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Picarbutrazox is the active ingredient of Vayantis®, a novel seed treatment fungicide developed by Syngenta and discovered by Nippon Soda. Vayantis® received registration from the US EPA in 2021. Picarbutrazox is a systemic fungicide and belongs to the tetrazolyloximes chemical group of fungicides, and its mode of action is still unknown (FRAC group U17). Picarbutrazox targets oomycete plant pathogens and controls diseases caused by Pythium, Phytophthora, and downy mildews. Picarbutrazox is in a new mode-of-action group with no known cross-resistance to other oomycete compounds. The sensitivity to Picarbutrazox of 528 isolates belonging to 40 different Pythium species was determined in vitro. Pythium isolates were collected from infected plants including corn, soybean, cotton, and other crops from 17 different states. Pythium isolates were also obtained from collections kept at universities. Isolates were identified at the species level using morphological and molecular tools. Mycelial growth inhibition was quantified using the following Picarbutrazox concentrations: 0, 0.00001, 0.0001, 0.001, 0.01, and 0.1 mg/L. All the species of Pythium tested were sensitive to Picarbutrazox. The sensitivity distribution (EC50 values) across all the Pythium species tested had a mean sensitivity of 0.000376 mg ai/L. The Picarbutrazox sensitivity of 40 species of Pythium species has been documented, and results demonstrate the high in vitro intrinsic activity of this fungicide to control Pythium species. The high potency of Picarbutrazox to control Pythium diseases in corn, soybeans, cotton, and other crops has also been demonstrated under field conditions when used as a seed treatment. Picarbutrazox, with its novel mode of action, will contribute to the management of potential fungicide resistance issues developed by other fungicide products controlling Pythium, including mefenoxam and ethaboxam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to provide insights into the current network configurations of the food-trade system and to study the short-term effects of one of the ongoing and lasting global crises, the Ukraine War, on the link intensity. Towards this end, this analysis (1) reveals the pattern of countries' network positions in two most traded subcategories of the cereal network: wheat and meslin, and maize or corn, and (2) discusses the characteristics of the global cereal networks over the 2021–2022 period. The results highlight several features of the trade networks: (1) the distribution of cereal trade is highly concentrated, with considerable dependency on a small number of exporters and a low import diversification, making the system rigid and prone to shocks; (2) a central role of several key developed countries that leave many developing countries outside the centre of the networks; (3) a high network heterogeneity which confirms the propensity to have hub nodes. Particular indicators show that the highest level of interconnectivity is specific to the cereals' export network, the densest networks are the maize or corn ones, and the greatest heterogeneity appears for the cereals export network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing agricultural nitrogen datasets in China are mostly developed using coarse national or provincial statistics. A crop‐specific nitrogen rate dataset based on the finest‐scale agricultural nitrogen statistics at the county level remains lacking. Here, we constructed a new dataset (CN‐N), which provides annual nitrogen rates for rice, wheat and maize in China at a 1‐km spatial resolution from 2004 to 2016. This dataset was developed by harmonizing county‐level and provincial agricultural nitrogen statistics with gridded crop distribution maps, resulting in 13 years of nitrogen rate maps for each crop covering 2004–2016. Validation against farmers' surveys by crop indicates CN‐N reliably quantifies average nitrogen rates and trends for each crop over 2004–2016, demonstrating improved spatial heterogeneity compared to previous datasets rasterized using only provincial statistics. Our study provides a crop‐specific, temporally consistent, gridded nitrogen rate dataset based on the finest‐scale county‐level agricultural nitrogen statistics. This can support future process‐based modelling for sustainable agricultural nitrogen management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates wheat, corn, and cassava native starches. Morphological features of the starch granule's surface reveal peculiar granule characteristics. Wheat starch granules are the largest, with 20.83 µm mass median diameter, followed by corn, 13.14 µm, and cassava, 12.37 µm. Nonetheless, cassava and corn starches have the lowest polydispersity and greater surface area average. Corn starch shows more resistance to the gelatinization process when observed. Complete granular disruption and gelatinization occurring at 65–75 °C for wheat, 75–85 °C for cassava, and 85 °C for corn. The curves of viscosity evidence the assertion that the starches from cereals gelatinize at higher temperatures than starch from the tuber. Swelling power indicate that cassava starch held more water, whereas IFTR spectroscopy reveals a more ordered structure when compared to wheat and corn starches. However, corn starch has the highest values of Tonset, Tpeak, and Tendset, with enthalpy of gelatinization of 12.73 J g−1, which can be related to the amylose content of 24.25% and mainly to 0.2% of starch damage. The almost negligible amounts of damaged starch present in corn starch indicate the absence of granule fragments capable of increasing water absorption and decreasing the birefringence of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to evaluate for the first time the degree of contamination of soil and crops with major and trace elements (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, F, Na, Mg, Si, P, Cl, Fe, Al) in agricultural lands situated in the Lower Danube Basin, Galati and Braila counties (SE Romania), impacted by the steel industry. Soil samples, as well as leaves and seeds of wheat, corn, and sunflower, were collected from two depths in 11 different sites. Along with elemental and mineralogical analyses, performed by HR-CS AAS, PIGE, SEM-EDX, and ATR-FTIR, the soil pH, texture, organic matter, electric conductivity, and CaCO3 content were investigated. The results showed that the levels of Cr (83.27–383.10 mg kg−1), Cu (17.11–68.15 mg kg−1), Ni (30.16–55.66 mg kg−1), and F (319–544 mg kg−1) in soil exceeded the Romanian regulations for sensitive use of the land. Igeo, EF, PI, and PERI pollution indices indicate that the soil is moderate to highly contaminated with Cr, Ni, and Cu, while the CSI and mERMQ indices suggested a relatively low risk for metal contamination. The elemental concentrations in plant tissues and bioaccumulation factors (BFs) provide valuable insights into the soil–plant relationship, health risks, and the selectivity of plant compartments for different elements. Thus, the results revealed that the wheat plants tended to exclude the bioaccumulation of particular elements in their tissues, while exhibiting a different bioaccumulation pattern for Zn and Cu. In the case of corn, most BFs were below one, indicating a limited phytoaccumulation capacity. However, exceptions were observed for Cd, Zn, and Cu with the sunflower BFs indicating higher bioconcentration