Journal articles on the topic 'And when applied at a consumption rate of 1.6 l/ha'

The use of suitable technologies helps crop cultivation under unfavorable and extreme weather conditions obtain the optimum yield by influencing irrigation, fertilization, sowing time, and crop density. The study aimed to determine the impact of adaptive technologies on sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) cultivation at the Kazakh Research Institute of Agriculture and Plant Growing, Almaty Region, Kazakhstan. The phenological observations on basic phases of sugar beet growth and development, and plant density were done according to the generally accepted methods. Moreover, the photosynthetic activity of crop productivity was studied through the accumulation of raw and dry biomass (weight method), area determination of the assimilation apparatus (die-cutting method), and the advent of photosynthetic active radiation. The influence of meteorological conditions was particularly noted on plots with moisture deficit. Maintaining such pre-irrigation soil moisture at 60% of LMC (Least Moisture Capacity) requires less watering with large irrigation rates (1020-1260 m3 ha-1) with inter-irrigation periods of 30–37 days. In 2016, three irrigations with the rate of 1220-1260 m3 ha-1 were done. Maximum water consumption occurs from the end of July to the beginning of August. Consumption of spring reserves for soil moisture was 8%-10% higher at late harvesting than at early harvesting. During the crop season with high rainfall distributed uniformly over the vegetation period, spring soil moisture reserves consumption increased and their share in total water consumption increased 12% up to 20%, whereas, during dry seasons it decreased 6% up to 14%. The study noted that for producing the sugar beet yields ranging from 22.6 to 65.2 t ha-1, the NPK should be applied at the rate of nitrogen (32 – 215 kg ha-1), phosphorus (12–68 kg ha-1), and potassium (50–380 kg ha-1), It was also found necessary to apply fertilizers differentially depending on the level of applied technology for the planned beet yield.

The sensitivity of agricultural crops to the Lumax herbicide, consisting of three active agents C-metolachlor, terbutylazine and mesotrione, the duration of their action in meadow-brown soil, and the aftereffect of the herbicide on the plants of the crop rotation were determined. The study was conducted in the conditions of the greenhouse in the Primorsky Territory in 2019 and 2020. The herbicide Lumax was used on experimental plots before corn germination at doses of 4.0 l/ha (recommended) and 8.0 l/ha (twice the recommended). In the autumn of 2019 and in the spring of 2020, samples of meadow-brown soil were taken from the experimental plots and from the control (without herbicides) from the depth of the arable layer containing 3.5% humus. The samples were used to establish the duration of the action of active agents and the aftereffect of the herbicide Lumax. Prior to this, plants indicating residual amounts of the chemical in meadow-brown soil were preselected. The doses of the herbicide which reduce the above-ground mass of the test plant by 50% were calculated, as well as its maximum permissible concentration in the soil. It was determined that by the end of the growing season, 0.7–3.0% of the active agent of the herbicide Lumax is retained in meadow-brown soil at a rate of application of 4.0 l/ha, and 0.6–3.9% – at a rate of 8.0 l/ha. By the beginning of the next field season, the preparation applied at the recommended rate completely decomposed, while when it was applied at a double rate of the recommended rate, 0.8–1.7% of the herbicide remained. Eight months after the application at a rate of 4.0 l/ha, the herbicide Lumax is safe for subsequent crops of the crop rotation. In case of overdose or double application (8.0 l/ ha), it can have an aftereffect on sensitive crops. The crops that are highly sensitive to the Lumax preparation were identified: cabbage, radish, rapeseed, beetroot, tomatoes, cucumber and rice; sensitive: wheat, buckwheat and soybean; relatively resistant: oats and barley. A safe consumption rate of the Lumax herbicide (4.0 l/ha) for subsequent crops of the crop rotation was established.

The results of assessing the effect of biological preparations and a seed disinfectant on the technological qualities of grain of soft spring wheat Novosibirskaya 31 are presented. The effectiveness of the use of biological plant protection products was studied in the field experiment, laid down in 2020 in the forest-steppe conditions of the Ob region. Pre-sowing seed treatment included the following options: control (without treatment); Trichodermin, P (Trichoderma viride, titer more than 6 billion spores/g), consumption rate – 15 kg/t seed; Sporobacterin, SP (Bacillus subtilis + Trichoderma viride, strain 4097), consumption rate – 0.5 kg/ton of seeds; Scarlet, ME, chemical standard (imazalil (100 g/l) + tebuconazole (60 g/l), consumption rate – 0.3 l/t of seeds. The use of the preparations contributed to an increase in yield by 0.40 and 0.52 t/ha when using Trichodermin and Sporobacterin, respectively, and by 0.08 t/ha when using fungicide Scarlet. In this case, the mass of 1000 grains increased by 0.84, 0.80 and 0.96 g, respectively, relative to the control. The preparations Trichodermin and Sporobacterin had a significant effect on the growth of grain in length and width relative to the control – by 5.4-6.9 and 9.6%, Scarlet – by 10.6 and 13.9%, respectively. Pre-sowing seed treatment contributed to the growth of such indicators of the caryopsis as volume (by 19.6–29.3%), surface area (by 12.1–19.2%), and sphericity (by 6.3–7.8%). To a greater extent, they increased with the use of fungicide Scarlet. Getting larger grain led to an increase in the endosperm content by 0.76–1.14%. A close correlation has been shown between the indicators of the mass of 1000 grains and the linear grain sizes (r = 0.92–0.98), as well as with the grain volume, sphericity and endosperm content (r = 0.98–0.99). Pre-sowing treatment of spring wheat seeds provides grain with improved technological properties.

Chlorsulfuron [2-chloro-N-[[(4-methoxy-6-methyl-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-amino] carbonyl] benzenesulfonamide], applied at 9 to 560 g ai/ha to the soil surface, stopped shoot elongation of well established Canada thistle [Cirsium arvense(L.) Scop. #4CIRAR] plants in the greenhouse. Root fresh weight decreased progressively as chlorsulfuron rate was increased when measured 1 month after treatment. In contrast, the number of visible root buds plus secondary shoots increased 1.9- to 2.3-fold between 9 and 67 g/ha chlorsulfuron 1 month after soil surface treatment. Despite more numerous root buds, the number of secondary shoots arising from adventitious root buds progressively decreased as chlorsulfuron rate was raised. Increases in the number of visible root buds were observed first between 3 and 4 weeks following soil application with 67 g/ha of chlorsulfuron, 2 weeks after shoot growth stopped.

Abstract. The research was conducted during 2019 - 2021 on pellic vertisol soil type. Under investigation was lentil cultivar Ilina (Lens culinaris Medik.). A total of 23 variants were investigated: untreated control, 8 herbicides – Pendistar 40 SC (pendimethalin), Dual gold 960 EC (S-metolachlor), Lentagran VP (pyridate), Challenge 600 SC (aclonifen), Zencor 600 SC (metribuzin), Wish top (quizalofop-P-ethyl), Zetrola (propaquizafop) and Passat 40 (imazamox), as well as combinations and tank mixtures between them. Soil-applied herbicides were used during the period after sowing before emergence. Foliar-applied herbicides were used during 2-3, 4-5 or 6-7 real leaf stage of the lentil. All of the herbicides, herbicide combinations and herbicide tank-mixtures were applied in a working solution of 300 l/ha. Mixing of foliar-applied herbicides was done in the tank on the sprayer. The combinations of herbicide Lentagran with soil-applied herbicides Pendistar and Dual gold, as well as herbicides Challenge with foliar-applied herbicides Wish top and Zetrola had an additive effect on herbicide efficacy. The herbicides Lentagran and Zencor, as well as their combinations, successfully controlled Clearfield and ExpressSun sunflower self-sown plants in lentil crops. The foliar-applied herbicide Passat controlled all annual and perennial broadleaved and graminaceous weeds and self-sown plants. The use of foliar-applied herbicide Passat and soil-applied herbicide Zencor at a dose of 900 g/ha led to high phytotoxicity in lentil plants – rate 3 according to the scale of EWRS. Double use of Zencor at doses of 600 + 300 g/ha and the combined use of the herbicides Challenge and Zetrola led to low phytotoxicity in lentil – rate 2 according to the scale of EWRS. The highest yields of lentil seeds were obtained by use of herbicide combinations Pendistar 5 l/ha + Lentagran 500 + 500 ml/ha and Pendistar 5 l/ha + Lentagran 1 l/ha. High yields were also obtained when combining Challenge 3 + 1 l/ha with Wish top 1.25 l/ha, as well as by the herbicide combination Challenge 4 l/ha + Wish top 1.25 l/ha.

The experiment was conducted in the Agronomy Field, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU), Dhaka-1207 during the period of November 17, 2016 to March 29, 2017 on growth and yield performance of selected wheat genotypes at variable irrigation. In this experiment, the treatment consisted of three varieties viz. V1 = BARI Gom 26, V2 = BARI Gom 28, V3 = BARI Gom 30, and four different irrigations viz. I0 = No Irrigation throughout the growing season, I1 = One irrigation (Irrigate at CRI stage), I2= Two irrigation (Irrigate at CRI and grain filling), I3= Three irrigation (irrigate at CRI, booting and grain filling stages). The experiment was laid out in two factors split plot with three replications. The collected data were statistically analyzed for evaluation of the treatment effect. Results showed that a significant variation among the treatments in respect majority of the observed parameters. Results showed significant variation in almost every parameter of treatments. The highest Plant height, number of effective tillers hill-1, spike length, number of grain spike-1 was obtained from BARI Gom-30. The highest grain weight hectare-1 (3.44 ton) was found from wheat variety BARI Gom-30. All parameters of wheat showed statistically significant variation due to variation of irrigation. The maximum value of growth, yield contributing characters, seed yield was observed with three irrigation (irrigate at CRI, booting and grain filling stages). The interaction between different levels of variety and irrigation was significantly influenced on almost all growth and yield contributing characters, seed yield. The highest yield (3.99 t ha-1) was obtained from BARI Gom-30 with three irrigation (irrigate at CRI, booting and grain filling stages). The optimum growth and higher yield of wheat cv. BARI Gom-30 could be obtained by applying three irrigations at CRI, booting and grain filling stages.
 Introduction
 Wheat (Triticumaestivum L.) is one of the most important cereal crops cultivated all over the world. Wheat production was increased from 585,691 thousand tons in 2000 to 713,183 thousand tons in 2013 which was ranked below rice and maize in case of production (FAO, 2015). In the developing world, need for wheat will be increased 60 % by 2050 (Rosegrant and Agcaoili, 2010). The International Food Policy Research Institute projections revealed that world demand for wheat will increase from 552 million tons in 1993 to 775 million tons by 2020 (Rosegrantet al.,1997). Wheat grain is the main staple food for about two third of the total population of the world. (Hanson et al., 1982).
 It supplies more nutrients compared with other food crops. Wheat grain is rich in food value containing 12% protein, 1.72% fat, 69.60% carbohydrate and 27.20% minerals (BARI, 2006). It is the second most important cereal crop after rice in Bangladesh. So, it is imperative to increase the production of wheat to meet the food requirement of vast population of Bangladesh that will secure food security. During 2013-14 the cultivated area of wheat was 429607 ha having a total production of 1302998 metric tons with an average yield of 3.033 metric tons ha-1whereas during 2012-13 the cultivated area of wheat was 416522 ha having a total production of 1254778 metric tons with an average yield of 3.013 tons ha-1 (BBS, 2014).
 Current demand of wheat in the country is 3.0-3.5 million tons. Increasing rate of consumption of wheat is 3% per year (BBS, 2013). Wheat production is about 1.0 milllion from 0.40 million hectares of land. Bangladesh has to import about 2.0-2.5-million-ton wheat every year. Wheat is grown all over Bangladesh but wheat grows more in Dhaka, Faridpur, Mymensingh, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Comilla districts. Wheat has the umpteen potentialities in yield among other crops grown in Bangladesh. However, yield per hectare of wheat in Bangladesh is lower than other wheat growing countries in the world due to various problems. 
 Increasing food production of the country in the next 20 years to much population growth is a big challenge in Bangladesh. It is more difficult because, land area devoted to agriculture will decline and better-quality land and water resources will be divided to the other sector of national economy. In order to grow more food from marginal and good quality lands, the quality of natural resources like seed, water, varieties and fuel must be improved and sustained. Variety plays an important role in producing high yield of wheat because different varieties responded differently for their genotypic characters, input requirement, growth process and the prevailing environment during growing season.
 In Bangladesh the wheat growing season (November-March) is in the driest period of the year. Wheat yield was declined by 50% owing to soil moisture stress. Irrigation water should be applied in different critical stages of wheat for successful wheat production. Shoot dry weight, number of grains, grain yield, biological yield and harvest index decreased to a greater extent when water stress was imposed at the anthesis stage while water stress was imposed at booting stage caused a greater reduction in plant height and number of tillers (Gupta et al., 2001). Determination of accurate amount of water reduces irrigation cost as well as checks ground water waste. Water requirements vary depending on the stages of development. The pick requirement is at crown root initiation stage (CRI). In wheat, irrigation has been recommended at CRI, flowering and grain filling stages. However, the amount of irrigation water is shrinking day by day in Bangladesh which may be attributed to filling of pond river bottom. Moreover, global climate change scenarios are also responsible for their scarcity of irrigation water. So, it is essential to estimate water saving technique to have an economic estimate of irrigation water.
 Information on the amount of irrigation water as well as the precise sowing time of wheat with change in climate to expedite wheat production within the farmer’s limited resources is inadequate in Bangladesh. The need of water requirement also varies with sowing times as the soil moisture depletes with the days after sowing in Bangladesh as there is scanty rainfall after sowing season of wheat in general in the month of November.
 With above considerations, the present research work was conducted with the following objectives:
 
 To evaluate yield performance of selected wheat genotypes(s) at variable irrigation management.
 To identify the suitable genotype (s) of wheat giving higher yield under moisture stress condition.
 
