The 10 most-cited articles in Journal of Bioresource Management, 2021

Heat shock proteins assist in folding proteins that is a basic cellular constituent responsible for various crucial functions including protein assembly, transportation, folding in normal conditions and denaturation of proteins in stress and in other cellular function. Abiotic factors like increased temperature, drought and salinity negatively affect reproduction and survival of plants. Plants (HSPs), as chaperones, have crucial part in conversing biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. Plants react towards critical changes through biochemical, growth, and physiological mechanisms included expression of stress-reactive proteins, which are regulated by interconnected signaling cascades of transcription factors including heat stress TFs.

Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) specifically infect and kill insects can serve as a potential biological control agent. Several biotic and abiotic factors affect their occurrence, persistence, and epizootics caused by them. In biotic factors, fungi characters (host range, latency, spore density and dispersal, mainly host-pathogen compatibility), insect host factors (behavioral, morphological, and physiological), plant-mediated effects (plant architecture, surface chemistry, and leaf topology) are included supports or causes the barrier to mycobiopesticide. Abiotic factors which affect the EPF field persistence are mainly environmental (temperature, sunlight, humidity, rainfall) physical and chemical soil properties (soil texture, pH, E.c, moisture, C/N content, and organic matter) that greatly influence the entomopathogenic fungi. To use them as biocontrol agents, we have to overcome these factors by providing them nutrients, protectants, and using different control practices.

Plastic waste has recently been identified as one of the most serious environmental issues, affecting all life forms, natural habitats, and the economy, and is one of the most serious global environmental problems, second only to climate change. Seeking alternative environmentally sustainable options, such as biodegradation instead of conventional disposal, is critical in the face of this challenge. However, there is currently a lack of information about the mechanisms and efficacy of plastic biodegradation. From this perspective, this study aims to illustrate the negative environmental impacts of the plastic waste. It also addresses the role of insects and gut microbiota in the degradation of plastics, emphasizing the important role they will play in the future.

The poor quality of cow dung in Ghana resulting from the opportunistic feeding mode of cattle impedes its adoption due to high quantities needed for application. This calls for nutrient optimization of cattle manure with inexpensive locally available sources of organic inputs that could enhance its quality. Though large volumes of crop residues and other agro-wastes are produced on-farm, they are underutilized and mostly a nuisance. Major food crops take approximately, 44 %, 42 % and 56 % of the total nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), respectively and are found in crop residues. There is therefore the need to develop appropriate technologies for utilizing agro-wastes by transforming them into useful “resources” with potentially available plant macro and micronutrients. Common agro-wastes in Ghana include cocoa pod husk (CPH), palm kernel cake (PKC), cattle manure (CM) and poultry manure. Hence, this review sought to explore the use of crop residues and agro-minerals to improve the quality of manure and consequently its fertilizer value for soil fertility improvement…

Cotton is a major cash crop and backbone of the textile industry in Pakistan which is badly affected by sucking insects. Drought is an important abiotic factor in trichome development. The objective of the study was to determine the effects of drought on trichome density and length. Trichome density was measured in two ways, one through the scaling method and the other through counting the trichome density manually. The scaling method is qualitative grading while quantitative grading includes trichomecount in a card of optimized length. Three scales were finalized to classify leaves on the basis of trichomes which were counted in a specific area (0.25cm2) on abaxial side of the leaf. In drought stress, trichomes density and length were measured and compared to that in normal conditions. Trichome density varies from 12 to 56 in 0.25cm2 under drought stress. On the basis of correlation of trichome density with stomatal conductance, photosynthetic rate, PAR and transpiration ratio under drought and normal conditions, it was concluded that trichome density increased as a result of…

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important staple foods. High concentration of sodium chloride severely affects plants in general and wheat in specific. In this study the ameliorative effects of ascorbic acid (AsA) against sodium chloride stress were investigated in two commercial wheat cultivars (Galaxy 2013 and Akbar 2019). Experiments were conducted in three replicates. Two levels of salt (0, 150 mM) along with exogenous application of ascorbic acid (0, 30 mM, 60 mM) were applied at three leaves seedling stage. At the establishment of treatments, data regarding physiological, biochemical and yield attributes were recorded and subjected to statistical analysis. The application of AsA significantly (p≤0.05) improved growth, yield and key physiological attributes in tested wheat varieties under salinity stress. Overall wheat genotype Akbar 2019 showed better growth under salt stress. It is concluded from this study that AsA may be used to mitigate salinity effects in wheat.

