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7 pages, 769 KiB

Open AccessProceeding Paper

Reviving Ancient Practices: Modern Perspectives on Rice–Fish Culture

by Ana O. S. Jorge, Franklin Chamorro, Paula Barciela, Ana Perez-Vazquez, M. Beatriz P. P. Oliveira and Miguel A. Prieto

Biol. Life Sci. Forum 2025, 41(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/blsf2025041001 - 4 Mar 2025

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Abstract

Rice–fish culture, an ancient agronomic practice, integrates aquaculture with rice farming, a sustainable solution for enhancing food security and agricultural productivity. The recent advancements and historical perspectives on rice–fish culture have increased its ecological, economic, and social impacts. The practice spans over 2000 years and has seen significant technological improvements, especially in regions like China, Thailand, and Bangladesh. Implementations of modernized rice–fish systems demonstrate increased rice yields, reduced pest and weed prevalence, improvements in soil quality, and higher profits for farmers. For example, in China, it was reported that a rice–fishing system produced 6000–7000 kg of rice and 1500–7500 kg of fish per hectare per year. Furthermore, the fish reduce herbivore insect abundance and weed abundance, effectively eliminating the need for pesticides. Despite its advantages, challenges such as water management, the availability of quality fish seed, and socio-economic barriers remain. By synthesizing findings from various studies, we will highlight the potential of rice–fish culture to contribute to sustainable agriculture and rural development, recommending strategies for optimizing its adoption and addressing existing constraints. Full article

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7 pages, 1845 KiB

Open AccessProceeding Paper

Greywater Treatment Using Agro-Industrial Biochar: A Novel Water Reuse Approach

by Pelin Soyertaş Yapıcıoğlu and Mehmet İrfan Yeşilnacar

Biol. Life Sci. Forum 2025, 41(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/blsf2025041002 - 12 Mar 2025

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Abstract

This paper aimed to determine the quality of reclaimed water using biochar. Turbidity, biological oxygen demand (BOD₅), total suspended solid (TSS), and E. coli analyses were performed to determine the effluent’s quality. At the end of the treatment, the water reclaimed from greywater met the requirements of Class B quality according to European Union (EU) legislation. This study verified that malt dust-derived biochar is an efficient and low-cost adsorbent that can be used to obtain reclaimed water. The reclaimed water was used for the irrigation of the green areas of Osmanbey Campus in Turkey. It was reported that on average %30 of water consumption was prevented by water reuse. Full article

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8 pages, 2691 KiB

Open AccessProceeding Paper

An In Silico Approach for Comparative Characterization of Imidazolonepropionase from Agrobacterium fabrum & Bacillus subtilis: An Imperative Enzyme for Histidine Degradation

by Ishita Biswas, Trishanjan Biswas and Debanjan Mitra

Biol. Life Sci. Forum 2025, 41(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/blsf2025041003 - 13 Mar 2025

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Abstract

Introduction: The third step in histidine degradation is catalysed by imidazolonepropionase. It catalyses the conversion of 4-imidazolone-5-propionic acid to produce N-formimino-L-glutamic acid by hydrolyzing the carbon-nitrogen bonds. The histidine is a very expensive amino acid inside the cell and its degradation is a very conserved process. To date, very few reports are there regarding the structure of bacterial imidazolonepropionase but no reports have been published regarding the comparative structure and sequence analysis of this enzyme from bacterial sources. Methods: An in-silico study has been done to characterize the imidazolonepropionase from gram-positive Bacillus subtilis and gram-negative Agrobacterium fabrum. Results: The sequence analysis revealed that a higher amount of charged residues are present in Bacillus subtilis. These charged residues help in the increment of polarity and hydrophilicity of Bacillus subtilis. The formation of intra-protein interactions was also high in gram-positive species. Interestingly, both species have almost equal abundance of aromatic amino acids in their sequences, but the formation of aromatic-aromatic interactions was high in Bacillus subtilis. Finally, the molecular dynamics simulation study revealed that imidazolonepropionase from Bacillus subtilis was more stable and compact than Agrobacterium fabrum. Conclusions: The imidazolonepropionase from Bacillus subtilis was more stable than Agrobacterium fabrum. Due to the presence of higher stable imidazolonepropionase in Bacillus subtilis, it can use histidine more efficiently. Full article

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8 pages, 475 KiB

Open AccessProceeding Paper

Yield, Morphological Traits, and Physiological Parameters of Organic and Pelleted Avena sativa L. Plants Under Different Fertilization Practices

by Aleksandra Stanojković-Sebić, Dobrivoj Poštić, Marina Jovković and Radmila Pivić

Biol. Life Sci. Forum 2025, 41(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/blsf2025041004 - 27 Mar 2025

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Abstract

Oat (Avena sativa L.) is one of the most important self-fertilizing field plants belonging to the Poaceae family. It has no significant requirements regarding growing conditions but has a very good reaction to fertilization. The current research evaluated the significance of the effects of individual applications of mineral (NPK) and organo-mineral (OMF) fertilizers, as well as their individual combination with slaked lime (calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)₂), on the yield, morphological traits [mean number of leaves per plant—MNLP, minimum leaf length (cm) per plant—MinLL, maximum leaf length (cm) per plant—MaxLL, number of ears per plant—NEP], and physiological parameters (nitrogen balance index—NBI, content of chlorophyll—Chl, flavonoids—Flv, anthocyanins—Ant) of organic and pelleted (graded) oat plants, comparing the treatments and in relation to the control. The experiment was performed in semi-controlled glasshouse conditions, in pots, from the fourth week of March to the fourth week of June 2024, using Vertisol soil. This soil is characterized as light clay with an acid reaction. Physiological parameters were measured using a Dualex leaf clip sensor. The results obtained showed that physiological parameters in both oat types significantly differed (p < 0.05) between the treatments applied and in relation to the control, whereas the morphological traits did not significantly differ (p > 0.05) between the treatments. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in the yield of both oat types were most pronounced in the OMF + Slaked Lime treatment (organic: 4.49 g pot⁻¹; pelleted: 4.61 g pot⁻¹) in relation to the control (organic: 2.48 g pot⁻¹; pelleted: 2.63 g pot⁻¹). The pelleted oats showed slightly better results for the effects of different treatments across all tested parameters compared to organic oats. In conclusion, the best results were obtained with the use of OMF + Slaked Lime, which could be proposed as the optimal fertilization treatment for pelleted and organic oat cultivation based on this research. Full article

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97 pages, 1043 KiB

Open AccessConference Report

Abstracts of the 4th International Electronic Conference on Agronomy

by José David Flores-Félix

Biol. Life Sci. Forum 2025, 41(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/blsf2025041005 - 28 Apr 2025

Viewed by 369

Abstract

The 4th International Electronic Conference on Agronomy was organized by the MDPI open access journal Agronomy and held online from 2 to 5 December 2024. The conference spanned various key themes, including breeding/selection technologies and strategies, sustainable soil management and farming systems, crops, precision and digital agriculture, water use and irrigation, plant–crop biology and biochemistry, and biostimulation and microbial-based biocontrol strategies. This electronic conference provided a unique platform for researchers to showcase their work, discuss groundbreaking findings, and engage in meaningful conversations with fellow experts. Full article

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