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Abstract Background Domestic and parental occupational pesticide exposures are suspected of involvement in the occurrence of childhood acute leukaemia (AL), but the role of exposure to agricultural activities is little known. In a previous ecological study conducted in France, we observed an increase in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) incidence rate with increasing viticulture density in the municipalities of residence at diagnosis. Objectives This study aimed to test the hypothesis that residential proximity to croplands at birth increases the risk of childhood AL, with a particular focus on vineyards. Methods We identified all the primary AL cases diagnosed before the age of 15 years in the cohorts of children born in the French municipalities between 1990 and 2015. We estimated crop densities in each municipality of residence at birth using agricultural census data, for ten crop types. Variations in standardized incidence ratios (SIR) were evaluated with Poisson regression models, for all AL, ALL and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), separately. Results Among the 19,809,700 children born and residing in mainland France at birth in 1990–2015, 8,747 AL cases (7,236 ALL and 1,335 AML) were diagnosed over the period. We did not evidence any statistically significant positive association between total crop density or any specific crop density in the municipality of residence at birth and all AL, ALL or AML. Interestingly, we observed a higher ALL incidence rate in the municipalities with the highest viticulture densities (SIR = 1.25 95%CI [1.01–1.54]). Adjusting for the main potential confounders did not change the results. Conclusion Our study does not support the hypothesis that residential proximity to croplands, particularly vineyards, around birth plays a role in childhood leukaemia. The slightly higher ALL incidence rate in children born in the municipalities with the highest viticulture densities may reflect the previously-observed association at diagnosis.

Studies on the environmental assessment of the Pb content in agroecosystems were carried out in the forest–steppe zone of Belgorod oblast, which is located in the southwestern part of the Central Black Earth region. The soil cover was represented mainly by leached chernozems. As a result of these studies, it was established that in the 0- to 20-cm layer of arable soils, the average total content of Pb is 13.1, while the concentration of mobile forms is 1.09 mg/kg, which does not exceed the background values and is significantly below the APC and MAC levels. There were no significant differences in the content of Pb in the 0- to 20- and 21- to 40-cm soil layers. The excess of background concentrations of this element was established in the soils of roadside ecosystems. The main source of Pb ingress into the agroecosystems of Belgorod oblast is organic fertilizers, but this does not pose a hazard to pollution of soils and crop production. The average Pb contents in corn, barley, and winter wheat grains did not differ significantly and were 0.27, 0.28, and 0.29 mg/kg, respectively. The minimum amount of this element in the crops studied was contained in soybean grains (0.16 mg/kg), while the maximum amount was in sunflower seeds (0.34 mg/kg). The minimum amount of Pb in the perennial legume grasses was contained in clover hay (0.19 mg/kg), while the maximum amount was in esparcet hay (0.34 mg/kg). The MAC levels of Pb for food grains and the maximum residue levels of Pb in crop production were not exceeded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the research was to estimate rapeseed production, based on satellite images (Sentinel 2 system), and to evaluate the reliability of the prediction, based on the models found, according to the considered indicators. A set of 9 satellite images was taken, during the rapeseed vegetation period, and the NDVI, NDMI and NBR indices were calculated based on the spectral data. Through the regression analysis resulted different models, as equations, which facilitated the rapeseed production estimation. From the analysis of the values of adequate statistical certainty parameters (p, R2, RMSEP, F-test) and the values of the prediction errors, it emerged that the model obtained based on the NDVI and NDMI indices facilitated the estimation of production with a high precision level, and statistical safety conditions, compared to other obtained models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of University of Anbar for Pure Science is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The present investigation endeavored to understand trends in climatic, hydrological, and agricultural variables in the five semi-arid river basins of Maharashtra (India). For this, parametric and non-parametric statistical techniques were applied. The monsoon rainfall over the study area reveals no considerable increase during the past (1981–2013) and