UNASSIGNED: With increasing labor shortage and production costs, water scarcity and climate change, there is increased interest in ratooning as a green, resource-efficient technology to boost sustainable rice production, especially in China. Since the performance of ratoon rice (regenerating a second crop from the stubble left in the fields after the main harvest) and the impact of agronomic practices on its yield have shown mixed results across the world, a better understanding is needed to determine under which conditions ratoon rice performs well.
UNASSIGNED: The objectives are (i) to quantify variation in rice yield of main and ratoon crops, (ii) to assess genetic variation in and impact of agronomic practices on rice yield, focusing on the yield of ratoon crop and total yield (main and ratoon crops), and (iii) review of economic and environmental benefits of ratoon rice in comparison with single and double rice cropping.
UNASSIGNED: In researching ratoon rice, we compiled a database from 68 studies published from 2000 to 2023. Descriptive data analysis was performed.
UNASSIGNED: Studies from non-tropical regions account for about 70%. Large variation exists in the yield of ratoon crop across the studies, with lower yield from the tropics than non-tropics. The ratio of yield of ratoon crop to that of main crop also varied widely from 0.13 to 0.67 with 0.36 and 0.5 in tropics and non-tropics, respectively. The yield of ratoon crop was positively related to the yield of main crop, crop duration and nitrogen fertilizer application rate, which were generally higher in non-tropics. Hybrid varieties out-yielded inbred varieties in both main and ratoon crops in non-tropical regions. Direct seeding and AWD had a positive impact on the yield of ratoon crop. The impact of stubble cutting height was mixed. While agronomic nitrogen use efficiency (AEN) during entire ratoon rice cropping was similar to that reported for single rice cropping in previous studies, AEN for ratoon crop in tropical regions tended to be lower than those from previous studies on single rice cropping. Ratoon rice cropping reduced labor input and production cost and increased net economic return compared with double rice cropping.
UNASSIGNED: We propose a research agenda, with the focus on improvement of genetic and agronomic practices to explore the potential of ratoon rice cropping, especially in the tropics.
UNASSIGNED: This study provides insight into the progress in ratoon rice research over the past two decades globally, and specifically in the tropics.

Plant pathogens can decimate crops and render the local cultivation of a species unprofitable. In extreme cases this has caused famine and economic collapse. Timing is vital in treating crop diseases, and the use of computer vision for precise disease detection and timing of pesticide application is gaining popularity. Computer vision can reduce labour costs, prevent misdiagnosis of disease, and prevent misapplication of pesticides. Pesticide misapplication is both financially costly and can exacerbate pesticide resistance and pollution. Here, we review the application and development of computer vision and machine learning methods for the detection of plant disease. This review goes beyond the scope of previous works to discuss important technical concepts and considerations when applying computer vision to plant pathology. We present new case studies on adapting standard computer vision methods and review techniques for acquiring training data, the use of diagnostic tools from biology, and the inspection of informative features. In addition to an in-depth discussion of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and transformers, we also highlight the strengths of methods such as support vector machines and evolved neural networks. We discuss the benefits of carefully curating training data and consider situations where less computationally expensive techniques are advantageous. This includes a comparison of popular model architectures and a guide to their implementation.

German chamomile (M. chamomilla) is recognized as a star herb due to its medicinal and aromatic properties. This plant is found across a wide range of climatic and soil conditions. Both the flower heads and blue essential oils of German chamomile possess several pharmacological properties of an anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiseptic, antispasmodic and sedative, etc., nature, which makes it a highly sought after herb for use in many pharma and aroma industries. Chamomile tea, prepared from its flower heads, is also a well-known herbal tea for mind and body relaxation. Though it is a high-demand herb, farmers have not adopted this plant for large scale cultivation as a crop, which could improve their livelihood, due to the high cost in flower heads harvesting, loss in over mature and immature flower heads picking during harvesting, unavailability of varieties and agrotechnologies for machine harvesting, a lack of efficient process development of oil extraction and in the lack of improved stable varieties. There are many studies that have reported on the phytochemistry and pharmacological uses of chamomile, which further explore its importance in the medicine industry. Several studies are also present in the literature on its cultivation practices and plant ecology. However, studies on breeding behavior, genetic improvement, varietal development and mechanical harvesting are scarce in German chamomile. Hence, keeping in mind various aspects of farmers\' and researchers\' interest, earlier reports on taxonomy, floral biology, processing of oil extraction, active constituents, uses, agronomy, breeding challenges and opportunities in German chamomile are summarized in this review.

