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Begomoviruses are whitefly-transmitted viruses that infect many agricultural crops. Numerous reports exist on individual host plants harboring two or more begomoviruses. Mixed infection allows recombination events to occur among begomoviruses. However, very few studies have examined mixed infection of different isolates/variants/strains of a Begomovirus species in hosts. In this study, the frequency of mixed infection of tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) variants in field-grown tomato was evaluated. At least 60% of symptomatic field samples were infected with more than one TYLCV variant. These variants differed by a few nucleotides and amino acids, resembling a quasispecies. Subsequently, in the greenhouse, single and mixed infection of two TYLCV variants (variant #2 and variant #4) that shared 99.5% nucleotide identity and differed by a few amino acids was examined. Plant–virus variant–whitefly interactions including transmission of one and/or two variants, variants’ concentrations, competition between variants in inoculated tomato plants, and whitefly acquisition of one and/or two variants were assessed. Whiteflies transmitted both variants to tomato plants at similar frequencies; however, the accumulation of variant #4 was greater than that of variant #2 in tomato plants. Despite differences in variants’ accumulation in inoculated tomato plants, whiteflies acquired variant #2 and variant #4 at similar frequencies. Also, whiteflies acquired greater amounts of TYLCV from singly infected plants than from mixed-infected plants. These results demonstrated that even highly similar TYLCV variants could differentially influence component (whitefly–variant–plant) interactions.

Silicon (Si) is the second most abundant element present in the lithosphere, and it constitutes one of the major inorganic nutrient elements of many plants. Although Si is a nonessential nutrient element, its beneficial role in stimulating the growth and development of many plant species has been generally recognized. Silicon is known to effectively reduce disease severity in many plant pathosystems. The key mechanisms of Si-mediated increased plant disease resistance involve improving mechanical properties of cell walls, activating multiple signaling pathways leading to the expression of defense responsive genes and producing antimicrobial compounds. This article highlights the importance and applicability of Si fertilizers in integrated disease management for crops.

Relevance. Evaluation of nutritional value of seeds of agricultural crops is considered to be highly significant for revealing new sources of antioxidants for humans.Material. The aim of the present investigation was antioxidant status and selenium accumulation levels by chicory seeds (13 cultivars) and comparison of the results with antioxidants status of seeds of other root vegetables: celery (5 cultivars), parsley (2 cultivars), parsnip (3 cultivars) and carrot (7 cultivars).Results. Among agricultural crops studied chicory was characterized by 3-4 higher levels of selenium accumulation by seeds and relatively low total antioxidant activity and polyphenol content. Anomalously high protein content in chicory seeds may explain the efficiency of selenium accumulation while relatively low antioxidant activity may be connected with lower levels of essential oil. Direct correlations between polyphenol content and total antioxidant activity were demonstrated for carrot (r=+0.924; P 0.803; P

Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti species complex (FIESC) strains are generally considered moderately virulent to many agricultural crops and produce a variety of mycotoxins, which represent a serious threat to food safety and public health. The occurrence of the FIESC strain in agricultural crops has been reported in various climatic regions, but detailed information on the species composition and toxigenic ability is rare in China. In this study, phylogenetic analyses were performed with combined sequences of EF-1a and RPB2 of 186 Fusarium isolates obtained from rice (Oryza sativa) and soybean (Glycine max). Twelve species were identified and 156 of the isolates were resolved within the Incarnatum clade of the FIESC species. Host influenced the population composition: rice isolates belonged to 12 species, among which FIESC 16, 18, and 24 strains were predominant; whereas five species were found among soybean isolates and FIESC 1, 16, and 18 strains dominated. Forty-three isolates were arbitrarily selected and analyzed for their Tri gene sequences and mycotoxigenic potential. Phylogenetic results based on the combined Tri5, Tri7, and Tri13 sequences were coincident with those from housekeeping markers. Type-A and -B trichothecenes were the main metabolites. Diacetoxyscirpenol was detected in all strains at varying concentrations. Nivalenol, 4-acetyl nivalenol, 3-acetyl deoxynivalenol, and neosolaniol were produced in members of the FIESC 1, 3, 7, 8, 15, 16, 17, and 18 strains. Our findings contribute valuable phylogenetic and toxigenic information necessary for the risk evaluation of mycotoxins in agricultural products.

Aphids are abundant in natural and managed vegetation, supporting a diverse community of organisms and causing damage to agricultural crops. Due to a changing climate, periods of drought are anticipated to increase, and the potential consequences of this for aphid–plant interactions are unclear.Using a meta‐analysis and synthesis approach, we aimed to advance understanding of how increased drought incidence will affect this ecologically and economically important insect group and to characterize any potential underlying mechanisms. We used qualitative and quantitative synthesis techniques to determine whether drought stress has a negative, positive, or null effect on aphid fitness and examined these effects in relation to (a) aphid biology, (b) geographical region, and (c) host plant biology.Across all studies, aphid fitness is typically reduced under drought. Subgroup analysis detected no difference in relation to aphid biology, geographical region, or the aphid–plant combination, indicating the negative effect of drought on aphids is potentially universal. Furthermore, drought stress had a negative impact on plant vigor and increased plant concentrations of defensive chemicals, suggesting the observed response of aphids is associated with reduced plant vigor and increased chemical defense in drought‐stressed plants.We propose a conceptual model to predict drought effects on aphid fitness in relation to plant vigor and defense to stimulate further research., Using meta‐analysis, we provide the first comprehensive analysis of drought stress on aphid fitness, showing negative effects across different host plant families, aphid tribes, and geographic regions. These negative effects were observed for different aphid fitness parameters and host specialisms and likely result from drought‐induced reduction in plant vigor and increased tissue concentrations of plant‐defensive compounds.

