Blueberries offer multiple health benefits, and their cultivation has expanded to warm tropical regions. However, references for foliar nutritional content are lacking in the literature. Proximal sensing may enhance nutritional characterization to optimize blueberry production. We aimed (i) to characterize the nutrient contents of healthy plants of three blueberry varieties adapted to warm climates (Emerald, Jewel, and Biloxi) using a reference method for foliar analysis (inductively coupled plasma (ICP)) and a portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometer on fresh and dry leaves and (ii) to differentiate blueberry varieties based on their nutrient composition. Nutrient content was statistically compared per leaf moisture condition (fresh or dry) with ICP results and used to differentiate the varieties via the random forest algorithm. P and Zn contents (ICP) in leaves were different among varieties. Dry leaf results (pXRF) were strongly correlated with ICP results. Most nutrients determined using ICP presented good correlation with pXRF data (R² from 0.66 to 0.93). The three varieties were accurately differentiated by pXRF results (accuracy: 87%; kappa: 0.80). Predictions of nutrient contents based on dry leaves analyzed by pXRF outperformed those based on fresh leaves. This approach can also be applied to other crops to facilitate nutrient assessment in leaves.

Addressing poor seed quality is pivotal for increased potato yields in Kenya. For this to be realized there is a need for nutrient optimization in the hydroponic system. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of nutrient stock solution concentrations on the quality of minitubers produced under a hydroponic system. Two greenhouse experiments were set up at Egerton University, Kenya in 2022. The treatments included three nutrient solution concentrations: 75% (N75), 100% (N100) and 125% (N125) and four potato varieties (Wanjiku, Unica, Shangi and Nyota) grown in a cocopeat substrate hydroponic system. The results indicated that the application of N125 produced minitubers that had significantly higher specific gravity, dry matter, starch, ash and sugar content. Crude protein and phosphorus did not differ significantly with the application of varying nutrient concentrations. The varieties did not differ significantly in the quality parameters except for total sugars where Unica was significantly different from Nyota and Wanjiku while Shangi did not differ from all varieties. Therefore, it will be advisable to apply 125% of the ADC-Molo recommended nutrient stock formulation which should be considered as an effective method of increasing minitubers quality under a hydroponic system.

Low temperatures during the grain-filling phase have a detrimental effect on both the yield and quality of rice grains. However, the specific repercussions of low temperatures during this critical growth stage on grain quality and mineral nutrient composition in high-quality hybrid indica rice varieties have remained largely unexplored. The present study address this knowledge gap by subjecting eight high-quality indica rice varieties to two distinct temperature regimes: low temperature (19°C/15°C, day/night) and control temperature (28°C/22°C) during their grain-filling phase, and a comprehensive analysis of various quality traits, with a particular focus on mineral nutrients and their interrelationships were explored. Exposure of rice plants to low temperatures during early grain filling significantly impacts the physicochemical and nutritional properties. Specifically, low temperature increases the chalkiness rate and chalkiness degree, while decreases starch and amylopectin content, with varying effects on amylose, protein, and gelatinization temperature among rice varieties. Furthermore, crucial parameters like gelatinization enthalpy (ΔH), gelatinization temperature range (R), and peak height index (PHI) all significantly declined in response to low temperature. These detrimental effects extend to rice flour pasting properties, resulting in reduced breakdown, peak, trough, and final viscosities, along with increased setback. Notably, low temperature also had a significant impact on the mineral nutrient contents of brown rice, although the extent of this impact varied among different elements and rice varieties. A positive correlation is observed between brown rice mineral nutrient content and factors such as chalkiness, gelatinization temperature, peak viscosity, and breakdown, while a negative correlation is established with amylose content and setback. Moreover, positive correlations emerge among the mineral nutrient contents themselves, and these relationships are further accentuated in the context of low-temperature conditions. Therefore, enhancing mineral nutrient content and increasing rice plant resistance to chilling stress should be the focus of breeding efforts to improve rice quality.

