Evaluation of management practices in rice-wheat cropping system using multicriteria decision-making methods in conservation agriculture.

In this study, we employed two multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods, namely the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and the Analytic Hierarchic Process (AHP), to determine the best management choice for the cultivation of wheat with a regime of conservation agriculture (CA) practices. By combining alternative tillage approaches, such as reduced tillage and zero tillage, with the quantity of crop residues and fertilizer application, we were able to develop the regime of CA practices. The performance of the regimes compared to the conventional ones was then evaluated using conflicting parameters relating to energy use, economics, agronomy, plant protection, and soil science. TOPSIS assigned a grade to each alternative based on how close it was to the ideal solution and how far away it was from the negative ideal solution. However, employing AHP, we determined the weights of each of the main and sub-parameters used for this study using pairwise comparison. With TOPSIS, we found ZERO1 (0% residue + 100% NPK) followed by ZERO4 (50%residue + 100% NPK), and ZERO2 (100% residue + 50% NPK) were the best performing tillage-based alternatives. To best optimize the performance of wheat crops under various CA regimes, TOPSIS assisted the decision-makers in distinguishing the effects of the parameters on the outcome and identifying the potential for maneuvering the weak links. The outcomes of this investigation could be used to improve management techniques for wheat production with CA practices for upscaling among the farmers.

Vertical farming for lettuce production in limited space: a case study in Northern Thailand.

Background: Greenhouse vertical farming under natural sunlight is an alternative farming technique that grows crops in a stacking column and extends in a vertical direction. Sunlight availability is one of the crucial factors for crop development in vertical farming. Therefore, this investigation aimed to examine the effect of sunlight availability on lettuce growth and yields at different levels of vertical shelves. Methods: Six shelves were constructed with three levels: upper, middle and lower levels. Lettuces (Lactuca sativa L.) as 'Baby Cos' and 'Green Oak' at 14 days after sowing were planted on the three levels. The photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) was recorded, and the PPFD values were then converted to the daily light integral (DLI). Plant height and canopy width were measured three times at 14, 21 and 28 days after transplanting. At maturity, fresh weight (FW) was directly monitored after harvest. Results: The results showed that the highest PPFD and DLI values were found at the upper level (PPFD 697 µmol m-2 s-1 and DLI 29 mol m-2 d-1) in comparison to the middle (PPFD 391 µmol m-2 s-1 and DLI 16 mol m-2 d-1) and lower (PPFD 322 µmol m-2 s-1 and DLI 13 mol m-2 d-1) levels. The lowest plant height and canopy width values were observed on the upper levels for both lettuce varieties during the three measurement dates. The middle ('Baby Cos' = 123.8 g plant-1 and 'Green Oak' = 190.7 g plant-1) and lower ('Baby Cos' = 92.9 g plant-1 and 'Green Oak' = 203.7 g plant-1) levels had the higher values of FW in comparison to the upper level ('Baby Cos' = 84.5 g plant-1 and 'Green Oak' = 97.3 g plant-1). The values of light use efficiency (LUE) showed an increased trend from the upper to lower levels in both varieties, with values of 'Baby Cos' of 0.10 g mol-1 in the upper level, 0.28 g mol-1 in the middle level and 0.26 g mol-1 in the lower level and 'Green Oak' of 0.12 g mol-1 in the upper level, 0.44 g mol-1 in the middle level and 0.57 g mol-1 in the lower level. The findings of the study indicated the viability of utilizing vertical shelves for lettuce production.

The endophytic fungal community plays a crucial role in the resistance of host plants to necrotic bacterial pathogens.

