Journal of Agriculture and Ecology Research International

Green Technologies for Wastewater Treatment: A Critical Narrative Review of Biological, Bio-derived and Hybrid Approaches and Their Translation to Practice

Ritesh Jain, Jaspreet Kaur, Satinder Kaur Khattra — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Conventional activated-sludge treatment remains energy-intensive, chemically demanding and poorly suited to the recovery of the water, nutrients and energy that wastewater contains. Interest has consequently shifted towards green technologies that treat wastewater through biological, bio-derived or low-input physicochemical processes while lowering carbon and chemical footprints. This critical narrative review examines the principal families of such technologies, namely constructed wetlands and related nature-based systems, phytoremediation with aquatic macrophytes, microalgal and algal–bacterial processes, bioelectrochemical systems, bio-derived adsorbents such as biochar and biosorbents, green-synthesised nanomaterials and solar-driven photocatalysis, and green-oriented bioreactor and electrochemical configurations, before considering how these approaches support resource recovery within a circular-economy framing. Evidence was drawn from scholarly indexes and citation searching, appraised for methodological adequacy, and synthesised thematically rather than catalogued study by study. The available evidence indicates that several green technologies achieve treatment performance approaching or matching conventional processes for specific pollutants, particularly organic matter, nutrients and selected dyes and metals, while offering co-benefits in energy demand, sludge production and resource recovery. Confidence in these conclusions is nonetheless constrained by a predominance of laboratory and short-term studies, uneven geographical representation, inconsistent reporting of operating conditions, and limited long-term field validation. Reported performance varies widely with feedstock, climate and reactor configuration, and mechanistic plausibility has frequently outpaced demonstrated field effectiveness. The synthesis identifies scale-up reliability, standardised performance reporting, life-cycle and techno-economic assessment, and integration into hybrid treatment trains as the most pressing priorities. Green technologies are best understood not as uniform replacements for established infrastructure but as context-dependent components whose value depends on matching process to wastewater type, local conditions and recovery objectives.

Nanosensors and Geospatial Technologies for Early Crop-stress Detection in Precision Agriculture: A Critical Multiscale Synthesis

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Crop stress develops through a sequence that begins with molecular and biophysical perturbation, progresses through physiological dysfunction, and only later becomes visually apparent. Precision agriculture therefore requires sensors that can shorten the interval between stress onset and actionable diagnosis while preserving spatial context. This critical narrative review examines the complementary roles of nanosensors, plant-wearable and implantable electronics, proximal sensing, unmanned aerial vehicles, satellite remote sensing, and geographic information systems in early crop-stress detection. Literature published from 2000 to 1 June 2026 was selected through live searches of accessible scholarly indexes, DOI registries, publisher records, institutional repositories, and citation networks, with foundational studies retained where necessary. The evidence shows that nano-enabled interfaces can measure early biochemical, ionic, volatile, electrical, and microclimatic signals at high temporal resolution, whereas geospatial technologies reveal the distribution, persistence, and management relevance of stress across canopies and fields. Optical nanotube sensors, surface-enhanced Raman probes, electrochemical microneedles, ion-selective wearables, and flexible leaf sensors have demonstrated biologically meaningful signals before visible symptoms in controlled or pilot field settings. Yet most remain constrained by sparse sampling, crop-specific calibration, bio-interface effects, power and communication burdens, uncertain durability, and limited agronomic validation. Geospatial methods are operationally more mature, particularly thermal and multispectral imaging for water stress and hyperspectral imaging for disease and nutrient-related changes, but they often infer stress through non-specific proxies that are confounded by canopy structure, atmosphere, soil background, phenology, and co-occurring stresses. The strongest future architecture is therefore not a contest between nanoscale and landscape-scale sensing. It is a multiscale system in which physiologically specific plant sensors anchor and interpret spatial imagery, while remote sensing directs where high-specificity measurements and interventions are most valuable. Progress depends on prospective field trials, reference measurements, uncertainty-aware data fusion, interoperability, lifecycle safety assessment, and decision thresholds linked to economic and agronomic outcomes.

