There is growing interest in using remote sensing tools to monitor crop status and develop in-season management strategies for optimizing rice productivity. However, the degree to which a vegetation index obtained from satellite imagery at the panicle initiation (PI) growth stage is associated with final yield remains underexplored. The objectives of this study were to (i) evaluate how Normalized Difference Red Edge Index (NDRE) at PI influences the likelihood of achieving top or bottom rice yields across commercial fields and (ii) explore key management practices that differentiate these fields. We analyzed data from 141 commercial rice fields in Uruguay across three growing seasons (2018–2020), covering approximately 18,000 ha. Spectral data were obtained from Sentinel-2 satellite imagery processed in Google Earth Engine, using near-infrared (864 nm) and red-edge (704 nm) bands to calculate NDRE at a 20 m spatial resolution. NDRE values at PI were classified into terciles (high, medium, and low), and yield quintiles were used to define top and bottom yield classes. We assessed the frequency of fields transitioning between NDRE and yield classes and potential management factors associated with these yield trajectories. Fields with high NDRE at PI had a 30
Metabolomics has emerged as a prominent tool in agrifood production and agriculture, offering comprehensive insights into the metabolic processes of plants and animals. In Uruguay, where agriculture plays a crucial role in the economy, the application of metabolomics has the potential to significantly enhance the productivity and sustainability of agrifood systems. This review explores its diverse applications, highlighting its role in optimizing crop yield, agrifood quality, and agricultural sustainability. It also emphasizes the transformative impact of metabolomics in advancing agricultural practices and ensuring food security. This review discusses examples of agrifood production, including soybeans, meat, olive oil, citrus fruits, and potential new fruit crops. By providing detailed comprehension into the metabolic processes of plants and animals, metabolomics enables researchers, stakeholders and farmers to make more informed decisions about breeding, cultivation, and production practices. This, in turn, leads to improved crop yields, higher quality agrifood products, and more sustainable agricultural systems.
This study evaluated the in vitro and in planta efficacy of six chemical fungicides (boscalid, captan, copper oxychloride, difenoconazole, pyraclostrobin, and potassium hydrogen carbonate) and two biological control agents (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum D747 and Trichoderma atroviride strain SC1) against Diaporthe amygdali, the causal agent of twig canker and shoot blight disease of almond. In vitro assays demonstrated that D. amygdali is highly sensitive to captan, difenoconazole, and pyraclostrobin. Regarding biological products, dual antagonism assays showed high efficacy for T. atroviride. Subsequently, the pre- and post-infection activity of all products was assessed on one-year-old almond plants. Efficacy varied significantly depending on the timing of application. Trichoderma atroviride was effective at all application times, achieving mean percent disease control (MPDC) values of 100% when applied preventively. Pre-infection applications of difenoconazole and pyraclostrobin resulted in 100% MPDC. However, their efficacy progressively decreased when applied post-infection. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and captan showed variable results, reaching a maximum of 73% and 87% MPDC, respectively, when applied before inoculation. In contrast, boscalid, copper oxychloride, and potassium hydrogen carbonate exhibited very low MPDC values, regardless of application timing. These findings provide valuable information for improving management strategies against D. amygdali in almond orchards.
In April-June 2017, a cluster of 4 third-trimester abortions caused by Coxiella burnetii was diagnosed on a dairy farm with 356 Holstein cows in Uruguay. We investigated 1) the seroprevalence of C. burnetii in cows delivering normal calves in this herd, 2) whether non-aborting cows gave birth to seropositive and/or PCR-positive newborn calves in the year of the abortion cluster, and 3) whether seronegative newborn calves seroconverted after ingesting colostrum replacer. In March-September 2017, serum samples were collected from 133 calving cows and their calves immediately after birth and before colostrum ingestion. All 266 sera were analyzed for anti-C. burnetii IgG by ELISA. Additionally, 179 blood samples from some of these animals (82 cows, 97 calves) were PCR-tested for C. burnetii DNA. Thirty of the 133 (22.5%) cows delivering normal calves were seropositive at parturition; 4 of 82 (4.9%) were PCR-positive. All calves tested at birth by ELISA and PCR were negative. Our results suggest that congenital infection is not an important route of C. burnetii transmission to live-born calves in this herd. We observed that 76 of 80 (95%) seronegative newborn calves in 2021 became seropositive for anti-C. burnetii IgG at 24-h-old after drinking an imported commercial colostrum replacer, which could confound seroepidemiologic surveys in herds using colostrum replacers.
Beef production in pasture-based systems is often associated with relatively high methane emissions. Improving forage quality by including Lotus species may contribute to methane mitigation in rangeland systems. We aimed to evaluate the productive and reproductive performance, ruminal environment, and methane emission in beef suckling cows grazing native pastures (NPs) improved with a tannin-enriched legume (Lotus subbiflorus). Fifty-six Aberdeen Angus × Hereford multiparous cows were assigned to two treatments on day 22 ± 0.82 postpartum: (i) NP (n = 28), and (ii) NPs improved with L. subbiflorus (improved pastures, IPs, n = 28). The initial forage allowance was 4.7 kg DM/kg BW for both treatments. IP contained 27% L. subbiflorus, with 3.6 g/100 g DM of condensed tannins. Milk yield was assessed biweekly from the start of the experiment until day 133 postpartum. Body condition score and BW were assessed at calving and every 28 days. Ovarian activity diagnosis was performed on days 57 and 87 postpartum. Methane emission was measured for 49 days using the GreenFeed® system. The animals were rumen sampled via oesophageal intubation to determine pH, volatile fatty acids, and NH3 levels. BW was higher (P < 0.05) in IP than in NP cows on day 78, but not on day 133 postpartum. Average milk production (kg/d) was greater in IP than in NP cows from days 30 to 84 postpartum (P < 0.05) and from days 84 to 140 postpartum (P < 0.05). Daily BW gain between days 22 and 78 postpartum tended to be higher (P = 0.057) in IP than in NP calves, but no differences were observed between days 78 and 133 postpartum. On day 57 postpartum, more IP cows were in superficial anoestrus than NP cows (P < 0.05); however, no differences were observed on day 87 postpartum (P = 0.979), as most of the cows in both treatments were cycling. Cows in IP presented lower ruminal acetate concentrations (P < 0.05) and higher (P < 0.01) NH3 content than cows in NP. Methane emission was higher in cows in IP than in NP (P < 0.001). However, methane emission intensity was lower in IP than in NP (P = 0.05). Under grazing conditions, incorporating L. subbiflorus on NPs could be a strategy for nutritional management to enhance early postpartum beef herd performance and reduce methane emission intensity in rangeland systems.
