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The need to increase yield and enhance the sustainability of crop production systems has led to the development and employment of natural products, such as plant biostimulants. In recent years, a number of reports have researched the effects of biostimulants on plant performance; however, few studies have focused on the mutual application of microbial and/or non-microbial biostimulants. This research, conducted in the framework of the SO.MI.PR.O.N regional project, aimed to investigate the single or mutual application of three biostimulants, a tropical plant extract (PE), a vegetal protein hydrolysate (PH), and Trichoderma atroviride, on 'Creativo' F1 cherry tomato plants cultivated during two growing cycles (2022–2023 and 2023–2024). Our results showed that plants treated with the combination Tricho + PE + PH had statistically significant higher fresh shoot biomass (+64.2%, 1647.0 g plant−1), total fruit production (+37.9%, 1902.5 g plant−1), marketable fruit production (+52.9%, 1778.5 g plant−1), and average weight of marketable fruits (+53.1%, 17.0 g) compared to control plants (untreated plants). Furthermore, biostimulant treatments, especially T. atroviride, variably enhanced cherry tomato fruits' qualitative traits, such as firmness, total soluble solids, ascorbic acid, lycopene, and total polyphenols compared to control plants. Overall, the best combinations to increase tomato fruit qualitative features were PE + PH, Tricho + PE, and Tricho + PH. From an economic point of view, the best treatment for achieving the highest net return was PE. This study underlines that biostimulant features (yield, qualitative aspects, and economic profitability) can be supported through the application of specific biostimulant combinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of plants hinges on a complex interplay of biochemical and physiological activities across various growth stages. These intricate processes dynamically adapt to different environmental conditions, shaping both plant development and productivity. This study explores the impact of greenhouse climate on the growth, yield, and biochemistry of winter-grown cherry tomatoes 'Cheramy F1'. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) under split plot arrangements (3 Rows) with three replications (3 plants from each row) was adopted. The data were collected on various dates during the period extending from December to March of two consecutive growing seasons in 2022 and 2023, and presented as averages. An analysis of variance was applied to statistically analyze the collected data at a confidence level of p < 0.05. The climatic conditions in the greenhouse were calculated as temperature ranging from a minimum of 10.5 °C to the maximum of 41.3 °C by an average of 21.2 °C during the vegetative stage and from 8.2 °C to 32.3 °C by an average of 20.9 °C during the fruit-bearing stage, with an average CO2 concentration fluctuated within the range of 385.61 ppm to 510.30 ppm and an average light intensity of 94.62 to 240.45 W/m². This study assessed various growth parameters such as plant height, leaf growth, stem diameter, leaf spacing, leaf count, leaf area, and inflorescence count per plant, and suggested the optimum range of greenhouse conditions for each stage. The key results of this study revealed the Progressive Growth Report (PGR), predicting daily potential growth rates of plants: plant height, 2.86 to 3.81 cm/day; growth rate of mature older leaf: 0.003988 m2/day; middle younger leaf: 0.008733 m2/day; top nascent leaf: 0.010722 m2/day; three to five leaves per week; and one inflorescence per week. In our accidental observation, we noticed unusual plant growth and yield responses because of the various growing postures and positions that the plants adopted in the greenhouse. An exceedingly significant difference among the inflorescences was found in view of their growth, productivity and biochemical composition. A non-significant interaction was found between the fruit keeping quality (shelf days), fruit height, fruit diameter, and inflorescence number. The present study results highlight the possible responses of greenhouse-grown cherry tomatoes to different ranges of temperature, light intensity, and CO2 concentrations, offering valuable insights for optimizing greenhouse cherry tomatoes cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By developing and implementing a local temperature control system, such as a root zone, with a high energy efficiency heat source, we can ensure both yield and energy efficiency against extreme temperatures. This system, designed with practicality in mind, has a remarkably positive impact on paprika plants' growth and yield in greenhouse cultivation. In the summer season, paprika plants were grown with no cooling, nutrient solution cooling (NSC) and the combination of NSC and substrate surround cooling (SSC) (NSC + SSC). In the case of SSC, cooled water circulated through the pipe surrounding the substrate to lower the substrate temperature. The cooling system maintains the nutrient solution temperature at 18 °C and the circulating water temperature at the system in the winter season; the paprika plants were grown with no heating (NH), nutrient solution heating (NSH) and the combination of NSH and substrate surround heating (SSH) (NSH + SSH). The heating system maintains the nutrient solution temperature at 25 °C and the circulating water temperature at 30 °C. In the summer, the root fresh and dry weights, stem fresh and dry weights, stem length and node number were increased in the NSC + SSC. In the winter season, the stem fresh and dry weights, leaf area and leaf fresh and dry weights were increased in the NSH + SSH. In both seasons, root-zone temperature control increased the fruit quality and yield. The result indicates that this easy-to-install root-zone temperature control system can be applied to the commercial greenhouse to secure paprika growth and yield in year-round cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The growth of plants hinges on a complex interplay of biochemical and physiological activities across various growth stages. These intricate processes dynamically adapt to different environmental conditions, shaping both plant development and productivity. This study explores the impact of greenhouse climate on the growth, yield, and biochemistry of winter-grown cherry tomatoes ‘Cheramy F1’. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) under split plot arrangements (3 Rows) with three replications (3 plants from each row) was adopted. The data were collected on various dates during the period extending from December to March of two consecutive growing seasons in 2022 and 2023, and presented as averages. An analysis of variance was applied to statistically analyze the collected data at a confidence level of p

Abstract [Objective] The study aims to further study the leaf morphology and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics of Actinidia arguta under greenhouse cultivation conditions, and to explore the differences of leaf photomorphogenesis between greenhouse and open field cultivation. [Methods] In this experiment, the 5-year-old plants of A . arguta varieties ‘Jialv’ and ‘Kuilv’ were used as test materials to determine the relative chlorophyll content and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters of leaves at different leaf ages under greenhouse and open field cultivation conditions. The differences in photomorphogenesis and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics under greenhouse and open field cultivation conditions were analyzed. [Results] The photomorphogenesis of A . arguta cultivated in greenhouse and open field was between 1- 40 d leaf age, and the fluorescence characteristics of the same variety under different cultivation conditions tended to be consistent. After flowering, the fluorescence characteristics of the same variety under different cultivation conditions were quite different. The leaf area of A . arguta cultivated in greenhouse was larger and the content of chlorophyll b was higher, which was tending to shade leaf characteristics. The performance parameters such as PIabs were significantly lower than those of open field cultivation. The absorption and capture ability of light energy was stronger, but the heat dissipation was higher. The energy used for electron transfer was lower than that of open field cultivation, and the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters showed adaptive changes to the environment. [Conclusion] The photomorphogenesis time of A . arguta leaves is 1-40 days after leaf expansion, that is, before flowering. The photomorphogenesis of A . arguta leaves in greenhouse cultivation is different from open field cultivation, and the photosynthetic capacity is decreased slightly with the increase of leaf area. Greenhouse cultivation changes in the chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics of leaves to a certain extent and reduces photosynthetic performance.

Evaluating different concentrations of oxygen on lettuce physiology, growth, and biochemical assays is pivotal for optimizing the nutrient film technique (NFT), boosting yields, and enhancing resource efficiency in sustainable greenhouse cultivation. Two lettuce varieties Lactuca sativa var. Lolo Bionta (Lugano) and Lolo Rosa (Carmesi), were grown using NFT in a greenhouse for two consecutive years during the months of December and January. A comparative methodology was adopted under a randomized complete block design (RCBD) to study plant growth under three different oxygen concentration levels: natural oxygen concentrations (NOC); elevated oxygen concentrations (EOC); and elevated oxygen concentrations under LED light (380–840 nm) (LED + EOC). The plants were exposed to EOC levels of 8.1–8.7 mg L−1 in December and 8.7–9.0 mg L−1 in January. Under LED + EOC conditions, the levels were 8.2–8.3 mg L−1 in December and 8.8–9.0 mg L−1 in January. The NOC levels were 6.8–7.1 mg L−1 in December and 7.2–7.8 mg L−1 in January for Lugano and Carmesi, respectively. The applied light intensity, measured as photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), ranged from 463 to 495 µmol m−2 s−1 for the Lugano and from 465 to 490 µmol m−2 s−1 for the Carmesi. The dissolved oxygen concentration and LED light exposure under greenhouse conditions had significant effects (p < 0.05) on the plant growth parameters. The biochemical and physiological attributes, including transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, nitrate, chlorophyll, sugar contents, net photosynthesis, and respiration rates, varied significantly across different oxygen concentrations. Data were analyzed using a two-way ANOVA with post hoc Tukey's HSD tests for significance (p < 0.05) using IBM SPSS Statistics (version 29.0.2.0). Both EOC and LED + EOC treatments significantly improved growth attributes compared to NOC in Lugano, with increases in plant height (16.04%, 0.85%), fresh mass (110.91%, 29.55%), root length (27.35%, 29.55%), and root mass (77.69%, 34.77%). For Carmesi, similar trends were observed with increases in plant height (5.64%, 13.27%), fresh mass (10.45%, 21.57%), root length (37.14%, 47.33%), and root mass (20.70%, 41.72%) under EOC and LED + EOC. In the intertreatment analysis, the effect of LED + EOC was more pronounced compared to EOC. In view of the intertreatment response, Lolo Bionta (Lugano) appeared to have a high overall horticultural performance (growth and yield in both EOC and LED + EOC compared to Lolo Rosa (Carmesi). The practical significance of these results lies in their potential to inform strategies for optimizing greenhouse environments, particularly through the manipulation of oxygen levels and light exposure. The significant increases in growth metrics, especially under the LED + EOC conditions, suggest that targeted environmental adjustments can lead to substantial improvements in lettuce yield and quality. The findings also contribute to the advancement of sustainable agricultural technologies aiming to enhance food security and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strawberries are a widely cultivated greenhouse crop in China, primarily pollinated by honeybees, in accordance with traditional planting practices and local conditions. Extensive research has demonstrated that cross-pollination benefits numerous strawberry cultivars, leading to enhanced yield through the interplanting of different cultivars. However, the high costs associated with cultivation have hindered systematic research on the design of interplanting strategies. In this study, we utilized a simulation model to investigate how to leverage honeybee natural foraging behavior to improve pollination efficiency and explore fruit weight under various interplanting strategies within a greenhouse. Our findings indicate that adopting an alternating planting approach for different cultivars within the same bed effectively facilitates cross-pollination, leading to increased strawberry fruit yield. Additionally, dividing the strawberry plants into two batches and staggering their planting time helps mitigating the pressure of competition for bee pollination during peak blooming period, consequently contributing to enhanced yield. These proposed planting strategies offer valuable cultivation suggestions for farmers in some remote areas in China who still rely on honeybees as primary pollinators.

