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Phytoliths, the microscopic silica structures formed within plant tissues, are an emerging component of many sustainable plant protection attempts. They offer defense in multiple directions, physically strengthening plant tissues and biochemically engaging with the surroundings, and can diminish reliance on chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Physically, phytoliths enhance plant tissue rigidity and toughness, rendering them indigestible and less nutritious to herbivores and pathogens, thereby reducing feeding damage and disease incidence. Biochemically, phytoliths influence plant–microbe and plant–herbivore interactions by decreasing leaf palatability to herbivores, altering rhizosphere microbial communities including silica-specializing, plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria, and diminishing pathogen proliferation. These effects enhance plant health by reducing pathogen spread and improving overall resilience. Furthermore, phytoliths accomplish crucial biogenic environmental roles such as facilitating biogeochemical silica and participating in essential nutrient cycles that uphold soil pH, fertility, and agricultural sustainability. Their enduring presence in soil enhances its structure, augments water retention, and improves nutrient availability, thereby fostering optimal conditions for plant growth. Additionally, phytoliths play a pivotal role in carbon sequestration and can immobilize heavy metals, mitigating soil contamination and advocating safer agricultural practices. This dual function in bolstering direct plant defense and indirectly enhancing soil health through carbon sequestration underscores the significant potential of phytoliths in sustainable agriculture. In our comprehensive exploration, we delve deeply into the imperative of integrating phytoliths into sustainable agricultural practices to cultivate innovative, eco-friendly, and resilient farming systems. Harnessing the complete potential of phytoliths can lead to advanced strategies for sustainable plant protection, aligning with global initiatives aimed at promoting environmental sustainability and agricultural resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi (e.g., Rhizophagus species) recruit specific bacterial species in their hyphosphere. However, the chemical interplay and the mutual benefit of this intricate partnership have not been investigated yet, especially as it involves bacteria known as strong producers of antifungal compounds such as Bacillus velezensis. Here, we show that the soil-dwelling B. velezensis migrates along the hyphal network of the AM fungus R. irregularis , forming biofilms and inducing cytoplasmic flow in the AM fungus that contributes to host plant root colonization by the bacterium. During hyphosphere colonization, R. irregularis modulates the biosynthesis of specialized metabolites in B. velezensis to ensure stable coexistence and as a mechanism to ward off mycoparasitic fungi and bacteria. These mutual benefits are extended into a tripartite context via the provision of enhanced protection to the host plant through the induction of systemic resistance. [Display omitted] • B. velezensis colonizes the entire mycelial network more efficiently than roots • Bacillus uses fungal hyphae as highways for soil invasion and to colonize new plant • The lipopeptide surfactin plays key roles in the chemical ecology of the interaction • The microbial partnership enhances the systemic resistance of tomato against Botrytis Anckaert et al. investigate the dynamics of Rhizophagus hyphae colonization by B. velezensis. Reduced production of bacterial toxic metabolites triggered by the fungus leads to an unsuspected stable coexistence. This interaction brings benefits to both microbes and provides positive effects to the host plant, which is more resistant to disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When assessing the non-dietary risks for operators, workers, bystanders and residents to active substances in plant protection products (PPPs) that contain stereoisomers, the EFSA guidance on stereoisomers recommends the application of uncertainty factors when the initial ratio of stereoisomers undergoes a significant stereoisomeric excess change of more than 10%. This precautionary approach may be over-conservative in cases where the change in isomers is due to differences in their degradation rates rather than conversion of one isomer to a potentially more toxic isomer. Therefore, the impact of isomeric composition in non-dietary risk assessments of PPPs was evaluated, with particular emphasis on dislodgeable foliar residues (DFR) data and potential enantioselective degradation processes. Hypothetical outcomes are discussed as well as an evaluation of data for 5 compounds from a total of 35 DFR studies conducted under GLP, aimed at deriving DFR values for higher tier assessments. The findings indicate that possible isomerization of the active substance on leaves can be detected in DFR studies, which is essential for assessing risks to workers and residents. The results of this evaluation highlight the potential for over-conservatism of the current EFSA method for calculating uncertainty factors in non-dietary risk assessments. The EFSA method's reliance on worst-case assumptions, coupled with the lack of a formal statistical basis, can lead to overestimation of exposure, as illustrated in our theoretical considerations and supported by empirical data from DFR studies. To address this, we propose an alternative approach to evaluating risk considering both degradation and interconversion rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxicokinetic–toxicodynamic (TKTD) modeling has received increasing attention in terms of the regulatory environmental risk assessment of chemicals. This type of mechanistic model can integrate all available data from individual‐level bioassays into a single framework and enable refined risk assessments by extrapolating from laboratory results to time‐variable exposure scenarios, based, for instance, on surface water exposure modeling (e.g., FOCUS). Dynamic energy budget (DEB) models coupled with TKTD modules (DEB–TKTD) constitute the leading approach to assess and predict sublethal effects of chemicals on individual organisms. However, thorough case studies are rare. We provide a state‐of‐the‐art example with the standard aquatic test species Ceriodaphnia dubia and the fungicide azoxystrobin, including all steps, from bespoke laboratory toxicity tests to model calibration and validation, through to environmental risk assessment. Following the framework proposed in the European Food Safety Authority Scientific Opinion from 2018, we designed bespoke good laboratory practice–compliant laboratory toxicity studies based on test guideline 211 of the Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development and then identified robust parameter values from those data for all relevant model parameters through model calibration. The DEB–TKTD model, DEBtox2019, then informed the design of the validation experiment. Once validated, the model was used to perform predictions for a time‐variable exposure scenario generated by FOCUS. A moving time‐window approach was used to perform the environmental risk assessment. This assessment method reduces uncertainty in the risk assessment while maintaining consistency with the traditional measures of risk. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:2409–2421. © 2024 Syngenta Crop Protection AG. ibacon GmbH and The Author(s). Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rhizosphere is considered a highly complex and dynamic ecosystem. Rhizosphere soil microorganisms influence the growth and development of plants by mediating the transformation and absorption of nutrients. In order to explore the microbial community composition and diversity of Alsophila spinulosa growing in different habitats. Rhizosphere samples were collected from four different habitats within the Chishui Alsophila National Nature Reserve in Guizhou Province, China. According to the high-throughput sequencing results of 16s rDNA and ITS, Proteobacteria and Ascomycota were the most abundant bacterial and fungal phyla in the rhizosphere soil of all four habitats. The alpha diversity analysis indicated that two particular habitats, Buddha Rock and Botanical Garden, harbored the highest microbial richness and diversity. LEfSe analysis revealed that Buddha Rock contained the highest relative abundance of Bacteroidetes compared to the other three study areas. Meanwhile, Tiantang Gou contained the highest relative abundance of Basidiomycota. Bacterial community composition and diversity were greatly influenced by soil pH, while fungal community composition and diversity were greatly influenced by available phosphorus, organic carbon, sucrase, and urease. The results of this study provide a scientific basis for the habitat restoration of A. spinulosa, and the improvement of the structure of the A. spinulosa rhizosphere soil microbial community. Laying a theoretical foundation for the next screening of inter-root functional flora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Plants are inherently connected with the microbiome, which plays a crucial role in regulating various host plant biological processes, including immunity, nutrient acquisition, and resistance against abiotic and biotic stresses. Many factors affect the interaction between plants and microbiome. Methods and results: In this study, microbiome samples were collected from five niches (bulk soil, rhizoplane, root endosphere, phylloplane, and leaf endosphere) across four developmental stages (seedling, flowering, podding, and maturity) of various soybean varieties. Composition and structure of bacterial and fungal communities were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene and ITS (Internally Transcribed Spacer) region amplicon sequencing. It was observed that both niches and developmental stages significantly impact on the assembly and composition of soybean microbiome. However, variety, presence of a transgene, and glyphosate application had minimal effects on microbial communities. The dominant microbiome varied across the five niches, with most containing beneficial microbial communities capable of promoting plant growth or increasing disease