•Most residents indicated that they found spontaneous vegetation natural and wild.•Professionals better recognized the value of spontaneous vegetation compared to non-professionals.•Residents’ ...attitude toward different type of planting forms was strongly correlated with the social variables.•Wildscape created by spontaneous vegetation could be an innovative green infrastructure in city.
As a result of the process of urbanization, many wildlife populations are in decline, accompanied with a disconnection between the lives of residents and local wildlife. Currently, interest is growing in spontaneous plants, as they are authentic and better adapted to an urban environment. Combining a field survey in Beijing parks with a web-based survey, we investigated the perceptions of 1015 urban residents toward spontaneous vegetation in urban parks and how aesthetical features relate to the respondents’ sociocultural backgrounds. The results showed that professionals better recognized the value of spontaneous vegetation compared to nonprofessionals. Lawns and traditional flowerbeds are still favored by the public, while spontaneous communities with medium blossom densities, delicate textures, white and multi-colored flowers were preferred by professionals. Furthermore, residents with more exposure to nature, having professional degrees, and higher levels of education were more likely to hold positive attitudes toward the preservation of and designing with spontaneous vegetation in urban green spaces. These results highlight the necessity for ecology education on spontaneous vegetation, as well as an understanding of the variations in plant and community aesthetic features in correlation with different residential groups to improve the perception of spontaneous vegetation, implement changes in planting design, enhance biodiversity, save costs and resources, and provide more natural space for city dwellers.
Available space and other resources associated with urban greening initiatives are limited, yet demand for urban cooling to mitigate high urban temperatures is growing. Consequently, identifying the ...best locations for urban greening to maximize the cooling effects of the urban tree canopy (UTC) is taking on new urgency. We present a cross‐city comparison and show how cooling efficiency (CE) varies spatially within a city. CE tends to be higher in locations with less UTC due in part to evapotranspiration from non‐uniformly distributed trees, but results from a subtropical city included within our comparison underscore the strong effect of a city’s background climate on CE. Mapping the spatial variation of CE can guide tree planting to enhance the cooling effects of UTC, expand the role trees play in urban adaptation to local warming, and help achieve urban sustainability.
This study firstly quantified the responses of seeds of Zostera marina to different planting times (22 September, 5 October, 23 October, 7 November and 20 November in 2015) through a field ...seed-planting experiment over a two year period. The suitable seed planting time required by the seeds of Z. marina was evaluated. The seedling establishment rate of Z. marina subjected to different planting times ranged from 7% to 55%, with the higher values attained on the treatments of 22 September and 5 October. New plant patches from seed were fully developed and well maintained on the planting time of 22 September, 5 October and 23 October after 2 years following planting. The shoot density under the three treatments ranged from 62 shoots per replicate to 72 shoots per replicate with an average of 67 shoots per replicate in September 2017. According to the propagation assessment and growth analysis, we found that the planting time from mid-September to mid-October may be the optimal time to plant seeds of Z. marina in our experimental site. Our results demonstrate that seed planting time has an important effect on the effectiveness of eelgrass restoration and provide data that could prove helpful in the development of successful eelgrass restoration.
•We investigate the effect of seed-planting time on establishment of Z. marina plants.•The suitable planting time required by the seeds of Z. marina was evaluated.•The optimal seed-planting time was from mid-September to mid-October.
Increasing crop yield is a significant objective in modern agriculture, with adjusted planting density and rational fertilization strategies standing out as the foremost approaches for attaining such ...a goal. Through the use of modern artificial intelligence techniques such as genetic algorithms and neural networks, the CPDOS (Crop Planting Density Optimization System), an online intelligent system that can automate the modeling, optimization, and analysis of the two models, was developed in the present study. The goal of the system is to optimize the planting density model and fertilizer application in combination with other computer system development techniques. The CPDOS comprises three main modules: yield density optimization module, optimal planting density range module, and fertilization and planting density optimization module. The three modules are complemented by two modules for data input and result visualization, culminating in the comprehensive process of optimizing planting density and fertilizer allocation through the CPDOS. The CPDOS was tested using potato, corn, and soybean data, and the results show that the optimization effects of planting density and fertilizer application were satisfactory. The CPDOS is an automated crop planting optimization system that integrates algorithms and models and is driven by artificial intelligence technology. The introduction of the CPDOS reduces the barriers to utilizing these algorithms and models, facilitating wider adoption of intelligently optimized planting technology. The platform’s launch will accelerate the swift advancement of this field.
