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Topic Review
Voisin Rational Grazing and Its Four Principles
This entry briefly describes the need to promote sustainable agriculture, proposing Voisin Rational Grazing (VRG) as an alternative livestock production system as a way to address sustainability in all its dimensions. It describes the four VRG principles that allows this livestock production system to attain high productive standards while boosting social, cultural and environmental characteristics within the pastoral ecosystem.
  • 2.6K
  • 15 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Maned Wolf
The Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is a distinctive canid species native to South America, particularly inhabiting grasslands and savannas. Despite its name, the Maned Wolf is not closely related to wolves but represents a unique evolutionary lineage within the canid family. Recognizable for its long, slender legs, reddish-brown fur, and distinctive black mane, this solitary omnivore plays a crucial role in its ecosystem as both a predator and a seed disperser.
  • 2.6K
  • 28 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Legume Use in Extrusion Cooking
The traditional perception that legumes would not be suitable for extrusion cooking is now completely outdated. In the recent years an increasing number of researches have been conducted to assess the behavior of various types of legume flours in extrusion cooking, proving that legumes have excellent potential for the production of extruded ready-to-eat foods by partially or totally replacing cereals. There are optimal processing conditions for legume-based and legume-added extruded foods, which allow to improve the expansion ratio and give the extrudates the spongy and crisp structure expected by consumers. The extrusion cooking process has also a positive effect on the nutritional characteristics of legumes, because induces important modifications on starch and proteins, enhancing their digestibility, and reduces the content of trypsin inhibitors, lectins, phytic acid, and tannins. Therefore, the extrusion of legume flours is a viable strategy to improve their nutritional features while reducing home preparation time, so as to increase the consumption of these sustainable crops.
  • 2.5K
  • 27 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Land-Use Impact on Soil Properties
       In urban areas, land use changes usually increases soil degradation as a consequence of surface sealing and pollution. However, in urban and peri-urban areas, there are areas occupied by agriculture and woodlands, with an essential role in provisioning food and other services to urban areas such as water and climate regulation. Land-use change have a substantial impact on soil properties and soil organic carbon stocks, especially in intensively managed soils (i.e. cropland, vineyard land use). Tillage, pesticides, and fertilizer applications were presumably the reasons for altered soil quality properties. Intensively used areas may reduce soil ecosystems services such as the capacity for flood retention and carbon sequestration.
  • 2.5K
  • 16 Sep 2020
Topic Review
Fe Uptake and Transport
The mode of iron (Fe) uptake and transport in cereal species is distinguished from that in other plant species by the synthesis and utilization of phytosiderophores, which are a group of Fe chelators involved in Fe mobilization from the environment as well as within the plant body. In this entry, the overview of the molecular mechanisms behind the Fe uptake and transport is presented, highlighting the commonality and diversity among cereal species.
  • 2.5K
  • 29 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Controlled Release Fertilizers
Controlled Release Fertilizers (CRF) can be defined as “products containing sources of water-soluble nutrients, the release of which in the soil is controlled by a coating applied to the fertilizer. However, the most significant challenge that persists is the “tailing” effect, which reduces the economic benefits in terms of maximum fertilizer utilization. The high materials cost is also deemed as a significant obstacle restraining the widespread application of CRF in agriculture.
  • 2.5K
  • 22 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Bioherbicides: Tool for Weed Management
Weed management is an arduous undertaking in crop production. Integrated weed management, inclusive of the application of bioherbicides, is an emerging weed control strategy toward sustainable agriculture. In general, bioherbicides are derived either from plants containing phytotoxic allelochemicals or certain disease-carrying microbes that can suppress weed populations.
  • 2.5K
  • 24 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Kettle Holes
Kettle holes are small water bodies of glacial origin which mostly occur in agricultural landscapes. While they supply numerous ecosystem services (ES), this supply may be negatively affected by agricultural management on surrounding fields.
  • 2.5K
  • 18 Sep 2020
Topic Review
Long-Term Land Leasing
Land leasing, as an alternative to the purchase of agricultural land, is increasingly being embraced as a mechanism for securing tenure of land.
  • 2.5K
  • 25 May 2021
Topic Review
Wheat Blast and Food Security
Wheat blast is a fearsome fungal disease caused by a filamentous fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae Triticum pathotype. It was first detected in Brazil in 1985, then it spread to some neighboring South American countries such as Bolivia, Argentina and Paraguay. The outbreak of wheat blast was spotted in Bangladesh for the first time in 2016, which devastated 15,000 hectares of wheat with yield losses up to 100%. Recently, it was detected in Zambia (an African country). The disease spreads through seeds and airborne conidia. There is no resistant variety against wheat blast disease. Once the disease symptoms are expressed as the bleached or partially bleached spikes, fungicide application is ineffective to control it. A convenient and rapid molecular diagnostic tool is developed for surveillance and monitoring of the wheat blast. However, our understanding the biology of wheat blast fungus and its interactions with the host plant is limited. A globally concerted effort is needed to develop durable blast-resistant varieties to combat this killer of wheat before the spread to major wheat growing countries in the world.
  • 2.5K
  • 23 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Aardwolf
The Aardwolf (Proteles cristata) is a unique and intriguing species of hyena found primarily in eastern and southern Africa. Despite its resemblance to its larger relatives, the Aardwolf is a specialized insectivore, primarily feeding on termites and other insects. With its distinctive mane, elongated snout, and nocturnal habits, the Aardwolf occupies a specialized ecological niche and plays a vital role in controlling insect populations within its ecosystem.