future (2020–2050). Although the construction of a large number of impoundment structures during the last two decades resulted in a significant rise in post-monsoon groundwater table (by 40 cm/decade), it caused a decline in surface runoff. The study area witnessed a significant increase in area under irrigated crops at the cost of rainfed crops, which resulted in a significant increase in groundwater withdrawal (GWW) by 70 cm/decade. The cropped area and productivity of irrigated crops heavily depend on rainfall and groundwater resources. Moreover, the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) has a positive connection with the productivity of irrigated crops. On the other hand, a considerable increase in annual minimum temperature (AMNT), annual maximum temperature (AMXT), and annual mean temperature (AMT) (by 1.02, 0.50, and 0.82 °C, respectively) along with a rise of > 100 mm in potential evapotranspiration (PET) is registered during 1985–2015. The study indicates that the irrigated crops are more vulnerable to heat stress, as PHS (plant heat stress with > 34 °C) days show a considerable increase (2–5 days/decade). Furthermore, the climate projection suggest a significant rise of 1.05 °C in AMT by 2050, which is very likely to intensify the hydro-meteorological droughts and adversely affect the agricultural productivity of rainfed and irrigated crops as well. Briefly, the human-induced changes in cropping patterns (without a considerable increase in rainfall/water resource) from one side and the climatic changes (including extreme events) on the other side may exacerbate the regional water scarcity and food security challenges in the semi-arid region of Maharashtra (India) in the near-term future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the global expansion of forest plantations in Chile, their effect on biology properties of soil has still been only scarcely studied. Land use change in the Chilean Coastal Cordillera (36° to 40° S) is mainly attributed to the conversion of native forest to agriculture and forest plantations (Eucalyptus globulus and Pinus radiata de Don). The aim of this paper was to evaluate the changes in microbial composition (PCR-DGGE) and enzyme activity after the substitution of a native forest (e.g., Nothofagus spp.) by fast-growing exotic species and cropping. The most important factors that influence the abundance and diversity of bacteria and the fungi community were the soil organic matter (SOM) content, phosphorous (P-Olsen), calcium (Ca), boron (B), and water-holding capacity. These variables can better predict the microbial community composition and its enzymatic activity in the surface Ah horizon. Land use change also affected chemical soil properties of biogeochemical cycles. However, to deeply understand the connection between chemical and physical soil factors and microbial community composition, more research is needed. On the other hand, the expansion of forest plantations in Chile should be subject to legislation aimed to protect the biological legacy as a strategy for forest productivity as well as the soil microbial biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strawberry (Fragaria X ananassa) is one of the most popular fruits cultivated around the world. That is owing to its unique flavor and nutritious properties in addition to the wide usage utility in fresh or processed condition. Strawberry fruits also have a significant economic importance around the world with strong potential as an export commodity. As a matter of fact, investigation and assessment of various strawberry fruit characteristics at different developmental stages is crucial for candidate cultivars selection in fruit plantation as well as fruit yield prediction. Strawberry fruits developmental stage is conventionally applied visually based on expert knowledge, which is a time and labor exhaustive process. Thus, this paper presents a dataset, namely Strawberry-DS (Strawberry-Developmental Stages) dataset, consisting of strawberry fruits (Festival CV type) expert-annotated images at various developmental stages. Data collection was performed on site during the period between January and March from a greenhouse located in the Central Laboratory for Agricultural Climate (CLAC) at the Agricultural Research Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation in Giza, Egypt. The dataset comprises 247 high-resolution RGB (.jpg) images annotated manually, using Roboflow Annotate annotation tool with reference to ground truth Region of Interest (RoI), and presented in YOLO (.txt files) format. The presented Strawberry-DS dataset can be generally used for developing various automated models of strawberry fruits detection, fruits maturity stage classification, as well as visual counting, through taking into account the visual features such as shape, color, size, and texture of strawberry fruits. Strawberry-DS is freely available at: https://data.mendeley.com/datasets/z6dtfdpzz8/1.

