Agriculture, Volume 10, Issue 8 (August 2020) – 57 articles

The decrease of maize stalk quality is an important reason for stalk lodging during the grain filling stage. In the present study, a maize cultivar was planted at densities of 7.5, 9.0, 10.5, 12.0, and 13.5 × 10⁴ plants ha⁻¹ and subjected to nitrogen application rates of 0, 270, 360, and 450 kg ha⁻¹ (denoted as N0, N270, N360, and N450). The stalk breaking force, mechanical strength, carbohydrate content, and nitrogen content of basal internodes were determined to study the effects of nitrogen application rate on the stalk lodging resistance of maize under different planting densities with integrated watering and fertilization using drip irrigation. At densities of 7.5 to 10.5 × 10⁴ plants ha⁻¹, the stalk breaking force, rind penetration strength (RPS), and crushing strength (CS) of the basal internode decreased first and then increased with increasing nitrogen application rate, with the lowest values obtained for the N270 treatment. Meanwhile, at planting densities of 12.0 × 10⁴ plants ha⁻¹ and above, the stalk breaking force, RPS, and CS increased with increasing nitrogen application rate. The basal internode dry weight per unit length (DWUL) and total N content increased with increasing nitrogen application rate. The breaking force was significantly positively correlated with the DWUL and mechanical strength of the basal internode. The RPS showed a positive linear correlation with the contents of cellulose, lignin, and total N of the third internode. Under the split application of water and fertilizer, the maize stalk total dry matter and contents of cellulose, lignin, and total nitrogen increased with increasing nitrogen fertilization rate during the grain filling stage at high planting density, so the stalk lodging resistance improved. Full article

Agricultural transformation is a transition process of agriculture from the low development stage to the high development stage. Identifying the agricultural transformation stage and analyzing the evolution of agricultural development types based on Total Factor Productivity (TFP) are of great significance for the rational formulation of agricultural development policies. Based on the total factor productivity analysis framework, the DEA-Malmquist index model was used to measure the agricultural TFP of the 87 counties in Gansu Province from 1988 to 2017. The cumulative anomaly method was used to help identify agricultural transformation stages. Agricultural development types of counties in different stages and their evolution process were analyzed. Results show that (1) the agricultural transformation of Gansu Province can be divided into three stages: Traditional agriculture in 1988–1998; low-capacity technology agriculture in 1999–2011; and high-capacity technology agriculture in 2012–2017. (2) From 1988 to 2017, the agricultural TFP showed periodic U-shaped fluctuations, and the areas with high TFP value expanded from the central region to the western region and then to the entire region of the province. (3) Gansu Province presented a significant spatiotemporal variation of agricultural development types. From 1988 to 1998, type-I (low technological efficiency and slow technological progress) and type-VI (high technological efficiency and fast technological progress) agricultural development was mainly observed, and these two kinds of counties accounted for 55.17% of all evaluation units. From 1999 to 2011, the number of counties with type-I agricultural development increased significantly, reaching 35, followed by the number of counties with type IV (low technological efficiency) agricultural development, reaching 18. They together accounted for 60.92% of all evaluation units. From 2012 to 2017, the number of counties with type-IV and type-VI agricultural development was the largest, reaching 29 and 25, respectively. They together accounted for 62.07% of all evaluation units. (4) Types of agricultural development frequently change—from 1988 to 2017, the influencing factors of agricultural development had undergone a transition from both technological efficiency and technological improvement to technological efficiency or technological improvement alone. Full article

Sensor applications are impacting the everyday objects that enhance human life quality. In this special issue, the main objective was to address recent advances of sensor applications in agriculture covering a wide range of topics in this field. A total of 14 articles were published in this special issue where nine of them were research articles, two review articles and two technical notes. The main topics were soil and plant sensing, farm management and post-harvest application. Soil-sensing topics include monitoring soil moisture content, drain pipes and topsoil movement during the harrowing process while plant-sensing topics include evaluating spray drift in vineyards, thermography applications for winter wheat and tree health assessment and remote-sensing applications as well. Furthermore, farm management contributions include food systems digitalization and using archived data from plowing operations, and one article in post-harvest application in sunflower seeds. Full article

