ALBERT

Description: The threshing of frozen corn is accompanied by breakage and adherence, which influence the cleaning performance when the corn-cleaning mixture is separated and cleaned. In order to reduce the impurity ratio and loss ratio during frozen corn cleaning and provide theoretical support for frozen corn combine harvesting, this study employed a self-made air-screen cleaning system with adjustable parameters. The optimal process parameters of frozen corn cleaning were determined by using the response surface method (RSM). The influences of the fan speed (FS), vibrational frequency (VF), and screen opening (SO) on the cleaning performance were explored. The results showed that all three process parameters had significant effects on the impurity ratio (IR) and loss ratio (LR). The fan speed had the most significant impact. The cleaning performance was optimal when the fan speed was 102.7 rad/s, the vibration frequency was 6.42 Hz, and the screen opening was 21.9 mm, corresponding to a 0.80% impurity ratio and a 0.61% loss ratio. The predicted values of the regression models were consistent with the experimental results with a relative error of less than 5%. The reliability and accuracy of regression models were established and confirmed.

Description: 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), a key precursor in the biosynthesis of porphyrins, can improve plant tolerance to various environmental stresses. However, it is unclear whether ALA can improve tolerance in poplar. Here, we investigated the effects of ALA on poplars under drought and salt stresses. ALA pretreatment exhibited less morphological damage, reduced leaf malonaldehyde content (MDA) and electrolyte leakage (EL), and increased leaf relative water content (RWC), proline (PRO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxidase (POD) content under stresses. Furthermore, exogenous ALA mitigated the decrease in photosynthetic capacity, and restored the chlorophyll content (Chl), net CO2 assimilation rate, stomatal conductance (Gs), transpiration rate (Tr), maximal photochemical quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm), actual quantum yield of photosynthesis (YII), and electron transfer rate (ETR) of poplar under various stresses. qRT-PCR showed that ALA up-regulated the expression of antiporters and aquaporins genes, which are associated with Na+ exclusion in the leaf cells and the transport activity of aquaporins. In summary, ALA pretreatment significantly improved the stress tolerance of poplar, decreasing the degree of membrane lipid peroxidation and promoting the photosynthesis and antioxidant capacity of leaves. In addition, our results showed that ALA might mediate Na+ transporter and aquaporins activity, thereby increasing the salt tolerance of poplar.

Description: A previous study revealed low survival rates for Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi) summer-planted seedlings grown in Hiko-V-120 containers. This study examines nursery practices that could potentially prevent deterioration of the seedling water balance after planting to improve the survival rate of this species, which has a low drought tolerance. During summer planting, we tested (1) drought hardening or high-potassium fertilization for two months before planting, (2) antitranspirant or topping treatment at planting, and (3) the use of the JFA-150 container with a larger capacity and lower growing density than the Hiko-V-120 container. Drought hardening increased seedling drought tolerance because of the low leaf:root ratio, due to lower leaf mass production, resulting in increased survival from 74% to 93% in Hiko-V-120 containers. When JFA-150 containers were used, the leaf:root ratio was lower because of higher root mass, resulting in an increase in survival to 87%, with the highest survival of 97% when combined with drought hardening. The application of antitranspirant increased survival to over 90%, whereas topping did not, probably because of severer competition from weeds. High-potassium fertilization did not affect seedling traits or survival. For better survival of summer-planted container-grown Japanese larch seedlings, it is recommended that they be grown in containers providing sufficient cell volume and density for root growth while the seedlings are in the nursery and that irrigation be withheld for two months before planting. In addition, to obtain higher survival, an antitranspirant can be applied at planting at a cost.

Description: Many factors govern the flow of deposited nitrogen (N) through forest ecosystems and into stream water. At the Fernow Experimental Forest in WV, stream water nitrate (NO3−) export from a long-term reference watershed (WS 4) increased in approximately 1980 and has remained elevated despite more recent reductions in chronic N deposition. Long-term changes in species composition may have altered forest N demand and the retention of deposited N. In particular, the abundance and importance value of Acer saccharum have increased since the 1950s, and this species is thought to have a low affinity for NO3−. We measured the relative uptake of NO3− and ammonium (NH4+) by six important temperate broadleaf tree species and estimated stand uptake of total N, NO3−, and NH4+. We then used records of stream water NO3− and stand composition to evaluate the potential impact of changes in species composition on NO3− export. Surprisingly, the tree species we examined all used both mineral N forms approximately equally. Overall, the total N taken up by the stand into aboveground tissues increased from 1959 through 2001 (30.9 to 35.2 kg N ha−1 yr−1). However, changes in species composition may have altered the net supply of NO3− in the soil since A. saccharum is associated with high nitrification rates. Increases in A. saccharum importance value could result in an increase of 3.9 kg NO3−-N ha−1 yr−1 produced via nitrification. Thus, shifting forest species composition resulted in partially offsetting changes in NO3− supply and demand, with a small net increase of 1.2 kg N ha−1 yr−1 in NO3− available for leaching. Given the persistence of high stream water NO3− export and relatively abrupt (~9 year) change in stream water NO3− concentration circa 1980, patterns of NO3− export appear to be driven by long-term deposition with a lag in the recovery of stream water NO3− after more recent declines in atmospheric N input.

Description: Biochar, a pyrogenic carbon, has been receiving incremental attention for potential contribution to soil health, agricultural productivity enhancement while mitigating climate change by sequestering carbon and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, it is not well-known to us how far rice husk biochar (RHB) application rates could increase phosphorus (P) bioavailability and plant performance when co-applied with P and lime. Here, we present data of a pot experiment consisting of eleven treatments to evaluate RHB, lime, and phosphorus effect on soil phosphorus availability, CO2 emission, nutrient uptake, and yield performance of maize. Co-application of RHB (10 and 15 t ha−1) and lime (100% and 75%) was made with different rates of P (100%, 75%, and 50%). Our result revealed that, at harvest, the combined application of RHB, lime, and phosphorus fertilizer significantly increased soil pH, P availability and decreased Al and Fe toxicity relative to the control while increasing maize yield. The maximum soil pH increased by 36.75%, the highest available P increased by 158.75%, whilst, the exchangeable Al content reduced by 96.84% compared to the control treatment. However, the difference in biomass production and yield among different lime, RHB, and P were minimal, with the largest grain yield (15.50 t ha−1) was recorded in the T6 treatments (75% lime + 10 t ha−1 RHB + 100% Triple superphosphate). The increment in biomass and grain yield could have occurred due to lime and RHB mediated changes in soil properties, including enhancement of soil pH, availability of P, and other nutrients. This increased availability then increased nutrient uptake and biomass production. Our results suggest that the combined application of lime and RHB could bring favorable changes in soil properties while sacrificing some carbon from soils.

Description: The introduction of new species in forest management must be undertaken with a degree of care, to help prevent the spread of invasive species. However, new species with higher profitability are needed to increase forest products value and the resilience of rural populations. Paulownia tomentosa has an extremely fast growth. The objective and novelty of this work was to study the potential use of young Paulownia trees grown in Portugal by using heat treatment to improve its properties, thereby allowing higher value applications of the wood. The average chemical composition of untreated and heat-treated wood was determined. The extractive content was determined by successive Soxhlet extraction with dichloromethane (DCM), ethanol and water as solvents. The composition of lipophilic extracts was performed by injection in GC-MS with mass detection. Insoluble and soluble lignin, holocellulose and α-cellulose were also determined. Physical (density and water absorption and dimensional stability) and mechanical properties (bending strength and bending stiffness) and termite resistance was also determined. Results showed that extractive content increased in all solvents, lignin and α-cellulose also increased and hemicelluloses decreased. Compounds derived from the thermal degradation of lignin were found in heat-treated wood extractions. Dimensional stability improved but there was a decrease in mechanical properties. Resistance against termites was better for untreated wood than for heat-treated wood, possibly due to the thermal degradation of some toxic extractives.

Description: This paper describes the physical and tensile properties of corn bracts during a whole harvest period by using two corn cultivars, aiming to realize efficient peeling with minimum energy performance and decrease the incidence of ear damage. The value range and change rule of tensile properties were obtained by combining mechanical experiments and numerical statistics. Meanwhile, mathematical models were established for tensile properties depending on bract moisture content and bract thickness. The experimental results show that the tensile properties of leaf blade were affected by the orientation between pulling force and longitudinal vein, and that parallel orientation was greater than perpendicular. Further, the tensile properties of leaf sheaths depended on the angle between pulling force and natural growth direction of the bract in the following order: 0° 〉 90° 〉 180°. A larger pulling force angle can improve the probability of bract fracturing at the root of leaf sheaths, which helps reduce bract residue on the peduncle. In addition, the fracture mechanisms of leaf blades and sheaths were expressed from physiological and morphological perspectives. The experimental results are believed to be able to provide theoretical guidance by which to design and optimize corn-peeling devices.

Description: The black soil of Northeast China has a strong adhesion ability because of its unique physical properties, and the soil often adheres to the surface of the grouser shoes of tracked vehicles during the operation. The adhesion performance depends largely on structure parameters of the grouser shoes. The grouser height, the grouser thickness, and the grouser splayed angle were selected as structure parameters. The adhesion force and adhesive soil mass were selected as indicators of adhesion performance. Therefore, the mathematical model between structure parameters and response indicators was established by the response surface method (RSM). The optimal parameters combination was that the grouser height was 20 mm, grouser thickness was 6.34 mm, and grouser splayed angle was 40.45°. The average data of verification experiments occurred when the adhesion force reached 1.11 kPa and adhesive soil mass reached 22.68 g. Compared with the average value of un-optimized experiment results, the adhesion force and adhesive soil mass reduced by 12.84% and 4.63%, respectively. The relative error of the predicted values and measured values was less than 5%, proving the reliability of the regression models. This study could provide a reference method for parameters optimization, and a new structure of the grouser shoes of tracked vehicles will be designed to reduce adhesion.

Description: The chemical composition of plant components of three maize hybrids harvested at the beginning of six reproductive stages of maturity was compared. The hybrids evaluated included Maximus VIP3, Defender VIP and Feroz VIP, which were evaluated at each of following stages: R1 (grain formation), R2 (milky grain), R3 (pasty grain), R4 (floury grain), R5 (hard grain) and R6 (ripe grain). The advancement in maturation was linearly related to the crude protein (CP) content of the stem, whole plant, and leaves, and there was a difference among the hybrids. Between R4 and R5 stages, Maximus and Defender presented the highest CP contents for husk (6.58 and 5.42% for Maximus; 5.54 and 5.17% for Defender). The neutral detergent fiber (NDF) of the leaves showed a quadratic relationship with the advancement of maturation but did not differ among the hybrids. For all the hybrids, the NDF content in the husk and cobs increased linearly during the reproductive stages (〉77 and 78%, respectively, for the three hybrids in R6). Defender had the lowest NDF content of the cob in R3. The acid detergent lignin contents did not differ among stages in the stems, and showed a linear decrease throughout the whole plant, though the contents did not differ among the hybrids. Due to the differences observed, recommendations for harvest based on the maturity stage for each hybrid should be taken into consideration. There seems to be no important distinction among hybrids for harvesting and use of straw. Despite the reduction in grain yield, an early harvest for earlage or snaplage can provide lower lignin content in husk and cob, as well as higher protein content in the husk, favoring the nutritional value of the vegetative fraction (husk and/or cob).

Description: Research was conducted in connection with the pressure exerted by man on the environment through the use of pesticides. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of pesticides on soil and to evaluate the effect of these changes on greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. The research was carried out on soil sown with oilseed rape. The activity of protease and urease, ammonification, nitrification in soil, as well as CO2 (carbon dioxide) and N2O (nitrous oxide) gas emissions from soil were assessed. The analyses were carried out directly after harvest and 2 months after. Pesticides most frequently negatively affected the tested parameters, in particular enzymatic activities. Of the two herbicides used, Roundup had a stronger negative impact on microbial activity. The application of pesticides, especially the fungicide, resulted in an increase in gas emissions to the atmosphere over time. Pesticides disturbed soil environmental balance, probably interfering with qualitative and quantitative relationships of soil microorganism populations and their metabolic processes. This led to the accumulation of microbial activity products in the form of, among others, gases which contribute to the greenhouse effect by escaping from the soil into the atmosphere.

Description: The silvopastoral system has the potential to alleviate the negative impacts of heat stress on livestock. Through a preliminary study, we assessed the thermal environment experienced by hair coat lambs, as well as the impacts on their bio-thermal and behavioural responses, when either kept in either the silvopastoral system, or exposed to full sun. Twelve hair coat lambs (Dorper × Santa Ines) were randomly assigned to a silvopastoral system or full sun exposure during the summer (from January to February 2017). Parameters, including air temperature, black globe temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and ground surface temperature, were measured daily for both thermal environments. From 14:00 to 16:00, lambs kept in silvopastoral areas experienced lower levels of air temperature, radiant heat load, and ground surface temperature. Consequently, they had a lower hair coat surface and lower body rectal temperatures. Lambs exposed to a shaded environment spent more time grazing and walking, and less time standing at rest. In conclusion, lambs kept in a silvopastoral system experienced lower levels of radiant heat load and ground surface temperature. In addition, the animals showed a reduced requirement for evaporative cooling and expressed behaviours that indicated a comfortable thermal environment.

Description: Molecular genetic techniques (FISH, RT-PCR, and metagenomic analysis) were used to investigate the comparative functional biodiversity in the prokaryotic complex in grassland and forests’ sod-podzol under polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon influence. The polluted samples showed a decrease in the biomass of the prokaryotic community representatives and a change in the metabolically active dominants–representatives of the Bacteria and Archaea domains compared to the control samples. The suppression of the metabolic activity of prokaryote cells under the influence of PAHs in sod-podzolic soil under meadow vegetation was more pronounced compared to soils under forest vegetation. The representatives of prokaryotes that are sensitive and resistant to the studied PAHs were identified. The representatives of the phylogenetic groups from the bacterial complex resistant to PAH pollution were Proteobacteria (Alphaproteobacteria), Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Chloroflexi, and Thaumarhaeota in the archaeal complex. Representatives of the phylum Acidobacteria and Actinobacteria (Streptosporangiales) are noted among those sensitive to PAH contamination. The presence and expression of the functional alkane monooxygenase (alkB) gene were established in all the experimental variants studied. In the plant variants, the number of copies of alkB genes increased by an order of magnitude and the biomass of metabolically active prokaryotic representatives with the functional alkB gene doubled compared to the unpolluted territories. The copy number index of the alkB gene can be used as one of the parameters when characterizing an ecosystem for the presence of PAH pollutants.