resistance. Types and abundance of the dominant microbes affected network stability, potentially resulting in functional changes in different ecological niches. Conclusion: This study provides theoretical evidence for microbial protection of plants against diseases and demonstrates that systematic analysis of the composition and diversity of soybean microbiomes can contribute to the development of biological control technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of pesticide risks to bees in North America currently relies in part on Tier 1 honey bee laboratory toxicity studies to support the registration and registration review processes for crop protection chemicals. For immature stages, the studies follow two standardized test designs recommended by the Organization for Economic Cooperation (OECD), evaluating acute (seven‐day single‐dose, TG OECD 237) and chronic (22‐day repeated‐dose, GD OECD 239) toxicity in bee larvae. In this article, we aim to evaluate the current approach for generating and interpreting honey bee larval toxicity data, enhancing pesticide risk assessment for pollinators. First, by considering that the repeated‐dose larval study covers all stages of honey bee brood development up to adult emergence, we compared endpoints (larval LD/ED50 and LC/EC50 values) from seven‐day acute exposure studies with the 22‐day chronic exposure studies. Our goal was to identify the study design offering greater sensitivity in assessing pesticide toxicity to immature bees. Our second objective involved analyzing available weight data from emerged adults and comparing it to survival endpoints (e.g., NOEL and LD50) to determine if the weight after adult emergence would accurately represent a sensitive indicator of pesticide effects on developing honey bees. Our analysis determined that the use of a single 22‐day chronic exposure study adequately covers all immature stages and that the toxicity values based on cumulative dose are more accurate and representative measures of exposure for immature bees than using endpoints based on estimated daily doses. Furthermore, our analysis suggests that measuring the weight of emerged adults was a more sensitive indicator than mortality of treatment‐related effects in 22% of the compounds included in our analysis. Here we also discuss the importance of standardized protocols for proper collection of weight after emergence and the need for further discussion on the relevance of this parameter at risk assessment scheme. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:2283–2293. © 2024 Pollinator Research Task Force. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). Key Points: A meta‐data assessment was conducted to evaluate the current approach for generating and interpreting honey bee larval toxicity data.The chronic larval study tends to provide a more robust screening‐level risk determination than the acute larval study design.The weight after adult emergence from chronic exposure larval study may be an indicator of pesticide effects on growth.Standardized protocols for measuring the weight of emerged adults are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for pesticide application show promising potential in tobacco pest management. However, the impact of flight parameters on spray efficacy requires further investigation. Three field experiments were conducted from the rosette to the maturation stage of tobacco to systematically assess spray efficacy under varying flight heights, speeds, and application volumes. Using a multi‐index weight analysis method, optimal operational parameter combinations for different tobacco growth stages were evaluated and compared with backpack electric sprayers. RESULTS: For the rosette stage, the recommended parameter is a flight speed of 5 m s−1, a flight height of 2 m, and a liquid application volume of 30 L hm−2; during the vigorous growth stage, the suggested parameter includes a flight speed of 3 m s−1, a flight height of 2 m, and a liquid application volume of 22.5 L hm−2. In the maturing stage, optimal parameter consists of a flight speed of 3 m s−1, a flight height of 3.5 m, and a liquid application volume of 30 L hm−2. Furthermore, UAV spraying achieves higher droplet deposition on both sides of tobacco leaves compared to traditional electric backpack sprayers. CONCLUSIONS: Adjusting UAV spraying parameters for different tobacco growth stages is crucial. These results can provide the methods for the precise control technology of tobacco pests at different growth stages. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Path planning is one of the key elements for achieving rapid and stable flight when unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are conducting monitoring and inspection tasks at ultra-low altitudes or in orchard environments. It involves finding the optimal and safe route between a given starting point and a target point. Achieving rapid and stable flight in complex environments is paramount. In environments characterized by high-density obstacles, the stability of UAVs remains a focal point in the research of path planning algorithms. This study, utilizing a feature attention mechanism, systematically identifies distinctive points on the obstacles, leading to the development of the RFA-Star (R5DOS Feature Attention A-star) path planning algorithm. In MATLAB, random maps were generated to assess the performance of the RFA-Star algorithm. The analysis focused on evaluating the effectiveness of the RFA-Star algorithm under varying obstacle density conditions and different map sizes. Additionally, comparative analyses juxtaposed the performance of the RFA-Star algorithm against three other algorithms. Experimental results indicate that the RFA-Star algorithm demonstrates the shortest computation time, approximately 84%-94% faster than the RJA-Star algorithm and 51%-96% faster than the Improved A-Star. The flight distance is comparable to the RJA-Star algorithm, with slightly more searched nodes. Considering these factors collectively, the RFA-Star algorithm exhibits a relatively superior balance between computational efficiency and path quality. It consistently demonstrates efficient and stable performance across diverse complex environments. However, for comprehensive performance enhancement, further optimization is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile applications in crop protection especially for speedy pest diagnosis, monitoring, and management are increasingly gaining global attention and support. An understanding of the awareness and perception of the youths, particularly students in tertiary institutions (who are heavy users of smartphones), on the use of smartphone applications for crop protection, is crucial for sharpening their orientations towards embracing the digital ecosystem in agriculture. The imperativeness is evident in the ongoing government drive towards promoting students' engagement in digital agriculture as accommodated in the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (2022–2027). Consequently, this study investigated awareness and perception of mobile phone applications among crop and agricultural extension-related final-year students in selected Universities in Southwest Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was used in selecting 407 students. Data were obtained with the aid of questionnaires. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, percentages, mean and standard deviation using SPSS software. Findings show that very few (less than 8%) of the respondents were aware of the usage of specific smart/android phone applications for pest identification, disease diagnosis, and weather forecasting. Less than 4% ever used smart/android phones for pest identification, crop protection, and information sourcing on disease diagnosis and management. However, their perception of the need for pest and disease diagnosis as a foundation step to enhance crop protection (4.65 points on a scale of 5), and readiness to use android/smartphone applications for this purpose (MS = 4.45) was positive. There are enormous implications for increased awareness and knowledge sharing on the use of android/smartphone applications for crop protection and other interventions to promote digital agriculture among students in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Cysteine is the precursor for the biosynthesis of glutathione, a key stress‐protective metabolite, and methionine, which is imperative for cell growth and protein synthesis. The exact mechanism that governs the routing of cysteine toward glutathione or methionine during stresses remains unclear. Our study reveals that under oxidative stress, methionine and glutathione compete for cysteine and that the increased oxidized glutathione (GSSG) levels under stress hinder methionine biosynthesis. Moreover, we find that inhibition occurs as GSSG binds to and accelerates the degradation of cystathionine γ‐synthase, a key enzyme in the methionine synthesis pathway. Consequently, this leads to a reduction in the flux toward methionine‐derived metabolites and redirects cysteine utilization toward glutathione, thereby enhancing plant protection. Our study suggests a novel regulatory feedback loop involving glutathione, methionine, and cysteine, shedding light on the plant stress response and the adaptive rerouting of cysteine. These findings offer new insights into the intricate balance of growth and protection in plants and its impact on their nutritional value due to low methionine levels under stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Carnosic acid (CA) is recognized as an antioxidant that confers protection to plants against various forms of oxidative stress, including UV‐B stress. However, limited research has been conducted to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying its defence against UV‐B stress. In this study, we demonstrated that CA exhibits more efficacy compared to other antioxidants in UV‐B resistance. Moreover, CA was found to enhance the accumulation of secondary metabolites in Arabidopsis leaves. Through the analysis of differentially expressed genes in response to UV‐B stress with or without CA treatment, we uncovered that the exogenous application of CA effectively activates the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway in Arabidopsis to improve resistance of Arabidopsis to UV‐B stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluate botanical insecticides as a technological device for synthetic input substitution in peri-urban horticultural system transitions. For that purpose, a Participatory Action Research (PAR) framework was proposed, and garlic extracts (GE) performance was evaluated for pest and natural enemy regulation in lettuce crops in conventional and agroecological contexts. Through three PAR cycles under actual production conditions, we observed GE effectiveness on aphids, thrips, and natural enemies. Additionally, context-specific adaptations were noticed: for conventional systems; the extract is useful near harvest and serves as a trust-building tool while reducing synthetic insecticide dependence. Instead, for agroecological systems, garlic extract highlighted biodiversity’s relevance for system redesign. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cationic photosensitizers have higher photodynamic antibacterial activity compared with anionic photosensitizers, and with low toxicity and no drug resistance. However, their poor photostability and low utilization rate limit their practical applications. Herein, a new strategy for the construction of a GSH‐responsive antibacterial nanogel system is developed via the electrostatic interaction between methylene blue (MB) and sulfonated sodium alginate (HSSA) to self‐assemble into nanoparticles followed by sulfhydryl cross‐linking in an aqueous solution. The photobleaching of MB can be inhibited due to the self‐aggregation‐caused quenching (ACQ) effect, but the photodynamic activity can be restored by breaking the disulfide‐crosslinking bonds in the nanogel in response to 10 mM GSH. In vitro antibacterial tests prove that the system has antibacterial activity beyond anionic photosensitizers. Antibacterial studies on plants show that the system has targeted antibacterial activity on infected plants and good wettability, retention, and adhesion to plant leaves. Safety evaluation shows that the system has no obvious toxic effect on plants. Therefore, this study provides a new approach to the discovery of novel photodynamic bactericides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant nursery presents the characteristics of close planting. It is difficult for the traditional air-assisted sprayer to take into account the dual requirements of "long spray range and uniform droplet deposition", which leads to the problems of low deposition and drift.A goose-neck long-range air-assisted sprayer for nursery was designed based on CFD simulation and free submerged jet theory. The three-outlet flow guide device, as the core component of the sprayer, has outlets A, B, and C. Air outlet A adopts a circular arc shape, while air outlet B and air outlet C are gradually expanding circular arc tubes. The three air outlets are interconnected and correspond to different areas, which can meet the requirements of far-range spray operation. The optimized curvature radius parameters are conducive to maintaining a uniform and stable flow state of airflow. Based on the free submergence jet theory, the air outlet and fan parameters were determined, and airflow field distribution measurement experiments were conducted. when the fan speed is no less that 2 200 r/min, the airflow speed can fit the spraying requirement as far as 20 m. The average airflow speed was 2.33 m/s at a height of 0.8 m ; the airflow speed was 1.74 m/s at 20.0 m. The variation coefficient of airflow speed at different heights was less than 30%, indicating that the energy attenuation rate was slow and uniform, and the airflow could carry droplets to spray far away at a uniform speed. The droplet deposition test shows that the variation coefficient of the droplet deposition amount of the goose-neck long-range nursery air spray is 28.87%. To ensure the reliability of our findings,a comprehensive field test of the sprayer were conducted. Citrus seedlings, with an average height of 80 cm, were chosen as the test subjects, and the test was carried out in the nursery of the Citrus Research Institute of Chongqing Southwest University. Following the guidelines of GB/T17997-2008, the droplet deposition effect and drift rate at various distances were tested .The experimental results show that the fan speed of the sprayer is 2 400 r/min and the driving speed is 1 m/s; the droplet deposition tends to be less-more-less with the increase of distance. The droplet coverage rates of the upper and lower leaves of the canopy were 51.93% and 24.38%, respectively, and 42.99% and 19.26%, respectively. The average droplet deposition on the front and back leaves of the upper canopy was 13.34 and 2.82 μl/cm², respectively, and that on the lower canopy was 5.44 and 2.63 μl/cm², respectively, which met the requirements of plant protection spraying operation. It can be seen that the sprayer shows good spray range performance and droplet deposition uniformity, which can meet the agronomic requirements of the complex planting environment in the nursery and the industrial standards of the air-assisted sprayer. At present, in Chinese nurseries such as citrus, pear, and apple, etc, manual machinery accounts for a large proportion of spraying equipment, and the demand for specialized sprayers is becoming increasingly urgent. Due to the close planting mode of the nursery, it can be considered that the two modes of spray with high clearance spraying and long-range airflow- assisted spraying have application prospects. Compared with high-clearance spraying, long-range airflow-assisted spraying has the characteristics of high operating efficiency and good horticultural trafficability and is more suitable for small and medium- sized nurseries. However, improving the delivery distance of aerosol flow while ensuring good uniformity of droplet deposition is still a challenge. The results of this study can provide a new idea for developing a long-range air-assisted sprayer for nurseries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human-elephant conflict (HEC) is a global conservation issue that undermines the conservation of an endangered species. HEC and the factors influencing crop-raiding behaviour were studied in the tropical forests of south India from Nov 2006 to Mar 2008. Crop depredation, protection methods, and land use changes were studied at Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (TR). A total of 297 incidents of crop damage were recorded, with peaks in the raiding during the monsoon season. Spatial analysis of HEC showed peripheral farms are more vulnerable (1.51%) than village centers (0.18%). Temporally, cropping patterns have changed from food crops to commercial crops. The elephant-damaged area was positively correlated with the effective perimeter (pe-rimeter with crops), total cultivated area, and area of degradation around the village. Logistic regression of crop raiding incidence with independent predictors showed that the incidence of raiding was 95% greater in moist deciduous forests than in thorny forests. Palatable crops were likely to be raided more frequently (391 times). Crops with protection methods were 22 times less likely to be targets of raids. In the areas adjacent to the Mudumalai TR, crop species, improvements in protection, and land use change reduced the HEC. Relocating villages from the core reserve and existing corridors in the eastern region is essential for conserving elephants in the Nilgiris, Western Ghats landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breeders made remarkable progress in improving productivity and stability of cultivars. Breeding progress relies on selecting favorable alleles for performance and stability to produce productive varieties across diverse environments. In this study, we analyzed the Genomes to Fields Initiative 2018–2019 genotype by environment interaction (G × E) dataset, focusing on three populations of double haploid (DH) lines derived from crossing inbrexpired Plant Variety Protection (ex‐PVP) inbred line PHW65 with inbred lines PHN11, Mo44, and MoG. PHW65 is an Iodent/Lancaster‐type inbred; PHN11 is an Iodent type ex‐PVP line; Mo44 is a tropical‐derived inbred; and MoG is an agronomically poor line derived from the variety Mastadon. Hybrids were produced by crossing the resulting DHs with Stiff Stalk testers PHT69 and LH195. The study's objective was to determine the donor inbreds' relative value and understand the impact of selection history on genomic prediction. We conducted a two‐stage analysis to compare hybrid performance and G × E variance of the populations. G × E variance for yield was significantly lower in the PHW65 × PHN11 population relative to the PHW65 × MoG population. The reduced G × E variance of the PHN11 population led to increased indirect prediction accuracy (when training and testing data are drawn from the same population but different environments). In cross‐validation, the PHN11 population had the greatest indirect prediction accuracy 45% of the time, followed by the Mo44 population (30%) and the MoG population (25%). Results demonstrate that prediction accuracy was greater in the population with the longest history of selection for favorable alleles (PHN11), contributing to greater yield stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UAV-based plant protection represents an efficient, energy-saving agricultural technology with significant potential to enhance tea production. However, the complex terrain of hilly and mountainous tea fields, coupled with the limited endurance of UAVs, presents substantial challenges for efficient route planning. This study introduces a novel methodological framework for UAV-based precision plant protection across multiple tea fields, addressing the difficulties in planning the shortest routes and optimal flights for UAVs constrained by their endurance. The framework employs a hyperbolic genetic annealing algorithm (ACHAGA) to optimize UAV plant protection routes with the objectives of minimizing flight distance, reducing the number of turns, and enhancing route stability. The method involves two primary steps: cluster partitioning and sortie allocation for multiple tea fields based on UAV range capabilities, followed by refining the UAV's flight path using a combination of hyperbolic genetic and simulated annealing algorithms with an adaptive temperature control mechanism. Simulation experiments