 Materials and Methods
 Description of the experimental site 
 The experiment was conducted in the Research Field, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU), Dhaka-1207 during the period of November, 2016 to March, 2017 to observe the growth and yield performance of selected wheat genotypes at variable irrigation management. The experimental field is located at 23041´ N latitude and 90º 22´ E longitude at a height of 8.6 m above the sea level belonging to the Agro-ecological Zone “AEZ-28” of Madhupur Tract (BBS, 2013).
 Soil characteristics
 The soil of the research field is slightly acidic in reaction with low organic matter content. The selected plot was above flood level and sufficient sunshine was available having available irrigation and drainage system during the experimental period. Soil samples from 0-15 cm depths were collected from experimental field. The experimental plot was also high land, having pH 5.56.
 Climate condition
 The experimental field was situated under sub-tropical climate; usually the rainfall is heavy during Kharifseason, (April to September) and scanty in Rabi season (October to March). In Rabi season temperature is generally low and there is plenty of sunshine. The temperature tends to increase from February as the season proceeds towards kharif. Rainfall was almost nil during the period from November 2016 to March 2017 and scanty from February to September.
 Planting material
 The test crop was wheat (Triticumaestivum). Three wheat varieties BARI Gom-26, BARI Gom-28 and BARI Gom-30 were used as test crop and were collected from Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Joydebpur, Gazipur.
 Treatments
 The experiment consisted of two factors and those were the wheat genotypes and irrigation. Three wheat genotypes and four irrigations were used under the present study. Factor A: three wheat varieties- V1 = BARI Gom-26, V2 = BARI Gom-28 and V3= BARI Gom-30. Factor B: four irrigations- I0 = No Irrigation throughout the growing season, I1 = One irrigation (Irrigate at CRI stage), I2= Two irrigation (Irrigate at CRI and grain filling) and I3= Three irrigation (Irrigate at CRI, booting and grain filling stages). The experiment was laid out in a split plot design with three replications having irrigation application in the main plots, verities in the sub plots. There were 12 treatments combinations. The total numbers of unit plots were 36. The size of unit plot was 2 m x 2 m = 4.00 m2. The distances between sub-plot to sub-plot, main plot to main plot and replication to replication were, 0.75, 0.75 and 1.5 m, respectively.
 Statistical analysis 
 The collected data on each plot were statistically analyzed to obtain the level of significance using the computer-based software MSTAT-C developed by Gomez and Gomez, 1984. Mean difference among the treatments were tested with the least significant difference (LSD) test at 5 % level of significance.
 Results and Discussion
 Plant height 
 Plant height varied significantly among the tested three varieties (Table 1). At, 75 DAS, BARI Gom 30 showed the tallest plant height (34.72 cm) and BARI Gom 26 recorded the shortest plant height (32.32 cm). At, 90 DAS, BARI Gom 30 recorded the highest plant height (76.13 cm) was observed from BARI Gom 26. However, BARI Gom 26 recorded the shortest plant height (75.01 cm) which was also statistically similar with BARI Gom 28. Islam and Jahiruddin (2008) also concluded that plant height varied significantly due to various wheat varieties. Plant height of wheat showed statistically significant variation due to amount of irrigation at 75, 90 DAS under the present trial (Table 2). At 75 DAS, the tallest plant (34.78 cm) was recorded from I3 (Three irrigation) while the shortest plant (32.02 cm) was observed from I0 (No Irrigation throughout the growing season) treatment. At 60 DAS, the tallest plant (77.51 cm) was found from I3, which was statistically similar with I2 (Two irrigation) and I1 (One irrigation). The shortest plant (71.29 cm) was observed from I0. Plant height was likely increased due to applying higher amount of irrigation compared to less amount of irrigation. Sultana (2013) stated that increasing water stress declined the plant height. Interaction effect of variety and different amount of irrigation showed significant differences on plant height of wheat at 75 and 90 DAS (Table 3). The highest plant height at 30 was 38.00 cm obtained from V3I3 treatment combination. The shortest plant height at 30 was 30.67 cm obtained from V1I0 treatment combination. At 60 DAS, plant height was 78.50 cm obtained from V3I3 and lowest was 69.83 cm obtained from V1I0 treatment combination, which was statistically similar with V2I0 and 3I0 treatment combination. 
 Table 1. Effect of variety on plant height of wheat at different days after sowing
 Table 2. Effect of irrigation on plant height of wheat at different days after sowing
 Table 3. Interaction effect of variety and irrigation on plant height of wheat
 Number of effective tiller hill-1
 Number of effective tillers hill-1of wheat was not varied significantly due to varieties (Table 4). BARI Gom 30 produced the highest number of effective tillers hill-1 (9.33) and the lowest number of effective tillers hill-1(8.58) was observed in BARI Gom 26. Different levels of irrigation varied significantly in terms of number of effective tillers hill-1 of wheat at harvest under the present trial (Table 5). The highest number of effective tillers hill-1 9.89 was recorded from I3 treatment, while the corresponding lowest number of effective tillers hill-1 were 7.89 observed in I0 treatment. Sultana (2013) stated that increasing water stress reduced the number of tillers per hill. Variety and irrigation showed significant differences on number of effective tillers hill-1 of wheat due to interaction effect (Table 6). The highest number of effective tillers hill-1 10.33 were observed from V3I3 treatment combination, while the corresponding lowest number of effective tillers hill-1 as 7.33 were recorded from V1I0 treatment combination. 
 Number of non-effective tiller hill-1
 Number of non-effective tillers hill-1of wheat was not varied significantly due to varieties (Table 4). BARI Gom 26 produced the highest number of non-effective tillers hill-1 (1.33) and the lowest number of non-effective tillers hill-1(1.00) was observed in BARI Gom 30. Different levels of irrigation varied significantly in terms of number of non-effective tillers hill-1 of wheat at harvest under the present trial (Table 5). The highest number of non-effective tillers hill-1 (2.00) was recorded from I0, while the corresponding lowest number of non-effective tillers hill-1 (0.67) was observed in I3. Variety and irrigation showed significant differences on number of non-effective tillers hill-1 of wheat due to interaction effect (Table 6). The highest number of non-effective tillers hill-1 (2.33) were observed from V1I0 treatment combination, while the corresponding lowest number of non-effective tillers hill-1 (0.33) were recorded from V3I2 treatment combination.
 Table 4. Effect of variety on yield and yield contributing characters of wheat
 Table 5. Effect of irrigation on yield and yield contributing characters of wheat
 Table 6. Interaction effect of variety and irrigation on yield and yield contributing characters of wheat
 Spike length (cm) 
 Insignificant variation was observed on spike length (cm) at applied three types of modern wheat variety as BARI Gom-26 (V1), BARI Gom-28 (V2), and BARI Gom-30 (V3). From the experiment with that three types of varieties BARI Gom-30 (V3) (8.46 cm) given the largest spike length and BARI Gom-26 (V1) (8.08 cm) was given the lowest spike length (Table 4). Similar result was found using with different type varieties by Hefniet al. (2000). Different irrigation application has a statistically significant variation on spike length as irrigated condition (I3) was given the maximum result (9.17 cm) and non-irrigated condition (I0) given the lowest spike length (7.17 cm) (Table 5). Interaction effect of improved wheat variety and irrigation showed significant differences on spike length. Results showed that the highest spike length was obtained from V3I3 (10.33 cm). On the other hand, the lowest spike length was observed at V1I0 (6.50cm) treatment combination (Table 6).
 Grain spike-1
 Significant variation was observed on grain spike-1 at these applied three types of modern wheat variety. The BARI Gom-30 (V3) (37.75) given the maximum number of grain spike-1 and BARI Gom-26 (V1) (36.92) was given the lowest number of grain spike-1, which was statistically similar with V2 treatment (Table 4). Different wheat genotypes have significant effect on grain spike-1 observed also by Rahman et al. (2009). Different irrigation application has a statistically significant variation on grain spike-1 as the irrigation condition (I3) was given the maximum result (39.33), which was statistically similar with I2 and non-irrigated condition (I0) given the lowest grain spike-1 (34.56) (Table 5). Sarkar et al. (2010) also observed that irrigation have a significant effect on grain spike-1. Interaction effect of improved wheat variety and irrigation showed significant differences on grain spike-1. Results showed that the highest grain spike-1 was obtained from V3I3 (41.0). On the other hand, the lowest grain spike-1 was observed at V1Io (34.00) which were also statistically similar with V3Io (34.67) (Table 6).
 3Thousand Seed weight 
 There was significant variation was observed on thousand seed weight due to different types of modern wheat variety. The wheat variety of BARI Gom-30 (V3) (50.40 g) given the maximum thousand seed weight and statistically different from BARI Gom-28 (V2) (46.74 g). BARI Gom-26 (V1) (46.22 g) was given the lowest thousand seed weight (Table 7). Rahman et al. (2009), Islam et al. (2015) also conducted experiment with different variety and observed have effect of varieties on yield. Different irrigation application has a statistically significant variation on thousand seed weight. The I3 was given the maximum thousand seed weight (48.91) and non-irrigated condition (I0) given the lowest yield (46.13 g) (Table 8). Sarkar et al. (2010), Baser et al. (2004) reported that grain yield under non-irrigated conditions was reduced by approximately 40%. Bazzaet al. (1999) reported that one water application during the tillering stage allowed the yield to be lower only than that of the treatment with three irrigations but Meenaet al. (1998) reported that wheat grain yield was the highest with 2 irrigations (2.57 ton/ha in 1993 and 2.64 ton/ha) at flowering and/or crown root initiation stages. Wheat is sown in November to ensure optimal crop growth and avoid high temperature and after that if wheat is sown in the field it faces high range of temperature for its growth and development as well as yield potential. Islam et al. (2015) reported that late planted wheat plants faced a period of high temperature stress during reproductive stages causing reduced kernel number spike-1 as well as the reduction of grain yield. Interaction effect of improved wheat variety and irrigation showed significant differences on thousand seed weight (Table 9). Results showed that the highest thousand seed weight (52.33 g) was obtained from V3I3 which was statistically similar with V3I2 (52.06 g). On the other hand, the lowest yield (45.36 g) was observed at V1I1.
 Table 7. Effect of variety on yield and yield of wheat
 Table 8. Effect of irrigation on yield and yield of wheat
 Table 9. Interaction effect of variety and irrigation on yield and yield of wheat
 Grain yield (t ha-1) 
 Different wheat varieties showed significant difference for grain weight hectare-1 (Table 7). The highest grain yield hectare-1 (3.44 ton) was found from wheat variety BARI Gom-30 (V3), which was statistically similar with V2, whereas the lowest (3.21 ton) was observed from wheat variety BARI gom 26. Rahman et al. (2009), Islam et al. (2015) also conducted experiment with different variety and observed have effect of varieties on yield. Significant difference was observed for yield for different irrigation application. The three irrigation (I3) was given the maximum yield (3.74 t ha-1), which was statistically similar with I2 treatment and non-irrigated condition (I0) given the lowest yield (2.97 t ha-1) (Table 8). Sarkar et al. (2010), Baser et al. (2004) reported that grain yield under non-irrigated conditions was reduced by approximately 40%. Bazzaet al. (1999) reported that one water application during the tillering stage allowed the yield to be lower only than that of the treatment with three irrigations but Meenaet al. (1998) reported that wheat grain yield was the highest with 2 irrigations (2.57 ton/ha in 1993 and 2.64 ton/ha) at flowering and/or crown root initiation stages. Wheat is sown in November to ensure optimal crop growth and avoid high temperature and after that if wheat is sown in the field it faces high range of temperature for its growth and development as well as yield potential. Islam et al. (2015) reported that late planted wheat plants faced a period of high temperature stress during reproductive stages causing reduced kernel number spike-1 as well as the reduction of grain yield. Interaction effect of improved wheat variety and irrigation showed significant differences on yield (t ha-1). Results showed that the highest yield (3.99 t ha-1) was obtained from V3I3, which was statistically similar with V2I3 and V3I2. On the other hand, the lowest yield (2.93 t ha-1) was observed at V1I0 (Table 7).
 Straw yield (t ha-1)
 Applied three types of wheat variety have a statistically significant variation on straw yield (t ha-1). The maximum straw yield (1.95 t ha-1) was obtained from BARI Gom-30 and BARI Gom-26 (V1) was given the lowest straw yield (1.87 t ha-1), which was statistically similar with V2 treatment. Different irrigation application has a statistically significant variation on straw yield (t ha-1) of wheat. The I3 treatment for straw yield (2.01 t ha-1) was given the maximum result and non-irrigated condition (I0) given the lowest (1.80 t ha-1). Similar results were found by Ali and Amin (2004) through his experiment. Interaction effect of improved wheat variety and irrigation showed significant differences on straw yield (t ha-1). The highest straw yield (2.08 t ha-1) was obtained from V3I3 which was statistically similar with V3I2 (2.07 t ha-1) treatment combination. On the other hand, the lowest straw yield (1.78 t ha-1) was observed at V1Io, which was statistically similar with V2I0 (2.07 t ha-1) treatment combination.
 Biological yield
 Significant variation was attained for biological yield for different wheat varieties. The variety BARI Gom-30 given the maximum biological yield (5.39 t ha-1) and BARI Gom-26 (V1) was given the lowest biological yield (5.078 t ha-1). Different irrigation application has a statistically significant variation biological yield (t ha-1) of wheat. The I3 treatment for biological yield (5.76 t ha-1) was given the maximum result and non-irrigated condition (I0) given the lowest (4.77 t ha-1). Similar results were found by Ali and Amin (2004) through his experiment. At the time of biological yield (t ha-1) consideration with variety and irrigation statistically significance variation was observed as maximum biological yield (t ha-1) at V3I3 (6.07 t ha-1). On the other hand, the lowest result was given at V1Io (4.72 tha-1).
 Summary And Conclusion
 It may be concluded within the scope and limitation of the present study that the optimum growth and higher yield of wheat cv. BARI Gom-30 could be obtained by applying three irrigations at irrigate at CRI, booting and grain filling stages. However, further studies are necessary to arrive at a definite conclusion.
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The article presents the results of a study on the influence of biopreparations BioSleepBW+Foliar, OrgamicaS+Foliar, (OrganitP+OrganitN+Biodux+Foliar), and Foliar on the seed yield of alfalfa when applied as foliar treatments at the beginning of flowering. The research on alfalfa cultivation was conducted using five different experimental variants. The experiments were carried out on ordinary chernozem soil. The Hydrothermal Coefficient (HTC) values in 2022-2023 were 0,73 – 0,76, respectively, indicating dry conditions. During the budding and flowering periods of alfalfa plants, there was a precipitation deficit, which negatively affected seed yield. The composition of the biopreparations includes a complex of biologically active polyunsaturated fatty acids of the fungus Mortierella alpine with a consumption rate of 3,0-10,0 ml/ha and spores of the strains Beauveria bassiana, Bacillus megaterium-amyloliguefaciens with consumption rates of 1-3 l/ha, with a working solution consumption of 300 l/ha. The research established that the applied biopreparations improve the sowing quality of the seeds. The weight of 1000 seeds remains largely unchanged, serving as a stable indicator, while the agricultural validity of the planting material increases from 79.2% to 84%. This ultimately leads to a 10-20% increase in alfalfa seed yield. The most effective biopreparations influencing seed productivity are Orgamica S+Foliar with a seed yield of 2,0 c/ha, Foliar with 1,86 c/ha, and the OrganitP+OrganitN+Biodux+Foliar complex with 1,82 c/ha, which exceed the control variant by 0,37, 0,28, and 0,05 c/ha, respectively.

Control of seedling and rhizome johnsongrass [Sorghum halepense(L.) Pers. # SORHA] with five herbicides was evaluated after postemergence application in various diluents and spray volumes using one to three types of applicators from 1983 to 1985. The rate of each herbicide required to control seedling johnsongrass using paraffinic oil as the diluent in applications with an external- or internal-mixing air-assist sprayer at a spray volume of 9.4 L/ha was one-half the rate required when water plus 1.25% (v/v) paraffinic oil concentrate (POC) or water plus 1.25% (v/v) soybean oil concentrate (SOC) were the diluents in applications with a conventional sprayer equipped with fan jet spray nozzles at a spray volume of 187 L/ha. Rates were also reduced when once-refined soybean oil was the diluent at a spray volume of 9.4 L/ha, except for the ethyl ester of quizalofop {(±)-2-[4-[(6-chloro-2-quinoxalinyl)oxy] phenoxy] propanoic acid}. Sethoxydim {2-[1-(ethoxyimino)butyl]-5-[2-(ethylthio)propyl]-3-hydroxy-2-cyclohexen-1-one} was equally effective on seedling johnsongrass growing in soybeans [Glycine max(L.) Merr. ‘DPL 105’] when applied at 224 g ai/ha with an internal-mixing air-assist sprayer or a controlled-droplet applicator (CDA) at a spray volume of 9.4 L/ha and a conventional sprayer at a spray volume of 187 L/ha, regardless of diluent. Conventional application required the use of 1.25% (v/v) SOC or POC as part of the diluent to be effective. For three of the five herbicides evaluated on rhizome johnsongrass, paraffinic oil at a spray volume of 9.4 L/ha was the only diluent that resulted in season-long control. Rhizome johnsongrass control with this diluent also resulted in significantly higher soybean yields than all other diluent-spray volume treatments.

Application of N fertilizer in the fall as opposed to spring has been a controversial recommendation for cereal crops grown in Western Canada. Also, oilseed crops such as rapeseed may not respond to N in the same way as cereals. To investigate spring and fall application of N on barley and rapeseed, factorial split plot experiments were designed with three N treatments of 45, 90 and 134 kg N ha−1 and four P treatments of 0, 9.4, 18.8 and 28.2 kg P ha−1, as main plots. A control without fertilizer was included and the subplots were spring and fall times of broadcast application of ammonium nitrate fertilizer. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), cultivar Conquest and rapeseed (Brassica campestris L.) cultivar Arlo were seeded as the test crops over a 5-yr period and a 6-yr period, respectively, at separate sites on Melfort silty clay soil to determine the differences in yield and quality of grain between spring and fall applied N. In some years yield response to N fertilizer was greater when applied in the spring and in other years when applied in the fall, resulting in a significant time of N × year interaction effect on yield. However, on the average, there was no significant difference in yield of barley or rapeseed grain between fall and spring applied N, 3.51 vs. 3.59 and 1.39 vs. 1.41 t ha−1, respectively. Nitrogen and P fertilizer increased yield as much as 2.17 t of barley and 0.76 t of rapeseed ha−1 although the concentration of mineralized ammonium- and nitrate-N in the soil was rated medium according to provincial soil test standards. The difference in yield response of barley (Y, t ha−1) between spring and fall applied N among years was related to the rainfall (X, mm) in May by the equation:[Formula: see text]and for rapeseed:[Formula: see text]Because N was applied relatively late in the fall, the available soil N was medium and the conditions for N loss in these experiments minimal, differences in barley and rapeseed yield response to N fertilizer between spring and fall applied N were small. When P fertilizer was applied at a heavy rate, fall application of N produced a higher yield of rapeseed than spring application in all years. Key words: P, protein, rainfall, interaction, N, barley, rapeseed, time

Consumption of nutritional food could help alleviate malnutrition among people in developing countries such as the Philippines. Sweet basil is a nutritional food which supplies vitamins, particularly A, B and minerals such as Fe, Mn, and 6, Mg. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Zn, Fe, Cu, and Mn biofortification on the growth, yield, and chlorophyll contents of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) under pot experiment. All of the pots, except T (control), 0 were applied with the recommended rate of NPK for sweet basil (60-60-60 kg ha ), together with the varying levels of micronutrients such as Zn, Fe, Cu, and Mn -1-1 (applied at 4, 8, and 12 kg ha ). The results of the study revealed that the application -1 of Zn at 4kg ha enhanced the plant height, root length, fresh and dry root weight of sweet basil. The higher number of primary branches and chlorophyll contents were -1 obtained from treatments applied with 12 kg ha Mn. The addition of Fe with 4 to 12 -1 kg ha increased the fresh weight of leaves and herbage yield. Cu biofortification at -1 4kg ha enhanced the herbage weight and yield of sweet basil. These results show the beneficial effects of micronutrient biofortification on the growth and yield parameters of sweet basil as well as its chlorophyll contents. Meanwhile, the amounts of Zn, Fe, Cu, and Mn in the soil were likewise enhanced with the addition of these nutrients. In return, the availability of these micronutrients for plant uptake was also enhanced.

