ALBERT

Description: Ghana is urbanising rapidly, and over half of the country’s population have lived in urban areas since 2010. Although research has proliferated to explore Ghana’s urbanisation, there is a dearth of research that holistically explores the wider sustainability implications of urbanisation, offers comparative perspectives in the context of large and smaller urban areas, and provides a perspective of local level urbanisation in the context of resource extraction (mining). This study comparatively assesses two urban areas in Ghana (Kumasi and Obuasi), by conducting a spatio-temporal analysis of land cover change through remote sensing and by analysing demographic change through a synthesis of published population data, in order to highlight the sustainability implications of urbanisation. The results show that urbanisation has been rapid, and has resulted in changes in land cover and demography in Kumasi and Obuasi. The sustainability implications of urbanisation are identified to include limited economic opportunities, socio-spatial segregation, and destruction of natural vegetation. The evidence in this study provides insights into urbanisation in Ghana, and suggests that the positive sustainability impacts of urbanisation may be eroded by how factors such as market forces and land tenure interact at the local level.

Description: The optimization of ecological resource allocation is increasingly seen as a potential solution for urban revitalization and sustainable land use planning, and the key point is to assess and simulate the spatial arrangement of the ecological land. In this study, we proposed a conceptual framework with the aim of reoccupying ecological resources for rust belt cities from the perspective of eco-economic trade-offs. The ecological security pattern, the urban development pattern, and the ecological quality of cropland were constructed and evaluated to measure the development level of an ecological system and a socio-economic system. Furthermore, the results were used as the constraints that influenced land use distribution to simulate the ecological land reoccupation pattern. The suitable area, the preservation area, the configurable area, and the unsuitable area in the reoccupation pattern accounted for 6.94%, 49.97%, 28.17%, and 0.69%, respectively. Significantly, under strict cropland protection policies, the available space for ecological land expansion was heavily compressed. Therefore, the emphasis on agricultural production should be reexamined to release more space for ecological resources. This method could be an effective pathway to alleviate the pressures on urban and natural space caused by the competition between land-use activities, such as economic development, agricultural production, and ecological conservation. The findings are expected to promote urban revitalization, green agriculture, and sustainable social development in rust belt cities, and provide certain references for the utilization of land resources and regional policy making.

Description: As acidic deposition has decreased across Eastern North America, forest soils at some sites are beginning to show reversal of soil acidification. However, the degree of recovery appears to vary and is not fully explained by deposition declines alone. To assess if other site and soil factors can help to explain degree of recovery from acid deposition, soil resampling chemistry data (8- to 24-year time interval) from 23 sites in the United States and Canada, located across 25° longitude from Eastern Maine to Western Ontario, were explored. Site and soil factors included recovery years, sulfate (SO42−) deposition history, SO42− reduction rate, C horizon pH and exchangeable calcium (Ca), O and B horizon pH, base saturation, and exchangeable Ca and aluminum (Al) at the time of the initial sampling. We found that O and B horizons that were initially acidified to a greater degree showed greater recovery and B horizon recovery was further associated with an increase in recovery years and lower initial SO42− deposition. Forest soils that seemingly have low buffering capacity and a reduced potential for recovery have the resilience to recover from the effects of previous high levels of acidic deposition. This suggests, that predictions of where forest soils acidification reversal will occur across the landscape should be refined to acknowledge the importance of upper soil profile horizon chemistry rather than the more traditional approach using only parent material characteristics.

Description: The genus Thujopsis (Cupressaceae) comprises monoecious coniferous trees endemic to Japan. This genus includes two varieties: Thujopsis dolabrata (L.f.) Siebold et Zucc. var. dolabrata (southern variety, Td) and Thujopsis dolabrata (L.f.) Siebold et Zucc. var. hondae Makino (northern variety, Th). The aim of this study is to understand the phylogeographic and genetic population relationships of the genus Thujopsis for the conservation of genetic resources and future breeding. A total of 609 trees from 22 populations were sampled, including six populations from the Td distribution range and 16 populations from the Th distribution range. The genotyping results for 19 expressed sequence tag (EST)-based simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, followed by a structure analysis, neighbor-joining tree creation, an analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), and hierarchical F statistics, supported the existence of two genetic clusters related to the distribution regions of the Td and Th varieties. The two variants, Td and Th, could be defined by their provenance, in spite of the ambiguous morphological differences between the varieties. The distribution ranges of both variants, which have been defined from their morphology, was confirmed by genetic analysis. The Th populations exhibited relatively uniform genetic diversity, most likely because Th refugia in the glacial period were scattered throughout their current distribution area. On the other hand, there was a tendency for Td’s genetic diversity to decrease from central to southern Honshu island. Notably, the structure analysis and neighbor-joining tree suggest the hybridization of the two varieties in the contact zone. More detailed studies of the genetic structure of Td are required in future analyses.

Description: In agricultural science, the establishment of a given cropping system in mountainous areas is often understood from the relationship between differences of altitude-specific, agroecological conditions and crop cultivation characteristics. However, social factors can also play a role. We aimed to clarify how the cropping system is maintained through examining sociocultural factors, specifically land tenure and marriage systems, in an agricultural community in rural mountainous Africa. Several surveys based on participatory observation accompanied by home stays were conducted to determine people who participated in cropping systems and to understand which social system maintained the cropping system. We found that around 70% of target households in Kiboguwa village cultivated three staple crops (maize, cassava and rice) using the same cropping system and almost no farmers outside the village used the village’s sloped fields, meaning that the villagers maintained the cropping system. Households acquired nearby sloped fields by various means such as inheriting land through maternal lineage of household heads or wives. We observed virilocal and uxorilocal residence at similar degrees—and if either the husband or wife was from outside the village, that household would also have fields outside the village. However, nearly 80% of marriages were intravillage and villagers predominantly used fields located within the village limits regardless of the residence type, which helped maintain the cropping system.

Description: The research presented in the paper intends to overcome an information gap on the evolution of urbanized surfaces in Italy which in the studies carried out so far have never been available. The only historical data on this form of land use date back to the 1950s, and were extracted from a national cartography created by the Military Geographic Institute. The next chronological section available was then that of the noughties, already digital. However, much more frequent data were processed by the ten-year censuses by the National Institute of Statistics, but concerning buildings and not urbanized areas. By processing building census data, this study has put together some novel information on land take dynamics between the end of World War II and the year 2000, highlighting the more intensive processes that occurred at an extraordinary rate in the ‘70′s and ‘80′s, obtaining unprecedented information on the speed of transformation of the territory in these decades of economic boom. Through this method, we were able to obtain numerous geographical indications previously lacking on a national scale, highlight the yet significant vigor of this phenomenon and develop an inferential scenario.

Description: Access and use of seed of improved varieties of groundnut among farmers can improve farmers’ livelihoods and contribute to the potential of crop production in Tanzania. This paper analyzes factors underpinning the adoption of improved groundnut varieties among farmers to pave the way for upscaling quality seed used for increased production and commodity business in farming communities. A four-stage stratified sampling was used to collect data from 300 groundnut farmers in seven agro-ecological zones through individual interviews. Secondary data were collected from the literature and the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute at Naliendele centre (TARI–Naliendele). Descriptive statistics and Probit regression model were used for data analysis. The empirical results showed that Johari 1985, Pendo 1998, Naliendele 2009, Mnanje 2009, Mangaka 2009 and Nachi 2015, are the main six improved groundnut varieties used by farmers, with Pendo 1998 having the highest adoption rate (17.1%). In the grain market, four varieties, namely Pendo 1998, Mnanje 2009, Nachi 2015 and Johari 1985, were observed to be highly preferred by grain off-takers. Furthermore, among the adopted improved varieties, Nachi 2015, is observed to be the most consistent high yielding variety, ranging from 1100 kg/ha to 1500 kg/ha in all agro-ecological zones. A farmer’s decision to adopt new varieties is affected by age and gender, farmer group membership, availability of improved seed and seed cost. Overall, male farmers are more likely to adopt improved varieties of groundnut than female farmers. The implications of these findings are also discussed, in particular in the area of policy support.

Description: This study presents an integrated examination of both the ecosystem services (ES) and ecosystem disservices (EDS) associated with smallholder animal husbandry in rural livelihoods in three villages in southeast South Africa. It recognises the contribution of ES supporting and resulting from smallholder livestock and poultry production, but also details the limiting factors or EDS, such as tick-borne disease, birds of prey or unpalatable rangeland, produced by the same system. Using a mixed-methods approach, including focus group discussions with various Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) activities, key informant interviews, household surveys and land-use change mapping on GIS, we consider the relative value and benefits from ES after the effects of EDS, as well as the management and strategies that households adopt to minimise EDS. The effects of ES and EDS were expressed in economic terms to provide a common framework to assess the magnitude of their contribution or effect. Although animal husbandry made measurable contributions to households, with an average gross value of between R2605–R9753 across villages, EDS undermined the meaningful production of livestock and poultry goods and services. The average EDS-induced economic loss in households was between R8289–R22,426 per annum. Despite active management, often at substantial cost to the household, EDS undermined the health of livestock which resulted in a loss of the animal or potential goods and services produced. We emphasise the need to recognise both the positive and negative contributions of ecosystems to identify the complex feedbacks between ES and EDS which interact to determine local ways of doing things.

Description: Species with wide geographical ranges exhibit specific adaptations to local climates, which may result in diverging responses among populations to changing conditions. Climate change has advanced spring phenology worldwide, but questions of whether and how the phenological responses to warming differ among individuals across the natural range of a species remain. We conducted two experiments in January and April 2019, and performed daily observations of the timings of bud break in 1-year-old seedlings of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marshall) from 25 Canadian provenances at two thermal conditions (14/10 and 18/14 °C day/night temperature) in a controlled environment. Overall, bud break started 6 days from the beginning of the experiments and finished after 125 days. The earlier events were observed in seedlings originating from the colder sites. Bud break was delayed by 4.8 days per additional degree Celsius in the mean annual temperature at the origin site. Warming advanced the timing of bud break by 17–27 days in January and by 3–8 days in April. Similar advancements in bud break were observed among provenances under warming conditions, which rejected our hypothesis that sugar maple populations have different phenological responses to warming. Our findings confirm the differentiation in ecotypes for the process of bud break in sugar maple. In cases of homogenous spring warming across the native range of sugar maple, similar advancements in bud phenology can be expected in different populations.

Description: This case study from Stockholm County, Sweden, explores practitioners’ experiences of barriers and bridges in municipal planning practices to support actions for ecosystem services. This qualitative study is based on information gathered from a focus group, workshops, and semi-structured interviews, which aided in identifying key factors for integrating ecosystem services in municipal planning. We identified 10 key factors divided into three themes: (i) regulatory framework and political support, (ii) local organizational capacity, and (iii) local adaptation of tools and practices. In particular, the practitioners pointed to the need for the development of legal support and regulations for ecosystem services on the national and EU policy levels. Furthermore, the need for local capacity building and understanding of ecosystem services as well as increased regional support to enhance local knowledge exchange and learning was emphasized. Also, in a decentralized local governance system such as in Sweden, to fully implement ecosystem services in urban planning for sustainable development, locally adapted practical tools and monitoring procedures were considered important.

Description: Sugarcane is an important industrial crop because it is the major source of white sugar. It is also one of the crops for the alcohol and biofuel industries. Disease-causing organisms can significantly decrease the productivity of sugarcane plants and sugar quality. Among the disease-causing organisms, Colletotrichum falcatum Went causes the most significant economic loss (5–50%) in the sugarcane production due to red rot disease. This loss results in only 31% sugar recovery. It is reported that C. falcatum can kill sugarcane plants. Currently, there is no sustainable way of preventing red rot disease from spreading in sugarcane plantations. Many popular sugarcane varieties are no longer used in sugarcane cultivation because of their susceptibility to C. falcatum. The objectives of this manuscript were to: (i) summarize existing approaches for the early detection of red rot disease and controlling techniques of red rot disease in the field and laboratory and (ii) assess red rot disease control effectiveness so as to propose better methods for mitigating the spread C. falcatum. If our proposition is adopted or practiced, it could significantly contribute to the mitigation of C. falcatum infection in the sugarcane industry. This could enable achieving sustainable cultivation of sugarcanes to guarantee the sustainability of the sugar industry in the tropics and the subtropics.

Description: The transition from intensive conventional agriculture to sustainable agriculture has become a global priority. This is due to the need for environmentally friendly agriculture to ensure sufficient food for a rapidly growing population. The bioeconomy is essential to progress in the field of sustainable agriculture. It contributes to the conservation of biological resources through circular and comprehensive management. The bioeconomy prioritizes the reduction and reuse of materials and products. The focus of this study is the use of biodegradable/compostable raffia in protected horticultural crops in the Province of Almería (Spain). The analysis and evaluations, based on an extensive literature review and information given by stakeholders, determined that biodegradable raffia use significantly improves the management of residual biomass in Almería. However, biodegradable raffia is only used in a small percentage of crops even though it is a sustainable alternative and profitable for farmers. The economic analysis incorporates the higher cost of recycling non-biodegradable raffia.

Description: Sustainable agricultural production is endangered by several ecological factors, such as drought, extreme temperatures, excessive salts, parasitic ailments, and insect pest infestation. These challenging environmental factors may have adverse effects on future agriculture production in many countries. In modern agriculture, conventional crop-breeding techniques alone are inadequate for achieving the increasing population’s food demand on a sustainable basis. The advancement of molecular genetics and related technologies are promising tools for the selection of new crop species. Gene pyramiding through marker-assisted selection (MAS) and other techniques have accelerated the development of durable resistant/tolerant lines with high accuracy in the shortest period of time for agricultural sustainability. Gene stacking has not been fully utilized for biotic stress resistance development and quality improvement in most of the major cultivated crops. This review emphasizes on gene pyramiding techniques that are being successfully deployed in modern agriculture for improving crop tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses for sustainable crop improvement.

Description: Research Highlights: The informed decisions on land use require assessment of the impacts of these decisions on the supply of different ecosystem services. Background and Objectives: Scenario modeling can be used to provide harmonized and quantitative information on the impacts of various zoning decisions on the provision of various ecosystem services. In this study, we explored the effects of land-use zoning decisions on the provision of roundwood and energy wood, carbon stock of living tree components, berry yields, scenic beauty and recreation. Materials and Methods: Three alternative forest scenarios were formulated in terms of restrictions on forest management for already established land-use zones by the provinces in Finland. These data were integrated with the National Forest Inventory (NFI) plot data for forest dynamics modeling. Results: In Finland, 9% of the forest land was protected and 9% was under restricted forest management due to legislative decisions, forest owners’ decisions, or regional land use plans in 2016. These established zoning decisions resulted in an estimated 17% smaller roundwood and energy wood removals per year in 2016–2025 compared to the estimated wood removals in the scenario without any restrictions. The decrease in annual gross stumpage earnings was EUR 775 million per year. The carbon stock of living tree components in 2025 was 12% larger than in the scenario without any restrictions. Bilberry yield increased due to the restrictions considered in our study, while the restrictions had only a slight effect on cowberry yield at province and country levels. The restrictions increased the recreation value, particularly in Lapland, but only slightly affected scenic beauty at province and country levels. Conclusions: Scenario analyses support informed decision making and the balancing of different forest uses. Harmonized translation of restrictions and the use of standard indicators to model the impacts also support comparisons between the regions.

Description: In this study, dynamic hardness tests on solid and engineered wood flooring specimens of Eucalyptus globulus Labill. and Eucalyptus grandis W. Hill ex Maiden hardwoods were performed because nowadays, these fast-growing hardwoods are still scarcely employed for this use. Furthermore, another two examples of hardwood commonly applied on wood flooring, Quercus robur L. and Hymenaea courbaril L., were also tested. To compare their properties, a dynamic impact hardness test based on the impact of steel balls, with several diameters, and drop heights was developed. Accordingly, 120 solid wood flooring specimens and 120 engineering wood flooring specimens were producing with these four hardwood species. Dynamic impact tests were made with three steel balls of different diameters (30–40–50 mm), and they were carried out from five different drop heights (0.60–0.75–0.90–1.05–1.20 m). The impact of the steel ball drew the size of the footprint on the surface and this mark was measured with a digital caliper for both dimensions, diameter and depth, as footprint diameter (FD) and indentation depth (ID). Data from 3000 samples, corresponding to 120 different individual groups (4 species × 3 ball diameters × 5 drop height × 2 floor type) were analyzed. Results indicated that the variability of ID (CV between 19.25–25.61%) is much greater than the values achieved for FD (CV between 6.72–7.91%). Regarding the fast-growing hardwood species tested, E. globulus showed a similar behavior to traditional hardwood applied on wood flooring in Europe, Q. robur, and it could be a promising growth in the flooring industry. However, E. grandis showed the worst values compared to traditional hardwood in all test configurations.

Description: The aim of the study was to evaluate the changes in glomalin-related soil proteins (GRSP) content, microbial diversity and soil physical quality depending on the type of soil measures of soil improvement and changes in soil health. The study was based on a 100-year stationary field microplot experiment where the soil profiles were collected with preserving the natural soil horizons. The microplot experiment was carried out on eight different soil types: Brunic Arenosol (Dystric I), Rendzic Leptosol, Fluvic Cambisol, Haplic Cambisol (Eutric), Gleyic Phaeozem, Brunic Arenosol (Dystric II), Haplic Cambisol (Eutric II) and Haplic Cambisol (Dystric). These soils are the most common types of agricultural soils in Poland. Relatively significant correlations with the soil quality, physical parameters and the glomalin-related soil proteins have been found. The study determined the total GRSP (T-GRSP) and easily extractable GRSP (EE-GRSP) levels in soils as well as the soil physical quality index and soil’s microbial biodiversity. The GRSP depended on the type of soil and correlated with S-Index and also was responsible for the unique chemical and physical properties of soils. Soils characterized by the highest T-GRSP content belonged to the group of very good and good soil physical quality characterized also by high biological activity, for which there were strong correlations with such parameters as dehydrogenase activity (DHA), microbial biomass content (MBC), microbial nitrogen content (MBN) and total bacteria number (B). The highest T-GRSP content and higher microbial diversity were found in Gleyic Phaeozem, Rendzic Leptosol and Fluvic Cambisol. The T-GRSP and EE-GRSP content were additionally correlated with the number of AMF spores. Very poor and poor soil physical quality according to S-Index characterized Brunic Arenosol (Dystric I) and Haplic Cambisol (Dystric). This research indicates that a specific edaphone of soil microorganisms and GRSP content may be of great importance when assessing a soil’s quality and improvements in soil health. The abundance of glomalin-producing fungi significantly affects the quality of the soil. This effect is particularly important for agricultural soils are threatened by ongoing land degradation.

Description: Eucalyptus grandis and E. dunnii have high productive potential in the South of Brazil, Uruguay, and central Argentina. This is based on the similarity of the climate and soil of these areas, which form an eco-region called Campos. However, previous results show that these species have differences in their distribution caused by the prioritization of Uruguayan soils for forestry, explained by the particular conditions of each site. In this study, the site variables (climate, soil, and topography) that better explain the distribution of both species were identified, and prediction models of current and future distribution were adjusted for different climate change scenarios (years 2050 and 2070). The distribution of E. grandis was associated with soil parameters, whereas for E. dunnii a greater effect of the climatic variables was observed. The ensemble biomod2 model was the most precise with regard to predicting the habitat for both species with respect to the simple models evaluated. For E. dunnii, the average values of the AUC, Kappa, and TSS index were 0.98, 0.88, and 0.77, respectively. For E. grandis, their values were 0.97, 0.86, and 0.80, respectively. In the projections of climatic change, the distribution of E. grandis occurrence remains practically unchanged, even in the scenarios of temperature increase. However, current distribution of E. dunnii shows high susceptibility in a scenario of increased temperature, to the point that most of the area currently planted may be at risk. Our results might be useful to political government and foresters for decision making in terms of future planted areas.

Description: Landscape connectivity is increasingly promoted as a conservation tool to combat the negative effects of habitat loss, fragmentation, and climate change. Given its importance as a key conservation strategy, connectivity science is a rapidly growing discipline. However, most landscape connectivity models consider connectivity for only a single snapshot in time, despite the widespread recognition that landscapes and ecological processes are dynamic. In this paper, we discuss the emergence of dynamic connectivity and the importance of including dynamism in connectivity models and assessments. We outline dynamic processes for both structural and functional connectivity at multiple spatiotemporal scales and provide examples of modeling approaches at each of these scales. We highlight the unique challenges that accompany the adoption of dynamic connectivity for conservation management and planning in the context of traditional conservation prioritization approaches. With the increased availability of time series and species movement data, computational capacity, and an expanding number of empirical examples in the literature, incorporating dynamic processes into connectivity models is more feasible than ever. Here, we articulate how dynamism is an intrinsic component of connectivity and integral to the future of connectivity science.

Description: Although compacted soil can be recovered through root development of planted seedlings, the relationship between root morphologies and soil physical properties remain unclear. We investigated the impacts of soil compaction on planted hybrid larch F1 (Larix gmelinii var. japonica×L. kaempferi, hereafter F1) seedlings with/without N loading. We assumed that N loading might increase the fine root proportion of F1 seedlings under soil compaction, resulting in less effects of root development on soil recovery. We established experimental site with different levels of soil compaction and N loading, where two-year-old F1 seedlings were planted. We used a hardness change index (HCI) to quantify a degree of soil hardness change at each depth. We evaluated root morphological responses to soil compaction and N loading, focusing on ectomycorrhizal symbiosis. High soil hardness reduced the total dry mass of F1 seedlings by more than 30%. Significant positive correlations were found between HCI and root proportion, which indicated that F1 seedling could enhance soil recovery via root development. The reduction of fine root density and its proportion due to soil compaction was observed, while these responses were contrasting under N loading. Nevertheless, the relationships between HCI and root proportion were not changed by N loading. The relative abundance of the larch-specific ectomycorrhizal fungi under soil compaction was increased by N loading. We concluded that the root development of F1 seedling accelerates soil recovery, where N loading could induce root morphological changes under soil compaction, resulting in the persistent relationship between root development and soil recovery.

Description: Leaf rust (LR) and stem rust (SR) pose serious challenges to wheat production in Kazakhstan. In recent years, the susceptibility of local wheat cultivars has substantially decreased grain yield and quality. Therefore, local breeding projects must be adjusted toward the improvement of LR and SR disease resistances, including genetic approaches. In this study, a spring wheat segregating population of Pamyati Azieva (PA) × Paragon (Par), consisting of 98 recombinant inbred lines (RILs), was analyzed for the resistance to LR and SR at the seedling and adult plant-growth stages. In total, 24 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for resistance to rust diseases at the seedling and adult plant stages were identified, including 11 QTLs for LR and 13 QTLs for SR resistances. Fourteen QTLs were in similar locations to QTLs and major genes detected in previous linkage mapping and genome-wide association studies. The remaining 10 QTLs are potentially new genetic factors for LR and SR resistance in wheat. Overall, the QTLs revealed in this study may play an important role in the improvement of wheat resistance to LR and SR per the marker-assisted selection approach.

Description: Chili pepper (Capsicum spp.) is one of the most economically important horticultural crops in the world; its production for the food and pharmaceutical industries has been increasing worldwide. The economic importance of this crop is due, in part, to the nutraceutical properties derived from its secondary metabolism. Drought is the main environmental factor that affects crop production. Nevertheless, studies involving water deficit have considered short-term responses to sharp water deficit rather than long-term acclimation processes through moderate and gradually increasing water deficits, which omitted the dynamics and profile of the secondary metabolism that are part of the plant’s defence system against this stress factor. The present study aimed to identify the different mechanisms that chili pepper plants use to cope with drought stress using a progressive decrease and increase of water availability, conditions that commonly occur for crops in open fields. Four treatments were applied as follows: gradual water deficit (GWD), initial waterlogging with gradual water deficit (IWGD), sudden water deficit with gradual recovery (SWDR), and no deficit of water (NDW). These conditions should represent a more real situation similar to that faced by plants in the agricultural environment. In order to evaluate the response mechanisms associated with these water deficits, changes in phenological variables, proline accumulation, and the gene expression of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), chalcone synthase (CHS), peroxidase (POD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured in chili pepper plants growing on land under different irrigation regimes in two contrasting soil types in areas where chili pepper plants are cultivated in central Mexico. The variables evaluated showed a differentiated response of the mechanisms in plants growing under different levels of water deficit. Given the differential response observed for the gene expression and morphological and biochemical variables studied in chili pepper plants against different water regimes, in this work, this may have implications for more efficient use of water in crops with high nutraceutical content, in addition to prospects for using products derived from secondary metabolism in the pharmaceutical industry.

Description: Climate change has the potential to disrupt ecosystem services and further exacerbate the effects of human activities on natural resources. This has significant implications for educational institutions and the populations they serve. As the current crop of landscape architecture students struggles to define its role within the climate crisis and its related social and political underpinnings, a core mission of colleges and universities moving forward should be to provide students with applied knowledge about how climate change affects the landscape. This goes beyond coursework in climate science or policy; for landscape architecture students to be leaders in the response to climate change, they need applied, practical skills. An ever-growing body of the literature focuses on landscape design strategies for climate change adaptation; however, few frameworks integrate these strategies with the hands-on experience students will need to face real-world challenges after graduation. Educational institutions have the potential to utilize their campuses as demonstration sites for applied ecosystem research programs and actively engage students with the design, implementation, politics, and ongoing stewardship of these landscapes. This paper uses a case study methodology to understand how experiential and public-engaged learning pedagogies contribute to student preparedness to address climate change. It examines three cases of engaged learning at the University of California, Davis campus and attributes their impact to intentional connections with research, to the delegation of responsibility; to the openness of spaces for experimentation, and to self-reflection that connects climate with everyday behavior. By promoting experiential learning programs that require students to actively use their heads and their hands to construct and sustainably manage their own campus landscapes, service-learning studios and internships can provide opportunities for students to address the real scenarios of climate crisis and resilience.

Description: We evaluated surface-based analysis for assessing the possible relationship between the microstructural properties and particulate matter (i.e., two size fractions of PM2.5 and PM10) adsorption efficiencies of their leaf surfaces on ten woody species. We focused on the effect of PM adsorption capacity between micro-morphological features on leaf surfaces using a scanning electron microscope and a non-contact surface profiler as an example. The species with higher adsorption of PM10 on leaf surfaces were Korean boxwood (Buxus koreana Nakai ex Chung & al.) and evergreen spindle (Euonymus japonicus Thunb.), followed by yulan magnolia (Magnolia denudata Desr.), Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata Siebold & Zucc.), Japanese horse chestnut (Aesculus turbinata Blume), retusa fringetree (Chionanthus retusus Lindl. & Paxton), maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba L.), and royal azalea (Rhododendron schlippenbachii Maxim.). There was a higher capacity for the adsorption of PM2.5 on the leaf surfaces of B. koreana and T. cuspidata, followed by A. turbinata, C. retusus, E. japonicus, G. biloba, and M. denudata. In wax layer tests, T. cuspidata, A. turbinata, R. schlippenbachii, and C. retusus showed a statistically higher PM2.5 capturing capacity than the other species. Different types of trichomes were distributed on the adaxial and abaxial leaves of A. turbinata, C. retusus, M. denudata, pagoda tree (Styphnolobium japonicum (L.) Schott), B. koreana, and R. schlippenbachii; however, these trichomes were absent on both sides of the leaves of G. biloba, tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera L.), E. japonicus, and T. cuspidata. Importantly, leaf surfaces of G. biloba and S. japonicum with dense or thick epicuticular leaf waxes and deeper roughness revealed lower PM adsorption. Based on the overall performance of airborne PM capture efficiency, evergreen species such as B. koreana, T. cuspidata, and E. japonicus showed the best results, whereas S. japonicum and L. tulipifera had the lowest capture. In particular, evergreen shrub species showed higher PM2.5 depositions inside the inner wall of stomata or the periphery of guard cells. Therefore, in leaf microstructural factors, stomatal size may be related to notably high PM2.5 holding capacities on leaf surfaces, but stomatal density, trichome density, and roughness had a limited effect on PM adsorption. Finally, our findings indicate that surface-based microstructures are necessarily not a correlation for corresponding estimates with leaf PM adsorption.

