Root and Shoot Responses of ‘Miss Kim’ Lilac to Container Type and Environment

Growth and quality of ‘Miss Kim’ lilac produced in two container types (plastic and fabric) and in above ground (AG) versus below ground (BG) systems were compared. Plants were overwintered in place for 2 or 3 years with no additional protection, except in a combined AGBG treatment where pots were AG during the growing season then placed in BG socket pots for winter. Survival and shoot biomass were equal in both container types within the AG or BG systems. The AG systems reduced top and root dry weights compared to BG systems; however, survival and plant quality were not adversely affected except in a bag in pot (BIP) system. Root distribution and morphology, but not mass, were affected by container type, with more small-diameter roots distributed uniformly throughout the substrate in fabric AG containers. Containers inserted into BG sockets (as in pot in pot growing systems) were insulated from lethal high and low root zone temperatures (RZT). These treatments produced the greatest amount of root and shoot growth and are suitable for container production systems in northern areas. Plants reached the same size whether in plastic or fabric liner pots within the BG system. The BG environment, however, did not alleviate root circling and matting. Growth was reduced in AGBG containers as well as AG containers, indicating that winter root mortality was not the only limiting factor. Roots in AGBG experienced the same winter RZT as BG treatments, yet the top and root dry weights were reduced by 41 and 60 percent respectively, in comparison to BG. Environmental stress in AG containers during the growing season may limit growth more than commonly realized.

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Growth Responses of Boreal Scots Pine, Norway Spruce and Silver Birch Seedlings to Simulated Climate Warming over Three Growing Seasons in a Controlled Field Experiment

Forests ◽

10.3390/f11090943 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 943

Author(s):

Katri Nissinen ◽

Virpi Virjamo ◽

Antti Kilpeläinen ◽

Veli-Pekka Ikonen ◽

Laura Pikkarainen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Norway Spruce ◽

Scots Pine ◽

Root Biomass ◽

Growing Season ◽

Silver Birch ◽

Shoot Biomass ◽

Growth Responses ◽

Growing Seasons ◽

Simulated Climate ◽

Shoot And Root Biomass

We studied the growth responses of boreal Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) and silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) seedlings to simulated climate warming of an average of 1.3 °C over the growing season in a controlled field experiment in central Finland. We had six replicate plots for elevated and ambient temperature for each tree species. The warming treatment lasted for the conifers for three growing seasons and for the birch two growing seasons. We measured the height and diameter growth of all the seedlings weekly during the growing season. The shoot and root biomass and their ratios were measured annually in one-third of seedlings harvested from each plot in autumn. After two growing seasons, the height, diameter and shoot biomass were 45%, 19% and 41% larger in silver birch seedlings under the warming treatment, but the root biomass was clearly less affected. After three growing seasons, the height, diameter, shoot and root biomass were under a warming treatment 39, 47, 189 and 113% greater in Scots pine, but the root:shoot ratio 29% lower, respectively. The corresponding responses of Norway spruce to warming were clearly smaller (e.g., shoot biomass 46% higher under a warming treatment). As a comparison, the relative response of height growth in silver birch was after two growing seasons equal to that measured in Scots pine after three growing seasons. Based on our findings, especially silver birch seedlings, but also Scots pine seedlings benefitted from warming, which should be taken into account in forest regeneration in the future.

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Selective Harvesting Robotics: Current Research, Trends, and Future Directions

Current Robotics Reports ◽

10.1007/s43154-020-00034-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Gert Kootstra ◽

Xin Wang ◽

Pieter M. Blok ◽

Jochen Hemming ◽

Eldert van Henten

Keyword(s):

Review Paper ◽

Production Systems ◽

Future Research ◽

Limiting Factor ◽

Future Directions ◽

Research Directions ◽

Selective Harvesting ◽

Important Solution ◽

Future Research Directions ◽

Current Systems

Abstract Purpose of Review The world-wide demand for agricultural products is rapidly growing. However, despite the growing population, labor shortage becomes a limiting factor for agricultural production. Further automation of agriculture is an important solution to tackle these challenges. Recent Findings Selective harvesting of high-value crops, such as apples, tomatoes, and broccoli, is currently mainly performed by humans, rendering it one of the most labor-intensive and expensive agricultural tasks. This explains the large interest in the development of selective harvesting robots. Selective harvesting, however, is a challenging task for a robot, due to the high levels of variation and incomplete information, as well as safety. Summary This review paper provides an overview of the state of the art in selective harvesting robotics in three different production systems; greenhouse, orchard, and open field. The limitations of current systems are discussed, and future research directions are proposed.

