Agriculture

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Causal Linkage among Agricultural Insurance, Air Pollution, and Agricultural Green Total Factor Productivity in United States: Pairwise Granger Causality Approach

by

,

,

,

,

,

,

Aneta Wysokińska-Senkus

,

Paweł Siemiński

and

Adam Skrzypek

Agriculture 2022, 12(9), 1320; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12091320 - 26 Aug 2022

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 1864

Abstract

Agricultural insurance and green agriculture are strongly related. Agricultural insurance not only motivates farmers to adopt environmentally friendly production technology and enhances the effectiveness of production, but it also accomplishes the goal of lowering the number of chemicals that are put into the [...] Read more.

Agricultural insurance and green agriculture are strongly related. Agricultural insurance not only motivates farmers to adopt environmentally friendly production technology and enhances the effectiveness of production, but it also accomplishes the goal of lowering the number of chemicals that are put into the environment. This article investigates the dynamic relationship between agricultural insurance, air pollution, and agricultural green total factor productivity. To complete the aim, the authors used the panel auto-regressive distributed lags method (PMG method) and panel data from 50 states of the United States between 2005 and 2019. The empirical findings demonstrate a considerable co-integration and a cross-sectional reliance between agricultural insurance, air pollution, and agricultural green total factor production. Expanding agricultural insurance may boost agricultural green whole factor output but also exacerbate air pollution. However, significant air pollution does not increase agricultural production’s green total factor productivity. The panel Granger causality test shows a one-way causal relationship between agricultural insurance, green total factor productivity, and air pollution. A one-way causal relationship exists between air pollution and agricultural green total factor productivity. The author concluded that improving agricultural insurance coverage or cutting down on air pollution will boost agricultural green total factor output. These findings have long-term policy and management repercussions, particularly for those involved in agriculture policy and environmental management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Insurance, Risk Management and Sustainable Development)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Parents’ Selection Affects Embryo Rescue, Seed Regeneration and the Heredity of Seedless Trait in Table Grape Breeding Programs

by

,

,

,

,

,

,

,

,

and

Agriculture 2022, 12(8), 1096; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12081096 - 26 Jul 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1274

Abstract

The development of new seedless cultivar represents one of the most important goals in table grape breeding programmes worldwide. The most common technique to obtain new seedless cultivars is embryo rescue, an approach that allows the isolation of immature embryos and their cultivation [...] Read more.

The development of new seedless cultivar represents one of the most important goals in table grape breeding programmes worldwide. The most common technique to obtain new seedless cultivars is embryo rescue, an approach that allows the isolation of immature embryos and their cultivation in vitro. In this study, a total of 23 crosses (developed employing one seeded and one seedless parent) were performed during two seasons (2017 and 2018) for a total of 1140 seedlings. For each cross, the principal parameters related to the efficiency of the pollination were measured (harvested bunches, collected berries, recovered embryos/seeds and plants obtained). Based on these traits, statistical analyses were performed to calculate the female and male parental efficiency and to compare the two techniques of propagation employed: embryo rescue (7.8% of plants obtained) and gamic propagation (8.4%). Finally, the segregation of the SSR marker p3_VvAGL11 was evaluated on the progeny of four crosses in which the same cultivar was used alternately as female or male parent (SugxIta/ItaxSug and CrixIta/ItaxCri). The parameters measured showed a positive correlation between berries, seeds and plants obtained, exclusively in combination with a seeded female parent. The crossing combinations investigated indicate that some genotypes outperformed others when used as female parent in terms of embryos/seeds produced. Therefore, the efficiency in terms of seedlings obtained for the seedless female parents is actually balanced with those obtained for the seeded ones. The proposed research aims to provide useful information to guide the choice of genotypes used in the genetic improvement programs of seedless grapes, to increase their efficiency. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fruit Breeding, Germplasms Identification and Evaluation)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Structural Polymorphisms of Chromosome 3A^m Containing Lr63 Leaf Rust Resistance Loci Reflect the Geographical Distribution of Triticum monococcum L. and Related Diploid Wheats

by

Aleksandra Noweiska

,

Roksana Bobrowska

and

Michał Tomasz Kwiatek

Agriculture 2022, 12(7), 966; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12070966 - 05 Jul 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1221

Abstract

Wheat is one of the world’s crucial staple food crops. In turn, einkorn wheat (Triticum monococcum L.) is considered a wild relative of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and can be used as a source of agronomically important genes for breeding purposes. [...] Read more.

Wheat is one of the world’s crucial staple food crops. In turn, einkorn wheat (Triticum monococcum L.) is considered a wild relative of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and can be used as a source of agronomically important genes for breeding purposes. Cultivated T. monococcum subsp. monococcum originated from T. monococcum subsp. aegilopoides (syn. T. boeticum). For the better utilization of valuable genes from these species, it is crucial to discern the genetic diversity at their cytological and molecular levels. Here, we used a fluorescence in situ hybridization toolbox and molecular markers linked to the leaf rust resistance gene Lr63 (located on the short arm of the 3A^m chromosome—3A^mS) to track the polymorphisms between T. monococcum subsp. monococcum, T. boeticum and T. urartu (A-genome donor for hexaploid wheat) accessions, which were collected in different regions of Europe, Asia, and Africa. We distinguished three groups of accessions based on polymorphisms of cytomolecular and leaf rust resistance gene Lr63 markers. We observed that the cultivated forms of T. monococcum revealed additional marker signals, which are characteristic for genomic alternations induced by the domestication process. Based on the structural analysis of the 3A^mS chromosome arm, we concluded that the polymorphisms were induced by geographical dispersion and could be related to adaptation to local environmental conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Germplasm Resources Exploration and Genetic Breeding of Crops)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceReview

The Overlooked Transformation Mechanisms of VLCFAs: Peroxisomal β-Oxidation

by

,

,

,

and

Agriculture 2022, 12(7), 947; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12070947 - 30 Jun 2022

Viewed by 1515

Abstract

Beta-oxidation(β-oxidation) is an important metabolic process involving multiple steps by which fatty acid molecules are broken down to produce energy. The very long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs), a type of fatty acid (FA), are usually highly toxic when free in vivo, and their oxidative [...] Read more.

Beta-oxidation(β-oxidation) is an important metabolic process involving multiple steps by which fatty acid molecules are broken down to produce energy. The very long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs), a type of fatty acid (FA), are usually highly toxic when free in vivo, and their oxidative metabolism depends on the peroxisomal β-oxidation. For a long time, although β-oxidation takes place in both mitochondria and peroxisomes, most studies have been keen to explore the mechanism of β-oxidation in mitochondria while ignoring the importance of peroxisomal β-oxidation. However, current studies indicate that it is hard to provide effective treatment for diseases caused by the disorder of peroxisomal β-oxidation, such as X-ALD, SCOX deficiency, and D-BP deficiency; thus, actions should be taken to solve this problem. Based on existing research results, this review will summarize the importance of peroxisomal β-oxidation and help further learning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Breeding, Genetics and Safety Production of Dairy Cattle)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Plant Disease Detection and Classification Method Based on the Optimized Lightweight YOLOv5 Model

by

,

,

,

,

and

Agriculture 2022, 12(7), 931; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12070931 - 27 Jun 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3204

Abstract

Traditional plant disease diagnosis methods are mostly based on expert diagnosis, which easily leads to the backwardness of crop disease control and field management. In this paper, to improve the speed and accuracy of disease classification, a plant disease detection and classification method [...] Read more.

Traditional plant disease diagnosis methods are mostly based on expert diagnosis, which easily leads to the backwardness of crop disease control and field management. In this paper, to improve the speed and accuracy of disease classification, a plant disease detection and classification method based on the optimized lightweight YOLOv5 model is proposed. We propose an IASM mechanism to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the model, to achieve model weight reduction through Ghostnet and WBF structure, and to combine BiFPN and fast normalization fusion for weighted feature fusion to speed up the learning efficiency of each feature layer. To verify the effect of the optimized model, we conducted a performance comparison test and ablation test between the optimized model and other mainstream models. The results show that the operation time and accuracy of the optimized model are 11.8% and 3.98% higher than the original model, respectively, while F1 score reaches 92.65%, which highlight statistical metrics better than the current mainstream models. Moreover, the classification accuracy rate on the self-made dataset reaches 92.57%, indicating the effectiveness of the plant disease classification model proposed in this paper, and the transfer learning ability of the model can be used to expand the application scope in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Digital Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Irrigation Increases Crop Species Diversity in Low-Diversity Farm Regions of Mexico

by

Matthew C. LaFevor

and

Aoife K. Pitts

Agriculture 2022, 12(7), 911; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12070911 - 23 Jun 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1011

Abstract

Although agricultural intensification generally has homogenizing effects on landscapes that reduce crop diversity, the specific effects of different input strategies on crop diversity are unclear. This study examines the effects of irrigation inputs on crop species diversity in Mexico. We assess the richness [...] Read more.

Although agricultural intensification generally has homogenizing effects on landscapes that reduce crop diversity, the specific effects of different input strategies on crop diversity are unclear. This study examines the effects of irrigation inputs on crop species diversity in Mexico. We assess the richness and evenness diversity of 297 crop species across 2455 municipalities while controlling for environmental and socioeconomic factors and farm structural and functional characteristics. Using a quantile regression approach, we assess relationships across conditional quantiles of low-, medium-, and high-diversity farm regions. Results show irrigation level (% cropland irrigated) is a strong positive predictor of crop species richness and evenness diversity across all quantile regions. Moreover, the quantile effects of irrigation on evenness diversity are five times greater in low-diversity rather than high-diversity regions. With implications for agricultural water policy in Mexico, this study illustrates the potential benefits of sustainable irrigation expansion in water-rich but irrigation-poor farming regions. Specifically, by enhancing crop species diversity, carefully targeted irrigation expansion can support the transition to sustainable intensification. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Agricultural Water Management)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

GrapeNet: A Lightweight Convolutional Neural Network Model for Identification of Grape Leaf Diseases

by

,

,

,

,

,

,

,

and

Agriculture 2022, 12(6), 887; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12060887 - 20 Jun 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2285

Abstract

Most convolutional neural network (CNN) models have various difficulties in identifying crop diseases owing to morphological and physiological changes in crop tissues, and cells. Furthermore, a single crop disease can show different symptoms. Usually, the differences in symptoms between early crop disease and [...] Read more.

