Journal Description
Agronomy
Agronomy
is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal on agronomy and agroecology published monthly online by MDPI. The Spanish Society of Plant Physiology (SEFV) is affiliated with Agronomy and their members receive discounts on the article processing charges.
- Open Access— free for readers, with article processing charges (APC) paid by authors or their institutions.
- High Visibility: indexed within Scopus, SCIE (Web of Science), PubAg, AGRIS, and other databases.
- Journal Rank: JCR - Q1 (Agronomy) / CiteScore - Q1 (Agronomy and Crop Science)
- Rapid Publication: manuscripts are peer-reviewed and a first decision is provided to authors approximately 15.8 days after submission; acceptance to publication is undertaken in 2.4 days (median values for papers published in this journal in the second half of 2023).
- Recognition of Reviewers: reviewers who provide timely, thorough peer-review reports receive vouchers entitling them to a discount on the APC of their next publication in any MDPI journal, in appreciation of the work done.
- Companion journals for Agronomy include: Seeds, Agrochemicals, Grasses and Crops.
Impact Factor:
3.7 (2022);
5-Year Impact Factor:
4.0 (2022)
Latest Articles
Genetic Map Construction and Primary Quantitative Trait Locus Analysis of Low-Light-Stress-Related Traits in Cucumber
Agronomy 2024, 14(5), 1061; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14051061 - 16 May 2024
Abstract
To ascertain the effect of low-light stress (80 μmol·m−2·s−1) on cucumbers, we report on improving and breeding low-light-tolerant varieties by mining genes related to low-light tolerance. In this study, the quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping of cucumber plant height
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To ascertain the effect of low-light stress (80 μmol·m−2·s−1) on cucumbers, we report on improving and breeding low-light-tolerant varieties by mining genes related to low-light tolerance. In this study, the quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping of cucumber plant height and internode length under low-light stress was conducted using the F2 population, employing specific-length amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) and phenotypic analysis. A genetic map with a total length of 1114.29 c M was constructed from 1,076,599 SNPs, and 2233 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were distributed on seven linked groups, with an average map distance of 0.50 c M. Two QTLs related to plant height, CsPlH5.1 and CsPlH6.1, were detected on Chr.5 and Chr.6, with a cumulative contribution rate of 16.33%. The contribution rate (PVE), max LOD value, additive effect (ADD), and dominant effect (DOM) of CsPlH5.1 were 9.446%, 4.013, 1.005, and 0.563, respectively. CsPlH5.1 was located between 4,812,907 and 5,159,042 in the Gy14_V2.0 genome of cucumber, with a genetic distance of 0.32 Mb; the interval contained 41 candidate genes, and CsPlH6.1 was found to be located between Marker537985 (171.10 c M) and Marker 537984 (171.55 c M), a range containing only one candidate gene. A total of 42 candidate genes related to photosynthesis, chloroplast development, abiotic stress, and plant growth were found in the location range associated with plant height. Simultaneously, a QTL (Csnd2_NdL6.1) for the second internode length was detected, and the max LOD, ADD, and DOM values were 5.689, 0.384, and −0.19, respectively. Csnd2_NdL6.1 was located between 29,572,188 and 29,604,215, with 0.03 Mb on Chr. 6 including seven candidate genes. The molecular function of the CsGy6G032300 gene is involved with the binding of calcium ions, which may be related to the elongation and growth of plants; however, the population needs to be further expanded for acceptable localization verification. The results of this study provide a preliminary basis for the mining of essential genes of cucumber’s low-light tolerance and identifying low-light-tolerance genes.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Vegetable Breeding, Genetics and Genomics)
Open AccessArticle
Effects of Cultivation Years on the Distribution of Nitrogen and Base Cations in 0–7 m Soil Profiles of Plastic-Greenhouse Pepper
by
Haofeng Lv, Zhongjun Pang, Fei Chen, Hongxu Ji, Weixuan Wang, Weiwei Zhou, Jing Dong, Junliang Li and Bin Liang
Agronomy 2024, 14(5), 1060; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14051060 - 16 May 2024
Abstract
To clarify the migration and accumulation of nitrogen (N), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), and potassium (K) in soil profiles of plastic-greenhouse vegetable fields with cultivation years, soil samples from the 0–7 m soil profiles were collected from 10 pepper greenhouses with 10 and
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To clarify the migration and accumulation of nitrogen (N), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), and potassium (K) in soil profiles of plastic-greenhouse vegetable fields with cultivation years, soil samples from the 0–7 m soil profiles were collected from 10 pepper greenhouses with 10 and 20 years planting history, and parallel soil samples were taken from adjacent wheat-maize fields as controls. The results showed that: (1) Compared with wheat-maize fields, the total N amount in the 0–7 m soil layers from the greenhouses increased by 6.19 ± 1.16 and 9.11 ± 3.43 t ha−1 at 10 and 20 years, respectively, accounting for about 30.4% and 17.5% of the N input. (2) The N amount that entered the environment outside the 0–7 m soil layers were 6.95 t ± 2.76 and 29.10 ± 10.14 t ha−1 after 10 and 20 years of continuous planting, accounting for approximately 34.2% and 55.9% of the N input, respectively. (3) The concentration of water-soluble Ca and Mg in the 0–7 m soil layers increased significantly with cultivation years, and correlated positively with mineral N concentration. (4) Moreover, K mainly accumulates in the form of non-exchangeable K in the surface layers (0–50 cm). Our results demonstrated that huge amounts of N migrate to the deep soil with the extension of cultivation years in plastic-greenhouse pepper production systems, accompanied by significant leaching of Ca and Mg, while K mainly accumulates in the surface layers.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Advances in Environmental Behaviors of Persistent Contaminants: Fate, Distribution, Risk, and Challenges)
