This study aimed to determine and analyze market power among rice exporters to the Iraqi market by estimating the residual demand for different types of rice. Four countries were included in the study: Thailand, India, Pakistan, and the United States of America. The inverse residual demand elasticity of these countries was measured during the study period, 2005-2021. The results showed market power among the countries supplying rice to the Iraqi market. Thailand has greater market power than the United States due to lower export prices and a weaker local currency. On the other hand, competition between Pakistan and India was intense in the Iraqi rice market. The study recommended government intervention to support farmers in improving productivity, enhancing food security, and reducing dependence on imports.
Christina Trujillo Frede, Ina Danquah, Thomas Friedrich
et al.
Abstract Human health is fundamental to the lives of individuals and societies. The dramatic decline in biodiversity is one of the most fundamental threats to the foundations of human life. Collected, cultivated and purchased plants have traditionally been used for their therapeutic, preventive or palliative effects on human health and well-being, and are deeply intertwined with culture and history. The IPBES report on the sustainable use of wild species in 2022 highlights the importance and contribution of the use of wild plants to global biodiversity conservation. However, there is still little reliable knowledge about the exact relationship between biodiversity and human health. In this paper, we argue that the example of knowledge and use of medicinal plants could be very well suited for a better understanding of the relations and interactions between biodiversity and health. From the perspective of Social Ecology, we advocate an inter- and transdisciplinary research approach that can provide both: system knowledge and transformation knowledge. We present the results of a conceptual study on knowledge and practices of medicinal plants in relation to their impact on human health and biodiversity in Germany. Community gardening, sustainable wild collection practices, and sharing of valuable local traditional knowledge can be possible pathways to conserve plant populations and knowledge. We argue that the practices around medicinal plants can create a reciprocal relationship between humans and these plants, leading to increased well-being and appreciation for them. To fully understand the impact of medicinal plants on health and biodiversity, it is necessary to move beyond a knowledge-focused analysis that has dominated literature to date and analyse the practices, benefits, and relationships between people, medicinal plants, and their ecosystems.
The light plays a key role in regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis in plants. However, the molecular basis of anthocyanin synthesis in grape skins irradiated at night with supplemental white light (W), red light (R), blue light (B), and blue light for 3 h, 6 h, 9 h, and 12 h (B3, B6, B9, and B12) is not known. In the present study, the total anthocyanin content in grape skins was significant under different light (DL) and blue-light time (DT) treatments, and the best result was obtained with B9. Analysis of RNA-seq data determined that the key genes in the anthocyanin synthesis pathway, PAL, CHS, DFR, GT, CFIP, VIT_14s0068g00920, VIT_06s0009g02860, and VIT_06s0004g08150, were significantly up-regulated under night-time supplemental light treatments, which led to the significant expression of the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism, flavonoid biosynthesis, flavone and flavonol biosynthesis, and the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway, which were significantly expressed, promoting the accumulation of anthocyanin. The B caused significant expression of PAL (VIT_08s0040g01710), CFIP (VIT_13s0067g03820, VIT_13s0067g02870) and DFR (VIT_18s0001g12800), which may be one of the reasons for the better effect of B compared to W anthocyanin enrichment in grape skins. The DT treatment resulted in significant expression of GT (VIT_11s0052g01600), Peroxidase, VIT_09s0018g01190, and VIT_11s0037g00570. In addition, many TFs such as bHLH, MYB, ERF, WRKY, C2H2, MYB-related, and NAC were found to be involved in the synthesis of anthocyanins under light regulation. These results provide new insights into plants’ nocturnal supplemental-light regulation of anthocyanin accumulation.
IntroductionThe seeds of many plants are dormant and unable to germinate at maturity, but gain the ability to germinate through after-ripening during dry storage. The hormone abscisic acid (ABA) stimulates seed dormancy, whereas gibberellin A (GA) stimulates dormancy loss and germination.MethodsTo determine whether dry after-ripening alters the potential to accumulate ABA and GA, hormone levels were measured during an after-ripening time course in dry and imbibing ungerminated seeds of wildtype Landsberg erecta (Ler) and of the highly dormant GA-insensitive mutant sleepy1-2 (sly1-2).ResultsThe elevated sly1-2 dormancy was associated with lower rather than higher ABA levels. Ler germination increased with 2-4 weeks of after-ripening whereas sly1-2 required 21 months to after-ripen. Increasing germination capacity with after-ripening was associated with increasing GA4 levels in imbibing sly1-2 and wild-type Ler seeds. During the same 12 hr imbibition period, after-ripening also resulted in increased ABA levels.DiscussionThe decreased ABA levels with after-ripening in other studies occurred later in imbibition, just before germination. This suggests a model where GA acts first, stimulating germination before ABA levels decline, and ABA acts as the final checkpoint preventing germination until processes essential to survival, like DNA repair and activation of respiration, are completed. Overexpression of the GA receptor GID1b (GA INSENSITIVE DWARF1b) was associated with increased germination of sly1-2 but decreased germination of wildtype Ler. This reduction of Ler germination was not associated with increased ABA levels. Apparently, GID1b is a positive regulator of germination in one context, but a negative regulator in the other.
