Yield Management Research Articles

Agronomic Performance of Kale (Brassica oleracea) and Swiss Chard (Beta vulgaris) Grown on Soil Amended with Black Soldier Fly Frass Fertilizer under Wonder Multistorey Gardening System

The wonder multistorey garden (WMSG) is an innovative vertical farming system tailored for urban settings that can be constrained by the irrigation regime, and by types and levels of fertilizer application. This study evaluated the effects of applying NPK fertilizer and black soldier fly frass fertilizer (BSFFF) under different irrigation regimes on the growth, yield, and pest infestation of kale (Brassica oleracea) and Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris). The fertilizers were applied at rates equivalent to 371 kg N ha−1. For each crop, the BSFFF or NPK was applied to supply 100% of the N required (100% BSFFF), and then a combination of BSFFF and NPK was applied so that each fertilizer supplied 50% of the N required (50% BSFFF + 50% NPK). Crops’ water requirements were provided using three irrigation regimes: daily, every two days, and every three days. The control treatment was not amended with any fertilizer, while water was provided ad libitum. The results revealed that the irrigation regime significantly affected the leaf production of both vegetables. Irrigation regimes significantly influenced kale plant height, where plants provided with water daily achieved the highest average heights of 20 cm, 46 cm, and 54 cm at 14, 28, and 42 days after transplanting (DAT), respectively. Furthermore, the application of 100% BSFFF produced kale with significantly higher plant heights (55 cm) and number of leaves (9.9 leaves) at 42 DAT compared to other treatments. The interaction between irrigation regimes and fertilizer significantly influenced kale height at 14 DAT and 42 DAT. Use of daily irrigation regime and 100% BSFFF produced the tallest kale plants of 59 cm at 42 DAT. Application of 50% BSFFF + 50% NPK or 100% BSFFF with daily irrigation achieved the highest values of kale and Swiss chard leaf chlorophyll concentration, recorded at 42 DAT. Fertilizer application significantly affected pest population, with the lowest pest infestation being recorded from kale and Swiss chard grown in soil amended with BSFFF. The application of 100% BSFFF or NPK, together with daily irrigation, significantly increased the fresh shoot weight and leaf dry matter of kale and Swiss chard, as compared with the control. The fresh shoot yields of kale and Swiss chard achieved through using a combination of 100% BSFFF and daily irrigation were 14–69% and 13–56% higher than those of NPK, respectively. The same treatment combination also produced kales and Swiss chard with 8–73% and 16–81% higher leaf dry matter compared to NPK, respectively. It was noted that soil amendment with BSFFF maintained higher values of kale (41–50%) and Swiss chard (33–49%) leaf dry matter compared with NPK treatments, during periods of water stress. Our study has demonstrated the high potential of single (100% BSFFF) or combined applications of BSFFF (50% BSFFF + 50% NPK) with a daily irrigation regime to improve the growth, yield, and pest management in Swiss chard and kale under vertical farming. Our study advocates for the scaling of WMSG and BSFFF for sustainable food systems in urban settings.

Proposed Improved Marketing Communication Strategy, To Boost Awareness and Enhance Sales of PT Leo Indonesia

With the tagline of “Connecting empty dining tables with empty stomachs,” LEO (disguised name) provides a food service platform where customers can reserve restaurant tables and get timely-based discounts through yield management. By getting customers to dine in during odd-eating hours, restaurants get to recoup its operating expenses. However, even with this seemingly win-win situation for all stakeholders, LEO has not been able to be as successful as they should be. This study aims to find out the cause of this low adoption rate, as well as the solution to further boost sales and overall performance of LEO Indonesia. Data collection is done through desk research, previous studies, a questionnaire to customers, an interview with the employee, and some limited internal data. Further in-depth analysis was conducted using 5 As Customer Path and Integrated Marketing Communication. This revealed that the root cause to LEO’s slowdown after their initial success, was the fact that they were focusing so much on customer retention and not enough on customer acquisition anymore. Having found the root cause, a strategy formulation was created using the ERRC Grid framework. These frameworks provided solutions for all the factors mentioned above, while focusing a lot more on LEO’s marketing strategy to increase brand awareness, adoption rate, and overall performance, since the service that LEO have been offering manages to fit the wants and needs of current and potential customers.

