Large crop production losses induced by global ozone stress based on interval evaluation

Global crop yield loss due to ground-level ozone (O3) concentrations is a major challenge to food security, but a dose-response association is not easy to quantify. Here, we propose using a new metric, O3 sensitivity of crop yield (Yo), to estimate yield loss under different O3 time intervals using four observational databases. The Yo metric shows a non-linear parabola with elevated atmospheric O3 for wheat, maize, rice, soybean, and assorted vegetables. Spatial heterogeneity of yield loss varies as a function of crop type and O3 intervals. Estimates of yield loss from ozone suggest recent losses (2017-2019) may reach as high as 537 million tonnes, with a significant proportion coming with lower (30-40 ppb) exposure (325 million tonnes). Our results suggest that previous research, which only included higher (>40 ppb ozone), may have had grossly underestimated the negative effect of atmospheric O3 on crop production. Suppose these results are endemic to global crop production. In that case, additional research will be necessary to reassess ozone sensitivity and dose-responses, both spatially and temporally, to determine future air pollution impacts.

Advancing agricultural research using machine learning algorithms

Rising global population and climate change realities dictate that agricultural productivity must be accelerated. Results from current traditional research approaches are difficult to extrapolate to all possible fields because they are dependent on specific soil types, weather conditions, and background management combinations that are not applicable nor translatable to all farms. A method that accurately evaluates the effectiveness of infinite cropping system interactions (involving multiple management practices) to increase maize and soybean yield across the US does not exist. Here, we utilize extensive databases and artificial intelligence algorithms and show that complex interactions, which cannot be evaluated in replicated trials, are associated with large crop yield variability and thus, potential for substantial yield increases. Our approach can accelerate agricultural research, identify sustainable practices, and help overcome future food demands.

A Survey

Agriculture occupation has been the prime occupation in India since the primeval era. Nowadays, the country is ranked second in the prime occupations threatening global warming. Apart from this, diseases in plants are challenging to this prime source of livelihood. The present research can help in recognition of different diseases among plants and help to find out the solution or remedy that can be a defense mechanism in counter to the diseases. Finding diseases among plant DL is considered to the most perfect and exact paradigms. Four labels are classified as “bacterial spot,” “yellow leaf curl virus,” “late blight,” and “healthy leaf.” An exemplar model of the drone is also designed for the purpose. The said model will be utilized for a live report for extended large crop fields. In this exemplar drone model, a high-resolution camera is attached. The captured images of plants will act as software input. On this basis, the software will immediately tell which plants are healthy and which are diseased.

Studying the Normal Operation of Grain Harvesters within the Warranty Period

Introduction. Grain harvesters are used for no more than two months within a year. They must have maximum operating reliability, since even short downtime during the harvesting period result in large crop losses. The purpose of the study is to identify the causes of combine harvester failures within the warranty period. Materials and Methods. Identifying consequences of failures and ensuring the reliability of grain harvesters are based on an improved classification of failures. In the process of studying, there have been proposed the ways to solve the problem of combine harvester downtime based on the analysis of the time for grain harvester troubleshooting. The category of severity of failure consequences was taken into account. Results. Through monitoring in the period from 2018 to 2020, there were found failures of units and systems of grain harvesters with low reliability indexes within the warranty period. Most of the failures (59.2%) were found in Russian-manufactured combines, of which operational failures are 55.9%, structural failures – 26.7%, and production failures – 17.4%. The general patterns of changes in the average time for combine troubleshooting have been determined. A geometric model of a detail for the trouble-free operation of combines (header auger shaft) was created. The finite element analysis (ANSYS) was used to identify parts, which are subject to maximum workload. There have been identified units and parts, which fail to function within the warranty period, because of design and technological defects. Discussion and Conclusion. In order to reduce the time to find the consequences of failures, it is necessary to create a more extensive network of enterprises providing a wide range of services, improve the organization of technical service and expand direct links with the manufacturers of equipment in order to respond quickly and make the necessary design and technological decisions.

The coracoscapular joint of neornithine birds—extensive homoplasy in a widely neglected articular surface of the avian pectoral girdle and its possible functional correlates

A survey is given of the morphological variation of the coracoscapular joint of neornithine birds. In Mesozoic stem group representatives, the coracoid exhibits a deeply concave cotyla scapularis, which articulates with a globose tuberculum coracoideum of the scapula. This morphology is likely to be functionally related to the development of a powerful supracoracoideus muscle and the formation of a triosseal canal as a pulley for the tendon of this muscle. In neornithine birds, the coracoid articulates with the scapula either via a concave cotyla or a flat facies articularis, with the latter largely restricting movements of the coracoid to the paramedian plane. Ancestral state reconstruction suggests that a cotyla scapularis is plesiomorphic for Neornithes and that a flat facies articularis scapularis evolved at least 13 times independently within the clade. For several lineages, the transition to a flat facies articularis scapularis can be traced in the fossil record, and the replacement of a cup-shaped cotyla by a flat articular facet seems to have been due to various functional demands. Often, a flat facies articularis scapularis is associated with reduced shafts of the furcula. A weakly developed furcula enables transverse movements of the coracoid and therefore enables a restriction of the mobility of the coracoscapular joint to the paramedian plane. In taxa with a large crop, a flat facies articularis scapularis is likely to be associated with a reorganization of the pectoral musculature, whereas in procellariiform birds, the transition from a cotyla to a facies articularis appears to have been correlated with the capacity for sustained soaring without wing flapping.

