Annals of Applied Biology最新文献

Intensive vegetable production systems are of major economic relevance in many areas despite being associated with excessive use of fertilizers and nitrogen (N) losses to the environment. To improve N fertilizer management adapted to crop N demands, this work developed a methodology that requires the combined use of crop N status indicators with empirical relations that assess crop N dynamics, accounting for the trade-offs between crop yield, total available nitrogen (TAN) and potential N losses (calculated as the sum of leaching and gaseous losses). Four lettuce crops were grown with spring cycles in open field conditions under a Mediterranean climate, with seasonal N fertilizer rates ranging from 9 to 171 kg N ha⁻¹. A critical curve of %Nc = 3.39 · DMP^−0.22, where %Nc is the minimum total crop N content associated with maximum total dry matter production (DMP), was determined for lettuce. The maximum relative dry yield from the four lettuce crops was associated with an integrated nitrogen nutrition index value of 1.09, determined from a linear–plateau relationship (R² = 0.81), and TAN of 132 kg N ha⁻¹. An optimal TAN (minimum TAN for maximum relative dry yield) of 110 kg N ha⁻¹ was determined using a linear-plateau model (R² = 0.67). Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), defined as the ratio between crop dry yield and TAN, decreased exponentially with increasing TAN (R² = 0.90), and a NUE value of 20.7 kg kg⁻¹ was associated with the optimum TAN. For the lettuce crops grown under the conditions of the study, N utilization efficiency of the four crops had a strong linear-plateau relationship with crop N uptake (R² = 0.93), suggesting crop N over-consumption for N uptake values >67 kg N ha⁻¹. Total N losses increased linearly with increasing TAN above 68 kg N ha⁻¹ and the potential N loss associated with optimal TAN was 22 kg N ha⁻¹. Above TAN of 68 kg N ha⁻¹, total N losses would reflect the environmental cost of lettuce production. However, recommending values lower than 110 kg N ha⁻¹ would be at the expense of reducing crop yield. The methodology presented in this work suggested that there is appreciable potential to reduce N fertilization and increase nitrogen use efficiency, particularly if soil and water N supply (as TAN) are included in the calculations, without affecting yield.

Semi-tilling is an extended practice in olive groves aiming to manage the water competition between ground cover and olive trees while maintaining the soil structure in the crop. However, the effect of semi-tilling on the arthropod community and biological pest control is still uncertain. This study assesses the impact of semi-tilling on the arthropod community and biological pest control in olive groves. It was approached by analysing the arthropod food web composition and structure as well as the arthropod distribution among the three strata of the crop (tree canopy, ground cover and epigeal soil). Stable isotope (δN¹⁵ and δC¹³) analysis was used to predict the trophic position of arthropods in the food web and to establish trophic links between predators and prey. The food web structure was measured by estimating the unweighted and node-weighted quantitative descriptors in both cases (mowing and semi-tilling). In addition, we evaluated the effect of ground cover management on the abundance of arthropods in the three strata of the crop. Results showed that although the structure of the food web is maintained in semi-tilled crops in summer, mowing enhances the predation pressure on the olive grove pests Euphyllura olivina (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) and Prays oleae (Lepidoptera: Praydidae). Thus, we observed a lower abundance of pests potentially related to the migration of predators to the olive tree canopy facilitated by mowing. Furthermore, isotopic distances showed that Anthocoris nemoralis from the tree and the ground cover (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) preys on E. olivina in the mowed olive grove, while in the semi-tilled olive grove, this trophic link disappears in the ground cover. The overall results showed that semi-tillage during late spring–early summer negatively affects arthropod biological pest control in organic olive groves.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been increasingly influencing both the general public and scientific research, yet its adoption in agricultural sciences remains unclear. While recent reviews suggest that AI has already permeated agricultural research, no systematic study has examined this phenomenon. This study employs a bibliometric analysis to assess AI-related publication trends using metadata from 14 agricultural and applied biology journals, along with a reference methodological journal (Computers and Electronics in Agriculture), covering the period from 2010 to 2023. The findings reveal a significant rise in AI-related studies in methodological quantitative research for agricultural sciences, with over 60% of recent articles in Computers and Electronics in Agriculture incorporating AI. This trend, however, has not yet extended to applied agricultural research, where AI-related publications remain a small fraction of the total output. These results indicate that while AI is transforming methodological studies related to data science for agriculture, its broader adoption in applied agricultural research is still in its early stages.