Rhizoctonia solani is an important soil-borne fungal pathogen that causes serious diseases on many agricultural crops and vegetables. Here, we report a complete genome assembly of R. solani AG4 (assembly: 45.47 Mb; contig N50: 1.56 Mb), using a combination of Illumina paired-end and PacBio long-read sequencing data. A total of 267 noncoding RNAs and 11,592 genes were predicted, including 109 genes associated with carbohydrate-active enzymes and 2,488 genes involved in host-pathogen interactions. The complete genome of R. solani AG4 represents a valuable base for studying interactions between host plants and pathogenic fungi and to search for potential antimicrobial targets. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .

Aims: To investigate the levels and the associated risks of 18 organochlorine residues in water, soil, sediment, and five vegetables cultivated on abandoned mine areas. Study Design: Water, sediment, soil (at 0 -10cm, 11 – 20cn, 21 – 30cn) and vegetables samples were collected from the abandoned tin mine agricultural areas. These subsamples were separately combined and mixed so that a portion taken of the composite was representative of each subsample. The representative fractions were then treated for analysis Place and Duration of Study: Samples were collected between February and May 2020 from the cultivated abandoned mine areas in Du, Jos - South Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria, Methodology Liquid–liquid extractions methods were used for the extraction of pesticide residues from water, sediment, soil and vegetables. The organochlorine residues were determined by GC/MS. Results: The physico- chemical properties data obtained for the soils/sediment from abandoned mine sites in Jos South were very heterogeneous, hence, various behaviors of pesticide residues in different soil/sediment matrices. There were no significant differences (P= 0.05) in mean minerals among the various samples. The pesticides residues detected in water were b-endosulfan, p,p-DDD and methoxychlor. The residues recorded in water were above the WHO’s MRL and Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA,) for drinking water. Residues were also detected in sediment and soils samples. The 11 – 20cm subsoil accumulated the highest levels of the pesticide analyzed. The order of the accumulation of the OCP were; y-BHC>DDD>endrin>endrin ketone>a-endosulfan>b-endosulfan and of the sample type was water

Salinity adversely affects 20-30% of the irrigated area in the world. Tomato is sensitive to salinity. It is one of the most severe abiotic factors of many agricultural crops and it becoming the main problem in Ethiopia. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different salinity levels on the seed germination parameters of tomato varieties. It was laid out in a completely randomized design with three replicates. The treatment included four tomato varieties (Sirinka, Weyno, ARP D2, and Roma VF) and five salinity levels (1 dS m-1, 2 dS m-1, 3 dS m-1, 4 dS m-1, and control). Fifty seeds were placed in a Petri dish over a moistened germination paper for germination and seedlings and allowed to grow for 14 days. The germination rate, speed and energy of tomato seeds were significantly (p < 0.001) affected by the combined effect of variety and salinity. The shortest mean germination time, the highest mean germination rate, and the highest speed of germination were recorded in the ARP D2 variety in the control treatment. The lowest first and last days of germination, and the uncertainty of germination were recorded from ARP D2. However, an increase in the days of germination and in the uncertainty of germination, and a decrease in the germination index and total germination percentage trends were observed with increasing salinity levels. The highest level of salinity (4 dS m-1) affected the germination of tomato varieties. Among the four tested tomato varieties, ARP D2 and Roma VF were tolerant to salinity.

In Russia and around the world, there are important questions regarding the potential threats to national and biological safety created by genetic technologies and the need to improve or introduce new, justified, and adequate measures for their control, regulation, and prevention. The article shows that a significant volume of the global market is occupied by five major transgenic crops, and producers are ready to switch to crops with an edited genome that has been approved in the United States, Argentina, and other countries. We propose a qualitatively new approach to the risk assessment of edited plants, “Safe Design,” and we have also developed an extremely important, fundamentally new approach to the development of methods that combine next-generation sequencing (NGS) and Bioinformatics for the assessment of the crop import biosafety. The proposed mathematical approach provides a detailed analysis of the possible insertions of DNA fragments into the genome of edited crops and a clarification of their biological significance. The developed method can be used in the rapid screening of plants for the presence of potentially dangerous genes, viral sequences, and nonspecific promoter sequences.

Water stress associated with drought-like conditions is a major factor limiting plant growth and impacts productivity of natural plant communities and agricultural crops. Molecular responses of plants to water stress have been studied most extensively in model species and crops, few of which have evolved natural drought tolerance. In the current study, we examined physiological and transcriptomic responses at multiple timepoints during increasing water stress and following initial recovery from stress in a drought-tolerant C3 species, Festuca ovina. Results demonstrated non-linear transcriptomic changes during increasing stress, but largely linear declines in physiological measurements during this same period. Transcription factors represented approximately 12.7% of all differentially expressed genes. In total, 117 F. ovina homologs of previously identified and molecularly characterized drought-responsive plant genes were identified. This information will be valuable for further investigations of the molecular mechanisms involved in drought tolerance in C3 plants.

With the aim of improving and rational use of the soil, as well as increasing the yield of agricultural crops, in this case cotton, field tests were carried out. Fruiting of cotton, in addition to the hereditary traits of varieties, is closely related to environmental factors, especially the temperature of the air, soil and the state of the environment.

