Editor’s Choice Articles

The use of stimulation preparations seems to be a promising means for mitigating the effects of abiotic and biotic stressors. Their significance includes plant organism stimulation and metabolism optimisation, water regime, and nutrition during periods of stress. They help bridge it over and create conditions for rapid regeneration. In a field experiment, the effect of the application of stimulation preparations on cultivars Triticum aestivum L. with different genetic composition was evaluated (donor of blue aleurone colour KM-72-18; donor of a multi-row spike (MRS) KM-94-18). Our results show a predominantly positive effect of the application of stimulants on the yield and thousand-grain weight (TKW). The results obtained were influenced by the year, based on different temperatures and precipitation. Higher yields were achieved in 2020 with higher total precipitation during the grain filling period and with a higher maximum quantum yield of the photosystem II (Fv/Fm). In 2019, this period was significantly dry and warm, which was reflected in a lower yield and TKM, higher proline content in the leaves, and lower Fv/Fm values. In both experimental years, there was a higher yield of the cultivar with blue aleurone (KM-72-18). In the case of cultivars with coloured grains, the promising use of the content substances in cultivars as natural means of increasing resistance to abiotic and biotic stressors seems to be promising. Full article

The objective of this study was to assess the yield efficiency of sulphur-enhanced fertilisers, depending on the dose and application method, in a short-lived (three-year) monoculture of winter oilseed rape under the climate and soil conditions of south-eastern Poland. The experiment was carried out between 2010 and 2013 on winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L. var. napus) of the Orlando variety, fertilised with different sulphur doses—0, 20, 40 or 60 kg S ha⁻¹ applied in different method—soil application sowing, foliar application in the spring, and soil application sowing + foliar application in the spring (combined application). Following the harvest, seed and straw yields and the content of macroelements (N, S, P, K, Ca and Mg) in the seed and straw samples were determined. The harvest indices were also established for each of these elements. The impact of sulphur on winter oilseed rape yield depended significantly on both the dose and the application method. Even at the lowest dose (20 kg·ha⁻¹), sulphur materially increased seed yield, regardless of the application method. With autumn soil application and foliar application, differences between the lowest dose and the higher doses (40 and 60 kg·ha⁻¹) were not significant. However, with combined application, the highest dose (60 kg·ha⁻¹) significantly increased yield compared to the lower doses. In general, all the fertilisation approaches significantly increased the N, P, K, Ca and Mg contents compared to the control sample, but the differences between them were not substantial. Each of the sulphur application approaches decreased the harvest index for sulphur. The foliar application of each of the doses decreased the harvest indices for N, P, K and Ca. The soil application of 20 kg·ha⁻¹, and the mixed application of 40 and 60 kg·ha⁻¹, all increased the harvest indices for P, K and Ca. Full article

Given that an effective combined foliar application of iodine (I), selenium (Se), and zinc (Zn) would be farmer friendly, compared to a separate spray of each micronutrient, for the simultaneous biofortification of grain crops, we compared effectiveness of foliar-applied potassium iodate (KIO₃, 0.05%), sodium selenate (Na₂SeO₄, 0.0024%), and zinc sulfate (ZnSO₄∙7H₂O, 0.5%), separately and in their combination (as cocktail) for the micronutrient biofortification of four Basmati cultivars of rice (Oryza sativa L.). Foliar-applied, each micronutrient or their cocktail did not affect rice grain yield, but grain yield varied significantly among rice cultivars. Irrespective of foliar treatments, the brown rice of cv. Super Basmati and cv. Kisan Basmati had substantially higher concentration of micronutrients than cv. Basmati-515 and cv. Chenab Basmati. With foliar-applied KIO₃, alone or in cocktail, the I concentration in brown rice increased from 12 to 186 µg kg⁻¹. The average I concentration in brown rice with foliar-applied KIO₃ or cocktail was 126 μg kg⁻¹ in cv. Basmati-515, 160 μg kg⁻¹ in cv. Chenab Basmati, 153 μg kg⁻¹ in cv. Kisan Basmati, and 306 μg kg⁻¹ in cv. Super Basmati. Selenium concentration in brown rice increased from 54 to 760 µg kg⁻¹, with foliar-applied Na₂SeO₄ individually and in cocktail, respectively. The inherent Zn concentration in rice cultivars ranged between 14 and 19 mg kg⁻¹ and increased by 5–6 mg Zn per kg grains by foliar application of ZnSO₄∙7H₂O and cocktail. The results also showed the existence of genotypic variation in response to foliar spray of micronutrients and demonstrated that a foliar-applied cocktail of I, Se, and Zn could be an effective strategy for the simultaneous biofortification of rice grains with these micronutrients to address the hidden hunger problem in human populations. Full article

As one of the greatest agricultural challenges, yield prediction is an important issue for producers, stakeholders, and the global trade market. Most of the variation in yield is attributed to environmental factors such as climate conditions, soil type and cultivation practices. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) and random forest regression (RFR) are machine learning tools that are used unambiguously for crop yield prediction. There is limited research regarding the application of these mathematical models for the prediction of rapeseed yield and quality. A four-year study (2015–2018) was carried out in the Republic of Serbia with 40 winter rapeseed genotypes. The field trial was designed as a randomized complete block design in three replications. ANN, based on the Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno iterative algorithm, and RFR models were used for prediction of seed yield, oil and protein yield, oil and protein content, and 1000 seed weight, based on the year of production and genotype. The best production year for rapeseed cultivation was 2016, when the highest seed and oil yield were achieved, 2994 kg/ha and 1402 kg/ha, respectively. The RFR model showed better prediction capabilities compared to the ANN model (the r² values for prediction of output variables were 0.944, 0.935, 0.912, 0.886, 0.936 and 0.900, for oil and protein content, seed yield, 1000 seed weight, oil and protein yield, respectively). Full article

Lolium spp. are troublesome weeds mainly found in winter cereal crops worldwide, including Europe. In recent years resistant mechanisms have been evolved to several important herbicides. In this study we investigated the mechanisms responsible for conferring glyphosate resistance in some Lolium spp. populations. A holistic approach was used, based on dose-response experiments, determination of shikimic acid concentration in plant leaf tissue, as well as molecular analyses. More specifically, in three Lolium spp. populations the existence of a mutation in the Pro-106 codon of the 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3 phosphate synthase (EPSPS) gene was investigated as well as the relative transcript levels of four ABC-transporter genes were monitored at three time points after glyphosate application. The results demonstrated that glyphosate resistance is a multifactor phenomenon. Relative transcript levels of the ABC-transporter genes were abundant at very early time points after glyphosate treatments. Dose-response experiments and shikimate analyses were in accordance with the findings of the quantitative PCR (qPCR) analyses. We suggest that relative expression ratio of ABC-transporter genes can be a useful tool to rapidly identify Lolium spp. populations resistant to glyphosate. Full article

Numerous studies reported the positive effect of soil amendment with biochar on plant development. However, little is known about biochar and its interrelation with nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) additions and their impact on plant growth. We carried out greenhouse experiments to understand the interactive effects of nitrogen and phosphorus supply, as well as biochar amendment, on the symbiotic performance of soybean (Glycine max L.) with Bradyrhizobium japonicum, and plant growth and nutrient uptake. The biochar was produced from maize by heating at 600 °C for 30 min and used for pot experiments at an application rate of 2%. Plants were fertilized with two different concentrations of P (KH₂PO₄) and N (NH₄NO₃). Biochar application significantly increased the dry weight of soybean root and shoot biomass, by 34% and 42%, under low nitrogen and low phosphorus supply, respectively. Bradyrhizobium japonicum inoculation enhanced the dry weight of shoot biomass significantly, by 41% and 67%, in soil without biochar and with biochar addition, respectively. The nodule number was 19% higher in plants grown under low N combined with low or high P, than in high N combinations, while biochar application increased nodule number in roots. Moreover, biochar application increased N uptake of plants in all soil treatments with N or P supply, compared with B. japonicum-inoculated and uninoculated plants. A statistical difference in P uptake of plants between biochar and nutrient levels was observed with low N and high P supply in the soil. Our results show that the interactions between nitrogen, phosphorus, and biochar affect soybean growth by improving the symbiotic performance of B. japonicum and the growth and nutrition of soybean. We observed strong positive correlations between plant shoot biomass, root biomass, and N and P uptake. These data indicated that the combined use of biochar and low N, P application can be an effective approach in improving soybean growth with minimum nutrient input. Full article

