A transformer-based approach for early prediction of soybean yield using time-series images

Crop yield prediction which provides critical information for management decision-making is of significant importance in precision agriculture. Traditional manual inspection and calculation are often laborious and time-consuming. For yield prediction using high-resolution images, existing methods, e.g., convolutional neural network, are challenging to model long range multi-level dependencies across image regions. This paper proposes a transformer-based approach for yield prediction using early-stage images and seed information. First, each original image is segmented into plant and soil categories. Two vision transformer (ViT) modules are designed to extract features from each category. Then a transformer module is established to deal with the time-series features. Finally, the image features and seed features are combined to estimate the yield. A case study has been conducted using a dataset that was collected during the 2020 soybean-growing seasons in Canadian fields. Compared with other baseline models, the proposed method can reduce the prediction error by more than 40%. The impact of seed information on predictions is studied both between models and within a single model. The results show that the influence of seed information varies among different plots but it is particularly important for the prediction of low yields

A global-temporal analysis on Phytophthora sojae resistance-gene efficacy

Plant disease resistance genes are widely used in agriculture to reduce disease outbreaks and epidemics and ensure global food security. In soybean, Rps (Resistance to Phytophthora sojae) genes are used to manage Phytophthora sojae, a major oomycete pathogen that causes Phytophthora stem and root rot (PRR) worldwide. This study aims to identify temporal changes in P. sojae pathotype complexity, diversity, and Rps gene efficacy. Pathotype data was collected from 5121 isolates of P. sojae, derived from 29 surveys conducted between 1990 and 2019 across the United States, Argentina, Canada, and China. This systematic review shows a loss of efficacy of specific Rps genes utilized for disease management and a significant increase in the pathotype diversity of isolates over time. This study finds that the most widely deployed Rps genes used to manage PRR globally, Rps1a, Rps1c and Rps1k, are no longer effective for PRR management in the United States, Argentina, and Canada. This systematic review emphasizes the need to widely introduce new sources of resistance to P. sojae, such as Rps3a, Rps6, or Rps11, into commercial cultivars to effectively manage PRR going forward

Joint Executive Systems Engineering Management Distance Learning Masters Degree Program

M-I-P-

Assessment of promoter function and enhancing disease resistance in transgenic carrot (Daucus carota L.)

Genetic engineering is a promising strategy for creating agriculturally significant resistance in carrot. Several different transgenic strategies, in addition to conducting a detailed quantification of commonly used promoters to achieve disease resistance were investigated. Tissue-specific patterns and levels of protein expression were characterized in transgenic carrot plants transformed with the ?-glucuronidase gene driven by five promoters: Cauliflower moasaic virus 35S, double 35S (D35S), Arabidopsis ubiquitin (UBQ3), mannopine synthase (mas2) or rooting loci promoter (rolD). UBQ3 promoter provided the highest levels of expression in roots, while D35S and 35S promoters had high expression in leaves. rolD and Mas2 promoters had enhanced root expression; however levels were much lower compared to the constitutive promoters, which were subsequently used in this research. Genes encoding a rice peroxidase (POC1), wheat chitinase (383) and ?1,3- glucanase (638) were introduced into carrot. Lines expressing 638 alone had no enhanced resistance to B. cinerea or S. scleorotiorum, while 383 lines reduced disease symptoms by up to 40%. When 638 and 383 were co-expressed resistance levels were similar to 383 alone. High levels of disease resistance were seen in lines expressing POC1 with 70-90% reduction in symptoms to B. cinerea and S. sclerotiorum. POC1 lines had 20-30% increases in lignin levels in petioles and roots, which was enhanced with pathogen challenge. Several defence genes exhibited strong induction in POC1 expressing plants when induced with fungal cell wall elicitor. Additionally, POC1 lines had reduced H2O2 accumulation during oxidative burst response. POC1 derived resistance was effective towards necrotrophic pathogens. Over-expression of Arabidopsis Nonexpressor of Pathogenesis Related protein 1 was studied in carrot, with two independent lines successfully generated and analyzed. There was no detectable activation of the systemic acquire resistance (SAR) pathways in the absence of pathogens, however, the lines exhibited more intense and longer lasting activation of SAR when elicited with fungal cell walls or Salicylic acid. Both lines were highly resistant against biotrophic and necrotrophic foliar pathogens and the roots were resistant towards A. radicina, indicating broad-spectrum disease resistance. The results from this study demonstrate the feasibility of engineering disease resistance in carrot using several different approaches

MS Mechanical Engineering 570 Curriculum

M-I-P-

PD21 release 5-31-01

Press Releas

Call for Applications! Master of Science in Contract Management (835) Commencing Tuesday 8 July 2014

The Naval Postgraduate School and its School of Business and Public Policy are pleased to announce the offering of an eight quarter part-time Master of Science in Contract Management by distance learning commencing Tuesday 8 July 2014. Students that complete the degree program also earn DAWIA level III training requirements for ACQ101, 201, PMT251, 257, CON Series. The program also meets DAWIA requirements for 24 hours of business subjects and 40 hours of annual continuous learning. Note: DAU changes made after the establishment of this program for the 2014-2016 tracks will be reviewed and accommodated if and where feasible

A Cultivated Form of a Red Seaweed (Chondrus crispus), Suppresses β-Amyloid-Induced Paralysis in Caenorhabditis elegans

We report here the protective effects of a methanol extract from a cultivated strain of the red seaweed, Chondrus crispus, against β-amyloid-induced toxicity, in a transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans, expressing human Aβ1-42 gene. The methanol extract of C. crispus (CCE), delayed β-amyloid-induced paralysis, whereas the water extract (CCW) was not effective. The CCE treatment did not affect the transcript abundance of amy1; however, Western blot analysis revealed a significant decrease of Aβ species, as compared to untreated worms. The transcript abundance of stress response genes; sod3, hsp16.2 and skn1 increased in CCE-treated worms. Bioassay guided fractionation of the CCE yielded a fraction enriched in monogalactosyl diacylglycerols (MGDG) that significantly delayed the onset of β-amyloid-induced paralysis. Taken together, these results suggested that the cultivated strain of C. crispus, whilst providing dietary nutritional value, may also have significant protective effects against β-amyloid-induced toxicity in C. elegans, partly through reduced β-amyloid species, up-regulation of stress induced genes and reduced accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS)