Search Results (1,202)

To ensure large-scale production of plant-derived polyphenols, efficient and scalable in vitro culture systems are needed that can enable high biomass accumulation and secondary metabolite biosynthesis. The present study evaluates the suitability of transformed Salvia bulleyana shoot and hairy root cultures for biomass growth and phenolic compound production in different bioreactor systems, including two temporary immersion systems (PlantForm™ and RITA^®) and a nutrient sprinkle bioreactor (NSB). A pronounced system- and organ-specific response was observed. In transformed shoot cultures, the RITA^® bioreactor promoted high growth and volumetric productivity, although metabolite accumulation was lowered by partial hyperhydricity. In contrast, the PlantForm™ system provided more stable morphogenesis and higher polyphenol content, although less effective growth. In hairy root cultures, the NSB proved to be the most effective system, combining high biomass productivity with greater phenolic compound accumulation; total polyphenol content reached 65.1 mg/g DW, with rosmarinic acid (RA) constituting up to 78% of total phenolics. The highest volumetric productivity was achieved in NSB-grown hairy roots, reaching 837.9 mg/L total polyphenols and 651.3 mg/L RA. Secondary metabolism was further enhanced by elicitation with 100 μM methyl jasmonate applied under optimized bioreactor conditions. In transformed shoot cultures, elicitation increased RA accumulation by 63%, resulting in final productivity of 1164 mg/L RA, and 1250 mg/L total polyphenols. In hairy root cultures, RA accumulation increased by 44%, leading to final productivity of 795 mg/L RA and 933 mg/L total polyphenols. Our findings indicate that the balance between biomass growth and secondary metabolism in S. bulleyana cultures is determined by bioreactor configuration. The nutrient sprinkle bioreactor represents a highly effective platform for phenolic acid production in hairy root cultures, whereas temporary immersion systems can be successfully applied for transformed shoot cultivation. The combination of tailored bioreactor strategies with methyl jasmonate elicitation provides a promising approach for scalable production of high-value phenolic compounds in plant in vitro culture systems. Full article

Water scarcity has a significant impact on global agriculture, particularly in semi-arid regions, hindering economic development. The use of recycled urban wastewater in agriculture is a sustainable practice; however, it is essential to assess its impact on soil carbon stocks and microbial activity. This study hypothesized that the use of wastewater in soil cultivated with forage cactus and amended with 8 or 12 tons of sorghum straw as soil cover could increase carbon stocks, microbial biomass, and microbial activity compared to bare soil, even after only 8 months. The experiment was conducted in a tropical semi-arid region of Brazil, based on a factorial design with different cactus intercropping systems and soil cover treatments under wastewater irrigation. Overall, soil carbon stocks did not increase significantly compared to the control, although they increased by approximately 21% over the study period. However, soil cover increased C-CO₂ emissions by 70% after 4 and 8 months. Microbial biomass carbon increased by 65% compared to the baseline (time 0), particularly in treatments with soil cover. Soil cover and consortium under wastewater irrigation improved microbial activity and biomass, even over a short experimental period, indicating a sustainable soil management strategy to enhance soil organic matter quality and microbial properties. Full article

Agriculture plays a key role in global food production, whereas organic waste management remains an important environmental challenge. Organic residue-derived compost represents a sustainable strategy for nutrient recycling, soil fertility improvement, and reduced reliance on synthetic fertilizers in horticultural systems. This study systematically reviewed the scientific literature on the application of compost in cherry tomato (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme) cultivation to evaluate its effects on agronomic performance and production systems. A database search from 2004 to July 2025 identified 86 studies that met the predefined eligibility criteria. The analysis showed an increasing trend in research over the last two decades, with publications peaking in 2021. Most studies were conducted in Latin America, particularly in Colombia, Mexico, and Brazil, highlighting the relevance of the cherry tomato crop. The application of compost was associated with improved plant growth, nutrient availability, and crop productivity. The production cycles ranged from 37 to 220 days, with shorter cycles commonly observed in tropical environments. Rice husk compost is among the most frequently used organic amendments. Overall, compost represents an effective strategy to enhance agronomic performance and promote sustainable cherry tomato production worldwide. Full article