According to the UN-FAO, agricultural production must increase by 50% by 2050 to meet global demand for food. This goal can be accomplished, in part, by the development of improved cultivars coupled with modern best management practices. Overall, wheat production on farms will have to increase significantly to meet future demand, and in the face of a changing climate that poses risk to even current rates of production. Durum wheat [Triticum turgidum L. ssp. durum (Desf.)] is used largely for pasta, couscous and bulgur production. Durum producers face a range of factors spanning abiotic (frost damage, drought, and sprouting) and biotic (weed, disease, and insect pests) stresses that impact yields and quality specifications desired by export market end-users. Serious biotic threats include Fusarium head blight (FHB) and weed pest pressures, which have increased as a result of herbicide resistance. While genetic progress for yield and quality is on pace with common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), development of resistant durum cultivars to FHB is still lagging. Thus, successful biotic and abiotic threat mitigation are ideal case studies in Genotype (G) × Environment (E) × Management (M) interactions where superior cultivars (G) are grown in at-risk regions (E) and require unique approaches to management (M) for sustainable durum production. Transformational approaches to research are needed in order for agronomists, breeders and durum producers to overcome production constraints. Designing robust agronomic systems for durum demands scientific creativity and foresight based on a deep understanding of constitutive components and their innumerable interactions with each other and the environment. This encompasses development of durum production systems that suit specific agro-ecozones and close the yield gap between genetic potential and on-farm achieved yield. Advances in individual technologies (e.g., genetic improvements, new pesticides, seeding technologies) are of little benefit until they are melded into resilient G × E × M systems that will flourish in the field under unpredictable conditions of prairie farmlands. We explore how recent genetic progress and selected management innovations can lead to a resilient and transformative durum production system.

Model organisms are often used in biological, medical and environmental research. Among insects, Drosophila melanogaster, Galleria mellonella, Apis mellifera, Bombyx mori, Periplaneta americana, and Locusta migratoria are often used. However, new model organisms still appear. In recent years, an increasing number of insect species has been suggested as model organisms in life sciences research due to their worldwide distribution and environmental significance, the possibility of extrapolating research studies to vertebrates and the relatively low cost of rearing. Beetles are the largest insect order, with their representative - Tribolium castaneum - being the first species with a completely sequenced genome, and seem to be emerging as new potential candidates for model organisms in various studies. Apart from T. castaneum, additional species representing various Coleoptera families, such as Nicrophorus vespilloides, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, Coccinella septempunctata, Poecilus cupreus, Tenebrio molitor and many others, have been used. They are increasingly often included in two major research aspects: biomedical and environmental studies. Biomedical studies focus mainly on unraveling mechanisms of basic life processes, such as feeding, neurotransmission or activity of the immune system, as well as on elucidating the mechanism of different diseases (neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, metabolic, or immunological) using beetles as models. Furthermore, pharmacological bioassays for testing novel biologically active substances in beetles have also been developed. It should be emphasized that beetles are a source of compounds with potential antimicrobial and anticancer activity. Environmental-based studies focus mainly on the development and testing of new potential pesticides of both chemical and natural origin. Additionally, beetles are used as food or for their valuable supplements. Different beetle families are also used as bioindicators. Another important research area using beetles as models is behavioral ecology studies, for instance, parental care. In this paper, we review the current knowledge regarding beetles as model organisms and their practical application in various fields of life science.

Metabolomics is increasingly being applied in various fields offering a highly informative tool for high-throughput diagnostics. However, in plant sciences, metabolomics is underused, even though plant studies are relatively easy and cheap when compared to those on humans and animals. Despite their importance for human nutrition, cereals, and especially wheat, remain understudied from a metabolomics point of view. The metabolomics of durum wheat has been essentially neglected, although its genetic structure allows the inference of common mechanisms that can be extended to other wheat and cereal species. This review covers the present achievements in durum wheat metabolomics highlighting the connections with the metabolomics of other cereal species (especially bread wheat). We discuss the metabolomics data from various studies and their relationships to other \"-omics\" sciences, in terms of wheat genetics, abiotic and biotic stresses, beneficial microbes, and the characterization and use of durum wheat as feed, food, and food ingredient.

Caper (Capparis spinosa L.) is a xerophytic shrub with a remarkable adaptability to harsh environments. This plant species is of great interest for its medicinal/pharmacological properties and its culinary uses. Its phytochemical importance relies on many bioactive components present in different organs and its cultivation can be of considerable economic value. Moreover, taxonomic identification of C. spinosa L. has been difficult due to its wide heterogeneity, and many authors fell into confusion due to the scarcity of genetic studies. The present review summarizes information concerning C. spinosa L. including agronomic performance, botanical description, taxonomical approaches, traditional pharmacological uses, phytochemical evaluation and genetic studies. This knowledge represents an important tool for further research studies and agronomic development on this indigenous species with respect to the emerging climatic change in the Eastern Mediterranean countries. Indeed, this world region is particularly under the threat of global warming and it appears necessary to rethink agricultural systems to adapt them to current and futures challenging environmental conditions. Capparis spinosa L. could be a part of this approach. So, this review presents a state of the art considering caper as a potential interesting crop under arid or semi-arid regions (such as Eastern Mediterranean countries) within the climate change context. The aim is to raise awareness in the scientific community (geneticists, physiologists, ecophysiologists, agronomists, …) about the caper strengths and interest to the development of this shrub as a crop.