of these elements in leaves and seeds compared to other elements. Chromium (Cr) contributes to non-carcinogenic dermal contact and ingestion hazards, children being more susceptible to the adverse effects of this contaminant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Pentastiridius leporinus (Hemiptera: Cixiidae) is the most important vector of syndrome 'basses richesses' (SBR), a new disease that leads to severe economic losses in sugar beet. In this study, different soil tillage methods (ploughing and cultivator) and crops (winter wheat, spring wheat, maize and bare soil) following SBR‐infested sugar beet were tested as potential management options in field trials. In the laboratory, the survival and development of first and third instar nymphs on wheat and maize was studied to further assess their suitability as host plants. RESULTS: In five out of seven field sites, reduced soil tillage had no effect on adult planthopper emergence compared to ploughing. In two sites, reduced tillage resulted in higher emergence rates. In nearly all field sites, up to 98.9% fewer emerging adults were detected in bare soil and maize, when compared to winter wheat. Under laboratory conditions, the lowest survival rate was found in first instar nymphs feeding on maize seedlings (4.2%), while 66.7% survived on wheat, over a period of 300 days. In contrast, 73.3% and 70% of third instar nymphs survived on wheat and maize over a period of 150 days. CONCLUSION: Soil tillage had little effect against Pentastiridius leporinus. Maize is a poor host for first instars but a suitable resource for third instar nymphs, the stage which encounters maize under field conditions. Hence, reductions in planthopper emergence in the field were likely caused by starvation due to the long host‐free period between sugar beet harvest and the sowing of maize. © 2024 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractFusarium graminearum is the most important pathogen of maize and winter wheat in Canada, resulting in yield loss and mycotoxin contamination. Fungicides are essential to manage F. graminearum in cereal crops. Until pydiflumetofen became commercial, the only available fungicides were triazoles, limiting the potential to manage fungicide resistance. Fusarium graminearum isolates were surveyed from wheat, grain maize and overwintering maize stalks in southern Ontario. Chemotype and the baseline sensitivity to pydiflumetofen were determined in addition to sensitivity to common fungicides used to control F. graminearum. Fusarium graminearum has several strains producing different trichothecenes called chemotypes. In Ontario, 73.3% of the F. graminearum isolates were 3ANX chemotypes producing 7α-hydroxy, 15-deacetylcalonectrin, in addition to 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol and deoxynivalenol; the remaining isolates were 15ADON chemotypes producing only 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol and deoxynivalenol. Chemotype was not affected by isolate source (wheat grain, maize grain, maize stalks) nor by location. All isolates were sensitive to pydiflumetofen and fungicide products containing pydiflumetofen. The mean EC50 for isolates exposed to pydiflumetofen was 0.05 µg mL−1 (range 0.01–0.10 µg mL−1). The mean EC50 for isolates exposed to Miravis®Ace (containing pydiflumetofen and propiconazole), Miravis®Neo 300SE (containing pydiflumetofen, azoxystrobin and propiconazole), Caramba® (containing metconazole), Proline® (containing prothioconazole) and Prosaro (containing prothioconazole and tebuconazole) was 0.06, 0.13, 0.18, 0.05, 3.75 and 0.30 µg mL−1, respectively. These data will be useful in monitoring the development of fungicide resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Winter wheat–summer maize cropping system in the North China Plain often experiences droughtinduced yield reduction in the wheat season and rainwater and nitrogen (N) fertilizer losses in the maize season. This study aimed to identify an optimal interseasonal water- and N-management strategy to alleviate these losses. Four ratios of allocation of 360 kg N ha-1 between the wheat and maize seasons under one-time presowing root-zone irrigation (W0) and additional jointing and anthesis irrigation (W2) in wheat and one irrigation after maize sowing were set as follows: N1 (120:240), N2 (180:180), N3 (240:120) and N4 (300:60). The results showed that under W0, the N3 treatment produced the highest annual yield, crop water productivity (WPC), and nitrogen partial factor productivity (PFPN). Increased N allocation in wheat under W0 improved wheat yield without affecting maize yield, as surplus nitrate after wheat harvest was retained in the topsoil layers and available for the subsequent maize. Under W2, annual yield was largest in the N2 treatment. The risk of nitrate leaching increased in W2 when N application rate in wheat exceeded that of the N2 treatment, especially in the wet year. Compared to W2N2, the W0N3 maintained 95.2% grain yield over two years. The WPC was higher in the W0 treatment than in the W2 treatment. Therefore, following limited total N rate, an appropriate fertilizer N transfer from maize to wheat season had the potential of a ‘‘triple win” for high annual yield, WPC and PFPN in a water-limited wheat–maize cropping system [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In this study, the effects of different levels of wheat inclusion on growth performance and intestinal homeostasis in broilers were evaluated. We first analyzed the effects of dietary wheat ratio on liver function, serum glycolipid profile, and bone turnover, and showed that the dose of wheat in the diets of broilers had no deleterious effects on animal health. We also found that replacing corn with 55% wheat in the diet of broilers increased body weight and feed consumption, with improved intestinal morphology and cecal microbiota composition. These data indicated that the replacement of corn with 55% wheat in the diet promoted the growth performance of 21-day-old broilers via improving intestinal morphology and cecal microbiota. Replacing corn with different levels of wheat in the iso-energy and -protein diet of broilers and the impacts on growth performance and intestinal homeostasis of broilers under the condition of supplying the multienzyme complex were evaluated in this study. A total of 480 10-day-old male broilers were assigned randomly to the low-level wheat group (15% wheat and 35.18% corn), the medium-level wheat group (30% and 22.27%), and the high-level wheat group (55.77% wheat without corn) until 21 d. The different levels of wheat supplementation did not affect hepatic function, serum glycolipid profile, or bone turnover. The replacement of corn with 55% wheat in the diet of broilers increased the body weight at 21 d and feed intake during 10 to 21 d (both p < 0.05), with a comparable feed conversion ratio. Compared with the low-wheat group, the dietary addition of medium or high wheat levels notably increased the ratio of villus height to crypt depth in the duodenum (p < 0.05) and the ileal villus height (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the supplementation of medium and high wheat in the diet increased the proportion of Bacteroidetes, and a diet with high wheat proportion elevated the content of Firmicutes when compared to the low-level wheat group (both p < 0.05). In addition, the diet containing 30–55% wheat enhanced