Rapid population growth necessitates increased food production, despite various crop stresses like drought and soil infertility hindering plant growth, development and yield. Maize is widely recognized as a crucial global cereal food crop. Precision practices, such as foliar fertilisation and irrigation, help mitigate crop stress. This study assessed the impact of foliar fertilisation on the physiological growth of three maize hybrids (FAO 320, FAO 400 and FAO 430) under irrigated conditions at the Látókép Crop Production Experimental Site, University of Debrecen, Hungary, in 2024. Foliar fertiliser treatments included nitrogen (10 g/L), zinc (8 g/L), K₂O (8.5 g/L), P₂O₅ (0.83 g/L), and sulfur (8.93 g/L). Surface drip irrigation lines were placed in each row close to the plants, delivering water at a rate of 3 liters per hour, managed by the HydraWise app and regulated by data from the nearby meteorological station. The key physiological growth parameters studied included NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), Leaf Area Index (LAI) and SPAD values. Data were collected at the V12, VT, R4 and R6 growth stages. The impact of foliar fertilisation was analysed using a T-test to compare treatment effects. The treatment effects showed no significant difference on NDVI, LAI nor SPAD. FAO 320 had the lowest values for all the parameters studied compared to other hybrids. Hybrid FAO 400 recorded the highest NDVI and SPAD values (0.78 and 56.9). LAI had a significant difference (P<0.001) between the treatments and control; however, FAO 430 had highest overall LAI value (5.2) compared to other treatments. The control recorded better SPAD values than the treatments (all hybrids), although the difference was not significant. Hybrid FAO 400 had the best overall physiological growth performance due to foliar fertilisation under irrigated conditions. Therefore, different maize hybrids performing variably under identical foliar fertilisation and irrigation treatments indicates genetic variability, specific nutrient-use efficiency and environmental adaptation.

Immortelle (Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don; Asteraceae) is a versatile medicinal and aromatic plant (MAP) known for its various biologically active compounds and its high economic importance in different industries. The availability of the H. italicum de novo assembled transcriptome enables the development of expressed sequence tag–simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR) markers, which provide an efficient tool for genetic diversity and molecular marker-assisted selection in MAPs¹. An analysis of transcripts from the de novo transcriptome assembly that contained microsatellite motifs, for which primers have been successfully designed and have a known putative function, revealed a total of 1,999 perfect microsatellites, excluding mononucleotide motifs. Trinucleotide microsatellite motifs had the highest frequency of 70.03% (1,398), followed by dinucleotides (24.26%; 487), tetranucleotides, hexanucleotides, and pentanucleotides. Based on an additional manual examination of the annotated functions, 78 EST-SSRs were selected for an initial screening of eight immortelle samples. The results indicated that 38.5% of the EST-SSRs were successfully amplified using the Schuelke method². Of the 30 successfully amplified EST-SSRs, 23 exhibited polymorphisms, while the remaining 7 EST-SSRs were monomorphic. Within the polymorphic EST-SSRs, 73.9% were located in the coding sequence regions (CDSs), 17.4% in the 3’ untranslated regions (3’ UTRs), and 8.7% in the 5’ untranslated regions (5’UTRs). In the continuing study, the 23 polymorphic EST-SSRs selected after the initial screening were further tested for their potential marker transferability to closely related Helichrysum species (Helichrysum litoreum Guss., Helichrysum arenarium (L.) Moench). Based on their genetic diversity parameters and cross-species transferability, a final set of 12 EST-SSRs was used to characterize the natural populations of immortelle in the Mediterranean region of Corsica (France) and the Istrian peninsula (Croatia). The results of the characterization of new genic microsatellite markers for immortelle and the analysis of natural populations will be presented.

One of the most important problems faced by vegetables in the greenhouse is attacks from nematodes. The chemicals currently used to address this issue have little effectiveness and, in many cases, are toxic to the plants. We examined two new biological products (active flavonoids and extract of vegetable oils) in greenhouse cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) cultivation in terms of their effectiveness in the soil–plant relationship, measuring how plant and fruit physiology, nutrition, and structure are affected by nematodes, as well as their fertility and mobility.

Application of the bioproducts altered the nematode population, reducing the presence of plant-parasitic species. Treated plants showed fewer root knots, with microscopic analysis revealing a scarcity of giant cells, which are the nematodes' essential feeding sites. The higher efficiency of the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC, Fv/Fo) of cucumber leaves under bioproducts was significantly correlated with the maximum efficiency of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm). The decreased non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) in control leaves correlated well with the lower chlorophyll concentration, offering a smaller light-harvesting antennae compared to treated leaves. The increased quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (ΦPSII) and electron transport rate (ETR) under bioproducts can explain the higher net photosynthesis (Pn) and transpiration rate (E). Similarly, chlorophyll fluorescence measurements in fresh mature cucumber fruits under bioproducts revealed a more efficient PSII system compared to the control. Cultivation with these substances had beneficial effects on fruit quality as fresh weight, maintenance of flesh consistency and color, ascorbic acid concentration (which was two times higher than that of control) and sugars.

