Edamame (Glycine max L. Merr.) is a high-value crop and an export commodity with very high environmental qualification standards. Spodoptera litura and Bemisia tabaci reduce both the quantity and quality of production. Therefore, more environmentally friendly pest control methods are needed. This study evaluated several biological control agents. A field experiment was conducted using a Randomized Block Design with eleven treatments across three locations. The treatments included entomopathogenic fungi (Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae), Bacillus thuringiensis, Trichogramma sp., a botanical pesticide (1% azadirachtin), and light traps. All treatments were applied during the flowering stage. Spraying was carried out once a week, and parasitoids were released every two weeks. The results showed that pest populations changed over the observation period. The population of B. tabaci decreased from week 4 to week 7, along with increased rainfall and enhanced effectiveness of the fungus. Treatments with combined biological agents with light traps produced highly consistent reductions in pest populations. This suggests that multiple integration of biological agents and physical traps provides stable pest suppression. Future optimization is more promising in terms of timing and long-term validation related to edamame management.
Endophytic fungi have the potential for antagonistic activity against plant pathogens and can be utilized to prevent the decline in dragon fruit production caused by stem canker disease. This study aims to assess the diversity of endophytic fungi in highland and lowland areas and to evaluate their potential against dragon fruit stem canker disease. Research has been conducted using several methods, i.e., isolation of endophytic fungi from dragon fruit, biosafety assay, potential assay, and semi-in vivo assay. Banyuwangi and Bukittinggi have moderate diversity, relatively even species distributions, and low-to-moderate dominance of particular isolates. Isolates Trichoderma sp. C6 and Trichoderma sp. C13 are able to inhibit the development of N. dimidiatum on wounded cladodes. Molecular identification showed that Trichoderma sp. C13 has a close phylogenetic relationship with T. hamatum T311. Endophytic fungi from dragon fruit plants may serve as potential biocontrol agents against N. dimidiatum. However, the mechanism by which these endophytic fungi induce resistance in dragon fruit plants against N. dimidiatum remains unclear and warrants further investigation.
National melon production remains suboptimal due to the crop's sensitivity to the environment and lack of management practices. This study analyzed the interaction between GA(3) concentration (0, 50, 100, 150 ppm) and application timing (pre-anthesis, anthesis, post-anthesis) on growth, yield, and fruit quality of Fujisawa melon in an NFT hydroponic system. Significant concentration & times; timing interactions (p<0.05) optimized fruit traits at 100 ppm + anthesis: weight increased by 0.49 kg (24.1%) to 2.03 kg, flesh thickness by 1.33 cm (25.7%) to 5.17 cm, diameter by 1.79 cm (10.9%) to 16.38 cm, and volume by 413 cm(3 )(21.2%) to 1,950 cm & sup3; vs. control. Regardless of timing, 100 ppm GA(3) accelerated flowering (2.71 days) and harvest (3.87 days) vs. control and increased total soluble solids by 2.33 to 16.33 degrees Brix. Pre-anthesis application enhanced plant length by 8.57-9.41 cm and hastened flowering by 0.87-0.99 days compared to other timings. Leaf number and fruit cavity were unaffected by either treatment (p>0.05). The regression for fruit traits at anthesis (R-2=0.74-0.85) confirmed optimum concentrations of 67.50-138.50 ppm; >= 150 ppm diminished benefits. These findings provide recommendations: 100 ppm GA(3) at anthesis maximizes yield components, 75 ppm at flexible times increases sweetness levels.
Rice straw burning in the open field remains a dominant activity in negative impacts on environmental quality and organism health, yet the implementation continues due to its perceived cost-effectiveness. The results and relevance of this article are based on findings from research conducted using a mixed-method design, including surveys, in-depth interviews, and ethnographic fieldwork. The result also shows that most smallholders (58.1%) still burned rice straw, but most of them (96.8%) would adopt green technology if they received sufficient support and facilitation. The research also indicates that farmers employing alternative methods to burning receive a 10-14% boost in yields, a good sign of what sustainability can do for food production. The major barriers to the adoption of green technology were: ignorance and lack of training (67.7%), cost of equipment (16.1%), non-availability of appropriate technology (9.7%), time constraints (6.5%), and lack of policy implementation. This study suggests that rice straw could be used as animal feed, compost, and biomass energy to mitigate pollution and meet productivity demands.