Monitoring of a Calcium Biofortification Workflow for Tubers of Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Picasso Using Smart Farming Technology

Due to the rapid growth of the population worldwide and the need to provide food safety in large crop productions, UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) are being used in agriculture to provide valuable data for decision making. Accordingly, through precision agriculture, efficient management of resources, using data obtained by the technologies, is possible. Through remote sensed data collected in a crop region, it is possible to create NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) maps, which are a powerful tool to detect stresses, namely, in plants. Accordingly, using smart farm technology, this study aimed to assess the impact of Ca biofortification on leaves of Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Picasso. As such, using an experimental production field of potato tubers (GPS coordinates: 39°16′38,816′′ N; 9°15′9128′′ W) as a test system, plants were submitted to a Ca biofortification workflow through foliar spraying with CaCl2 or, alternatively, chelated calcium (Ca-EDTA) at concentrations of 12 and 24 kg·ha−1. A lower average NDVI in Ca-EDTA 12 kg·ha−1 treatment after the fourth foliar application was found, which, through the application of the CieLab scale, correlated with lower L (darker color) and hue parameters, regarding control plants. Additionally, a higher Ca content was quantified in the leaves. The obtained data are discussed, and it is concluded that Ca-EDTA 12 kg·ha−1 triggers lower vigor in Picasso potatoes leaves.

Salt Removal by Combining a Permanent Skip Furrow Irrigation and Salt Removal Sheet

Skip furrow irrigation (SFI) can save water by irrigating every alternate furrow. Usually, irrigated furrows are alternated at each irrigation event under SFI. If irrigated furrows are fixed (permanent SFI, PSFI), more water may be saved by reducing the wetting area, and salts may accumulate on the dry side of the ridge. Salt removal sheet, a method of collecting salts on the sheet laid on the soil surface utilizing high evaporation demand in drylands, may be an efficient measure for removal of accumulated salt under PSFI. We evaluated salinity movement and water saving under PSFI through a field experiment in Uzbekistan. In addition, a salt removal sheet was applied to the shoulder of the ridge on the drier side under PSFI to evaluate its potential in removing salt from the soil with the practice. The results showed that salts tend to accumulate on the dry side of the ridge, and the amount of irrigation water was halved without a large crop yield reduction. The PSFI + Sheet was able to catch 6.4% of salts in the top 10 cm soil layer.

Branching of annual apple seedlings of medium-sized varieties with the influence of agrotechnical methods

Relevance. The basis for obtaining a large crop volume and its high level of precocity is the use of Apple planting material that fully meets modern standards of intensive gardening. The main purpose of these studies was to study methods of branching stimulation and determine their effectiveness in obtaining branched apple seedlings at the age of one year. Material and methods. The use of non-root treatments and fertilizers as regulators and growth stimulators of apple seedlings does not lead to a significant increase in the number of side branches. Significant growth of the crown of annual seedlings occurs when using mechanical methods to stimulate the growth of side branches. The use of such an agrotechnical technique as a single plucking made it possible to obtain 1-2.6 side branches on different orts. When using this method, but with the simultaneous removal of 3-4 leaf plates, it increased the production of side branches by 1.6-3.7 pieces. One of the most unresponsive to the use of agricultural techniques was the variety "Svezhest". Results. It is effective to apply to annual apple seedlings agrotechnical methods of stimulation of lateral branching by plucking with simultaneous removal of leaf plates in the amount of three to four pieces. These measures must be carried out before reaching the height of the seedling from seventy to eighty centimeters. It should be noted that the use of plucking only, without removing the leaf plates, does not give such an effect.

A reporter for noninvasively monitoring gene expression and plant transformation

Reporters have been widely used to visualize gene expression, protein localization, and other cellular activities, but the commonly used reporters require special equipment, expensive chemicals, or invasive treatments. Here, we construct a new reporter RUBY that converts tyrosine to vividly red betalain, which is clearly visible to naked eyes without the need of using special equipment or chemical treatments. We show that RUBY can be used to noninvasively monitor gene expression in plants. Furthermore, we show that RUBY is an effective selection marker for transformation events in both rice and Arabidopsis. The new reporter will be especially useful for monitoring cellular activities in large crop plants such as a fruit tree under field conditions and for observing transformation and gene expression in tissue culture under sterile conditions.

BIOLOGICAL FEATURES OF FRUIT FORMATION AND CROP FORMATION SEEDS OF BIRDSFOOT TREFOIL (Lotus corniculatus L.)

The limited use of birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) in feed production is determined by a large shortage of its seeds. Currently, the supply of certified seeds on the commercial market is about ten times less than the scientifically based volume of the need for the seed material of this crop. The biological feature of the birdsfoot trefoil is the continuous shoot formation and growth during the entire growing season, the extended flowering period. This makes it difficult to determine the optimal timing and methods of harvesting seed stands. Harvesting is associated with large crop losses due to uneven ripening of beans and their strong cracking in hot weather with low relative humidity. The abundance of a large number of green shoots increases the humidity of the grass stand. This is very difficult to thresh and require desiccation. The choice of optimal time and method of threshing is the most difficult stage technology seed production of birdsfoot trefoil. Studies have shown that when 69–93% of the beans were browned, the biological yield reached its maximum values of 308–320 kg/ha. This period in typical weather conditions occurred 35–50 days after the beginning of flowering. During this period, the filling of seeds stopped. Crop performance has reached the standard values. The optimal period of direct threshing with pre-desiccation of the herbage, which provided the highest actual seed collection of 191–206 kg/ha, is the period of browning about 70% of the beans.