Land use change could significantly affect soil organic carbon (SOC) and other soil chemical properties. However, the responses of soil labile C fractions at different soil depths to land-use change are not still clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of paddy field conversion on woodlands or corn fields on total soil organic C (TOC) and its labile C fractions including particulate organic C (POC), microbial biomass C (MBC), and potassium permanganate-oxidizable C (KMnO₄–C) along a 0–100 cm soil profile. Our results indicate that soil TOC concentrations increased by 3.88 g kg⁻¹ and 3.47 g kg⁻¹ in the 0–5 cm soil layer and 5.33 g kg⁻¹ and 4.68 g kg⁻¹ in the 5–20 cm soil layer during 13 years after the conversion from paddy fields to woodlands and corn fields, respectively. In the 20–40 cm soil layer, the woodlands had the highest TOC concentration (12.3 g kg⁻¹), which was 5.13 g kg⁻¹ and 3.5 g kg⁻¹ higher than that of the paddy and corn fields, respectively. The increase in TOC was probably due to the absence of soil disturbance and greater root residue input into the woodland soil. In corn fields, pig manure addition contributed to the increase in soil organic C concentrations. In addition, the proportion of soil KMnO₄–C increased after conversion from paddy fields to woodlands or corn fields in the 0–40 cm soil layer, ranging from 39.9–56.6% for the woodlands and 24.6–32.9% for the corn fields. The soil POC content was significantly higher in woodland and corn field soils than in paddy field soils at lower soil depths (5–40 cm). However, there were no differences in MBC contents in the whole soil profile between the woodlands and paddy fields. The KMnO₄–C and MBC was the most important factor affecting the CMI values through the whole 0–100 cm soil profile. Overall, converting paddy fields to woodlands or corn fields increased the TOC and labile C fractions in the 0–40 cm soil layer. Future studies should focus on the response of the deeper soil C pool to land-use change. Full article

Erosion has been reported as one of the top degradation processes that negatively affect agricultural soils. The study objective was to identify hydropedological factors controlling soil water dynamics in erosion-affected hillslope vineyard soils. The hydropedological study was conducted at identically-managed Jastrebarsko (location I), and Jazbina (II) and (III) sites with Stagnosol soils. Soil Hydraulic Properties (SHP) were estimated on intact soil cores using Evaporation and WP4C methods; soil hydraulic functions were fitted using HYPROP-FIT software. For Apg and Bg/Btg horizons, uni- and bimodal soil hydraulic models could be well fitted to data; although, the bimodal model performed better in particular cases where data indicated non-uniform pore size distribution. With these SHP estimations, a one-year (2020) water flow scenario was simulated using HYDRUS-1D to compare water balance results obtained with uni- and bimodal hydraulic functions. Simulation results revealed relatively similar flux distribution at each hillslope position between the water balance components infiltration, surface runoff, and drainage. However, at the bottom profile at Jastrebarsko, bimodality of the hydraulic functions led to increased drainage. Soil water storage was reduced, and the vertical movement increased due to modified soil water retention curve shapes. Adequate parameterization of SHP is required to capture the hydropedological response of heterogenous erosion-affected soil systems. Full article

The widespread use of nitrogen chemical fertilizers in modern agricultural practices has raised concerns over hazardous accumulations of nitrogen-based compounds in crop foods and in agricultural soils due to nitrogen overfertilization. Many vegetables accumulate and retain large amounts of nitrites and nitrates due to repeated nitrogen applications or excess use of nitrogen fertilizers. Consequently, the consumption of high-nitrate crop foods may cause health risks to humans. The effects of varying urea–nitrogen fertilizer application rates on VOC emissions from cucumber fruits were investigated using an experimental MOS electronic-nose (e-nose) device based on differences in sensor-array responses to volatile emissions from fruits, recorded following different urea fertilizer treatments. Urea fertilizer was applied to cucumber plants at treatment rates equivalent to 0, 100, 200, 300, and 400 kg/ha. Cucumber fruits were then harvested twice, 4 and 5 months after seed planting, and evaluated for VOC emissions using an e-nose technology to assess differences in smellprint signatures associated with different urea application rates. The electrical signals from the e-nose sensor array data outputs were subjected to four aroma classification methods, including: linear and quadratic discriminant analysis (LDA-QDA), support vector machines (SVM), and artificial neural networks (ANN). The results suggest that combining the MOS e-nose technology with QDA is a promising method for rapidly monitoring urea fertilizer application rates applied to cucumber plants based on changes in VOC emissions from cucumber fruits. This new monitoring tool could be useful in adjusting future urea fertilizer application rates to help prevent nitrogen overfertilization. Full article

Since the registry of common oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) cultivars does not involve regionalization, a comprehensive study of cultivars bred by different institutions in the intended cultivation region is valuable and relevant. The objective of the research was to assess the possibility of using various indices of ecological adaptability originally developed for grain crops for their use in the most adapted genotypes’ selection (breeding samples and cultivars) of Origanum vulgare L. to the temperate climate of the Crimean Peninsula. The research was carried out in the piedmont zone of Crimea from 2016 to 2019. The study material consisted of breeding samples No. 10 and No. 82 from the collection of FSBSI “Research Institute of Agriculture of Crimea”, as well as cultivars Zima, Raduga, and Slavnitsa selected by the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (ARSRIMAP). Genotype had the greatest influence on yield of fresh oregano material (43%) with the influence of the weather conditions of the year being 2%. On the contrary, meteorological conditions had a much greater effect on the essential oil accumulation and its areal yield, which were 30% and 25%, respectively. In terms of the coefficient of ecological variation of fresh yield, sample No. 82 and Slavnitsa cultivar were the best (11.47–16.7%). The local genotypes No. 10 and No. 82 varied less by the essential oil content and its yield. The genotype effect value was greater than 0 in the Raduga cultivar and local genotype No. 82 for the yield, but only in No. 82 genotype for the other two characteristics. Cultivars Zima and Raduga were classified as intensive (b_i > 1) by the environmental flexibility of fresh yield, while local genotype No. 82 and Slavnitsa cultivar formed the group of intensive ones by essential oil content and essential oil yield. Local genotypes No. 10 and No. 82 were better than the introduced cultivars in terms of essential oil content homeostability and essential oil yield (Hom = 1.91–2.18). Thus, local genotypes proved to be more adapted to the region’s conditions in terms of essential oil accumulation. However, they were inferior to the registered cultivars of ARSRIMAP breeding in terms of fresh yield. Full article

Vertical farming is on its way to becoming an addition to conventional agricultural practices, improving sustainable food production for the growing world population under increasing climate stress. While the early development of vertical farming systems mainly focused on technological advancement through design innovation, the automation of hydroponic cultivation, and advanced LED lighting systems, more recent studies focus on the resilience and circularity of vertical farming. These sustainability objectives are addressed by investigating water quality and microbial life in a hydroponic cultivation context. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have been shown to improve plant performance and resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses. The application of PGPRs to plant-growing media increases microbial functional diversity, creating opportunities to improve the circularity and resilience of vertical farming systems by reducing our dependency on chemical fertilizers and crop protection products. Here, we give a brief historical overview of vertical farming, review its opportunities and challenges in an economic, environmental, social, and political context, and discuss advances in exploiting the rhizosphere microbiome in hydroponic cultivation systems. Full article

Malting barley requires sensitive methods for N status estimation during the vegetation period, as inadequate N nutrition can significantly limit yield formation, while overfertilization often leads to an increase in grain protein content above the limit for malting barley and also to excessive lodging. We hypothesized that the use of N nutrition index and N uptake combined with red-edge or green reflectance would provide extended linearity and higher accuracy in estimating N status across different years, genotypes, and densities, and the accuracy of N status estimation will be further improved by using artificial neural network based on multiple spectral reflectance wavelengths. Multifactorial field experiments on interactive effects of N nutrition, sowing density, and genotype were conducted in 2011–2013 to develop methods for estimation of N status and to reduce dependency on changing environmental conditions, genotype, or barley management. N nutrition index (NNI) and total N uptake were used to correct the effect of biomass accumulation and N dilution during plant development. We employed an artificial neural network to integrate data from multiple reflectance wavelengths and thereby eliminate the effects of such interfering factors as genotype, sowing density, and year. NNI and N uptake significantly reduced the interannual variation in relationships to vegetation indices documented for N content. The vegetation indices showing the best performance across years were mainly based on red-edge and carotenoid absorption bands. The use of an artificial neural network also significantly improved the estimation of all N status indicators, including N content. The critical reflectance wavelengths for neural network training were in spectral bands 400–490, 530–570, and 710–720 nm. In summary, combining NNI or N uptake and neural network increased the accuracy of N status estimation to up 94%, compared to less than 60% for N concentration. Full article

Forage crops have the potential to serve multiple functions, providing an ecological framework to sustainably intensify food production, i.e., ecological intensification. We review three categories of forages (annual forages, perennial forages, and dual-use perennial crops/forages) we believe hold the greatest promise for ecologically intensifying food production. Annual cover crops can provide additional forage resources while mitigating nutrient losses from agricultural fields when they are intercropped with, interseeded into, or following an annual crop, for instance. The integration of perennial forages either temporally, such as annual crop rotations that include a perennial forage phase, or spatially, such as the intercropping of perennial forages with an annual cash crop, provide weed suppression, soil quality, and yield and crop quality benefits. Dual-use crops/forages can provide forage and a grain crop in a single year while providing multiple ecological and economic benefits. However, tradeoffs in balancing multiple functions and limitations in reducing the risks associated with these practices exist. Advancing our understanding of these systems so we can overcome some of the limitations will play a critical role in increasing food production while promoting positive environmental outcomes. Full article