and UAV route validation tests confirm the effectiveness of ACHAGA. The algorithm consistently identified optimal solutions within an average of 40 iterations, demonstrating robust global search capabilities and stability. It achieved an average reduction of 45.75 iterations and 1811.93 meters in the optimal route, with lower variation coefficients and extreme deviations across repeated simulations. ACHAGA significantly outperforms these algorithms, GA, GA-ACO, AFSA and BSO, which are also heuristic search strategies, in the multi-tea field route scheduling problem, reducing the optimal routes by 4904.82 m, 926.07 m, 3803.96 m and 800.11 m, respectively. Field tests revealed that ACHAGA reduced actual flight routes by 791.9 meters and 359.6 meters compared to manual and brainstorming-based planning methods, respectively. Additionally, the algorithm reduced flight scheduling distance and the number of turns by 11 compared to manual planning. This study provides a theoretical and technical foundation for managing large-scale tea plantations in challenging landscapes and serves as a reference for UAV precision operation planning in complex environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep networks play a crucial role in the recognition of agricultural diseases. However, these networks often come with numerous parameters and large sizes, posing a challenge for direct deployment on resource-limited edge computing devices for plant protection robots. To tackle this challenge for recognizing cotton diseases on the edge device, we adopt knowledge distillation to compress the big networks, aiming to reduce the number of parameters and the computational complexity of the networks. In order to get excellent performance, we conduct combined comparison experiments from three aspects: teacher network, student network and distillation algorithm. The teacher networks contain three classical convolutional neural networks, while the student networks include six lightweight networks in two categories of homogeneous and heterogeneous structures. In addition, we investigate nine distillation algorithms using spot-adaptive strategy. The results demonstrate that the combination of DenseNet40 as the teacher and ShuffleNetV2 as the student show best performance when using NST algorithm, yielding a recognition accuracy of 90.59% and reducing FLOPs from 0.29 G to 0.045 G. The proposed method can facilitate the lightweighting of the model for recognizing cotton diseases while maintaining high recognition accuracy and offer a practical solution for deploying deep models on edge computing devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, the applicant ISK Biosciences Europe N.V. submitted a request to the competent national authority in Finland to modify the existing maximum residue level (MRL) for the active substance flonicamid in honey. The data submitted in support of the request were not found appropriate to derive an MRL proposal for honey. The assessment was complemented by an analysis of the monitoring data available from the EU monitoring programmes (conducted during 2009–2023). The results from the monitoring data analysis suggest that the current MRL is still sufficient to account for the residue uptake in honey resulting from plant protection products uses of flonicamid on melliferious crops. Adequate analytical methods for enforcement are available to control the residues of flonicamid in honey according to the residue definition as the sum of flonicamid, TFNA and TFNG, expressed as flonicamid at the validated limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.01 mg/kg for each compound. Based on the risk assessment results, EFSA concluded that the short‐term and long‐term intake of residues in honey at a level of 0.05 mg/kg according to the monitoring data is unlikely to present a risk to consumer health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycotoxin contamination of food and feed is a worldwide problem that needs to be addressed with highly efficient and biologically safe techniques. RNA interference (RNAi) is a natural mechanism playing an important role in different processes in eukaryotes, including the regulation of gene expression, maintenance of genome stability, protection against viruses and others. Recently, RNAi-based techniques have been widely applied for the purposes of food safety and management of plant diseases, including those caused by mycotoxin-producing fungi. In this review, we summarize the current state-of-the-art RNAi-based approaches for reducing the aggressiveness of key toxigenic fungal pathogens and mycotoxin contamination of grain and its products. The ways of improving RNAi efficiency for plant protection and future perspectives of this technique, including progress in methods of double-stranded RNA production and its delivery to the target cells, are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine macroalgae, which typically colonize coastal areas, are simple plant organisms. They live on rocks in coastal regions and are classified into red, brown, and green macroalgae. These algae are an important natural resource in agriculture due to their ability to enhance the structural, chemical, and biological properties of soil. Marine macroalgae can be used to produce various biocidal molecules that are effective in controlling plant pathogens. Much of the literature on marine macroalgae and their derivatives focuses primarily on the pharmaceutical field, while their use in agriculture is still considered secondary. However, various studies and experiments have demonstrated their potential to play a significant role in crop protection and enhancement. This review aims to highlight the various applications of macroalgae in plant production. It also emphasizes the biotechnological importance of marine macroalgae derivatives as biofertilizers, molecules for controlling insects and microorganisms, and as plant growth conditioners. Compounds from macroalgae, such as fatty acids, carotenoids, polyphenols, and carbohydrates, are being investigated for their fungicidal, antimicrobial, and antiviral effects against various plant pathogens. Beyond enhancing crop production, macroalgae can also be considered multifunctional bioinoculants suitable for use in organic farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on developing an encapsulated and dehydrated formulation of vegetative actinobacteria cells for an efficient application in sustainable agriculture, both as a fungicidal agent in crop protection and as a growth-stimulating agent in plants. Three strains of actinobacteria were used: one from a collection (Streptomyces sp.) and two natives to agricultural soil, which were identified as S3 and S6. Vegetative cells propagated in a specific liquid medium for mycelium production were encapsulated in various alginate–chitosan composites produced by extrusion. Optimal conditions for cell encapsulation were determined, and cell damage from air-drying at room temperature was evaluated. The fresh and dehydrated composites were characterized by porosity, functional groups, size and shape, and their ability to protect the immobilized vegetative cells' viability. Actinomycetes were immobilized in capsules of 2.1–2.7 mm diameter with a sphericity index ranging from 0.058 to 0.112. Encapsulation efficiency ranged from 50% to 88%, and cell viability after drying varied between 44% and 96%, depending on the composite type, strain, and airflow. Among the three immobilized and dried strains, S3 and S6 showed greater resistance to encapsulation and drying with a 4 L·min−1 airflow when immobilized in coated and core-shell composites. Encapsulation in alginate–chitosan matrices effectively protects vegetative actinobacteria cells during dehydration, maintaining their viability and functionality for agricultural applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, when desertification is one of the expected ecological disasters in the background of global climate change, investigation of the biological mechanisms of xerophytes stress resistance has become popular. One of the key biochemical mechanisms of plant protection against unfavourable environmental conditions is a large group of compounds with different chemical nature united under the name of antioxidant system. Investigation of the characteristics of the antioxidant system of xerophytes of different habitats of the driest region of Georgia (East Georgia) was the aim of the presented study. The content of low-molecular antioxidants and osmolytes as well as the activity of antioxidant enzymes was studied in leaves of experimental plants. It has been concluded that the distinctive values of the indices of antioxidant system are manifested as the main mechanism of adaptation. There can be several such mechanisms in each species at the same time, which is probably a specific feature. In some cases, these mechanisms are similar in species of one habitat and presumably are related to the living environment; In general, it is possible to single out characteristic strategy of adaptation to stress for each studied species, which includes certain enzymatic and non-enzymatic components of the antioxidant system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbal has been used as a source of medicine since ancient times. In developing countries, a key issue about assurance of the protection, quality and effectiveness of medicinal plants and herbal products has become prevalent. The wide use of herbal remedies and healthcare preparations is mentioned in the various Vedas. Herbal plants have been utilized for numerous years to preserve and enhance food flavor, address health issues, and prevent illnesses, including epidemics. For a prolonged period, plants have been a valuable source of natural products for maintaining human health, especially within the past decade, with more demanding studies for natural therapies. Delonix regia (Bojer ex Hook) Raffinis is one of the important plants. Traditionally, diverse plant components have been used to cure various illnesses, including rheumatism, diabetes, bronchitis, anemia, fever, gynecological diseases, and pneumonia. To understand the molecular mechanism of action to search for lead molecules from natural resources, isolated principles from D. regia must be tested scientifically in animal models and clinical trials. This article reviews