Recent advances in multispectral imaging-based technology have provided useful information on seed health in order to optimize the quality control process. In this study, we verified the efficiency of multispectral imaging (MSI) combined with statistical models to assess the cowpea seed health and differentiate seeds carrying different fungal species. Seeds were artificially inoculated with Fusarium pallidoroseum, Rhizoctonia solani and Aspergillus sp. Multispectral images were acquired at 19 wavelengths (365 to 970 nm) from inoculated seeds and freeze-killed ‘incubated’ seeds. Statistical models based on linear discriminant analysis (LDA) were developed using reflectance, color and texture features of the seed images. Results demonstrated that the LDA-based models were efficient in detecting and identifying different species of fungi in cowpea seeds. The model showed above 92% accuracy before incubation and 99% after incubation, indicating that the MSI technique in combination with statistical models can be a useful tool for evaluating the health status of cowpea seeds. Our findings can be a guide for the development of in-depth studies with more cultivars and fungal species, isolated and in association, for the successful application of MSI in the routine health inspection of cowpea seeds and other important legumes. Full article

Chlorate resistance analysis is an effective approach commonly used to distinguish the genetic variation between Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica and japonica, and predict the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). This study aimed at investigating the response of a doubled haploid (DH) population derived from anther culture of 93-11 × Milyang352 exposed to 0.1% potassium chlorate (KClO₃) at the seedling stage. The results revealed that the parental rice lines 93-11 (indica) and Milyang352 (japonica) showed distinctive phenotypic responses. The parental line 93-11 scored highly sensitive (0% survival) and Milyang352 scored resistant (66.7% survival) 7 days after treatment. The DH lines reflected the differential phenotypic response observed in parental lines. Interestingly, we identified a novel quantitative trait locus (QTL) for chlorate resistance on chromosome 3 (qCHR-3, 136 cM, logarithm of the odds—LOD: 4.1) using Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR (KASP) markers. The additive effect (−11.97) and phenotypic variation explained (PVE; 14.9%) indicated that the allele from Milyang352 explained the observed phenotypic variation. In addition, shoot growth showed a significant difference between parental lines, but not root growth. Moreover, in silico analysis identified candidate genes with diverse and interesting molecular and physiological functions. Therefore, this study suggested that the QTL qCHR-3 harbors promising candidate genes that could play a role in the regulation of nitrogen metabolism in rice. Full article

Nowadays, there is an increasing interest in the exploitation and valorization of agricultural food waste and by-products. At the same time, the growing demand by markets worldwide, especially in Africa and Southeast Asia, can justify the growing interest in the use of by-products for the poultry industry. Olive pulp is one of the most interesting by-products of olive tree farming (typical of the Mediterranean area), being a good source of many biologically active compounds with antioxidant, antifungal, and antibacterial properties. The presence of processed olive pulp in the diet showed to be effective in increasing the weight of specific carcass and offal traits. This work aims at studying olive pulp as a feed supplement in poultry nutrition, by focusing on the effects on broiler carcass and offal. Olive pulp (OP) is one of the by-products of olive tree farming, being the residue of olive cake after it is dried. To evaluate the effects of OP in a diet supplemented with different levels of a commercial enzyme (ENZ) blend on broiler carcass and offal traits, three hundred male broiler chicks (Ross 308 lineage; one-day-old) were divided into ten treatment groups according to a completely randomized design. The treatments diets contained: unprocessed OP (50 g/kg, 100 g/kg, 50 g/kg with ENZ, 100 g/kg with ENZ), processed OP (50 g/kg, 100 g/kg, 50 g/kg with ENZ, 100 g/kg with ENZ), and control groups (without OP, and without OP with ENZ). The OP processing increased breast percentages in broilers. Supplementation with ENZ did not change any of the studied carcass or offal trait values. The presence of OP (50 g/kg) in broiler diets increased the eviscerated carcass, leg, and neck percentage values. The presence of processed OP (50 g/kg) in the diet showed to be effective in increasing the weight of specific carcass and offal traits. Full article

Ten identified edible green infrastructure (EGI)-related urban regeneration case studies within the Campania region, Italy, are explored in relation to local community development, involvement, and education. Urban space and agriculture are promoted as sustainably planned networks for edible food components and structures. Within an urban ecosystem, city planners are actively promoting urban agriculture after an increase in the availability of unused land. Advantages for public health include stress reduction and physical activity, as well as sustainability of urban gardens by way of far-sighted urban planning. Case studies within the Campania region illustrate EGI know-hows and awareness, and they elucidate upon a number of beneficial reasons for its implementation. Within the Campania region, all five provinces showed positive impacts when using EGI for urban regeneration and well-being. Recent developments from the COVID-19 pandemic are reinforcing a rethink of food security and food supply chains. Full article