Most convolutional neural network (CNN) models have various difficulties in identifying crop diseases owing to morphological and physiological changes in crop tissues, and cells. Furthermore, a single crop disease can show different symptoms. Usually, the differences in symptoms between early crop disease and late crop disease stages include the area of disease and color of disease. This also poses additional difficulties for CNN models. Here, we propose a lightweight CNN model called GrapeNet for the identification of different symptom stages for specific grape diseases. The main components of GrapeNet are residual blocks, residual feature fusion blocks (RFFBs), and convolution block attention modules. The residual blocks are used to deepen the network depth and extract rich features. To alleviate the CNN performance degradation associated with a large number of hidden layers, we designed an RFFB module based on the residual block. It fuses the average pooled feature map before the residual block input and the high-dimensional feature maps after the residual block output by a concatenation operation, thereby achieving feature fusion at different depths. In addition, the convolutional block attention module (CBAM) is introduced after each RFFB module to extract valid disease information. The obtained results show that the identification accuracy was determined as 82.99%, 84.01%, 82.74%, 84.77%, 80.96%, 82.74%, 80.96%, 83.76%, and 86.29% for GoogLeNet, Vgg16, ResNet34, DenseNet121, MobileNetV2, MobileNetV3_large, ShuffleNetV2_×1.0, EfficientNetV2_s, and GrapeNet. The GrapeNet model achieved the best classification performance when compared with other classical models. The total number of parameters of the GrapeNet model only included 2.15 million. Compared with DenseNet121, which has the highest accuracy among classical network models, the number of parameters of GrapeNet was reduced by 4.81 million, thereby reducing the training time of GrapeNet by about two times compared with that of DenseNet121. Moreover, the visualization results of Grad-cam indicate that the introduction of CBAM can emphasize disease information and suppress irrelevant information. The overall results suggest that the GrapeNet model is useful for the automatic identification of grape leaf diseases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Internet and Computers for Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Environmental Assessment of Underdrain Designs for Granular Media Filters in Drip Irrigation Systems

by

,

,

,

,

,

Francisco Ramírez de Cartagena

and

Jaume Puig-Bargués

Agriculture 2022, 12(6), 810; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12060810 - 03 Jun 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1135

Abstract

Irrigation is very important for global food production and, therefore, it is key to moving towards increasingly sustainable irrigation systems. However, the adoption of more efficient water-use techniques, such as drip irrigation, increases energy consumption. A large part of the efficiency of drip [...] Read more.

Irrigation is very important for global food production and, therefore, it is key to moving towards increasingly sustainable irrigation systems. However, the adoption of more efficient water-use techniques, such as drip irrigation, increases energy consumption. A large part of the efficiency of drip irrigation systems depends on the equipment used, such as filters. The environmental impact of three media filters (a prototype with a porous media underdrain and two commercial filters, with inserted domes and collector arms underdrains, respectively) with different bed heights, filtration rates, and medium materials was studied using the life cycle analysis (LCA). Under the operating conditions that minimize the impact, the inserted domes design has the lowest overall impact, achieving reductions of up to 432% and 18% in some impacts regarding the porous media and the collector arm, respectively. A porous media filter has a better energy performance, but its prototype status hinders it in the raw material, building, and end-of-life phases. Conversely, the arm collector has the worst environmental performance. This work shows that filter designs should prioritize solutions that allow for minimizing the energy consumption during their operation to increase its sustainability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Use and Management of Agricultural Irrigation Systems and Technologies)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Research on the Time-Dependent Split Delivery Green Vehicle Routing Problem for Fresh Agricultural Products with Multiple Time Windows

by

Daqing Wu

and

Chenxiang Wu

Agriculture 2022, 12(6), 793; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12060793 - 30 May 2022

Cited by 56 | Viewed by 2483

Abstract

Due to the diversity and the different distribution conditions of agricultural products, split delivery plays an important role in the last mile distribution of agricultural products distribution. The time-dependent split delivery green vehicle routing problem with multiple time windows (TDSDGVRPMTW) is studied by [...] Read more.

Due to the diversity and the different distribution conditions of agricultural products, split delivery plays an important role in the last mile distribution of agricultural products distribution. The time-dependent split delivery green vehicle routing problem with multiple time windows (TDSDGVRPMTW) is studied by considering both economic cost and customer satisfaction. A calculation method for road travel time across time periods was designed. A satisfaction measure function based on a time window and a measure function of the economic cost was employed by considering time-varying vehicle speeds, fuel consumption, carbon emissions and customers’ time windows. The object of the TDSDGVRPMTW model is to minimize the sum of the economic cost and maximize average customer satisfaction. According to the characteristics of the model, a variable neighborhood search combined with a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (VNS-NSGA-II) was designed. Finally, the experimental data show that the proposed approaches effectively reduce total distribution costs and promote energy conservation and customer satisfaction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Internet and Computers for Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

The Application of a Bio-Stabilized Municipal Solid Waste-Based Fertilizer for Buckwheat Production

by

Sara Martinez

,

José Luis Gabriel

,

Raúl Allende-Montalbán

,

Raúl San-Juan-Heras

and

María del Mar Delgado

Agriculture 2022, 12(6), 776; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12060776 - 28 May 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1314

Abstract

In a circular economy framework, waste valorization in crop production promotes sustainability in the agricultural sector. Buckwheat (BW; Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) has promising nutritional and economic value. Its sustainable production can be promoted by applying organic fertilizers. Aimed at determining the effect of [...] Read more.

In a circular economy framework, waste valorization in crop production promotes sustainability in the agricultural sector. Buckwheat (BW; Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) has promising nutritional and economic value. Its sustainable production can be promoted by applying organic fertilizers. Aimed at determining the effect of a bio-stabilized municipal solid waste (MSW) amendment on BW, a greenhouse experiment was performed combining two different soils (clay and sandy) with three previous fertilization treatments (no fertilizer, mineral fertilizer, or MSW fertilizer) from the precedent faba bean crop and three present fertilization treatments (no fertilizer, mineral fertilizer, or MSW fertilizer) from the precedent wheat crop. The present fertilizer treatments followed the same procedure and fertilization rates (7.9 g/kg clay soil and 6.7 g/kg sandy soil of MSW amendment and 0.14 g/kg clay soil and 0.12 g/sandy soil of mineral fertilizer) as the previously fertilized treatments to study the effects on BW crop and soil. Results indicated a positive response of biomass production (on average 34.4 g/plant) and seed yield (on average 10.6 g/plant) to direct organic fertilization, obtaining comparable results with respect to the mineral fertilization treatments. Additionally, organic fertilization significantly enhanced seed quality and nutrient content compared to mineral fertilization, which resulted in a higher chlorophyll content. The findings revealed that the residual effect from the previous bio-stabilized MSW amendment was not sufficient to provide the total nutrients necessary for BW potential growth and biomass production, although slight tendencies toward increase were observed. Soil properties, such as organic matter and nitrogen content, as well as soil nutrient concentrations, were positively affected by organic fertilization, presenting adequate levels of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cr, and Cd). The insights of this study are valuable to determine the effects of reusing waste by-products for BW crop fertilization to reduce or substitute for chemical fertilizers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Fertilizer and Irrigation on Crop Production)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Physiological and Biochemical Parameters of Leaves for Evaluation of the Potato Yield

by

,

,

,

,

,

and

Agriculture 2022, 12(6), 757; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12060757 - 26 May 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1270

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate the morphological, physiological, and biochemical parameters of leaves to evaluate the yield of Solanum tuberosum L. We conducted 3-year experiments with 24 varieties of potatoes, differing in ripeness groups (early ripening, mid-early ripening and mid [...] Read more.

The aim of the study was to investigate the morphological, physiological, and biochemical parameters of leaves to evaluate the yield of Solanum tuberosum L. We conducted 3-year experiments with 24 varieties of potatoes, differing in ripeness groups (early ripening, mid-early ripening and mid ripening). Plant height, linear dimensions, number of stomata per unit leaf area as well as content of pigments, proline, membrane lipids and proteins, and the level of lipid per oxidation in the leaves of each variety were investigated. A 3D modeling method showed the yield of early varieties negatively correlated with an increase in temperatures (R = –0.97). The soil moisture content positively correlated with the yield of medium-early varieties (R = 0.97). The soil moisture content and the tuber numbers in mid-season varieties had a negative correlation (R = –0.96). The regulation mechanisms of processes in cells depend on the ripening time of a variety. In order to increase productivity and to improve the potato quality, it is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of the regional climatic conditions and use the varieties of a certain ripening group. Our data refine the understanding of the relationship between the potato above-ground mass and the yield of tubers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Physiological and Molecular Characterization of Crop Tolerance to Abiotic Stresses)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Probing Differential Metabolome Responses among Wheat Genotypes to Heat Stress Using Fourier Transform Infrared-Based Chemical Fingerprinting

by

,

,

,

,

,

,

and

Agriculture 2022, 12(6), 753; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12060753 - 25 May 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1268

Abstract

Heat stress is one of the major environmental constraints for wheat production; thus, a comprehensive understanding of the metabolomic responses of wheat is required for breeding heat-tolerant varieties. In this study, the metabolome responses of heat-tolerant genotypes Imam and Norin 61, and susceptible [...] Read more.

Heat stress is one of the major environmental constraints for wheat production; thus, a comprehensive understanding of the metabolomic responses of wheat is required for breeding heat-tolerant varieties. In this study, the metabolome responses of heat-tolerant genotypes Imam and Norin 61, and susceptible genotype Chinese Spring were comparatively analyzed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy in combination with chemometric data mining techniques. Principal component analysis of the FTIR data suggested a spectral feature partially overlapping between the three genotypes. FTIR spectral biomarker assay showed similar heat responses between the genotypes for markers Fm482 and Fm1502, whereas genotype-dependent variations were observed for other markers. The markers Fm1251 and Fm1729 showed contrasting behaviors between heat-tolerant and susceptible genotypes, suggesting that these markers may potentially serve as a tool for distinguishing heat-tolerant genotypes. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) of the spectra demonstrated a clear separation between the three genotypes in terms of the heat stress effect. Analysis of LDA coefficients identified several spectral regions that were potentially responsible for the discrimination of FTIR spectra between different genotypes and environments. These results suggest that a combination of FTIR and chemometrics can be a useful technique for characterizing the metabolic behavior of diverse wheat genotypes under heat stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Genotype Evaluation and Breeding)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Emerging Precision Management Methods in Poultry Sector

by

Katarzyna Olejnik

,

Ewa Popiela

and

Sebastian Opaliński

Agriculture 2022, 12(5), 718; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12050718 - 18 May 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2885

Abstract

New approach to improve welfare in the poultry sector is targeted at the precise management of animals. In poultry production, we observe that birds’ health and quality of poultry products depend significantly on good welfare conditions, affecting economic efficiency. Using technology solutions in [...] Read more.

New approach to improve welfare in the poultry sector is targeted at the precise management of animals. In poultry production, we observe that birds’ health and quality of poultry products depend significantly on good welfare conditions, affecting economic efficiency. Using technology solutions in different systems of animal production is an innovation that can help farmers more effectively control the environmental conditions and health of birds. In addition, rising public concern about poultry breeding and welfare leads to developing solutions to increase the efficiency of control and monitoring in this animal production branch. Precision livestock farming (PLF) collects real-time data of birds using different types of technologies for this process. It means that PLF can help prevent lowering animal welfare by detecting early stages of diseases and stressful situations during birds’ management and allows steps to be taken quickly enough to limit the adverse effects. This review shows connections between the possibilities of using the latest technologies to monitor laying hens and broilers in developing precision livestock farming. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Hygiene on Farms - Realising Animal Health Prevention)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Multi-Chain Collaboration-Based Information Management and Control for the Rice Supply Chain

by

,

,

,

,

and

Agriculture 2022, 12(5), 689; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12050689 - 12 May 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2304

Abstract

The issue of food quality and safety is a major concern. Rice is considered one of the three staple foods. Rice quality and safety problems have occurred frequently, which seriously affect human health. The rice supply chain is characterized by complex links, discrete [...] Read more.

