and 27.74 ng/cm2, respectively, with corresponding GIC50 values at 1.59 ng/cm2 and 7.93 ng/cm2. Bioassay using various tissues of the DBN3601T maize indicated that after 7 days of infestation, mortality rates of neonates and third-instar larvae ranged from 86% to 100% and 58% to 100%, respectively. Mortality was highest on V5 and V8 leaves, followed by R2-kernel, VT-tassel, and R1-silk. Field trials demonstrated that DBN3601T maize exhibited significantly lower larval density, damage rate, and leaf damage score compared to non-Bt maize. Field cage trial showed that the control efficacy of DBN3601T maize at the vegetative stage could reach 98%. These findings provide a theoretical basis for utilizing Bt transgenic maize to enhance the sustainable management of S. exigua in Asia.

Genetic Control of Tolerance to Drought Stress in Wild Soybean (Glycine soja) at the Vegetative and the Germination Stages.

Drought stress, which is becoming more prevalent due to climate change, is a significant abiotic factor that adversely impacts crop production and yield stability. Cultivated soybean (Glycine max), a versatile crop for humans and animals, exhibits sensitivity to drought, resulting in reduced growth and development under drought conditions. However, few genetic studies have assessed wild soybean's (Glycine soja) response to drought stress. In this work, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and analysis of wild soybean accessions to identify loci responsible for drought tolerance at the vegetative (n = 187) and the germination stages (n = 135) using the available resequencing data. The GWAS analysis of the leaf wilting score (LWS) identified eight single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on chromosomes 10, 11, and 19. Of these, wild soybeans with both SNPs on chromosomes 10 (adenine) and 11 (thymine) produced lower LWS, indicating that these SNPs have an important role in the genetic effect on LWS for drought tolerance at the vegetative stage. At the germination stage, nine SNPs associated with five phenotypic measurements were identified on chromosomes 6, 9, 10, 13, 16, and 17, and the genomic regions identified at the germination stage were different from those identified for the LWS, supporting our previous finding that there may not be a robust correlation between the genes influencing phenotypes at the germination and vegetative stages. This research will benefit marker-assisted breeding programs aimed at enhancing drought tolerance in soybeans.

Efficacy evaluation of some bio-insecticides against green leaf hopper (<em>Amrasca biguttula biguttula Ishida</em>) infesting brinjal

In Bangladesh, brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) is an important vegetable crop due to its year-round cultivation, high demand for consumption, and nutritional value. The main obstacle to the successful cultivation and production of brinjal is insect pests. The current study was carried out in the winter, when green leafhoppers (Amrasca biguttula biguttula), one type of sucking insect pest, are most prevalent. Early in the vegetative stage, an infestation of green leaf hoppers (GLH) was noted; as the canopy size increased, so did their numbers. The consumption of brinjal with its peel poses a health risk due to possible contamination with toxic chemical insecticides. We assess a few non-toxic or minimally toxic bio-insecticides against GLH in order to tackle this crucial problem. Fizimite, one of the bio-insecticides, was found to be effective against GLH in a sodium lauryl ether sulfate preparation. Fizimite decreased the amount of GLH in the plant by 85.8%, the amount of leaf infestation by 77.84%, and the amount of GLH-infected brinjal leaf abundance by 54.34%. But Voliam Flexi, a chemical control, was also discovered to be successful against GLH. Fizimite may therefore be a non-toxic, bio-rational substitute for Voliam Flexi, a synthetic, toxic medication used to control GLH.