High revenues from rubber latex exports have led to a rapid expansion of commercial rubber cultivation and, as a consequence, the conversion of different land use types (e.g., natural forests) into rubber plantations, which may lead to a decrease in soil health. In this study in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam, we determined: (1) the variation of soil health parameters along a chronosequence of rubber tree stands and natural forests and (2) the relationships and potential feedback between vegetation types, vegetation structures and soil health. Our results revealed that: (1) soil health was higher in natural forests than in rubber plantations with a higher values in higher biomass forests; (2) soil health was lower in younger rubber plantations; (3) soil health depends on vegetation structure (with significantly positive relationships found between soil health and canopy cover, litter biomass, dry litter cover and ground vegetation cover). This study highlights the need for more rigorous land management practices and land use conversion policies in order to ensure the long-term conservation of soil health in rubber plantations. Full article

Nowadays the size and quality of potato yields is very important aspect in agriculture, due to the continuous climate change. Plants exposed to abiotic stress need new protection tools such as plant biostimulant. The new definition of this product include plant extracts as novel biostimulants. The aim of the study was to assess whether the extracts from Artemisia vulgaris L. would act as classic biostimulants, by affecting metabolic pathways. Since these are pilot studies, the content of chlorophyll, carotenoids, proline and polyphenols was chosen as indicators of changes in plants. The experiment was carried out under controlled environmental conditions on a very early cultivar Irys. The obtained results showed that foliar treatment of plants with extracts from Artemisia vulgaris L. had a positive effect on the increase of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b content and its total concentration in potato leaves. The highest increase in the total chlorophyll content, amounting to 26.27% on average, was observed in plants sprayed with macerate at the dose of 0.6 mL·plant^-1. Additionally, an increase in the carotenoids content was observed in plants sprayed with macerate. The study demonstrated that the polyphenols level was largely dependent on the method of extracts production and the dose of the tested extracts. Macerate and infusion applied in a higher dose induced in plants the changes in the concentration of polyphenols. The overall evaluation of the effectiveness of the tested preparations showed higher effectiveness of the macerate for all the analyzed traits. Full article

Two-year field experiments were conducted at Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute, Aduthurai, Tamil Nadu, India, to evaluate the effect of continuous flooding (CF) and alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation strategies on rice grain yield and greenhouse gas emissions from double-cropping paddy rice. Field observation results showed that AWD irrigation was found to reduce the total seasonal methane (CH₄) emission by 22.3% to 56.2% compared with CF while maintaining rice yield. By using the observed two-year field data, validation of the DNDC-Rice model was conducted for CF and AWD practices. The model overestimated rice grain yield by 24% and 29% in CF and AWD, respectively, averaged over the rice-growing seasons compared to observed values. The simulated seasonal CH₄ emissions for CF were 6.4% lower and 4.2% higher than observed values and for AWD were 9.3% and 12.7% lower in the summer and monsoon season, respectively. The relative deviation of simulated seasonal nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from observed emissions in CF were 27% and −35% and in AWD were 267% and 234% in the summer and monsoon season, respectively. Although the DNDC-Rice model reasonably estimated the total CH₄ emission in CF and reproduced the mitigation effect of AWD treatment on CH₄ emissions well, the model did not adequately predict the total N₂O emission under water-saving irrigation. In terms of global warming potential (GWP), nevertheless there was a good agreement between the simulated and observed values for both CF and AWD irrigations due to smaller contributions of N₂O to the GWP compared with that of CH₄. This study showed that the DNDC-Rice model could be used for the estimation of CH₄ emissions, the primary source of GWP from double-cropping paddy rice under different water management conditions in the tropical regions. Full article

Intercropping systems of cereals and legumes have the potential to produce high yields in a more sustainable way compared to sole cropping systems. Their agronomic optimization remains a challenging task given the numerous management options and the complexity of interactions between the crops. Efficient methods for analyzing the influence of different management options are needed. The canopy cover of each crop in the intercropping system is a good determinant for light competition, thus influencing crop growth and weed suppression. Therefore, this study evaluated the feasibility to estimate canopy cover within an intercropping system of pea and oat based on semantic segmentation using a convolutional neural network. The network was trained with images from three datasets during early growth stages comprising canopy covers between 4% and 52%. Only images of sole crops were used for training and then applied to images of the intercropping system. The results showed that the networks trained on a single growth stage performed best for their corresponding dataset. Combining the data from all three growth stages increased the robustness of the overall detection, but decreased the accuracy of some of the single dataset result. The accuracy of the estimated canopy cover of intercropped species was similar to sole crops and satisfying to analyze light competition. Further research is needed to address different growth stages of plants to decrease the effort for retraining the networks. Full article

