Characterization of varieties biofortified in iron and zinc and local varieties of common bean

Iron and zinc are important minerals in humans in sub Saharan Africa, whose deficiency is known as "hidden hunger" due to the lack of recognised symptoms in the early stages. Although iron deficiency is the most prevalent, zinc is also involved in inhibition of replication of viruses, including the corona virus (COVID-19). In North Kivu and South Kivu provinces where more than 50% of common bean is produced and consumed in Democratic Republic of Congo, 36% and 47% of preschool children are anemic due to iron deficiency. This paradox is mainly due to insufficiency of iron-rich foods. The aim of this study is to characterise 59 iron and zinc biofortified varieties together with six local varieties of common bean for a potential selection programme in Butembo town in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We focused on 15 qualitative and five quantitative parameters. The qualitative parameters were helpful to distinguish the different morphotypes and for cluster analysis. In addition to the descriptive statistics, the quantitative data were used for Pearson correlation and for principal component analysis, PCA. Qualitative parameters enabled grouping of the study genotypes into 14 morphotypes according to the aspect and colour of the seed coat, the colour around the hilum and the size of seeds. Clustering grouped the 65 genotypes into 12 clusters with the most similar genotypes grouped in the same cluster. Quantitative parameters showed that the study genotypes were dissimilar (P=0.00). A positive correlation was obtained between the days to flowering and the days to maturity (P<0.05) and between the number of pods per plant and the days to flowering. A strong correlation was found between the number of pods per plant and seeds per pod (P<0.01). In contrast, a negative correlation was observed between the 100 seed weight and the number of seeds per pod. The PCA represented on two perpendicular axes showed 64.1% of the total variance of which the 42.3% is explained by the first axis and 21.8% by the second axis. Overall, the study genotypes are morphologically and quantitatively different and thus can be used in a selection programme.

Re-evaluating the precision of yield targets set by MOET app v.2.0

This paper presents the evaluation results of the yield target setting precision of the revised MOET App (v.2.0), following the inclusion of the correction factors generated from rice biomass correlations between MOET and nutrient omission plot setups obtained from 2017 to 2018. The project started with trainings on MOET kit and MOET App use for the seed production personnel across PhilRice stations in Nueva Ecija, Negros, Bukidnon and Agusan in 2018 DS. Included in the trainings were the establishment of MOET kit tests and generation of variety- and site-specific recommendations via the MOET App for several nationally or regionally recommended varieties (NSIC Rc 122, 160, 216, 218, 222, 238, 286, 300, 358, 402, 436, 440, 442, 480, PSB Rc18 and PSB Rc82) that each PhilRice station intended to produce in the succeeding 4 cropping periods from 2019 to 2020. Relative yield advantages and economic benefits from using the MOET App fertilizer recommendations over PhilRice' current fertilizer management in seed production per station were monitored every cropping while the precision evaluation of yield target setting was done after the last cropping of 2020 WS. In 2019, relative yield advantages averaged 0.43t ha-1 in DS and 0.25t ha-1 in WS. In 2020 DS, an average relative yield advantage of 0.63t ha-1 was obtained across stations and 0.93t ha-1 in 2020 WS in Nueva Ecija only due to travel restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Economic benefits of using the MOET App showed an average of 0.50t ha-1 and 0.65t ha-1 yield increase over the seed production units' fertilizer management in DS and WS, respectively. While savings in fertilizer cost were better realized during the WS at an average of Php 4,126.34 ha-1 season-1 across stations. Results of the precision evaluation of the yield target showed marked improvements with a 95.24% probability of achieving 17% higher grain yields than the target set by MOET App v.2.0. However, the overall normalized Root Mean Square Error (nRMSE) of 38.14% exceeded the range for a fairly acceptable fit with the model due to large gaps between target and actual yields obtained from DS field trials.