Foliar-applied sulfur is supplemental to soil application in alleviating waterlogging stress through the mitigation of oxidative stress and ion homeostasis in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)

Waterlogging has appeared as a major issue for agricultural production and has an adverse effect on rapeseed growth. A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of soil and/or foliar applied S in alleviating the waterlogging stress in rapeseed (Brassica napus L. cv. Campino). The experiment treatments included, no soil S application (-SS), soil S fertilization (SS, 70 mg S kg−1 soil as MgSO4), foliar S application (FS, 300 ppm MgSO4) and both soil and foliar application of S (SS+FS). All the treatments were subjected to normal soil water (control) and waterlogged condition. Foliar S was applied two days prior to the onset of waterlogging treatment, which was imposed at vegetative stage (BBCH-31) for 7 days. The results demonstrated that without foliar S application, both unfertilized (-S) and S-fertilized (+S) waterlogged plants showed elevated level of hydrogen peroxide (35 % and 15 %) and malondialdehyde (84 % and 101 %) and reduced nutrients uptake, net photosynthesis and plant growth compared to their non-waterlogged counterparts. Although all S treatments alleviated the suppressing effects of waterlogging stress, the alleviative effect of soil plus foliar applied S was higher than these individual treatments. It increased dry matter by 17 %, superoxide dismutase activity by 15 %, catalase activity by 15 %, glutathione reductase activity by 14 %, ascorbate peroxidase activity by 18 %, ascorbate content by 19 %, glutathione content by 28 %. The increase in the growth and antioxidant activities of the soil plus foliar S supplemented plants was attributed to the increase in the contents of some nutrients (S 8 %, P 18 %, Mg 9 %, Zn 13 %) and net photosynthesis rate (19 %), whereas decrease in hydrogen peroxide (15 %), malondialdehyde (20 %), oxidized glutathione content (9 %), dehydroascorbic acid content (5 %) compared with untreated (without foliar-S) waterlogged plants. Collectively, the study concludes that foliar-S application supplements soil S fertilization in alleviating waterlogging stress in rapeseed plants, through inducing physiological and biochemical resistance, and improving homeostasis as well.

Exploring selected bioinsecticides for management of cotton aphids (Aphis gossypii Glover) of brinjal in Bangladesh

Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) is a popular vegetable in Bangladesh being nutritious, tasty, and cultivable throughout the year. Insect pests are the major constraint to its successful cultivation and production. The present study was conducted during the winter season when the sucking insect pests especially cotton aphids (Aphis gossypii Glover) are most abundant. Aphid infestation was observed in the brinjal plants since the early vegetative stage and sometimes the infestation rate reached up to 100 percent. Moreover, the infestation rate fluctuated with plants or duration. Aphids suck the cell saps resulting in stunting the growth of plants and yield reduction. As brinjal is consumed without peeling, contamination with toxic insecticides is a health concern. To address this, some bioinsecticides including abamectin preparation ‘Biomax M’, sodium lauryl ether sulphate preparation ‘Fizimite’, azadirachtin preparation ‘Fytomax’, Saccharopolyspora spinosa and Bacillus thuringiensis var. Kurstaki broth mixture preparation ‘Spinomax’, and potassium salt of fatty acid preparation ‘Fytoclean’ were selected to combat aphids. Besides, Voliam Flexi was applied as chemical control. A field study showed that abamectin preparation Biomax M was very potent against aphids showing zero percent aphid infestation. In addition, the chemical control Voliam Flexi 300 SC also provided zero percent aphid infestation. Therefore, Biomax M might be the non-toxic alternative to Voliam Flexi 300 SC for controlling aphids.

Agronomic and biochemical aspects of moringa dried leaf extract mediated growth and yield improvements in soybean

ABSTRACT Stimulatory effects of foliar application of moringa dried leaf extract (MDLE) at different growth stages were evaluated on soybean growth, physiology and productivity in a bioassay. The experiment comprised of two factors; foliar application of MDLE [T1: Water spray, T2: 0.5% w/v, T3: 1.0% and T4: 1.5%] and growth stages for foliar application, viz. S1: Vegetative stage (V4, four leaf stage) and S2: Reproductive stage (R1: onset of flowering). Foliar application of MDLE increased the growth, physiological, biochemical, yield and quality attributes of soybean. Notably, the application of 1.5% MDLE at the reproductive stage led to impressive boosts in seedling weight, chlorophyll contents, plant height, pod formation and seed yield. This concentration demonstrated the highest surge in gas exchange attributes and quality components like seed oil and protein contents. Significant increase in growth attributes (10–22%), photosynthetic pigments (7–10%), gas exchange attributes (21%), quality attributes (5–8%) and seed yield (27%) was recorded with 1.5% MDLE application. It is ascertained that the application of 1.5% MDLE at the reproductive stage improves soybean growth, yield and quality. This research provides quantitative confirmation of MDLE foliar application, emphasising its potential role as a natural growth enhancer for soybean crop.