Abstract
The article describes the device and the technological process of operation of a potato planter equipped with a disk planter designed for use in low-contour areas. The results of ...experimental studies to determine the quality indicators of its work in the field are also presented. The authors propose a potato planter which is simple in design and compact, less metal-intensive, easy to manufacture, has the ability to use it both in small-circuit and relatively large areas, which ensures resource saving and efficiency in the technological process of planting potatoes.
Summary
Maize is a major staple crop widely used for food, feedstocks and industrial products. Shade‐avoidance syndrome (SAS), which is triggered when plants sense competition of light from ...neighbouring vegetation, is detrimental for maize yield production under high‐density planting conditions. Previous studies have shown that the red and far‐red photoreceptor phytochromes are responsible for perceiving the shading signals and triggering SAS in Arabidopsis; however, their roles in maize are less clear. In this study, we examined the expression patterns of ZmPHYC1 and ZmPHYC2 and found that ZmPHYC1, but not ZmPHYC2, is highly expressed in leaves and is regulated by the circadian clock. Both ZmPHYC1 and ZmPHYC2 proteins are localized to both the nucleus and cytoplasm under light conditions and both of them can interact with themselves or with ZmPHYBs. Heterologous expression of ZmPHYCs can complement the Arabidopsis phyC‐2 mutant under constant red light conditions and confer an attenuated SAS in Arabidopsis in response to shading. Double knockout mutants of ZmPHYC1 and ZmPHYC2 created using the CRISPR/Cas9 technology display a moderate early‐flowering phenotype under long‐day conditions, whereas ZmPHYC2 overexpression plants exhibit a moderately reduced plant height and ear height. Together, these results provided new insight into the function of ZmPHYCs and guidance for breeding high‐density tolerant maize cultivars.
Saffron, the "golden spice" derived from Crocus sativus L., is renowned for its richness in secondary metabolites such as crocin and safranal, contributing to its unique properties. Facing challenges ...like decreasing global production, optimizing cultivation techniques becomes imperative for enhanced yields. Although the impact of factors like planting density, planting depth, spacing, and corm size on saffron growth has been studied, the interaction between corm size and planting depth remains underexplored. This study systematically investigates the interactive effects of corm size and planting depth on saffron growth and yield, providing evidence-based guidelines for optimizing cultivation. A factorial experiment, employing a completely randomized design, was conducted to assess the influence of corm size (05-10g, 10.1-15g, 15.1-20g) and planting depth (10cm, 15cm, 20cm) on saffron yield. Uniform-sized corms were obtained, and a suitable soil mixture was prepared for cultivation. Morphological and agronomic parameters were measured, and statistical analyses were performed using ANOVA and Tukey's HSD test. The study revealed that planting depth significantly affected saffron emergence. The corms sown under 15cm depth showed 100% emergence regardless of corm size (either 05-10g, 10.1-15g, 15.1-20g) followed by 10cm depth corms. Corm dry weight exhibited a complex interaction, where larger corms benefited from deeper planting, while intermediate-sized corms thrived at shallower depths. Similar patterns were observed in shoot fresh weight and dry weight. Specifically, the largest corm size (t3, 15.1-20g) produced the greatest fresh-weight biomass at the deepest planting depth of 20cm (T3), while intermediate-sized corms (t2, 10.1-15g) were superior at the shallowest 10cm depth (T1). The total plant biomass demonstrated that larger corms excelled in deeper planting, while intermediate-sized corms were optimal at moderate depths. This research highlights the intricate interplay between corm size and planting depth in influencing saffron growth. Larger corms generally promote higher biomass, but the interaction with planting depth is crucial. Understanding these dynamics can aid farmers in tailoring cultivation practices for optimal saffron yields. The study emphasizes the need for a coordinated approach to corm selection and depth placement, providing valuable insights for sustainable saffron production and economic growth.