Basalt rock powder (BRP) has been evaluated as an alternative to soluble fertilizers owing to its phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) content, although their association with low-solubility minerals may restrict availability to plants. This review synthesized evidence on microbial P and K mobilization from rock-derived minerals and examined its relevance to BRP. Scopus and Web of Science were searched for English-language publications through 2025. After merging and duplicate removal, 98 records were sequentially screened, and 33 experimental studies were included. Bacterial evidence predominated, mainly from phosphate rock, hydroxyapatite, tricalcium phosphate, feldspar, and other non-basalt substrates. Studies involving photosynthetic microorganisms covered fewer strains and mineral sources. Direct basalt evidence was limited to K-release measurements from crystalline basalt by cyanobacteria and did not represent mobilization from BRP under soil conditions. Differences in mineral composition and loading, cultivation conditions, incubation periods, analytical fractions, and calculation bases limited direct comparisons. Mineral-P mobilization was associated with acidification, organic acids, and ligand-cation interactions, whereas phosphatase activity represented organic-P mineralization. K-related evidence included acidification, ion exchange, surface alteration, and feldspar-binding proteins. Mixed phototrophic-bacterial systems were evaluated mainly through metabolic interactions or soil and plant responses. Direct comparisons with monocultures were uncommon, and no included study quantified P or K release from BRP by a defined microalgae-bacteria consortium. Further research could clarify the applicability of microbial mobilization to BRP by linking its mineralogical characterization and controlled nutrient-release measurements with formulation stability and responses under soil and field conditions. Full article

Rice is a globally important staple crop and a major dietary source of inorganic arsenic (As). Compared with upland crops, flooded rice cultivation profoundly alters soil redox conditions, making paddy soils one of the most active agricultural interfaces for As mobilization, transformation, and food-chain transfer. While previous research has primarily focused on total As and inorganic As [As(III)/As(V)], methylated and thiolated As species also carry critical agronomic and health implications. Dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) can accumulate in grain and induce straighthead disease, whereas dimethylmonothioarsenate (DMMTA) shows substantially higher toxicity and uptake potential; DMMTA root uptake can be approximately 10 times higher than DMA, and its straighthead-inducing potency can exceed DMA by more than fivefold. This review synthesizes the sources, biogeochemical transformations, plant uptake, grain accumulation, safety assessment, and management implications of As along the paddy soil–rice–grain continuum. Particular emphasis is placed on how water regimes, redox potential, Fe/Mn/Al oxides, sulfur cycling, dissolved organic matter (DOM), microbial functional genes, and crop genotypes regulate diverse As species. Quantitative evidence indicates that alternate wetting and drying (AWD) can reduce grain total As and inorganic As by medians of 32% and 22%, respectively, but may increase grain cadmium (Cd) by a median of 58%; meanwhile, DMA and DMMTA can account for approximately 10–90% and 1–21% of total grain As, respectively, emphasizing that grain-As risk cannot be evaluated using inorganic As alone. Future research should establish speciation-based monitoring systems for inorganic, methylated, and thiolated As; develop process models linking water regime, Fe/S cycling, microbial transformations, and plant transport; and translate these mechanisms into field decision tools that balance As–Cd risk reduction, crop yield, and rice safety under changing environmental conditions. Full article

Mercury (Hg) mobility in contaminated soils may be altered by solarization-induced thermal disturbance and organic amendments. This study evaluated whether a cover-induced prior solarization pretreatment of a mining-impacted soil–compost system modifies the operationally defined labile Hg fraction (F1 + F2, considered potentially bioavailable), rice productivity, grain Hg accumulation, and screening-level health risk. Mining soils from San Jorge River basin were amended with compost at a 1:9 ratio and solarized for one month before crop establishment, generating temperatures of 32, 40, 44, and 50 °C under different cover conditions. After pretreatment, covers were removed and rice was cultivated for four months under uniform flooded conditions. Total Hg in soils and grains was determined by EPA Method 7473, and the potentially bioavailable fraction by modified Bloom extraction. Prior thermal exposure increased this fraction, especially at 50 °C, whereas compost reduced total Hg and partially buffered this increase. Productivity depended on the compost × temperature interaction: compost improved yield at 40 and 44 °C, while no grain production occurred in substrates previously exposed to 50 °C. Compost-amended treatments showed lower grain Hg than unamended soils, although all values exceeded the 20 μg kg⁻¹ reference limit. Hazard quotients remained below 1, with the highest value in unamended soil previously exposed to 44 °C. Full article