Water supply with new methods has always been emphasized by researchers and statesmen. Water scarcity and droughts in recent years in Iran have pushed the agricultural approach from traditional methods to modern methods, especially greenhouse cultivation. The advantages of this cultivation in reducing the wastage of energy and water, as well as the possibility of controlling pests and diseases, have led to an increase in the use of this method in the country. Nowadays, the use of solar panels as the roof of the structure to provide renewable energy has also been added to this process. In this research, the construction of a greenhouse structure with a roof covered with organic solar panels with south-direction and east-west orientations has been investigated by selecting a part in the Bashagard area of Hormozgan province. Modeling using PVSol software showed that the energy produced from these two types of east-west and south-direction coverage is 54293565 and 43697736-kilowatt hours per year, respectively. In addition to the aspect of energy production, based on the estimations, the roof slope was used and a piping system was created to collect rainwater in the study area, about 7500 cubic meters of rainwater was collected, which is about 4% of the amount of water consumed in this greenhouse complex.

【Objective】Drynaria fortunei is a perennial traditional Chinese medicinal herb. Currently, most medicinal materials of this herb are obtained through wild collection, with few reports on artificial cultivation. Due to excessive collection, the wild resources of D. fortune have been severely damaged, leading to a significant decline in medicinal resources. As a result, artificial cultivation has become an inevitable trend. On the basis of exploring the greenhouse cultivation technology of D. fortune, a targeted metabolomics comparative study was conducted between greenhouse-cultivated rhizomes and wild rhizomes by using metabolomics technology. The study aimed to explore the differences in the main metabolites between cultivated and wild rhizomes to provide a basis for the promotion of artificial cultivation technology of D. fortune.【Method】Taking the original plant of Rhizoma Drynariae, D. fortune as research object, and UPLC-MS/MS analysis technology was utilized to compare and analyze the differential metabolites between three-year greenhouse-cultivated rhizomes and three-year wild rhizomes. Subsequently, enrichment pathway analysis of differential metabolites was conducted by the KEGG pathway database.【Result】Among 749 metabolites detected from two D. fortune samples, 100 differential metabolites were screened. Compared with wild samples, there were 58 upregulated metabolites and 42 downregulated metabolites in greenhouse-cultivated samples. These differential metabolites mainly included flavonoids, organic acids, amino acids and their derivatives, phenolic acids, alkaloids, free fatty acids and other metabolites. In greenhouse-cultivated samples, flavonols, flavonoid glycosides, sugars and carbohydrate metabolites were all upregulated. Conversely, in wild samples, amino acids and their derivatives, phenolic acids, lysophosphatidylcholine and anthocyanin metabolites were upregulated to a greater extent. Further pathway enrichment analysis revealed that 100 differential metabolites were annotated into 47 metabolic pathways. Significantly enriched pathways included vitamin B6 metabolism, astragalus compound biosynthesis, diarylheptanoids biosynthesis, gingerol biosynthesis, flavonoid and flavonol biosynthesis, cysteine and methionine metabolism, anthocyanin biosynthesis and aminoacyl tRNA biosynthesis.【Conclusion】The contents of flavonols, flavonoid glycosides, sugars and carbohydrate metabolites in D. fortune cultivated in greenhouse are significantly higher than those in wild-collected D. fortune. Considering that the total flavonoids of D. fortune are recognized as the main active ingredients, greenhouse-cultivated D. fortune has the advantage of containing higher levels of active ingredients compared to wild-collected D. fortune. This finding can serve as a scientific basis for large-scale cultivation or artificial cultivation of D. fortune.

Ginseng has some chronic problems caused by the conventional shading structure. Although greenhouse cultivation has been expanded as an affordable alternative solution, no suitable colored woven film (WF), considering the durability, environmental changes, and growth parameters, has yet not been developed. After checking the light reflectance, solar light transmittance, and spectral photon flux distribution of various colored WFs, pearl WF (high light reflectance of 90% and close to 1.0 B/R light ratios) is expected to have positive effects such as increasing growth by manipulating B/R light ratios including temperature reduction due to albedo difference was mass-produced. In this study, 85% two-layered black shade net with general polyethylene film (black PE), blue WF, and pearl WF were covered on the greenhouses to investigate microclimate and growth ginseng. Spectral light through the films indicated that the blue (B) to red (R) light ratios of pearl WF (1.07–1.50) were lower than that of the black PE (0.83–1.69) and blue WF (1.94–8.68) regardless of the weather, whereas the difference in red to far-red light among the films was less than 25%. The air temperature at 2 pm of the pearl WF was 0.6–2.4oC lower than that of the black PE and blue WF in the summer. The plants grown under the pearl WF had an overall increase in the growth of the aerial part, including the leaf area, more than that of the black PE or blue WF, thereby having the most significant root weight at the time of final harvest. Aside from the targeted product, the total chlorophyll content of the ginseng grown under blue WF was maintained at a high level. The results from the experiment summarized that the pearl WF is recommended to increase the root weight of ginseng because it can ensure durability and provide a cost-effective approach for manipulating microclimate properties to promote their growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