The rise in the productivity of sweet orange in Brazil has been related to the use of superior rootstocks and higher tree density, among other factors. In order to investigate whether the cropping system and the land use efficiency would benefit from more intensive cultivation, the performance of Valencia sweet orange was evaluated over nine years on four rootstocks, which induced contrasting vigor, at 513, 696 and 1000 trees·ha⁻¹. Agronomic Institute of Campinas (IAC) 1697 and IAC 1710 citrandarins, and diploid and allotetraploid (4×) Swingle citrumelos were classified as semi-dwarfing, super-standard, standard, and dwarfing rootstocks, respectively. The fruit yield per tree was decreased at higher tree densities, notably for more vigorous rootstocks. Conversely, the cumulative productivity was increased over the evaluation period by 27% at 1000 trees·ha⁻¹, irrespective of the rootstock, and the most vigorous rootstock resulted in 2.5 times higher production than the dwarfing one on average. Most fruit quality parameters were seldom influenced by the tree density, while the rootstock was a decisive factor in improving the quality and the soluble solids content. Dwarfing rootstocks allowed for harvesting 17% more fruit per minute by manual pickers. Because the tree row volume per area is lower with such rootstocks, even at higher tree density, spray volume can be reduced, although appropriate equipment should be developed for better spray coverage on smaller trees. Nine years after planting under strict vector control, the cumulative incidence of huanglongbing-symptomatic trees on IAC 1710 was double that on Swingle 4×. Taken together, the results suggested that the land use efficiency in the citrus industry can be further improved by planting vigorous rootstocks at moderate to high tree densities. Nevertheless, obtaining highly productive semi-dwarfing and dwarfing rootstocks is the sine qua non for making high-density pedestrian sweet orange orchards more profitable. Full article

Plants grow better when they are supplied with a combination of ammonium (NH₄⁺) and nitrate (NO₃⁻) than when either one is supplied as the sole N (nitrogen) source. However, the effects of N forms on N metabolism and major N assimilation enzymes in different plants, especially vegetables, are largely neglected. This study was conducted on two plants with distinct NH₄⁺ tolerances to compare the responses of two popular leafy vegetables, Korean cabbage (Brassica campestris L.) ‘Ssamchu’ and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) ‘Caesar green’, to the N source. To this end, plant growth and quality, photosynthesis, carbohydrate, N contents (in the forms of NO₃⁻, NO₂⁻, NH₄⁺, total protein), and key N assimilation-related enzyme (NR, NIR, GS, GDH) activities were investigated. When plants were subjected to one of three NH₄⁺:NO₃⁻ regimes, 0:100, 50:50, or 100:0, lettuce was relatively more tolerant while cabbage was extremely sensitive to high NH₄⁺. Both plants benefited more from being grown with 50:50 NH₄⁺:NO₃⁻, as evidenced by the best growth performance, ameliorated photosynthesis, and enriched carbohydrate (C) stock content. In addition, as compared to cabbage, the GS and GDH activities were reinforced in lettuce in response to an increasing external NH₄⁺ level, resulting in low NH₄⁺ accumulation. Our findings suggested that boosting or maintaining high GS and GDH activities is an important strategy for the ammonium tolerance in vegetables. Full article

Maize is one of the most important staple food crops in Mozambique. Its production is country-wise dominated by smallholder farmers (more than 90%) under rain-fed conditions, where the risk of crop failure is high, especially under semi-arid conditions in southern Mozambique. Several maize genotypes have been developed for the broad agro-ecological zone adaptation but lack strong evidence about their productivity and yield stability to support decision-making in farming systems. In order to assess the yield and yield stability of maize genotypes under different environments, five identical on-station trials were implemented in the period 2017 to 2019, covering summer and winter seasons in the semi-arid region of southern Mozambique. The trials were established at the experimental station of the Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (UEM) in Sábie and at the Instituto de Investigação Agrária de Moçambique (IIAM) in Chókwe. A strip-plot design in a randomized complete block arrangement with 15 maize genotypes, and three water application (rainfall plus irrigation) levels in four replications was followed in a line-source irrigation arrangement. The water application levels varied from 151 mm to 804 mm, covering different water regimes. Under well-watered summer conditions, the genotypes G6 and G12 showed high yield and high grain yield stability. In the drier conditions, either in summer or winter, the G2 and G11 genotypes produced higher grain yield but with low stability. Both groups of genotypes have a high potential to be included in technology transfer packages to smallholder farmers to address food security or large-scale commercial farmers differently. Full article

The 17 sustainable development goals proposed in the 2030 sustainable development agenda are the shared vision of all humanity. The core of achieving the sustainable development goals is to ensure grain security. Although financial inclusion is not separately incorporated into the United Nations sustainable development goals, it is an essential basis for supporting all sustainable development goals. Financial inclusion plays a critical role in improving grain security efficiency to ensure sustainable grain security. According to the Financial Access Survey implemented by IMF, this study calculated the financial inclusion index and grain security efficiency of 121 countries from 2015 to 2019. Based on calculating the efficiency of grain security in production and distribution, this study used an econometric model to empirically examine the role of financial inclusion in improving grain security efficiency. The study found that financial inclusion can promote grain security efficiency from the two links of production and distribution. Still, the improvement of grain security efficiency by financial inclusion is mainly reflected in the distribution. Further, the study found that the advancement of financial inclusion promotes the efficiency of grain distribution through the effects of residents’ income distribution, residents’ income growth, and consumption capacity upgrading, which achieves the goal of ensuring grain security and promoting sustainable development. Full article

Industry 4.0 is changing the industrial environment. Particularly, the emerging Industry 4.0 technologies can improve the agri-food supply chain throughout all its stages. This study aims to highlight the benefits of implementing Industry 4.0 in the agri-food supply chain. First, it presents how technologies enhance the agri-food supply chain development. Then, it identifies and highlights the most common challenges that Industry 4.0 implementation faces in agri-food’s environment. After that, it proposes key performance indicators to measure the advantages of this implementation. To achieve this, a systematic literature review was conducted. It combined conceptual and bibliometric analyses of 78 papers. As a result, the most suitable technologies were identified, e.g., Internet of Things, Big Data, blockchain and cyber physical systems. The most used indicators are proposed and the challenges of implementation were detected and classified in three groups, i.e., technical, educational and governmental. This paper highlights and exemplifies the benefits of implementing Industry 4.0 facing the lack of knowledge that exists nowadays. Moreover, it fulfils the gaps in literature, i.e., the lack of information about the implementation of technologies 4.0 or the description of the most relevant indicators for Industry 4.0 implementation. Full article

Grain protein content (GPC) is controlled by complex genetic systems and their interactions and is an important quality determinant for hard spring wheat as it has a positive effect on bread and pasta quality. GPC is variable among genotypes and strongly influenced by the environment. Thus, understanding the genetic control of wheat GPC and identifying genotypes with improved stability is an important breeding goal. The objectives of this research were to identify genetic backgrounds with less variation for GPC across environments and identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling the stability of GPC. A spring wheat nested association mapping (NAM) population of 650 recombinant inbred lines (RIL) derived from 26 diverse founder parents crossed to one common parent, ‘Berkut’, was phenotyped over three years of field trials (2014–2016). Genomic selection models were developed and compared based on predictions of GPC and GPC stability. After observing variable genetic control of GPC within the NAM population, seven RIL families displaying reduced marker-by-environment interaction were selected based on a stability index derived from a Finlay–Wilkinson regression. A genome-wide association study identified eighteen significant QTLs for GPC stability with a Bonferroni-adjusted p-value < 0.05 using four different models and out of these eighteen QTLs eight were identified by two or more GWAS models simultaneously. This study also demonstrated that genome-wide prediction of GPC with ridge regression best linear unbiased estimates reached up to r = 0.69. Genomic selection can be used to apply selection pressure for GPC and improve genetic gain for GPC. Full article

