One significant challenge that plants, including those used in medicine and aromatics, face is their capacity to survive in unfavorable climatic conditions, particularly those associated with climate change. The main goal of this study was to assess the influence of temperature (15 and 30 °C for a period of two weeks) and UV-B radiation (4 hours per day and 4 hours every four days) on the biochemical and phytochemical responses of Lavandula viridis L’Hér and Thymus lotocephalus López and Morales. Following exposure to stress conditions, an evaluation was conducted of the photosynthetic pigments, oxidative stress level (H₂O₂ and MDA contents), soluble sugars, and phenolic profile and associated antioxidant activity. Plants cultivated under standard non-stressful conditions served as the control group. It was observed that both temperature treatments resulted in the highest oxidative stress in the plants, as evidenced by the H₂O₂ and MDA concentrations, which had a direct negative impact on the total chlorophylls and carotenoids. The data demonstrate that soluble sugars, phenolic compounds, and the related antioxidant activity play an important role in protecting both species from the oxidative stress caused by temperature and UV-B treatments. The highest content of the major phenolic compound of both species, rosmarinic acid, was produced in L. viridis exposed to 30 ºC (68.9 g/kg, representing a 68% increase over the control) and in T. lotocephalus following exposure to UV-B radiation for 4 h/4 days (26.6 g/kg, representing a 9.1% increase over the control). The findings of this study provide new insights into the responses of soluble sugars and phenolic compounds to unfavorable environmental conditions in L. viridis and T. lotocephalus plants. Furthermore, the findings contribute to the development of appropriate cultivation techniques for these plants, which may be employed for industrial or other purposes.

Information on the physiological mechanisms of the development organs, such as leaf, of fruit tree crops is still limited, especially in tropical mangoes. Therefore, the leaf morphological characteristics of the mango cultivar named ‘Harumanis’ that have been planted under different conditions (i.e. open-area and greenhouse) were evaluated. Various sizes of leaves from selected Harumanis mango trees were randomly collected and analysed. Data on the leaf area (LA) (cm²), leaf width (LW) (cm), leaf length (LL) (cm), as well as fresh (FW) (g) and dry weight (DW) (g) including leaf moisture content (LMC), were measured and compared between these two growing conditions. Results indicate that the LA, LL and LMC were significantly different (P<0.05) between both growing conditions. The LA of Harumanis mango trees planted in the greenhouse was approximately 25% larger compared with the trees planted in the open area. Similarly, Harumanis trees planted in a greenhouse had 11% longer LL and contained higher LMC than the trees in open areas. However, no significant differences were recorded on LW, FW, and DW between both growing conditions. Our results, therefore, suggest that different growing conditions may have affected the characteristics of tree organs, such as leaves, that may contribute to the environmental adaptation and tree productivity of this high-value mango crop.

Background: The presence of lanthanum (La) in Leicestershire's (UK) topsoils and wild edible mushrooms exceeded the established soil screening level and could contribute to the maximum level of intake of lanthanides for vegetables. Tree bark was used to gain a better understanding of the environmental presence of this metal.

Methods: Bark samples (thickness of 2–6 mm) were collected from 96 trees from Leicester (n=55) and surrounding rural/suburban areas (41) at 1.50–1.80 metres from the ground to limit contamination from topsoil/dust. La was monitored by ICP-MS in cleaned/ground/homogenised samples mineralised with HNO₃/H₂O₂ [LoD=0.00068 ng/g dry weight (dw)]. The results were compared with previous studies performed on 106 mushrooms and 850 topsoils collected in the same areas.

Results: Higher levels were found in bark samples collected in the urban area (median and ranges, in ng/g dw): 9.679 (2.128-150.769) vs. 8.344 (1.815-59.801), which is in line with our previous observations performed on wild mushrooms and topsoils. Thus, our results could suggest a higher presence of sources of La in urban areas, attributed to the technological uses of this metal, for example, in catalytic converters and phosphors. The content of La varied between bark samples collected across the four cardinal subareas in which Leicester city was divided (median values, in ng/g): 38.664 (SE) > 17.104 (SW) > 9.128 (NE) > 6.707 (NW). A similar pattern was detected in mushrooms and topsoils, although higher levels were found in the southwest quadrant for both samples, respectively (1.286 and 19.621; both in µg/g).

Conclusions: The presence of La in Leicestershire could be related to traffic volumes, which are much higher in the city. In general, this presence is estimated to be similar or lower to those described in similar studies, e.g., in oak tree bark from Genoa, Italy (0.1-1.7 µg/g), which might indicate a lower airborne contamination by La in Leicester.

Rice-fish culture, an ancient agronomic practice, integrates aquaculture with rice farming, a sustainable solution for enhancing food security and agricultural productivity. The recent advancements and historical perspectives on rice-fish culture have increased its ecological, economic, and social impacts. The practice, which spans over 2,000 years, has seen significant technological improvements, especially in regions like China, Thailand, and Bangladesh [1]. Implementations of modernized rice-fish systems demonstrate increased rice yields, reduced pest and weed prevalence, improvements on soil quality, and higher profits for farmers [2]. For example, in China it was reported that a rice-fishing system produced 6 000-7 000 kg or rice and 1 500-7 500 kg of fish per hectare per year [3]. Furthermore, the fish reduce herbivore insect abundance, as well as reduced weed abundance, effectively eliminating the need for pesticides [2].