Nanotechnology in Apiculture: A Critical Narrative Review of Colony Health, Pollinator Safety, Nano-enabled Quality Control and Bee-product Valorisation

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Nanotechnology is increasingly intersecting with apiculture through engineered nanoparticles, nanoformulated crop-protection products, nano-enabled analytical sensors and nanostructured delivery systems for bee-derived materials. Yet the evidence is fragmented across apicultural science, entomotoxicology, food analysis, materials science and biomedical engineering, making it difficult to distinguish interventions that plausibly benefit managed colonies from technologies that merely use bee products as raw materials or expose pollinators to new hazards. This critical narrative review evaluates the principal application domains and their evidential maturity. The strongest direct apicultural evidence remains limited: chitosan nanoparticles have shown colony-performance benefits in a field study, while silver- and zinc-based nanomaterials have demonstrated activity against important bacterial and fungal bee pathogens, largely under laboratory conditions. In contrast, a broader toxicological literature shows that engineered metal and metal-oxide nanoparticles and nanopesticide formulations can alter survival, gut integrity, microbiota, detoxification, immunity and behaviour in bees, with outcomes depending on particle composition, size, carrier system, dose and exposure duration. Nano-enabled honey analysis is technically more mature, with nanoparticle-modified optical, colorimetric and electrochemical platforms demonstrating sensitive discrimination of adulteration, botanical origin and antimicrobial residues, although validation across commercial supply chains remains incomplete. Bee products also function as reducing, capping or cargo materials in nanomaterial synthesis and nanodelivery; these developments may increase the value of honey, propolis, royal jelly, venom and even dead bees, but should not be conflated with demonstrated improvements in colony health. The central translational challenge is therefore not whether nanotechnology can be applied to apiculture, but whether a given nano-enabled system provides a reproducible advantage over conventional practice without creating unacceptable risks to bees, hive products, consumers or surrounding ecosystems. Future research should prioritise field-scale comparative trials, lifecycle and residue studies, nano-specific characterisation in hive matrices, colony-level safety endpoints and fit-for-purpose regulatory assessment.

Rainwater Harvesting for Climate-resilient Agriculture: A Critical Appraisal of Field-scale Gains, Catchment-scale Trade-offs and Institutional Constraints

Nilotpal Das, Gururaj Dasannavar, Anupurba Saha, Hasim Kamal Mallick — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Rainfed cropping supports the majority of the world's cultivated land and a large share of global crop production, yet it remains acutely exposed to intra-seasonal dry spells and to the shifting rainfall regimes associated with a warming climate. Rainwater harvesting, understood as the deliberate capture of precipitation or of locally generated runoff for productive agricultural use, has therefore acquired a central position in adaptation policy and in dryland development programmes. The present article offers a critical narrative review of the evidence linking rainwater harvesting to climate-resilient agriculture, drawing on peer-reviewed literature published between 2000 and June 2026 and identified through openly accessible bibliographic databases and scholarly indexes, supplemented by citation tracing and verification against digital object identifier records. Four analytical themes structure the synthesis: the agronomic performance of in-situ and ex-situ systems, the hydrological consequences of aggregating many small structures within a catchment, the methodological adequacy of siting and design studies, and the socio-institutional determinants of sustained use. The evidence indicates that field-scale yield and water-productivity gains are real but strongly conditional, being largest in low-rainfall seasons, on responsive soils, and where water capture is combined with nutrient inputs. Confidence in catchment-scale conclusions is considerably weaker. Modelling studies disagree about whether extensive adoption redistributes water benignly or depletes downstream flows, and the disagreement is traceable to differences in model structure, calibration data and the treatment of evapotranspiration rather than to settled physical understanding. Siting frameworks remain dominated by geospatial multi-criteria procedures that are seldom validated against observed structure performance. Adoption evidence reveals substantial disadoption and uneven distribution of benefits, which conventional biophysical potential assessments do not capture. Rainwater harvesting is best interpreted as a conditional risk-management technology whose net contribution to resilience depends on placement, complementary inputs and institutional arrangements rather than on the practice itself.