To investigate the effects of interplanting Morchella (morel mushrooms) between rows of apple trees on orchard soil properties and apple tree performance, a field experiment was conducted using a cultivation system combining small-arch tunnels with plastic film covering. The Morchella was interplanted in a five-year-old apple orchard, with plots without Morchella cultivation serving as the control. Measurements included Morchella yield and quality, apple fruit quality, and leaf photosynthetic performance. Additionally, soil physicochemical properties and enzyme activities were analyzed across the 0–40 cm soil layer at different depths. The results demonstrated that: (1) Intercropping Morchella in apple interrows proved to be agronomically feasible, yielding a fresh mushroom production of 1333.74 g/m². Moreover, this cultivation system significantly enhanced the nutritional quality of the harvested morels, as evidenced by marked increases in crude fiber, total sugars, reducing sugars, and free amino acid contents. (2) In the 0–20 cm soil layer, the Morchella cultivated plots exhibited significantly higher natural water content compared to the control. The measured values for soil pH, alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen, organic carbon, catalase activity, and sucrase activity were 5.46, 6.73 mg/kg, 38.30 g/kg, 411.86 μ mol/h/g, and 9.89 mg/d/g, respectively, all significantly greater than those in the control (p < 0.05). In the 20–40 cm layer, however, soil available potassium and organic carbon contents were 418.37 mg/kg and 28.45 g/kg, respectively, both significantly lower than the control (p < 0.05). Across both treatments, the values of soil pH, alkali -hydrolyzable nitrogen, organic carbon, available phosphorus, available potassium, and the activities of urease, amylase, catalase, and sucrase generally decreased with increasing soil depth. Notably, in the non-cultivated control plots, the contents of alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen and organic carbon increased with depth. (3) Interplanting Morchella improved apple fruit quality to a certain extent, significantly increasing individual fruit fresh weight, fruit shape index, and the contents of reducing sugars, total sugars, and soluble solids. (4) Interplanting Morchella also enhanced the photosynthetic rate of apple trees to some degree, significantly increasing transpiration rate, intercellular CO₂ concentration, and stomatal conductance. Collectively, interplanting Morchella in apple orchards can produce a reasonably high yield of high-quality mushrooms, increase individual apple fruit fresh weight, improve the physicochemical properties of the 0–20 cm soil layer, and enhance the photosynthetic performance of the apple trees. These combined benefits demonstrate clear practical potential and support the promotion and application of this intercropping system in orchard production. Full article

Chemolithotrophic denitrifying bacteria Thiobacillus denitrificans and Sulfurimonas denitrificans are model organisms for sulfur and nitrogen cycling and are frequently used as model organisms in biogeochemical and applied research. Their cultivation is considered technically demanding, largely due to the assumption that strict anaerobic equipment is required. Here, we provide a simplified, reproducible cultivation workflow designed for laboratories with limited anaerobic infrastructure, with a special focus on establishing growth under practical pseudo-anoxic conditions. Three media were evaluated (modified DSMZ 113, ATCC 152 Thiobacillus broth, and a commercial Thiobacillus broth) in both liquid and solid formats using anaerobic jars and a sealed-bottle “pseudo-anoxic” approach. Consistent growth of both organisms was achieved exclusively in modified DSMZ 113. Importantly, T. denitrificans grew reproducibly not only under anaerobic jar conditions but also under the sealed-bottle pseudo-anoxic setup, demonstrating that successful cultivation is feasible without specialized anaerobic systems. The S. denitrificans grew successfully, but exclusively under anoxic conditions. Additionally, we describe a simple and novel coverslip-on-agar microscopy method for rapid confirmation of small transparent colonies, supporting reliable isolation and contamination control. Overall, our results provide a practical step-by-step cultivation guide, highlighting that T. denitrificans can be robustly cultured even without complying with strict protocol for anaerobic cultivation. Full article