Description: The most massive and fast-eroding thaw slump of the Northern Hemisphere located in the Yana Uplands of Northern Yakutia was investigated to assess in detail the cryogenic inventory and carbon pools of two distinctive Ice Complex stratigraphic units and the uppermost cover deposits. Differentiating into modern and Holocene near-surface layers (active layer and shielding layer), highest total carbon contents were found in the active layer (18.72 kg m−2), while the shielding layer yielded a much lower carbon content of 1.81 kg m−2. The late Pleistocene upper Ice Complex contained 10.34 kg m−2 total carbon, and the mid-Pleistocene lower Ice Complex 17.66 kg m−2. The proportion of organic carbon from total carbon content is well above 70% in all studied units with 94% in the active layer, 73% in the shielding layer, 83% in the upper Ice Complex and 79% in the lower Ice Complex. Inorganic carbon is low in the overall structure of the deposits.

Description: Organic amendments can reportedly sustain and increase lowland rice productivity in smallholder systems. Few studies have assessed locally-available substrates in hydrologically variable floodplain environments. We investigated the effects of green and farmyard manures on rice yields, and total soil C and N in the Kilombero floodplain, Tanzania. At both the fringe and the middle positions, five treatments were applied in 2016 and 2017, comprising (1) non-amended control, (2) farmyard manure, (3) pre-rice legumes, (4) post-rice legumes and (5) a combination of green and farmyard manures. Residual treatment effects were assessed in 2018 when rice plots were uniformly non-amended. Depending on the year and the position, organic amendments increased rice grain yields by 0.7–3.1 Mg ha–1 above the non-amended control. Sole green and farmyard manure applications had similar effects on grain yield, while a combination of green and farmyard manure led to a significant increase in grain yield above both the control and sole applications of organic amendments in both years. The contribution from biological N2 fixation by legumes ranged from 4 to 61 kg N ha–1. Despite partial N balances being mostly negative, we observed positive residual effects on the yield of the non-amended rice in the third year. Such effects reached up to 4 Mg ha−1 and were largest with post-rice legumes, sole or combined with farmyard manure. Irrespective of the position in the floodplain, manures significantly increased soil C and N contents after two years, hence enhancing soil fertility and resulting in increased rice grain yields. Comparable benefits may be obtained along the hydrological gradients of other large river floodplains of the region and beyond.

Description: The aim of this study was to analyse the genetic and phenotypic differentiation of bacteria isolated from root nodules of Trifolium rubens, a rare clover species. The symbiotic compatibility of selected isolates was investigated using two agronomically important plants, red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and pea (Pisum sativum L.). A high genetic diversity of analysed strains was shown using the Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus Polymerase Chain Reaction (ERIC-PCR) method. Most of the strains showed a high similarity to R. leguminosarum in the 16S rRNA sequence. Two strains were identified as Agrobacterium spp. There was a strong positive correlation between fresh clover weight and the number of root nodules and a statistically significant increase in the number of the root nodules in selected strains compared to the negative control. Phenotypic tests and BIOLOG analysis showed the ability of the analysed strains to grow in different experimental conditions (pH = 6–10, 0.5–3% NaCl, different carbon and nitrogen sources), which makes them suitable for application as an agronomically important factor.

Description: Ecuador Andean purple corn (Zea mays L.) was subjected to a germination process at 15–40 °C for 24–168 incubation hours. Purple corn protein concentrates (PCPCs) were obtained by alkaline extraction at pH 8.0 and pH 10.0, followed by an isoelectric precipitation process at pH 4.0, pH 5.0 and pH 6.0. Proteins and phenolic content of PCPCs was calculated. PCPC antioxidant properties were determined by the ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) in vitro method and by the 2,2-azinobis, 3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid, (ABTS) in vitro method. Andean purple corn seeds were able to germinate under the germination conditions tested in this study. The higher percentage of germination was of 63.33% at 168 h/25 °C. The PCPCs protein profile was characterized for the presence of six bands with molecular weights of 14.50 kDa, 20.12 kDa, 25.18 kDa, 41.85 kDa, 59.59 kDa, and 65.87 kDa. Germinated PCPC presented a high TPC content with ranges of 605.71–1820.00 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g PCPC dry weight (DW), germinated PCPC/72 h/25 °C presented a higher value of 1820.00 mg GAE/g PCPC, DW. All germinated PCPCs samples assayed presented strong antioxidant activity when measured by the ABTS and FRAP methods. Germinated PCPC/144 h/35 °C presented high antioxidant activity by ABTS with 804.35 µmol Trolox equivalents (TE)/g PCPC DW and germinated PCPC/144 h/30 °C presented a high value by the FRAP method, 987.83 µmol TE/g PCPC DW.

Description: Weedy rice is one of the most common weeds in rice cultivation in many rice areas throughout the world and it is able to cause significant yield reductions. Weedy rice is characterized by a high biological diversity that permits different populations to be identified on the basis of their morphological and physiological traits. This variability contributes to its success in different environments and allows different abiotic stresses, which are intensified by climate change, to be faced. Taller plants, enhanced tillering, seed shattering and the presence of red pericarp, variable hull coloration and awn morphology, linked to a deeper seed dormancy, are some of the traits that help weedy rice to spread in changing environments. The higher phenotypic plasticity and genetic variability of weedy rice make it more able to cope with temperature variations, intermittent water availability, soil salinity, drought conditions and increased CO2 concentrations than cultivated rice. As these abiotic stresses will become more frequent in the future, weedy rice competitiveness may be higher, with a spread of infestations. Thus, the control of weedy rice should be based on an integration of different preventive and agronomic techniques, a sensible use of herbicides and the use of suitable rice varieties.

Description: Testing Fusarium resistance to ear rots in maize requires a well-supported methodology and tests for toxin responses. In this study, commercial hybrids were tested for resistance to Fusarium graminearum, Fusarium culmorum, and Fusarium verticillioides (kernel and silk channel), as well as their toxin response. One third of the hybrids tested showed a similar resistance or susceptibility to the three pathogens and their toxin response, but there is no proof for their genetic background being the same or different. The performance of the remaining hybrids was highly variable and supports the idea of different genetic regulation. The mean ear rot severity of the kernel resistance was doubled compared with the silk channel resistance data. The ear rot and toxin tests displayed significant positive correlations, verifying the decisive role of resistance in toxin regulation. Several hybrids, termed toxigenic hybrids, showed significant extra toxin production, indicating an additional food safety risk. The toothpick method gave more reliable results and a better differentiation of genotypes. The resistance to different Fusarium spp. in a specific growing region should be analyzed separately in independent resistance tests. Through this, the food safety risks could be better identified. Susceptible hybrids should not be used for commercial production.

Description: The study’s objective was to evaluate the influence of thinning on the quality and regularity of yield of ‘Regina’ cherries grown on a dwarf Gisela 5 rootstock. The experiments were conducted in the years 2009–2012 in Western Poland. Trees were thinned using a chemical agent, ammonium thiosulphate (ATS), at doses of 20 g ATS L−1, 30 g ATS L−1 and 40 g ATS L−1, and by hand, and the results of chemical and hand thinning were compared with those obtained for unthinned trees. The course of weather conditions in winter and during flowering had a significant impact on yield. Chemical thinning is known to be an effective method to regulate fruiting of pome trees, but it can also be successful if applied to cherry trees, as reflected by the alternate bearing index, which was the lowest after applying ATS at a dose of 40 g. ATS treatment improved fruit quality in full crop years. Thinning resulted in, among other things, larger and darker fruit and higher content of total soluble solids and titratable acidity. Treatment with 40 g ATS L−1 significantly stimulated the vegetative growth of trees.

Description: Emerald ash borer is an invasive pest in North American forests. Ecological impacts of ash mortality from emerald ash borer are wide-ranging, including shifts in insect communities and wildlife behavior. Additionally, loss of ash from forests may have important implications regarding plant succession. Surveys of overstory, midstory, and understory trees within forests in northeastern Indiana, Lower Peninsula of Michigan, and northwestern Ohio were conducted to quantify the change in forest composition over a 10 year period. Interpolation of ash dominance illustrated inversion of live and dead ash values between 2007 and 2017. Even though more than 83% of overstory live ash basal area was lost across the study area, green ash was the most abundant midstory and understory species representing regeneration. Additionally, loss of ash from many of the sites resulted in compositional changes that were greater than merely the subtraction of ash. Due to the relatively large number of forest types with which ash species are associated, loss of ash will have broad ecological consequences, including on community composition.

Description: Since 2006, an increasing number of French vineyards have chosen to convert to organic farming. One major change in vineyard practices includes replacing chemical pesticides with copper and sulfur-based products in line with Council Regulation (EC) No. 834/2007. This change can make overall management and pest and disease control more difficult and potentially lead to yield losses. From 2013 to 2016, a network of 48 vineyard plots, in southern France, under conventional management and in conversion to organic farming were monitored throughout the three-year conversion phase to investigate the grapevine phytosanitary management of four major pests and diseases and variations in control efficiency. The severity of downy and powdery mildew, grape berry moths, and Botrytis bunch rot were assessed and linked to the protection strategy. The findings showed that pests and diseases were controlled in the third year of conversion at similar efficiency levels as in conventional farming. However, the first two years of conversion were a transitional and less successful period during which higher incidences of cryptogamic diseases were observed. This demonstrates a need for winegrowers to receive more in-depth technical advice and support, especially on pest and disease control, during this critical transition period.

Description: Increasing demands on animal welfare and the higher temperatures in summer due to climate change make it necessary to adapt conventional pig husbandry systems. A cooled, solid lying area has the potential to increase lying comfort and reduce the heat stress, which improves animal welfare. In the present study, the effect of a cooled, solid lying area on lying and elimination behavior was investigated. In two fattening compartments, eight pens with 28 pigs each were rebuilt. Two pen designs, different in feeder place and type, were tested. The floor was cooled from 24.5 to 20 °C by cool water in half of the pens. A total of 672 fattening pigs were tested over three fattening periods. The lying behavior was recorded by video analysis three times per week and three times per day. In the pens with a cooled lying area, 14% (SED 2.9; p = 0.002), respectively 12% (SED 0.9; p = 0.0382) more pigs were lying on the solid lying area. Additionally, the fouling of the animals was reduced by the cooling in one pen design; the results were derived from weekly scores (0.42 vs. 0.67; SED 0.058 p = 0.0006). The fouling of the pen was not affected by the floor cooling, however, the fouling in all pens was very low.

Description: The sugarcane (Saccharum spp. L.) mechanical harvesting system leaves a large amount of straw mulch on the soil surface. The straw mulch may affect soil conditions, root regrowth, and sugarcane yield. Thus, this study assessed the response of sugarcane root system growth and stalk yield to different rates of straw removal. An experiment was conducted in a Rhodic Kandiudox with sand clay loam texture to test the impact of four rates of straw removal: no removal (18.9 Mg ha−1 of dry mass); moderate removal (8.7 Mg ha−1); high removal (4.2 Mg ha−1) and total removal on sugarcane root system and stalk yield. Higher concentrations of roots (60%) were found in the first 40 cm of soil. Moderate straw removal resulted in higher root mass (3.6 Mg ha−1) and stalk production (23 Mg ha−1 of dry mass). However, no straw removal reduced root mass by 20% (105 Mg ha−1). Through regression analysis, it was estimated that retaining between 8.5 and 13 Mg ha−1 of straw resulted in the highest root mass and stalk yield. Managing straw removal to retain a moderate amount enables producers to sustain suitable soil conditions for sugarcane root growth and stalk production while providing straw for industrial use.

Description: Proximal sensing techniques can potentially survey soil and crop variables responsible for variations in crop yield. The full potential of these precision agriculture technologies may be exploited in combination with innovative methods of data processing such as machine learning (ML) algorithms for the extraction of useful information responsible for controlling crop yield. Four ML algorithms, namely linear regression (LR), elastic net (EN), k-nearest neighbor (k-NN), and support vector regression (SVR), were used to predict potato (Solanum tuberosum) tuber yield from data of soil and crop properties collected through proximal sensing. Six fields in Atlantic Canada including three fields in Prince Edward Island (PE) and three fields in New Brunswick (NB) were sampled, over two (2017 and 2018) growing seasons, for soil electrical conductivity, soil moisture content, soil slope, normalized-difference vegetative index (NDVI), and soil chemistry. Data were collected from 39–40 30 × 30 m2 locations in each field, four times throughout the growing season, and yield samples were collected manually at the end of the growing season. Four datasets, namely PE-2017, PE-2018, NB-2017, and NB-2018, were then formed by combing data points from three fields to represent the province data for the respective years. Modeling techniques were employed to generate yield predictions assessed with different statistical parameters. The SVR models outperformed all other models for NB-2017, NB-2018, PE-2017, and PE-2018 dataset with RMSE of 5.97, 4.62, 6.60, and 6.17 t/ha, respectively. The performance of k-NN remained poor in three out of four datasets, namely NB-2017, NB-2018, and PE-2017 with RMSE of 6.93, 5.23, and 6.91 t/ha, respectively. The study also showed that large datasets are required to generate useful results using either model. This information is needed for creating site-specific management zones for potatoes, which form a significant component for food security initiatives across the globe.

