Development of smart machine for sorting of deceased onions

Today, we are thinking to raise Farmer’s income through various means and measures. Implementation of new crop patterns, technology inclusion and promoting the eshtablishment of numerous agro processing industries will play a major role in agriculture sector. The labour issue is also one of the main concerns in many of the agricultural activities. In this paper we propose a technological evolvement in onion detection process, where we apply image processing and sensory mechanism to identify sprouted and rotten onions respectively. This will yield to quick, accurate and prompt supply of goods to the market, irrespective of lack of consistent but costly manpower. The efficiency of this prototype in identifying the sprouted onions with the help of camera is observed to be upto 87% and also the response of Gas sensing system in detecting rooten onions under prescribed chamber dimensions is analysed and obtained encouraging results.

Economics and Marketing of Olive in Punjab, Pakistan

The recent re-emergence of agrarian crises in Punjab has again drawn the attention of policymakers towards the viability of alternative crops. In this context, the study attempts production and marketing of one of the alternatives and viable crops (i.e., Olive) considered for the farmers in Punjab, Pakistan. The study was carried out in the Pothwar region of Punjab, and a total of 100 farmers were interviewed from four districts of Pothwar. The study results revealed that olive is a profitable crop since the benefit-cost ratio, net present value, and internal rate of return at a 10% rate of discount were 2.20, Rs. 263,338.00, and 31%, respectively. The findings also revealed that the channel with the least number of intermediaries was more efficient than the channels with more intermediaries. The study suggested that to take advantage of this new crop, controlled marketplaces with improved marketing facilities are needed to allow farmers to minimize their transport costs and achieve better prices for their products. Besides, linking fresh produce with agro-processing industries can go a long way in ensuring the returns from this crop.

Bases for the Establishment of Robusta Coffee (Coffea canephora) as a New Crop for Colombia

Robusta coffee (C. canephora) covers 36% of world coffee production and has strategic relevance as a beverage that it is produced by thousands of small-scale producers around the world. Although mainly grown in Africa and Asia as opposed to Latin America, this situation is changing. Colombia is recognized as a producer of high-quality Arabica (C. arabica L.) coffee, however we argue that Robusta represents a great economic opportunity for small scale producers, for the industrialization of new products and for emerging coffee chains. Therefore, the objective of this review is to outline the agronomic value of Robusta coffee as a “new crop” in Colombia. As background we compare the better-known Arabica to the Robusta coffees from a Latin American perspective. Robusta shows differences in geographical distribution, genetics, originating species, physiology and phenology. Robusta and Arabica also differ in their chemistry, sensory attributes, industrial use, segments of market and price. Despite the marked differences between the two coffees, the popularity and consumption of Robusta has been on the increase due to the expansion of markets in emerging economies and in developed markers for home espresso preparation where it is used in high quality coffee blends. Robusta is currently replacing areas of other coffees due to hotter temperatures to which it is adapted. Although Robusta is still new to Colombia, this species has potential adaptation in lowland areas considered “non-traditional” for Colombian coffee cultivation and as a valuable component of agro-ecological production systems. Robusta is a novel crop option for certain regions that is needed for the future of coffee in Latin America and for growth of coffee production and consumption in Colombia.

New Insights into Interspecific Hybridization in Lemna L. Sect. Lemna (Lemnaceae Martinov)

Duckweeds have been increasingly studied in recent years, both as model plants and in view of their potential applications as a new crop in a circular bioeconomy perspective. In order to select species and clones with the desired attributes, the correct identification of the species is fundamental. Molecular methods have recently provided a more solid base for taxonomy and yielded a consensus phylogenetic tree, although some points remain to be elucidated. The duckweed genus Lemna L. comprises twelve species, grouped in four sections, which include very similar sister species. The least taxonomically resolved is sect. Lemna, presenting difficulties in species delimitation using morphological and even barcoding molecular markers. Ambiguous species boundaries between Lemna minor L. and Lemna japonica Landolt have been clarified by Tubulin Based Polymorphism (TBP), with the discovery of interspecific hybrids. In the present work, we extended TBP profiling to a larger number of clones in sect. Lemna, previously classified using only morphological features, in order to test that classification, and to investigate the possible existence of other hybrids in this section. The analysis revealed several misidentifications of clones, in particular among the species L. minor, L. japonica and Lemna gibba L., and identified six putative ‘L. gibba’ clones as interspecific hybrids between L. minor and L. gibba.