Food security faces significant challenges due to the growing threat of insect pests and global climate change, making it essential to adopt sustainable agricultural strategies. Plants possess intrinsic defense systems that are activated in response to herbivore attack, including the emission of specialized volatile organic compounds (VOC) known as herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs). These volatiles aid the foraging of natural enemies (predators and parasitoids), thereby contributing to biological control of pest populations. Harnessing these chemical defense mechanisms offers a promising avenue for pest management, although natural enemy attraction does not necessarily result in pest suppression or increased crop yield. This review synthesizes plant and insect-derived chemical signaling mechanisms with direct relevance to biological control in crop agroecosystems, including field crops, orchards, vegetable systems, and protected cultivation. We emphasize recent applied research while retaining selected foundational studies that established the principal concepts and mechanisms underlying chemically mediated pest management. Considering the importance of chemical signaling in sustainable agriculture, we propose four key research directions: (1) optimizing plant defense induction mechanisms; (2) integrating HIPVs with natural enemy pheromone-based attractants; (3) combining habitat management with the provision of plant-derived food resources; and (4) harnessing plant defenses through breeding and infochemical-based genetically modified crops. Additionally, we examine the potential impacts of environmental stressors on plant–herbivore chemical communication, underscoring their importance for resilient and environmentally sustainable agricultural systems. Full article

Driven by global climate change and Taiwan’s Net-Zero initiatives, high-input livestock farming faces urgent pressures to transform. Pennisetum purpureum, a primary forage and bioenergy crop, traditionally relies on heavy chemical nitrogen inputs, thereby exacerbating its carbon footprint. This study evaluated a sustainable cultivation model integrating legume intercropping with reduced fertilization. A field trial in central Taiwan utilizing a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) compared four treatments: conventional full nitrogen (800 kg N/ha), sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea) intercropping with half nitrogen, sunn hemp intercropping only, and organic compost. We monitored biomass, forage chemistry, and soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics. The sunn hemp plus half-nitrogen treatment achieved dry matter yields (30–35 Mg/ha) and crude protein levels (7.1–7.4%) statistically equivalent to the full-nitrogen control, significantly surpassing other groups. While short-term SOC stocks (72–81 Mg C/ha) showed no significant differences, trends indicated carbon accumulation in deep soil (30–50 cm). Consequently, substituting 50% of chemical nitrogen through biological fixation proves a viable strategy to maintain yield while reducing inputs. This model sustains productivity and mitigates greenhouse gas emissions, offering an economically feasible, potential carbon-negative solution for tropical forage systems. Full article

Sweet corn is an important vegetable crop due to its high nutritional value and increasing demand for fresh consumption and food processing. This study evaluated the effects of different fertilization systems on the yield and nutritional quality of sweet corn cultivated under the pedoclimatic conditions of the Crișului Negru Meadow, Bihor County, Romania. A field experiment was conducted in 2024 using a randomized block design arranged in a Latin rectangle with four fertilization treatments: an unfertilized control (V1), organic fertilization with farmyard manure compost (V2), mineral fertilization with NPK (V3), and mineral fertilization with NPK supplemented with micronutrients (V4). Kernel quality was assessed by determining ash, crude protein, fat, fatty acids, carbohydrates, total sugars, energy value, and reference intake. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA), and treatment means were compared using Tukey’s HSD test at p < 0.05. The fertilization regime significantly affected most nutritional parameters. The highest values were recorded in V4, with significant increases in crude protein (24.54%), fat (24.00%), fatty acids (26.32%), total sugars (50.20%), energy value (15.42%), and reference intake (15.32%) compared with V1. In contrast, carbohydrate content was not significantly affected by the fertilization treatments, while mineral content remained comparable to the control only in V4. Overall, mineral fertilization supplemented with micronutrients proved to be the most effective strategy for improving the nutritional quality of sweet corn and represents a promising sustainable fertilization approach for cultivation under the environmental conditions of the Crișului Negru Meadow. Full article

This paper systematically reviews the emerging field of smart urban agriculture, defined as the integration of information and communication technologies (ICTs) into food production practices within and around built-up urban areas. Although urban agriculture and digital agriculture have each generated substantial scholarship, their intersection remains conceptually fragmented and empirically uneven. Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, this study reviews 143 English-language articles indexed in Web of Science and Scopus between 2016 and 2026, combining bibliometric mapping with structured thematic coding. The analysis shows that smart urban agriculture has expanded rapidly since 2021, but remains geographically concentrated and disciplinarily dispersed. Current research is organized mainly around IoT and sensor networks, machine learning, soilless cultivation, vertical farming, plant factories, and controlled-environment agriculture. ICT applications are most mature in enclosed, data-rich, and technically controllable systems, where they support monitoring, prediction, automation, and resource optimization. By contrast, community-based, open-space, and governance-oriented forms of urban agriculture remain underexplored. By systematically linking ICT families with different urban agriculture production settings, this review clarifies the field’s emerging knowledge structure and demonstrates that technological development remains uneven across agricultural forms and socio-institutional contexts. Full article