The article presents the findings of a field experiment investigating the effectiveness of biochar and plant biomass ash when used as a soil fertiliser in the cultivation of basket willow (Salix viminalis L.). The purpose of the study was to determine the optimal dose of fertiliser to enable a maximum increase in the crop yield and enhancement of the chemical properties of the soil. In the course of the two-year experiment, the increase in basket willow yield was in the range of 6%–49%. The highest dry matter yield from the plants, at the end of both the first and the second year of the experiment, was obtained in the plots where the soil was amended with biochar alone (11.5 t ha−1), a combination of biochar and ash (respectively 11.5 and 1.5 t ha−1) and ash added at the rate of 1.5 t ha−1. The yield was reduced when the soil was amended with ash added at the rates of 3.0 t ha−1 and 4.5 t ha−1 or with the latter doses of ash combined with biochar. The results indicated that too high a concentration of ash (rate of 3.0 t ha−1 or higher for basket willow) have negative effects on plant growth and may represent a limiting factor. The study suggests that biochar is a better soil amendment than ash, because biochar application gave the highest improvement in the soil properties and plant growth. It was found that the addition of biochar, biomass ash or combinations of the two materials applied in suitable doses may be a good soil amendment.. In particular in soils which are severely damaged and require restoration, this fertilization may have a noticeable effect on soil properties and plant growth.

This study was conducted to determine if deep banding of P fertilizer was as efficient as placing P in a band with the seed. Phosphorus fertilizer (MAP) was deep banded at rates of 0, 10, 20, and 30 kg of P ha−1 which was compared with equal rates applied with the seed, and with one-half seed placed, one-half deep banded. The P rates were applied onto the same plots each year in a cropping sequence of canola (Brassica napus L.), four crops of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and then canola. Plots were located on a Melfort silty clay soil (Orthic Black Chernozem). In combination with MAP treatments, ammonium nitrate was applied by deep banding and by broadcast-incorporation to bring the total N application rate to 75 kg ha−1. Control treatments of 0–0 and 11–20 kg of N-P, respectively, were also included. In the first year of the experiment, when soil moisture conditions were dry, seed placement of the P fertilizer, on average, resulted in a significantly higher grain yield (1.01 t ha−1) of canola than deep banding (0.88 t ha−1). In the last year of the experiment, canola grain yields for the two placements were not significantly different (1.87 vs. 1.83 t ha−1). Over the 4 yr that wheat was grown there was no significant difference in grain yield between seed placed P and deep banding (2.97 vs. 2.95 t ha−1). Seed placement of P resulted in a higher grain yield (3.05 t ha−1) with N broadcast than with N deep banded (2.90 t ha−1), but with half-seed plus half-deep-banded P the yield was higher with N deep banded (3.08 t ha−1) than with broadcast-incorporated (2.87 t ha−1). The application of N and P over the 6 yr increased the available P in the soil from 7.5 (control) to 12.9 μg of P g−1 soil (N P treatments with 75 kg N ha−1). In general the application of P fertilizer either by deep banding or placement with the seed of the crop gave similar yields with the exception that at the low rates of P, seed placement was better for canola in the first year of the crop sequence. Key words: Deep banding, N, P, canola, wheat, placement

Chicken weed is a significant weed in India and it occurs under onion cultivated field at Birnin Kebbi in the Sudan Savannah, Nigeria. On-farm experiment was conducted at Birnin Kebbi during the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 dry season to evaluate the effect of plant population and weed control methods on the management of chicken weed (Portulaca quadrifida) alongside other weeds in onion field. The experiment consisted of three plant populations (500,000, 333,333 and 250,000 plants per hectare) and twelve weed control methods (Pendimethalin at 1.0 kg a.i. ha-1, + 1Hw; pendimethalin at 1.5 kg a.i. ha-1 + fluazifop-p-butyl at 2.0 kg a.i. ha-1; pendimethalin at 2.0 kg a.i. ha-1; butachlor at 2.0 kg a.i. ha-1 + 1Hw; butachlor at 2.8 kg a.i. ha-1 + oxyfluorfen at 1.0 kg a.i. ha-1; butachlor at 3.6 kg a.i. ha-1; fluazifop-p-butyl at 2.0 kg a.i. ha-1; oxyfluorfen at 1.0 kg a.i. ha-1 + 1Hw; hoe weeding at 3 (WAT); hoe weeding at 3 and 6 WAT; weed free and weedy check). The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete Block design replicated three times. Results showed that weed, growth and yield parameters were not significantly affected by plant population. Pendimethalin at 1.5 kg a.i. ha-1 + fluazifop-p-butyl at 2.0 kg a.i. ha-1 and weed free plots consistently recorded the lowest weed cover and highest weed control efficiency. Butachlor at 2.0 kg a.i. ha-1 + 1 Hw recorded the lowest crop injury score. Increase in plant height was observed when pendimethalin at 1.0 and 1.5 kg a.i. ha-1 + 1 Hw and fluazifop-p-butyl at 2.0 kg a.i. ha-1 respectively was applied, while application of pendimethalin at 2.0 kg a.i. ha-1 and butachlor at 2.0 kg a.i. ha-1 + 1 Hw recorded highest number of leaves and leaf area. Cured bulb and marketable bulb yield were greater with the use of pendimethalin and butachlor at 1.0 and 1.5 kg a.i. ha-1 + 1 Hw and the pooled data respectively. Application of pendimethalin and butachlor at the rate of 1.0 and 2.0 kg a.i. ha-1 followed by 1 Hw at 6 WAT respectively was therefore recommended for the control of chicken weed alongside other weed species in the ecology

The ethyl ester of fenoxaprop {(±)-2-[4-[(6-chloro-2-benzoxazolyl)oxy] phenoxy] propanoic acid} was applied to rice (Oryza sativaL.) that was heavily infested with barnyardgrass [Echinochloa crus-galli(L.) Beauv. # ECHCG] during a 3-yr study. Applications were made to two- to three-leaf, three- to four-leaf, five- to six-leaf, or tillering barnyardgrass. Barnyardgrass control at 9 weeks after final treatment was greater than 90% for all growth stages except the 0.1 kg ai/ha rate applied to three- to four-leaf barnyardgrass in 1983. In 1984, the sequential application of fenoxaprop made at the three- to four-leaf stage controlled more than 95% when rated at 9 weeks. Rates of 0.17 and 0.2 kg ai/ha and the sequential treatment of 0.1 kg ai/ha followed by 0.1 kg ai/ha 7 to 10 days later controlled greater than 90% at 9 weeks when applied to three- to four- and five- to six-leaf barnyardgrass in 1985. In general, barnyardgrass was controlled by fenoxaprop rates greater than 0.1 kg ai/ha when applied to any growth stage evaluated up through the five- to six-leaf stage. However, acceptable control of tillering barnyardgrass was achieved in only 1 of 3 years. Yields were increased due to barnyardgrass control all years with all treatments except those applied at tillering. However, control was sufficient to increase yields over that of the check for all tillering treatments except the 0.1 kg ai/ha rate in 1984 and 1985 and the 0.17 kg ai/ha treatment in 1985.

This work focused on estimating the rate constants for three ozone-based processes applied in the degradation of diclofenac. The ozonation (Oz) and its intensification with catalysis (COz) and photocatalysis (PCOz) were studied. Three mathematical models were evaluated with a genetic algorithm (GA) to find the optimal values for the kinetics constants. The Theil inequality coefficient (TIC) worked as a criterion to assess the models’ deviation. The diclofenac consumption followed a slow kinetic regime according to the Hatta number (Ha<0.3). However, it strongly contrasted with earlier studies. The obtained values for the volumetric rate of photon absorption (VRPA) corresponding to the PCOz process (1.75×10−6 & 6.54×10−7 Einstein L−1 min−1) were significantly distant from the maximum (2.59×10−5 Einstein L−1 min−1). The computed profiles of chemical species proved that no significant amount of hydroxyl radicals was produced in the Oz, whereas the PCOz achieved the highest production rate. According to this, titanium dioxide significantly contributed to ozone decomposition, especially at low ozone doses. Although the models’ prediction described a good agreement with the experimental data (TIC<0.3), the optimization algorithm was likely to have masked the rate constants as they had highly deviated from already reported values.

Organic waste generation in developing countries is increasing and appropriate disposal methods are needed. An open aerobic composting using 20 L bins was carried out using 6 composts made using ratios of 3:1, 1:2 and 1:4 fruit and vegetable wastes (FVW):biodegradable municipal waste (BMW), with and without addition of homemade indigenous microorganisms (IMO), for 30 days to monitor compost quality. The nitrogen contents of the composts ranged from 1.52 to 2.76% N equivalent to 76–138 kg N ha−1 at 5 t ha−1 compost application rates. Heavy metals measured were below permissible levels of compost quality standards. Selected composts were incubated for 60 days to study nitrogen mineralization dynamics when applied to an Oxisol at the rates of 0, 5 and 10 t ha−1. The results showed significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) in the amounts of NH4-N, NO3-N and cumulative NH4-N + NO3-N released. Ammonium nitrogen released was higher on days 3, 21 and/or 40 for composts 3:1 − IMO at 10 t ha−1, 3:1 + IMO at 10 t ha−1 and 3:1 − IMO at 5 t ha−1. Cumulative N (NH4 -N + NO3 -N) released over control were 77.98, 64.09 and 64.35% higher for application of 3:1 + IMO, 1:2 − IMO and 1:2 + IMO, respectively, at an application rate of 10 t ha−1. The increased nitrogen content, low heavy metals concentrations and the amount of mineralized N from the composts exhibit potential for increased nutrient availability when applied to a soil.

Sethoxydim, tralkoxydim, imazethapyr, quinclorac, propanil, glyphosate, and glufosinate were tested at rates below those recommended by the manufacturers withPyricularia setariaeNiskada under greenhouse conditions for control of green foxtail. At one-tenth of the recommended rate in a 100 L/ha carrier volume, only the sethoxydim–P. setariaecombination achieved more effective green foxtail control when compared with the herbicide or pathogen alone. Selected herbicides at one-tenth, one-fourth, and one-half of the recommended rates showed variable interactions with the pathogen on plants with three and five leaves. Propanil (recommended rate 0.99 kg ai/ha) was more synergistic at higher rates, especially on larger plants, for which the combined treatment increased green foxtail mortality from zero in the herbicide alone to 100%. Quinclorac (recommended rate 0.10 kg ai/ha) acted similarly to propanil with slightly lower synergy effects. Sethoxydim (recommended rate 0.15 kg ai/ha) at one-tenth or one-quarter of the rate plusP. setariaeoften enhanced green foxtail control on larger plants. On smaller plants, the herbicide and pathogen alone were highly efficacious. Compared with tank mixes withP. setariae, propanil, quinclorac, or sethoxydim applied 6 h before the pathogen or earlier generally showed greater efficacy. Delaying a tank mix application for up to 2 h had little negative effect, but longer than 4 h often reduced efficacy. When combining the pathogen at different doses with propanil, quinclorac, or sethoxydim at one-tenth, one-quarter, and one-half of the rate, both fungal dose and herbicide rate affected the efficacy. Coapplying any of the herbicides at the one-quarter rate with the pathogen at the sublethal dose of 2 × 107spores/ml achieved complete control of green foxtail.

Usage of mineral nitrogen (N) fertilizers for agricultural crop production systems is a major contributor to anthropogenic nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. As part of a national study to quantify N2O emissions under different cropping systems and in different eco-regions, this study quantified the effect of fertilizer N rate on spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) on N2O emissions in 3 yr in a cool maritime climate with humid soil moisture regimes. Treatments were 0, 75 and 150 kg N ha-1 as ammonium nitrate applied as a pre-plant broadcast. N2O emissions were increased by fertilizer N application in each year. In 2003 and 2005, elevated N2O emissions occurred in the 6-wk period following fertilizer application when soil NO3-N concentrations were high. However, in 2004 and 2005, peak N2O emissions occurred near crop harvest. Elevated N2O emissions at this time were attributed to increased carbon availability due to re-wetting of dry soil. Therefore, the effect of fertilizer N management on N2O emissions may not necessarily occur immediately after treatment application. This emphasizes the importance of measuring N2O emissions outside of the crop growth period. Fertilizer-induced cumulative N2O emissions averaged 0.011 and 0.021 kg N kg-1 N when fertilizer N rate was increased from 0 to 75 kg N ha-1 and from 75 to 150 kg N ha-1, respectively, indicating increased N2O emissions when fertilizer is applied at above optimal rates. N2O emissions increased linearly with nitrate intensity, the summation of daily NO3-N concentrations for 0- to 15-cm depth. This suggests that the non-linearity in the relationship between fertilizer N rate and N2O emissions can be explained by the decreasing efficiency in crop NO3-N uptake at high fertilizer N rates. Key words: Hordeum vulgare, soil nitrate, denitrification, carbon availability

Field experiments were conducted from 1992 to 1994 in southern Manitoba to investigate the tolerance of buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench.), canola (Brassica napus L.), field pea (Pisum sativum L.), lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) to sublethal dosages of 2,4-D; 2,4-D amine was applied at 0,9.5, 18.9, 37.8, 75.2 and 151.2 g a.i. ha−1 2 wk after crop emergence when buckwheat and canola were in the two- to three-leaf stage, lentil and field pea had a vine length of 10 cm, and sunflower was in the four- to six-leaf stage. Application rates corresponded to 0, 1.5, 3, 6, 12 and 24% of the low recommended field rate of 2 4-D (630 g a.i. ha−1). Field pea yields were unaffected by 2,4-D dosages tested in any year. Increasing dosage of 2,4-D reduced lentil and canola yields in two of three years, while buckwheat yields were reduced in one year only. Sunflower yields were severely reduced in all three years by 2,4-D. At 151.2 g a.i. ha−1, predicted yield losses were 43% for buckwheat, 16–52% for canola, 20–57% for lentil, and 93–100% for sunflower. Key words: Buckwheat, canola, field pea, lentil, sunflower, crop injury, yield

The response of pastures based on Lolium perenne L. and Trifolium subterraneum L. to single superphosphate was assessed at Hamilton, Victoria, by measuring the growth of pastures during winter, spring, and summer over 7 years from 1979 to 1987. The seasons were defined by the pattern of pasture production, rather than by calendar months. Winter was the period of constant growth rate following the autumn rain; spring was the period of accelerating growth rate until growth rate changed abruptly following the onset of dry summer weather. Pastures were grazed with sheep at a low, medium, or high grazing pressure, corresponding generally to stocking rates of 10, 14, or 18 sheep/ha. At each level of grazing pressure, single superphosphate was applied at 5 rates from 1979 to 1982; the highest rate, expressed as elemental phosphorus (P), was reduced from 100 to 40 kg/ha during this time. In addition there was an unfertilised treatment. In 1984, fertiliser was applied at 6 rates from 4 to 40 kg P/ha. No fertiliser was applied in the remaining years, including 1983. Pasture production was measured from 1979 to 1982 and from 1985 to 1987. Total pasture dry matter (DM) accumulation per year at the highest stocking rate was less than the other treatments in 4 of the years. Averaged over all years and fertiliser treatments, the annual net production was 10·1, 10·1, and 9·0 t DM/ha (P < 0·05) for plots grazed at low, medium, and high stocking rates, respectively. The amount of fertiliser required to reach a given proportion of maximum yield response did not vary between winter and spring in any year, but the greater potential yield in spring (P < 0 ·001) meant that as more fertiliser was applied, the disparity between pasture grown in winter and pasture grown in spring increased. Differences in this disparity between extreme levels of P ranged from 1·4 t DM/ha in a drought to about 7 t DM/ha in a good season. The implications for managing farms when pastures are fertilised at higher rates than currently practised by district farmers are that systems of animal production with a requirement for plentiful good quality pasture in spring, such as ewes lambing in spring, should be used. The benefit of spring lambing over autumn lambing was supported when the 2 systems were compared over 26 years using the GrassGro decision support system. Well fertilised pasture systems will also allow more scope for conserving pasture as hay or silage, and increase opportunities for diversification in the farming enterprise, such as spring-growing crops.

The response of pastures based on Lolium perenne L. and Trifolium subterraneum L. to single superphosphate was assessed at Hamilton, Victoria, by measuring the growth of pastures during winter, spring, and summer over 7 years from 1979 to 1987. The seasons were defined by the pattern of pasture production, rather than by calendar months. Winter was the period of constant growth rate following the autumn rain; spring was the period of accelerating growth rate until growth rate changed abruptly following the onset of dry summer weather. Pastures were grazed with sheep at a low, medium, or high grazing pressure, corresponding generally to stocking rates of 10, 14, or 18 sheep/ha. At each level of grazing pressure, single superphosphate was applied at 5 rates from 1979 to 1982; the highest rate, expressed as elemental phosphorus (P), was reduced from 100 to 40 kg/ha during this time. In addition there was an unfertilised treatment. In 1984, fertiliser was applied at 6 rates from 4 to 40 kg P/ha. No fertiliser was applied in the remaining years, including 1983. Pasture production was measured from 1979 to 1982 and from 1985 to 1987. Total pasture dry matter (DM) accumulation per year at the highest stocking rate was less than the other treatments in 4 of the years. Averaged over all years and fertiliser treatments, the annual net production was 10·1, 10·1, and 9·0 t DM/ha (P < 0·05) for plots grazed at low, medium, and high stocking rates, respectively. The amount of fertiliser required to reach a given proportion of maximum yield response did not vary between winter and spring in any year, but the greater potential yield in spring (P < 0 ·001) meant that as more fertiliser was applied, the disparity between pasture grown in winter and pasture grown in spring increased. Differences in this disparity between extreme levels of P ranged from 1·4 t DM/ha in a drought to about 7 t DM/ha in a good season. The implications for managing farms when pastures are fertilised at higher rates than currently practised by district farmers are that systems of animal production with a requirement for plentiful good quality pasture in spring, such as ewes lambing in spring, should be used. The benefit of spring lambing over autumn lambing was supported when the 2 systems were compared over 26 years using the GrassGro decision support system. Well fertilised pasture systems will also allow more scope for conserving pasture as hay or silage, and increase opportunities for diversification in the farming enterprise, such as spring-growing crops.

