Biology and Life Sciences Forum, Volume 3, 2021

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different irrigation strategies on cv. Cobrançosa olive oil main components, in a semiarid region in the Northeast of Portugal (Alfândega da Fé, 2019)—regulated (RDI) and s...

Poultry manure (PM) is a great nutrient source for plant growth. PM enhances soil properties and increases the crop yield. As an important strategy to decrease the amount of inorganic phosphorus (P) fertilizers, the combined use of rock phosphate (RP...

Proximal remote sensing devices are novel tools that enable the study of plant health status through the measurement of specific characteristics, including the color or spectrum of light reflected or transmitted by the leaves or the canopy. Among the...

Early detection of different types of crop stress under greenhouse cultivations is critical in order to optimize yield and resource use efficiency. The objective of the present work is to develop a system which, based on remote sensing, will recogniz...

Colonization of crops by toxigenic fungi causes important economic losses, which are expected to increase with global change. The presence of mycotoxins in crops affects food security by reducing the edible yield and nutritional values and making cer...

Satellite Earth observations provide timely and spatially explicit information on crop phenology that can support decision making and sustainable agricultural land management. Accurate classification and mapping of croplands is primary information fo...

Root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita, is a silent enemy of brinjal and can cause fruit yield loss of up to 80% in organic brinjal cultivation. Effective management of M. incognita using synthetic nematicide could be detrimental to non-target org...

In acidic soils with Mn toxicity, the development of an intact arbuscular mycorrhiza extraradical mycelium (ERM) by stress-adapted native plants can promote increased growth and protection against metal toxicity, in subsequent crops. In a recent stud...

The strong increase of the human population worldwide is demanding a food production meeting quality standards. In this context, the agronomic biofortification with Zn is widely used in staple food crops as a strategy to surpass micronutrient deficie...

Aquatic plants have considerable effects on the hydraulic roughness and the qualitative status of vegetated flows at real scale. Defining the most suitable practice of riparian vegetation control in manmade and natural water flows represents a key po...

Current evidence shows that silicon (Si) can alleviate multiple plant stresses by inducing the antioxidant defense and phenolic metabolism of plants. Nevertheless, the mechanisms underlying these responses remain unclear. We investigated the Si effec...

The insufficient availability of nutrients in the soil and the non-use of biofertilizers as a strategy in the tomato nutrition process are factors that limit the yield of this crop. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of differe...

The rapid spread of invasive plant species (IPS) over several decades has led to numerous impacts on biodiversity, landscapes, and human activities. Early detection and knowledge on their spatiotemporal distribution is crucial to better understand in...

Rosehip seeds represent the food industry waste material, in the production of marmalade, jam, beverages, jelly, syrup, tea, etc. Agri-food wastes are rich in bioactive compounds and nutrients that can add value to different fields of agriculture and...

Some decade ago, the blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) crop was introduced in Portugal and is widespread along the North and Center of Portugal. It has great relevance as an exportation product, taking advantage of the climatic conditions they allow to...

Soil salinity is a major threat to the continuity of sustainable agriculture and food provision and the soil structure deterioration. In this context, determining, reducing and managing soil salinity is very important for creating sustainable modern...

Sweet cherries are seasonal fruits, considered one of the most popular spring and summer fruits in temperate regions of Europe due to their attractive appearance, taste, colour and sweetness, having a high economic importance [...]

As surface irrigation systems are one of the most used water management techniques in the world, often working with high water losses, there is an urgency to their improvement. Modern methods that provide water savings and labour reduction require ad...

Although silicon (Si) and lignin are accumulated on plant cell walls and both confer resistance to multiple biotic and abiotic stresses [¹,²], the impact of Si on lignin production in plants grown under phosphorus (P) stress still remains unknown. We...

Numerous automatic technological processes control systems are implemented in modern agriculture equipment. Automation facilitates technological processes. These control systems help customers to save fertilizer and crop protection products as well a...

Dionaea muscipula J. Ellis is a South and North Carolina carnivorous endemic plant with medicinal properties. Its natural habitat is characterized by low availability of nutrients and poor plant cover, resulting in Venus flytrap exposure to various s...

The intensification of agriculture has greatly enhanced crop productivity, but also its potential environmental impact. Nutrient recycling and an increase in resource use efficiency are the key points to keep production at high levels with minimum im...

It is expected that the population worldwide might exceed 9 billion by 2050, therefore it being imperative to increase food production. As such, the development of smart farming technology is an important key food production issue. In fact, through t...

Fusarium dry rot on potato, caused by the fungal pathogen Fusarium solani, is characterized by an internal light to dark brown or black and usually dry rot of potato tubers. The disease progresses noticeably faster during the latter half of the stora...

Phosphorus (P) deficiency is one of the major limiting factors of wheat production worldwide. Although silicon (Si) is known to improve plant growth under low phosphorus (P) conditions, the impact of Si supply on the nutritional quality of wheat grai...

