Six sunflower herbicides were tested at two application rates (1N and 2N) on three locations (with different soil types) within three years (2015-2017). Efficacy of the tested herbicides on Chenopodium album increased with an increasing cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the soil. Efficacy of pendimethalin was 95%, flurochloridone and aclonifen 94%, dimethenamid-P 72%, pethoxamid 49% and S-metolachlor 47%. All tested herbicides injured sunflower on sandy soil (Regosol) which had the lowest CEC, especially in wet conditions (phytotoxicity 27% after 1N application rate). The highest phytotoxicity was recorded after the application of dimethenamid-P (19% at 1N and 45% at 2N application rate). Main symptoms of phytotoxicity were leaf deformations and necroses and the damage of growing tips, which led to destruction of some plants. Aclonifen, pethoxamid and S-metolachlor at 1N did not injure sunflower on the soil with the highest CEC (Chernozem) in any of the experimental years. Persistence of tested herbicides was significantly longer in Fluvisol (medium CEC) compared to Regosol and Chernozem. Dimethenamid-P showed the shortest persistence in Regosol and Chernozem. The majority of herbicides was detected in the soil layer 0-5 cm in all tested soils. Vertical transport of herbicides in soil was affected by the herbicide used, soil type and weather conditions. The highest vertical transport was recorded for dimethenamid-P and pethoxamid (4, resp. 6% of applied rate) in Regosol in the growing season with high precipitation.

Natural enemies need to support in Environment for additional food and refuges. Additional food resources can improve their efficacy. Food resource provision could increase longevity and fecundity of natural enemies. Planting cover crop adjacent to the main crop in one of the methods to provide food resource like nectar and pollen. In current study, the effect of Alyssum on efficacy of T. cacoeciae in laboratory condition, greenhouse and apple orchard were assessed. The result shows an improvement in longevity and parasitism rate of T. cacoeciae feeding on Alyssum and sugar solution comparing to control treatments in laboratory condition (9.6, 5.2 and 3.3 days and 50.7, 42 and 28 blacked eggs respectively). In greenhouse, longevity and parasitism rate of T. cacoeciae enhanced in Alyssum cages compare with sugar solution and no feed despite the complex structure of Alyssum plant (12.5, 9.6 and 7.8 days and 377.8, 364.3 , 214.3 blacked egg respectively) . Result in apple orchard using Alyssum pots in apples rows showed a significant difference parasitism in sentinel eggs compare with control (16.5% and 6.23 % respectively). The parasitism also recorded for longer time in plots with Alyssum (5 days) in compare with control (one day only). In total Alyssum can provide parasitic wasp, a suitable and available food source and probably considered a suitable cover crop with good quality and accessible to enhance T. cacoeciae efficacy.

The test chemical Mikrometsen – bis (hydroxymethyl) phosphinic acid (mixture of salts) having high growth regulating and antistress property, in case of twice repeated spraying, reinforced growth of beet tops (number of leaves – 20,7-28,0, control – 17,9 pcs/plant; leaves area – 34,72-38,59 dm2 /plant; biomass of leaves – 188,39-248,32, control -161,74 g/plant) and formation of root crops (length – 29,4-32,3, control – 27,8 cm, diameter – 7,4-8,0, control – 6.9 cm, mass – 438.93-461.24, control – 417.26g). It was also established that with an increase in the consumption rate of the chemical, the absolute values of growth and mass indicators of tops and root crops enhanced. The most powerful leaf rosette and large root crops were formed in the option of treatment of sugar beet plants with the chemical Micrometsen twice (1-st in phase of 4-6 leaves, 2-nd in 20 days after the first) where the consumption rate was 10mg/ha (consumption of working solution – 200 l/ha). In this option, the maximum increase in the yield of root crops was obtained – 12.1%, yield under control – 365.9 centner/ha, sugar yield per hectar – 70.13 centner (control – 58.18 centner).

The test chemical Mikrometsen – bis (hydroxymethyl) phosphinic acid (mixture of salts) having high growth regulating and antistress property, in case of twice repeated spraying, reinforced growth of beet tops (number of leaves – 20,7-28,0, control – 17,9 pcs/plant; leaves area – 34,72-38,59 dm2 /plant; biomass of leaves – 188,39-248,32, control -161,74 g/plant) and formation of root crops (length – 29,4-32,3, control – 27,8 cm, diameter – 7,4-8,0, control – 6.9 cm, mass – 438.93-461.24, control – 417.26g). It was also established that with an increase in the consumption rate of the chemical, the absolute values of growth and mass indicators of tops and root crops enhanced. The most powerful leaf rosette and large root crops were formed in the option of treatment of sugar beet plants with the chemical Micrometsen twice (1-st in phase of 4-6 leaves, 2-nd in 20 days after the first) where the consumption rate was 10mg/ha (consumption of working solution – 200 l/ha). In this option, the maximum increase in the yield of root crops was obtained – 12.1%, yield under control – 365.9 centner/ha, sugar yield per hectar – 70.13 centner (control – 58.18 centner).

Pine bark extracts were tested as valid natural alternatives to common phenolic antioxidants to be deposited onto solid matrices. An analytical method for determining both deposition-efficacy and maintenance of antioxidant activity on fabrics surfaces was developed and successfully applied to phenolic antioxidants and pine tannins onto cotton fabric samples. Accumulated data suggest that common phenolic antioxidants and tannin contribute to an elevated antioxidant activity on fabric. A known source of odour is autoxidation of residual sebum on fabric, leading to the generation of malodourous compounds. Therefore, antioxidants hold the promise for mitigating malodour on fabrics, a top unmet consumer need around the globe.