Portulaca oleracea L., commonly known as purslane, is a weed with worldwide distribution and considerable medicinal uses due to its high levels of phytochemical compounds. However, until now, few studies have been conducted on the biochemical characterization of P. oleracea grown in Tunisia, a possible area of its origin as other North African countries. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the phytochemical composition and antioxidant potential of leaves and stems from a Tunisian spontaneous population of purslane. Particularly, samples were analyzed for their proximate composition, pigments, and volatiles, whereas ethanolic and aqueous extracts were evaluated for their composition in phenolic compounds and in vitro antioxidant activities. Stems showed higher content of moisture (89.9%) and anthocyanins (4.61 µg g⁻¹ dry matter, DM), whereas leaves revealed higher chlorophyll concentrations (7.42 mg g⁻¹ DM). Significantly higher levels of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacities (p < 0.05) were obtained in ethanolic extracts, compared with water extracts, irrespective of the analyzed plant part. A high antioxidant activity of stems was obtained, especially when extracted with ethanol. Headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses revealed six volatile classes with monoterpene hydrocarbons, oxygenated monoterpenes, and non-terpene derivatives as the highly represented compounds. Limonene (17.3–32.2%), carvone (38–46%), 2,6-dimethylcyclohexanol (2.2–6.4%), and nonanal (3.4–3.8%) were the most abundant volatiles. Based on the results of the present study, Tunisian purslane should deserve major consideration as an edible vegetable due to its richness in phytochemical compounds and, hence, for its potential health effects. Full article

Including pest resistance elements against the major local concern is naturally important in the breeding process. Oat (Avena sativa L.) has been recently reintroduced into Taiwan as a winter alternative forage crop, and its agronomic performance has been evaluated at different locations in the country. This study examined the resistance to root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne graminicola, in four oat (Avena sativa L.) breeding lines of mass planting potential for winter in Taiwan. The host attraction level to the nematode, and the penetration and reproduction ability of nematode towards host roots were evaluated by chemotaxis assay, root staining assay, root galling, and nematode extraction. Based on the gall index (GI) and multiplication factor (R), the resistance of each oat line was evaluated. At 24 h postinoculation, second-stage juvenile (J2) nematodes appeared most attracted by oat breeding lines UFRGS136104-3 and UFRGS136119-2. The number of J2s successfully penetrated into the two breeding lines were also high. However, at 40 days postinoculation, observation of the oats in the newly developed culture bag nematode-inoculation system revealed that the amount of root galls and 2nd generation nematodes were significantly higher in line LA08085BS-T2 than in other lines. In sum, oat breeding line UFRGS136104-3 was highly resistant to M. graminicola by inhibiting the gall formation and nematode reproduction, while UFRGS136106-3 and UFRGS136119-2 showed relatively weak resistance and oat line LA08085BS-T2 would be a moderately susceptible host to M. graminicola, with high numbers of root gall formation. The outcome of this study provides ground information for nematode-resistant oat cultivar breeding. Full article

Risk management is an essential way for farmers to reduce uncertainty. In this research, a stratified random sampling method was used to survey 350 maize farmers in four different agro-ecological regions in Bangladesh. Using the multivariate probit model, this study explored the possible correlation between farmers’ perceptions of catastrophic risks and their attitudes towards risk sources—as well as the possible correlation between contract farming, diversification and precautionary savings as risk management strategies. The results confirm the relevance of risk management adoption decisions and reveal that the use of one risk management tool may simultaneously influence the use of another risk management tool. In addition, the research results also show that age, education level, extension experience, monthly household income, farming areas, land ownership and risk aversion nature are the most important factors that affect the adoption of risk management strategies. The research results provide further explanation and information and provide a platform for decision-makers to predict appropriate risk management strategies. Full article