Description: Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) has grown in stature as a key component of many national natural resource and rural development governance systems. Despite their growth, the integrity of CBNRM governance systems has rarely been analysed in a national context. To enhance dialogue about how best to design and deploy such systems nationally, this paper analyses the Australian system in detail. The Australian system was selected because the nation has a globally recognised and strong history of CBNRM approaches. We first contextualise the international emergence of national CBRM governance systems before analysing the Australian system. We find that a theoretically informed approach recognising regions as the anchors in brokering multi-scale CBNRM was applied between 2000 and 2007. Subsequent policy, while strengthening indigenous roles, has tended to weaken regional brokering, Commonwealth–state cooperation and research collaboration. Our findings and consequent emerging lessons can inform Australian policy makers and other nations looking to establish (or to reform existing) CBNRM governance systems. Equally, the research approach taken represents the application of an emerging new theoretical framework for analysing complex governance systems.

Description: Targeted genome editing using CRISPR-Cas9 has been widely adopted as a genetic engineering tool in various biological systems. This editing technology has been in the limelight due to its simplicity and versatility compared to other previously known genome editing platforms. Several modifications of this editing system have been established for adoption in a variety of plants, as well as for its improved efficiency and portability, bringing new opportunities for the development of transgene-free improved varieties of economically important crops. This review presents an overview of CRISPR-Cas9 and its application in plant genome editing. A catalog of the current and emerging approaches for the implementation of the system in plants is also presented with details on the existing gaps and limitations. Strategies for the establishment of the CRISPR-Cas9 molecular construct such as the selection of sgRNAs, PAM compatibility, choice of promoters, vector architecture, and multiplexing approaches are emphasized. Progress in the delivery and transgene detection methods, together with optimization approaches for improved on-target efficiency are also detailed in this review. The information laid out here will provide options useful for the effective and efficient exploitation of the system for plant genome editing and will serve as a baseline for further developments of the system. Future combinations and fine-tuning of the known parameters or factors that contribute to the editing efficiency, fidelity, and portability of CRISPR-Cas9 will indeed open avenues for new technological advancements of the system for targeted gene editing in plants.

Description: The use of Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights in microscale vegetable production is more and more widespread. In this context, the effect of light spectrum on photosynthesis, growth, shoot yield, pigment content, and nutritional status of einkorn seedlings (Triticum monococcum L. ssp. monococcum), germinated and grown in a nutrient solution, was investigated. Plants were subjected to six different LED light treatments, all having a photon flux density (PFD) of 200 μmol m−2 s−1. Two light treatments were monochromatic (red or blue), three dichromatic (blue and red in the proportion), and one of a wider spectrum (selected as a control). All the light treatments affected the morphological, biochemical, and nutritional status of einkorn seedlings. Overall, the dichromatic treatments were the most effective in stimulating biomass production, CO2 assimilation, and evapotranspiration, as well as contents in chlorophyll a and b and carotenoids, and additionally nitrogen, phosphorous, manganese, iron, and zinc. These results are of relevance for the beneficial effects of dichromatic LED treatments in maximizing einkorn shoot yield and nutritional values, and in limiting energy consumption in indoor cultivation.

Description: Lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) is one of the most important cool season food legume crops grown in many countries. Seeds are typically rich in protein, fiber, prebiotic carbohydrates and minerals, such as iron and zinc. With changing climate and variability, the lentil crop faces frequent droughts and heat stress of varying intensity in its major production zones. In the present study, a set of 162 lentil accessions selected through the Focused Identification of Germplasm Strategy (FIGS) were screened for tolerance to heat stress and combined heat-drought stresses under field conditions at two contrasting locations, namely Marchouch and Tessaout in Morocco. The results showed a significant genotypic variation for heat tolerance and combined heat-drought tolerance among the accessions at both locations. Based on the heat tolerance index (HTI), accessions, namely ILL 7833, ILL 6338 and ILL 6104, were selected as potential sources of heat tolerance at Marchouch, and ILL 7814 and ILL 8029 at Tessaout. Using the stress tolerance index (STI), ILL 7835, ILL 6075 and ILL 6362 were identified as the most tolerant lines (STI 〉 1) at Marchouch, and ILL 7814, ILL 7835 and ILL 7804 (STI 〉 1) at Tessaout, under the combined heat-drought stress conditions. Accession ILL 7835 was identified as a good source of stable tolerance to heat stress and combined heat-drought stress at both locations.

Description: Tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L.) cv. Moperou, which possess gene Tm-2 for resistance against tomato mosaic virus (ToMV), were pre-inoculated with compatible pathotype P2 or incompatible pathotype P0 strains of ToMV and subsequently challenge infected with Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato and Xanthomonas vesicatoria. It was found that both types of virus strains, compatible and incompatible, induced systemic acquired resistance (SAR), which protected plants from subsequent pathogen infection. The percentage of protection of the compatible ToMV pathotype P2 strain was 100% against both bacterial infections, while that of the incompatible ToMV pathotype P0 strain varied from 26 to 77% within the timeline and depended on the pathogen races. The SAR induced by ToMV was confirmed by the increased antioxidant defense and hydrogen peroxide content in the leaves of tomato plants inoculated with compatible and incompatible ToMV strains.

Description: Declining soil fertility is one of the major problems facing producers of field crops in most dryland areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. In response to the declining soil fertility, extensive participatory research has been undertaken by the World Agroforestry (ICRAF) and smallholder farmers in Dodoma region, Tanzania. The research has, amongst others, led to the development of Gliricidia agroforestry technology. The positive impact of Gliricidia intercropping on crop yields has been established. However, information on farmers’ willingness and ability to adopt the Gliricidia agroforestry technology on their farms is limited. This study predicts the adoption of Gliricidia agroforestry and conventional mineral fertilizer use technology. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted with groups of farmers, purposively selected based on five sets of criteria: (i) at least 2 years of experience in either trying or using Gliricidia agroforestry technology, (ii) at least 1 year of experience in either trying or using the mineral fertilizer technology (iii) at least 10 years of living in the study villages, (iv) the age of 18 years and above, and (v) sex. The Adoption and Diffusion Outcome Prediction Tool (ADOPT) was used to predict the peak adoption levels and the respective time in years. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the effect of change in adoption variables on predicted peak adoption levels and time to peak adoption. The results revealed variations in peak adoption levels with Gliricidia agroforestry technology exhibiting the highest peak of 67.6% in 12 years, and that the most influential variable to the peak adoption is the upfront cost of investing in Gliricidia agroforestry and fertilizer technologies. However, in Gliricidia agroforestry technology most production costs are incurred in the first year of project establishment but impact the long term biophysical and economic benefits. Moreover, farmers practicing agroforestry technology accrue environmental benefits, such as soil erosion control. Based on the results, it is plausible to argue that Gliricidia agroforestry technology has a high adoption potential and its adoption is influenced by investment costs. We recommend two actions to attract smallholder farmers investing in agroforestry technologies. First, enhancing farmers’ access to inputs at affordable prices. Second, raising farmers’ awareness of the long-term environmental benefits of Gliricidia agroforestry technology.

Description: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of light quality on the growth and contents of photosynthetic pigments and total flavonoids, the parameters of chlorophyll a fluorescence, antioxidant capacities, and enzyme activities. It was intended to preliminarily explore the internal mechanisms involved for the effect of light quality on the growth and physiology of Carpesium triste Maxim. Stem apex explants were cultured on the Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium under white (W), red (R), blue (B), or a 1:1 mixture of red and blue (RB) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for four weeks. The RB induced sturdy plantlets and increased the contents of photosynthetic pigments and total flavonoids, photosynthetic electron transport and efficiency, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging capacity, and activities of antioxidant enzymes in the plantlets. Taken together, combinations of monochromatic red and blue LEDs could be used for the best production of high-quality C. triste plantlets in vitro.

Description: In order to meet the growing global demand for bioproducts, areas of forests planted for productive purposes tend to increase worldwide. However, there are several controversies about the possible negative impacts of such forests, such as invasive potential, influence on water balance and biodiversity, and competition with other types of land use. As a result, there is a need to optimize land use, in order to achieve improvements in terms of sustainability in the broadest sense. In this study, the environmental and economic performances of pine and eucalyptus forest production systems for multiple purposes are compared aiming an optimized allocation of land use in the Center-West Region of Brazil. Life cycle assessment, life cycle cost and analysis of financial and economic indicators were used to assess potential environmental and economic impacts, covering the agricultural and industrial phases of pine and eucalyptus forest systems managed for the production of cellulose and sawn wood and, for pine, the production of rosin and turpentine from the extraction of gumresin and by applying the kraft process. Subsequently, the TOPSIS multicriteria decision-making method was applied to rank production systems in different combinations of phases and criteria, and multi-objective optimization was used to allocate land use according to different restrictions of areas and efficiency. The adoption of cleaner energy sources and the use of more efficient machines, equipment and vehicles are the main solutions to improve the environmental and economic performance of the forestry sector. The production systems of pine for cellulose and pine for sawn wood, rosin and turpentine were identified as the best solutions to optimize land use. For this reason, they must be considered as alternatives for the expansion and diversification of the Brazilian forest productive chain.

Description: Vegetable growers require vigorous transplants in order to reduce the period of transplant shock during early stand establishment. Organic media containing solid humic substances (HS) are amendments that have not been comprehensively explored for applications in containerized vegetable transplant production systems. In this study, HS (1% v/v) were applied to a peat-based growth medium to evaluate pre- and post-transplant growth modulation of four economically important vegetable species. Those were: pepper, tomato, watermelon, and lettuce. Seeding for all species was performed in two periods in order to evaluate their post-transplant yield performance under drought (water deficit vs. well-watered) and heat (hot vs. cool season) stresses. Compared with control, HS-treated plants had: (1) increased leaf and root biomass after transplanting due to faster growth rates; (2) lower root/shoot ratio before transplanting, but higher after 10 days of field establishment; and (3) increased root length and surface area. The negative effects of heat and drought stresses on crop yield were more prominent in control plants, while HS-treated transplants were able to mitigate yield decreases. The results clearly demonstrated the benefits of using solid HS as a management input to improve transplant quality in these crop species.

Description: Economic and environmental concerns limit peat use for substrate production, promoting interest in alternative materials. Hence, in this study, 16 substrates were obtained by mixing, in a factorial combination, eight substrates with different ratios of peat, rice hulls (RH), and anaerobic digestion residues (ADR) and two types of RH: whole (WRH) or ground RH (GRH). Substrates were physically and chemically characterized and then tested as potting substrates for Pelargonium peltatum ‘Ville de Paris’ and Rosa × hybrida ‘La Sevillana’ production. Physical characteristics worsened the increasing RH content. This problem was partly solved using GRH and adding ADR to the substrates. As for chemical characteristics, RH increased P and K, reducing cation exchange capacity, NO3-N, and Ca, thus causing a possible nutritional imbalance. ADR addition increased all nutrients, restoring the nutritional balance. Geranium and rose plants were negatively affected by an increasing rate of RH. In both species, the use of GRH improved the considered parameters, whereas ADR improved some parameters but only in geranium. It was possible to partly substitute peat with 33% RH, but GRH plus ADR is necessary for geranium production, and facultative for rose. The multiple regression method and principal component analysis appear to be useful tools to understand which substrate parameters, and to what extent, influence the growth of ornamental plants.

Description: This article focuses on the specificity of present enclave structures in rural areas that were created decades ago as a result of decisions to establish housing estates for employees, and which acquired negative features as a result of the liquidation of the monopolistic employer. An attempt has been made to answer if workers' housing complexes can turn into permanent enclaves of isolation and neglect after the liquidation of a monopolistic workplace, especially if they are located in rural areas? The aim of the paper is to picture the process of social exclusion emergence in the rural areas, which results from the still unresolved socio-economic problem of the existence of such enclaves of isolation and neglect in Polish rural areas in the 21st century. Despite almost 30 years passing, the areas with spatially and socially isolated settlements have very high unemployment rates, a low level of technical and social infrastructure and a widespread sense of injustice among the people who live there. The empirical basis for the analysis was four cases. The presented stories took place against the historical background of the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodship and the socio-economic background. Studies were conducted in the selected villages with a free-form interview and photographic documentation was prepared. In the result, a close picture of the enclaves was drawn. The examples presented in this article proved that workers' settlements, located around large economic entities distant from existing settlement networks can develop into enclaves of isolation and neglect.

Description: There is a strong policy move in Britain to improve forest resilience to climate change by increasing stand structural and species diversity. Although currently little used in Britain, the technique of underplanting allows regeneration and diversification of stands while avoiding some of the disadvantages of clearfelling. Two experiments were examined: (1) the growth and survival of five underplanted conifer species of differing shade tolerance in a shelterwood and (2) compared performance of underplanted and open-grown Douglas-fir seedlings on restocking sites. Underplanted Sitka spruce, Norway spruce, noble fir, European silver fir and Douglas-fir were all able to survive and grow. However increased exposure following overstorey removal resulted in some damage and ‘socketing’, especially to taller seedlings, particularly Douglas-fir. This may be linked to poor root development when growing under an overstorey. Microclimate conditions on some underplanted sites were more sheltered from extreme climatic conditions, and in some cases this improved survival of Douglas-fir seedlings. However, seedling growth rates were reduced compared with those on open sites probably due to lower light levels. Underplanting may help to improve establishment success of some species, particularly in exposed areas. However, the shelter benefits of underplanting must be carefully balanced against the trade-off with lower light, and underplanting is likely to be more successful where low canopy density is maintained.

Description: The recent emergence of Olive Quick Decline Syndrome in Italy, caused by Xylella fastidiosa, has drawn attention to the risks posed by this vector-borne bacterium to important crops in Europe (especially fruit trees and grapevine). Comparatively very little is known on actual and potential impacts of this pathogen in forests, in the native (North American) and introduced (European) regions, respectively. The present review aims to address important questions related to the threat posed by X. fastidiosa to European forests, such as the following: What are the symptoms, hosts and impact of bacterial leaf scorch caused by X. fastidiosa on trees in North America? Which forest tree species have been found infected in the introduction area in Europe? How does X. fastidiosa cause disease in susceptible hosts? Are there any X. fastidiosa genotypes (subspecies and sequence types) specifically associated with forest trees? How is X. fastidiosa transmitted? What are the known and potential vectors for forest trees? How does vector ecology affect disease? Is the distribution of X. fastidiosa, especially the strains associated with trees, restricted by climatic factors? Is disease risk for trees different in forest ecosystems as compared with urban settings? We conclude by pointing to important knowledge gaps related to all these questions and strongly advocate for more research about the Xylella-forest pathosystems, in both North America and Europe.