research on the plant Delonix regia to till date in context to phytochemical and pharmacological perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shelterbelts provide essential protection against wind erosion and soil degradation, as well as protection for fruit-bearing plants and crops from strong winds. Enhancing their sheltering capabilities requires optimizing their pattern and orientation, as well as defining their height and desired canopy shape, according to the desired performance. In this work, Large Eddy Simulation is employed to investigate the flow field and windbreak effectiveness of single and double-arranged shelterbelts characterized by different geometry and resistance to the air passage for neutral atmospheric condition. In particular, the canopy of the shelterbelts is modeled as an isotropic porous medium immersed in atmospheric boundary layer flow using the Darcy–Forchheimer model. Results show that a shelterbelt with a rectangular-shaped cross-section and a large canopy height results in the most significant reduction in mean wind speed and TKE, thus providing a large wind-protection region. As the spacing distance of double-arranged shelterbelts increases, the protection zones formed by both shelterbelts are reduced. The systematic comparisons of flow patterns, drag force coefficients, and windbreak effectiveness indicators of a series of single and double-arranged shelterbelts are essential for optimizing the design and management of shelterbelts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The co‐evolutionary arms race between herbivores and plants forces plants to evolve protection strategies that reduce the palatability of the plant modules attacked by the herbivores. These characteristics of traits have consequences for both the survival of plant individuals and the composition of plant communities. Thus, correlating traits of for instance leaves with herbivory is an important step toward understanding the dynamics of plant populations and communities. Traits can either be measured using conventional lab methods or recently developed spectral sensing techniques. We examined whether leaf traits of trees are related to herbivory in a multispecies approach. Furthermore, we explored whether leaf traits characterized by spectral sensing provide similar relations to herbivory as lab‐based leaf traits. We established nine 1‐ha square plots evenly distributed over three different forest types in Ecuadorian tropical montane rainforests where we estimated herbivory as the leaf area loss (in square centimeters) of 20 (±5) leaves sampled from the canopies of 380 tree individuals belonging to 51 tree species (7 ± 1 individuals/species) using lab‐ and spectral‐sensing‐based methods. For each methodological approach, we ran 100 linear mixed‐effects models with all respective leaf traits as predictor and herbivory as response variables for data subsets containing one randomly selected tree individual of each species to estimate the range of the regression coefficients for each trait. Automated stepwise backward selections determined the frequency of each trait having an important influence on herbivory. We found no clear relations between leaf traits and herbivory for neither lab‐ nor spectral‐sensing‐based traits. A nested variance component analysis demonstrated that the observed variability was mainly due to the variation in trait concentrations between tree individuals of a species. Our results suggest that snapshot data lead to a mismatch between herbivory and the concentrations of traits during the peak of herbivory. Another explanation could be that environmental conditions or processes along the food web are more important in structuring herbivory than leaf traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the technological parameters, microbiological, and functional properties of juice from Solaris grapes grown under conventional and organic farming systems to assess how these cultivation methods influence juice quality. The one-year study focused on key aspects such as the levels of health-promoting polyphenols, the presence of mycotoxins, and pesticide residues. Organic grapes showed greater bacterial and fungal diversity, with significant differences in dominant genera. Sphingomonas and Massilia were the predominant bacteria across both systems, while Erysiphe was more common in conventional grapes, and Aureobasidium was abundant in both. Despite the presence of genes for mycotoxin production, no mycotoxins were detected in the juice or pomace. Organic juice exhibited significantly higher levels of polyphenols, leading to enhanced antioxidant properties and improved technological characteristics, including lower acidity and higher nitrogen content. However, residues of sulfur and copper, used in organic farming, were detected in the juice, while conventional juice contained synthetic pesticide residues like cyprodinil and fludioxonil. These findings highlight that while organic juice offers better quality and safety in terms of polyphenol content and antioxidant activity, it also carries risks related to residues from organic treatments, and conventional juice poses risks due to synthetic pesticide contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spelt wheat is one of the oldest wheats cultivated by humans. It is characterised by high nutritional values and is sought after by consumers. Additionally, it does not have high habitat and fertilisation requirements and is resistant to diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of different levels of nitrogen fertilisation and the intensification of fungicide protection on the grain quality characteristics of spelt cv. 'Rokosz' grown under south-eastern Polish conditions. The present research showed that the intensification of fungicide crop protection and increasing the nitrogen dose from 70 to 130 kg ha−1 had a positive effect on the quality features of spelt grains. The highest protein, gluten and starch contents were found after four fungicide treatments. These parameters increased their values under the influence of fungicides. After the application of 130 kg ha−1, spelt wheat grain had the most favourable chemical composition, containing the most protein, gluten, soluble dietary fibre, insoluble dietary fibre and fat. It also had a positive effect on the Zeleny sedimentation index and the amino acid content of the grain. Due to the favourable response of the spelt cv. 'Rokosz' to intensified fungicide protection and nitrogen fertilisation, it should be recommended for cultivation in integrated technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Populations of various economic species of wireworms are increasing in the key cereal crop production areas of Canada and the United States. To address this problem, seed treatments are under development that both provide crop protection and significantly reduce populations equivalent in effectiveness to the formerly used but now deregistered organochlorine lindane. Herein, we evaluated isocycloseram (PLINAZOLIN technology), the first isoxazoline (GABA-gated Chloride Channel Allosteric Modulator) agricultural insecticide, as a seed treatment for the protection of cereal crops from the sugarbeet wireworm, Limonius californicus (Mannerheim). In wheat and barley field trials conducted over 4 years under extreme wireworm pressure, isocycloseram applied as a seed treatment at 5.0–7.5 g AI/100 kg seed was as effective as or more effective than the current industry standard thiamethoxam at 20.0 g AI/100 kg seed in protecting crop stand and yield. Isocycloseram also reduced neonate wireworms (produced from eggs during the growing season) and resident wireworms (in the field at the time of planting) to levels expected from the formerly used seed treatment lindane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RNA interference (RNAi) shows great potential in plant defense against pathogens through RNA-mediated sequence-specific gene silencing. Among RNAi-based plant protection strategies, spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS) is considered a more promising approach because it utilizes the transfer of exogenous RNA between plants and microbes to silence target pathogen genes. The application of nanovesicles significantly enhances RNA stability and delivery efficiency, thereby improving the effectiveness of SIGS and further enhancing plant resistance to diseases and pathogens. This review explores the role of RNAi in plant protection, focusing on the cross-kingdom transport of small RNAs (sRNAs) via extracellular vesicles. It also explores the potential of nanotechnology to further optimize RNA-based plant protection, offering innovative tools and methods in modern plant biotechnology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current era, a wide range of biotic and abiotic stresses are becoming more prevalent across the globe, which can limit the growth of plants, especially the prime crops. Silicon (Si) fertilizer is known as an ecologically compatible and biologically approachable technique for enhancing rice crop resilience to various stresses. This review comprehensively explores the standpoint of silica fertilizers focusing on their multifaceted roles in improving plant health, stress tolerance, optimizing rice productivity and sustainability. Silica, in the form silicic acid is actively absorbed by rice roots through transporters such as LSi1, LSi2, and LSi3 then transported within root cells via diffusion. This movement is essential for stress mitigation, as silicon deposition in various tissues forms a protective barrier against pest and diseases. In rice cultivation silica is crucial for enhancing structural integrity, disease resistance and stress tolerance, ultimately contributing to more robust plants and improved yield. Silica enriches enzyme activity, particularly antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase anhydrase and IAA oxidase contributing to stress tolerance with improved productivity. Its deposition within plant tissues strengthens cell walls, fortifies defences against pathogens and enables better adaptation to environmental fluctuations, ensuring the resilience and productivity of these vital crops. Si effect on mitigating biotic stresses including rice stem borer, leaf folder, sheath blight and blast by triggering physical and biochemical defence