Konjac species (Amorphophallus spp.) are the only plant species in the world that are rich in a large amount of konjac glucomannan (KGM). These plants are widely cultivated as cash crops in tropical and subtropical countries in Asia, including China. Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum (Pcc) is one of the most destructive bacterial pathogens of konjac. Here, we analyzed the interactions between Pcc and susceptible and resistant konjac species from multiple perspectives. At the transcriptional and metabolic levels, the susceptible species A. konjac and resistant species A. muelleri exhibit similar molecular responses, activating plant hormone signaling pathways and metabolizing defense compounds such as phenylpropanoids and flavonoids to resist infection. Interestingly, we found that Pcc stress can lead to rapid recombination of endophytic microbial communities within a very short period (96 h). Under conditions of bacterial pathogen infection, the relative abundance of most bacterial communities in konjac tissue decreased sharply compared with that in healthy plants, while the relative abundance of some beneficial fungal communities increased significantly. The relative abundance of Cladosporium increased significantly in both kinds of infected konjac compared to that in healthy plants, and the relative abundance in resistant A. muelleri plants was greater than that in susceptible A. konjac plants. Among the isolated cultivable microorganisms, all three strains of Cladosporium strongly inhibited Pcc growth. Our results further elucidate the potential mechanism underlying konjac resistance to Pcc infection, highlighting the important role of endophytic microbial communities in resisting bacterial pathogen infections, especially the more direct role of fungal communities in inhibiting pathogen growth.

Comparative Genomic Analysis of PEBP Genes in Cucurbits Explores the Interactors of Cucumber CsPEBPs Related to Flowering Time.

The family of phosphatidylethanolamine-binding proteins (PEBPs) participates in various plant biological processes, mainly flowering regulation and seed germination. In cucurbit crops, several PEBP genes have been recognized to be responsible for flowering time. However, the investigation of PEBP family members across the genomes of cucurbit species has not been reported, and their conservation and divergence in structure and function remain largely unclear. Herein, PEBP genes were identified from seven cucurbit crops and were used to perform a comparative genomics analysis. The cucurbit PEBP proteins could be classified into MFT, FT, TFL, and PEBP clades, and further, the TFL clade was divided into BFT-like, CEN-like, and TFL1-like subclades. The MFT-like, FT-like, and TFL-like proteins were clearly distinguished by a critical amino acid residue at the 85th position of the Arabidopsis FT protein. In gene expression analysis, CsaPEBP1 was highly expressed in flowers, and its expression levels in females and males were 70.5 and 89.2 times higher, respectively, than those in leaves. CsaPEBP5, CsaPEBP6, and CsaPEBP7 were specifically expressed in male flowers, with expression levels 58.1, 17.3, and 15.7 times higher, respectively, than those of leaves. At least five CsaPEBP genes exhibited the highest expression during the later stages of corolla opening. Through clustering of time-series-based RNA-seq data, several potential transcription factors (TFs) interacting with four CsaPEBPs were identified during cucumber corolla opening. Because of the tandem repeats of binding sites in promoters, NF-YB (Csa4G037610) and GATA (Csa7G64580) TFs appeared to be better able to regulate the CsaPEBP2 and CsaPEBP5 genes, respectively. This study would provide helpful information for further investigating the roles of PEBP genes and their interacting TFs in growth and development processes, such as flowering time regulation in cucurbit crops.

The Evolution, Expression Patterns, and Domestication Selection Analysis of the Annexin Gene Family in the Barley Pan-Genome.

Plant annexins constitute a conserved protein family that plays crucial roles in regulating plant growth and development, as well as in responses to both biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, a total of 144 annexin genes were identified in the barley pan-genome, comprising 12 reference genomes, including cultivated barley, landraces, and wild barley. Their chromosomal locations, physical-chemical characteristics, gene structures, conserved domains, and subcellular localizations were systematically analyzed to reveal the certain differences between wild and cultivated populations. Through a cis-acting element analysis, co-expression network, and large-scale transcriptome analysis, their involvement in growth, development, and responses to various stressors was highlighted. It is worth noting that HvMOREXann5 is only expressed in pistils and anthers, indicating its crucial role in reproductive development. Based on the resequencing data from 282 barley accessions worldwide, genetic variations in thefamily were investigated, and the results showed that 5 out of the 12 identified HvMOREXanns were affected by selection pressure. Genetic diversity and haplotype frequency showed notable reductions between wild and domesticated barley, suggesting that a genetic bottleneck occurred on the annexin family during the barley domestication process. Finally, qRT-PCR analysis confirmed the up-regulation of HvMOREXann7 under drought stress, along with significant differences between wild accessions and varieties. This study provides some insights into the genome organization and genetic characteristics of the annexin gene family in barley at the pan-genome level, which will contribute to better understanding its evolution and function in barley and other crops.