Description: Elevated or unnatural levels of arsenic (As) and phosphorus (P) concentrations in soils and waterbodies from anthropogenic sources can present significant hazards for both natural ecosystems and human food production. Effective, environmentally friendly, and inexpensive materials, such as biochar, are needed to reduce mobility and bioavailability of As and P. While biochar features several physicochemical properties that make it an ideal contaminant sorbent, certain modifications such as mineral-impregnation can improve sorption efficiencies for targeted compounds. Here, we conducted sorption experiments to investigate and quantify the potential utility of magnesium (Mg) for improving biochar sorption efficiency of P and As. We synthesized a Mg-modified walnut shells-derived biochar and characterized its ability to remove As and P from aqueous solutions, thereby mitigating losses of valuable P when needed while, at the same time, immobilizing hazardous As in ecosystems. SEM-EDX, FTIR and elemental analysis showed morphological and functional changes of biochar and the formation of new Mg-based composites (MgO, MgOHCl) responsible for improved sorption potential capacity by 10 times for As and 20 times for P. Sorption efficiency was attributed to improved AEC, higher SSA, chemical forms of sorbates and new sorption site formations. Synthetized Mg-composite/walnut shell-derived biochar also removed 〉90% of P from real samples of wastewater, indicating its potential suitability for contaminated waterbody remediation.

Description: It is important to understand price premiums related to certified raw wood to predict the future of forest certifications from the perspective of forestry enterprises. We focused on identifying the trading roundwood market data in the economic center of power in Tokyo. This study aimed to clarify Tama-certified raw wood prices under the local area certification scheme, forest-certified raw wood prices, and the handling volumes at the Tama Roundwood Market Center in Tokyo. Sales details of the Tama Roundwood Market Center were used to identify the handling volumes, Tama-certified raw wood prices, and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) or SGEC (Japan-specific Sustainable Green Ecosystem Council)-certified raw wood prices. The FSC and SGEC have operated from the center since 2016. Data were collected from the 2006–2018 fiscal years. Our results showed that the volume of raw wood handled increased due to the regeneration-cutting project conducted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. On the other hand, there was no price premium for Tama-certified raw wood under the local certification scheme or for FSC- or SGEC-certified raw wood. Price premiums for forest certifications are necessary for ongoing sustainable forest management. There is a need to increase consumer awareness of forest certifications and to differentiate quality certifications further, and these would likely create price premiums.

Description: Laser scanning via LiDAR is a powerful technique for collecting data necessary for Digital Terrain Model (DTM) generation, even in densely forested areas. LiDAR observations located at the ground level can be separated from the initial point cloud and used as input for the generation of a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) via interpolation. This paper proposes a quantitative analysis of the accuracy of DTMs (and derived slope maps) obtained from LiDAR data and is focused on conditions common to most forestry activities (rough, steep terrain with forest cover). Three interpolation algorithms were tested: Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW), Natural Neighbour (NN) and Thin-Plate Spline (TPS). Research was mainly focused on the issue of point data density. To analyze its impact on the quality of ground surface modelling, the density of the filtered data set was artificially lowered (from 0.89 to 0.09 points/m2) by randomly removing point observations in 10% increments. This provides a comprehensive method of evaluating the impact of LiDAR ground point density on DTM accuracy. While the reduction of point density leads to a less accurate DTM in all cases (as expected), the exact pattern varies by algorithm. The accuracy of the LiDAR-derived DTMs is relatively good even when LiDAR sampling density is reduced to 0.40–0.50 points/m2 (50–60 % of the initial point density), as long as a suitable interpolation algorithm is used (as IDW proved to be less resilient to density reductions below approximately 0.60 points/m2). In the case of slope estimation, the pattern is relatively similar, except the difference in accuracy between IDW and the other two algorithms is even more pronounced than in the case of DTM accuracy. Based on this research, we conclude that LiDAR is an adequate method for collecting morphological data necessary for modelling the ground surface, even when the sampling density is significantly reduced.

Description: Emerald ash borer (EAB), (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire), first identified in 2002 in southeast Michigan, has caused catastrophic ash (Fraxinus spp.) mortality in forests within the core of the invasion and has spread to 35 states and five Canadian provinces. Little is known about persistence and densities of EAB populations in post-invasion sites after most ash trees have died. We monitored EAB populations from 2014 to 2016 using double decker (DD) traps set in the midst of white ash (F. americana) trees in 30 post-invasion sites in southeast and south-central Michigan. Two DD traps were deployed at each site. One trap had a dark green upper prism and light purple lower prism, both baited with cis-3-hexenol lures. The other had two dark purple prisms baited with cis-3-hexenol on the upper prism and Manuka oil on the lower prism. In 2014 and 2016, size and condition of ash trees were recorded and area of live white ash phloem was estimated in an 18-m-radius plot centered around each of the DD traps. Area of live white ash phloem per site ranged from approximately 24 to 421 m2 in 2014 and from 24 to 411 m2 in 2016. Canopy condition of live white ash trees generally improved; 65% and 89% of the trees had healthy canopies (

Description: Control of seed germination and dormancy is important in seed plant adaptation and evolution. When studying seed dormancy of Quercus species, we observed a substantially delayed shoot emergence following a fast root emergence in Quercus chungii F.P.Metcalf. Since epicotyl physiological dormancy (PD) has not been reported in Quercus section Cyclobalanopsis, we examined seed morphology and germination in Q. chungii and aimed to document epicotyl PD in the seeds. The embryo was fully developed in fresh ripe seeds. The elongating cotyledonary petiole pushed the embryo axis out of the seed during germination, which differed from observations in other Quercus species. Shoots emerged from seeds with developing roots after 3 months of warm stratification (35/25 °C), reaching the highest percentage of shoot emergence in seeds after 5 months. Seeds were recalcitrant and displayed a yet unreported epicotyl PD type, for which we propose the formula Cnd(root) ‒ Cp’’ 2b(shoot). Early emergence and development of the root system in Q. chungii seeds with epicotyl PD appears to be a mechanism to maintain a constant water supply to the shoot during plumule development and emergence. Our documentation of seed germination will provide guidance for the conservation and restoration of this species from seeds.

Description: Most urban greening interventions involve soil de-sealing and management to enhance fertility. Management typically requires translocating fertile topsoil to the site, which comes at great environmental costs. We hypothesized that de-sealed urban soils would undergo an increase of their fertility without exogenous topsoil application. We assessed experimental plots with de-sealed soil with topsoil, and de-sealed soil without topsoil. Both treatments were vegetated with two ornamental shrub species and irrigated. Soil fertility was analyzed by chemical (total and organic carbon) and biological indicators of soils (biological quality index and microbial activities). Since metal contamination is related to urban de-sealed soil, we also monitored the concentration of Zn, Cu and Pb in soil and detected it in plant leaves. The results demonstrate that de-sealed urban soils rapidly restore their biological quality and fertility. Restoration of de-sealing soils can contribute to the recent growing interest reclamation of urban soils for improving the urban environment quality through the restoration of soil functions and related ecosystem services. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate that de-sealed soils can improve their functionality and can contribute to the recent growing interest in reclamation of urban soils for improving the urban environment quality.

Description: Peripheral regions exist in most European countries, and in the countries of the European Union they have been supported for many years by the Community’s Cohesion Policy, which aims at reducing development disparities between the Member States and regions within individual countries. In Poland, five out of sixteen voivodeships in the country are considered to be peripheral regions. They are located on Poland’s eastern border, which is also the eastern border of the European Union. Support programmes for these regions have attained the status of separate operational programmes, focusing on generating convergence effects, which can be achieved by increasing the level of innovation and implementing intelligent ways of operating the economy. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the essence of peripherality and the innovative-development potential of peripheral regions in Poland, as well as the potential of smart rural development. The paper is based on an analysis of research results drawn from the literature on the subject, as well as from official information and statistics. Own research on the smart village concept in three regions of Eastern Poland was also used. This research showed a reduction in disproportions in the development of regions in Poland, and a link between the level of innovation and the economic growth of the regions, which occurred with a certain lag in relation to the transfer of innovation.

Description: The Polish agricultural economy has a chance to dynamically develop and influence the innovation policy in the EU model of bioeconomy. The research aims to assess the spatial diversification of the level and structure of spending funds for two Rural Development Program (RDP) measures: agri-environment-climate measures (AECM) and organic farming scheme (OFS) aimed at supporting proenvironmental forms of agricultural management in the context of bioeconomy development. The EU financial perspective determined the time range for 2014–2020. The study was conducted on the example of Poland in two spatial scales: regional (province) and local (community). The analysis was based on partial indicators, which were then subjected to the standardisation procedure and included in the total as a synthetic indicator of the utilisation of RDP 2014–2020 funds aimed at supporting proenvironmental forms of farming. The following information was included in the evaluation: the number of farms, the size of utilised agricultural area (UAA) covered by support and the amounts of payments made under the two analysed RDP measures. In the research, the size and distribution of farms benefiting from AECM and OFS were determined. Besides, the relationship between funds absorption and socioeconomic development, as well as natural and non-natural conditions, were identified. The synthetic indicator of AECM/OFS usage showed a strong spatial differentiation, determined by the impact of several conditions: the level of socioeconomic development, the level of agriculture development, natural conditions of agriculture, land with significant natural and ecological values, and proenvironmental forms of land use on farms. Spatial diversification is more often the result of the impact of proenvironmental or natural-ecological factors than of socioeconomic conditions, or the level of agricultural development.

Description: To solve the water use conflicts between agriculture and ecosystems in arid and semiarid areas, a multi-objective trade-off analysis method was applied to determine the environmental flows (e-flows) for the Yellow River Estuary, by considering the temporal and spatial discrepancies in water allocation. The results showed that during average years, a loss of 3.7 × 108 yuan was caused with every 1 × 108 m3 of e-flows under the baseline scenario. The crop growth stages of April–July are sensitive periods for water requirements, and over 5000 yuan/ha production losses were caused by prioritizing e-flows during this time in dry years. The stages from July–October require more water by ecosystems than other stages, and the recommended e-flows during this time accounted for 57% of the e-flows during the total year. Under scenarios 1–3, which represent the short-term, medium-term and long-term scenarios, more water resources were supplied by underground water and water diversion projects; however, alleviating the water use contradiction remained difficult in dry years. During average years, e-flows between 148 and 168 × 108 m3 are recommended to meet the ecological objectives of survival, reproduction and biological integrity of species for the Yellow River Estuary. The recommended e-flows in wet years could meet higher ecological objectives but still barely achieve the targets of sediment transport and ecosystem dynamic balance. In dry years, the economic losses may be beyond the acceptance of irrigation stakeholders if more water is allocated to improve e-flows. In this case, 71 × 108 yuan would be paid to them to compensate for their losses. This study proposes an e-flow recommendation framework that is economically and ecologically optimal in areas with irreconcilable water-use contradictions.

Description: Under high organic matter content, even under low extractable soil P concentrations, sufficient or over-sufficient foliar P levels may be found. This multi-year study aimed at examining the effects of organic matter content and irrigation management on (a) soil fertility, (b) P-cycle related soil enzymes (acid and alkaline phosphatase, pyrophosphatase) and (c) foliar nutrient concentrations. Irrigated and non-irrigated groves of fully productive trees of the cultivar “Chondrolia Chalkidikis” with low organic matter (LOM 〈 1.5%), medium organic matter (1.5% 〈 MOM 〈 2.5%) and high organic matter (HOM 〉 2.5%) were selected for the experimentation. It was hypothesized that olive groves receiving high inorganic fertilization and irrigation inputs (usually with medium to relatively low organic matter content) would show higher soil and foliar P concentrations compared to the non-irrigated groves with higher organic matter content receiving manure applications. Most of the soil variables (including the three enzymes’ activities) were affected by differences in organic matter content. However, organic matter content did not show a significant influence on foliar nutrient concentrations. Olive trees, especially those cultivated in soils with high organic matter content (receiving organic fertilization), can over-satisfy their P nutritional needs, even though soil analyses show low soil extractable P concentrations, probably due to the high enzymatic activity of acid and alkaline phosphatases. The practical conclusion of this study is that P fertilizer recommendations should be primarily based on foliar P rather than on extractable soil P.

Description: The use of robots is increasing in agriculture, but there is a lack of suitable robotic technology for weed management in orchards. A robotic lawnmower (RLM) was installed, and its performance was studied between 2017 and 2019 in a pear orchard (1318 m2) at Ibaraki University, Ami. We found that the RLM could control the weeds in an orchard throughout a year at a minimum height (average weed height, WH: 44 ± 15 mm, ± standard deviation (SD) and dry weed biomass, DWB: 103 ± 25 g m−2). However, the RLM experiences vibration problems while running over small pears (33 ± 8 mm dia.) during fruit thinning periods, which can stop blade mobility. During pear harvesting, fallen fruits (80 ± 12 mm dia.) strike the blade and become stuck within the chassis of the RLM; consequently, the machine stops frequently. We estimated the working performance of a riding mower (RM), brush cutter (BC), and a walking mower (WM) in a pear orchard and compared the mowing cost (annual ownership, repair and maintenance, energy, oil, and labor) with the RLM. The study reveals that the RLM performs better than other conventional mowers in a small orchard (0.33 ha). For a medium (0.66 ha) and larger (1 ha) orchard, the RLM is not more cost-effective than RM and WM. However, the existing RLM performed weed control well and showed promise for profitability in our research field. We believe that, if field challenges like fallen fruit and tree striking problems can be properly addressed, the RLM could be successfully used in many small orchards.

Description: The rheological properties of wood–plastic composites (WPCs) with different wood fiber contents were investigated using a rotational rheometer under low shear rates. The flow field information was analyzed and simulated by Ansys Polyflow software. The results showed that the WPCs with different wood fiber contents behaved as typical power-law fluids. A higher wood fiber content increased the shear thinning ability and pseudoplasticity of the WPCs. The pressure, velocity, shear rate, and viscosity distributions of the WPC during extrusion could be predicted by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) Ansys Polyflow software to explore the effects of different components on the flow field of WPCs.