Description: In the process of urbanization in China, the problem of atmospheric suspended particulate matter pollution is becoming increasingly serious. It has been impossible to completely rely on pollution source control measures to solve this problem for a long time due to the diversity and complexity of pollution sources. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore alternate solutions to significantly improve air quality through increasing the capacity of green space in cities as these locations can provide multiple ecosystem services. In this study, a three-dimensional classification system was created by utilizing Beijing’s urban forest as a study area. Considering the meteorological factors, change of month and time and the characteristics of the forest itself, the significance and difference of reducing the concentration of atmospheric suspended particulate matter by the forest with different vegetation structures were tested. The results showed that meteorological factors such as wind velocity, temperature, and relative humidity all had a very significant effect on the concentration of atmospheric suspended particulate matter in the conditions of this study. The concentration was highest in winter, followed by spring and autumn, and lowest in summer. The concentration in the morning was the lowest of the day, increasing in the noon and afternoon with time. It was the lowest in the closed single-layered mixed forest, and the highest in the open lawn green space. By comparing the forest with gradient areas of 0.5 ha and 3.0 ha, it was found that with the increase in the area, the green space did not necessarily show a better dust retention effect, and the vegetation structure type of the green space often had more important influence. There was a very significant correlation between vegetation structure and plant diversity (Shannon–Wiener Diversity Index and Simpson Diversity Index). Biodiversity could significantly support and strengthen urban forest ecological service functions that improve air quality. Increasing the plant species diversity could lead to lower particulate matter concentration. The research conclusions could provide theoretical and practical bases for how to select the combination of vegetation structure in the planning and design of urban forest oriented to improve air quality.

Description: Drought is a major abiotic stress factor limiting cotton yield. It is important to identify the genotypes that can conserve water under drought stress conditions and improve yield. The objective of the current study was to evaluate cotton genotypes for water conservation traits, i.e., high FTSW (Fraction of Transpirable Soil Water) threshold for transpiration. Plants utilize water slowly by declining transpiration at high FTSW and conserving soil water, which can be used by the plant later in the growing season to improve yield. Fifteen cotton varieties were selected based on their differences in transpiration response to elevated vapor pressure deficit (VPD) to study drought responses. Two pot experiments were carried out in the greenhouse to determine the FTSW threshold for the transpiration rate as the soil dried. A significant variation (p 〈 0.01) in the FTSW threshold values for transpiration decline was observed, ranging from 0.35 to 0.60 among cotton cultivars. Genotypes with high FTSW thresholds also displayed low transpiration under well-watered conditions. Further studies with four selected genotype contrasts in FTSW threshold values for transpiration showed differences (p 〈 0.05 to 0.001) in gas exchange parameters and water potentials. This study demonstrated that there are alternate traits among the cotton genotypes for enhancing soil water conservation to improve yield under water-limited conditions.

Description: Biochar is a promising material for the improvement of soil quality. However, studies on biochar have mostly been carried out in laboratory conditions or have focused on agricultural aspects. The impacts of the application of biochar on soil characteristics and related ecological processes of the forest ecosystem have not been fully resolved. In this study, we investigated the effects of regular biochar and bacteria-loaded biochar on the microbial communities in the bulk soil and the rhizosphere soil of an annual Chinese fir plantation. In early spring (April), the two types of biochar were added to the soil at the rates of 2.22 t·ha−1, 4.44 t·ha−1, 6.67 t·ha−1, 8.89 t·ha−1, and 11.11 t·ha−1 by ring furrow application around the seedlings, and soil samples were collected at the end of autumn (November). The results showed that biochar addition increased the soil nutrient content and promoted the growth and diversity of soil microbial communities. The diversity of soil fungi was significantly increased, and the diversity of soil bacteria was significantly decreased. Principal component analysis under the different biochar types and application rates demonstrated that microbial communities differed significantly between the treatments and controls and that the effect of biochar on the microbial community of the bulk soil was more significant than that of the rhizosphere soil. Under the same dosage, the effect of bacteria-loaded biochar on soil was more significant than that of regular biochar.

Description: Strawberry cropping system relies heavily on proper disease management to maintain high crop yield. Powdery mildew, caused by Sphaerotheca macularis (Wall. Ex Fries) is one of the major leaf diseases in strawberry which can cause significant yield losses up to 70%. Field scouts manually walk beside strawberry fields and visually observe the plants to monitor for powdery mildew disease infection each week during summer months which is a laborious and time-consuming endeavor. The objective of this research was to increase the efficiency of field scouting by automatically detecting powdery mildew disease in strawberry fields by using a real-time machine vision system. A global positioning system, two cameras, a custom image processing program, and a ruggedized laptop computer were utilized for development of the disease detection system. The custom image processing program was developed using color co-occurrence matrix-based texture analysis along with artificial neural network technique to process and classify continuously acquired image data simultaneously. Three commercial strawberry field sites in central Nova Scotia were used to evaluate the performance of the developed system. A total of 36 strawberry rows (~1.06 ha) were tested within three fields and powdery mildew detected points were measured manually followed by automatic detection system. The manually detected points were compared with automatically detected points to ensure the accuracy of the developed system. Results of regression and scatter plots revealed that the system was able to detect disease having mean absolute error values of 4.00, 3.42, and 2.83 per row and root mean square error values of 4.12, 3.71, and 3.00 per row in field site-I, field site-II, and field site-III, respectively. The slight deviation in performance was likely caused by high wind speeds (〉8 km h−1), leaf overlapping, leaf angle, and presence of spider mite disease during field testing.

Description: A 5-year study evaluated the change in the quantity of soil total C (STC), soil organic C (SOC), and soil inorganic C (SIC) stored in the surface 60 cm of the soil profile on two adjacent blocks of land with a long-term history of cropping (CH) or undisturbed grassland (NH) on similar soil types between 1999 and 2004. The NH area was tilled and a grass-legume species mix was seeded into plots on both the NH and the CH areas. Selected plots of restored grass were established so they could be grazed (GG) by livestock while other plots were left ungrazed (UG). Original undisturbed (and ungrazed) grassland plots within the NH area were used as a control treatment. Initially, STC and SOC in CH were lower than NH when compared under the semi-arid environmental conditions found in southwestern North Dakota. Over the study period, the undisturbed grass control plots had increases in STC and SOC levels in the soil profile of 3.90 kg·m−2 and 3.34 kg·m−2, respectively. Restored grass on the NH area with grazing showed increases in STC and SOC values of 2.11 and 1.26 kg·m−2, respectively, while without grazing, profile STC and SOC had values of 3.80 and 3.28 kg·m−2, respectively. Restored grass on the CH area showed increases in profile STC and SOC values of 0.55 and 1.96 kg·m−2, respectively, for the grazed plots and 0.78 and 2.11 kg·m−2, respectively, when left ungrazed. Soil inorganic C, though present in the soils, did not significantly change during the study. The lower C accumulation in the CH plots may be due to a lag time in the establishment of mycorrhizal associations with the seeded species, the inoculums of which were already present in the NH soils. Changes in STC were likely due to changes in water relationships in the soil profile where management changes affected water infiltration and its movement causing leaching of SIC below the 60 cm depth evaluated. Soils under undisturbed grassland continue to accumulate carbon while soils of the disturbed grassland or cropped prior to re-establishing grass showed losses that occurred due to either accumulating C at a lower rate or perhaps to C loss during the initial establishment period (1–2 years).

Description: Artisanal and small-scale mining is a significant economic sector in Rwanda. Mining activities often use a watercourse, in which secondary extraction takes place and minerals are washed. Mining thus greatly affects the geomorphological conditions in the area. The aim of this paper is a digest of environmental impacts of alluvial artisanal and small-scale mining with a focus on anthropogenic influences on topography with regard to the methods used in raw material mining. The author draws on a case study from the mining site of Rutsiro district in Rwanda. Main findings of alluvial artisanal mining in a riverscape are changes in landscape structure, deforestation, intensification of geomorphological processes, new relief shapes (suffosion depressions, check dams, gravel benches, anthropogenic channels) and hydrological river regime, chemical pollution of soil and watercourses. Artisanal and small-scale mining may lead to a significant change and acceleration of fluvial processes. This paper covers a broad understanding of environmental impacts of alluvial artisanal and small-scale mining with a focus on anthropogenic influencing.

Description: Windthrow and storm damage are crucial issues in practical forestry. We propose a method for rapid detection of windthrow hotspots in airborne digital orthophotos. Therefore, we apply Haralick’s texture features on 50 × 50 m cells of the orthophotos and classify the cells with a random forest algorithm. We apply the classification results from a training data set on a validation set. The overall classification accuracy of the proposed method varies between 76% for fine distinction of the cells and 96% for a distinction level that tried to detect only severe damaged cells. The proposed method enables the rapid detection of windthrow hotspots in forests immediately after their occurrence in single-date data. It is not adequate for the determination of areas with only single fallen trees. Future research will investigate the possibilities and limitations when applying the method on other data sources (e.g., optical satellite data).

Description: Coatings offer a means to control nanoparticle (NP) size, regulate dissolution, and mitigate runoff when added to crops through soil. Simultaneously, coatings can enhance particle binding to plants and provide an additional source of nutrients, making them a valuable component to existing nanoparticle delivery systems. Here, the surface functionalization of metal and metal-oxide nanoparticles to inhibit aggregation and preserve smaller agglomerate sizes for enhanced transport to the rooting zone and improved uptake in plants is reviewed. Coatings are classified by type and by their efficacy to mitigate agglomeration in soils with variable pH, ionic concentration, and natural organic matter profiles. Varying degrees of success have been reported using a range of different polymers, biomolecules, and inorganic surface coatings. Advances in zwitterionic coatings show the best results for maintaining nanoparticle stability in solutions even under high salinity and temperature conditions, whereas coating by the soil component humic acid may show additional benefits such as promoting dissolution and enhancing bioavailability in soils. Pre-tuning of NP surface properties through exposure to select natural organic matter, microbial products, and other biopolymers may yield more cost-effective nonagglomerating metal/metal-oxide NPs for soil applications in agriculture.

Description: According to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), due to the increased risk of cardiovascular disease, the daily consumption of table salt should be reduced. To avoid the health consequences of iodine deficiency, it is necessary to include alternative food sources of this trace element in the human diet. One of the most effective ways of improving nutrition is the biofortification of crops with minerals and vitamins. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of iodine biofortification (potassium iodate/KIO3/, 5-iodosalicylic acid/5-ISA/and 3.5-diiodosalicylic acid/3.5-diISA/) on the chemical composition of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. capitata) cv. ‘Melodion’. Plants were cultivated in a hydroponic system NFT (Nutrient Film Technique). We compared the effect of iodine fertilization on the basic chemical composition, fatty acid profile, macro- and micronutrients, content of sugars, nitrogenous compounds, chlorides, and iodine compounds. The results obtained in this research indicate that the application of iodine compounds has an influence on changes of concentration of iodine and other compounds in the treated samples. In lettuce, the main fatty acid was linolenic acid; however, fertilization with iodine did not affect the fatty acid profile in plants, except for concentrations of myristic and arachidic acids. We also found that iodine fortification has positive effects on concentrations of some micro- and micronutrients. Moreover, the application of 3.5-diISA decreased the concentration of nitrates as compared to control and other treatments. Therefore, it may be postulated that the production of lettuce fortified with iodosalicylates is worthy of consideration due to the fact that it may be a good source of iodine and other compounds in the human diet.

Description: Carbonization of cage layer chicken manure (CLCM) can improve its bio-recalcitrance which might improve nitrogen (N) bioavailability in soil. However, temperature(s) to exhibit appropriate variations in the chemical makeup of the manure during carbonization in order to achieve this objective is unknown. In this study, we investigated the alterations in chemical compositions, surface functionalities, and N speciation initiated by different carbonization temperatures (350, 500, and 650 °C) and the effects of these alterations on N bioavailability in soil. The objective was to identify suitable temperature condition(s) for the conversion of CLCM into a carbonized product of appropriate bio-recalcitrance that is capable of improving N bioavailability in soil more than the un-carbonized CLCM. The results showed an increased bio-recalcitrance of the manure with increasing carbonization temperatures due to drastic changes in the chemical makeup and accumulation of heterocyclic aromatic N structures. Subsequently, these alterations in the chemical makeup and state of the organic N species in the manure affected N bioavailability in soil. Notably, N bioavailability of CLCM and benefits on plants were improved when soil was supplied with CLCM that was altered at 350 °C. With these observations, we concluded that alterations in chemical and surface structural compositions and N speciation at 350 °C are optimum for instituting the required bio-recalcitrance to CLCM in order to improve N bioavailability in soil for plants.

Description: Medicago truncatula (barrel medic) and Pisum sativum subsp. elatius (wild pea) accessions originating from variable environmental conditions in the Mediterranean basin were used to study physical seed dormancy (PY) release. The effect of soil burial on PY release was tested on 112 accessions of medic and 46 accessions of pea over the period of 3 months in situ at three common gardens (Hungary, Spain and Greece) from 2017 through 2019. PY release after soil exhumation followed by experimental laboratory germination of remaining dormant seeds (wet, 25 °C, 21 days) were related to the environmental conditions of the common garden and macroclimatic variables of the site of origin of the accessions. Higher PY release was observed in buried seeds under humid rather than under dry and hot environments. Exposure of remaining dormant seeds to experimental laboratory conditions increased total PY release up to 70% and 80% in barrel medic and wild pea, respectively. Wild pea showed higher phenotypic plasticity on PY release than barrel medic, which had higher bet-hedging within-season. Wild pea showed lower bet-hedging among-season (PY 〈 10%) in relation to precipitation than barrel medic, which was more conservative (PY ≈ 20%). Observed variability suggests that these species have the capability to cope with ongoing climate change.