To meet the demands of different wheat-based food products, traits related to end-use quality become indispensable components in wheat improvement. Thus, markers associated with these traits are valuable for the timely evaluation of protein content, kernel physical characteristics, and rheological properties. Hereunder, we report the mapping results of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) linked to end-use quality traits. We used a dense genetic map with 5199 SNPs from a 90K array based on a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from ‘CO960293-2’/‘TAM 111’. The population was evaluated for flour protein concentration, kernel characteristics, dough rheological properties, and grain mineral concentrations. An inclusive composite interval mapping model for individual and across-environment QTL analyses revealed 22 consistent QTLs identified in two or more environments. Chromosomes 1A, 1B, and 1D had clustered QTLs associated with rheological parameters. Glu-D1 loci from CO960293-2 and either low-molecular-weight glutenin subunits or gliadin loci on 1A, 1B, and 1D influenced dough mixing properties substantially, with up to 34.2% of the total phenotypic variation explained (PVE). A total of five QTLs associated with grain Cd, Co, and Mo concentrations were identified on 3B, 5A, and 7B, explaining up to 11.6% of PVE. The results provide important genetic resources towards understanding the genetic bases of end-use quality traits. Information about the novel and consistent QTLs provided solid foundations for further characterization and marker designing to assist selections for end-use quality improvements. Full article

Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) is the first enzyme in the phenylpropanoid pathway and plays a vital role in adoption, growth, and development in plants but in wheat its characterization is still not very clear. Here, we report a genome-wide identification of TaPAL genes and analysis of their transcriptional expression, duplication, and phylogeny in wheat. A total of 37 TaPAL genes that cluster into three subfamilies have been identified based on phylogenetic analysis. These TaPAL genes are distributed on 1A, 1B, 1D, 2A, 2B, 2D, 4A, 5B, 6A, 6B, and 6D chromosomes. Gene structure, conserved domain analysis, and investigation of cis-regulatory elements were systematically carried out. Chromosomal rearrangements and gene loss were observed by evolutionary analysis of the orthologs among Triticum urartu, Aegilops tauschii, and Triticum aestivum during the origin of bread wheat. Gene ontology analysis revealed that PAL genes play a role in plant growth. We also identified 27 putative miRNAs targeting 37 TaPAL genes. The high expression level of PAL genes was detected in roots of drought-tolerant genotypes compared to drought-sensitive genotypes. However, very low expressions of TaPAL10, TaPAL30, TaPAL32, TaPAL3, and TaPAL28 were recorded in all wheat genotypes. Arogenate dehydratase interacts with TaPAL29 and has higher expression in roots. The analysis of all identified genes in RNA-seq data showed that they are expressed in roots and shoots under normal and abiotic stress. Our study offers valuable data on the functioning of PAL genes in wheat. Full article

Data that are required for nutrient management are becoming increasingly available in digital format, leading to a high innovation potential for digital nitrogen (N) management applications. However, it is currently difficult for farmers to analyze, assess, and optimize N flows in their farms using the existing software. To improve digital N management, this study identified, evaluated, and systematized the requirements of stakeholders. Furthermore, digital farm N management tools with varying objectives in terms of system boundaries, data requirements, used methods and algorithms, performance, and practicality were appraised and categorized. According to the identified needs, the concept of a farm N management system (FNMS) software is presented which includes the following modules: (1) management of site and farm data, (2) determination of fertilizer requirements, (3) N balancing and cycles, (4) N turnover and losses, and (5) decision support. The aim of FNMS is to support farmers in their farming practices for increasing N efficiency and reducing environmentally harmful N surpluses. In this study, the conceptual requirements from the agricultural and computer science perspectives were determined as a basis for developing a consistent, scientifically sound, and user-friendly FNMS, especially applicable in European countries. This FNMS enables farmers and their advisors to make knowledge-based decisions based on comprehensive and integrated data. Full article

The environmental and biodiversity benefits of organic farming are widely recognized, but there is still controversy about the effects of organic production methods on the nutritional composition of food and human health. In the first part of this article therefore, we critically review the evidence that organic farming methods improve the nutritional quality of food crops. Moreover, we summarize our current understanding of how quality gains are linked to the implementation of the “innovations” introduced into conventional crop production during the intensification or “green revolution” of agriculture over the last 100 years. In the second part of the article, we critically review the evidence for the range of health benefits related to organic food consumption. Specifically, we describe and discuss the results from: (i) dietary intervention studies which have found that organic food consumption substantially reduces pesticide exposure in humans and affects feed intake, growth, hormone balances and immune system responsiveness in animal models; (ii) human cohort/epidemiological studies which have reported significant positive associations between organic food consumption and the lower incidence of a range of diseases including obesity, metabolic syndrome, cancer, hypospadias, pre-eclampsia, eczema and middle ear infections in infants; (iii) interactions and trade-offs between diet (e.g., whole-grain, fruit and vegetables and reduced red-meat consumption) and food types (organic versus conventional) concerning public health and future food security. The article also identifies knowledge gaps and highlights the need for (i) long-term, factorial field experiments to understand the relative effects of agronomic and pedoclimatic drivers on crop quality and safety, and (ii) clinical trials and additional human cohort studies to confirm the positive health outcomes linked to organic food consumption. The main conclusions from our review are that there is growing evidence that (i) agricultural intensification has resulted in a reduction in the nutritional quality of food and the sustainability of food production, and (ii) organic farming practices not only improve food quality and human health, but also food security. This is particularly true where current nutritional guidelines (increasing whole-grain, fruit and vegetable products, while reducing red-meat consumption) are implemented. Full article

Organic matter (OM) and nutrient nitrogen (N) play vital roles in the fertility and production of soil in accordance with goals of efficient environmental protection. This study aimed to show the extent to which N delivery can contribute to improving nitrogen fertilizer requirements (NFR) through comparative analysis of OM and N. Systems determining the NFR in agricultural practices have thus far been challenged to estimate the annual rate of mineralization of the soil. OM and N turnover was investigated through an available evaluation consisting of 546 representatively distributed permanent test and observation plots (TP) of the German Federal State of Saxony farms. A solid database of at least 10-year field plot card records from 2001 to 2010 was selected for the analysis. A program (BEFU) widely used in agricultural practice, along with the simplified process model CCB, were applied. For the calculation of the amount of mineral N fertilizers used, the results of three different methods for determining the NFR were compared with each other. The determination of the farmers’ demand (=actual condition of the TP) with a mean value of 132 kg N ha⁻¹ did not show a large difference between the calculated values with 137 kg N ha⁻¹ by the BEFU program. Based on the available results for the most important crop species cultivated in Saxony, there were clear differences in the considerations of the N delivery from the soil. The BEFU program was able to calculate an average N delivery of 17 kg N ha⁻¹ from tabulated data, whereas with the CCB process model, 66 kg N ha⁻¹ of mineralization was determined with a distinct higher deviation by taking into account the 10-year field histories. Using the N delivery of the TP by the CCB model, a clear reduction of the mean N fertilization level, to about 80 kg N ha⁻¹, was therefore achieved. These differences were particularly large for TP with organic fertilization (livestock), at a relatively low N fertilization level, and for certain crop species. With a high standard deviation, the average savings potential of mineral N fertilizers was 52–57 kg N ha⁻¹. After including the corrected values for the N mineral fertilization, a decrease in the N balances by an average of 20–25 kg N ha⁻¹ was ultimately achieved. In particular, the heavily oversupplied plots with D and E classification decreased by approximately 50%. The results of our study demonstrate clear improvements; therefore, increased efforts should be made in the future to optimize the determination of NFR using applicable methods that consider N mineralization in agricultural practice and consultation. Full article

Inoculation of plants with fungi has been shown to increase yields by improving germination, seedling vigor, plant growth, root morphogenesis, photosynthesis, and flowering through direct or indirect mechanisms. These mechanisms include solubilization and mineralization of nutrients, facilitating their uptake by plants, regulation of hormone balance, production of volatile organic compounds and microbial enzymes, suppression of plant pathogens, and mitigation of abiotic stresses. In the presented experiments, the effect of selected forest soil fungi on the growth and development of Brassica napus L. seedlings was investigated. Inoculation was carried out in vivo and in pot experiments with ectomycorrhizal fungi typical for forest soils: Collybia tuberosa, Clitocybe sp., Laccaria laccata, Hebeloma mesophaeum, and Cyathusolla. It was shown that all analyzed fungi produced IAA. In the in vitro experiment, B. napus inoculated with L. laccata showed stimulated root growth and greater number of leaves compared to control plants. A similar stimulatory effect on lateral root formation was observed in cuttings grown in pots in the presence of the C. olla fungus. In the pot experiment, the seedlings inoculated with the L. laccata fungus also showed increased growth of shoots and biomass. The effect of inoculation with the tested fungal strains, especially C. olla, on the growth and development of oilseed rape was probably indirect, as it also contributed to an increase in the number of microorganisms, especially soil bacteria. The expression of the metallothioneins in B. napus (BnMT1-BnMT3) varied depending on the fungal species. The presence of C. olla significantly increased BnMT2 expression in oilseed rape. It was found that BnMT1 expression increased and BnMT3 transcripts decreased in plants growing in the presence of L. laccata. This indicates the involvement of BnMT in the adaptation of oilseed rape to growth in fungi presence. Full article