Description: Soil spatial variability mapping allows the delimitation of the number of soil samples investigated to describe agricultural areas; it is crucial in precision agriculture. Electrical soil parameters are promising factors for the delimitation of management zones. One of the soil parameters that affects yield is soil compaction. The objective of this work was to indicate electrical parameters useful for the delimitation of management zones connected with soil compaction. For this purpose, the measurement of apparent soil electrical conductivity and magnetic susceptibility was conducted at two depths: 0.5 and 1 m. Soil compaction was measured for a soil layer at 0–0.5 m. Relationships between electrical soil parameters and soil compaction were modelled with the use of two types of neural networks—multilayer perceptron (MLP) and radial basis function (RBF). Better prediction quality was observed for RBF models. It can be stated that in the mathematical model, the apparent soil electrical conductivity affects soil compaction significantly more than magnetic susceptibility. However, magnetic susceptibility gives additional information about soil properties, and therefore, both electrical parameters should be used simultaneously for the delimitation of management zones.

Description: The public-good nature of benefits of fuel management explains its current undersupply and the consequent wildfire blow. Policies to promote fuel management are thus required. To be cost-effective, they need to be informed by context-specific estimates of forest owners’ willingness-to-accept (WTA) for managing fuel. This study develops a choice-modeling approach to this problem. A survey of forest owners was undertaken in a wildfire-prone parish in Portugal. Respondents were asked about their willingness to subscribe different management contracts. A choice model was estimated and used to predict owners’ WTA for different fuel management commitments, and the marginal cost of reducing burned area in the parish. Estimated WTA amounts depend on owner type and commitment. Active owners demanded lower amounts for adopting silvicultural intervention commitments, and higher for those implying income foregone. The marginal cost of reducing burned area through fuel management increases with area, but it currently is yet smaller than the corresponding marginal benefit. Our results suggest that zero burned area is not an option and optimum fuel management lies beyond the current level. It will be shifted even beyond by targeted (key-spot) fuel management approaches; WTA differences across owners can be used to design context-specific policies that are more cost-effective.

Description: This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of selection criteria for post-weaning daily gain (PWDG) and early sexual heifer precocity (PP14) on the performance, carcass traits and meat quality of Nellore bulls. In year one, 50 animals were selected according to their expected progeny differences (EPDs) for PWDG and grouped as high (HG) or low (LG) groups. In year two, 50 animals were selected according to EPD for PP14 and also grouped as high (HP) or low (LP). After slaughter, samples of the longissimus muscle area (LMA) were used to evaluate meat quality. Most of performance traits were not affected by the selection criteria. However, the HG group had higher dressing percentage (p = 0.028), LMA (p = 0.02) and fat trim in the forequarter (p = 0.04) compared to the LG group. The HP group tended to have greater dry matter intake (p = 0.08), LMA (p = 0.05), rump fat (p = 0.04), heavier striploins (p = 0.07), tenderloins (p = 0.09) and briskets (p = 0.08) compared with LP group. In conclusion, the selection based on divergent groups PWDG or PP14 has a small impact on performance, carcass and meat quality traits.

Description: Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have proven their efficiency in various applications in agriculture. In crops such as date, they have been mainly used in the identification and sorting of ripe fruits. The aim of this study was the performance evaluation of eight different CNNs, considering transfer learning for their training, as well as five hyperparameters. The CNN architectures evaluated were VGG-16, VGG-19, ResNet-50, ResNet-101, ResNet-152, AlexNet, Inception V3, and CNN from scratch. Likewise, the hyperparameters analyzed were the number of layers, the number of epochs, the batch size, optimizer, and learning rate. The accuracy and processing time were considered to determine the performance of CNN architectures, in the classification of mature dates’ cultivar Medjool. The model obtained from VGG-19 architecture with a batch of 128 and Adam optimizer with a learning rate of 0.01 presented the best performance with an accuracy of 99.32%. We concluded that the VGG-19 model can be used to build computer vision systems that help producers improve their sorting process to detect the Tamar stage of a Medjool date.

Description: (1) Background: The Clearfield™ system (CL) is currently the primary tool for selective weedy-rice management in irrigated rice. However, herbicide persistence in the soil may cause damage to successive crops. Thus, it is necessary to understand agricultural practices that can favor the dissipation of these herbicides. The objective of this study was to analyze the factors that affect the persistence of imidazolinones and to use this information to provide management strategies to mitigate carryover in lowland rice. (2) Methods: A literature review was performed, and the publications were selected using the soil half-life parameter. The data were summarized according to the biotic conditions, soil parameters, and environmental variables. (3) Results: Imidazolinone dissipation in soil occurs primarily through biodegradation. The herbicide biodegradation rate depends on environmental conditions such as temperature and bioavailability of the herbicide in the soil. Herbicide bioavailability is affected by soil conditions, with higher bioavailability in soil with higher pH, less clayey texture, moderate organic matter content, and higher soil moisture levels. Therefore, environmental conditions that favor biological activity, especially high temperatures, reduce the herbicide half-life in the soil. Strategies to mitigate carryover should focus on improving herbicide availability and enhancing biological activity in the soil, especially in the rice off-season, when low temperatures limit herbicide biodegradation. Cover and rotational crops, such as ryegrass and soybean, are recommended, with the potential to mitigate soil residues. (4) Conclusions: The establishment of crops other than rice would automatically enhance degradation rates as soil amendment practices such as pH correction and drainage practices would favor soil availability and biological activity.

Description: Analysis and risk assessment are procedures which help to improve knowledge and are very important in practice. Risk assessment is possible to conduct only on the basis of exact accurate and tested information about the given system, which truly defines the given system within the spatial–temporal context. High standards of maintenance and treatment are closely linked with the requirements for quality and reliability forestry machinery and technological equipment. These standards are closely related to the maintenance of the equipment. This manuscript is focused on the reliability of standard forest machines used in the Slovak forestry. They are relatively modern and useful in the process of transporting and handling trees. This research showed the possibility of decreasing the production costs related to the maintenance of the devices and how to increase the final profit. The results of the research showed that the analysis of reliability is significant regarding to the quality of performed maintenance and the costs paid for it.

Description: Pine forests—as natural stands and artificial plantations—are one of the most extended and common forest types in the world [...]

Description: Farmers operate in a changing market, policy and social environment so questions arise as to how they experience these changes and react in their business orientation. This topic was examined in the period 2011 to 2016 in a strongly fluctuating product market and food policy environment, e.g., abolition of milk quotas in Europe. The study was based on unique panel data for 290 dairy farms in Poland, Slovenia, Lithuania and The Netherlands, questioned up to three times in 2011, 2013 and 2016. The conceptual framework was composed of Farmer goals, Resources, Opportunities and Threats (O&T), and Future expectations (performance) as continuous variables, and countries and strategy farmer groups as categorical variables. Data were analysed applying PCA, ANOVA, cluster and regression analyses. Dairy farmers seemed not to be motivated or educated to take strategic decisions that made the best use of their resources and to take opportunities and mitigate threats to achieve their personal goals. Farmer perceptions were strongly affected by country of origin, local environment and milk price, and less by the strategy group. The market situation is one of the dominant factors affecting the mind-set of farmers in Europe. Future expectations were evaluated highest in 2013 (period with ‘high’ prices), lowest in 2016 (price crisis) and intermediate in 2011 (moderate price period). The large dependence of farmers on the price of their product could be a sensitive issue for politicians, but also food chain members and farmers’ syndicates. They may anticipate a fluctuating attitude of farmers with respect to organisational and institutional plans and implemented measures, depending on the market situation and related policy context.

Description: Globally, forests provide several functions and services to support humans’ well-being and the mitigation of greenhouse gases (GHGs). The services that forests provide enable the forest-dependent people and communities to meet their livelihood needs and well-being. Nevertheless, the world’s forests face a twin environmental problem of deforestation and forest degradation (D&FD), resulting in ubiquitous depletion of forest biodiversity and ecosystem services and eventual loss of forest cover. Ghana, like any tropical forest developing country, is not immune to these human-caused D&FD. This paper reviews Ghana’s D&FD driven by a plethora of pressures, despite many forest policies and interventions to ensure sustainable management and forest use. The review is important as Ghana is experiencing an annual D&FD rate of 2%, equivalent to 135,000 hectares loss of forest cover. Although some studies have focused on the causes of D&FD on Ghana’ forests, they failed to show the chain of causal links of drivers that cause D&FD. This review fills the knowledge and practice gap by adopting the Driver-Pressures-State-Impacts-Responses (DPSIR) analytical framework to analyse the literature-based sources of causes D&FD in Ghana. Specifically, the analysis identified agriculture expansion, cocoa farming expansion, illegal logging, illegal mining, population growth and policy failures and lapses as the key drivers of Ghana’s D&FD. The study uses the DPSIR analytical framework to show the chain of causal links that lead to the country’s D&FD and highlights the numerous interventions required to reverse and halt the ubiquitous perpetual trend of D&FD in Ghana. Similar tropical forest countries experiencing D&FD will find the review most useful to curtail the menace.

Description: The use of ecofriendly strategies, such as the use of Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria, to improve the yield and quality of crops has become necessary to satisfy the growing demand of food and to avoid the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. In this study, we report the effects of an innovative microbial inoculation technique, namely Effective Microorganisms (EM), compared with traditional approaches, on productivity and nutritional aspect of four tomato varieties: Brandywine, Corbarino Giallo, S. Marzano Cirio 3, S. Marzano Antico. Results showed an increase of plant productivity as well as an enhanced antioxidant activity mainly in San Marzano Antico and Brandywine varieties treated with EM technology. Moreover, the polyphenol and carotenoid contents also changed, in response to the plant treatments. In conclusion, the application of EM® technology in agriculture could represent a very promising strategy in agricultural sustainability.

Description: Dairy farming is increasingly affected by the digital revolution. To respond to current challenges—such as environmental, economic, and social sustainability—new technologies must be adopted, entering the perspective of precision livestock farming. This is made possible by the development of countless sensors to be adopted in the barn. The technology that is affecting various aspects of dairy cattle breeding is certainly near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) which is versatile and can be used online/inline to evaluate and control the critical points of the production process by entering the PAT (process analytical technology). In the barn, NIRS currently can obtain information on the chemical-physical composition of raw materials, total mixed ration (TMR), feces and digestibility, chemical and technological analysis of milk. All this in a short time by eliminating the waiting times for analysis response and costs, allowing an improvement of livestock management. Many studies affirm the validity of NIRS as a reliable and predictive technology against multiple relevant parameters in matrices such as raw feed, TMR, feces, and milk. This review highlights the usefulness of NIRS technology in dairy farm with particular attention to portable instrumentation usable directly on the farm.

Description: The research presented herein explores soil organic carbon concentration (SOCC) under monodominant primeval forests of European beech trees and their association with parent material on a regional scale. Soil sampling to a maximum depth of 0.8 m was conducted in six localities in the West, East, and South Carpathians, Eastern Albanides, and Central Apennines, situated on different parent materials. Samples were analysed for SOCC by the dry combustion method. The average SOCC values representing individual localities ranged from 12.5 g kg−1 to 154.8 g kg−1 with a 99.7% coefficient of variation. SOCC association with climatic variables and forest stand volume data available from the literature were assessed by a Pearson correlation coefficient. Differences in SOCC among localities caused by site conditions were treated as a fixed factor in Welch’s ANOVA and found to be significant (p 〈 0.05) in the majority of cases. The associations between SOCC and climatic variables or stand volume were nonsignificant or perturbed. Since they validly explained less than 10% of the overall SOCC variance, the results of multiple comparison tests were assessed and interpreted in view of distinct parent materials.

Description: Natural regeneration of sessile oak forests is a complex process whose final outcome is influenced by numerous factors. The initial phase of development of sessile oak seedlings stands out as the most critical period in the process of natural regeneration of sessile oak forests. As the available light and competition from the accompanying woody species and ground vegetation are some of the main predictors of the success of sessile oak forest regeneration, this paper presents the results of studying the influence of these factors on the regeneration dynamics and development of sessile oak seedlings. The research was conducted in sessile oak forests in northeastern Serbia in the period from 2015 to 2020. At the end of the growing season each year, the following data were collected on 180 smaller sampling plots of 1 m2 in different conditions of canopy openness: the number, height, and root collar diameter of sessile oak seedlings. Also, the percent cover of competing woody species and ground vegetation was estimated on these sample plots. The obtained results indicated that the success of sessile oak forest regeneration largely depends on the initial number of sessile oak seedlings and silvicultural treatments during the rejuvenation period, which determine the microclimatic conditions in the stand and control the competing vegetation. They also indicate that with an increase in the available light, the impact of the competing vegetation on the dynamics of regeneration and development of sessile oak seedlings is less pronounced. Accordingly, as young sessile oak seedlings need a large amount of light for survival and development, it is necessary to increase the available amount of light intensively in a short period of time (six–eight years) by reducing canopy openness and thus providing optimal conditions in which sessile oak seedlings can gain an advantage over the competing vegetation.

Description: Bark beetles are a natural part of coniferous forests. Dendroctonus mexicanus Hopkins is the most widely distributed and most destructive bark beetle in Mexico, colonizing more than 21 pine species. The objectives of this study were to generate ecological niche models for D. mexicanus and three of its most important host species, to evaluate the overlap of climate suitability of the association Dendroctonus–Pinus, and to determine the possible expansion of the bark beetle. We used meticulously cleaned species occurrence records, 15 bioclimatic variables and ‘kuenm’, an R package that uses Maxent as a modeling algorithm. The Dendroctonus–Pinus ecological niches were compared using ordination methods and the kernel density function. We generated 1392 candidate models; not all were statistically significant (α = 0.05). The response type was quadratic; there is a positive correlation between suitability and precipitation, and negative with temperature, the latter determining climatic suitability of the studied species. Indeed, a single variable (Bio 1) contributed 93.9% to the model (Pinus leiophylla Schl. & Cham). The overlap of suitable areas for Dendroctonus–Pinus is 74.95% (P. leiophylla) and on average of 46.66% in ecological niches. It is observed that D. mexicanus begins to expand towards climates not currently occupied by the studied pine species.

Description: In four study plots located in silver fir and Scots pine stands in Magura National Park (southeastern Poland), the relationships between the occurrence and biomass of epigeic carabids, the volume of deadwood and soil biochemical properties were investigated. Thirteen carabid beetle species from the genera Abax, Carabus, Molops and Pterostichus were captured. Rare epigeic carabid species in the fauna of Poland and Europe, such as Carabus glabratus (Paykull), Carabus sylvestris (Panzer) and Abax schueppeli (Germar), were recorded. The number of carabid individuals and species captured as well as the mean individual biomass index at different elevations and in forests of different tree compositions differed significantly. There were no correlations between deadwood volume, carabid abundance and the mean individual biomass of the carabid beetles. The mean individual Carabidae biomass increased with elevated pH, soil carbon content, soil dehydrogenase activity and the number of stumps.