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Combined simulation and optimization framework for irrigation scheduling in agriculture fields

Irrigation Science ◽

10.1007/s00271-021-00746-y ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mireia Fontanet ◽

Daniel Fernàndez-Garcia ◽

Gema Rodrigo ◽

Francesc Ferrer ◽

Josep Maria Villar

Keyword(s):

Crop Yields ◽

Root Zone ◽

Growing Season ◽

Irrigation Scheduling ◽

Irrigated Agriculture ◽

Traditional Methods ◽

Simulation And Optimization ◽

Optimization Framework ◽

Net Margin ◽

Combined Simulation

AbstractIn the context of growing evidence of climate change and the fact that agriculture uses about 70% of all the water available for irrigation in semi-arid areas, there is an increasing probability of water scarcity scenarios. Water irrigation optimization is, therefore, one of the main goals of researchers and stakeholders involved in irrigated agriculture. Irrigation scheduling is often conducted based on simple water requirement calculations without accounting for the strong link between water movement in the root zone, soil–water–crop productivity and irrigation expenses. In this work, we present a combined simulation and optimization framework aimed at estimating irrigation parameters that maximize the crop net margin. The simulation component couples the movement of water in a variably saturated porous media driven by irrigation with crop water uptake and crop yields. The optimization component assures maximum gain with minimum cost of crop production during a growing season. An application of the method demonstrates that an optimal solution exists and substantially differs from traditional methods. In contrast to traditional methods, results show that the optimal irrigation scheduling solution prevents water logging and provides a more constant value of water content during the entire growing season within the root zone. As a result, in this case, the crop net margin cost exhibits a substantial increase with respect to the traditional method. The optimal irrigation scheduling solution is also shown to strongly depend on the particular soil hydraulic properties of the given field site.

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395 Impact of pig mortality on U.S. pig producers

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skaa278.340 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽

pp. 184-185

Author(s):

Caleb M Shull

Keyword(s):

Feed Efficiency ◽

Management Practices ◽

Production Systems ◽

Research Priorities ◽

Functional Approach ◽

Production Cycle ◽

Limiting Factor ◽

Significant Challenge ◽

The Relationship ◽

Positive Step

Abstract Swine producers in the U.S. face a significant challenge. On top of the ever-changing market dynamics that lead to wide swings in profitability or loss, is an underlying issue of pig mortality that the industry must address. While significant improvements in total piglets born per litter have been achieved over the last 10 years, pig mortality has seen no improvement or has worsened (Figure 1). When expressed as a percentage of piglets born (excluding mummies), a total of 7.9% were recorded as stillborn and 13.4% died prior to weaning in 2019. Assuming a typical mortality range of 7–10% from weaning to harvest, a typical U.S. producer could expect to lose around 27–30% of all piglets born. In addition, the average producer had around 12% annual sow mortality (Figure 1). Litter size and post-weaning growth rate and feed efficiency will always factor heavily into research priorities due to the economic impact associated with those traits; however, the opportunity to drive value through reduction in pig losses across the production cycle is staggering. In defense of the industry, improving pig survival is not an easy task for a number of reasons. The sample size (i.e., number of pigs) required to do mortality research correctly is often a limiting factor for many production systems. Furthermore, a cross-functional approach is likely required to make significant improvements in mortality. Specifically, the relationship between genetics, health, and management practices warrant consideration. Recent collaboration across the industry to improve mortality is a positive step forward and this collaboration should continue moving forward.

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Morphological and Metabolite Responses of Potatoes under Various Phosphorus Levels and Their Amelioration by Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22105162 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (10) ◽

pp. 5162

Author(s):

Leangsrun Chea ◽

Birgit Pfeiffer ◽

Dominik Schneider ◽

Rolf Daniel ◽

Elke Pawelzik ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Plant Growth ◽

Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria ◽

Shoot Biomass ◽

Root Surface Area ◽

Limiting Factor ◽

P Availability ◽

P Deficiency ◽

Plant Growth Promoting ◽

Growth Promoting

Low phosphorus (P) availability is a major limiting factor for potatoes. P fertilizer is applied to enhance P availability; however, it may become toxic when plants accumulate at high concentrations. Therefore, it is necessary to gain more knowledge of the morphological and biochemical processes associated with P deficiency and toxicity for potatoes, as well as to explore an alternative approach to ameliorate the P deficiency condition. A comprehensive study was conducted (I) to assess plant morphology, mineral allocation, and metabolites of potatoes in response to P deficiency and toxicity; and (II) to evaluate the potency of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in improving plant biomass, P uptake, and metabolites at low P levels. The results revealed a reduction in plant height and biomass 60–80% under P deficiency compared to P optimum. P deficiency and toxicity conditions also altered the mineral concentration and allocation in plants due to nutrient imbalance. The stress induced by both P deficiency and toxicity was evident from an accumulation of proline and total free amino acids in young leaves and roots. Furthermore, root metabolite profiling revealed that P deficiency reduced sugars by 50–80% and organic acids by 20–90%, but increased amino acids by 1.5–14.8 times. However, the effect of P toxicity on metabolic changes in roots was less pronounced. Under P deficiency, PGPR significantly improved the root and shoot biomass, total root length, and root surface area by 32–45%. This finding suggests the potency of PGPR inoculation to increase potato plant tolerance under P deficiency.

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Water and Nitrogen Productivity of Potato Growth in Desert Areas under Low-Discharge Drip Irrigation

Water ◽

10.3390/w10080970 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 970 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Pavel Trifonov ◽

Naftali Lazarovitch ◽

Gilboa Arye

Keyword(s):

Drip Irrigation ◽

Driving Forces ◽

Root Zone ◽

Agricultural Soils ◽

Potato Crop ◽

Water Productivity ◽

Potato Production ◽

N Leaching ◽

Limiting Factor ◽

Potato Growth

Narrow profit margins, resource conservation issues and environmental concerns are the main driving forces to improve fertilizer uptake, especially for potatoes. Potatoes are a high value crop with a shallow, inefficient root system and high fertilizer rate requirements. Of all essential nutrients, nitrogen (N) is often limiting to potato production. A major concern in potato production is to minimize N leaching from the root zone. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to examine the potato crop characteristics under drip irrigation with low-discharge (0.6 L h−1) and to determine the optimal combination of irrigation (40, 60, 80, and 100%) and fertigation (0, 50, and 100%) doses. In this study, the 80% (438.6 mm) irrigation dose and a 50% (50 mg N L−1) fertigation dose (W80%F50%) showed that these doses are sufficient for optimal potato yield (about 40 ton ha−1) in conjunction with water and fertilizer savings. Moreover, this treatment did not exhibit any qualitative changes in the potato tuber compared to the 100% treatments. When considering water productivity and yield, one may select a harsher irrigation regime if the available agricultural soils are not a limiting factor. Thus, higher yields can be obtained with lower irrigation and fertigation doses and a larger area.

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Emerging Viral Diseases of Tomato Crops

Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions ◽

10.1094/mpmi-23-5-0539 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 23 (5) ◽

pp. 539-548 ◽

Cited By ~ 161

Author(s):

Inge M. Hanssen ◽

Moshe Lapidot ◽

Bart P. H. J. Thomma

Keyword(s):

Crop Production ◽

Production Systems ◽

Genetic Resistance ◽

International Travel ◽

Viral Diseases ◽

Limiting Factor ◽

Emerging Viruses ◽

Plant Materials ◽

Tomato Production ◽

Climate Conditions

Viral diseases are an important limiting factor in many crop production systems. Because antiviral products are not available, control strategies rely on genetic resistance or hygienic measures to prevent viral diseases, or on eradication of diseased crops to control such diseases. Increasing international travel and trade of plant materials enhances the risk of introducing new viruses and their vectors into production systems. In addition, changing climate conditions can contribute to a successful spread of newly introduced viruses or their vectors and establishment of these organisms in areas that were previously unfavorable. Tomato is economically the most important vegetable crop worldwide and many viruses infecting tomato have been described, while new viral diseases keep emerging. Pepino mosaic virus is a rapidly emerging virus which has established itself as one of the most important viral diseases in tomato production worldwide over recent years. Begomovirus species and other whitefly-transmitted viruses are invading into new areas, and several recently described new viruses such as Tomato torrado virus and new Tospovirus species are rapidly spreading over large geographic areas. In this article, emerging viruses of tomato crops are discussed.