Open AccessArticle
Thymol Deploys Multiple Antioxidative Systems to Suppress ROS Accumulation in Chinese Cabbage Seedlings under Saline Stress
by
Changwei Sun, Jian Chen, Lanlan Wang, Jiajun Li, Zhiqi Shi, Lifei Yang and Xiangyang Yu
Agronomy 2024, 14(5), 1059; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14051059 - 16 May 2024
Abstract
Developing biostimulants is a promising approach for sustainable agriculture under a saline environment. Thymol is a plant-derived compound with a potential antioxidative capacity. However, little is known about whether and how the antioxidative property of thymol plays a role in inducing plant tolerance
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Developing biostimulants is a promising approach for sustainable agriculture under a saline environment. Thymol is a plant-derived compound with a potential antioxidative capacity. However, little is known about whether and how the antioxidative property of thymol plays a role in inducing plant tolerance against abiotic stresses. Here, we find that thymol induces saline tolerance in Chinese cabbage seedlings via enhancing the antioxidative capacity. Treatment with NaCl (100 mM) decreased the seedling fresh weight by 59.9% as compared to a control. Thymol at 20 μM showed the greatest effect on promoting seedling growth under saline stress, with the seedling fresh weight being increased by 71.0% as compared to NaCl treatment. Thymol remarkably decreased the overaccumulation of ROS (hydrogen peroxide and a superoxide radical); cell membrane damage (evaluated by lipid oxidation, membrane integrity, and relative conductivity); and cell death in seedlings under saline stress. Thymol induced three antioxidative systems to lower the ROS level in salt-treated seedlings. First, thymol remarkably activated a set of antioxidative enzymes, such as SOD (superoxide dismutase), APX (ascorbate peroxidase), CAT (catalase), and POD (peroxidase). Second, thymol balanced the cellular redox status by increasing the ratio of AsA/DHA (ascorbic acid/dehydroascorbic acid) and GSH/GSSG (glutathione/oxidized glutathione). Third, thymol significantly enhanced the level-two kinds of antioxidants (total phenol and flavonoid). All of these physiological responses were observed in both the shoots and the roots. In sum, thymol deploys multiple antioxidative systems to help Chinese cabbage seedlings against saline stress. Such findings suggest that thymol has great potential to be developed as a novel biostimulant enhancing crop tolerance against saline stress.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Humic Substances and Biostimulants for Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture)
Open AccessArticle
Study on Water and Salt Transport Characteristics of Sunflowers under Different Irrigation Amounts in the Yellow River Irrigation Area
by
Changfu Tong, Rui He, Jun Wang and Hexiang Zheng
Agronomy 2024, 14(5), 1058; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14051058 - 16 May 2024
Abstract
The control of irrigation volume is of significant importance in arid regions of northwest China. Particularly, it has a crucial impact on the salinization of shallow groundwater areas. In 2022 and 2023, field experiments were conducted to test three distinct under-membrane irrigation treatments.
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The control of irrigation volume is of significant importance in arid regions of northwest China. Particularly, it has a crucial impact on the salinization of shallow groundwater areas. In 2022 and 2023, field experiments were conducted to test three distinct under-membrane irrigation treatments. These treatments were assigned water quotas of HW (27 mm), MW (22.5 mm), and LW (18 mm). The HYDRUS-2D model was integrated with a field experiment to accurately simulate the dynamic fluctuations of soil water and salt in the sunflower root zone. The model’s performance was assessed and verified using real-field data from 2022 and 2023, and the simulation results closely matched the measured values. This research also used stable hydroxide isotopes to assess the water supply from various soil layers at different time intervals in sunflower plants. The results indicated that the three different levels of irrigation applied under the membrane had a significant impact on soil water content. Specifically, there was a significant difference in soil water content at a depth of 0–40 cm (p < 0.05), while there was little effect on the water content at a depth of 40–60 cm (p > 0.05). After irrigation, the average salt content in the top 0–20 cm of soil decreased by 7.0% compared to the medium and low irrigation levels, and by 10.8% compared to the medium irrigation level. Additionally, the medium irrigation level resulted in a 10.8% decrease in salt content compared to the low irrigation level, and a 4.1% decrease compared to the medium irrigation level. During the same period, the soil salinity levels at depths of 0–20 cm, 20–40 cm, 40–60 cm, and 60–100 cm in the area outside the membrane were measured to be 2.7~4.8 g·kg−1, 2.8~4.0 g·kg−1, 2.7~3.4 g·kg−1, and 1.7~2.6 g·kg−1, respectively. These levels decreased by 13.1~55.5%, 0.7~42.8%, −0.4~16.2%, and −72.7~7.5%, respectively. Following irrigation, the HW treatment mostly absorbed water in the 0–40 cm soil layer, while the MW and LW treatments absorbed water in both the 0–40 cm and 60–80 cm soil levels. The results indicated that the most optimal drip irrigation method beneath the membrane in this location was achieved when the amount of water applied was between 25–30 mm. This method demonstrated a combination of water conservation, high crop yield, and effective salt suppression.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Water Management Strategies for Sustainable Crop Production)
