SPATIO-TEMPORAL DYNAMIC OF LAND DEGRADATION USING REMOTE SENSING-BASED INDEX

Land degradation is the major issue which affect watershed sustainability and following social, economic and environmental of livelihood people. So, early detection of land degradation is necessary for policy-makers to make appropriate decision. In this way, remote sensing method is a candidate choice for assessments and monitoring. In this study, land degradation was assessed using Rain-Use Efficiency (RUE) in the Shazand Watershed, Iran in 1986, 1998, 2008 and 2016. Thus, annual rainfall was calculated using inverse distance weight (IDW), net primary productivity (NPP) were calculated using Landsat images. The results indicated that RUE had increasing and then decreasing trends which were 10.66, 33.77, 20.03 and 9.47 kg C ha-1 yr-1. The results also illustrate that the mean value of RUE in different land uses varied between the irrigated land and orchard that had the highest value and outcrop dominant areas and bareland had the lowest value of RUE among land use categories. It is also established that spatio-temporal analysis of RUE can provide valuable information about the trend of watershed’s sustainability over years.

ORGANIC CARBON STOCKS IN ARABLE LAND OF REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA - BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

On the territory of Republic of Srpska (RS – Entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina), in the period 2014 - 2017, the fertility control of arable land was performed in 4125 average samples (taken from top soil, 0 - 30 cm) representing the surface area of 5776 ha. All samples were geo-positioned and linked to the SOTER database (soil and terrain databases). RS is divided into 262 SOTER units. In each soil sample humus was analysed (colorimetric method, wet burning with K2Cr2O7 and conc H2SO4). Soil organic carbon (SOC) was calculated from humus (% humus x factor 0.58). SOC stock (t ha-1) for each plot were calculated on the basis of the volume mass (mg m-3) of the soil type on which the plot was located, the soil weights up to 30 cm (kg ha-1) and the area of the plot (ha). SOC stock on 5776 ha of agricultural land was 225168 t ha-1. The analyzed area was represented by 24 types of soil (FAO class). The highest average SOC stocks of 130 t ha-1 (based on 31 samples) was found in Calacaric Cambisol and the lowest in Stagnic Luvisol 38 t ha-1 (based on 464 samples). In 84% of the tested samples, representing 89% of researched area, the SOC stocks were less than 57 t ha-1. Estimation of the SOC stocks on the total arable land was prepared by GIS analysis interpolation of the SOC results for 4125 samples on the agricultural land area (arable land, gardens, orchards, vineyards and meadows). Estimated SOC stocks on 578894 ha of arable land were 32833549 t. The result of this research is the first step towards the establishment of SOC monitoring system in RS.

MODELLING ON-FARM DIVERSIFICATION THROUGH PORTFOLIO OPTIMIZATION AND GOAL PROGRAMMING: A CASE STUDY FROM BOLIVIA

Modern Portfolio Theory provides a theoretical framework for agricultural risk reduction. Powerful yet accessible tools have been developed to optimize scarce capital/labor allocation to increase returns and reduce correlated risks via diversification. Such tools are used to assess rural livelihood diversification induced by an incentive-based program for watershed conservation piloted between 2003 and 2011 in a context of rural poverty in Bolivia. The tools assembled and tested in this study may provide low-cost diagnostics to improve implementers’ understanding of risks and returns in a specific rural context. Comparing alternative portfolio frontiers may represent a useful and transformative tool to understand socio-ecological systems such as watersheds, facilitating regime shifts that benefit ecosystem services and livelihoods.

PLANT HEIGHT CONTROL OF HYACINTHUS ORIENTALIS BY GIBBERELLIN INHIBITORS

In this study, effect of gibberellin inhibtors as preplant bulb soaks on plant height of Hyacinthus orientalis cv. ‘Jan Bos’ grown in pots were investigated. Bulbs of hyacints were soaked in flurprimidol at 0, 10, 20 ppm and paclobutrazol at 0, 100, 200 ppm before planting. Effect of gibberellin inhibitors on the flowering time, flower diameter and length, leaf length, plant height, flower life, chlorophyll content of leaves were determined. In addition, after hyacints grown in pots in the greenhouse arrived at the sales stage to determine the changes that occur in the plant height, plants were taken to the laboratory where temperature was held constant at 20 °C. The shortest plant height was obtained from the 200 ppm paclobutrazol and 20 ppm flurprimidol treatment as given bulb soaks. In this treatments, plant heihgt was 7.33 and 8.61 cm and were 49% , 41% shorter than untreated control. The lower dose of 10 ppm flurprimidol and 100 ppm paclobutrazol were also effective on height control with 9.11 and 9.71 cm plant height, respectively. Gibberellin inhibitors also shortened leaf lenght. Flurprimidol and paclobutrazol treatments resulted in higher chlorophyll content per unit area in the leaves than untreated controls. The highest chlorophyll contetnt was obtained from the plants treated 200 ppm paclobutrazol with 83.36 CCI (Chlorophyll content index), while the control was 50.56 CCI. The effects of treatments on plant height were maintained in lab conditions (home-office). The shortest plant height was obtained from 200 paclobutrazol treatment with 9.75 cm, while the control was 21.5 cm during post production period.