Physiological Quality of Strawberry (Fragaria vesca L.) Seeds Subjected to Water Stress

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Water availability is a key determinant of seed germination and early seedling establishment, whereas water deficit restricts imbibition and delays the metabolic processes required for successful germination. This study evaluated the physiological quality of strawberry (Fragaria vesca L.) cv. Sensação seeds subjected to polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000)-induced water stress. Seeds were exposed to osmotic potentials of 0.0, −0.1, −0.2, −0.3, and −0.4 MPa under controlled laboratory conditions in a completely randomised design with four replicates of 50 seeds. Germination, first germination count, germination speed index, root length, and shoot length were evaluated. Water stress markedly reduced the first germination count, with a significant decline observed as early as −0.1 MPa, indicating that early seed vigour was impaired even under moderate osmotic restriction. In contrast, final germination, germination speed index, and shoot length were not significantly affected within the tested range. Root length showed a decreasing trend with increasing stress intensity, although this response should be interpreted cautiously because it was not consistently supported by both parametric and non-parametric analyses. Overall, the results indicate that the first germination count was the most sensitive indicator of PEG-induced water stress in strawberry seeds, demonstrating that early vigour is affected before final germination capacity is substantially compromised under the evaluated conditions.

Native Plant Diversity and Livelihood Services in Functioning Agroforestry Systems of the Western Himalayan Foothills

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Agroforestry may support native biodiversity and rural livelihoods, but integrated evidence from functioning systems in the western Himalayan foothills remains limited. This study assessed native tree diversity, vegetation structure, ecosystem services, and livelihood contributions in agroforestry systems in Dunga, Thano, and Chandrabani villages of Uttarakhand, India. Vegetation was evaluated using phytosociological attributes, the Importance Value Index, diversity indices, and rank–abundance patterns, while socio-economic information was obtained from 30 households. Dunga and Thano agroforestry systems each contained 10 tree species and recorded Shannon diversity values of 2.092 and 2.087, respectively. Chandrabani contained seven species and had a Shannon diversity value of 1.729. The adjoining pure forest stands showed lower Shannon diversity values of 1.368 and 1.495 and were strongly dominated by Shorea robusta. Rank–abundance patterns indicated a more even distribution of species in the agroforestry systems. Households reported fuelwood, fodder, fruit, soil-conservation, shade, and microclimate-regulation services, although the reported levels varied among villages. Multiple regression analysis explained 54.2% of the variation in annual household income. Dependency score was positively associated with income, whereas forest dependency and family size were negatively associated with income. These findings indicate that diversified agroforestry systems can contribute to native plant conservation and locally important livelihood services, although the limited sampling design restricts wider generalisation.

Genetic Variability, Character Association, Path Coefficient and Genetic Divergence Analysis in Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica L. Beauv) Genotypes

Tauheed Ali, Divya Singh, Rajat Srivastava — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The present investigation was conducted to evaluate genetic variability, character association, path coefficient analysis and genetic divergence among eight foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) genotypes, including one check variety. The experiment was conducted in a randomised block design (RBD) with three replications during the rabi season. Observations were recorded for twenty-five quantitative traits, including plant height, leaf length, leaf width, panicle length, peduncle length, stem diameter, leaf area index, days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, panicle weight, biological yield, harvest index and seed yield per plant. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences among the genotypes for all the characters studied, indicating substantial genetic variability. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as a percentage of the mean was observed for leaf area index at 30 DAS (78.57% and 228.57%), leaf area index at 90 DAS (66.67% and 157.39%), stem diameter at 30 DAS (73.19% and 123.52%), stem diameter at 60 DAS (67.15% and 105.86%) and seed yield per plant (79.98% and 29.38%), suggesting the predominance of additive gene action and the potential effectiveness of selection for these traits. Seed yield per plant was positively associated with harvest index, panicle length at 60 DAS, leaf area index at 30 DAS and panicle weight at the genotypic level. Path coefficient and genetic divergence analyses were undertaken to assess direct trait effects and diversity, respectively. Among the evaluated genotypes, K4 (V7) recorded the highest seed yield per plant (7.34 g), whereas GPL-11 (V3) exhibited the highest panicle weight (15.00 g). These genotypes may therefore constitute useful genetic resources for breeding programmes aimed at developing high-yielding foxtail millet cultivars.