Adoption pattern of 448 varieties of tomato among the farmers of Ananthapuramu District

Andhra Pradesh is one of the major tomato producing states in the country. The presents tudy was conducted to identify the adoption pattern of 448 variety of tomato in Ananthapuramu district of Andhra Pradesh which was released by IIHR, Bangalore. The study also includes identification of the major factors for adoption and find out the major attributes of innovation that led to the adoption of 448 variety. An ex-post facto research design was adopted for the study. The study included 40 respondents chosen by purposive sampling method. Data was collected with the help of well-structured interview schedule through telephonic interview due to COVID-19 pandemic. The statistical tools used for analysis are mean, standard deviation, cumulative frequency and percentage analysis. Profile characters of the respondents viz., age, educational status, occupation, farm size, farming experience, annual income, frequency of exposure to agricultural messages, scientific orientation and cropping pattern were studied. Based on the mean and SD values the respondents were classified into adopter categories. The results of the adopter categorization showed that two-fifths (40.00%) of respondents belonged to early majority and only 5.00 percent were innovators. Among the factors affecting adoption of 448 variety of tomato, majority (80.00%) adopted due to their own interest and with the influence of friends and neighbours. Compatibility (95.00%) and observability (82.50%) of the variety played an important role among the attributes of innovation for the adoption of 448 variety of tomato among the respondents.

Ukraine's market of certified seed: current state and prospects for the future

The production of high-quality seeds and planting material is the basis for increasing the efficiency and sustainability of crop production. The main aim of this article is to develop proposals to ensure that supply meets the demand in the seed and planting material market Ukraine. The future prospects are also discussed. The paper uses statistical and comparative analysis. The patterns of foreign trade in seeds and planting material to and from Ukraine are analyzed. The high level of import dependence of Ukraine leads to excessive exposure to instability in the world seed market. The development of seed production in Ukraine is discussed and analyzed along with the ways for improving commercial circulation of seeds and planting materials. The export volumes of grains and oilseeds in 2020 were the highest of those over the last three decades and amounted to USD 18.7 million, which is almost twice more than in 2019. Corn seeds dominate in exports (72%). The volume of imports of seeds of grains and oilseeds exceeded exports by 22 times in value and, in 2020, amounted to USD 409.4 million. In the total volume of imports, imports of sunflower seeds accounted for 53%. The upward trend of seed imports has been maintained since 2010. It was the result of increased demand for imported seeds by large- and medium-sized agricultural producers. In 2020, COVID-19 gave impetus to the development of domestic seed production and foreign breeding companies within the country. Prospective ways to accelerate the development of the organization of the Ukrainian seed and planting material market are outlined. Ukraine has prospects for increasing the export of seeds of grains and oilseeds by expanding its production by foreign companies operating in Ukraine. Solving problems of competitiveness seed production in Ukraine will make it possible to strengthen the role of domestic breeding in the seed market, as well as to use the best foreign varieties through their commercial circulation.

Selection and evaluation of environmentally friendly pesticides, biological preparations and resistant variety samples against harmful objects of gourds in the conditions of the south-east of Kazakhstan

In the Republic of Kazakhstan melons and gourds are produced mainly in the traditional way, that is, by using chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The production of environmentally friendly melons is at the initial stage of its development. There is no organic melon growing at all. Considering the huge export potential of melons among other crops cultivated in the country (the total supply of melons and melons on the domestic market is 472%), the great economic and social significance of the transition of the melon industry to organic production is growing. In the future, Kazakhstan may be in the center of attention of the world community as a manufacturer and supplier of environmentally friendly (organic) melons, and environmentally friendly, natural melons may well become a brand of our sovereign state. To do this, it is necessary to make fundamental changes in the melon industry of the country. In general, the transition of agricultural production to an organic direction will contribute to the consumption of the safest and most useful products by the local population. Here, one should also take into account the decrease in the immunity of the human body due to various diseases, including those associated with the coronavirus pandemic. It should also be taken into account that only a limited number of pesticides used against harmful objects in agriculture act as intended, and most of the toxic substances spread into the environment. The use of disinfectants without scientific support has a negative impact on flora and fauna, being deposited in the soil and irrigation system of fields for a long time, thereby causing enormous damage to the environment. Given the above facts, our scientific research was aimed at the selection of pesticides and biological preparations with high biological and economic efficiency, low rates and frequency of treatments, as well as varieties with high resistance to fungal diseases of melons (watermelon, melon). Research work was carried out on the experimental plots of the Regional Branch "Kainar" of the LLP "Kazakh Research Institute of Horticulture" in the period 2020-2021. The studies used classical methods generally accepted in melon growing. The results obtained are new and relevant, and in the future, will contribute to the transition from traditional melon growing to biological.