RAGWEED AND MUGWORT POLLEN (ASTERACEAE FAMILY) - MONITORING AND COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SEASONAL DYNAMICS DURING 2011-2017

In addition to appearing in crops, weeds may pose a risk to human health, indirectly due to the widespread use of herbicides and directly, because they are source of pollen that in susceptible people can cause allergic reactions. Among the weed species, the main allergens are the species of the botanical family: Asteraceae, Amaranthaceae, Urticaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Plantaginaceae. Asteraceae family includes 1,100 genera and 20,000 species, which is one of the largest flowering plants. However, in our area as a potential allergen the most important is Ambrosia and Artemisia pollen. Sampling of ragweed and mugwort pollen during the pollination period 2012-2017 was conducted in urban part of Banja Luka in PI AIRS, BL with Hirst sampler using the method defined by the International Association for Aerobiology (IAA). The first mugwort pollen grains in 2011 were recorded at the end of May, during 2012 and 2016 in the first decade of June, and from 2013 to 2015, as well in 2017 in the second decade of June. Mugwort pollination period lasted for an average of 55 days and it was characterized by low (1-10 p/m3) to moderate (11-50 p/m3) concentrations. The ragweed period pollination during the seven-year monitoring lasted, on average, about 115 days. High concentrations (51-500 p/m3) were recorded between the second decade of August to the third decade of September, while very high concentrations (501 p/m3) were recorded only in 2011. On an annual basis not only the season of ragweed pollination lasted longer, but the results of the monitoring and comparative analysis showed significantly higher % share of ragweed pollen within the weed species in the family Asteraceae in the city of Banja Luka.

THE EFFECTS OF PARAFFIN AND PARAFILM APPLICATIONS AND DIFFERENT ROOTSTOCKS ON YIELD OF GRAFTED VINE IN ‘BLACK MAGIC’ GRAPE CULTIVAR

The scions belonging to 'Black Magic' grape cultivar were grafted on ‘41B’, ‘1103 P’, ‘Fercal’ and ‘SO4’ American rootstock cuttings using omega grafting method in the experiment. Paraffin was applied to one half of the grafted cuttings. The other half was wrapped with parafilm and then paraffin was applied. Grafted cuttings were planted in perlite medium at 3.0 x 3.5 cm intervals inside plastic buckets and kept in the stratification room for 4 weeks. Grafted cuttings, which had been maintained under room conditions for one week, were then grown for two months under unheated greenhouse conditions. In order to determine rootstock and application effects, bud burst ratio (%), callus formation rate (%), callus formation degree (0-4), rooting ratio (%), rooting degree (0-4), shoot length (cm), shoot diameter (mm) and grafted vine ratio (%) were examined. According to the results of the study, it was determined that paraffin+parafilm application yielded better results than paraffin application in terms of bud burst ratio (respectively 70.83%, 53.33%), callus formation ratio (respectively 83.75%, 69.58%) and yield of grafted-vines (respectively 68.33%, 51.67%). In terms of the rootstocks, bud burst ratio was determined to be the highest in SO4 rootstock (71.67%) and the lowest in Fercal (54.17%). 1103 P rootstock yielded a highest value than other rootstocks in terms of shoot length (26.17 cm), callus rate at grafting surface (88.33%), and rooting ratio (97.50%). The effect of rootstocks on shoot diameter, rooting degree, and grafted vine ratio was found to be similar.

MICRONUTRITIENT VARIABILITY IN MAIZE INBRED LINES

Development of micronutrienten riched staple plant foods through plant breeding holds promise for sustainable and cost-effective food-based solutions to combat micronutrient deficiencies. The first step in this process is screening aviable germplasm for micronutritient content, so the aim of this study was determination of carotenoids and tocopherols content in set of maize inbred lines. Carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin and β-carotene) and tocopherols (α, β+γ and δ) content in 101 maize inbred lines with different kernel type (37 orange, 29 yellow, 4 white,19 sweetcorn and 12 popcorn) were determined by HPLC-DAD. The mean values of L+Z, β-carotene, α-tocopherol, β+γ tocopherol, and δ-tocopherol, were 31.34, 8.72, 10.22, 49.17 and 1.81 μg/ g, respectively. Content of α -tocopherol was in the range from 2.22 to 38.14 μg/g and β+γ tocopherols from 12.10 to 105.52 μg/g, β-carotene 1.20 to 39.37 μg/g and lutein+zeaxanthin 11.28 to 69.31 μg/g. White maize lacked carotenoids in the endosperm due to the presence of recessive genes. The highest value of β-carotene had inbred line H, L+Z inbred W-4, γ-tocopherols KRW 803-3-1-2-1 and α –tocopherol P21. Orange kernel inbred lines had the highest value of L+Z and β-carotene, yellow kernel inbred lines α –tocopherol, whereas sweetcorn inbreds had the highest value of γ-tocopherols. The genetic background undoubtedly influences chemical quality and line with high content of particularly micronutritients may be used in breeding program to improve nutritional value.