Field experiments were conducted with Flora-Dade tomatoes on krasnozem soils during 1985-86 (site I), 1986-87 (site 2), and 1987-88 (site 3) to examine the effect of nitrogen (N, 5420 kg/ha) and of potassium (K, 1120 kg/ha) on fruit yield and quality and leaf nutrient composition. Nitrogen and K were applied either pre-planting to first fruit set, or at increasing weekly increments from 1 week after transplanting to mid fruit harvest. At each site, one rate of N and one of K were based on a commercial soil chemical analysis. The yield and quality of fruit at all sites was not affected (P>0.05) by N or K fertiliser rate or by method and timing of application. Marketable yield was 83-1 18 t/ha and fruit firmness (compression) was 0.97-1.27 mm. At site 3, which had the lowest exchangeable K concentration [0.3 cmol(+)/kg], the addition of 90 kg K/ha increased the yield of large fruit. At all sites, and with the nil-N treatment (site 3), the youngest fully opened leaf (YFOL) petiole sap nitrate-N concentrations exceeded critical values (Coltman 1987, 1988; Huett and Rose 1988) at all sampling times. YFOL concentrations were highest at 2-6 weeks after transplanting, then declined over the growth period. The highest concentration recorded at site 1 was 5.6 g/L, and at site 2, 3.2 g/L. These concentrations were not affected (P>0.05) by N fertiliser rate, indicating greater mineralisation of organic N at sites 1 and 2 than at site 3, where the highest petiole sap nitrate-N concentration was 1.8 g/L. The pre-plant soil nitrate concentrations (0-15 cm depth) at sites 1 and 3 were similar (14 and 16 mg/kg), and when measured 6 weeks after transplanting at site 3, the concentrations in the nil and 120 kg N/ha treatments were 31 and 66 mgkg, respectively. Neither pre-planting soil test (N or K) accurately predicted fertiliser response by tomatoes. The application of supra-optimal rates of N and K to semi-determinate fresh market tomatoes of Flora-Dade type will not be detrimental to yield, composition, and firmness of fruit. For a 70 t/ha crop, 130 kg N/ha and 208 kg K/ha are equivalent to removal by fruit.

This study was undertaken to examine the influence of the sowing date, sowing density, and split spring application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer on plant density, tillering, yield components, and grain yields of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown in northeastern Poland between 2018 and 2021. The experiment had a split-plot design with three sowing dates (early (3–6 September), delayed by 14 days, and delayed by 28 days), three sowing densities (200, 300, and 400 live grains m−2), and three split spring N rates (40 + 100, 70 + 70, and 100 + 40 kg ha−1 applied in BBCH stages 22–25 and 30–31, respectively). The number of spikes m−2 increased by 11% on average when winter wheat was sown with a delay of 14 days (17–20 September) and 28 days (1–4 October). The number of spikes m−2 was highest when winter wheat was sown at 300 and 400 live grains m−2. The application of 100 + 40 kg N ha−1 (BBCH 22–25 and 30–31, respectively) increased the number of spikes m−2. An increase in sowing density from 200 to 300 to 400 live grains m−2 decreased the number of grains spike−1 by 5% and 7%, respectively. Thousand grain weight (TGW) increased by 1% and 2% when sowing was delayed by 14 (17–20 September) and 28 days (1–4 October), respectively. In northeastern Poland, grain yields peaked when winter wheat was sown between 17 September and 4 October (10.52–10.58 Mg ha−1). In late-sown winter wheat, grain yields increased due to a higher number of spikes m−2 and higher grain weight. The highest sowing density (400 live grains m−2) induced a greater increase in grain yields than the lowest sowing density (200 live grains m−2) (10.25 vs.10.02 Mg ha−1). In winter wheat sown at a density of 400 live grains m−2, the increase in grain yields resulted in a higher number of spikes m−2. Grain yields peaked in response to 100 kg N ha−1 applied in BBCH stages 22–25 and 40 kg N ha−1 applied in BBCH stages 30–31 (this split N rate increased the number of spikes m−2). In turn, the highest straw yield (6.23 Mg ha−1) was obtained when the second split of N fertilizer was applied in BBCH stages 30–31 (40 + 100 kg N ha−1). Straw yields decreased significantly (by 6%) when winter wheat was sown late (early October). Delayed sowing (mid-September and early October) increased the harvest index (HI) of winter wheat by 5–7%. Split spring N application influenced grain and straw yields, but it had no effect on the HI of winter wheat.

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) is a fiber crop that grows well in tropical climates and has numerous potential industrial and environmental benefits. However, like many crops, it may be limited by sensitivity to water stress, particularly at the seedling stage. Soil surfactants are frequently used as soil amendments to increase the volumetric water content (VWC), particularly under deficit irrigation. Two greenhouse experiments were conducted to determine the emergence and growth response of kenaf to three irrigation regimes and a one-time soil surfactant application. Kenaf seeds were planted in native Margate fine sand soil (siliceous, hyperthermic Mollic Psamnaquent) and sprayed with a nonionic surfactant at 3 quarts/acre (7.5 L/ha) (1×) and subjected to three irrigation regimes of 3.5 ounces (100 mL) of water applied every day (ED), every other day (EOD), or every 4 days (E4D). In Expt. 2, an additional surfactant treatment applied at 6 quarts/acre (15 L/ha) (2×) was included. The percent emergence, plant height, postexperiment biomass, and volumetric water content data were collected. During Expt. 1, kenaf emergence was significantly inhibited by ED irrigation with 1× when compared with E4D with 1×. In Expt. 2, seed treated with the 2× rate emerged faster and had better overall emergence under all irrigation regimes when compared with no soil surfactant. There was a trend for better kenaf emergence when less water was applied. The ED irrigation increased biomass in both experiments; however, in Expt. 2, the 2× rate doubled the biomass in the ED irrigation regime, and both 1× and 2× rates increased biomass in the EOD and E4D irrigation regimes. Soil surfactant treatment significantly increased the VWC in ED in Expt. 1 on four dates; however, in Expt. 2, both surfactant treatments increased the VWC in E4D irrigation until 35 days after planting. The results of this experiment suggest that a one-time soil surfactant treatment did not inhibit kenaf emergence under any irrigation regime. Kenaf emergence and biomass was greater and VWC was lower when a 2× rate of soil surfactant was applied to soil. In hydrophilic disturbed native sand soils, a one-time soil surfactant application increased kenaf emergence under deficit irrigation and the 2× rate of soil surfactant increased biomass under every irrigation regime. To maximize water savings, this study indicated that kenaf seed could withstand four-times less water to improve emergence. To maximize biomass, ED irrigation with a 2× soil surfactant treatment was significantly better.

An outdoor pots experiment was conducted at agricultural research station, University of Basrah, southern Iraq (30°34'4.80" N 47°44'56.40" E) during winter season of 2021-2022. The study was carried to reveal the effect of Nano phosphate fertilizer compared to superphosphate fertilizer on growth parameters of two wheat cultivars (Triticum aestivum L.). Superphosphate fertilizer was added at rates of 0, 30, 60 and 90 kg p ha-1, while, Nano phosphate source was applied at 0, 3, and 6 kg P. ha-1. Two wheat cultivars (Jad and Adina) were used. Both P sources were mixed with pot soils at planting time. Wheat plants were grown for 70 days period. Plant parameters: tillers numbers, plant high, leaves number, flag leaf area, dry weight, P concentration were obtained at harvest time. Phosphorus uptake was calculated at same time. Results of the study showed that there was no significant differences in all studied growth parameters between superphosphate and Nano phosphate sources, even though the rate of applied Nano phosphate source were much lower than that of superphosphate source. The results also indicated that, irrespective of the origin of phosphorus, higher rates of applied phosphorus led to an increase in all the growth parameters examined. When comparing the two phosphorus sources and their application rates, most growth parameters for the Adina cultivar exceeded those of the Jad cultivar at both phosphorus sources applied rates. Additionally, the results highlighted a significant interaction among treatments for all the investigated growth parameters.

The effectiveness of controlling polysis aphids and greenhouse orthoptera using a suspension of P.varioti's strain EMR-57 and insecticide Fufanon was evaluated in a tomato-planted greenhouse. The study found that the mortality rate of polysis aphids reached 57.8% within 3 days and 67.6% within 14 days when the P.varioti's strain EMR-57 suspension with a titer of 6·107 cfu/ml was applied. In the case of greenhouse orthoptera, the mortality rate was 60.0% and 78.8% within the same respective time frames. Contrastingly, in the water-sprinkled version, the mortality rate was significantly lower, with only 2.6% mortality within 3 days and 4.3% and 3.3% in 1 and 7 days, respectively. This indicates that the P.varioti's strain EMR-57 suspension is more effective when directly applied to the target pests compared to a general water-sprinkled application. In greenhouse conditions, the most optimal rates for controlling both pests were found to be the combination of 2.5 L/ha of Fufanon insecticide, 6·107 cfu/ml titer of P.varioti strain EMR-57, and 0.04% concentration of "Selver" adhesive active substance. This combination showed effective control of both polysis aphids and greenhouse orthoptera, highlighting its potential for integrated pest management strategies in greenhouse agriculture.

HighlightsComparison of PC system and PWM system in-field performance indicated that the PWM system made sensor-based N applications more accurately than the PC system.The turndown ratio calculated from the aggregate application instances was 6.2:1.For both the PWM system and the PC system, applications were made more accurately when 28% UAN was applied rather than 32% UAN. Abstract. Sensor-based nitrogen (N) applications have shown promise for improving N use efficiency, but present significant challenges for application rate control due to highly variable and frequently changing target rates. If applications are to be made precisely, equipment systems used for sensor-based N applications must be designed to meet system demands. Pulse-width modulation (PWM) equipped systems have emerged as a technological advancement over traditional pressure-controlled (PC) systems for improving variable rate N application accuracy. Little research, however, has been done to assess the performance of PWM systems during sensor-based N applications in-field. This work analyzed as-applied data collected from in-field sensor-based N applications with pressure-controlled (PC) and PWM systems in Nebraska between 2015 and 2017 to quantify system requirements, assess system performance, and determine performance impacting operational variables. It was found that systems should be capable of 1-s rate changes of ±71.1 L ha-1 (7.6 gpa), 1-s flow rate changes of ±11.4 L min-1 (3 gpm), and turndown ratios of at least 6:1. PWM systems achieved application rates within 10% of the target rate 10% more often than PC systems, and showed less variability in application error. However, PWM systems still demonstrated significant application errors with an observed RMSE of 44.9 L ha-1 (4.8 gpa). Speed change magnitude was found to be most associated with increases in percent application error. These findings substantiate that PWM systems effectively improve sensor-based N application accuracy versus traditional PC systems. However, collaborative efforts toward greater cohesion between sensor-based application expectations and application equipment capabilities are necessary for maximizing the effectiveness of sensor-based N applications. Keywords: Precision agriculture, Rate controllers, Site-specific crop management, Sprayer, Turndown ratio.

The effect of cow urine, dairy shed effluent (DE), and urea fertiliser on nitrate leaching was determined using undisturbed soil lysimeters (500 mm diameter by 700 mm deep) with ryegrass (Lolium perenne)–white clover (Trifolium repens) pasture. Cow urine was applied to the lysimeters, at rates of 0 and 1000 kg N/ha in May 1996. Urea and DE were applied to urine-applied and non-urine-applied lysimeters at rates of 0, 200, and 400 kg N/ha in 4 split equal applications in May, August, and November 1996 and February 1997. Natural rainfall was supplemented with simulated rainfall in winter and spring (May–October) to achieve the 75th percentile of winter–spring rainfall records in the region. Flood irrigation was applied 6 times during summer–autumn (November–April) at 100 mm per application, which is a typical practice used by dairy farmers in the region. Drainage water was collected and analysed for nitrate, nitrite, bromide (added tracer), and ammonium. Over the first year of the experiment (May 1996–April 1997), 12% of the urine-N applied was lost through leaching, mainly in nitrate form. When urine (1000 kg N/ha) was applied in combination with DE (200 kg N/ha) and urea (200 kg N/ha), the mineral N leaching loss increased to 14% of the total N applied. The annual average nitrate concentrations in the drainage from the lysimeters that received urine alone, or urine+DE and/or urea, were 33–57 mg N/L, with a mean peak concentration of 110 mg N/L. These nitrate concentrations were significantly higher than in those treatments that did not receive urine (1–5 mg N/L). Because, on average, about 25% of the area of a grazed dairy paddock receives urine per year, the field-scale leaching losses were calculated by taking into account the dilution effect of drainage water from non-urine patch areas of the paddock. The calculated annual paddock losses were 33–60 kg N/ha, and on average the annual paddock nitrate concentrations were 10–17 mg N/L. This demonstrates the importance of accounting for the dilution of nitrate in the leachate from non-urine patch areas of the paddock. The annual average concentration from the treatment DE at 400 kg N/ha was significantly lower than that from the urea treatment at the same rate. This was probably because of the different chemical forms of N in each material, and needs to be taken into account when developing regional rules for land application of urea and effluents.

SUMMARYPredictive models for the accumulation of available phosphorus (Olsen-P, extracted with 0·5 mol/l sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) at pH 8·5) in the north-western arid areas of China, especially in Xinjiang, are essential for the improved management of phosphorus (P) fertilizers. In the present study, an accumulation model for Olsen-P in grey desert soil (Calcaric Cambisol) was developed using the data for initial Olsen-P in soil, P fertilizer application rate (organic and inorganic P), crop yields, and soil pH from a 22-year long-term experiment (1990–2011) with 3-year rotation of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), maize (Zea mays L.) and cotton (Gossypium spp.). The model was also validated independently using previously published data from the literature. The results indicated an average net accumulation of Olsen-P in the plough layer (0–200 mm) of 0·36 mg/kg/year (from 0·083 to 0·47 mg/kg/year) when P fertilizer was applied, while an average net Olsen-P loss of 0·12 mg/kg/year (from 0·067 to 0·26 mg/kg/year) was observed without P fertilization in the soil. For target yields of wheat, maize and cotton at 5, 6 and 6 tonne/ha (t/ha), respectively, in soil with pH 8, the rates of Olsen-P increase in the soil as estimated by the model were 0·11, 0·24, 0·36, 0·49 and 0·61 mg/kg/year when P application rates were 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100 kg P/ha per 3-year period, respectively. For every 100 kg/ha of P surplus, Olsen-P increased by 1·1 mg/kg in Xinjiang grey desert soil. This Olsen-P accumulation model was valuable for the management of soil P in agricultural production and environmental protection in north-western China and other arid areas planted with a yearly rotation of wheat, maize or cotton.

In two-year small-plot field experiments in Žabčice u Brna we explored the effect of nitrogen fertilisation with urea and urea with urease inhibitor (Urea + UI) on the content of macronutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) in tubers and tops of potatoes of the variety Karin. The experiment involved 7 treatments. Nitrogen rates in treatments 1–7 were the following: 1) 90 kg N/ha – Urea; 2) 72 kg N/ha – Urea; 3) 54 kg N/ha – Urea; 4) 90 kg N/ha – Urea + UI; 5) 72 kg N/ha – Urea + UI; 6) 54 kg N/ha – Urea + UI; 7) unfertilised control. Each treatment was repeated 4 times.Both fertilisers (Urea, Urea + UI) were reflected irregularly in the contents of N, P, K, Ca, Mg in the potato biomass and were based on the weather of the year, rate of fertiliser and analysed plant organ (tuber, top). In both years the contents of N, K, Ca and Mg were higher in the tops. The P content was balanced both in the tops and tubers. Some changes in the chemical composition were observed particularly in the case of nitrogen. In 2010 the nitrogen content was higher in tubers (1.44–1.65% N) after the application of both of the higher rates of urea + UI than after the application of urea alone (1.30–1.34% N). In 2011 the N content in tops decreased to 2.97–3.26% N when the highest rate of N was applied in both fertilisers, as against the other treatments (3.60–4.09% N). The contents of the other elements (P, K, Ca, Mg) were not significantly affected by the kind fertiliser and way of fertilising or the differences among treatments were minimal. In general we can conclude that after the application of both types of fertilisers the contents of the observed elements did not change fundamentally in the tops or tubers.

As golfers demand higher quality golf green putting surfaces, researchers continue to seek improved turfgrass cultivars. One such improved cultivar is `TifEagle' bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. × C. transvaalensis Burtt-Davy], which is an improvement over traditional bermudagrass cultivars such as `Tifgreen' and `Tifdwarf' due to its ability to tolerate mowing heights of ≤3.2 mm for extended periods. One observed disadvantage of `TifEagle' is its lack of a deep, dense root system compared to previous bermudagrass cultivars. This field study measured mowing height, N rate, and biostimulant product effects on `TifEagle' rooting. Three mowing heights (3.2, 4.0, and 4.8 mm), three N rates (12, 24, and 48 kg N/ha/week), and two cytokinin-containing commercial biostimulant products (BIO1 and BIO2) were examined. Plant responses measured were root length density (RLD), root surface area (RSA), thatch layer depth (TLD), and turf quality (TQ). Increasing mowing height from 3.2 to 4.0 mm increased RLD by >11%, RSA by >11%, and TQ by >17%. Increasing N rates from 12 to 24 kg N ha-1 week-1 increased RLD by >17%, RSA by >26% and TQ by >16%. No effect on RLD was observed after the first year of biostimulant use, however, after the second year, BIO1 increased RLD by >11% when applied with the lowest rate of N (12 kg N/ha/week). Higher mowing heights (4.8 and 4.0 mm) increased TLD >6% compared to the lowest mowing height (3.2 mm), and higher N rates (48 and 24 kg N/ha/week) increased TLD >3% compared to the lowest N rate (12 kg N/ha/week). Overall, a mowing heights ≥4.0 mm, N rates ≥24 kg N/ha/week, and long-term use of a cytokinins-containing biostimulant had a positive effect on `TifEagle' rooting.