Soybean is the most commonly used protein supplement of plant origin in animal diets. However, its high price and environmental impacts of production and transport to global markets stimulate producer’s interest in alternative use of locally pr...

Using two rice genotypes as a test system (OP1505 and OP1509), the aim of this study was to develop an agronomic workflow for Se biofortification through foliar fertilization (with sodium selenate and sodium selenite). During the biofortification pro...

Municipal sewage sludge is a problematic waste that needs to be managed. Modern wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) generate stabilized sewage sludge with good chemical and biological parameters. The Central Mining Institute (CMI, Poland) has develop...

The pine processionary moth (PPM) is a dangerous parasitic insect pest of several pine species in the Mediterranean basin, causing defoliation and promoting tree decline. Larvae release urticating hairs that cause strong allergic reactions in humans...

Soil salinity is a matter of great economic and environmental implications. In Hetao Irrigation District, soil salinity limits crop productivity affecting about 69% of its total cultivated land due to natural soil salinisation and salt accumulation c...

This study aimed to evaluate whether shungite application to Umbric Podzols may affect leaf and root mitochondrial respiratory pathways, and the leaf response to a temperature change. A pot culture experiment was conducted with Allium cepa L. seedlin...

Silicon dioxide (SiO₂) has been extensively studied as an alternative method to pest management chemical applications in agriculture. The present work aimed to evaluate the insecticidal efficacy of different SiO₂ nanoparticle formulations and their e...

Cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important source of antioxidants, such as ascorbic acid, carotenoids and phenolic compounds. Epidemiological results confirm that these antioxidant molecules are associated with a reduced risk of canc...

Most agricultural practices have evolved towards biological and sustainable systems. The purpose of modern agriculture is to reduce inputs without reducing yield and quality. This objective can be achieved through the identification of organic molecu...

The estimate of soil fertility, namely water and nutrient availability, and biological activity, is usually made considering soil as being uniform in the reference layer. The potential fertility is thus estimated for homogeneous soil volumes. However...

Land surface temperature plays an essential role in estimating radiation budgets, in heat balance studies, as a control for climate dynamics and for soil–vegetation–atmosphere transfer modeling, and in studying the impact of land use/land...

Several phytopathogenic fungi greatly affect the production of important crops across the globe, as they lead to huge losses. To control diseases caused by fungal phytopathogens, a wide range of synthetic fungicides are applied in the fields. However...

Meloidogyne spp., commonly known as root-knot nematodes (RKN), are among the most economically damaging plant-parasitic nematodes to horticultural and field crops, mainly due to their pathogenic effect, worldwide distribution, and wide host range. RK...

Spirulina (Spirulina platensis (Gomont) Geitler 1925) is a cyanobacteria used as an ecologically sound, nutrient-rich dietary supplement. These microalgae have the capability to produce the least-cost protein per unit area compared to livestock and a...

As a result of human activity, the rate of extinction of species is now 100 to 1000 times faster than under natural conditions [¹]. According to the FAO, 75% of the genetic diversity of agricultural crops worldwide has been lost since 1990. In Poland...

Soil amendments from peats, brown coals and composts produced from segregated biodegradable waste or biomass from fallow land can increase soil fertility and improve soil productivity. The aim of the study was to determine the possibility of using wi...

Recently, Brazil became the biggest soybean producer and exporter in the world. The state of Pará, located in the Brazilian amazon biome, became one of the last agricultural frontiers of the country, which positively increased the soybean cult...

Agricultural production outlines the constant antagonism between the quest to achieve the highest yields and the need to preserve the physical/chemical properties of soils. The constantly increasing global demand for food prompts producers to apply m...

Selenium (Se) is an essential microelement for human health and has antioxidant and anticancerous properties. One of the ways to increase its concentration in plants is biofortification through various agronomic practices including artificial lightin...

The reduction in the manure application rates through enrichment with mineral fertilizer has the potential to reduce costs, decrease environmental pollution, and extend the manure benefits to greater acreage. A pot experiment was carried out to asses...

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) fruits are one of the most consumed vegetables worldwide. This produce has a great agro-economical relevance, since it is extensively cultivated. These fruits are characterized by their high content of vitamins C and A [1]...

In meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.), a perennial fodder grass plant characterized by high quality and yield potential, seed shattering makes seed production difficult. The objective of the research was to compare two subpopulations, differing...

A Global climate change has raised serious concerns about food security and the sustainability of agriculture, particularly in developing regions of the world. In response to these concerns, attention should be called to the global importance of cons...

The cyst nematodes of the genera Heterodera (HET) and Globodera (GLO) are among the most damaging obligate plant parasitic nematodes (PPNs) that parasitize cereals, rice, potatoes and soybean. In the absence of resistant crops, soil fumigation of pes...

Hyperspectral images (HSI) offer detailed spectral reflectance information about sensed objects through provision of information on hundreds of narrow spectral bands. HSI have a leading role in a broad range of applications, such as in forestry, agri...