Search Results (193)

Determining the effectiveness of fungicide programs based on cultivar resistance to pathogens, especially late leaf spot (caused by Nothopassalora personata (Berk. & M.A. Curtis) [U. Braun, C. Nakash., Videira & Crous]) is important in establishing recommendations to peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) farmers. Research was conducted in North Carolina during 2021 and 2022 at three locations to compare the incidence of late leaf spot (e.g., visual estimates of percent of peanut leaflets with lesions), percentage of the peanut canopy defoliated caused by this disease, and yield of the peanut cultivars Bailey II, Emery, and Sullivan when exposed to five fungicide regimens including a non-treated control. Peanut yield was not affected by the interaction of cultivar × fungicide regimens. While differences in leaf spot incidence and canopy defoliation were noted for cultivars, these differences did not translate into differences in peanut yield. All fungicides regimens protected peanut yield from leaf spot disease regardless of the number of sprays during the cropping cycle (e.g., three, four, or five sprays). Peanut yield in the absence of fungicides was 4410 kg/ha compared with a range of 5000 to 5390 kg/ha when fungicides were applied. Peanut yield was greater when fungicides were applied four or five times compared with only three sprays or non-treated peanut. The regimen with five consecutive sprays of chlorothalonil alone for the first and final spray in the regimen and when this fungicide was applied with tebuconazole for the second, third, and fourth sprays was as effective as fungicide regimens including combinations of pydiflumetofen plus azoxystrobin plus benzovindiflupyr, mefentrifluconazole plus pyraclostrobin plus fluxapyroxad, bixafen plus flutriafol, and prothioconazole plus tebuconazole. Full article

Urban forests are remnants of forest habitats within urban areas. Their structural alterations create stressful microclimatic conditions that can influence the morphology of sensitive plants, such as ferns. This study analyzed variations in the morphological traits of ferns in four urban forest sites in central Veracruz, Mexico, considering the microclimatic differences arising from vegetation structure. Temperature, humidity, canopy openness, and radiation were measured, along with eight foliar traits, while assessing the impact of site and habit (terrestrial or epiphytic) on the response. Sites with greater alterations in vegetation structure exhibited increased canopy openness, solar radiation, temperature, and a higher number of days with lower relative humidity. In these sites, leaves showed an increase in dry matter content and vein density, indicating a greater investment in resource storage and structural resistance. In the less-disturbed sites, terrestrial ferns demonstrated larger leaf area and specific leaf area, suggesting greater growth potential. Conversely, epiphytes generally had smaller leaves, which could represent an adaptive advantage for these species. The results also suggest a process of biotic homogenization within this plant group, reflecting a similar morphological response, except for indicator species restricted to less disturbed sites. Thus, this study reveals that microclimatic variations induced by urbanization significantly affect plant morphology and, ultimately, species diversity. Full article

Wildfires impact forest ecosystems, affecting tree survival and physiological responses. This study explored the effects of surface fires on Pinus densiflora and Quercus variabilis, assessing mortality, internal injuries, and canopy health. By 2024, P. densiflora had an 18.0% mortality rate, whereas Q. variabilis exhibited no crown dieback. Morphological traits, including tree height, the bark scorch index (BSI), and bark thickness, influenced fire resistance. Despite superior stand characteristics, P. densiflora showed higher mortality due to thin bark, whereas Q. variabilis maintained xylem integrity. While sonic tomography (SoT) showed no significant differences, electrical resistance tomography (ERT) detected physiological stress, with higher ERT_R and ERT_Y area ratios correlating with mortality risk. Notably, F-W-W classified trees showed elevated resistance a year before mortality, suggesting ERT as a predictive tool. ERT_R values exceeding 15.0% were associated with a 37.5% mortality rate, whereas ERT_B values below 55.0% corresponded to 42.9% mortality. Despite fire exposure, canopy responses, including chlorophyll fluorescence and photosynthetic efficiency, remained stable, indicating that the surviving trees maintained functional integrity. This study underscores ERT’s efficacy in diagnosing fire-induced stress and predicting mortality risk. The findings highlight species-specific diagnostic criteria and inform post-fire management, supporting forest resilience through the early detection of high-risk trees and improved restoration strategies. Full article

