Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a crucial staple crop, and provides carbohydrate energy to more than half a billion people in the tropics. Cassava mosaic disease (CMD) is the most important disease of cassava in Africa. Since Sri Lanka Cassava Mosaic Virus (SLCMV) was first reported in South East Asia in 2015, establishing sustainable solutions to CMD has become a top priority for the cassava program at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and its partners. In the present study, we screened two populations for CMD resistance: VNM142, 142 clones collected from farms throughout Vietnam, and CIAT102, 102 clones resistant to CMD or mites, which were introduced from CIAT. High broad-sense heritability was observed in all the trials (>0.80). From the population VNM142, eight clones showed high CMD resistance with CMD severity scores less than 2.0. Two resistant clones had the same DNA fingerprinting with the accessions CR63 (PER262 or TAI9) and KM57 (VNM8) in the genebank, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first report of CMD resistance in the genebank at CIAT. We also used the two populations to validate the CMD markers S12_7926132 and S14_4626854. Both markers explained 51% of the population variance in the segregating population CIAT102, but only 11% in the diverse population VNM142. Thus, we concluded that the two CMD markers could not be used to select for CMD resistance in diverse populations, but could predict the CMD resistance in segregating populations when the susceptible parents do not have resistant marker alleles and the resistance of the CMD2 donors is confirmed. Full article

Integrated pest management (IPM) was introduced in the 1960s as a response to increasing pesticide use and has since evolved from being understood mainly as an economic issue to also including environmental and human health considerations. The EU has made IPM mandatory for all farmers through the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive (SUD). Using a mixed-methods approach, this paper examines how Norwegian cereal farmers have responded to this requirement. The qualitative results show that most farmers have an understanding of IPM that goes beyond economic considerations only. The quantitative results display that farmers’ intrinsic motivation for IPM changed after introduction of the SUD. There is increased emphasis on using methods other than spraying, producing grain without traces of pesticides, and preventing pesticide resistance. Farmers’ self-reported knowledge of IPM increased, and 41% of farmers stated that they use IPM to a greater extent than before the SUD was introduced. These results demonstrate that mandatory IPM requirements have been a successful strategy for increasing farmers use of IPM in Norway. Clearer IPM provisions and increased intrinsic motivation for IPM among farmers will, however, be important to reduce the risks from pesticides further. Full article

Convolutional neural networks have an immense impact on computer vision tasks. However, the accuracy of convolutional neural networks on a dataset is tremendously affected when images within the dataset highly vary. Test images of plant leaves are usually taken in situ. These images, apart from the region of interest, contain unwanted parts of plants, soil, rocks, and/or human body parts. Segmentation helps isolate the target region and a deep convolutional neural network classifies images precisely. Therefore, we combined edge and morphological based segmentation, background subtraction, and the convolutional neural network to help improve accuracy on image sets with images containing clean and cluttered backgrounds. In the proposed system, segmentation was applied to first extract leaf images in the foreground. Several images contained a leaf of interest interposed between unfavorable foregrounds and backgrounds. Background subtraction was implemented to remove the foreground image followed by segmentation to obtain the region of interest. Finally, the images were classified by a pre-trained classification network. The experimental results on two, four, and eight classes of datasets show that the proposed method achieves 98.7%, 96.7%, and 93.57% accuracy by fine-tuned DenseNet121, InceptionV3, and DenseNet121 models, respectively, on a clean dataset. For two class datasets, the accuracy obtained was about 12% higher for a dataset with images taken in the homogeneous background compared to that of a dataset with testing images with a cluttered background. Results also suggest that image sets with clean backgrounds tend to start training with higher accuracy and converge faster. Full article

Fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a major pest of maize. Yield losses between 30 and 70% in the Americas and between 11 and 100% in Africa have been reported. Little information exists on the effect of pest damage during different plant growth stages on yield loss. Previous studies showed that insecticide applications at weekly intervals did not always provide a yield gain comparable to only a single or two well-timed applications. In this study, we completed four field trials under high natural pest pressure. Treatments consisted of different regimes of insecticide applications that provided protection against damage during different growth stages. In one trial, the mean incidence of infested plants was 65%, and the yield benefit gained from four insecticide applications was 32.6%. The other three trials had 16 treatments which were divided into two spray sequences to protect plants against FAW damage for different lengths of time, between early vegetative stages and tasseling. Yield losses were 41.9, 26.5 and 56.8% for the three respective trials if no insecticides were applied. Yield loss of plants protected during earlier growth stages was significantly lower than that of the treatments which provided protection during later growth stages. More than three spray applications generally completed did not provide further yield gains. Plants that were protected more during early growth stages yield higher than plants protected during later growths stages. Full article