mechanisms; abiotic stresses, frequent in rice crop like salinity, drought, and heavy metal toxicity by improving osmotic adjustment, safeguarding ion homeostasis, and reducing oxidative damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the ease of propagating fruit tree species through cloning, the economic viability of their breeding programs hinges on protecting breeders' rights. This necessitates the development of highly accurate DNA markers for cultivar identification. Here, we present a methodology for the rapid design of cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) markers to discriminate newly bred Japanese citrus cultivars from genetically related cultivars. We first compared the performance of ddRAD-seq and MIG-seq in citrus germplasm. The ddRAD-seq libraries generated using EcoRI and HindIII restriction enzymes yielded the highest number of polymorphisms. Subsequently, ddRAD-seq with EcoRI and HindIII was employed to analyze 29 citrus cultivars and thus identify 331,801 genome-wide polymorphisms. A semi-automated bioinformatics pipeline was then utilized to identify candidate CAPS markers, resulting in the discovery of 14,072 potential markers. Of these candidates, 52 were chosen for validation based on their recognition by the PstI restriction enzyme. This evaluation resulted in the development of 11 highly discriminative CAPS markers. Remarkably, a combination of only six such markers was sufficient to differentiate newly bred cultivars from their genetically related parents. The single restriction enzyme employed for these markers facilitates straightforward multiplexing. Finally, a combination of one multiplex marker testing two loci and four singleplex markers was successfully selected that completely discriminated the cultivars other than the bud sports used in this study. The pipeline established here extends beyond citrus and has the potential to simplify marker development and cultivar protection in various plant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: Seed-application of the natural products protects sugar beet and wheat plants against infection with plasmodiophorid-transmitted viruses and thus may represent an efficient, environmentally friendly, easy and cost effective biocontrol strategy. In times of intensive agriculture, resource shortening and climate change, alternative, more sustainable and eco-friendly plant protection strategies are required. Here, we tested the potential of the natural plant substances Glycyrrhiza glabra leaf extract (GE) and the rhamnolipid Rhapynal (Rha) applied to seeds to protect against infection of sugar beet and wheat with soil-borne plant viruses. The soil-borne Polymyxa betae- and Polymyxa graminis-transmitted viruses cause extensive crop losses in agriculture and efficient control strategies are missing. We show that GE and Rha both efficiently protect plants against infection with soil-borne viruses in sugar beet and wheat when applied to seeds. Moreover, the antiviral protection effect is independent of the cultivar used. No protection against Polymyxa sp. was observed after seed treatment with the bio-substances at our analysis time points. However, when we applied the bio-substances directly to soil a significant anti-Polymyxa graminis effect was obtained in roots of barley plants grown in the soil as well as in the treated soil. Despite germination can be affected by high concentrations of the substances, a range of antiviral protection conditions with no effect on germination were identified. Seed-treatment with the bio-substances did not negatively affect plant growth and development in virus-containing soil, but was rather beneficial for plant growth. We conclude that seed treatment with GE and Rha may represent an efficient, ecologically friendly, non-toxic, easy to apply and cost efficient biocontrol measure against soil-borne virus infection in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Case teaching can not only consolidate the existing professional basic knowledge, but also cultivate students’ ability to discover problems, analyze and solve problems, and innovation capability, which is an important teaching mode for cultivating high-level application-oriented professional degree postgraduates. However, in recent years, it has rarely been applied in the postgraduate education of resource utilization and plant protection field in agricultural science in China. We has explored and practiced the improvement of teaching methods in the construction of a high-quality course on comprehensive prevention and control of plant pests, in order to provide reference for the teaching of case analysis courses in related professional courses for postgraduate students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) poses a significant threat to tomato production worldwide, prompting extensive research into its genetic diversity, evolutionary dynamics, and adaptive strategies. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of ToBRFV at the codon level, focusing on codon usage bias, selection pressures, and evolutionary patterns across multiple genes. Our analysis revealed distinct patterns of codon usage bias and selection pressures within the ToBRFV genome, with varying levels of genetic diversity and evolutionary constraints among different genes. We observed a transition/transversion bias of 2.07 across the entire ToBRFV genome, with the movement protein (MP) gene exhibiting the highest transition/transversion bias and SNP density, suggesting potential evolutionary pressures or a higher mutation rate in this gene. Furthermore, our study identified episodic positive selection primarily in the MP gene, highlighting specific codons subject to adaptive changes in response to host immune pressures or environmental factors. Comparative analysis of codon usage bias in the coat protein (CP) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) genes revealed gene-specific patterns reflecting functional constraints and adaptation to the host's translational machinery. Our findings provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms driving ToBRFV evolution and adaptation, with implications for understanding viral pathogenesis, host-virus interactions, and the development of control strategies. Future research directions include further elucidating the functional significance of codon usage biases, exploring the role of episodic positive selection in viral adaptation, and leveraging these insights to inform the development of effective antiviral strategies and crop protection measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various members of the viral genera Furovirus and Bymovirus are damaging pathogens of a range of crop species. Infection of the soil‐borne plasmodiophorid Polymyxa graminis transmits both Japanese soil‐borne wheat mosaic virus (JSBWMV) and the barley yellow mosaic virus (BaYMV) to barley, but their interaction during an episode of their co‐infection has not been characterized to date. Here, we present an analysis of the titer of JSBWMV and BaYMV in plants of winter barley growing over a five‐month period from late fall until mid‐spring. Although JSBWMV was detectable in the plants' roots four weeks earlier than BaYMV, the translocation of both viruses from the root to the leaves occurred nearly simultaneously. Both viruses were co‐localized in the roots, leaf sheathes, and leaf blades; however, in some stripes of leaf veins where infection by JSBWMV was prominent, BaYMV was not detectable. A substantial titer of both viruses persisted until early spring, after which JSBWMV became more prominent, being in a range of 10 to 100 times abundant of BaYMV. However, JSBWMV was only able to infect a single wheat accession (cv. Norin 61), whereas all of the wheat entries assayed appeared to be immune to BaYMV infection. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of resistance mechanisms against soil‐borne viruses in cereal crops, expanding our understanding of plant‐virus interactions and potentially informing strategies for crop protection against viral pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant‐environment interactions, particularly biotic stress, are increasingly essential for global food security due to crop losses in the dynamic environment. Therefore, understanding plant responses to biotic stress is vital to mitigate damage. Beneficial microorganisms and their association with plants can reduce the damage associated with plant pathogens. One such group is PGPR (Plant growth‐promoting rhizobacteria), which influences plant immunity significantly by interacting with biotic stress factors and plant signalling compounds. This review explores the types, metabolism, and mechanisms of action of PGPR, including their enzyme pathways and the signalling compounds secreted by PGPR that modulate gene and protein expression during plant defence. Furthermore, the review will delve into the crosstalk between PGPR and other plant growth regulators and signalling compounds, elucidating the physiological, biochemical, and molecular insights into PGPR's impact on plants under multiple biotic stresses, including interactions with fungi, bacteria, and viruses. Overall, the review comprehensively adds to our knowledge about PGPR's role in plant immunity and its application for agricultural resilience and food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for plant protection have rapidly developed worldwide as a new method for pesticide application, especially in China and other Asian countries. To improve the deposition quality in UAV applications, adding appropriate types of spray adjuvants into pesticide solutions is one of the most effective ways to facilitate droplet deposition and control efficacy. At present, research on spray adjuvants for UAVs are mainly based on droplet drift and laboratory tests. Few studies have been conducted on the physicochemical properties of spray adjuvants and the effects of droplet deposition characteristics. To explore the properties of four different kinds of spray adjuvants (Mai Fei, Bei Datong, G-2801, and Agrospred 910) and the deposition characteristics of spray adjuvants on litchi leaves, an automatic surface tension meter, a contact angle measuring device, an ultraviolet visible spectrophotometer, and a DJI AGRAS T30 plant protection UAV was used to measure the surface tension, contact angle, and