Latin America offers a unique point of view into the adaptation of viticulture to climate change through its rich diversity of climates, traditional knowledge, and scientific innovation. This review synthesizes the current research and technological developments across major wine-producing countries including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti. Argentina shows key adaptation strategies, including high-altitude vineyard relocation, clonal and rootstock selection, canopy and water management, and the conservation of Criolla and other autochthonous grapevine varieties. In Brazil, tropical viticulture and breeding programs led by Embrapa exemplify advancements in disease-resistant and climate-resilient cultivars. Chile’s heroic and southern viticulture highlights the importance of old vines, microclimatic heterogeneity, and territorial identity. Uruguay stands out for its terroir-based research and producer-led adaptation strategies. This review also addresses systemic challenges in scientific publishing, particularly the underrepresentation of Latin American researchers in global vitivinicultural discourse. These disparities underscore the need for inclusive science that values local knowledge and promotes equity in research funding and dissemination. Overall, Latin America stands out not only as a region highly vulnerable to climate change, but as an emerging model of adaptation and innovation, demonstrating how resilient, sustainable, and culturally rooted wine production can thrive under shifting environmental conditions. Full article

The use of polyester and polyamide fabrics for parachute constructions has a great advantage because, in comparison with classical silk-based parachutes, they are more durable and suitable for absorbing higher mechanical shocks. Because polyester and polyamides are thermoplastics, they are sensitive to sudden increases in temperature due to mechanical shocks and high-speed friction. It is known that the local surface temperature of these parachute fabrics may exceed the melting point of the canopy for a short time period during parachute opening, which would have irreversible effects on parachute functionality and could lead to catastrophic parachute rupture. The main aim of this article is to enhance the surface heat resistance of the parachute fabrics from polyamide and polyester filaments through surface coating combined with super-fine TiO₂ particles and silanization. This coating is also selected to increase the frictional heat loss and enhance the mechanical stability of parachute fabrics constructed from polyamide and polyester filaments. The changes in air permeability, bending rigidity, and friction of surface-coated parachute fabrics are evaluated as well. The new method based on laser irradiation by a pulsed laser is used for the prediction of these fabrics’ short-time surface thermal resistance. Full article

Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) as sensor-carrying airborne platforms for indirect measurement of plant physical parameters has been discussed in the scientific community. The utilization of RGB sensors with photogrammetric data processing based on Structure-from-Motion (SfM) and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors for point cloud construction are applicable in this context and can yield high-quality results. In this sense, this study aimed to compare coffee plant height data obtained from RGB/SfM and LiDAR point clouds and to estimate soil compaction through penetration resistance in a coffee plantation located in Minas Gerais, Brazil. A Matrice 300 RTK RPA equipped with a Zenmuse L1 sensor was used, with RGB data processed in PIX4D software (version 4.5.6) and LiDAR data in DJI Terra software (version V4.4.6). Canopy Height Model (CHM) analysis and cross-sectional profile, together with correlation and statistical difference studies between the height data from the two sensors, were conducted to evaluate the RGB sensor’s capability to estimate coffee plant height compared to LiDAR data considered as reference. Based on the height data obtained by the two sensors, soil compaction in the coffee plantation was estimated through soil penetration resistance. The results demonstrated that both sensors provided dense point clouds from which plant height (R2 = 0.72, R = 0.85, and RMSE = 0.44) and soil penetration resistance (R2 = 0.87, R = 0.8346, and RMSE = 0.14 m) were accurately estimated, with no statistically significant differences determined between the analyzed sensor data. It is concluded, therefore, that the use of remote sensing technologies can be employed for accurate estimation of coffee plantation heights and soil compaction, emphasizing a potential pathway for reducing laborious manual field measurements. Full article