An inaugural survey of cereal, oilseed and vegetable crop diseases in the Yukon Territory in 2020

Various kinds of field crops growing on two commercial farms in the Whitehorse area of the southern Yukon Territory were surveyed for diseases in summer 2020 by staff of the Agriculture Branch of the Government of Yukon. They included barley, wheat, canola, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, potatoes and turnips. Fields were visited one or more times during July and August. The incidence and severity of diseases were visually assessed on a crop-by-crop basis and samples were collected for laboratory analysis of the pathogens present, if any. Both infectious and non-infectious diseases were present on most crops. The infectious diseases were caused by various species of plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi that were common on these crops growing in other areas of Canada. INTRODUCTION AND METHODS: The 2020 field crop disease survey is believed to be the first organized study of its kind on agricultural crops in the Territory. In his book, "An Annotated Index of Plant Diseases in Canada . . . ", I.L. Conners lists over 300 records of plant diseases on trees, shrubs, herbs and grasses in the Yukon that were published by individuals who were surveying forests and native vegetation mainly for federal government departments, universities and other agencies (Conners 1967). The objectives of the 2020 survey were: (1) to determine the kinds and levels of diseases on selected Yukon crops, (2) to identify the major pathogen species attacking Yukon crops, and (3) to use the results to plan future surveillance activities aimed at helping producers to improve their current disease management programs. All of the fields included in the 2020 survey were situated on two commercial farms, which were designated as Farm #1 and #2, in the Whitehorse area in the southern Yukon (Fig. 1). The crops surveyed included cereals (barley and wheat), oilseeds (canola) and vegetables (beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, potatoes and turnips). Fields were visited one or more times in the mid- to late growing season (July/August) at a time when damage from diseases was most noticeable. Symptoms were visually assessed on a crop-by-crop basis by determining their incidence and severity. Incidence was represented by the percentage of plants, leaves, heads, kernels, etc., damaged in the target crop, while severity was estimated to be the proportion of the leaf, fruit, head, root/canopy area, etc., affected by a specific disease as follows: Proportion of the canopy affected based on a 0-4 rating scale, where: 0 = no disease symptoms, 1 = 1-10% of the crop canopy showing symptoms;2 = 11-25% showing symptoms, 3 = 26- 50% showing symptoms, and 4 = > 50% showing symptoms. Photographs of affected plants were taken and sent to plant pathologists across Western Canada for their opinions on causation. Where possible, representative samples of plants with disease symptoms were packaged and sent to the Alberta Plant Health Lab (APHL) in Edmonton, AB for diagnostic analyses. Background information, such as the general cultural practices and cropping history, was obtained from the producers wherever possible. GPS coordinates were obtained for each field to enable future mapping Cereals: Individual fields of barley (11 ha) and wheat (30 ha) located at Farm #1 were surveyed. The barley was a two-row forage cultivar 'CDC Maverick', while the wheat was an unspecified cultivar of Canada Prairie Spring (CPS) Wheat. Plant samples were taken along a W-shaped transect for a total of five sampling points for the barley field (< 20 ha) and ten sampling points for the wheat field (> 20 ha). The first visit, which occurred on July 30, involved visual inspection and destructive sampling wherein plants were collected and removed from the field for a detailed disease assessment at a lab space in Whitehorse. There, the roots were rinsed off and the plants were examined for disease symptoms. The second visit to these fields, which occurred on August 27, only involved visual examination of the standing crop. Oilseeds: A single 40 ha field of Polish canola (cv. 'Synergy') was examined o

Leguminous crop proteins. (L'Accademia per il post Covid-19.)