Beneficial bacteria associated with agricultural crops may potentially increase crop productivity and health. However, during various plant developmental processes, shifts in the diversity and function of bacterial communities often occur. This study investigated the diversity of bacterial communities associated with the rhizosphere, roots, and aboveground plant organs of wheat and canola at stem elongation, flowering, and ripening stages. The growth-chamber experiment consisted of wheat and canola grown in Orthic Brown Chernozem Calcic Kastanozem and Orthic Black Calcic Chernozem soils from agricultural fields in Saskatchewan, Canada. Rhizosphere bacterial communities of wheat and canola were mainly influenced by soil characteristics, whereas a specific root endophytic community was associated with each crop species. These results suggest that each crop may select distinct root bacterial endophytes from the rhizosphere. Bacteria associated with aboveground plant organs exhibited high variability among crop species and soils. The most abundant bacterial genera associated with the rhizosphere of the crops included Gemmatimonas, Solirubrobacter, and Nocardioides, as well as unclassified genera of families Commamonadaceae, Chitinophagaceae, and Sphingomonadaceae. Other genera (e.g., Stenotrophomonas, Streptomyces, and Variovorax) were predominant in wheat roots, whereas species of Lentzea and Pantoea were the most abundant root endophytes detected in canola. Bacterial communities associated with aboveground organs consisted mostly of species of Corynebacterium and Pseudomonas, and unclassified members of the family Enterobacteriacaeae. This study also revealed that plant growth stages can modulate the diversity of rhizosphere and endophytic bacteria. The influence of plant growth stages on the bacterial microbiome associated with wheat and canola was crop and organ specific.

Horticultural crops are indispensable agricultural food materials with all essential nutrients. Though, severe threats like pests, diseases, and adverse abiotic factors will affect their productivity and quality. This permits to promote sustainable agriculture by utilizing the recent biotechnological approach to tackle the mentioned issues. In recent year’s genome editing technologies has become one of the most executed genetic tools which altered plant molecular biology. Recently, CRISPR-Cas utilizes for its high target specificity, easier design, and higher success rate. This chapter deals with recent advances in CRISPR/Cas9 technology in horticultural crops in response to the enrichment of essential metabolites, which was achieved by introducing the viral genome to the host via CRISPR-mediated targeted mutation. Furthermore, the strategies based on CRISPR/Cas9 targeted modifications of genes in crop species such as rice, wheat, and soy will be discussed. Finally, we discuss the challenges, improvements, and prospective applications of this cutting-edge technology.

The article studies and analyzes the effect of fertilizer rates and the number of irrigations on the water-physical properties of the soil under mixed crops. In world practice of agricultural crops mixed crops are used, mainly cereals and legumes, to provide an increase in the productivity and quality of crops, they alsocontribute to the maintenance of soil fertility. Long-term studies have shown that alfalfa roots and stubble residues are of great importance for maintaining and restoring soil fertility. First, the soil is enriched with nutrients that can be absorbed by the roots, and thenthe root system enriches the soil with organic matter, which, in turn, improves the water-physical properties of the soil. From our studies we came to the following conclusions: optimization of the amount of fertilizer and irrigation rates in mixed crops of barley and alfalfa has a significant effect on the water-physical properties of the soil. We advise farmers to use organic and mineral fertilizers in alfalfa crops at a rate of 10 t/ha + N 15 P 60 K 30 .

Plant pathogenic microorganisms cause great damage to the yield of agricultural crops and also reduce their commercial quality. This article highlights information on the level of damage caused to agricultural crops by pests, as well as the development of organic agriculture, which in recent years has received great attention in many developed countries. In addition, the data from literature were analyzed on the current state and problems of production of pesticides in the world and their use in agriculture, the use of biofungicides against plant diseases. The importance of synthetic pesticides, as well as, controlling the use of synthetic fungicides, and the use of alternative biofungicides in their replacement were also revealed. The article concludes on the need for public reforms and the role of systematic scientific research in creating a local biopesticides market.

The purpose of the current study was to identify the role of haploid plants in the grain crops’ breeding, to analyze the methods of obtaining haploids in vitro , and to compare the efficiency of the conventional and cell methods of winter wheat breeding. The current paper has considered the biotechnological methods of obtaining dihaploid lines, which could fasten the breeding process by 1.5–2 times and improve the quality of products. There has been established that the agricultural crops’ breeding based on intraspecific hybridization and selection is still a long and labor consuming process (10–12 years). There has been given characteristics of such methods used in vitro as androgenesis in the isolated anthers and microspores, gynogenesis, distant hybridization followed by selective elimination of chromosomes. There has been established that biotechnological methods would allow breeders to work with the necessary traits, and the highly productive and adaptable lines obtained in a year should be included in hybridization. There have been shown the main stages of the technology for obtaining haploid plants in anthers of grain crops, namely a growing and selection of donor plants, pretreatment with various stress factors, isolation of anthers and their cultivation in vitro , inducing embryogenesis, plant regeneration, doubling the number of chromosomes of regenerant plants. There have been considered some factors controlling the induction of callusogenesis, embryoidogenesis and plant regeneration in vitro of cereals. Thus, there has been established an efficiency of cell breeding of winter wheat in comparison with conventional methods of breeding.

Phthalates or phthalate acid esters (PAEs) belong to a class of chemicals renowned for frequent use in an array of plastic products. Phthalates are basically endocrine disruptors and act as mutagens. These are typical emerging pollutants and are largely debated because of their toxicological implications on living organisms. Phthalates stress is one of the prevailing stress to living organisms nowadays, which is not only limited to animals but also on plants. They interfere with the physiological and morphological characteristics of plants and bring about various metabolic alterations. Therefore, it is essential to explore the exact mechanisms adopted by plants to overcome phthalates induced stress. This review article is a dedicated attempt to unravel the probable mechanisms behind phthalate uptake, accumulation, sequestration, and degradation in plant cells and critically reviewed the plethora of toxicological effects caused by phthalates to plants including agricultural crops. The article will help understand the tolerance strategies adopted by various plants to cope up with stress, which will further help in the identification of plant species for phytoremediation.