Assessment of Youths' Interest in Agriculture in Esan West Local Government Area, Edo State, Nigeria

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study assessed youths' interest in agriculture in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State. The objectives were to examine youths' perception of agriculture, evaluate their involvement, identify factors influencing their interest and determine the challenges they face in agriculture. A multistage sampling procedure was used. Primary data were collected from 70 selected youths through a close-ended questionnaire, while 66 valid questionnaires were analysed. Data were processed using descriptive statistics and regression in SPSS version 23. The findings showed that 42.4% of respondents had a very positive perception of agriculture, while 16.7% had a positive perception. The results also indicated that 47.0% of respondents associated agricultural engagement with income generation, food security and job creation, and that 47.0% spent 5-10 hours daily on agricultural activities. Factors reported to influence youths' interest included insufficient access to knowledge, information and education, limited access to land, inadequate access to financial services, market accessibility, lack of agricultural inputs, limited access to extension services and inadequate basic infrastructure. The main challenges were lack of access to agricultural land, limited financial resources, insufficient knowledge and skills, market-access constraints, lack of determination and lack of willingness. Regression results showed that age, educational qualification, marital status, years involved in farming, average hours spent on agricultural activities, limited access to land, lack of agricultural inputs, limited access to extension services, lack of basic infrastructure and selected land- and finance-related challenges had statistically significant relationships with youths' interest in agriculture. The study concludes that, although youths in the study area showed notable interest in agriculture, their engagement was constrained by resource, knowledge, market and infrastructure-related factors. Strengthening agricultural education, improving access to land and finance, enhancing extension support and investing in rural infrastructure may improve youth participation in agriculture in Esan West LGA.

Seasonal Occurrence of Major Defoliators, Sucking Pests and Natural Enemies in Soybean and their Association with Rainfall

Sonal Nage, Y. D. Charjan, R. S. Wankhade, Jayashri Ughade, Sunil Bhalkare — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Soybean is one of the most important oilseed crops, but its productivity is severely constrained by the seasonal occurrence of insect pests and their interaction with prevailing weather conditions. Information on the population dynamics of major soybean insect pests, their natural enemies, and their association with rainfall under the agro-climatic conditions of Vidarbha is limited, making it difficult to develop timely and location-specific pest management strategies. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted during the Kharif seasons of 2019–20 and 2020–21 at the Agriculture Research Station, Achalpur, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola, Maharashtra, India, to investigate the seasonal occurrence of major defoliators, sucking pests, and natural enemies in soybean and their association with rainfall. Weekly observations were recorded on major insect pests, including leafhopper (Amrasca biguttula biguttula), whitefly (Bemisia tabaci), girdle beetle (Obereopsis brevis), green semilooper (Chrysodeixis acuta), and tobacco leaf-eating caterpillar (Spodoptera litura), along with important natural enemies such as ladybird beetles, green lacewings, and spiders. The results revealed that the incidence of leafhopper and whitefly commenced during the 31^st SMW, with peak populations occurring during the 37^th and 38^th SMWs, respectively. Girdle beetle infestation commenced during the 34^th SMW and reached its maximum during the 37^th and 36^th SMWs in 2019–20 and 2020–21, respectively. Among the defoliators, green semilooper and tobacco leaf-eating caterpillar attained peak populations during the 37^th and 39^th SMWs, respectively. Correlation analysis revealed a non-significant association between rainfall and most insect pests during both cropping seasons. However, the spider population showed a significant positive correlation with rainfall during 2020–21 (r = 0.652). Natural-enemy populations fluctuated throughout the cropping period in correspondence with pest activity. The findings indicate distinct seasonal patterns in the occurrence of soybean insect pests and their natural enemies, while rainfall was significantly associated only with spider abundance during 2020–21.

Influence of Quarry Rehabilitation on Soil Physico-chemical Properties in Bofa, Kilifi County, Kenya