Biochar application to soil has the potential to sequester carbon in the long term because of its high stability and large-scale production potential. However, biochar technologies are still relatively new, and the global factors affecting the long-term fate of biochar in the environment are still poorly understood. To fill this important research gap, a global meta-analysis was conducted including 64 studies with 736 individual treatments. Field experiments covered experimental durations between 1 and 10 years with biochar application amounts between 1 and 100 Mg ha⁻¹. They showed a mean increase in soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks by 13.0 Mg ha⁻¹ on average, corresponding to 29%. Pot and incubation experiments ranged between 1 and 1278 days and biochar amounts between 5 g kg⁻¹ and 200 g kg⁻¹. They raised SOC by 6.3 g kg⁻¹ on average, corresponding to 75%. More SOC was accumulated in long experimental durations of >500 days in pot and incubation experiments and 6–10 years in field experiments than in shorter experimental durations. Organic fertilizer co-applications significantly further increased SOC. Biochar from plant material showed higher C sequestration potential than biochar from fecal matter, due to higher C/N ratio. SOC increases after biochar application were higher in medium to fine grain textured soils than in soils with coarse grain sizes. Our study clearly demonstrated the high C sequestration potential of biochar application to agricultural soils of varying site and soil characteristics. Full article

Sirex noctilio, a major forestry quarantine pest, has spread rapidly and caused serious harm. However, existing methods still need to be improved because its olfactory interaction mechanisms are poorly understood. In order to study the role of male-specific protein SnocOBP7 in the protein–ligand interactions, we selected it as the object of computational simulation and analysis. By docking it with 11 ligands and evaluating free binding energy decomposition, the three best binding ligands were found to be female sex pheromones ((Z)-7-heptacosene and (Z)-7-nonacosene) and symbiotic fungal volatiles ((−)-globulol). Binding mode analysis and computational alanine scanning suggested that five residues play key roles in the binding of each female sex pheromone to SnocOBP7, whereas two residues play key roles in (−)-globulol binding. Phe108 and Leu36 may be the crucial sites via which SnocOBP7 binds female sex pheromones, whereas Met40 may regulate the courtship behavior of males, and Leu61 may be related to mating and host finding. Our studies predicted the function of SnocOBP7 and found that the interaction between SnocOBP7 and pheromone is a complex process, and we successfully predicted its binding key amino-acid sites, providing a basis for the development of new prevention and control methods relying on female sex pheromones and symbiotic fungi. Full article

Substrate composition and container size are considered crucial for apple rootstock grown in a plug seedling system. This study investigated the effect of substrate material’s proportion and different container volumes on the growth of apple rootstock (M-9) plants propagated by tissue culture. In substrate composition, three different ratios of peat moss (PM): vermiculite (VL): perlite (PL) at 1:1:1 (S1), 1:2:3 (S2), 3:1:2 (S3) were used. For container size, plants were grown in 1000 mL (C1), 500 mL (C2), and 300 mL (C3) containers filled by 1:1:1 mixture of PM, VL and PL. In both cases, plants were treated eleven weeks in a green house. Our results demonstrate that the plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, shoot fresh weight and root fresh weight of apple rootstock were significantly higher in substrate composition S3 compared with S1 composition. However, chlorophyll content (SPAD) and photosynthesis rate were unaffected by variation of substrate composition. Furthermore, rootstock grown in C1 container showed plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, number of nodes, root length, shoot and root’s fresh and dry weight were significantly higher than those grown in C2 and C3 volume containers. The chlorophyll content and transpiration rate were not significantly affected by the different container volumes. These results suggest that the substrate ratio 3:1:2 of PM:VL:PL and container size 1000 mL were more favorable than other treatments for initial growth and development of the tissue culture propagated apple rootstock plants. Full article

Nanoparticles (NPs), due to their tailored properties, serve as potential sources of nutrients for the biofortification of edible grains. Chickpeas are a valued legume crop, widely consumed in developing countries. Thus, to improve the Zn and Fe content in chickpeas, a two-year study was conducted to examine the potential of the foliar application of mineral (0.5% Zn and Fe), chelated (0.3% Zn and Fe) and nanoforms (0.5% ZFN) of fertilizers to enhance Zn and Fe content in chickpea. The foliar application of 0.5% ZnO NPs + 0.5% Fe₂O₃ NPs (ZFN) at the pre-flowering stage showed the highest potential to increase grain yield, Zn and Fe content and their uptake as a single foliar application of nano-fertilizers showed comparable results to two foliar applications of mineral and chelated forms. The grain and straw yield (14.07 and 33.04 q ha⁻¹, respectively) under ZFN treatment was significantly higher over the control (9.20 and 27.49 q ha⁻¹, respectively). A similar trend was observed for Zn and Fe content in grain (42.29 and 86.51 mg kg⁻¹, respectively). For nutrient uptake, ZFN treatment showed the highest uptake of Zn and Fe in grain (604.49 and 1226.22 g ha⁻¹, respectively) and straw (729.55 and 9184.67 g ha⁻¹, respectively). Thus, nano-fertilizers, due to their altered structural properties, demonstrated higher translocation over the mineral and chelated forms of nutrient fertilizers and thus improved yield and nutrient content to a greater extent. Thus, the foliar application of 0.5% ZnO NPs + 0.5% Fe₂O₃ NPs may prove to be a feasible option for the enrichment of chickpeas with Zn and Fe to ameliorate malnutrition in burgeoning human populations. Full article

Mechanisms of selection for domestication traits in cereals and other annual plants are commonly explained from agro-technological and genetic perspectives. Since archaeobotanical data showed that domestication processes were slow and protracted, research focused on genetic constraints and hypothetical ‘non-selective’ management regimes to explain the low selection rates. I argue that these factors only partially explain the observed patterns and develop a model that contextualises the archaeobotanical data in their socio-economic settings. I propose that developments towards individual storage by small household units and the gradual increase in storage capacities with the development of extended households represent key factors for establishing the conditions for selection, as these practices isolated individually managed and stored cereal subpopulations and gradually reduced the need to replenish grain stocks with grains from unmanaged populations. This genetic isolation resulted in stronger and more persistent selection rates and facilitated the genetic fixation of domestication traits on a population level. Moreover, individual storage facilities within buildings reflect gradual developments towards households as the social units that mobilised agricultural labour, which negotiated new sharing principles over cultivated resources and drove the intensification of cultivation practices. In this sense, selection rates and the slow domestication process can be understood as a function of limited food sharing networks and increased labour-inputs into early arable environments—socio-economic processes that also unfolded gradually over a protracted period of time. Full article

Clubroot disease caused by the obligate parasite Plasmodiophora brassicae is a serious threat to cabbage production worldwide. Current clubroot control primarily relies on a fungicide, but this has a negative impact on the environment and the use of a single biocontrol agent cannot efficiently control the disease. Thus, the combined application of different biocontrol agents has been proposed as a promising alternative. In this study, we used bacterial biocontrol agents as a co-culture (inter-genus and intra-genus) and mono-culture to mitigate the clubroot disease of Chinese cabbage. We evaluated their biocontrol effect and plant growth promoter (PGP) traits in in vitro and in vivo experiments. This study revealed that the inter-genus bacterial co-culture significantly suppresses the incidence of clubroot disease and enhances plant growth compared with intra-genus and mono-culture. In pairwise interaction, we observed that Bacillus cereus BT-23 promotes the growth of Lysobacter antibioticus 13-6 (inter-genus bacterial co-culture), whereas L. capsici ZST1-2 and L. antibioticus 13-6 (intra-genus microbial co-culture) are antagonists to each other. Furthermore, a total of 5575 metabolites, 732 differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs), and 510 unique metabolites were detected through the LC-MS/MS technique in the bacterial co-culture. The number of unique metabolites in inter-genus bacterial co-culture (393 metabolites) was significantly higher than in the intra-genus bacterial co-culture (117 metabolites). Further analysis of DEMs showed that the DEMs were mainly involved in four kinds of metabolism pathways, i.e., carbohydrate metabolism, amino metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, and metabolism of cofactors and vitamins. The contents of some secondary metabolites with biocontrol activity and plant growth-promoting functions were increased in inter-genus bacterial co-culture, indicating that inter-genus bacterial co-culture has a solid potential to suppress clubroot disease. We conclude that the inter-genus bacterial interaction changes the community metabolism and improves several secondary metabolites functions with respect to disease control and PGP ability. Full article

