Conservation agriculture effects on ecosystem health and sustainability - A review of rice-wheat cropping system.

Conventional tillage, extreme climate events, increasing weed incidence, pest and disease pressures, and diminished farm input availability negatively impact crop yield, stability, profitability, and water productivity in South Asia's rice-wheat (R-W) systems. This article reviews and evaluates the effectiveness and benefits of conservation agriculture (CA) practices in improving soil health, water productivity, and sustainability in R-W systems. CA practices focus on minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil cover, and crop rotations.

Role of reactive nitrogen species in changing climate and future concerns of environmental sustainability.

The nitrogen (N) cycle is an intricate biogeochemical process that encompasses the conversion of several chemical forms of N. Given its role in food production, the need for N for life on Earth is obvious. However, the release of reactive nitrogen (Nr) species throughout different biogeochemical processes contributes to atmospheric pollution.

Root system architecture associated zinc variability in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Root system architecture (RSA) plays a fundamental role in nutrient uptake, including zinc (Zn). Wheat grains are inheritably low in Zn. As Zn is an essential nutrient for plants, improving its uptake will not only improve their growth and yield but also the nutritional quality of staple grains.

Butyrate decreases Campylobacter jejuni motility and biofilm partially through influence on LysR expression.

The food pathogen Campylobacter jejuni both colonizes the lower intestines of poultry and infects the lower intestines of humans. The lower intestines of both poultry and humans are also home to a wide range of commensal organisms which compete with an organism like C. jejuni for space and resources.

Nanobiotechnology in crop stress management: an overview of novel applications.

Agricultural crops are subject to a variety of biotic and abiotic stresses that adversely affect growth and reduce the yield of crop plantss. Traditional crop stress management approaches are not capable of fulfilling the food demand of the human population which is projected to reach 10 billion by 2050. Nanobiotechnology is the application of nanotechnology in biological fields and has emerged as a sustainable approach to enhancing agricultural productivity by alleviating various plant stresses.

Mediation of gaseous emissions and improving plant productivity by DCD and DMPP nitrification inhibitors: Meta-analysis of last three decades.

Nitrification inhibitors (NIs), especially dicyandiamide (DCD) and 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP), have been extensively investigated to mitigate nitrogen (N) losses from the soil and thus improve crop productivity by enhancing N use efficiency. However, to provide crop and soil-specific guidelines about using these NIs, a quantitative assessment of their efficacy in mitigating gaseous emissions, worth for nitrate leaching, and improving crop productivity under different crops and soils is yet required. Therefore, based upon 146 peer-reviewed research studies, we conducted a meta-analysis to quantify the effect of DCD and DMPP on gaseous emissions, nitrate leaching, soil inorganic N, and crop productivity under different variates.

Minimizing Viral Transmission in COVID-19 Like Pandemics: Technologies, Challenges, and Opportunities.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has incurred huge loss to human lives throughout the world. Scientists, researchers, and doctors are trying their best to develop and distribute the COVID-19 vaccine throughout the world at the earliest. In current circumstances, different tracking systems are utilized to control or stop the spread of the virus till the whole population of the world gets vaccinated.

Recent trends in the use of fly ash for the adsorption of pollutants in contaminated wastewater and soils: Effects on soil quality and plant growth.

Fly ash is one of the largest types of industrial wastes produced during the combustion of coal for energy generation. Finding efficient and sustainable solutions for its reuse has been the subject of substantial research worldwide. Here, we review the recent research data related to (i) the use of fly ash as a low-cost adsorbent for pollutants in wastewater and soils and (ii) its implications in soil-plant system.

Enriching Urea with Nitrogen Inhibitors Improves Growth, N Uptake and Seed Yield in Quinoa ( Willd) Affecting Photochemical Efficiency and Nitrate Reductase Activity.

Quinoa is a climate resilience potential crop for food security due to high nutritive value. However, crop variable response to nitrogen (N) use efficiency may lead to affect grain quality and yield. This study compared the performance of contrasting quinoa genotypes (UAF Q-7, EMS-line and JQH1) to fertilizer urea enriched with urease and nitrification inhibitors (NIs; 1% (/) thiourea + boric acid + sodium thiosulphate), ordinary urea and with no N as control.

Mineral biofortification of vegetables through soil-applied poultry mortality compost.

Intensive agricultural practices lower soil fertility, particularly micronutrients which are rarely applied to soils as chemical fertilizers. Micronutrient deficiency in soils results in inferior product quality and micronutrient malnutrition in humans. Application of compost to soil may improve crop yields and quality by enhancing macro- and micronutrients availability, enhancing soil microbial population, and improving soil physicochemical properties.

Efficient Prediction of Missed Clinical Appointment Using Machine Learning.

Public health and its related facilities are crucial for thriving cities and societies. The optimum utilization of health resources saves money and time, but above all, it saves precious lives. It has become even more evident in the present as the pandemic has overstretched the existing medical resources.

Severity of zinc and iron malnutrition linked to low intake through a staple crop: a case study in east-central Pakistan.

