ACS agricultural science & technology最新文献

Curcuma longa L. (turmeric) is a versatile crop of significant culinary and medicinal value. In the present study, 152 accessions were evaluated to assess morphological diversity for two years (2022–2023 and 2023–2024) at the CSIR NEIST experimental farm, Jorhat. All studied traits exhibited significant variation (p ≤ 0.001), indicating substantial genetic variability among the genotypes. The genetic coefficient of variation (GCV) ranged from 3.46 to 63.06, while the phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) ranged from 5.08 to 63.15, reflecting a wide spectrum of variability. Most traits plant height (PH), number of tillers/plant (NOT), number of leaves/plant (NOL), leaf length (LL), leaf width (LW), initial rhizome weight (IRW), rhizome yield per plot (RY)) demonstrated moderate to high heritability (33.64–99.74) and high genetic advance as a percentage of the mean (129.75), except for days to maturity. Correlation analysis revealed strong associations among traits where leaf essential oil yield showed the highest positive correlation with curcuminoid content (r = 0.54 and r = 0.53) at the genotypic and phenotypic levels, respectively, and the rhizome yield per plot showed significant and positive correlation with most of the characters (PH, NOT, NOL, LL, LW, IRW), where plant height (r = 0.37) and initial rhizome weight (r = 0.30) were found to have the highest significant correlation both genotypically and phenotypically, respectively. Path coefficient analysis indicated that plant height (1.66) and days to maturity (0.37) had a direct positive effect on rhizome yield, whereas plant height (0.40) had a negative direct effect on curcuminoid content. This suggests the potential for developing dwarf genotypes with a higher curcuminoid concentration. Using Mahalanobis D² statistics, 16 distinct clusters were identified, and principal component analysis (PCA) revealed 10 principal components contributing to the observed variability (69.03%). This is the first comprehensive report incorporating correlation and path analysis for traits such as leaf essential oil yield, curcuminoid content, and rhizome yield per plot together across such a large number of C. longa accessions from Northeast India. These findings provide valuable insights into the genetic diversity, breeding strategies, and conservation efforts for turmeric.

Manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) are essential elements for plants. However, deficiencies of these elements are common, reducing crop yields globally. In this context, foliar application of Mn and Zn fertilizers has gained attention due to its precision and efficiency compared to conventional soil fertilization methods. Herein, we aimed to establish an overview of the foliar fertilization with Zn and Mn through a quantitative metadata analysis from 162 peer-reviewed papers published between 2012 and 2023. The study revealed that the most widely employed sources of Zn and Mn were sulfate salts and commercial formulations, respectively. The experimental conditions varied greatly among the studies; most of them were conducted under field conditions. Relative air humidity, an important factor influencing foliar nutrient absorption, was inconsistently reported across the studies. Notably, although crop yield evaluations were scarce, the majority of studies reported positive effects of Mn and Zn foliar applications on plant parameters, underscoring the potential for enhancing agricultural productivity. Further research is warranted to elucidate optimal application strategies and address the limitations in current methodologies.

This study has investigated the effect of the removal of phytochemicals from sugar cane bagasse (after acid/alkali pretreatment) on the yield of enzymatic hydrolysis. Hydrolysis experiments were conducted at preoptimized conditions using a mixture of endoglucanase and β-glucosidase. Two biomasses were used: (1) acid/alkali pretreated sugar cane bagasse (ApSCB) and (2) ApSCB after extraction of phytochemicals using acetonitrile and methanol (ApSCBx). Hydrolysis of ApSCB and ApSCBx yielded 17 and 21.2 g of total reducing sugar (TRS) per 100 g of raw biomass, respectively. Molecular docking simulations were conducted for the complexation of phytochemicals with hydrolyzing enzymes. Many phytochemicals, viz., chlorogenic acid, luteolin, tricin, and diosmetin, have smaller binding energies and inhibition constants for complexation with endoglucanase and β-glucosidase enzymes than their substrates. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that phytochemicals formed stable complexes with both enzymes, intensifying the inhibitory effects. Molecular simulations indicated a higher susceptibility of β-glucosidase to inhibition by phytochemicals. Removal of phytochemicals through solvent extraction before enzymatic hydrolysis enhanced TRS yield by ∼25%.