Living and dying well together in the Anthropocene, in the context of intensifying climate crises, global pandemics, and fast-paced hustle culture, is an increasingly daunting task. While many wellness movements call for strict regimes and vigorous activity, striving for largely unattainable bodily norms and longevity, an emerging trend centres on embracing natural processes and temporalities of resistance focused on relaxation, rest, and even decay. So-called ‘girl mossing’ and ‘girl rotting’ encourage women to be intentionally unproductive, and to spend time instead lying on a forest floor, staring up at a canopy of trees, caressing moss. Similarly, members of the ‘death positive’ and ‘new death’ movements advocate for sensorial connection with nature at the end of life, and for an embrace of practices of decay and decomposition. Both trends are dominated by women and influenced by Buddhist and Pagan traditions. They also exemplify spiritual complexity, particularly relating to biomedicine and consumerism. Examining these interconnected lifestyle and deathstyle movements, this article considers the uptake of ‘relational naturalism’ in contemporary societies as an antidote to the personal and planetary harms of neoliberal capitalism. Full article

Forests provide essential ecosystem services but face increasing threats from invasive species like Toumeyella parvicornis (pine tortoise scale). Since its introduction to Italy in 2014, this pest has severely impacted Pinus pinea forests, with a major outbreak in 2019 affecting an urban forest in the Rome municipality area. This study aims to develop a tool for detecting forest dieback symptoms caused by the scale and assess the role of prevailing winds in its dispersal by integrating multispectral and hyperspectral earth observation systems, including Sentinel-2 and the Hyperspectral Precursor of the Application Mission (PRISMA). At a 6000-hectare protected area with diverse vegetation, a binary Random Forest classifier, trained on near-infrared and short-wave infrared reflectance data, identified symptomatic stands. A generalized linear mixed model compared uniform and wind-influenced probabilistic dispersal models, assessing the pest spread relative to the initial infestation hotspot. The results confirmed a sharp decline in near-infrared reflectance in 2019, indicating severe defoliation and a shift from evergreen to deciduous canopy phenology by 2021. The classifier achieved 82% accuracy, effectively detecting symptomatic pine forests (91% precision). The scale spread to 51% of the pine forest area by 2021, with no strong correlation to prevailing winds, suggesting other augmenting dispersal drivers, such as vehicles along congested routes, wind tunnels, pest-resistant forests, and the potential mitigating role of alternating coastal wind patterns that are effective in the study area. Full article

Abiotic stresses, such as drought, salinity, and heat, exacerbated by climate change, pose significant challenges to global agriculture. These stresses negatively impact crop physiology, leading to yield losses and complicating efforts to breed resilient varieties. While advancements in molecular biology and genomics have identified stress-resistance genes, their effective utilization in breeding programs depends on precise phenotypic evaluation under diverse stress conditions. High-throughput phenotyping (HTP) technologies have emerged as indispensable tools, enabling non-destructive, rapid assessment of critical traits like root architecture, chlorophyll content, and canopy temperature in controlled and field environments. Unlike existing reviews, this manuscript critically addresses technological barriers such as cost scalability, field adaptability, and the integration of artificial intelligence for real-time data analysis. Additionally, it provides a fresh perspective on multi-omics integration in phenomics to bridge the genotype–phenotype gap, ensuring a more holistic approach to precision agriculture. This review bridges gaps in crop improvement by identifying practical solutions to enhance the adoption of HTP in breeding programs. It ensures food security amidst the escalating impacts of climate change. Full article

Weeds remain one of the major limiting factors affecting agricultural production, causin significant yield loss globally. Spot spraying of resistant weeds as an alternative to broadcast applications provides the delivery of chemicals closer to the plant canopy. Also, wind speed can cause spray displacement and can lead to inefficient coverage and environmental contamination. To mitigate this issue, this study sought to evaluate drop nozzles configured to direct the spray closer to the target. A remotely piloted aerial application system was retrofitted with a 60 cm drop nozzle comprising a straight stream and a 30° full cone nozzle. A tracer spray solution was applied on 13 Kromekote cards placed in a grid configuration. The center of deposition for each spray application was determined using the Python (3.11) software. Regardless of nozzle angle, the drop nozzle produced ca. 76% lower spray displacement than the no drop nozzle. The no drop nozzles had a narrower relative span compared to the drop nozzles. This suggests that smaller, more driftable fractions of the spray did not deposit on the targets due to spray displacement. Additional research investigating in-field weed species under various meteorological conditions is required to move this technology forward. Full article

