Annals of Agricultural Science最新文献

The mutation types GDF9 S395F and S427R increase the ovulation rate in heterozygotes, while the homozygous form leads to infertility. This study presents a meta-analysis of GDF9 and BMP15 SNPs related to sheep litter size (LS). The results showed that simulation of the molecular recognition of GDF9 R453H, S395F, and S427R was performed to study the effect on the GDF9 dimer. S395F and S427R dimer binding ability of mutant heterozygotes was improved, thereby improving LS. The binding ability of mutant homozygous dimers was reduced, resulting in infertility. The results of this study will provide important references for animal breeding.

The study aimed to examine the effect of tiger nut milk on the quality characteristics of ice milk when fresh skim milk was partially replaced. At levels of substitution of 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 %, the chemical and physical composition of the samples, the antioxidant and total phenolic content, the cytotoxic activity, the sensory properties, and the microstructure were evaluated. The results indicated that increasing the substitution levels of fresh skim milk for tiger nut milk significantly increased fat, fiber, antioxidant, total phenolic content, and hardness of the ice milk treatments (P < 0.05), whereas their ash content, overrun and viscosity decreased. Furthermore, total solids, protein concentrations, or pH values between all treatments did not have significant effects (P > 0.05). The IM1 treatment (ice milk without tiger nut milk) melted slower than the other treatments. Additionally, increasing the substitution levels of fresh skim milk for tiger nut milk decreased CaCo-2 cell viability (colorectal cancer cells). Furthermore, sensory properties were significantly affected (P < 0.05) when fresh skim milk was replaced with tiger nut milk. The compact structure can be observed in the images of the treatments IM2 (75 % cow's skim milk +25 % tiger nut milk), IM3 (50 % cow's skim milk +50 % tiger nut milk), IM4 (25 % cow's skim milk +75 % tiger nut milk), and IM5 (100 % tiger nut milk), which were made with different ratios of tiger milk using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). On the other hand, the IM1 treatment image displays larger voids. Therefore, tiger nut milk offers a safe, plant-based alternative to cow's skim milk, provides a source of total phenolics and a natural antioxidant to make functional ice milk with good sensory acceptance, and can be used alongside colon anticancer therapy.

Appropriate harvesting management is essential for sustainable forage production and improving nutritional quality. In this study, four forage crops, including Medicago sativa (Ms), Vicia sativa (Vs), Avena sativa (As), and Sorghum Sudangrass (Ss) were evaluated under two harvesting modes, i.e. single harvest and multiple cuttings. Results showed that multiple cuttings increased the forage yield of Ms., As, and Ss by 82 %–114 %, 7.5 %–51 %, and 21 %–150 % compared to the single harvest. The acid and neutral detergent fiber concentration decreased, while crude protein contents increased with multiple cuttings. Also, multiple cuttings increased the ether extract content of Ms. and Ss and reduced the ash content by 9.42 % to 33.04 % from 2015 to 2016. The variation range of legume forages' annual yield was 18.66 %–33.04 %, while that of gramineous forages was 9.42 %–25.98 %. The relative feeding value (RFV) of Ms. was higher than that of other forages under multiple cuttings. In general, multiple cuttings decreased the SOC content, but the effect was insignificant for the two leguminous forages. Correlations analysis showed a significant positive relationship of RFV and CP with precipitation while a negative relationship of ADF and NDF with temperature. Moreover, results of yield stability, contribution rate, and TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution) analysis showed that the response of legume crops to multiple cutting was superior to that of gramineous crops. Overall, the cultivation of leguminous forage under multiple cuttings can provide a basis for the development of pastoral agriculture production and animal husbandry in arid regions of China.

Fusarium wilt of watermelon caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum (Fon) results in a substantial economic losses in agriculture. Biological control agents (BCAs) help in controlling the infection of Fon. However, it remains unclear whether the application of BCAs can invoke soil suppression by inducing specific microbial groups concerned with disease suppression to synergistically resist fungal pathogens. The objective of this project was to determine the microbial mechanisms involved in disease suppression by BCAs. Here, we conducted pot experiments to explore Fusarium wilt in watermelon and soil microbial communities in response to different treatments. We found that the application of Bacillus velezensis WB enhanced disease suppression in nonsterilized soil. We further found that disease suppression in the WF treatment was connected to influence on the resident soil microbial communities, explicitly by causing an increase in Hyphomicrobiaceae and Chitinophagaceae. Pathogen suppression by the above two families was further studied in laboratory and pot experiments. The results showed that a synthetic community consisting of specific bacterial taxa effectively decreased the incidence of Fusarium wilt. B. velezensis WB introduction impacts the resident soil microbiome and invokes soil suppression by inducing resident microbes. Our results should help in designing synthetic microbial communities to improve soil function.