Genetic diversity and antagonistic properties of Trichoderma strains from the crop rhizospheres in southern Rajasthan, India.

There are fewer studies on Trichoderma diversity in agricultural fields. The rhizosphere of 16 crops was analyzed for Trichoderma species in 7 districts of Rajasthan state of India. Based on DNA sequence of translation elongation factor 1α (tef-1α), and morphological characteristics, 60 isolates were identified as 11 species: Trichoderma brevicompactum, species in Harzianum clade identified as T. afroharzianum, T. inhamatum, T. lentiforme, T. camerunense, T. asperellum, T. asperelloides, T. erinaceum, T. atroviride, T. ghanense, and T. longibrachiatum. T. brevicompactum is the most commonly occurring strain followed by T. afroharzianum. No new species were described in this study. T. lentiforme, showed its first occurrence outside the South American continent. The morphological and cultural characteristics of the major species were observed, described, and illustrated in detail. The isolates were tested for their antagonistic effect against three soilborne plant pathogens fungi: Sclerotium rolfsii, Rhizoctonia solani, and Fusarium verticillioides in plate culture assays. One of the most potent strains was T. afroharzianum BThr29 having a maximum in vitro inhibition of S. rolfsii (76.6%), R. solani (84.8%), and F. verticillioides (85.7%). The potential strain T. afroharzianum BThr29 was also found to be efficient antagonists against soil borne pathogens in in vivo experiment. Such information on crop selectivity, antagonistic properties, and geographic distribution of Trichoderma species will be beneficial for developing efficient Trichoderma-based biocontrol agents.

Pyricularia oryzae: Lab star and field scourge.

Pyricularia oryzae (syn. Magnaporthe oryzae), is a filamentous ascomycete that causes a major disease called blast on cereal crops, as well as on a wide variety of wild and cultivated grasses. Blast diseases have a tremendous impact worldwide particularly on rice and on wheat, where the disease emerged in South America in the 1980s, before spreading to Asia and Africa. Its economic importance, coupled with its amenability to molecular and genetic manipulation, have inspired extensive research efforts aiming at understanding its biology and evolution. In the past 40 years, this plant-pathogenic fungus has emerged as a major model in molecular plant-microbe interactions. In this review, we focus on the clarification of the taxonomy and genetic structure of the species and its host range determinants. We also discuss recent molecular studies deciphering its lifecycle. TAXONOMY: Kingdom: Fungi, phylum: Ascomycota, sub-phylum: Pezizomycotina, class: Sordariomycetes, order: Magnaporthales, family: Pyriculariaceae, genus: Pyricularia. HOST RANGE: P. oryzae has the ability to infect a wide range of Poaceae. It is structured into different host-specialized lineages that are each associated with a few host plant genera. The fungus is best known to cause tremendous damage to rice crops, but it can also attack other economically important crops such as wheat, maize, barley, and finger millet. DISEASE SYMPTOMS: P. oryzae can cause necrotic lesions or bleaching on all aerial parts of its host plants, including leaf blades, sheaths, and inflorescences (panicles, spikes, and seeds). Characteristic symptoms on leaves are diamond-shaped silver lesions that often have a brown margin and whose appearance is influenced by numerous factors such as the plant genotype and environmental conditions. USEFUL WEBSITES Resources URL Genomic data repositories http://genome.jouy.inra.fr/gemo/ Genomic data repositories http://openriceblast.org/ Genomic data repositories http://openwheatblast.net/ Genome browser for fungi (including P. oryzae) http://fungi.ensembl.org/index.html Comparative genomics database https://mycocosm.jgi.doe.gov/mycocosm/home T-DNA mutant database http://atmt.snu.kr/ T-DNA mutant database http://www.phi-base.org/ SNP and expression data https://fungidb.org/fungidb/app/.