Estimating aboveground biomass (AGB) is vital for sustainable forest management and helps to understand the contributions of forests to carbon storage and emission goals. In this study, the effectiveness of plot-level AGB estimation using height and crown diameter derived from UAV-LiDAR, calibration of GEDI-L4A AGB and GEDI-L2A rh98 heights, and spectral variables derived from UAV-multispectral and RGB data were assessed. These calibrated AGB and height values and UAV-derived spectral variables were used to fit AGB estimations using a random forest (RF) regression model in Fuling District, China. Using Pearson correlation analysis, we identified 10 of the most important predictor variables in the AGB prediction model, including calibrated GEDI AGB and height, Visible Atmospherically Resistant Index green (VARIg), Red Blue Ratio Index (RBRI), Difference Vegetation Index (DVI), canopy cover (CC), Atmospherically Resistant Vegetation Index (ARVI), Red-Edge Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVIre), Color Index of Vegetation (CIVI), elevation, and slope. The results showed that, in general, the second model based on calibrated AGB and height, Sentinel-2 indices, slope and elevation, and spectral variables from UAV-multispectral and RGB datasets with evaluation metric (for training: R² = 0.941 Mg/ha, RMSE = 13.514 Mg/ha, MAE = 8.136 Mg/ha) performed better than the first model with AGB prediction. The result was between 23.45 Mg/ha and 301.81 Mg/ha, and the standard error was between 0.14 Mg/ha and 10.18 Mg/ha. This hybrid approach significantly improves AGB prediction accuracy and addresses uncertainties in AGB prediction modeling. The findings provide a robust framework for enhancing forest carbon stock assessment and contribute to global-scale AGB monitoring, advancing methodologies for sustainable forest management and ecological research. Full article

The global shortage of high-quality forage has significantly constrained the development of animal husbandry. Leveraging the complementary effects of forage rapeseed and hairy vetch intercropping can enhance forage yield and quality; however, the underlying mechanisms of overyielding in forage rapeseed–hairy vetch intercropping systems remain unclear. Over two years of field experiments, three cropping systems—rapeseed sole cropping, hairy vetch sole cropping, and rapeseed–hairy vetch intercropping—were investigated to assess the effects of intercropping on root and stem morphology, canopy light distribution, leaf photosynthetic physiology, and nitrogen metabolism. Our results demonstrated that intercropping increased forage biomass and crude protein yield by 14.3–20.0% and 30.7–92.8%, respectively, compared to sole cropping. Intercropping significantly enhanced root biomass, increasing lateral root biomass by 81% compared to rapeseed sole cropping. It also improved stem anatomical traits, including the cortex area (58.8–80.7%), cortex thickness (25.1–38.3%), number of vascular bundles (18.0–37.3%), vascular bundle length (17.8–18.4%), vascular bundle perimeter (6.7–18.7%), vascular bundle area (34.6–63.9%), and stem breaking strength (25.7–76.6%). Additionally, intercropping optimized vertical canopy light interception, reduced the activity of antioxidant enzymes (CAT, POD, SOD) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and enhanced the activities of glutamine synthetase and nitrate reductase, stomatal traits, and photosynthetic rates in the leaves of both crops. Structural equation modeling revealed that, in the intercropping system, improved population lodging resistance directly promoted nitrogen metabolism and leaf photosynthetic rates, ultimately increasing population biomass. In summary, rapeseed–hairy vetch intercropping improved canopy light distribution, strengthened rapeseed stem anatomy and root penetration, and enhanced population lodging resistance, leaf photosynthetic physiology, and nitrogen metabolism, thereby boosting forage biomass and quality. The supportive role of rapeseed in the intercropping system elucidates the overyielding mechanisms of rapeseed–hairy vetch intercropping, offering a theoretical framework for optimizing forage production systems worldwide. Full article

Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca (Xfp), a quarantine pathogen in the European Union, severely threatens Mediterranean olive production, especially in southern Italy, where Olive Quick Decline Syndrome (OQDS) has devastated Apulian olive groves. This study addresses the urgent need to identify resistant olive genotypes by monitoring 16 potentially tolerant genotypes over six years, assessing symptom severity and bacterial load. These genotypes, which survived in heavily infected areas, showed varied responses to Xfp; some maintained low symptom severity with minimal bacterial presence (high or undetectable Cq values), while others exhibited increased bacterial loads yet remained asymptomatic or showed limited canopy desiccation. SSR markers were used to investigate the genetic relationships among these genotypes and other widespread Mediterranean cultivars, showing genetic similarity with the resistant ones such as the Albanian Kalinjot and the Greek Leucocarpa, as well as with local Apulian cultivars, highlighting the potential of local and Mediterranean olive germplasm for Xfp resistance. This study integrates phenotypic responses with genetic knowledge to support the development of conservation strategies that will enhance the genetic diversity of Apulian olive cultivars. In addition, by focusing on the resilience of the different olive genotypes, this research aims to protect the traditional cultivars from the emerging threats, thus preserving the ecological and cultural heritage of the olive biodiversity of the Mediterranean region. Full article

Soil moisture content is a key factor influencing plant growth and agricultural productivity, directly impacting water uptake, nutrient absorption, and stress resistance. This study proposes a rapid, low-cost, non-destructive method for dynamically monitoring soil moisture at depths of 0–200 cm throughout the crop growth period under dryland conditions, with validation in soybean cultivation. During critical soybean growth stages, UAV multispectral data of the canopy were collected, and ground measurements were conducted for three GPS-referenced 50 cm × 50 cm plots to obtain canopy leaf water content, coverage, and soil volumetric moisture at 20 cm intervals. Ten vegetation indices were constructed from multispectral data to explore statistical relationships between vegetation indices, surface soil moisture, canopy leaf water content, and deeper soil moisture. Predictive models were developed and evaluated. Results showed that the NDVI-based nonlinear regression model achieved the best performance for leaf water content (R² = 0.725), and a significant correlation was found between canopy leaf water content and 0–20 cm soil moisture (R² = 0.705), enabling predictions of deeper soil moisture. Surface soil models accurately estimated 0–200 cm soil moisture distribution (R² = 0.9995). Daily water dynamics simulations provided robust support for precision irrigation management. This study demonstrates that UAV multispectral remote sensing combined with ground sampling is a valuable tool for soybean water management, supporting precision agriculture and sustainable water resource utilization. Full article

Tree height and vertical forest structure are important attributes in forestry, but their traditional measurement or assessment in the field is expensive, time-consuming, and often inaccurate. One of the main advantages of using remote sensing data to estimate vertical forest structure is the ability to obtain accurate data for larger areas in a more time- and cost-efficient manner. Temporal changes are also important for estimating and analysing tree heights, and in many countries, national airborne laser scanning (ALS) surveys have been conducted either only once or at specific, longer intervals, whereas aerial surveys are more often arranged in cycles with shorter intervals. In this study, we reviewed all freely available national airborne remote sensing data describing three-dimensional forest structures in Slovenia and compared them with traditional field measurements in an area dominated by uneven-aged forests. The comparison of ALS and digital aerial photogrammetry (DAP) data revealed that freely available national ALS data provide better estimates of dominant forest heights, vertical structural diversity, and their changes compared to cyclic DAP data, but they are still useful due to their temporally dense data. Up-to-date data are very important for forest management and the study of forest resilience and resistance to disturbance. Based on field measurements (2013 and 2023) and all remote sensing data, dominant and maximum heights are statistically significantly higher in uneven-aged forests than in mature, even-aged forests. Canopy height diversity (CHD) information, derived from lidar ALS and DAP data, has also proven to be suitable for distinguishing between even-aged and uneven-aged forests. The CHD_ALS 2023 was 1.64, and the CHD_CAS 2022 was 1.38 in uneven-aged stands, which were statistically significantly higher than in even-aged forest stands. Full article