【Objective】Drynaria fortunei is a perennial traditional Chinese medicinal herb. Currently, most medicinal materials of this herb are obtained through wild collection, with few reports on artificial cultivation. Due to excessive collection, the wild resources of D. fortune have been severely damaged, leading to a significant decline in medicinal resources. As a result, artificial cultivation has become an inevitable trend. On the basis of exploring the greenhouse cultivation technology of D. fortune, a targeted metabolomics comparative study was conducted between greenhouse-cultivated rhizomes and wild rhizomes by using metabolomics technology. The study aimed to explore the differences in the main metabolites between cultivated and wild rhizomes to provide a basis for the promotion of artificial cultivation technology of D. fortune.【Method】Taking the original plant of Rhizoma Drynariae, D. fortune as research object, and UPLC-MS/MS analysis technology was utilized to compare and analyze the differential metabolites between three-year greenhouse-cultivated rhizomes and three-year wild rhizomes. Subsequently, enrichment pathway analysis of differential metabolites was conducted by the KEGG pathway database. 【Result】Among 749 metabolites detected from two D. fortune samples, 100 differential metabolites were screened. Compared with wild samples, there were 58 upregulated metabolites and 42 downregulated metabolites in greenhouse-cultivated samples. These differential metabolites mainly included flavonoids, organic acids, amino acids and their derivatives, phenolic acids, alkaloids, free fatty acids and other metabolites. In greenhouse-cultivated samples, flavonols, flavonoid glycosides, sugars and carbohydrate metabolites were all upregulated. Conversely, in wild samples, amino acids and their derivatives, phenolic acids, lysophosphatidylcholine and anthocyanin metabolites were upregulated to a greater extent. Further pathway enrichment analysis revealed that 100 differential metabolites were annotated into 47 metabolic pathways. Significantly enriched pathways included vitamin B6 metabolism, astragalus compound biosynthesis, diarylheptanoids biosynthesis, gingerol biosynthesis, flavonoid and flavonol biosynthesis, cysteine and methionine metabolism, anthocyanin biosynthesis and aminoacyl tRNA biosynthesis. 【Conclusion】The contents of flavonols, flavonoid glycosides, sugars and carbohydrate metabolites in D. fortune cultivated in greenhouse are significantly higher than those in wild-collected D. fortune. Considering that the total flavonoids of D. fortune are recognized as the main active ingredients, greenhouse-cultivated D. fortune has the advantage of containing higher levels of active ingredients compared to wild-collected D. fortune. This finding can serve as a scientific basis for large-scale cultivation or artificial cultivation of D. fortune [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionStrawberry is known as one of the most important temperate small fruits which is cultivated in the field, greenhouse and high tunnels in the most regions of the world. The role of gibberellin and auxin in increasing fruit size of strawberries have been reported. One of the major problems of strawberry production in greenhouse is the fruits malformation which has reduced the market value of the fruit. Gibberellin and auxin have been different effects in vegetative and reproductive of growth stages. The purpose of this research was to improve the vegetative and reproductive indices of the fruit and to control the malformation problem by stimulating the development of seeds on the fruit and stimulating the growth of the fruit receptacle by gibberellin GA3. Materials and MethodsExperiments were conducted in a commercial greenhouse in Karaj, Hashtgerd New City, Phase 7 during 2017-2019. Two separate experiments (spraying hormones on whole plant or immersing individual fruitlets on hormone solution) were designed and implemented in a commercial greenhouse unit. In the first experiment: GA3 was at concentrations of 50, 100 and 150 ppm and IBA at concentrations of 20, 40 and 60 ppm in growth stages of 60 and 65 according to BBCH worldwide model. In the second experiment, fruits were immersed in NAA with concentrations of 20, 40 and 60 ppm and GA3 with concentrations of 25, 50 and 100 ppm at fruit growth stages 70 and 73 according to BBCH procedure. After reaching the red stage, the fruits were manually harvested and transferred to the laboratories for additional tests. Vegetative and reproductive traits were evaluated including leaf area, number of leaves, crown circumference, plant height, number of flowers and fruit dimensions. Fruit biochemical characteristics include: total soluble solids, titratable acid content of fruit, anthocyanin and antioxidant capacity, total phenolics, catalase and superoxide dismutase enzymes activities and content of vitamin C were evaluated. The experiments were designed and implemented in the frame of a randomized complete block design. The data were analyzed by SAS ver.9.4 and SPSS ver. 22 software, the mean data were compared based on Duncan's multi-range test, and the graphs were drawn by Excel 2013 software. Results and DiscussionFoliar spraying with gibberellin had a significant effect on several characteristics, including leaf area, crown circumference, number of flowers, and plant height at the 1% level of significance. However, it did not yield a significant impact on the attribute of leaf number. The increase in vegetative growth could be due to the synthesis of more amino acids in the stimulation of gibberellin treatment. Gibberellin treatments increased the vegetative growth of the plant and increased the number of flowers, but their growth was stopped after fruit formation and no fruits were formed in gibberellin spraying. This can be due to the existence of an antagonistic relationship between vegetative parts and fruit developments. Auxin hormone treatments had a significant effect on increasing fruit size and reducing the percentage of malformed fruits. GA3 at concentration of 50 ppm improved plant vegetative characteristics such as: plant leaf area, plant crown circumference, plant height and number of flowers, while IBA reduced fruit deformity by 40% and also increased the amount of total soluble solids, the titratable acid content of the fruit and the antioxidant content of the fruit. In general, gibberellin at a concentration of 50 ppm in order to increase plant vegetative indices and auxin at a concentration of 60 ppm were statistically effective. In second experiment, it seems that three levels of gibberellin treatment have increased all traits related to fruit compared to auxin and control. GA3 at a concentration of 100 ppm, causing an increase in fruit size, fruit weight and the biochemical properties of the fruit and the deformity decreased by 37/5% while NAA at a concentration of 60 ppm increased the amount of fruit anthocyanin as well as total fruit phenolics and vitamin C content. ConclusionIn the first experiment, gibberellin foliar application at a concentration of 50 ppm had the greatest effect on vegetative growth indicators. Also, in the same experiment, it was found that the use of GA3 in high concentrations has the negative effects on flowering and fruit growth., while it increases the amount of runner production. Also, IBA at a concentration of 60 ppm was the most effective treatment in fruit indices. In the second experiment, gibberellin at a concentration of 100 ppm was the most effective treatment in fruit and its biochemical traits, while NAA auxin in the second experiment showed a lower response to fruit than IBA auxin in the first experiment.

The need to increase yield and enhance the sustainability of crop production systems has led to the development and employment of natural products, such as plant biostimulants. In recent years, a number of reports have researched the effects of biostimulants on plant performance; however, few studies have focused on the mutual application of microbial and/or non-microbial biostimulants. This research, conducted in the framework of the SO.MI.PR.O.N regional project, aimed to investigate the single or mutual application of three biostimulants, a tropical plant extract (PE), a vegetal protein hydrolysate (PH), and Trichoderma atroviride, on ‘Creativo’ F1 cherry tomato plants cultivated during two growing cycles (2022–2023 and 2023–2024). Our results showed that plants treated with the combination Tricho + PE + PH had statistically significant higher fresh shoot biomass (+64.2%, 1647.0 g plant−1), total fruit production (+37.9%, 1902.5 g plant−1), marketable fruit production (+52.9%, 1778.5 g plant−1), and average weight of marketable fruits (+53.1%, 17.0 g) compared to control plants (untreated plants). Furthermore, biostimulant treatments, especially T. atroviride, variably enhanced cherry tomato fruits’ qualitative traits, such as firmness, total soluble solids, ascorbic acid, lycopene, and total polyphenols compared to control plants. Overall, the best combinations to increase tomato fruit qualitative features were PE + PH, Tricho + PE, and Tricho + PH. From an economic point of view, the best treatment for achieving the highest net return was PE. This study underlines that biostimulant features (yield, qualitative aspects, and economic profitability) can be supported through the application of specific biostimulant combinations.