Reducing methane (CH₄) emission from paddy rice production is an important target for many Asian countries in order to comply with their climate policy commitments. National greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory approaches like the Tier-2 approach of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are useful to assess country-scale emissions from the agricultural sector. In paddy rice, alternate wetting and drying (AWD) is a promising and well-studied water management technique which, as shown in experimental studies, can effectively reduce CH₄ emissions. However, so far little is known about GHG emission rates under AWD when the technique is fully controlled by farmers. This study assesses CH4 and nitrous oxide (N₂O) fluxes under continuous flooded (CF) and AWD treatments for seven subsequent seasons on farmers’ fields in a pumped irrigation system in Central Luzon, Philippines. Under AWD management, CH₄ emissions were substantially reduced (73% in dry season (DS), 21% in wet season (WS)). In all treatments, CH₄ is the major contributor to the total GHG emission and is, thus, identified as the driving force to the global warming potential (GWP). The contribution of N₂O emissions to the GWP was higher in CF than in AWD, however, these only offset 15% of the decrease in CH₄ emission and, therefore, did not jeopardize the strong reduction in the GWP. The study proves the feasibility of AWD under farmers’ management as well as the intended mitigation effect. Resulting from this study, it is recommended to incentivize dissemination strategies in order to improve the effectiveness of mitigation initiatives. A comparison of single CH₄ emissions to calculated emissions with the IPCC Tier-2 inventory approach identified that, although averaged values showed a sufficient degree of accuracy, fluctuations for single measurement points have high variation which limit the use of the method for field-level assessments. Full article

In this study, a conical-cylindrical spouted bed dryer with Teflon^® beads as spouting material was used for producing powdered rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) extract. The influence of the inlet drying gas temperature (T_gi) and the percentage ratio between the feed rate of concentrated liquid extract by the maximum evaporation capacity of the spouted bed (W_s/W_max) on selected physicochemical properties of the finished products were investigated. Antioxidant properties of the concentrated liquid extract and dried extracts were also evaluated by the 2.2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging (DPPH^•) and lipid peroxidation induced by Fe²⁺/citrate (LPO) methods; and compared with the values obtained for a lyophilized extract (used as a control). Colloidal silicon dioxide (Tixosil^® 333) and maltodextrin (DE 14) at a 2:1 ratio was added to the concentrated extract before drying (4.4% w/w) to improve the drying performance. The drying variables W_s/W_max and T_gi have statistically significant influence on total polyphenols and total flavonoid contents of the dried powders. The concentrated extract (on dry basis—being absolute solid content) showed superior antioxidant activity (AA) compared to both the spouted bed dried and the lyophilized extracts; exhibiting IC50 values of 0.96 ± 0.02, 2.16 ± 0.04 and 3.79 ± 0.05 µg mL⁻¹ (DPPH^• method) and 0.22 ± 0.01, 1.31± 0.01 and 2.54 ± 0.02 µg mL⁻¹ (LPO method), respectively. These results of AA are comparable to values obtained for quercetin, a flavonoid compound often used as a reference standard due to its potent antioxidant activity; with IC₅₀ of 1.17 µg mL⁻¹ (DPPH^•) and 0.22 µg mL⁻¹ (LPO). However, the dried rosemary extracts are about 13.5 times more concentrated than the initial concentrated extract (dry weight), with a concentration of total flavonoids and polyphenols compounds ranging from 4.3 to 12.3 and from 1.2 to 4.7 times higher than the concentrated extract values (wet basis). The AA per dry product mass was thus significantly higher than the values measured for concentrated extractive solution, irrespective of some losses of AA apparently due to the drying process. Full article

Soybean yield estimation is either based on yield monitors or agro-meteorological and satellite imagery data, but they present several limiting factors regarding on-farm decision level. Aware that machine learning approaches have been largely applied to estimate soybean yield and the availability of data regarding soybean yield and its components (number of grains (NG) and thousand grains weight (TGW)), there is an opportunity to study their relationships. The objective was to explore the relationships between soybean yield and its components, generate equations to estimate yield and evaluate its prediction accuracy. The training dataset was composed of soybean yield and its components’ data from 2010 to 2019. Linear regression models based on NG, TGW and yield were fitted on the training dataset and applied to a validation dataset composed of 58 on-field collected samples. It was found that globally TGW and NG presented weak (r = 0.50) and strong (r = 0.92) linear relationships with yield, respectively. In addition to that, applying the fitted models to the validation dataset, model based on NG presented the highest accuracy, coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.70, mean absolute error (MAE) of 639.99 kg ha⁻¹ and root mean squared error (RMSE) of 726.67 kg ha⁻¹. Full article