Description: Urban forest ecosystems are being developed to provide various environmental services (e.g., the preservation of urban trees) to urban inhabitants. However, some trees are deteriorated asymptomatically without exhibiting an early sign of tree displacement, which results in a higher vulnerability under dynamic wind loads, especially during typhoon seasons, in the subtropical and tropical regions. As such, it is important to understand the tilt and sway behaviors of trees to cope up with the probability of tree failure and to improve the efficacy of tree management. Tree behaviors under wind loads have been broadly reviewed in the past literature, yet thorough discussions on the measurement methods for tree displacement and its analysis of broadleaf specimens are lacking. To understand the behavioral pattern of both broadleaf and conifer species, this paper presents a detailed review of sway behavior analysis from the perspectives of the aerial parts of the individual tree, including tree stem, canopy, and trunk, alongside a highlighted focus on the root–plate movement amid the soil-root system. The analytical approaches associated with the time-space domain and the time-frequency domain are being introduced. In addition to the review of dynamic tree behaviors, an integrated tree monitoring framework based on geographic information systems (GIS) to detect and visualize the extent of tree displacement using smart sensing technology (SST) is introduced. The monitoring system aims to establish an early warning indicator system for monitoring the displacement angles of trees over the territory of Hong Kong’s urban landscape. This pilot study highlights the importance of the monitoring system at an operational scale to be applicable in the urban areas showcasing the practical use of the Internet of Things (IoT) with an in-depth understanding of the wind-load effect toward the urban trees in the tropical and subtropical cities.

Description: The prevalence of black bear (Ursus americanus) bark stripping in commercial redwood (Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) Endl.) timber stands has been increasing in recent years. This stripping is a threat to commercial timber production because of the deleterious effects on redwood tree fitness. This study sought to unveil a remote sensing method to detect these damaged trees early and map their spatial patterns. By developing a timely monitoring method, forest timber companies can manipulate their timber harvesting routines to adapt to the consequences of the problem. We explored the utility of high spatial resolution UAV-collected hyperspectral imagery as a means for early detection of individual trees stripped by black bears. A hyperspectral sensor was used to capture ultra-high spatial and spectral information pertaining to redwood trees with no damage, those that have been recently attacked by bears, and those with old bear damage. This spectral information was assessed using the Jeffries-Matusita (JM) distance to determine regions along the electromagnetic spectrum that are useful for discerning these three-health classes. While we were able to distinguish healthy trees from trees with old damage, we were unable to distinguish healthy trees from recently damaged trees due to the inherent characteristics of redwood tree growth and the subtle spectral changes within individual tree crowns for the time period assessed. The results, however, showed that with further assessment, a time window may be identified that informs damage before trees completely lose value.

Description: In the vision system of apple-picking robots, the main challenge is to rapidly and accurately identify the apple targets with varying halation and shadows on their surfaces. To solve this problem, this study proposes a novel, multi-feature, patch-based apple image segmentation technique using the gray-centered red-green-blue (RGB) color space. The developed method presents a multi-feature selection process, which eliminates the effect of halation and shadows in apple images. By exploring all the features of the image, including halation and shadows, in the gray-centered RGB color space, the proposed algorithm, which is a generalization of K-means clustering algorithm, provides an efficient target segmentation result. The proposed method is tested on 240 apple images. It offered an average accuracy rate of 98.79%, a recall rate of 99.91%, an F1 measure of 99.35%, a false positive rate of 0.04%, and a false negative rate of 1.18%. Compared with the classical segmentation methods and conventional clustering algorithms, as well as the popular deep-learning segmentation algorithms, the proposed method can perform with high efficiency and accuracy to guide robotic harvesting.

Description: Low temperature during germination hinders germination speed and early seedling development. Zn seed priming is a useful and cost-effective tool to improve germination rate and resistance to low temperature stress during germination and early seedling development. Spinach was tested to improve germination and seedling development with Zn seed priming under low temperature stress conditions. Zn priming increased seed Zn concentration up to 48 times. The multispectral imaging technique with VideometerLab was used as a non-destructive method to differentiate unprimed, water- and Zn-primed spinach seeds successfully. Localization of Zn in the seeds was studied using the 1,5-diphenyl thiocarbazone (DTZ) dying technique. Active translocation of primed Zn in the roots of young seedlings was detected with laser confocal microscopy. Zn priming of spinach seeds at 6 mM Zn showed a significant increase in germination rate and total germination under low temperature at 8 °C.

Description: The postharvest processing factors including cherry processing methods highly influence the final quality of coffee beverages, especially in the composition of several coffee metabolites such as glucose, fructose, the amino acid (glutamic acid), and chlorogenic acids (CGA) as well as trigonelline contents. In this research, UV spectroscopy combined with chemometrics was used to classify a ground roasted Lampung robusta specialty coffee according to differences in the cherry processing methods. A total of 360 samples of Lampung robusta specialty coffee with 1 g of weight for each sample from three different cherry processing methods were prepared as samples: 100 samples of pure dry coffee (DRY), 100 samples of pure semi-dry coffee (SMD), 100 samples of pure wet coffee (WET) and 60 samples of adulterated coffee (ADT) (SMD coffee was adulterated with DRY and WET coffee). All samples were extracted using a standard protocol as explained by previous works. A low-cost benchtop UV-visible spectrometer (Genesys™ 10S UV-Vis, Thermo Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA) was utilized to obtain UV spectral data in the interval of 190–400 nm using the fast scanning mode. Using the first three principal components (PCs) with a total of 93% of explained variance, there was a clear separation between samples. The samples were clustered into four possible groups according to differences in cherry processing methods: dry, semi-dry, wet, and adulterated. Four supervised classification methods, partial least squares–discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), principal component analysis–linear discriminant analysis (PCA-LDA), linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and support vector machine classification (SVMC) were selected to classify the Lampung robusta specialty coffee according to differences in the cherry processing methods. PCA-LDA is the best classification method with 91.7% classification accuracy in prediction. PLS-DA, LDA and SVMC give an accuracy of 56.7%, 80.0% and 85.0%, respectively. The present research suggested that UV spectroscopy combining with chemometrics will be highly useful in Lampung robusta specialty coffee authentication.

Description: Climate change has increased the interannual and seasonal variation in the average temperature and precipitation rate, which determine forage availability globally. Similar patterns of change have occurred in tropical regions, and Ecuador is no exception. This region includes other influencing factors, such as the conversion of tropical forests to extensive pastures. Therefore, this study was carried out to evaluate guinea grass (Panicum maximum) cultivated under silvopastoral systems with different management strategies in both of the seasons of the study region in Ecuador (rainy season and dry season). A randomized complete block design was used for the experiment, with three repetitions and three treatments. Agronomic measures, forage production, chemical composition, animal responses, and soil properties were evaluated. Data were analyzed with the Mixed model of SAS. Differences in all evaluated parameters were observed between treatments, and silvopastoral systems (SPSs) produced better results than conventional grass monoculture. Furthermore, there was a strong seasonal effect on forage production, chemical composition, and soil properties. Therefore, management of Panicum maximum with well-planned grazing can enhance animal responses and help to retain natural resources, lowering the pressure on forests.

Description: Climate change leads to a variety of extreme weather conditions such as heat waves, unusual cold weather, and heavy rain, which always ends up with serious disasters. It could have a tremendous impact on a lot of industries in the world. The tourist industry, that plays a vital role in the global economy, has faced serious impacts from climate change in many tourist attractions, e.g., national parks, mountain areas, and beaches. The travel behavior of visitors has been changed under various climate change conditions. To understand the influence degrees of tourists on climate change factors, this study aimed to analyze whether there is difference in the influence of climate change on socio-demographic background, travel activities, travel intention, and the revisit intention attitude of tourists with different degrees of place attachment to Wuling National Forest Recreation Area. This study further investigated whether the climate change adaptation strategies offered by the park manager would have a positive influence on travel intention of tourists. The results of this study showed that except for heat waves, events related to climate change such as stronger typhoon, heavy rain, unusual cold weather condition, mud sliding, forest fire, and the appearance of mosquitos would have a negative influence on travel intention, especially for the tourists with a low degree of place attachment. In addition, if the park manager offers strategies to adapt to climate change conditions, these strategies would have a positive influence on travel intention.

Description: Salinity is a significant abiotic stress for crop plants and a threat to global food security. Optimizing yield without adversely affecting the ecosystem is necessary for a sustainable agriculture. Silicon and plant growth-promoting bacteria were reported for mitigating several abiotic and biotic stress in plants. In our study, we identified the salt-tolerant rhizobacterium Pseudomonas psychrotolerans CS51. This species produces several plant-growth-promoting biochemicals like indole-3-acetic acid (33 ± 1.8 ng/mL) and gibberellic acid (GA3; 38 ± 1.3 and GA4; 23 ± 1.2 ng/mL) in Luria-Bertani(LB) media, and LB media spiked with 200 mM NaCl (indole-3-acetic acid(IAA); 17.6 ± 0.4 ng/mL, GA3; 21 ± 0.9 and GA4; 19 ± 1.0 ng/mL). In the current study, we aimed to investigate the effect of isolate CS51 and exogenous silicon (3 mM) on maize under salinity stress (200 mM). Our results showed that the sole application of isolate CS51, Si, and combined CS51 + Si significantly enhanced maize biomass and chlorophyll content under normal and salinity stress. Phytohormonal results showed that salinity stress increased abscisic acid (ABA; three folds) and jasmonic acid (JA; 49.20%). However, the sole and combined isolate CS51 + Si application markedly reduced ABA (1.5 folds) and JA content (14.89%). Besides, the sole and isolate CS51 + Si co-application strengthened the antioxidant system, such as flavonoid (97%) and polyphenol (19.64%), and lowered the proline content (57.69%) under NaCl stress. Similarly, the CS51 and Si inoculation (solely or combined) significantly enhanced the Si uptake (4 folds) and reduced the Na+ uptake (42.30%) in maize plants under NaCl stress. In conclusion, the current finding suggests that combining CS51 with Si can be used against salinity stress in maize plants and may be commercialized as a biofertilizer.

Description: This study is focused on the estimation of fuel consumption of the power-shift transmission (PST) tractor based on PTO (power take-off) dynamometer test. The simulation model of PST tractor was developed using the configurations and powertrain of the real PST tractor. The PTO dynamometer was installed to measure the engine load and fuel consumption at various engine load levels (40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90%), and verify the simulation model. The axle load was also predicted using tractor’s specifications as an input parameter of the simulation model. The simulation and measured results were analyzed and compared statistically. It was observed that the engine load, as well as fuel consumption, were directly proportional to the engine load levels. However, it was statistically proved that there was no significant difference between the simulation and measured engine torque and fuel consumption at each load level. The regression equations show that there was an exponential relationship between the fuel consumption and engine load levels. However, the specific fuel consumptions (SFC) for both simulation and measured were linear relationships and had no significant difference between them at each engine load level. The results were statistically proved that the simulation and measured SFCs were similar trends. The plow tillage operation could be performed at the gear stage of 7.65 km/h with higher working efficiency at low fuel consumption. The drawback of this study is to use a constant axle load instead of dynamic load. This study can provide useful information for both researchers and manufacturers related to the automated transmission of an agricultural tractor, especially PST tractor for digital farming solutions. Finally, it could contribute to the manufacturers developing a new agricultural tractor with higher fuel efficiency.

Description: Excess pesticide residues on cabbage are harmful to humans. In this study, we propose an innovative strategy for a quick and nondestructive qualitative test of lambda-cyhalothrin residues on Chinese cabbage. Spectral profiles of Chinese cabbage leaf samples with different concentrations of surface residues of lambda-cyhalothrin were collected with an Agilent Cary 630 FTIR Spectrometer. Standard normal variate (SNV), multiplicative scatter correlation (MSC), and principle component analysis (PCA) were utilized to preprocess the spectra. Then, fuzzy Foley-Sammon transformation (FFST), fuzzy linear discriminant analysis (FLDA), and fuzzy uncorrelated discriminant transformation (FUDT) were employed to extract features from the spectra data. Finally, k-nearest neighbor (kNN) was applied to classify samples according to the concentration of lambda-cyhalothrin residue. The highest identification accuracy rates of FFST, FLDA, and FUDT were 100%, 97.22%, and 100%, respectively. FUDT performed the best considering the combination of accuracy rate and required computing time. We believe that mid-infrared spectroscopy combined with fuzzy uncorrelated discriminant analysis is an effective method to accurately and quickly conduct qualitative analyses of lambda-cyhalothrin residues on Chinese cabbages. This method may have applications in other crops and other pesticide residues.

Description: Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and pollutants, soil erosion and groundwater pollution are some of the negative aspects blamed on livestock farming, so their level of sustainability needs to be assessed, taking into account the territory in which they operate. The research focuses on the assessment of sustainability performance in the four dimensions of good governance: environmental integrity, economic resilience and social well-being, considered by the ‘‘Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture Systems’’ (SAFA) tool developed by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The objective of applying this methodology is to highlight the sustainability dimensions in which the ten analyzed farms are weakest and the ones in which they show the most strength, in order to provide farmers a tool to understand the criticalities on which to intervene. The farms considered follow the principles of agroecology and organic farming, which are decisive in the pursuit of sustainable development. The overall results show a satisfactory level of sustainability with high prospects for improvement, in line with the EU commitments undertaken in the Green Deal and the Millennium Development Goals. Livestock farms must, therefore, be encouraged and accompanied with targeted technical assistance strategies and appropriate agroecological protocols.

Description: Information about tree biomass is important not only in the assessment of wood resources but also in the process of preparing forest management plans, as well as for estimating carbon stocks and their flow in forest ecosystems. The study aimed to develop empirical models for determining the dry mass of the aboveground parts of black locust trees and their components (stem, branches, and leaves). The research was carried out based on data collected in 13 stands (a total of 38 sample trees) of black locust located in western Poland. The model system was developed based on multivariate mixed-effect models using two approaches. In the first approach, biomass components and tree height were defined as dependent variables, while diameter at breast height was used as an independent variable. In the second approach, biomass components and diameter at breast height were dependent variables and tree height was defined as the independent variable. Both approaches enable the fixed-effect and cross-model random-effect prediction of aboveground dry biomass components of black locust. Cross-model random-effect prediction was obtained using additional measurements of two extreme trees, defined as trees characterized by the smallest and largest diameter at breast height in sample plot. This type of prediction is more precise (root mean square error for stem dry biomass for both approaches equals 77.603 and 188.139, respectively) than that of fixed-effects prediction (root mean square error for stem dry biomass for both approaches equals 238.716 and 206.933, respectively). The use of height as an independent variable increases the possibility of the practical application of the proposed solutions using remote data sources.