In our Country, protein crop have undergone a significant reduction since the beginning of the new millennium. Such a drastic reduction in planted areas has led, from an agronomic-environmental point of view, to an unsustainable simplification of crop rotations with serious consequences on the typical crop systems of Mediterranean agriculture. On the contrary, access to the agri-environmental subsidies requires crop rotation for farms requesting access to supplementary aid within the Rural Development Plans. It is worth mentioning that protein crops are also very suitable for "low input" itineraries. For instance, soybeans do not require specific nitrogen fertilizer, while other species perform well with minimum tillage, while others (rapeseed) with new rapid-growth hybrids, are able to assimilate important quantities of nitrates while preserving the rhizosphere from the common nutrient-loss problems. It therefore appears essential to reduce this heavy state of dependence, on the one hand by regaining space for the growing of protein crops, in particular soybean, which has undergone a significant reduction, and on the other, through a diversification of vegetable protein sources.

Summary of N-star nitrogen recommendations in Arkansas during 2021

Seeking to fine-tune nitrogen (N) application, increase economic returns, and decrease environmental N loss, some Arkansas rice (Oryza sativa L.) producers are turning away from blanket N recommendations based on soil texture and cultivar and using the Nitrogen Soil Test for Rice (N-STaR) to determine their field-specific N rates. In 2010, Roberts et al. correlated years of direct steam distillation (DSD) results obtained from 0- to 18-in. soil samples to plot-scale N response trials across the state to develop a field-specific, soil-based N test for Arkansas rice. After extensive small-plot and field-scale validation, N-STaR is available to Arkansas farmers for both silt loam and clay soils. Samples submitted to the N-STaR Soil Testing Lab in 2021 were summarized by county and soil texture, totaled 21 fields across 9 Arkansas counties, and were from 6 clay and 15 silt loam fields. Depressed sample submissions were again observed likely due to another wet spring and lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The N-STaR N-rate recommendations for samples were compared to the producer's estimated N rate, the 2021 Recommended Nitrogen Rates and Distribution for Rice Cultivars in Arkansas, and the standard Arkansas N-rate recommendation of 150 lb N/ac for silt loam soils and 180 lb N/ac for clay soils. Each comparison was divided into 3 categories based on a decrease in recommendation, no change in recommended N rate, or an increase in the N rate recommendation. In all 3 comparisons, county, but not soil texture, was a significant factor (P < 0.04) in observed decreases in N recommendation strategies demonstrating variations in the soil's ability to supply N across the state. Further stressing the potential N cost savings opportunities, reductions greater than 30 lb N/ac were recommended by N-STaR in 71%, 50%, and 74% of fields in the standard, estimated, and cultivar comparisons, respectively.

Banana research and development activities in Indonesian tropical fruit research institute to improve the community welfare

Indonesia is a country with a very high diversity of bananas (Musa spp.). The diversity of bananas can be found in Indonesia ranging from wild to commercial ones. Banana research activities at Indonesian Tropical Fruit Research Institute (ITFRI) started with the Musa germplasm collection, comprising local cultivars from several regions in Indonesia in 1987. In 1995, ITFRI introduced several accessions of bananas and plantains from International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain (INIBAP), and at about the same time Musa exploration activities intensively took place to collect both local cultivars and wild species in several main islands of Indonesia. In line with the collection of Musa genetic materials, cultivar development activities were also carried out, including the selection and evaluation of superior characters of local and introduced cultivars, and breeding programs to produce superior quality and disease-tolerant bananas. Some of the superior cultivars resulting from selection and hybridization that have been released were, Ketan-01, Kepok Tanjung, Raja Kinalun, INA-03, and Sang Mulyo. With the outbreak of the current COVID-19 pandemic, public awareness of fruit consumption, including bananas, has also increased. The availability of superior disease-tolerant and high-yielding cultivars such as Kepok Tanjung and Sang Mulyo will greatly assist the availability of domestic bananas.