Climate change is making the utilization of precision irrigation techniques inevitable to reverse the deleterious effects of drought stress on maize production. As such, amidst water scarcity, the synchronized supply of agricultural irrigation water has become useful. Therefore, this study explored the differential response of maize to precision irrigation. The experiment was set up at the experimental area of the University of Debrecen in the 2022 growing season, with precision drip irrigation and drought stress used as treatments. Data on different growth parameters at different maize phenophases and yield were collected and analyzed using a t-test. Precision drip irrigation significantly (p<0.01) enhanced plant height, stem diameter, NDVI, SPAD, and grain yield. Conspicuously, precision drip irrigation at the VT growth stage improved plant height, stem diameter, NDVI, and SPAD by 194.7%, 11.6%, 25.8%, and 54.3%, respectively. Interconnectedly, precision drip irrigation improved grain yield by 250% compared to drought conditions. From this, it can be concluded that precision drip irrigation was a potentate of high agronomic maize productivity.

The current disease management in the United States relies heavily on pesticide use, contributing to pest and pathogen resistance, water contamination, and public health concerns. Soybean diseases, such as sudden death syndrome (SDS), damping-off, and root rot, significantly impact soybean productivity, highlighting the urgent need for regenerative and effective management strategies. Our research investigates the potential of biofuel by-products, specifically biochar and solid-state anaerobic digestate, as soil amendments for suppressing two major soilborne pathogens of soybeans: Globisporangium sylvaticum and Fusarium virgulforme. Digestate, a by-product of anaerobic digestion used to produce methane, and biochar, produced through the pyrolysis of organic matter, were evaluated for their disease-suppressive properties under growth chamber conditions. Soil amended with 1% (w/w) solid digestate, sourced from an on-farm anaerobic digester in SE Iowa, demonstrated notable reductions in the severity of root rot caused by Fusarium virgulforme, alongside an increased root length and enhanced root and shoot dry weights. Similarly, biochar derived from yellow pine amended at 2% (w/w) reduced the severity of root rot caused by Fusarium virgulforme. These preliminary findings suggest that biochar and digestate offer dual benefits: suppressing soybean diseases while improving soil health through enhanced nutrient content, water retention, and organic matter levels. Our research addresses global challenges by promoting regenerative and resilient agriculture to mitigate pathogens and strengthen food security. As anthropogenic climate change exacerbates these risks, integrating biochar and digestate into modern agriculture offers adaptive solutions that enhance disease management, protect ecosystems, promote biodiversity, and strengthen the global food supply chain.

In recent years, due to the global market, the problem of food counterfeiting has greatly increased, especially for the certified-quality agri-food products. In order to detect food counterfeiting and quality, advanced quantitative techniques must be implemented. As part of the project PRIN 2022 PNRR “P20223P48S” entitled “Implementing advanced elemental and chemical analysis for quality, safety and traceability assessment of PGI and PDO agri-food products”, funded by European Union - Next Generation EU, we have evaluated the possibility to authenticate the origin of “Pistacchio verde di Bronte”, recognized by the European Union with the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) label, by using the Fourier-Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The chemical profile of this product was compared with the composition of samples originated from other growing areas of Sicily and world-wide. On the same sample-set, the colour of cotyledons and the content of polyphenols in their seeds were also quantified using traditional physicochemical techniques in order to corroborate and complement pistachio characterization by FT-IR analysis. It will be shown that in some cases FTIR analysis is able to discriminate pistachio samples originating from different geographical growing areas, also within Sicily, confirming a strong relationship between territory and chemical profile of vegetable crops. Based on these results, we believe that the FT-IR technique can be proposed as a fast and reliable analytical tool to assess, in a non-destructive way, the quality and authenticity of foodstuffs, supporting traditional analytical methods in the fight against counterfeiting.

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a perennial legume that is widely cultivated as a forage crop for its high yield and forage quality, perennial growth habit, and adaptability to different environmental conditions. Alfalfa is a photoperiod sensitive long-day plant species. Flowering time is an important agronomic trait for crops in general. In alfalfa, the onset of flowering is negatively associated with biomass yield and nutritional quality due to increased lignin accumulation in stems and nutrient recycling from leaves to support seed development. Late flowering varieties are advantageous for forage production as the extended growth time enables more vegetative growth and forage production. In forage crop production, high dry matter, digestibility, and other nutritional traits are strongly affected by flowering. Consequently, late flowering for biomass yield and quality enhancement become a desirable breeding need in forage crop production. We attempted to delay flowering in alfalfa using an optimized multiplex CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis of the key flowering time master regulator gene FLOWERING LOCUS Ta1 (MsFTa1). Four guide RNAs in different exons of MsFTa1 were arranged in a polycistronic tRNA-gRNA system and introduced into alfalfa by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Ninety-six putative mutant lines were identified by sequencing and characterized for flowering time and desirable agronomic traits. Phenotype assessment of flowering time identified 22 independent mutant lines with delayed flowering time up to 21 days. Six homozygous Msfta1 mutant lines containing mutations in all four copies of MsFTa1 showed forage biomass with increases of up to 78% in fresh weight and 76% in dry weight compared to controls. Depending upon the harvesting schemes, many of these lines also had reduced lignin, ADF and NDF content but significantly higher crude protein content. These CRISPR/Cas9-edited Msfta1 mutant lines could be introduced into alfalfa breeding programs to generate elite transgene-free alfalfa cultivars with improved forage biomass yield and quality.

