Assessment of Non-Conventional Irrigation Water in Greenhouse Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) Production

Climate change, urbanization and subsequent environmental changes are depleting freshwater resources around the globe. The reuse of domestic, industrial and agricultural wastewater is an alternative approach to freshwater that can be used for irrigation purposes. However, these wastewaters may contain hazardous and toxic elements, such as heavy metals that are hazardous for human health and the environment. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the concentration of macro, micro and heavy metals in cucumber irrigated with different resources (tap water, greywater, dairy water and wastewater). The results showed that the use of different irrigation resources has increased the level of macro (sodium (Na), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg)), microelements (zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn)), and heavy metals (copper (Cu), barium (Ba), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd)) in cucumber leaves and fruits. However, their levels were in the range that is safe for human health and the environment was as recommended by FAO maximum values of trace elements (Zn, 2.0; Fe 1.0; Mn, 0.2; Cu, 0.2; Pb, 5.0, and Cd, 0.01 mgL−1). Based on observations, it was also revealed that among different irrigation resources, the use of dairy water in cucumber improved its agronomic attributes and maximum plant yield (1191.02 g), while the different irrigation resources showed a non-significant impact on fruit diameter. However, total soluble solid contents (TSS) were more significant in cucumber fruits treated with wastewater (2.26 °brix) followed by dairy water (2.06 °brix), while the least TSS contents (1.57 °brix) were observed in cucumber plants treated with tap water. The significance of non-conventional irrigation water use in agriculture, particularly greenhouse cucumber (Cucumis sativus) production, is discussed.

Does the Use of Use of Continuous or Passive Ultrasonic Irrigation Protocols Improve the Removal of Smear Layer? A Scanning Electron Microscopic Study

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of smear layer removal after the use of different irrigation methods (passive ultrasonic irrigation [PUI], continuous ultrasonic irrigation [CUI], apical negative pressure irrigation and conventional irrigation) using the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) as an analytical tool. A total of 100 single-canal teeth were decoronated and randomly divided into five groups (n = 20) according to the irrigation method used: conventional irrigation with front outlet syringe, conventional irrigation with lateral outlet syringe, apical negative pressure irrigation (EndoVac), PUI with Irrisafe, and CUI with ProUltra PiezoFlow ultrasonic irrigation needle. Root canal preparation was performed with the ProTaper Gold system up to the F4 instrument and 5.25% NaOCl was used as an irrigant. After chemical-mechanical preparation, the roots were split longitudinally, and the coronal, middle and apical thirds examined. SEM digital photomicrographs were taken at ×1000 magnification to evaluate the amount of smear layer in each root canal third. CUI was more effective in removing the smear layer than the other irrigation protocols. However, none of the irrigation protocols were able to produce root canals completely free from smear layer.

Application of Solar-Powered Irrigation System

This article deals with the issue of solar-powered irrigation, specifically, by connecting a solar power source to a drip irrigation system. Thanks to an independent energy source the irrigation system is able to work anywhere. In addition to energy independence, thanks to the drip mode of irrigation, another benefit is water saving, which is up to 70% compared to conventional irrigation. The simplicity of this system allows use both in small gardens and in agriculture. Another advantage of the system is its expandability with various sensors (e.g. soil moisture monitoring), which will help with more efficient management of watering.

Influence of apical preparation size and final irrigation protocol on the debridement of oval root canals

This study assessed the influence of apical preparation size and final irrigation protocol on the debridement of the apical third of oval root canals of mandibular molars. Seventy-seven distal roots were divided into 7 groups (n = 11): Control: without instrumentation or irrigation; Group 30CI: ProTaper Next (up to size 30; PTN) + conventional irrigation (CI); Group 30UAI: PTN + ultrasonically activated irrigation (UAI); Group 30XPF: PTN + XP-endo Finisher (XPF); Group 40CI: PTN + ProDesign Logic (up to size 40; PDL) + CI; Group 40UAI: PTN + PDL + UAI; and Group 40XPF: PTN + PDL + XPF. The total volume of irrigating solutions used per root canal in all the experimental groups was 33 mL of 2.5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and 6 mL of 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). After specimen processing and histological analysis under a digital microscope (100x), the percentages of untouched canal walls (UCW) and remaining debris (RD) were assessed using Image J software. A descriptive and exploratory analysis was conducted, indicating that the data failed to meet the assumptions of an analysis of variance. Therefore, generalized linear models were used to assess the effects of the different instrumentation and irrigation protocols, as well as the interaction among them, on the percentage of UCW and RD. No significant difference was found among the irrigation protocols regarding the percentage of UCW, irrespective of apical preparation size (p>0.05). However, UCW and RD were significantly lower in groups 40CI, 40UAI and 40XPF than in groups 30CI, 30UAI and 30XPF (p<0.05). The percentage of RD was significantly lower in the UAI and XPF groups than in the CI groups, irrespective of apical preparation size (p<0.05). The difference between preparation sizes 30 and 40, with respect to RD, was higher when CI was used (p<0.05). In conclusion, instrumentation up to apical preparation size 40 resulted in lower percentages of UCW and RD than up to apical preparation size 30. Use of UAI or XPF resulted in lower percentages of RD than CI.

Comparison of physiological response to growth stage-based supplemental and conventional irrigation management of wheat

A field experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of different conventional and supplemental irrigation strategies on leaf stomatal conductance (gs) and chlorophyll content (SPAD) yield and irrigation water productivity (IWP) of wheat using sprinkler line source in 2014 and 2015 in the Mediterranean region. The irrigation strategies were, supplemental irrigation (SI) during flowering and grain filling (SIFG), SI during grain filling (SIG), SI during flowering (SIF) and conventional irrigation (CI). These strategies were conducted under four irrigation levels 25, 50, 75, 100% and a rain-fed as control. The results indicated that CI100 and CI75 produced the greater grain yield and IWP, respectively. CI100 resulted in the increased chlorophyll content by 8.8% over rain-fed. The results confirmed that the SPAD and stomatal conductance values were not equally sensitive to water stress during growth stages. The wheat crop suffered a greater SPAD and gs reductions when the water stress occurred during the grain filling stage (SIF strategy) compared to other strategies, which means that the grain filling stage is more sensitive and effective to decrease the yield of winter wheat. The higher grain yields were achieved when the seasonal mean gs reached 207.4 mmol/m2s in CI and 169.2 mmol/m2s in SI, and the stomatal closure responded well to low, moderate and severe drought treatments. The leaf stomatal conductance (gs) was correlated linearly with grain yield. These relations could be used as a physiological indicator to evaluate water stress effect on the growth and productivity of wheat.

THE EFFECT OF IRRIGATION DOSES ON THE PRODUCTIVITY OF Citrus clementina variety “Fina Berkane”, A VARIETY OF CLEMENTINE PRODUCED IN TRIFFA PLAIN, NORTH EASTERN MOROCCO

Morocco is a Mediterranean country with an economy based on exporting agricultural products mainly to Europe. However, the ongoing climate change characterized by the frequency and the intensity of drought, along with the regularity of the rainfall is undeniably affecting the productivity of major agricultural products in Morocco. Citriculture is one of the key pillars of agricultural products in Moroccan conditions and the productivity of citriculture is tightly related to water management. To reduce this dependency under climatic change, a pilot study, over three years, has been launched to assess the effect of water stress on the production of clementine (Citrus clementina 'Berkane Clementine'). This study was carried out on the clementine, variety "Fina Berkane" at the Triffa plain, Northeastern Morocco. This variety was grafted on Volkameria rootstock with a density of 3m x 6m. Experimental variety was planted during October 2012, in loam-clay soil equipped with a drip irrigation system. Four doses of water irrigation (60%, 80%, 100%, and the conventional irrigation dose⩾120%) were tested based on the real water demand of the studied plant. Throughout the three-year monitoring, the effect of used water amount on the various parameters including yield, fruit size, and fruit quality have been studied. Results of the study revealed that the treatment 100% ETc provided a high number of fruits, yield, and a good quality ratio. It was also well reported that adopting a dose of 80% ETc could save a significant amount of irrigation water (more than 40% ETc) compared to the conventional irrigation dose (⩾120% ETc) without significantly affecting either the yield or the desired caliber profile (marketable standard).

Comparison of Apically Extruded Debris Associated with Different Irrigation Techniques after Removal of Intracanal Medicaments

This study aimed to compare the effect of XP-endo Finisher file (XPF), passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI) and conventional irrigation technique using side-vented needle (SVN) on the amount of apically extruded debris after the removal of calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)2 and double antibiotic paste (DAP). Materials and Methods: Sixty extracted human mandibular premolars were used. After decronation, all canals were prepared up to the ProTaper Next X4 file (Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland). After dryness, teeth were randomly assigned into 2 groups (n=30) according to the Type of intracanal medication used; Ca(OH)2 and DAP then incubated at 37 °C and 100% humidity. After one week, Samples in each group were randomly assigned to 3 subgroups (n=10) according to the method used for medicament removal: XPF, PUI and SVN. Debris extruded during the removal procedure were collected into pre-weighed Eppendorf tubes then left to dry in an incubator at 37°C for 15 days. The amount of extruded debris was assessed with an analytical balance and calculated by subtracting the initial weight from the final weight of the tube. Data were statistically analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: there was no statistically significant difference regarding the amount of apically extruded debris after using the three irrigation techniques in removal of both Ca(OH)2 and DAP (P-value = 0.141, Effect size = 0.160) and (P-value = 0.237, Effect size = 0.073) respectively. Conclusions: Neither XPF nor PUI increase the risk of intracanal medicament extrusion beyond the apex.

Analysis of two irrigation methods in root canal disinfection against E. Faecalis biofilm under the influence of the concentration, volumen, and time in contact of the irrigant

The purpose of this ex vivo study was to evaluate the effectiveness of two irrigation techniques against E. Faecalis biofilm: conventional irrigation (CI) and passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI). Furthermore, to investigate a possible cumulative effect of disinfection in the final irrigation, leaving the hypochlorite in the root canal for 2 or 5 minutes without agitation. A total of 63 premolars were divided into 9 groups (n = 7): Groups CI - 2.5 and CI - 5.25: Conventional irrigation with 2.5% and 5.25% NaOCl, respectively, a total of 6 mL for 1 min. Groups CI/PUI - 2.5 and CI/PUI - 5.25: CI + PUI with 2.5% and 5.25% NaOCl respectively, a total of 12 mL for 2 min. Groups CI/PUI - 2.5-2 (total of 14 mL for 4 min) and CI/PUI - 2.5-5 (total of 14 mL for 7 min): CI + PUI, plus final irrigation leaving the NaOCl 2,5% in the root canal for 2 or 5 minutes without agitation, respectively. Groups CI/PUI - 5,25-2 (total of 14 mL for 4 min) and CI/PUI - 5,25-5 (total of 14 mL for 7 minutes): CI + PUI, plus final irrigation leaving the NaOCl 5,25% in the root canal for 2 or 5 minutes without agitation, respectively. Control Group: CI + PUI, final irrigation leaving sterile saline solution for 5 min. The CI/PUI - 5,25 group showed a significantly greater reduction of E. faecalis than in the CI/PUI - 2.5 group. All other groups did not differ significantly from each other. The control group showed a less efficient reduction of E. faecalis. The CI associated with PUI was sufficiently able to reduce the bacterial load of E. faecalis. The final irrigation, leaving the hypochlorite in the root canal for 2 or 5 minutes without agitation did not demonstrate relevance in this study. Successive changes of the irrigating liquid, resulting in greater volume, demonstrated better results in disinfecting the root canal system.