The issue of food quality and safety is a major concern. Rice is considered one of the three staple foods. Rice quality and safety problems have occurred frequently, which seriously affect human health. The rice supply chain is characterized by complex links, discrete data, and numerous types of hazardous substances. Strengthening the information management and control capabilities of the rice supply chain is an important means to ensure the quality and safety of rice. Based on multi-chain collaboration, we have conducted research on information management and control of the rice supply chain. First, a multi-chain collaborative model of “blockchain + sub-chain” is designed. Based on this model, the following four mechanisms are designed: a trusted chain mechanism, a multi-level sub-chain encryption mechanism, a trusted supervision mechanism, and a hierarchical consensus mechanism. These mechanisms jointly serve the multi-chain collaborative management and control of the rice supply chain information. Secondly, smart contracts and operating procedures are designed, and a comparative analysis of them is executed. Finally, the design and implementation of the prototype system is carried out, and an example is verified and analyzed in a grain enterprise. Results show that this model serves the information supervision of the rice supply chain by studying the multi-chain collaboration. The study solves the real-time data interaction problem between each link of the rice supply chain. The credible management of information and control of the rice supply chain is accomplished. This study applies new information technology to the coordination and resource sharing of the food supply chain and provides ideas for the digital transformation of the food industry. Full article

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Calibration Spiking of MIR-DRIFTS Soil Spectra for Carbon Predictions Using PLSR Extensions and Log-Ratio Transformations

by

Wiktor R. Żelazny

and

Tomáš Šimon

Agriculture 2022, 12(5), 682; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12050682 - 11 May 2022

Viewed by 1376

Abstract

There is a need to minimize the usage of traditional laboratory reference methods in favor of spectroscopy for routine soil carbon monitoring, with potential cost savings existing especially for labile pools. Mid-infrared spectroscopy has been associated with accurate soil carbon predictions, but the [...] Read more.

There is a need to minimize the usage of traditional laboratory reference methods in favor of spectroscopy for routine soil carbon monitoring, with potential cost savings existing especially for labile pools. Mid-infrared spectroscopy has been associated with accurate soil carbon predictions, but the method has not been researched extensively in connection to C lability. More studies are also needed on reducing the numbers of samples and on how to account for the compositional nature of C pools. This study compares performance of two classes of partial least squares regression models to predict soil carbon in a global (models trained to data from a spectral library), local (models trained to data from a target area), and calibration-spiking (spectral library augmented with target-area spectra) scheme. Topsoil samples were+ scanned with a Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer, total and hot-water extractable carbon determined, and isometric log-ratio coordinates derived from the latter measurements. The best RMSEP was estimated as 0.38 and 0.23 percentage points

TC

for the district and field scale, respectively—values sufficiently low to make only qualitative predictions according to the RPD and RPIQ criteria. Models estimating soil carbon lability performed unsatisfactorily, presumably due to low labile pool concentration. Traditional weighing of spiking samples by including multiple copies thereof in training data yielded better results than canonical partial least squares regression modeling with embedded weighing. Although local modeling was associated with the most accurate predictions, calibration spiking addressed better the trade-off between data acquisition costs and model quality. Calibration spiking with compositional data analysis is, therefore, recommended for routine monitoring. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nitrogen and Carbon Cycle in Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Complex Mixture of Arvensic Acids Isolated from Convolvulus arvensis Roots Identified as Inhibitors of Radicle Growth of Broomrape Weeds

by

Gabriele Soriano

,

Mónica Fernández-Aparicio

,

Marco Masi

,

Susana Vilariño-Rodríguez

and

Alessio Cimmino

Agriculture 2022, 12(5), 585; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12050585 - 22 Apr 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1221

Abstract

Broomrape weeds (Orobanche and Phelipanche spp.) are noxious parasites that infect crops using haustoria formed at the tip of their radicles. Dichloromethane extract obtained from the roots of Convolvulus arvensis strongly inhibits the radicle growth of broomrape weeds. A complex mixture of [...] Read more.

Broomrape weeds (Orobanche and Phelipanche spp.) are noxious parasites that infect crops using haustoria formed at the tip of their radicles. Dichloromethane extract obtained from the roots of Convolvulus arvensis strongly inhibits the radicle growth of broomrape weeds. A complex mixture of arvensic acids was isolated as the metabolites responsible of the inhibitory activity of C. arvensis extract against broomrape radicle growth via activity-guided fractionation and ¹H NMR and ESI MS data. We showed that the exposure of broomrape seedlings to this arvensic acids mixture results in a strong phytotoxic effect on their radicles in four broomrape species infecting a wide range of crops worldwide. This discovery paves the way for the synthesis of new bioherbicides and could contribute to the development of efficient and sustainable management strategies for broomrape weeds, for which control in many crops is limited or non-existing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parasitic Plants and Weeds Control in Cropping Systems)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Regression-Based Correction and I-PSO-Based Optimization of HMCVT’s Speed Regulating Characteristics for Agricultural Machinery

by

Zhun Cheng

and

Zhixiong Lu

Agriculture 2022, 12(5), 580; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12050580 - 21 Apr 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 989

Abstract

To improve the speed regulating characteristics of continuously variable transmission for agricultural machinery, in order to meet the engineering and technical requirements of precision agriculture and intelligent agriculture, the paper researches and proposes a method combining the analysis of speed regulating characteristics, regression-based [...] Read more.

To improve the speed regulating characteristics of continuously variable transmission for agricultural machinery, in order to meet the engineering and technical requirements of precision agriculture and intelligent agriculture, the paper researches and proposes a method combining the analysis of speed regulating characteristics, regression-based correction, and the improved particle swarm optimization (I-PSO) algorithm. First, the paper analyzes the degree of deviation between the linearization degree and the theoretical value of the speed regulating characteristics of the variable-pump constant-motor system of agricultural machinery according to the measurement results of the bench test. Next, the paper corrects the speed regulating characteristics and compares the regression results based on four models. Finally, the paper proposes a design method for the expected speed regulating characteristics of agricultural machinery and it completes the optimization of speed regulating characteristics and the matching of transmission parameters with the I-PSO algorithm. Results indicate that the speed regulating characteristics of the variable-pump constant-motor system show high linearization (with a coefficient of determination of 0.9775). The theoretical and measured values of the speed regulating characteristics have a certain deviation (with a coefficient of determination of 0.8934). Therefore, correcting the speed regulating characteristics of the variable-pimp constant-motor system is highly necessary. In addition, the second reciprocal function model proposed has the highest correction precision (with a coefficient of determination of 0.9978). The I-PSO algorithm is applicable to the design and application of hydro-mechanical continuously variable transmission (HMCVT) for agricultural machinery. The new method proposed can improve the HMCVT’s speed regulating characteristics efficiently and quickly. It also ensures that the speed regulating characteristics are highly consistent with the expected design characteristics (with a mean error of 1.73%). Thus, the research offers a theoretical direction and design basis for the research and development of continuously variable transmission units in agricultural machinery. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Application of Agricultural Equipment in Tillage System)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Intercropping Practices in Mediterranean Mandarin Orchards from an Environmental and Economic Perspective

by

Bernardo Martin-Gorriz

,

José A. Zabala

,

Virginia Sánchez-Navarro

,

Belén Gallego-Elvira

,

Víctor Martínez-García

,

Francisco Alcon

and

José Francisco Maestre-Valero

Agriculture 2022, 12(5), 574; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12050574 - 19 Apr 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3273

Abstract

Crop diversification is becoming increasingly important for preserving soil and ecosystems’ health and, subsequently, crop productivity and sustainability. Intercropping practices adopted in monocultural woody crops, with herbaceous crops covering the otherwise bare alleyways, foster ecological interactions and can provide both environmental and economic [...] Read more.

Crop diversification is becoming increasingly important for preserving soil and ecosystems’ health and, subsequently, crop productivity and sustainability. Intercropping practices adopted in monocultural woody crops, with herbaceous crops covering the otherwise bare alleyways, foster ecological interactions and can provide both environmental and economic advantages. In this study, intercropping practices were implemented in a traditional mandarin orchard in south-eastern Spain, which was monitored for three years to assess their impact on the environmental footprint and profitability. The footprint was quantified with a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA), while the costs and revenues assessment was based on materials, labor, and machinery used in the trial. The calculated LCA indicators evidenced that, although the cultivated surface area increases with the integration of the intercrops (fava bean, purslane, cowpea, and barley/vetch mix), this does not imply any additional detrimental effects (resource depletion, acidification, eutrophication, global warming). The economic analysis showed that while intercrops may involve additional production costs, the correct choice of intercrops, purslane, and fava bean, in this case, can reduce the market risks for farmers. Overall, this study shows that positive environmental and economic impacts are to be expected of co-integrated herbaceous crops within the same field as mandarin trees. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Agricultural Systems and Management)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Trends Analysis of Simultaneously Extracted Metal Copper Sediment Concentrations from a California Agricultural Waterbody including Historical Comparisons with Other Agricultural Waterbodies

by

Lenwood W. Hall, Jr.

and

Ronald D. Anderson

Agriculture 2022, 12(4), 540; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12040540 - 10 Apr 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1294

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to: (1) assess annual, seasonal and spatial trends in simultaneously extracted metal copper (SEM copper) sediment concentrations in an agricultural California waterbody (Cache Slough) sampled over three years and two seasons (spring and fall); (2) determine the [...] Read more.