Copper is a micronutrient for living organisms, but at high concentrations it may cause several deleterious effects. The objective of this study was to evaluate the behavior of agricultural crops to different concentrations of Cu in the soil. The species Triticum aestivum (wheat), Zea mays (maize), Oryza sativa (rice), Phaseolus vulgaris (dry bean), Glycine max (soybean), and Raphanus sativus (radish) were cultivated in the soils Typic Hapludox (TyHpx) and Rhodic Acrudox (RhAcx). The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse and the soils were set in pots in a completely randomized design, with four replicates per treatment adding the following Cu concentrations (as Cu-nitrate): 0, 75, 150, 300, 600, 800, 1000, 1200 mg kg-1 dry soil. Measurements of biological variables, such as shoot dry weight (SDW), plant height, stem diameter, and number of leaves were carried out, in addition to determining Cu content in the SDW. At the TyHpx, a decreasing order of tolerance to Cu phytotoxicity was: dry bean, maize, soybean, wheat, radish, and rice. However, at the RhAcx, the decreasing order was: maize, soybean, radish, wheat, dry bean, and rice. The species that revealed the highest sensitivity to high Cu concentrations in soil was rice and that with the lowest sensitivity was maize.

Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) can parasitize and reduce yields of nearly all agricultural crops. Although migration studies focus on the model species, M. incognita, there is little information about M. enterolobii, which has been a major threat for guava in Brazil. The vertical migration of second-stage juveniles (J2) of M. enterolobii and M. incognita was evaluated to determine the effect of good host and nonhost plants on nematode motility. Fourteen-cm long soil columns were constructed of PCV rings with Styrofoam cups containing a 4-week-old tomato or marigold (Tagetes patula) seedlings as plant stimuli; host-free cups were used as nontreated control. After inoculating 1000 freshly-hatched J2, the columns were placed in environmental chamber sets at 20 °C. The columns were disassembled at 3, 6, and 9 days after inoculation (DAI). The experiment was completely randomized block with four replicates. J2 were extracted from each ring and cup, while tomato and marigold roots were stained to observe J2 that penetrated roots. Data were subjected to repeated-measure MANOVA and chi-square test to compare J2 distribution along the columns. The migrations under tomato and marigold stimuli were comparable to those under host-free columns. Although both species migrated over 13 cm, M. enterolobii was more mobile than M. incognita. Juveniles of M. enterolobii infected tomato roots as early as 3 DAI, whereas marigold delayed nematode penetration. Our results show that two species of root-knot nematodes behave differently within the soil, and under the same conditions J2 of M. enterolobii migrate faster than M. incognita.

This study investigates the climate impact on rice yield. It takes temperature and rain as indicator for climate variation on stages of growth of rice as independent variables and yield of rice as dependent variable. This study uses neutrosophic estimation and compares this with classical estimation. Estimated results show that climate variability is negatively impacting the rice yield and the crop is more vulnerable to variation in temperature than rain. Impact of climate variations on geographical regions is different which also highlights the priority territories which are more vulnerable to climate change. Neutrosophic estimation seems comparatively reliable and gives more information than classical estimation.

Seed quality has been an important factor in achieving high germination and uniform growth rates in agricultural crops. Meanwhile, pepper plants are moderately sensitive to salt stress at electrical conductivity (EC) in the nutrient solution in the range of 1.2–3.0 dS m−1. We are unaware of any studies regarding the effects of mother plant saline stress on the agronomical quality of pepper seeds. We assessed the effects of three levels of electrical conductivity of the nutrient solution used for mother plant fertigation (2.2, 3.5, and 4.5 dS m−1) on the agronomical quality of pepper seeds (Capsicum annuum L. var. California Wonder). We have analyzed the following seed quality traits: (1) size and weight of seeds and number of seeds per fruit, (2) seed germination and vigor, and (3) chemical composition and histological features of mature seeds. The electrical conductivity treatment of 3.5 dS m−1 caused a statistically significant reduction in the seed size and vigor, as well as partial histological damage to seed endosperm. Moreover, the electrical conductivity treatment of 4.5 dS m−1 caused further reduction in the seed agronomical quality and generalized histological damage to seed endosperm. The electrical conductivity of the nutrient solution used for the fertigation of mother pepper plants should be below 3.5 dS m−1. Future studies should be performed to better gauge the effect of nutrient solutions with electrical conductivity in the range of 2.2–3.5 dS m−1 on the seed quality traits.

Beer is not only a favourite drink for many archaeologists, but is increasingly the subject of their research. Brewing and beer consumption have played a significant role in prehistoric human cultures around the world. Beer was a tasty, nutritious food, a substance affecting the mind, medicine, a religious symbol, as well as a social medium and an accelerator. Alcohol relieved the pain and prevented the spread of infection. Beer was a safe and healthy drink compared to contaminated water. At the time when our ancestors began to domesticate agricultural crops, they commonly produced not only bread but also beer. It is probable that the first ceramic vessels in the Near East were created precisely out of the need to more effectively control the technological process of beer production. Similarly, in the Central European Copper Age, beer production and its growing social significance influenced the emergence of the set Ceramic complex that lasted continuously for more than three millennia. Beer has entered almost all aspects of social life, from everyday consumption and social interactions to initiation ceremonies and major religious celebrations. The study of beer and other fermented beverages sheds light on many aspects of the biocultural development of humans on this planet.

Pesticides are major chemical substances found in agricultural crops able to induce adverse health effects at very low concentrations. Pistachio is one of the important horticulture products which ...

Plant parasitic nematodes constitute an important group of pathogens and cause 7–15% yield loss to agricultural crops. The nematodes, besides causing direct damage to plants, also possess capability to synergise other pathogens leading to development of disease complex. The nematode invasion may enhance severity of fungal or bacterial diseases or may break host resistance against a disease. Fusarium-nematode disease complexes involving root-knot nematodes, Meloidogyne spp. are widely prevalent and highly damaging to vegetable and pulse crops in India as well as in other countries. The present chapter critically analyzes the information on Fusarium-nematode wilt disease complex for it occurrence and economic significance. The role of nematodes as a biopredisposing agent in promoting infection of plants by Fusarium spp. and the mechanism of development of wilt disease complexes are discussed in detail.