Crop height not only determines plant resistance to lodging and crowding, but also affects crop architecture, apical dominance, biomass, and mechanical harvesting. Plant height is determined by the internode elongation, regulated by genes involved in gibberellin (GA) and brassinosteroid (BR) biosynthesis or related signaling networks. Plants’ genetic inability to synthesize or respond to GAs and BRs induce dwarfness. However, the signaling mechanisms of GAs and BRs for controlling plant height individually or collectively are still unclear. Since stem mechanically supports plant during the whole life span, components that affect stem physical strength are also important to crop lodging resistance. One of the major components is lignin, which forms stem structure, thus contributing to crop lodging resistance. In this review, we looked into the reported genes involved in lignin, GAs, and BRs biosynthesis and summarized the signaling networks centered by these genes. Then, we filled the knowledge gap by modifying plant height through interrupting normal GA and BR metabolism utilizing core gene inhibitors. Therefore, we highly endorsed the current approaches of using plant growth regulators (PRGs) to maintain an ideal plant height under lodging stress, and proposed possibilities of modifying crop culm strength against lodging as well. Full article

The rapid increases in environmental pollution, urbanization, health concerns, and technological progress enhance the demand for greener, healthier, and fairer food production and consumption. The short food supply chain (SFSC) becomes one of the crucial solutions for these issues. This study aims to propose a conceptual framework of the SFSC, assess the short vegetable supply chain (SVSC) in Vietnam, identify its barriers and challenges, and explore interventions and support as key success factors of the SVSC by using both qualitative and quantitative methods. This study initially proposes the SFSC framework with six pillars and 28 indicators, this model is used to assess the SVSC. The results show that the SVSC brings various social, economic, and environmental benefits: First, it can increase farmers’ income, employment, fairness, and health. Second, the SVSC can decrease environmental pollution, food waste, and energy consumption. Third, it can improve food quality and consumers’ health. Fourth, the SVSC enhances on-farm education, agricultural tourism, local livestock farming, and traditional culture and relationship. However, the SVSC encounters various barriers and challenges impeding its performances and benefits. The vegetable value chain gains several interventions and support from the government and the project to overcome these barriers. Overall, the SFSC, good agricultural practice, and sustainability are strongly associated: good agricultural practice and sustainability are inherent in the SFSC. Full article

Industrial crop cultivation on marginal agricultural land limits indirect land-use change effects that pose a threat to food security. This review compiles results from 91 published crop-specific field trial datasets spanning 12 relevant industrial crops and discusses their suitability for cultivation on unfavorable soil types (USTs). It was shown that the perennial species Miscanthus (Miscanthus Andersson) and reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) performed well on USTs with both high clay and/or high sand contents. Information on stoniness (particles sizes > 2 mm), where mentioned, was limited. It was found to have only a small impact on biological yield potential, though it was not possible to assess the impact on mechanization as would be used at a commercial scale. For soils with extreme clay or sand contents, half of the crops showed moderate suitability. The large yield variations within and between crops revealed large knowledge gaps in the combined effects of crop type and agronomy on USTs. Therefore, more field trials are needed on diverse USTs in different climates with better equipment and more consistent measurements to improve the accuracy of potential yield predictions spatially and temporally. Additionally, larger trials are needed to optimize cultivation and harvesting. Full article

Various plant diseases are major threats to agriculture. For timely control of different plant diseases in effective manner, automated identification of diseases are highly beneficial. So far, different techniques have been used to identify the diseases in plants. Deep learning is among the most widely used techniques in recent times due to its impressive results. In this work, we have proposed two methods namely shallow VGG with RF and shallow VGG with Xgboost to identify the diseases. The proposed model is compared with other hand-crafted and deep learning-based approaches. The experiments are carried on three different plants namely corn, potato, and tomato. The considered diseases in corns are Blight, Common rust, and Gray leaf spot, diseases in potatoes are early blight and late blight, and tomato diseases are bacterial spot, early blight, and late blight. The result shows that our implemented shallow VGG with Xgboost model outperforms different deep learning models in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, f1-score, and specificity. Shallow Visual Geometric Group (VGG) with Xgboost gives the highest accuracy rate of 94.47% in corn, 98.74% in potato, and 93.91% in the tomato dataset. The models are also tested with field images of potato, corn, and tomato. Even in field image the average accuracy obtained using shallow VGG with Xgboost are 94.22%, 97.36%, and 93.14%, respectively. Full article

Groundwater is an essential source of drinking and irrigation water. However, elevated Fe and Mn concentrations in groundwater have been found in recent decades, which can adversely affect human health and decrease crop quality and yields. The roles of hydrogeochemical changes and groundwater pollution (exogenous reductive material inputs) in this have not been studied adequately. We determined the distribution of Fe and Mn concentrations in groundwater in the Songnen Plain, northeast China, which is known for elevated Fe and Mn concentrations, and investigated the factors and mechanisms involved in causing the elevated concentrations. Chemical and statistical analyses indicated that the Fe and Mn concentrations in groundwater significantly correlated with climate parameters (precipitation and temperature), surface features (altitude, distance from a river, soil type, soil texture, and land use type) and hydrogeochemical characteristics (chemical oxygen demand and NH₄⁺, NO₃⁻, and P concentrations). In particular, the Fe and Mn concentrations in groundwater are higher in areas containing paddy fields and water bodies than other land use type areas. Areas with groundwater containing ultra-high Fe and Mn concentrations have almost all of the favorable factors. The main reasons for the elevated Fe and Mn concentrations in groundwater in the study area are the Fe/Mn mineral-rich strata and soil with abundant organic matter acting as sources of Fe and Mn to the groundwater and the reductive environment in the lower terrain and areas containing water bodies favoring Fe and Mn dissolution in the groundwater. Inputs of pollutants from agricultural activities have caused the Fe and Mn concentrations in groundwater to increase. Future studies should be performed to study interactions between pollutants from agricultural activities and Fe and Mn in groundwater and develop environmental management strategies for preventing future increases in Fe and Mn concentrations and promoting sustainable development of agriculture. Full article

Grain legumes are important sources of proteins, essential micronutrients and vitamins and for human nutrition. Climate change, including drought, is a severe threat to grain legume production throughout the world. In this review, the morpho-physiological, physio-biochemical and molecular levels of drought stress in legumes are described. Moreover, different tolerance mechanisms, such as the morphological, physio-biochemical and molecular mechanisms of legumes, are also reviewed. Moreover, various management approaches for mitigating the drought stress effects in grain legumes are assessed. Reduced leaf area, shoot and root growth, chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance, CO₂ influx, nutrient uptake and translocation, and water-use efficiency (WUE) ultimately affect legume yields. The yield loss of grain legumes varies from species to species, even variety to variety within a species, depending upon the severity of drought stress and several other factors, such as phenology, soil textures and agro-climatic conditions. Closure of stomata leads to an increase in leaf temperature by reducing the transpiration rate, and, so, the legume plant faces another stress under drought stress. The biosynthesis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is the most detrimental effect of drought stress. Legumes can adapt to the drought stress by changing their morphology, physiology and molecular mechanism. Improved root system architecture (RSA), reduced number and size of leaves, stress-induced phytohormone, stomatal closure, antioxidant defense system, solute accumulation (e.g., proline) and altered gene expression play a crucial role in drought tolerance. Several agronomic, breeding both conventional and molecular, biotechnological approaches are used as management practices for developing a drought-tolerant legume without affecting crop yield. Exogenous application of plant-growth regulators (PGRs), osmoprotectants and inoculation by Rhizobacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi promotes drought tolerance in legumes. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs), genomic selection (GS), marker-assisted selection (MAS), OMICS-based technology and CRISPR/Cas9 make the breeding work easy and save time in the developmental cycle to get resistant legumes. Several drought-resistant grain legumes, such as the chickpea, faba bean, common bean and pigeon pea, were developed by different institutions. Drought-tolerant transgenic legumes, for example, chickpeas, are developed by introgressing desired genes through breeding and biotechnological approaches. Several quantitative trait loci (QTLs), candidate genes occupying drought-tolerant traits, are identified from a variety of grain legumes, but not all are under proper implementation. Hence, more research should be conducted to improve the drought-tolerant traits of grain legumes for avoiding losses during drought. Full article

Livestock welfare and management could be greatly enhanced by the replacement of branding or ear tagging with less invasive visual biometric identification methods. Biometric identification of cattle from muzzle patterns has previously indicated promising results. Significant barriers exist in the translation of these initial findings into a practical precision livestock monitoring system, which can be deployed at scale for large herds. The objective of this study was to investigate and address key limitations to the autonomous biometric identification of cattle. The contributions of this work are fourfold: (1) provision of a large publicly-available dataset of cattle face images (300 individual cattle) to facilitate further research in this field, (2) development of a two-stage YOLOv3-ResNet50 algorithm that first detects and extracts the cattle muzzle region in images and then applies deep transfer learning for biometric identification, (3) evaluation of model performance across a range of cattle breeds, and (4) utilizing few-shot learning (five images per individual) to greatly reduce both the data collection requirements and duration of model training. Results indicated excellent model performance. Muzzle detection accuracy was 99.13% (1024 × 1024 image resolution) and biometric identification achieved 99.11% testing accuracy. Overall, the two-stage YOLOv3-ResNet50 algorithm proposed has substantial potential to form the foundation of a highly accurate automated cattle biometric identification system, which is applicable in livestock farming systems. The obtained results indicate that utilizing livestock biometric monitoring in an advanced manner for resource management at multiple scales of production is possible for future agriculture decision support systems, including providing useful information to forecast acceptable stocking rates of pastures. Full article

