Sensitivity analysis (SA) of crop model parameters is essential for improving model understanding, application, and development. However, few studies have systematically examined the spatiotemporal variations of parameters simultaneously. In this study, we used soil and meteorological data from China's major wheat-producing regions as inputs and calibrated the annual WOrld FOod STudies (WOFOST) model simulation results from 2000 to 2009 against statistical wheat yield data. Based on this, the extended Fourier amplitude sensitivity test (EFAST) algorithm was employed to compute the first-order and total sensitivity indices of ten crop parameters related to leaf area index (LAI) and dry matter. A structural equation model (SEM) was constructed to quantify the contribution of parameters to growth indicators. The results show that the temporal dynamics of parameter sensitivity are attributed to the model’s simulation focus shifting with crop growth stages—from ''light interception and leaf construction'' to ''matter allocation and photosynthesis maintenance''. In contrast, the spatial variation of parameter sensitivity stems from regional differences driven by climate gradients, which manifest as photosynthesis prioritization in low latitudes and low-temperature adaptation in high latitudes. Additionally, the regional characteristics of dry matter sensitivity are more pronounced than those of LAI. By integrating EFAST sensitivity indices and SEM path coefficients, core parameters of spatiotemporally universal importance for wheat growth simulation can be identified. These parameters serve as high-priority targets for large-scale model calibration and act as key regulatory objects for regional agricultural management. This study provides a scientific basis for optimizing WOFOST parameterization schemes and formulating region-adaptive agricultural management strategies across different climatic zones and wheat production systems in China.
Non-invasive, continuous monitoring of internal beehive conditions can provide an effective alternative to labor-intensive, disruptive manual inspections. In this study, we developed and field-tested an intelligent frame (IF) integrating miniaturized, multi-point sensors for real-time monitoring of internal temperature, relative humidity, and weight in Apis cerana cerana colonies on Hainan Island, China. Over a 164-day deployment (September 25, 2023-March 5, 2024), the IFs transmitted readings to the cloud every 5 min. Six natural swarming events were recorded, with swarms occurring predominantly between 09:38 and 15:22. In the 8–15 min preceding swarming, characteristic pre-swarm signatures included internal temperature increases of 0.8–2.89 °C and weight losses of 0.02–0.15 kg. A rule-based decision model identified the combination of short-term rapid weight drops and temperature surges as a reliable indicator of imminent-swarm. By fusing multi-point sensing with frequent cloud reporting, the IF enables real-time behavioral detection and early intervention, offering a practical tool for precision apiculture.
Analyzing the driving factors of agricultural drought is important for irrigation management. This study established a new causal framework integrating causal covariation and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to reveal the agricultural drought mechanisms in the Hetao Irrigation District of China. Using multi-source data (2001–2020), we quantified the drought patterns by Temperature Vegetation Dryness Index (TVDI) and identified the driving factors in 23 sub-regions using the causal covariation method. The findings are as follows: 1) Over the past two decades in the Hetao Irrigation District, 47.8 % of the region maintained a stable drought condition, 17.4 % experienced aggravated drought, and 34.8 % saw alleviated drought. The study area exhibited significant spatial heterogeneity in drought intensity: elevation explained 81 % of spatial variability (r = 0.904), with higher-elevation zones (>1035 m) facing more severe drought severity. Drainage density significantly reduced drought pressure (r = −0.76). 2) Among all sub-regions, temperature factors (LST and TEMP) consistently influenced the severity of drought, while PET, SM, and runoff exhibited significant spatial heterogeneity in their driving strength for agricultural drought in different sub-regions. The SEM, constrained by the causal covariation results, demonstrated excellent model fit (P > 0.05, CFI>0.95, GFI>0.95, RMSEA<0.05), confirming the reliability of the causal covariation results. 3) The conclusions were verified by ESI, and the non-stationarity analysis using TVDI revealed that some driving factors (such as SM and runoff) changed over time due to human interventions like water-saving techniques, but still affirmed the dominate role and spatial pattern of temperature. This study provides a replicable model for analyzing the drought mechanisms in irrigation districts, which is helpful for improving the ability of precise prediction and sustainable management of water resource.
Iris Hordijk, Lourens Poorter, Jingjing Liang
et al.