A correlation of the sensitivity to infection with phytopathogens and dynamics of its development with a difference in the plant epigenome, which is estimated by DNA methylation profiles, was studied on two varieties of winter wheat (Podolyanka and Favoritka) of the 2013–2017 harvests. It was demonstrated that fast-germinated seedlings of the Podolyanka variety wheat show a high disease resistance (unlike slowly germinating seedlings). No such effect is observed on the plants of the Favoritka variety wheat. The estimation of changes in epigenetic distance of the studied varieties by years indicates steadily high rate for the Podolyanka variety and a low one for the Favoritka variety. The issues about the association of epigenetic differences of plants with their individual sensitivity to phytopathogens, as well as the association of epigenetic polymorphism typical for the variety with the diversity of nonspecific stability strategies and biodiversity of monosowings of agricultural crops, are discussed.

In order to further increase the productivity of crop production under modern environments, there is a need to change the overall strategy of agronomic and phytosanitary technologies, such as strengthening their environmental orientation with a constant increase in the adaptive capabilities of plants. The purpose of the research was to study the features of the action of the new multifunctional plant growth regulator Stivin created on the basis of components of plant origin, and to evaluate its eff ectiveness when used on major crops such as: winter wheat, spring barley, corn, soy, sugar beet, potatoes and sunfl ower. A multifunctional drug based on a complex of plant-derived elicitors (extracts of active substances from the fruit elements of grapes and sugar beet) has been created. The main active physiologically active substances of the drug have been established: 16 proteinogenic amino acids, resveratrol, abscisic acid, macro- and microelements in dosages typical for signaling substances. On the base of assessment of biochemical predictors of immunity and the establishment of its prolonged eff ect on the immune status of plants, the elicitor principle of the new growth regulator has been established. When processing vegetative plants with Stivin in the spring during the tillering phase, high values of the approximation coeffi cient (from 0,67 to 0,92) of the dependencies of the studied indicators on the norm of use of the drug have been established for 11 signs out of 15 (73 %). New knowledge has been obtained that the main factor determining the direction and eff ects of the drug Stivin on plants is the rate of its use. On the example of the created drug, the methodological basis for evaluating the eff ect of growth regulators on plants has been developed.

Vegetable grafting is a century-old technique used in Asia in order to enhance plant production, including reduction in disease susceptibility and increase in plant vigor. Nevertheless, in Africa (Ethiopia), vegetable grafting is rarely existent. Vegetables are among the major agricultural crops in Ethiopia, and pepper is one of the most important vegetable crops cultivated in the country. However, both biotic and abiotic factors limit pepper productivity, keeping it very low. Hence, this study investigates grafting methods and the impact of grafting on growth and quality of two Ethiopian pepper varieties (Mareko Fana and Melka Zala) grafted on two commercial Korean rootstocks varieties. Both Ethiopian varieties showed 100% grafting union success with the Korean varieties when wedge grafting method was used, while the splice grafting method resulted in lesser success. Furthermore, grafting the Mareko Fana variety on PR3 resulted in statistically significant higher yield compared to the control, while the yield of the Melka Zala was reduced when grafted on PR3. On the other hand, fruit diameter and fruit length of the Ethiopian pepper was not significantly affected by the rootstocks. Finally, grafting was found to increase the TSS content of the Mareko Fana variety. This study documented the standardization of grafting methods and grafting effects on growth and quality traits of pepper under greenhouse conditions. The results of this study will be indispensable for the beginning of the grafting technology in Ethiopia.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a secondary metabolite mainly produced by the fungi Fusarium in agricultural crops, widely existing in feeds and cereal-based foodstuffs. Because of the high occurrence and potentials to induce a variety of toxic effects on animals and humans, DON has been a very harmful exogenous dietary toxicant threating public health. The focus of this review is to summarise the DON-induced broad spectrum of adverse health effects, to probe the current state of knowledge of combined toxicity of DON with other mycotoxins and its derivatives, and to put forward prospective ideas that multi-generational toxicity of DON and its overall impacts on intestinal-immuno-neuroendocrine system could receive more attention in future investigations. The general aim is to provide a scientific basis for the necessity to re-consider risk-assessment and regulations.

In the work are presented the results of research on the influence of biostimulation treatment of three agricultural species, namely wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), corn (Zea mays L.) and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Biostimulation of agricultural species consists of a pretreatment with ozonated water with concentration 1.3 mg /L and deposition on the surface of the seeds of a layer with thickness 0.3 � 0.5 mm composite material consisting of a clay solution with carbon clusters. The study showed that the seeds subjected to treatment have a higher germination energy for all samples compared to the control ones. Also, treatment with composite materials induced an obvious stimulation of growth, which led to increased growth rates of plants, in particular, by 41.17% for wheat, by 18.46% for corn and by 29.5% for beans, compared to control samples, measured 10 days after planting. The application of ozone treatment on seeds increased the growth rate by 16.19% for beans, by 26.08 % for wheat and only by 2.97% for corn.

Salinity is one of the most severe environmental factors limiting the productivity of agricultural crops. This study was conducted to determine the effect of salt stress on seed germination in chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.) and pea ( Pisum sativum L.). For this purpose, 4 different pea (Utrillo, Serge, Jof and Bolero) and 4 different chickpea (Kanada, Inci, Azkan and Cagatay) cultivars were used. Four different salt concentrations (50, 100, 150 and 200 mM NaCl) were applied to determine and the effects on seed germination (germination percentage, germination speed, mean daily germination, peak value and germination value) were investigated. In the study, there was a significant decrease in germination parameters in both species with increasing salt level. Seed germination of pea cultivars did not occur on 150 (except Jof) and 200 mM salt stress, while chickpea cultivars didn't germinate on 200 mM (except Cagatay) salt stress. In general, it can be said the critical limit for germination in both species to be 100 mM. Jof cultivar have the highest (46%) germination percentage in 100 mM. In chickpea, the maximum germination percentage at 100 mM (63%) and 150 mM (20%) NaCl was determined in Cagatay. Our findings support that there are differences in tolerance to salt stress between different species or varieties of the same species.

