Rice is the most important staple food crop and plays a vital role in ensuring national food security in Nepal. Rice yield is largely determined by nitrogen management strategy and improving the effectiveness of nitrogenous fertilizer for grain production has long been a challenge. A field experiment was conducted in the sandy loam soil of Lumle, Kaski, Nepal in 2019 and 2020 to assess the effect of neem oil-coated urea (NCU) and common urea (CU) with varying levels of nitrogen (N) on rice yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). The experiment with 7 treatments comprising the combinations of two types of nitrogen source (CU and NCU), three N levels (50, 100, and 150 kg/ha) and one control treatment without N, were allocated in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Increased nitrogen rates up to 100 kg/ha supplied through NCU significantly improved grain yield, yield components, and nitrogen use efficiency of rice. Application of NCU reduced nitrogen fertilizer use by up to 33 % while producing maximum yield and significantly increased agronomic nitrogen use efficiency (ANUE) and nitrogen partial factor productivity (NPFP) compared with CU. This suggests that the use of NCU with an optimum rate can be a viable option for appropriate N management in rice production.

Drought is one of the most prevalent forms of abiotic environmental stress that reduce crop productivity. A pot experiment was performed in two Aman seasons under drought (40% field capacity, FC) and control (100% field capacity, FC) irrigations to study drought tolerance mechanism(s) based on morphological and physiological traits in six aromatic rice genotypes. Twelve treatments (6 genotypes × 2 irrigations) were arranged in Complete Randomized Design and experiment was carried out at Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh. In the experiment, drought was imposed at panicle initiation stage where morphological and physiological data were recorded. Important morphological (stem and root dry weight) and physiological (photosynthesis and chlorophyl content) attributes were significantly (P>0.05) decreased at 40% FC in both the years. Compared to control, relative reduction at 40% FC in above parameters, genotypes were classified into tolerant (Binadhan-13 and NERICA mutant) and sensitive (RM-100-16, Ukunimodhu, Kalizira, and BRRI dhan34) categories. Tolerant genotypes had smaller reduction in shoot and root dry mater (av. 7.73 and 5.56 %, respectively) than sensitive ones (av. 19.32 and 21.80%, respectively). Low reduction percentages of the traits under drought stress to that of the control discriminated Binadhan-13 and NERICA mutant genotypes consistently as drought tolerant.

Vegetables grown in mining areas can accumulate significant amounts of heavy metals (HMs), which can cause serious developmental disorders and have long-term negative effects on public health. In the present study, the HMs contamination level in vegetables grown around the Riruwai mining area in Kano State, Nigeria, was investigated. Fifteen (15) vegetable samples were collected, including lettuce (Lacuta sativa L.), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), and bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), as well as their corresponding soils. The levels of As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in all the samples were determined using Microwave Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry, and the measured concentrations were used to calculate the bioaccumulation factor (BAF). The results of the study revealed that HMs concentrations in the investigated vegetables were found to be significantly high, with the majority of levels exceeding the WHO/FAO (2007) recommended limit, and the concentration of HMs in the soil decreased in the order of Zn > Mn > Cr > Pb > As > Ni > Cd > Hg, with As, Pb, and Zn exceeding the WHO/FAO (2001) recommended limit. Pollution levels were found to significantly differ between HMs and vegetable types. BAF results revealed that cadmium is an accumulator of all the studied vegetables (BAFs > 1), while mercury was found to be an accumulator of L. sativa. Higher concentrations of these metals in vegetables and soil, particularly arsenic, cadmium, lead, and zinc, necessitate immediate scientific attention and further research to determine the optimum concentration required for human health. Planting of vegetables for human and animal consumption should be stopped until this is accomplished.