Mobilizing multi-functional plant probiotic bacteria in the rhizosphere plays a significant role in improving soil fertility and sustainable agricultural production and productivity. This study assessed the effect of selected plant probiotic bacteria (PPB) on the growth and nutrient uptake of three potato varieties (Bete, Gudene, and Bubu) under greenhouse condition. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design with seven species of probiotic bacteria: Providencia rettgeri, Enterobacter aerogenes(Kleb.mobilis), Raoultella planticola/ornithicola, Lysinibacillus sphaericus, Serratia marcescens ss marcescens, Lysinibacilus fusiformis, and Bacillus Flexus. and four replicates. The findings revealed that inoculated plant probiotic bacteria improved the surrogate agronomic character of potato varieties by 20-40%, with Providencia rettgeri and Lysinibacillus fusiformis demonstrating best performance. Following innoculation of plant probiotic bacteria, the Bete variety showed to have better number of tubers (TN) and root growth (RDW) than the Bubu and Gudene varieties. Inoculation of potato varieties with Lysinibacillus fusiformis improved average plant and tuber biomass by 30%, followed by Providencia rettgeri(20%). All isolates significantly increased Bete’s tuber N, P, and Fe nutrient content by 76.17%, 72.59%, and 65.44%, respectively. Inoculation of potato varieties with Lysinibacillus fusiformis and Raoultella planticola/ornithinolytica improved nutrient uptake of potato shoots and tuber by 60% and the Bete variety responding better to inoculation.The study also found that shoot dry weight, tuber dry weight, dry matter content, and root dry weight positively correlate with plant growth promotion characteristics. Generally, this study evidenced that the PPB isolates have the potential as bio-inoculants for potato varieties. However, the isolates have to be further testedunder field conditions for subsequent evalutation.

Different shade tree species are used in various coffee production systems across the world. Outside the benefits of biodiversity protection, temperature protection, and carbon sequestration shade trees can influence soil nutrient states through litter inputs and nitrogen fixation. However, little information is available in coffee plantations whether shade tree species and type of coffee variety planted under shade tree have an influence on soil physical properties and nutrient status in coffee-based farming systems of southwestern Ethiopia. Hence, the study was carried out to investigate the effect of shade tree species and coffee varieties in coffee plantation on the physicochemical properties of the soil. The study was conducted in Chora Botor district (Chalalaki coffee plantation), located in Jimma Zone, Oromia regional states of Ethiopia. The study was superimposed on coffee farm that has been established using four released coffee varieties (7440,744, F59 and 75227) under three recommended coffee shade trees (Albizia gummifera, Millettia feruginea and Acacia abyssinica). Soil physical properties and nutrient status were investigated in response to shade tree species, coffee varieties and their combination. The results indicated that the physical and chemical properties of the soil vary across the shade trees and coffee variety grown. The effect of shade tree species on soil depends on the type of coffee varieties grown under the shade tree species, Albizia gummifera and Acacia abyssinica trees enhanced more soil nutrient content and water-holding capacity of the soil than Millttia ferrugnia. Total nitrogen, organic matter, available phosphorous, exchangeable potassium, Cations Exchange Capacity, and bulk density were higher underneath Albizia gummifera than other coffee shade tree species. On the other hand, moisture content, available P, exchangeable K and CEC were higher beneath Acacia abyssinica than other coffee shade tree species. Soil pH was negatively correlated with Millettia ferruginia. Use of Acacia abysinica and Albizia gummifera shade tree species with compatible coffee varieties could be a viable option to augment soil fertility management practices in the coffee production systems of the southwest Ethiopia.

The importance of selecting an appropriate berseem variety and implementing effective nutrient management practices is crucial for maximizing both the production and economic potential of forage crops. This was clearly demonstrated in a field experiment conducted during the rabi seasons of 2019–2020 and 2020–2021. The experimental setup was a factorial randomized block design incorporating five berseem varieties (Mescavi, HB-1, HB-2, BL-10, and BL-42) and five integrated nutrient management practices: 100% recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) or NM-1, 75% RDF + plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) or NM-2, 75% RDF + municipal solid waste compost (MSWC) or NM-3, 75% RDF + farmyard manure (FYM) + PGPR or NM-4, and 50% RDF + MSWC + PGPR or NM-5. The objective of the experiment was to evaluate the physio-morphological responses, biomass yield, and economic efficiencies of different berseem varieties under various nutrient management practices. The experimental results highlighted the superior performance of the BL-42 variety in terms of growth and yield attributes compared to the other tested berseem varieties. Specifically, BL-42 showed an enhancement in total green fodder yield by 17.10%, 26.60%, 37.75%, and 28.04% over the varieties BL-10, HB-2, HB-1, and Mescavi, respectively. Moreover, the application of the 75% RDF + FYM + PGPR treatment (NM-4) significantly boosted the total green fodder yield by 13.08%, 14.29%, 34.48%, and 39.02% over the 75% RDF + MSWC, 100% RDF, 75% RDF + PGPR, and 50% RDF + MSWC + PGPR treatments, respectively. In terms of economic returns, BL-42 achieved a significantly higher gross return (GR) and net return (NR) of 194,989 ₹/ha and 145,142 ₹/ha, respectively, compared to the GR and NR of BL-10 (166,512 and 116,665 ₹/ha, respectively). Similarly, the nutrient management practice of 75% RDF + FYM + PGPR recorded the highest GR and NR (191,638 and 137,346 ₹/ha, respectively) compared to the 100% RDF treatment (167,593 and 120,716 ₹/ha, respectively). These findings underscore the critical role of variety selection and tailored nutrient management in optimizing both the yield and economic gains in forage crop cultivation. The significant differences in production and returns highlight the potential of targeted agronomic strategies to enhance the profitability and sustainability of forage farming.