Worldwide, agricultural crops are vulnerable to insects. During the crop season, insects target plants especially leaves for food and thus harm the agricultural crops. This reduces agricultural production and therefore effects the economy of farmers. To overcome this problem, nowadays farmers spray insecticides on crops to reduce the density of insects. In this paper, a nonlinear mathematical model is formulated to assess the impacts of insecticides on insects and crop production. In the modeling process, it is presumed that the agricultural crops grow logistically and the growth rate of the insect population wholly depends on the agricultural crops. As the excess use of insecticides on crops is harmful to agricultural farms and human health, therefore we have made an assumption that the spray rate of insecticides to kill insects is proportional to the density of insects. The feasibility of all the possible equilibria is shown and their stability properties are discussed. Keeping in mind the nonlinearity of the formulated model and different time scales of the participating variables, we have constructed a non-standard finite difference scheme by discretizing the system. It is shown that the proposed numerical scheme is convergent with second-order accuracy. Numerical simulation by using our computational scheme has been also presented to support the analytical findings. Using the approach of global sensitivity analysis, we have identified the key parameters for the formulation of effective control strategies necessary to combat the insect population and increase the crop production. Our findings suggest that to gain the desired crop production, the rate of spraying and the quality of insecticides are much important.

Endophytes not only provide the basic nutrients for plants but also help them to adapt various environmental stresses. The present study is planned to isolate novel endophytic plant growth promoting bacteria from xerophytic grasses. A total number of 8 endophytic bacteria were isolated from xerophytic grasses and reinfection test was done to check its putative endophytic nature. Out of which, 6 turned out to be putative endophytes, which were further screened for plant growth promoting traits. Among all, isolate E2 produced higher amount of IAA (6.8 µg/ml) followed by E13 with 5.3 µg/ml. Thus results suggest that the endophytic isolates, E2 and E13 were found to be the potential tool plant growth promotion in agricultural crops.

Two novel Pseudomonas species associated with healthy plants and other habitats are described from the United States. They are Pseudomonas zeiradicis strain PI116 from corn in Missouri, compost from Massachusetts, urban soil from Iowa and water of Lake Erie; and Pseudomonas soyae strain JL117 from soybean in Indiana and Wisconsin, and soil in Wyoming. No plant pathogenic strains are known for any of the novel species based on genome comparisons to assemblies in GenBank.

Xylella fastidiosa is a vector-borne plant vascular pathogen that has caused devastating disease outbreaks in diverse agricultural crops worldwide. A major global quarantine pathogen, X. fastidiosa can infect hundreds of plant species and can be transmitted by many different xylem sap-feeding insects. Several decades of research have revealed a complex lifestyle dependent on adaptation to the xylem and insect environments and interactions with host plant tissues.

This review considers potential approaches to solve an important problem concerning the impact of applied pesticides of various classes on living organisms, mainly agricultural crops used as food. We used the method of multi-residual determination of several pesticides in agricultural food products with its practical application for estimating pesticides in real products and in model experiments. The distribution of the pesticide between the components of the soil-plant system was studied with a pesticide of the sulfonylureas class, i.e., rimsulfuron. Autoradiography showed that rimsulfuron inhibits the development of plants considered as weeds. Cereals are less susceptible to the effects of pesticides such as acetamiprid, flumetsulam and florasulam, while the development of legume shoots was inhibited with subsequent plant death.

The use of microbial derived compounds is a technological approach currently gaining popularity among researchers, with hopes of complementing, supplementing and addressing key issues associated with use of microbial cells for enhancing plant growth. The new technology is a promising approach to mitigating effects of salinity stress in agricultural crops, given that these compounds could be less prone to effects of salt stress, are required in small quantities and are easier to store and handle than microbial cells. Microorganism derived compounds such as thuricin17, lipochitooligosaccharides, phytohormones and volatile organic compounds have been reported to mitigate the effects of salt stress in agricultural crops such as soybean and wheat. This mini-review compiles current knowledge regarding the use of microbe derived compounds in mitigating salinity stress in crops, the mechanisms they employ as well as future prospects.

The economy of many countries worldwide depends on the agricultural sector. In agriculture, plant cultivation is often affected by diseases. The plant diseases can cause partial or complete damage to the leaves and fruit. This leads to significant economic loss in the agricultural industry. At the same time, plant diseases, if not detected in an early stage, have negative consequences on the quantity, quality and production of agricultural crops. Thus, the biggest challenge in agriculture is the accurate and early diagnosis and the prevention of plant diseases. In this study, we modified the structure of a popular classification network, the MobileNet V2 to improve the overall accuracy of it, by applying the transfer learning technique and fine-tuning. Experimental findings have shown that the Modified MobileNet V2 architecture achieves a high level of overall accuracy compared to other similar CNN lightweight architectures used in plant leaf disease detection in the recent literature.

The quality of seeds is the most important factor in increasing the yield of agricultural crops, including soybeans. However, on average, up to 20–25% of soybean seeds sown in the Amur oblast are substandard. At the same time, one of the main reasons for the decline in the quality of seed material is significant crushing and damage of soybeans during harvesting and processing. Up to ten different brands of combines, which allow a high degree of crushing of bunker grain, are used in harvesting soybeans in the Amur oblast. The crushing of grain by combines of different brands varies in the range from 6.9 to 15.1%. Combines of Russian and foreign production are mainly single-beater drum by design and collect the threshed soybean grain in one bunker, while they do not separate seeds according to the biological diversity inherent in soybeans. As a result, soybean yield losses reach 2.7–3.3 c/ha. In order to reduce grain losses from the crushing and obtaining of high-quality seeds, a new device based on a two-stage threshing combine with double-flow cleaning and with two bunkers was developed. The study of the operating modes of the threshing and separating device for threshing, separation, and damage of soybean seeds along the length of the combine thresher was carried out. The goal of this study was the selection and preservation of the part of the biologically valuable and high-quality soybean seeds from the crushing during combine harvesting of soybean with reduced grain moisture (less than 12%). The conducted research with the use of the complete factorial experiment method and processing the results allowed creating mathematical models of separation and seed damage. Based on this model, a nomogram for determination of separation and the content of damaged soybean seeds was constructed. Damaged seeds were obtained in the zone of the first beater drum, depending on the technological adjustments of the threshing apparatus, grain feed, and grain moisture.