This study aimed to investigate the effects of N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) supplementation on the follicular development of yaks to identify potential mechanisms essential for fertility in yaks. Twelve multiparous anoestrous female yaks were randomly assigned to two groups—Control (fed with a basal diet, n = 6) and NCG (basal diet supplemented with 6.0 g day⁻¹ NCG, n = 6). Yaks in the NCG group had higher numbers of large follicles (>5 mm in diameter) than those in the Control group. An RNA-sequencing analysis of yak ovaries revealed a total of 765 genes were differentially expressed between experimental groups, of which 181 genes were upregulated and 584 genes were downregulated following NCG supplementation. The results of a transcriptome functional analysis, qRT-PCR validation, and immunohistochemistry revealed that NCG supplementation increased angiogenesis and de novo synthesis of cholesterol in yak ovaries. NCG was also found to upregulate the gene expression of steroidogenic enzymes. Based on this, it was concluded that NCG supplementation promotes the follicular development of yaks mainly by affecting cholesterol metabolism to initiate steroidogenesis in ovaries. The results provide evidence for understanding the mechanisms responsible for NCG promoting follicular development of female yaks, which may contribute to the development and application of NCG in animal reproduction. Full article

The Saskatoon berry (Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt.) is a prospective and increasingly popular species in Poland. Its main attributes are extremely valuable fruits, rich in anthocyanins with high antioxidant activity, which are very valuable in processing. Studies aimed at comparing the suitability for cultivation under the climatic and soil conditions of east Poland of the three Canadian cultivars of Saskatoon berry (‘Honeywood’, ‘Martin’ and ‘Pembina’), were conducted at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences in 2017–2018. The study evaluated parameters such as yield and fruit quality, as well as the health-promoting value of the fruit. These studies revealed significant differences between the studied cultivars, both in yield and in fruit physicochemical properties, i.e., fruit mass and diameter, firmness, and soluble solids content, as well as in terms of the content of anthocyanins, flavonoids, and polyphenols. These differences were also found between years, which may indicate that the content of the abovementioned compounds is also influenced by annual climatic conditions. Full article

Crop yield under reduced tillage (RT) practices is a concern for sustainable production worldwide because it is related to different environmental and agronomic factors than conventionally tilled soils. This study aimed to evaluate how climate, soil, and farming practices could affect crop yield under RT, especially under different sources of fertilisation [mineral (M), mineral + organic (MO), and organic (O)]. Multilevel meta-analysis was adopted. The analysis was performed taking into consideration environmental conditions, soil properties, crop rotation, and crop species. Only studies that reported the interaction effect of soil tillage and nutrients management on grain yield were included. The results suggest that the impact of soil tillage and fertilisation sources on crop yield depended on crop species. Using reduced tillage practices, adopting only organic nutrient sources could produce enough grains for legume crops. However, combining both inorganic and organic fertilizers added benefits for cereal crops in terms of grain yield production. This study highlights how conservation tillage practices could be affected by environmental and agronomic factors. Full article

The growing world population and the necessity to meet its nutritional needs despite the limited area of agricultural land pose a serious challenge for agriculture. Agriculture is responsible for 80–95% of total ammonia emissions to the atmosphere, but at the same time it has great potential to reduce them. Fertilisation with mineral nitrogen (in particular urea) is responsible for 19.0–20.3% of total ammonia emissions emitted from agriculture. Ammonia emissions have a negative impact on the environment and human health, therefore it is important to minimize the volatilization of ammonia and increase fertiliser efficiency. This is important due to the need to mitigate the negative impact of anthropopressure on the environment in terms of air pollution, negative effect on soils and waters. The application of urease inhibitors during fertilisation with nitrogen fertilisers is one method to reduce ammonia emissions from plant production. Another option to achieve this goal is to reverse the global trend toward maximizing the production of energy crops (intensive fertilisation inevitably increasing ammonia emissions to the environment) for the production of biofuels, which is growing rapidly, taking up arable land that could be used for food production. The aim of the review is to identify the impact of recently introduced technologies for reducing ammonia emissions from urea on agricultural productivity, environment, and crops. It is of importance to reconsider optimization of crop production in arable land, possible owing to the progress in the production, modification, and application of mineral fertilisers and changes in crop structure. A broad debate is necessary with policymakers and stakeholders to define new targets allowing introduction of technologies for conversion of energy crops into energy with a minimal impact on food production and environmental issue. Full article