Researchers treated seed technology and crop yield as exogenous, thereby generating bias estimates. In practice, seed technology increases yield and it’s stimulated by social capital and other factors. This paper develops a choice model of maize-seed exogenously, then tested and corrected for causality. A multistage sampling procedure was adopted using seven Agricultural Development Programme zones drawn from purposively selected Oyo and Osun states. A block each was randomly selected per zone. Twenty-one cells were randomly selected, then data were collected from 385 respondents using a structured questionnaire: Data were analyzed using Ordinary Least Square and Two-Stage Least Square α 0.05. Durbin score chi2(1) = 6.65 (p= 0.009) and Wu-Haussmann F (1,37) = 6.431 (p = 0.012), showed reverse causality that was resolved by the Two-Stage Least Square model. The Two-Stage Least Square result indicated that education (β=-0.53), seed quantity (β=-0.13), seed price (β=-0.08), negatively affected the choice of seed and yield while farm size (β=2.05), fertilizer (β=0.004), herbicide (β=0.22), output-price (β=0.02), meeting attendance index(β=0.02), and improved seed ((β=2.66), had a positive influence. Social capital spurs the use of improved seed, thereby increase maize yield. Consequently, active participation in social groups and the use of improved seed is recommended to increase yield.

This study investigated how profitable and technically effective rice farming was in Quan’ Pan Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria. Using a multistage sample method, 120 respondents were drawn. The study’s findings proved that the farmers were 40 years old on average. The men were higher in numbers constituting 81.0% of the study population. 83% of the people were married and a greater number (81%) of them had at least some form of formal education with a typical household size of 9 persons. Findings from the study also showed that the farmers owned an average of 2.0 hectares of farmland and had acquired an average farming experience of 12 years. For the most of them (78.0%), farming was their primary occupation. The result also demonstrated that 78.0% never accessed credit or bank loans for farming as majority (63%) of the respondents acquired their farmlands through inheritance. The entire cost (total cost) of farming operation/ha incurred by the farmers was 139733 while the average output obtained per hectare was 699kg at a prevailing market/selling price of 285/kg. The total revenue (TR) measured in naira value of 199, 215 was realized. Gross margin (GM) and net farm income (NFI) stood at 70932 and 59482 respectively. The return on investment (ROI) was 0.42 meaning that for every naira spent on rice production, a profit of 0.42 is made. Age, educational level, farm size, farming experience and extension contact all had positive direct relationship with net income from rice production at 1%. The rice growers’ mean technical efficiency score was 0.659. Major constraints to rice production were high fertilizer prices (72%), inadequate capital (53%), lack of improved seeds (47%). The research suggests that government should subsidize farming inputs like recommended fertilizer and herbicides so as to reduce the over bearing cost burden of these inputs on farmers. Financial institutions should make credit facilities available and affordable to the farmers.

The aim of the study is to be determine the effect of lactose hydrolysis and sugar content on physicochemical properties, sensory profile and HMF (5-hydroxymethylfurfural) content in Dulce de Leche (DL). Lactose free (lactose-hydrolysed) dairy products as well as low sugar products have been developed to supply consumer demand. Two different sucrose concentrations, 16% and 20%, were used in milk jam samples produced by the traditional method. For the formation of desired colour and flavour in the Dulce de Leche, Maillard reaction products are mainly responsible. HMF is Maillard reaction indicator analysed in this work. Fat, protein, solid content, ash, lactic acid and pH analysis were carried out. Sucrose, glucose, fructose and lactose concentrations were determined. Lightness, yellowness and redness as colour parameters of DL samples were evaluated and sensory analyses were also performed. It has been revealed that lactose hydrolysis causes significant changes in the color parameters and sensory profile of the samples. In this study, less or no HMF was detected in the lactose hydrolyzed DL samples compared to the control samples.

Thymelaea hirsuta (L.) Endl. , known as ‘Methnane’ in Algeria, is a widely medicinal plant used in folk medicine. In the present study, In vitro antioxidant activity of T. hirsta extracts and the impact of extraction solvent polarity on the antioxidant potential were investigated. Three types of polar solvents with decreasing polarity were chosen; water for decocted extract, methanol-water at 50% and absolute methanol for macerated extracts. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were evaluated and showed a high amount wihch decreases with increasing polarity. Antioxydant activity was assessed with different methods: ABTS assay for evaluation of scavenge activity, CUPRAC and reducing power for assessement of the reduction potential of T. hirsuta areal parts. The results showed that T. hirsuta areal parts exhibited a strong scavenging activity with significant difference between extracts in terms of their polarity. In the same line, the most polar aqueous decocted extract exhibited a considerable reducing activity followed by hydromethanolic and methanolic extract with increasing potential. These findings suggest the suitability of polar solvents for the extraction of phytochemical compounds from T. hirsuta areal parts and so, their antioxidant activity against several radicals and ions.