Pesticide effects on natural enemies in an agroecosystem are of paramount importance for integrated pest management programs. Natural enemies can be subject to direct and indirect exposure to insecticides and synergistic molecules (e.g., sodium chloride - NaCl) which are used to control various pests of agricultural crops such as soybean. Here, we evaluated the potential effects of imidacloprid and its interaction with NaCl as an enhancer on the survival and reproductive abilities of the non-target predator Podisus nigrispinus (Dallas) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). The insects were exposed to the stink bugs control field recommended dose of imidacloprid associated or not with the salt at the concentration of 0.5% (w/v). NaCl as a pesticide enhancer did not affect the survival of P. nigrispinus adults after 48 h of exposure (less than 12% of mortality was always recorded). However, the fifth instar nymph mortality was almost 50%. The effects of imidacloprid on the reproductive parameters of P. nigrispinus included a decrease in the oviposition, showing fewer eggs per day. However, the fertility was not affected. The NaCl addition, therefore, had no effect on the mortality, survival, and reproduction of the non-target predator. The use of NaCl associated to imidacloprid and other pesticides in the presence of P. nigrispinus demonstrated compatibility, however, it requires further evaluation to endorse the set of these pest control strategies. Resumen Los efectos de los pesticidas sobre los enemigos naturales en un agroecosistema son de suma importancia para los programas de manejo integrado de plagas. Los enemigos naturales pueden estar sujetos a la exposición directa e indirecta de insecticidas y moléculas sinérgicas (por ejemplo, cloruro de sodio - NaCl) que se utilizan para controlar diversas plagas de cultivos agrícolas como la soja. Aquí, evaluamos los posibles efectos del imidacloprid y su interacción con NaCl como un potenciador de la supervivencia y las capacidades reproductivas del depredador no objetivo Podisus nigrispinus (Dallas) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae Los insectos fueron expuestos a una tasa de campo de imidacloprid, recomendado para controlar los chinches en campos de soya. La solución de imidacloprid fue mezclada (o no) con NaCl (0.5%, w/v). El NaCl como potenciador de pesticidas no afectó la supervivencia de los adultos de P. nigrispinus después de 48 h de exposición (siempre se registró menos del 12% de mortalidad). Sin embargo, la mortalidad de la ninfa del quinto estadio fue casi del 50%. Los efectos de imidacloprid sobre los parámetros reproductivos de P. nigrispinus incluyeron una disminución en la oviposición, mostrando menos huevos por día. Sin embargo, la fertilidad no se vio afectada. La adición de NaCl, por lo tanto, no tuvo efecto sobre la mortalidad, supervivencia y reproducción del depredador no objetivo. El uso de NaCl asociado a imidacloprid y otros pesticidas en presencia de P. nigrispinus demostró compatibilidad, sin embargo, requiere una evaluación adicional para respaldar el conjunto de estas estrategias de control de plagas.

Background The technological advances in agriculture, driven by the increased demand for food attributed to population growth, have led to the search for technologies that allow greater control over the variables that interfere in crop yield. Several techniques stand out for optimizing yield capacity, including cultivation in a protected environment, mulching and low tunneling. To expand the use of these techniques, synthetic petroleum-based polymers are employed due to their low cost, easy processing, and lightness. However, they take a long time to degrade, and, since they are discarded at the end of each cycle of cultivation, end up accumulating in the environment causing irreversible damage. Results The use of biodegradable films, made of starch and/or a protein source such as gelatin, has been studied as a promising alternative. Both stand out because of their film-forming ability, and because they come from abundant sources and are biodegradable. Conclusion This study aimed to review the current findings on starch and gelatin films that can be used as alternatives to conventional plastics in agricultural crops. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

This study brings together data from a series of local pollinator surveys undertaken in major conventionally-managed agricultural crops in Brazil to determine the presence and abundance of bees visiting flowers within crops compared with adjacent off-crop habitats. Surveys were undertaken within crops and in adjacent off-crop areas using broadly the same methodology in flowering soybean, drybean, maize, citrus, coffee, rice, and cotton and in sugarcane immediately after harvest. The bee species present were assessed twice per day at three times during crop flowering (post-harvest for sugar-cane). Pan traps were used to collect species present within the crop and off-crop twice per day. Drybeans, citrus, and coffee flowers displayed a consistent medium to high abundance of honey bees based on effort-adjusted transect and spot counts. In contrast, fields with flowering soybeans and cotton showed in-crop lower abundance and rice, corn, and harvested sugar cane showed consistently low numbers or no honey bees. In almost all cases honey bees were the most prevalent and abundant flower visitors within the studied crops. Where non-Apis bees were observed they often belong to the Meliponini (primarily Trigona) or the genera Bombus or Xylocopa. The off-crop assessments of species presence using pan traps showed a far wider diversity of species with greater proportional representation of solitary bee species. Overall, whilst honey bees accounted for the majority of observed bees visiting flowers in the agricultural fields, the off-crop habitat contained a greater abundance and diversity of non-Apis bee populations.