Open AccessArticle
An Intelligent Detection System for Wheat Appearance Quality
by
Junling Liang, Jianpin Chen, Meixuan Zhou, Heng Li, Yiheng Xu, Fei Xu, Liping Yin and Xinyu Chai
Agronomy 2024, 14(5), 1057; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14051057 - 16 May 2024
Abstract
In the realm of commercial trade, the appearance quality of wheat is a crucial metric for assessing its value and grading. Traditionally, evaluating wheat appearance quality is a manual process conducted by inspectors, which is time-consuming, laborious, and error-prone. In this research, we
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In the realm of commercial trade, the appearance quality of wheat is a crucial metric for assessing its value and grading. Traditionally, evaluating wheat appearance quality is a manual process conducted by inspectors, which is time-consuming, laborious, and error-prone. In this research, we developed an intelligent detection system for wheat appearance quality, leveraging state-of-the-art neural network technology for the efficient and standardized assessment of wheat appearance quality. Our system was meticulously crafted, integrating high-performance hardware components and sophisticated software solutions. Central to its functionality is a detection model built upon multi-grained convolutional neural networks. This innovative setup allows for the swift and precise evaluation and categorization of wheat quality. Remarkably, our system achieved an exceptional overall recognition accuracy rate of 99.45% for wheat grain categories, boasting a recognition efficiency that was approximately five times faster than manual recognition processes. This groundbreaking system serves as a valuable tool for assisting inspectors, offering technical support for customs quarantine, grain reserves, and food safety.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue In-Field Detection and Monitoring Technology in Precision Agriculture)
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Open AccessArticle
Effect of Soil Acidification on Temperature Sensitivity of Soil Respiration
by
Lin Jin, Keke Hua, Linchuan Zhan, Chuanlong He, Daozhong Wang, Hirohiko Nagano, Weiguo Cheng, Kazuyuki Inubushi and Zhibin Guo
Agronomy 2024, 14(5), 1056; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14051056 - 16 May 2024
Abstract
Soil pH significantly impacts microbial activity and community assembly, which in turn determines the temperature sensitivity (Q10) of soil respiration. Due to the high soil acidification in China, it is necessary to understand how soil acidification impacts Q10. Here,
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Soil pH significantly impacts microbial activity and community assembly, which in turn determines the temperature sensitivity (Q10) of soil respiration. Due to the high soil acidification in China, it is necessary to understand how soil acidification impacts Q10. Here, the Q10 of soil respiration was examined in a long-term field experiment (1982–present) with different soil pH caused by fertilization management. In this experiment, we selected treatments with neutral pH: (1) no crops and fertilization (CK); (2) crops without fertilization (NF); low pH with (3) crops with chemical fertilization (NPK); and (4) crops with chemical fertilization combined with wheat straw incorporation (WS). Under natural soil temperature changes, we observed that soil acidification lowered the Q10 value of soil respiration. Considering only temperature changes, the Q10 of soil respiration was strongly associated with microbial community composition, alpha diversity, and soil ammonium nitrogen. Considering the interaction between soil pH and temperature, warming strengthened the negative effect of soil pH on the Q10 of soil respiration, and the pathway through which soil pH mediated Q10 included not only microbial community composition, alpha diversity, and biomass but also the soil’s available phosphorus. This work enhanced our insights into the relationships between Q10, temperature, and soil pH by identifying important microbial properties and key soil environmental factors.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Soil and Plant Nutrition)
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Open AccessArticle
Leaf Spot Disease of Red Clover Caused by Leptosphaeria weimeri (=Longiseptatispora meliloti) in China
by
Rongchun Zheng, Zhibiao Nan and Tingyu Duan
Agronomy 2024, 14(5), 1055; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14051055 - 16 May 2024
Abstract
Red clover (Trifolium pretense) is widely cultivated as an excellent forage and green manure crop. In 2021, a leaf spot disease was discovered in a red clover field in Min County, Gansu Province, China. Symptoms on T. pratense manifested as small