Understanding how cherry tomatoes respond to variations in greenhouse microclimate is crucial for optimizing tomato production in a controlled environment. The present study delves into the intricate relationship between summer-grown cherry tomatoes (Cheramy F1) and greenhouse conditions, exploring the influence of these conditions on growth attributes, inflorescence development, and yield potential. The aim of the study was to characterize the chronology of reproductive events, specifically flowering and fruit stages, in correlation with the prevailing greenhouse climate during the development of the first ten inflorescences on the plant. The performance of each inflorescence has been ranked based on available data, which involve a comparative analysis of both the time duration (number of days) and the frequency of yield-contributing traits, specifically the total number of flowers at the anthesis stage. The duration of each stage required for completion was recorded and presented as a productivity rate factor. Greenhouse conditions exhibited variations during the vegetative and reproductive stages, respectively, as follows: temperature - 25.1 °C and 21.33 °C, CO2 levels - 484.85 ppm and 458.85 ppm, light intensity - 367.94 W/m2 and 349.52 W/m2, and humidity - 73.23% and 89.73%. The collected data conclusively demonstrated a substantial impact of greenhouse microclimate on plant growth, productivity, and inflorescence development. The development of flowers and fruit has been categorized into five stages: the fruit bud stage (FB), the anthesis stage (AS), the fruit setting stage (FS), the fruit maturation stage (FM), and the fruit ripening stage (FR). An irregular productivity and development response was noted across the first (close to roots) to the tenth inflorescence. Inflorescence 5 demonstrated the highest overall performance, followed by inflorescence numbers 4 and 6. The study findings provide valuable insights for enhancing greenhouse operations, emphasizing the improvement of both the yield and growth of cherry tomatoes while promoting environmental sustainability. A statistical analysis of variance was used to rigorously examine the presented results, conducted at a confidence level of p < 0.05. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study deals with daily life experiences of individuals living in a coastal region and laboring in agriculture. Tourism and agriculture open different areas in terms of urban life and social organization in the city. The contact of these two different areas is experienced in some places, and this experience carries social contents that are open to discovery. Places that are both tourism and agricultural zones are of special importance in this regard. In the research, Demre district of Antalya province was chosen as the research region, and interviews were conducted with 9 farmers living here. The interviews were conducted with the help of a semi-structured interview form and the participants were asked questions about Demre and their daily life experiences in Demre. With the data obtained from the interviews, social experiences and meanings in the region were revealed in the context of the dual existence of tourism and agriculture in Demre. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present greenhouse farming has become more popular in contrast to traditional farming because of its adjustment capability of the environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, light intensity, and soil moisture according to the requirements of the crops. Continuous monitoring and controlling facilities of the greenhouse system allow the farmers a good maintenance system with good quality and high yield of the crops. In this paper, an Arduino microcontroller was used in a greenhouse system for an automatic monitoring system for cultivation incorporating various sensors such as a temperature-humidity sensor, and soil moisture sensor to collect parameters for monitoring the environment of the greenhouse. The collected data were used to control the temperature using cooling fans which facilitated the greenhouse controlling the environment. For storage and processing the data the controller code was generated in the Arduino programming language, and finally inserted into the Arduino UNO R3 microcontroller. A solar power system with a rechargeable battery was installed as a source of energy to ensure continuous power supply to the greenhouse system. Implementation of a greenhouse with a microclimatic parameter monitoring and controlling system will result in mitigating land and labor requirement problems for small-scale farmers, and gardeners as well as supplying suitable data for agricultural researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the flowering phenology and reproductive characteristics of Northland blueberry, from April to July in 2022, the flowering phenology characteristics and the morphological characteristics of single flower of Northland blueberry at four levels were observed, counted and analyzed in the open field and in the greenhouse respectively. The results showed that the flowering period of blueberry in the open field was from late May to early June, and the flowering duration at four levels of population, individual, inflorescence and single flower was (251), (151), (12±1) and (10±1) d, respectively. At the individual level, the flowering amplitude curve was a unimodal curve, and the flowering synchronization index was 0.723, which belonged to the centralized flowering mode with high flowering intensity, and the skewness of its distribution frequency was 1.12. Under the greenhouse environment, the flowering period of Northland blueberry was from late April to early May, which was about a month earlier than that of the outdoor blueberry population. The flowering duration was (17±1), (12±1), (10±1) and (10±1) d at population, individual, inflorescence and single flower levels, respectively. The flowering amplitude curve was a unimodal curve, the flowering synchronization index was 0.745, and the skewness of its distribution frequency was 1.23. The single flower had a special flower structure, which was shaped like a jar and bell. It could be divided into four stages according to the size of the petal opening, that was before the flowering stage, the early flowering stage, the high flowering stage and the late flowering stage. The top of the petal did not open at the early flowering stage, the top of the petal opened 1-2 mm at the early flowering stage, the top of the petal opened 3-5 mmm at the high flowering stage, and the petals fall off at the late flowering stage. On the level of inflorescence, there was a significant positive correlation between the number of flowers and the number of fruits, the duration of flowering period, and the initial flowering period. The results of this study could provide theoretical basis and practical basis for the variety breeding of Northland blueberry in the Northeast Plain and the formulation of efficient cultivation measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production environment of geenhouse cultivation is relatively closed, the multiple cropping index is high, the management of fertilization, watering and pesticide application is blind to some extent, and the phenomenon of continuous cropping is also common. Soil quality affects the sustainable development of greenhouse cultivation. Earthworm is a ubiquitous invertebrate organism in soil, an important part of soil system, a link between terrestrial organisms and soil organisms, an important link in the small cycle of soil material organisms, and plays an important role in maintaining the structure and function of soil ecosystem. Diiferent ecotypes of earthworms are closely related to their habitats (soil layers) and food resource preferences, and then afect their ecological functions. The principle of earthworm regulating soil function is ersentially the close connection and interaction between earthworm and soil microorganism. Using diferent ecotypes of earthworms and biological agents to cany out combined remediation of geenhouse cultivation soil is a technical model to realize sustainable development of geen-hous1cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers and practitioners use life cycle assessment (LCA) as a powerful tool to thoroughly assess the environmental impact of protected agriculture. However, the literature in this field has shown heterogeneity, which is characterized by inconsistent methodologies and assumptions. Identifying prevailing trends and resolving existing limitations is necessary to generate robust results and guide future work. Here, we conduct a bibliometric and systematic review to explore how LCA applications have addressed protected agriculture. The bibliometric analysis unveils trends in scientific productivity, spanning temporal evolution and geographic distribution, while also identifying prominent research avenues. The systematic review traces the historical trajectory of agricultural LCA and scrutinizes methodological decisions across the standard LCA phases: (i) objective and scope, (ii) life cycle inventory, (iii) impact assessment, and (iv) interpretation. We summarize and discuss the reported environmentally friendly practices and provide a qualitative interpretation of the LCA findings. Moreover, we pinpoint key methodological challenges and propose research horizons. It is crucial to note that the environmental benefits of protected agriculture are context-dependent, with climate change emerging as a critical factor influencing crop yields and the system's input and output resources. This impact is particularly pronounced in terms of water and energy consumption and carbon emissions. In regions with extreme climates, protected agriculture provides solutions for producers aiming to attain high yields of top-quality crops. The integration of circular bioeconomy strategies in this context allows mitigation of the environmental trade-offs identified by LCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water scarcity and climate variability impede the realization of satisfactory vegetable yields in arid regions. It is imperative to delve into high-productivity and water-use-efficient protected cultivation systems for the sustained supply of vegetables in harsh arid climates. A strenuous effort was made to find suitable protected structures and levels of irrigation for greenhouse cucumber production in hot arid zones of India. In this endeavor, the effects of three low-tech passively ventilated protected structures, i.e., naturally ventilated polyhouse (NVP), insect-proof screenhouse (IPS) and shade screenhouse (SHS), as well as three levels of irrigation (100%, 80% and 60% of evapotranspiration, ET) were assessed for different morpho-physiological, yield and quality traits of the cucumber in a two-year study. Among the low-tech protected structures, NVP was found superior to IPS and SHS for cucumber performance, as evidenced by distinctly higher fruit yields (i.e., 31% and 121%, respectively) arising as a result of higher fruit number/plants and mean fruit weights under NVP. The fruit yield decreased in response to the degree of water shortage in deficit irrigation across all protected structures. However, the interaction effect of the protected structure and irrigation regime reveals that plants grown under moderate deficit (MD, 20% deficit) inside NVP could provide higher yields than those obtained under well-watered (WW, 100% of ET) conditions inside IPS or SHS. Plant growth indices such as vine length, node number/plant, and shoot dry mass were also measured higher under NVP. The greater performance of cucumber under NVP was attributed to a better plant physiological status (i.e., higher photosystem II efficiency, leaf relative water content and lower leaf water potential). The water deficit increased water productivity progressively with its severity; it remained higher in NVP, as reflected by 20% and 94% higher water productivity than those recorded in IPS and SHS, respectively, across different irrigation levels. With the exception of total soluble solids and fruit dry matter content (which were recorded higher), fruit quality parameters were reduced under water deficit conditions. The findings of this study emphasize the importance of considering suitable low-tech protected structures (i.e., NVP) and irrigation levels (i.e., normal rates for higher yields and moderate deficit (−20%) for satisfactory yields) for cucumber in hot arid regions. The results provide valuable insights for growers as well as researchers aiming to increase vegetable production under harsh climates and the water-limiting conditions of arid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high atmospheric vapour pressure deficit (VPD) hinders calcium absorption in tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.), which severely reduces tomato yield, crop water productivity (WPcrop), and quality. Although reducing the VPD is effective for increasing tomato yield and water productivity, regulating the VPD is costly. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effects of VPD regulation (high VPD=2.22 kPa, low VPD=0.95 kPa) during different growth stages on tomato WPcrop, yield, and quality to identify a VPD management method that saves costs and enhances the above parameters. The results showed that the yield was significantly positively correlated with fruit calcium absorption. Decreasing the VPD during the fruit expansion stage and increasing it during the flowering stage significantly increased calcium accumulation in the fruits, thereby improving tomato WPcrop, yield, and quality. Additionally, a high VPD during the flowering stage increased stomatal conductance and mesophyll conductance, thereby increasing intercellular and chloroplast CO2 concentrations and enhancing plant photosynthetic capacity, and reduced the stem water potential, leaf water potential, and leaf relative water content, thereby increasing the water potential difference, leaf hydraulic conductance, and calcium absorption. By integrating game theory and the technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution method, a comprehensive analysis of tomato appearance, nutrients, and flavour quality revealed that growing plants under a high VPD during the seedling, flowering, and fruit ripening stages and a low VPD during the fruit expansion stage not only enhanced the comprehensive tomato quality value but also maximally reduced the humidification cost. Conclusively, controlling the environmental VPD at 2.22 kPa during the seedling, flowering, and fruit ripening stages and at 0.95 kPa during the fruit expansion stage can effectively increase tomato WPcrop, yield, and quality. This study provides a theoretical basis for the environmental regulation of high-quality, efficient, and water-conserving cultivation of greenhouse tomatoes.

Evaluating different concentrations of oxygen on lettuce physiology, growth, and biochemical assays is pivotal for optimizing the nutrient film technique (NFT), boosting yields, and enhancing resource efficiency in sustainable greenhouse cultivation. Two lettuce varieties Lactuca sativa var. Lolo Bionta (Lugano) and Lolo Rosa (Carmesi), were grown using NFT in a greenhouse for two consecutive years during the months of December and January. A comparative methodology was adopted under a randomized complete block design (RCBD) to study plant growth under three different oxygen concentration levels: natural oxygen concentrations (NOC); elevated oxygen concentrations (EOC); and elevated oxygen concentrations under LED light (380–840 nm) (LED + EOC). The plants were exposed to EOC levels of 8.1–8.7 mg L−1 in December and 8.7–9.0 mg L−1 in January. Under LED + EOC conditions, the levels were 8.2–8.3 mg L−1 in December and 8.8–9.0 mg L−1 in January. The NOC levels were 6.8–7.1 mg L−1 in December and 7.2–7.8 mg L−1 in January for Lugano and Carmesi, respectively. The applied light intensity, measured as photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), ranged from 463 to 495 µmol m−2 s−1 for the Lugano and from 465 to 490 µmol m−2 s−1 for the Carmesi. The dissolved oxygen concentration and LED light exposure under greenhouse conditions had significant effects (p < 0.05) on the plant growth parameters. The biochemical and physiological attributes, including transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, nitrate, chlorophyll, sugar contents, net photosynthesis, and respiration rates, varied significantly across different oxygen concentrations. Data were analyzed using a two-way ANOVA with post hoc Tukey’s HSD tests for significance (p < 0.05) using IBM SPSS Statistics (version 29.0.2.0). Both EOC and LED + EOC treatments significantly improved growth attributes compared to NOC in Lugano, with increases in plant height (16.04%, 0.85%), fresh mass (110.91%, 29.55%), root length (27.35%, 29.55%), and root mass (77.69%, 34.77%). For Carmesi, similar trends were observed with increases in plant height (5.64%, 13.27%), fresh mass (10.45%, 21.57%), root length (37.14%, 47.33%), and root mass (20.70%, 41.72%) under EOC and LED + EOC. In the intertreatment analysis, the effect of LED + EOC was more pronounced compared to EOC. In view of the intertreatment response, Lolo Bionta (Lugano) appeared to have a high overall horticultural performance (growth and yield in both EOC and LED + EOC compared to Lolo Rosa (Carmesi). The practical significance of these results lies in their potential to inform strategies for optimizing greenhouse environments, particularly through the manipulation of oxygen levels and light exposure. The significant increases in growth metrics, especially under the LED + EOC conditions, suggest that targeted environmental adjustments can lead to substantial improvements in lettuce yield and quality. The findings also contribute to the advancement of sustainable agricultural technologies aiming to enhance food security and sustainability.