droplet deposition characteristics on litchi under UAV spraying operations. The results showed that the addition of spray adjuvants could significantly reduce the surface tension of the solution. The surface tension value of the solution after adding the spray additives was reduced by 53.1–68.9% compared with the control solution. Among them, the Agrospred 910 spray adjuvant had the best effect on reducing the surface tension of the solution. The contact angle of the control solution on the litchi leaves varied from 80.15° to 72.76°. With the increase in time, the contact angle of the spray adjuvant solution gradually decreased, the Agrospred 910 spray adjuvant had the best effect, and the contact angle decreased from 40.44° to 20.23° after the droplets fell on the litchi leaves for 60 s. The adjuvant solutions increased the droplet size, but the uniformity of the droplet size decreased. The Dv0.5 of different spray solutions ranged from 97.3 to 117.8 μm, which belonged to the fine or very fine droplets, and the Dv0.5 of adjuvants solutions were significantly greater than that of the control solution. The RSs of adjuvant solutions were very similar and ranged from 0.92 to 0.96, all of which were significantly greater than the result of the control solution (0.57). Compared with the deposition of the control solution, the Mai Fei, Bei Datong, and G-2801 solutions clearly increased spray deposition, with total depositions of 0.776, 0.705, and 0.721 μL/cm2, which are all greater than the total deposition of the control solution of 0.645 μL/cm2. The addition of tank-mixed adjuvants could effectively increase the uniformity of the spray deposition, and all the average CVs of adjuvant solutions were lower than 96.86%. On the whole, Mai Fei performed best in increasing the spray deposition and promoting penetration, followed by Bei Datong and G-2801. Meanwhile, the test can also provide a reference for improving the utilization rate of UAV pesticide applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric multirotor plant protection unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are widely used in China for efficient and precise plant protection at low altitude for low volumes. Unstructured farmland in China has various types of obstacles, and UAVs usually use a detour path to avoid obstacles due to flight altitude limitations. However, existing UAV spray systems do not spray when in obstacle neighborhoods during obstacle avoidance, resulting in insufficient droplet coverage and reduced plant protection quality in the area. To improve the droplet coverage in obstacle neighborhoods, this article carries out a study of side spray technology with an electric quadrotor UAV, and proposes the design and development of a side spray device. The relationship between the obstacle avoidance path of the UAV and the spray pattern of the side spray device and their effect on droplet coverage in obstacle neighborhoods was explored. An accurate measurement method of the relative position between the UAV and obstacles was proposed. Spray angle calculations and nozzle selection for the side spray device were carried out in conjunction with the relative position. A rotor wind field simulation model was designed based on the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), and the spatial layout of the side spray device on the UAV was designed based on the simulation results. To explore suitable spray patterns for the side spray device, comparative experiments of droplet coverage in obstacle neighborhoods were carried out under different environments, spray patterns, and flight parameter combinations. The relationship between the flight parameter combinations and the distribution uniformity of droplets and the effective swath width of the side spray device was explored. The experimental results were analyzed by an analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a relationship model was obtained. The results showed that the side spray device can effectively improve droplet coverage in obstacle neighborhoods compared to a device without side spray using the same flight parameter combinations. The effective swath width in obstacle neighborhoods can be increased by a minimum of 6.35%, maximum of 35.32%, and average of 15.25% using the side spray device. The error between the predicted values of the relational model and the field experiment results was less than 15%. The results verify the effectiveness and rationality of the method proposed in this article. This study can provide technical and theoretical references for improving the plant protection quality of UAVs in obstacle environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high performance of deep learning networks relies on large datasets and powerful computational resources. However, collecting enough diseased training samples is a daunting challenge. In addition, existing few-shot learning models tend to suffer from large size, which makes their deployment on edge devices difficult. To address these issues, this study proposes a pruning-based lightweight few-shot learning (Prune-FSL) approach, which aims to utilize a very small number of labeled samples to identify unknown classes of crop diseases and achieve lightweighting of the model. First, the disease few-shot learning model was built through a metric-based meta-learning framework to address the problem of sample scarcity. Second, a slimming pruning method was used to trim the network channels by the γ coefficients of the BN layer to achieve efficient network compression. Finally, a meta-learning pruning strategy was designed to enhance the generalization ability of the model. The experimental results show that with 80% parameter reduction, the Prune-FSL method reduces the Macs computation from 3.52 G to 0.14 G, and the model achieved an accuracy of 77.97% and 90.70% in 5-way 1-shot and 5-way 5-shot, respectively. The performance of the pruned model was also compared with other representative lightweight models, yielding a result that outperforms those of five mainstream lightweight networks, such as Shufflenet. It also achieves 18-year model performance with one-fifth the number of parameters. In addition, this study demonstrated that pruning after sparse pre-training was superior to the strategy of pruning after meta-learning, and this advantage becomes more significant as the network parameters are reduced. In addition, the experiments also showed that the performance of the model decreases as the number of ways increases and increases as the number of shots increases. Overall, this study presents a few-shot learning method for crop disease recognition for edge devices. The method not only has a lower number of parameters and higher performance but also outperforms existing related studies. It provides a feasible technical route for future small-sample disease recognition under edge device conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The yield and quality of cultivated food crops are frequently compromised by the prevalent threat from fungal pathogens that can cause widespread damage in both the pre-harvest and post-harvest stages. This paper investigates the challenges posed by fungal pathogens to the sustainability and yield of essential food crops, leading to significant economic and food security repercussions. The paper critiques the long-standing reliance on synthetic fungicides, emphasizing the environmental and health concerns arising from their widespread and occasionally inappropriate use. In response, the paper explores the potential of biological control agents, specifically endophytic fungi in advancing sustainable agricultural practices. Through their diverse symbiotic relationships with host plants, these fungi exhibit strong antagonistic capabilities against phytopathogenic fungi by producing various bioactive compounds and promoting plant growth. The review elaborates on the direct and indirect mechanisms of endophytic antagonism, such as antibiosis, mycoparasitism, induction of host resistance, and competition for resources, which collectively contribute to inhibiting pathogenic fungal growth. This paper consolidates the crucial role of endophytic fungi, i.e., Acremonium, Alternaria, Arthrinium, Aspergillus, Botryosphaeria, Chaetomium, Cladosporium, Cevidencealdinia, Epicoccum, Fusarium, Gliocladium, Muscodor, Nigrospora, Paecilomyces, Penicillium, Phomopsis, Pichia, Pochonia, Pythium, Ramichloridium, Rosellinia, Talaromyces, Trichoderma, Verticillium, Wickerhamomyces, and Xylaria, in biological control, supported by the evidence drawn from more than 200 research publications. The paper pays particular attention to Muscodor, Penicillium, and Trichoderma as prominent antagonists. It also emphasizes the need for future genetic-level research to enhance the application of endophytes in biocontrol strategies aiming to highlight the importance of endophytic fungi in facilitating the transition towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In accordance with Article 43 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, the European Commission has requested the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to organise a stakeholder consultation on the reasoned opinions for the following active substances, non‐approved for use as plant protection products in the European Union: azocyclotin, bifenthrin, chlorfenapyr, cyhexatin, diazinon, dicofol, endosulfan, fenarimol, fenpropathrin and profenofos. This technical report presents the outcome of the consultation, an appraisal of the data received and a conclusion on whether a reconsideration of the previous assessments will be needed based on the additional data collected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Known mycotoxins have been investigated for years. They have been included in legislation and are meticulously controlled in most cereals, cereal-related products, and raw materials of animal origin. However, there are still mycotoxins that need to be addressed by regulations and subsequently are not monitored but can still occur in relatively high concentrations. This research aimed to assess the occurrence of common Fusarium mycotoxins in hulled barley. Samples of hulled barley were treated in the field with two protective treatments, alongside a control sample sans treatment. Furthermore, we aimed to assess the occurrence of Alternaria