Power plant activities emit sulfur dioxide (SO2) into the environment and impose external costs on human health and crops. In this study, the Combined Cycle Power Environmental Cost Analysis Model (CECAM) was developed to assess the impact of air pollutants emitted from a power plant on human health and agricultural crops. For this purpose, the Gaussian plume method was used to estimate the air pollution dispersion and also the Impact Pathway Approach (IPA) was applied to calculate the external costs due to the power plant. To estimate these costs, we considered both benefit and damage costs related to air pollution due to the power plant since air pollutants affect negatively human health and can also have negative and positive impacts on agricultural crops. For a case study, we examined the impact of sulfur dioxide (SO2) emitted from Shahid Rajaee combined cycle power plant on human health and agricultural crops in 2018. Furthermore, benefit and damage costs related to the effect of SO2 on human health and agricultural crops were estimated based on different wind speeds, Pasquill–Gifford (P-G) stability classification, and different emissions scenarios. The results indicated that the health damage cost due to SO2 emissions from the power plant was estimated as 48,784,537.4 Dollars per year. SO2 showed a positive effect on crops as -51,163 Dollars per year. The highest and lowest external costs on human health based on different wind speeds were calculated as 96,317,447 and 2,441,647 Dollars per year, respectively. The highest and lowest damage costs on human health based on P-G stability classes were estimated as 99,475,396 and 4,034,279 Dollars per year for class F (moderately stable class) and class A (extremely unstable class), respectively. The highest and lowest damage costs on agricultural crops based on wind speeds of 1 m/s and 20 m/s were estimated as -1,732,782 and -10,727 Dollars per year (positive impact), respectively. Additionally, the external costs on agricultural crops were calculated as -364,836 and -14,790 Dollars per year for class F (moderately stable class) and class A (extremely unstable class) based on P-G stability classes, respectively. Finally, the accuracy of the CECAM was evaluated and the results showed that the accuracy is reasonable. The difference percentage of health damage costs and agricultural benefits was 0.96 and 0.97 respectively. Furthermore, difference between the health damage costs and agricultural benefits calculated by the CECAM and Airpacts models indicated an uncertainty of 8,278,797 and -26,063 dollars, respectively. This study showed that the CECAM could be run by less input information (10 inputs for CECAM vs. 13 for Airpacts), while it led to almost similar accuracy as compared to the other model. Moreover, the CECAM required less run-time and covered more types of crops (12 crops for CECAM vs. 6 crops for Airpacts) and more diseases for health impacts (18 diseases for CECAM vs. 13 diseases for Airpacts). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant viruses cause significant losses in agricultural crops worldwide, affecting the yield and quality of agricultural products. The emergence of novel viruses or variants through genetic evolution and spillover from reservoir host species, changes in agricultural practices. mixed infections with disease synergism. and impacts from global warming pose continuous challenges for the management of epidemics resulting froni emerging plant virus diseases. This review describes some of the most devastating virus diseases plus select virus diseases with regional importance in agriculturally mportant crops that have caused significant yield losses. The lack of curative measures for plant virus infections prompts the use of risk-reducing measures for managing plant virus diseases. These measures include exclusion. avoidance. and eradication techniques. along with vector management practices. The use of sensitive, high throughput, and user-friendly diagnostic methods is crucial for defining preventive and management strategies against plant viruses. The advent of next-generation sequencing technologies has great potential for detecting unknown viruses in quarantine samples. The deployment of genetic resistance in crop plants is an effective and desirable method of managing virus diseases. Several dominant and recessive resistance genes have been used to inanage virus diseases in crops, Recently, RNA-based technologies such as dsRNA- and siRNA-based RNA interference. microRNA. and CRISPR/Cas9 provide transgenic and nontransgenic approaches for developing virus-resistant crop plants. Importantly. the topical application of dsRNA. hairpin RNA. and artificial microRNA and trans-active siRNA molecules on plants has the potential to develop GMO-free virus disease management methods. However. the long-term efficacy and acceptance of these new technologies. especially transgenic methods. remain to be established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The practice of wastewater irrigation lessens the pressure on the aquatic environment by minimizing the use of freshwater resources. However, this may lead to significant damage to the human health and environments. Recycled wastewater possesses a substantial amount of nutrients that act as fertilizers for crops and facilitate the metabolic action of microorganisms. The major advantages of wastewater irrigation are increased agricultural production, nutrient recycling, reduced stress on freshwater, economical support and provision of livelihoods for farmers. However, several harmful impacts of wastewater irrigation are also prominent due to inappropriate wastewater management and irrigation practices. These include severe hazards to farmer's health, contamination of agricultural land and crops with toxic metals, chemical compounds, salts and microbial pathogens. In addition, long-term irrigation using wastewater can significantly affect the