The objectives of this study were to: (1) assess annual, seasonal and spatial trends in simultaneously extracted metal copper (SEM copper) sediment concentrations in an agricultural California waterbody (Cache Slough) sampled over three years and two seasons (spring and fall); (2) determine the relationship between SEM copper sediment concentrations and precipitation; (3) compare the SEM copper sediment concentrations from Cache Slough with other agricultural streams and (4) compare trends in SEM copper with total copper sediment concentrations previously reported from this waterbody. Sediment samples for SEM copper analysis were collected by boat. Regression analysis, Analysis of Variance, T-test procedure and the Fisher LDS method were used for statistical analysis of data. The results from this study showed that mean seasonal SEM copper sediment concentrations from Cache Slough ranged from 18.6 to 30.1 µg/g dw. SEM copper sediment concentrations were not reported to increase over time in this agricultural waterbody where copper was used as a fungicide, although some spatial differences in SEM copper sediment concentrations were reported. Seasonal analysis showed no significant differences in SEM copper sediment concentrations for both spring and fall for two years, but spring concentrations were statistically higher than fall concentrations for the last year of the study. There were no statistically significant relationships between SEM copper sediment concentrations and precipitation for the three-year period, based on an analysis by year and season. A comparative analysis of total copper and SEM copper from Cache Slough showed that the range of mean seasonal concentrations of SEM copper was much lower, and more sites showed declining trends for SEM copper than for total copper. Increasing trends were not reported at any of the sites for either SEM copper or total copper. A comparison of SEM copper data from Cache Slough was reported to be similar to concentrations reported for other water bodies influenced by agricultural use. Additional multiple year studies in other geographic areas assessing trends in SEM copper sediment concentrations with a comprehensive spatial scale are recommended. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Screening and Risk Monitoring of Chemical Pollutants in Agricultural Products)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Agricultural Drought Monitoring System in Poland—Farmers’ Assessments vs. Monitoring Results (2021)

by

,

,

and

Agriculture 2022, 12(4), 536; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12040536 - 09 Apr 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1250

Abstract

The aim of this study is to compare the farmers’ viewpoint on agricultural drought with the results generated by the national Agricultural Drought Monitoring System (ADMS) in 2021. The authors attempted also to indicate effective methods of validating these results, which could serve [...] Read more.

The aim of this study is to compare the farmers’ viewpoint on agricultural drought with the results generated by the national Agricultural Drought Monitoring System (ADMS) in 2021. The authors attempted also to indicate effective methods of validating these results, which could serve as an objective tool of appeal made available to farmers as a part of an administrative procedure or directly included in the drought monitoring system, which, apart from soil and meteorological conditions, would take into account the actual condition of crops in the field. An analysis comparing farmers’ assessments with the ADMS results was presented for all (27,580 parcels) claims for compensation for losses in winter wheat crops submitted in the country. A detailed assessment of the impact of drought on yields was carried out for two pilot regions in the area most affected by agricultural drought in Poland (West Pomeranian Voivodeship, NUTS-2 PL42 region). The paper demonstrates a subjective assessment of incurred losses, performed by the farmers themselves. The difference between the “potential drought”—resulting from the meteorological and soil conditions—and the actual losses, which are also influenced by agro-technical factors, was indicated. The grounds for further development of the Agricultural Drought Monitoring System were the need to establish a method of estimating the impact of drought on crops, which will be based on unambiguous criteria and using high-resolution (temporal and spatial) remote sensing data. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote-Sensing-Based Technologies for Crop Monitoring)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Soil Microbial Activity in Different Cropping Systems under Long-Term Crop Rotation

by

,

,

,

,

,

,

,

and

Agriculture 2022, 12(4), 532; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12040532 - 08 Apr 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1296

Abstract

Soil microbes play a key role in the nutrient cycling by decomposing the organic material into plant-available elements and also by maintaining the soil health. The study of soil microbial hydrolytic activity (SMA) was carried out in a long-term crop rotation (barley undersown [...] Read more.

Soil microbes play a key role in the nutrient cycling by decomposing the organic material into plant-available elements and also by maintaining the soil health. The study of soil microbial hydrolytic activity (SMA) was carried out in a long-term crop rotation (barley undersown (us) with red clover, red clover, winter wheat, pea and potato) experiment in five different farming systems during 2014–2018. There were two conventional systems, with chemical plant protection and mineral fertilizers, and three organic systems, which included winter cover crops and composted manure. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the (i) cropping system and (ii) precrops in rotation on the soil SMA. The soil microbial hydrolytic activity was significantly affected by yearly weather conditions, farming system, and crops. In all farming systems, the SMA was the lowest after dry and cold conditions during early spring in 2018. In unfertilized conventional systems, the considerably lower SMA is explained by the side effects of pesticides and low organic residuals, and we can conclude that the conventional system with no added fertilizer or organic matter is not sustainable, considering soil health. In each year, the SMA of organic systems with cover crops and composted manure was 7.3–14.0% higher compared to all farming systems. On average, for both farming systems, the SMA of all the rotation crops was positively correlated with the SMA values of precrops. However, in conventional farming systems, the effect of undersowing on the SMA of the precrop was smaller compared to organic systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cover Crops - Series II)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Green Banana Maturity Classification and Quality Evaluation Using Hyperspectral Imaging

by

,

,

,

,

,

,

and

Agriculture 2022, 12(4), 530; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12040530 - 08 Apr 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3285

Abstract

Physiological maturity of bananas is of vital importance in determination of their quality and marketability. This study assessed, with the use of a Vis/NIR hyperspectral imaging (400–1000 nm), the feasibility in differentiating six maturity levels (maturity level 2, 4, and 6 to 9) [...] Read more.

Physiological maturity of bananas is of vital importance in determination of their quality and marketability. This study assessed, with the use of a Vis/NIR hyperspectral imaging (400–1000 nm), the feasibility in differentiating six maturity levels (maturity level 2, 4, and 6 to 9) of green dwarf banana and characterizing their quality changes during maturation. Spectra were extracted from three zones (pedicel, middle and apex zone) of each banana finger, respectively. Based on spectra of each zone, maturity identification models with high accuracy (all over 91.53% in validation set) were established by partial least squares discrimination analysis (PLSDA) method with raw spectra. A further generic PLSDA model with an accuracy of 94.35% for validation was created by the three zones’ spectra pooled to omit the effect of spectra acquisition position. Additionally, a spectral interval was selected to simplify the generic PLSDA model, and an interval PLSDA model was built with an accuracy of 85.31% in the validation set. For characterizing some main quality parameters (soluble solid content, SSC; total acid content, TA; chlorophyll content and total chromatism, ΔE*) of banana, full-spectra partial least squares (PLS) models and interval PLS models were, respectively, developed to correlate those parameters with spectral data. In full-spectra PLS models, high coefficients of determination (R²) were 0.74 for SSC, 0.68 for TA, and fair of 0.42 as well as 0.44 for chlorophyll and ΔE*. The performance of interval PLS models was slightly inferior to that of the full-spectra PLS models. Results suggested that models for SSC and TA had an acceptable predictive ability (R² = 0.64 and 0.59); and models for chlorophyll and ΔE* (R² = 0.34 and 0.30) could just be used for sample screening. Visualization maps of those quality parameters were also created by applying the interval PLS models on each pixel of the hyperspectral image, the distribution of quality parameters in which were basically consistent with the actual measurement. This study proved that the hyperspectral imaging is a useful tool to assess the maturity level and quality of dwarf bananas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors Applied to Agricultural Products)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Advanced Characterization of Monofloral Honeys from Romania

by

,

,

and

Agriculture 2022, 12(4), 526; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12040526 - 08 Apr 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1402

Abstract

Honey’s authenticity is a major concern for producers and consumers, and this prompts research into reliable methods to determine the source of honey (botanical and geographical). This study aimed to find the botanical origin of seven samples of monofloral honey (acacia, thyme, tilia, [...] Read more.

Honey’s authenticity is a major concern for producers and consumers, and this prompts research into reliable methods to determine the source of honey (botanical and geographical). This study aimed to find the botanical origin of seven samples of monofloral honey (acacia, thyme, tilia, rape, raspberry, mint and sunflower) based on pollen analysis and identification of the physicochemical characteristics of these types of honey. For these types of honey, the following parameters were determined: color, electrical conductivity, free acidity, moisture content, pH, hydroxymethylfurfural content and sugar content. Alongside pollen analysis, these methods succeeded in classifying the analyzed samples as monofloral honey. Non-destructive methods of analysis such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, the determination of the rheological behavior of honey in the negative domain and the determination of the thermal behavior were also employed to characterize the honey samples. The best differentiation between samples was achieved in the spectral region between 950 and 750 cm⁻¹, which is of interest for carbohydrate analysis in IR spectroscopy. In the negative interval, the viscous and elastic modules intersected at different temperatures, these temperatures being influenced both by the moisture of the analyzed samples and the botanical origin. Full article

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Measuring Food Loss and Waste Costs in the Italian Potato Chip Industry Using Material Flow Cost Accounting

by

Vera Amicarelli

,

Brian E. Roe

and

Christian Bux

Agriculture 2022, 12(4), 523; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12040523 - 07 Apr 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2343

Abstract

Material flow cost accounting (MFCA) represents an innovative tool to identify inefficiencies in the use of resources in agribusiness, measuring either mass flows or costs incurred along the entire supply chain. The purpose of the article is to estimate the meso-level ecological and [...] Read more.

Material flow cost accounting (MFCA) represents an innovative tool to identify inefficiencies in the use of resources in agribusiness, measuring either mass flows or costs incurred along the entire supply chain. The purpose of the article is to estimate the meso-level ecological and economic impacts of food loss and waste in the Italian salty snack sector before and during the COVID-19 lockdown by applying MFCA. Furthermore, in the light of the European Commission Delegated Decision 2019/1597, it aims to assess whether MFCA is a suitable tool to support food waste management along the entire food supply, discussing implications for researchers, academics and managers, as well as for public authorities. The research explores potato chip production from the agricultural stage (either considering plant cultivation and harvest) to the final consumption stage. The functional unit is 1 ton of unpackaged chips produced. The Italian lockdown spurred an intense upsurge in snacking activities (i.e., the consumption of salty snacks), justifying the need to investigate an agri-food segment often overlooked from an economic, resources and waste management perspective. It emerges that the “chips system” generates production valued at EUR 461 million (78%) and costs associated with food loss and waste that exceed EUR 131 million (22%), revealing an economically important potential for savings through a reduction in undesirable negative material flows, or through the valorization of previously hidden material losses according to circular economy paradigms. This suggests that the company-level adoption of appropriate material and financial accounting systems could enhance both internal savings and collective benefits towards sustainable resources and waste management. Full article

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Simulation and Experiment of Spiral Soil Separation Mechanism of Compound Planter Based on Discrete Element Method (DEM)

by

,

,

,

,

,

,

and

Agriculture 2022, 12(4), 511; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12040511 - 04 Apr 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1534

Abstract

In order to solve the problems of blocking the drainage ditch and reducing the soil flatness caused by soil accumulation when using compound planter with plowshare to ditch, a spiral soil separation mechanism (SSSM) is designed. The SSSM is analyzed. In order to [...] Read more.