  • 2.5K
  • 28 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Toxicology of Deoxynivalenol
Deoxynivalenol is a toxic compound produced by filamentous fungi and represents a threat to public health. It is not possible to totally extinguish fungal contamination in crops such as wheat and corn and thereby avoid the production of this toxin.
  • 2.5K
  • 03 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Lactic Acid Bacteria in Raw-Milk Cheeses
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are of great economic importance because they play an important role throughout the fermentation process of traditional cheeses when added accidentally or intentionally. Their metabolic features not only contribute to the development of desirable sensory characteristics of food products but also allow the nutritional value of the raw material to be maintained or even enhanced.
  • 2.5K
  • 05 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Silphium
The chemical composition of three Silphium species in the aspect of the possibility of their use for various purposes has been evaluated. The plant material of three Silphium species (S. perfoliatum, S. trifoliatum and S. integrifolium) was acquired from cultivation located in eastern Poland. The vegetative propagating material consisted of seeds and rhizomes. Content of protein (up to 22.9% in leaves of S. perfoliatum), amino acids (aspartic acid—up to 12.0%, glutamic acid—up to 9.5%, and leucine—up to 9.4%), fat (up to 4.2% in inflorescences of S. perfoliatum), cellulose (up to 42.9% in stems of S. trifoliatum), water-soluble sugars (up to 26.7% in rhizomes of S. perfoliatum) and mineral substances (ash up to 20.9% in stems of S. integrifolium, with significant levels of elements such as K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn) in the tested Silphium species can be an important criterion determining a positive evaluation of these plants as sources of alternative raw materials. The conducted research is meant to draw attention to the possibility of use of the biomass of three Silphium species as a potential source of ecological and renewable raw material for food, pharmaceuticals, feed and possibly also for energy generation purposes.
  • 2.5K
  • 02 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Date Palm Fruits (Phoenix dactylifera L.)
The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is traditionally cultivated in arid regions of the world, including the Arabian Peninsula. It is one of the oldest fruit trees, a key component of the food system, and is recognized as a symbol of prosperity in the Arab world.
  • 2.5K
  • 16 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Virtual Fencing Technology for Cattle Management
Maximizing annual pasture consumption without negatively impacting individual cow performance is of great importance in grass-based dairy and beef systems due to pasture being the most cost-effective nutrient source. However, the disadvantages of conventional and electric fencing include material and labor costs and increased manual labor. Virtual fencing has been developed and evaluated for almost two decades. The evolution of precision livestock farming, specifically virtual fencing, presents new opportunities for maximizing the utilization of available pasture land. Virtual fencing technology decreases the labor involved in physical fencing, provides greater adaptability to changes in pasture conditions, increases precision and efficiency, and offers additional flexibility in grazing management practices. However, that innovative technology should be further developed, and improvements should include decreasing the total costs of the system and increasing its application to other technological groups of ruminants, e.g., suckler cows with calves, increasing the efficiency of the system operation in large areas and a larger number of animals. 
  • 2.5K
  • 27 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Kodkod
The Kodkod, scientifically known as Leopardus guigna, is a small wild cat species native to the temperate forests of South America. It is one of the smallest wild cats in the Americas, with adults typically weighing between 2 to 3 kilograms. Despite its diminutive size, the Kodkod is a skilled predator, preying on small mammals, birds, and insects, and plays a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem balance within its habitat.
  • 2.5K
  • 15 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Argiudolls of the Argentina
Argiudolls are a Great group of Mollisols, which are key components in the provision of ecosystem services associated with global food production. These soils act as support for different anthropic activities and are involved in the regulation of water quality and quantity, nutrient recycling, carbon reserve and maintenance of biodiversity.
  • 2.5K
  • 12 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Swift Fox
The Swift Fox (Vulpes velox) is a small, elusive canid species native to the grasslands and prairies of North America. Known for its remarkable agility and swift movements, the Swift Fox is aptly named and is one of the fastest running mammals in its habitat. Despite facing historical declines due to habitat loss and persecution, conservation efforts have led to the recovery of Swift Fox populations, highlighting their resilience and importance in North American grassland ecosystems.
  • 2.5K
  • 08 Mar 2024
Topic Review
LED Lighting Systems for Horticulture
       In recent years, research on light emitting diodes (LEDs) has highlighted their great potential as a lighting system for plant growth, development and metabolism control. The suitability of LED devices for plant cultivation has turned the technology into a main component in controlled or closed plant-growing environments, experiencing an extremely fast development of horticulture LED metrics. In this context, the hereby study aims to provide an insight into the current global horticulture LED industry and the present features and potentialities for LEDs’ applications. An updated review of this industry has been integrated through a database compilation of 301 manufacturers and 1473 LED lighting systems for plant growth. The research identifies Europe (40%) and North America (29%) as the main regions for production. Additionally, the current LED luminaires’ lifespans show 10 and 30% losses of light output after 45,000 and 60,000 working hours on average, respectively, while the vast majority of worldwide LED lighting systems present efficacy values ranging from 2 to 3 μmol J−1 (70%). Thus, an update on the status of the horticultural LED sector, applications and metrics, and the intense innovation are described and discussed.
  • 2.5K
  • 30 Oct 2020
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