Description: Weeds are often harmful to crop growth due to the competition for space and resources. A field experiment containing four treatments with three replications in a complete randomized design was conducted at Yucheng Comprehensive Experiment Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences since 2008 to assess the impact of shifting from conventional tillage to no-till with crop residue management on weeds and wheat production at the North China Plain. We found that both aboveground weed density and species richness were higher under continuous no-till (NT) than conventional tillage (CT) in the regrowth and stem elongation stage of wheat growth. On the other hand, aboveground weed density in the stage of flowering and filling decreased with crop residue mulching. The density of the soil seed bank in crop residue removal treatments was significantly higher than that of crop residue retention. Besides, either crop residue mulching or incorporating into the soil significantly increased the wheat yield compared with crop residue removal regardless of tillage management. In conclusion, crop residue retention could decrease the weed density and species richness both aboveground and in the soil seed bank and inhibit the growth of broadleaf weeds by the residue layer. Moreover, crop residue retention could improve the wheat yield.

Description: The rich biodiversity of agricultural fields and their surroundings enhances natural ecosystems and has a positive impact on their productivity and resistance, e [...]

Description: The genus Quercus (oak), family Fagaceae, comprises around 500 species, being one of the most important and dominant woody angiosperms in the Northern Hemisphere. Nowadays, it is threatened by environmental cues, which are either of biotic or abiotic origin. This causes tree decline, dieback, and deforestation, which can worsen in a climate change scenario. In the 21st century, biotechnology should take a pivotal role in facing this problem and proposing sustainable management and conservation strategies for forests. As a non-domesticated, long-lived species, the only plausible approach for tree breeding is exploiting the natural diversity present in this species and the selection of elite, more resilient genotypes, based on molecular markers. In this direction, it is important to investigate the molecular mechanisms of the tolerance or resistance to stresses, and the identification of genes, gene products, and metabolites related to this phenotype. This research is being performed by using classical biochemistry or the most recent omics (genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) approaches, which should be integrated with other physiological and morphological techniques in the Systems Biology direction. This review is focused on the current state-of-the-art of such approaches for describing and integrating the latest knowledge on biotic and abiotic stress responses in Quercus spp., with special reference to Quercus ilex, the system on which the authors have been working for the last 15 years. While biotic stress factors mainly include fungi and insects such as Phytophthora cinnamomi, Cerambyx welensii, and Operophtera brumata, abiotic stress factors include salinity, drought, waterlogging, soil pollutants, cold, heat, carbon dioxide, ozone, and ultraviolet radiation. The review is structured following the Central Dogma of Molecular Biology and the omic cascade, from DNA (genomics, epigenomics, and DNA-based markers) to metabolites (metabolomics), through mRNA (transcriptomics) and proteins (proteomics). An integrated view of the different approaches, challenges, and future directions is critically discussed.

Description: Wildfires and pests are natural disturbance agents in many forest ecosystems that often contribute to ecological succession, nutrient cycling, and forest species composition. Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) is a coniferous species that plays an important role as an ecological barrier, and is widely spread in northern China. Its wood is loose; its branches, leaves, and cones contain a high level of resin and volatile oils that make the species highly flammable and the stands dominated by the species are very vulnerable to fire. Recently, resinosis on boles of Pinus sylvestris became an epidemic in China. To explore the potential effects of pests on fire, we compared the flammability of Mongolian pine barks with or without resinosis on boles using a cone calorimeter and several combustion analyses. We found that the barks from boles with resinosis had a greater oil content than the healthy trees. The study also indicated that the ignition times of the barks from boles with and without resinosis were 6.00 s (±1.73) and 22.67 s (±1.15), respectively, and that the heat release rate curves were parabolic, with peaks 225.19 and 75.27 kW/m2, respectively, for the two bark types. Additionally, because resinosis was on the low- to mid-bole of infested trees, the barks from boles with resinosis tended to be ignited much easier than those without resinosis. This clearly evidenced that pests could affect fire severity and behavior by increasing forest flammability. More information about the role that pests play in the different forest cover types is needed to increase our understanding of fire danger and to develop sound forest management policies.

Description: Organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis have been widely applied as the two main regeneration pathways in plant tissue cultures. However, recalcitrance is still the main restriction in the clonal propagation of many woody species, especially in conifers. They undergo a “phase change” that leads to significant loss of vegetative propagation capacity, reducing the aptitude of tissues and organs to be regenerated in vitro beyond this point. In line with this, the in vitro regeneration of mature conifer trees has been a long-cherished goal in many laboratories worldwide. Based on previous works in Pinus species regeneration from adult trees, we now present data about the culture of apical shoot buds in an attempt to induce organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis to clone mature trees of Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis). Reinvigorated axillary shoots were submitted to conditions usually applied to induce somatic embryogenesis through the manipulation of culture media, including the use of auxins such as 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid, cytokinins (6-benzyladenine and kinetin), and phytosulfokine (50, 100, and 200 nM). Although somatic embryos could not be obtained, an embryogenic-like tissue was produced, followed by the emergence of actively proliferating non-embryogenic calli. Variations in the consistence, texture, and color of non-embryogenic calli were observed; especially those arising in the media containing phytosulfokine. Reinvigorated shoots, induced by 22 or 44 µM 6-benzyladenine, were obtained through organogenesis and acclimatized, and phenotypically normal plants were obtained.

Description: This paper provides an updating of information of a selected number of major phytoplasma diseases of forest trees, with a focus on the associated phytoplasma taxa. Phytoplasma diseases of forest trees have been less extensively studied than those affecting fruit trees. Research on the role of phytoplasmas as the cause of diseases of forest trees has only in the last few years been intensified, after sensitive and specific detection methods greatly based on PCR technology became available. Various phytoplasma taxa have been identified in naturally infected elm, ash, conifer, sandal, and eucalyptus trees, whereas only one phytoplasma taxon has been recorded in naturally infected alder trees. However, for almost all of the reviewed diseases, there is still sparse information about insect vectors, plant host range, strain virulence, pathogenicity, and host tolerance and resistance. Knowledge of these aspects is the basis for appropriate disease management. In particular, further research is required to clarify the role of phytoplasmas in asymptomatic trees. In addition, the etiological role of various “non-specific” phytoplasma taxa, which have been recorded in forest trees, while no data from pathological studies are available, needs to be further investigated.

Description: A few studies in young mixedwood stands demonstrate that precommercial thinning of aspen at early ages can improve the growth of spruce and increase stand resilience to drought. However, information on tree and stand responses to thinning in older mixedwood stands is lacking. To address this need, a study was initiated in 2008 in Alberta, Canada in 14 boreal mixedwood stands (seven each at ages 17 and 22). This study investigated growth responses following thinning of aspen to five densities (0, 1000, 2500, 5000 stems ha−1 and unthinned (control)). Measurements were collected in the year of establishment, and three and eight years later. Mortality of aspen in the unthinned plots was greater than in the thinned plots which were not significantly different amongst each other. Eight years following treatment, aspen diameter was positively influenced by thinning, while there was no effect on aspen height. The density of aspen had no significant effect on the survival of planted spruce. Spruce height and diameter growth increased with both aspen thinning intensity and time since treatment. Differentiation among treatments in spruce diameter growth was evident three years from treatment, while differentiation in height was not significant until eight years following treatment. Yield projections using two growth models (Mixedwood Growth Model (MGM) and Growth and Yield Projection System (GYPSY)) were initialized using data from the year eight re-measurements. Results indicate that heavy precommercial aspen thinning (to ~1000 aspen crop trees ha−1) can result in an increase in conifer merchantable volume without reducing aspen volume at the time of harvest. However, light to moderate thinning (to ~2500 aspen stems ha−1 or higher), is unlikely to result in gains in either deciduous or conifer merchantable harvest volume over those of unthinned stands.

Description: The spatial heterogeneity of plant diversity at the neighborhood scale has less been understood, although it is very important for the planning and management of neighborhood landscape. In this case study of Beijing, we conducted intensive investigations of the plant diversity in different neighborhoods along a rural–urban gradient. The results showed that the mean numbers of plant species per neighborhood were 30.5 for trees, 18.8 for shrubs, and 31.9 for herbs, respectively. There were significant logarithmic relationships between the numbers of species and patch area, indicating that larger patches within neighborhoods could harbor more plant species. Hierarchical linear modeling showed that the variations in plant diversity within neighborhoods were higher than those between neighborhoods. The number of species increased logistically with both the number of patches within neighborhoods and the number of neighborhoods, suggesting that it is important to sample a sufficient number of patches within neighborhoods, as well as a sufficient number of neighborhoods in order to sample 90% of the plant species during the investigation of plant diversity in urban neighborhoods. So the hierarchical design of sampling should be recommended for investigating plant diversity in urban areas.

Description: Motor-manual operations are commonly implemented in the traditional and short rotation forestry. Deep knowledge of their performance is needed for various strategic, tactical and operational decisions that rely on large amounts of data. To overcome the limitations of traditional analytical methods, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been lately used to deal with various types of signals and problems to be solved. However, the reliability of AI models depends largely on the quality of the signals and on the sensing modalities used. Multimodal sensing was found to be suitable in developing AI models able to learn time and location-related data dependencies. For many reasons, such as the uncertainty of preserving the sensing location and the inter- and intra-variability of operational conditions and work behavior, the approach is particularly useful for monitoring motor-manual operations. The main aim of this study was to check if the use of acceleration data sensed at two locations on a brush cutter could provide a robust AI model characterized by invariance to data sensing location. As such, a Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) with backpropagation was developed and used to learn and classify operational events from bimodally-collected acceleration data. The data needed for training and testing was collected in the central part of Romania. Data collection modalities were treated by fusion in the training dataset, then four single-modality testing datasets were used to check the performance of the model on a binary classification problem. Fine tuning of the regularization parameters (α term) has led to acceptable testing and generalization errors of the model measured as the binary cross-entropy (log loss). Irrespective of the hyperparameters’ tunning strategy, the classification accuracy (CA) was found to be very high, in many cases approaching 100%. However, the best models were those characterized by α set at 0.0001 and 0.1, for which the CA in the test datasets ranged from 99.1% to 99.9% and from 99.5% to 99.9%, respectively. Hence, data fusion in the training set was found to be a good strategy to build a robust model, able to deal with data collected by single modalities. As such, the developed MLP model not only removes the problem of sensor placement in such applications, but also automatically classifies the events in the time domain, enabling the integration of data collection, handling and analysis in a simple less resource-demanding workflow, and making it a feasible alternative to the traditional approach to the problem.

Description: Background and Objectives—Coexisting tree and shrub species will have to withstand more arid conditions as temperatures keep rising in the Mediterranean Basin. However, we still lack reliable assessments on how climate and drought affect the radial growth of tree and shrub species at intra- and interannual time scales under semi-arid Mediterranean conditions. Materials and Methods—We investigated the growth responses to climate of four co-occurring gymnosperms inhabiting semi-arid Mediterranean sites in northeastern Spain: two tree species (Aleppo pine, Pinus halepensis Mill.; Spanish juniper, Juniperus thurifera L.) and two shrubs (Phoenicean juniper, Juniperus phoenicea L.; Ephedra nebrodensis Tineo ex Guss.). First, we quantified the intra-annual radial-growth rates of the four species by periodically sampling wood samples during one growing season. Second, we quantified the climate–growth relationships at an interannual scale at two sites with different soil water availability by using dendrochronology. Third, we simulated growth responses to temperature and soil moisture using the forward, process-based Vaganov‒Shashkin (VS-Lite) growth model to disentangle the main climatic drivers of growth. Results—The growth of all species peaked in spring to early summer (May–June). The pine and junipers grew after the dry summer, i.e., they showed a bimodal growth pattern. Prior wet winter conditions leading to high soil moisture before cambium reactivation in spring enhanced the growth of P. halepensis at dry sites, whereas the growth of both junipers and Ephedra depended more on high spring–summer soil moisture. The VS-Lite model identified these different influences of soil moisture on growth in tree and shrub species. Conclusions—Our approach (i) revealed contrasting growth dynamics of co-existing tree and shrub species under semi-arid Mediterranean conditions and (ii) provided novel insights on different responses as a function of growth habits in similar drought-prone regions.

Description: Improved irrigation management is identified as a potential mitigation option for methane (CH4) emissions from rice (Oryza sativa). Furrow-irrigated rice (FR), an alternative method to grow rice, is increasingly adopted in the Mid-South U.S. However, FR may provide a potential risk to yield performance and higher emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O). This study quantified the grain yields, CH4 and N2O emissions from three different water management practices in rice: multiple-inlet rice irrigation (MIRI), FR, and FR with cereal rye (Secale cereale) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) as preceding winter cover crops (FRCC). CH4 and N2O fluxes were measured from May to September 2019 using a static chamber technique. Grain yield from FR (11.8 Mg ha−1) and MIRI (12.0 Mg ha−1) was similar, and significantly higher than FRCC (8.5 Mg ha−1). FR and FRCC drastically reduced CH4 emissions compared to MIRI. Total seasonal CH4 emissions decreased in the order of 44 〉 11 〉 3 kg CH4-C ha−1 from MIRI, FR, and FRCC, respectively. Cumulative seasonal N2O emissions were low from MIRI (0.1 kg N2O-N ha−1) but significantly higher from FR (4.4 kg N2O-N ha−1) and FRCC (3.0 kg N2O-N ha−1). However, there was no net difference in global warming potential among FR, FRCC and MIRI. These results suggest that the increased N2O flux from furrow-irrigated rice may not greatly detract from the potential benefits that furrow-irrigation offers rice producers.