Replanting trees helps with avoiding desertification, reducing the chances of soil erosion and flooding, minimizing the risks of zoonotic disease outbreaks, and providing ecosystem services and ...livelihood to the indigenous people, in addition to sequestering carbon dioxide for mitigating climate change. Consequently, it is important to explore new methods and technologies that are aiming to upscale and fast-track afforestation and reforestation (A/R) endeavors, given that many of the current tree planting strategies are not cost effective over large landscapes, and suffer from constraints associated with time, energy, manpower, and nursery-based seedling production. UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle)-supported seed sowing (UAVsSS) can promote rapid A/R in a safe, cost-effective, fast and environmentally friendly manner, if performed correctly, even in otherwise unsafe and/or inaccessible terrains, supplementing the overall manual planting efforts globally. In this study, we reviewed the recent literature on UAVsSS, to analyze the current status of the technology. Primary UAVsSS applications were found to be in areas of post-wildfire reforestation, mangrove restoration, forest restoration after degradation, weed eradication, and desert greening. Nonetheless, low survival rates of the seeds, future forest diversity, weather limitations, financial constraints, and seed-firing accuracy concerns were determined as major challenges to operationalization. Based on our literature survey and qualitative analysis, twelve recommendations—ranging from the need for publishing germination results to linking UAVsSS operations with carbon offset markets—are provided for the advancement of UAVsSS applications.
Abstract
Lampung is one the biggest areas for planting cassava in Indonesia, approximately 119 thousand ha with a productivity of 26 tons/ha. Optimum harvest time for cassava high yield could be ...10-12 months after planting (MAP). However, most farmers used to harvest cassava around 7 MAP leading to low yield. This condition needs to introduce early age of harvest cassava to achieve the alternative solution. The objective of this study were to evaluate the growth characteristics of early cassava harvest for high yield. Treatment were arranged by a single factor in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Factors were 12 cassava clones as CMR 51-61-1, CMR 51-48-17, CMR 51-48-16, UJ-3, UJ-5, Vamas, Adira, CMR 51-07-03, OMM 0806-57, CMR 51-06-16, MC 6.10.311, and Litbang UK2. In this study, the variables measured included plant height, root fresh weight, starch content, and starch yield. Result indicated that the Vamas clone had relatively low plant height. At 7 MAP, the Vamas clone showed high starch content compared to the UJ-3 clone. Low plant height and starch content could be used to detect early-harvest cassava clones at harvest of 7 MAP.
Abstract
The experiment was conducted in the field at the Warka extension to the Agricultural Extension Service Department in the Ministry of Agriculture for the winter season 2022-2021 (north of ...Muthanna ), With a view to understanding how efficiently five newly introduced genotypes of coarse wheat and determining the best ones for the region’s conditions under the influence of different planting dates, The experiment was applied using Complete Block Design (R.C.B.D.) and Split Plot Design, along with three replications. the four dates for sowing (1/11, 10/11, 20/11 and 30/11) occupied the main plates, while the genotypes (G1133, G65 and G1105 and G1229 and the approved variety for comparison, Bohooth-7, Divided Plots. The findings indicated that the first meeting D1 (1/11) outperformed the number of spikes and the weight of one thousand grains with averages of (334.7 spikes/m2 and 49.99g), while the second date D2 (10/11) was superior in terms of spike count and grain weight, with averages of (50.00 grains, spike
-1
. and 13.92 tons.ha
-1
), while the third date D3 (20/11) exceeded the harvest index by (34.57%), While genotype G65 achieved the highest biological yield of 13.00 tons.ha
-1
, and genotype G1229 achieved the highest average number of spikes, which amounted to 3493 spikes.m
-2
, and genotype G1133 gave having the most grains per spike, which amounted to 50.97 grains. Spike
-1
, while the genotype gave Genetic G1105 The highest weight of a thousand grains was 43.93 g.
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