Recent studies suggest that two factors including climate change (especially precipitation) and human land use management (HLUM) are primarily driving greening trend around the world. However, studies targeting the impact of both factors on different vegetation layers (i.e. herbs, shrubs and tree layers) are lacking. This study hypothesize that precipitation relatively influence the under-storey vegetation cover more quickly, and HLUM (say afforestation/reforestation, deforestation) is more important towards top-storey layer. To investigate this, 13 randomly selected permanent stations in the wild natural west Himalayan coniferous forests of Sudhan Gali, Pakistan were explored from 2000-2016 to collect vegetation health data by two ways; Ground data (i.e. cover estimation of three layers), and indirect remote sensing (RS) data (i.e. MODIS NDVI/EVI 16-days-time series). Deforestation and grazing pressure as HLUM were measured by using some new and more intuitive mathematical operations, and climatic data (1979-2018) was also collected and compared. The results depicted that there is…

Mastitis is highly prevalent infection in cattle causing cost-effective loss in dairy milk production. Escherichia coli is the most frequently isolated bacteria causing mastitis worldwide. The current study was performed to investigate the mastitis prevalence and effect of different antibiotics against pathogens causing it. In sum, 216 milk samples were collected randomly including 108 each from both cows and buffaloes. These samples were subjected to Surf Field Mastitis Test for prevalence of mastitis that found 18.50% and 23.14% in buffaloes and cows respectively. Mastitis was more prevalent both in buffaloes and cows at the age of 9-10 years that was reported in 35% and 32% respectively. The affected buffaloes showed 65% samples containg watery fluid having blood, pus and mucus whereas 36% samples of affected cows had mucus and watery fluid. Pus and blood content were found to be 12% and 16% respectively. Sub-clinical mastitis was prevalent as 56% and 55% in cows and buffaloes respectively while acute mastitis as 4% and 5% in similar fashion. In both groups Right-for part of…

Recently most farmers in developing country like Nigeria has resulted to the use of solid wastes as compost to replenish the deteriorated soils while some are farming on the abandoned waste dumpsite due to their richness in organic matter. This study assessed the soil nutrient and fertility status by investigating the influence of wastes (if any) on physical and chemical properties of soils in and around Lapite dumpsite for environmental sustainability. Ten soil samples each collected from three locations: dumpsite, downslope and upslope sites at depth of 0-20cm were analyzed for soil texture, bulk density, porosity, electrical conductivity, pH, organic carbon, organic matter content (OMC), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (AP), Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu, Pb and Ni. Significant differences were observed on soil physical: moisture content (18.05-38.11 %); Bulk density (1.01-1.54 g/cm3); porosity (49.09-74.56 %) and chemical properties: : OMC (1.39-5.98 %);TN (0.58-1.60 %); AP(0.35-1.09 %) among others in soils from the studied location sites at p ≤ 0.05; however, no…

Seed germination is generally the critical step in seed establishment and thus the determination of successful crop production. This study was focused at examination of the biochemical and germination parameters effected by low water potential which was generated by polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000 and mannitol, related to drought stress and growth of Waha durum wheat genotype. Two tests were carried out in a growth chamber; the first comprises seed germination into Petri dishes in the presence of different concentrations of the two osmoticums (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 % of PEG6000 and mannitol). The second test was carried out in nutrient solution BD medium. Our results shows that Both PEG -6000 and mannitol reduced germination. Therefore, a rapid increase was observed in the rate of germination both for the control plants and the plants subjected to a concentration of 5 g/L and 10 g/L and changes in proportion to the time. For the concentration of 15 g/L and 20 g/L, this phase is very short, which explains the reduced germination rate due to the inhibitory effect of the two osmoticums on…