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Red clover (Trifolium pretense) is widely cultivated as an excellent forage and green manure crop. In 2021, a leaf spot disease was discovered in a red clover field in Min County, Gansu Province, China. Symptoms on T. pratense manifested as small white spots that gradually expanded into nearly oval or irregularly shaped gray-white lesions. The causal agent of this new disease was identified as Leptosphaeria weimeri (=Longiseptatispora meliloti) based on morphological identification, pathogenicity tests, and the phylogenetic identification of ITS, LSU, and SSU sequence. The optimal growth temperature was found to be 20 °C under different culture conditions, while the optimal spore-producing temperature was 25 °C. The pH for optimal growth and spore production was seven. The fungus grew and produced spores successfully on both PDA and PSA media. Additionally, the pathogen was efficiently inhibited using 450 g/L of prochloraz fungicide in vitro. To our knowledge, this is the first report of leaf spot disease on red clover caused by L. meliloti in China.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Grass and Forage Diseases: Etiology, Epidemic and Management)
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Open AccessArticle
The Impact of Suspension Fertilizers Based on Waste Phosphorus Salts from Polyol Production on the Yield of Maize Intended for Green Fodder
by
Paulina Bogusz, Marzena Sylwia Brodowska and Piotr Rusek
Agronomy 2024, 14(5), 1054; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14051054 - 15 May 2024
Abstract
The need to import phosphorus raw materials for fertilizer purposes in Europe as well as the need to manage increasing amounts of waste contributed to the search for alternative sources of phosphorus. One of these is waste sodium–potassium phosphate from the production of
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The need to import phosphorus raw materials for fertilizer purposes in Europe as well as the need to manage increasing amounts of waste contributed to the search for alternative sources of phosphorus. One of these is waste sodium–potassium phosphate from the production of polyols. Additionally, a current problem is providing an adequate amount of food, where fertilizers play the main role. Due to the increase in meat consumption, the attractiveness of growing corn for feed is increasing due to its high yield potential and rich composition. The article presents the impact of suspension fertilizers based on waste from the production of polyols on the yield of corn intended for green fodder. In a 3-year field study, the effects of a waste phosphorus source were compared with a commercial granulated phosphorus fertilizer—fosdar. In addition, the suspension fertilizers were assessed according to their composition by testing fertilizers containing only basic nutrients (NPK) and ones enriched with secondary ingredients (S and Mg) and microelements (Zn, Mn and B). The research confirmed the effectiveness of the tested suspension fertilizers. Although the yield obtained was lower than in the case of fosdar fertilization, it still remained at a high level of over 70 t∙ha−1 of fresh yield.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Soil and Plant Nutrition)
Open AccessFeature PaperArticle
Effects of Maize/Peanut Intercropping and Nitrogen Fertilizer Application on Soil Fungal Community Structure
by
Yongyong Zhang, Fengyan Zhao, Chen Feng, Wei Bai, Zhe Zhang, Qian Cai, Zhanxiang Sun and Liangshan Feng
Agronomy 2024, 14(5), 1053; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14051053 - 15 May 2024
Abstract
Maize/peanut intercropping may improve soil health through reducing nitrogen (N) fertilization. However, the effects of maize/peanut intercropping combined with reduced N fertilization on the soil fungal community structure have not been well reported. Using a long-term localized micro-zone experiment, we investigated the combined
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Maize/peanut intercropping may improve soil health through reducing nitrogen (N) fertilization. However, the effects of maize/peanut intercropping combined with reduced N fertilization on the soil fungal community structure have not been well reported. Using a long-term localized micro-zone experiment, we investigated the combined effects of intercropping and N fertilizer application on soil fungal community diversity and composition. Three cropping patterns (maize/peanut intercropping, maize monoculture, and peanut monoculture) and three N application levels (0 kg·hm−2, 150 kg·hm−2, and 300 kg·hm−2) were assessed. The results showed that the total numbers of fungal species and unique species (operational taxonomic units, OTUs) in both maize and peanut soils tended to first increase and then decrease with increasing N application. Compared with monoculture, the numbers of total OTUs and unique OTUs in intercropped maize soil decreased by 4.14% and 12.79%, respectively, but the total numbers of OTUs and unique OTUs in peanut soil increased by 1.08% and 3.78%, respectively. With increasing N application, the soil fungal Ace and Chao indices of maize soil first increased and then decreased, while the fungal Shannon, Ace, and Chao indices of peanut soil decreased. Compared with the monoculture system, intercropping significantly reduced the maize soil fungal Ace and Chao indices but increased the peanut soil fungal Shannon, Ace, and Chao indices. Nitrogen application and intercropping significantly altered the fungal community structure of maize soil, while N application had no significant effect on the fungal community structure of peanut soil, though intercropping significantly changed the fungal community structure of peanut soil. At the phylum level, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Mortierellomycota, unclassified_k_Fungi, and Chytridiomycota were the dominant taxa. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that soil nitrate (NO3−) content was the main environmental factor shaping the soil fungal community. In conclusion, excessive N fertilization (300 kg·hm−2) can reduce soil fungal community diversity; maize/peanut intercropping reversed the negative effect of N application on fungal community of peanut soil, but not that of maize soil. Soil NO3− content is the primary environmental driver of soil fungal communities.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Soil and Plant Nutrition)
