Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology
Volume:25 Issue: 2, Mar 2023

There have been serious problems in optimizing capacity management due to lacking detailed analysis of the current business model in Licensed Grain Warehouses (LGW) in Turkey. Therefore, the study's objectives were to economically analyze the standard and industrialist business models and examine the capacity management optimization in LGW in Turkey. Research data were collected from managers of warehouses by using semi-structured interviews and observations. Management records of the examined firms were also used to elicit warehouse-level data. MOTAD model was used to generate a capacity optimization plan under risky conditions. Research results showed that the capacity use ratio of two different business models was nearly the same, and both had smaller capacity use ratios than that of the optimum. Inventory turnover of the industrialist business model was higher than that of the standard one (P< 0.01). The amount of loss was lower than 1% in both business models. The gross income of the industrialist business model was larger compared to a standard business model. MOTAD programming results revealed that, with government incentives and support, optimizing the storage organization in the industrialist business model increased the gross revenue of licensed warehouses by 177.27%. Ensuring the optimum capacity management would reduce the need for working capital by 21.69%. The study suggests conversion from a standard business model to an industrialist one and controlling and monitoring inventory turnover to optimize the capacity of LGW.

One way to better appreciate the value of rangelands with the purpose of developing better policies and make sustainable use of these resources is to determine the monetary valuation of the ecosystem services of these rangelands. Thus, the present study aimed to estimate the economic values of provisioning and regulating services of Rig Ishaqabad Rangeland in Kerman Province, Iran. To this end, samples of the soil and vegetation cover of the region were taken. Following conduction of various experiments, the type and texture of the soil and its content of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium nutrients, the soil erosion coefficient, and the amount of carbon absorption for each vegetation type were determined. Then, the monetary values of forage production, carbon absorption, oxygen production, soil production, nutrient absorption, and erosion prevention were estimated using the Revealed Preference Approach. According to the findings, in 2019, the total economic value of the rangeland's services was USD 0.54 million; and the values of provisioning and regulating services were USD 260,102.85 and 283,841.77, respectively. In addition, the economic value of vegetation types of Artemisia sieberi-Denderostellera lessertii (Ar si-De Le), Denderostellera lessertii- Peganum harmala (De le-Pe ha), Cousinia congesta (Co co), Calligonum polygonoides- Astragalus sp (Capo- As sp), Artemisia Sieberi-Peganum harmala (Ar si-Pe ha) were USD 115,466.42, 159,045.6, 54,815.14, 85,220.66, and 129,396.78, respectively. Based on the results, the De le-Pe ha vegetation type was of the highest value with a value of 49.07 US dollars per hectare. The calculated monetary values can be a useful tool in determining the long-term rental rate of this rangeland and determine the amount of investment to preserve or restore it.

The rich diversity of Persian carpets is a symbol of different cultures and traditions in this country. To ensure sustainability of the Handmade Carpet Industry Knowledge and Innovation System (HCIKIS), attention should be paid to the transformative approach that pursues holistic transformation in the production and consumption systems. The present study aimed to identify Formal Transformation Institutions (FTIs), classify them into main categories, and analyze them based on the production step, approval date, institution type, and geographical area of approval. Based on the results, there were 316 Formal Institutions (FIs) in the Handmade Carpet Industry (HCI). By open coding, 372 concepts were extracted from 509 concepts derived from different FTIs. Based on the axial coding, the FIs were divided into six initial categories of “carpet authority”, “carpet sales and maintenance inside Iran”, “handmade carpet exports and imports”, “carpet production infrastructure”, “handmade carpet production”, and “sanitary-therapeutic category”. At the next step, the matrix of the main categories based on different production steps was drawn. Among the main categories, the highest frequency was related to the category of “carpet production infrastructure” and the subcategory of “financial supply of carpet”. Although there are many FIs that support production, carpet weavers, as the main people involved in production, have received minimum supports during their working years due to unawareness of supports and loan conditions.

The role of public financial institutions in agricultural education and extension has received less attention. In this study, quantitative SWOT analysis was used to determine the strategy of the Agricultural Bank of Iran in education and extension of entrepreneurship and innovation in agriculture sector. Based on the literature review and global experiences, the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework was considered. For this purpose, the multi-criteria decision making models were used along with the combination of SWOT and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodologies. The analysis of AHP-SWOT results in two-dimensional graphic space emphasizes the need for the bank to adopt aggressive strategies, which means following different combinations of the mentioned strengths and opportunities. According to the findings of this research, the most important strengths of the bank and the coefficient of importance of each (in parentheses) include branches across the country (0.6), trust in the bank as a governmental institution (0.25), and the developmental nature of the bank (0.15). The most important opportunities include the possibility of increasing productivity in the agricultural sector (0.35), innovation in financial area (0.28), international cooperation (0.24), and Internet impact and cyberspace (0.13). This study provides new insights into the role of a financial institution from the perspective of education and extension in agricultural sector.  The important novelty of this study is that it develops a framework in which the preferred strategy of public institution can be identified in PPP programs.

The integration of supply chain has always been a challenge for many companies. Despite the agreement on the strategic importance of supply chain integration, limited researches have been done on the relationship between supply chain integration and its impact on performance. In this study, sample size was 75 managers and experts from agriculture supply chain sector. Hence, interpretative structural modeling and structural equation modeling were used for analyzing the data (smart PLS). The results infer that the integration of marketing and supply chain management would improve supply chain performance through some factors. The results indicated Knowledge Management (KM), Human Resource Management (HRM), Information Technology (IT), marketing planning and supply chain planning are the most important indicators in improving Guar supply chain management. The Guar supply chain performance would be improved through the relationship between IT and HRM.

The genetic evaluation of dairy bulls is based on their daughters’ production, type traits, and fertility. It is unknown how the different number of days open of the daughters of a bull influences its Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) and ranking in the population. The present study aimed to examine the effect of days open on milk production of Holstein dairy cows and the ranking of the bulls according to their predicted breeding values. A total number of 706,653 test day records of the first parity of 78,517 Iranian Holstein cows in 448 herds during 1991 to 2016 were used. The daughters of the same bulls were allocated into nine groups of days open, the differences of which were 21 days. Data were analyzed using a random regression model and predicted the breeding values of bulls. The effect of herd-year-season on milk yield were significant (P≤ 0.001). The heritability of 270 days milk for the first to ninth groups were estimated to be 0.24(±0.04), 0.26(±0.02), 0.23(±0.02), 0.21(±0.03), 0.18(±0.03), 0.19(±0.04), 0.16(±0.05), 0.17(±0.05) and 0.11(±0.04), respectively. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient of predicted breeding value of the same sires in different groups were 0.60-0.75 (P≤ 0.01). The results showed a negative relation between the number of days open and the predicted breeding value of bulls. It can be concluded that the number of days open affects the prediction of breeding value and ranking of the sires and it should be corrected for, while predicting the breeding value of sires.

Nanochitosan composite film containing Nisin (NCH-N) was synthesized by solution cast method. Chitosan nanoparticles were prepared from shrimp shell.Characterizations of the prepared chitosan-nanoparticles were performed using Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) technique. The DLS analysis showed that the average size of chitosan- nanoparticles was 84.8 nm. Antimicrobial properties of edible (NCH-N) solution were also tested against pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, B. cereus, L. monocytogenes, E. faecalis, and eight clinical multidrug resistances K. pneumonia and E. coli. Addition of nisin to film significantly enhances the antimicrobial activity of the film against these tested pathogenic bacteria. This solution was also used as an antimicrobial coating on peaches. Based on the results, the peach coated with the film-forming NCH-N solutions presented a significantly lower amount of microorganisms growth than the uncoated peach, and significantly increased the shelf life of peaches. The color of the peach was not influenced by the films. The similarity of peaks in the spectrum of FTIR films confirms the absence of relevant interaction between the nisin and the polymer. The films were also analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to investigate the surface topography. Nanohitosan films were smooth and homogeneous. With the addition of nisin to nanochitosan films, the film became more uniform and homogeneous. The incorporation of nisin into edible nanochitosan films or coatings may be an attractive and convenient method for biopreservation of food.

