The introduction of fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on the African continent has led to paradigm shifts in pest control in maize systems, occasioned by year-round populations. The discovery of resident parasitoid species adapting to the new pest significantly informed decision-making toward avoiding highly hazardous synthetic insecticides to control the pest. A number of biopesticides have shown promise against the fall armyworm, providing a new arsenal for the sustainable management of this invasive pest. However, a few knowledge gaps remain for a fully integrated and sustainable FAW-management approach, particularly on host-resistance potential. 

Integrated management of Spodoptera frugiperda six years post-detection in Africa: a review.

Biosynthesized nanoparticles and implications by their use in crops: effects over physiology, action mechanisms, plant stress responses and toxicity.

The digitalization of the economy and the transformation of socio-economic processes corresponding to these changes presupposes an increase in innovative activity in the regions. The problem of introducing digital technologies into the processes of socio-economic systems is the use of ineffective incentive tools. To solve this problem, it is necessary to study the functioning of socio-economic systems, in particular, the interaction of participants in the innovation infrastructure within the framework of digitalization. The digital economy sets the vector along which socio-economic systems of micro, meso, macro levels will develop in the long term, which necessitates research and a comprehensive analysis of digital transformation processes.

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The role of digitalization in the development of socio-economic systems

As a biostimulant, amino acids play crucial roles in enhancing plant growth and development. These roles, combined with the ability to be approved for organic usage, make amino acids a good choice for sustainable farming systems. This work investigates the effect of onion seed priming with different exogenous amino acids, specifically the impact of seed priming in enhancing a diverse range of morpho-physiological responses of onion seedlings. Here, we primed onion seeds (Cultivar Giza 6) with ten exogenous amino acids. Based on the growth parameters of onion seedlings, data showed that glutamine significantly improved the most studied parameters. Germination percentage (GP) ranged from 85% in Methionine (Met) to 98.5% in Proline (Pro) and Tryptophan (Try), with 10% over the control treatment. Glutamine (Glu) enhanced the vigor index (VI) of onion, giving the seeds a high ability to produce normal seedlings. The most extended root system (≥3.3 cm) was obtained from Glu, Glycine (Gly), Pro, and Try treatments. The maximum shoot length was obtained from treatments (Glu and Try) with more than 60% over control. Priming onion seeds with amino acids (AAs) increased chlorophyll contents compared with non-primed seeds. Glutamine and Threonine (Thr) had the highest results (122 and 127 μg/g fresh weight, respectively), while the Glu treatment registered the highest Carotene contents with 50% over the control treatment. Furthermore, the data illustrate that the principal component analysis-1 (PCA1) indicates 67.2% variability, and PCA2 indicates 14.8% variability. Strong positive correlations were observed between germination percentage, root length, shoot length, dry matter, chlorophyll a, and carotene. The study concluded that the primed onion seeds by glutamine, proline, and tryptophan had the best germination rates.

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Seed Priming with Exogenous Amino Acids Improves Germination Rates and Enhances Photosynthetic Pigments of Onion Seedlings (Allium cepa L.)

Wheat is the most important staple food worldwide, but wheat cultivation faces challenges from high food demand. Fertilizers are already in use to cope with the demand; however, more unconventional techniques may be required to enhance the efficiency of wheat cultivation. Nanotechnology offers one potential technique for improving plant growth and production by providing stimulating agents to the crop. In this study, plant-derived Ag/ZnO nanomaterials were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, SEM, EDX, FTIR, and XRD methods. Various concentrations of phytogenically synthesized Ag/ZnO nanomaterials (20, 40, 60, and 80 ppm) and nitrogen-based fertilizers (urea and ammonium sulphate 50 and 100 mg/L) were applied to wheat varieties (Galaxy-13 and Pak-13). The results obtained from this research showed that application of 60 ppm Ag/ZnO nanomaterials with nitrogenous fertilizers (50 and 100 mg/L) were more effective in improving biochemistry and increasing yield of wheat plants by reducing enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants (proline content, soluble sugar content, malondialdehyde, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase); and significantly increasing the protein content, number of grains per pot, spike length, 100-grain weight, grain yield per pot, and harvest index of both wheat varieties, compared to untreated plants. These findings allow us to propose Ag/ZnO nanomaterial formulation as a promising growth- and productivity-improvement strategy for wheat cultivation.