Open AccessArticle
Improving Wheat Leaf Nitrogen Concentration (LNC) Estimation across Multiple Growth Stages Using Feature Combination Indices (FCIs) from UAV Multispectral Imagery
by
Xiangxiang Su, Ying Nian, Hu Yue, Yongji Zhu, Jun Li, Weiqiang Wang, Yali Sheng, Qiang Ma, Jikai Liu, Wenhui Wang and Xinwei Li
Agronomy 2024, 14(5), 1052; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14051052 - 15 May 2024
Abstract
Leaf nitrogen concentration (LNC) is a primary indicator of crop nitrogen status, closely related to the growth and development dynamics of crops. Accurate and efficient monitoring of LNC is significant for precision field crop management and enhancing crop productivity. However, the biochemical properties
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Leaf nitrogen concentration (LNC) is a primary indicator of crop nitrogen status, closely related to the growth and development dynamics of crops. Accurate and efficient monitoring of LNC is significant for precision field crop management and enhancing crop productivity. However, the biochemical properties and canopy structure of wheat change across different growth stages, leading to variations in spectral responses that significantly impact the estimation of wheat LNC. This study aims to investigate the construction of feature combination indices (FCIs) sensitive to LNC across multiple wheat growth stages, using remote sensing data to develop an LNC estimation model that is suitable for multiple growth stages. The research employs UAV multispectral remote sensing technology to acquire canopy imagery of wheat during the early (Jointing stage and Booting stage) and late (Early filling and Late filling stages) in 2021 and 2022, extracting spectral band reflectance and texture metrics. Initially, twelve sensitive spectral feature combination indices (SFCIs) were constructed using spectral band information. Subsequently, sensitive texture feature combination indices (TFCIs) were created using texture metrics as an alternative to spectral bands. Machine learning algorithms, including partial least squares regression (PLSR), random forest regression (RFR), support vector regression (SVR), and Gaussian process regression (GPR), were used to integrate spectral and texture information, enhancing the estimation performance of wheat LNC across growth stages. Results show that the combination of Red, Red edge, and Near-infrared bands, along with texture metrics such as Mean, Correlation, Contrast, and Dissimilarity, has significant potential for LNC estimation. The constructed SFCIs and TFCIs both enhanced the responsiveness to LNC across multiple growth stages. Additionally, a sensitive index, the Modified Vegetation Index (MVI), demonstrated significant improvement over NDVI, correcting the over-saturation concerns of NDVI in time-series analysis and displaying outstanding potential for LNC estimation. Spectral information outperforms texture information in estimation capability, and their integration, particularly with SVR, achieves the highest precision (coefficient of determination (R2) = 0.786, root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.589%, and relative prediction deviation (RPD) = 2.162). In conclusion, the sensitive FCIs developed in this study improve LNC estimation performance across multiple growth stages, enabling precise monitoring of wheat LNC. This research provides insights and technical support for the construction of sensitive indices and the precise management of nitrogen nutrition status in field crops.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Research on Hyperspectral and Multispectral Imaging and Their Applications in Precision Agriculture Ⅱ)
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Open AccessArticle
Locomotor Activity of Adult Olive Fruit Flies Recorded under Conditions of Food or Water Deprivation
by
Evangelia I. Balampekou, Dimitrios S. Koveos, Thomas M. Koutsos, Georgios C. Menexes, Apostolos Kapranas, James R. Carey and Nikos A. Kouloussis
Agronomy 2024, 14(5), 1051; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14051051 - 15 May 2024
Abstract
The olive fruit fly, known as Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is causing substantial economic losses in olive crops worldwide. Studying the activity patterns of the insect may expand our knowledge to eventually adopt more sustainable and effective pest control approaches. In the
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The olive fruit fly, known as Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is causing substantial economic losses in olive crops worldwide. Studying the activity patterns of the insect may expand our knowledge to eventually adopt more sustainable and effective pest control approaches. In the present study, we investigated the impact of food and water deprivation on the mobility of olive fruit flies using a modified version of the LAM25 system (locomotor activity monitor)—Trikinetics, an automated locomotor activity electronic device. Both male and female flies at four different age groups, reared on olives in the laboratory, were individually placed in glass tubes. Their locomotor activity was recorded every minute by three monitors within the digital device over a three-day period. Our observations revealed that adults exhibited significantly reduced movement during nighttime compared to daytime. The greatest mobility was observed during the period of 15:00 to 20:59. Additionally, younger flies demonstrated higher levels of mobility compared to older ones. Flies subjected to both food and water deprivation exhibited higher mobility compared to the control group. These insights offer valuable insights for enhancing pest management strategies aimed at controlling olive fruit flies adopting a more sustainable approach.