groundwater through leakage of salty and toxic metal-rich wastewater making it unfit for human consumption. Wastewater irrigation may also alter the physicochemical properties and microbiota of soil, which in turn can disturb land fertility and crop productivity. Several factors need to be considered while using treated or partially treated wastewater for irrigation such as diversity and type of pollutants, available nutrients, pathogenic microorganisms and soil salinity. In this review paper, we assess the impact of wastewater irrigation on humans as well as on the environment based on available case studies globally, outline current use of wastewater for irrigation of agricultural crops such as cereals, vegetables, fodder crops, including agroforestry and discuss suitable management practices of wastewater reuse for irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of pesticides used in the agricultural sector for pest control has caused the deterioration of Colombian arable soils and environmental problems due to their excessive use. As a consequence, interest has arisen in the use of biological agents as an alternative method for disease control. Through qualitative research, literature review and implementation of a survey of 65 farmers in the municipality of Monterrey Casanare as an information collection technique, the objective of this article is answered, which consisted of determining the biological control techniques that exert a antagonistic against the control of phytopathogenic fungi, in agricultural crops in the municipality of Monterrey Casanare. Likewise, it is intended to design a protocol where each of the phases that must be implemented for the use of antagonistic microorganisms in the biological control of phytopathogenic organisms for the study area are observed. The results obtained reflect a high use of chemical methods by farmers that affect their well-being and the environment, likewise, with regard to the selection of strains through environmental, economic and technical criteria, it was obtained that Trichoderma harzianum Rifai is the strain that best fits the selection criteria and the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research aims to study the optimal allocation of irrigation water that is used to irrigate various agricultural crops at the level of Iraq. In order to achieve the goal of the research, two economic models were formulated according to the linear programming technique. The first model aimed to minimize the water needs of the prevailing crop combination during the average period (2017-2020), while the second model aimed to maximize the total profit margin of the water unit for the crop combination that minimizes the water needs during the same period. The first model was estimated with two proposed plans. The first proposed plan included non-imposing legislative restrictions related to the allocation of certain areas for basic agricultural crops that bias the food security requirements of the population, as well as crops that were recently banned from import by the Iraqi government, while the proposed second plan included the imposition and addition of restrictions of legislative areas that did not appear in the table of the optimal solution for the first plan. Results indicated that there is a surplus of water resource for the proposed economic plans according to the two estimated models, its quantity amounted to about 363.361, 9.178 million m3 for each plan, respectively, compared to the total amount of irrigation water needed for the current cropping combination, which was estimated at about 4.736726 billion m3 during the average mentioned period. Results of the analysis of the two estimated models also showed a preference for the results of plans with legislative restrictions as a result of the expansion in the cultivation of most basic and important crops and vegetables for local consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Informe Gepec is the property of Informe Gepec and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The main goal of the research is to develop a system of agro-ecological land zoning to improve the adaptive landscape system of land management and land use, based on the analysis of long-term data in agricultural production for farms of various forms of ownership in the city of Maikop and the Maikop region, and the project of basic elements of the ALSLM of the Republic of Adygea. To achieve this goal, materials have been collected on the structure of sown areas of farms, gross harvests of crop products, the livestock industry, the use of chemicals, land management and nature management. The article analyzes the geomorphological features, agro-climatic, hydrological resources and parameters, soil-forming and underlying rocks, soil cover and vegetation of the landscapes of the foothill zone of the Republic of Adygea. A comparative assessment of the quality of lands in farms has been carried out, soil bonitet scores calculated for fertility and favorable factors in the system of environmental monitoring. Technological properties of agricultural lands have been assessed. Five nature management territorial complexes (NMTCs) have been identified and maps of the main landscapes have been compiled. The degree of their correspondence to agricultural activities has been revealed on the basis of the analysis of the agro-ecological potential of landscapes. The factors limiting their placement in specific areas of the foothill zone of the Republic and the reasons that reduce their productivity and product quality have been established. In general, according to the principle of economic feasibility, the considered territories of the city of Maikop and the Maikop district of the Republic of Adygea, which are included in the zone of intensive agriculture, are quite suitable for growing both grain crops and for the development of vegetable growing, horticulture (traditional and intensive), viticulture.