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Effects of Phytogenically Synthesized Bimetallic Ag/ZnO Nanomaterials and Nitrogen-Based Fertilizers on Biochemical and Yield Attributes of Two Wheat Varieties

The active globalization of the modern world is causing ever more severe challenges to national economies. Economies that adequately and timely respond to these challenges form the core of the world economic system. The only real opportunity to overcome the prevailing negative trend is the creation of an innovative economy with powerful internal sources of development that allow maintaining (at least) and strengthening (as a norm) the competitiveness of the Russian economy in the context of the rapid development of the rest of the world. The key manifestation of the formation of a new type of economy was the acceleration of the rate of investment in intangible assets and the creation of conditions for the constant reproduction of knowledge and its implementation in new high-tech products and services.

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The Consumer Market in the New Economy

Recently, large-scale agriculture has led to increasing crop production. To increase crop productivity in large-scale cropping systems, attempts have been made to make nano-fertilizers and deliver them to the crops by extension of nanotechnology. Hence, nano-fertilizers might be defined as nanoparticles that may directly assist in supplying essential nutrients for crop productivity. Seed germination is the first and the most susceptible stage in the plant’s growing phases, so could be considered as an index to evaluate the effect of newly developed materials such as nanoparticles (NPs), providing useful information for researchers. In our experiments, germination tests have been carried out in Petri dishes containing wet filter paper and nano-primed seeds. We had biosynthesized seven nanoparticles in our previous studies including calcinated and non-calcinated zinc oxide, zinc, magnesium oxide, silver, copper, and iron nanoparticles. The effect of these biogenic nanoparticles and their counterpart metallic salts including zinc acetate, magnesium sulfate, silver nitrate, copper sulfate, and iron (III) chloride was studied on two popularly grown plants, wheat and flax, in laboratory conditions to obtain preliminary information for future field experiments. Germination percentage, shoot length, root length, seedlings length, root–shoot ratio, seedling vigor index (SVI), shoot length stress tolerance index (SLSI), and root length stress tolerance index (RLSI) were calculated on the second and seventh days of the experiment. According to the results, the response of the plants to metal containing nanoparticles and metal salts mainly depend on the type of the metal, plant species, concentration of the NP suspension or salt solution, condition of the exposure, and the stage of growth.

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Ameliorating Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Nano-Primed Wheat and Flax Seeds Using Seven Biogenic Metal-Based Nanoparticles

The food security challenge is one of the most topical issues of the 21st Century. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is the least food-secure region, and solutions are constantly being sought to alleviate the problem. The region’s exponentially growing population is in dire need of affordable and nutritious food. The “Gene Revolution” (genetic engineering) presents opportunities in which food security can be ensured in SSA. Genetic modification (GM) has potential to solve myriad problems currently being experienced in SSA agriculture, hence improving yields and reducing the costs of production. Most of the SSA countries have a precautionary stance towards GM crops; thus, only a handful of countries have approved the commercialized production of transgenic crops. The lack of understanding and sound knowledge about the GM system is reflected in the formulation of policies and regulatory frameworks for biosafety and their implementation. There is need to conscientize the policymakers and the public about the general principles of genetic engineering for better decision making. Considering the multiple beneficial aspects demonstrated by transgenic crops it will not be prudent to ignore them. The versatility of GM technology makes it adaptable to the food crisis in SSA.