Vegetable waste extracts (VWE) contain a great variety of antioxidants such as polyphenols, which have shown to potentiate baculovirus infections, making them ingredients for pest control ingredients. In the present study, the mortality enhancement of different vegetable extracts obtained from food residues when combined with baculoviruses was evaluated. Extracts from spent coffee (E2), rosehip (E17), asparagus (E28), artichoke (E29), beet stalks (E32) and banana peel (E37) were selected as they increased mortality of Spodoptera littoralis nucleopolyhedrovirus (SpliNPV) in second instar S. littoralis larvae, when comparing with the virus inoculation alone. Extracts were assayed at 1 % w/v. In S. littoralis-SpliNPV system, the selected extracts reduced the median lethal concentration (LC₅₀) of SpliNPV against second instar larvae. The E37 extract presented the highest potentiation, as it reduced the LC50 13.61 times, while the rest of the extracts presented LC50 reductions from 3.71 to 7.72-fold. In Spodoptera exigua-SeMNPV (Spodoptera exigua multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus) system, none of the extracts decreased the LC₅₀ of SeMNPV. In contrast, in Spodoptera frugiperda-SfMNPV (Spodoptera frugiperda multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus) system, E2 showed the greatest potentiating effect. In the heterologous systems, none of the extracts tested increased the effective host range of SfMNPV, AcMNPV (Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus), and MbMNPV (Mamestra brassicae multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus) in second instar S. littoralis larvae. Thus, the viral enhancing effect of VWE was host-pathogen and instar dependent. However, the potentiation effect of the extracts could not be directly related with the antioxidants content of the extracts.

Glasshouse films can be used to reduce energy costs by limiting non-productive heat-generating radiation, but the impact on yield of greenhouse horticultural crops remains unknown. The effects of energy-saving film ULR-80 (ultra-low-reflectivity film with 80 % light transmission referred to as Smart Glass; SG) designed to block long wavelength light that generates heat also reduced photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) consequently affecting crop morphology, photosynthesis, leaf pigments, and yield of two hydroponically grown capsicum (Capsicum annuum L.) cultivars (Red and Orange). The crops were grown in four high-tech glasshouse bays over two seasons of similar daily light integrals (DLI) during ascending [Autumn Experiment (AE)] and descending [Summer Experiment (SE)] photoperiods. The Red cultivar exhibited higher photosynthetic rates (light saturated - A_sat) and yield than the Orange cultivar in control glass but displayed stronger reductions in modelled photosynthetic rates at growth light and yield in SG without changes in photosynthetic capacity. Foliar pigment ratios of chlorophyll a/b and carotenoid:chlorophyll remained unaffected by the SG during both seasons indicating that chloroplast homeostasis was similar between SG and control. The seasonal differences in photosynthetic pigments and xanthophyll de-epoxidation state (DPS) revealed that cultivars were able to sense the SG-altered light environment during the AE, but not SE. The SE correlated with a lower daily light level and a substantial yield reduction of 29 % and 13 % in Red and Orange cultivars, respectively. Thus, SG-induced higher reductions in yield during the SE indicate that SG may be more beneficial for capsicum crops planted during AE.

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) production efficiency is constrained by issues such as a low nitrogen (N) utilization rate (30–35 %) and high N application rate (300–350 kg ha⁻¹) in particular arid climates, such as Xinjiang, the largest irrigated cotton-producing region in China. These issues could be alleviated by allocating more N to late application to satisfy plant needs for growth and development. Over a three-year (2019–2021) field experiment, 240 kg ha⁻¹ N was applied in 3 periods (squaring, flowering to peak boll, and late peak boll). The amount of N applied in the second period was fixed at 60 %, and the remaining 40 % was split between the first and the third periods, with five ratios (treatments), i.e., 0:6:4 (N₀₆₄), 1:6:3 (N₁₆₃), 2:6:2 (N₂₆₂), 3:6:1 (N₃₆₁) and 4:6:0 (N₄₆₀), to investigate cotton response in terms of growth, biomass accumulation, and yield. Compared with the conventional treatment (N₂₆₂), the N₀₆₄ treatment narrowed the plant width by 11.7–12.0 %, increased canopy light transmittance by 6.1–56.9 %, extended the boll growth period by 8.8–9.4 %, improved defoliation by 9.3–11.7 % and increased both seed cotton yield and N partial factor productivity by 7.1–8.1 %, depending on the year. N₀₆₄ accumulated 4.3–39.5 % more biomass (K) than N₂₆₂, with the average and maximum growth rates of the reproductive organs (Vt and Vm, respectively) increasing by 8.6–89.0 % and 6.9–125.7 %, respectively, while the fast growth duration (∆t) shortened by 9.9–31.6 %. Again, N₀₆₄ partitioned 1.5–35.8 % more biomass to bolls (higher partitioning index, PI_boll). Seed cotton yield was significantly positively correlated with K, t₁, Vt, Vm and PI_boll and negatively correlated with ∆t in reproductive organs. Collectively, the data suggest that allocating more N to late application could be an efficient N fertilizer management strategy in arid areas under N-reduced cultivation and fertigation.