Impact of treated wastewater on plant growth: leaf fluorescence, reflectance, and biomass-based assessment.

The study evaluated the impact of treated wastewater on plant growth through the use of hyperspectral and fluorescence-based techniques coupled with classical biomass analyses, and assessed the potential of reusing treated wastewater for irrigation without fertilizer application. Cherry tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.) were irrigated with tap water (Tap), secondary effluent (SE), and membrane effluent (ME). Maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) of tomato and cabbage was between 0.78 to 0.80 and 0.81 to 0.82, respectively, for all treatments. The performance index (PI) of Tap/SE/ME was 2.73, 2.85, and 2.48 for tomatoes and 4.25, 3.79, and 3.70 for cabbage, respectively. Both Fv/Fm and PI indicated that the treated wastewater did not have a significant adverse effect on the photosynthetic efficiency and plant vitality of the crops. Hyperspectral analysis showed higher chlorophyll and nitrogen content in leaves of recycled water-irrigated crops than tap water-irrigated crops. SE had 10.5% dry matter composition (tomato) and Tap had 10.7% (cabbage). Total leaf count of Tap/SE/ME was 86, 111, and 102 for tomato and 37, 40, and 42 for cabbage, respectively. In this study, the use of treated wastewater did not induce any photosynthetic-related or abiotic stress on the crops; instead, it promoted crop growth.

Coadaptation of coexisting plants enhances productivity in an agricultural system.

Growing crops in more diverse crop systems (i.e., intercropping) is one way to produce food more sustainably. Even though intercropping, compared to average monocultures, is generally more productive, the full yield potential of intercropping might not yet have been achieved as modern crop cultivars are bred to be grown in monoculture. Breeding plants for more familiarity in mixtures, i.e., plants that are adapted to more diverse communities (i.e., adaptation) or even to coexist with each other (i.e., coadaptation) might have the potential to sustainably enhance productivity. In this study, the productivity benefits of familiarity through evolutionary adaptation and coevolutionary coadaptation were disentangled in a crop system through an extensive common garden experiment. Furthermore, evolutionary and coevolutionary effects on species-level and community-level productivity were linked to corresponding changes in functional traits. We found evidence for higher productivity and trait convergence with increasing familiarity with the plant communities. Furthermore, our results provide evidence for the coevolution of plants in mixtures leading to higher productivity of coadapted species. However, with the functional traits measured in our study, we could not fully explain the productivity benefits found upon coevolution. Our study investigated coevolution among randomly interacting plants and was able to demonstrate that coadaptation through coevolution of coexisting species in mixtures occurs and promotes ecosystem functioning (i.e., higher productivity). This result is particularly relevant for the diversification of agricultural and forest ecosystems, demonstrating the added value of artificially selecting plants for the communities they are familiar with.

Synthetic Biology Approaches to Posttranslational Regulation in Plants.

To date synthetic biology approaches involving creation of functional genetic modules are used in a wide range of organisms. In plants, such approaches are used both for research in the field of functional genomics and to increase the yield of agricultural crops. Of particular interest are methods that allow controlling genetic apparatus of the plants at post-translational level, which allow reducing non-targeted effects from interference with the plant genome. This review discusses recent advances in the plant synthetic biology for regulation of the plant metabolism at posttranslational level and highlights their future directions.

HD-Zip proteins modify floral structures for self-pollination in tomato.