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(This article belongs to the Section Pest and Disease Management)
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Open AccessArticle
Overexpression of NB-LRR Gene AtRPM1(D505V) Improved Drought and Salt Resistance and Decreased Cold Tolerance in Transgenic Rice
by
Zhaowu Li, Xiaojie Zhou, Xiaoxiao Liu, Xiaoqiu Wu, Zhiming He, Zhiyong Gao and Zhangying Wang
Agronomy 2024, 14(5), 1050; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14051050 - 15 May 2024
Abstract
Abiotic stimuli severely restrict the growth and development of plants, resulting in massive losses in the quality and yield of crops. Exploring genes that can improve crop tolerance to abiotic stress is important. In a previous study, we found that overexpression of the
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Abiotic stimuli severely restrict the growth and development of plants, resulting in massive losses in the quality and yield of crops. Exploring genes that can improve crop tolerance to abiotic stress is important. In a previous study, we found that overexpression of the Arabidopsis nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat (NB-LRR) gene AtRPM1(D505V) increased disease resistance in rice. In this research, we found that AtRPM1(D505V) transgenic plants were more sensitive to abscisic acid (ABA) than wild type (WT) plants. Abiotic-stress resistance in AtRPM1(D505V) transgenic plants was investigated. We found that AtRPM1(D505V) transgenic plants exhibited improved resistance to drought and salt stress; the phonotype and survival rates of transgenic rice were better than WT plants. The expression of stress responsive genes including OsDREB2A, OsDREB2B, OsRD22, and OsRD29A were significantly upregulated in AtRPM1(D505V) overexpressed plants than in WT plants. Moreover, the activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxidase (POD) were significantly increased in AtRPM1(D505V) overexpressed plants than in WT plants under drought and salt stress. Under cold stress, the expression of stress responsive genes and the activities of antioxidant enzymes in AtRPM1(D505V) transgenic plants were significantly lower than in WT plants. Our research demonstrated that AtRPM1(D505V) confers drought and salt resistance to transgenic rice. Therefore, AtRPM1(D505V) could act as a potential candidate gene to cultivate drought- and salt-tolerant plants.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Tolerance to Drought and Salt Stress in Plants, 2nd volume)
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Open AccessArticle
Enhancing Cotton Production and Sustainability through Multi-Tier Cropping Systems: Growth, Efficiency, and Profitability Analysis
by
Kanthan Thirukumaran, Kadapillai Nagarajan, Natarajan Vadivel, Vaddi Saitheja, Venkatesan Manivannan, Gnanasekaran Prabukumar, Panneerselvam Parasuraman, Muthusami Karuppasami Kalarani, Ramasamy Karthikeyan and Vaithiyanathan Sendhilvel
Agronomy 2024, 14(5), 1049; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14051049 - 15 May 2024
Abstract
Intercropping presents an opportunity to optimise land use and resource efficiency in cotton cultivation, particularly for small and marginal farmers facing climate-related challenges and rising input costs. This study explores the potential of intercropping short-duration vegetables with cotton to transform this production system
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Intercropping presents an opportunity to optimise land use and resource efficiency in cotton cultivation, particularly for small and marginal farmers facing climate-related challenges and rising input costs. This study explores the potential of intercropping short-duration vegetables with cotton to transform this production system into a more economically viable and sustainable one. The study was conducted in the Cotton Department of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore during the winter irrigated season, from August to January, in both 2020 and 2021. The growth, yield parameters, equivalent yield (3645 and 4234 kg ha−1), and net return (Rs. 123,434 ha−1 and Rs. 154,034 ha−1) were higher in the intercropping system with the paired row planting of Bt cotton with two rows of cluster bean. Upon comparing sole cropping and the paired row method of planting, it was found that adopting the paired row system of planting Bt cotton with two rows of cluster bean was highly profitable in all aspects of crop production. Therefore, the adoption of paired row cropping systems with compatible intercrops that promote synergistic effects on the main crop should be considered for enhancing overall productivity, as well as sustainability.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Agroecology Innovation: Achieving System Resilience)
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Open AccessArticle
Identification and Evaluation of Celery Germplasm Resources for Salt Tolerance
by
Limei Wu, Jiageng Du, Yidan Zhang, Yuqin Xue, Chengyao Jiang, Wei Lu, Yangxia Zheng, Chengbo Zhou, Aisheng Xiong and Mengyao Li
Agronomy 2024, 14(5), 1048; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14051048 - 15 May 2024
Abstract
This study evaluated the salt tolerance in 40 celery germplasm resources to clarify the different salt tolerances of celery germplasm. A gradient treatment with different concentrations of NaCl solutions (100, 200, and 300 mmol·L−1) was used to simulate salt stress. After
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This study evaluated the salt tolerance in 40 celery germplasm resources to clarify the different salt tolerances of celery germplasm. A gradient treatment with different concentrations of NaCl solutions (100, 200, and 300 mmol·L−1) was used to simulate salt stress. After 15 days of salt treatment, 14 indicators related to plant growth, physiology, and biochemistry were determined. The results showed that different celery varieties responded differently to salt stress. Notably, there were significant variations in below-ground dry weight, root–crown ratio, antioxidant enzyme activity, and soluble protein content among the accessions under salt stress. Principal component analysis was used to identify important indices for evaluating salt tolerance, including plant height, spread, content of soluble protein, and so on. A comprehensive evaluation was conducted utilizing the salt damage index, principal component analysis, affiliation function analysis, and cluster analysis. The 40 celery germplasms were classified into five highly salt-tolerant, seven salt-tolerant, fifteen moderately salt-tolerant, nine salt-sensitive, and four highly salt-sensitive germplasms. SHHXQ, MXKQ, XBQC, XQ, and TGCXBQ were highly salt-tolerant germplasms, and BFMSGQ, HNXQ, ZQ, and MGXQW were highly salt-sensitive germplasms. The results of this study provide a reference for the variety of celery cultivation in saline areas and lay a foundation for the selection and breeding of salt-tolerant varieties of celery.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Strategies and Technologies for Sustainability and Biodiversity in Herbaceous and Horticultural Crops—Volume II)
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Open AccessArticle
Selenium Treatment Regulated the Accumulation of Reactive Oxygen Species and the Expressions of Related Genes in Postharvest Broccoli
by
Yaping Liu, Wei Wang, Gang Ren, Yanan Cao, Jianbing Di, Yu Wang and Lixin Zhang
Agronomy 2024, 14(5), 1047; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14051047 - 14 May 2024
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the impact of selenium (Se) treatment on the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the expressions of related genes in broccoli. To achieve this, one group of broccoli heads was treated with a selenite solution of 2