Vertical Variations of Photosystem Energy Partitioning in the Canopy of the Subtropical Cropland

AbstractLeaf‐level photosynthetic capacity exhibits vertical variations along the canopy profile. The dynamics of photosystem energy partitioning involved in dissipating absorbed light energy, namely photochemical yield (ΦP), fluorescence yield (ΦF), and the efficiency of non‐photochemical quenching yield (ΦN) in dissipating excess light energy as heat, along the vertical canopy profile remain unclear. Here, vertical variations in photosystem energy partitioning and photosynthetic nitrogen allocation were measured at different canopy positions of rice using active fluorescence detection and photosynthetic gas exchange measurement in subtropical southern China. We observed the decline in leaf nitrogen per leaf mass (Nmass) from the top to the bottom of the canopy. ΦP significantly decreased from vegetative growth stage to ripening stage, while ΦN showed an opposite trend. The top and bottom leaves had consistent relationships between photosynthetic nitrogen allocation and photosystem energy partitioning. Our findings reveal the vertical variations in physiological traits of subtropical rice.

ENHANCEMENT OF FLOWER INDUCTION IN HARUMANIS MANGO (Mangifera indica L.) WITH ETHEPHON APPLICATION DURING OFF-SEASON

In cultural practice of Harumanis tree, plant growth regulator such as paclobutrazol is applied at late vegetative stage to induce flowering. However, starting from 2020 to 2023, there is a sharp yield reduction due to the unexpected weather condition. Unexpected heavy rain had caused Harumanis flower to drop from the panicle before the pollination occur. Due to this problem, ethephon was identified as an alternative plant growth regulator for flower induction. Ethephon is an ethylene releasing agent that help mediate many aspects in plant growth and development such as shoot development and flower induction. Thus, the objective of this study is to observe the influence of ethephon application during off-season on vegetative growth stage and flower induction of harumanis tree. Total of 32 Harumanis trees (3 years old) in Research Plot, Unit Ladang Universiti Teknologi MARA Perlis were treated with ethephon in September 2023 by foliar spray until run-off on the plant canopy. Treatments were arranged according to Randomized Completely Block Design (RCBD) with three different concentrations of ethephon and being diluted 2 hours before application which are 400 ppm, 600 ppm, and 800 ppm and control (without application). The parameters were recorded 2 weeks interval: number of leaves, number of buds, length of bud, relative chlorophyll content, stomatal density, day to flowering, and number of flower panicles. The vegetative growth stage shows significant difference among concentrations applied where number of leaves is higher with 400 ppm. Meanwhile, the flower formation occurs after 2 months and 4 months of ethephon application at treatment of 800 ppm and 400 ppm respectively. However, there is no significant difference presented on the Harumanis physiological characteristics. As from this study, it can be concluded that the application of ethephon influences the growth of performance and flower formation of Harumanis when applied with specific concentration.

IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON RICE PRODUCTIVITY IN KHYBAR PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN

Climate change is currently the most significant concern on the planet. This study examined the impacts of climate change on rice yield across agro-ecological zones of Khybar Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. This study focused only on four districts across four agroecological zones in Khybar Pakhtunkhwa based on the availability of data on areas under rice, rice production, and meteorological variables. Districts Swat from Zone A, Mansehra from Zone B, Mardan from Zone C, and D.I. Khan from Zone D were selected. This study covered 33 years (1986-2018) of data across these four districts. Panel unit root tests of LLC and IPS suggested that all variables included in the model were stationary. Durbin Wu Hausman's test favored the fixed effect model compared to the random effect model. Diagnosis of fixed effect model results showed that it was plagued with problems of cross-sectional dependency, heteroscedasticity, and autocorrelation. Final findings were estimated using the Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS) model to overcome the problems in the fixed effect model. Results revealed that area under rice crop has a positive and significant effect on rice yield. The estimated critical temperature for the maximum yield of rice was 34.48 ºC in the sowing stages, 35.85 ºC in the vegetative stages, and 29.43 ºC in the maturity stages, and Rainfall in the vegetative stages was 152 mm. It is concluded that rice yield showed a decline when temperature and rainfall exceeded the critical levels. The government needs to use afforestation and other appropriate measures to keep the temperature from rising in these three zones (zones A, C and D). The extension department needs to inform rice growers about adaptation strategies to climate change.

Wheat Crop Management and growth stage monitoring in some gypsiferous soil units using remote sensing

The study used remote sensing to manage and monitor wheat crop health in some gypsiferous soil units. Five sites cultivated with wheat and irrigated by a central pivot irrigation system were selected within gypsiferous soil units in some agricultural lands. Soil and plant samples were collected at the best spectral and vegetative growth stage (grain filling stage) from each site. Three samples of the plant and soil were collected with three replicates, resulting in a total of (5 × 3 × 3 = 45 samples for both soil and plant). Samples were prepared for conducting laboratory analyses Satellite imagery of the OLI type from the Landsat 8 satellite, acquired on 24/2/2020, was used to calculate the following spectral indices: NDVI, SAVI, OSAVI, GOSAVI, GDVI, NDMI, CMFI, LAI. The results showed a variation in the concentration of fertile elements in the soil and plants between the study sites, with the third site relatively outperforming the other sites. On the other hand, we observed a variation in the values of spectral indices between the study sites for all the spectral indices and an increase in values with the progress and increase in the size of the canopy cover to reach the best spectral growth stage at the stage of ear fullness, which is the stage of spectral stability and appropriate for monitoring crop productivity and assessing plant health. The results also concluded that NDVI and LAI are among the most important pieces of evidence that have a strong relationship with plant density and estimation of its general condition, as the relationship was strong logarithmic and linear with nitrogen, as the values of R2 reached 0.91 and 0.88, respectively, and the value of the coefficient of determination R2 reached with The phosphorus concentration was 0.67 and 0.67, respectively. Also, the use of spectral indices depends on the spectral bands that fall at the wavelength of 0.6-0.7 micrometers, which is the region where a high absorption process occurs if the vegetation cover is intact and healthy, especially the NDVI index.

Orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata L.) yield and nutritive characteristics in response to different cutting regimes in a temperate region

The present study was carried out at the Research Farm of Regional Research Station, ICAR-IGFRI, Rangreth, Srinagar, to evaluate three harvesting stages and three cutting intervals for achieving higher fodder yield and quality in orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata L). Among the harvesting stages, H3 (harvesting at the flowering stage) recorded the highest green (27.04 t/ha) and dry(8.05 t/ha) fodder yield. Among the cutting intervals, CI 3 (cutting at 60-day intervals) recorded higher fresh and dry biomass yield. Fodder yield increased with harvesting at later stages and increased cutting intervals. The highest crude protein content (11.87%), lowest NDF (55.87%) and ADF (31.65%) contents were recorded when grass was harvested at the vegetative stage. Digestible dry matter (DDM) varied significantly with both harvesting stage and cutting interval and was found to be highest with H1 (64.23%) and CI 1 (63.54%). The highest relative feed value (RFV) of 106.92% and highest total digestible nutrients (TDN) of 65.68% were found in the orchard grass cut at the vegetative stage (H1), which was at par with orchard grass harvested first at the booting stage (H2). Harvesting at both vegetative and booting stages resulted in good quality (RFV >103%) and energy-rich (TDN> 65%) forage. Harvesting at the flowering stage resulted in fair quality (RFV 96.67% and TDN 63.65%) fodder.

