Reversing the Energy Trend in Mobile Networks:Equipment Replacement for Increased Capacity at a Fraction of the Energy

In order to meet the expected boost in mobile data traffic, mobile network operators are planning and upgrading the capacity of their networks. Through a previous study it has been shown that over a period of eight years, different network upgrade strategies have a different impact on the energy consumption and cost of the network. However, irrespective of the upgrade strategy, all lead to an overall increase in the energy consumption of the network. This is based on the assumption that all sites are equipped with the same version of the equipment. In reality, it is likely to find a variety of equipment generations at different base station sites. This paper extends the previous study by considering a realistic equipment replacement strategy. In addition to considering three equipment generations, a number of sites are also upgraded to remote radio head, which reduces the energy consumption even further. Results show, that over the evolution period, it is in fact possible to boost capacity while maintaining or even reducing the energy consumption of the network. For the macro-only upgrade case, a reduction of 9% is experienced between the first and the last year. For the joint macro-pico case, a reduction in energy consumption of 41% is noted. Such reductions are well in line with what mobile network operators are aiming at achieving over the next years

Insights to plant–microbe interactions provide opportunities to improve resistance breeding against root diseases in grain legumes

Root and foot diseases severely impede grain legume cultivation worldwide. Breeding lines with resistance against individual pathogens exist, but these resistances are often overcome by the interaction of multiple pathogens in field situations. Novel tools allow to decipher plant–microbiome interactions in unprecedented detail and provide insights into resistance mechanisms that consider both simultaneous attacks of various pathogens and the interplay with beneficial microbes. Although it has become clear that plant‐associated microbes play a key role in plant health, a systematic picture of how and to what extent plants can shape their own detrimental or beneficial microbiome remains to be drawn. There is increasing evidence for the existence of genetic variation in the regulation of plant–microbe interactions that can be exploited by plant breeders. We propose to consider the entire plant holobiont in resistance breeding strategies in order to unravel hidden parts of complex defence mechanisms. This review summarizes (a) the current knowledge of resistance against soil‐borne pathogens in grain legumes, (b) evidence for genetic variation for rhizosphere‐related traits, (c) the role of root exudation in microbe‐mediated disease resistance and elaborates (d) how these traits can be incorporated in resistance breeding programmes