In some years, the emerging leaves of white oak and, to a lesser extent, of red oak in the Midwest have developed abnormally. This abnormality is referred to as leaf tatters. Reports to state foresters and Extension specialists associated tatters with herbicide applications. In 2005, white and red oak seedlings were treated in a spray chamber delivering 187 L/ha, with seven herbicides at three concentrations, 1/4×, 1/10×, and 1/100× of the standard field use rate. These herbicides and their standard field use rate of the active ingredients included atrazine at 2.3 kg/ha and chloroacetanilide herbicides: acetochlor at 2.0 kg/ha, metolachlor at 2.1 kg/ha, and dimethenamid at 0.8 kg/ha alone or mixed with atrazine at 2.3 kg/ha, at the leaves unfolding stage. After treatment, oaks were placed outdoors in a randomized complete-block design. Leaf symptoms in our study were similar to those seen in the landscape. In chloroacetanilide-treated white and red oak seedlings, browning of interveinal leaf tissues was noticed 5–6 days after treatment. The dried leaf tissues then dropped off, leaving only the main vein with little interveinal leaf area. In few seedlings treated with atrazine, the leaf tissues turned yellow to brown, while in few others, interveinal tissue damage was restricted, leaving small holes in the leaf. When chloroacetanilide herbicides were applied with atrazine, the dominant symptoms were those of leaf tatters. A few seedlings treated with dimethenamid and atrazine had predominately atrazine symptoms. Although new growth later in the season was not injured, the leaves with tatters remained on the plant until the end of the growing season. The study will be repeated in 2006.

Ten bacterial strains were isolated by enrichment culture, using as carbon sources either aliphatics or an aromatic–polar mixture. Oxygen uptake rate was used as a criterion to determine culture transfer timing at each enrichment stage. Biodegradation of aliphatics (10 000 mg L–1) and an aromatic–polar mixture (5000 mg L–1, 2:1) was evaluated for each of the bacterial strains and for a defined culture made up with a standardized mixture of the isolated strains. Degradation of total hydrocarbons (10 000 mg L–1) was also determined for the defined mixed culture. Five bacterial strains were able to degrade more than 50% of the aliphatic fraction. The most extensive biodegradation (74%) was obtained with strain Bs 9A, while strains Ps 2AP and UAM 10AP were able to degrade up to 15% of the aromatic–polar mixture. The defined mixed culture degraded 47% of the aliphatics and 6% of the aromatic–polar mixture. The defined mixed culture was able to degrade about 40% of the aliphatic fraction and 26% of the aromatic fraction when grown in the presence of total hydrocarbons, while these microorganisms did not consume the polar hydrocarbons fraction. The proposed strategy that combines enrichment culture together with oxygen uptake rate allowed the isolation of bacterial strains that are able to degrade specific hydrocarbons fractions at high consumption rates.Key words: biodegradation, defined mixed culture, enrichment culture, hydrocarbon fractions, oxygen uptake.

To determine the influence of plant protection products and fertilizers on the yield and quality of sunflower hybrid NK Kondi seeds. Methods. The research was conducted at the SFH “Golden Ear” in the Chortkiv district of the Ternopil region. The study examined the mid-ripening sunflower hybrid NK Kondi and 3 schemes of application of plant protection products, fertilizers, and growth stimulants: 1) Verno FG (0.5 kg/ha) + Nordox 75 WG (0.3 kg/ha); 2) Verno FG (0.5 kg/ha), Mira, RK (0.75 l/ha) + Nordox 75WG (0.3 kg/ha), Mira, RK (0.75 l/ha); 3) Nordox 75WG (0.3 kg/ha) + Nordox 75WG (0.3 kg/ha). The products were applied twice, at the 4–6 leaf stage and at the bud stage. Control – standard cultivation technology, including the application of plant protection products (fungicides and insecticides) and plant growth regulator. Results. The study showed that the highest quality and yield of sunflower seeds were found in the variant with the twice application of the contact fungicide Nordox 75. The lowest yield was recorded in the control variant – 2.9 t/ha, and the highest in the variant with the application of the contact fungicide Nordox 75, with a consumption rate of 0.3 kg/ha – 3.94 t/ha. The oil content in the variants using micro-fertilizer Verno FG, contact fungicide Nordox 75, and growth stimulator Mira RK ranged from 52.0 to 53.6%, corresponding to class 1 of sunflower seed quality according to DSTU 7011:2009. It is worth noting that the twice application of the contact fungicide Nordox 75 in the 4–6 leaf and bud stages contributed to a 9% increase in oil yield compared to the control variant. The quality indicator of sunflower seeds - the acid number of the oil in all study variants varied from 4.1 to 4.8 mg KOH/g. The weight of 1000 seeds also depended on the cultivation variant. With the twice application of the contact fungicide Nordox 75, seeds with the highest weight of 1000 seeds were obtained – 71.9 g, and the control had the lowest – 66.8 g. The germination energy of the investigated sunflower seeds ranged from 94 to 96%, and similarity ranged from 95 to 97%. Conclusions. The research results justify the conclusion that high yield and quality of sunflower seeds can be achieved through intensive cultivation technologies, which include the use of chemical plant protection products, fertilizers, and plant growth stimulants. The obtained data regarding the yield level and quality indicators of sunflower hybrid NK Kondi seeds indicate the prospects of its cultivation in the Western Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine.

The results of weed infestation of cultivated oats and maize by the phases of their development and the manifestation of the signs of oat septoria affection in the experiment with an applied agrobiotechnology, including the use of biological preparations Trichoplant, SK (based on Trichoderma) and Biogor-Zh (based on Lactobacillus), nitrogen fertilizers (at the rate of 10 kg of NPPN per 1 ton of straw) and lime at the rate of 1.5 t/ha when using crushed by-products as fertilizer are presented. The work was carried out in the scientific and production experiment, founded in 2018 and located in Kursk Region, in Medvensky District, settlement of Panino, in two fields. In 2022 in the first field (cereal crop rotation) cultivated oat (Avena sativa L.) of the variety “Borets” was grown with buckwheat as a previous crop, in the second field (cereal and row crop rotation) maize for grain (Zea mays L.) of the variety “Delitop” was cultivated with winter wheat as a previous crop. The results were obtained in the following variants: 1. Control (no fertilizers and afterharvesting residues); 2. Crushed by-products of the crop as a background; 3. Background + nitrogen fertilizers; 4. Background + lime; 5. Background + biopreparations; 6. Background + biopreparations + nitrogen fertilizers; 7. Background + biopreparations + lime. The number of weeds less by 36.7 and 76.4 % related to the control, respectively, was found when biopreparations with nitrogen fertilizers were applied in maize and cultivated oats in the phase of ear emergence. The number of oat plants affected with ceptoria in the variants with biopreparations applied in the tillering phase and with combined application of biopreparations and lime in the phase of ear emergence was by 14.9 and 22.9 % less as compared to the control, respectively.

The effect of phosphorus banded at planting, at rates up to 240 kg/ha, on the specific gravity of tubers of cvv. Kennebec (10 sites) and Coliban (5 sites) was investigated using field experiments conducted during 1984-85, 1985-86 and 1986-87. The relationship between specific gravity and phosphorus concentration in petioles of youngest fully expanded leaves (P-YFEL) was also determined. As the rate of applied phosphorus increased there were significant positive and negative trends in specific gravity. However, the size of the effect varied between sites; for example, the maximum and minimum ranges in specific gravity (based on treatment means) due to phosphorus application were 1.0762-1.0869 (site 13) and 1.0753-1.0772 (site 24), respectively for the cv. Kennebec and 1.0598-1.0683 (site 22) and 1.0715-1.0753 (site 17), respectively for the cv. Coliban. Rates of applied phosphorus, which resulted in maximum specific gravity, also varied between sites. Maximum specific gravities occurred at phosphorus rates in the ranges 0-100 and 40-240 kg/ha for cvv. Kennebec and Coliban, respectively. There were significant relationships (5 quadratic and 1 negative linear) between phosphorus concentration in P-YFEL and specific gravity for cv. Kennebec at all 6 responsive sites. Phosphorus concentrations in P-YFEL associated with maximum specific gravities were in the range 0.29-0.51%. For cv. Coliban, over similar tissue phosphorus concentration ranges, there were significant (P<0.05) positive linear relationships for 1 responsive and 2 non-responsive sites. When data for cv. Kennebec were pooled for all sites, there was a significant (P<0.05) quadratic relationship between specific gravity and tissue phosphorus concentration (range 0.22-0.77%). For the cv. Coliban the trend was not significant (P>0.05). We have concluded that the rate of phosphorus banded at planting can affect specific gravity and that the cvv. Kennebec and Coliban differ in their sensitivity to this effect.

Изучение норм высева полбы сорта Руно в условиях южной лесостепной зоны Омской области проводилось в 2021-2023 годах на лугово-черноземной среднемощной малогумусовой почве. Полба в севообороте высевалась после яровой мягкой пшеницы, идущей по чистому пару. Схема опыта включала четыре варианта с нормой высева полбы: 1,5; 2,0; 2,5; 3,0 млн всхожих двузернянок на гектар и два фона питания: без удобрений и с внесением аммофоса (N12P52) одновременно с посевом дисковой сеялкой на глубину 5-6 см. Повторность в опыте четырехкратная, площадь делянки 60 м2 (2x30). В фазу кущения культуры посевы обрабатывали гербицидом Пума Плюс, КЭ – 1,4 л/га с нормой расхода рабочей жидкости 200 л/га. Засоренность посевов полбы была выше в вариантах с внесением удобрения. Доля сорных растений с увеличением нормы высева снижалась на неудобренном фоне с 9,73 до 9,05 % , в вариантах с внесением аммофоса – с 10,85 до 9,96 %. Варианты с нормой высева 3,0 млн отличались меньшей степенью засоренности. Наибольший уровень урожайности зерна полбы был получен при высеве 2 млн всхожих зерен на гектар (на неудобренном фоне– 2,14 т/га, на фоне внесения аммофоса – 2,26 т/га). Снижение нормы высева до 1,5 млн или увеличение количества высеянных семян до 2,5 и 3,0 млн приводило к снижению урожайности зерна полбы. Наименьшее количество влаги на формирование 1 т зерна полба расходовала также при посеве 2,0 млн всхожих зерен на гектар. The study of seeding rates of the Runo spelt variety under the conditions of the southern forest-steppe zone of the Omsk region was carried out in 2021-2023 on meadowchernozemic medium-thick low-humus soil. During the crop rotation, spelt was sown after spring soft wheat, which followed the complete fallow. The experiment included four options with spelt seeding rates equaled to 1.5; 2.0; 2.5; 3.0 million of germinating two-grain seeds per hectare and two nutrient status: without fertilizers and with the application of ammophos (N12P52) simultaneously with sowing with a disk seeder to a depth of 5-6 cm. The experiment was replicated four times, plot area was 60 m2 (2x30). During the tillering phase, the crops were treated with the herbicide of Puma Plus - 1.4 l/ha with a working fluid consumption rate of 200 l/ha. The infestation of spelt crops was higher in the variants with fertilizer application. The proportion of weeds with an increase in seeding rate decreased on an unfertilized ground from 9.73 to 9.05%, in variants with the addition of ammophos from 10.85 to 9.96%. Options with a seeding rate of 3.0 million were characterized by a lower degree of infestation. The highest level of spelt grain yield was obtained when sowing 2 million germinating grains per hectare on an unfertilized ground - 2.14 t/ha and against the ground with ammophos application - 2.26 t/ha. Reducing the seeding rate to 1.5 million or increasing the number of seeds sown to 2.5 and 3.0 million led to a decrease in spelt grain yield. Spelt also consumed the least amount of moisture to form 1 ton of grain when sowing 2.0 million viable grains per hectare.

The purpose of this four-year study was to compare the effectiveness of flame weeding applied on two dates to that of spraying with glufosinate ammonium in controlling weeds in common thyme grown from sowing directly into the field. Flaming (90 kg propane∙ha–1) was applied immediately before thyme emergence or 6 days later, and glufosinate-ammonium (450 g∙ha–1) was applied on the same date as the first flaming. Emergence of thyme began 15–18 days after sowing, was very uneven and in some years it was extended up to 4 weeks. Thyme seedlings were very fine and their initial growth was very slow, which made them highly sensitive to the competition of weeds. The growth rate of thyme increased over time, reaching its greatest value in the last ten days prior to harvest, when the plants gained their average height, depending on the year, from 18.3 to 22.4 cm and developed from 17 to 21 first and second order branches. Weeds started to emerge 8–11 days after thyme was sown and about 3 weeks later their number in the control plots varied depending on the year from 175 to 541 pcs.∙m–2. All methods were very effective in controlling weeds immediately after treatment, but had no soil residual activity and soon new weeds emerged. Four weeks later, the most effective method was spraying with glufosinate-ammonium, which, depending on the year, reduced both the number and fresh weight of weeds by 43 to 85%. Flaming applied at the first or second dates controlled 33–59% and 37–68% of weeds, respectively. After first weeding, the differences between compared treatments disappeared. Essential oil content in the grated herb obtained from the control plants ranged from 2.5 to 3.4%. In the oil, a total of 39 compounds were identified, with the number ranging from 33 to 36 in individual years. More than half of the essential oil was thymol and two other important compounds were γ-terpinene and p-cymene.

Представлены результаты исследований влияния кремниевого удобрения Силиплант на поступление и деградацию протравителя Престиж; фунгицидов Акробат МЦ, Пеннкоцеб и инсектицида Шарпей в посадках картофеля. Установлено, что Силиплант активизировал поступление действующих веществ имидаклоприд и пенцикурон в семенные клубни при обработке Престижем, увеличивая их содержание на 20,6 и 6% соответственно. В период бутонизации растений имидаклоприд в основном был обнаружен в ботве картофеля. Его наибольшее количество выявлено при обработке клубней смесью Престиж 0,6 л/т+Силиплант 60 мл/т, оно было на 45% выше, чем при обработке клубней только Престижем в норме 0,75 л/т. Содержание имидаклоприда в столонах было значительно ниже, меньше всего его поступило в молодые клубни. Престиж обеспечивал защиту растений от колорадского жука, тли и других вредителей до фазы бутонизации. Силиплант также активизировал поступление циперметрина при опрыскивании растений инсектицидом Шарпей. Содержание циперметрина в ботве было на 46% выше при опрыскивании смесью Шарпей 0,07 л/га+Силиплант 1 л/га, в сравнении с применением только Шарпея в дозе 0,1 л/га. На содержание действующих веществ фунгицидов (Акробат МЦ и Пеннкоцеб) Силиплант существенно не повлиял. Основное количество диметоморфа обнаружено в надземной части растений, в столоны его поступило меньше, и еще меньше во вновь сформировавшиеся клубни. Снижение нормы расхода препарата Акробат МЦ в два раза привело к значительному сокращению его содержания во всех частях растения. Совместное применение его меньшей дозы в сочетании с препаратом Силиплант не привело к заметному изменению его содержания в растении. Аналогичные результаты получены по содержанию манкоцеба при использовании фунгицидов как Акробат МЦ, так и Пеннкоцеб. На фоне снижения норм расхода препаратов Престиж, Акробат МЦ, Шарпей и Пеннкоцеб в смесях с препаратом Силиплант получен наибольший урожай картофеля. The article presents the results of research on the effect of Siliplant silicon fertilizer on the intake and degradation of Prestige mordant, Acrobat MC fungicides, Penncozeb, and Sharpey insecticide used in potato planting. It was found that Siliplant activated the intake of imidacloprid and pencycuron in seed tubers when treated with Prestige, increasing their content by 20.6 and 6% respectively. During the budding period of plants, imidacloprid is mainly found in the tops of potatoes. Its maximum amount was found when treating tubers with a mixture of Prestige 0.6 l/t+Siliplant 60 ml/t, it was 45 % higher than when treating tubers with Prestige alone in the norm of 0.75 l/t. The content of imidacloprid in stolons was significantly lower and less of it was received in new tubers. Prestige protected the plants from the Colorado potato beetle, aphids, and other pests until the budding phase. Siliplant also activated the intake of cypermethrin when spraying plants with the insecticide Sharpey. The cypermethrin content in the tops was 46% higher when sprayed with a Sharpey mixture of 0.07 l/ha+Siliplant 1 l/ha, in comparison with the use of one Sharpey at a dose of 0.1 l/ha. The content of the active substances of the fungicides: Acrobat MC and Pennkozeb, Sililant did not have a significant effect. The main amount of dimethomorph was found in the aboveground part of the plants, less of it was received in the stolons and even less in the newly formed tubers. Reducing the consumption rate of the MC Acrobat by 2 times led to a significant reduction in its content in all parts of the plant. When combined with a lower dose of the drug with Siliplant, it did not lead to a noticeable change in its content. Similar results were obtained for the content of mankoceb both when using the MC Acrobat and Pennkozeb. Against the background of a decrease in the consumption rates of Prestige, Acrobat MC, Sharpey and Penncozeb in mixtures with Siliplant, the greatest yield of potatoes was obtained.