The aim of this research was to study the impact of application technique and rate of liquid starter fertilizer applied with a novel device on the production of corn. Starter fertilizer was applied in the root system range of freshly germinated plants in the ‘belt’ and ‘point’ forms at different quantities (35, 50, 70, and 100 L ha⁻¹), which led to intensive plant growth in the initial stages of development. This adapted system was used for sowing and for application of the liquid starter fertilizer at the same time. The field trial was set up at two sites (two different land types), in the conditions of the natural water regime of the soil during the three vegetation seasons in the period 2016–2018. For this purpose, a prototype of the electronic device EUKU-01 was designed. The starter fertilizer was applied at 5 cm laterally from the row where the sowing was performed and 5 cm below the depth at which the corn seeds were sown. Data were statistically analyzed by two-factor analysis of variance, where the influence of mineral fertilizer treatment and the influence of liquid starter fertilizer treatment were observed as factors. The results showed that the optimal choice of the technique of liquid starter fertilizer application can result in fertilizer savings by 30% without reducing yield. Full article

The objective was to determine the impact of calves’ rearing, gender, and the sire lineage on the growth and health. One hundred-and-five Holstein calves were assigned to one of three treatments: single suckling (SS), multiple suckling (MS), and artificially rearing in hutches (H). All calves received a comparable amount of milk/milk replacer (MR) across treatments. All calves were weaned at the 84th day. After weaning, all calves were separated by sex in age-balanced groups. At weaning, the highest body weight was in MS and the lowest in H (SS 94.97 kg, MS 109.85 kg, H 80.80 kg, p < 0.001). The average gains from the birth to weaning were 0.67 kg (SS), 0.81 kg (MS), 0.48 kg (H), (p < 0.001). A difference (p < 0.01) was found for the period from birth to 180th day of life (SS 0.75 kg, MS 0.82 kg, H 0.67 kg). We did not notice a gender differences (p > 0.05). The Sire 1 progeny showed a lower body weight at 180 days (p < 0.01) and 360 days (p < 0.05). The results indicate that the method used to rear calves and sire lines had a significant impact on their later performance. Full article

The aim of this research is to determine the change in the spatial distribution of erosion intensity in the territory of the Jablanica River Basin in the period 1971–2016 caused by land use and demographic changes. The Erosion Potential Method (EPM) was used to quantify changes in erosion intensity and to estimate the total annual sediment yield. The research results show that the value of the erosion coefficient decreased from 0.432 in 1971 to 0.360 in 2016. Specific annual gross erosion in the Jablanica River Basin was 654.41 m³/km²/year in 1971, while in 2016 it was 472.03 m³/km²/year. The analysis of proportional changes was used to determine demographic changes and land use patterns in the basin area. In terms of the scale and intensity of the erosion process, three types and one sub-type of population dynamics of settlements and land use changes were distinguished, respectively: progressive, stagnant, regressive and dominant regressive. It was concluded that the results show the significance of demographic and land use changes in the control of the intensity of erosion. The Soil Erosion Map may be useful to planners and land use managers to take appropriate decisions for soil conservation in the basin. Full article

The aim of the study was to evaluate grain yields, protein yields, and net metabolic energy yields of different combinations of spring types of barley, oat, and wheat arranged in 10 mixtures and grown under different soil types. Naked cultivars of barley and oat were used. The three-year field experiment was conducted at the Agricultural Advisory Centre in Szepietowo, Poland. The study showed that the major factor determining yields of the mixtures was soil quality. Within the better soil (Albic Luvisols), the highest yield was achieved by a mixture of covered barley and wheat and by a mixture of covered barley with covered oats and wheat, but only in treatments with lower sowing density. Moreover, on the better soil, significantly higher protein yields were obtained for mixtures of barley (covered or naked grains) with wheat as compared to the mixture of covered barley with covered oats, or the mixture of covered barley with naked oats and wheat. The highest yields of net metabolic energy, regardless of soil type, were obtained from a mixture of naked barley with wheat, while the lowest from a mixture of covered barley with naked oats and wheat. Mixed sowings increase biodiversity of canopies, which allows a better use of production space. They also increase health and the productivity of plants. Full article