Description: Research highlights: Funding forest management with subsidies from carbon offsetters is a well-documented mechanism in tropical regions. This article provides complementary insights into the use of voluntary offset contracts in temperate forests. Background and objectives: The mitigation of greenhouse emissions has become a major global issue, leading to changes in forest management to increase the capacity of forests to store carbon. This can lead to conflicts of use with other forest ecosystem services such as timber production or biodiversity conservation. Our main goal is to describe collective actions to fund carbon-oriented forestry with subsidies from carbon offsetters and to analyze how their governance and functioning prevent conflicts pertaining to multi-functionality. Materials and methods: We assembled an interdisciplinary research team comprising two ecologists, a social scientist, and an economist. Drawing on a conceptual framework of ecosystem services, social interdependencies, and collective action, we based our qualitative analysis on semi-structured interviews from two French case studies. Results: Carbon-oriented intermediary forest organizations offer offset contracts to private firms and public bodies. Communication is geared toward the mitigation outcomes of the contracts as well as their beneficial side effects in providing the ecosystem services of interest to the offsetters. Subsidies then act as a financial lever to fund carbon-oriented forestry operations. Scientific committees and reporting methodologies serve as environmental, social, and economic safeguards. Conclusions: These new intermediary forest organizations use efficient forest operations and evaluation methodologies to improve forest carbon storage. Their main innovation lies in their collective governance rooted in regional forest social-ecological systems. Their consideration of multi-functionality and socioeconomic issues can be seen as an obstacle to rapid development, but they ensure sustainability and avoid conflicts between producers and beneficiaries of forest ecosystem services. Attention must be paid to interactions with broader spatial and temporal carbon policies.

Description: Forestry harvesting represents an important economic activity around the world. Habitat degradation due to forest harvesting contributes to biodiversity loss; therefore, it is necessary to implement logging management aimed at reducing its impact. Forest management by reduce-impact logging (RIL) involves cutting trees following regulations focused on diminishing the impact on biodiversity by following harvesting plans based on forestry inventories and participation of trained workers. In Mexico, RIL is applied mainly in temperate habitats and its effectiveness has been assessed based on vascular plants. In this study, we analyzed the diversity and community structure of terrestrial and epiphytic mosses in managed (sites number = 3) and conserved (sites number = 3) sites in the temperate forest of Sierra Juárez, Oaxaca, Mexico. Likewise, we evaluated the potential function of mosses as indicators of habitat degradation. Environmental variables were also quantified at local (canopy coverage, altitude, daily temperature, and light) and regional (total annual rainfall, orientation, and slope) scales to evaluate potential relationships with the community and species diversity. We documented 70 mosses species with a diversity (alfa, beta) and community structure similar between managed and conserved sites. For terrestrial mosses, we found marginal differences in their communities, likely related to species coverture variation in managed sites. The diversity and community structure epiphytic mosses were not statistically different in managed and conserved sites. Only the daily variation in light intensity was positively related to the variation of alpha diversity of epiphytic mosses. The species Dicranum sumichrastii Duby and Leptodontium viticulosoides (P. Beauv.) Wijk & Margad. can be considered as ecological indicators for conserved and managed sites, respectively, likely due to their relationship with light and humidity conditions. Our results suggest that that forest management by RIL could be considered as a promising tool to balance timber production and moss diversity.

Description: Spain has a great landrace diversity of the subspecies of the tetraploid species Triticum turgidum L., namely, durum (or durum wheat), turgidum (or rivet wheat) and dicoccon (or domesticated emmer wheat). These wheats have to confront several foliar diseases such as the leaf rust. In this work, a core collection of 94 landraces of tetraploid wheats were inoculated with three leaf rust isolates. Besides, a larger collection (of 192 accessions) was evaluated in the field. Although the majority of landraces were susceptible, approximately 20% were resistant, especially domesticated emmer wheat landraces. Several variables, such as late heading and red coat seeds were associated to resistant accessions. Regarding ecogeographic variables, a higher rainfall from October to February and more uniform temperature were found in the area of origin of resistant landraces. Based on these results, several resistant landraces were identified that potentially may be used in durum wheat breeding programs. In addition, a predictive model was elaborated to develop smaller subsets for future screening with a higher hit rate for rust resistance.

Description: The intensity and frequency of drought have increased considerably during the last decades in southeastern Europe, and projected scenarios suggest that southern and central Europe will be affected by more drought events by the end of the 21st century. In this context, assessing the intraspecific genetic variation of forest tree species and identifying populations expected to be best adapted to future climate conditions is essential for increasing forest productivity and adaptability. Using a tree-ring database from 60 populations of 38-year-old silver fir (Abies alba) in five trial sites established across Romania, we studied the variation of growth and wood characteristics, provenance-specific response to drought, and climate-growth relationships during the period 1997–2018. The drought response of provenances was determined by four drought parameters: resistance, recovery, resilience, and relative resilience. Based on the standardized precipitation index, ten years with extreme and severe drought were identified for all trial sites. Considerable differences in radial growth, wood characteristics, and drought response parameters among silver fir provenances have been found. The provenances’ ranking by resistance, recovery, and resilience revealed that a number of provenances from Bulgaria, Italy, Romania, and Czech Republic placed in the top ranks in almost all sites. Additionally, there are provenances that combine high productivity and drought tolerance. The correlations between drought parameters and wood characters are positive, the most significant correlations being obtained between radial growth and resilience. Correlations between drought parameters and wood density were non-significant, indicating that wood density cannot be used as indicator of drought sensitivity. The negative correlations between radial growth and temperature during the growing season and the positive correlations with precipitation suggest that warming and water deficit could have a negative impact on silver fir growth in climatic marginal sites. Silvicultural practices and adaptive management should rely on selection and planting of forest reproductive material with high drought resilience in current and future reforestation programs.

Description: Amino acid (AA)-to-crude protein (CP) ratios in soybean meal (SBM) may be different for different sources of SBM depending on the presence of additional hulls. Therefore, this study was conducted to develop novel two-slope equations to predict the concentrations of AAs in SBM using CP as an independent variable. Regression analyses were performed with each AA in SBM as the dependent variable and the CP as the independent variable. Among all AAs, the predicted Lys in SBM (% dry matter (DM)) was: Lys = 3.19 − 0.026 × (51.88 − CP) where CP 〈 51.88% DM and Lys = 3.19 + 0.072 × (CP − 51.88) where CP 〉 51.88% DM with R2 = 0.51 and p 〈 0.001. In conclusion, the novel equations provided reasonable estimates of the AA concentrations from different ranges of CP in SBM.

Description: Acacia spp. are exotic tree species that have been widely planted on man-made slopes in Hong Kong since the 1960s. However, as they become mature and senescent, they may become a concern and cause various problems, including soil constraints for plant growth, decreasing provision of intended ecosystem services, declining syndromes, arrested succession, and high risk of failure. In this perspective paper, we present and discuss these problems using practical examples of Acacia-dominated urban forests on man-made roadside slopes in Hong Kong, based on a cross-disciplinary survey and a literature review. To conclude, we suggest that selective cutting, specific silvicultural operations of Acacia plantations, and the management of plantation edge and soils can be exercised, along with the planting of native species, to potentially alleviate these problems associated with mature Acacia plantations, by promoting the establishment of native forests, enhancing biodiversity, expediting succession, and providing better ecosystem services.

Description: Vegetation cover plays a key role in terrestrial ecosystem; therefore, it is important for researchers to investigate the variation and influencing factors of vegetation cover. China has experienced a large-scale vegetation cover change in recent years. We summarized the literature of vegetation cover change and revealed how large-scale anthropogenic activities influence vegetation cover change in China. Afforestation and intensification of cropland played a key role in large-scale greening. Urbanization showed a “U” shape to influence vegetation cover change. Mining and reclamation, land abandonment and land consolidation, and regional natural protection all had a unique influence on the change of vegetation cover. Indeed, the large-scale vegetation cover change was caused by interaction of anthropogenic factors and part human-driven climate change. Anthropogenic factors influenced climate change to indirectly alter the condition of plant growth. Interaction between climate change and human activities influence on vegetation cover still needs to be further investigated in the future.

Description: The environmental impact of deposit development can be indirect and can cause combined geochemical processes in ecosystems. These must be taken into consideration under environmental forecasting and environmental risk assessment. Soil degradation in the Taiga Forest is considered, within the area of Verkhnekamskoye potash deposit (Russia), as an example of such environmental transformation. Here, the mechanism and characteristics of the anthropogenic salinisation of alluvial soils under potash deposit development are newly described. It was found that there is a strong anthropogenic impact of the potash industry on valley soils where the contaminated Na-Cl groundwater discharges or is close to the surface. The valley soils are characterised by high salinity, and the sum of toxic salts in soils has reached 26%. Alluvial gley humic clay chloride saline soil (Gleyic Fluvisols (Salic, Loamic, Technic)) and secondary solonchak on alluvial humic clay soil sulphate-chloride gypsum-containing surface-gleyed (Chloridic Gleyic Fluvic Solonchak (Hypersalic, Loamic, Technic)) were formed in hydromorphic conditions. Morphological, physicochemical and mineralogical analyses were carried out. Under hydromorphic conditions, Chloridic Gleyic Fluvic Solonchak (Hypersalic, Loamic) was described to show a hydrotroillite layer and reddish-yellow iron-rich precipitates on its surface. The top soil horizon has the highest content of iron minerals (up to 84.9%) and Fe-bearing plant residues (up to 20%). Additionally, the spongy and gel-like organic materials, as well as the siliceous remains of diatoms, are enriched in Ca, Fe, Cl, K, Na, S and P. The lower soil horizon consists of black gel-like phases and hydrogen sulphide settings with a high content of plant residues. The insoluble part of the samples contains up to 84% hydrogoethite. The sources of iron in soils and bottom sediments include the iron-enriched Sheshma sediments speckled rocks, slurry material, halite wastes and soil minerals of alluvial gley soils.

Description: Understanding the patterns of biodiversity and their relationship with environmental gradients is a key issue in ecological research and conservation in forests [...]

Description: The construction of a scientific and effective soil pressure-sinkage model under sloped terrain condition has important guiding significance for the investigation of the soil compaction effect. It is also important for the theoretical calculation of driving resistance and design optimization of the undercarriage structure of hillside metal-tracked tractors (HMTs). The classic Bekker’s pressure-sinkage model does not consider the influence of the soil water content, bulk density, slope angle, and other factors; therefore, it cannot be directly used to investigate the relationship between the soil compaction and its sinkage under sloped terrain conditions. To solve this problem, this study first verified that the soil water content and bulk density exert significant effects on the pressure–sinkage relationship under flat terrain condition. Secondly, a pressure-sinkage test was carried out using the quadratic rotation orthogonal combination design method, and the soil water content, density, and slope angle were considered. The pressure-sinkage curves of sloped terrain soils from Yangling and Yangxian in Shaanxi Province, and Huining and Jingning in Gansu Province were obtained. Then the pressure–sinkage parameters (sinkage exponent, cohesive modulus, and frictional modulus) were calculated using the weighted least-squares method. Thirdly, the mathematical relationship between the parameters and the soil water content, bulk density, and slope angle was obtained. Then Bekker’s model was modified to obtain the pressure–sinkage model of sloped terrain. Finally, the control variable method under slope angle of 10°, soil water content of 10%, and bulk density of 2 mg·m−3 were used to validate the model. The results revealed that the root-mean-square error between the calculated pressure value of the model and the measured value of the film pressure sensor was 1.614, 1.601, and 0.822, respectively. In the dynamic operation of a hillside tractor prototype, the calculated pressures between the supporting wheels were close to the measured values. It indicates that the modified soil pressure–sinkage model is more suitable for calculating the force at the bottom of the track between the supporting wheels. It can also provide an important theoretical basis for accurately calculating the pressure–sinkage parameters of sloped terrain soil. Additionally, this approach could provide theoretical and technical support for the rational arrangement of HMT undercarriages to reduce the soil sinkage and driving resistance.

Description: Maize is the grain cereal that is the basis of human and animal diets in Mexico and Latin America; it constitutes an essential crop for global food security. The objective of this study was to analyze the spatial–temporal evolution of scientific production on the theme of GMO maize, through a bibliometric analysis of the texts available in the main editorial houses (Elsevier, Scopus, and Springer), open access journal articles database (Conricyt, Scielo, Redalyc, Latindex, Claryvate Analytics, Periodica, and DOAJ), and freely accessible web search engine Google Scholar, to determine the factors that influence the impact of the studies. From 1991 to 2019, 917 texts were found whose spatial–temporal evolution showed a linear growth that concentrated in Latin America (58.56%). The low impact (measured by the number of bibliographic citations) of scientific studies developed in countries of Latin America was related to their publication in journals edited in their own countries and in Spanish, which restricts the constructive criticism of peer review. For the case of Mexico, a spatial discrepancy was also found between research centers and production areas, which limits the transference of technology; and no specialized author in theme of GMO maize was found; the researchers responded to “scientific trends” in agreement with the agrarian policies of the time.

Description: Romania is known among the main European honey producers, due to the variety of landforms as well as the diversity of the flora. Thirty-four honey samples of the acacia, linden and multifloral types, produced in eastern Romania and collected during 2013–2018, were physico-chemically analyzed using methods provided by the national and EU standards. The results of water-insoluble solids, color and refractive index were found to be 0.023–0.131%, 0.3–76.4 mm Pfund and 1.485–1.499, respectively. The moisture content ranged between 15.20% and 20.77%, solid substances content ranged between 79.23% and 84.80% and total soluble substances content ranged between 77.83 °Brix and 83.26 °Brix. The obtained values of specific gravity were from 1.414 to 1.450 g/cm3, pH ranged from 3.673 to 5.503 and free acidity ranged between 2.4 meq and 50 meq kg−1. The ash content and the electrical conductivity varied between 0.030 and 0.543% and 130 and 679 µS cm−1, respectively. Pearsonʹs correlation analysis showed an intense association of the ash content with electrical conductivity (r = 0.81). Our findings reveal the qualitative level of Romanian honey and the variation in quality parameters due to factors such as geographical region, climatic conditions, botanical origin and handling or storage conditions.

Description: In order to solve the problem where the amount of screw fertilizer distributor can only be adjusted by rotating speed and poor fertilization uniformity at low rotational speeds, a blocking wheel-type screw fertilizer distributor was designed. Single factor and L9(34) orthogonal simulation tests based on EDEM software were carried out to optimize the distributor variables at a speed of 20 r/min. The bench verification test was built under the same conditions as the simulation tests to verify the results of the simulation. Finally, the bench performance tests were carried out to evaluate distributor performance. The results of simulation tests revealed that the minimum coefficient of variation of fertilization uniformity (CVFU) was 19.27%, with the structural parameter combination of the inner diameter (17 mm), pitch (45 mm), outlet distance (40 mm), and number of screw heads (1). The verification test results showed that the changing trend and values of the CVFU were almost the same as the simulation tests. The results of the performance test revealed that when the opening width of the blocking wheel was 10–30 mm and the rotation speed was 20–60 r/min, the amount of fertilizer per lap (FAPL) was in the range of 27.74–38.15 g/r; the maximum CVFU and the coefficient of variation of fertilization stability (CVFS) were 29.43% and 2.18%, respectively, which met the requirements of the industry standard. This research provides a good reference for optimizing the screw fertilizer distribution and for researchers in the field of precision fertilization.