In the European Union, the agricultural sector is responsible for more than 10% of greenhouse gas emissions; however, unlike other sectors, agriculture has huge potential in terms of sequestering atmospheric CO₂ given the possibility of storing it in organic form in the soil. The use of cover crops in crop rotation contributes to the sustainability of the agroecosystem with regard to the maintenance of biodiversity and the possibility of less fertilizer use. Our research was set up in 2022 at the University of Debrecen Research Institute of Nyíregyháza, Hungary, in humic–sandy soil. We evaluated the biomass-producing capacity and forecrop value of five cover crop mixtures and three single cover crop species in terms of the corn yield over two crop seasons. The treatments were compared with fertilized (80 kg ha^-1 N) and control treatments. The cover crop species were common vetch, oil radish, and buckwheat, and the mixtures included melioration radish, field pea, black oats, phacelia, and crimson clover. The mixture of common vetch and oil radish produced the highest above-ground fresh biomass (56.47 and 64.50 t ha^-1) in both of the investigated years. In 2023, the most successful treatments in terms of corn yield were the cover crop mixtures that included a cruciferous species or phacelia in addition to a leguminous component. In these cases, the corn yields (13.52 – 13.83 t ha^-1) significantly exceeded the yield of the control treatment (9.45 t ha^-1) and were equivalent to those under the fertilizer treatment (11.71 t ha^-1). In 2024, no significant differences were detected in terms of the corn yield; however, the results of the fertilized treatment (9.72 t ha^-1) were exceeded by those using the application of the common vetch cover crop (10.72 t ha^-1). Based on our results, the application of leguminous cover crops and their mixtures contributes to sustainable corn cultivation.

Abstract: The direct seeding of rice is a labor-saving and simplified planting method. Compared with transplanting rice, with leads to a high seeding density and uneven seeding, the direct seeding of rice leads to a poor canopy structure, easy occurrence of pests and diseases, lodging, and so on. There is a significant amount of research on the technique of mechanical precision hole direct seeding and drone-based disordered direct seeding of rice. However, there is no report on the method of uniform and orderly direct seeding of rice. This study conducted a two-year field experiment in 2022 and 2023 to compare the growth characteristics, economic benefits, and lodging resistance of rice (variety: Quanyouyuenongsimiao) under various sowing or transplanting methods, including drone-based uniform and orderly direct seeding, conventional direct seeding, and machine transplanting. The results showed that drone-based uniform and orderly direct seeding reduced the seed quantity by more than 50% compared with conventional seeding and machine transplanting, achieving a seed reduction of 787.5-1312.5 CNY ha^-1, and had the highest input–output ratio. Moreover, the lower number of tillers and biomass in the early stage of growth and development following drone-based uniform and orderly direct seeding resulted in a decrease in the panicle number per unit area compared with conventional seeding, but the yield was not significant. The main reason for this was the compensation achieved by increasing the number of grains per panicle. In addition, drone-based uniform and orderly direct seeding increased the extinction coefficient. It also improved the ventilation and light transmission ability of the canopy of directly seeded rice and significantly reduced the degree of damage from pests and diseases. Furthermore, there was significant reduction in the lodging index of the low internode, which was mainly attributed to an increase in internode diameter and stem wall thickness, as well as an increase in the structural carbohydrate content.

The pervasive use of mobile devices is commonly perceived as safe by both the general public and policy makers. However, it exposes all life forms to constant radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs). While precautionary measures have been taken to limit exposure to RF-EMFs, these measures are primarily based on research focused on humans and largely neglect the potential risks to other life forms.

Plants are essential to the functioning of Earth’s ecosystems and the security of global food supplies. However, research on the effects of RF-EMFs on plant biology and development is notably lacking. The few studies available point to a rather worrisome picture, indicating that RF-EMFs can have numerous adverse effects on plants, including altered metabolism, inhibited growth, and development of abnormalities. Our research has recently identified a previously unidentified suppression of plants' stress response caused by RF-EMFs, which could potentially aggravate the effects of stress on plants.

This discovery is particularly significant given the two parallel trends shaping our world today: the increasing frequency of extreme weather events caused by climate change, and the rapid development of wireless communications driven by advances in technology. Together, these two factors have the potential to create a perfect storm that could wreak havoc on our ecosystem and our food security.

In this work, I aim to provide a concise summary of what we know about the effects of RF-EMFs on plants and to suggest several approaches to mitigate this still poorly understood risk.