Conservative and sustainable soil management in vineyards is an approach of primary importance not only for the yield (tons per hectare) and grapes’ quality (primary and secondary metabolites), but also for the greater preservation of the ecosystem. Compared to sustained-conventional tillage and perpetual applications of fertilizers and phytopharmaceutical, these techniques give a primary role for safeguarding biodiversity, conserving soil fertility, and keeping vegetative–productive balance. The soil and, consequently, the wine production are in fact an intimate ecosystem jeopardized not only by a reckless approach by man (technical input, such as pesticides, fuel, fertilizers, and herbicides, are estimated to be responsible for 24% of anthropogenic greenhouse gases emissions), but also by climate change, as rising summer temperatures and reduced precipitation leads to production declines and water shortages in the soil. In fact, there are several risks associated with unbalanced soil management, such as compaction, pollution, soil erosion, soil organic matter (SOM) depletion, and loss of biodiversity, that lead to a drop in grape quality and quantity. In this context, soil management in viticulture and sustainable strategies assume greater significance to improve the quality of modern viticulture. This review aims to highlight new agronomic techniques capable of enhancing the resilience of the system and contributing to conservation and ecosystem services provision, especially as wine consumers increasingly appreciate environmentally friendly farming practices. In particular, the review aims to focus the positive implications and repercussions as a result of these practices (e.g., compost, vermicompost, biochar, Ascophyllum nodosum, Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), Trichoderma, zeolite, partial root drying, cover cropping, and mulching). Full article

Interseeding alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) into a silage corn (Zea mays L.) companion crop can increase the yield and profitability of forage production and reduce the risk of nutrient and soil loss from cropland, but unreliable establishment of alfalfa hampers the adoption of this practice on dairy farms. This study evaluated plant survival, foliar health, and dry matter yields of two alfalfa varieties when established in corn sown at populations ranging from about 47,500 to 100,000 plants per ha⁻¹ and when treated with prohexadione (PHD), PHD followed by fungicide and insecticide (PHD-FI), or not treated with agrichemicals. The plant density of alfalfa during establishment was adversely impacted by above average precipitation and high corn populations, but substantially improved by PHD-FI treatment, which limited alfalfa etiolation, disease, and defoliation. First-cut dry-matter yields of interseeded alfalfa after corn were maximized at a stand density of approximately 200 plants m⁻² or 850 stems m⁻² and total first year yield exceeded conventionally spring-seeded alfalfa by 59 to 75%. Overall, our results indicated that PHD-FI treatment promoted good establishment and subsequent forage production of interseeded alfalfa. Applications of PHD-FI must, however, be fine-tuned, and additional management practices must be developed to ensure both good yields of corn silage and reliable establishment of interseeded alfalfa, especially during wet growing conditions. Full article

The photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) of crop canopy is highly related to yield formation, but how it relates to yield and yield distribution is not well understood. The focus of this study was to explore the relationship between light competition under different densities and yield distributions of cotton. The experiment was conducted in 2019 and 2020 at the Cotton Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Anyang city, Henan Province, China. A randomized block design was employed, with a total of three repeats. Each repeat had six density treatments: D1: 15,000; D2: 33,000; D3: 51,000; D4: 69,000; D5: 87,000; and D6: 105,000 plants·ha⁻¹. As predicted, the results showed that the canopy light interception, leaf area index, plant height, and biomass of high-density cotton were higher than those of low-density cotton. The aboveground biomass produced by D6 was the highest, and was 12.9, 19.5, 25.4, 46.3, and 69.2% higher in 2019 and 14.3, 19.9, 32.5, 53.7, and 109.9% higher in 2020 than D5, D4, D3, D2, and D1, respectively. Leaf area, plant height, biomass, boll number, and boll weight were significantly correlated with the light interception rate. D5 (87,000 plants·ha⁻¹) had a higher light interception rate and the highest yield. The highest lint yields produced by D5 were 1673.5 and 1375.4 kg·ha⁻¹ in two years, and was 3.2, 4.3, 5.6, 9.7, and 24.7% higher in 2019, and 6.8, 10.6, 13.5, 21.5, and 34.4% higher in 2020 than D6, D4, D3, D2, and D1, respectively. The boll retention of the lower fruit branch under D5 reached 0.51 and 0.57 in two years, respectively. The shedding rate of the upper fruit branch decreased with the increase in cotton density in two years. The boll retention rate and shedding rate in the lower part of cotton plants were most closely related to light interception, with R² values of 0.91 and 0.96, respectively. Our study shows cotton yield could be improved through higher light interception by optimizing planting density and canopy structure. Full article

For the dissection and identification of the molecular response mechanisms to salt stress in cannabis, an experiment was conducted surveying the diversity of physiological characteristics. RNA-seq profiling was carried out to identify differential expression genes and pathway which respond to salt stress in different cannabis materials. The result of physiological diversity analyses showed that it is more sensitive to proline contents in K94 than in W20; 6 h was needed to reach the maximum in K94, compared to 12 h in W20. For profiling 0–72 h after treatment, a total of 10,149 differentially expressed genes were identified, and 249 genes exhibited significantly diverse expression levels in K94, which were clustered in plant hormone signal transduction and the MAPK signaling pathway. A total of 371 genes showed significant diversity expression variations in W20, which were clustered in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and plant hormone signal transduction pathway. The pathway enrichment by genes which were identified in K94 and W20 showed a similar trend to those clustered in plant hormone signal transduction pathways and MAPK signaling. Otherwise, there were 85 genes which identified overlaps between the two materials, indicating that these may be underlying genes related to salt stress in cannabis. The 86.67% agreement of the RNA-seq and qRT-PCR indicated the accuracy and reliability of the RNA-seq technique. Additionally, the result of physiological diversity was consistent with the predicted RNA-seq-based findings. This research may offer new insights into the molecular networks mediating cannabis to respond to salt stress. Full article

Crop coefficient (K_c) is one of the most significant parameters for crop water demand prediction and irrigation scheduling. However, there is a lack of knowledge about water vapor and K_c in tea plantation ecosystems. This study explored and determined the actual evapotranspiration (ET_c) and K_c of two cultivars of tea (Camellia sinensis), clone variety Baiye1 (BY1) and Longjing43 (LJ43), based on lysimeter data. An estimation was made for both for ET_c and adjusted ET_c, and the corresponding K_c and adjusted K_c. The results showed that the adjusted ET_c and K_c values revealed a minor fluctuation when compared to the ET_c and K_c values during the experimental period, which indicated that the adjusted ET_c and K_c values were more precise and practical to field conditions. The average adjusted K_c values were 0.71 (range of 0.43–1.02) for BY1 and 0.84 (range of 0.48–1.22) for LJ43. Additionally, heavy pruning can decrease ET_c and K_c values, possibly due to the lower level of LAI after pruning. Moreover, it is clearly manifested that BY1 consistently had lower ET_c and K_c values than those of LJ43 because of plant growth status differences between BY1 and LJ43. Overall, our study proposed a reliable reference of K_c in tea plantation, and illuminated the effects of pruning and plant growth differences on K_c, which could provide a strong basis for precise irrigation in tea plantations in a subtropical climate. Full article

Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) is an important winter oilseed crop in India. It acts as a promising species for the extraction of Zn and Fe under nutrient-deficit conditions. Therefore, this study planned to determine the impact of nutritional supplementation (Zn, Fe and urea) on the productivity and nutritional quality of Indian mustard. In the experiment, different combinations of recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) with 0.5% FeSO₄·7H₂O, 0.5% ZnSO₄·7H₂O and 1% urea at 45 and 60 days after sowing (DAS) were applied to Indian mustard. Foliar application of micronutrients along with urea enhanced the productivity and quality of the crop. Among different treatments, the foliar application of 0.5% FeSO₄·7H₂O + 0.5% ZnSO₄·7H₂O + 1% urea (FZU) at 45 and 60 DAS resulted in the maximum increase in grain (27.8%) and stover (34.47%) yield, which was statistically at par with the treatment 0.5% FeSO₄·7H₂O + 0.5% ZnSO₄·7H₂O at 45 and 60 DAS (FZ). A similar trend was observed for Zn concentration in grain and stover, as well as Fe concentration in stover. However, the Fe concentration in grain was at maximum with treatment FZU, and the results were significantly higher compared with the treatment FZ. Treatment FZU also resulted in a maximum increase in Zn and Fe uptake in grain (54.7% and 34.3%, respectively) and stover (110.5% and 46.1%, respectively), which was statistically at par with treatment FZ. Physiological efficiencies of Zn (11,838.33) and Fe (3575.887) were highest when only urea was applied along with RDF, whereas the apparent recovery efficiency of Zn and Fe was highest in treatment FZU. Overall, it is concluded that combined foliar application of, 0.5% FeSO₄·7H₂O + 0.5% ZnSO₄·7H₂O + 1% urea at 45 and 60 DAS along with RDF was found to be most effective to enhance yield, concentration and uptake of Zn and Fe in Indian mustard. Full article