Nutrient availability for crops is not limited to the topsoil; deeper layers also serve as significant sources. Rapid determination of soil properties at different depths is essential for the precision management of farming inputs. Most existing studies focus on predicting surface soil properties using spectral data from a single sensor, while research exploring the potential of multisensor spectral fusion for soil analysis at varying depths remains limited. This study evaluated the predictive performance of: (1) single-spectrum modeling using visible and near-infrared (vis–NIR) and mid-infrared (MIR) spectrophotometers and (2) two spectral fusion methods─direct concatenation and outer product analysis of full-spectral absorbance─for five key soil properties: pH, total organic carbon (TOC), available phosphorus (AP), available potassium (AK), and magnesium (Mg), across three soil depths. The data set comprised 176 fresh soil samples collected from 59 locations across five arable cropping fields. Prediction models were developed using partial least-squares regression (PLSR) and support vector machine (SVM), whose performance was assessed using the coefficient of determination (R²), root-mean-square error (RMSE), and ratio of performance to interquartile distance (RPIQ). Results showed that vis–NIR spectra generally outperformed MIR, with validation R² ranging from 0.39 to 0.67 and RPIQ from 0.84 to 3.25, compared to MIR (R² = 0.42–0.62, RPIQ = 0.97–3.08). Notably, spectral fusion using the OPA–SVM method yielded the best predictions for TOC (R² = 0.75, RPIQ = 3.35) and AP (R² = 0.83, RPIQ = 4.72), while the DC-PLSR model achieved the highest performance for pH (R² = 0.65, RPIQ = 2.43). However, fusion was not always superior to single-spectrum models; for example, vis–NIR-SVM and MIR-SVM gave the best results for AK (R² = 0.53, RPIQ = 1.45) and Mg (R² = 0.61, RPIQ = 1.30), respectively. Given these varying results, we recommend selecting spectroscopic techniques based on both predictive performance and practical considerations such as cost-effectiveness and operational feasibility.

The mixture of amino acids and mineral nutrients has already been employed by farmers to improve the efficiency of foliar fertilization, although systematic studies to support the practice are scarce. We deployed an in vivo X-ray fluorescence spectrometry setup to measure the uptake and short-range transport of Mn and Zn complexed with histidine and glutamate. As positive controls, we used stand-alone amino acids and sulfate-based micronutrients. The results showed that under high relative humidity (70–86%), the histidine and glutamate complexes presented transport performance similar to that of sulfates. However, under nonoptimal relative humidity (35–45%), the amino acid complexes presented twice the transport of sulfates. The glutamate complex increased the concentration of Mn in the treated tissue by 670 mg kg^–1; it also induced higher translocation of Mn and Zn to older leaves. The complexes also reduced the phytotoxicity. Thus, the study concludes that such types of biocomplexes offer advantages over standalone salts.

In an attempt to enhance the upcycling potential of industrial fruit juice waste streams, beta-carotene-enriched carotenoid extraction from carrot pomace has been applied. Both enzyme and ultrasound pretreatments improved the extraction efficiency. Among them, enzymatic pretreatment with pectinase was found to be the most effective, which increased total flavonoid content and antioxidant activity by 2-fold while increasing beta-carotene and total phenolic content by 5-fold compared to conventional solvent extraction. The alpha- and beta-carotene contents of the enzyme pretreated extract were found to be 8.6 and 32.5 mg/100 g of dry weight, respectively. All pretreatments improved the antimicrobial activity of the extracts. The minimum bactericidal concentration of the enzyme pretreated extract was recorded as 8 and 16 mg/mL against Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium, respectively, which was 8 and 4 times more effective than the conventionally extracted one, respectively. The carotenoid-rich extracts obtained are promising value-added ingredients for the improvement of the nutritional value, bioactivity, and shelf life of foods.

Thousands of tons of two-phase olive mill solid waste (2P-OMSW) are generated annually, necessitating effective valorization strategies. Composting has been widely explored as a management approach; however, the extended processing time required for these residues poses a significant challenge for the olive industry. In this study, a forced aeration system combined with a semipermeable cover was implemented at a demonstrative scale to enhance the composting process and reduce its duration. Additionally, process optimization was evaluated through a two-stage composting strategy. In stage I, compost preconditioning was carried out using two types of manure (poultry and cow). In stage II, a bioaugmentation process was introduced using the edible fungus Pleurotus eryngii. The composting of 2P-OMSW under forced aeration and a semipermeable cover lasted 90 days. During the composting process, physicochemical parameters, total phenol content, microbial analysis, and phytotoxicity bioassays were measured to evaluate the efficiency and quality of the final compost. In stage I, poultry manure proved to be more effective than cow manure, resulting in a lower C/N ratio (<25%), higher nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content, and a greater reduction in total phenol content (>70%). In stage II, bioaugmentation significantly enhanced the removal of heavy metals, particularly zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu). Both final composts, obtained within 90 days, exhibited enriched nutrient content, stabilized nonphytotoxic organic matter, and low heavy metal concentrations. The findings highlight the potential of a forced aeration system combined with a semipermeable cover as an effective strategy for composting 2P-OMSW. This approach facilitates the transformation of 2P-OMSW into high-quality compost, making it suitable for use as an organic amendment or fertilizer in agricultural systems. Furthermore, it allows for the management of this residue within a relatively short time frame.