Optimizing water use in agriculture is crucial for sustainable resource management and increased productivity. Water footprint analysis, which measures the total water used directly and indirectly throughout a product's life cycle, offers valuable insights for improving water management practices. This study investigated the gray and white water footprints of a greenhouses cultivation, bell pepper, under different conditions including misting and pot cover. Evapotranspiration rates were used to calculate water demand under various scenarios. Nitrate (NO3), potassium (K), and total phosphorus (TP) were monitored as key chemical parameters to calculate the gray water. Three scenarios including stringent (S1), normal (S2), and lenient (S3) are established based on water quality standards. The findings revealed that misting and covering pots significantly reduced the gray water footprint compared to non-misting or uncovered scenarios. The total gray water footprint for bell peppers under misting and covered conditions was 2976 m3/ton, while it reached 3968m3/ton under non-misting and uncovered conditions, this represents a reduction of nearly 33% due to the combined effect of misting and pot cover. Importantly, water quality standards also played a significant role, with stricter standards leading to a higher gray water footprint (e.g., a difference of 2655m3/ton between scenarios S1 and S3 under misting and covered conditions).The white water footprint, representing freshwater directly used for cultivation, also varied across different scenarios.

Background Stone wool is commonly used as a plant substrate in soilless cultivation and discarded after one growing season. Stone wool waste is difficult to recycle, and thus it is typically landfilled. Alkali-activation of stone wool (i.e., milling and mixing with an alkaline solution) has been shown to be a feasible way to upcycle this waste fraction into, for example, construction products. In this study, the aim was to develop recycled plant substrate from stone wool waste from greenhouses via alkali activation. Methods Waste stone wool from greenhouses was characterized by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and mixed with sodium silicate solution either directly or after ball milling. The alkali-activation process was combined with the addition of H2O2, pre-made foam, or granulation to obtain suitable porous material for the plant substrate application. Preliminary greenhouse cultivation experiments of pea (Pisum sativum) were conducted with alkali-activated stone wool mixed with peat (a weight ratio of 1:1) and fertility analysis of the mixture were conducted. Results The results indicated that the most feasible production method was to use ball-milled stone wool and to combine alkali activation with granulation. The obtained granules could reach 2.7 MPa as compressive strength while the other methods resulted in very fragile material. The preliminary greenhouse cultivation experiments revealed that there were significant levels of nutrients (Ca, P, K, and S) and alkalinity leached from the granules which hindered the growth of pea. The high P and S amounts were also confirmed by the XRF results of stone wool. Conclusions It can be concluded that the developed granules did not function well as a plant substrate for pea but could enable the re-utilization of the nutrients contained in the greenhouse stone wool waste. Moreover, their application to acidic sulfate soils could be feasible as it would utilize the alkalinity of granules.

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Walk Under the Midnight Sun is a large-scale carpet installation originally designed for the Hungarian Pavilion of the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale, part of an exhibition proposal by Fuzzy Earth design studio and BÜRO imaginaire curator collective. The project invites the public to explore the entangled historical, social and architectural relationships within greenhouse cultivation practices. The protagonist of the installation is a regionally unique capsicum cultivar, the Hungarian wax pepper, known in Hungary as the Cecei paprika. The themes of the exhibition were inspired by Fuzzy Earth’s ‘Not Quite a California Wonder’ research project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: An intuitive understanding of microbial diversity and abundances of Chinese soft-shelled turtle aquaculture is crucial to comprehending these ecosystems. Herein, the evolutionary characteristics of the bacterial communities in the Chinese soft-shelled turtle and its aquaculture water systems were investigated using Illumina MiSeq sequencing. The sequencing results revealed significant differences in the microflora compositions at the phylum and genus levels in both the intestine and aquaculture water of SSTs in greenhouse and pond culture environments. The results showed that the bacterial diversity and richness compositions in the intestinal tract and aquaculture water were the same. However, the relative abundances of bacterial communities varied. The results of this study are of great significance in understanding how the environment affects SST cultures. These data may provide valuable instructions for Chinese soft-shelled turtle aquaculture management. The microbial community structure in aquaculture water plays an important role in the intestinal microbial diversity of aquatic animals. The Chinese soft-shelled turtle (SST) (Trionyx sinensis) is an important aquaculture species of high economic value in the Asia-Pacific region. An intuitive understanding of the microbial diversity and abundances of SST aquaculture is crucial for comprehending these ecosystems. Herein, the evolutionary characteristics of the bacterial communities in the SST and its aquaculture water systems were investigated using Illumina MiSeq sequencing. This experiment sampled nine SSTs from a pond outside a greenhouse and was repeated three times. The sequencing results revealed significant differences in the microflora composition at the phylum and genus levels in both the intestine and aquaculture water of the SSTs in the greenhouse and pond aquaculture environments. A total of 1039 genera belonging to 65 phyla were identified. At the phylum level, the relative abundances of Chloroflexi (24%), Acidobacteria (5%), and Nitrospira (3%) were higher in the greenhouse water than in the pond water. The relative abundances of Bacteroidetes (35%), Actinobacteria (8%), and Cyanobacteria (4%) were higher in the pond water than in the greenhouse water. The intestinal microorganisms in the SSTs experienced significant changes after the SSTs were transferred from a greenhouse culture to a pond culture environment for 28 days. After the SSTs were cultured in the ponds, we observed decreases in the relative abundances of Actinobacteria (39% to 25%), Cyanobacteria (24% to 0.8%), Chlorobacteria (9% to 3%), and Firmicutes (5.5% to 0.8%. However, we observed increases in the relative abundances of Bacteroidetes (2% to 35%) and Acidobacteria (0.3% to 25%). These results showed that the bacterial diversity and richness compositions in the intestinal tract and aquaculture water were the same. However, the relative abundances of bacterial communities varied. The results of this study are of great significance in understanding how the environment affects SST cultures. These data may provide valuable instructions for Chinese soft-shelled turtle aquaculture management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water scarcity is a concern of the agricultural industry as it uses four fifths of the of the total fresh water consumed for irrigation and two thirds of the total used for human consumption. For this reason, the development of systems that optimize the use of water in irrigation is essential. In the greenhouses of the UEB "Valle del Yabú" of the Santa Clara municipality, irrigation is carried out using a drip-based system that requires the presence of an operator for decisionmaking who does not have information about some of the hydrometeorological variables that govern the crop. This paper focused on to design a support system for decision-making in irrigation based on machine learning. As an important parameter of the system, the evapotranspiration coefficient of the crop is calculated using the Turc formula. The collected environmental data is conditioned and linear regression, regressive random forests, and gradient-boosted trees regression models are trained with them to determine future evapotranspiration values using the Apache Spark framework. The model that obtained the best results was the regressive random forest with a coefficient of determination (r2) of 0,79 and with it the volume of water lost by the crop is calculated. Finally, the system was able to provide the estimates of both variables, which favour decision-making by specialists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cherries are rich in nutrients and have high economic benefits from their wide range of applications in the food industry and drug development. To save the use of water resources and, at the same time, to get the optimal crop economic efficiency, the study was conducted on the greenhouse cultivation of cherries, taking into account transpiration, to calculate the amount of irrigation in order to get the best yield and quality of cherries and at the same time to consume the least amount of water resources. Firstly, greenhouse transpiration and the factors affecting it were tested. The results showed that cherry transpiration varied rapidly at higher ambient humidity in the room with daily transpiration variations kept within 150 g. The cherries were able to maintain a low level of transpiration when the average daily relative air humidity was greater than 80%. The irrigation amount was then calculated according to the daily transpiration of cherries. The results showed that the yield was 2.83 kg/plant in 120% daily transpiration treatment, which was 23.9%, 11.1%, and 3.2% higher than that in 80%, 100%, and 140% treatments, respectively. 80% transpiration treatment had the highest water utilization efficiency of 39.6 kg/m³, while the lowest irrigation water utilization efficiency was 26.9 kg/m³ in 140% transpiration treatment. The study demonstrated that irrigation at 120% evapotranspiration resulted in the best fruit quality, while 140% evapotranspiration treatment resulted in the lowest total fruit quantity and quality. The findings not only provided a scientific basis for irrigation management of cherry, but also might provide a valuable reference for irrigation research of other crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] The influence of different species of bees on the pollination of passion fruit cultured in greenhouse was analyzed so as to provide a scientific reference for promoting sustainable development of passion fruit industry. [Method] Greenhouse cultured passion fruit variety ‘Jindu Baixiang No.3’ was used as the test material, the pollination performances of Apis mellifera ligustica pollination ( MP),A.cerana cerana pollination ( CP) and Bombus terrestris pollination ( BP) were observed on sunny and rainy days, and the fruit-bearing rate, number of single fruit seeds, single fruit weight, quality ingredient content and other indicators were investigated. [Result] The passion fruit bloomed at about 12:00 in sunny days, with a delay of about 36.00 minutes in rainy days.The anther flip was completed prior to the stigma drooped.At 14:00 in sunny days or 15:00 in rainy days, the stigma was close to the same plane of the anther, which was the best time for bees to pollinate.The average numbers of single-fruit seeds pollinated by MP in sunny and rainy days were 193.91 and 181.93 grains, respectively, which were the best among the treatments.In sunny days, the average fruit sitting rate in MP,CP and AP treatments was more than 99.0%.In rainy days, the average fruit sitting rate in MP treatment was 29.63% and 154.60% higher than that of CP and BP respectively and reached extremely significant level ( P＜0.01,the same as below) .The average single fruit weight in MP in sunny days was 107.71 g, which was 29.4%,26.5% and 29.3% higher than that in AP,CP and BP,respectively.In rainy days, average single fruit weight in MP was 104.78 g, which was 23.1% and 32.8% higher as compared with AP and CP respectively and reached extremely significant level.In sunny and rainy days, the average soluble solid contents in MP were 15.21% and 14.87%,which were higher than those in CP and AP.The average total sugar content in MP was higher than CP, BP and artificial pollination, and average total acid was lower than CP. [Conclusion] Under sunny and rainy weather conditions, the fruit sitting rate, single fruit seed number, single fruit weight and fruit quality of ‘Jindu Baixiang No.3’ pollinated by MP are better than those pollinated by CP, BP and artificial pollination to some extents.Therefore, MP can be used as an efficient bee pollination medium alternative to AP in passion fruit production in greenhouse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction The physical properties of soil are essential because of their role in supporting plant growth. These characteristics determine how the plant interacts with the soil, absorption of water and nutrients, root penetration, soil temperature, and the activity of microorganisms. Among the physical properties of soil, soil texture has a significant impact. On the other hand, with the increase in the population and the pharmaceutical industry's need for medicinal plants as the primary raw material for drug production, attention and research on the Lippia citriodora plant are essential. L. citriodora is effective in treating colds, asthma, colic, fever, diarrhea, dyspepsia, insomnia, and anxiety. L. citriodora tea is relaxing and soothing to the nerves. Its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects have been proven. Plants containing essential oil, such as L. citriodora may differ in yield and quality of oil according to the type of soil texture, so in order to achieve the highest yield of essential oil and the best quality, the soil should be adapted to the type and needs of the plant for better growth and development be provided. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to investigate the effects of different soil textures on the growth and development and the amount of essential oil of L. citriodora in greenhouse conditions. Materials and MethodsThis research has been carried out in pots in the research greenhouse of Yazd University in the crop year of 2017-2018. The experiment was conducted as a randomized complete block design in three replications for five months. Plastic pots with drains of 18 heights, opening diameter of 17 cm, and drain diameter of one cm were used for growing seedlings. The pots with different soil textures (loamy, sandy loam, sand, and silty clay loam) based on the calculation of the weight percent of soil moisture at the field capacity (FC) were irrigated. The length of the stem and roots were measured with a ruler with mm accuracy. A caliper was used to measure the thickness of the stem. The samples of shoots and roots were kept in an oven at 70 °C for 48 hr. A digital scale with an accuracy of 0.001 gr was used to measure the dry weight of the shoots and roots of the plants. In order to measure the root volume after separating and washing the roots, the roots of each replicate were placed inside a graded cylinder with a certain amount of water, and the volume of the root was measured in mm based on the change in the water volume inside the cylinder. To measure the plant leaf surface, five leaves of different sizes were randomly separated from each repetition and different parts of the plant, and using the ADC Bioscienticltd model (AM200) device, the total surface size of each of five leaves was measured in each repetition. The essential oil of L. citriodora was extracted by distillation method with water from a Cloninger machine. In this way, in order to increase the contact surface of the water with the plant in the process of extracting essential oils, first the dry leaves of the L. citriodora, were turned into powder by an electric mill and immediately transferred into a 2000 ml flask, then 500 ml of water was added to it. After boiling in water for three hr, the heat source was cut off and the resulting essential oil was poured into opaque glass containers and stored in a refrigerator at 4 °C. To check the statistical effects of each treatment on the study variables, the normality of the data was checked using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test at the 95% confidence level. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was also used and Duncan's test was applied to compare means. Pearson's correlation method was performed to check the correlation between soil texture and measured traits. Results and Discussion The results showed the significant effects of soil type on the amount of L. citriodora essential oil (P≤0.001). It has shown significant effects on plant height and root volume (P≤0.01) and on the thickness of the stem, the number of leaves per plant and the dry weight of the leaves (P≤0.05). While on some other traits, such as the number of plant branches, fresh weight of aerial parts, fresh weight of leaves, leaf area, root length fresh and dry weight of roots, no significant difference was observed. The results of Pearson's correlation coefficients showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between different soil textures and measured traits. The highest correlation for root length and leaf area was observed with coefficient of 0.89 and 0.80, respectively (P≤0.01). The results of the mean comparison showed that the highest length of the plant was in loamy texture and the lowest was related to silty clay loam texture, the highest number of leaves and dry matter in the aerial part was reported as well as root volume related to loamy texture. To investigate the effect of soil texture on the percentage of essential oil of L. citriodora showed that the highest percentage of essential oil is in silty clay loam texture and, the lowest percentage is related to sandy soil texture. Conclusion The results of investigating the effect of different soil textures on the morphological characteristics of L. citriodora medicinal plant showed that the maximum amount of stem thickness, number of leaves per plant, dry leaf weight, plant height, shoot dry weight, and root volume in L. citriodora was in sandy loam soil texture. Moreover, the highest percentage of essential oil is in silty clay loam texture and the lowest percentage is related to sandy soil texture. According to the obtained results, the L. citriodora plant needs a medium amount of nutrients for growth and development. Since the number of leaves produced by the L. citriodora plant in loam and sandy loam soil texture was more than in other textures. Therefore, it can be concluded that the performance of L. citriodora medicinal plant for producing essential oil in each plant is higher in loamy and sandy loam soils.