<strong><em>Abstract</em></strong><em>:</em><em>Increased urbanization in Vietnam disturbing land use efficiency related to natural resources and quality of human life and development. Therefore, land use efficiency become an inherent requirement under growing population and land resources for national and regional sustainable development. This study presents an evaluation of land use efficiency in Vietnam using DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) and Super-Efficiency DEA model. In general, Vietnam land use efficiency is low, only 8 among 63 provinces have high land use efficiency. The results show that Super-efficiency DEA model can effectively rank the efficiency DMU completely, by thatHo Chi Minh City tops the list of land use efficiency of Vietnam in 2017, followed by Ba Ria-Vung-Tau, BacNinh, NinhThuan, Da Nang, Vinh Long, AnGiang and Lai Chau. NgheAn andThanhHoa, the two largest provinces of Vietnam located get the lowest land use efficiency value. There is no certain relation between the efficiency of land use and the grade of the province. This study may provide a reference for the decision maker in land use planning to get high efficiency and sustainable land resources.</em> <strong>Introduction</strong> Land is an essential natural resource for the survival and prosperity of humanity, and for the maintenance of all terrestrial ecosystem(FAO/UNEP, 1999). From economic perspective land is the primary means of production used to generate a livelihood for a family in most of the developing countries. Land use is defined as the link between land cover and the actions of human being in their environment. By this way, it is characterized by the arrangements, activities and inputs by people to produce, change or maintain a certain land cover type (Di Gregorio, 1998). Demand of multiple land uses leads to increase in land competition, therefore, size of the holdings affects the household&#39;s income(Power, 2010), (Harvey &amp; Pilgrim, 2011). Vietnam-one developing country in Southeast Asia heavily depending on agriculture experiencing the high urbanization growth with around 700 square kilometers of land incorporated into towns and cities annually(&quot;Vietnam needs more effective urban land use,&quot; 2018). Furthermore, therapid urbanization bringsfast economic development, industrialization and the increase in urban population(J. Wang, Zhou, Pickett, Yu, &amp; Li, 2019). According to World Bank (Bank, 2019) , Vietnam&rsquo;s urbanization rate increased from 28.5% (2007) to 35.2% (2017). On the other hand, urban land use pattern caused land use problems such as traffic congestion, insufficient water use, shortage electricity supplies, deterioration of living environment and reduced social stability. The socioeconomic development of Vietnam mainly depends on the land and forestresources used for agricultural growth and rural development.In fact,&nbsp; urban land use efficiency in Vietnam remain relatively low withpopulation density of 2100 people per square kilometer compared to other Asian countries have about 10000 people per square kilometer(&quot;Viet Nam land use efficiency remains low,&quot; 2017). Land use efficiency is an important indicator for the level of urban land use(Songqing Jin, 2013). Recently, various studies&nbsp; have investigated land use efficiency in term of urban land use efficiencyconsidering ecology, regional economic, social behavior and political economics by different methodologies.Pauleit, Ennos, and Golding (2005),Mouri and Aisaki (2015) andM. Mirzaei (2016) explored the effect of urban land use on the environment, while Lin and Ho (2003),Kumar, Merwade, Rao, and Pijanowski (2013) examined the status of urban land use in different countries and regions.Some studies have examined land use efficiency in terms of development density, population density and employment density Glaeser and Kahn (2004) andPeiser (1989). YEH and WU (1996)analyzed the important factors of land use efficiency in Guangzhou-China by using logistic regression. Herold, Couclelis, and Clarke (2005) studied the urban land use change by applying spatial measurement. Furthermore Aguilera, Valenzuela, and Botequilha-Leit&atilde;o (2011) focused on spatial measurement applied to access urban land use Land use efficiency has been traditionally analyzed using economic efficiency and primarily focused on economic intensification of land use and its spatial differentiation.Jiang C Y (2008) analyzed the spatial-temporal variation of landuse economic efficiency of the 40 districts and counties based on the land use status along with the natural and socio-economic situation in Chongqing City from 1999 to 2006.Yang et al., 2009; Liang L T (2013)investigated the spatial disparity&nbsp; characters of&nbsp; urban land use efficiency in the prefectural-level cities in China focused on how to optimize the urban land use efficiency. Moreover, due to diverse land resource functions, land use efficiency is essentially a comprehensive efficiency that integrates economic, social, and ecological outputs. There are several parametric and nonparametric techniques to measuring land use efficiency, among them, data envelopment analysis (DEA) is the most adopted as a nonparametric technique(Raheli, Rezaei, Jadidi, &amp;Mobtaker, 2017). The advantage of nonparametric technique over parametric is that it supposes neither a predetermined functional relationship between inputs and outputs, nor a prior information about weights of inputs and outputs. DEA was applied to evaluate energy use efficiency by Nassiri and Singh (2009), AghaAlikhani, Kazemi-Poshtmasari, and Habibzadeh (2013), Mobtaker, Akram, Keyhani, and Mohammadi (2012).Toma, Dobre, Dona, and Cofas (2015) have study been applied DEA to assess the agriculture efficiency on areas with similar geographically patterns.The notion of land use efficiency refers to an optimal situation, it can be understood as the ability to achieve maximum output for a given level of input for a given level of output. To measure land use efficiency, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) has been widely used by many researchers. DEAhave ability to adopt the optimization method to determine the weight of each input element. The unique advantage of DEA model is that it doesn&rsquo;t need to determine the specific functional relation between input/output and avoid the errors because of function relationship as well as the inaccuracy caused by the subjectivity of determining each index weigh effectively(Charnes, Cooper, &amp; Rhodes, 1978). Various studies have investigated application ofDEA in land use efficiency evaluation&nbsp; such as X. Wang (2005) applied the CCR-DEA to evaluate land use efficiency of 17 cities in Shandong-China; Zhang (2009) made an empirical analysis on land use efficiency of prefecture city in China; Wu (2011) evaluated the land use efficiency of 33 cities in China and made an analysis on the input-output elements. Yang, Wu, and Dang (2017) also used DEA model to study the urban land use efficiency and coordination on 33 provincial capital cities and municipalities of China. Vietnam cities are now facing severe environmental pressure due to environmental destruction, hazardous pollutants emission and consumption of natural resources. Therefore, land use efficiency become an inherent requirement under growing population and land resources for national and regional sustainable development. Moreover, land use policy in developing countries is considered as an important factor of the overall development policy that government needs to stress on for rapid economic growth and poverty alleviation. Despite the large literatures on the application of DEA on land use efficiency, to the best of our knowledge, empirical studies of low-income countries like Vietnam are almost non-existent. In this study, land use efficiency was analyzed from an economic perspective. Firstly, we used Data envelopment analysis (DEA) to compute efficiency scores of each province/municipality, by that we could assess the proportion of both inputs and outputs in the process of land use. After that the Super-efficiency DEA model was used to distinguish and compare the efficiency difference between the effective DMU (which has efficiency value is 1).Specifically, the purpose of this study to investigate the land use efficiency of low income and under developing country for the decision making in natural resources management. The remainder of the paper is organized as follow: section 2 described the study area and methodology; section 3 showed a presentation and an analysis of the results; section 4 offers a demonstrative conclusion to the study and policy implication of the findings. <strong>2. Material and method</strong> <strong>2.1. Study area</strong> Vietnam located in Southeast Asia, at latitude 140 3&rsquo; 30&rsquo;&rsquo; N and longitude 108016&rsquo;9&rsquo;&rsquo;. It has common borders with Laos and Cambodia in the west and with the People&rsquo;s Republic of China in the north. Vietnam also has a long coastline along the Gulf of Tonkin, the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand with 3.444 kilometers.Due to geographical location stretches across many latitudes, Vietnam&rsquo;s climate changes significantly from north to south, with four distinct seasons in the north and tropical in central and southern.The area of natural land resources in Vietnam is about 33 million hectares or 330.000 square kilometers (km2), ranked 65/194 of countries over the world.Total area of the country composed of&nbsp; land area, 82.3% or about 27,28 million hectares is agricultural land, 11.24% is non-agricultural land and the remaining is unused land(GSO, 2018).The structure of land use in Vietnam also tends to be like the world: increasing agricultural land, decreasing forest land, and increasing specialized land and barren hills. Officially, Vietnam has63provinces,municipalities(hereafter refer as provinces)and is divided into 6 socio-economic regions as follows: Red river delta, Northern midlands and Mountain areas, North central and Central coastal areas, Central Highlands, South East and Mekong river delta. The socio-economic regions are divided based on the geographical location of the provinces and the national development strategy. Figure 1 shows the structure of land area and proportional contribution into national GDP of 6 socio-economic regions. The disparity between the land area and the ratio of GDP contribution can be seen. Both Northern midlands and Mountain areas region and North central and Coastal areas region accounting for 29% of the territory but GDP contribution was only 8% and 15%, respectively. TheCentral Highlands region also occupies a large area in the territory (17%) but the region&rsquo;s GDP was the lowest value among 6 regions (4%). Mekong river delta region has the same proportion in both land area and the contribution to national GDP (12%). Total land area of two regions Red river delta and South East accounting for 13% of total country but contributed 61% for national GDP.&nbsp; Results shows that Red river delta and South East region utilize land resources with higher economic efficiency than the rest. However, for evaluating whether land use is appropriate or not, it&rsquo;s not only based on the value of gross domestic product in the region, but also a reasonable combination of inputs such as land area, labor and investment capital, to create outputs like GDP, average income. In this paper, we evaluated the land use efficiency of each province/municipality, and then we made a comparison among 6 socio-economic regions to understand the land use circumstance of the country. &nbsp; &nbsp; <strong>Fig. 1.</strong> Structure of land area and proportional contribution into national GDP of 6 socio-economic regions &nbsp; <strong>2.2. Research method</strong> Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a non-parametric method to evaluate the relative performance of decision-making units (DMU), which was put forward byCharnes et al. (1978). It was originally designed to study the relative efficiencies of different firms or managerial units assumed to have available a common best practice production technology. DEA can provide a method to compare firms based on the extent to which inputs are used efficiency in the production of output, given the technology. Similarly, the econometric frontier production function literature originally took the technology as given. Let Xj= (X1j, X2j, &hellip; ,Xmj), Yj=(Y1j , Y2j , &hellip; , YSj), j = 1,2,3,&hellip;,n, the XijandYijrespectively are vectors of input and output. The slack vectors s- and s+ correspond to input excesses (input slack) and output shortfalls (output slacks) and &theta; is DMU&rsquo;s efficiency value. Commonly used DEA models are as follow: <em>min</em> s.t. If&theta;=1 and s+=s-=0, DMU&not;&not;&not;0 is considered efficiency. It means in the system composed of n DMU, the output Y0 that obtained from the input X0 has reached the optimal. If &theta;=1 and s+&ne;0 or s-&ne;0,DMU&not;&not;&not;0is considered low efficiency. It means the system consisting of n decision making units in the case of input X0,s-can be reduced while the original output Y0 remains unchanged or increase the output s+ if the input X0 is unchanged. If &theta;&lt;1, DMU&not;&not;&not;0 is considered inefficiency. To be efficiency, the DMU needs to reduce the input X0 while maintaining the output Y0. DEA method has the advantage that it can conduct efficiency evaluation with multiple input and output, after that the value of assessment indicators are determined by applying the optimization method and the subjective random of determining the value could be avoided. There are two basic DEA models, leading to the identification of two different frontier which are CRS (constant returns to scale) model and VRS (variable returns to scale) model. In this study, we used both two models to evaluate the land use efficiency of eachprovince, then Super-efficiency DEAmodel (Andersen &amp; Petersen, 1993)was used to distinguish the difference between the efficiency DMU to better understand about the land use circumstance of study area. The CRS super-efficiency model can be expressed as: min <em>s. t.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </em> <em>+ </em> <em>=</em> <em>,i = 1,2 ,&hellip;,m</em> <em>=</em> <em>,r = 1,2,&hellip;, s</em> <em>,</em> <em>,</em> <em>&nbsp;0, j = 1, 2,&hellip; n, j </em> Where &epsilon;&gt; 0 is the non-Archimedean infinitesimal. <strong>2.3. Data sources</strong> DEAP 2.1 software was used to conduct land use efficiency analysis. Based on existing literature, we chose acreage of land, the number of employed-population at 15 years of age and above, and capital investment to represent input indicators. In term of output indicators, we selected regional gross domestic product (GDP) and regional per capita disposable income.From the perspective of scientific analysis, to evaluate land use efficiency, the outputs should include environment factor. In this paper we didn&rsquo;t consider this factor due the lack of data available in this country. All data were collected from the Statistic yearbook of Vietnam 2017 which were confirmed by Vietnam General Statistics Office. The administrative zoning map of Vietnam is shown in Figure2. &nbsp; &nbsp; <strong>Fig. 2.</strong>The administrative zoning map of Vietnam &nbsp; <strong>3. Results and discussions </strong> We used DEAP 2.1 to calculate the land use efficiency value in Vietnam. The results are shown in Table 1. <strong>Table 1.</strong> Land use efficiency data envelopment analysis Province Firm CRSTE VRSTE Scale Ha Noi VinhPhuc BacNinh QuangNinh Hai Duong HaiPhong Hung Yen Thai Binh Ha Nam Nam Dinh NinhBinh Ha Giang Cao Bang BacKan TuyenQuang Lao Cai Yen Bai Thai Nguyen Lang Son BacGiang PhuTho Dien Bien Lai Chau Son La HoaBinh ThanhHoa Nghe An Ha Tinh QuangBinh Quang Tri ThuaThien Hue Da Nang Quang Nam QuangNgai BinhDinh Phu Yen KhanhHoa NinhThuan BinhThuan Kon Tum Gia Lai DakLak DakNong Lam Dong BinhPhuoc TayNinh Binh Duong Dong Nai Ba Ria-Vung Tau Ho Chi Minh City Long An TienGiang Ben Tre TraVinh Vinh Long Dong Thap AnGiang KienGiang Can Tho HauGiang SocTrang Bac Lieu Ca Mau 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 0.632 0.827 1 0.702 0.689 0.865 0.891 0.529 0.969 0.732 0.871 0.622 0.680 0.946 0.851 0.586 0.589 0.530 0.594 0.488 0.548 0.515 1 0.469 0.723 0.183 0.280 0.405 0.612 0.829 0.606 1 0.552 0.520 0.429 0.642 0.562 1 0.572 0.903 0.513 0.503 0.882 0.584 0.775 0.788 0.703 0.582 1 1 0.669 0.684 0.787 0.645 1 0.773 1 0.418 0.669 0.978 0.978 0.802 0.827 0.686 0.914 1 0.719 0.707 0.868 0.957 0.586 1 0.743 0.896 0.738 0.718 1 0.893 0.661 0.627 0.612 0.629 0.495 0.602 0.669 1 0.535 0.803 0.217 0.304 0.506 0.626 0.870 0.612 1 0.566 0.584 0.450 0.660 0.588 1 0.615 0.946 0.513 0.503 0.890 0.678 0.964 0.936 1 0.601 1 1 0.744 0.712 0.800 0.776 1 0.778 1 0.427 0.713 1 0.985 0.874 0.831 0.922 0.904 1 0.976 0.974 0.996 0.930 0.903 0.969 0.985 0.972 0.842 0.947 0.946 0.952 0.886 0.940 0.866 0.944 0.984 0.910 0.770 1 0.875 0.900 0.844 0.918 0.801 0.977 0.952 0.991 1 0.975 0.891 0.952 0.973 0.955 1 0.930 0.955 0.999 0.999 0.990 0.862 0.804 0.841 0.703 0.968 1 1 0.900 0.961 0.983 0.831 1 0.993 1 0.979 0.937 0.978 0.993 0.917 0.995 Note: CRSTE refers to the technical efficiency of CRS DEA (Constant Returns to Scale); VRSTE refers to the technical efficiency of VRS DEA (Variable Returns to Scale); Scale= scale efficiency= CRSTE/VRSTE. <strong>3.1. The analysis based on Constant Returns to Scale (CRS) and Variable Returns to Scale (VRS)</strong> The results shown in Table 1.the land use efficiency of each DMU. Therefore, for the calculation of CRS DEA we consider technical efficiency as comprehensive efficiency. Technical efficiency of each province is plotted as a column chart in Figure 3. &nbsp; &nbsp; <strong>Fig. 3.</strong>Comprehensive efficiency (CRSTE) of the land use for each province. &nbsp; For VRS DEA, we considered technical efficiency simply refers to the technology and plotted the VRSTE value for each province as shown in column chart in Figure 4. &nbsp; &nbsp; <strong>Fig. 4.</strong>Technical efficiency (VRSTE) of land use for each province. &nbsp; The land use efficiency varied widely among provinces and at different economic regions, the land use efficiency is also different. We divided the land use efficiency value into four groups of &ldquo;very low&rdquo;, &ldquo;low&rdquo;, &ldquo;medium&rdquo; and &ldquo;high efficiency&rdquo; corresponding to the land use efficiency value less than 0.5, from 0.5 to 0.8, from 0.8 to 1.0 and 1.0, respectively.The results shown in Table 2. <strong>Table 2.</strong> Relative valuation scale for the quantification of land use efficiency based on DEA model <em>Land useefficiency evaluation</em> <em>The value of CRSTE</em> 1= very low land use efficiency &lt;0.6 2= low land use efficiency 0.6&lt; &lt;0.8 3= medium land use efficiency 0.8&lt; &lt;1.0 4= high land use efficiency &nbsp;=1.0 Note: &theta;=land use efficiency value &nbsp; Based on the results in Table 1 and the classification in Table 2, we have the following results. Results demonstrate 12.7% of provinces have high land use efficiency (&theta; =1.0) included: BacNinh, Lai Chau, Da Nang, NinhThuan, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City, Vinh Long, AnGiang. These provinces located in all six economic regions, of which there are two direct-controlled municipalities Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. It&rsquo;s not surprising that these two municipalities are in the list of &ldquo;high land use efficiency&rdquo;. Da Nang located on the Eastern Sea coast, it&rsquo;s known as the most livable city in Vietnam, the commercial and education center of Central Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City located in the South East region of Vietnam, is the most populous city and is also the most important economic, political, cultural, education center of Vietnam. However, the remaining provinces either have the smallest area in the country (BacNinh), or are in an unfavorable position (Lai Chau), their economy is only at middle level, but reach the status of efficiency in case of land utilize. It shows that effectively using land resource depends not only on how much output one DMU produces, but also depends on the proper allocation of land, capital, and labor resources. 22.2% of provinces have middle land use efficiency (0.8&lt; &theta;&lt;1) included: VinhPhuc, HaiPhong, Hung Yen, Ha Nam, NinhBinh, BacKan, TuyenQuang, Quang Tri, Kon Tum, DakNong, HauGiang, SocTrang, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau. Most of provinces in this group belong to Red river delta region and Mekong river delta region. Red river delta region and Mekong river delta region have dynamic economies, speciallyHaiPhong. It is one of five municipalities of the country and receives heavy development budget from the Government. Moreover, VinhPhuc, Hung Yen, Ha Nam and NinhBinhare getting more and more investment for industrial growth from government as well as foreign investors. 30.1% of provinces have low land use efficiency (0.6&lt; &theta;&lt;0.8) included: Ha Noi, QuangNinh, Hai Duong, Nam Dinh, Ha Giang, Cao Bang, HoaBinh, QuangBinh, ThuaThien Hue, Phu Yen, BinhPhuoc, TayNinh, Binh Duong, Long An, TienGiang, Ben Tre, TraVinh, Dong Thap and Can Tho. It is worth noticing that the Hanoi capital is among the inefficient DMUs. There are objective reasons that make Hanoi&rsquo;s land use ineffective. One of the reasons is that due to the expansion of administrative boundaries in 2008, Hanoi annexed whole Ha Tay province and some other neighboring counties, becoming one of the largest capital cities in the world. However, after more than a decade of expansion, according to the experts, Hanoi&rsquo;s land use planning has not beeneffective, leading to the use of land resources in a state of inefficiency. The last group is also the group with the most provinces, occupying 35% of provinces and have very low land use efficiency (&theta;&lt;0.6) included: Thai Binh, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Thai Nguyen, Lang Son, BacGiang, PhuTho, Dien Bien, Son La, ThanhHoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Nam, QuangNgai, BinhDinh, KhanhHoa, BinhThuan, Gia Lai, DakLak, Lam Dong, Dong Nai, KienGiang. For the visualization of the results, map for whole country&rsquo;s land use efficiency shown inFigure 5. &nbsp; <strong>Fig. 5.</strong> Land use efficiency in Vietnam in 2017 &nbsp; <strong>3.2. Evaluation land use efficiency based on Super-efficiency DEA</strong> In Section 1, we have found that there were 8 provinces which used land resource efficiently and get high score (1.0) when DEA model was run. But both CRS model and VRS model can&rsquo;t distinguish the efficiency difference among effective province. To solve this problem, we used Super-efficiency DEA to calculate the land use efficiency of 63 province. The results are shown in Table 3. By that we can rank further effective provinces and other provinces as well. <strong>Table 3.</strong>Ranking land use efficiency of 63 cities/provinces City/Province SE-DEA Sorting City/Province SE-DEA Sorting Ha Noi VinhPhuc BacNinh QuangNinh Hai Duong HaiPhong Hung Yen Thai Binh Ha Nam Nam Dinh NinhBinh Ha Giang Cao Bang BacKan TuyenQuang Lao Cai Yen Bai Thai Nguyen Lang Son BacGiang PhuTho Dien Bien Lai Chau Son La HoaBinh ThanhHoa Nghe An Ha Tinh QuangBinh Quang Tri ThuaThien Hue Da Nang 0.632 0.827 1.578 0.700 0.689 0.865 0.891 0.529 0.969 0.732 0.871 0.622 0.680 0.946 0.851 0.586 0.589 0.530 0.594 0.488 0.548 0.515 1.014 0.469 0.723 0.183 0.280 0.405 0.612 0.829 0.606 1.212 38 20 3 30 31 17 14 52 11 27 16 39 33 12 18 44 43 51 42 57 50 54 8 58 28 63 62 61 40 19 41 5 Quang Nam QuangNgai BinhDinh Phu Yen KhanhHoa NinhThuan BinhThuan Kon Tum Gia Lai DakLak DakNong Lam Dong BinhPhuoc TayNinh Binh Duong Dong Nai Ba Ria-Vung Tau Ho Chi Minh City Long An TienGiang Ben Tre TraVinh Vinh Long Dong Thap AnGiang KienGiang Can Tho HauGiang SocTrang Bac Lieu Ca Mau 0.552 0.520 0.429 0.642 0.562 1.413 0.572 0.903 0.513 0.503 0.882 0.584 0.775 0.788 0.703 0.582 2.281 2.613 0.669 0.684 0.787 0.645 1.158 0.773 1.111 0.418 0.669 0.978 0.978 0.802 0.827 49 53 59 37 48 4 47 13 55 56 15 45 25 23 29 46 2 1 34 32 24 36 6 26 7 60 35 10 9 22 21 &nbsp; Super efficiency DEA results (Table 3) demonstrates that theHo Chi Minh City tops the list of land use efficiency of Vietnam in 2017, its value is 2.613, followed by Ba Ria-Vung-Tau, BacNinh, NinhThuan, Da Nang, Vinh Long, AnGiang and Lai Chau.The positions of the remaining provinces in the rankings can be seen in Table 3. Notably, the lowest ranking is still NgheAn and ThanhHoa, the two largest provinces in Vietnam located in the North central of the country. <strong>4. Conclusion</strong> This study aimed to evaluate land use efficiency of Vietnam by provinces from an economic perspective. The results revealed a varying of land use efficiency by economic region. Land use efficiency is high in Red river delta region and South East region, but it&rsquo;s low in North West and Central regions (excepting Lai Chau, Da Nang and NinhThuan). In general, the results are coinciding with Vietnam&rsquo;s pattern of socio-economic development. Land use efficiency was lower in the regions which have lower economic development. Super-efficiency DEA model was applied to rank the land use efficiency of 63 provinces. Ho Chi Minh City got the highest value, meanwhile Hanoi only took number 38th in the ranking list. This created a challenge for Hanoi owing to its large land area. In the position of the capital of a country, Hanoi needs to conduct a more suitable and effective land use strategy in the future.Vietnam&rsquo;s land use efficiency is low, with only 8 provinces are efficiency, accounting for 12,7% land area of the country. By analyzing the results, we also believe that there is no certain relation between the efficiency of land use and the grade of the province. This study may contribute for the decision making in land use planning to get high efficiency and sustainable land resources. To increase land use efficiency, the Vietnamese Government should strengthen the scientific basics of land use planning and improve its enforcement. On another hand the Government needs to increase land productivity, ensure better land management. <strong>Acknowledgements </strong> The authors thank to General Statistics Office of Viet Nam for supporting the data and Professor Liu Yun Guo for his helpful comments. <strong>Conflicts of Interest</strong> The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Canola (Brassica napus L.) is widely grown throughout all rainfall zones in south-western Australia. Yields are low by world standards, and variable in low-rainfall (&lt;350 mm annual rainfall) and medium-rainfall (350–450 mm) zones, so that minimising production costs is a major consideration for growers in these areas. One of the major input costs is nitrogen (N) fertiliser. Fifteen N rate × application time × canola plant-type experiments were conducted in the low- and medium-rainfall zones between 2012 and 2014. In most experiments, five rates of N were tested, of ranges 0–75, 0–100, or 0–150 kg N/ha. Nitrogen was applied at four different times (seeding, or 4, 8 or 12 weeks after sowing) or split between these timings. Each experiment compared triazine-tolerant (TT), open-pollinated (OP) canola with Roundup Ready (RR) hybrid canola, and one experiment included TT hybrid and RR OP canola types. On average, RR hybrid produced 250 kg/ha, or 23% more seed and 2.2% more oil than TT OP canola, and the average gross margin of RR hybrid was AU$65/ha more than TT OP. However, seed yield and gross margin differences between RR hybrid and TT OP canola were reduced when seed yields were &lt;1400 kg/ha. Canola growth (dry matter) and seed yield responded positively to N fertiliser in most experiments, with 90% of maximum seed yield achieved at an average of 46 kg N/ha (s.e. 6). However, 90% of maximum gross margin was achieved at a lower average N rate of 17 kg N/ha, due primarily to the relatively small yield increase compared with the reduction in concentration of oil in the seed with N applied. Because canola growers of south-western Australia are now paid an uncapped premium for canola grain with oil concentration &gt;42%, decreases in oil percentage have a significant financial effect, and recommended rates of N should be lower than those calculated to optimise seed yield. In 80% of cases, the first 10 kg N/ha applied provided a return on investment in N &gt;$1.50 for every $1 invested. The next 20 kg N/ha applied provided a return on investment of $1.25 for every $1 invested 80% of the time, and further increases would most likely break even. The timing of N application had a minor effect on yield, oil and financial returns, but delaying N application would allow farmers to reduce risk under poor conditions by reducing or eliminating further inputs. Overall, our work demonstrates that a conservative approach to N supply mindful of the combined impacts of N on yield and oil is necessary in south-western Australia and that split and delayed applications are a viable risk-management strategy.