Salinity remains a major obstacle to tomato production; yet, the interplay between ion accumulation and gene expression in conferring salinity tolerance is not fully understood. In this study, the cultivars ‘Sanibel’ and ‘Tasti-Lee’ were subjected to four salinity treatments [1.5 (T0), 4 (T1), 8 (T2), and 12 (T3) dS m^–1] to examine morphological, ionic, and molecular responses. Elevated salinity led to significant declines in shoot and root dry weight, plant height, root length, and leaf number, with the steepest reduction observed at 12 dS m^–1 (T3). Ion profiling revealed increasing Na and Cl concentrations in roots and shoots. However, ‘Tasti-Lee’ appeared to reach its highest Na and Cl accumulation in leaves at 8 dS m^–1. Both cultivars also showed diminished K in leaves and stems; yet root K unexpectedly rebounded at the highest salinity. Gene expression analysis revealed that SOS1, SOS2, and NHX1─key mediators of Na⁺ extrusion and sequestration─were upregulated in the roots of both cultivars, while HKT1 was downregulated, suggesting decreased Na⁺ retrieval under severe stress. In leaves, genes such as SAL1, CLCg, NPF2.4, and NPF2.5 were downregulated, likely limiting the additional ion influx into photosynthetically active tissues. Variety-specific regulation also emerged. In ‘Sanibel’, NHX2 and CCC were upregulated in roots, indicating reliance on vacuolar Na⁺ compartmentalization and enhanced Cl^– regulation, while ‘Tasti-Lee’ downregulated NPF2.4, suggesting a different route for restricting Cl^– movement. In leaves, AKT1 and HSP90.7 were induced under T3 in ‘Tasti-Lee’ but not in ‘Sanibel’, whereas CCC and CLCc were upregulated in ‘Sanibel’ only. These different mechanisms of controlling Na⁺ and Cl^– underscore both shared and cultivar-specific salinity-tolerance strategies, providing crucial insights for developing salt-tolerant tomato lines.

Climacteric fruits like banana undergo rapid ripening, characterized by a burst in respiration and ethylene production, which negatively impacts their quality and storage life and hastens the spread of postharvest diseases such as anthracnose. The postharvest application of environmentally sustainable biomolecules such as melatonin and salicylic acid could modulate ripening-related enzyme activity and strengthen disease resistance, thereby delaying fruit ripening. Therefore, this study examined the effects of two biomolecules, melatonin (1.0 and 1.5 mM) and salicylic acid (1.0 and 1.5 mM), applied as a 15 min postharvest dip, individually and in combination, on ripening, postharvest quality, shelf life, and disease incidence management in banana cv. Nendran. The postharvest dip of melatonin (1.0 mM) significantly modulated the activity of fruit ripening enzymes like polygalacturonase and pectin methyl esterase by controlling ethylene synthesis and respiration rate. This treatment also maintained the structural integrity of the fruit compared to the conventional treatment under ambient (32 ± 2 °C) and cold storage (14 ± 1 °C) conditions. Interestingly, melatonin reduced anthracnose incidence by maintaining fruit firmness and boosting the antioxidant activity. The melatonin treatment maintained the shelf life of Nendran banana to 12 days in ambient storage and 36 days under cold storage, which are 3 and 5.34 days longer than their respective controls. Though salicylic acid also improved the postharvest quality and shelf life, its performance was comparatively lower than that of melatonin, imparting moderate control over ripening enzymes and effects on disease incidence and shelf life (10.33 and 11 days in ambient storage and 34.67 and 33.67 days in cold storage, respectively, by 1.0 and 1.5 mM salicylic acid dip). These findings suggest that melatonin (1.0 mM) could serve as a promising postharvest treatment for maintaining quality, prolonging shelf life, and managing anthracnose in bananas during storage.