Govinda Sapkota, Efren Delgado, Dawn VanLeeuwen
et al.
Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) is also called Chinese date. There are ∼100 jujube cultivars with limited commercial availability, and the majority of them have scant details in the United States. In this study, nutrient dynamics during fruit maturation of different jujube cultivars grown at Las Cruces, Los Lunas, and Alcalde, NM, were examined in 2018 and 2019. Cultivars varied by location and year, and included ‘Li’, ‘Lang’, ‘Sugarcane’, ‘September Late’, and ‘Sherwood’. Parameters tested were total phenolic content (TPC), proanthocyanidins (PAs), vitamin C, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), and antioxidant capacity: 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl radical scavenging capacity and ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP). Moisture, TPC, PAs, FRAP, and vitamin C content decreased with fruit maturity; however, the latter stage of fruit maturity showed an increase in cAMP. Compared with fruit at full-red maturity, creamy fruit had TPC, PA, FRAP, and vitamin C concentrations that were 1.0 to 1.8, 4.4 to 12.4, 1.9 to 2.6, and 0.1 to 1.3 times higher, respectively, depending on location (P < 0.05). From creamy to full-red maturity, cAMP increased by 0.9 to 4.5 times. At full-red maturity, estimated TPC in jujube fruit ranged from 10.6 to 16.8 mg gallic acid equivalent per gram dry weight (DW), whereas estimated PAs ranged from 1.8 to 5.3 mg PA B2/g DW. Jujube fruit at full-red maturity had a vitamin C content that ranged from 649.0 to 1153.3 mg/100 g DW. At full-red maturity, the concentration of cAMP ranged from 148.1 to 277.6 μg/g DW in Las Cruces samples.
SAMIR HADJ-MILOUD, Mohamed El-Amine Iddir Iddir, Tarek ASSAMI
et al.
The present study consists of a valorization of a pedological database allowing to determine the Solonchaks in the north of Algeria according to the World Reference Base (WRB) classification. We studied the constituents of these Solonchaks by making different thematic maps, for this purpose a geographic information system (GIS) was created. Profiles meeting the definition of Solonchaks will be classified, spatialized in northern Algeria and grouped into reference soils and the creation of different thematic maps. The main results revealed that the Solonchaks of northern Algeria are provided with calcium carbonate (10 < CaCO3 (%) < 60) and poorly provided with gypsum with an average of 2.5% gypsum. They are also characterized by very high salinity (15 < EC (dS/m) < 40.9) and relatively high sodicity percentage of exchangeable sodium (ESP) > 15%). Statistical analysis revealed that the correlation between the EC-ESP couple is highly significant (r = 0.62; p < 0.01). Similarly, the correlation between the EC and the Ca++ of the adsorbent complex is negative and significant (r = -0.34; p < 0.05). The exploitation of the database made it possible to extract 45 profiles corresponding to the Solonchaks. The classification of these profiles revealed 13 references of Solonchaks distributed in the north of Algeria.
Host shifting and host expansion of fungal plant pathogens increases the rate of emergence of new pathogens and the incidence of disease in various crops, which threaten global food security. Magnaporthe species cause serious disease in rice, namely rice blast disease, as well as in many alternative hosts, including wheat, barley, and millet. A severe outbreak of wheat blast due to Magnaporthe oryzae occurred recently in Bangladesh, after the fungus was introduced from South America, causing great loss of yield. This outbreak of wheat blast is of growing concern, because it might spread to adjacent wheat-producing areas. Therefore, it is important to understand the host range and population structure of M. oryzae and related species for determining the evolutionary relationships among Magnaporthe species and for managing blast disease in the field. Here, we collected isolates of M. oryzae and related species from various Poaceae species, including crops and weeds surrounding rice fields, in Korea and determined their phylogenetic relationships and host species specificity. Internal transcribed spacer-mediated phylogenetic analysis revealed that M. oryzae and related species are classified into four groups primarily including isolates from rice, crabgrass, millet and tall fescue. Based on pathogenicity assays, M. oryzae and related species can infect different Poaceae hosts and move among hosts, suggesting the potential for host shifting and host expansion in nature. These results provide important information on the diversification of M. oryzae and related species with a broad range of Poaceae as hosts in crop fields.