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Improving Crop Productivity and Ensuring Food Security through the Adoption of Genetically Modified Crops in Sub-Saharan Africa

Due to the increasing concern about climate change and environmental sustainability, the investigation of energy consumption represents a very intriguing and undeniable subject. This study was directed to investigate energy footprints, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and life cycle assessment (LCA) of the main vegetable crops cultivated under open field conditions in southern Egypt. Potato production required the maximum energy amount (112.3 GJ/ha) compared to 76 GJ and 96 GJ for onion and tomato, respectively. Based on energy indices, potato gave (energy ratio > 1; energy productivity > 1; energy profitability > 1; net energy > 0), while onion and tomato production shared the same indicators (energy ratio < 1; energy productivity > 1; energy profitability < 0; net energy < 0). However, GHG emissions generated for producing one ton of potato tubers registered the least amount by 76.0 kg CO2 eq. The same GHG amount was produced by 834 kg of onion bulbs and 940.6 kg of tomato fruits. The emission rates were more a consequence of diesel, followed by inorganic fertilizer and manure. In addition to carbon emissions, every production process causes several other environmental problems, thus a comprehensive analysis of environmental impact categories is required. The openLCA program performed LCA and ten impact categories were considered to transform the inventory data into several indicators. Producing one ton of potato tubers has the least footprint on the environment and the ecosystem, such as global warming (GW)—238.8 kg CO2 eq. t−1; human toxicity (HT)—288.3 kg 1,4-DB eq. t−1; fresh water aquatic ecotoxicity (FAEF)—160.44 kg 1,4-DB eq. t−1); marine aquatic ecotoxicity (MAET)—365,636 kg 1,4-DB eq. t−1); and terrestrial ecotoxicity (TE)—1.18 kg 1,4-DB eq. t−1). The analyses indicated that machinery and diesel fuel had the highest impact on all the studied categories.

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Life Cycle Assessment of the Cultivation Processes for the Main Vegetable Crops in Southern Egypt

A study was conducted in the Guilan Province of Iran, using a variety of Actinomycetes species isolated from the rice fields, with the intention of identifying useful biocontrol agents to lessen rice sheath blight disease. The antagonistic effects against the rice pathogen agent were also assessed both in vitro and in vivo. The antifungal abilities of more than 30 Actinomycetes isolates against the Rhizoctonia solani Kühn (AG1-IA) were used. The biocontrol abilities of the most active isolates were studied in a greenhouse. The size of the inhibition zone against pathogen development and the most potent antagonist Actinomycetes isolates were determined based on the dual culture screening test findings. The ability to create hydrolytic enzymes including amylase, chitinase, protease, and lipase were shown by hydrolytic enzyme assays on the putative antagonists. Antifungal activities of Streptomyces isolates against fungus mycelia were also studied using SEM since, compared to the control grown mycelia and mycelia adjacent to the inhibition zone in the plate, tests revealed an unusual and deformed structure; in our opinion, the chitinase secreted can destroy fungal mycelium. Chloroform test showed that its antifungal effect persists upon exposure to chloroform. All possible isolates belonged to the Streptomyces species, according to the 16S rDNA molecular analysis of the majority of active isolates. Comparing isolates, G had the highest impact in reducing sheath blight disease. The Iranian strain of the Streptomyces has antifungal capabilities, highlighting its potential as a viable biocontrol agent to be used in an Integrated Disease Management (IDM) program to control the rice sheath blight disease.

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Kheda Murtazova

Papers

The Consumer Market in the New Economy

Ameliorating Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Nano-Primed Wheat and Flax Seeds Using Seven Biogenic Metal-Based Nanoparticles

Improving Crop Productivity and Ensuring Food Security through the Adoption of Genetically Modified Crops in Sub-Saharan Africa

Life Cycle Assessment of the Cultivation Processes for the Main Vegetable Crops in Southern Egypt

Investigating the Potential of Streptomyces spp. in Suppression of Rhizoctonia solani (AG1-IA) Causing Rice Sheath Blight Disease in Northern Iran