The constraints in the generative propagation of stevia include a limited supply of fertile seeds, suboptimal germination rates, and significant phenotypic variability, all of which hinder conventional breeding efforts. Vegetative propagation causes genetic uniformity but limits genetic diversity. Another method for breeding stevia is by inducing polyploidy with colchicine. The main goals of polyploidy induction are to enhance diversity, improve agronomic traits, and achieve ploidy higher than diploid. This study evaluated the ploidy levels and morphological responses of two accessions (SR16 and SR17) to five colchicine doses (0.05, 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2%) and three soaking periods (8, 16, and 24 hours). The accession SR16 showed the best response to 0.1% colchicine for 8 hours and to 0.15% for 12 hours, causing ploidy levels to shift from diploid to tetraploid and mixoploid. SR17, on the other hand, needed higher concentrations and longer immersion times (0.2% for 12 hours) to show the same range of variability. The changes in shape depended on the genotype. SR16 needed low to moderate levels of immersion for short periods, while SR17 needed high levels for long periods. These results endorse the utilization of polyploidy induction techniques in stevia breeding to enhance production and sweetness quality.
This research was conducted at the Faculty of Plantation and to May 2021. The study objectives were to determine the effects of environmental factors, water limitation (WL) and high temperature (HT), on yield production and seed quality development of aerobic rice cv. MRIA 1. The seed was cultivated in a glass house (25/45 degrees C min/ max) and subjected to 3 days of WL and HT (25/40 degrees C 12 photoperiod) at different seed development stages [8, 14, 21, and 28 days after anthesis (DAA)] with four replications. Plants treated from 21 to 28 DAA showed tolerance to WL and HT, while the detrimental effect occurred at 8 DAA and 14 DAA. Normal germination (>90%) was obtained from the control, and the plant had reached physiological maturity at 21 and 28 DAA. As plant treated to environmental stress, the amylose concentration obtained ranges from 9 to 14%. The lowest seed longevity (p50) obtained from plants treated at 14 DAA recorded only 3 days, and the longest was from control seed obtained for 26 days. In conclusion, exposing cv. MRIA to HT and WL at late maturation stage has less effect on yield production and seed quality development.
Patchouli produces essential oils, which are a crucial raw material for various industries, but its main limitation is its low essential oil content and yield. Water management, integrated with the use of beneficial microorganisms, serves as an alternative strategy. This study aims to evaluate the single and dual application of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) on the growth and essential oil production of patchouli under different Soil Water Content (SWC) levels. A two-factor factorial experiment was carried out in a randomized block design with three replications. The first factor was SWC levels (100, 75, 50, and 25% Field Capacity (FC)). The second factor was bioinoculant treatments (no inoculation (control), PGPR, AMF, and PGPR+AMF). The results showed that PGPR+AMF at various SWC levels improved growth and essential oil yield up to 96-190%. A reduction in growth was observed starting at 50% FC, as indicated by the number of leaves (>35%), leaf area (>44%), and plant dry weight (>32%). SWC at 75% FC resulted in 18% higher Water Use Efficiency (WUE) than 100% FC, while PGPR+AMF inoculation increased WUE up to 66%. In conclusion, maintaining SWC at 75% FC and treating the plant with PGPR+AMF inoculations optimized patchouli essential oil yield.
The global increase in cassava bacterial blight disease (CBB) caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. manihotis (Xam) has been leading to the investigation of new strategies to tackle this problem. This study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial potential of 30 soil Streptomyces strains by initial screening against Xam, isolated from infected cassava leaves. The isolates demonstrating the strongest inhibitory effects were selected to extract their methanolic secondary metabolites following practical antibacterial biocontrol assessment. This was done by treating infected cassava plants with the methanolic extracts and monitoring for 14 days. The results showed that, among the 30 soil streptomyces strains, two isolates, encoded BEL_12 and KER_2, exhibited strong inhibitory effects. Their methanolic extracts showed inhibitory activity against Xam, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 32 & micro;g/ml for BEL_12 and 2 & micro;g/ml for KER_2. The CBB incidence on cassava leaves KER_2 and BEL_12 methanolic extracts was 24% and 88%, respectively. This study demonstrated the remarkable potential of Cameroonian soil Streptomyces spp. to produce bioactive compounds that suppress CBB and lay the basis for developing sustainable, eco-friendly biocontrol agents to reduce reliance on chemical pesticides in affected regions.