Comparing Statistical Downscaling and Arithmetic Mean in Simulating CMIP6 Multi-Model Ensemble over Brunei

The climate is changing and its impacts on agriculture are a major concern worldwide. The impact of precipitation will influence crop yield and water management. Estimation of such impacts using inputs from the General Circulation Models (GCMs) for future years will therefore assist managers and policymakers. It is therefore important to evaluate GCMs on a local scale for an impact study. As a result, under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) future climate scenarios, namely SSP245, SSP370, and SSP585, simulations of mean monthly and daily precipitation across Brunei Darussalam in Phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) were evaluated. The performance of two multi-model ensemble (MME) methods is compared in this study: the basic Arithmetic Mean (AM) of MME and the statistical downscaling (SD) of MME utilizing multiple linear regression (MLR). All precipitation simulations are bias-corrected using linear scaling (LS), and their performance is validated using statistical metrics such as Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and coefficient of determination (R2). The adjusted mean monthly precipitation during the validation period (2010–2019) shows an improvement, especially for the SD model with R2 = 0.85, 0.86 and 0.84 for SSP245, SSP370 and SSP585, respectively. Although the two models produced unsatisfying results in producing annual precipitation. Future analysis under the SD model shows that there will be a much lower average monthly trend in comparison with the observed trend. On the other hand, the forecasted monthly precipitation under AM predicted the same rainfall trend as the baseline period in the far future. It is projected that the annual precipitation in the near future will be reduced by at least 27% and 11% under the SD and AM models, respectively. In the long term, less annual precipitation changes for the SD model (17%). While the AM model estimated a decrease in precipitation by at least 14%.

Nonlinear pricing for yield management and countering strategic consumer behavior

Many models assume that faced with excess inventory, retailers offer price discounts to increase sales. This discount is assumed to be a certain dollar amount or a certain percent of the regular price. However, many retailers use nonlinear pricing, e.g., “Buy one, get one for 50% off,” which we refer to as BOGO. We analyze BOGO within the newsvendor model and identify the reasons for its popularity. We describe the type of products for which BOGO is suitable, identify the optimal BOGO discount, and its effect on the retailer’s profit. We compare BOGO to straight price reduction and analyze the newsvendor’s optimal choice between them. We also examine the two promotions in the presence of strategic consumers. We find that for reasonable values of consumer marginal utility and a given order quantity, BOGO reduces strategic consumers’ chances of obtaining a unit at a discount and their incentive to wait. Therefore, the newsvendor orders a larger quantity with BOGO than with a price reduction. Thus, BOGO can be used to counter strategic consumer behavior. Also, we find that in the presence of strategic consumers, there are cases where it is optimal for the retailer to wait and offer a straight discount at the end of the season. However, with BOGO, it is always optimal to offer a BOGO at the start of the season if realized demand is low. We examine the robustness of our results to different arrival rates and positive salvage value and find that they qualitatively hold.

Comparisons of economic thresholds for Asian citrus psyllid management suggest a revised approach to reduce management costs and improve yield

Huanglongbing (HLB) or citrus greening disease is transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama. Vector control is considered a basic component of HLB management even under high disease incidence scenarios. While vector management heavily relies on the application of synthetic chemical sprays, overuse of insecticides raises several concerns including insecticide resistance, environmental impacts, and secondary pest outbreaks. The present study aims to compare the effects of three different economic thresholds (ET-0.2, 0.5, 1.0) and one calendar-based application schedule on the incidence of D. citri and beneficial species in plots of commercially grown citrus, as well as end-of-season yield and overall management costs. The results suggest that reducing spray frequency from eight to as few as three sprays per year had little effect on counts of pest and beneficial insects in the field. The numbers of D. citri and that of a secondary weevil pest were similar between plots treated with the calendar-based spray plots and plots managed with the ET-1.0. Furthermore, spider numbers were higher in the ET-1.0 plots, while ant numbers were lower compared with calendar sprayed plots. Management input costs were lower under economic thresholds (ET-0.5–ET-1.0) than with monthly calendar-based sprays, while yield losses were only slightly greater in the lower threshold of 0.2 mean psyllids per tap than with calendar sprays. Overall, management savings of more than 100% made up for this difference. Together, these results suggest that implementing a spray program of rotated chemistries based on an economic threshold of 0.5–1.0 adult psyllids per stem tap could provide both economic and ecological benefits. We discuss the implications of such an approach in the context of a young citrus tree protection program and the greater goals of sustainable citrus production under HLB.