Seeds of Vitis vinifera L. exhibit a distinct bilateral symmetry, a geometric property widely used in biological systems to assess developmental stability and morphological organization. When properly oriented, seed outlines can be divided into two corresponding halves along their longitudinal axis, enabling quantitative assessment of symmetry. This characteristic offers a framework for the characterization and classification of grapevine cultivars and clones. In this study, we developed an automated computational workflow to quantify bilateral symmetry in grapevine seeds. Seed outlines were first modelled using Elliptic Fourier Analysis (EFA). Geometric symmetry was subsequently evaluated in R using Generalized Procrustes Analysis (GPA), yielding a scale-independent Symmetry Index (SI). The methodology was applied to a collection comprising 62 Vitis vinifera cultivars and three wild non-Vitis vinifera species. The Symmetry Index showed significant negative correlations with both seed area and mean contour curvature. Wild species (Group I) exhibited significantly higher symmetry values than domesticated groups. Among cultivated grapevines, the Muscat lineage (Group IV) displayed the lowest symmetry values and the greatest morphological dispersion. Differences in SI were detected not only among cultivars but also among clonal or regional expressions of the same variety cultivated under distinct geographical conditions. Symmetry analysis provides a robust, non-destructive, and high-resolution tool for the characterization of Vitis germplasm. By integrating geometric morphometrics and automated shape analysis, this approach offers new opportunities for cultivar discrimination, evolutionary studies, and the quantitative assessment of morphological diversity in grapevine seeds. Full article

This study explores the behavioral intersection of nutritional health and environmental literacy among pre-service teachers within the national higher education context. Utilizing the Sustainable Healthy Diet Index (SHED Index) for the first time in Croatia, this research systematically examines the dietary habits, lifestyle choices, and socio-cultural patterns of future educators (N = 164) at the University of Split. The survey instrument evaluated the core SHED domains, Healthy Eating (HE) and Sustainable Eating (SE), alongside supplementary indicators monitoring food logistics, hydration, and waste management. Descriptive analysis revealed moderately high standardized overall SHED scores (M = 62.86), aligning with the original normative distribution. Notably, students achieved significantly higher descriptive sub-scores in the HE domain (M = 24.68) than in the SE domain (M = 18.06). Although domestic food consumption and circular recycling practices were well integrated, critical biospheric behaviors—such as reducing animal protein, consuming legumes, purchasing organic food, and composting—remain limited by cultural resistance and municipal infrastructure deficits. Furthermore, an independent t-test indicated no significant differentiation across study levels, highlighting a potential institutional stagnation throughout the five-year teacher education program. Regression analysis demonstrated that sustainable dietary choices appear to be strongly anchored in personal health concerns rather than biospheric altruism, with healthy eating emerging as the single strongest explanatory factor for of sustainable behavior. These findings indicate that to cultivate authentic ecological literacy in the future teaching workforce, higher education curricula require a systemic redesign that explicitly links sustainability to personal well-being through localized, experiential learning. Full article

The study on the valorization of natural resources through cowpea cultivation represents a challenge to mitigate the negative effects of climate change on the environment and on the food security of the population in drought-affected areas globally, and specifically in the sandy soil area of Romania. Thus, the existence in Romania of an area of approximately 439,000 ha with sands and sandy soils, soils with low natural fertility (below 1.2% humus) and with deficient hydrophysical properties, implies finding solutions for their efficient valorization through ecological modeling of the species/varieties structure, depending on the adaptability of the plant in a given area. In this sense, given the economic importance of cowpea, given by the plant’s properties (drought resistance, source of increasing the organic matter content in sands, source of atmospheric nitrogen fixation, good precursor plant, source of protein for humans and animals), the cultivation of this species in a sustainable agricultural system is outlined, as an alternative solution to the cultivation of other leguminous plants. Considered a crop suitable for a climate change scenario, the conservation of genetic biodiversity and the establishment of technological inputs are essential objectives for promoting cowpea in a sustainable agricultural system, given the increasing drought in the world and the increasing need for protein. Full article