Tunje Mwamuye Pole, Mwakio Tole, Suhaila Hashim — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Quarrying activities create significant health, environmental, and visual impacts that must be addressed through the implementation of rehabilitation practices. This process usually begins and proceeds through key steps determined by the targeted final ecosystem and its successional phases. During rehabilitation, soil quality is among the most important factors affecting ecosystem integrity and is determined by physicochemical and biological characteristics that influence ecosystem structure and function. Many rehabilitation efforts have lacked clear objectives and meaningful monitoring of rehabilitation progress. Additionally, the literature indicates that many previous ecosystem rehabilitation studies have used inaccurate, time-consuming, and costly approaches. This study assessed changes in selected soil physicochemical properties and how they were influenced by quarry rehabilitation at different stages. Soil bulk density (BD), organic matter (OM), pH, nitrate (NO₃⁻–N), nitrite (NO₂⁻–N), ammonium (NH₄⁺), phosphate (PO₄³⁻), and cation exchange capacity (CEC) were analysed in rehabilitated quarries. The plots from which samples were collected were categorised as early (<10 years), intermediate (11–20 years), and mature (>20 years). Control samples were also collected from undisturbed virgin sites and abandoned, naturally recovering sites. BD, OM, nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, and phosphate differed significantly (P < .0001) at α = 0.05 across all study plots. As expected, BD decreased as soil OM increased: early plots had almost twice the BD of mature plots, whereas OM was highest in virgin and mature plots. Nitrate and nitrite concentrations were highest in intermediate plots, while ammonium and phosphate concentrations were highest in mature plots; in contrast, CEC was highest in virgin plots. Soil nutrient ions, particularly nitrate, are affected by differences in soil management, leaching, and denitrification, while changes in phosphate concentrations may reflect differences in weathering and sorption processes over time. As rehabilitation plots matured, soil OM increased, thereby increasing the availability of cation-exchange sites. Soil pH, which affects nutrient solubility, ranged from near-neutral to weakly alkaline values (7.7–8.3) and did not show abrupt changes with rehabilitation. The study concluded that OM, ammonium, and phosphate showed the clearest rehabilitation-related patterns, while CEC remained highest in virgin plots. These physicochemical parameters were therefore the most responsive to quarry rehabilitation and may have potential as indicators for monitoring rehabilitation status.

Effects of Zanthoxylum armatum Harvest Residue Incorporation on Soil Properties, Yield, and Fruit Quality

Binru Yang, Heng Shao — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The sustainable management of agricultural residues is essential for improving resource utilisation and maintaining soil fertility in plantation systems. This study investigated the potential of composting and applying Z. armatum harvest residues as an organic amendment for soil improvement and crop production. A field experiment with five treatments (CK, T1, T2, T3, and T4) was conducted to evaluate the nutrient characteristics of the different residue components, compositional changes during composting, and the effects of compost application on soil properties, yield, and fruit quality. The results showed that leaves contained higher concentrations of N, P, K, Ca, and Mg than branches and thorns, whereas branches and thorns had higher lignin and cellulose contents. Composting significantly reduced organic carbon, lignin, and cellulose contents while increasing nutrient concentrations, resulting in a more stable, nutrient-enriched organic amendment. The application of composted residues significantly improved soil fertility by increasing soil organic matter by up to 58.7%, alkaline hydrolysable nitrogen by 42%, available phosphorus by 66%, and available potassium by 42%, while reducing soil pH and decreasing bulk density by up to 24.6%. These effects increased with the compost application rate, and the high-rate treatment (T3, 15 t·hm^-2) produced the greatest improvement. In addition, residue compost application enhanced the fresh pepper yield, dry pericarp yield, and fruit quality characteristics of Z. armatum. Compared with the control, T3 increased fresh pepper yield by 13.88% and dry pericarp yield by 25.17%, while increasing hydroxy-α-sanshool content to 17.28 mg·g^-1, oil yield to 0.78%, and volatile oil content to 8.24 mL·100 g^-1. Overall, composting and returning Z. armatum harvest residues to plantations represent an effective strategy for converting agricultural waste into valuable organic amendments, improving soil quality, and promoting the sustainable production of Chinese prickly ash.

ICT Use in Agricultural Marketing among Farmers in Lagelu, Oyo State, Nigeria

M. O. Oyedokun, O. A. Egbetokun, T. C. Idowu — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have become important tools for improving agricultural marketing by enhancing farmers' access to market information, reducing transaction costs, and strengthening linkages with buyers. Despite these benefits, effective utilisation of ICTs for agricultural marketing remains limited among many smallholder farmers in rural Nigeria. This study assessed farmers' access to and use of ICTs for marketing agricultural produce in Lagelu Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was employed to select 100 farmers from five randomly selected villages. Primary data were collected using a structured interview schedule and analysed using descriptive statistics, including frequencies and percentages. The findings revealed that farmers had a moderate level of access to ICTs, with mobile phones being the most accessible and widely used communication tool. Most respondents used mobile phones primarily to contact buyers and negotiate prices, while the use of internet-based applications, such as WhatsApp and online search tools, remained relatively low. Major constraints to ICT utilisation included the high cost of data subscriptions, poor network connectivity, erratic electricity supply, limited digital skills, and the high cost of smartphones. The study concludes that although ICTs have considerable potential to improve agricultural marketing, their effective utilisation is constrained by infrastructural, economic, and capacity-related challenges. It is therefore recommended that government and relevant stakeholders strengthen rural ICT infrastructure, improve access to affordable internet-enabled devices and data services, and promote digital literacy through agricultural extension programmes to enhance farmers' participation in digital agricultural marketing.