Global challenges such as hunger, malnutrition, and environmental degradation highlight the urgent need for a system-based understanding of the relationships among agriculture, food security, and nutrition. This review examines the interconnected nexus of these domains, emphasizing agriculture's role not only in food production but also in shaping dietary quality and nutritional outcomes. Drawing on interdisciplinary literature, the paper synthesizes evidence on how agricultural intensity influences food availability, access, and utilization, and how nutrition outcomes, in turn, affect agricultural productivity and long-term sustainability. Major constraints, including and postharvest losses, are analyzed to categorize key barriers to nutrition-sensitive and sustainable food systems. The review further evaluates emerging approaches for nutrition-oriented agricultural development, including agroecological practices, biofortification, climate-smart agriculture, and integrated value chain strategies. Casebased and policy-oriented insights demonstrate the value of crosssectoral collaboration and systems thinking in addressing complex food system challenges. The findings contribute to ongoing discussions on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by strengthening linkages among food production, health, and consumption. Overall, the review supports a holistic farm-to-function framework as a foundation for building resilient, equitable, and nutrition-focused food systems while identifying critical research and policy gaps for future work.
Soil degradation due to water erosion in arable land is a common threat to soil fertility and sustainable food production. Therefore, an accurate assessment of soil water erosion is crucial. The conventional Sobolev method for assessing water erosion shows consistent data over decades of soil erosion monitoring, which may underestimate the current impact of water erosion on soil in the dry steppe zone of northern Kazakhstan. In this study, five methods for estimating land cover loss were evaluated: Sobolev, geometric cross-sectional area calculation, photogrammetry, LiDAR surveying, and satellite imagery. The LiDAR surveying showed the greatest accuracy compared with Sobolev, with total channel volumes of 84.54 m3 and 33.21 m3, respectively. The findings of this study indicate that existing official soil erosion survey data, due to the low precision of conventional field-based and manual measurement techniques, underestimate the extent of water erosion in the steppe zone of northern Kazakhstan. These results highlight the importance of integrating advanced remote sensing and geospatial methods to monitor soil water erosion in croplands in the dryland steppe zone.
Among abiotic stresses in vegetable production, salt stress is very important. This study was conducted to introduce suitable growing media to reduce salinity effects in hydroponics. So, the pot culture of broccoli was investigated in a factorial experiment. Here, the effects of six different growing media (100% cocopeat, 25% cocopeat + 75% perlite, 75% cocopeat + 25% perlite, 100% perlite, 50% peat + 50% pumice, and 100% sand) and three salinity levels (0, 100, 150 mM NaCl) on broccoli cv. Sakura were examined. Based on the results, salinity caused a decrease in plant performance. However, different salinity levels had varying effects. When the chlorophyll content and Ca, K, and Fe concentrations in plant leaves decreased as a result of high salt levels, the broccoli yield decreased. The different growing media exhibited highly distinct performances. Due to the substantial interactions between the growing media and salt, it is possible to regulate the media factors to lessen the effects of salinity on plants. Perlite did not support the growth of broccoli, but it did hasten the plants' early flowering times. It was discovered that among the growing media, the optimal medium in both saline and non-saline treatments was 50% peat + 50% pumice. Accordingly, this growing medium is recommended for broccoli production.
Hoorahgrass (Fimbristylis miliacea L. Vahl.) is one of the most yield-limiting weeds in paddy fields. Farmers have reported that hoorahgrass was unaffected when sprayed with the labeled rate (18.75 g a.i./ha) of the ALS-inhibiting herbicide pyrazosulfuron-ethyl. This study was conducted to confirm the suspected hoorahgrass resistance to pyrazosulfuron-ethyl in the paddy field. Additionally, cross-resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides across five chemical families and multiple-herbicide resistance via other mechanisms of action were evaluated. Both susceptible and resistant-hoorahgrass biotypes were examined at I50 based on visual injury and GR50 based on plant height and fresh weight. The resistance level of the resistant hoorahgrass biotype was 49.91-70.16 times higher than that of the susceptible biotype. The result of cross-resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides from different chemical groups indicated that pyrazosulfuron-ethyl-resistant hoorahgrass was not controlled at the labelled rate of ethoxysulfuron, bensulfuron-methyl, metsulfuron-methyl, bispyribac-sodium, penoxsulam, pyribenzoxim and triafamone. Additionally, resistance to other herbicide mechanisms of action did not confer cross-resistance to carfentrazone-ethyl, propanil, 2,4-D dimethylammonium, and florpyrauxifen-benzyl. Therefore, farmers should alternate herbicides with different mechanisms of action to effectively control pyrazosulfuron-ethyl-resistant hoorahgrass.