In order to solve the problems of blocking the drainage ditch and reducing the soil flatness caused by soil accumulation when using compound planter with plowshare to ditch, a spiral soil separation mechanism (SSSM) is designed. The SSSM is analyzed. In order to obtain the optimal parameters of the SSSM, based on the discrete element method, the multifactor test is carried out with the embedded depth, pitch, and rotation speed of the spiral blade as the test factors and the soil separation distance and uniformity as the evaluation index. The optimal parameters are the embedded depth 49 mm, pitch 331 mm, and rotation speed of the spiral blade 318 r min⁻¹. The field experiment is carried out with these parameters, with soil separation distance 900 mm and standard deviation of soil height 7.8 mm, which is consistent with the simulation results. No blockage of drainage ditch was found, which shows that this device can effectively solve the problem. This study can provide a reference for the design of soil separation equipment using spiral soil separation device. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Application of Agricultural Equipment in Tillage System)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Identifying the Policy Instrument Interactions to Enable the Public Procurement of Sustainable Food

by

Kelly Parsons

and

David Barling

Agriculture 2022, 12(4), 506; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12040506 - 02 Apr 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2218

Abstract

A public food procurement policy has been identified as having significant potential to drive food consumption and production towards greater sustainability, delivering social, economic, environmental, and health benefits to multiple beneficiaries. However, empirical research reveals that the potential of public procurement of sustainable [...] Read more.

A public food procurement policy has been identified as having significant potential to drive food consumption and production towards greater sustainability, delivering social, economic, environmental, and health benefits to multiple beneficiaries. However, empirical research reveals that the potential of public procurement of sustainable food (PPSF) is not currently being realised, with studies from a range of different countries identifying stubborn barriers. Situating PPSF within the complex multi-instrument setting of the broader policy system, and utilising the concept of policy interactions, can help to explain, articulate, and provide pathways to address barriers identified in empirical studies on PPSF. A desk survey of PPSF in different countries identified the range of instruments which interact with procurement policy. The findings detail PPSF instruments interacting with many other policy instruments, resulting in both positive reinforcing and negative undermining effects. Taken as a whole, these interactions suggest a ‘policy package’ of instruments which should be considered in PPSF policy design to maximise effectiveness and capitalise on its transformative potential. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dynamics of Food Value Chains: Resilience, Fairness and Sustainability)

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

A Spatial Feature-Enhanced Attention Neural Network with High-Order Pooling Representation for Application in Pest and Disease Recognition

by

,

,

,

,

and

Agriculture 2022, 12(4), 500; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12040500 - 31 Mar 2022

Cited by 51 | Viewed by 4041

Abstract

With the development of advanced information and intelligence technologies, precision agriculture has become an effective solution to monitor and prevent crop pests and diseases. However, pest and disease recognition in precision agriculture applications is essentially the fine-grained image classification task, which aims to [...] Read more.

With the development of advanced information and intelligence technologies, precision agriculture has become an effective solution to monitor and prevent crop pests and diseases. However, pest and disease recognition in precision agriculture applications is essentially the fine-grained image classification task, which aims to learn effective discriminative features that can identify the subtle differences among similar visual samples. It is still challenging to solve for existing standard models troubled by oversized parameters and low accuracy performance. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a feature-enhanced attention neural network (Fe-Net) to handle the fine-grained image recognition of crop pests and diseases in innovative agronomy practices. This model is established based on an improved CSP-stage backbone network, which offers massive channel-shuffled features in various dimensions and sizes. Then, a spatial feature-enhanced attention module is added to exploit the spatial interrelationship between different semantic regions. Finally, the proposed Fe-Net employs a higher-order pooling module to mine more highly representative features by computing the square root of the covariance matrix of elements. The whole architecture is efficiently trained in an end-to-end way without additional manipulation. With comparative experiments on the CropDP-181 Dataset, the proposed Fe-Net achieves Top-1 Accuracy up to 85.29% with an average recognition time of only 71 ms, outperforming other existing methods. More experimental evidence demonstrates that our approach obtains a balance between the model’s performance and parameters, which is suitable for its practical deployment in precision agriculture art applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Decision Support Systems in Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

The Quantitative Genetics of Flowering Traits in Wide Crosses of Chickpea

by

,

,

,

,

and

Agriculture 2022, 12(4), 486; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12040486 - 30 Mar 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2426

Abstract

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the most ımportant food legume crops in the world. Chickpea is valued for its nutritive seed composition, which is high in protein content and used increasingly as a substitute for animal protein. Days to fırst [...] Read more.

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the most ımportant food legume crops in the world. Chickpea is valued for its nutritive seed composition, which is high in protein content and used increasingly as a substitute for animal protein. Days to fırst flowerıng is an important component of the adaptation and productivity of chickpea in rainfed environments characterized by terminal drought and heat stress. This study aimed to identify the inheritance pattern and identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for days to first flowering and flowering color in F_2:4 generation nested association mapping (NAM) populations of chickpea obtained using wide crosses between Gokce as the cultivated variety and wild accessions of C. reticulatum and C. echinospermum. A total of ten populations of 113 to 191 individuals each were grown under field conditions near Sanliurfa, Turkey. Two populations were genotyped for 46 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, enabling QTL analysis. Flowering time differed between families, with the frequency distributions indicating quantitative inheritance controlled by both genes of major and minor effects. Three significant QTLs for the flowering time were mapped in one mapping family. For flower color, chi-square tests showed that five populations accepted single-gene action, two populations accepted two-gene action, and three populations accepted neither model. Two significant QTLs at three genomic regions were identified across the two genotyped populations. Days to first flowering was positively correlated with flower color for two of the ten populations. The diversity of QTLs identified underscored the potential of crop wild relatives of chickpea as sources of novel alleles for chickpea breeding. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Quantitative Genetics Applied to Plant Breeding)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Nature’s Contributions to People Shape Sense of Place in the Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia

by

Beatriz E. Murillo-López

,

Antonio J. Castro

and

Alexander Feijoo-Martínez

Agriculture 2022, 12(4), 457; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12040457 - 24 Mar 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2172

Abstract

Understanding the roots of a sense of place in farmlands is crucial for stopping rural exodus to urban areas. Farmers’ experiences related to their way of life, peace and quiet, rootedness, pleasure, and inspiration are fundamental components of a sense of place in [...] Read more.

Understanding the roots of a sense of place in farmlands is crucial for stopping rural exodus to urban areas. Farmers’ experiences related to their way of life, peace and quiet, rootedness, pleasure, and inspiration are fundamental components of a sense of place in farmlands. Here, we used the city of Pereira located in the Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia (CCLC) to examine the role of nature’s contributions to people (NCP) in forming meanings and attachments that shape their sense of place to this region. This region has experienced intense agricultural lands abandonment due to rapid urbanization over the last decades. To do so, a mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods was used, including semi-structured interviews, observation, and dialogue, to capture farmers’ perceptions and emotions associated with farmlands, reasons for remaining, and the diversity of NCPs. Results indicated that farmers recognized farmlands as a quiet and safe space that support family cohesion. Results also showed that the characteristics of the farms (e.g., agricultural practices, distance to cities, and gender) play an important role in articulating a farmer’s attachment to farmlands. Finally, farmers identified nonmaterial NCP (e.g., physical and psychological experiences and supportive identities) to be the most important contributions for shaping their sense of place. We call for the need to include robust and transparent deliberative and negotiation mechanisms that are inclusive of all relevant stakeholders, to aim to address unequal power, and to recognize and strengthen communities’ mechanisms of action on the CCLC. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reconnecting People with Nature through Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Effects of Humic Acid Added to Controlled-Release Fertilizer on Summer Maize Yield, Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Greenhouse Gas Emission

by

,

,

,

,

and

Agriculture 2022, 12(4), 448; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12040448 - 23 Mar 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2897

Abstract

Humic acid plays an important role in improving grain yield and reducing N losses. In order to explore the effects of humic acid added to controlled-release fertilizer on summer maize yield, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and the characteristics of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions [...] Read more.

Humic acid plays an important role in improving grain yield and reducing N losses. In order to explore the effects of humic acid added to controlled-release fertilizer on summer maize yield, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and the characteristics of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in maize farmland soil, a two-year field experiment was set up. The treatments consisted of two fertilizers: 3% humic acid added to controlled-release fertilizer (HACRF), controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) and a control (without N fertilizer, N0). The results demonstrate that the yield and NUE of summer maize were significantly increased with the addition of humic acid in N fertilizer. Compared with N0 and CRF, the yield of maize was increased by 99.1% and 5.0%, respectively. Compared with CRF, the contents of soil ammonium–nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N) and nitrate–nitrogen (NO₃⁻-N) in HACRF were higher during early maize growth stage but lower during the late grain-filling stage. The NUE and soil nitrogen interdependent rate of HACRF were significantly increased by 4.6–5.4% and 7.2–11.6%, respectively, across the years compared with those of CRF. Moreover, the annual cumulative N₂O emissions in HACRF were decreased by 29.0% compared with the CRF. Thus, the global warming potential and greenhouse emission intensity of HACRF were significantly decreased by 29.1% and 32.59%, respectively, compared with CRF. In conclusion, adding humic acid to controlled-release fertilizer can result in higher yield and nitrogen uptake, improve nitrogen use efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which have better yield and environmental effects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological and Ecological Characteristics, and Sustainable Production of High Yield Maize)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Investigation on the Bending Behavior of Tea Stalks Based on Non-Prismatic Beam with Virtual Internodes

by

Wenchao Wu

,

Yongguang Hu

and

Zehui Jiang

Agriculture 2022, 12(3), 370; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12030370 - 05 Mar 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1612

Abstract

The study aims to fully explicate the bending behavior of tea stalks under the condition of large deflection, which is crucial to improve the working performance of mechanized harvesting equipment. The mechanical model of the stalk was assumed to be a non-prismatic beam [...] Read more.

The study aims to fully explicate the bending behavior of tea stalks under the condition of large deflection, which is crucial to improve the working performance of mechanized harvesting equipment. The mechanical model of the stalk was assumed to be a non-prismatic beam with virtual internodes that could differ from actual internodes. With the model, the stalk can be freely divided into multiple virtual internodes, whose flexural rigidities can be determined by solving an optimization problem, and deflection curves can be predicted after determining the positions of virtual nodes under given loads. Moreover, a novel method was proposed to obtain the deflection curve of the stalk based on the techniques of binocular vision and non-uniform rational B-spline (NURBS) curve fitting. The results show that R-squared values of fitted 2nd-degree NURBS curves of bending shape of tea stalks range from 0.9576 to 0.9964, with an average of 0.9797. The results indicate that flexural rigidity decreases from the bottom to the top of the tea stalk, and the deflection curve could be predicted more precisely with the model of piecewise flexural rigidities than that of average flexural rigidity. The study could be applied to the optimization design of the cutter and adaptive adjustment techniques of operational parameters for tea picking machines. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Agricultural Technology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

A Novel 10-Parameter Motor Efficiency Model Based on I-SA and Its Comparative Application of Energy Utilization Efficiency in Different Driving Modes for Electric Tractor

by

Zhun Cheng

,

Huadong Zhou

and

Zhixiong Lu

Agriculture 2022, 12(3), 362; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12030362 - 03 Mar 2022

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 1753

Abstract

To build a more accurate motor efficiency model with a strong generalization ability in order to evaluate and improve the efficiency characteristics of electric vehicles, this paper researches motor efficiency modeling based on the bench tests of two motor efficiencies with differently rated [...] Read more.