The present study was conducted to dry apples in a Temperature-Controlled Microwave (TCM) drier under optimum conditions. Drying durations, drying curves, color changes and drying models were analyzed. Within the scope of this study, TCM drying, oven drying, shade and sun-drying methods were experimented. Apples were sliced into four and eight pieces and dried at 50, 60 and 70°C drying temperatures in three replicates. The shortest drying time (30 minutes) was achieved in temperature-controlled microwave drying and the longest drying time (287 hours) was observed in shade-drying method. TCM drying best preserved the color parameters. Lightness and redness values were best preserved with TCM drying at 70°C in four slices and yellowness value was best preserved with again TCM drying at 50 and 60°C temperatures in four slices. Chroma values were best preserved with temperature-controlled microwave drying at 50°C in eight slices. Considering the drying durations and color parameters, TCM drying was identified as the best method for drying apple.

Yield monitoring is one of the parts of the precision agriculture that is best documented in practice and allows varying inputs according to the expected field outputs depending on spatially variable yield goals. The present study introduced a batch type Weighing System (WS) for the garlic bulbs yield monitoring. This WS includes a four-sector cylindrical container, rotary blades, a digital transmitter and array of two load cells for mass measurements. Electronic boards were used to control the WS and transfer the mass and georeferenced data. A LabVIEW interface was also developed to do the real-time signal processing. This WS was tested under laboratory and field conditions. Three factors including blades Rotation Speed (RS), Stop Time (ST) of blades, and Fraction of Stop Time (FST) were defined to find optimum load cell output. The lab tests were done to find the optimum value for these factors and the optimized WS was tested in the field condition. On the basis of WS outputs and actual weight of bulbs, the relative mean standard errors were determined as 1.94% in the lab and 4.26%, in the field. To demonstrate the spatial variability of crop-yield in the field, a yield map was plotted in ArcGIS using the data that were acquired by the WS and a GPS. The data recorded by the use of garlic yield monitoring system can be used in experimental studies to provide the basis for developing efficient nutrient management protocols and improve the management of garlic fields.

Temperature treatment during the processing of meatballs is intended to prevent contamination. However, the heat treatment more frequently harms the food structure and loses major nutrients of meatballs. The Arrhenius model has been used to observe the heat-treatment effect on the degradation of food quality. The meatballs samples with edible coating were observed under dynamic temperature storage. The purpose of this study was to use the Arrhenius model to evaluate the heat-treatment relationship on the pH change during dynamic storage conditions: uncontrolled ranging 24 to 31°C, while the studied temperature treatment was ranging between 50 to 90°C for 15 minutes. The results showed an obvious relationship between the heat-treatment aspects for preventing bacteria growth during storage. The evaluation of the Arrhenius model result indicates peak nutrition loss phase transition was found in the temperature treatment range of 83 to 90°C, and the optimum heat-treatment level at 78°C or 148.15 kJ mol-1 for developing packaging or preservation methods.

Malt beverage is one of the most popular drinks in the world. Recently, consumption of non-alcoholic beverages has expanded significantly in many countries. The permitted level of alcohol in malt beverage is less than 0.5% by Iranian National Standards. In this study, a method was developed to determine ethanol content in malt beverages by FTIR, equipped with Horizontal Attenuated Total Reflectance (H-ATR). Here, the Limit Of Detection (LOD) and Limit Of Quantification (LOQ) were 0.07% and 0.23%, respectively. The correlation coefficient of calibration curve was higher than 0.999. Fifty commercial malt beverages from six brands (five Iranian and one imported brand) and three types of flavored malt beverage (classic, equatorial, and lemon) were assessed. The average detected ethanol amount in samples was 0.19%, varying between 0.00-1.47percent. The results showed that the amount of ethanol in lemon malt drinks was more than the maximum permitted limit; that could be attributed to the usage of ethylene glycol for extraction of lemon flavor.