Cleistogamy is a type of self-pollination that relies on the formation of a stigma-enclosing floral structure. We identify three homeodomain-leucine zipper IV (HD-Zip IV) genes that coordinately promote the formation of interlocking trichomes at the anther margin to unite neighboring anthers, generating a closed anther cone and cleistogamy (flower morphology necessitating strict self-pollination). These HD-Zip IV genes also control style length by regulating the transition from cell division to endoreduplication. The expression of these HD-Zip IV genes and their downstream gene, Style 2.1, was sequentially modified to shape the cleistogamy morphology during tomato evolution and domestication. Our results provide insights into the molecular basis of cleistogamy in modern tomato and suggest targets for improving fruit set and preventing pollen contamination in genetically modified crops.

Rice physical defenses and their role against insect herbivores.

MAIN CONCLUSION: Understanding surface defenses, a relatively unexplored area in rice can provide valuable insight into constitutive and induced defenses against herbivores. Plants have evolved a multi-layered defense system against the wide range of pests that constantly attack them. Physical defenses comprised of trichomes, wax, silica, callose, and lignin, and are considered as the first line of defense against herbivory that can directly affect herbivores by restricting or deterring them. Most studies on physical defenses against insect herbivores have been focused on dicots compared to monocots, although monocots include one of the most important crops, rice, which half of the global population is dependent on as their staple food. In rice, Silica is an important element stimulating plant growth, although Silica has also been found to impart resistance against herbivores. However, other physical defenses in rice including wax, trichomes, callose, and lignin are less explored. A detailed exploration of the morphological structures and functional consequences of physical defense structures in rice can assist in incorporating these resistance traits in plant breeding and genetic improvement programs, and thereby potentially reduce the use of chemicals in the field. This mini review addresses these points with a closer look at current literature and prospects on rice physical defenses.

Efficiency dynamics among onion growers in Maharashtra: a comparative analysis of drip irrigation adopters and non-adopters.

BACKGROUND: Onions are economically and nutritionally important vegetable crops. Despite advances in technology and acreage, Indian onion growers face challenges in realizing their full productivity potential. This study examines the technical efficiency of onion growers, the factors influencing it, and the constraints faced by those adopting drip irrigation in the Ghod river basin of western Maharashtra. A sample of 480 farmers including those practicing drip irrigation and those not practicing it, was selected from Junnar, Shirur, Parner, and Shrigonda blocks of the basin. The primary data was collected through semi-structured interviews. Analytical tools such as the Cobb-Douglas production function (represents technological relationship between multiple inputs and the resulting output), a single-stage stochastic frontier model, the Tobit model, and descriptive statistics were used to assess the technical efficiency of onion production at the farm level. RESULTS: According to the maximum likelihood estimates of the stochastic frontier analysis, drip adopters exhibited a mean technical efficiency of 92%, while for non-adopters it was 65%. It indicates that the use of drip irrigation technology is associated with higher technical efficiency. The association of technical efficiency and socio-economic characters of households showed that education, extension contacts, social participation, and use of information sources had a positive influence on technical efficiency, while family size had a negative influence on the drip irrigation adopters. For non-drip adopters, significant positive effects were observed for landholding, extension contact, and information source use. The major constraints faced by drip system adopters included a lack of knowledge about the proper operating techniques for drip systems and the cost of maintenance. CONCLUSION: The differences with inputs associated with two irrigation methods showed that the response of inputs to increase onion yield is greater for farmers who use drip irrigation than for farmers who do not, and are a result of the large differences in the technical efficiencies. These inefficiencies and other limitations following the introduction of drip irrigation, such as lack of knowledge about the proper operations, need to be addressed through tailored training for farmers and further interventions.

Function and regulation of plant ARGONAUTE proteins in response to environmental challenges: a review.