Micronutrients deficiency in soil-plant and human is well-addressed; however, little is known about their spatial distribution, magnitude of deficiency and biological nexus. Zinc deficiency (ZnD) and iron-deficiency anemia (FeD) are two serious nutritional concerns which are negatively affecting human health. Herein, a survey-based case study was conducted in major wheat-based cropping system of east-central Pakistan.

Concentration and Localization of Fe and Zn in Wheat Grain as Affected by Its Application to Soil and Foliage.

Nutritional status of people can be improved by enhancing zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) content in cereals used as staple mainly in poor resource countries. Zinc and Fe were applied through soil and foliage in a study to biofortify wheat grains. Foliar application of both micronutrients increased the growth and grain vigor as compared to soil application and control.

Dichromate-induced ethylene biosynthesis, perception, and signaling regulate the variance in root growth inhibition among Shaheen basmati and basmati-385 rice varieties.

Heavy metals, including a hexavalent form of chromium (Cr(VI)) increasing accumulation in agricultural soil, cause a significant reduction in quality, yield, and growth of rice varieties worldwide. Screening for the selection of tolerant varieties is essential for conventional and molecular breeding. Shaheen basmati (SB) and basmati-385 (B-385) rice varieties, a subspecies of indica, show different sensitivity to Cr(VI), but the underlying mechanisms of this different sensitivity remain elusive.

SPEECHLESS and MUTE Mediate Feedback Regulation of Signal Transduction during Stomatal Development.

Stomatal density, spacing, and patterning greatly influence the efficiency of gas exchange, photosynthesis, and water economy. They are regulated by a complex of extracellular and intracellular factors through the signaling pathways. After binding the extracellular epidermal patterning factor 1 (EPF1) and 2 (EPF2) as ligands, the receptor-ligand complexes activate by phosphorylation through the MAP-kinase cascades, regulating basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors SPEECHLESS (SPCH), MUTE, and FAMA.

Chromium Morpho-Phytotoxicity.

Chromium (Cr) is considered as one of the chronic pollutants that cause damage to all living forms, including plants. Various industries release an excessive amount of Cr into the environment. The increasing accumulation of Cr in agricultural land causes a significant decrease in the yield and quality of economically important crops.

Use of nano-/micro-magnetite for abatement of cadmium and lead contamination.

Structural variations of a mineral dictate its adsorption capacity which affects the mobility and toxicity of contaminants in natural and engineered systems. Present batch study evaluates the adsorption of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) onto three magnetites having nanometric (M1-30 nm and M2-60 nm) and micrometric particle sizes (M3-1.5 μm).

Nanotechnology in agriculture: Current status, challenges and future opportunities.

Nanotechnology has shown promising potential to promote sustainable agriculture. This article reviews the recent developments on applications of nanotechnology in agriculture including crop production and protection with emphasis on nanofertilizers, nanopesticides, nanobiosensors and nano-enabled remediation strategies for contaminated soils. Nanomaterials play an important role regarding the fate, mobility and toxicity of soil pollutants and are essential part of different biotic and abiotic remediation strategies.

Chromium-Induced Reactive Oxygen Species Accumulation by Altering the Enzymatic Antioxidant System and Associated Cytotoxic, Genotoxic, Ultrastructural, and Photosynthetic Changes in Plants.

Chromium (Cr) is one of the top seven toxic heavy metals, being ranked 21st among the abundantly found metals in the earth's crust. A huge amount of Cr releases from various industries and Cr mines, which is accumulating in the agricultural land, is significantly reducing the crop development, growth, and yield. Chromium mediates phytotoxicity either by direct interaction with different plant parts and metabolic pathways or it generates internal stress by inducing the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Efficacy of fertilizing method for different potash sources in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) nutrition under arid climatic conditions.

Precise choice of potassium (K) source and application method does matter for its cost-effectiveness. This study was aimed to evaluate the best source and method of K fertilizer application to improve cotton productivity and profitability under an arid climate. Three different K sources (KNO3, K2SO4 and KCl) were applied at 100 kg ha-1 by four methods, i.

Solvent polarity mediates phytochemical yield and antioxidant capacity of .

Secondary metabolites have been extensively used in the treatment of various health problems. The role of solvent polarity on the phytochemical isolation and antioxidant capacity of (woad) is elusive. In the present study, 14 solvents with different polarity were used in the extraction and total phenolic and flavonoid content (TPC and TFC) investigation.

Draft Genomic Sequences of Campylobacter coli Isolates from Chicken Carcasses.

bacteria are one of the leading causes of bacterial foodborne illnesses in the United States. Here, we report the draft genomic sequences of eight isolates from chicken carcasses, including virulence factors and antibiotic resistance.

Early maturing Bt cotton requires more potassium fertilizer under water deficiency to augment seed-cotton yield but not lint quality.

Exhaustive crops such as cotton require potassium (K) in copious amounts as compared to other crops. High yielding cultivars in cotton-wheat cropping system, have further increased its demand in cotton growing areas of Pakistan. As cotton is grown in arid and semiarid areas, therefore often prone to water deficiency.