Rare indigenous grape varieties are of significant value for viticulture, breeding, and genetic material preservation. Often, traditional grape varieties, due to prolonged vegetative propagation, are infected with one or more chronic diseases (viruses, phytoplasmas, bacterial cancer). The most reliable way to improve the health of such plants is in vitro culture of apical meristems. It is necessary to regenerate the plant from isolated extremely small apical explants (about 50-100 microns in size) using artificial nutrient medium. Macroelements are among the base nutrient medium components. Quantity, source compounds, as well as the balance and ratio of all elements in the nutrient medium are of great importance. The study purpose was to study the characteristics of mineral nutrition of grape plants of native Don varieties under in vitro culture. We studied the use efficiency of the most common nutrient media for microclonal propagation. The experiments involved four rare native Don varieties 'Plechistik oboepolyi', 'Bessergenevskiy No 10', 'Musketnyi', and 'Durman'. The following media recipes were used: Murashige and Skuug (MS), McCown Wood Plant (WPM), Chee and Pool (C2D), Quoirin and lepoivre (QL) and Anton Rebrov (AR1). The nutrient media differed only in the composition of macrosalts; all other components were added in equal quantities. We observed different varietal response to culture conditions. The 'Plechistik oboepolyi' and 'Bessergenevskiy No 10' grapes regenerated best, and the 'Musketnyi' and 'Durman' regenerated more poorly. It has been established that the composition of macroelements significantly affects the regeneration and differentiation of shoots in apical meristems. For most varieties, the most stable results were observed when WPM and AR1 nutrient media were used. The worst development of explants in all varieties under study occurred on MS and C2D media. | Редкие аборигенные сорта винограда представляют значительную ценность для виноградарства, селекции и сохранения генетического материала. Зачастую стародавние сорта винограда в результате длительного вегетативного размножения заражены одним или несколькими хроническими заболеваниями (вирусы, фитоплазмы, бактериальный рак). Наиболее надежным способом оздоровления таких растений является метод апикальных меристем в культуре in vitro, при котором на искусственных питательных средах из вычлененных предельно малых верхушечных эксплантов (около 50-100 мкм) необходимо регенерировать растение. Одним из основных компонентов питательных сред являются макроэлементы. Важно не только их количество, но и соединения, которыми они представлены, а также баланс и соотношение всех элементов в питательной среде. Цель исследований - изучение особенностей минерального питания виноградных растений аборигенных донских сортов в культуре in vitro. Для этого изучали эффективность наиболее часто применяемых в микроклональном размножении питательных сред. Опыты осуществляли на четырех редких аборигенных донских сортах Плечистик обоеполый, Бесссергеньевский №10, Мушкетный и Дурман. Использовали прописи: Murashige and Skuug (MS), Mccown Wood Plant (WPM), Chee and Pool (C2D), Quoirin and lepoivre (QL) и Anton Rebrov (AR1). Питательные среды различались лишь составом макросолей, все остальные компоненты добавляли в одинаковом количестве. Сортовая реакция у изучаемых сортов была различной. Лучше всего регенерировали сорта Плечистик обоеполый и Бессергеньевский №10, а более слабо - сорта Мушкетный и Дурман. Установлено, что рецептура макроэлементов значительно влияет на регенерацию и дифференциацию побегов у апикальных меристем. Для большинства сортов стабильные результаты отмечали при использовании питательных сред WPM и AR1. Хуже всего развитие эксплантов у всех сортов в исследовании происходило на средах MS и С2D.