The extensive use of pesticides in agricultural practices along with metal contaminations has led to a global health concern. In this study, levels of 22 pesticides and 6 metals in 138 packaged and unpackaged spice samples (turmeric, black pepper, red pepper, cinnamon, ginger, and garlic powder spice) were determined and the risk of oral exposure to this mixture was assessed for Iranian consumers. Pesticides and metals mean levels differed between packaged and unpackaged samples. In both packaged and unpackaged samples, fenitrothion was the most frequently found pesticide. The greatest total mean concentration of metals was observed in unpackaged red and black peppers and in packaged turmeric ones. Mean percentages of recoveries for pesticides were 92.5–99.5 % (associated relative standard deviation (RSD) ≤7.1 % and limits of detection and quantification (LOD and LOQ, respectively) respectively 0.0001–0.0032 and 0.0003–0.01 mg/kg). Mean percentages of recoveries for metals ranged were 91.5–98.5 % (associated RSD ≤7.4 % and LODs and LOQs respectively 0.001–0.003 and 0.003–0.021 mg/kg). Total hazard index (HI) for pesticides in both packaged and unpackaged spices at the 50th, 80th, and 95th centiles was 0.0017, 0.0026, and 0.0032, respectively, reflecting di minimis risk. For the non-carcinogenic metals, the HI values in unpackaged spices at these centiles were 0.0058, 0.0074, and 0.0118, respectively, while for packaged spices were 0.0018, 0.0023. and 0.0038, respectively. For carcinogenic metals, incremental lifetime cancer risks (ILCRs) were <10−6 at these centiles, representing no health risk under both scenarios. In conclusion, no risk of carcinogenicity or non- carcinogenicity was found. • 22 pesticides and 6 metals were determined in 138 Iranian spice samples. • Mean concentrations of pesticides and metals statistically differed among types of spices in packaged and unpackaged samples. • Hazard index (HI) were <1.0 for all pesticides in both packaged and unpackaged samples. • For metals, indicated di minimis for exposure to these chemicals via consumption of spices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is an important economic sector for Ecuador, sustained by food crops like maize, potatoes, and vegetables cultivated in the highlands while cash crops such as coffee, bananas, cacao, and palm oil are grown on the coastal plains. But, Ecuador is also a country under the influence of several natural hazards due to its geographical location, atmospheric dynamics, and geological characteristics. One of the main risks to food security is the presence of a large number of active volcanoes scattered all over the country with the most representative enemy, the falling volcanic ash. The bibliography in general highlights the potential toxicity of volcanic ash from a human health perspective, but it also negatively influences plant development at the seed’s germination, as well as low crop pollination, damaged fruits, reduced leaf respiration depending on the type of crop, the developmental stage, the ash layer, and the climate. The mineral composition of the volcanic ash can also be beneficial for the soil by increasing fertility but at the same time with contrasting effects on plants due to the influence on soil characteristics such as pH, soil aeration, and biodiversity, which can detrimentally affect some crops.

Environmental (abiotic) stresses significantly threaten the worldwide crop production and food security. Rapid, drastic changes in the global climate have exacerbated such stresses for crops. Plant-associated bacteria have been shown to enhance stress resistance and cope with the negative impacts of various abiotic stresses through the induction of various mechanisms. In soil, the rhizosphere and endosphere of plants, the Bacillus genus is a predominant bacterial genus. Members of this genus, which are tremendously diverse both metabolically and genetically, survive for a long time under unfavorable environmental conditions due to their ability to form long-lived, stress-tolerant spores. Bacillus spp. secrete several metabolites that trigger plant growth and enhance plants’ tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Some of the Bacillus species are available commercially as phytostimulants, biopesticides, and biofertilizers. Due to this functional versatility, the Bacillus genus is one of the most widely used in the agro-biotech industry. However, the potential of the Bacillus genus has not yet been sufficiently realized, and transferring technology related to the genus from the lab environment to real world applications in the field needs to be emphasized. A better understanding of mechanisms of action of beneficial Bacillus spp. is needed for the development of products to support green biotechnology in agriculture and industries. This report comprehensively reviews the applications of Bacillus spp. in abiotic (e.g., salinity, drought, inorganic and organic pollutant toxicity, nutritional imbalance, low–high temperatures, and waterlogging) -stressed agriculture and discusses their potentials for the development of new products of biotechnological implications, highlighting gaps that remain to be explored to improve and expand on Bacillus-based biostimulants.