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This study aimed to investigate the impact of selenium (Se) treatment on the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the expressions of related genes in broccoli. To achieve this, one group of broccoli heads was treated with a selenite solution of 2 mg L−1, while another group was soaked in distilled water, serving as the control. The effects of these treatments were evaluated by analyzing the browning, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents, enzyme activity, and gene expression levels of WARK and RBOH. Our results show that the Se treatment effectively inhibited H2O2 accumulation in the broccoli and reduced harmful MDA levels. The inhibition of ROS accumulation following the Se treatment was associated with enhanced activity of the CAT and SOD enzymes, increased expression levels of BoCAT and BoSOD, and decreased expression levels of the WRKY and RBOH transcription factors. Our study provides insights into the mechanism of action of selenium and its potential application in vegetable storage.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Regulation Mechanism of Ripening, Senescence and Stress Resistance in Fruits and Vegetables)
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Open AccessArticle
Improving the Utilization of Flammulina velutipes Waste during Biochar-Amended Composting: Emphasis on Bacterial Communities
by
Longjun Chen, Yu Lin, Cenwei Liu, Hui Zhang and Chenqiang Lin
Agronomy 2024, 14(5), 1046; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14051046 - 14 May 2024
Abstract
This study investigated the impacts of biochar addition on N conversion, humification, and bacterial community during Flammulina velutipes waste composting. The mixture of chicken manure and Flammulina velutipes waste was 4:6 (dry weight basis). The biochar was added into the mixture and mixed
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This study investigated the impacts of biochar addition on N conversion, humification, and bacterial community during Flammulina velutipes waste composting. The mixture of chicken manure and Flammulina velutipes waste was 4:6 (dry weight basis). The biochar was added into the mixture and mixed thoroughly at ratios of 0, 2.5, 5, and 7.5% (w/w) and labeled as CK, T1, T2, and T3, respectively. The results showed that the biochar treatment significantly improved the compost maturity by increasing humic substances and the conversion of NH4+-N to NO3−-N. With the increase in biochar supplemental level, the abundance, diversity, and uniformity of the microbial community were improved. The dominant taxa were Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, Actinobacteriota, Proteobacteria, and Gemmatimonadota, especially the Firmicutes and Bacteroidota. Biochar addition facilitated the proliferation of thermophilic bacteria such as Bacillus, Actinobacteriota, Parapedobacter, and Sphingobacterium, leading to enhanced organic decomposition to increase humus. The findings of this study highlighted the positive effects of biochar addition on the composting mixture of chicken manure and Flammulina velutipes waste. These results can help to produce high-quality biochar composting products by balancing organic decomposition and humification based on the bacterial community.
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(This article belongs to the Section Agricultural Biosystem and Biological Engineering)
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Open AccessArticle
Combined Transcriptome and Metabolome Analysis of Lupinus polyphyllus Response to PEG Stress
by
Shujie Chai, Wenke Dong and Huiling Ma
Agronomy 2024, 14(5), 1045; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14051045 - 14 May 2024
Abstract
Drought stress is a common abiotic stress, and Lupinus polyphyllus presents strong adaptability, but its drought resistance mechanism has not been explored. This study used PEG-6000 to simulate drought stress, and the H2O2 content, O2− generation rate and
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Drought stress is a common abiotic stress, and Lupinus polyphyllus presents strong adaptability, but its drought resistance mechanism has not been explored. This study used PEG-6000 to simulate drought stress, and the H2O2 content, O2− generation rate and MDA content were determined. Transcriptome sequencing and untargeted metabolome analyses were also carried out on an Iceland germplasm and American B germplasm under different drought stress durations. The results showed that the gene regulation range in the American B germplasm was greater, whether genes were upregulated or downregulated. And the number of genes in the American B germplasm was higher than that in the Iceland germplasm. Additionally, the Iceland germplasm produced less peroxide under PEG stress than the Iceland germplasm. The Iceland germplasm was more stable than the American B germplasm under PEG stress, which can be shown in two aspects: peroxide content and gene regulation quantity. Joint transcriptomics and metabolomics analysis showed that genes and metabolites related to secondary and carbon metabolism were mainly involved in the response of Lupinus polyphyllus to PEG-simulated drought stress. The metabolites mainly included phenylalanine, tyrosine, trans-2-hydroxycinnamate, starch synthase, 1,4-alpha glucan branching enzyme and glycogen phosphorylase, and genes mainly included COMT, F5H, REF1, CAD, UGT72E and TPS. These results provided genetic resources and a theoretical basis for further molecular breeding of Lupinus polyphyllus.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Stress Biology of Forage and Turfgrass)
Open AccessArticle
Modeling of Water, Heat, and Nitrogen Dynamics in Summer Maize under Broad Furrow Irrigation and the Mechanism of Enzyme Activity Response
by
Tengfei Liu, Shunsheng Wang and Mingwei Yang
Agronomy 2024, 14(5), 1044; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14051044 - 14 May 2024
Abstract
This study explores the impact of water and nitrogen management on the dynamics of water, heat, and nitrogen in farmland soil. It also explores the correlations soil factors, enzyme activity, and crop yield. To achieve this, field experiments and HYDRUS model simulations were
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This study explores the impact of water and nitrogen management on the dynamics of water, heat, and nitrogen in farmland soil. It also explores the correlations soil factors, enzyme activity, and crop yield. To achieve this, field experiments and HYDRUS model simulations were conducted in the broad furrow irrigation system of the Yinhuang Irrigation Area. The experiment involved three irrigation levels (60%, 70%, and 80% of field water holding capacity, labeled as W1, W2, and W3, respectively) and three nitrogen application rates (120, 220, and 320 kg·ha−1, labeled as N1, N2, and N3). Results indicated that the HYDRUS model, optimized using field trial data, accurately represented soil dynamics. Soil profile water and nitrogen exhibited greater variation in the root zone (0–40 cm) than in the deeper layers (40–100 cm). Water–nitrogen coupling predominantly influenced water and nitrogen content changes in the soil, with minimal effect on soil temperature. Soil enzyme activities at the trumpet, silking, and maturity stages were significantly affected by water–nitrogen coupling, displaying an initial increase and subsequent decrease over the reproductive period. The highest summer maize yield, reaching 10,928.52 kg·ha−1 under the W2N2 treatment, was 46.64% higher than that under the W1N1 treatment. The redundancy analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between soil nitrate nitrogen content and soil enzyme activity (p < 0.05). Furthermore, there was a significant positive correlation between soil enzyme activity and both maize yields (p < 0.01). This underscores that appropriate water and nitrogen management can effectively enhance yield while improving the soil environment. These findings offer valuable insights for achieving high yields of summer maize in the Yellow River Basin.