Characteristics and controls of inorganic and organic phosphorus transformation during long-term paddy soil evolution

Information on phosphorus (P) transformation during long-term paddy soil evolution is important for maintaining rice yield and nutrient management. This study was aimed to reveal the characteristics and controls of inorganic and organic P transformation during paddy soil evolution over a millennial time scale using both sequential chemical extraction and solution 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Results show that the rate and trajectory of P evolution in the topsoil differ markedly from that of the illuvial horizon. The amount of apatite P, non-occluded P, occluded P and total P in the topsoils increased rapidly during the early stage of paddy soil evolution (< 50 yrs) due to anthropogenic P additions, but declined in the older paddy soils due to the leaching loss of P sorbents (CaCO3 and Fe/Al oxides); thus, the added P cannot be efficiently retained by the older paddy soils. Total organic P including phosphate monoester in the topsoils reached maximum in the 300-yr paddy soil and declined thereafter. However, the phosphate diester pool (including DNA) and its proportion in the topsoil increased continuously across the paddy soil chronosequence, suggesting that long-term paddy cultivation promoted labile organic P accumulation. In the deeper soil horizons with less human impacts, the temporal trends in inorganic and organic P across the paddy soil chronosequence can be fully predicted by previous established P transformation models during natural pedogenesis, although the rates of P changes differ among different sites. Our study demonstrates that long-term paddy cultivation alters the rate and trajectory of inorganic and organic P transformation in the topsoils over a millennial time scale, and highlights the importance of labile organic P activation for nutrient supply in the older paddy soils.

Assessment of Irrigation Scheduling and Nipping Management for Higher Yield and Economic Returns of Mustard in Satpura and Kaymore Plateau Zone of Madhya Pradesh

On-farm testing was conducted for two consecutive years during Rabi seasons 2018-19 and 2019-20 at farmer’s fields of Majhgawan block of Satna district in India to validate the effect of irrigation scheduling and nipping management for higher yield and economic returns of mustard. The on-farm testing trials were laid out with two treatments i.e T1 Two irrigation (25 DAS and 40-45 DAS) and no nipping and T2 Application of two irrigation (one each at pre-flowering 35-40 days and pod filling 65-75 days) and nipping at pre bud stage (30 DAS). Application of two irrigation (one each at pre-flowering 35-40 days and pod filling 65-75 days) and nipping at pre bud stage (30 DAS) recorded highest primary branches (13.95) and secondary branches (27.85) per plant, siliquae/plant (189.15), seeds/siliqua (19.30) seed yield (23.59 q ha-1), gross returns (Rs 101721ha-1), net return (Rs 71746ha-1) and B:C ratio (3.39) as compared to application of two irrigation (25 DAS and 40-45 DAS) and no nipping. Two irrigations at pre-flowering and pod filling with nipping at pre bud stage (30 DAS) increase in plant growth and yield parameters so it can be recommended two irrigations at pre flowering and pod filling stage with nipping at pre bud stage for getting higher yield of Mustard over non-nipping in the Satpura and Kaymore Plateau zone of Madhya Pradesh.