Nigeria, as one of the countries in the African continent has its challenges regarding to agricultural crops cultivation and its preservation methods. Traditional methods of preserving crops are commonly adopted by the local populace over solar dryer appliances. The reason for these includes being cheaper method, does not require much technical know-how, is easily learnable, the area for drying the agricultural crop produce being unlimited etc as when compared to solar dryers that needs materials to be fabricated, required little or medium knowledge of technical know-how, financial requirement for its fabrication which could range from few dollars to thousands of dollars. Solar dryer working principles, components, various classifications, and its mode of air movement and mode of heat transfer were discussed on this article. The article also reviewed some of the experimental researches on solar drying in Nigeria carried out by various scholars. The review of the published works on solar drying of various crops under different drying techniques were carefully studied. The results showed that, significant works on solar drying in Nigeria have been carried out even though its potential is greatly under-utilized due to various factors militating against it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Eastern-European Journal of Enterprise Technologies is the property of PC TECHNOLOGY CENTER and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study evaluates energy indicators, productivity, economic justification and environmental emissions of sugar beet and sugarcane cultivation in Khuzestan province, Iran. The results showed that the total energy consumption in sugar beet and sugarcane production was 58,487.80 MJ ha−1 and 61,220.62 MJ ha−1, respectively. The highest energy costs are spent on chemical fertilizers (35.47% for sugarcane), electricity (23.62% for sugar beet) and water (22.45% for sugar beet), respectively. Of the total energy consumption, 77.39% and 83.69% were non-renewable energy for sugar beet and sugarcane, respectively. Of this amount, 59.42% was consumed directly for sugar beet and 58.94% for sugarcane. Benefit-to-cost ratio was calculated in sugarcane (2.77) and in sugar beet (1.05) fields, and production productivity was calculated in sugarcane (25.22 kg $−1) and in sugar beet (9.15 kg $−1) fields. Life cycle assessment (LCA) approach was used based on the ISO 14040 standard. CML-IA baseline method was applied for impact assessment. The results of environmental impacts show that sugarcane has more On-Farm emissions than sugar beet. Carbon dioxide (CO2) released by human labor in the cultivation of sugarcane in the air causes the release of 3.7 times more than sugar beet fields. The total emissions from diesel fuel to the air for sugar beet and sugarcane cultivation are 745.79 kg ha−1 and 849.99 kg ha−1, respectively. According to the results, sugarcane cultivation is more economical than sugar beet cultivation in all respects, but it has a higher water consumption, which can be controlled by proper irrigation management practices. It is suggested that reduction of energy, environmental consequences and improve the economic performance of sugarcane and sugar beet life cycle can be reduced by optimization of chemicals uses such as chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the farm, using renewable energy such as photovoltaic cells or wind turbines instead of fossil fuels for water pumping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Domestic and parental occupational pesticide exposures are suspected of involvement in the occurrence of childhood acute leukaemia (AL), but the role of exposure to agricultural activities is little known. In a previous ecological study conducted in France, we observed an increase in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) incidence rate with increasing viticulture density in the municipalities of residence at diagnosis.Objectives: This study aimed to test the hypothesis that residential proximity to croplands at birth increases the risk of childhood AL, with a particular focus on