Despite its advantages, challenges such as water management, the availability of quality fish seed, and socio-economic barriers remain [2]. By synthesizing findings from various studies, we will highlight the potential of rice-fish culture to contribute to sustainable agriculture and rural development, recommending strategies for optimizing its adoption and addressing existing constraints.

[1] Lu, J., & Li, X. (2006). Review of rice–fish-farming systems in China — One of the Globally Important Ingenious Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS). Aquaculture, 260, 106-113. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.AQUACULTURE.2006.05.059.

[2] Tsuruta, T., Yamaguchi, M., Abe, S., & Iguchi, K. (2010). Effect of fish in rice-fish culture on the rice yield. Fisheries Science, 77, 95-106. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-010-0299-2.

[3] Yi, Y., & Wu Z. (2020). Rice-fish culture in China. CABI Compedium, https://doi.org/10.1079/ac.66147.20203483342.

The “Green Revolution” (GR) of the 1960s and 1970s allowed huge increases in crop yields and food production by developing new, improved varieties of our major crops. However, the GR also had long-term negative effects as those cultivars require high inputs and intensive production practices, which cause detrimental environmental impacts and are not sustainable. The GR has also led to an intense “genetic erosion”, with thousands of minor varieties lost forever or cultivated at a low scale. This low agrodiversity reduces the opportunities to find new sources of variation to fight new challenges, such as the current climate emergency.

Our modern high-yielding crop varieties are generally sensitive to abiotic stress, especially drought and soil salinity. Therefore, climate change effects – including more intense, longer and more frequent drought periods and other extreme weather phenomena, as well as accelerated soil salinisation – represent the most critical threat to food security worldwide, especially in the Mediterranean, one of the most affected regions.

To fight climate change effects in the Mediterranean, commercial cultivation of stress-tolerant crops domesticated and grown elsewhere represents a complementary approach to the biotechnological improvement of abiotic stress tolerance of our conventional GR-derived crops or the domestication of stress-tolerant wild species (halophytes, xerophytes). Apart from enhanced stress tolerance, the selection of these “new”, alternative crops should consider Mediterranean environmental conditions, soil properties, fertilisation needs, market access and other parameters to make their cultivation profitable for the farmers. In addition, they should help fulfil the EU “Green Deal” objectives, such as reduced agrochemical inputs (chemical fertilisers, pesticides), reduced tillage, adaptation to organic agriculture, healthier food or multiple uses of the harvested products.

This communication will present and discuss the properties and advantages of some candidate crops fulfilling the conditions mentioned above, such as quinoa, teff, tritordeum, camelina, chia and sweet potato.

Introduction

Tuber crops, considered as second most important food crops after cereals, are bestowed with climate resilient characters that enable it to perform under abiotic stress situations. Productivity in tuber crops is highly governed by canopy development, photosynthetic capacity and translocation of the photo assimilates to the roots, which forms the economic part. Chinese potato [Plectranthus rotundifolius (Poir.) Spreng.] is preferred for its short duration, nutritive and good energy value. Nevertheless, the crop is constrained by the higher proportion of miniature tubers, despite it being higher in number. Adoption of proper management strategies can favourably influence the size of tubers and result in higher yields.

Methods

The experiment was laid out in in split plot design with main plot treatments, m₁: bed method (30 cm x 15 cm), m₂: bed method (30 cm x 30 cm), m₃: ridge method (30 cm x 15 cm), m₄: ridge method (30 cm x 30 cm) and m₅: mound method (30 cm x 30 cm) and sub plot treatments, combinations of n₁: 60:30:120 kg NPK ha^-1 + PGPR Mix 1, n₂: 60:30:120 kg NPK ha^-1) and g₁: humic acid @@ 5 g L^-1, g₂: benzyl adenine @ 50 mg L^-1 and g₃: water spray) in four replications for two seasons.

Results

Pooled analysis revealed per hectare tuber yield and marketable tuber yield to be significantly the highest in bed method of planting with closer spacing of 30 cm x 15 cm (20.93 and 17.46 t ha^-1 respectively). Application of 60:30:120 kg NPK ha^-1 + PGPR Mix 1 + humic acid could result in 19.7 to 21.7 per cent increase in yields sole fertilizer application .

Conclusion

Resource management options of planting on beds at 30 cm x 15 cm and NPK application @ 60:30:120 kg ha^-1 along with PGPR Mix 1 and humic acid proved superior in enhancing the source strength and realizing higher yields. Per plant performance remained markedly better under wider spacing and per hectare yields in closer spacing.