The limited availability of peer-reviewed scientific evidence in the cannabis industry has led many companies to rely on techniques derived from non-peer-reviewed sources for their practices. This study begins by examining the literature on the cultivation of C. sativa, investigating optimal conditions and their effects on growth, and characterising the requirements for greenhouse monitoring and control. A systematic review of current technological approaches is then conducted. The review demonstrates that technology-based control of greenhouse environments has the potential to surpass manual or traditional rule-based management techniques by reducing costs and increasing yields. However, the adoption of these technologies is impeded by the lack of publicly available labelled data on growth, pest and disease, environmental, and yield data of multiple indoor cultivation cycles. Currently, much of the research in this field is conducted privately by companies in the cannabis industry. This study recognises substantial gaps in research surrounding C. sativa cultivation and emphasises the opportunity for new research to address the absence of available C. sativa datasets and peer-reviewed scientific studies outside of private endeavours.

“Autonomous fruit set” refers to self-pollination and fruit set without pollen vectors such as vibration or insects. Autonomous fruit set under high-temperature stress is an important breeding goal as climate change can reduce fruit yields in Capsicum. We screened Capsicum cultivars for autonomous fruit set ability in a greenhouse environment and investigated pollen germination, viability, pollen grains number, chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm), style length, anther cone length, and anthesis stage under high temperatures in order to identify indicator traits for screening more genotypes with autonomous fruit set ability. The fruit set of the ‘Takanotsume’ (57.7 ± 20.6%) and ‘Goshiki Kyokko’ (52.2 ± 14.2%) cultivars (both C. annuum) were higher than those of other cultivars. Correlation analysis showed that pollen germination had the highest correlation with fruit set in C. annuum cultivars (r = 0.63). These results indicate that ‘Takanotsume’ and ‘Goshiki Kyokko’ are useful cultivars for novel breeding programs focusing on autonomous fruit sets under high temperatures, and pollen germination in C. annuum was a convincing candidate for an indicator trait of autonomous fruit set ability under high temperatures.

Today, the economic value of agricultural products has increased, and the correct and sustainable use of agricultural lands has gained importance. In the Goksu Delta, which is one of the important agricultural areas of Turkey, agricultural changes are experienced due to climate changes, commercialization and use of technology. In this study, it is aimed to explain the changes experienced in terms of area and product pattern, their reasons and results. To this end; Secondary data were obtained and data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Spatial change ArcGIS and Google Earth; climate changes were determined by trend analysis. According to the findings; It has been determined that there has not been a great change in the area of agricultural lands in the delta in the last 30 years, but agricultural lands have been relocated. While agricultural areas narrowed in the northern borders and inner parts of the delta, they expanded towards the coasts. The increase in agricultural enterprises and production for export, the development of logistics, and climate changes have caused changes in the meaning of agricultural products in the delta, and traditional products such as citrus, sesame, and sainfoin have been replaced by strawberries and tropical fruits. Increase in first production and tropical crop production; Disasters such as frost, hail and storms have led farmers to greenhouse cultivation.

ABSTRACT The tomato target spot caused by Corynespora cassiicola may have an important economic impact on tomato production in tropical regions. The objective of this work was to study the effect of different colored plastic films on tomato target spot severity, gas-exchange, and fruit yield. Disease severity, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, relative chlorophyll content and fruit yield were evaluated in tomato, grown in individual mini-greenhouses covered with transparent plastic films of different colors (clear, red, blue, green, and yellow). At the beginning of the target spot epidemic, the plants under red and blue covers had lower leaf disease infection than those under other colored films (p = 0.013). However, as the disease progressed over time, the effect of the colored films on disease severity become non-significant (p = 0.82), and at the end of the experimental period, the target spot infection was about 70% in all treatments. Photosynthetic rates, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate were not affected by the plastic film covers; neither the fruit number or fruit production. This study showed that colored films may reduce the infection by target spot, but only in the early stages of disease development (up to ~2% severity).