Selection of suitable sugar beet genotypes for winter sowing (pending) in Torbat-e-Jam region

Introduction: Most areas under spring sugar beet cultivation face severe water restrictions and increasing the area under cultivation of this crop in most of these areas is contrary to the principle of conservation of water and soil resources. The use of new areas for winter sugar beet cultivation should be the area under cultivation of this crop in hot and dry areas. Therefore, winter sowing (pending) of sugar beet with emphasis on the limitations of the country's water resources has been proposed as a solution. Materials and Methods: In this study, the quantitative and qualitative yield of 16 sugar beet genotypes in winter planting were studied as a randomized complete block design with four replications in the Torbat-e-Jam region in the two cropping years (2020-2021 and 2021-2022). The studied genotypes included F-20739, F-20837, F-21083, SBSI-5, SBSI-15, SVZA 2019-JD389, SVZA 2019-JD0402, SVZA 2019-JD0400, SVZA 2019-JD0401, FDIR 19 B 3021, FDIR 19 B 4028, F-20591, SBSI-6, SBSI-16, SBSI-7 and SBSI-17 are the breeding populations obtained from the gene bank of the Sugar Beet Seed Breeding Research Institute. In this research, traits such as root yield, sugar content, sugar yield, white sugar yield, Na, K, N, alkalinity, molasses sugar, white sugar content, and extraction coefficient of sugar were measured. Data were analyzed using SAS 9.1 software. The analysis of variance on test data and comparison to the middle of the Duncan test was performed at the 5% level. Factor analysis was calculated to identify the main factors using MINITAB software. Cluster analysis of the studied genotypes was obtained after standardizing the data by the Ward method and using Euclidean distance criterion with the help of SPSS software. Results and Discussion: The results of the combined analysis of variance showed that there was a significant difference between different genotypes of sugar beet at the level of 1% probability for all studied traits except for nitrogen content. The mean comparison showed that the SBSI-15 genotype had the highest root yield (60.66 ton.ha). It should be noted that this genotype in terms of yield index traits did not show significantly different from genotypes F-20739, SBSI-15, SVZA 2019-JD389, SVZA 2019-JD0402, SVZA 2019-JD0400, SVZA 2019-JD0401, and FDIR 19 B 4028. Also, the F-20739 genotype had the highest amounts of sugar content (19.5%), white sugar content (16.3%) and extraction coefficient of sugar (83.2%) and the lowest amount of potassium (4.24 meq .100 g-1 of root weight) and Molasses sugar (2.7%). In addition, the highest sugar yield (10.69 t/ha) and white sugar yield (8.68 t/ha) were in FDIR 19 B 3021 genotype. Investigating the correlation of traits showed the highest positive and significant correlation was between sugar yield and white sugar yield (0.99**) and the highest negative and significant correlation was between extraction coefficient of sugar and molasses sugar (-0.95**). Principal factor analysis based on the mean of the traits identified three factors that accounted for a total of 91% of the variability between the data. SBSI-15, SVZA 2019-JD0398, SVZA 2019-JD0402, SVZA 2019-JD0400, SVZA 2019-JD0401, FDIR 19 B 3021, and FDIR 19 B 4028 genotypes are distinguished different from other genotypes and they were as superior genotypes in terms of yield index traits. The dendrogram generated from the cluster analysis for white sugar yield classified genotypes into three main groups.