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(This article belongs to the Section Water Use and Irrigation)
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Research on Control System of Corn Planter Based on Radar Speed Measurement
by
Yunxia Wang, Wenyi Zhang, Bing Qi, Youqiang Ding and Qianqian Xia
Agronomy 2024, 14(5), 1043; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14051043 - 14 May 2024
Abstract
The intelligent control of precision planting can detect and regulate the operation quality of the planter in real time, which plays an important role in improving the operation quality of the planter and the yield of the corn. In this paper, the control
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The intelligent control of precision planting can detect and regulate the operation quality of the planter in real time, which plays an important role in improving the operation quality of the planter and the yield of the corn. In this paper, the control system of a corn precision planter is designed to realize the operating quality monitoring and electric driving of the seed-metering device. The planting quality is calculated by the time interval between the neighboring falling seeds, instead of the plant spacing, to improve the operational efficiency of the system. At the same time, the forward speed of the planter is obtained by radar, which is used to accurately match the speed of the seed-metering device with the forward speed of the planter. The velocity error of the radar is analyzed, and the relevant relationship of the radar output frequency and forward speed is established. Comparative test results of this system and the JPS-12 test bench show that the detection performance of the system is reliable, and the maximum detection error of the quality parameters is less than 2.88%. Field experiments were carried out to verify the operational performance of the control system. Two speed sensors, radar and GPS, were chosen to study the effect of speed measuring on the performance of the control system. We found that speed measuring has a significant effect on planting performance. The qualified parameters of radar were significantly higher than those of GPS, at a forward speed of 6–12 km/h. The qualification feeding index (QFI) of radar was 0.51%, 0.67%, and 2.05% higher than that of GPS at speeds of 6, 8, 10, and 12 km/h. The precision index (PREC) of radar was 17.60%, 5.44%, 16.81%, and 17.30% lower than that of GPS. Therefore, the control system based on the radar speed measurement developed in this paper can significantly improve the operating quality of the planter.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Planting Production, Identification and Quality Control of Medicinally Agricultural Products)
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YOLO-Based Phenotyping of Apple Blotch Disease (Diplocarpon coronariae) in Genetic Resources after Artificial Inoculation
by
Stefanie Reim, Sophie Richter, Oskar Leonhardt, Virginia Maß and Thomas Wolfgang Wöhner
Agronomy 2024, 14(5), 1042; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14051042 - 14 May 2024
Abstract
Phenotyping of genetic resources is an important prerequisite for the selection of resistant varieties in breeding programs and research. Computer vision techniques have proven to be a useful tool for digital phenotyping of diseases of interest. One pathogen that is increasingly observed in
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Phenotyping of genetic resources is an important prerequisite for the selection of resistant varieties in breeding programs and research. Computer vision techniques have proven to be a useful tool for digital phenotyping of diseases of interest. One pathogen that is increasingly observed in Europe is Diplocarpon coronariae, which causes apple blotch disease. In this study, a high-throughput phenotyping method was established to evaluate genetic apple resources for susceptibility to D. coronariae. For this purpose, inoculation trials with D. coronariae were performed in a laboratory and images of infested leaves were taken 7, 9 and 13 days post inoculation. A pre-trained YOLOv5s model was chosen to establish the model, which was trained with an image dataset of 927 RGB images. The images had a size of 768 × 768 pixels and were divided into 738 annotated training images, 78 validation images and 111 background images without symptoms. The accuracy of symptom prediction with the trained model was 95%. These results indicate that our model can accurately and efficiently detect spots with acervuli on detached apple leaves. Object detection can therefore be used for digital phenotyping of detached leaf assays to assess the susceptibility to D. coronariae in a laboratory.
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(This article belongs to the Section Crop Breeding and Genetics)
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