Description: Two loofah (Luffa) species, the ridge gourd (Luffa acutangula (L.) Roxb.) and the sponge gourd (L. cylindrica (L.) M. Roem.; syn. L. aegyptiaca), are cultivated widely in Asia by smallholder famers. Both species have significant economic and nutritional importance. However, Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV) and downy mildew (DM) caused by Pseudoperonospora cubensis are important biotic constraints to loofah production throughout Asia. Loofah landrace-derived breeding lines, developed at the World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg), were evaluated at the WorldVeg East and Southeast Asia Research and Training Station, Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Saen, Thailand—where natural epidemics of ToLCNDV and DM regularly occur. The lines were also evaluated for other commercially important horticultural traits such as days to 50% staminate and pistillate flowering, fruit color, fruit bitterness, and market segment classification. Thirteen and 59 lines of ridge gourd and sponge gourd, respectively, were determined to be resistant to both ToLCNDV and DM. These lines covered all market segments of loofah and exhibited variability for all of the evaluated horticultural traits. The results of these evaluations and their implications on loofah breeding are discussed.

Description: Soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) is one of the most important crops worldwide. In several European countries such as Germany, soybean cultivation is not traditional and as such remains to be optimized. One option to increase soybean production is to adapt and improve the seeding system. To investigate the effects of different seeding systems on seed yield, seed protein, and oil content, plant characteristics were assessed using a two-factorial (two seeding systems and four cultivars) field trial over two years (2017–2018) at two locations in southeast Germany. The seeding systems were drill (row spacing 14 cm) and precision seeding (row spacing 28 cm), and the cultivars were Viola 000, Lissabon 000, ES Mentor 00, and Orion 00. Depending on the seeding system, a seed yield of 3.8 t ha−1 dry matter (DM), 40.9% protein content (DM), and 18.8% oil content (DM) was achieved by drilling, and 3.6 t ha−1 yield (DM), 40.1% protein content (DM), and 19.1% oil content (DM) with precision seeding (average across four cultivars, two locations, and two years). No significant effects of the seeding system on all seed and plant characteristics were observed. As drilling and precision seeding did not affect the seed yield, seed protein, oil contents, and plant characteristics of soybean in this study, farmers are able to choose the seeding system which fits best into their farms and is economically most viable.

Description: A series of non-spatial and spatial hedonic models of feeding and replacement cattle prices at video auctions in Uruguay (2002 to 2009) were specified with predictors measuring marketing conditions (e.g., steer price), cattle characteristics (e.g., breed) and agro-ecological factors (e.g., soil productivity, water characteristics, pasture condition, season). Results indicated that cattle prices produced under extensive production systems were influenced by all of predictor categories, confirming that found previously. Although many of the agro-ecological predictors were inherently spatial in nature, the incorporation of spatial effects into the estimation of the hedonic model itself, through either a spatially-autocorrelated error term or allowing the regression coefficients to vary spatially and at different scales, was able to provide greater insight into the cattle price process. Through the latter extension, using a multiscale geographically weighted regression, which was the most informative and most accurate model, relationships between cattle price and predictors operated at a mixture of global, regional, local and highly local spatial scales. This result is considered a key advance, where uncovering, interpreting, and utilizing such rich spatial information can help improve the geographical provenance of Uruguayan beef and is critically important for maintaining Uruguay’s status as a key exporter of beef with respect to the health and safety benefits of natural, open-sky, grass-fed production systems.

Description: Tree peony is a deciduous shrub endemic to China, and peony seed oil (PSO) is an important plant oil resource. However, at present, pruning and fruits harvesting of oil tree peony are mainly completed by manual work, which has seriously affected production efficiency. By the need to develop efficient pruning and harvesting equipment for oil tree peony, this study investigated the effect of cutting tool geometric parameters and cutting speed on cutting force and energy. A cutting device was set up, and six cutting tools with different blade angle and sliding-cutting angle were prepared for this research. Stems in different growth stages (anthesis and fructescence) were collected for cutting experiments. In this paper, four blade angles (25°, 30°, 35°, and 40°), three sliding-cutting angles (0°, 10°, and 20°), and four cutting speeds (25 mm/min, 50 mm/min, 100 mm/min, and 200 mm/min) were considered in the experiments. The results showed that cutting force and energy are positively related to blade angle, and the minimum cutting force and energy are required in cutting with 25° blade angle. Compared to straight cutting (sliding-cutting angle is 0°), sliding cutting can obviously reduce the cutting force and energy. Furthermore, the best sliding-cutting angles of cutting tools have discrepancies dependent on the stems in different growth stages. In fructescence, 10° sliding cutting required the lowest cutting force and energy. In contrast, the best sliding-cutting angle of stems in anthesis was 20°. On the other hand, the cutting force and energy were obviously proportional to the cutting speed, which increased by the cutting speed increasing. Therefore, under the condition of ensuring the cutting efficiency, reducing the cutting speed can effectively reduce the power consumption. These results are an important basis for pruning and harvesting machine development for oil tree peony.

Description: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect on intake, digestibility and fractionation of carbohydrates and proteins of cottonseed cake as an alternative protein source in rams diets. The diets were composed of corn silage, soybean meal, ground corn, urea, and cottonseed cake (0, 70, 140 and 210 g/kg dry matter (DM)) in a roughage/concentrate ratio of 50:50. Thirty-two Santa Ines rams, average age 12 months and weight 27.48 ± 4.96 kg were distributed in a completely randomised design. A reduction of 0.161 g/day in crude protein (CP) intake was observed for each gram of cottonseed cake inclusion. The intake of non-fiber carbohydrate (NFC) decreased by 0.511 g/day for each gram of cottonseed cake inclusion. Similarly, the ratio between intake of DM (p = 0.034), CP (p 〈 0.001), NFC (p = 0.004) and body weight decreased with cottonseed cake inclusion. Inclusion of cottonseed cake caused decreases in the digestibility coefficients of DM (p 〈 0.001), CP (p 〈 0.001) and NFC (p = 0.002). A reduction of 0.716 g was observed in carbohydrate fraction A + B1 (p = 0.006). The inclusion of cottonseed cake in the rams feed should be carried out with caution because this by-product promotes linear reduction in intake and digestibility nutrient, in addition to modifying the amounts of digestible and indigestible fractions in the diets.

Description: The external and internal factors in the tree development process affect wooden structures and properties. They depend on, for example, a plant species, its age, part and growth conditions. The present study investigated the chemical structure and physical properties of the common urban tree species: small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata Mill.). The properties of trees growing in an urban agglomeration, by a roadside and in a forest, i.e., areas varying in degrees of an environmental stress impact, were compared. Tree-ring width and density, selected hygroscopic properties (sorption hysteresis and isotherms), wood chemical content (percentage content of: holocellulose, cellulose, pentosanes, lignin and substances soluble in 1% NaOH and EtOH) as well as the content of selected chemical elements (Fe, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd, K, Na, Mg and Ca) were studied. The analysis of the case shows no impact of the environmental stress on the growth patterns characterized by ring width index (RWI). Two-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed impact significance of growth environment and cambial age on the content of each of the investigated components and chemical elements. There was a relationship demonstrated that for a tree growing in an agglomeration with the highest environmental stress the content of cellulose and lignin was the lowest, whereas the content of substances soluble in NaOH and EtOH was the highest. For mature wood growing under the same conditions, the results corresponded to the highest Zn, Cu, K, Na, Mg and Ca content. It was also shown that the environmental stress affected hygroscopicity which was the consequence of chemical component percentage content. The research proved that Tilia cordata Mill. responded to environmental stress with alternations in its chemical or/and physical properties.

Description: Process-based crop models are advantageous for the identification of management strategies to cope with both temporal and spatial variability of sugarcane yield. However, global optimization of such models is often computationally expensive. Therefore, we performed global sensitivity analysis based on Gaussian process emulation to evaluate the sensitivity of cane dry weight to trait parameters implemented in the Agricultural Productions System Simulator (APSIM)-Sugar model under selected environmental and management conditions in Khon Kaen (KK), Thailand. Emulators modeled 30 years, three soil types and irrigated or rainfed conditions, and emulator performance was investigated. rue, green_leaf_no, transp_eff_cf, tt_emerg_to_begcane and cane_fraction were identified as the most influential parameters and together they explained more than 90% of total variance on the simulator output. Moreover, results indicate that the sensitivity of sugarcane yield to the most influential parameters is affected by water stress conditions and nitrogen stress. Our findings can be used to improve the efficiency and accuracy of modeling and to identify appropriate management strategies to address temporal and spatial variability of sugarcane yield in KK.

Description: The increasing frequency and severity of natural disturbances (e.g., storms and insect outbreaks) due to climate change are expected to reduce the abundance of Norway spruce stands in the European forests. Under such conditions, the assessment of status quo on focusing on survival of Norway spruce stands are essential for the agility of forest management strategies. The dynamics (mortality rate) of Norway spruce stands in hemiboreal forests based on forest inventories for the period from 1975 to 2016 (inventories of 1975, 1985, 1999, 2011 and 2016) were analyzed in two forest landscapes in the western and eastern parts of Latvia (Vane and Dviete, respectively). The spatiotemporal changes in age-dependent mortality differing by abundance of Norway spruce and disturbance regime were assessed, focusing on the transitions of stands between age groups (inventories). The age-related changes in probability of stands transitioning into the next age group contrasted (p 〈 0.001) between sites. In Vane, the survival of stands between inventories was constant (ca. 90%), while in Dviete, it decreased sharply from 85.7% during 1985–1999 inventories to 49.3% in 2011–2016. Age-related decreases in stand survival showed local dependencies between both landscapes, namely, in Vane, notable decreases started from 61 years, while in Dviete, the downward trends started already from 31 years, probably due to different disturbance regimes. This suggests that, in forest management planning, the different outcomes for mortality patterns between both landscapes must be considered and should not be generalized for a whole country.

Description: The core of agricultural development depends on agricultural production efficiency improvement, and total-factor productivity growth is its significant embodiment. Hence, it is essential to address the question of “how to improve China’s agricultural productivity and efficiency in order to achieve growth and sustainability of agriculture in the future”. This paper estimates indices of China’s agricultural technical efficiency (TE) scores, total-factor productivity (TFP), and its two components, technological change/progress (TC) and technical efficiency change (EC), using provincial-level panel data of 30 provinces from 2002 to 2017 by applying a stochastic frontier approach (SFA). The paper also identifies determinants of TE, TC, and TFP using selected indicators from four hierarchical levels of the economy, i.e., farm level, production environment level, provincial level, and the state level, by applying a system-GMM method. Results reveal that agricultural labor, machinery, agricultural plastic film, and pesticides are the significant drivers of agricultural productivity, with no significant role of land area under cultivation. Constant returns to scale exist in China’s agriculture. The agricultural technical efficiency level fluctuated between 80% and 91% with a stable trend and a slight decline in later years, while TFP improved consistently over time, mainly driven by technological progress. Among the determinants, government investment in agricultural development projects significantly drives TC and TE, while the experienced labor force significantly increases TE. The disaster rate significantly reduces TE but promotes TC and TFP. The literacy rate significantly improves TC and TFP. However, government expenditures in “agriculture, forestry, and water” significantly reduce TE, TC, and TFP. Policy recommendations include (1) increased levels of mechanization and agriculture film use while avoiding an increase in pesticide use, (2) a continued increase in government expenditure in agricultural development projects, R&D to improve technological progress, and diffusion of modern agricultural technologies, and (3) investment in education targeted at the farming population in order to continue the growth in the productivity and sustainability of China’s agriculture.

Description: To sustain agricultural development in Africa, innovative strategies for addressing a myriad of biotic and abiotic constraints facing the agricultural systems must be established. One current biotic stress is the mango infesting fruit flies. In the effort to contain the widely spreading and damaging invasive species of tephritid fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) (Hendel), an area-wide integrated pest management (IPM) program is being promoted in the horticultural sub-sector in sub-Saharan Africa. Such a new technology in which farmers have limited information before commercialization may have diffusion paths that are different from the often-assumed sigmoid (or “s”) shaped curve. We apply the descriptive and econometric analysis of ex ante and ex post integrated fruit fly management used by mango farmers in Kenya and Ethiopia. The results reveal that this technology has a relatively high adoption rate and high prospects for adoption growth in Kenya compared to Ethiopia in the near future.

Description: A soil tillage system adjusted to the soil type and agro-ecological conditions, together with the optimal nutrient supply, is a prerequisite for high maize (Zea mays L.) yield. However, there is little knowledge about the influence of soil tillage and nitrogen (N) rates on maize grain quality. A study was initiated in 1978 in Zemun Polje, Belgrade, Serbia, on the chernozem soil type. The effects of three N rates—0, 180 and 240 kg N ha−1—within three tillage practices—no-tillage, reduced and conventional tillage—and their influence on grain yield (GY) and the content of proteins, starch, oil, total tocopherols and carotenoids, phytic phosphorus (Phy), glutathione (GSH), phenols and inorganic P (Pi) in maize grain were analysed in the period 2016–2018. Differences in maize GY were 2.57 and 3.01 t ha−1 for reduced- or no-tillage, respectively, in comparison to conventional tillage. Conventional tillage and higher N rates contributed to the increase in maize yield and the grain nutritional quality with regard to the increased level of proteins, GSH and Phy. On the other hand reduced inputs were beneficial only for grain quality, in relation to the increase in tocopherols and phenols.

