Agriculture and Food 

About: Agriculture and Food is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Agriculture & Cultivar. It has an ISSN identifier of 1314-8591. Over the lifetime, 320 publications have been published receiving 586 citations.

Agriculture and biodiversity: a better balance benefits both

Abstract: Sustainable agriculture is an important component of many of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals agreed upon by the UN in 2015 (https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs). However, the trend in agriculture is moving in the opposite, non-sustainable direction. Agriculture is one of the major drivers of biodiversity loss. Next to biodiversity loss due to habitat destruction by conversion of natural lands into agriculture, intensification of agriculture has led to a strong decline of specific farmland biodiversity. Furthermore, many agricultural landscapes face pollution by pesticides and fertilizers, and encounter depleted soils and erosion due to unsustainable farming practices. This is threatening not only biodiversity but also complete ecosystems and the ecosystem services on which agriculture itself depends. Moreover, the pressure of feeding an increasing number of people in combination with a change in diets towards more animal protein puts a lot of additional pressure on the current available agricultural lands and nature areas. We propose a holistic approach that contributes to the development and implementation of sustainable agricultural practices that both make use and support biodiversity and ecosystem services both in agricultural and in semi-natural areas. An agricultural system based on the full potential of (functional agro) biodiversity provides opportunities to create a resilient system in which both food production and nature can thrive.

Antimicrobial activity of lactic acid bacteria

Abstract: Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have long history of application in fermented foods as a starter cultures to produce dairy, meat, bakery and vegetable fermentation because of their beneficial influence on nutritional, organoleptic, and shelf-life characteristics. LAB are also known to produce and excrete compounds with antimicrobial activity, such as hydrogen peroxide, carbon dioxide, diacetyl, bacteriocins and bacteriocin like substances. All antimicrobial compounds can antagonize the growth of some spoilage and pathogenic bacteria in foods and have been explored in the control of most unwanted organisms. Looking for antimicrobial compounds is crucial to provide an alternative to chemical additives, offering to the market new and appealing food products. The present work aims to give an overview of the recent advances in antimicrobial activity of LAB for the production of industrially important compounds.

Efficacy evaluation of insecticides on larvae of the tomato borer tuta absoluta, meyrick (lepidoptera: gelechiidae) under laboratory conditions

Abstract: The tomato borer Tuta absoluta (Meyrikc) is a serious pest of tomato. In Bulgaria it was recorded in 2009 and currently is found in all tomato-producing regions. The control is difficult because of the resistance to many of the known insecticides. With the aim to evaluate the efficacy of some prospective insecticides for control of the pest, experiments were conducted in 2012 2013 under laboratory conditions (25 ± 2 oС, RH 60–70%,16:8 h L:D) at the Agricultural university-Plovdiv. The efficacy of 11 plant protection products with different mode of action was tested on larvae 2 and 3 instar with two variants: treatment of tomato leaves with larvae in the mines (variant A), and treatment of leaves and release of larvae on the treated leaves (variant B), each with 15 replicates and control. In both variants 100% biological efficacy were recorded for azadirachtin, emamectin benzoate, spinosad, metaflumizone and chlorantraniliprole.

Performance, physiological parameters and slaughter characteristics in growing rabbits as affected by a herbal feed additives (digestarom)

Abstract: The present study was conducted to a herbal feed additives (digestarom®) supplementation effects on Performance, physiological parameters and slaughter characteristics of growing rabbits. Forty-five, unsexed VLine weaned rabbits, at 4 weeks of age with an average initial weight (530 gm) were randomly divided to three groups (15 each). First group was fed the basal diet (control) and the other groups were fed the control diet supplemented with 300 and 400 gm digestarom/ ton feed. The experimental period extended for 5 weeks. Results showed that dietary supplementation with digestarom showed the highest live body weight, body weight gain, caecal activity, carcass weight, dressing and liver percentages. Weekly feed conversion ratio was improvement with the increasing digestarom levels. The experimental additives significantly increased hemoglobin and red blood cells count. Effect on protein metabolism revealed that digestarom treatments had not significantly increased serum total protein, albumin concentration in a level supplemented dependant manner. Digestarom treatment increased crude protein in meat composition to nearly 4.7 and 4.1% of the control rabbits content with 300 and 400 gm digestarom/ ton feed, respectively. Effect on lipid metabolism revealed a negative correlation between digestarom administration levels and body fats contents. Serum total lipid, cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations decreased. Digestarom treatments reduced abdominal fat content to nearly 38.9 and 45.1% of the control rabbits. Effect on carbohydrate metabolism elevated blood glucose, T3 concentrations had significantly increased in a level supplemented with digestarom. Effect on immunity levels revealed that digestarom treatments had decreased mortality rate to nearly 40 and 60% of the control rabbits content with 300 and 400 gm digestarom/ ton feed, respectively. A herbal feed additives (digestarom®) supplementation had significantly increased white blood cells count, globulin and IgG levels and significantly decreased a total count of harmful microorganisms (Escherichia coli and Clostridium Spp) in caecum. It can be concluded that the herbal feed additives (digestarom) administration improved productive performance, some physiological parameters and carcass characteristics of growing V-Line rabbit's line.

Impact of nitrogen deficiency on biomass production, morphological and biochemical characteristics of sweet basil (ocimum basilicum l.) plants, cultivated aeroponically

Abstract: Sweet Basil was grown aeroponically under three levels of NO3 N (25, 50 and 160ppm) fertilization. Dry biomass production, plants height, roots length and number of leaves were dramatically decreased in nitrogen deficient plants. In addition, net photosynthesis and transpiration rates and stomatal conductance were also restricted, indicating that the primary metabolism was severely limited by low nitrogen availability. In contrast, nitrate accumulation in the leaves strongly decreased in relation with decreased nitrogen supply rates into nutrient solution. Also, total phenolics concentration significantly increased in N-starved plants indicating that biosynthesis of secondary plant metabolites is favored in nitrogen deficient plants.