Sustainable crop production depends on several factors, including soil productivity, which is influenced by the type of farming system practiced. This review examined the contribution of farming systems to sustainable soil management and crop production in Africa based on a bibliometric approach. The literature was searched using the keywords “Soil” and “Farming system*” AND “Crop Production”, and metadata were extracted for the period of 1990–2024. In total, metadata from 66 documents from 17 countries were included in this study. The progression of the metadata was evaluated using Mann–Kendall tests, while key contribution linkages were visualised using Vosviewer software (version 1.6.17). The results showed a significant (p<0.01) positive increase in the literature on the role played by farming systems in sustaining soil and crop productivity. Farming systems were proven to be potentates of soil fertility determinants since they influenced soil microbe activity and nutrient dynamics. Predominantly, mixed-cropping and agroforestry systems sustained stable nutrient levels in the soil, especially of nitrogen, in addition to enhancing the diversity of soil microflora. Modifications in farming systems' climate were mainly driven by climate change and the need to ensure food security. Therefore, research into crop agroecosystems in Africa was tailored to three areas: i) optimizing the efficient use of nutrients from external inputs, ii) the intensification of farming systems to ensure soil biodiversity and environmental quality, and iii) utilizing integrated farming systems to optimize crop yields with the advent of climate change.

Foliar diseases pose a major challenge to barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) production, particularly in no-till farming systems, where pathogens thrive in crop residues and persistent soil moisture. This study investigates the epidemiology of barley leaf diseases under no-till conditions and assesses the associated yield losses during the 2023-2024 cropping season. The experiment was conducted in Ouled Boughadi-Beni Khirane on a 2-hectare plot, using a local six-row barley variety. Foliar treatment with a systemic fungicide containing three molecules was applied to half of the plot at the early heading stage. Disease severity and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) measurements were taken at different growth stages (tillering, end of stem elongation, end of booting, early heading, and milk stage). The results showed a low overall foliar disease severity (13%), with powdery mildew at 5.5%, net blotch at 4.1%, and scald at 3.2%. While fungicide treatments reduced the disease severity, there was no significant impact on grain yield, thousand-kernel weight, or biomass. This suggests that climatic conditions, particularly drought stress, had a more substantial effect on the yield than disease pressure. In conclusion, this study reveals that foliar treatments are not cost-effective under low disease pressure and in no-till systems. Additionally, the NDVI was not a reliable indicator of disease severity in this context, as changes in the NDVI were primarily influenced by growth stages rather than disease progression. An integrated approach that considers both disease management and environmental factors is crucial to optimizing crop productivity in no-till systems. Further research is needed to explore the complex interactions between diseases, agricultural practices, and environmental conditions.

Blue-green microalgae Spirulina platensis play a significant role in sustainable agriculture by improving soil fertility, crop growth, yield, and environmental quality. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of S. platensis as a germination booster in low-fertility soils. Various concentrations of Spirulina solutions (2 g/L, 4 g/L, 6 g/L, 8 g/L, and 10 g/L) were prepared, and seeds of paddy (Oryza sativa), maize (Zea mays), green gram (Vigna radiata), and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) were pre-soaked overnight in these solutions. Fifty seeds from each crop were treated, with treatments replicated three times in a randomized block design. A non-treated control group (water alone) was included for comparison. Seed germination and the pH of the S. platensis solutions were recorded over 10 days and analysed using ANOVA (p<0.05).

Results showed that paddy seeds soaked in a 6 g/L Spirulina solution had a significantly higher germination rate (91.11%) by day 7. Maize seeds also exhibited high germination rates (>80%) in both 4 g/L and 6 g/L treatments. In contrast, pulse seeds (green gram and cowpea) showed poor germination rates (<50%) in concentrations above 6 g/L, with 100% germination observed in the control group. The poor performance of pulses may be attributed to the high pH (10.6) of the S. platensis solution. These findings suggest that S. platensis acts as a bio stimulant for cereal seed germination, though further field studies are needed to confirm these results.

Aphid infestation and subsequent yield loss are a big problem for legume cultivation. Sowing time plays a critical role in influencing aphid management and seed yield in legume crops, as demonstrated in this study on BARI Khesari (Grasspea)-3 (Lathyrus sativus) conducted during two consecutive rabi season (2020-2021) at the Pulses Research Centre (PRC), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Ishwardi, Pabna. In both years, seven sowing dates were tested at weekly intervals, starting from 9th November 2020 to 21st December 2020 in the first year and 31st October 2021 to 12th December 2021 in the second year. The results consistently showed that late-sown crops, particularly those sown in December, experienced greater aphid infestation compared to crops sown in November. Aphids preferred the succulent growth stages of late-sown crops, leading to increased feeding and multiplication. In 2020, the highest seed yield (1511 kg/ha) was recorded from the crop sown on 16th November, followed by sowing on the 23rd November (1443 kg/ha), with yields decreasing in crops sown later. Similarly, in 2021, the highest yield (1040.28 kg/ha) was obtained from the crop sown on 14th November, while crops sown in December exhibited lower yields due to both delayed sowing and heavy aphid infestation. Twig infestation rates were significantly higher in late-sown crops, reaching 60.42% and 57.71% in crops sown on 5th and 12th December 2021, respectively. The findings from both years revealed the critical role of sowing time in managing aphid populations and enhancing seed yield. Mid-November was identified as the optimal sowing period to avoid severe aphid damage and achieve higher yields in BARI Khesari-3 cultivation.