Abstract Species’ traits and environmental conditions determine the abundance of tree species across the globe. The extent to which traits of dominant and rare tree species differ remains untested across a broad environmental range, limiting our understanding of how species traits and the environment shape forest functional composition. We use a global dataset of tree composition of >22,000 forest plots and 11 traits of 1663 tree species to ask how locally dominant and rare species differ in their trait values, and how these differences are driven by climatic gradients in temperature and water availability in forest biomes across the globe. We find three consistent trait differences between locally dominant and rare species across all biomes; dominant species are taller, have softer wood and higher loading on the multivariate stem strategy axis (related to narrow tracheids and thick bark). The difference between traits of dominant and rare species is more strongly driven by temperature compared to water availability, as temperature might affect a larger number of traits. Therefore, climate change driven global temperature rise may have a strong effect on trait differences between dominant and rare tree species and may lead to changes in species abundances and therefore strong community reassembly.
Basra Governorate is one of the important governorates in Iraq, which includes a large number of large industrial facilities. These establishments vary in terms of specialization. The most important of these industries are agro-industries, specifically food industries. These factories produce more than ten types of food, as well as the petrochemical industries complex is localised in the governorate, which produces many oil derivatives that enter many industries. Accordingly, the industrial reality of agricultural industries in Iraq and chemical industries was studied and the study of the industrial cluster strategy was applied to the two industries with, representation of the role of chemical-based plastic industries in agricultural industries. The three industries are connected links that form an industrial cluster in themselves, if it is established, this will support the agricultural industries in a distinctive way. A map of the geographical distribution of the agricultural and chemical industries in the governorate was drawn. The results were in favour of the settlement of the two industries together in three important districts in the governorate, indicating that industrial clusters have a major role in the agricultural industries by the chemical industries, and the research ended with recommendations for government support for that important .strategy
To mitigate soil degradation and decrease dependency on chemical inputs in agriculture, this study examined the joint effects of coconut shell biochar and Bacillus strain Ya-1 on soil fertility, rhizosphere bacterial communities, and the growth of chili (Capsicum annuum L.). A controlled pot experiment with four treatments was conducted: control (CK), biochar only (C), Bacillus strain Ya-1 only (B), and a combination of both (BC). The BC treatment significantly enhanced the soil carbon and available phosphorus contents by approximately 20% and the soil nitrogen content and pH by 18% and 0.3 units, respectively, compared to the control. It also increased microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen by 25% and 30%, respectively, indicating improved soil microbial diversity as shown by the highest Pielou evenness index and Shannon index values. The combined application of biochar and the Ya-1 strain resulted in a 15% increase in chili plant height and a 40% improvement in root dehydrogenase activity, suggesting enhanced nutrient uptake and metabolism. Metabolic profiling showed shifts in stress response and nutrient assimilation under different treatments. Collectively, these results indicate the potential of biochar and microbial inoculants to significantly promote soil and plant health, providing a sustainable strategy to improve agricultural productivity and reduce reliance on chemical inputs.
The implementation of current drip irrigation scheduling, which only considers crop water demands (referred to as empirical drip irrigation) during the growth period and uncontrolled leaching during fallow periods, exacerbates issues of soil salinization and water scarcity in the Xinjiang region. In pursuit of more scientifically effective irrigation and leaching methods, this study employed the H2DSWAP model coupled by the HYDRUS-2D and a Soil–Water–Atmosphere–Plant model (SWAP) for scenario experiments. Results showed that prolonged irrigation without drainage (winter-free irrigation) led to an annual upward trend in salt accumulation within the root zone (0–100 cm) through drip irrigation under film mulch. In regions with shallow groundwater levels (≤ 2.0 m), an exclusive focus on crop water requirements and neglecting leaching demands for salts led to a gradual reduction in crop yield, reducing by 86.8 % after 12 years of operation. Conversely, by considering both water and salt stress thresholds during the growth stage for irrigation, optimal crop yields can be maintained. However, salt predominantly accumulated within the 60–100 cm soil layer, inducing recurrent leaching during the growth period due to continual salt migration in this layer. This occurrence resulted in wasted water resources, uneven soil salt distribution, and ultimately diminished crop yields. The simulation findings for diverse winter irrigation scenarios suggested that the salinity content in the deep root zone (60–100 cm) could function as a leaching threshold for determining the necessity of winter irrigation, approximating a value of 11 g kg−1. In comparison to conventional irrigation and drainage practices, the irrigation and drainage coordinated regulation model proposed in this study contributes to salt removal, effectively restraining the waste of water resources caused by frequent winter irrigation.
Jerónimo González Cortés, Byeong Ryeol Ryu, Christopher Pauli
et al.
In Europe, hemp fiber has historically been utilized in textile, paper, and construction industries prior to the emergence of synthetic fibers. The demand for hemp fibers in the European Union (EU) has led to a significant increase in cultivation area, rising by 46.5% from 22,010 hectares (ha) in 2016 to 32,250 ha in 2022. Recently, the European Parliament relaxed hemp regulations by raising the allowable THC level from 0.2% to 0.3%. France stands as the largest hemp fiber producer, contributing 78% of EU production, equivalent to 121,720 tonnes in 2022. This increase in production is driven by the fibers’ use in textiles, clothing, paper, and hemp seed in food products. Notably, the building industry has seen a rise in the use of hemp, particularly in materials such as hemp insulation and hemp concrete. Furthermore, innovations in hemp include the development of bioplastics and the replacement of glass fibers with hemp fibers in the automotive sector. This review explores the regulatory landscape, industrial applications of hemp fiber, and the future potential of hemp by-products as alternative agricultural commodities in EU countries.
Science, Textile bleaching, dyeing, printing, etc.
Entomologists have widely applied re-identification techniques to better understand insects and their interaction with the environment. While humans can re-identify other humans and some mammals quite well, entomologists rely on gluing markers on insects to perform this task. This paper presents an approach for purely visual re-identification of bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) without the need to use markers. Non-invasive identification methods offer the possibility to observe the interaction of bumblebees with their environment without disturbance. Both a CNN model and a simple body shape model were used to investigate how they can be re-identified within a colony. The best-performing model, BumbleNet, correctly identifies more than two-thirds (CMC-1 score) of the individuals. Bumblebees are known for their substantial variations in body shape. To understand whether other features can also play a role in re-identification, different augmentations are applied during the training of BumbleNet. It was found that non-body-shape features increased the performance of BumbleNet by 25 percentage points (CMC-1 score). This also explains the observed superiority of the CNN-based BumbleNet compared to the BumbleShape model, that is solely based on body size parameters.
Md.Mahbubur Rahman, Md.Abunoman Basar, Tahmina Sultana Shinti
et al.
An automated fruit identification system may be used in the supermarket to help consumers determine the type and standard of fruits. Automatic fruit categorization and recognition is becoming increasingly popular, but it is also becoming more difficult due to low contrast and ambiguous characteristics. Proposed research used deep learning algorithms to classify fruit images and developed a web-based system for autonomous fruit identification. However, autonomous fruit categorization is not a relatively easy process that is dependent on the locations, shapes, colors, and sizes of the objects. Proposed study collected samples from different local places, then removed images backdrops and improved them for a more accurate result. ResNet-50, VGG-19, Inception-V3, and MobileNet were utilized to achieve more precise feature extraction. Among these, MobileNet achieved 99.21% accuracy in feature extraction, outperforming previously proposed machine learning techniques. 3240 samples of eight different fruits are collected from the Bangladeshi countryside, including Carambola, Bilimbi, Elephant Apple, Emblica, Burmese Grape, Sapodilla, Tamarind, and Wood Apple. As a consequence of this research, the proposed approach will aid individuals and industry in recognizing local fruits due to its high accuracy rate and web-based system.
Ubaidillah Zuhdi, Riyan Sisiawan Putra, Aditya Narendra Wardhana
et al.