Environmental stresses diversely affect multiple processes related to the growth, development, and yield of many crops worldwide. In response, plants have developed numerous sophisticated defense mechanisms at the cellular and subcellular levels to react and adapt to biotic and abiotic stressors. RNA silencing, which is an innate immune mechanism, mediates sequence-specific gene expression regulation in higher eukaryotes. ARGONAUTE (AGO) proteins are essential components of the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). They bind to small noncoding RNAs (sRNAs) and target complementary RNAs, causing translational repression or triggering endonucleolytic cleavage pathways. In this review, we aim to illustrate the recently published molecular functions, regulatory mechanisms, and biological roles of AGO family proteins in model plants and cash crops, especially in the defense against diverse biotic and abiotic stresses, which could be helpful in crop improvement and stress tolerance in various plants.

The responses of CO2 emission to nitrogen application and earthworm addition in the soybean cropland.

The effects of nitrogen application or earthworms on soil respiration in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain of China have received increasing attention. However, the response of soil carbon dioxide (CO2) emission to nitrogen application and earthworm addition is still unclear. A field experiment with nitrogen application frequency and earthworm addition was conducted in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain. Results showed nitrogen application frequency had a significant effect on soil respiration, but neither earthworms nor their interaction with nitrogen application frequency were significant. Low-frequency nitrogen application (NL) significantly increased soil respiration by 25%, while high-frequency nitrogen application (NH), earthworm addition (E), earthworm and high-frequency nitrogen application (E*NH), and earthworm and low-frequency nitrogen application (E*NL) also increased soil respiration by 21%, 21%, 12%, and 11%, respectively. The main reason for the rise in soil respiration was alterations in the bacterial richness and keystone taxa (Myxococcales). The NH resulted in higher soil nitrogen levels compared to NL, but NL had the highest bacterial richness. The abundance of Corynebacteriales and Gammaproteobacteria were positively connected with the CO2 emissions, while Myxococcales, Thermoleophilia, and Verrucomicrobia were negatively correlated. Our findings indicate the ecological importance of bacterial communities in regulating the carbon cycle in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain.

Major transcription factor families at the nexus of regulating abiotic stress response in millets: a comprehensive review.

Millets stand out as a sustainable crop with the potential to address the issues of food insecurity and malnutrition. These small-seeded, drought-resistant cereals have adapted to survive a broad spectrum of abiotic stresses. Researchers are keen on unravelling the regulatory mechanisms that empower millets to withstand environmental adversities. The aim is to leverage these identified genetic determinants from millets for enhancing the stress tolerance of major cereal crops through genetic engineering or breeding. This review sheds light on transcription factors (TFs) that govern diverse abiotic stress responses and play role in conferring tolerance to various abiotic stresses in millets. Specifically, the molecular functions and expression patterns of investigated TFs from various families, including bHLH, bZIP, DREB, HSF, MYB, NAC, NF-Y and WRKY, are comprehensively discussed. It also explores the potential of TFs in developing stress-tolerant crops, presenting a comprehensive discussion on diverse strategies for their integration.

Genetics aspect of vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) biosynthesis and signaling pathways in fruits and vegetables crops.

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is an essential nutrient that plays a critical role in many physiological processes in plants and animals. In humans, vitamin C is an antioxidant, reducing agent, and cofactor in diverse chemical processes. The established role of vitamin C as an antioxidant in plants is well recognized. It neutralizes reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can cause damage to cells. Also, it plays an important role in recycling other antioxidants, such as vitamin E, which helps maintain the overall balance of the plant's antioxidant system. However, unlike plants, humans cannot synthesize ascorbic acid or vitamin C in their bodies due to the absence of an enzyme called gulonolactone oxidase. This is why humans need to obtain vitamin C through their diet. Different fruits and vegetables contain varying levels of vitamin C. The biosynthesis of vitamin C in plants occurs primarily in the chloroplasts and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The biosynthesis of vitamin C is a complex process regulated by various factors such as light, temperature, and plant hormones. Recent research has identified several key genes that regulate vitamin C biosynthesis, including the GLDH and GLDH genes. The expression of these genes is known to be regulated by various factors such as light, temperature, and plant hormones. Recent studies highlight vitamin C's crucial role in regulating plant stress response pathways, encompassing drought, high salinity, and oxidative stress. The key enzymes in vitamin C biosynthesis are L-galactose dehydrogenase (GLDH) and L-galactono-1, 4-lactone dehydrogenase (GLDH). Genetic studies reveal key genes like GLDH and GLDH in Vitamin C biosynthesis, offering potential for crop improvement. Genetic variations influence nutritional content through their impact on vitamin C levels. Investigating the roles of genes in stress responses provides insights for developing resilient techniques in crop growth. Some fruits and vegetables, such as oranges, lemons, and grapefruits, along with strawberries and kiwi, are rich in vitamin C. Guava. Papaya provides a boost of vitamin C and dietary fiber. At the same time, red and yellow bell peppers, broccoli, pineapple, mangoes, and kale are additional sources of this essential nutrient, promoting overall health. In this review, we will discuss a brief history of Vitamin C and its signaling and biosynthesis pathway and summarize the regulation of its content in various fruits and vegetables.