Description: ×Amarine hybrids are attractive ornamental geophytes grown for cut flower production. Their cultivation is limited due to lesser flowering percentages and lesser bulb weight gain. To optimize the growth and propagation of geophytes, plant growth regulators (PGRs) are used, but so far none have been tested in ×Amarine. We investigated the effect of gibberellic acid (GA3; 50, 100, and 200 mg dm−3) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA; 100, 500, and 1000 µmol dm−3) on growth, flowering, bulb yield, and select physiological parameters of ×A. tubergenii “Zwanenburg”. PGRs were applied as foliar sprays on the 70th and 77th day after planting. GA3 treatment at 200 mg dm−3 exhibited the greatest leaf number, leaf length, bulb weight, daughter bulb number, CO2 assimilation intensity, greenness index, total sugars, and total protein content in bulbs. GA3 application at 100 and 200 mg dm−3 accelerated flowering and at 50 and 100 mg dm−3 significantly increased the bulb flowering percentage. MeJA at all tested concentrations prolonged anthesis time and reduced the bulb flowering percentage. GA3 at all concentrations and MeJA at 500 and 1000 µmol dm−3 stimulated daughter bulbs formation. GA3, especially at 200 mg dm−3 can improve anthesis and increase ×A. tubergenii “Zwanenburg” bulb yield.

Description: Research Highlights: A low-cost experimental system was developed to enable the production monitoring of small-scale wood processing facilities by the means of sensor-collected data and the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, which provided accurate results for the most important work operations. Background and Objectives: The manufacturing of wood-based products by small-scale family-held business is commonly affected by a lack of monitoring data that, on the one hand, may prevent the decision-making process and, on the other hand, may lead to less technical efficiency that could result in business failure. Long-term performance of such manufacturing facilities is limited because data collection and analysis require significant resources, thus preventing the approaches that could be pursued for competitivity improvement. Materials and Methods: An external sensor system composed of two dataloggers—a triaxial accelerometer and a sound pressure level meter—was used in combination with a video camera to provide the input signals and meta-documentation for the training and testing of an artificial neural network (ANN) to check the accuracy of automatic classification of the time spent in operations. The study was based on a sample of ca. 90 k observations collected at a frequency of 1 Hz. Results: The approach provided promising results in both the training (ca. 20 k) and testing (ca. 60 k) datasets, with global classification accuracies of ca. 85%. However, the events characterizing the effective sawing, which requires electrical power, were even better recognized, reaching a classification accuracy of 98%. Conclusions: The system requires low-cost devices and freely available software that could enable data feeding on local computers by their direct connection to the devices. As such, it could collect, analyze and plot production data that could be used for maintaining the competitiveness of traditional technologies.

Description: Plants have evolved photoprotective mechanisms in order to counteract the damaging effects of excess light in hyper-arid desert environments. We evaluated the impact of surface canopy positions on the photosynthetic adjustments and chlorophyll fluorescence attributes (photosystem II photochemistry, quantum yield, fluorescence quenching, and photon energy dissipation), leaf biomass and nutrient content of sun-exposed leaves at the south east (SE canopy position) and shaded-leaves at the north west (NW canopy position) in the invasive Prosopis juliflora and native Prosopis cineraria in the extreme environment (hyper-arid desert area, United Arab Emirates (UAE)). The main aim of this research was to study the photoprotection mechanism in invasive and native Prosopis congeners via the safe removal—as thermal energy—of excess solar energy absorbed by the light collecting system, which counteracts the formation of reactive oxygen species. Maximum photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) from dark-adapted leaves in P. juliflora and P. cineraria was higher on NW than SE canopy position while insignificant difference was observed within the two Prosopis congeners. Greater quantum yield was observed in P. juliflora than P. cineraria on the NW canopy position than SE. With the change of canopy positions from NW to SE, the reduction of the PSII reaction center activity in the leaves of both Prosopis congeners was accelerated. On the SE canopy position, a significant decline in the electron transport rate (ETR) of in the leaves of both Prosopis congeners occurred, which might be due to the blockage of electron transfer from QA to QB on the PSII acceptor side. On the SE canopy position; Prosopis leaves dissipated excess light energy by increasing non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). However, in P. cineraria, the protective ability of NPQ decreased, which led to the accumulation of excess excitation energy (1 − qP)/NPQ and the aggravation of photoinhibition. The results also explain the role of different physiological attributes contributing to invasiveness of P. juliflora and to evaluate its liaison between plasticity of these characters and invasiveness.

Description: Smart agriculture is an evolving trend in the agriculture industry, where sensors are embedded into plants to collect vital data and help in decision-making to ensure a higher quality of crops and prevent pests, disease, and other possible threats. One of the most critical pests of palms is the red palm weevil, which is an insect that causes much damage to palm trees and can devastate vast areas of palm trees. The most challenging problem is that the effect of the weevil is not visible by humans until the palm reaches an advanced infestation state. For this reason, there is a pressing need to use advanced technology for early detection and prevention of infestation propagation. In this project, we have developed an IoT-based smart palm monitoring prototype as a proof-of-concept that (1) allows monitoring palms remotely using smart agriculture sensors, (2) contribute to the early detection of red palm weevil infestation. Users can use web/mobile applications to interact with their palm farms and help them in getting early detection of possible infestations. We used an industrial-level IoT platform to interface between the sensor layer and the user layer. Moreover, we have collected data using accelerometer sensors, and we applied signal processing and statistical techniques to analyze collected data and determine a fingerprint of the infestation.

Description: Visible near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (VNIRS) and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) are potential methods for the rapid and less expensive assessment of soil quality indicators (SQIs). The specific objective of this study was to compare VNIRS and LIBS for assessing SQIs. Data was collected from over 140 soil samples taken from multiple agricultural management systems in New Mexico, belonging to arid and semiarid agroecosystems. Sampled sites included New Mexico State University Agricultural Science Center research fields and several commercial farm fields in New Mexico. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) was used to establish predictive relationships between spectral data and SQIs. Fifteen soil measurements were modeled including the soil organic matter (SOM), permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC), total microbial biomass (TMB), total bacteria biomass (TBB), total fungi biomass (TFB), mean weight diameter of dry aggregates (MWD), aggregates 2–4 mm (AGG 〉 2 mm), aggregates 〈 0.25 mm (AGG 〈 0.25 mm), wet aggregate stability (WAS), electrical conductivity (EC), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), and iron (Fe). Overall, calibrations based on measurements irrespective of locations performed better for LIBS and combined VNIRS-LIBS. Measurements separated according to locations highly improved the quality of prediction for VNIRS as compared to combined locations. For example, the prediction R2 values for regression of VNIRS were 0.19 for SOM, 0.30 for POXC, 0.24 for MWD, 0.15 for AGG 〉 2 mm, and 0.13 for EC in combined datasets irrespective of location. When separated according to locations, for one of the locations, the predictive R2 values for VNIRS were 0.48 for SOM, 0.70 for POXC, 0.67 for MWD, 0.60 for AGG 〉 2 mm, and 0.51 for EC. The prediction values varied with the sampling time for both LIBS and VNIRS. For example, the prediction values of some SQIs using VNIRS were higher in samples collected in winter for measurements, including SOM (0.90), MWD (0.96), WAS (0.66), and EC (0.94). Using the VNIRS, the corresponding predictive values for the same SQIs were lower for samples collected in the fall (SOM (0.61), MWD (0.45), WAS (0.46), and EC (0.65)). While this study illustrates the prospects of VNIRS and LIBS for estimating SQIs, a more comprehensive evaluation, using a larger regional dataset, is required to understand how the site and soil factors affect VNIRS and LIBS, in order to enhance the utility of these methods for soil quality assessment in arid and semiarid agroecosystems.

Description: Sustainable Rural Development is essential to maintain active local communities and avoid depopulation and degradation of rural areas. Proper assessment of development in these territories is necessary to improve decision-making and to inform public policy, while ensuring biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services supply. Rural areas include high ecological value systems but the vulnerability of environmental components in development indicators has not been sufficiently pinpointed. The main objective of this work was to propose a new sustainable rural development composite indicator (nSRDI) while considering an environmental dimension indicator based on ecosystem services vulnerability and social and economic dimension indicators established using a sequentially Benefit of the Doubt-Data Envelopment Analysis (BoD-DEA) model. It aimed also to test effects of weighting methods on nSRDI. The composite indicator was applied to 10 regions (comarcas) in the Huesca province, Spain, producing a ranking of regions accordingly. The indicator was further tested through the analysis of the effect of an equal and optimum weighting method on scores and rankings of regions. Results showed substantial differences in nSRDI scores/rankings when vulnerability was added to the process, suggesting that the environmental dimension and the perspective from which it is conceived and applied matters when addressing sustainable rural development.

Description: The tropical montane cloud forest is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth and is one of the areas most threatened by anthropogenic disturbance. This study assessed the temporal impact on soil properties (organic carbon, total nitrogen, cation exchange capacity, bulk density) following establishment of native tree species in two degraded tropical montane cloud forest areas with different soil types and land-use intensities in south-east Mexico. In Pueblo Nuevo, Chiapas, Pinus chiapensis and Alnus spp. were established at two sites with humic Nitisols with low and moderate disturbance levels, respectively. In Xalapa, Veracruz, plum pine (Podocarpus matudae), American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana), Oaxaca walnut (Juglans pyriformis Liebm.), and sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) were established on a grassland-covered humic Andosol with a high level of disturbance. After 16 years, soil properties had generally improved, although in the initial years after planting, the values declined, indicating a possible negative impact because of disturbance during tree establishment. Land-use intensity prior to tree establishment influenced the level of recovery in soil properties. The Pueblo Nuevo sites, with low to moderate disturbance levels, regained soil quality faster than the highly disturbed Xalapa site, despite better initial soil quality in the latter.

Description: Viet Nam’s Central Highlands are a priority region for its National REDD+ Action Plan (NRAP) to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation but are under strong pressures from rubber and coffee production and expansion into forests, and future climate stress. This research explores to what extent REDD+ and sectoral policy interventions have addressed both the direct and underlying drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in this region, with particular focus on the actors and scales that policy interventions must reach to affect driver pressure. National-level policy responses to driver pressures are assessed, with the results indicating poor correlations between the direct drivers and related underlying drivers. The research proposes a framework to guide the policy design and evaluation of response options to enable identification of the causal connections between direct and underlying drivers, and consider future pressures, which actors to target (or not miss) and which scales are best suited for interventions (from international to national, sub-national and local). This is highly relevant for countries pursuing forest and land use sector solutions through Nationally Determined Contributions to the Paris Agreement and REDD+.

Description: Corn yields vary spatially and temporally in the plots as a result of weather, altitude, variety, plant density, available water, nutrients, and planting date; these are the main factors that influence crop yield. In this study, different multispectral and red-green-blue (RGB) vegetation indices were analyzed, as well as the digitally estimated canopy cover and plant density, in order to estimate corn grain yield using a neural network model. The relative importance of the predictor variables was also analyzed. An experiment was established with five levels of nitrogen fertilization (140, 200, 260, 320, and 380 kg/ha) and four replicates, in a completely randomized block design, resulting in 20 experimental polygons. Crop information was captured using two sensors (Parrot Sequoia_4.9, and DJI FC6310_8.8) mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for two flight dates at 47 and 79 days after sowing (DAS). The correlation coefficient between the plant density, obtained through the digital count of corn plants, and the corn grain yield was 0.94; this variable was the one with the highest relative importance in the yield estimation according to Garson’s algorithm. The canopy cover, digitally estimated, showed a correlation coefficient of 0.77 with respect to the corn grain yield, while the relative importance of this variable in the yield estimation was 0.080 and 0.093 for 47 and 79 DAS, respectively. The wide dynamic range vegetation index (WDRVI), plant density, and canopy cover showed the highest correlation coefficient and the smallest errors (R = 0.99, mean absolute error (MAE) = 0.028 t ha−1, root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.125 t ha−1) in the corn grain yield estimation at 47 DAS, with the WDRVI index and the density being the variables with the highest relative importance for this crop development date. For the 79 DAS flight, the combination of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), normalized difference red edge (NDRE), WDRVI, excess green (EXG), triangular greenness index (TGI), and visible atmospherically resistant index (VARI), as well as plant density and canopy cover, generated the highest correlation coefficient and the smallest errors (R = 0.97, MAE = 0.249 t ha−1, RMSE = 0.425 t ha−1) in the corn grain yield estimation, where the density and the NDVI were the variables with the highest relative importance, with values of 0.295 and 0.184, respectively. However, the WDRVI, plant density, and canopy cover estimated the corn grain yield with acceptable precision (R = 0.96, MAE = 0.209 t ha−1, RMSE = 0.449 t ha−1). The generated neural network models provided a high correlation coefficient between the estimated and the observed corn grain yield, and also showed acceptable errors in the yield estimation. The spectral information registered through remote sensors mounted on unmanned aerial vehicles and its processing in vegetation indices, canopy cover, and plant density allowed the characterization and estimation of corn grain yield. Such information is very useful for decision-making and agricultural activities planning.

Description: The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of fertilizing processing tomato by coupling the green manuring of fall-winter cover crops with fertigation in spring-summer. In a two-year experiment, seven fertilization treatments were compared: green manuring of pure barley (B100) and pure vetch (V100) sown at 100% of their ordinary seeding rates, green manuring of a barley-vetch mixture at a ratio of 75:25 of their own seed rates (B75V25), fertigation with drip irrigation at a rate of 200 kg ha−1 of nitrogen (N) (Fert_N200), fertigation combined with B100 and B75V25 at a N rate complementary to 200 kg N ha−1 (B100 + Fert and B75V25 + Fert, respectively), and an unfertilized control (N0) with no cover crops for green manuring prior to tomato transplanting or fertigation. The Fert_N200 treatment resulted in maximum tomato N uptake, growth and yield, but caused high N leaching, especially during the no-cover fall-winter period, as was also the case for N0. The V100 treatment promoted quite good tomato N status and yield, but did not reduce N leaching. The B100 and B75V25 treatments reduced N leaching but decreased tomato N uptake, growth and yield. The B100 + Fert and B75V25 + Fert treatments reduced N leaching, likely increased soil N stock, and facilitated optimal tomato N nutrition and maximum yields. Combining fertigation with green manuring of cover crops composed of pure grass or grass-legume mixtures appears to be a very effective and environmentally sound practice for fertilizing high N-demanding spring-summer crops like processing tomato.