This study aimed to determine the optimal indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) concentration in a nutrient solution to increase the bioactive compounds while enhancing the plant growth of A. rugosa grown hydroponically. Twenty-eight-day-old plants were transplanted in a plant factory for 32 days. The plants were subjected to various IAA concentrations (10⁻¹¹, 10⁻⁹, 10⁻⁷, and 10⁻⁵ M) from 8 days after transplanting, and the control treatment (without IAA). Shoot and root fresh weights were effectively improved under 10⁻⁷ and 10⁻⁹ IAA treatments. Leaf gas exchange parameters were increased under 10⁻⁷ and 10⁻⁹ IAA treatments. Four of the IAA treatments, except 10⁻¹¹ IAA treatment, significantly increased the rosmarinic acid (RA) concentration, as well as the tilianin concentration was significantly increased at all IAA treatments, compared with that of the control. Especially, the tilianin concentration of the 10⁻¹¹ IAA treatment was significantly (1.8 times) higher than that of the control. The IAA treatments at 10⁻⁵ and 10⁻⁷ significantly raised the acacetin concentrations (1.6- and 1.7-times, respectively) compared to those of the control. These results suggested that 10⁻⁷ concentration of IAA in a nutrient solution was effective for enhancing plant growth and increasing bioactive compounds in A. rugosa, which offers an effective strategy for increasing phytochemical production in a plant factory. Full article

Pig production in Germany is experiencing an increasing discrepancy between social attitudes, wishes and the reality. To investigate the actual perception and knowledge of fattening pig husbandry by German citizens, a mixed methods approach was carried out. First, six focus group discussions were conducted. Content analysis showed that space availability, fresh air supply and flooring type are particularly relevant in citizens’ perception, whereas surgical interventions on the animal are perceived less. Furthermore, preventive use of antibiotics is seen critically by the participants. Based on these results, an online survey with 399 respondents was conducted to quantify the results. Findings from the focus groups were confirmed: Lack of space as well as the perceived precautionary use of medication were seen most critically. Results are influenced by if respondents have visited a farm before, the dietary behavior and sex. Full article

A total of 100 fresh-raw vegetable samples were collected from the Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts of Nepal to evaluate microbial and parasitic contamination, presence of Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli and detect the bla_TEM and bla_CTX-M genes among the Escherichia coli isolates. This study revealed that the prevalence of Giardia cysts was highest (100%) and Hookworm and Entamoeba coli were lowest (1% each). Coliforms were isolated from every raw vegetable sample. A total of 178 bacterial isolates were isolated among which 57 isolates were identified as E. coli, out of which 33 were Multi-drug resistant (MDR) isolates. The high rate of resistance was found towards amoxicillin/clavulanate, tetracycline and cotrimoxazole. The 10 E. coli isolates tested positive in an ESBL screening, out of which 4 were confirmed as ESBL producers by a combined disc test. Out of these 4 confirmed ESBL E. coli, one was found to carry both the bla_TEM gene and bla_CTX-M genes by the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique. One isolate has only the bla_TEM gene, while other isolate harboured only bla_CTX-M genes. Full article

Vegetables are rich in vitamins and other micronutrients and are important crops for healthy diets and diversification of the food system, and many traditional (also termed underutilized or indigenous) species may play a role. The current study analyzed 35 vegetables with a European region of diversity with the effort to map the conservation status in Fennoscandia and beyond. We mapped georeferenced occurrences and current genebank holdings based on global databases and conducted conservation gaps analysis based on representativeness scores in situ and ex situ. Out of the 35 target species, 19 got at a high priority score for further conservation initiatives, while another 14 species got a medium priority score. We identified a pattern where traditional vegetables are poorly represented in genebank holdings. This corresponds well to a lack of attention in the scientific community measured in number of published papers. Considering the grand challenges ahead in terms of climate change, population growth and demand for sustainability, traditional vegetables deserve greater attention. Our contribution is to provide a basis for conservation priorities among the identified vegetables species native to Fennoscandia. Full article

Insects could be a potential replacement of protein-rich ingredients in poultry diets. Among these insects, black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens, has a high content of protein and fat, which reinforces the potential of using it in poultry feed formulation and makes it one of the most promising insect species for commercial production. Protein content as well as amino acid profile in H. illucens larvae is comparable to those in many protein-rich feedstuffs such as fish meal and soybean meal. BSF can convert organic wastes into a precious source of nutrients, such as proteins, lipids, and chitin, which contribute to reducing the environmental burden and pollution potential arising from organic waste accumulation. This review emphasizes the significance of this insect as a “green” technology in the extremely variable recycling of organic waste and generates a sustainable protein source as well as the importance of its use as a substitute of protein-rich feedstuff in poultry feed manufacturing. Full article