Description: Bioindicators assess the mangroves ecological state according to the types of pressures but they differ with the ecosystem’s specificities. We investigated benthic meiofauna diversity and structure within the low human-impacted mangroves in French Guiana (South America) in response to sediment variables with various distances to the main city. Contaminant’s concentrations differed among the stations, but they remained below toxicity guidelines. Meiofauna structure (Foraminifera, Kinorhyncha, Nematoda) however varied accordingly. Nematode’s identification brought details on the sediment’s quality. The opportunistic genus Paraethmolaimus (Jensen, 1994) strongly correlated to the higher concentrations of Hg, Pb. Anoxic sediments were marked by organic enrichment in pesticides, PCB, and mangrove litter products and dominance of two tolerant genus, Terschellingia (de Man, 1888) and Spirinia (Gerlach, 1963). In each of these two stations, we found many Desmodora individuals (de Man, 1889) with the presence of epibionts highlighting the nematodes decreased fitness and defenses. Oxic sediments without contaminants were distinguished by the sensitive genera Pseudocella (Filipjev, 1927) and a higher diversity of trophic groups. Our results suggested a nematodes sensitivity to low contaminants concentrations. Further investigations at different spatio-temporal scales and levels of deterioration, would be necessary to use of this group as bioindicator of the mangroves’ ecological status.

Description: Bringing the olive harvest period forward leads to storing fruit in field temperatures that risk jeopardizing its quality. Knowledge about the bio-thermal characteristics of olives is crucial when considering their cooling, although published research on the subject is limited. In this work, the cooling rate of the fruit of six olive cultivars has been empirically determined by measuring the evolution of their low temperature under controlled conditions by thermal imaging. Based on these data, the cooling time needed to cool the fruit to 22 °C was estimated, considering the biometric characteristics of the individual fruit, a field temperature from 26 to 42 °C, and a room cooling temperature from −8 to −20 °C. The results showed differences among the cultivars and the need to further investigate the specific heat requirements for small varieties and the impact of the conduction factor on the heavier ones. The simulation suggests that between 2 min (for the light Arbequina and Koroneiki cultivars) and 5 min (for the heavier Verdial and Gordal cultivars) suffice to cool the fruit to the desired temperature with a room temperature of −16 °C. These results show the feasibility of developing technological solutions for cooling olives before their industrial processing with industrial applications such as cooling tunnels on individual fruit.

Description: Studies of biomass and carbon dynamics and community composition change after forest wind disturbance have predominantly examined trends after low and intermediate severity events, while studies after very severe wind disturbance have been few. This study documents trends in aboveground biomass and carbon across 10 years of forest recovery after severe wind disturbance. In July 1989, a tornado struck mature Tsugacanadensis-Pinusstrobus forest in northwest Connecticut, USA, causing damage across roughly 8 ha. Canopy tree damage and regeneration were surveyed in 1991 and 1999. Two primary hypotheses were tested, both of which derive from regeneration being primarily via the release of suppressed saplings rather than new seedling establishment: (1) Biomass and carbon accumulation will be faster than accumulation reported from a similar forest that experienced similar severity of wind disturbance; and (2) The stand will experience very little change in species composition or diversity. Estimated immediate post-disturbance (1989) aboveground live-tree carbon was 20.7 ± 43.9 Mg ha−1 (9.9% of pre-disturbance) Ten years after the disturbance, carbon in aboveground live tree biomass increased to 37.1 ± 47.9 Mg ha−1; thus for the first decade, annual accumulation averaged 1.6 Mg ha−1 of carbon; this was significantly faster than the rate reported in a similar forest that experienced similar severity of wind disturbance. The species diversity of woody stems ten years after the disturbance was significantly higher (nonoverlapping confidence intervals of rarefaction curves) than pre-disturbance canopy trees. Thus, hypothesis 1 was confirmed while hypothesis 2 was rejected. This study augments the limited number of longer-term empirical studies that report biomass and carbon accumulation rates after wind disturbance, and can therefore serve as a benchmark for mechanistic and modeling research.

Description: This paper examines the strength of wood adhesive bonds at high temperatures. The goal of this research is to better understand the conditions of heat delamination in cross laminated timber (CLT) that is exposed to fire. Heat delamination in CLT occurs when one lamination detaches from the composite panel before the char front reaches the bondline. Timber that falls from the panel, as a result of delamination, contributes additional fuel to the fire, which can cause fire regrowth, while the loss of a lamination causes a sudden loss in strength. Currently, to demonstrate that an adhesive does not delaminate, it must pass a full scale (6 m by 3 m) compartment fire test as prescribed in the PRG-320 product standard. In this work, we scaled down the mechanical loads and temperatures to 300 mm lap shear specimens. Seven different adhesives were tested and compared against solid wood controls with the same geometry as the lap shear specimens. Quasi-static tests were run where the specimens were loaded to failure at 25 °C and 260 °C, when the samples were at thermal equilibrium. Additionally, creep tests were performed where the load and temperature ramp was matched to the adhesive bondline temperatures measured in the large scale PRG-320 tests. With the exception of some of the polyurethane formulations, all adhesives passed the scaled-down creep test that resembles the PRG-320 standard. Of the polyurethane adhesives tested, only one formulation remained intact for the duration of the test. These results can be used to help better predict which adhesives may pass the PRG-320 test prior to full scale testing.

Description: Genetic variation and phenotypic stability in Norway spruce were studied based on provenances, families, and clones planted in trials at 12 sites in four Nordic countries. The families were generated in a factorial cross between 10 parents of Norwegian origin and 10 parents of Eastern European origin, and the clones were propagated from seedlings within 20 of the same families. Traits analyzed were survival, proportion of trees with stem defects, and tree heights. Stability was analyzed by regression analyses with the genetic entries’ annual shoot increment as the dependent variable and the total site mean as an environmental index. Information about growth and phenology traits were available from short-term tests. For tree heights, significant variance components were present both among female and male parents, but not for their interactions, indicating that non-additive genetic effects are small. Genotype × environment interactions were significant at all three genetic levels, but their variance components had considerably lower values than the variance components estimated for the effects of families and clones. For the set of families of Norwegian origin, strong relationships were observed between the timing of annual shot elongation, mortality, and height growth. Large variation was found at all three genetic levels for phenotypic stability measured by regression coefficients. A positive relationship was present between the regression coefficient and the timing of annual shoot growth for families, indicating that later flushing families responded more to a high site index. The regression coefficient can be a useful supplement to the breeding value when selecting for superior and stable genotypes.

Description: The tomato industry has been searching for new genotypes with improved fruit production, both in the field and industrially processed, together with high-quality performance under sustainable management conditions. This research was carried out in Southern Italy with the aim of assessing the effects of industrial processing on the yield and quality of four tomato hybrids grown according to organic farming methods and addressed at dicing. MAX 14111 and HMX 4228 showed the highest values of field and processing yield as well as reduced sugars and fructose. MAX 14111 had the highest values of total solids and soluble solids, titratable acidity, fiber, energetic value, polyphenols, and also rutin, though not significantly different from Impact. HMX 4228 performed best in terms of sugar ratio, color and naringenin. Concerning the diced products, the sensorial qualities of the four hybrids differed significantly. Total polyphenols, naringenin and rutin in the tomato fruits were higher in the processed than in the raw product. The appreciable fruit yield and quality resulting from both field and processing phase represent a promising perspective for identifying improved tomato genotypes addressed at dicing.

Description: Grain stored in silos in the United States of America is generally cooled with an aeration system to limit mold spoilage and insect infestation. Monitoring efficacy of aeration and real-time conditions of stored grain is generally done using temperature cables with fixed-spaced sensor locations that are hung from the roof of the silo. Numerous placement options exist in terms of the number of cables and their positions. However, little investigation has been done into the effects of cable placement on aeration system operation decisions and real-time monitoring of stored grain conditions. For a one-year period, the temperatures predicted by sensors in three recommended temperature cable configurations were evaluated for conditions in Ames, IA, USA. The average temperatures of each of the cable sensor configurations were lower than the average temperatures of the entire silo, with as much as an 11.4 °C difference. When sensor locations were used as inputs for aeration control, all cable sensor configurations predicted similar average temperatures. However, the temperature averages varied by as much as 3.6 °C depending on the temperature cable distribution chosen. Results demonstrated that temperature cables near the center or near the edges of the silos produce results that are not representative of the grain mass, resulting in less efficient aerations. Simulations were also conducted with randomized horizontal “wireless” sensor locations at fixed grain depths. The average temperatures were similar, but an increase in the number of sensors reduced variability between simulated storage years as the number of randomized sensors increased.

Description: Polish agriculture is characterized by regional differentiation. These differences affect the production potential, generate income, or development which is an indispensable element of economic efficiency. The aim of the article is to assess the spatial diversification of agriculture potential in relation to the development of voivodeships in Poland using a synthetic measure. Choice of variables in 2009–2018 was conditioned by the availability of data collected in the city system at the Central Statistical Office. Method of Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution was used to build synthetic measures. The synthetic measure of agricultural potential in voivodships in Poland was negatively correlated with the measure of the natural environment, the measure of infrastructure, the number of unemployed and the area of forest land. It was correlated with the area of arable land, number of tractors, cattle population, pigs and the production of milk, basic crops, sugar beet. The measure of the voivodeship development is negatively correlated with the synthetic measure of agricultural potential, area of arable land, arable land and number of people employed in agriculture. Conclusions drawn may allow local governments to define potential directions of optimization of socio-economic development of rural communes.

Description: The effects of climate change on agricultural ecosystems are increasing, and droughts affect many regions. Drought has substantial ecological, social, and economic consequences for the sustainability of agricultural land. Many regions of the northern hemisphere have not experienced a high frequency of meteorological droughts in the past. For understanding the implications of climate change on grassland, analysis of the long-term climate data provides key information relevant for improved grassland management strategies. Using weather data and grassland production data from a long-term permanent grassland site, our aims were (i) to detect the most important drought periods that affected the region and (ii) to assess whether climate changes and variability significantly affected forage production in the last decade. For this purpose, long-term daily weather data (1961–2019) and the standardized precipitation index (SPI), De Martonne index (IDM), water deficit (WD), dryness index (DI), yield anomaly index (YAI), and annual yield loss index (YL) were used to provide a scientific estimation. The results show that, despite a positive trend in DI and a negative trend in WD and precipitation, the time-series trends of precipitation, WD, and DI indices for 1961–2019 were not significant. Extreme dry conditions were also identified with SPI values less than −2. The measured annual forage yield (2007–2018) harvested in a four-cut silage system (with and without organic N-fertilization) showed a strong correlation with WD (R = 0.64; p ˂ 0. 05). The main yield losses were indicated for the years 2008 and 2018. The results of this study could provide a perspective for drought monitoring, as well as drought warning, in grassland in northwest Europe.

Description: Plant architecture improvement is of great significance in influencing crop yield, harvesting efficiency and ornamental value, by changing the spatial structure of the canopy. However, the mechanism on plant architecture in woody plants is still unclear. In order to study the genetic control of plant architecture traits and promote marker-assisted selection (MAS), a genetic linkage map was constructed, and QTL mapping was performed. In this study, using 188 BC2 progenies as materials, a genetic map of Lagerstroemia was constructed using amplification fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP) and simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers, and the QTLs of four key plant architecture traits (plant height, crown width, primary lateral branch height and internode length) were analyzed. The genetic map contains 22 linkage groups, including 198 AFLP markers and 36 SSR markers. The total length of the genome covered by the map is 1272 cM, and the average distance between markers is 6.8 cM. Three QTLs related to plant height were located in LG1, LG4 and LG17 linkage groups, and the phenotypic variation rates were 32.36, 16.18 and 12.73%, respectively. A QTL related to crown width was located in LG1 linkage group, and the phenotypic variation rate was 18.07%. Two QTLs related to primary lateral branch height were located in the LG1 and LG7 linkage groups, and the phenotypic variation rates were 20.59 and 15.34%, respectively. Two QTLs related to internode length were located in the LG1 and LG20 linkage groups, and the phenotypic variation rates were 14.86 and 9.87%. The results provide a scientific basis for finely mapping genes of plant architecture traits and marker-assisted breeding in Lagerstroemia.

Description: Lupinus mutabilis Sweet is an Andean protein crop with agro-economic potential. However, it is characterized by low yields and phenotypic plasticity related to environmental conditions when cultivated in different locations in Europe. Current research objective was to evaluate L. mutabilis agro-morphological performance in two locations in Greece and to record its pollinators, since these can contribute to optimization of crop performance. For this purpose, eight Andean lupin accessions, one white and one blue lupin commercial varieties were evaluated for 71 agro-morphological traits in a Randomized Complete Block design with three replications. Combined Analysis over Location presented a significant accession-location interaction for traits of economic interest such as seed crude protein and 100 seed weight. Seed crude protein was higher in L. mutabilis accessions (up to 43.8 g 100 g−1 seed) than white and blue lupins. Andean lupin yielded up to 327 kg ha−1 (LIB214) in Kalamata, while its yield was lower than the white lupin in Athens. Using principal component analysis, three groups of accessions were formed, one by each lupin species and three within Andean lupin accessions. Floral traits such as color and size are related to pollinators diversity and preference. Insect pollinators and floral traits interplay among different lupin species was examined. Pollinators visited L. mutabilis flowers belong to the genera Anthophora, Bombus, Megachile and Xylocopa. The results of the present study, indicate that L.mutabilis has agronomic potential and enhances above ground biodiversity, however breeding for higher yields is required.

Description: Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) proposes environmental policies developed around action-based conservation measures supported by agri-environment schemes (AES). High Nature Value (HNV) farming represents a combination of low-intensity and mosaic practices mostly developed in agricultural marginalized rural areas which sustain rich biodiversity. Being threatened by intensification and abandonment, such farming practices were supported in the last CAP periods by targeted AES. This study aims to identify the most important farming trends in a recognized HNV grasslands Romanian site, subject to public conservation actions. The content analysis of multi-actor focus groups transcripts identifies innovation needs for alternative sustainable HNV farming systems, assessing also the most important barriers for their local deployment. Results show that stakeholders have strong awareness about the existence of HNV farming practices in their territory and their negative trends (abandonment; intensification) that might irreversibly affect biodiversity and cultural values. Current AES could not compensate for the existing innovation gaps. Although local stakeholders have basic awareness about alternative innovative approaches, they failed in their deployment mainly due to the lack of collective actions. Access to adapted knowledge reservoirs and the promotion of local innovation catalyzers are essential for the future sustainability of HNV farming practices.