Our phytochemical study focused on the leaves of Citrus deliciosa of Algerian origin, in order to evaluate its antioxidant activity and its acute toxicity, using scavenger activity of DPPH radicals, ABTS and acute toxicity. The ethanol extract of Citrus deliciosa contains 85.62 ± 2.24 μg /mg dried matter and 3.02 ± 0.17 μg/mg dried matter. The antioxidant activity was confirmed against the DPPH radical (IC50 = 252.07 ± 0.02 μg /mL) and ABTS (IC50 = 398.26 ± 0.01 μg /mL). No mortality or abnormal behavior was observed in mice at oral doses less of 1600 mg/kg. According to the results obtained, Citrus deliciosa leaves exhibit significant antioxidant activity and are safe at levels lower than 1600 mg/kg B.W., which supports their application in phytotherapy, pharmaceutical biotechnology, and the food sector for therapeutic or preventive purposes.

Due to the increase in food-borne diseases, especially in recent years, consumers' orientation to healthy products and their emphasis on consumption force producers to environmentally friendly products. Nitrogen is the most widely used plant nutrient in the world. Nitrogen, a very expensive input due to its excessive use, pollutes the environment and causes nitrate accumulation in plants. Therefore, vegetable growers strive to replace chemical fertilizers such as nitrogen with environmentally friendly and cost-effective sources. PGPRs stand out in this regard and at the same time, their potential in environmentally and consumer-friendly vegetable production needs to be revealed. In this study, the importance and potential role of N2-fixing PGPR are discussed for the improvement of yield and yield components in environment-friendly vegetable production for healthy human nutrition.

Bu çalışmanın amacı, Trakya Bölgesi’nde iklim değişikliğinin buğday bitkisinin verimine etkisini modellemektir. Bu amaçla, çiftçi tarlasından alınan 2020-2021 dönemi buğday verim değeri, aynı yıla ait iklim verileri kullanılarak LINTUL model ile hesaplanan verim değeri ile karşılaştırılarak kalibre edilmiş ve daha sonra HadGEM2-ES ve MPI-ESM-MR küresel iklim modellerinin RCP4.5 ve RCP8.5 senaryolarından elde edilen iklim verileri ile 2031-2040, 2041-2050, 2051-2060, 2061-2070 ve 2071-2080 dönemleri için verim değerleri tahmin edilmiştir. Ekim ve hasat tarihleri değiştirilmeden iki şekilde verim tahmini yapılmıştır: Birincisinde, ortalama en düşük ve en yüksek sıcaklık, solar radyasyon ve yağış değişimi dikkate alınarak verim hesaplaması yapılmıştır. İkincisinde ise solar radyasyon değerleri 2004-2021 dönemi için sabit tutulurken, ortalama en düşük ve en yüksek sıcaklık ve yağış değişimleri hesaba katılmıştır. Birinci yaklaşımda, HadGEM2-ES modelinin RCP4.5 ve RCP8.5 senaryoları için tahmin edilen verim değişimleri sırasıyla %1,5-%7,5 ve -%7,5-%7,5 arasında hesaplanırken, MPI-ESM-MR modeli için yine aynı sırayla %9,0-%13,4 ve %3,0-%16,4 arasında simüle edilmiştir. İkinci yaklaşımda, HadGEM2-ES modelinin RCP4.5 ve RCP8.5 senaryoları için tahmin edilen verim değişimleri sırasıyla %4,5-%9,0 ve -%7,5-%7,5 arasında hesaplanırken, MPI-ESM-MR modeli için yine aynı sırayla %10,4-%13,4 ve %4,5-%19,5 arasında tahmin edilmiştir. Verim tahminlerinde sıcaklık ve yağışla birlikte solar radyasyonun etkisinin de mutlaka göz önünde bulundurulması gerektiği; Türkiye’nin diğer bölgelerinin aksine iklim değişimi ile verimin genelde artış yönünde olacağı tahmin edildiğinden gıda güvencesi için Trakya Bölgesi tarım arazilerinin değişimine izin verilmemesi gerektiği sonucuna varılmıştır.