Soil salinity is a serious threat to agriculture worldwide. Castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) is an in-demand oilseed crop containing 40–60% highly valued oil in its seeds. It is moderately sensitive to salinity. Two glasshouse experiments were conducted to assess plant growth and ion tissue distribution in different castor bean genotypes under various salt stress conditions to explore their potential for cultivation on saline land. Experiment 1 evaluated the response of five castor bean genotypes to four salt treatments (0, 50, 100, or 150 mM NaCl) up to 91 days after sowing (DAS). Experiment 2 further evaluated two genotypes selected from Experiment 1 in 1 m deep PVC tubes exposed to 0, 100, or 200 mM NaCl treatment for 112 DAS (Experiment 2). Experiment 1 showed that salt addition (particularly 150 mM NaCl) reduced plant height, stem diameter, shoot and root dry weights, photosynthetic traits, and leaf K⁺/Na⁺ ratio while increasing the leaf Na⁺ concentration of castor bean plants. Two genotypes, Zibo (Chinese variety) and Freo (Australian wild type), were more salt-tolerant than the other tested genotypes. In Experiment 2, salt-stressed Zibo flowered earlier than the control, while flowering time of Freo was not influenced by salt stress. The 200 mM NaCl treatment reduced the total root length and increased the average root diameter of both Zibo and Freo compared to the control. In addition, the 200 mM NaCl treatment significantly decreased total leaf area, chlorophyll content, and shoot and root dry weight of both castor bean genotypes by 50%, 10.6%, 53.1%, and 59.4%, respectively, relative to the control. In contrast, the 100 mM NaCl treatment did not significantly affect these traits, indicating that both genotypes tolerated salt stress up to 100 mM NaCl. In general, Freo had greater salt tolerance than Zibo, due to its higher average root diameter, lower Na⁺ concentration, and higher K⁺/Na⁺ ratio in young leaves under salt conditions. In conclusion, genotype Freo is recommended for cultivation in saline soils and could be used to breed high-yielding and salt-tolerant castor bean genotypes. Full article

Sowing depth and density are factors which affect development and yielding due to their influence on plants’ competition for water, light and nutrients. The aim of the present research was to evaluate the effect of sowing depth (5 and 8 cm) and density (45, 60, 75 seeds m²) on the development and yield of two morphotypes of faba bean. Higher plants were found at 8 cm sowing depth in 2011 and 2013, in turn, plant density before harvest, at 5 cm in 2011 and 8 cm in 2013. The greatest seed yield was observed while sowing shallower in 2011 (4.50 t ha⁻¹) and 2012 (6.62 t ha⁻¹), and deeper in 2013 (3.53 t ha⁻¹). Cultivar played in important role in shaping plant height and seed yield in all years of the experiment, as well as in straw yield in 2012. Bobas characterized by the greatest seed productivity in all years of experiment compared to Granit, as well as quantity of straw yield in 2011 and 2012 (3.51 and 4.88 t ha⁻¹, respectively) and therefore can be recommended for cultivation. Taking into account plant density before harvest in 2011–2013 as well as straw yield in 2011 and 2013, the most favorable sowing density is 75 seeds per m². Full article

Capsaicinoids, which cause a hot sensation when eaten, are uniquely present in pepper (Capsicum sp.) and are biosynthesized by combining vanillyl amine with branched fatty acids. A mutation in the gene encoding putative aminotransferase (pAMT)—the enzyme that normally biosynthesizes the capsaicinoid precursor vanillyl amine—leads instead to the biosynthesis of vanillyl alcohol, which combines with branched fatty acids to form capsinoids. Here, we report a method for increasing the capsaicinoid and capsinoid contents using quantitative trait locus (QTL) alleles involved in capsaicinoid biosynthesis in the pericarps of extremely spicy peppers. QTLs for capsinoid contents were detected on chromosome 6 and 10 using an F₂ population from ‘SNU11–001’ and ‘Bhut Jolokia (BJ)’ (‘SJ’). ‘SNU11–001’ contains high capsinoid contents and ‘BJ’ contains high capsaicinoid contents in both the placenta and pericarp. These QTLs overlapped QTL regions associated with pungency in the pericarp. ‘BJ’ was crossed also with ‘Habanero’ (‘HB’), which contains capsaicinoids mainly in the placenta, and the resulting (‘HJ’) F₂ and F₃ offspring with ‘BJ’ genotypes were selected based on QTL markers and the pericarp pungency phenotype. Similarly, F₂ and F₃ offspring with high capsinoid contents in the pericarp were selected in ‘SJ’ with reference to ‘BJ’ genotypes at the QTLs. Through continuous self-pollination, ‘SJ’ and ‘BJ’ lines with high capsinoid and capsaicinoid contents, respectively, in both the placenta and pericarp were developed. This study is the first to show that lines containing high levels of capsinoids and capsaicinoids can be bred using pericarp capsaicinoid biosynthesis genes. Full article