The study aims to investigate the effect of nozzle diameter size and pressure on the angle and flow rate of the spray nozzle in greenhouse cultivation. The misting system is a new method that is used to provide humidity and reduce the temperature of the greenhouse environment. The study used a factorial experiment in a randomized completely block design (RCBD) to investigate and compare the effect of pressure at three levels of 20, 40, and 60 bar on three types of fog sprayers (nozzle type of 0.05, 0.04, and 0.03) on the quality of spray pattern and particle distribution. The results of the analysis of variance showed that the treatments of spray type, pressure, and interaction of both treatments had a significant difference at the level of 1%. The highest spray angle of 84.93° is related to the pressure of 60 bar, and the lowest spray angle of 71.27° is related to the pressure of 20 bar. The pressure was directly related to the spray angle, and increasing the pressure increased the spray angle in the nozzle. The study also found that the best pressure in the new nozzle for the frequency distribution contour is 40 bar, and the new nozzle contours show that this type of nozzle has increased the uniformity of spraying. Overall, the findings suggest that controlling humidity and temperature in the greenhouse through the use of misting systems and optimized nozzle design can improve the speed and uniformity of plant growth and increase the quality and quantity of plant production in greenhouse cultivation.

Understanding how cherry tomatoes respond to variations in greenhouse microclimate is crucial for optimizing tomato production in a controlled environment. The present study delves into the intricate relationship between summer-grown cherry tomatoes (Cheramy F1) and greenhouse conditions, exploring the influence of these conditions on growth attributes, inflorescence development, and yield potential. The aim of the study was to characterize the chronology of reproductive events, specifically flowering and fruit stages, in correlation with the prevailing greenhouse climate during the development of the first ten inflorescences on the plant. The performance of each inflorescence has been ranked based on available data, which involve a comparative analysis of both the time duration (number of days) and the frequency of yield-contributing traits, specifically the total number of flowers at the anthesis stage. The duration of each stage required for completion was recorded and presented as a productivity rate factor. Greenhouse conditions exhibited variations during the vegetative and reproductive stages, respectively, as follows: temperature - 25.1 °C and 21.33 °C, CO2 levels - 484.85 ppm and 458.85 ppm, light intensity - 367.94 W/m2 and 349.52 W/m2, and humidity - 73.23% and 89.73%. The collected data conclusively demonstrated a substantial impact of greenhouse microclimate on plant growth, productivity, and inflorescence development. The development of flowers and fruit has been categorized into five stages: the fruit bud stage (FB), the anthesis stage (AS), the fruit setting stage (FS), the fruit maturation stage (FM), and the fruit ripening stage (FR). An irregular productivity and development response was noted across the first (close to roots) to the tenth inflorescence. Inflorescence 5 demonstrated the highest overall performance, followed by inflorescence numbers 4 and 6. The study findings provide valuable insights for enhancing greenhouse operations, emphasizing the improvement of both the yield and growth of cherry tomatoes while promoting environmental sustainability. A statistical analysis of variance was used to rigorously examine the presented results, conducted at a confidence level of p < 0.05.

Water scarcity and climate variability impede the realization of satisfactory vegetable yields in arid regions. It is imperative to delve into high-productivity and water-use-efficient protected cultivation systems for the sustained supply of vegetables in harsh arid climates. A strenuous effort was made to find suitable protected structures and levels of irrigation for greenhouse cucumber production in hot arid zones of India. In this endeavor, the effects of three low-tech passively ventilated protected structures, i.e., naturally ventilated polyhouse (NVP), insect-proof screenhouse (IPS) and shade screenhouse (SHS), as well as three levels of irrigation (100%, 80% and 60% of evapotranspiration, ET) were assessed for different morpho-physiological, yield and quality traits of the cucumber in a two-year study. Among the low-tech protected structures, NVP was found superior to IPS and SHS for cucumber performance, as evidenced by distinctly higher fruit yields (i.e., 31% and 121%, respectively) arising as a result of higher fruit number/plants and mean fruit weights under NVP. The fruit yield decreased in response to the degree of water shortage in deficit irrigation across all protected structures. However, the interaction effect of the protected structure and irrigation regime reveals that plants grown under moderate deficit (MD, 20% deficit) inside NVP could provide higher yields than those obtained under well-watered (WW, 100% of ET) conditions inside IPS or SHS. Plant growth indices such as vine length, node number/plant, and shoot dry mass were also measured higher under NVP. The greater performance of cucumber under NVP was attributed to a better plant physiological status (i.e., higher photosystem II efficiency, leaf relative water content and lower leaf water potential). The water deficit increased water productivity progressively with its severity; it remained higher in NVP, as reflected by 20% and 94% higher water productivity than those recorded in IPS and SHS, respectively, across different irrigation levels. With the exception of total soluble solids and fruit dry matter content (which were recorded higher), fruit quality parameters were reduced under water deficit conditions. The findings of this study emphasize the importance of considering suitable low-tech protected structures (i.e., NVP) and irrigation levels (i.e., normal rates for higher yields and moderate deficit (−20%) for satisfactory yields) for cucumber in hot arid regions. The results provide valuable insights for growers as well as researchers aiming to increase vegetable production under harsh climates and the water-limiting conditions of arid regions.