vineyards.Methods: We identified all the primary AL cases diagnosed before the age of 15 years in the cohorts of children born in the French municipalities between 1990 and 2015. We estimated crop densities in each municipality of residence at birth using agricultural census data, for ten crop types. Variations in standardized incidence ratios (SIR) were evaluated with Poisson regression models, for all AL, ALL and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), separately.Results: Among the 19,809,700 children born and residing in mainland France at birth in 1990-2015, 8,747 AL cases (7,236 ALL and 1,335 AML) were diagnosed over the period. We did not evidence any statistically significant positive association between total crop density or any specific crop density in the municipality of residence at birth and all AL, ALL or AML. Interestingly, we observed a higher ALL incidence rate in the municipalities with the highest viticulture densities (SIR = 1.25 95%CI [1.01-1.54]). Adjusting for the main potential confounders did not change the results.Conclusion: Our study does not support the hypothesis that residential proximity to croplands, particularly vineyards, around birth plays a role in childhood leukaemia. The slightly higher ALL incidence rate in children born in the municipalities with the highest viticulture densities may reflect the previously-observed association at diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many countries, the adverse impact of agriculture on water sources has been discussed with more attention recently by the water footprint estimation. Brazil is the second largest animal protein' exporter, and this demand has a tendency to increase significantly until 2050, and in this context the water management will be crucial. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the water footprint and productivity in the broiler and swine slaughtered in Brazil from 2008 to 2018. The results showed that the herds of broiler and swine were concentrated in three main regions: Midwest, Southeast and South, representing 97.1% of the broilers and 99.7% of the swine slaughtered in Brazil. During the studied decade, the slaughter of broiler and swine increased 9.1 and 25.8%, respectively. The broiler and swine water footprint decreased by 15.4 and 3.5%, respectively. The average volume of water needed for the production of broiler and swine meat was 2533 L kg−1 and 3754 L kg−1, respectively. The average water productivity per kg of broiler meat was 0.397 kg m−3, while for swine it was 0.269 kg m−3. The average water productivity for soybean was 0.497 kg m−3, and for corn it was 1.18 kg m−3. The decrease in the water footprint is a result of the improvement of management practices, highlighting that it is necessary to improve the knowledge about the use of the water footprint methodology as a tool for water management to help public policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Conflicts arising from the consumption of anthropogenic foods by wildlife are increasing worldwide. Conventional tools for evaluating the spatial distribution pattern of large terrestrial mammals that consume anthropogenic foods have various limitations, despite their importance in management to mitigate conflicts. In this study, we examined the spatial distribution pattern of crop‐foraging sika deer by performing nitrogen stable isotope analyses of bone collagen. We evaluated whether crop‐foraging deer lived closer to agricultural crop fields during the winter and spring, when crop production decreases. We found that female deer in proximity to agricultural crop fields during the winter and spring were more likely to be crop‐foraging individuals. Furthermore, the likelihood of crop consumption by females decreased by half as the distance to agricultural crop fields increased to 5–10 km. We did not detect a significant trend in the spatial distribution of crop‐foraging male deer. The findings of spatial distribution patterns of crop‐foraging female deer will be useful for the establishment of management areas, such as zonation, for efficient removal of them.