During the emergence of winter rapeseed, the crop can be attacked by many species of pests, rapeseed fleas being the most important. This paper presents the results obtained in combating these pests as well as the participation of rapeseed flea species in the structure of the entomofauna collected using glued panels. The effectiveness of two control strategies over the period 2015-2018 was verified. By applying a single treatment with systemic insecticides, the degree of attack decreased compared to the untreated control in a proportion between 92.3% and 94.1%. The second variant was by applying the second treatment with a synthetic pyrethroid, at an interval of 14 days after the first treatment. In this variant, the degree of attack was reduced in a proportion between 95.2% and 97.2%. Every year and in every variant, Phyllotreta atra was the dominant species followed by Phyllotreta nemorum. The lowest catches were in Phyllotreta undulata and Psylliodes chrypocephala.
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are a potential irradiation source for intensive plant culture systems and photobiological research. They have small size, low mass, a long functional life, and narrow spectral output. In this study, we measured the growth and dry matter partitioning of 'Hungarian Wax' pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) plants grown under red LEDs compared with similar plants grown under red LEDs with supplemental blue or far-red radiation or under broad spectrum metal halide (MH) lamps. Additionally, we describe the thermal and spectral characteristics of these sources. The LEDs used in this study had a narrow bandwidth at half peak height (25 nm) and a focused maximum spectral output at 660 nm for the red and 735 nm for the far-red. Near infrared radiation (800 to 3000 nm) was below detection and thermal infrared radiation (3000 to 50,000 nm) was lower in the LEDs compared to the MH source. Although the red to far-red ratio varied considerably, the calculated phytochrome photostationary state (phi) was only slightly different between the radiation sources. Plant biomass was reduced when peppers were grown under red LEDs in the absence of blue wavelengths compared to plants grown under supplemental blue fluorescent lamps or MH lamps. The addition of far-red radiation resulted in taller plants with greater stem mass than red LEDs alone. There were fewer leaves under red or red plus far-red radiation than with lamps producing blue wavelengths. These results indicate that red LEDs may be suitable, in proper combination with other wavelengths of light, for the culture of plants in tightly controlled environments such as space-based plant culture systems.
Plants produce a vast array of structurally diverse specialized metabolites with various biological activities, including medicinal alkaloids and terpenoids, from relatively simple precursors through a series of enzymatic steps. Massive metabolic flow through these pathways usually depends on the transcriptional coordination of a large set of metabolic, transport, and regulatory genes known as a regulon. The coexpression of genes involved in certain metabolic pathways in a wide range of developmental and environmental contexts has been investigated through transcriptomic analysis, which has been successfully exploited to mine the genes involved in various metabolic processes. Transcription factors are DNA-binding proteins that recognize relatively short sequences known as cis-regulatory elements residing in the promoter regions of target genes. Transcription factors have positive or negative effects on gene transcription mediated by RNA polymerase II. Evolutionarily conserved transcription factors of the APETALA2/ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR (AP2/ERF) and basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) families have been identified as jasmonate (JA)-responsive transcriptional regulators of unrelated specialized pathways in distinct plant lineages. Here, I review the current knowledge and propose a conceptual model for the evolution of metabolic pathways, termed “recruitment model of metabolic evolution.” According to this model, structural genes are repeatedly recruited into regulons under the control of conserved transcription factors through the generation of cognate cis-regulatory elements in the promoters of these genes. This leads to the adjustment of catalytic activities that improve metabolic flow through newly established passages.