Measuring factors affecting honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) attraction to soybeans using bioacoustics monitoring.

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is an important agricultural crop around the world, and previous studies suggest that honey bees (Apis mellifera Linnaeus) can be a component for optimizing soybean production through pollination. Determining when bees are present in soybean fields is critical for assessing pollination activity and identifying periods when bees are absent so that bee-toxic pesticides may be applied. There are currently several methods for detecting pollinator activity, but these existing methods have substantial limitations, including the bias of pan trappings against large bees and the limited duration of observation possible using manual techniques. This study aimed to develop a new method for detecting honey bees in soybean fields using bioacoustics monitoring. Microphones were placed in soybean fields to record the audible wingbeats of foraging bees. Foraging activity was identified using the wingbeat frequency of honey bees (234 ±â€…14 Hz) through a combination of algorithmic and manual approaches. A total of 243 honey bees were detected over 10 days of recording in 4 soybean fields. Bee activity was significantly greater in blooming fields than in non-blooming fields. Temperature had no significant effect on bee activity, but bee activity differed significantly between soybean varieties, suggesting that soybean attractiveness to honey bees is heavily dependent on varietal characteristics. Refinement of bioacoustics methods, particularly through the incorporation of machine learning, could provide a practical tool for measuring the activity of honey bees and other flying insects in soybeans as well as other crops and ecosystems.

An assessment of the linkages between GM crop biotechnology and climate change mitigation.

This article provides an analysis and evaluation of peer-reviewed evidence on the contribution of crop biotechnology to climate change mitigation and adaption. While there is a range of agricultural technologies and products that contribute to climate change mitigation, this literature landscape analysis focuses on the development of genetically modified traits, their use and adoption in major commodity crops and responsive changes in production techniques. Jointly, these technologies and products are contributing to climate change mitigation, yet the technology, the literature and evidence is still evolving as more sophisticated research methods are used with greater consistency. The literature analysis is undertaken with consideration of the consequential impact that regulatory regimes have on technology development. This assessment utilizes the Maryland Scientific Methods Scale and citation analysis, concluding that GM crops provide benefits that contribute to climate change mitigation.

Characteristics of NAC transcription factors in Solanaceae crops and their roles in responding to abiotic and biotic stresses.

As one of the largest transcription factor (TF) families in plants, the NAC (NAM, ATAF1/2, and CUC2) family plays important roles in response pathways to various abiotic and biotic stresses, such as drought, high salinity, low temperature, and pathogen infection. Although, there are a number of reviews on the involvement of NAC TF in plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses, most of them are focused on the model plants Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa, and there is a lack of systematic evaluation of specific species. Solanaceae, the world's third most significant cash crop, has been seriously affected by environmental disturbances in recent years in terms of yield and quality, posing a severe threat to global food security. This review focuses on the functional roles of NAC transcription factors in response to external stresses involved in five important Solanaceae crops: tomato, potato, pepper, eggplant and tobacco, and analyzes the affinities between them. It will provide resources for stress-resistant breeding of Solanaceae crops using transgenic technology.