Sperm motility, the percentage of sperm with forward progressions, is one of the semen quality traits that is highly related with male fertility potential in farm animals. The proportion of roosters with low sperm motility impedes the reproduction efficiency. This study aimed to determine crucial testicular proteins linked to sperm motility defects as causes of subfertility in roosters. iTRAQ was performed with the testis from five low sperm motility roosters and three high ones. A total of 2345 proteins were identified, of which, 86 were differentially expressed (DEPs), including 5 up-regulated and 88 down-regulated proteins in the low group. These DEPs were mainly enriched in cytoskeleton and cilium cell component, and biological processes related to sperm motility, and protein transport, and cellular protein localization. A cluster of 13 down-regulated proteins such as IFT88, TEKT1, ACTN2, DNAH5, RSPH9, and SPAG6, were associated with axoneme assembly. Further western blot and immunohistochemical analysis confirmed the down-regulated SPAG6 expression in low group, and indicated its expression in other cell types in testis beyond round spermatids, and that its pattern was in accordance with testis development and recession pace. Silencing transcription factor SOX5 down-regulated SPAG6 transcripts and impaired the cell proliferation and migration. In summary, this study highlights that down-regulated sperm flagellar structure associated proteins were the potential cause of low sperm motility. More specifically, the highly conserved SPAG6 protein across species is a positive regulator for testis development, spermatogenesis, and sperm motility regulation in chickens.

Large quantities of waste generated from papaya fruit processing, especially seeds, can be recovered and combined to obtain added-value products. This investigation aimed to evaluate the physicochemical properties and antimicrobial activity of papaya seed powder (PSP) and papaya seed oil (PSO), and their applications as novel nontraditional food ingredients in cupcakes to promote them as high-value products. The GC–MS analysis for PSP revealed 39 compounds possess various biological activities, indicating the safety of its consumption. Papaya seeds are an excellent source of protein (27.95 %), oil (31.83 %), ash (7.86 %) and fibers (18.53 %). They have the potential to produce high-quality oleic oil with highly similar physicochemical properties and fatty acids profile as olive oil. The broad-spectrum inhibition of PSP and PSO against the tested pathogens proved their potential as natural antimicrobial agents. PSP can successfully be used (as nutritive ingredients and antimicrobial agents) in combination with wheat flour to obtain delicious and healthy nutritious chocolate cupcakes. The supplemented cupcakes (up to 15 % level) had improved quality attributes and enhanced nutritional value with respect to protein (16.89 %), ash (4.17 %) and fibers (3.28 %). PSP and PSO are safety, edible, nutritious, antimicrobial and can be processed into value-added products. They can be used as novel functional food ingredients or natural additives, providing added value to the food processing.

A 2-year field experiment was conducted to analyse the effects of fresh and aged biochar on soil properties, as well as herbicide effectiveness and rice-yield components in a Mediterranean environment. Six managements were used: no-tillage and sprinkler irrigation either without (NoT) or with first-year biochar application (NoTB), conventional tillage and sprinkler irrigation either without (ConvT) or with first-year biochar application (ConvTB), conventional tillage and flooding irrigation either without (ConvTF) or with first-year biochar application (ConvTFB). The measurements done in the first (2018) and second (2019) years after biochar addition were taken to determine its fresh and aged effects, respectively. The application of biochar led to an improvement of the soil properties such as increase in the soil's organic carbon content, pH, and dehydrogenase activity. It also reduced weed pressure, regardless of the management used, and sprinkler systems were found to have the greatest herbicide effectiveness, especially in ConvT and ConvTB. In terms of production, there were significant increases in yield with the application of fresh biochar, in the amended managements under tillage compared with their unamended counterparts. The greatest yields were found under ConvT and ConvTB, with mean values for both treatments of 10,770 and 11,299 kg ha⁻¹ in the fresh and aged years, respectively. Furthermore, water productivity reached its greatest values when sprinkler was used, especially with tillage for which the application of fresh biochar increased water productivity by a factor of 1.09 relative to ConvT. Therefore, sprinkler irrigation in combination with tillage and biochar applications can be regarded as an efficient alternative to flooding irrigation in order to ensure productive viability of rice in water-stressed regions.