Urban Growth and Land Use and Land Cover Dynamics in the Municipality of Ziguinchor, Senegal, West Africa : A Remote Sensing Approach

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Urbanisation is a major driver of landscape transformation in West Africa, resulting in the gradual conversion of natural areas into built environments and the degradation of ecosystem services. In Ziguinchor, this process is reflected in the continuous expansion of built-up areas at the expense of vegetation cover, while knowledge of long-term Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) dynamics remains limited. This study aimed to map the LULC classes of the Municipality of Ziguinchor, analyse their spatio-temporal dynamics between 1986 and 2026, and assess the principal landscape transformations associated with anthropisation and the conversion of landscape units.

The study used a remote-sensing approach based on Landsat imagery from the TM, OLI, and TIRS sensors, processed through supervised classification in ENVI Classic 5.3 and QGIS. LULC changes were analysed using transition matrices, the annual vegetation loss rate, and the anthropisation index. The results show a substantial increase in built-up areas, from 1,252.8 ha in 1986 to 1,992.6 ha in 2026, while vegetated areas decreased from 577.44 ha to 421.92 ha over the same period. The analyses also indicate increasing human-induced landscape transformation and declining stability of vegetation formations, which were predominantly converted into urban areas. These findings provide a basis for integrating higher-resolution satellite data, applying machine-learning methods, and assessing the effects of urbanisation on ecosystem services to inform sustainable land-use planning and the conservation of green spaces in the Municipality of Ziguinchor.

Morphological Relationships among Plant Architecture, Yield Components, and Seed Quality of Safflower under different Irrigation Intervals

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is a drought-tolerant oilseed crop with considerable potential for sustainable production in water-limited environments. This study evaluated the effects of irrigation interval and cultivar on growth, yield, biomass partitioning, seed quality, and trait relationships of two safflower cultivars (Giza and Dongla) under Sudanese conditions. A factorial experiment was conducted using three irrigation intervals (7, 14, and 21 days). Growth, yield components, biomass, harvest index, and seed quality traits were measured, and Pearson's correlation analysis was used to examine relationships among agronomic traits. Significant varietal effects (P < 0.05) were observed for several growth and yield-component traits. Giza produced significantly taller plants and greater dry matter, whereas Dongla produced significantly more heads per plant and exhibited a higher harvest index, reflecting contrasting growth and assimilate partitioning strategies. Irrigation interval significantly affected some vegetative growth traits, but had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on seed yield, harvest index, or seed quality. Likewise, although the 7-day irrigation interval produced the highest numerical seed yield, this difference was not statistically significant. Correlation analysis showed that plant height and leaf area were positively associated with seed production, whereas branch number promoted head formation but exhibited trade-offs with vegetative growth. Seed yield was more closely associated with harvest index than with total biomass, highlighting the importance of assimilate partitioning for productivity. These findings demonstrate that safflower can maintain yield and seed quality under moderate deficit irrigation, indicating that irrigation intervals of up to 21 days can reduce irrigation frequency without significant yield penalties. The results also support variety-specific cultivar selection, with Giza better suited for biomass production and Dongla for efficient reproductive allocation under water-limited conditions in Sudan.