IntroductionWaterlogging is one vast environmental constraint that limits crop growth and yield worldwide. Most major crop species are very sensitive to waterlogging, leading to enormous yield losses every year. Much is already known about wheat, barley or maize; however, hardly any data exist on oat and its tolerance against waterlogging. Thus, this study aimed to investigate if oats can be an adequate alternative in crop rotation under conditions of temporal submergence and if cultivar differences exist. Furthermore, this study was to test (1) whether yield was differently affected when stress is applied at different developmental stages (BBCH 31 and 51), and (2) nutrient imbalances are the reason for growth restrictions. MethodsIn a large-scale container experiment, three different oat varieties were cultivated and exposed to 14 consecutive days of waterlogging stress at two developmental stages. ResultsEven though vegetative growth was impaired after early waterlogging and which persists till maturity, mainly due to transient nutrient deficiencies, growth performance after late waterlogging and grain yield of all three oat varieties at maturity was not affected. A high tolerance was also confirmed after late waterlogging in the beginning generative stage: grain yield was even increased. DiscussionOverall, all oat varieties performed well under both stress treatments, even though transient nutrient imbalances occurred, but which were ineffective on grain yield. Based on these results, we conclude that oats, independently of the cultivar, should be considered a good alternative in crop production, especially when waterlogging is to be expected during the cultivation phase.

Employing elevated CO₂ (eCO₂), similar to increasing atmospheric CO₂ in a greenhouse, is a common practice used to increase vegetable crop yields. However, the responses of nutrient availability, nutrient uptake and use efficiency in leafy vegetables to eCO₂ remain largely unknown. The plant biomass production, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) contents, nutrient uptake, and soil enzymatic activities of three <i>Brassica chinensis</i> varieties of ‘Longpangqing’, ‘Heimeiren’ and ‘Qingjiangbai’ were thus assessed under ambient CO₂ (C0, 420/470 ppm, day/night) and eCO₂ (C1, C0 + 33.3%C0; C2, C0 + 66.7%C0; and C3, C0 + 100%C0) for 4 months. Biomass production was significantly enhanced in these three tested <i>B. chinensis</i> varieties along with eCO₂ gradients, with the highest biomass production under C3. Moreover, the eCO₂ significantly increased plant N and K uptake, P and K use efficiency, soil saccharase, urease, and phosphatase activities, but decreased plant P content, soil available N and K, and catalase activity. Under eCO₂, ‘Qingjiangbai’ exhibited higher biomass production and P and K uptake, without a decrease in soil available N and P. Consequently, more external fertilizer supplementation (especially N, followed by K) is required to maintain or promote <i>Brassica chinensis</i> yield under eCO₂, while these management strategies must be carefully considered for different crop varieties.

The nutrient contents of a product can depend on the quantity of fertiliser supplied. An experiment was conducted at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, in the tropical rainforest‑savannah transitional zone of southwestern Nigeria to determine the nutrient contents of three cucumber varieties as influenced by Gateway Organic Fertiliser (GOF) rates. There were 48 plots of 3.0 × 2.0 m each, separated by 1.0 m pathways. The main plot was cucumber variety (Marketmore, Poinsett, and Marketer) while the sub‑treatment was organic fertiliser rate at 0, 5, 10, and 15 t.ha−1 in a split‑plot arrangement fitted into Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD) with 4 replicates. Fruit nutrient contents differed with cucumber varieties and rates of gateway organic fertiliser. Marketmore variety fruits without application of GOF had higher moisture contents. Poinsett variety fruits cultivated with the application of 5 t. ha−1 GOF had higher dry matter contents. Poinsett variety fruits cultivated with either 10 or 15 t. ha−1 GOF had higher crude protein and carbohydrate contents when compared with other interactions. Poinsett variety cultivated with either 10 or 15 t. ha−1 GOF had higher vitamins A and C contents when compared with other interactions. It was concluded that cultivating the Poinsett cucumber variety with a 10 t.ha−1 GOF rate gave optimum nutrient contents concerning the crude protein, carbohydrate, and vitamin content. The Poinsett cucumber variety cultivated with 10 t. ha−1 Gateway Organic Fertiliser is recommended for optimum nutrient contents.