the anti-inflammatory capability in both the ileum and the serum. These findings suggest that the replacement of corn with 55% wheat in the diet improved the growth performance of 21-day-old broilers, which might be linked to the alteration in intestinal morphology and cecal microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Assessing water consumption in intercropping systems relative to sole crop systems is important for planting system planning. Methods: This study focused on wheat/maize (Triticum aestivum L./Zea mays L.) relay intercropping to evaluate water use advantage of relay intercropping system based on the same period. Field experiments were conducted from 2014 to 2016, and three cropping patterns were designed: sole wheat, sole maize, wheat/maize intercrops. Method for evaluating water use advantage in intercropping was revised by considering water consumption of sole crops during the fallow period (periods where no plants are grown). Results: Intercropping grain yield was higher than sole cropping yield. Based on the existing method, the intercropping system had 20.4% greater water use than the sole cropping system and the water equivalent ratio (WER) was lower than 1; after revision, intercropping had 7.7% less water use than sole cropping, and the WER was greater than 1. Before revision, intercropped wheat used 3.1% more water than sole wheat, and the intercropped maize used 38.8% more water than sole maize; after revision, intercropped wheat used 24.4% less water than sole wheat, and intercropped maize used 11.0% more water than sole maize. Conclusion: These results indicated that the revised method can be better used to evaluate water use advantage of relay intercropping system. This study implied that wheat/maize intercropping increased both yield and water use based on revised method, and relay intercropping can be a suitable production practice employed in fallow policy, especially in areas with limited water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extrusion processing of food powder relies heavily on its moisture content to aid in flow and proper cooking, shaping, and/or puffing. This study focused on the impact of the moisture content on the dynamic flow and shear properties of coarse food powders (corn meal, wheat farina, and granulated sugar). The dynamic flow properties explored were the specific basic flowability energy (SBFE), specific energy, stability index, and flow rate index. The shear properties were the angle of internal friction, unconfined yield strength, major principal stress, wall friction angle, flow factor (FF), and compressibility. Corn meal exhibited an increase in SBFE as the moisture content increased (6.70 mJ/g at 13.13% to 9.14 mJ/g at 19.61%) but no change in FF (4.94 to 5.11); wheat farina also showed an increase in energy requirement as the moisture increased (5.81 mJ/g at 13.73% to 9.47 mJ/g 19.57%) but a marked decrease in FF ratings (18.47 to 6.1); granulated sugar showed a decrease in energy requirements as the moisture increased (51.73 mJ/g at 0.06% moisture content to 13.58 mJ/g at 0.78% moisture content) and a decrease in FF ratings (8.53 to 3.47). Overall, upon the addition of moisture, corn meal became cohesive yet free-flowing; wheat farina became less compressible and more cohesive; and granulated sugar became more cohesive and compressible and less free-flowing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of soil health through a robust index system having a sufficient number of indicators is an important step toward sustainable crop production. The present study aimed at establishing a minimum data set (MDS) from soil functional and nutritional attributes using a dual index system to evaluate the soil health of farmlands under wheat (Triticum aestivum)–maize (Zea mays) crop rotation in Yanting County, Sichuan, China. Farms from 10 villages in the study area were selected, out of which three sites were considered healthy/ideal sites and used as a reference for the remaining seven targeted sites, and soil samples were collected at depth of 20 cm from these farms. The MDS indicators were selected by using principal component analysis (PCA) followed by Pearson's correlation on 25 attributes. Based on significant values, eight attributes were retained in the final MDS, including the sucrase level, pH, wilting coefficient, water holding capacity, organic matter, NK ratio, total potassium, and available phosphorus. Based on the results, most of the farmland soils in Yanting County were in a healthy condition, accounting for 61.71% of the surveyed samples, followed by sub-healthy, degraded, and weak soils, accounting for 19.64%, 9.71%, and 8.93%, respectively. The values of most of the indicators at the targeted sites were significantly lower than those at ideal sites. Thus, specific steps should be taken by adding soil organic matter, combined with other fertilizers, to enhance the microbial biomass, enzymatic activities, and other biological activities in the soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An incubation study investigated the decomposition patterns, microbial activities, soil aggregates distribution, and soil organic carbon (SOC) contents, using four crop residues; wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), rice (Oryza sativa L.), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), and maize (Zea mays L.), at low and high rates (10 and 20 g kg-1). An average increase of about 35% in cumulative C-CO2 emissions and 26% in soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) was observed at high residue rates as compared to low rates. A positiv e and strong correlation (0.96) was found between C-CO2 emissions and MBC, and the effect of residue quality on decomposition was found to be less at high rates. The relative reduction in C-CO2 emissions by adding rice residues may be due to their high silica content. Differences in extracellular enzyme activities (EEA) with different residues indicated the effect of residue quality on microbial activities. Cotton residues increased β-glucosidase and chitinase activities by 41 and 38%, respectively, at high rates than at low rates. High maize residues also markedly increased chitinase activity by 41%, implying higher N cycling and fungal prevalence. Acid phosphatase activity was found to increase by about 25 to 32% with high rice and wheat residues, respecti vely. Higher EEA at high residues input likely reflected the microbial nutritional limitations. Crop residues raised SOC content from 0.7 under control to 1.0% at low residues input but not at high input. Increased macro-aggregates fraction at high residues input may be attributed to higher microbial activities. In summary, high residues input can minimize residue biochemical quality's effect on decomposition, with no further increase in SOC content. While a positive effect on the soil MBC, but not on the SOC content, was observed at high residue input, suggesting moderation in the additions of organic amendments is key for SOC buildup. Crop residues, added at 10 g kg-1, may help maintain a positive SOC balance in the arid agroecosystems by moderating higher microbial activities and soil respiration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reproductive phasiRNAs (phased, small interfering RNAs) are broadly present in angiosperms and play crucial roles in sustaining male fertility. While the premeiotic 21-nt (nucleotides) phasiRNAs