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Smart environments exploit rising technologies like Internet of Things (IoT) and edge intelligence (EI) to achieve unseen effectiveness and efficiency in every tasks, including air sanitization. The latter represents a key preventative measure–made even more evident by the COVID-19 pandemic–to significantly reduce disease transmission and create healthier and safer indoor spaces, for the sake of its occupants. Therefore, in this paper, we present an IoT-based system aimed at the continuous monitoring of the air quality and, through EI techniques, at the proactively activation of ozone lamps, while ensuring safety in sanitization. Indeed, these devices ensure extreme effectiveness in killing viruses and bacteria but, due to ozone toxicity, they must be properly controlled with advanced technologies for preventing occupants from dangerous exposition as well as for ensuring system reliability, operational efficiency, and regulatory compliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much research has been conducted on the changes in gene expression of the model plant Arabidopsis to low-oxygen stress. Flooding results in a low oxygen environment in the root zone. However, there is ample evidence that tolerance to soil flooding is more than tolerance to low oxygen alone. In this study, we investigated the physiological response and differential expression of root-related transcription factors (TFs) associated with the tolerance of soybean plants to soil flooding. Differential responses of PI408105A and S99-2281 plants to ten days of soil flooding were evaluated at physiological, morphological and anatomical levels. Gene expression underlying the tolerance response was investigated using qRT-PCR of root-related TFs, known anaerobic genes, and housekeeping genes. Biomass of flood-sensitive S99-2281 roots remained unchanged during the entire 10 days of flooding. Flood-tolerant PI408105A plants exhibited recovery of root growth after 3 days of flooding. Flooding induced the development of aerenchyma and adventitious roots more rapidly in the flood-tolerant than the flood-sensitive genotype. Roots of tolerant plants also contained more ATP than roots of sensitive plants at the 7th and 10th days of flooding. Quantitative transcript analysis identified 132 genes differentially expressed between the two genotypes at one or more time points of flooding. Expression of genes related to the ethylene biosynthesis pathway and formation of adventitious roots was induced earlier and to higher levels in roots of the flood-tolerant genotype. Three potential flood-tolerance TFs which were differentially expressed between the two genotypes during the entire 10-day flooding duration were identified. This study confirmed the expression of anaerobic genes in response to soil flooding. Additionally, the differential expression of TFs associated with soil flooding tolerance was not qualitative but quantitative and temporal. Functional analyses of these genes will be necessary to reveal their potential to enhance flooding tolerance of soybean cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impacts of integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) in conservation agriculture need short-term evaluation before continuation of its long-term practice. A split-split plot experiment with tillage (minimum tillage, MT vs. conventional tillage, CT) as the main plot, residue (20% residue, R vs. no residue as a control, NR) as the sub-plot, and compost (Trichocompost, LC; bio-slurry, BS; and recommended fertilization, RD) as the sub-sub plot treatment was conducted for two consecutive years. Composite soils were collected after harvesting the sixth crop of an annual mustard-rice-rice rotation to analyze for nutrient distribution and soil structural stability. The LC increased rice equivalent yield by 2% over RD and 4% over BS, and nitrogen (N) uptake by 11% over RD and 10% over BS. Likewise, LC had higher soil organic carbon (SOC), N, and available sulphur (S) than BS and RD. Conversion of CT to MT reduced rice equivalent yield by 11%, N uptake by 26%, and N-use efficiency by 28%. Conversely, soil structural stability and elemental quality was greater in MT than in CT, indicating the potential of MT to sequester C, N, P, and S in soil aggregates. Residue management increased rice yield in the second year by 4% and corresponding N uptake by 8%. While MT reduced the yield, our results suggest that ISFM with Trichocompost and residue retention under MT improves soil fertility and physical stability to sustain crop productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]