بهمنظور بررسی اثر تلقیح با باکتری سودوموناس و قارچ میکوریزا بر سیستم ریشهدهی و عملکرد دانه ارقام گندم در شرایط دیم، آزمایشی مزرعهای بهصورت فاکتوریل در قالب طرح بلوکهای کامل تصادفی با سه تکرار در دو مزرعه در دانشکده کشاورزی، دانشگاه ایلام و ایستگاه تحقیقات کشاورزی سرابله در سال زراعی 93-1392 اجرا شد. تیمارهای آزمایشی شامل عامل رقم گندم در دو سطح (کراسسبلان و ساجی) و تیمار منابع کودی در هشت سطح شامل: 1- شاهد (عدم مصرف هیچ منبع کودی)، 2- 50 کیلوگرم در هکتار کود شیمیایی فسفر، 3- باکتری سودوموناس پوتیدا، 4- قارچ گلوموس موسه آ، 5- باکتری سودوموناس پوتیدا+ قارچ گلوموس موسه آ، 6- باکتری سودوموناس پوتیدا+ قارچ گلوموس موسه آ+25 کیلوگرم در هکتار کود شیمیایی فسفر، 7- باکتری سودوموناس پوتیدا+25 کیلوگرم در هکتار کود شیمیایی فسفر و 8- قارچ گلوموس موسه آ+25 کیلوگرم در هکتار کود شیمیایی فسفر بودند. نتایج این پژوهش نشان داد که برهمکنش رقم×منابع کودی بر عملکرد، اجزای عملکرد دانه و همچنین خصوصیات ریشهای گندم دیم معنیدار بود. بهطوریکه بیشترین تعداد سنبله در مترمربع (افزایش 7/16 درصدی)، تعداد دانه در سنبله (افزایش 2/67 درصدی)، وزن هزار دانه (افزایش 3/19 درصدی)، عملکرد دانه (افزایش 72 درصدی)، عملکرد زیستتوده (افزایش 57 درصدی)، حجم ریشه (افزایش 6/53 درصدی)، سطح ریشه (افزایش 3/69 درصدی)، تراکم طول ریشه (افزایش 5/76 درصدی) و چگالی سطح ریشه (افزایش 69 درصدی) در رقم ساجی× قارچ گلوموس موسه آ+25 کیلوگرم در هکتار کود شیمیایی فسفر نسبت به شاهد (عدم مصرف هیچ منبع کودی) بهدست آمد. نتایج این تحقیق نشان داد که در شرایط کشت گندم دیم در ایلام که گیاه با تنشهای آخر فصلی (خشکی و دما) مواجه میگردد، گندم دوروم دیم رقم ساجی و تلقیح با قارچ میکوریزا به دلیل بهبود سیستم ریشهدهی در شرایط دیم نتیجه مطلوبتری از خود نشان داده و موجب افزایش عملکرد دانه میگردد.
Marina Palfi, Paško Konjevoda, Karolina Vrandečić
et al.
The effect of five essential oils (anise, peppermint, basil, rosemary and true lavander) and their two most common components on the mycelial growth in Colletotrichum coccodes, economically important phytopathogic fungi and compared with fungicides have been investigated in the study. Tests were conducted in vitro conditions in eight volumes on a PDA substrate in four replicates. The increase in mycelium was measured on the eighth and fifteenth day after the mycelium inoculation. It was found out that some essential oils and components applied at a given volume have a significant antifungal effect, in some examples comparable to fungicides. Anise and peppermint essential oils as well as the anethole component had the best activity and the lowest IC50. Fifteen days after the inoculation of the mycelium, the essential oils had a significantly better antifungal activity compared to their second most represented component.
Paraxanthine is classified as secondary metabolites derived from purine nucleotides with molecular formula of C7H8N4O2. It occur in green tea, coffee, cocoa and a number of other plant. In this article, the effect of different concentration of paraxanthine was studied on lettuce plant (Lactuca Sativa cv. Siahoo ) as a model plant. In order to show the effect paraxanthine on amount of free amino acids, content sugar, anthocyanines, flavonoides, tannins, alkaloids and phenolic compounds some experiments were performed in a completely randomized design. The lettuce seedlings were cultured in pots containing peat and were irrigated with hoagland nutrient solution containing paraxanthine (with the concentration of 10, 50 and 100µg/ml). three replicated were maintained for each treatment and also for control groups. After of twenty eight days of applying the treatments, the plants were harvested for performing the experiments. Amount of anthosyanines, flavonoid, alkaloids, tannins and phenolic compounds in treated plants were increased compared to the control. the content sugar and total free amino in treated plants were increased compared to the control group. It could be concluded that paraxanthine found in dregs of tea, coffee and cocoa, can be used as a food supplement in the culture of lettuce. Therefore, it increases effective compounds and medicinal benefits of this plant.