and meiotic 24-nt phasiRNA pathways have been extensively studied in maize (Zea mays) and rice (Oryza sativa), a third putative category of reproductive phasiRNAs-named premeiotic 24-nt phasiRNAs-have recently been reported in barley (Hordeum vulgare) and wheat (Triticum aestivum). To determine whether premeiotic 24-nt phasiRNAs are also present in maize and related species and begin to characterize their biogenesis and function, we performed a comparative transcriptome and degradome analysis of premeiotic and meiotic anthers from five maize inbred lines and three teosinte species/subspecies. Our data indicate that a substantial subset of the 24-nt phasiRNA loci in maize and teosinte are already highly expressed at the premeiotic phase. The premeiotic 24-nt phasiRNAs are similar to meiotic 24-nt phasiRNAs in genomic origin and dependence on DCL5 (Dicer-like 5) for biogenesis, however, premeiotic 24-nt phasiRNAs are unique in that they are likely i) not triggered by microRNAs, ii) not loaded by AGO18 proteins, and iii) not capable of mediating PHAS precursor cleavage. In addition, we also observed a group of premeiotic 24-nt phasiRNAs in rice using previously published data. Together, our results indicate that the premeiotic 24-nt phasiRNAs constitute a unique class of reproductive phasiRNAs and are present more broadly in the grass family (Poaceae) than previously known. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, researchers are looking for ways to replace synthetic pesticides with substances of natural origin. Essential oils are produced by plants, among other things, to protect against pathogens, which is why there is interest in their use as fungicides. This experiment assessed the composition of essential oils from a commercial source, their impact on the development of mycelium of pathogens of the Fusarium genus, and the possibility of using them as a pre-sowing treatment. Grains of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and corn (Zea mays L.) were inoculated with a suspension of mycelium and spores of fungi of the Fusarium genus and then soaked in solutions containing oils of sage (Salvia officinalis L.), cypress (Cupressus sempervirens L.), cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.), and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.). The obtained results indicate that thyme essential oil had the strongest effect on limiting the development of Fusarium pathogens and seedling infection, but at the same time it had an adverse effect on the level of germination and seedling development of the tested plants. The remaining essential oils influenced the mentioned parameters to varying degrees. Selected essential oils can be an alternative to synthetic fungicides, but they must be selected appropriately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change significantly affects crop production and is a threat to global food security. Conventional tillage (CT) is the primary tillage practice in rain-fed areas to conserve soil moisture. Despite previous research on the effect of tillage methods on different cropping systems, a comparison of tillage methods on soil water storage, crop yield and crop water use in wheat (Triticum aestivum) and maize (Zea mays) under different soil textures, precipitation and temperature patterns is needed. We reviewed 119 published articles and used meta-analysis to assess the effects of three conservation tillage practices (NT, no-tillage; RT, reduced tillage; ST, subsoil tillage), on precipitation storage efficiency (PSE), soil water storage at crop planting (SWSp), grain yield, evapotranspiration (ET) and water use efficiency (WUE) under varying precipitation and temperature patterns and soil textures in dryland wheat and maize, with CT as the control treatment. Conservation tillage methods increased PSE, SWSp, grain yield, ET and WUE in both winter wheat-fallow and spring maize cropping systems. More precipitation water was conserved in fine-textured soils than in medium-textured and coarse-textured soils, which improved ET. Conservation tillage increased soil water conservation and yield under high mean annual precipitation (MAP) and moderate mean annual temperature (MAT) conditions in winter wheat. However, soil water conservation and yield were greater under MAP <400 mm and moderate MAT. We conclude that conservation tillage could be promising for increasing precipitation storage, soil water conservation and crop yield in regions with medium to low MAPs and medium to high MATs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Spodoptera exempta is a global agricultural invasive pest which posing a serious threat to the planting area of major crops of maize, wheat and rice. Our study predicted the potential suitable areas for S. exempta globally based on 841 global occurrence records and eight important bioclimatic variables, and analyzed the overlap with maize, wheat and rice planting areas. The results of the study indicate that the high potential suitable areas of S. exempta are mainly distributed in developing countries (Latin America, central South America, Central Africa, and southern Asia), with the greatest impact on global maize planting areas, followed by rice and wheat. Global warming will have a smaller limitation on the distribution of S. exempta. In view of the global potential geographic distribution of S. exempta and its damage to three major crops, the above governments of various countries should pay active attention to the prevention and control of S. exempta to protect global food security. Spodoptera exempta, known as the black armyworm, has been extensively documented as an invasive agricultural pest prevalent across various crop planting regions globally. However, the potential geographical distribution and the threat it poses to host crops of remains unknown at present. Therefore, we used an optimized MaxEnt model based on 841 occurrence records and 19 bioclimatic variables to predict the potential suitable areas of S. exempta under current and future climatic conditions, and the overlap with wheat, rice, and maize planting areas was assessed. The optimized model was highly reliable in predicting potential suitable areas for this pest. The results showed that high-risk distribution areas for S. exempta were mainly in developing countries, including Latin America, central South America, central Africa, and southern Asia. Moreover, for the three major global food crops, S. exempta posed the greatest risk to maize planting areas (510.78 × 104 km2), followed by rice and wheat planting areas. Under future climate scenarios, global warming will limit the distribution of S. exempta. Overall, S. exempta had the strongest effect on global maize production areas and the least on global wheat planting areas. Our study offers a scientific basis for global prevention of S. exempta and protection of agricultural crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing the production of the three major food crops (MFCs), maize (Zea mays), rice (Oryza sativa), and wheat (Triticum aestivum), is essential to fulfilling the food demand for the growing human population. Increasing food production may require the integration of machine learning (ML) into plant breeding programs. However, developing ML tools to improve the production of MFCs is a daunting task due to the lack of quality data and the computation resources needed to process this information. Hence, this review discusses the recent applications of ML for improving MFCs production, including plant phenotyping, yield forecasting, and candidate gene prediction. Based on the challenges reported in recent ML experiments for MFCs, this review prescribes solutions to produce scalable ML models. This review provides valuable insights for future studies and promotes collective efforts among researchers implementing ML to enhance MFCs productivity. Core Ideas: Implementation of scalable machine learning models for major food crop breeding is in the exploratory phase.Integrative approaches enhance the use of machine learning for crop breeding.Scalability of machine learning depends on data quality, modeling techniques, and computational resources.Coordinated efforts are required in developing interoperable datasets and scalable machine learning tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biostimulants (Bio-effectors, BEs) comprise plant growth-promoting microorganisms and active natural substances that promote plant nutrientacquisition, stress resilience, growth, crop quality and yield. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of BEs, particularly under field conditions, appears highly variable and poorly quantified. Using random model meta-analyses tools, we summarize the effects of 107 BE treatments on the performance of major crops, mainly conducted within the EU-funded project BIOFECTOR with a focus on phosphorus (P) nutrition, over five years. Our analyses comprised 94 controlled pot and 47 field experiments under different geoclimatic conditions, with variable stress levels across European countries and Israel. The results show an average growth/yield increase by 9.3% (n=945), with substantial differences between crops (tomato > maize > wheat) and growth conditions (controlled nursery + field (Seed germination and nursery under controlled conditions and young plants transplanted to the field) > controlled > field). Average crop growth responses were independent of BE type, P fertilizer type, soil pH and plant-available soil P (water-P, Olsen-P or Calcium acetate lactate-P). BE effectiveness profited from manure and other organic fertilizers, increasing soil pH and presence of abiotic stresses (cold, drought/heat or salinity). Systematic meta-studies based on published literature commonly face the inherent problem of publication bias where the most suspected form is the selective publication of statistically significant results. In this meta-analysis, however, the results obtained from all experiments within the project are included. Therefore, it is free of publication bias. In contrast to reviews of published literature, our unique study design is based on a common standardized protocol which applies to all experiments conducted within the project to reduce sources of variability. Based on data of crop growth, yield and P acquisition, we conclude that application of BEs can save fertilizer resources in the future, but the efficiency of BE application depends on cropping systems and environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food enrichment plays a critical role in the food industry, with a significant influence on the nutritional value of various food products and their potential health advantages when consumed. The demand for nutritious food products has led to significant advancements in the technology used for the production of biscuits, with the aim of enhancing their nutritional characteristics. Therefore, the objective of the present work was to develop nutritionally optimised biscuits using a linear programming model. The study focused on the optimisation of biscuit ingredients, specifically wheat and yellow maize flour, with or without moringa leaf. The formulation process involved the use of conventional methods and a linear programming model. The resulting biscuits were then analysed for their proximate, sensory, functional, and anti-nutritional properties. The biscuits formulated using the linear programming (LP) model exhibited superior qualities compared to other groups. These biscuits had a protein level ranging from 17.5 to 15.4%, and significantly improved organoleptic properties. The concentration of anti-nutritive compounds showed a notable decrease in the LP group compared to the conventionally prepared biscuits. Therefore, the use of a linear programming model can be adopted for the formulation of biscuits that have high nutritional value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant diseases are a significant threat to global food security since they directly affect the quality of crops, leading to a decline in agricultural productivity. Several researchers have employed crop-specific deep learning models based on convolutional neural networks (CNN) to identify plant diseases with better accuracy and faster implementation. However, the use of crop-specific models is unreasonable considering the resource-constrained devices and digital literacy rate of farmers. This work proposes a single light-weight CNN model for disease identification in three major crops, namely, Corn, Rice, and Wheat. The proposed model uses convolution layers of variable sizes at the same level to accurately detect the diseases with various sizes of the infected area. The experimentation results reveal that the proposed model outperforms several benchmark CNN models, namely, VGG16, VGG19, ResNet50, ResNet152, ResNet50V2, ResNet152V2, MobileNetV2, DenseNet121, DenseNet201, InceptionV3, and Xception, to achieve an accuracy of 84.4% while using just 387,340 parameters. Moreover, the proposed model validates its efficacy as a multi-functional tool by classifying healthy and infected categories of each crop individually, obtaining accuracies of 99.74%, 82.67%, and 97.5% for Corn, Rice, and Wheat, respectively. The better performance values and light-weight nature of the proposed model make it a viable choice for real-time crop disease detection, even in resource-constrained environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oriental armyworm, Mythimna separata (Walker), an important migratory pest of maize and wheat, is posing a severe threat to maize production in Asian countries. As source areas of spring–summer emigratory populations, the control of M. separata in southwestern China is of great significance for East Asian maize production. To assess the toxicity of Bt maize against the pest, bioassays of Bt-(Cry1Ab+Vip3Aa) maize (event DBN3601T), Bt-Cry1Ab maize (event DBN9936), and Bt-Vip3Aa maize (event DBN9501) were conducted in Yunnan province of southwest China. There were significant differences in insecticidal activity between the three Bt maize events, and DBN3601T presented the highest insecticidal role. The results also indicated that the insecticidal effect of various Bt maize tissues took an order in leaf > kernel > silk, which is highly consistent with the expression amounts of Bt insecticidal protein in leaf (69.69 ± 1.18 μg/g), kernel (11.69 ± 0.75 μg/g), and silk (7.32 ± 0.31 μg/g). In field trials, all larval population densities, plant damage rates, and leaf damage levels of DBN3601T maize were significantly lower than the conventional maize. This research indicated that the DBN3601T event had a high control efficiency against M. separata and could be deployed in southwest China for the management of M. separata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop rotations in the northern Great Plains of North America increasingly include corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.). Use of cover crops, while less extensive, is also increasing given their purported agronomic and environmental benefits. To date, soil responses to the inclusion of corn, soybean, and cover crops in rainfed cropping systems have not been well documented in the region. Therefore, soil properties were evaluated 6 years after establishment of three crop rotations (spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–soybean (SW–S), spring wheat–corn–soybean (SW–C–S), and spring wheat–corn–cover crop (SW–C–cc)) each split by no and minimum tillage on a Dark Brown Chernozem near Mandan, ND, USA. Soil responses to treatments were subtle and exclusive to the 0–7.6 cm depth. Soil pH was lower in SW–S than SW–C–cc (5.28 vs. 5.48; P = 0.05), SO4-S was greater under SW–C–cc than SW–C–S (13.4 vs. 11.6 g S kg−1; P = 0.03), exchangeable K was greater under SW–C–S and SW–C–cc than SW–S (0.83 cmol kg−1 vs. 0.52 cmol kg−1; P = 0.05), and water-stable aggregates were greater in SW–S than SW–C–S (26% vs. 19%; P = 0.08). Soil organic carbon (SOC) and total N did not differ among crop rotations or between tillage treatments, while particulate organic matter N was greater under no tillage compared to minimum tillage (P = 0.08). Between 2012 and 2018, soil pH decreased and SOC increased under SW–C–S. Frequent monitoring of near-surface soil conditions in rotations with soybean every other year is recommended. Furthermore, innovative management practices are needed to enhance soil C and N fractions in rotations with full-season cover crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Phytochemical characterization and end use evaluation of native and fermented cereal brans" published in the Journal of Food Measurement & Characterization. The corrected tables in the document present the chemical composition of native and fermented cereal brans, including moisture, fat, protein, ash, and fiber content. The tables also include information on the phytochemical profiling, antioxidant activity, and antinutritional factors of the brans. The article provides comparisons between different types of brans and their treatments with yeast and bacteria. This information can be useful for library patrons conducting research on the nutritional composition of cereal brans. [Extracted from the article]

The study was conducted to identify novel simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers associated with resistance to corn aphid (CLA), Rhopalosiphum maidis L. in 48 selected bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and wild wheat (Aegilops spp. & T. dicoccoides) genotypes during two consecutive cropping seasons (2018–19 and 2019–20). A total of 51 polymorphic markers containing 143 alleles were used for the analysis. The frequency of the major allele ranged from 0.552 (Xgwm113) to 0.938 (Xcfd45, Xgwm194 and Xgwm526), with a mean of 0.731. Gene diversity ranged from 0.116 (Xgwm526) to 0.489 (Xgwm113), with a mean of 0.354. The polymorphic information content (PIC) value for the SSR markers ranged from 0.107 (Xgwm526) to 0.370 (Xgwm113) with a mean of 0.282. The results of the STRUCTURE analysis revealed the presence of four main subgroups in the populations. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that the between-group difference was around 37 per cent of the total variation contributed to the diversity by the whole germplasm, while 63 per cent of the variation was attributed between individuals within the group. A general linear model (GLM) was used to identify marker-trait associations, which detected a total of 23 and 27 significant new marker-trait associations (MTAs) at the p < 0.01 significance level during the 2018–19 and 2019–20 crop seasons, respectively. The findings of this study have important implications for the identification of molecular markers associated with CLA resistance. These markers can increase the accuracy and efficiency of aphid-resistant germplasm selection, ultimately facilitating the transfer of resistance traits to desirable wheat genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance in wheat and triticale has a high priority in the European Union because of the strict guidelines for the major mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZON) and the admission policy of the regulatory authorities. Potentially 70% of the arable land in Germany and about 60% in Austria can be affected by Fusarium. Although epidemics occur only in some years and/or some regions, DON and ZON are detected every year in varying amounts in wheat, rye and maize. Despite a high significance of FHB resistance in breeding companies, as validated by a recent survey, breeding progress in wheat is basically absent for FHB resistance in both countries. The main reasons are the complex inheritance of FHB resistance and the high proportions of the dwarfing allele Rht‐D1b in high‐yielding varieties promoting susceptibility. Despite this, some varieties with high FHB resistance (score 2–3 on the 1–9 scale) have been released that account, however, only for 11% and 18% of the multiplication area in Germany and Austria, respectively. For triticale, an official testing system for FHB resistance in terms of DON content exists in Germany and Austria, but not for the other cereals. Susceptibility to maize ear rot has been described in Austria, but not in Germany. Additionally, a testing system for stalk rot resistance in both countries should be established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintaining or even increasing crop yields while reducing nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions is necessary to reconcile food security and climate change, while the metric of yield‐scaled N2O emission (i.e., N2O emissions per unit of crop yield) is at present poorly understood. Here we conducted a global meta‐analysis with more than 6000 observations to explore the variation patterns and controlling factors of yield‐scaled N2O emissions for maize, wheat and rice and associated potential mitigation options. Our results showed that the average yield‐scaled N2O emissions across all available data followed the order wheat (322 g N Mg−1, with the 95% confidence interval [CI]: 301–346) > maize (211 g N Mg−1, CI: 198–225) > rice (153 g N Mg−1, CI: 144–163). Yield‐scaled N2O emissions for individual crops were generally higher in tropical or subtropical zones than in temperate zones, and also showed a trend towards lower intensities from low to high latitudes. This global variation was better explained by climatic and edaphic factors than by N fertilizer management, while their combined effect predicted more than 70% of the variance. Furthermore, our analysis showed a significant decrease in yield‐scaled N2O emissions with increasing N use efficiency or in N2O emissions for production systems with cereal yields >10 Mg ha−1 (maize), 6.6 Mg ha−1 (wheat) or 6.8 Mg ha−1 (rice), respectively. This highlights that N use efficiency indicators can be used as valuable proxies for reconciling trade‐offs between crop production and N2O mitigation. For all three major staple crops, reducing N fertilization by up to 30%, optimizing the timing and placement of fertilizer application or using enhanced‐efficiency N fertilizers significantly reduced yield‐scaled N2O emissions at similar or even higher cereal yields. Our data‐driven assessment provides some key guidance for developing effective and targeted mitigation and adaptation strategies for the sustainable intensification of cereal production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing interest in developing agricultural practices that can improve crop performance while preserving natural resources. Plant biostimulants are thought to play a role in reaching this goal, in particular by increasing the nitrogen use efficiency. However, a notable research gap exists concerning the effects of foliar applications of natural zeolites as plant biostimulants on crop performance. To address this knowledge gap, a greenhouse experiment was set up in order to study the response of maize and wheat traits, specifically the biomass productivity and nitrogen uptake, as well as the response of soil extracellular enzymes to the foliar applications of a natural zeolite in combination with different levels of nitrogen fertilization, that is, 100%, 75%, and 50% of the optimal dose. Foliar application of zeolite in wheat and maize plants led to an increase in root nitrogen concentration of about 10%, particularly at the lowest nitrogen fertilization rate. This response was accompanied by an increase in aboveground to belowground uptake nitrogen ratio. Furthermore, there was a significant reduction of about 20% in root biomass in both crops with zeolite application across the entire nitrogen fertilization gradient. These plant-level responses were associated with a significant increase in the activity of carbon-degrading and nitrogen-degrading enzymes at the soil level in response to zeolite applications. Our findings provide a compelling proof-of-concept for the beneficial effects of foliar-applied zeolite as a biostimulant for crops, emphasizing the critical need for additional field research to validate our greenhouse results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chromosome elimination resulting in haploids is achieved by rapid loss of chromosomes from one parent during the zygote stage and is an important procedure to produce doubled haploid (DH) lines in plants. During crosses between an emasculated wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) as pollen donors, the complete loss of maize chromosomes results in wheat haploid embryos. Through embryo rescue and chromosome doubling processes, pure lines with stable traits can be quickly obtained. The technique is called the "Wheat × Maize System". Although this technology is not new, it remains a practical approach to date. In order to optimize and improve this technology and to achieve its maximum potential in the winter wheat area of China, this paper reviews the previous and ongoing research and technical procedures for the production of wheat DH lines via the maize pollen induction and presents outlooks on DH research and its application in wheat breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop rotations with residue incorporation can be beneficial to the sustainability of agriculture, however as long-term studies are required to determine effects on soil properties, farmers usually don't practice crop rotations. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of crop rotations with residue incorporation (0%, 50%, 100%, and 200%) on soil chemical properties of a volcanic soil after 4 years of cultivation. The evaluated rotations were canola (Brassica napus L.)-bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), canola-durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L.), canola-corn (Zea mays L.), bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)-bread wheat, bean-durum wheat, and bean-corn. The experiment consisted of six crop rotations, four levels of residue incorporation, and four replicates, analyzed as split-plot design. Samples were taken from the topsoil, and the following soil chemical properties were evaluated: pH, organic matter, electrical conductivity, nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), aluminum (Al), and sulfur (S). The results showed that crop rotations affected all the chemical properties evaluated, whereas the level of residue incorporation only affected the concentrations of exchangeable Mg and K. Most of the evaluated crops rotations had beneficial effects on the soil properties. The canola-durum wheat crop rotation recorded the lowest values in OM, available N and the exchangeable Ca, Mg, and Na. Exchangeable Mg and K had a directly proportional relationship with the level of residue incorporation. In conclusion, the incorporation of residues in different doses during 4 years of crop rotation in this volcanic soil had little effect on its chemical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A study was conducted to determine the chemical composition of barley and co-products from barley, corn, and wheat produced in South-East Asia or Australia, and to test the hypothesis that production area or production methods can impact the chemical composition of wheat co-products. Methods: Samples included seven barley grains, two malt barley rootlets, one corn gluten feed, one corn gluten meal, one corn bran, eight wheat brans, one wheat mill mix, and four wheat pollards. All samples were analyzed for dry matter, gross energy, nitrogen, amino acids (AA), acid hydrolyzed ether extract, ash, minerals, starch, and insoluble dietary fiber and soluble dietary fiber. Malt barley rootlets and wheat co-products were also analyzed for sugars. Results: Chemical composition of barley, malt barley rootlets, and corn co-products were in general similar across countries. Wheat pollard had greater (p<0.05) concentrations of tryptophan, magnesium, and potassium compared with wheat bran, whereas wheat bran had greater (p<0.05) concentration of copper than wheat pollard. There were no differences in chemical composition between wheat bran produced in Australia and wheat bran produced in Thailand. Conclusion: Intact barley contains more starch, but fewer AA, than grain co-products. There were only few differences in the composition of wheat bran and wheat pollard, indicating that the two ingredients are similar, but with different names. However, corn gluten meal contains more protein and less fiber than corn bran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate-induced extreme events with fluctuations in climatic indicators like temperature and precipitation highly influence crop productivity. This study deals with quantitative analysis of climatic variability and crop production (1990–2018) using panel data regression analysis. The focus is on variability of three crops, i.e., paddy, maize, and wheat in the Rangit river basin of Sikkim Himalaya, India. Meterological data were acquired from the Indian Meteorological Department, agricultural data from the state agricultural department and a field survey were also conducted with the farmers, using a structured questionnaire, focused group discussion, and key informant observations. The acquired data was analyzed with the help of correlation and multiple linear regression analysis to analyze the relationship between climatic variability and crop production. The result of the study shows that all three crops are dependent on rainfall; however, paddy was the most sensitive to climatic variability. It was found that the overall grain production had an inverse relation to temperature, but it had a positive correlation with rainfall. It was observed that there was a continuous decline in the overall production of paddy and wheat. During deficiency years, it was found that when − 11.33% rainfall was deficient, paddy yield declined by − 1.52%. Further, a deviation of − 13.48% led to a decline of − 54.78% in wheat. The study advocates that timely policy interventions and strategies shall reduce climatic shocks and improve productivity. This would strengthen the livelihood security of the local communities, overcome the challenges of food security, and ensure long-term sustainability of Rangit River basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hard red spring wheat (HRSW; Triticum aestivum L). production in South Dakota has decreased by nearly 50% over a recent 10‐year timespan due to grower preferences for producing corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. End‐users of HRSW are concerned with grain protein concentration (GPC). Among growers that still produce HRSW, cultivar selection decisions are heavily based on grain yield potential, and they become most concerned with GPC only when it is low enough to result in sales price discounts. It is important that HRSW breeding programs release new cultivars that balance the needs of both end‐users and growers. The objective of this research was to release a HRSW cultivar possessing both high grain yield potential and GPC for South Dakota and regional producers. 'Ascend‐SD' (Reg. no. CV‐1204, PI 700966) was developed by the SDSU‐HRSW breeding program and released by the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station to certified seed producers in early 2022. The cross MN10261‐1/SD4389 was completed during fall 2013, and the resulting population was advanced via an early‐generation bulk‐testing program, where F4:7 seed was included in the 2018 preliminary yield trial and designated as SD4873. Prior to release, SD4873 also was tested in the advanced yield trial from 2019 through 2021 as well as crop performance testing trials in 2020 and 2021. Ascend‐SD was released for its competitive combination of high grain yield potential and GPC. Core Ideas: Ascend‐SD is a new hard red spring wheat cultivar adapted to the upper Great Plains.Agronomic performance of Ascend‐SD is very competitive.Ascend‐SD has good resistance to FHB and BLS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of the study was to systematize and summarize archival data on yields from main field crops from multiple fertilizer experiments of Nikola Poushkarov ISSAPP on various soil types in Bulgaria. A large set of results from the field fertilizer experiments carried out on four different soil types: Calcareous Chernozem (Trastenik village), Haplic Chernozem (Gorni Dabnik village), Haplic Luvisol (Nikolaevo village) and Planosol (Sekirovo village) in the geographical network of Bulgaria of the Nikola Poushkarov ISSAPP has been accumulated. Eight fertilization variants were tested with annual application of potassium (0, 8, 16 and 32 kg/da K2O) on two backgrounds of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization. Crop rotation during the individual years was as follows: wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), maize (Zea mays L.), sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.), grown under non-irrigation conditions. Optimum rates of fertilization with the main nutrients, N, P and K have been established for the different soil types. There are complex interactions between the different rates of fertilization with the main macronutrients and this has a significant impact on the quantity and quality of agricultural crop yields. The difference in yields between the two investigated periods (1963-1970 and 1971-1975), at the same levels of fertilization, shows that the level of yields and accordingly, the use of nutrients are also determined to a significant extent by the climatic conditions. With an increase in the fertilizer rate, the yields also increase, and the rates of 16 kg and 32 kg K2O remain the most effective, regardless of the occurrence of potassium accumulation in these variants. This was also confirmed by the results of the analysis of variance of the yields of cultivated crops. There was a pronounced increase of the effect of potassium fertilization in soils less supplied with this element, i.e. the Haplic Luvisol (Nikolaevo village) and Planosol (Sekirovo village). The effect of the potassium fertilization increases and expands in well supplied with potassium soils, but possessing unfavorable conditions for nutrition with this element, as in the case with the Calcareous Chernozem (Trastenik village). There was also an effect of potassium fertilization, although inconsistent, in soils well supplied with potassium, such as Haplic Chernozem (Gorni Dabnik village). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to evaluate for the first time the degree of contamination of soil and crops with major and trace elements (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, F, Na, Mg, Si, P, Cl, Fe, Al) in agricultural lands situated in the Lower Danube Basin, Galati and Braila counties (SE Romania), impacted by the steel industry. Soil samples, as well as leaves and seeds of wheat, corn, and sunflower, were collected from two depths in 11 different sites. Along with elemental and mineralogical analyses, performed by HR-CS AAS, PIGE, SEM-EDX, and ATR-FTIR, the soil pH, texture, organic matter, electric conductivity, and CaCO3 content were investigated. The results showed that the levels of Cr (83.27–383.10 mg kg−1), Cu (17.11–68.15 mg kg−1), Ni (30.16–55.66 mg kg−1), and F (319–544 mg kg−1) in soil exceeded the Romanian regulations for sensitive use of the land. Igeo, EF, PI, and PERI pollution indices indicate that the soil is moderate to highly contaminated with Cr, Ni, and Cu, while the CSI and mERMQ indices suggested a relatively low risk for metal contamination. The elemental concentrations in plant tissues and bioaccumulation factors (BFs) provide valuable insights into the soil–plant relationship, health risks, and the selectivity of plant compartments for different elements. Thus, the results revealed that the wheat plants tended to exclude the bioaccumulation of particular elements in their tissues, while exhibiting a different bioaccumulation pattern for Zn and Cu. In the case of corn, most BFs were below one, indicating a limited phytoaccumulation capacity. However, exceptions were observed for Cd, Zn, and Cu with the sunflower BFs indicating higher bioconcentration of these elements in leaves and seeds compared to other elements. Chromium (Cr) contributes to non-carcinogenic dermal contact and ingestion hazards, children being more susceptible to the adverse effects of this contaminant.

A study published in the Journal of Integrative Plant Biology explores the potential of the zinc finger gene TaCHP to enhance wheat yield in saline-alkaline conditions. The researchers conducted multi-year, multi-site field trials and found that overexpressing TaCHP significantly increased wheat yields in saline-alkaline fields without affecting yields under normal conditions. Genetic variations in the promoter of TaCHP were also identified, with one haplotype (Hap1) conferring greater salt tolerance than the other (Hap2). The study suggests that TaCHP and its tolerant haplotype have promising applications in molecular breeding for stress-tolerant wheat. [Extracted from the article]