To build a more accurate motor efficiency model with a strong generalization ability in order to evaluate and improve the efficiency characteristics of electric vehicles, this paper researches motor efficiency modeling based on the bench tests of two motor efficiencies with differently rated powers. This paper compares and analyzes three motor efficiency modeling methods and finds that, when the measured values in motor efficiency tests are insufficient, the bilinear interpolation method and radial basis kernel function neural networks have poor generalization abilities in full working conditions, and the precision of polynomial regression is limited. On this basis, this paper proposes a new modeling method combining correlation analysis, polynomial regression, and an improved simulated annealing (I-SA) algorithm. Using the mean and the standard deviation of the mean absolute percentage error of the 5-fold Cross Validation (CV) of 100 random tests as the evaluation indices of the precision of the motor efficiency model, and based on the motor efficiency models with verified precision, this paper makes a comparative analysis on the full vehicle efficiency of electric tractors of three types of drive in five working conditions. Research results show that the proposed novel method has a high modeling precision of motor efficiency; tractors with a dual motor coupling drive system have optimal economic performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Application of Agricultural Equipment in Tillage System)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Isolated from Highly Saline “Sabkha Habitat” Soil Alleviated the NaCl-Induced Stress and Improved Lasiurus scindicus Henr. Growth

by

Jahangir A. Malik

,

AbdulAziz A. AlQarawi

,

Basharat A. Dar

,

Abeer Hashem

,

Thobayet S. Alshahrani

,

Mashail N. AlZain

,

Muhammad M. Habib

,

Muhammad M. Javed

and

Elsayed Fathi Abd_Allah

Agriculture 2022, 12(3), 337; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12030337 - 27 Feb 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2453

Abstract

Salt stress is one of the most significant abiotic stresses that substantially negatively impact plant growth and productivity. However, a slew of research thus far has investigated the ameliorating properties of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis and their potential to improve plant tolerance to [...] Read more.

Salt stress is one of the most significant abiotic stresses that substantially negatively impact plant growth and productivity. However, a slew of research thus far has investigated the ameliorating properties of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis and their potential to improve plant tolerance to salt stress. The present study aimed to evaluate and compare the role of mycorrhizal inocula obtained from Sabkha (S-AMF) and non-Sabkha (NS-AMF) habitats of Saudi Arabia on the morphological, physiological, and biochemical behaviors of the Lasiurus scindicus plant. For this reason, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) isolated from Sabkha and non-Sabkha soils were treated with salinity-exposed L. scindicus. The results revealed that the AMF-treated plants had higher growth metrics and increased synthesis of photosynthetic pigments, which were reduced by salt stress. Furthermore, the application of AM symbiosis induced an increase in the activities of the antioxidant system, which resulted in a reduction of the plant oxidative damage. It was also found that the increased accumulation of proline and phenols acted as a protective measure. Moreover, plants inoculated with S-AMF had the highest ameliorating responses on all the studied parameters compared to NS-AMF. This could be attributed to the presence of habitat-specific AMF, which may have induced adaptive plasticity in plants to tolerate or resist extreme salinity. However, further study in exploring the S-AMF diversity is needed to make it an ecofriendly choice for the restoration of salinity-affected ecosystems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Plant Responses and Tolerance to Salinity Stress)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Green Finance, Chemical Fertilizer Use and Carbon Emissions from Agricultural Production

by

,

,

,

and

Agriculture 2022, 12(3), 313; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12030313 - 22 Feb 2022

Cited by 28 | Viewed by 2826

Abstract

This study aimed to understand green finance’s impact on fertilizer use and agricultural carbon emissions. We selected the macro panel data of 30 provinces (cities) in China from 2000 to 2019. The main research methods are standardized test framework (cross-sectional dependence, unit root [...] Read more.

This study aimed to understand green finance’s impact on fertilizer use and agricultural carbon emissions. We selected the macro panel data of 30 provinces (cities) in China from 2000 to 2019. The main research methods are standardized test framework (cross-sectional dependence, unit root and cointegration test), the latest causal test, impulse response, and variance decomposition analysis. Examined the long-term equilibrium relationship between green finance, fertilizer use, and agricultural carbon emissions. The results show: fertilizer consumption and agricultural carbon emissions have a positive correlation. However, green finance can significantly reduce agricultural carbon emissions. The causal test confirmed the bidirectional causal relationship between agricultural carbon emissions and fertilizer use. At the same time, verified one-way causality from green finance to both of them. Interpret the results of impulse response and variance decomposition analysis: among the changes in agricultural carbon emissions, chemical fertilizers contributed 2.45%, green finance contributed 4.34%. In addition, the contribution rate of green finance to chemical fertilizer changes reached 11.37%. Green finance will make a huge contribution to reducing fertilizer use and agricultural carbon emissions within a decade. The research conclusions provide an important scientific basis for China’s provinces (cities) to formulate carbon emission reduction policies. China has initially formed a policy system and market environment to support the development of green finance, in 2020, the “dual carbon” goal was formally proposed. In 2021, the national “14th Five-Year Plan” and the 2035 Vision Goals emphasized the importance of green finance. It plays an important supporting role in carbon emission reduction goals, and green finance has become an important pillar of national strategic goals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Safety and Health Culture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Impacts of Technology Training Provided by Agricultural Cooperatives on Farmers’ Adoption of Biopesticides in China

by

,

,

,

and

Agriculture 2022, 12(3), 316; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12030316 - 22 Feb 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 1921

Abstract

As pesticide abuse becomes increasingly serious worldwide, it is necessary to pay attention to the biopesticide adoption behavior of agricultural producers. It is worth verifying whether agricultural cooperatives, as training organizations sharing the same social network with farmers, can promote the adoption of [...] Read more.

As pesticide abuse becomes increasingly serious worldwide, it is necessary to pay attention to the biopesticide adoption behavior of agricultural producers. It is worth verifying whether agricultural cooperatives, as training organizations sharing the same social network with farmers, can promote the adoption of biopesticides through their technology diffusion function. Therefore, based on survey data of 837 citrus producers in Sichuan Province, China, the IV-probit regression model and a mediation effects model were used to empirically test the impact of technical training on farmers’ adoption of biopesticides in addition to its mechanism, considering the farmers’ perception of technology as the mediation variable. The results show that (a) participation in technical training can significantly enhance the probability of the adoption of biopesticides; (b) farmers’ perceptions of biopesticides’ economic and health benefits play a partial mediating role in the relationship; and (c) technical training has more significant effects on biopesticides adoption behavior for a household with higher-educated household heads, lower household total income, and smaller household size, relative to their counterparts. This study provides evidence for establishing relevant policy to encourage the full adoption of the technical training function of agricultural cooperatives and popularize the use of biopesticides. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Restoration and Rural Economic Development)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Plant Agriculture: A One Health Perspective

by

Sally A. Miller

,

Jorge Pinto Ferreira

and

Jeffrey T. LeJeune

Agriculture 2022, 12(2), 289; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12020289 - 17 Feb 2022

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 7141

Abstract

Bactericides, fungicides, and other pesticides play an important role in the management of plant diseases. However, their use can result in residues on plants and in the environment, with potentially detrimental consequences. The use of streptomycin, oxytetracycline, copper-based products, and some fungicides is [...] Read more.

Bactericides, fungicides, and other pesticides play an important role in the management of plant diseases. However, their use can result in residues on plants and in the environment, with potentially detrimental consequences. The use of streptomycin, oxytetracycline, copper-based products, and some fungicides is correlated with increased resistance among plant pathogens to these agents. Likewise, the recent rise in the incidence of environmental triazole fungicide-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus, the cause of aspergillosis in humans, has caused concern, particularly in Europe. Through horizontal gene transfer, genes can be exchanged among a variety of bacteria in the plant production environment, including phytopathogens, soil bacteria, and zoonotic bacteria that are occasionally present in that environment and in the food chain. Through mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer, co-resistance, cross-resistance, and gene up-regulation, resistance to one compound may confer resistance and multi-drug resistance to other similar, or even very dissimilar, compounds. Given the global rise in antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) organisms, and their effects on plant, animal, and human health, the prudent use of pesticides is required to maintain their effectiveness for food security and sustainable production, and to minimize the emergence and transmission of AMR organisms from horticultural sources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Crop Protection, Diseases, Pest and Weeds)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Effects of Peeling, Film Packaging, and Cold Storage on the Quality of Minimally Processed Prickly Pears (Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill.)

by

Goretti L. Díaz-Delgado

,

Elena M. Rodríguez-Rodríguez

,

Eva Dorta

and

M. Gloria Lobo

Agriculture 2022, 12(2), 281; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12020281 - 16 Feb 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2041

Abstract

Opuntia species exhibit beneficial properties when used to treat chronic diseases, particularly obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer; however, the presence of spines and glochids in the species’ skin that easily stick into consumers’ fingers has limited their consumption. For this study, white [...] Read more.

Opuntia species exhibit beneficial properties when used to treat chronic diseases, particularly obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer; however, the presence of spines and glochids in the species’ skin that easily stick into consumers’ fingers has limited their consumption. For this study, white and orange Opuntia ficus-indica fruits from the Canary Islands (Spain) were minimally processed, packed in a passive atmosphere, and stored at 7 °C. The effects of peeling (by hand or with an electric peeler) and two micro-perforated films (90PPlus and 180PPlus) were evaluated. Changes in the quality parameters, gas composition, bioactive compounds, sensory features, and microbial safety of fresh-cut prickly pears were examined during 10 days of cold storage. Both varieties, hand-peeled and electrically peeled, were microbiologically safe (aerobic mesophiles < 7 log(CFU/g fresh weight)) and retained suitable nutritional quality after 8 days of storage. The yield was greater when fruits were electrically peeled than hand-peeled (70.7% vs. 44.0% and 66.5% vs. 40.8% for white and orange fruits, respectively). The concentrations of oxygen and carbon dioxide were above 15% and below 7.5%, respectively, in all the treatments over the shelf life. TSS decreased during storage independently of variety, peeling method, or film. Fructose was the most abundant sugar, followed by glucose and sucrose. The electric peeling machine improved not only the edible part of the fruit but also the contents of bioactive compounds, such as ascorbic acid and phenolic compounds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Products Processing and Postharvest Storage)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Comparison of Methods to Select Candidates for High-Density Genotyping; Practical Observations in a Cattle Breeding Program

by

,

,

,

,

,

and

Agriculture 2022, 12(2), 276; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12020276 - 15 Feb 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1583

Abstract

Imputation can be used to obtain a large number of high-density genotypes at the cost of procuring low-density panels. Accurate imputation requires a well-formed reference population of high-density genotypes to enable statistical inference. Five methods were compared using commercial Wagyu genotype data to [...] Read more.