Soybean, a protein-source vegetable legume, is one of the major commodities in Indonesia, leading to intensive breeding activity. Around 120 soybean varieties have been released, with an average yield of 1.5-2 tons per hectare and an average in-country production of around 300 thousand tons per year. Introducing subtropical soybeans is an approach to enrich the genetic variance of local soybeans to increase the yields. A total of 112 subtropical soybeans from East Asia were planted in the lowland tropic region, and their agronomic traits adaptation was observed. The area was selected to assess the photoperiod sensitivity of soybean species, which originated from subtropical regions. All genotypes flowered and were able to produce mature pods. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used as a prior analysis to gain a better understanding of the dimensionality of datasets. Eight principal components (PC) were produced, with 67.60% of data variation explained by the first three PCs. Biplot analysis identified 30 potential genotypes that exhibited better performance, which were grouped into 4 distinct clusters, and each cluster had its specific identity traits. This preliminary finding could be a basis for further research for reference when selecting genotypes as gene sources in soybean breeding programs.
Formulating a stable para-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD) nanoemulsion requires a balanced ratio of active ingredients and surfactants. Increasing the active ingredient may improve efficacy but can reduce stability, while excessive surfactant levels may cause unwanted foaming during application. This study evaluates the use of a defoamer to improve nanoparticle stability and enhance the biological activity of the formulations against Spodoptera frugiperda. The research was conducted in two stages: (1) characterization of particle stability using the DLS method and (2) evaluation of insecticidal activity through the leaf-dip bioassay. Data were analyzed using ANOVA followed by the LSD test; LC50 and LC95 values were determined via Probit analysis using POLO PLUS. The addition of a defoamer significantly improved the physicochemical properties and performance of the PMD nanoemulsion. The formulation achieved a refined particle size of 202.2 nm and a PDI of 0.20, both within acceptable nanoparticle standards. At a concentration of 0.25%, the defoamer-enhanced formulation demonstrated superior biological efficacy, including a 0.07% increase in LC95 efficiency and 3.14% growth inhibition. The treatment reduced pupal formation and adult emergence by 8% and altered the sex ratio. The addition of a defoamer improves the physical properties of the nanoemulsion and its biological efficacy against Spodoptera frugiperda.
Genotypic performance in rice is significantly influenced by environmental heterogeneity, necessitating multi-location evaluation to identify adaptive and stable upland rice lines. This study evaluates the uniformity, adaptability, stability, and yield potential of five breeding lines (G1-G5) and five released varieties across two contrasting island environments: Jambi (Sumatra) and Mataram (Nusa Tenggara), from June to December 2024. A randomized block design is employed, and data are analyzed using ANOVA, DMRT, correlation analysis, phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation, and broad-sense heritability. Significant differences are detected among genotypes for all traits except filled-grain weight, with G2 exhibiting the highest yield per plot. All traits are significantly affected by location, indicating a strong environmental influence, while genotype and environment contributed independently to trait expression. Correlation patterns are generally consistent across locations, with the strongest association observed between yield per plot and grain weight. The majority of traits exhibit broad phenotypic and genotypic variability (87.5%), and 66.7% of the evaluated traits show high heritability, suggesting substantial potential for genetic improvement. Based on performance, lines G2 (white rice) and G5 (red rice) are recommended for further development and cultivation in upland rice ecosystems in Indonesia.
The global trade value of Phalaenopsis is still promising; therefore, the prospects for future orchid agribusiness remain widely open. As a part of Indonesian new-variety registration, seeds of the registered variety must meet a quality standard within two years. In addition, a reliable, large-scale supply of uniform seeds is vital to the industry. Research on clonal propagation of Phalaenopsis orchids has been studied for the last three years, but the proliferation rate of PLBs remains unsatisfactory. This might be related to the relatively low temperature of the micro environment. Placing the cultures in the 'acclimatization' room provided with a conducive micro-environment resulted in a significant increase in PLBs/shoots (30-50/explant). It is assumed that the proliferation rate of PLBs/shoots can be increased by setting the optimum exposure time. Two temperature regimes were implemented; the first was a 29-32 degrees C light condition (14 hours) followed by a 22-25 degrees C 10-hour dark period, and the second was the opposite: cooler temperatures during the 14-hour light period (22-24 degrees C) and warmer temperatures during the 10-hour dark period (25-28 degrees C). In this paper, we present the results of an extensive three-year study on the multiplication of the Phalaenopsis orchid, leading to a much shorter orchid crossbreeding scheme.