Edible vaccines: a nutritional substitute for traditional immunization

Edible vaccines are created from transgenic plants and animals and contain immunostimulant. Edible vaccines, to put it simply, are medications generated from plants or animals. In underdeveloped countries, oral vaccines are less expensive and more widely available. Researchers came up with the idea of edible vaccines, in which edible plant pieces are employed as a vaccine factory. To make edible vaccinations, scientists put desired genes into plants and then force the plants to generate the proteins expressed in the genes. Transgenic plants are the result of transformation, whereas transformation is the act of converting plants. The edible vaccination promotes mucosal immunity. Dendritic cells in the gut can assist native T cells activate and differentiate into follicular T-helpers (Tfh). T and B cells will respond precisely to a reliable, digestible immunization. Potato, tomato, banana, carrots, tobacco, papaya, algae, and a variety of other plants are utilised as alternative agents for standard vaccinations. Malaria, cholera, hepatitis, rabies, measles, rotavirus, diarrhoea cancer treatments and treatment of covid-19 are among the illnesses for which plant-based vaccines have been created. It takes time and dedication to develop and sell edible vaccinations. Many edible vaccines for animal and human ailments have been developed and have gone through various levels of clinical testing. The importance of plant-based vaccinations is emphasized in this article.

Evolution of the cassava (Manihot esculenta, Euphorbiaceae) in vitro germplasm bank of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of the UNNE and the Institute of Botany of the Northeast (CONICET-UNNE) in pre-pandemic and pandemic times due to COVID-19

The normal management of plant germplasm conservation laboratories involves carrying out numerous and diverse activities, which were affected by the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). The objective of this publication was to review the evolution of the cassava in vitro germplasm bank at the FCA-UNNE and IBONE (CONICET-UNNE) and to tell about usual management practices and the procedures to preserve living plant material and the personnel's life involved in pre-pandemic and COVID-19 pandemic times. Teachers, researchers, undergraduate and graduate students carried out, for almost 40 years, the in vitro conservation of 56 cassava cultivars from different countries. Before March 2020, the bank management consisted mainly in scientific-technological activities for the conservation of the material and the search for parameters to establish an order of subcultures. Having decreed Social, Preventive and Compulsory Isolation in Argentina, conservation activities continued applying the usual practices by following political-institutional sanitary measures. To face the new sanitary scenarios, methodologies must be adjusted so that they are effective at maintaining viability of the plant material and at prolonging conservation time.

Official Feed Control - Annual Report 2020

On behalf of the Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG), Agroscope monitors the production and distribution of food for livestock and pets. The main purpose of its activity is to prevent harmful substances and undesirable products from being fed to animals and reaching consumers' plates through foodstuffs of animal origin. Controls also help to protect owners of animals against fraud and to preserve animal health and the environment. Official Food Control enforcement activities for animals have also been disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic and inspections had to be completely suspended. However, it was possible to resume them after a short period, although in a limited way, by applying the necessary hygiene and precautionary measures. In order to protect the inspectors and employees of the companies inspected, controls have been suspended for fifteen days in March, and then were resumed until the end of the year, but by being announced and by favouring the taking of samples. In this way it was possible to minimize contact with people and counter the spread of the virus by respecting the prescribed protection measures. The integration carried out at the end of 2019 of all the data relating to inspections, companies and products in a new laboratory information management system (LIMS) proved to be successful, although many optimizations and improvements had to be made. Due to increased data security and integration into a interdisciplinary system, production companies of animal feed thus benefited from more shipments, inspection report improved and there were more user-friendly presentation of test results in the product control report. Inspection reports were all able to be sent quickly and those of the checks of products were able to be sent following the analyses and necessary repetitions, thus guaranteeing a return of information in a timely manner. As in previous years, we also observed an increase of more than the average of new registrations/approvals companies in the animal feed sector. While 2019 can be considered a calm year in terms of feed safety, Salmonella was detected in eight animal feeds in 2020, representing 4 separate cases. In one sample, an overrun of the maximum value of coccidiostats according to appendix 10 of OLALA was detected. In 4 other samples, the authorizations issued for the addition of coccidiostats according to animal species had expired. GMOs were detected in two food samples for production animals, one of which was authorized but was not been declared. The second case concerns the contamination of undesirable seeds without germination power in linseed. In addition, GMOs exceeding the tolerance threshold have been detected in three bird feed mixtures and in another ambrosia seed mixture. These products were withdrawn from the market immediately. A total of 1,217 feed samples for livestock and for pets were analysed. 814 were compliant or had minor reporting errors. With a compliance rate of 66.9%, there was a slight improvement compared to the previous year (approx. 65%). With regard to nonconformities, it can be seen that minor non-conformities have decreased compared to last year (5.8%, previous year 12.4%). On the other hand, major non-conformities increased, from 2.6% in 2019 to 4.7% in 2020. Average non-compliances remained at the same level as the previous year, at around 23%.

Special issue dedicated to Professor Waclaw Tadeusz Szybalski on the 100th anniversary of his birth. (Special issue dedicated to Professor Waclaw Tadeusz Szybalski on the 100th anniversary of his birth.)

This special issue contains 13 papers dedicated to Professor Waclaw Tadeusz Szybalski on the 100th anniversary of his birth. Topics covered include: monoclonal anti-CD20 antibodies;gene therapy;synthetic biology tools for engineered therapeutics;impact of molecular subtype and stromal composition on the activation of epithelial mesenchymal transition process during breast cancer progression;probiotics in the times of COVID-19;use of transcriptional slippage for diverse gene expression;cloning, expression in Komagataella phaffii, and biochemical characterization of recombinant sequence variants of Pseudomonas sp. S9 GDSL-esterase;genetic and physiological diversity of white Spanish broom (Chamaecytisus albus) endophytes;SecA structure and function;Escherichia coli and Serratia fonticola ESBLs as a potential source of antibiotics resistance dissemination in the Tricity water reservoirs;antibacterial activity of muramyl dipeptide derivatives, retro-tuftsin derivatives, and anthraquinone oligopeptides against a range of pathogenic bacteria;role of hypoxia-induced Factor and AMP kinase in metabolic evolutionary roots of the macrophage immune response in amoeba-bacteria interactions;and organisational units in current bioethics, and their main characteristics concerning life sciences.

Evaluating the contribution of synthetic fungicides to cereal plant health and CO2 reduction targets against the backdrop of the increasingly complex regulatory environment in Europe. (Special Issue: On the topic of plant health in a one health context.)

The global COVID pandemic has impacted the world in ways and at a scale that few could have predicted, with many industries severely disrupted. Despite this, crops were sown and harvested, food was produced and agriculture continued to function, albeit it with many logistical challenges. Plant health lies at the heart of preventing crop losses through a combination of varietal resistance and agronomic practices. In the case of foliar plant diseases in wheat, varietal resistance plays a key role, but the use of synthetic fungicides is essential to minimize crop losses. European arable production faces a dilemma: how to contribute and maintain global food supplies but at the same time decrease emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), reduce inputs potentially harmful to biodiversity, society and the environment while ensuring no more land is brought into production. Throughout history, major disruptions in society have led to big steps in agricultural innovation. Presently, the major disruptive forces in Europe are not just a result of the COVID pandemic but the increasingly urgent need to address climate change. Within the European Green Deal, the Farm-to-Fork strategy is in place to help achieve climate neutrality by 2050, aiming for a reduction of GHG emissions of 55% by 2030. To achieve this, there will need to be a major adjustment to how food is produced, a realignment in plant health strategies and accelerated innovation across the agricultural sector. This paper aims to evaluate how synthetic fungicides presently contribute to plant health (mainly wheat) and food production as well as the management of GHG emissions. In addition, it explores the future challenges and prospects for their positive contribution in achieving global food security alongside emerging innovative technologies.