Imputation can be used to obtain a large number of high-density genotypes at the cost of procuring low-density panels. Accurate imputation requires a well-formed reference population of high-density genotypes to enable statistical inference. Five methods were compared using commercial Wagyu genotype data to identify individuals to produce a “well-formed” reference population. Two methods utilised a relationship matrix (MCG and MCA), two of which utilised a haplotype block library (AHAP2 and IWS), and the last selected high influential sires with greater than 10 progeny (PROG). The efficacy of the methods was assessed based on the total proportion of genetic variance accounted for and the number of haplotypes captured, as well as practical considerations in implementing these methods. Concordance was high between the MCG and MCA and between AHAP2 and IWS but was low between these groupings. PROG-selected animals were most similar to MCA. MCG accounted for the greatest proportion of genetic variance in the population (35%, while the other methods accounted for approximately 30%) and the greatest number of unique haplotypes when a frequency threshold was applied. MCG was also relatively simple to implement, although modifications need to be made to account for DNA availability when running over a whole population. Of the methods compared, MCG is the recommended starting point for an ongoing sequencing project. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Genetics and Genomics in Livestock Production)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Microclimate and Plant Transpiration of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in a Sunken Solar Greenhouse in North China

by

,

,

and

Agriculture 2022, 12(2), 260; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12020260 - 11 Feb 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1708

Abstract

The solar greenhouse is a common protected structure for crop production when ambient temperatures are low. In the North China Plain (NCP) winter temperatures are very low and an improved solar greenhouse with a lowered soil surface (0.5–1.5 m deep), referred to as [...] Read more.

The solar greenhouse is a common protected structure for crop production when ambient temperatures are low. In the North China Plain (NCP) winter temperatures are very low and an improved solar greenhouse with a lowered soil surface (0.5–1.5 m deep), referred to as a sunken solar greenhouse (SSG), is used. A four-season experiment was conducted in a commercial SSG with tomato crops to characterize internal microclimate, sap flow (SF) and crop coefficients. Results show that temperature inside the SSG could be more than 20 °C higher than outside in winter, which favors tomato growth and resulted in acceptable yields. Daily total SF was related to solar radiation, vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and temperature, in that order, both in winter and summer. The decoupling coefficient (which is the ratio of radiative to aerodynamic influences on evapotranspiration) in daytime was 0.76 in winter and 0.84 in summer, indicating strong decoupling (i.e., predominance of radiative influences) of the internal environment where wind speed was low. Basal crop coefficients at the mid stage of crop growth averaged 1.15–1.43 in winter and 0.91–0.92 in spring and summer. Thus, in the SSG, for similar climatic conditions sap flow in winter was higher than that in summer, which should be considered in irrigation scheduling. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water-Saving Irrigation Technology and Strategies for Crop Production)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Impact of Market Participation on Household Food Security among Smallholder Irrigators in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

by

Thobani Cele

and

Maxwell Mudhara

Agriculture 2022, 12(2), 261; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12020261 - 11 Feb 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2005

Abstract

Food insecurity is a global challenge. The reduction of hunger is a Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) target widely seen as a measure for evaluating the progress of the well-being of rural people. This study aimed to investigate the impact of collective action and [...] Read more.

Food insecurity is a global challenge. The reduction of hunger is a Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) target widely seen as a measure for evaluating the progress of the well-being of rural people. This study aimed to investigate the impact of collective action and market participation on household food security. Data were collected using a structured survey questionnaire from 243 randomly selected households in Msinga Local Municipality. The binary probit model findings revealed that farmers’ group membership, market participation, gender, the total number of cattle owned, farm income, and credit access increased the likelihood of a food-secure household. This paper’s findings have crucial implications for the government and other development agencies for improving household food-security status. The findings identified collective action and market participation to be contributing to food-insecurity alleviation. The government and private organisations need to encourage and empower existing farmers’ groups through community mobilisation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Agricultural Economics, Policies and Rural Management)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Policy Support for Home Gardens in Vietnam Can Link to Sustainable Development Goals

by

,

,

and

Agriculture 2022, 12(2), 253; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12020253 - 10 Feb 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1713

Abstract

Despite research evidence on the diverse benefits of home gardens and their potential contributions to multiple sustainable development goals (SDGs), the role of policy towards supporting these contributions remains unclear in developing countries like Vietnam. In this study, we found that 25 out [...] Read more.

Despite research evidence on the diverse benefits of home gardens and their potential contributions to multiple sustainable development goals (SDGs), the role of policy towards supporting these contributions remains unclear in developing countries like Vietnam. In this study, we found that 25 out of Vietnam’s 86 key rural development and agricultural policies enacted over the last decade (2010–2021) set specific targets for home gardens. The targets, however, focus strongly on income generation with indicators stipulating e.g., 50–80% of total income from home gardens should be generated by the main product. The policies set no specific target for other potential roles of home gardens beyond the economy of rural households and can exacerbate the widespread transformation of home gardens in Vietnam into farming practices with low crop diversity. The latter potentially limits contributions of home gardens to two (SDG 1, 10) of at least 11 (SDG 1–3, 5, 6, 8, 10–13, 15) of Vietnam’s 17 SDGs. To narrow the gap between research and policy in home garden contributions to Vietnam’s SDGs, we need to better mainstream integrated home garden systems and their diverse benefits, enrich policy targets beyond the income generation, and strengthen coordination among state departments for policy implementation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Agriculture in Addressing Food Security, Ecological Sustainability and Quality of Food)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Impact of Subsoiling on Cultivated Horizon Construction and Grain Yield of Winter Wheat in the North China Plain

by

Xiaoman Qiang

,

Jingsheng Sun

and

Huifeng Ning

Agriculture 2022, 12(2), 236; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12020236 - 07 Feb 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2033

Abstract

In order to explore the effects of subsoiling tillage measures on the construction of soil cultivated horizon and the yield and water use efficiency of winter wheat in the North China Plain, three tillage methods, including no tillage (PZ), rotary tillage (PR), and [...] Read more.

In order to explore the effects of subsoiling tillage measures on the construction of soil cultivated horizon and the yield and water use efficiency of winter wheat in the North China Plain, three tillage methods, including no tillage (PZ), rotary tillage (PR), and subsoiling (PS), combined with straw returning measures were implemented in the winter wheat season in Xinxiang, Henan Province from 2016 to 2018. The effects of tillage measures on the improvement of cultivated land quality and the water saving and yield increase of winter wheat were investigated. The results showed that compared with no-tillage treatment, subsoiling significantly reduced soil bulk density by 8.88% and increased soil porosity by 13.04% in 20–40 cm soil layer; significantly reduced soil compaction by 56.96% in 0–40 cm soil layer; subsoiling combined with straw returning significantly increased soil organic carbon content in plough layer of winter wheat, whereas rotary tillage decreased soil organic carbon content. Subsoiling is more conducive to soil moisture movement to the deep layer after irrigation or rainfall, and the water consumption of subsoiling is the largest in the whole growth period of winter wheat. Subsoiling could better coordinate the relationship between water consumption and yield, which increased yield by 34.48–38.10% and water use efficiency by 19.57–21.96% compared with no-tillage treatment, respectively. Therefore, subsoiling before sowing combined with straw returning was beneficial to the reasonable construction of soil cultivated horizon, and significantly improved the yield and water use efficiency of winter wheat under the climatic conditions in the North China Plain. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Cropping Systems and Nutrient Management on Crop Yield and Water Use Efficiency)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Research on Maize Seed Classification and Recognition Based on Machine Vision and Deep Learning

by

,

,

,

,

and

Agriculture 2022, 12(2), 232; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12020232 - 06 Feb 2022

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2895

Abstract

Maize is one of the essential crops for food supply. Accurate sorting of seeds is critical for cultivation and marketing purposes, while the traditional methods of variety identification are time-consuming, inefficient, and easily damaged. This study proposes a rapid classification method for maize [...] Read more.

Maize is one of the essential crops for food supply. Accurate sorting of seeds is critical for cultivation and marketing purposes, while the traditional methods of variety identification are time-consuming, inefficient, and easily damaged. This study proposes a rapid classification method for maize seeds using a combination of machine vision and deep learning. 8080 maize seeds of five varieties were collected, and then the sample images were classified into training and validation sets in the proportion of 8:2, and the data were enhanced. The proposed improved network architecture, namely P-ResNet, was fine-tuned for transfer learning to recognize and categorize maize seeds, and then it compares the performance of the models. The results show that the overall classification accuracy was determined as 97.91, 96.44, 99.70, 97.84, 98.58, 97.13, 96.59, and 98.28% for AlexNet, VGGNet, P-ResNet, GoogLeNet, MobileNet, DenseNet, ShuffleNet, and EfficientNet, respectively. The highest classification accuracy result was obtained with P-ResNet, and the model loss remained at around 0.01. This model obtained the accuracy of classifications for BaoQiu, ShanCu, XinNuo, LiaoGe, and KouXian varieties, which reached 99.74, 99.68, 99.68, 99.61, and 99.80%, respectively. The experimental results demonstrated that the convolutional neural network model proposed enables the effective classification of maize seeds. It can provide a reference for identifying seeds of other crops and be applied to consumer use and the food industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Internet and Computers for Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

A Lightweight Attention-Based Convolutional Neural Networks for Tomato Leaf Disease Classification

by

Anil Bhujel

,

Na-Eun Kim

,

Elanchezhian Arulmozhi

,

Jayanta Kumar Basak

and

Hyeon-Tae Kim

Agriculture 2022, 12(2), 228; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12020228 - 04 Feb 2022

Cited by 39 | Viewed by 3239

Abstract

Plant diseases pose a significant challenge for food production and safety. Therefore, it is indispensable to correctly identify plant diseases for timely intervention to protect crops from massive losses. The application of computer vision technology in phytopathology has increased exponentially due to automatic [...] Read more.

Plant diseases pose a significant challenge for food production and safety. Therefore, it is indispensable to correctly identify plant diseases for timely intervention to protect crops from massive losses. The application of computer vision technology in phytopathology has increased exponentially due to automatic and accurate disease detection capability. However, a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) requires high computational resources, limiting its portability. In this study, a lightweight convolutional neural network was designed by incorporating different attention modules to improve the performance of the models. The models were trained, validated, and tested using tomato leaf disease datasets split into an 8:1:1 ratio. The efficacy of the various attention modules in plant disease classification was compared in terms of the performance and computational complexity of the models. The performance of the models was evaluated using the standard classification accuracy metrics (precision, recall, and F1 score). The results showed that CNN with attention mechanism improved the interclass precision and recall, thus increasing the overall accuracy (>1.1%). Moreover, the lightweight model significantly reduced network parameters (~16 times) and complexity (~23 times) compared to the standard ResNet50 model. However, amongst the proposed lightweight models, the model with attention mechanism nominally increased the network complexity and parameters compared to the model without attention modules, thereby producing better detection accuracy. Although all the attention modules enhanced the performance of CNN, the convolutional block attention module (CBAM) was the best (average accuracy 99.69%), followed by the self-attention (SA) mechanism (average accuracy 99.34%). Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Crop Protection, Diseases, Pest and Weeds)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

The Role of Consumer-Citizens and Connectedness to Nature in the Sustainable Transition to Agroecological Food Systems: The Mediation of Innovative Business Models and a Multi-Level Perspective

by

Sepide Mehrabi

,

Juan Carlos Perez-Mesa

and

Cynthia Giagnocavo

Agriculture 2022, 12(2), 203; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12020203 - 31 Jan 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4152

Abstract

Conventional agricultural systems have contributed to social, economic and environmental problems and are the main threat to global sustainability. In response, theoretical frameworks to describe the transition to sustainable food systems have been proposed, emphasizing the necessity to shift from farm-level solutions to [...] Read more.

Conventional agricultural systems have contributed to social, economic and environmental problems and are the main threat to global sustainability. In response, theoretical frameworks to describe the transition to sustainable food systems have been proposed, emphasizing the necessity to shift from farm-level solutions to a focus on interactions within the entire value chain, from production to consumption. Despite the emphasis on the importance and potential of consumers to contribute to sustainable agri-food transitions, approaches to their role have remained within the traditional, linear supply chain framework. Marketing approaches view consumers as passive actors, limited to voting with their wallets, which has deepened the disconnection between consumers, producers and nature, resulting in a triple fracture. We analyze the role of the consumer in agri-food systems, contrasting marketing approaches with other consumers/citizens concepts and locate them within sustainability transition frameworks and a multi-level perspective. We discuss the re-establishment of the connection between farmers and consumers and human–nature connectedness and explore this connection mediated through innovative business models, which act as niche innovations with the capacity to influence regimes and landscapes within the multi-level perspective. The role of consumers/citizens in the co-creation of innovative business models is also addressed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reconnecting People with Nature through Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Influence of Various Composted Organic Amendments and Their Rates of Application on Nitrogen Mineralization and Soil Productivity Using Chinese Cabbage (Brassica rapa. L. var. Chinensis) as an Indicator Crop

by

Charlie Suruban

,

Md. Abdul Kader

and

Zakaria M. Solaiman

Agriculture 2022, 12(2), 201; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12020201 - 31 Jan 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2617

Abstract

There is a diversity of locally available nitrogen (N)-rich organic materials in Samoa. However, none of them was evaluated for their N supplying capacity after composting in Samoan Inceptisols for vegetable cultivation. Thus, N-releasing capacity of five composted organic amendments (OAs) namely macuna, [...] Read more.

There is a diversity of locally available nitrogen (N)-rich organic materials in Samoa. However, none of them was evaluated for their N supplying capacity after composting in Samoan Inceptisols for vegetable cultivation. Thus, N-releasing capacity of five composted organic amendments (OAs) namely macuna, gliricidia, erythrina, lawn grass and giant taro, and their two application rates (10 and 20 t ha⁻¹) were assessed through a laboratory incubation and a crop response study using Chinese cabbage as a test crop. Among the OAs, composted mucuna was characterized by a higher total N (2.91%), organic C (63.6%) and NO₃⁻N content (341 mg N kg⁻¹). A significant difference in N mineralization was observed among the OAs as well as application rates. The highest N mineralization was recorded in composted mucuna followed by gliricidia, erythrina, lawn grass, and giant taro. A crop response study also showed a similar trend. Mucuna treatment had the highest biomass yield and N uptake followed by gliricidia, erythrina, lawn grass, and giant taro. Leguminous composted OAs @ 20 t ha⁻¹ performed substantially better in all the plant growth and yield parameters, and N uptake compared to 10 t ha⁻¹ that was not the case for non-leguminous OAs. Thus, non-leguminous OAs should be applied at 10 t ha⁻¹. All the composted leguminous OAs showed promising results while mucuna was the best in both the application rates. Therefore, mucuna can be promoted to supply N for crop cultivation in Samoa, other Pacific Islands and tropical countries where N fertilizer is costly and not easily available. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Biochar and Compost Amendments on Soil Fertility)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Salt Tolerant Eggplant Rootstocks Modulate Sodium Partitioning in Tomato Scion and Improve Performance under Saline Conditions

by

,

,

,

,

,

,

,

,

,

,

and

Agriculture 2022, 12(2), 183; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12020183 - 27 Jan 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2083

Abstract

Grafting on salt tolerant eggplant rootstocks can be a promising approach for enhancing the salinity tolerance of tomato. In this study, the performance of tomato cv. Kashi Aman grafted on two salt tolerant eggplant rootstocks (IC-111056 and IC-354557) was evaluated against non-grafted control [...] Read more.

Grafting on salt tolerant eggplant rootstocks can be a promising approach for enhancing the salinity tolerance of tomato. In this study, the performance of tomato cv. Kashi Aman grafted on two salt tolerant eggplant rootstocks (IC-111056 and IC-354557) was evaluated against non-grafted control under saline (EC_iw 6 and 9 dS m⁻¹) and non-saline (EC_iw ~1 dS m⁻¹) irrigation for 2 years. Grafting improved tomato plant performance under salt stress. Moreover, rootstock IC-111056 outperformed IC-354557. An increase in the average fruit yield of grafted plants compared with non-grafted control at 6 and 9 dS m⁻¹ was 24.41% and 55.84%, respectively with rootstock IC-111056 and 20.25% and 49.08%, respectively with IC-354557. Grafted plants maintained a superior water status under saline irrigation, evidenced with the relative water content and chlorophyll SPAD index, along with higher proline and antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase). Rootstocks mediated the partitioning of toxic saline ions in the scions by promoting higher Na⁺ accumulation (14% of mean accumulation) in the older leaves and lower (24%) in the younger leaves of grafted plants. This resulted in higher K⁺/Na⁺ ratios within the younger (active) leaves of the grafted plants. Our study demonstrates that grafting tomato seedlings on selected salt tolerant eggplant rootstocks is a viable alternative for improving plant physiological status and fruit yield under salt stress, through favorable modulation of salt ion partitioning in the scions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Horticultural Grafting)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

A Feeding Quantity Monitoring System for a Combine Harvester: Design and Experiment

by

,

,

,

,

,

,

and

Agriculture 2022, 12(2), 153; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12020153 - 22 Jan 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1980

Abstract

Due to the commitment to the target of green mechanized production and precision agriculture, the operating parameters of the main functional components of a combine harvester need to be adjusted according to the feeding quantity. Therefore, feeding quantity monitoring is one of the [...] Read more.

Due to the commitment to the target of green mechanized production and precision agriculture, the operating parameters of the main functional components of a combine harvester need to be adjusted according to the feeding quantity. Therefore, feeding quantity monitoring is one of the key technologies of intelligent control for a combine harvester. In order to obtain the accurate information of feeding quantity in the harvesting operation process in real time, a monitoring system was set up to obtain the accurate information of feeding quantity in real time. The torque signal corresponding to different feeding quantity was obtained through bench calibration experiments. The signal was decomposed, noise reduced, and reconstructed through the analysis of the frequency range of the noise based on the wavelet transform. A fitting relationship between the torque and the feeding quantity was obtained. Field validation experiment results showed good consistency of the measured data and the actual quantity. This paper provides a theoretical basis and technical reference for subsequent research on intelligent control of combine harvesters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations and Practices of Agricultural Green Mechanized Production Technology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Reconnecting Farmers with Nature through Agroecological Transitions: Interacting Niches and Experimentation and the Role of Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems

by

Cynthia Giagnocavo

,

Miguel de Cara-García

,

Mónica González

,

Melchor Juan

,

José Ignacio Marín-Guirao

,

Sepide Mehrabi

,

Estefanía Rodríguez

,

Jan van der Blom

and

Eduardo Crisol-Martínez

Agriculture 2022, 12(2), 137; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12020137 - 20 Jan 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3418

Abstract

Sustainability transitions in agriculture are explored through an analysis of niche initiatives within a common production system, relying on sustainable transitions, multi-level perspectives, and agroecological frameworks, and involving multi-actor, agricultural knowledge, and innovation systems (AKIS). The article focuses on how experimental niches and [...] Read more.

Sustainability transitions in agriculture are explored through an analysis of niche initiatives within a common production system, relying on sustainable transitions, multi-level perspectives, and agroecological frameworks, and involving multi-actor, agricultural knowledge, and innovation systems (AKIS). The article focuses on how experimental niches and sustainable activities affect farmers’ relationships with nature, and the reconceptualisation of the production system in which they operate, particularly where this system is embedded in less sustainable conventional or dominant regimes and landscapes. The need for fundamental changes, in the way that humans interact with nature, is widely argued for in order to achieve sustainable development, and farmers occupy a central role through participation in complex networks of agri-food systems. They have also found themselves disconnected from nature through conventional agri-industrial production practices. Four niches (biological control, ecological restoration, soil health, and ecological pond management) within the greenhouse sector of Almeria (SE Spain) are explored in a case study. Our results indicate that a farmer’s interaction with nature is functional, but through agroecological practices, a deeper understanding of the ecosystems in which greenhouse landscapes are embedded may be gained. As they become more connected to nature and benefit from ecosystem services, they can transition to more sustainable agricultural systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reconnecting People with Nature through Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Effects of Adjuvants on Spraying Characteristics and Control Efficacy in Unmanned Aerial Application

by

,

,

,

,

,

and

Agriculture 2022, 12(2), 138; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12020138 - 20 Jan 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1929

Abstract

Pesticide application by unmanned agricultural aerial vehicles (UAVs) has rapidly developed in China and other Asian counties. Currently, tank-mix spray adjuvants are usually added into pesticide solutions to reduce spray drift and facilitate droplet deposition and control efficacy. The currently used tank-mix adjuvants [...] Read more.

Pesticide application by unmanned agricultural aerial vehicles (UAVs) has rapidly developed in China and other Asian counties. Currently, tank-mix spray adjuvants are usually added into pesticide solutions to reduce spray drift and facilitate droplet deposition and control efficacy. The currently used tank-mix adjuvants are all derived from conventional ground sprays, and their mechanisms of action in aerial applications are still unclear. In order to clarify the spraying characteristics and control efficacy of those adjuvants in aerial sprays, the performances of various types of tank-mix adjuvants were compared by analyzing droplet spectrum, drift potential index (DIX) in a wind tunnel, field deposition and control efficacy on wheat rust and aphids. The atomization results showed that the addition of adjuvants could change the droplet spectrum of liquid, and the results suggest that droplet size is an effective indicator of spray drift potential. In the field application, the meteorological conditions are complex and uncontrollable, and the effects of adjuvants on droplet deposition and distribution were not significant. Compared with the control solution, there was no significant difference in the deposition amount of each adjuvant solution, and the CVs of deposition were higher than 30%. Adding adjuvants to the spray solution can significantly improve the control efficacy of pesticides on wheat aphids and rust and also prolong the duration of the pesticide. Our results suggest that tank-mix adjuvants should be added when UAVs are used for aerial application. This study can be used as a reference to the research and development or selection of adjuvants in aerial sprays of UAVs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Use of Pesticides)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Editor’s Choice Articles

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI