Effect of AgNO3 on androgenesis of Brassica oleracea L. anthers cultivated in vitro

The present article is a synthesis study accomplished at Vegetable Research and Development Station Bacau regarding the implication of silver nitrate (AgNO3) in modulating the morphogenetic reaction of white cabbage anthers cultivated in vitro. According to literature, silver nitrate is a strong inhibitor of ethylene action. Embryo formation, shoot generation and rooting of plantlets are key points on which relies the entire concept of in vitro tissue culture. Silver ions, in the form of nitrate play an important role in promoting the somatic embryogenesis and organogenesis, which led its wide spread use in different plant tissue culture in vitro. Therefore, our researches focused on testing different concentrations of AgNO3 (5, 10, 15, 25, 30, 50 and 60 μM) added to a pre-tested medium formula– Murashige and Skoog (MS), 1962 basal medium supplemented with benzylaminopurine (BAP)- 8.9 μM and naphthylacetic acid (NAA) 2.7 μM. The biological material is represented by unopened flower buds containing anthers with microspores at late uninucleate to binucleate stage. In the culture condition investigated in this study, the data obtained promotes the utilization of AgNO3 in a concentration of 50 μM for the successfully induction and sustaining of regenerative processes of white cabbage anthers cultivated in vitro.Keywords: Buds, embryogenesis, ethylene, organogenesis, regeneratio

Antioxidant activity in selected tomato genotypes cultivated in conventional and organic culture systems

The present study is a compilation of results obtained at the Vegetable Research and Development Station Bacau regarding the influence of the culture system on the quantitative and qualitative yield of tomatoes. The present study provides comparative information regarding yield achievements of tomato genotypes cultivated in two different culture systems (conventional and organic), in order to highlight the suitability of the cultivation system. The best yield results were obtained at a density of 30,000 plants per hectare in both culture systems. All studied genotypes resulted in quantitatively superior yield in the conventional system as opposed to the organic system. Another purpose of this study was to determine the difference in antioxidant activity of tomato genotypes cultivated in the ecological and the conventional culture systems. The results indicate the suitability of the tomato to organic cultivation, highlighting the potential of the tomato species to be utilized as a significant source of natural antioxidants, and also the influence of cultivation systems on the accumulation of antioxidant compounds.Keywords: Lycopersicon esculentum, polyphenols, flavones, yieldAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(20), pp. 2884-289

Investigations on the Luminescence Properties of Quartz and Feldspars Extracted from Loess in the Canterbury Plains, New Zealand South Island

The applicability of the single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) protocol, by using the optically stimulated lumi-nescence (OSL) signal of quartz as well as the post-infrared–infrared (pIRIR) signals of polymineral fine grains, namely pIRIR225 and pIRIR290, was assessed for dating loess in New Zealand South Island. OSL signals of quartz grains displayed low sensitivity. However, the application of repeated irradiation/bleaching cycles did not result in an increase in sensitivity; annealing in the 300–500°C temperature range generated the sensitisation of both the 110°C thermoluminescence (TL) peak as well as the OSL signal, likely by activation of yet unidentified luminescence centres. After heating, the quartz signal is comparable to that of ideal samples, but the annealing is precluding successful dating. On the other hand, feldspar infrared-stimulated signals displayed satisfactory properties, al-lowing estimation of ages ranging from 14 ± 1–29 ± 3 ka for the investigated deposit. It was shown that pIRIR225 and pIRIR290 methods have potential for dating loess in the South Island of New Zealand, based on the following observations: (i) Dose recovery tests were successful with recovered-to-given dose ratios with a <10% deviation from unity, (ii) constant residual values of about 4 Gy and about 10 Gy were obtained after exposures for 48 h in the case of pIRIR225 signals and 96 h in the case of pIRIR290 signals, respectively, (iii) while a slight dose-dependence of the residual was reported, and for a dose as large as 1600 Gy the residual values are ≅9 Gy and ≅19 Gy for pIRIR225 and pIRIR290 signals, respectively

Studiul combaterii biologice a tripsului comun la ardei

The trials of tripsattack and ecological control of pests were performed at Vegetable Research and Development Station Bacau –Romania, during 2016 -2017. The dynamic of trips attack in pepperand effectiveness of Amblyseius swirskii At.-H. (Arachnida, Mesostigmata, Phytoseiidae) releases in control of onion tripsat pepper collection of cultivars in tunnelswasstudied. The trial of A. swirskii in tripscontrol was performed at the followingrelease rates: V1 –500,000 mites/ha; V2 –700,000 mites/ha; V3 –900,000 mites/ha; V4. 1 million mites/ha; V5 -Control.On observed that the reducing trips degree attack by release of A. swirskii at pepper is effective in August -September usingthe release rates between 700,000 ex /ha -1,000,000 ex/ ha

The INCREASE project: Intelligent Collections of food‐legume genetic resources for European agrofood systems

Food legumes are crucial for all agriculture-related societal challenges, including climate change mitigation, agrobiodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture, food security and human health. The transition to plant-based diets, largely based on food legumes, could present major opportunities for adaptation and mitigation, generating significant co-benefits for human health. The characterization, maintenance and exploitation of food-legume genetic resources, to date largely unexploited, form the core development of both sustainable agriculture and a healthy food system. INCREASE will implement, on chickpea (Cicer arietinum), common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), lentil (Lens culinaris) and lupin (Lupinus albus and L. mutabilis), a new approach to conserve, manage and characterize genetic resources. Intelligent Collections, consisting of nested core collections composed of single-seed descent-purified accessions (i.e., inbred lines), will be developed, exploiting germplasm available both from genebanks and on-farm and subjected to different levels of genotypic and phenotypic characterization. Phenotyping and gene discovery activities will meet, via a participatory approach, the needs of various actors, including breeders, scientists, farmers and agri-food and non-food industries, exploiting also the power of massive metabolomics and transcriptomics and of artificial intelligence and smart tools. Moreover, INCREASE will test, with a citizen science experiment, an innovative system of conservation and use of genetic resources based on a decentralized approach for data management and dynamic conservation. By promoting the use of food legumes, improving their quality, adaptation and yield and boosting the competitiveness of the agriculture and food sector, the INCREASE strategy will have a major impact on economy and society and represents a case study of integrative and participatory approaches towards conservation and exploitation of crop genetic resources

Towards the Development, Maintenance and Standardized Phenotypic Characterization of Single-Seed-Descent Genetic Resources for Chickpea

Here we present the approach used to develop the INCREASE “Intelligent Chickpea” Collections, from analysis of the information on the life history and population structure of chickpea germplasm, the availability of genomic and genetic resources, the identification of key phenotypic traits and methodologies to characterize chickpea. We present two phenotypic protocols within H2O20 Project INCREASE to characterize, develop, and maintain chickpea single-seed-descent (SSD) line collections. Such protocols and related genetic resource data from the project will be available for the legume community to apply the standardized approaches to develop Chickpea Intelligent Collections further or for multiplication/seed-increase purposes. © 2022 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC

The Evaluation of Carbon Farming Strategies in Organic Vegetable Cultivation

The urgent need to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has prompted the exploration of various strategies, including the adaptation of carbon farming practices, to achieve sustainability in agricultural systems. In this research, we assess the viability of carbon farming practices for organic vegetable growing in Europe. The study explores the potential benefits of these practices, including GHG emissions’ mitigation and improved soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem services, while also acknowledging the need for further research to optimize implementation strategies and foster widespread adoption. However, the suitability and effectiveness of carbon farming practices in organic vegetable production systems remain uncertain. The analysis considers the measurement and estimation methods employed to assess changes in soil carbon stocks and the potential environmental and economic implications for farmers. Despite a substantial body of data demonstrating the sustainable attributes of carbon farming and its multifaceted advantages, a degree of hesitancy persists. Considering this, we propose undertaking a concise strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis to evaluate multiple aspects of carbon farming. The findings reveal that carbon farming practices can be viable and advantageous in organic vegetable production. Carbon farming practices, such as cover cropping, reduced tillage, compost application, and agroforestry, can significantly enhance the sustainability of organic farming systems. Implementing these practices can mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, improve soil health and fertility, and promote biodiversity conservation. Farmer education and support, policy measures, and continued research are crucial for maximizing the potential of these practices for a sustainable future. These practices also contribute to developing climate-friendly agricultural systems, promoting environmental resilience, and reducing the ecological footprint of organic vegetable production. However, further research is needed to optimize implementation strategies, address site-specific challenges, and foster widespread adoption of carbon farming practices in organic vegetable production

Enhanced Non-Uniformity Modeling of 4H-SiC Schottky Diode Characteristics over Wide High Temperature and Forward Bias Ranges

A practical model, adequate for full reproduction of inhomogeneous Schottky diodes' forward characteristics over wide high-temperature and bias ranges, is proposed. According to this ${p}$ -diode model, the Schottky contact current is considered to flow through ${m}$ parallel-connected internal diodes, each with stable, constant barrier height and specific series resistance (both main model parameters). The value of ${m}$ , required to reproduce the entire electrical forward behavior of a non-uniform Schottky contact, is directly connected to a particular model parameter ( $p_{eff}$ ), used to define the inhomogeneity degree. The p-diode model was tested on forward characteristics measured for both Ni and commercial Ti Schottky diodes on 4H-SiC, which exhibited varying degrees of inhomogeneity. Excellent replication of experimental curves was achieved for all investigated samples, even those with obvious irregularities, such as 'humps', explained in the model by the series resistances' influence. In the case of m = 1, the proposed model does not produce identical results with the conventional model of a homogeneous Schottky contact if $p_{eff} e 0$. The value of this parameter indicates how much of an inhomogeneous contact's area is essentially used for current conduction

A technique for improving the precision of the direct measurement of junction temperature in power light-emitting diodes

: Extending the lifetime of power light-emitting diodes (LEDs) is achievable if proper control methods are implemented to reduce the side effects of an excessive junction temperature, TJ. The accuracy of state-of-the-art LED junction temperature monitoring techniques is negatively affected by several factors, such as the use of external sensors, calibration procedures, devices aging, and technological diversity among samples with the same part number. Here, a novel method is proposed, indeed based on the well-known technique consisting in tracking the LED forward voltage drop when a fixed forward current is imposed but exploiting the voltage variation with respect to room temperature. This method, which limits the effects of sample heterogeneity, is applied to a set of ten commercial devices. The method led to an effective reduction of the measurement error, which was below 1 °C