Introduction The physical properties of soil are essential because of their role in supporting plant growth. These characteristics determine how the plant interacts with the soil, absorption of water and nutrients, root penetration, soil temperature, and the activity of microorganisms. Among the physical properties of soil, soil texture has a significant impact. On the other hand, with the increase in the population and the pharmaceutical industry's need for medicinal plants as the primary raw material for drug production, attention and research on the Lippia citriodora plant are essential. L. citriodora is effective in treating colds, asthma, colic, fever, diarrhea, dyspepsia, insomnia, and anxiety. L. citriodora tea is relaxing and soothing to the nerves. Its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects have been proven. Plants containing essential oil, such as L. citriodora may differ in yield and quality of oil according to the type of soil texture, so in order to achieve the highest yield of essential oil and the best quality, the soil should be adapted to the type and needs of the plant for better growth and development be provided. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to investigate the effects of different soil textures on the growth and development and the amount of essential oil of L. citriodora in greenhouse conditions. Materials and Methods This research has been carried out in pots in the research greenhouse of Yazd University in the crop year of 2017-2018. The experiment was conducted as a randomized complete block design in three replications for five months. Plastic pots with drains of 18 heights, opening diameter of 17 cm, and drain diameter of one cm were used for growing seedlings. The pots with different soil textures (loamy, sandy loam, sand, and silty clay loam) based on the calculation of the weight percent of soil moisture at the field capacity (FC) were irrigated. The length of the stem and roots were measured with a ruler with mm accuracy. A caliper was used to measure the thickness of the stem. The samples of shoots and roots were kept in an oven at 70 °C for 48 hr. A digital scale with an accuracy of 0.001 gr was used to measure the dry weight of the shoots and roots of the plants. In order to measure the root volume after separating and washing the roots, the roots of each replicate were placed inside a graded cylinder with a certain amount of water, and the volume of the root was measured in mm based on the change in the water volume inside the cylinder. To measure the plant leaf surface, five leaves of different sizes were randomly separated from each repetition and different parts of the plant, and using the ADC Bioscienticltd model (AM200) device, the total surface size of each of five leaves was measured in each repetition. The essential oil of L. citriodora was extracted by distillation method with water from a Cloninger machine. In this way, in order to increase the contact surface of the water with the plant in the process of extracting essential oils, first the dry leaves of the L. citriodora, were turned into powder by an electric mill and immediately transferred into a 2000 ml flask, then 500 ml of water was added to it. After boiling in water for three hr, the heat source was cut off and the resulting essential oil was poured into opaque glass containers and stored in a refrigerator at 4 °C. To check the statistical effects of each treatment on the study variables, the normality of the data was checked using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test at the 95% confidence level. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was also used and Duncan's test was applied to compare means. Pearson's correlation method was performed to check the correlation between soil texture and measured traits. Results and Discussion The results showed the significant effects of soil type on the amount of L. citriodora essential oil (P≤0.001). It has shown significant effects on plant height and root volume (P≤0.01) and on the thickness of the stem, the number of leaves per plant and the dry weight of the leaves (P≤0.05). While on some other traits, such as the number of plant branches, fresh weight of aerial parts, fresh weight of leaves, leaf area, root length fresh and dry weight of roots, no significant difference was observed. The results of Pearson's correlation coefficients showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between different soil textures and measured traits. The highest correlation for root length and leaf area was observed with coefficient of 0.89 and 0.80, respectively (P≤0.01). The results of the mean comparison showed that the highest length of the plant was in loamy texture and the lowest was related to silty clay loam texture, the highest number of leaves and dry matter in the aerial part was reported as well as root volume related to loamy texture. To investigate the effect of soil texture on the percentage of essential oil of L. citriodora showed that the highest percentage of essential oil is in silty clay loam texture and, the lowest percentage is related to sandy soil texture. Conclusion The results of investigating the effect of different soil textures on the morphological characteristics of L. citriodora medicinal plant showed that the maximum amount of stem thickness, number of leaves per plant, dry leaf weight, plant height, shoot dry weight, and root volume in L. citriodora was in sandy loam soil texture. Moreover, the highest percentage of essential oil is in silty clay loam texture and the lowest percentage is related to sandy soil texture. According to the obtained results, the L. citriodora plant needs a medium amount of nutrients for growth and development. Since the number of leaves produced by the L. citriodora plant in loam and sandy loam soil texture was more than in other textures. Therefore, it can be concluded that the performance of L. citriodora medicinal plant for producing essential oil in each plant is higher in loamy and sandy loam soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With growing urbanization and agriculture, the quantity of sewage sludge production increases every year. For the purpose of risk management, it is crucial to figure out how much heavy metals are transported to different parts of plants when sewage sludge is used. A greenhouse experiment was carried out to investigate the accumulation of heavy metals in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown in 30 calcareous soils. The soils in this study were subjected to three different treatments: soils treated with sewage sludge at a rate of 2.5%, soils treated with sewage sludge at a rate of 2.5% and enriched with heavy metals, and control soils that received neither sewage sludge nor heavy metals. Wheat grown in sewage sludge-treated soils had the highest mean dry matter, and was 2.11 and 1.25 times greater than wheat grown in control and spiked-sewage sludge-treated soils, respectively. In all treatments, wheat roots had greater heavy metal levels than wheat shoots. Among all the heavy metals examined, Pb and Cu had the highest bioconcentration factors for roots and shoots (BCFRoots and BCFShoots) in control and sewage sludge-treated soils, followed by Cd in spiked-sewage sludge-treated soils, and Co and Ni had the lowest BCFRoots and BCFShoots across all treatments. In spiked-sewage sludge-treated soils, the root restriction for heavy metals translocation was more important for Co, Cu, and Ni than for Pb and Zn, indicating that wheat can be grown safely in a variety of calcareous soils amended with sewage sludge with high content of Cd, Co, Cu, and Ni. Reducing the transfer of Pb and Zn from soils to wheat in soils treated with sewage sludge yet having high concentrations of these heavy metals should be considered as a top priority strategy for preserving wheat products. Since a wide range of calcareous soils was used in this study and because calcareous soils make up the majority of soils in the Middle East, the findings are relevant for all of the countries in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Autonomous fruit set" refers to self-pollination and fruit set without pollen vectors such as vibration or insects. Autonomous fruit set under high-temperature stress is an important breeding goal as climate change can reduce fruit yields in Capsicum. We screened Capsicum cultivars for autonomous fruit set ability in a greenhouse environment and investigated pollen germination, viability, pollen grains number, chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm), style length, anther cone length, and anthesis stage under high temperatures in order to identify indicator traits for screening more genotypes with autonomous fruit set ability. The fruit set of the 'Takanotsume' (57.7 ± 20.6%) and 'Goshiki Kyokko' (52.2 ± 14.2%) cultivars (both C. annuum) were higher than those of other cultivars. Correlation analysis showed that pollen germination had the highest correlation with fruit set in C. annuum cultivars (r = 0.63). These results indicate that 'Takanotsume' and 'Goshiki Kyokko' are useful cultivars for novel breeding programs focusing on autonomous fruit sets under high temperatures, and pollen germination in C. annuum was a convincing candidate for an indicator trait of autonomous fruit set ability under high temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light composition modulates plant growth and defenses, thus influencing plant–pathogen interactions. We investigated the effects of different light-emitting diode (LED) red (R) (665 nm) and blue (B) (470 nm) light combinations on Actinidia chinensis performance by evaluating biometric parameters, chlorophyll a fluorescence, gas exchange and photosynthesis-related gene expression. Moreover, the influence of light on the infection by Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa), the etiological agent of bacterial canker of kiwifruit, was investigated. Our study shows that 50%R–50%B (50R) and 25%R–75%B (25R) lead to the highest PSII efficiency and photosynthetic rate, but are the least effective in controlling the endophytic colonization of the host by Psa. Monochromatic red light severely reduced ΦPSII, ETR, Pn, TSS and photosynthesis-related genes expression, and both monochromatic lights lead to a reduction of DW and pigments content. Monochromatic blue light was the only treatment significantly reducing disease symptoms but did not reduce bacterial endophytic population. Our results suggest that monochromatic blue light reduces infection primarily by modulating Psa virulence more than host plant defenses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protected cultivation is gaining momentum in (semi) arid regions to ameliorate the adverse environmental impacts on vegetable crops, besides ensuring high resource use efficiency in resource-limiting environments. Among the less techno-intensive protected cultivation structures, naturally ventilated polyhouses (NVP), insect-proof net houses (IPN) and shade net houses (SNH) are commercial structures in India. With the aim to find the best-protected structure, together with optimum irrigation level, for high yield and water productivity of the tomato crop, the most popular crop in hot arid regions, we evaluated tomato performance in low-tech protected structures (NVP, IPN and SNH) in interaction with three irrigation levels (100, 80 and 60% of crop evapotranspiration, ETc) during spring–summer of 2019 and 2020. The NVP was found superior to both the net house structures (IPN and SNH) for different performance indicators of tomatoes under investigation. The components of plant growth (leaf and stem dry mass) and fruit yield (fruit size, weight, yield), as well as fruit quality (total soluble solids, fruit dry matter and lycopene content) were higher in NVP, regardless of irrigation level. The yield as well as water productivity were significantly higher in NVP at 100% ETc. However, there was no statistical variation for water productivity between NVP and IPN. Microclimate parameters (temperature, relative humidity and photosynthetic active radiation) were markedly more congenial for tomato cultivation in NVP followed by IPN in relation to SNH. Consequently, plants' physiological functioning with higher leaf relative water content (RWC) and lower leaf water potential concomitantly with better photosynthetic efficiency (chlorophyll fluorescence, Fv/Fm), was in NVP and IPN. Most growth and yield attributes were depressed with the decrease in water application rates; hence, deficit irrigation in these low-tech protected structures is not feasible. For tomato cultivation in resource-scarce arid regions, the combination of the normal rate of irrigation (100% ETc) and NVP was optimal for gaining high yield as well as water productivity as compared to net houses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The microbial community structure in aquaculture water plays an important role in the intestinal microbial diversity of aquatic animals. The Chinese soft-shelled turtle (SST) (Trionyx sinensis) is an important aquaculture species of high economic value in the Asia-Pacific region. An intuitive understanding of the microbial diversity and abundances of SST aquaculture is crucial for comprehending these ecosystems. Herein, the evolutionary characteristics of the bacterial communities in the SST and its aquaculture water systems were investigated using Illumina MiSeq sequencing. This experiment sampled nine SSTs from a pond outside a greenhouse and was repeated three times. The sequencing results revealed significant differences in the microflora composition at the phylum and genus levels in both the intestine and aquaculture water of the SSTs in the greenhouse and pond aquaculture environments. A total of 1039 genera belonging to 65 phyla were identified. At the phylum level, the relative abundances of Chloroflexi (24%), Acidobacteria (5%), and Nitrospira (3%) were higher in the greenhouse water than in the pond water. The relative abundances of Bacteroidetes (35%), Actinobacteria (8%), and Cyanobacteria (4%) were higher in the pond water than in the greenhouse water. The intestinal microorganisms in the SSTs experienced significant changes after the SSTs were transferred from a greenhouse culture to a pond culture environment for 28 days. After the SSTs were cultured in the ponds, we observed decreases in the relative abundances of Actinobacteria (39% to 25%), Cyanobacteria (24% to 0.8%), Chlorobacteria (9% to 3%), and Firmicutes (5.5% to 0.8%. However, we observed increases in the relative abundances of Bacteroidetes (2% to 35%) and Acidobacteria (0.3% to 25%). These results showed that the bacterial diversity and richness compositions in the intestinal tract and aquaculture water were the same. However, the relative abundances of bacterial communities varied. The results of this study are of great significance in understanding how the environment affects SST cultures. These data may provide valuable instructions for Chinese soft-shelled turtle aquaculture management.

The tomato target spot caused by Corynespora cassiicola may have an important economic impact on tomato production in tropical regions. The objective of this work was to study the effect of different colored plastic films on tomato target spot severity, gas-exchange, and fruit yield. Disease severity, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, relative chlorophyll content and fruit yield were evaluated in tomato, grown in individual minigreenhouses covered with transparent plastic films of different colors (clear, red, blue, green, and yellow). At the beginning of the target spot epidemic, the plants under red and blue covers had lower leaf disease infection than those under other colored films (p = 0.013). However, as the disease progressed over time, the effect of the colored films on disease severity become non-significant (p = 0.82), and at the end of the experimental period, the target spot infection was about 70% in all treatments. Photosynthetic rates, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate were not affected by the plastic film covers; neither the fruit number or fruit production. This study showed that colored films may reduce the infection by target spot, but only in the early stages of disease development (up to -2% severity). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The indigenous territory of Zinacantán, Chiapas, was transformed beginning in the 1980s by the introduction of greenhouse flower cultivation. This technology displaced the ancestral practice of growing corn in plots, which meant that families had to invest more time in their new livelihood. Flower production increased their income, leading to changes in their diet. A problem that arose from intensive flower production was a shortage of water for human consumption and health problems due to the use of agrochemicals. The objective of our research was to show how these changes in agriculture, food, and environmental problems are intertwined. Our methodology was based on the qualitative method supported by ethnographic descriptions. We conducted thirty surveys with parents of households and eight semi-structured interviews, in addition to using social mapping and satellite imagery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]