Inconsistent control of barnyardgrass with bispyribac may be alleviated through adjuvant technology. Experiments were conducted to determine the effect of adjuvant and urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) on absorption and translocation of bispyribac in barnyardgrass. Additional experiments were conducted to determine when maximum absorption and translocation occurred with the use of a methylated seed oil/organosilicone adjuvant (MSO/OSL) plus UAN (0.37 L ha−1 and 2% v/v). In the initial experiment, 14C-bispyribac–treated leaves, nontreated leaves, and roots were collected 6 and 24 h after application. Absorption was greatest with tank-mixed MSO/OSL (0.37 L ha−1) plus UAN (2% v/v) and the proprietary blend of MSO/OSL/UAN (2% v/v) at 80 and 74% of applied 14C-bispyribac, respectively. Translocation to nontreated leaves and roots was also highest with these treatments. Increased translocation appeared to be due to greater herbicide absorption, not an increase in translocation rate. The addition of 32% UAN to MSO/OSL and nonionic organosilicone (OSL/NIS) adjuvant systems resulted in a four to fivefold increase in absorption compared with treatments without UAN. Recovery of 14C-bispyribac in additional experiments generally decreased as time after application increased; however, recovery was 86% or greater for all time intervals. By 12 h after application, 68% of applied 14C-bispyribac was absorbed. At this time, 14C-bispyribac was partitioned within the plant in the following manner: 48% in the treated area, 10% in leaf tissue from treated area to tip of the treated leaf, 1.9% in leaf tissue from treated area to collar region of the treated leaf, 1.6% in remaining leaves from collar of treated leaf upward, 5.3% in remaining leaves from collar of treated leaf downward to soil line, and 0.7% in the roots. These data indicate that maximum absorption was achieved within 12 h with a tank mix of MSO/OSL and UAN or the MSO/OSL/UAN blend.

Global sesame seed market is projected to have USD 7.24 billion in consumption value by 2024. However, its supply has not been able to match the demand due to several constraints to its production. This study was conducted at the Prince Abubakar Audu University Research and Demonstration Farm, during the 2023 cropping season to evaluate five sesame varieties for growth and yield under varying fertilizer rates and establishment methods. Treatment consisted of five sesame varieties, two establishment methods, and three fertilizer levels respectively combined factorially to obtain a total of thirty factorial treatment combinations and laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replicates. Results showed that varieties differed significantly (P &lt; 0.05) in growth, yield and yield characters. YANDEV55 produced the widest leaf area at 9WAS, NCRIBEN-02M produced the highest number of leaves per plant (36) at 12WAS. The same variety (NCRIBEN-02M) consistently produced the tallest stems (42.48, 56.10, 80.48 &amp; 93.46 cm) at 3, 6, 9 &amp; 12WAS. YANDEV55 produced 73.6 % germination which was highest amongst others. E8 produced the highest number of capsule/plant (23.3) and number of seeds/plant (1428.94). NCRIBEN-05E performed optimally in yield characters such as total plant biomass yield (2908.0g/plot) and final seed yield (887.9kgha-1). NCRIBEN-02M had the highest haulm yield (33.0g/plot) while NCRIBEN-01M had the longest days (54.16) to 50% anthesis. Seed/capsule and Harvest index were not significantly affected by varieties. Broadcast method produced significantly widest leaf areas of 53.9 and 40.5 cm2 at 6 and 12 WAS respectively, higher number of leaves (18.0) at 3WAS. Drilling method of crop establishment produced the highest biomass yield (2894.6g/plot) and final seed yield (879.2 kgha-1). Similarly, fertilizer rates affect growth and yield characters; 100 kg NPKha-1 produced the widest leaf area, tallest plants and highest number of leaves/plant at all stages of sampling. These were at par with values obtained when plots were treated with 150kg NPKha-1. Alternatively, highest number of capsules/plant (22.4), seeds/capsule (62.46), seeds/plant (1502.73), total plant biomass yield (2879.7g/plot), haulm yield (33.0g/plot), final seed yield (870.7kgha-1) and longest number of days to 50% anthesis (53.6) were all obtained when plots were treated with 150 kgha-1 but was at par with 100kg NPKha-1. Fertilizer rates did not affect the establishment count and harvest index. The best variety with respect to yield/ha is NCRIBEN-02M, Application of 100 kg NPK/ha appears maximum for optimum yield of the crop, drilling appears to produce higher yield than broadcast for some varieties with an overall marginal increase of 8.4 % over broadcast and thus recommended for Anyigba environment. An economic study of the cost implication for both operations (drilling and broadcast) could be embarked upon to ascertain the veracity of this assertion, more so that broadcast requires higher seed rate than drilling. Significant interaction of varieties x establishment method was also an indication that very high yielding varieties (NCRIBEN-02M and NCRIBEN-01M) do better when drilled compared to broadcast. Significant positive relationship between some growth, yield and yield characters is an indication that effective crop improvement through selection can be carried out by selecting for those characters that correlated positively with yield.