Phalaris minor Retz. (littleseed canarygrass) is the most problematic and herbicide-resistant weed in the rice-wheat cropping system in India. As such, it poses a severe threat to wheat yield and food security. A number of herbicidal and agronomic practices have been identified for the effective control of P. minor. These include crop rotation, crop establishment methods, herbicide spray technology, sowing time, weed seed harvest and effective herbicide mixtures. A population model of P. minor was built based on the life cycle of the species, herbicide resistance mechanisms and the effects of weed control practices. The model simulated the interactions of these factors and provided the best management recommendations for sustainably controlling this noxious weed species. Model results indicate that integration of chemical and non-chemical control methods was the most effective and sustainable strategy. For example, the integration of a happy seeder (a tractor-mounted mulching and sowing machine) with an effective post-emergence herbicide reduced the probability of weed control failure by 32% compared to the scenario with a rotavator and the same herbicide. Similarly, more conventional crop establishment methods such as a rotavator and conventional tillage could be accompanied by pre- or post-emergence applications of herbicide mixtures. Adoption of good herbicide spray technology and weed seed harvest delayed the onset of resistance evolution by up to four years. Furthermore, effective crop rotation such as the inclusion of sugarcane in place of rice in the summer season reduced the risk of resistance evolution by 31% within the 10 year simulation period. In addition to the scenarios using representative parameter values, the variability of model predictions was investigated based on some field experiments. The model provided a powerful tool for promoting Integrated Weed Management and the sustainable use of herbicides. Pragmatic ways of dealing with uncertainty in model prediction are discussed. Full article

Hemp is a multipurpose crop that is cultivated worldwide for fiber, oil, and cannabinoids. Nitrogen (N) is a key factor for getting a higher production of hemp, but its application is often excessive and results in considerable losses in the soil–plant–water continuum. Therefore, a rational N supply is important for increasing N efficiency and crop productivity. The main objective of this paper was to determine the responses of four hemp cultivars to different levels of exogenous-N supply as nutrient solution during the vegetative growing period. The experiment was conducted at Yunnan University in Kunming, China. Yunma 1, Yunma 7, Bamahuoma, and Wanma 1 were used as the experimental materials, and five N supplying levels (1.5, 3.0, 6.0, 12.0, and 24.0 mmol/L NO₃-N in the nutrient solution) were set by using pot culture and adding nutrient solution. The root, stem, and leaf of the plant were sampled for the determination of growth indexes, dry matter and N accumulation and distribution, and physiological indicators. The plant height, stem diameter, plant dry weight, and plant N accumulation of four hemp cultivars were significantly increased with the increase in exogenous-N supply. Root/shoot dry weight ratios, stem mass density, and N use efficiency decreased significantly with the increase in exogenous-N supply. Nitrogen accumulation, chlorophyll content, soluble protein content, and nitrate reductase activity in leaves were increased with the increase in exogenous-N supply. Among the four indexes, the increase in N accumulation was more than the increase in NR activity. The activities of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase in leaves were increased first and then decreased with the increase in exogenous-N supply, with the maximum value at N 6.0 mmol/L, while the content of malondialdehyde in leaves increased significantly when the level of exogenous-N supply exceeded 6.0 mmol/L. These results revealed that increasing the exogenous-N supply could improve the plant growth, dry matter accumulation, and N accumulation in hemp during the vegetative growth period, but N supply should not exceed 6.0 mmol/L. Among four hemp cultivars, Wanma 1 performed well at 6.0 mmol/L N application. Full article

Biochar enhances soil fertility by improving the soil physical, chemical and microbiological properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of corn cob-derived biochar on soil enzymatic activity, organic carbon, aggregate stability and soil microbial biomass carbon under drought stress. Biochar was prepared from crushed corn cobs pyrolyzed at 300 °C and 400 °C and applied at a ratio of 1% (w/w) and 3% (w/w) filled in pots. In each pot, three field capacity (FC) levels, i.e., 100, 70 and 40%, were maintained gravimetrically. Results showed that biochar application improved the growth (plant height and root length) and relative water content in maize leaves under drought stress, while it reduced electrolyte leakage compared to a control treatment. Aggregate stability was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher in biochar amended soil. Moreover, microbial biomass carbon and soil water also increased under drought stress at 70% FC and 40% FC, respectively, where 3% w/w (400 °C) biochar was applied. Among enzymes, β-glucosidase and alkaline phosphatase activity were improved with biochar application. The maximum organic carbon (240%, 246% and 249%, 254% more than control) was calculated in soils where 3% biochar pyrolyzed at 400 °C and 300 °C was mixed with soil, respectively. Similarly, the carbon pool index (CPI) and carbon management index (CMI) were also higher in biochar-amended soil as compared to control treatment. Conclusively, biochar amendment could effectively improve soil quality and maize growth under drought stress. Full article

The productivity of cereal crops under salt stress limits sustainable food production and food security. Barley followed by sorghum better adapts to salinity stress, while wheat and maize are moderately adapted. However, rice is a salt-sensitive crop, and its growth and grain yield are significantly impacted by salinity stress. High soil salinity can reduce water uptake, create osmotic stress in plants and, consequently, oxidative stress. Crops have evolved different tolerance mechanisms, particularly cereals, to mitigate the stressful conditions, i.e., effluxing excessive sodium (Na⁺) or compartmentalizing Na⁺ to vacuoles. Likewise, plants activate an antioxidant defense system to detoxify apoplastic cell wall acidification and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Understanding the response of field crops to salinity stress, including their resistance mechanisms, can help breed adapted varieties with high productivity under unfavourable environmental factors. In contrast, the primary stages of seed germination are more critical to osmotic stress than the vegetative stages. However, salinity stress at the reproductive stage can also decrease crop productivity. Biotechnology approaches are being used to accelerate the development of salt-adapted crops. In addition, hormones and osmolytes application can mitigate the toxicity impact of salts in cereal crops. Therefore, we review the salinity on cereal crops physiology and production, the management strategies to cope with the harmful negative effect on cereal crops physiology and production of salt stress. Full article

This study presents the Segmented Colour Feature Extreme Learning Machine (SCF-ELM). The SCF-ELM is inspired by the Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) which is known for its rapid training and inference times. The ELM is therefore an ideal candidate for an ensemble learning algorithm. The Colour Feature Extreme Learning Machine (CF-ELM) is used in this study due to its additional ability to extract colour image features. The SCF-ELM is an ensemble learner that utilizes feature mapping via k-means clustering, a decision matrix and majority voting. It has been evaluated on a range of challenging agricultural object classification scenarios including weed, livestock and machinery detection. SCF-ELM model performance results were excellent both in terms of detection, 90 to 99% accuracy, and also inference times, around 0.01(s) per image. The SCF-ELM was able to compete or improve upon established algorithms in its class, indicating its potential for remote computing applications in agriculture. Full article

Crop wild relatives (CWR) are a good source of useful alleles for climate change adaptation. Here, 19 durum wheat, 24 barley, and 24 lentil elites incorporating CWR in their pedigrees were yield tested against commercial checks across 19 environments located in Morocco, Ethiopia, Lebanon, and Senegal. For each crop, the combined analysis of variance showed that genotype (G), environment (E), and genotype x environment (G×E) effects were significant for most of the traits. A selection index combining yield potential (G) and yield stability (G×E) was used to identify six CWR-derived elites for each crop matching or superior to the best check. A regression analysis using a climate matrix revealed that grain yield was mostly influenced by the maximum daily temperature and soil moisture level during the growing stages. These climatic factors were used to define five clusters (i.e., E1 to E5) of mega-environments. The CWR-derived elites significantly outperformed the checks in E1, E2, and E4 for durum wheat, and in E2 for both barley and lentil. The germplasm was also assessed for several food transformation characteristics. For durum wheat, one accession (Zeina) originating from T. araraticum was significantly superior in mixograph score to the best check, and three accessions originating from T. araraticum and T. urartu were superior for Zn concentration. For barley, 21 accessions originating from H. spontaneum were superior to the checks for protein content, six for Zn content, and eight for β-glucan. For lentil, ten accessions originating from Lens orientalis were superior to the check for protein content, five for Zn, and ten for Fe concentration. Hence, the results presented here strongly support the use of CWR in breeding programs of these three dryland crops, both for adaptation to climatic stresses and for value addition for food transformation. Full article