Assessment of the Diagnostic Yield of Combined Cardiomyopathy and Arrhythmia Genetic Testing

Genetic testing can guide management of both cardiomyopathies and arrhythmias, but cost, yield, and uncertain results can be barriers to its use. It is unknown whether combined disease testing can improve diagnostic yield and clinical utility for patients with a suspected genetic cardiomyopathy or arrhythmia. To evaluate the diagnostic yield and clinical management implications of combined cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia genetic testing through a no-charge, sponsored program for patients with a suspected genetic cardiomyopathy or arrhythmia. This cohort study involved a retrospective review of DNA sequencing results for cardiomyopathy- and arrhythmia-associated genes. The study included 4782 patients with a suspected genetic cardiomyopathy or arrhythmia who were referred for genetic testing by 1203 clinicians; all patients participated in a no-charge, sponsored genetic testing program for cases of suspected genetic cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia at a single testing site from July 12, 2019, through July 9, 2020. Positive gene findings from combined cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia testing were compared with findings from smaller subtype-specific gene panels and clinician-provided diagnoses. Among 4782 patients (mean [SD] age, 40.5 [21.3] years; 2551 male [53.3%]) who received genetic testing, 39 patients (0.8%) were Ashkenazi Jewish, 113 (2.4%) were Asian, 571 (11.9%) were Black or African American, 375 (7.8%) were Hispanic, 2866 (59.9%) were White, 240 (5.0%) were of multiple races and/or ethnicities, 138 (2.9%) were of other races and/or ethnicities, and 440 (9.2%) were of unknown race and/or ethnicity. A positive result (molecular diagnosis) was confirmed in 954 of 4782 patients (19.9%). Of those, 630 patients with positive results (66.0%) had the potential to inform clinical management associated with adverse clinical outcomes, increased arrhythmia risk, or targeted therapies. Combined cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia gene panel testing identified clinically relevant variants for 1 in 5 patients suspected of having a genetic cardiomyopathy or arrhythmia. If only patients with a high suspicion of genetic cardiomyopathy or arrhythmia had been tested, at least 137 positive results (14.4%) would have been missed. If testing had been restricted to panels associated with the clinician-provided diagnostic indications, 75 of 689 positive results (10.9%) would have been missed; 27 of 75 findings (36.0%) gained through combined testing involved a cardiomyopathy indication with an arrhythmia genetic finding or vice versa. Cascade testing of family members yielded 402 of 958 positive results (42.0%). Overall, 2446 of 4782 patients (51.2%) had only variants of uncertain significance. Patients referred for arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy had the lowest rate of variants of uncertain significance (81 of 176 patients [46.0%]), and patients referred for catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia had the highest rate (48 of 76 patients [63.2%]). In this study, comprehensive genetic testing for cardiomyopathies and arrhythmias revealed diagnoses that would have been missed by disease-specific testing. In addition, comprehensive testing provided diagnostic and prognostic information that could have potentially changed management and monitoring strategies for patients and their family members. These results suggest that this improved diagnostic yield may outweigh the burden of uncertain results.

Growth and yield response of lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.) to planting density and nutrient management

Planting density and nutrient management practices may affect lowland rice production. This study was conducted to evaluate their effects on growth and yield of lowland rice (NSIC Rc400), determine the appropriate number of seedlings hill-1 and nutrient management for optimum yield, and assess their profitability on rice. A split-plot arranged in Randomized Complete Block Design was used with three replications. Planting densities (M1=1 seedling hill-1 and M2=3-5 seedlings hill-1) were designated as mainplots while nutrient management practices as subplots;T1=0-0-0 (Control), T2=120–60–60kg ha-1 N, P2O5, and K2O, T3=60–30–30kg ha-1 N, P2O5, and K2O + 2.5t ha-1 vermicast + biweekly foliar urea spray, T4=45–30–30kg ha-1 N, P2O5, and K2O + 2.5t ha-1 vermicast + weekly foliar urea spray, and T5=30–30–30kg ha-1 N, P2O5, and K2O + 2.5t ha-1 vermicast + weekly foliar urea spray. Results revealed that M1 produced more filled spikelets panicle-1 regardless of nutrient management. Early heading and maturity were noted at T1, T4, and T5 treatments. Integrated nutrient application at T3 significantly increased growth, and yield parameters of lowland rice with higher gross income and benefit-cost ratio, next to the recommended dose of inorganic fertilizer (T2). This was due to the high labor and material cost incurred with the integrated nutrient application. Highest net income and benefit-cost ratio were obtained with M1 and T2. Transplanting 1 seedling hill-1 with combined inorganic and vermicast application (T3) seemed appropriate for NSIC Rc400 especially if the farmer has his own vermicast production.

Three-echelon slot allocation for yield and utilisation management in ship liner operations

In the highly competitive maritime liner business, liner companies face the ongoing risk of mismatches between supply and demand and intense price-cutting by their rivals. Most of them continuously work to improve the use of mega-vessels and form alliances to lower their operation costs and enhance their service network. International liners run long-haul services and fill their vessel slots with shipments from multiple trade lanes, chosen on the basis of shipment yields and empty repositioning from the perspective of local, regional and global slot planning operations. Here, a novel model for multi-echelon slot allocation was developed that accounts for the dynamics among local, regional-hub and global scales in terms of container loading and discharge at various vessels in multiple ports. A two-stage optimisation was proposed to improve usage and yield via slot exchange amongst liner companies in an alliance and cargo shifting amongst multiple trade lanes and service loops. Four optimisation methods for the three-echelon slot allocation were developed based on branch-and-bound search, genetic algorithm and deep neural network theories. The simulation results and model sensitivity of the developed algorithms were evaluated. Single-, two- and multiple-service routes with cargo shifting cases were simulated and analysed. The developed slot allocation model will assist trade and traffic planners in various echelons to coordinate and maximise slot usage and yield and ensure that cargo dimensions and weight fall within the cargo payload capacity and verified gross mass requirements, which further prevent vessel damage, excessive fuel usage and the unnecessary emission of greenhouse gases.

Effect of Different Varieties, Nitrogen Levels and Cutting Management on Yield and Its Attributes of Fodder Bajra (Pennisetum glaucum L.)

Aims: To identify an ideal pearl millet variety under ideal nitrogen level and cutting management for high green fodder yield and dry fodder yield.&#x0D; Study Design: Factorial Randomized block design.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: AICRP on Forage Crops and Utilization, Agricultural Research Institute, from July 2021 and Nov 2021.&#x0D; Methodology: Field experiment was conducted at AICRP on Forage Crops and Utilization, ARI, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad during kharif 2021. The treatments consisted of three varieties (TSFB 15-4, TSFB 15-8 and Moti bajra), three nitrogen levels (80, 100 and 120 kg N ha-1) and two cutting management practices (C1: Two cuts: 1st at 60 days after sowing (DAS), 2nd cut at 50% flowering) (C2: Three cuts: 1st at 50 days after sowing (DAS), 2nd cut at 35 days after 1st cut and 3rd cut at 50% flowering) laid out in randomized block design with factorial concept, with Factor (A) as varieties, Factor (B) as nitrogen levels and Factor (C) as cutting management with three replications. The soil was sandy loam in texture with pH of 7.0 low in available nitrogen, medium in available phosphorus and available potassium.&#x0D; Results: Variety TSFB 15-8 recorded significantly higher plant height (67.2 cm) and leaf-stem ratio (0.4) green forage yield (821.1 q ha-1), dry fodder yield (198.4 q ha-1)respectively, but Moti bajra variety was recorded highest number of tillers m-2 (4.5).Application of nitrogenat the rate of 120 kgha-1 significantly recorded highest plant height (72.0 cm), number of tillers m-2 (4.7) and leaf-stem ratio (0.4), green forage yield (817.7 q ha-1), dry fodder yield (201.0 q ha-1). Three cuts for green fodder recorded significantly higher plant height (65.9 cm), number of tillers (5.1) and leaf-stem ratio (0.5) green fodder yield(910.0 q ha-1), dry fodder yield (216.4 q ha-1) compared to two cuts.&#x0D; Conclusion: Variety TSFB 15-8 with nitrogen level of 120 kg N ha-1 at C2 found suitable and economical for cultivation in southern Telangana zone.

Optimizing Nitrogen Application for Chinese Ratoon Rice Based on Yield and Reactive Nitrogen Loss

Ratoon rice (RR) has been regarded as a labor-saving and beneficial production system. Nitrogen (N) surplus and reactive N losses (Nr losses) are effective environmental indicators used to evaluate the performance of N management. Few studies have assessed N surplus and Nr losses for Chinese RR. In this study, Chinese RR planting areas were divided into South China (SC), the southern part of East China (SEC), Central China (CC), the northern part of East China (NEC), and Southwest China (SW). N surplus and Nr losses were also calculated based on 782 studies using a quadratic model under optimized N management for the highest yield (OPT-yield), the highest N-use efficiency (NUE) (OPT-NUE), and the highest grain N uptake (OPT-N uptake). The RR yields in the five regions ranged from 9.98 to 13.59 t ha−1. The high-yield record was observed in SEC, while the low-yield record was observed in NEC. The highest and the lowest Nr losses were found in NEC and SC, respectively. N surplus was reduced, while the yield was maintained in SEC, CC, NEC, and SW under OPT-yield and OPT-N uptake, and N surplus and Nr losses were reduced in the five regions when targeting the highest NUE. Farmers should be encouraged to plant RR in SEC and CC. RR was also a good choice when N management measures were conducted in three other regions. To achieve a win–win situation for both yield and the environment, OPT-yield could serve to improve the N management of current conventional practices.

Are China's HSR tariff affordable and economic equitable? An international comparison perspective

While the issues of high-speed rail (HSR) tariff and its impact on equity have always been a hot topic in China, which also attracted the attention of international researchers, research on the level of HSR tariff from the perspective of individual affordability and equity issue have scarcely been considered. This study therefore aims to fill the research gap by quantifying the HSR relative tariff level and its impact on income/regional distribution via introducing a HSR affordability index.Based on the index, we calculate the HSR affordability levels of the main international sample countries with the order of magnitude. Then we expand the analysis of HSR affordability level according to differentiated HSR pricing practice in the selected countries. At the same time, we compare the HSR tariff impact on economic equity among different countries, regions, and social classes.The result indicates that although the absolute level of HSR tariff is low, China is generally in the middle/the lowest and unbalanced position among the sample countries on HSR affordability in terms of expensiveness and economic equity. When we considered the differentiated tariff policy implemented in Europe and Japan, the affordability gap between China and the other countries is further enlarged. Moreover, inequitable distribution of HSR affordability between different income groups and social classes are found larger not only within China, but also higher when compared to the other sample countries.Finally, we conclude that China should implement differentiated HSR pricing system at a larger scale and greater extent based on the Ramsey pricing and Yield management principle to grasp the additional revenue from the high level income group/the developed region and alleviate the economic equity as well. Meanwhile, we also suggest the balance between HSR affordability for passengers themselves and the macro financial affordability for the country as a whole should also be considered in the future HSR pricing regime formulation.

Registration of two peanut recombinant inbred lines (TifGP‐5 and TifGP‐6) resistant to late leaf spot disease

AbstractLate leaf spot (LLS) disease is an omnipresent peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) foliar disease that causes significant yield loss. Integrating host resistance to reduce yield loss and management costs from this disease is highly desirable. In addition to disease resistance, market demand for high‐oleic peanut is on the rise due to its improved oxidative stability and health benefits. Previously, a recombinant inbred population from Florida‐07 × GP‐NC WS 16 (crossing number C1801) segregating for both LLS resistance and high oleic traits was used to perform genetic mapping for LLS resistance by quantitative trait loci (QTL)‐seq analysis. Three QTL regions on chromosomes B03, A05, and B05 were identified, and Kompetitive allele‐specific polymerase chain reaction markers flanking these regions were validated through a field test on genotypically selected sister lines. Two recombinant inbred lines, TifGP‐5 (Reg. no. GP‐246, PI 700330) and TifGP‐6 (Reg. no. GP‐247, PI 700331), with top levels of field resistance to LLS, were selected from this population for release. Both lines possess the resistance alleles of all the genetic markers. One line has high oleic acid content, and the other is normal oleic. Releasing these recombinant inbred lines packaged with molecular markers provides the peanut‐breeding community with genetic resources that can be utilized through marker‐assisted breeding.

The role of machine learning on Arabica coffee crop yield based on remote sensing and mineral nutrition monitoring

Coffee yield variation in the field can be learned to obtain useful information for coffee management. Machine learning algorithms were evaluated to determine Arabica coffee yield. The Classification and Regression Tree (CART) rpart1SE algorithm used for classification and regression provided crucial nutrient thresholds to obtain high yield and minimise yield variability, by increasing vigour in well-nourished plants, with fertiliser management in the field. The use of the random forest model enabled to detect the most important variables for predicting coffee yield, as well as to identify how the nutritional status of the plants, such as Mg, Fe and Ca contents can be balanced to maximise yield. Variables related to the coffee nutritional status were more important than remote sensing variables for estimating coffee yield in the field. Despite the better accuracy of the random forest model (rf) to predict coffee yield when compared to the rpart1SE model, the particularity of each machine learning algorithm modelling was used in terms of the benefits of the results of each methodology synergistically in favour of wisely defining the best strategy and tactics for the crop management. In general, Mg leaf content was the most important variable for yield class prediction in both the 2005 and 2006 harvests by the rf model. The CART algorithm defined Mg leaf content threshold <3.615 g kg −1 in 6/15/2005 for yield classification in the first node and this threshold obtained is consistent with the available literature associated with high coffee yields between 3.6 and 4.0 g kg −1 . • Machine learning with big data enabled to predict coffee yield variation in the field. • Random forest and rpart1SE modelling provided insights for crop yield management. • Leaf mineral nutrition must be considered for coffee yield management in the field.

Golden Path Search Algorithm for the KSA Scheme

The concepts of Industry 4.1 for achieving Zero-Defect (ZD) manufacturing were disclosed in <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters</i> in January 2016. ZD of all the deliverables can be achieved by discarding the defective products via a real-time and online total inspection technology, such as Automatic Virtual Metrology (AVM). Further, the Key-variable Search Algorithm (KSA) of the Intelligent Yield Management (IYM) system developed by our research team can be utilized to find out the root causes of the defects for continuous improvement on those defective products. As such, nearly ZD of all products may be achieved. However, in a multistage manufacturing process (MMP) environment, a workpiece may randomly pass through one of the manufacturing devices with the same function in each stage. Different devices of the same type perform differently in each stage, where the performances will be accumulated through the designated manufacturing process and affect the final yield. KSA can only identify the influence of univariate variables (i.e., single devices) on the yield, yet it cannot detect the manufacturing paths that have significant influence on the yield. In order to cope with this deficiency such that the golden path with a better yield amongst all the MMP paths can be found, this research proposes the Golden Path Search Algorithm (GPSA), which can plan golden paths with high yield under the condition of the number of variables being much larger than that of samples. As a result, it makes the improvement of manufacturing yield be more comprehensive. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Note to Practitioners</i> —Traditional scheduling only considers the capacity of the manufacturing devices for allocation; while, the impact on the yield is rarely considered. In fact, in a production process, the production deviations will be gradually accumulated and affect the product quality along with the processing influence of each device. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to propose the GPSA scheme to quickly search for high-yield manufacturing paths before the production. Manufacturers can then configure production devices based on these paths. According to the experimental results of real manufacturers’ data, GPSA can not only quickly nail down the high-yield paths from a large amount of historical data, but also alert the users to avoid paths that are prone to defective rates for their reference.

Integrated Effect of Organic and Inorganic Manuring on Crop Yield and Soil Nutrient Balance in the On-going Century-old Permanent Manurial Experiment

Aim: The present study reports the results of continuous application of different rates of N, P and K and organic manure to a Maize-Sunflower cropping system on the changes in soil available nutrients status after harvest of 172th crop of maize.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: We studied the long-term effect of organic and inorganic manuring on crop yield and soil nutrient management under Maize–Sunflower cropping system in 112 years old Permanent Manurial Experiment Field. Significant build-up in soil fertility in terms of alkaline KMnO4-N, Olsen-P, NH4OAc-K, K2Cr2O7–C and CaCl2-S as well as DTPA-Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn were assessed under eight treatments consist of Unfertilized Control, NP, NP, NPK (Chemical Fertilizer Alone), FYM (N Equivalent Basis), FYM (Every Year), Poultry Manure and NPK+FYM.&#x0D; ResultS and Discussion: Recorded data from 2008 shows that continuous application as 100%NPK+FYM @12.5 t ha-1 achieved highest grain yield (hybrid maize CO 6), soil organic carbon, available nitrogen, available potassium, available sulphur and micronutrients content. Highest P recorded in poultry manure on nitrogen equivalent basis than INM irrespective of the crops. Inorganic fertilizer application alone resulted in a pH of &gt;8.0, whereas fertilizer and manure application as well as manure application alone resulted in a pH of &lt; 8.0 in soil. The increase in available S in INM, NPK alone might be due to single super phosphate (SSP) and FYM which contained about 12 and 0.74 % of S, respectively. Thus, considering soil-quality conservation and crop yield, 112 years of study indicated that combined application of NPK and organic manure is a better nutrient-management option in this irrigated maize sunflower cropping system.&#x0D; Conclusion: These results conclude that for better crop yield and soil quality, integrated usage of organic and inorganic nutrient should be advocated in the Maize-Sunflower cropping system under Alfisol.

Exploring a relative harvest rate strategy for moderately data-limited fisheries management

Abstract Moderately data-limited fisheries can be managed with simple empirical management procedures without analytical stock assessments. Often, control rules adjust advised catches by the trend of an abundance index. We explored an alternative approach where a relative harvest rate, defined by the catch relative to a biomass index, is used and the target level derived from analysing historical catch length data. This harvest rate rule was tested generically with management strategy evaluation. A genetic algorithm was deployed as an optimisation procedure to tune the parameters of the control rule to meet maximum sustainable yield and precautionary management objectives. Results indicated that this method could outperform trend-based strategies, particularly when optimised, achieving higher long-term yields while remaining precautionary. However, optimum harvest rate levels can be narrow and challenging to find because they depend on historical exploitation and life history characteristics. Misspecification of target levels can have a detrimental impact on management. Nevertheless, harvest rates appear to be a suitable management option for moderately data-limited resources, and their application has modest data requirements. Harvest rate strategies are especially suitable for stocks for which case-specific analyses can be conducted.

50‐2: Invited Paper: Why Does the Road to High Volume Production of Micro‐LED Displays Pass Through the Semiconductors Industry?

The applications and economics for micro‐LED based displays require micro‐LEDs with critical dimension (CD) below 20 microns, with continuous push towards sub 5 microns regime. In this work, the implications of such requirement on the manufacturing and massive parallel transfer ofmicro‐LEDs are discussed from a process engineering perspective. Any high volume manufacturing (HVM)‐compatible massive transfer process must ‐at least‐ tolerate ± 10% variability (3σ) in microLED CD and height. It is inevitable that the display industry will leverage the learnings and methodologies best known in the semiconductors industry for process control, defect and yield management for HVM.

Cytokinins: A Genetic Target for Increasing Yield Potential in the CRISPR Era.

Over the last decade, remarkable progress has been made in our understanding the phytohormones, cytokinin’s (CKs) biosynthesis, perception, and signalling pathways. Additionally, it became apparent that interfering with any of these steps has a significant effect on all stages of plant growth and development. As a result of their complex regulatory and cross-talk interactions with other hormones and signalling networks, they influence and control a wide range of biological activities, from cellular to organismal levels. In agriculture, CKs are extensively used for yield improvement and management because of their wide-ranging effects on plant growth, development and physiology. One of the primary targets in this regard is cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase (CKO/CKX), which is encoded by CKX gene, which catalyses the irreversible degradation of cytokinin. The previous studies on various agronomically important crops indicated that plant breeders have targeted CKX directly. In recent years, prokaryotic clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) system has been increasingly used in editing the CKO/CKX gene and phenomenal results have been achieved. This review provides an updated information on the applications of CRISPR-based gene-editing tools in manipulating cytokinin metabolism at the genetic level for yield improvement. Furthermore, we summarized the current developments of RNP-mediated DNA/transgene-free genomic editing of plants which would broaden the application of this technology. The current review will advance our understanding of cytokinins and their role in sustainably increase crop production through CRISPR/Cas genome editing tool.