EFFECTS OF WEANING SYSTEM ON MILK AND EXTERNAL MAMMARY CONFORMATION TRAITS OF SICILO-SARDE TUNISIAN DAIRY EWE

A better development of the Sicilo-Sarde dairy sheep in Tunisia needs a review of its behavior by adopting early weaning and generalizing mechanical milking that involves an adaptation of the external mammary morphology (MM). Thirty ewes were divided into two groups (early and late weaning; EW and LW respectively) to study the effects of weaning system (WS) and milking time (MT) on milk and external MM traits in early milking period. MM was evaluated by six measurements and three scores of udder and teat. EW group had higher milk production (MP) and lower fat and protein amounts that increased with MT advancement (P0.001). WS did not affect MM traits (P>0.05), only teat length was higher for LW ewes (P0.05). Udder depth, teat diameter, distance between teats and teat angle score decreased with MT (P0.01). Significant interactions were noted between WS and MT for most traits studied. MP was negatively correlated with fat and protein amounts (-0.38 and -0.50 respectively) and moderately correlated with udder depth, cistern height, teat diameter (from 0.31 to 0.42). Fat and protein had negative correlation with udder depth, teat diameter and distance between teats. Higher correlation was determined between udder depth and distance between teats (r=0.60; P0.001). In conclusion, EW system allows a better start of the milk production in early milking period. Cistern height, teat length and teat angle score are the prominent traits which affect milk ability and adaptation of ewe to machine milking and consequently they must be included in selection program.

THE INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT PURITY OF NATURAL ALFALFA SEEDS ON THE PROCESSING EFFICIENCY

This paper presents the results of the seed processing of ten lots of natural alfalfa seed with different purity (from 68.0% to 86.5%). The test was carried out at the seed processing center of the Institute for forage crops Kruševac-Serbia. Seed losses, processing output, seed yield and quality of the processed seed were investigated. It is important that the difference between the amounts of pure seed from laboratory assessment and the actual amount after processing, are low. The purity of natural alfalfa seed depends on the crop condition and the harvest process. In the seed processing of small-grained leguminous plants, the processing output of seed is directly dependent on the percentage of weed species and other species in the natural seed. Seeds of quarantine weeds of dodder and curly dock are a particularly big problem in alfalfa seeds. In the case of high-purity seeds with low quarantine weeds share, processing output are high. By the legal procedure on the seed quality, the content of pure seed, inert materials, weeds and other species in the processed seeds is defined. The efficiency of the alfalfa seed processing depends on the initial purity of the seed, as well as the applied technical and technological process of seed processing. Based on the obtained results, it is possible to optimally adjust and select the appropriate equipment for the processing of alfalfa seed, depending on the quantity and type of weeds and other ingredients in the natural alfalfa seeds.

NOBLE SUGARCANES AND MODERN CULTIVARS IN TAHITI RELATIVE TO ORGANIC RUM PRODUCTION: DESCRIPTION AND KEY CHARACTERISTICS

Since the beginning of the twentieth century, various actions regarding sugarcane improvement were implemented. Researchers and breeders created new varieties for the sugar industry, more resistant to pests and diseases and more productive than noble sugarcanes. Today, modern cultivars are used for both sugar industry and distillery and noble sugarcanes are no more cultivated for this purpose. However, they could be cultivated in some particular contexts such as the organic cultivation, where the production costs are similar for both cane varieties. In Tahiti, a company decided in 2015 to produce organic rum from both noble sugarcanes and modern cultivars. A 2 835 m² experimentation was installed on a machineable land, representative to agriculture requirements. Six noble sugarcanes plus three modern cultivars all found locally (315 m² / variety) were tested. The agronomic yields reached were around 70 tons/ha for the best noble sugarcanes and around 100 tons/ha for the modern cultivars while at small-scale industrial processing, the noble sugarcanes present a greater juice extraction about 10 to 25% more than the modern varieties. In this situation, the organic cultivation of noble sugarcanes could be a valuable improvement regarding the whole agriculture and sugarcane industry in French Polynesia. In the future, we will also study the aromatic contents within the noble sugarcane plants and determine if it can improve the quality of the rum.