Biodiversity concerns and the sustainability of agroecological systems, together with consumer demand for higher quality products from alternative and extensive farming methods, have reinforced interest in local breeds that are well adapted to low-input environments. The first reference to Portuguese poultry breeds appeared in the 1930s, with registration and breeding programs of native breeds only being implemented in the last ten years. Portuguese chicken breeds (Pedrês Portuguesa, Preta Lusitânica, Amarela, and Branca) are almost extinct and are currently bred on small-scale farms for egg and meat production. This study aimed to characterize the performance of laying hens, evaluating the influence of genotype, age, and season on egg production over four years in farm conditions. The results highlight the Pedrês Portuguesa as the most productive breed regarding egg production and reveal a tendency for an increase in egg production performance by the Branca in contrast with the lower productive capacity of the Preta Lusitânica. Older hens start laying earlier in consecutive laying periods, present a shorter peak, and an inferior number of total eggs/cycle. There is a need to establish breeding goals and to evaluate and revise breeding programs to increase productivity in autochthonous Portuguese chicken breeds. Full article

Several functions are acknowledged for saliva secretion in different animal species following prehension and mastication of feed. Most of such are linked to the specific role of lubrication and softening of the bolus to allow taste perception and easy swallowing. Moreover, enzymatic components are produced in the saliva, some of which are destined to contribute to the digestion of different nutrients (to various extents according to animal species) and to exert antimicrobial activity (lysozyme). In addition, the buffering power and the virtuous recycle of water, electrolytes, and other metabolites are of particular importance for proper digestion and for nutrition–related aspects. Moreover, salivation appears to be involved in a number of other functions. Recent studies on salivary production and roles point to salivary glands as target organs of neuroendocrine regulation in response to many external stimuli coming from the outer world, for which feed still represents the chief external stimulus. Various animal species establish an adaptive strategy when coming into contact with different feeding stuffs and/or dietary substances by modifying both the composition and amount of saliva produced. In the light of recent updates, this review provides a focus on the functional roles of saliva secretions, showing the broad involvement of salivary response in several mechanisms beyond the digestive function and influencing feed selection. Full article

This study was conducted to compare the effects of broad spectrum during the whole seedling period and photon flux density (PFD) in the healing stage on the growth and energy use efficiency of grafted tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) transplants in a plant factory. Fluorescent lights, white LED lights, and white plus red LED lights were applied at the growth processes of grafted tomato transplants from germination of rootstock and scion to post-grafting. Three levels of PFD (50, 100, 150 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹) were set in the healing stage under each kind of light quality. The results indicated that the growth and quality of grafted tomato transplants under different broad spectrums were influenced by the ratio of red to blue light (R/B ratio) and the ratio of red to far-red light (R/FR ratio). A higher R/B ratio was beneficial to total dry matter accumulation, but excessive red light had a negative effect on the root to shoot ratio and the seedling quality index. The higher blue light and R/FR ratio suppressed stem extension synergistically. The LED lights had good abilities to promote plant compactness and leaf thickness in comparison with fluorescent lights. The plant compactness and leaf thickness increased with the increase in daily light integral in the healing stage within a range from 2.5 to 7.5 mol m⁻² d⁻¹ (PFD, 50 to 150 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹). Compared to fluorescent lights, the LED lights showed more than 110% electrical energy saving for lighting during the whole seedling period. Higher PFD in the healing stage did not significantly increase the consumption of electric power for lighting. White plus red LED lights with an R/B ratio of 1.2 and R/FR ratio of 16 were suggested to replace fluorescent lights for grafted tomato transplants production considering the high quality of transplants and electrical energy saving, and PFD in the healing stage was recommended to be set to 150 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹. Full article

Detachment of fruit from the plants with separation force is important in robotic harvesting. Compared with twisting pattern and bending pattern, the pulling pattern for cherry tomato harvesting is more simple, more flexible, and easier to implement in robotic harvesting. It was found that the detachment force is closely related to the location of the fruit separation. However, in the pulling pattern, analysis of the effect of harvesting parameters of cherry tomatoes at the calyx/fruit joint has still not been carried out in depth. In this paper, the goal of this research was to investigate the effect of different harvesting parameters on the minimal detachment force of cherry tomatoes at the calyx/fruit joint. Experiments were designed according to response surface methodology Box–Behnken design by maintaining three levels of three process parameters—grasping angle, horizontal angle, and pitching angle. Results showed that the pitching angle is the most important parameter, and the grasping angle has little effect on the detachment force, and the detachment force was found within the range of 0.58 N to 2.46 N. Results also revealed that the minimum separation force of the cherry tomato harvesting at the calyx/fruit joint was obtained by the optimum conditions of the grasping angle of 68°, the horizontal angle of 135° and the pitching angle of 0°. Moreover, desirability function has also been used to optimize the angle parameters. The confirmation experiments validate the reliability and capability of the developed model. Full article