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Sulfonylurea herbicides applied to acidic sandy soils: movement, persistence and activity within the growing season

Australian Journal of Agricultural Research ◽

10.1071/ar9921157 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 43 (5) ◽

pp. 1157 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

WM Blacklow ◽

PC Pheloung

Keyword(s):

Sandy Loam ◽

Sandy Soils ◽

Growing Season ◽

Shoot Biomass ◽

Soil Profiles ◽

Sulfonylurea Herbicides ◽

Laboratory Bioassay ◽

Wheat Seedlings ◽

Late Application ◽

Lime Addition

Chlorsulfuron and triasulfuron were applied to the surface of acidic, sandy loam at a low rainfall site in 1989 (129 mm June-October) and a high rainfall site in 1990 (217 mm July-August). Four environments were obtained by early and late application times and lime addition in 1989 and by a wetter site in 1990. The pH of the surface 10 cm was 4.9 in 1989, 5.8 in 1990 and 6.5 after the addition of limestone in 1989. The plots were left fallow or sown, prior to herbicide applications, to wheat (cv. Kulin). Hourly averages of rainfall, soil and air temperature were recorded. The temperature range was 2.7�C to 23.2�C. The soil profiles were sampled on 5 to 7 occasions and herbicide residues were determined by a laboratory bioassay (sensitivity >0.4 8g kg-1 soil). Chlorsulfuron and triasulfuron were detected to 300 mm in the wetter environment but neither herbicide was as mobile in the profile as water. More herbicide moved to the lower layers of the profile in the higher pH environment. The half-lives for residues ranged from 12 to 28 days. Shoot biomass of wheat seedlings was suppressed by both herbicides but grain yields were unaffected. The residues failed to prevent reinvasion of the wheat plots by weeds, notably Arctotheca calendula.

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Cross-Flow Ultrafiltration Used in Algal High Rate Oxidation Pond Treatment of Saline Organic Effluents with the Recovery of Products of Value

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1992.0258 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 25 (10) ◽

pp. 319-327 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

P. D. Rose ◽

B. A. Maart ◽

T. D. Phillips ◽

S. L. Tucker ◽

A. K. Cowan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Waste Treatment ◽

Production Systems ◽

Algal Cell ◽

Cross Flow ◽

Viable Cell ◽

High Rate ◽

Limiting Factor ◽

Algal Biotechnology ◽

Cross Flow Filtration ◽

Flow Filtration

An algal high rate oxidation ponding process for treating organic s present in saline effluents has been described. The extreme halophile Dunaliella salina can be made to predominate in the system by manipulating salinity, producing products of value together with a waste treatment function. Application in treating tannery saline organic wastes was examined. Techniques appropriate for the harvesting of micro-algae from this and other algal production systems presents a limiting factor in the development of algal biotechnology. Cross-flow filtration was evaluated as a technique for micro-algal cell separation. Both microfiltration and ultrafiltration were found to produce effective algal removal from the medium, Cross-flow ultrafiltration with a polyethersulfone coated tubular filter produced effective separation with the production of cell concentrates in a viable condition. Flux rates of 30 - 40 LMH fall within acceptable levels for application in industrial processes. Cell shattering observed with microfiltration precludes its use for recovering whole or viable cell concentrates.

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Developing donors of ultra-early maturity in barley

PROCEEDINGS ON APPLIED BOTANY GENETICS AND BREEDING ◽

10.30901/2227-8834-2020-4-83-92 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 181 (4) ◽

pp. 83-92

Author(s):

I. A. Zveinek ◽

O. N. Kovaleva

Keyword(s):

Yield Components ◽

Growing Season ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Limiting Factor ◽

Early Maturity ◽

Norm Of Reaction ◽

Hybrid Combination ◽

Recessive Genes ◽

Good Productivity ◽

Selection Of

Background. The length of the growing season is a limiting factor in many regions with unstable climatic conditions. The development of ultra-early barley donors makes it possible to accelerate the breeding process aimed at producing commercial cultivars adapted to cultivation area requirements.Materials and methods. The donors Kibel, Kibel uluchshenny, Kibtsel and Kibkor were obtained through individual selection of barley forms combining earliness and productivity from the hybrid combination Belogorsky × k-15881. The experiments were carried out according to the approved guidelines. Yield components were used to calculate the index of productivity for the donors versus the reference cv. ‘Belogorsky’.Results and conclusions. Earliness is controlled in the donors by three recessive genes. The donors’ period from emergence to heading was 7–9 days shorter than that of the reference cv. ‘Belogorsky’, with a low norm of reaction, which attested to their high adaptability. The resulting barley forms were highly resistant to lodging. The donor Kibel uluchshenny in all spike yield components did not differ from the reference. The other donors were close to the reference in spike length and 1000 seed weight. The example of Kibel uluchshenny was used to demonstrate the possibility of producing barley forms combining high earliness and good productivity. The developed donors may prove useful in the breeding for earliness in the areas where the length of the growing season is a limiting factor.

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