Mungbean (Vigna radiata) is a warm-season legume crop and plays a crucial role in food and nutritional security in South and Southeast Asia. Being a legume crop, it also plays a role in ecosystem sustainability. However, crop cultivation is facing an imminent threat amid the recent rise in global temperature. The optimum temperature range for mungbean cultivation is 28–35°C, although some genotypes can grow well even up to 40°C of atmospheric temperature. Therefore, in this study, 1515 mungbean accessions were initially screened for heat-responsive morphological and physiological traits to identify superior genotypes. From this preliminary screening, 75 diverse accessions were selected for a more comprehensive evaluation of heat-responsive traits. Subsequently, 32 promising genotypes were chosen for an in-depth analysis of enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidant activities under both heat-stressed and non-stressed conditions. Certain genotypes, namely IC76475, IC418452 and IC489062, were superior for multiple heat stress-responsive traits. The phenotypic expression of these genotypes was further validated under controlled environmental conditions. Their heat stress tolerance was confirmed through RT-PCR analysis of key candidate genes (GmAKT2, Cu/ZnSOD, APX1 and CAT1). The findings from this study will aid in developing mungbean cultivars with enhanced tolerance to heat stress.

Cucurbit aphid-borne yellows virus (CABYV) presents a significant threat to cucurbit crops worldwide. Discovered in France in 1988, it rapidly spread to various regions, causing severe outbreaks primarily in warm Mediterranean areas and Asia. Classified in the family Solemoviridae, genus Polerovirus, CABYV exclusively inhabits plant phloem and is persistently transmitted by aphids. However, one exception in transmission was recently described for a CABYV isolate from Brazil transmitted by whiteflies. The virus has been detected across Europe, Asia, and Africa since its discovery. Recent studies indicate a concerning increase in the prevalence of CABYV in Northern Europe, along with the emergence of new isolates with higher virulence, new transmission vectors, and wider host ranges. The genetic structure of CABYV populations is influenced by purifying selection, resulting in distinct genetic groups in Asian and Mediterranean regions. Host factors and limited gene flow between geographically separated strains further contribute to genetic diversity. Recombination events result in the emergence of new variants, complicating disease management. While some resistance traits against CABYV have been identified in cucumber, squash, and melon, effective genetic resistance is still elusive. CABYV remains a significant worldwide threat to cucurbit crops. This review presents an update of CABYV biological features and will be published in the descriptions of plant viruses held by the Association of Applied Biologists as a new section dedicated to CABYV.

The concepts of compensation and additive mortality form the ecological basis for understanding animal population responses to exploitation by humans. In the context of pest management, compensation is a density-dependent response that allows populations to offset control-related mortality, often via increased survival or reinvasion. Additive mortality, in contrast, accrues when a population's compensatory capacity is insufficient to offset losses, resulting in a net reduction in population size or growth rate. These concepts are rarely considered in forest insect pest management, which tends to emphasise short-term plant protection over long-term population control. We used published life table data for a major native forest insect defoliator, the spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana [Lepidoptera: Tortricidae]) to simulate the amount of additive mortality required to suppress an outbreak. Simulations also assessed how the failure to account for different compensatory responses could hinder successful control. Our results suggest that only relatively modest amounts of additive mortality (perhaps as low as approximately 8%–18%) may be needed to stop spruce budworm from outbreaking, with immigration being the strongest potential compensatory hindrance to outbreak suppression. Many of the compensatory responses that thwarted outbreak suppression in the past (e.g., low detection efficiency, immigration, indiscriminate killing of predators and parasitoids) have contemporary solutions that could increase additive mortality and thereby enhance the feasibility of population control strategies for native forest insect pests. Our results suggest that some native forest insect pests may require relatively little additive mortality to suppress outbreaks if compensation-limiting strategies are used. Incorporating theoretical and strategic frameworks used in vertebrate population management could advance the development of native insect population control programmes.

Pastures are the basis of ruminant feed; however, forage digestibility decreases in the dry season. In this study, the aims were to identify selected fungus isolates from the gastrointestinal tract of healthy Santa Inês sheep and to evaluate the in vitro digestibility of Urochloa decumbens (UD) hay inoculated with these fungi. Sequence analysis of the rDNA ITS regions and fragments of the encoding β-tubulin gene permitted identification of the isolate O45M1 as Aspergillus terreus. The isolate B13M2 was identified as Trichoderma longibrachiatum considering the sequence analysis of the ITS region and the gene encoding elongation factor 1-α. The coefficients of in vitro dry matter digestibility (DMD) and neutral detergent fibre digestibility (NDFD) of lignified UD were evaluated in ruminal fluid collected in three periods of 21 days. The ruminal fluid was inoculated with sterile Sabouraud broth (control), with A. terreus (O45 M1), with T. longibrachiatum (B13 M2), or with a mixture of these fungi. The DMD of hay was higher (p < .01, Fisher LSD test) when inoculated with the B13M2 isolate (47.31%) in comparison to the control (35.69%) for the three periods of collection of the ruminal fluid. The presence of mycelial fungi was detected in samples of the ruminal medium during three times of incubation (0, 24 and 72 h) in a ruminal simulator. Additionally, after the acid digestion, at 72 h of incubation, the population of mycelial fungi was significantly higher when the ruminal fluid was inoculated with isolate B13M2 (p < .05, Fisher LSD test), indicating resilience. B13M2 addition increases the DMD of lignified UD, showing potential for the development of probiotic or microbial additives for ruminants.