One of the main pests impacting agricultural crops is Thrips sp., and controlling it still mostly relies on synthetic pesticides that could have a detrimental impact on both human health and the sustainability of the environment. Although botanical pesticides made from Tithonia diversifolia have been regarded as a viable substitute, nothing is known about how extraction solvents and microbubble technology affect their insecticidal efficacy. Thus, this work assessed the efficacy of fermented distilled water extracts supported by microbubbles and T. diversifolia leaf extracts made with various solvents against Thrips sp. Using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD), experiments were carried out in September-November 2024 and July-October 2025. Mortality data were examined at a 5% significance level (alpha = 0.05). According to the findings, at a concentration of200,000 ppm, the fermented extract resulted in 81.25% mortality 48 hours after application (HAA). The n-hexane extract at 1,500 ppm caused the greatest mortality of all the treatments, reaching 96.66% at 48 HAA. This suggests that n-hexane was the best solvent to extract insecticidal bioactive components from T. diversifolia.
This study evaluated the predatory potential and functional responses of the different stages of the yellow netted lady beetle (YNLB), Heteroneda billardieri, against all nymphal instars of the mango leafhopper (MLH) in the laboratory. The 3rd instar larva and the female and male adults of YNLB were offered varying densities of MLH in vials, and the number of consumed MLH was recorded after 24 hours. The prey-consumption data were analyzed using logistic regression to estimate the age-specific functional response to MLH. Results showed that the 3rd instar H. billardieri has the highest predatory capability relative to the adult predators. At the highest prey density, 3rd instar larvae consumed 14.67 and 15.33 of the 2nd and 3rd instar MLH, respectively. It also has the highest attack rate and shortest handling time, with values of 0.089 and 0.71, respectively. All tested stages of H. billardieri exhibit a Type II functional response, characterized by a curvilinear increase in predation rates with increasing prey density. The results imply that the field releases using the 3rd instar H. billardieri can achieve the highest biological control efficiency. However, field studies should be conducted to verify these results.
Hoya carnosa (L.) R. Br. propagation is conventionally less efficient, and the amount produced is low. This study aims to determine the influence of hormone type and concentration on changes in cell structure and the phase of somatic embryogenesis of the Hoya plant in vitro. The study was conducted in two stages, namely the first stage of callus induction with a combination of BAP (0.4 mg/l, 0.5 mg/l, 0.6 mg/l) and 2,4-D (5 mg/l, 6 mg/l, 7 mg/l) and the second stage of somatic embryogenesis with a combination of BAP hormones (0.5 mg/l, 1.0 mg/l, 1.5 mg/l) and IBA (0.25 mg/l, 0.5 mg/l, and 0.75 mg/l). The data were analyzed using ANOVA and further analyzed by using DMRT. Based on the results, the combination of BAP 0.4 mg/l and 2,4-D 7 mg/l hormones showed the best growth with the parameters of the appearance of callus at 23 days, callus weight 2.92 g, and embryogenic calluses formed with crumb texture and greenish-yellow color. The combination of BAP 1 mg/l and IBA 0.75 mg/l resulted in the frequency of budding emergence of 23.3 days and the number of tendrils 20.7. This treatment was able to produce 5 roots and 2 shoots.
‘Monthong’ is one of the most popular durian cultivars in Thailand and international markets because of its good taste, mild aroma, firm texture, and long shelf life. Premium-grade durians are expensive and in high demand, but clear criteria are still limited. In this study, ‘Monthong’ that won prizes in competitions were selected to examine their characteristics. The common traits found in the winning fruits were considered as potential indicators of premium quality. It was found that all winning durians had a pulp dry matter (DM) content of at least 36%. Moreover, pulp DM also showed a positive correlation with flavor (r = 0.59, P = 0.038). Nevertheless, results from a public sensory test showed that pulp DM ≥36% alone was not enough to define premium quality (χ² = 0.120, P > 0.05). Principal component analysis implied that sweetness, nuttiness, aroma, and low fiber content also influenced consumer preference. When DM ≥36% was combined with these favorable sensory traits, consumers could identify premium durians more accurately. In this case, 76.3% correctly identified premium-quality fruit. These findings suggest that a DM of ≥36% with key sensory traits serves as a reliable criterion for defining the premium quality of ‘Monthong’ durian.