Using Crop Databases to Explore Phenotypes: From QTL to Candidate Genes

Seeds, especially those of certain grasses and legumes, provide the majority of the protein and carbohydrates for much of the world’s population. Therefore, improvements in seed quality and yield are important drivers for the development of new crop varieties to feed a growing population. Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) have been identified for many biologically interesting and agronomically important traits, including many seed quality traits. QTL can help explain the genetic architecture of the traits and can also be used to incorporate traits into new crop cultivars during breeding. Despite the important contributions that QTL have made to basic studies and plant breeding, knowing the exact gene(s) conditioning each QTL would greatly improve our ability to study the underlying genetics, biochemistry and regulatory networks. The data sets needed for identifying these genes are increasingly available and often housed in species- or clade-specific genetics and genomics databases. In this demonstration, we present a generalized walkthrough of how such databases can be used in these studies using SoyBase, the USDA soybean Genetics and Genomics Database, as an example.

Biological and economic efficiency of optimised pest control schemes for mandarin fruit in Abkhazian

Abkhazian mandarin crop is infected by over 50 pest species incurring marketable yield losses up to 83 %, which prioritises the development of new crop protection strategies that avoid organophosphorus compound usage leading to pest resistance. The studies were conducted during 2019–2020 in full-grown Citrus unshiu mandarin plantations at the Gulrypsh District of the Republic of Abkhazia adhering to the common protocol. Seven schemes were covered in study for the mandarin crop protection from rust mite Phyllocoptruta oleivora Ashmead and brown marble bug Halyomorpha halys Stål. Two schemes have been selected as optimised: scheme 5 (treatment 1 with Confidor Extra tank mix, 0.05 % WDG (imidacloprid) and 0.15 % Cytovit; treatment 2 with Vertimek tank mix, 0.1 % EC (abamectin, 18 g/L) and 0.15 % Cytovit; treatments 3--4 with Karate Zeon tank mix, 0.05 % OEC (lambda-cyhalothrin, 50 g/L) and 0.15 % Cytovit) and scheme 6 (treatment 1 with Metomax tank mix, 0.15 % SC (methomil 250 g/kg + bifenthrin 25 g/kg) and Vertimek, 0.1 % EC (abamectin, 18 g/L); treatments 2--3 with Karate Zeon, 0.05 % ISS (lambda-cyhalothrin, 50 g/L) and Vertimek, 0.1 % EC (abamectin, 18 g/L); treatment 4 with Karate Zeon, 0.05 % OEC (lambda-cyhalothrin, 50 g/L)). The schemes’ biological efficacy against mandarin pests was 80.0–84.2 and 81.3–87.7 %, providing for an average fruit weight improvement by 89.5 and 94.7 % vs. control, and 22.0 and 25.4 % vs. benchmark, respectively. Yield excess in the schemes was 85.7 and 91.7 % vs. control, and 36.8 and 41.3 % vs. economic cultivation, respectively. Class 1 fruits accounted for 63.3–65.6 % total harvest in schemes 5 and 6, whilst were not obtained in control.

An Outlook on Global Regulatory Landscape for Genome-Edited Crops

The revolutionary technology of CRISPR/Cas systems and their extraordinary potential to address fundamental questions in every field of biological sciences has led to their developers being awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. In agriculture, CRISPR/Cas systems have accelerated the development of new crop varieties with improved traits—without the need for transgenes. However, the future of this technology depends on a clear and truly global regulatory framework being developed for these crops. Some CRISPR-edited crops are already on the market, and yet countries and regions are still divided over their legal status. CRISPR editing does not require transgenes, making CRISPR crops more socially acceptable than genetically modified crops, but there is vigorous debate over how to regulate these crops and what precautionary measures are required before they appear on the market. This article reviews intended outcomes and risks arising from the site-directed nuclease CRISPR systems used to improve agricultural crop plant genomes. It examines how various CRISPR system components, and potential concerns associated with CRISPR/Cas, may trigger regulatory oversight of CRISPR-edited crops. The article highlights differences and similarities between GMOs and CRISPR-edited crops, and discusses social and ethical concerns. It outlines the regulatory framework for GMO crops, which many countries also apply to CRISPR-edited crops, and the global regulatory landscape for CRISPR-edited crops. The article concludes with future prospects for CRISPR-edited crops and their products.

Machine Learning Speeding Up the Development of Portfolio of New Crop Varieties to Adapt to and Mitigate Climate Change

Climate change poses serious challenges to achieving food security in a time of a need to produce more food to keep up with the worlds increasing demand for food. There is an urgent need to speed up the development of new high yielding varieties with traits of adaptation and mitigation to climate change. Mathematical approaches, including ML approaches, have been used to search for such traits, leading to unprecedented results as some of the traits, including heat traits that have been long sought-for, have been found within a short period of time.