Triticale and lupin are promising candidates for sustainable intercropping in low-input, mixed crop–livestock farming systems in the Mediterranean basin, where they can be grown as rain-fed crops during the autumn-winter period. A 2-year field trial was conducted in Sardinia, Italy, to compare triticale–lupin row intercropping (IC) with triticale sole cropping (TSC) and lupin sole cropping under four fertilization treatments: nitrogen only (‘N,’ 100 kg ha⁻¹), phosphorus only (‘P,’ 39 kg ha⁻¹), nitrogen and phosphorus combined (‘NP,’ 100 kg ha⁻¹ of N + 39 kg ha⁻¹ of P), and an unfertilized control (‘0’). Measurements included radiation interception, dry matter (DM) production, N percentage, and N uptake per unit area (N yield) at various samplings, along with grain and N yield at maturity. While both species shared a common growing cycle duration, lupin's slower canopy development and shorter height limited its radiation interception and DM production in the intercrop. However, complementarity in DM and N yield was observed across all four sampling dates under the 0 and P treatments, with land equivalent ratio values peaking at 1.71 under the 0 treatment and 1.63 under the P treatment for DM, and around 2 for N yield. The higher DM at maturity translated into greater grain yields for IC compared to TSC under the 0 (3.9 vs. 3.2 t ha⁻¹) and P treatments (4.3 vs. 3.6 t ha⁻¹). IC also outperformed TSC in terms of DM N percentage, particularly at triticale anthesis, with notable differences in the 0 (N% = 1.09 for IC, 0.79 for TSC) and P treatments (N% = 1.17 for IC, 0.83 for TSC). This higher DM N percentage of IC was likely associated with the higher radiation-use efficiency of IC compared to TSC under the 0 fertilization treatment. Furthermore, intercropping triticale with lupin demonstrated potential to replace N fertilization without compromising DM or N content in DM and in straw. The observed complementarity in the absence of fertiliser suggests that this intercrop could be especially suitable for low-input systems. The experimental approach helped link the N-related benefits of cereal–legume intercrops to radiation acquisition and radiation-use efficiency, while highlighting the critical role of canopy developmental rates, and hence of cultivar choice, when height differences are substantial.

Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench is a resilient cereal crop that thrives in arid conditions and produces substantial yields following periods of drought. However, sorghum crop productivity is threatened by insect pests, such as Sitobion avenae Fabricius, a common aphid species on sorghum. The research included seven sorghum hybrid lines between 2021 and 2023. The study aimed to evaluate the cyanogenic glycoside content in these lines, their sensitivity to aphid infestation, and the effect of S. avenae attack on the integrity of plastid pigments and the alteration of leaf chlorophyll fluorescence parameters. Aphid infestation occurred under natural field conditions. The study revealed the classified very low-sensitive hybrids (L №305 and Whiteseed) exhibited a significantly lower density of S. avenae, attributable to a substantially more elevated concentration of cyanogenic glycosides in non-infested plants and a significant decrease in glycosides in infested plants. Changes in carotenoid and chlorophyll contents and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters in infested hybrids showed a slight reduction. This led to a stronger protective and antibiotic effect on the host plants and weaker aphid performance. The medium-sensitive hybrids (L №302 and L №256) exhibited a significantly higher aphid density because of a lower cyanogenic glycoside content in non-infested hybrids and a considerably more violent decrease in glycosides in infested hybrids. Aphid infestation resulted in a considerable reduction in chlorophyll and carotenoid levels and a pronounced decrease in photosynthetic parameters. This showed the sensitive plants' stress response to aphid invasion. The study's findings enhance the understanding of how aphid infestation levels impact sorghum plants. This understanding is essential for identifying and selecting resistant sorghum varieties. These traits are pivotal in determining crop yield, thus serving as crucial indicators for future research endeavours concerning aphid resistance in sorghum.