Exploring the Physiological Traits of Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) Cultivated in a Sandponics Growing System

Sandponics is an advanced system that promotes food security. It involves growing plants and fish together in a recycled ecosystem that uses natural bacterial cycles to use fish waste as plant nutrition. Eggplant is considered one of the most important crops known for its nutritional benefits. Eggplant (French Flomorin species), were grown in Sandponics panels and regular ground, where five plants were randomly selected from each experimental unit in the vegetative growth stage, physiological indicators and antioxidant were recorded. The results showed that there was a significant difference for water quality in total chlorophyll content, showing higher levels in plants irrigated with fish-free water than those with fish water, and there were no significant differences for water quality in chlorophyll A concentration and chlorophyll B concentration. The results also indicate that there is a significant difference between water quality for the concentration of glutathione, as the highest concentration was recorded in fruits irrigated with fish water compared to fruits irrigated with fish-free water. While there is a significant difference between the quality of water for the concentration of proline, as the highest concentration was recorded in fruits irrigated with fish-free water compared to fruits irrigated with fish wat. There are significant differences in water quality for nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and iron. The average concentrations are higher when watered with fish water, compared to the average concentrations when irrigated with fish-free water. ‏

Endogenous cytokinins in plants of Secale cereale (Poaceae) under the effects of soil drought

Due to ongoing global climate changes and anthropogenic stress, soil drought has emerged as a significant threat, hindering plant growth, development, and resulting in crop losses. While phytohormones play a vital role in the formation of stress resistance mechanisms, cytokinins, in particular, remain poorly understood in cultivated cereals. The objective of our study was to investigate the impact of soil drought on plant growth and the homeostasis of endogenous cytokinins in both the aerial parts and roots of winter rye (Secale cereale) during the initial stages of vegetation. We aimed to elucidate the relationship between growth processes and the balance of these phytohormones. The plants were cultivated in a phytochamber using sand culture, and drought stress was induced by withholding water from nine-day-old plants for a period of eight days. The shoots and roots of 17-day-old plants were collected when dehydrated plants reached the critical wilting point. The content of endogenous cytokinins was analyzed using HPLC-MS. Our findings revealed that the inhibition of shoot growth and root elongation in stressed plants coincided with a reduction in the content of trans-zeatin riboside. This observation suggests that trans-zeatin riboside acts as a growth regulator in winter rye under soil drought conditions. Moreover, we observed an elevation in the levels of trans-zeatin and isopentenyladenine in the shoots and roots of stressed rye plants, indicating the involvement of these hormones in the formation of a "protective anti-stress block." These results highlight the multifunctional activity of cytokinins and demonstrate their role in regulating various components of the water deficit response. Consequently, our study expands our understanding of the role of cytokinins in the development of stress resistance in cereals.

Application of fungicides in the vegetative stage of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill]: Mini-review

The significant growth of soybean cultivation [Glycine max (L.) Merrill], and the expansion of agriculture throughout Brazil, which occurred during the period of evidence of the industrial policy of import substitution, placed the product as an ideal crop to supply the global demand was growing. Several diseases have already been reported in soybeans, but the incidence and severity depend on some factors, such as climate, cultivars, pathogen inoculum potential, soil structure and fertility, and plant vigor, among others. The disease scenario in soybean crops in Brazil has been changing every year, with an increase in the severity of some diseases, both in the aerial part and those caused by soil-dwelling fungi. The use of resistant cultivars can be adopted and is the most efficient way to control diseases. However, even with adequate management, it is necessary to apply fungicides. For more efficient disease management, it is important to know the effectiveness of the main fungicides used in the crop, in terms of their ability to reduce the progress of the disease in the field; selecting the most efficient fungicides for management. The results of the study demonstrated that fungicides positioned in different application programs reduce the incidence of fungal diseases and improve productivity.