mycotoxins in the chosen samples. The results have shown that Fusarium mycotoxins were mostly determined by climatic conditions (no mycotoxins in 2020, except siccanol). Most interesting was the appearance of infectopyron, an Alternaria toxin that was detected in all samples in 2019 and in the majority of samples in 2020. The highest concentration was detected in 2019 in hulled barley with 536 µg/kg, while in 2020, the highest concentration of this mycotoxin reached 350 µg/kg. These findings depict the need for further research on food safety regarding mycotoxins, and the need for additional changes in legislation. This investigation shows that fungicide application in rainy years cannot efficiently suppress mycotoxin production. Additionally, even in dry years, some of the mycotoxins not involved in legislation, such as infectopyron and siccanol, do not respond to the application of fungicides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant activators have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional crop protection chemicals for managing crop diseases due to their unique mode of action. By priming the plant's innate immune system, these compounds can induce disease resistance against a broad spectrum of pathogens without directly inhibiting their proliferation. Key advantages of plant activators include prolonged defense activity, lower effective dosages, and negligible risk of pathogen resistance development. Among the various defensive pathways targeted, the salicylic acid (SA) signaling cascade has been extensively explored, leading to the successful development of commercial activators of systemic acquired resistance, such as benzothiadiazole, for widespread application in crop protection. While the action sites of many SA-targeting activators have been preliminarily mapped to different steps along the pathway, a comprehensive understanding of their precise mechanisms remains elusive. This review provides a historical perspective on plant activator development and outlines diverse screening strategies employed, from whole-plant bioassays to molecular and transgenic approaches. We elaborate on the various components, biological significance, and regulatory circuits governing the SA pathway while critically examining the structural features, bioactivities, and proposed modes of action of classical activators such as benzothiadiazole derivatives, salicylic acid analogs, and other small molecules. Insights from field trials assessing the practical applicability of such activators are also discussed. Furthermore, we highlight the current status, challenges, and future prospects in the realm of SA-targeting activator development globally, with a focus on recent endeavors in China. Collectively, this comprehensive review aims to describe existing knowledge and provide a roadmap for future research toward developing more potent plant activators that enhance crop health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most plant phylogeographic studies in China have focused on the importance of genetic divergence and where should the shelter be located. Little attention has been paid to range expansion and recolonization routes in this region. In this study, two cpDNA fragments (psbK‐psbI and trnL‐F), two pairs of nuclear gene sequences (ITS and ETS), and nine pairs of SSR molecular markers were used, combined with Bayesian Skyline Plot method, gene barrier analysis, and species distribution models to explore the phylogeographical pattern, potential expansion routes and population dynamic history of Pinellia ternata from 22 population. The results showed that phylogeograhical pattern and genetic structure for P. ternata are effected by environmental heterogeneity and climate fluctuation, and it can be divided into two groups (Southwest group, Central and Eastern group) and thus there are at least two glacial refugia in China. Three expanding routes within groups were explored to contribute to the phylogeogrephic pattern of P. ternata based on the geographical distribution and network analysis of haplotypes. In a word, our study reveals repeated range expansions and inter/postglacial recolonization routes on the fragmented distribution pattern in China and resolves the refugia distributing in China and has also certain reference value for the protection of the medicinal plant P. ternata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA barcoding is a popular tool for species identification of insect samples, with important applications for plant protection. However, Barcode of Life Database queries related to tachinid samples can produce ambiguous results due to contradictory species assignments. Therefore, we applied Bayesian phylogenetic inference to 811 Tachina Meigen, 1803 COI-5P sequences containing all contradictory species assignments of Tachina Barcode Index Numbers. Based on phylogenetic assignment, the assemble species by automatic partitioning (ASAP) analysis, the MonoPhy test and analyses of genetic divergence, we identified 805 sequences representing species of the Tachina genus, whereas six sequences were incorrectly assigned to Tachina. The dataset contained 21 described species and at least seven unidentified species. Additionally, we found that the described species Tachina marklini Zetterstedt, 1838, includes two cryptic species based on ASAP partitioning of sequences, phylogenetic inference and geographical metadata. Furthermore, we harmonized conflicting subgeneric classifications of the Palearctic and Nearctic by employing different subgenera assignments from both partitions. We aimed at monophyletic subgenera partitions. We largely confirmed the validity of the Palearctic Tachina subgenera and Nowickia as a subgenus of Tachina. However, Palearctic Nowickia species formerly allocated to the outdated genus Fabriciella appeared to constitute one monophyletic group with the subgenus Rhachogaster. We conclude that this set of bioinformatics tools is suitable for curating COI-5P-based DNA barcode libraries. Although, curation is limited due to possible species introgression, horizontal gene transfer, incomplete lineage sorting and human errors the resulting dataset enabled the revision of subgenera concepts and the unambiguous cryptic species detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, the role of green leaf volatiles (GLVs) has been mainly constrained to protecting plants against pests and pathogens. However, increasing evidence suggests that among the stresses that can significantly harm plants, GLVs can also provide significant protection against heat, cold, drought, light, and salinity stress. But while the molecular basis for this protection is still largely unknown, it seems obvious that a common theme in the way GLVs work is that most, if not all, of these stresses are associated with physical damage to the plants, which, in turn, is the major event responsible for the production of GLVs. Here, I summarize the current state of knowledge on GLVs and abiotic stresses and provide a model explaining the multifunctionality of these compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The rapidly growing wild boar population has resulted in an increasing rate of human–wildlife conflicts, including economic damage to crops or spreading African swine fever (ASF), which affects the pork industry. This situation necessitates the adoption of various measures to prevent wild boar movement, mitigate spreading of diseases, and protect crops. We evaluated the impact of commonly used odor fences (Wildschwein Stopp) using GPS telemetry of tagged individuals. The telemetry of free-ranging wild boars demonstrated no effect on their crossing of the odor fence lines compared to before the installation. Moreover, no difference was found when comparing the home range size of monitored individuals during the 22 days before and after odor fence installation. Therefore, our findings do not support using odor fences to prevent wild boar movement as a mitigation measure of ASF transmission or line protection against the damage caused by wild boars to crops. Wild boars are an opportunistic wildlife species that has successfully colonized the human-modified landscape in Europe. However, the current population boom has negative consequences, which result in a rapid increase in human–wildlife conflicts and disease transmission, including African swine fever (ASF). The increasing frequency of conflicts requires adequate solutions for these issues through various measures. Application of deterrents is a common non-lethal measure whose effects have been insufficiently verified until recently. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of odor fences, often applied as a barrier against wild boar movement. For this purpose, 18 wild boars were marked with GPS collars. After 22 days of initial monitoring, 12 sections of odor fences were installed on their home ranges. The monitored wild boars crossed the area 20.5 ± 9.2 times during the pre-installation period and 19.9 ± 8.4 times after the odor fence installation. Moreover, the average home range varied between 377.9 ± 185.0 ha before and 378.1 ± 142.2 ha after the odor fence installation. Based on GPS telemetry results, we do not support using odor repellent lines for crop protection or for limiting wild boar movement to lessen ASF outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mutualistic symbioses between ants and plants are widespread in nature. Ants can deter unwanted pests and provide protection for plants in return for food or housing rewards. Using a long‐term demographic dataset in a tropical seasonal rain forest in Southwest China, we found that associations with ants positively influenced seedling survival and adult growth, and also, species with extrafloral nectaries experienced weaker conspecific negative density dependence compared with species without extrafloral nectaries. Furthermore, we found strong evidence suggesting that species in our forest experienced conspecific density dependence, which we interpreted as heavy pest pressure that may drive the development of anti‐pest symbioses such as the plant–ant relationship. Our findings suggest that ants and conspecific neighbors play important but inverse roles on plant survival and growth and that ants can buffer tree neighborhood interactions in this tropical forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]