Assessment of Heavy Metal Concentrations and Geochemical Speciation in Dumpsite Soils Derived from Coastal Plain Sands in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Gloria, Emmanuel Essien — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study assessed the concentrations and geochemical speciation of Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni, and V in dumpsite soils derived from coastal plain sands in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Automechanic, paint-processing, and abattoir dumpsites were investigated in Etinan, Uyo, and Ikot Ekpene, with uncontaminated soils serving as controls. Soil samples were collected from 0–20, 20–40, and 40–60 cm depths and analysed for physicochemical properties, total metal concentrations, and six operationally defined geochemical fractions using sequential extraction and atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Metal mobility and contamination indices were also evaluated. Waste deposition altered soil properties, with dumpsite soils generally showing higher pH, organic matter, exchangeable bases, and base saturation than control soils. Heavy metal concentrations were markedly elevated at all affected sites, particularly in automechanic and paint-processing soils. Lead and cadmium occurred in appreciable proportions in water-soluble, exchangeable, and carbonate-bound fractions, indicating comparatively greater potential mobility and bioavailability. Chromium, nickel, and vanadium were more strongly associated with reducible and residual fractions, although measurable proportions occurred in non-residual forms. The results demonstrate that waste type influenced both metal accumulation and geochemical partitioning. While stable fractions accounted for part of the metal burden, the occurrence of metals in labile fractions indicates potential for leaching, plant uptake, and broader environmental exposure. Improved waste segregation, controlled disposal, and periodic soil monitoring are therefore required in the study area.

Forecasting of Land Cover Changes in the Upper Krishna River Basin of Maharashtra, India

S. S. Nagarkar, S. B. Nandgude, A. A. Atre, S. D. Gorantiwar, M. R. Patil — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Human activities are altering natural land cover and influencing climate-related processes, making land-cover monitoring and forecasting important for sustainable resource management. This study assessed historical and projected land use and land cover (LULC) changes in the Upper Krishna River Basin of Maharashtra, India. LULC maps for 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020 were prepared from Landsat and Sentinel imagery using a random forest classifier in Google Earth Engine. A digital elevation model, slope data, and a road-distance map were integrated with the classified maps in the QGIS-MOLUSCE cellular automata–artificial neural network framework. The model was trained with the 1990 and 2010 LULC maps, validated by comparing simulated and observed conditions for 2020, and then used to project LULC for 2030. The simulation achieved an overall accuracy of 74.50% and a validation kappa value of 0.72. Between 1990 and 2020, woodland and agricultural land declined, whereas built-up and barren areas expanded; the area under water bodies remained comparatively stable. The 2030 projection indicates further decreases in water bodies, woodland, and agricultural land, together with continued increases in built-up and barren areas. These projected changes suggest continuing pressure on vegetated land and surface-water resources. The findings provide a spatial basis for land-use planning, watershed management, and conservation-oriented decision-making in the Upper Krishna River Basin.

Study on Tissue Culture and Rapid Propagation of Different Peony Cultivars

Shangguan Li, Pengqi Yue, Yingxue Lei, Xiaolin Cai, Jiujin Xiao, Sinan Zhang — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

An efficient in vitro propagation system is essential for the rapid multiplication and conservation of peony germplasm resources. In this study, young stem segments, shoot tips, and scale buds of three Paeonia suffruticosa cultivars, ‘Yu Louzi’, ‘Peng Zhouzi’, and ‘Yin Zhihong’, were used as explants to evaluate the effects of surface sterilisation, explant type, and culture medium composition on shoot induction, shoot proliferation, and root induction.

Explant contamination decreased progressively with increasing sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) sterilisation intensity, with treatment T4 providing the highest sterilisation efficiency. Among the explant types, contamination rates consistently followed the order scale buds > shoot tips > young stem segments, and the lowest contamination rate (5.1%) was recorded for young stem segments of P. suffruticosa ‘Yin Zhihong’. During primary culture, young stem segments exhibited the highest shoot induction capacity, and MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg L^-1 6-benzyladenine (6-BA) and 0.5 mg L^-1 gibberellic acid (GA₃) produced the highest shoot induction rate (89.5%). During shoot proliferation, MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg L^-1 6-BA, 0.1 mg L^-1 α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), and 0.1 mg L^-1 kinetin (KT) provided the highest proliferation efficiency, with a maximum proliferation coefficient of 4.68. Root primordium induction remained difficult under all treatments. Although 1/2 MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg L^-1 indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and 0.3 mg L^-1 NAA promoted root primordium formation, a stable adventitious root system was not established, and the highest root primordium induction rate was 32.4%.

These findings demonstrate that appropriate explant selection and optimisation of culture media can effectively improve shoot induction and proliferation in peony. However, root induction remains the principal constraint to establishing an efficient in vitro propagation system, highlighting the need for further optimisation of rooting conditions.