Agroforestry has been developed for community welfare. Agroforestry is a combination of forestry crops and agricultural crops. Agroforestry management can not be separated from the active role of the community so that it is closely related to the role of men and women (gender) in managing agroforestry. Sampling was carried out in September 2018 using the simple random sampling method. The method of data collection is interview using a questionnaire. Data was tabulated and analyzed descriptively qualitatively using Harvard gender model analysis. Agroforestry management activities carried out by farmers in Sungai Langka Village include pre-harvest, planting, maintenance, harvesting and transport activities and post-harvest activities (post-harvest activities and marketing). The results showed men who opposed pre-harvest activities with a percentage of 93.95%. This is because these activities are heavy work and require a large amount of energy so that they are suitable for work by men. Women dominate pre-harvest activities such as post-harvest and marketing activities with a percentage of 93.02%. This concerns this work is a light work and can be done while taking care of the household.

An overview of the latest sources of the scientific literature and publications on the study of the impact of plant growth regulators on various crops has been presented. The possibility of increasing the seed productivity of sunflower lines in the case of various growth regulators has been considered. Different methods of application, methods of processing and concentration of growth regulators during their use have been analyzed. New methods of increasing the yield of plants of other crops have been studied. The importance of conducting scientific research on this topic has been substantiated. Key words: sunflower, seed production, hybrid, parental lines, growth regulators, yield capacity.

The paper presents the results of the laboratory investigations of the inhibition effect of the liquid biofungicide Glio-cladin-SC, prepared on the base of live cells of the antagonistic fungus Trichoderma-based Miller, Gidden аnd Foster strain 3Х, against the pathogen fungi, causative agents of the agricultural crops diseases. The influence of the biopreparation was determined by the method of difusion in agar. The metabolites contained in the biopreparation suppress the pathogens development and create sterile zones of growth inhibition. The preparation can have wide application spectrum for the agricultural crops protection against a wide range of dangerous plant disease agents – fungi from the genus Fusarium and the species Botrytis cinerea, Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Monilia cinerea, М.fructigena etc.

Due to the environmental and health problems of the use of chemicals in food preservation since the preparation of this study to contribute to improving the environmental and health status of the community through an economic study to establish food irradiation unit in the El-oubowr market for food wholesale trade as an alternative to chemical use. The study showed that potatoes, onions, garlic, orange, strawberries, mangoes and pomegranates The most important crops traded in the El-oubowr market, which need to be preserved by ionic treatment, where the study included the technical study to identify the appropriate doses for each crop through specialized studies in this area, To determine the future demand for the irradiation service during the lifetime of the project. The model of the appropriate irradiation units was then determined, by electronic accelerators. The financial analysis was carried out, including the determination of revenues and costs, as well as evaluating the commercial profitability and pricing system. The marketing capabilities of these agricultural crops to prolong the conservation period and preserve the value and quality of food and to avoid the health and environmental problems resulting from the use of chemicals. The study recommended the establishment of irradiation unit for these crops El-oubowr to prove its technical, marketing, financial and community feasibility.

The CRISPR–Cas9 is emerging genome editing tool and very easy and straightforward in operation that has been tested and explored for introduction of new traits in plant systems. Recently, a number of reports have documented utilization of this technology for providing tolerance against viral diseases mediated by begomoviruses. Begomoviruses infect dicot and are transmitted by white flies and cause devastating losses to yield of important agricultural crops including tomato, cassava and cotton. An overview of genomic structure of begomoviruses has been presented to understand the potential strategy for designing of effective sgRNAs to combat the viral replication for generating resistance against infection. This review provides the introduction, recent developments, and applications of the CRISPR–Cas9 system in plants and proposes a holistic methodology for generating cotton plant an example having resistance against begomoviruses. The genome editing using CRISPR–Cas9 system against complex of begomoviruses collectively termed as cotton leaf curl virus, which a major contributor to reduction of the cotton yield especially in Northern India and Pakistan is also discussed thoroughly. In conclusion, this potential strategy could be a sustainable approach for development of tolerant crops against diseases mediated by DNA viruses.

Crop acreage estimation and forecasting the yield of agricultural crops before harvest is of prime importance to a nation with a well-organized food and agricultural economy. Discrimination vigor a...

Contamination of agricultural crops by mycotoxins has increased because of the expansion of mycotoxin-producing fungi along with global warming. In this study, the fungal microflora of brown rice grains cultivated in Kyushu region in the southern part of Japan was investigated. A total of 75% of rice samples examined in this study showed less than 30% of fungal contamination rates with a median rate of 12.5%. Some isolates of Aspergillus flavus showed the ability to produce aflatoxins (AFs) (AFB1 production was 62.5-70.4 ng/mL) . Furthermore, AF-producing Aspergillus flavus survived during storage and Aspergillus creber, which produced sterigmatocystin, was detected in a stored rice sample. Although AFs or sterigmatocystin-contamination was not detected in any rice samples, these mycotoxin-producing fungi are distributed and can survive during storage under the natural conditions in Japan. Employing suitable storage conditions is important for preventing mycotoxin contamination of brown rice grains.

Purpose. Improving the efficiency of pesticide use by justifying rational modes operation of the working bodies treater for layer-by-layer treatment of seeds with protective and stimulating preparations. Methods. The researchers used the method of planning experiments and the experimental-calculation method. Results. Conducting laboratory and field researches of a prototype developed experimental sample for layer-by-layer treatment by crop seeds with protective and stimulating preparations, and indicators of the quality by seed treatment are determined depending on the operating modes at the working body. Conclusions. Regression equations are obtained to determine the quality layer-by-layer processing of seeds depending on the seed supply, the working fluid supply and the angular velocity by working body, on the basis of which the range of changes in the rational operating parameters by working bodies is established, which ensures the best quality of seed processing: the angular velocity of the working body is 80–120 rad/s, seed supply – 0.8–1.2 kg/s, supply of working fluid – 6–10 ml/s. Keywords: seeds, layer-by-layer processing, protective-stimulating preparations, working body, modes of operation.