Purpose: Self-efficacy has often been found to play a significant role in healthy dietary behaviours. However, self-efficacy interventions most often consist of intensive interventions. The authors aim to provide more insight into the effect of brief self-efficacy interventions on healthy dietary behaviours. Design/methodology/approach: In the present article, two randomized controlled trials are described. In study 1, a brief self-efficacy intervention with multiple self-efficacy techniques integrated on a flyer is tested, and in study 2, an online brief self-efficacy intervention with a single self-efficacy technique is tested. Findings: The results show that a brief self-efficacy intervention can directly increase vegetable intake and indirectly improve compliance to a diet plan to eat healthier. Originality/value: These findings suggest that self-efficacy interventions do not always have to be intensive to change dietary behaviours and that brief self-efficacy interventions can also lead to more healthy dietary behaviours.

Purpose: Self-efficacy has often been found to play a significant role in healthy dietary behaviours. However, self-efficacy interventions most often consist of intensive interventions. The authors aim to provide more insight into the effect of brief self-efficacy interventions on healthy dietary behaviours. Design/methodology/approach: In the present article, two randomized controlled trials are described. In study 1, a brief self-efficacy intervention with multiple self-efficacy techniques integrated on a flyer is tested, and in study 2, an online brief self-efficacy intervention with a single self-efficacy technique is tested. Findings: The results show that a brief self-efficacy intervention can directly increase vegetable intake and indirectly improve compliance to a diet plan to eat healthier. Originality/value: These findings suggest that self-efficacy interventions do not always have to be intensive to change dietary behaviours and that brief self-efficacy interventions can also lead to more healthy dietary behaviours.

Irrigation water requirements and irrigation schedules are available for most of the crops grown in different agro climatic regions of the country; however, there is negligible literature on irrigation and water management aspects on forest tree species. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to study the effects of irrigation scheduling and irrigation methods on Melia composita grown in the farm of College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Dediapada during year 2017-18. Irrigation schedules of drip irrigation were based on IW/CPE ratio of 0.6, 0.8, 1.0 and 1.2 in the present study. The depth of water applied for the first year was 832 mm, 1109 mm, 1389 mm and 1665 mm barring the rainfall depth and the total time of irrigation was 83, 111, 138 and 169 hours for IW/CPE ratio of 0.6, 0.8, 1.0 and 1.2 IW/ CPE, respectively. The tree height and collar diameter of 4.81 m and 8.27 cm, respectively were found to be statistically significant in IW/CPE = 1.2 while the highest specific leaf weight of 0.34 g/cm2 was found in treatment IW/CPE = 0.6 which was significantly higher than all the other treatments. When the data was extrapolated for 4 years, it was found that the highest and lowest water use efficiency would be 16.32 kg/ha-mm and 14.16 kg/ha-mm under T4 (IW/CPE = 1.2) and T1 (IW/CPE = 0.6) treatments after 4 years while the highest biomass of 154 tonne/ha would be obtained in IW/CPE = 1.20 and the lowest biomass of 99 tonne/ha would be obtained in IW/CPE = 0.6 after 4 years. The highest benefit cost ratio of 9.6 would be obtained in IW/CPE = 1.20 and the lowest benefit cost ratio of 6.7 would be obtained in IW/ CPE = 0.6 after 4 years.

One side effect of human activity and global climatic change is more airborne dust. This not only has undesirable effects on human health and the environment, but may also adversely affect many agricultural processes, including herbicide efficacy. This is particularly relevant in parts of the world where dust storms are common and limited rainfall means dust persists on plants for protracted periods. Accordingly, a series of greenhouse dose–response pot experiments was carried out to quantify the effect of a dust concentration of 1,500 µg/m³ on the performance of paraquat, glyphosate, sulfosulfuron and 2,4‐D+MCPA. Dust‐treated and untreated seedlings of Hordeum spontaneum and Sinapis arvensis were sprayed with sulfosulfuron and 2,4‐D+MCPA, respectively, while paraquat and glyphosate were applied to both weed species. The efficacy of glyphosate and paraquat decreased significantly in the presence of dust on both species. Similar results were observed for 2,4‐D+MCPA on S. arvensis. In contrast, the efficacy of sulfosulfuron on H. spontaneum was not affected by dust. In the presence of dust, the doses of glyphosate, paraquat and 2,4‐D+MCPA required for a 90% effect were enhanced by a factor of 1.9 to 2.6. The negative impact on glyphosate efficacy was more pronounced in S. arvensis than H. spontaneum, while it was similar for paraquat. Future studies should consider the amount, duration and composition of dust as well as its impact on other weeds and herbicides. Potential approaches to overcome the detrimental influence of dust on the performance of herbicides were also suggested for future studies.

Ginsenosides have offered a wide array of beneficial roles in the pharmacological regulation of hepatic metabolic syndromes, including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and obesity. Of the numerous ginsenosides, Rg3 has been widely investigated, but there have been few studies of gypenosides (Gyp). Particularly, no study on Gyp LXXV has been reported to date. Here, to firstly explore the pharmacological effects of Gyp LXXV against NASH and the related mechanism, methionine- and choline-deficient (MCD) diet-induced NASH mice and hepatic cells (stellate cells, hepatic macrophages, and hepatocytes) were selected. Gyp LXXV exhibited markedly alleviated MCD diet-induced hepatic injury, inflammation, and fibrosis by down-regulating hepatic fibrosis markers such as α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA), collagen1, transforming growth factors-β (TGF-β1), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), MCP-1, interleukin (IL)-1β, nuclear factor κB (NFκB), and GRP78. Remarkably, histopathological studies confirmed that 15 mg/kg of Gyp LXXV administration to MCD diet-induced mice led to effective prevention of liver injury, lipid accumulation, and activation of hepatic macrophages, indicating that Gyp LXXV might be a potential anti-NASH drug.