Soybean is one of the main sources of protein directly and indirectly in human nutrition, and it is highly dependent on logistics to connect country growers and international markets. Although recent studies deal with the impact of logistics on international trade, this impact in agricultural commodities is still an open research question. Moreover, these studies usually do not consider the influence of all components of the logistics on trade. This paper, therefore, aims at identifying the role of logistics performance in soybean exports among Argentina, Brazil, the US and their trading partners from 2012 to 2018. Using an extended gravity model, we examine whether the indicators of the World Bank Logistics Performance Index (LPI), adopted as a proxy of logistics efficiency, are an important determinant of bilateral soybean trade facilitation. The results lead to the conclusion that it is necessary to analyze the LPI throughout its indicators because they may affect trade differently. The novelty of this article is to provide an analysis of the impact of different logistics aspects on commodity trade, more specifically in the soybean case. Finally, regarding the model results, logistics infrastructure has a positive and significant correlation with soybean trade as supposed in most of the literature. Full article

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the agronomic traits in the pre- and post-grazing and the nitrogen use efficiency of Piatã grass that was subjected to nitrogen fertilization throughout the seasons of the year. The experiment was performed in a randomized block design with four treatments (0, 150, 300, and 450 kg ha⁻¹ N). Grazing was performed with sheep when the forage canopy reached 95% light interception up to 20 cm height of post-grazing. The pre-grazing forage mass of the Piatã grass showed a behavior (p < 0.05) linear to nitrogen fertilization, with higher and lower values in spring and winter, respectively. The post-grazing forage mass responded linearly (p < 0.05) to nitrogen fertilization, with an increase of 43.12% for the dose of 450 kg ha⁻¹ N in relation to pastures without nitrogen fertilization. When the non-fertilized pasture was compared with the highest nitrogen dose, a reduction of 21.79% dead tissue was observed in the post-grazing forage mass. The highest nitrogen use efficiency was obtained with the dose of 450 kg ha⁻¹ N. The forage mass production of the Piatã grass in the pre- and post-grazing conditions are positively influenced by nitrogen fertilization and the seasons of the year, with lower values in winter. Full article

This paper aims at understanding what affects farmers’ choices to buy insurance against biotic threats. Using a survey-based dataset with 1187 observations on Veneto wine grapes farms, we regress a probit model with endogenous variables with a maximum likelihood (ML) routine. The results corroborate the microeconomic theory according to which risk-adverse individuals are more propense to insure. In our framework, the farmers’ socioeconomic characteristics are treated as endogenous variables, which exist/are predetermined before the choice to insure (or not). This paper discusses the results in a policy perspective. Full article

The current study aimed to evaluate the application effects of the preactivated Lactobacillus buchneri and urea on the fermentative characteristics, chemical composition and aerobic stability in corn silages. The design was completely randomized, in a 6 × 5 factorial arrangement, with six types of additive and five opening times. The treatments consisted of corn silage; corn silage with freeze-dried inoculant; corn silage with freeze-dried inoculant +1.0% urea; corn silage with activated inoculant; corn silage with activated inoculant +1.0% urea, and corn silage with 1.0% urea. Populations of lactic acid bacteria stabilized at the 70th day, with average values of 8.91 and 9.15 log cfu/g for corn silage with freeze-dried inoculant +1.0% urea and corn silage with freeze-dried inoculant, respectively. In contrast, the silages without additives showed significantly lower values of 7.52 log cfu/g forage at the 70th day. The silages with urea (isolated or associated with the inoculant) increased the total nitrogen content. The maximum temperature values were highest in the corn silages without additives, indicating that these silages were more prone to deterioration. The use of Lactobacillus buchneri activated proved to be more efficient in improving the fermentative profile of corn silages than the freeze-dried inoculant. The use of urea as an additive reduced the losses and improved the nutritional value and aerobic stability of corn silages. Additionally, the combination of Lactobacillus buchneri activated and urea may be used as a technique to improve the fermentative profile, chemical composition and aerobic stability of corn silages. Full article