Background and Aims: Dukan diet, a popular diet with high content of protein and carbohydrate and fat restriction has been widely used for weight loss. We aimed to compare the effects of the Dukan diet with traditional low-calorie diet in nutritional, laboratory and vascular parameters in obese subjects. Methods and Results: Obese subjects classes I or II of both genders, aging 19 to 65 years were allocated into two groups: Traditional low-calorie diet (n=17) and Dukan Diet (n=17). Anthropometric, laboratory and vascular evaluations were performed at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months. Body composition was evaluated by bioelectric impedance and endothelial function by flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery, at same times. After 12 months, it was verified that Dukan diet was more effective (p&lt;0.05) than traditional diet for: weight loss (-10.6 vs -2.9 kg), body mass index (-3.7 vs -1.1 kg/m2), waist circumference (-11.2 vs -2.1 cm), fat (-5.7 vs -2.0 kg) and lean mass (-4.8 vs 0.8 kg) and basal metabolic rate (-152 vs -28 cal). In Dukan diet group, improvement (p&lt;0.05 vs baseline) was observed in triglyceride levels (172.40 to 111.90 mg/dL) and insulin resistance, based on HOMA-IR index (4.98 to 3.26). The glomerular filtration rate decreased in this group after 3 months (132.50 to 113.80 mL/min) and no changes in flow-mediated dilation were observed throughout the study with both diets. Conclusion: Dukan diet was more effective than traditional diet for weight loss and laboratory parameters and without changes in endothelial function, in the 12-months follow-up of obese subjects.&#x0D; Introduction Low-carbohydrate diets have been one of the most recently used dietary therapies in patients with diabetes and obesity in clinical studies(1). Among them, in addition to carbohydrate restriction, fat restriction and high protein concentration, as in the Diet Dukan, has been widely used by the general population, aiming at weight loss. The Dukan diet is designed to reduce carbohydrate and fat intake in the first phase of the diet, with exclusive intake of protein, followed by another Three phases, with progressive and slow reintroduction of other nutrients such as fiber, carbohydrates and fats.&#x0D; In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the effectiveness of very low carbohydrate diets, called ketogenic diets, in the effectiveness of weight loss in order to combat obesity and cardiovascular disease risk(2). In this diet, ketone bodies are formed and they are used as an alternative energy source in the absence of glucose. Ketogenic diet promotes weight loss reducing appetite, increasing satiety and thermogenesis, due to the high protein consumption(3) affect hormones that control appetite, such as ghrelin and leptin(4) reduces lipogenesis and increases lipolysis(5,6) and gluconeogenesis(7).&#x0D; Replacing carbohydrates by proteins in the diet have been the aim of several studies but with inconsistent results. High protein intake has positive effects on weight loss, acting on satiety, body composition, lipid profile and glucose homeostasis. Furthermore, it increases thermogenesis, energy expenditure(8) and the elevation in the amino acid level in the plasma acts on the satiety center, decreasing appetite, since amino acids also stimulate insulin secretion resulting in decreased or maintained blood glucose levels(9).&#x0D; Few studies have been published with Dukan diet. Freeman et al. were the first to publish an article with the Dukan Diet in 2014, describing adverse effects in one patient undergoing this diet(10). Nouvenne et al. reviewed studies about the influence of popular diets on kidney stone formation risk. In this article, the authors suggest that in the Dukan diet, due to the high consumption of animal protein, urinary calcium can increase and the citrate urinary excretion can decrease, increasing the risk of kidney stone formation(11). In 2015, Wyka et al. evaluated dietary consumption in women adopting the Dukan-diet, based on the menu consumed in each of 4 phases of diet. They observed weight loss of around 15 kg after 8 to 10 weeks of diet and higher intake of proteins, mainly of animal origin, high consumption of potassium, iron and vitamins A, D and B2 and reduced consumption of carbohydrates, vitamin C and folates. They suggest that this diet may be harmful to health if adopted for a long time, developing of kidney and liver disease, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease(12).&#x0D; Considering that the Dukan Diet is widely disseminated and it is used by the population in general for weight loss and few scientific studies are found in the literature, we propose to evaluate the nutritional, laboratory parameters related to cardiovascular disease, comparing this diet with traditional hypocaloric diet in obese individuals.&#x0D; Methods&#x0D; Study design&#x0D; This study was a clinical trial with nutritional intervention, for one year. Patients were recruited from the Lipids, Atherosclerosis and Vascular Biology Division of the Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). The study conforms to the ethical guidelines and approval was obtained from the ethics committee and it was registered in the Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials. All participants provided written informed consent and received no monetary incentive. A total of 40 subjects were initially recruited and the participants were followed up clinically by a cardiologist and nutritionist during the 12-month period with monthly visits. Of the 40 participants who started the study, 34 completed the 12-month follow-up, whose data are presented in this study. The inclusion criteria were: both genders, aging 19-65 years old, obesity grade I or II (body mass index between 30 kg/m² and 39.9 kg/m²), stable body weight in the previous 3 months and desire to lose weight. The main exclusion criteria were: patients in primary or secondary prevention of coronary heart disease with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels greater than 190 mg/dL and triglycerides greater than 400 mg/dL; diabetes mellitus; untreated hypothyroidism; psychiatric and hepatic disease; chronic renal failure; cardiac and respiratory insufficiency; systemic infections; use of antidepressants, corticoids, diuretics and diabetes medications; bariatric surgery, cancer and failure to accept the conditions necessary to conduct the research. Two groups were constituted: Traditional low-calorie diet (TD): n=17, 14 females and 3 males, 45±11 years old, 90±11 Kg body weight and body mass index (BMI) 34±2Kg/m2; High protein/Low carbohydrate diet-Dukan Diet (DD): n=17, 10 females and 7 males, 38±11 years old, 95±9 Kg of body weight and BMI 34±2 Kg/m2. The TD group received orientations according to the Food Guideline for the Brazilian Population, with 1 500–1 800 calories/day. They were stimulated to improve healthy eating habits increasing the consumption of natural foods without preservatives, such as vegetables and fruits rich in fiber and antioxidants. Daily consumption of fruits and vegetables at meals was recommended; carry out the fractionation of the meals throughout the day, avoiding prolonged fasting. Hydration and regular physical activity were recommended, according to healthier life habits(13). The DD group followed the high-protein/low-carbohydrate diet as proposed by Dukan Diet, available at https://www.dietadukan.com.br and received an illustrated book about this diet(14).&#x0D; This diet is structured in four phases: two for weight loss (1st and 2nd phases) and two for weight maintenance (3rd and 4th phases):&#x0D; 1st stage - Attack: For 5 consecutive days, it is allowed to consume only proteins with lean meats, eggs, light cheese and milk, 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran per day and light physical activity for 20 minutes.&#x0D; 2nd stage - Cruise: This phase is maintained until the desired weight loss. The vegetables are introduced alternating with the pure protein day (first stage). It is recommended 2 tablespoons of oat bran per day and light physical activity for 30 minutes.&#x0D; 3rd phase - Consolidation: The time of this phase is equivalent to 10 days per kg of lost weight. In this stage carbohydrates and lipids are introduced by a controlled and moderate way, being divided in two parts: in the first part, corresponding to half of the period to be followed, is allowed: 1 fruit, 2 slices of bread (50 g) or 1 spoon of farinaceous per day and 1 gala dinner per week. In the second part, it is allowed 2 fruits, 4 slices of bread (100 g) or 2 spoons of farinaceous per day and 2 gala dinners per week. This phase has one rule: make one day of the week with pure protein (first stage) and it is recommended 2.5 tablespoons of oat bran per day and light physical activity for 35 minutes.&#x0D; 4th phase - Stabilization: In this phase, three rules must to be followed: one day a week it should follow up the pure protein diet, the daily consumption of 3 tablespoons of oat bran and at least 40 minutes of daily walking. From this phase, the participants followed up the low calorie diet.&#x0D; The adherence of the participants was monitored by the interview with the nutritionist and qualitative evaluation of ketone bodies in the urine, using Labtest UriAction 10 reagent strips. At baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months, the following evaluations were performed: nutritional assessment determining anthropometry, blood samples were collected for laboratory tests. Endothelial function was evaluated in fasting and 2-hours post prandial situations. In the periods between the predetermined visits, the participants were followed up by the nutritionist monthly and by telephone contact whenever requested and with medical attention whenever necessary.&#x0D; Nutritional evaluation&#x0D; Nutritional assessment was performed by anthropometric determinations of weight, height, BMI, abdominal circumference and bioelectric impedance (BIA). BIA was carried out using the Biodynamics Model 450 TBW® apparatus, with portable plethysmograph and patients were instructed according to the manufacturer's instruction(15).&#x0D; Laboratory parameters&#x0D; Peripheral blood samples were collected for dosages of total cholesterol and fractions, triglycerides, glucoses, insulin, iron, ferritin, ALT, AST, urea, creatinine, hemoglobin and hematocrit. Biochemical parameters were determined through the automated colorimetric enzymatic method in Cobas Mira® (Roche, Switzerland) and LDL-c was estimated by the Friedewald equation. Serum insulin concentration was determined by immunofluorometry and the insulin resistance calculated by the HOMA-IR – Homeostasis Model Assessment Insulin Resistance, and values ≥ 2.5 values were considered as presence of insulin resistance(16). Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) was estimated by the Cockroft-Gault equation adapted to obese patients(17).&#x0D; Endothelial function&#x0D; Endothelial function was assessed by Endothelial-dependent flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery(18), using an ultrasound system (Sonos5500; Hewlett-Packard-Phillips, Palo Alto, CA), equipped with vascular software for two-dimensional imaging, color and spectral Doppler ultrasound modes, internal electrocardiogram monitor and linear-array transducer with a frequency range from 7.5 to 12.0 MHz.&#x0D; FMD evaluation was performed in two stages: fasted at least 6 hours and 2 hours after the consumption of a small meal, according to each diet. These meals were consisted of 374.04 calories, 36g proteins, 16g carbohydrates and 18g lipids in the DD and in TD, it was composed by 361.20 calories, 24g of protein, 41g of carbohydrates and 11g of lipids.&#x0D; Statistical Analysis&#x0D; The variables were expressed as mean and standard deviation. The distribution of the date normality was analyzed by the Kolmogorov-Smirmov (KS) test. When they did not present normal distribution, a logarithm [log(Y)] transformation was performed prior to analysis. The comparison between the variables of two groups was performed using Student's t-test for independent numerical variables and Fisher's exact test for categorical variables. Comparisons between more than two groups were performed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measures, followed by the Tukey test, if differences were found. For the sample power calculation, the Statistical Software, Statistica Ultimate Academic, version 12.7, Concurrent Network was used. Values of p ≤ 0.05 were considered for statistical significance and analysis was performed using the software [GraphPadPrism 4.0 (GraphPad Software, San Diego, CA, USA)].&#x0D; Results&#x0D; Participants’ characteristics&#x0D; At the beginning of the study, the groups were matched for age, gender, weight and BMI. At 3 months, all participants of DD group (100%) were in phase 2; at 6 months, 13 participants (76.4%) were in phase 3 and 4 (23.5%) in phase 2; and at 12 months, all (100%) were already in phase 4. The TD group followed the same recommendation during the 12 months. The qualitative evaluation of the presence of ketone bodies in the urine of the DD group participants, which were still in phase 2, was positive in 94% at 3rd month and 80% at the 6th month. The following adverse effects have been reported during the course of the study: weakness, fatigue, dizziness, lack of concentration, irritability, constipation, ketone breath and social life impairment. These symptoms were of low intensity and transient, especially in the early stages of the DD diet. These adverse effects were not causes for withdrawal from the study.&#x0D; Anthropometry&#x0D; The changes in body weight, BMI, waist abdominal circumference and BMR were more effective in DD than TD group during all follow-up evaluations. The changes after 12 months in relation to baseline of the anthropometric parameters in the DD and DT groups respectively were: Weight loss (-10.6 Kg, p&lt;0.0001 and – 2.9 Kg, p&lt;0.0001), BMI (-3.7 Kg/m2, p&lt;0.0001 and -1.1 Kg/m2, p&lt;0.0001), waist abdominal circumference (-11.2 cm, p&lt;0.0001 and -2.1 cm, p=0.0008) and BMR (-152 cal, p&lt;0.0001 and -28 cal, p=0.0198). After 12 months, the participants of DD group reached the overweight level but the TD group was still within the obesity range. Reductions were observed in both groups, in fat mass (-5.7 Kg, p&lt;0.0001 and -2.0 Kg, p&lt;0.0001), and in lean mass (-4.8 Kg, p&lt;0.0001 and -0.8 Kg, p=0.0196, in DD and DT group, respectively).&#x0D; Laboratory parameters and endothelial function&#x0D; In TD group, there was only hematocrit reduction after 6 months (p=0.0103) and glucose level after 3 months (p=0.0021) compared to baseline. In DD group, laboratory alterations occurred in relation to hemoglobin, hematocrit, triglycerides, insulin, HOMA-IR and GFR. It was observed an improvement in the triglycerides levels (172.40 ± 62.36 mg/dL and 111.90 ± 43.22 mg/dL, p=0.0001) and insulin resistance determined by HOMA-IR at all times of study (4.98 ± 3.03 and 3.26 ± 2.03, p=0.0008) at baseline and 12 months, respectively. GFR was reduced only after 3 months (132.50 ± 31.13 and 113.80 ± 24.25 mL/min, p=0.0063) in the DD group. No differences were observed in endothelial function in the two study groups, in both fasting and postprandial.&#x0D; Discussion&#x0D; This study demonstrated higher weight loss in the Dukan diet group, compared to the traditional low calorie diet. The effect of weight loss in the DD group was persistent and remained until 6th month, but in 12 months it was observed a gain around 3.41 ± 0.21 Kg. The DD is performed in phases, with severe restriction until the 3rd phase and at about the 6th month; carbohydrates and a gala meal are reintroduced, promoting a weight gain. Sacks et al. observed that regardless of the nutritional composition of the diet, obese participants that had a weight loss, after 12 months of treatment, they can gain weight, but with a reduction of approximately 11.4% of the initial weight(19). We observed that participants of TD group also presented significant weight reduction, suggesting the effectiveness of the close follow up with nutritionist and physician.&#x0D; Abdominal circumference is an indirect parameter of fat mass corresponding to visceral fat that is associated with a higher risk for cardiovascular diseases. In our data, we observed a reduction in waist circumference in both groups after 12 months. Moreno et al. comparing ketogenic diet with standard diet in a group of obese patients found an important reduction in abdominal circumference with partial recovery after 24 months(20).&#x0D; Although DEXA Scan is considered the gold standard for body composition determination, BIA is a non-invasive and relatively inexpensive method and widely used(21). A significant reduction in the relative values of body fat was observed at 3 and 6 months in the DD group and only after 3 months in the TD. Increase in percent of lean mass was observed in the DD group at 3 and 6 months, but this increase does not represent a gain of lean mass, since the relative increase is a result of the reduction of body weight, promoting a relative increase in the values of lean mass. The loss of lean mass in the DD group may be due to the low caloric intake of the diet, as Chaston et al. (2007) pointed out that diet with low-calorie diet promote marked weight loss, but there is a decline in lean mass resulting from this process(22) . In our study, in spite of consuming a large amount of protein, this nutrient alone is not enough to promote the maintenance of lean mass and exercise stimulation is still necessary, which did not happen in this study, since the participants were all sedentary.&#x0D; In obese individuals, weight gain after marked loss is common, with reduction in basal metabolic rate(23). Several studies have observed this phenomenon during rapid weight loss(24) and diets with low carbohydrate intake are among the factors that influence metabolic adaptation. Some studies suggest that low amounts of carbohydrate (&lt;45%) decrease the basal metabolic rate during and after weight loss. This type of diet can promote fat mass loss and preservation of lean mass during weight loss, reducing the basal metabolic rate. Reduction in BMR was observed in both groups, but in the DD group, the reduction occurred at all times in relation to baseline whereas in TD group the reduction was greater only after 6 months of intervention.&#x0D; Improvement in insulin resistance and triglycerides were observed only in the DD group. Individuals with insulin resistance have greater difficulty to metabolize carbohydrates, diverting a greater amount of dietary carbohydrates to the liver, where much of it is converted to fat (lipogenesis), rather than being oxidized in energy in the skeletal muscle. For this reason, very low carbohydrate diets applied in obese individuals, in addition to leading to weight loss also improves glycemic and lipid control. The effects of the very prolonged ketogenic diet are still poorly investigated and for this reason this diet should only be used for a limited period (from 3 weeks to a few months) to stimulate fat loss, improve metabolism, and then adjusting a transition to a normal diet(25).&#x0D; No changes in levels of total cholesterol, HDL-c and LDL-c were observed in any group. However, only in the DD group there was a significant reduction in TG level. In general, diets with reduced carbohydrates and high levels of proteins and fats increase LDL-c and TG levels showing beneficial effects of the ketogenic diet on cardiovascular risk factors. Most studies show that reducing carbohydrates can bring significant benefits in reducing total cholesterol, increases in HDL-c and reduction of triglycerides in the blood. HMG-CoA reductase, a key enzyme in the synthesis of endogenous cholesterol is activated by insulin, so that a reduction in blood glucose and hence insulin levels, leads to lower cholesterol synthesis. Thus, a reduction in dietary carbohydrate associated with adequate cholesterol consumption leads to inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis(26). When insulin is elevated, lipolysis is reduced and lipogenesis is increased, resulting in overproduction of VLDL containing TG, formation of small and dense LDL particles and reduction of HDL. Low concentrations of glucose and insulin also reduce the expression of the carbohydrate-sensitive response element binding protein (ChREBP) transcription factor, and expression of the binding protein of the sterol regulatory element (SREBP-1c), responsible for the synthesis of fatty acids, as well as their incorporation into triglycerides and phospholipids, activating the main lipogenic enzymes, reducing hepatic lipogenesis and VLDL production(27).&#x0D; When we evaluated the GFR, a reduction only in DD group was observed at 3 months of intervention, but still in normal reference levels. Our results did not show significant changes in serum creatinine levels, but GFR decrease in DD group. Carbohydrate-restricted diets have higher amounts of protein may affect glomerular filtration leading to progressive loss of renal function(28). In the study conducted by Brinkworfh et al. (2010), renal function was evaluated in 68 obese individuals without renal dysfunction who consumed two similar hypocaloric diets for one year, one with carbohydrate reduction and another with high carbohydrate content, and observed that creatinine serum levels and the GFR did not change in any of the dietary groups(29).&#x0D; In general, endothelial function improves after weight loss in obese individuals(30). However, associations between changes in endothelial function with anthropometric and biochemical parameters are still controversial(31). We observed that the endothelial function did not present a significant difference in the two study groups, both in fasting and in the 2 hours postprandial. Volek et al. (2009) observed that low-carbohydrate diet improves postprandial vascular function compared to a low-fat diet in overweight individuals with moderate hypertriglyceridemia(32). Low-carbohydrate diets, may improve vascular function in individuals with metabolic adaptations(32) and carbohydrate-restricted diets may induce benefits in endothelial function in the presence of insulin resistance, since impaired insulin action may be related to endothelial dysfunction. In our study, the meal offered for postprandial evaluation was not high in fat, but correspond to the diet proposed in each group. According to Nicholls et al. (2006), a single carbohydrate-restricted meal does not alter endothelial function(33) and this may be the reason we did not observe a change in endothelial function in the DD group in this study.&#x0D; Conclusion&#x0D; Comparing the nutritional and laboratory effects of traditional and hyper-protein diets with carbohydrate reduction, we can conclude that Dukan diet was more effective than traditional diet for weight loss, as well as for laboratory parameters and without changes in endothelial function, in the 12-months follow-up of obese subjects.&#x0D; Conflict of interest&#x0D; No conflict of interest.&#x0D; Acknowledgement&#x0D; Patricia Naomi Sakae had a scholarship from CAPES – Brazil.&#x0D; References&#x0D; &#x0D; Gogebakan O.; Kohl A.; Osterhoff MA.; van Baak MA.; Jebb SA.; Papadaki A.; et al. 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