Description: RobHortic is a remote-controlled field robot that has been developed for inspecting the presence of pests and diseases in horticultural crops using proximal sensing. The robot is equipped with colour, multispectral, and hyperspectral (400–1000 nm) cameras, located looking at the ground (towards the plants). To prevent the negative influence of direct sunlight, the scene was illuminated by four halogen lamps and protected from natural light using a tarp. A GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) was used to geolocate the images of the field. All sensors were connected to an on-board industrial computer. The software developed specifically for this application captured the signal from an encoder, which was connected to the motor, to synchronise the acquisition of the images with the advance of the robot. Upon receiving the signal, the cameras are triggered, and the captured images are stored along with the GNSS data. The robot has been developed and tested over three campaigns in carrot fields for the detection of plants infected with ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’. The first two years were spent creating and tuning the robot and sensors, and data capture and geolocation were tested. In the third year, tests were carried out to detect asymptomatic infected plants. As a reference, plants were analysed by molecular analysis using a specific real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), to determine the presence of the target bacterium and compare the results with the data obtained by the robot. Both laboratory and field tests were done. The highest match was obtained using Partial Least Squares-Discriminant Analysis PLS-DA, with a 66.4% detection rate for images obtained in the laboratory and 59.8% for images obtained in the field.

Description: Multi-cohort forest management in northern hardwood stands may well be the best way to successfully regenerate tree species of intermediate shade tolerance, such as yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.). The creation of large enough gaps in the canopy favors increased light availability within the opening, while soil scarification provides suitable germination seedbeds. Evidence of these methods’ success nonetheless remains mostly the purview of experimental studies rather than operational tests. In Quebec, Canada, the multi-cohort methods promoted include group selection cutting and patch cutting. The present study tested their implementation at an operational scale and over a large territory in both hardwood-dominated and mixedwood stands. We assessed their efficacy in promoting natural regeneration of commercial hardwood trees, notably yellow birch and sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.). We conducted regeneration surveys at 2, 5, 10, and 15 years after harvest. Overall, group selection and patch cuttings were successful in regenerating the target species. Yellow birch, for instance, showed a mean stocking around 60% and a mean sapling density around 3400 stems ha−1 after 15 years. We compared several variables for measuring regeneration in early years, and found that the relative abundance, the stocking based on one stem per sampling unit, and the mean maximum height were good predictors of the relative presence of yellow birch and sugar maple in 15-year-old canopy openings. Using smaller sampling units (6.25 m2 rather than 25 m2) and waiting until year 5 may be more useful for making such predictions. In addition, there was an important turnover in vertical dominance in these openings. Non-commercial woody competitors were frequently dominant in early years but were often replaced by commercial hardwoods, notably yellow birch. We propose certain thresholds for assessing the success of post-harvest regeneration and for evaluating the need for a cleaning treatment.

Description: Pesticides play a crucial role in regulating crop production by reducing crop losses and increasing crop yield and quality. However, they may threaten surface and groundwater, a phenomenon occurring at global scale, potentially causing environmental damage and prohibition of water use or high treatment costs for drinking water. Assessing spatially-defined aquifer vulnerability to pesticide is then important, as it may allow defining agricultural areas where pesticides should be used following well-defined agronomic practices/limitations. In this study, after a brief review of recent studies on aquifer vulnerability assessment to pesticide, we applied the Vulnerability Index method to the agricultural area of the Municipality of San Giuliano Terme (Pisa, Italy) in order to focus on the data needs and discuss the reliability of this method (as an example of index-overlay methods). The proposed method needs a relatively small number of parameters compared to other more complex ones. Despite a such a small number of parameters, some were not easily available in our case study. Thus, some assumptions were made. This led to vulnerability maps with reduced reliability, no validation with groundwater samples, and little practical use. This means that to produce robust but static vulnerability assessments, large datasets are needed. In turn, the cost of data gathering may be high. The value of these data may, however, be increased, and the cost better justified if the analyses are based on process-based or advanced statistical methods. While the future for vulnerability assessment methods is the use of process-based/advanced statistical methods, index-overlay methods, as a preliminary step for process-based simulation analysis, may still provide initial and relatively quick insights on potential leaching of pesticides. This in turn may support extension services in delivering timely and relevant advices on the use of such pesticides to farmers and owners of plant nurseries and greenhouses.

Description: River deltas provide the most productive pastures in Central Asia. Simultaneously they are highly vulnerable to water inflow changes. The aim of this study was to conduct an economic assessment of the short- and medium-term effect of reduced water inflow on farmers’ performance within the Ili Delta. Primary data were collected through 35 interviews with farmers and additional experts in 2015. Production parameters for three types of individual farms were estimated and entered into a full cost accounting. Contribution margins were calculated for three scenarios: (I) sufficient water inflow (normal situation), (II) decreasing water inflow, and (III) significantly reduced water inflow (worst case). Farmers purchase hay to adapt to pasture production loss due to decreasing water inflow. This more than doubled the variable costs of worst case in comparison to normal situation for small-, medium-, and large-scale type of individual farm. Monte Carlo simulation indicates a risk of 74% (small-scale farm) and 3% (medium-scale farm) that already variable costs will exceed revenues. Despite their high fixed costs, only large-scale individual farms generate positive net farm income from operations in the worst case due to government payments from participation in elite bull program that account for one-third of total revenue.

Description: A mixed integer goal programming model is developed to address the regeneration planning problems of even-aged forests in the Mediterranean region of Turkey. The unique aspect of the goal programming formulation is to minimize deviations in scheduled wood product volumes and the size of harvest areas within each time period, as these are important goals for the management area. About 98% of the forests in Turkey are considered even-aged, and 2% are uneven-aged. Therefore, an age class method is used for the planning of even-aged forests. For the areas where this method is applied, reaching the optimal age class structure is the first priority. This involves implementing final harvests (clearcuts) to regenerate an amount of forest area into each age class. To meet the local market’s needs, forest enterprises also require the final yield to be fairly equal each year. Further, it is desired that the harvest area (regeneration area) is relatively equal each year, to address operational considerations. A linear goal programming model is developed to address the problem. The minimization of deviations from both the harvest area and harvest volume targets are incorporated as goals in the objective function of the model. Several scenarios are solved using the extended version of Lingo 16. A scenario with weights of 0.8 for area and 0.2 for volume produces the best results. Here, the total deviation for 20 years is 3.8 ha in area and 2889 m3 in volume. In the actual regeneration plan, the area deviation for 10 years is 54.72 ha (6.2% of total regeneration area), and the volume deviation is 20,472 m3 (9.8% of harvest volume). The model described through this study can be developed further and integrated into forest management planning software and processes used for the planning of even-aged forests in the Mediterranean region.

Description: Over the last three decades, the ecological basis for the generalized use of even-aged silviculture in boreal forests has been increasingly challenged. In boreal mixed-wood landscapes, the diminishing proportion of conifers, to the benefit of intolerant hardwoods, has been a primary concern, coupled with the general rarefication of old-growth conifer-dominated stands. In this context, partial cutting, extended rotations and forest renewal techniques that eliminate or reduce regenerating hardwoods have been proposed as means of regaining greater conifer cover. As a result, experimentation and industrial application of various forms of both variable retention and partial harvesting are occurring across the commercial Canadian boreal forest. In this study, we compared the effects of two harvesting intensities, clearcutting and low-intensity partial cutting (removal of 25–31% of tree basal area), on hardwood and conifer regeneration levels 7–19 years following treatments in aspen (Populus tremuloides)-dominated stands and verified whether regeneration differences existed between micro-sites on and off machinery trails. The abundance of aspen regeneration increased with percent basal area removal and was positively correlated to the abundance of mature aspen prior to harvesting. The abundance of fir (Abies balsamea) regeneration after partial cutting was similar to controls and higher than after clear-cutting and was positively correlated with ground cover of mixed litter (i.e., mixture of needles and leaves) and negatively correlated with ground cover of broadleaf litter. These results suggest that it is possible in boreal mixed-woods to control aspen abundance and promote or maintain conifer regeneration through silvicultural treatments that limit canopy opening and promote mixed forest floor litter.

Description: The middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (MLYR) plain represent the second-largest wheat producing area in China; the winter wheat-rice system is one of the main planting systems in this region. The use of the agricultural production system simulator (APSIM)-wheat model to simulate wheat production potential and evaluate the impact of future climate change on wheat production in this region is of great importance. In this study, the adaptability of the APSIM-wheat model in the MLYR was evaluated based on observational data collected in field experiments and daily meteorological data from experimental stations in Wuhan, Jingmen, and Xiangyang in Hubei province. The results showed significant positive relationships between model-predicted wheat growth duration from sowing to anthesis and maturity and the observed values, with coefficients of determination (R2) in ranges of 0.90–0.97 and 0.93–0.96, respectively. The normalized root-mean-square error (NRMSE) of the simulated growth durations and measured values were lower than 1.6%, and the refined index of agreement (dr-values) was in the range of 0.74–0.87. The percent mean absolute relative error (PMARE) was cited here as a new index, with a value below 1.4%, indicating that the model’s rating was excellent. The model’s performance in terms of grain yield and above-ground biomass simulation was also acceptable, although it was not as good as the growth periods simulation. The R2 value was higher than 0.75 and 0.72 for the simulation of grain yield and biomass, respectively. The indices NRMSE and PMARE were lower than 19.8% and 19.9%, and the dr-value was higher than 0.71. According to our results, APSIM-wheat was an effective and accurate model for simulating the phenology and yield production processes of wheat in the MLYR, and the results also provided a theoretical basis and technical support for further research on the yield potential of wheat-rice rotation planting systems with clarification of the key factors limiting the yield gap in this region.

Description: Wood removed in Southwestern US forest restoration treatments currently has limited markets and thus low value. One important property of wood in structural products is its stiffness (measured as modulus of elasticity), which is known to vary systematically within trees. Directly measuring wood stiffness is expensive, time consuming and destructive. Therefore, we tested samples of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum Engelm.) from northern Arizona destructively in bending and also non-destructively using acoustic velocity (AV) methods. In total, we tested multiple pith-to-bark small clear (2.54 × 2.54 × 40.64 cm) samples from up to four heights in 103 trees. We first measured the standing-tree AV of sample trees, then the AV of small clear samples, and finally measured wood stiffness using three point static bending tests. We found that a Michaelis–Menten curve was a good fit to the radial profile of wood stiffness, with a steep increase outward from the pith that approached an asymptote. The AV of small clear samples, coupled with measured volumetric density values, approximated the static modulus of elasticity values with high accuracy (r2 = 0.86). At the stand level, a model predicting standing tree AV from tree morphology fit the data well (r2 = 0.77). Results indicate that southwestern ponderosa pine contains outerwood with relatively high stiffness that could be suitable for structural products. However, when assessed using wood stiffness, the trees take a long time to reach maturity (~50 years) and thus the corewood proportion is large. AV measurements are a good way to assess variability within and among stands and thus could be employed to segregate the resource by expected stiffness values. Segregation could help identify stands not suitable for structural uses and direct them toward more appropriate products.

Description: Endophytes are isolated from every plant species investigated to date, so the metabolome coevolution has been affecting the plants’ (microbiota) ethnobotanic, especially therapeutic, usage. Asteraceae fulfill the rationale for plant selection to isolate endophytes since most of the species of this family have a long tradition of healing usage, confirmed by modern pharmacognosy. The present review compiles recent references on the endophyte−Asteraceae spp. interactions, targeting the secondary metabolites profile as created by both members of this biological system. Endophyte fungi associated with Asteraceae have been collected globally, however, dominant taxa that produce bioactive compounds were specific for the plant populations of different geographic origins. Endophytic fungi richness within the host plant and the biological activity were positively associated. Moreover, the pharmacological action was linked to the plant part, so differential forms of biological interactions in roots, stem, leaves, inflorescences were developed between endophytic fungi and host plants. The comparative analysis of the Asteraceae host and/or fungal endophyte therapeutic activity showed similarities that need a future explanation on the metabolome level.

Description: Certain phosphorous solubilizing (PSB) and phosphorous mineralizing (PMB) bacteria may improve plant growth by improving nutrient availability. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of inoculation with two Bacillus spp. strains, 12A and 25A, on wheat seedlings growth. To this aim, a durum and a bread wheat genotype were grown under controlled conditions in a low P compost medium to evaluate: (i) the effect of the bacterial isolates on plant growth and root system architecture; (ii) the expression of two key genes indicative of the P-starvation response and phosphate (Pi) uptake, TaIPS1 and TaPHT1.6-B1. The results showed that 12A Bacillus sp. significantly increased root length, surface area and biomass. Furthermore, an enhanced shoot dry weight and P content were observed. This might be explained by the capacity of strain 12A to produce indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in addition to P mineralizing and P solubilizing capability. No effect on plant growth was observed for 25A strain. The semi-quantitative gene expression analysis showed an overall lower expression of TaIPS1 in the inoculated plants and highest expression of TaPHT1.6-B1 in 12A inoculated plants. This suggests that Pi-responsive genes might be useful molecular indicators for the effectiveness of PSB and PMB.

Description: Thinning is one of the most important tools of forest management, although thinning operations require the use of machines which ultimately cause damage to the remaining stand. The level of damage largely depends on the human factor, and a tired, less focused operator will create more injuries in the forest. With this in mind, the objectives of this research were to find out whether the probability of tree damage caused by an operator is also affected by: (1) the part of the day (dawn/day/dusk/night), and (2) the cumulative shift time. The research was carried out in pure pine stands of different ages, density and thinning intensities. Sample plots were selected that had an increasing number of trees per hectare and growing thinning intensities were applied. The same Komatsu 931.1 harvester was used for the thinning operations in each stand. In all the age classes combined, 5.41% of the remaining trees were wounded. There was a significant influence of the part of the day on the percentage of damaged trees, which was positively correlated with the cumulative shift time. Stand conditions, such as age class and stand density, as well as thinning characteristics—thinning intensity, number of harvested trees and productivity—have different effects on the distribution of damage intensity and on probability. The results may improve the planning of operators’ work shifts in forests of various ages and densities, allowing harvester productivity to be maintained while at the same time inflicting the lowest possible level of damage.