Description: To explore the effects of multi-cutting and sheep excrement on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from grassland ecosystems which simulate grazing livestock to a certain extent, spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L., var. Yongliang 15) and common vetch (Vicia sativa L., var. Lanjian 3) were planted in pot experiments in an inland arid region in 2019. Four treatments were conducted with eight replicates: plants without sheep excrement and cutting (CK), plants with multi-cutting (MC), plants with sheep excrement (SE), and plants with multi-cutting and sheep excrement (CE). The results showed that the carbon dioxide (CO2) emission of common vetch with CE significantly was higher than that with MC at the earlier and later branching stages (p 〈 0.05). That of spring wheat with CE was significantly higher than that with MC at the later tillering stage (p 〈 0.05). Nitrogen oxide (N2O) emissions of the two forage crops with SE rose significantly more than those with MC at both stages (p 〈 0.05). Methane (CH4) of both forage crops with SE changed from absorption to emission (p 〈 0.05). Soil NO3−-N content of both forages significantly increased with SE compared with MC (p 〈 0.05), while soil NH4+-N content did not change significantly. Sheep excrement changed the CH4 sink into a CH4 source of the soil growing the two forage crops and increased the emissions of CO2 and N2O, whereas multi-cutting significantly reduced the GHG intensity of forage crops mostly by promoting the growth of the two forage crops. Future studies are suggested to identify the spatiotemporal effects of cutting and sheep excrement on GHG emissions to improve the prediction of future climate impacts from grazing activities.

Description: In this study, a complete physical–chemical analysis was performed for Fetească neagră wine, aged with oak staves. Red wine samples were taken from grape varieties grown in Northeast Romania and produced during 2013 vintage. At the end of the fermentation process, four oak mini staves (1 cm width × 10 cm length × 1 cm thickness) from heavy toasted French oak were added to 5 L of red wine. Samples were aged using two time periods, respectively at 1.5 and 3 months, in a room at 14–16 °C. Results showed that the initial content of total phenolic decreased during ageing, from 931.1 mg catechin/L at 1.5 months to 775.4 mg catechin/L at 3 months. In contrast, the initial content of total antioxidant activity increased after the same period of ageing to 13.3 mM Trolox as compared to the aged wines for 1.5 months, at 12.8 mM Trolox. The corregram representing the relationship between the total phenols, total antioxidant activity (TAA) and their fractions and CieLab parameters was performed. Thirty-seven minor volatile compounds were quantified by stir bars sorptive extraction and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (SBSE-GC-MS). An increase in odor activity value (OAV) with ageing time was observed, especially for fruity, fatty and woody series. The oak staves used in ageing processes can contribute positively to the aromatic profile of wines and could be considered a good choice for producing short-aged wines.

Description: The understanding of spatial distribution patterns of native riparian tree species in Europe lacks accurate species distribution models (SDMs), since riparian forest habitats have a limited spatial extent and are strongly related to the associated watercourses, which needs to be represented in the environmental predictors. However, SDMs are urgently needed for adapting forest management to climate change, as well as for conservation and restoration of riparian forest ecosystems. For such an operative use, standard large-scale bioclimatic models alone are too coarse and frequently exclude relevant predictors. In this study, we compare a bioclimatic continent-wide model and a regional model based on climate, soil, and river data for central to south-eastern Europe, targeting seven riparian foundation species—Alnus glutinosa, Fraxinus angustifolia, F. excelsior, Populus nigra, Quercus robur, Ulmus laevis, and U. minor. The results emphasize the high importance of precise occurrence data and environmental predictors. Soil predictors were more important than bioclimatic variables, and river variables were partly of the same importance. In both models, five of the seven species were found to decrease in terms of future occurrence probability within the study area, whereas the results for two species were ambiguous. Nevertheless, both models predicted a dangerous loss of occurrence probability for economically and ecologically important tree species, likely leading to significant effects on forest composition and structure, as well as on provided ecosystem services.

Description: Environmental changes in national parks are generally subject to constant observation. A particular case is parks located in mountains, which are more vulnerable to climate change and the binding of pollutants in mountain ranges as orographic barriers. The effectiveness of forest soil monitoring networks based on a systematic grid with a predetermined density has not been analysed so far. This study’s analysis was conducted in the Stolowe Mountains National Park (SMNP), SW Poland, using total Pb concentration data obtained from an initial network of 403 circle plots with centroids arranged in a regular 400 × 400 m square grid. The number and distribution of monitoring plots were analysed using geostatistical tools in terms of the accuracy and correctness of soil parameters obtained from spatial distribution imaging. The analysis also aimed at reducing the number of monitoring plots taking into account the economic and logistic aspects of the monitoring investigations in order to improve sampling efficiency in subsequent studies in the SMNP. The concept of the evaluation and modification of the monitoring network presented in this paper is an original solution and included first the reduction and then the extension of plot numbers. Two variants of reduced monitoring networks, constructed using the proposed procedure, allowed us to develop the correct geostatistical models, which were characterised by a slightly worse mean standardised error (MSE) and root mean squared error (RMSE) compared to errors from the original, regular monitoring network. Based on the new geostatistical models, the prediction of Pb concentration in soils in the reduced grids changed the spatial proportions of areas in different pollution classes to a limited extent compared to the original network.

Description: Improved mechanistic understanding of soil methane (CH4) exchange responses to shifts in soil moisture and temperature in forest ecosystems is pivotal to reducing uncertainty in estimates of the soil-atmospheric CH4 budget under climate change. We investigated the mechanism behind the effects of soil moisture and temperature shifts on soil CH4 fluxes under laboratory conditions. Soils from the Huai River Basin in China, an area that experiences frequent hydrological shifts, were sampled from two consecutive depths (0–20 and 20–50 cm) and incubated for 2 weeks under different combinations of soil moisture and temperature. Soils from both depths showed an increase in soil moisture and temperature-dependent cumulative CH4 fluxes. CH4 production rates incubated in different moisture and temperature in surface soil ranged from 1.27 to 2.18 ng g−1 d−1, and that of subsurface soil ranged from 1.18 to 2.34 ng g−1 d−1. The Q10 range for soil CH4 efflux rates was 1.04–1.37. For surface soils, the relative abundance and diversity of methanotrophs decreased with moisture increase when incubated at 5 °C, while it increased with moisture increase when incubated at 15 and 30 °C. For subsurface soils, the relative abundance and diversity of methanotrophs in all samples decreased with moisture increase. However, there was no significant difference in the diversity of methanogens between the two soil depths, while the relative abundance of methanogens in both depths soils increased with temperature increase when incubated at 150% water-filled pore space (WFPS). Microbial community composition exhibited large variations in post incubation samples except for one treatment based on the surface soils incubated at 15 °C, which showed a decrease in the total and unique species number of methanotrophs with moisture increase. In contrast, the unique species number of methanogens in surface soils increased with moisture increase. The analysis of distance-based redundancy analysis (db-RDA) showed that soil pH, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), NO3−-N, and NH4+-N mainly performed a significant effect on methanotrophs community composition when incubated at 60% WFPS, while they performed a significant effect on methanogens community composition when incubated at 150% WFPS. Overall, our findings emphasized the vital function of soil hydrology in triggering CH4 efflux from subtropical plantation forest soils under future climate change.

Description: Common bean is usually cropped under rainfed conditions and in soils with low pH and water retention, in the sub-humid and semiarid regions of Brazil. To improve soil conditions, smallholder farmers commonly use cattle manure. However, manure is available in limited amounts, insufficient to fertilize all cropping areas. Thus, other amendments, such as poultry manure (PM) and biochar (BC), have been proposed to increase soil water retention and pH. We evaluated the effects of BC (10, 20, and 40 t ha−1; BC10, BC20, and BC40, respectively), PM (5 t ha−1; PM), the combination of both amendments (BC10 + PM, BC20 + PM, and BC40 + PM) and an absolute control (Control), with no amendment, on soil physical, chemical, and biological properties, and on common bean water use efficiency (WUE) and yield. The treatments had no effects on total organic carbon, cation exchange capacity, microbial biomass carbon, soil physical properties, and evapotranspiration. Treatment combination BC (10 t ha−1) + PM (5 t ha−1) significantly improved phosphorus concentration, enzymatic activities, WUE, and bean yield in this one-year experiment and it can be a viable management practice for smallholder farmers in the Brazilian sub-humid region. However, further investigations are required to study the long-term field effects of the best performing soil amendments.

Description: Nutrient consumption by plants depends on the growth stage and environmental conditions. In general, plants take up species of elements at different speeds. We monitored and recorded the electrical charge flow through xylem sap of tomato plants (Brillante F1) using femto/picoammeter equipment (Keysight B2981A). This technique evaluates the nutrient uptake of tomato treated with the most common macronutrients (KNO3; KH2PO4; Ca(NO3)2; KCl) by monitoring the electrical conductivity for 24 h. The electrical conductivity of each treatment correlated with the plant growth and development stages. The results showed that the tomato plants had a high consumption of nutrients in the vegetative stage, while in other stages, they had a specific consumption, like phosphorus for bulb formation, potassium for increasing the number of flowers and water for the ripening of fruits. The quantitative evaluation of the ions absorbed by the plant was based on the magnitude and shape of the electrical conductivity curves. Our technique is an efficient method to determine nutrient consumption and is useful in predicting the deficiency of a certain element in tomato plants.

Description: Crown architecture has long been evaluated for its impact on taper modeling. However, most of the research has focused on a limited number of crown dimensions. This study examined the effect of adding several crown dimensions in improving the diameter and volume estimates of Dahurian larch, Korean spruce, and Manchurian fir in northeast China. The crown dimensions included crown length, crown ratio, crown width, height to live crown base, diameter at the crown base, and crown shape. A well-known taper model of Clark et al. (1991) was fitted to the data of 276 trees from natural stands. To adjust the inherent autocorrelation in the data, we added a third-order continuous-time error structure in the model fit. Model fitting was carried out with the NLMIXED procedure (Non-linear Mixed Procedure), followed by the MODEL procedure of SAS using the generalized nonlinear least-squares method. Fit statistics and graphical assessments were used to evaluate the original and modified models. Above 98% of the total variance of d was explained by the models for all species. The addition of crown variables showed slight improvements for root mean square error (RMSE) values in the analyzed species. The RMSE plots indicated that the models with crown variables slightly improved the diameter and volume predictions for the species but only for the upper stem (〉50%–90%). The study demonstrated that crown dimensions influence the stem taper, but the original model of Clark et al. (1991) reasonably realized that effect.

Description: We investigated changes in soil chemistry and foliar metabolism of Himalayan cedar [Cedrus deodara (Roxb. Ex Lamb.) G.Don] and Himalayan spruce [Picea smithiana (Wall.) Boiss] trees along a steep elevational gradient in the lower Himalayan Mountains at Kufri, Himachal Pradesh (HP), India. The foliar and soil samples were collected from four locations along a 300 m elevational gradient at ridge, high-, mid-, and low-elevation sites within the forested Shimla Water Catchment Wildlife Sanctuary that provides water for the city of Shimla, HP,. Observations at the time of sampling revealed that the high-elevation site was being heavily grazed. Soils collected at the four sites showed differences in soil chemistry along the gradient. Surface soils (top 10 cm) at the high-elevation site had the highest concentrations of carbon, nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, organic matter, and effective cation exchange capacity, possibly caused by grazing. Mineral soils were slightly acidic at all sites except the mid-elevation site, which was extremely acidic in the upper mineral soil. Similar to surface soil chemistry, foliar metabolism was also comparatively unique for high elevation. In Himalayan cedar foliage, higher concentrations of soluble proteins, polyamines, amino acids, and potassium were observed at the high-elevation site as compared to the ridge, mid and low elevations. No major differences were observed in the metabolic profiles of cedar between the ridge and low elevation ranges. Spruce foliage was sampled only from the ridge and low elevations and its metabolic profiles suggested healthier conditions at the low elevation. The results of the study demonstrate the impact of the interplay between local and regional drivers of forest health on cedar and spruce trees in a forested catchment that acts as a water source for downstream communities.

Description: Romanian beekeeping faces a lot of challenges nowadays due to the problems related to climate change, the use of pesticides in agriculture, but also to the pandemic crisis. In this context, organic beekeeping represents an important alternative to traditional apicultural practices. The purpose of the study was to present the current situation of organic beekeeping in Romania, but also to identify some aspects related to sustainability. The research methodology was based on secondary and primary data. An online survey was conducted in 2020 on a sample of 433 Romanian beekeepers. The main findings showed that the majority of participants were aware of organic principles and were familiar with the concept of sustainability in beekeeping. However, only a small percentage of beekeepers were certified in the organic system. The evaluation of the concept of sustainability showed that the most important factor for the surveyed beekeepers was the environmental aspect, followed by the economic and social components. The pandemic crisis has negatively impacted the beekeepers’ activities due to travel restrictions and the limited access to the apiaries. If, in economic terms, they were affected by the sales drop in the first months of the crisis, there were also some positive effects such as the increase in demand for health-related products.

Description: Food waste is a global challenge that raises many questions about the reasons and prevalence of this phenomenon in all sectors of the economy. The youth is regarded as a consumer group, which is the most prone to food waste. This paper aims to understand their food waste intentions to support tailored policies for policymakers, retailers, and other market actors. We applied the extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to find the relevant variables that affect the youth’s intention not to waste food. Besides creating a general model, we divided the sample into segments differing in respondents’ intentions to avoid food waste and specific socioeconomic characteristics. The data confirm significant differences between young women and men from urban and rural areas. Each of the segments was characterized by specific latent variables, influencing the intentions to avoid food waste. This segmentation allowed for developing policy recommendations that were tailored to each segment. It is a unique approach to differentiate the youth to unveil their specific food-waste intentions. Based on the above, we conclude that segmenting is a useful approach to the general TPB model, allowing for interesting insights. A fine segmentation is also a milestone to develop tailored policies, interventions, and communication on food waste reduction in rural and urban areas.