Background: Food is an essential thing in human activities. Therefore, it is said that agricultural sectors have a crucial role in human life. The purpose of this study is to analyze the role of the agricultural sector in the national economy of Indonesia. Method: The data used in this study are Indonesian input-output (IO) tables in 1990, 1995, and 2005. The analytical instrument of this research is IO analysis. This study uses more specific parts of the IO analysis such as simple household income multiplication, simple output multiplication, sensitivity distribution index, and power distribution index as analysis tools. The analysis of this research has a period of 1990-2005. In this study, the analyzed sectors are (1) paddy, (2) maize, (3) cassava, (4) other rootlcrops, including sweet potatoes, (5) groundnut, (6) soybeans, (7) other beans, (8) vegetables, (9) fruits, (10) cereals and other food crops, (11) rubber, (12) sugarcane, (13) coconut, (14) oil palm, (15) fibrelcrops, (16) tobacco, (17) coffee, (18) tea, (19) clove, (20) otherlestatelcrops, and (21) otherlagriculture. The first step of the methodology of this study is to describe the data, while the final step is to explain the study's conclusions and suggested further research. Results: The results show that, by using a simple output multiplier, the analyzed sectors did not include the top five Indonesian industries from 1990 through 2005. Conversely, one of the analyzed sectors, rubber, was admitted in the top five Indonesian industries in the period of the analysis from the point of view of another multiplier. Using both indices, almost all analyzed industries were consistent in the quadrant from 1990 through 2005. Conclusion: Indonesian government shall prioritize the rubber sector for the next economic development plans.
The food supply chain is one of the most sensitive supply chains as it is directly related to the health of humans and society. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the components of the sustainable supply chain in the food industry. For this purpose, in the first step, several studies and research backgrounds have been conducted by researchers to identify the effective index on sustainability in the food and agricultural supply chain. After reviewing the literature, general indicators of sustainability that affect the agricultural supply chain are specified. Next, by using the fuzzy DEMATEL method, the effectiveness and efficiency of these criteria in three economic, environmental, and social dimensions have been assessed. The results show that in the economic dimension, the use of high technology in the production and the presentation of various citrus forms by using intermediate and conversion industries is the most effective. Criteria for purchasing and using livestock manure instead of using chemical fertilizers have a very high level of effectiveness. In the environmental dimension, reducing or eliminating waste production using recyclable and environmentally friendly materials has the most significant impact. In the social dimension, the positive mental image of customers has a more positive approach to manufacturers who use a sustainable supply chain and has the most impact. The main achievement of this study is that the most important factor in sustainability is the citrus quality control of the agricultural supply chain.
Mhamed Abali, Abdeljalil Ait Ichou, Ahmed Zaghloul
et al.
Abstract The study is carried out at the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) of an agricultural cooperative that operates according to the activated sludge process. Dairy industry is enlisted as one of the top-most industries in the food industry. Dairy wastewater treatment is a big issue as dairy wastewater releases a high amount of chemical oxygen demand, inorganic and organic particles, biological oxygen demand, and nutrients. But, these processes partly degrade wastewater containing fats and nutrients as dairy wastewater. The aim of this study was to evaluate the purification performance of this treatment process. The qualitative analysis of decanted raw wastewater (DRWW) and purified wastewater (PWW) shows that the concentration of orthophosphate, nitrate and sulfate ions is slightly higher. Such contaminated water if not handled appropriately, it pollutes water bodies and largely affects our ecosystem and biodiversity. Hence, our proposal is to improve the WWTP performances by using the adsorption process onto dried Carpobrotus edulis as an inert biomaterial. This adsorption process is recognized as one of the best water treatment techniques, more and more works are oriented towards the search for new materials, cheaper and having a good adsorbent potential. This study opens the path for the use of natural and abundant local material to remove orthophosphate, nitrate and sulfate ions using the C. edulis plant particles shred. The surface micromorphology of the biomaterial was investigated using a scanning electron microscope; while the qualitative element composition was analyzed using energy dispersive X-ray and infrared spectroscopies. The found results of DRWW was about 57% for orthophosphates, 67% for sulfates and 73% for nitrates ions. For PWW, the percentage removal was found to be 62%, 73% and 84% for orthophosphates, sulfates and nitrates respectively. These results indicate that dried C. edulis plant, as an environmentally friendly adsorbent could be recommended for the removal of mineral pollutants. In conclusion, the C. edulis adsorbent can be integrated into the activated sludge process for wastewater treatment after identifying the optimal hydraulic loads, associated sizes, and shapes in continuous operations.
Laiana da Silva Ossemer, Iara Regina dos Santos Parisotto, Ronaldo Leão de Miranda
As redes de cooperação são constituídas por vários atores que atuam de modo cooperativo, desempenhando esforços conjuntos para o alcance de objetivos comuns. Na agricultura familiar este tipo de configuração está relacionado à melhoria da qualidade de vida do agricultor familiar e do incentivo à permanência no campo. Sendo assim, o objetivo desta pesquisa consiste em analisar como ocorre a rede de cooperação entre os agricultores familiares Riosulenses responsáveis pela produção e atendimento da alimentação escolar. O estudo possui uma abordagem descritiva e qualitativa, com uma análise documental e de conteúdo. Os principais resultados indicaram que os agricultores em rede são recíprocos uns com os outros, as relações de confiança e cooperação fazem o diferencial no sucesso da rede, seja por algumas atividades serem realizadas em conjunto ou pela divisão justa das variedades que cada agricultor realizará, constituindo assim uma relação em que todos ganham.
<p><em>Mango peel is one of the by-products that is wasted when processing the fruit into certain products. One form of mango peel utilization is by extracting the oleoresin content in it. Oleoresin is a extractive substance that contains the main components of flavoring in the form of volatile (essential oil) and non-volatile (resin and gum) substances, these two main components play an important role in determining aroma and taste. The purpose of this study is to identify the best extraction treatment by MAE method of kuweni mango peel oleoresin, so that it can be an alternative form of storage for volatile compounds found in the skin of kuweni mango. This study used the microwave assisted extraction (MAE) method. Extraction was carried out using n-hexane solvent to extract the oleoresin component of the mango skin of the kuweni mango. The ratio of the amount of material with the solvent used is 1:10, with a raw material weight of 20 grams. The extracted solvent is evaporated using a rotary</em><em> </em><em>vacuum evaporator to produce a more concentrated result. MAE is done for 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 4 minutes and 5 minutes. Microwave used 50% power. The parameters measured in this study were the yield of oleoresin extracted. The results showed that the yield of oleoresin from extraction was 42,25% for 1 minute, 44,55% for 2 minutes, 44.10% for 3 minutes, 22,80% for 4 minutes, and 22.35% for 5 minutes. The conclusion of this research is that the extract of mango kuweni peel oleoresin which is produced from MAE process with n-hexane solvent produces the best yield in the 2-minute extraction time treatment which is 44.55%.</em></p>
Geographical features of a place have an important effect on distribution, location, aglomeration and a variety of industrial activities. Social and economical features, along with natural geographic features such as geology, geomorphology, climate, natural vegetation, soil properties and hydrographic features also have a significant effect on industry. This study aims at determining how physical geographic features affect categories of industrial activities in Sanliurfa. For this purpose, firstly, physical geographic features of Sanliurfa and statistical data on agricultural and industrial activities in Sanliurfa were obtained. Then, effects of these physical features on other economic activities and the influence of those features on the distribution of industrial plants and industrial activities were analysed in terms of distribution, relation and casuality principles. Geological formations in Sanliurfa province occured in Neogene and also in Quaternary. These formations mostly consist of Neogene limestone, Quaternary basaltic volcanic rocks and alluvial soils. Geomorfically Sanliurfa is a slightly hilly place with plateaus and plains. The main river in Sanliurfa is the Euphrates – the biggest river of Turkey. Naural vegatation of Sanliurfa consists of steppe. These physical geographic fetaures of Sanliurfa cause intensive agricultural activites all across the province. Sanliurfa province covers 18,584 km² and 60% of this area is convenient for agriculture. As a consequence, the majority of manucturing industry in Sanliurfa is agro-based, such as food, textile, mill and apparel industries. While these categories constitute 65.43% of all industrial enterprises, the share of enterprises involving stone, clay, glass, and concrete industry is 11%, and lumber and wood industry share is only 2%.
The paper emphasizes the differences in the concentration of investments with the use of photovoltaic panels and solar collectors in voivodships with significant potential for using solar energy. The subject of the paper addresses, among others, the significant changes in renewable energy sources (RES) and EU subsidies that affect the economics of solar micro-installations in Poland. The study applied data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, which included completed operations under the rural development program (RDP) for the period 2007-2013. The percentage share of the number of photovoltaic panel installations in Lubelskie and Mazowieckie Voivodships constituted 22% of that type of investments in the country (13% and 9% respectively, with a total capacity of 2,634 kW). However, in the case of the number of solar collector installations, the percentage share in Lubelskie and Mazowieckie Voivodships accounted for 44% of such installations in Poland (29% and 15%, respectively, with a total capacity of 4,239 kW). The results confirm the view that the location is an important determinant of photovoltaic panel and solar collector installations in Poland as shown in the examined voivodships characterized by the favorable solar radiation conditions.
Today, the productivity of crop production in most farms is much lower in comparison with medium and large enterprises. The main reason for this is the unsatisfactory condition of the material and technical base of farms, the difficulty of access to advanced technologies, the insufficient use of plant protection products, fertilizers, as well as highly productive varieties of seeds, which is primarily due to the constant shortage of own working capital and limited access to credit resources, and in conjunction with this, farming requires significant state support.
The purpose of the article is to analyze and identify the main problems of state support of farms in Ukraine.
For scientific solution of the tasks set in the work, the following methods were used: the method of comparative analysis - in assessing the expenditures of the state budget and support programs for farms; abstract-logical method - in determining the main problems of state support for farmers in Ukraine.
The article analyzes the main directions and problems of state support of farms in Ukraine.
State support of farmers in Ukraine from 2018 is carried out in accordance with the CMU resolution from 07.02.2018, #106 in the following areas:
- compensation of the cost of seeds;
- compensation of the cost of agricultural machinery;
- cheaper loans;
- compensation of expenses related to the provision of agricultural advisory services.
State support can get farmers who own and use no more than 500 hectares of agricultural land and the net income (revenues) from sales of products (goods and services), of which for the last year does not exceed UAH 15 million. UAH.
Grants will not receive the following farms:
- in respect of which a bankruptcy case has been instituted;
- who have been declared bankrupt;
- which are in the stage of liquidation;
- have arrears overdue for more than 6 months to the state and local budgets (including regional and local programs), PFCs and social insurance funds;
- who did not carry out economic activity during the three preceding years (except newly created);
- for which facts of illegal receipt and / or not purposeful use of budget funds are detected.
The first type of state support involves partial compensation of the value of seeds, purchased in the seed industry, namely - agricultural plants seed of domestic selection, which is basic categories and certified.
Under this program the state compensates the farmer 80% of the value of seeds without VAT, but not more than 30 thousand UAH. for one farm.
The second type of support was introduced in 2017, in accordance with the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated 01.03.2017, #130. It is related to the compensation of the cost of agricultural machinery.
State assistance in this area is to partially compensate agricultural producers the cost of purchased agricultural machinery and equipment of domestic production.
Farms under this program will receive compensation of 40% of agricultural machinery, while the share of agricultural production during the previous 12 months, to the farms must equal or exceed 75% of the production of goods.
The purpose of this program is to support not agricultural enterprises but producers of agricultural machinery, as domestic technology is less effective than foreign and agrarian enterprises choose the last, that’s why this program is ineffective.
The third area of state provision is provided by partial compensation of interest rates on borrowed local currency loans to state-owned bank
Compensate interest accrued and paid in the current year at the amount of 1.5 discount rates of the NBU, but not higher than the amount stipulated by the loan agreement, reduced by 1 percentage point.
Compensation is subject to interest rates on a loan borrowed:
- up to one year, in volume not more than 500 thousand UAH, to cover production costs;
- up to three years, in volume not more than 9 mln. UAH, for the purchase of fixed assets of agricultural production, realization of expenses for construction and reconstruction of agricultural objects of agricultural purpose.
The fourth type of state support involves partial compensation of expenses for agricultural advisory services related to the provision of advisory services in specified areas.
Compensation costs at the amount of 90% of the cost, but not more than 10 thousand UAH.
The main problems of state support for farms in Ukraine are:
- low level of knowledge of farms about the possibilities of obtaining state support;
- complicated procedural mechanism, receiving state support;
- uncertainty about the timing of receiving state aid;
- manual management of allocated funds;
- insufficient funding for government programs.