The soil type in this region is leached chernozem, medium thick, medium loamy, with the organic carbon content in the soil 3.48%, pH 5.3. Entomopathogenic fungi are often recorded in the soil, including the rhizosphere of plants, where they can markedly affect various soil invertebrates [[6]], primarily soil microarthropods (mites and springtails), which, in turn, are one of the key functional elements of natural and anthropogenic landscapes [[7]]. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Revista Chapingo Serie Ciencias Forestales is the property of Universidad Autonoma Chapingo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Several studies have reported increased copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) levels in agricultural soils worldwide, mainly due to organic waste and successive leaf fungicide applications in crops. However, the critical transfer thresholds in soils, which can indicate the real risk of environmental contamination and toxicity to plants, remain poorly understood. This study aimed to define the maximum Cu and Zn adsorption capacity (MAC) and threshold (T-Cu and T-Zn) in different soils in Southern Brazil, which present different clay and organic matter (OM) levels. Bw (Oxisol) and A horizon (Inceptisol) samples were used to obtain soils with clay and OM contents ranging from 4 to 70% and from 0.5 to 9.5%, respectively. Cu and Zn adsorption curves were plotted for MAC determination purposes. Based on Cu and Zn MAC values, different concentrations of these elements were applied to the soils for subsequent quantification of available Cu and Zn levels (Mehlich-1 and water). T-Cu in soils with different clay contents ranged from 81 to 595 mg Cu kg−1, whereas T-Zn, from 195 to 378 mg Zn kg−1. T-Cu in soils with different OM levels ranged from 97 to 667 mg Cu kg−1, whereas T-Zn, from 226 to 495 mg Zn kg−1. T-Cu can be calculated through the equation: T-Cu = 75 × (%CL0.34) × (%OM0.39), whereas T-Zn: T-Zn = 2.7 × (CL) + 126 (by taking into consideration the clay content) and T-Zn = − 9.3 × (%OM)2 + 92.4 × (%OM) + 66 (by taking into consideration OM content). T-Cu and T-Zn can be used by researchers, inspection bodies, technical assistance institutions, and farmers as safe indicators to monitor the potential for environmental contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Tikrit University for Humanities is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Automated processing of aerospace information makes it possible to effectively solve scientific and applied problems in cartography, ecology, oceanology, exploration and development of minerals, agriculture and forestry, and many other areas. At the same time, the main way to extract information is to decipher images, which are the main carrier of information about the area. Aerospace images are a combination of natural texture regions and man-made objects. This article discusses methods for analyzing texture images. The main tasks of the analysis of texture areas include the selection and formation of features that describe texture differences, the selection and segmentation of texture areas, the classification of texture areas, and the identification of an object by texture. Depending on the features of the texture areas of the images used, segmentation methods based on area analysis can be divided into statistical, structural, fractal, spectral, and combined methods. The article discusses textural features for the analysis of texture images, and defines informative textural features to identify negative factors for crop growth. To solve the tasks, textural features are used. Much attention is paid to the development of software tools that allow to highlight the features that describe the differences in textures for the segmentation of texture areas. This approach is universal and has great potential on the studied aerospace image to identify objects and boundaries of regions with different properties using clustering based on images of the same surface area taken in different vegetation periods. That is, the question of the applicability of sets of texture features and other parameters for the analysis of experimental data is being investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the paper is a case study of a private farm in the town of Gelu, Timiș county. The research was carried out in the period 2020-2021, and the objectives in mind were: identifying the type of soil on the 77 hectares studied, the situation of the crops and the productions obtained. The main crops were sunflower, wheat and corn and the soil was a typical weakly glazed chernozem. The situation differs from year to year. In 2020, 16 hectares were sown with sunflowers, 35 hectares with wheat and 26 hectares with maize and in 2021, 12 hectares with sunflowers, 36 hectares with wheat and 28 hectares with maize. The productions obtained were 2300 kg/ha for sunflower, 5500 kg/ha for wheat and 8000 kg/ha for corn in 2020 and in 2021, these productions were 2600 kg/ha for sunflower, 6000 kg/ha for wheat and 8500 kg/ha for maize. In wheat, the Alex variety and the Apaș variety were cultivated. In all three crops, the highest productions were obtained in 2021, this was due to more favorable climatic conditions in terms of the level of precipitation and its distribution throughout the vegetation period. The agricultural years 2020 and 2021 were the years in which very good results were obtained in terms of average productions for both autumn and spring crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The prices of raw materials necessary for production play an important role in the production decisions of farmers, and thus in shaping the level of supply of agricultural raw materials. The constant increase in the prices of raw materials for production increases its costs. Therefore, it should be noted that the rising prices of fuel and fertilizers affect the decisions and profitability of plant production. In connection with the above, this study attempts to indicate the impact of changes in fertilizer and fuel prices on the profitability of production of selected agricultural crops in Poland. The paper uses secondary data on the price level of fertilizers, fuels and selected agricultural products, as well as the structure of their production costs. Based on the sensitivity analysis, the potential impact of the increase in fuel and fertilizer prices on the profitability of the production of selected species was indicated. The results showed that the increase in the prices of the above-mentioned raw materials can significantly affect the economic efficiency of the production activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]