Currently, nanotechnologies are being actively introduced into agriculture, in particular in the field of creating new effective plant protection products. This is achieved through the development of nanosized controlled release systems, such as polymer nanoparticles, micelles, and so on using a wide variety of materials. In the present study, we applied original approach based on “green” mechanochemical technology to prepare new nanocomposites of pesticide Tebuconazole (TBC) for treating wheat seeds against pathogenic microflora (B. sorokiniana, Fusarium spp., Alternaria spp., Penicillum spp.). The size distribution of nanoparticles for three TBC formulations (microcapsules, microemulsionsб nanosuspensions) was measured using dynamic light scattering technique. All formulations contained nanoparticles (10-300 nm) and we aimed to find the most suitable size for effective penetration into cell membranes. The narrowest size distribution (225±40 nm) was observed for nanosuspension based on Licorice Extract (LE). The microcapsules based on Na-CMC also contained micro-sized particles (1,500 nm), which are apparently aggregates of nanoparticles. The laboratory and field biological tests revealed a high activity of the developed formulations against all pathogenic microflora under study, with a low retardant effect. Nanosuspension is considered as the most “environmentally friendly preparation”, since it contains only natural LE as an adjunct. This formulation with a consumption rate of 0.25 Lt-1 suppressed 100% B. sorokiniana, Fusarium spp. and Penicillum spp. infections, possibly due to the presence of natural saponin glycyrrhizic acid, which interacts with plant membranes and promotes better penetration of TBC into the grain.

The present study aimed at assessment of the beneficial role of fungal inoculation [Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) and Trichoderma harzianum] and Selenium (Se) treatments (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 mg kg-1 soil) on quality of strawberry cv. Camarosa by an emphasis on physiochemical characteristics. Fungal inoculation and Se treatment improved the fruit fresh and dry weights and fruit length, which was related to their capacity to enhance photosynthetic pigments (chlorophylls and carotenoid). Leaves protein, N, and P content as well as fruit total phenolic content and anthocyanin concentration were significantly affected by AMF and T. harzianum inoculation. It was found that strawberry plants inoculated with T. harzianum under 1.0 mg kg-1 soil of Se treatment had better leaves and fruit physicochemical characteristics as compared with other treatments. Overall, inoculation of T. harzianum along with 1.0 mg kg-1 soil of Se treatment could be recommended as an environmentally sustainable approach for improvement of the quality of strawberry cv. Camarosa fruit.

Expansion of salt stress in cultivable fields prevents plant physiological functions and reduces crop yield. Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF), as a bio-amelioration of salt stress, protects cellular osmosis via disaccharide and polysaccharide metabolism changes. In this study, three Gossypium species (i.e., G. hirsutum, G. barbadense, and G. herbaceum) colonized with Rhizophagus intraradices [with AMF and without AMF] were cultivated under saline irrigation treatments (ECe< 4 Ds m-1= S0, 8-9= S1, and 12-13= S2) as a factorial experiment. Salinity treatments were initiated at flowering. Generally, according to physiological traits, [+AMF] colonized with G. barbadense was more tolerant in exposure to 12-13 dS m-1 salinity, while G. hirsutum with [+AMF] was just tolerant until 8-9 dS m-1. This is because, the highest and the least leaf area were observed in G. barbadense [+AMF] under 8-9 and 12-13 dS m-1, respectively. In 12-13 dS m-1, the highest root volume, root dry weight, seed weight, and fiber weight were obtained in G. barbadense [+AMF]. Moreover, the highest sugar content in root and leaves and the highest starch content of root, leaves, and seed cotyledon were observed in G. barbadense [+AMF] under 12-13 dS m-1 treatment. Under 8-9 dS.m-1 salinity, the highest starch, Sucrose Phosphate Synthase (SPS) and Sucrose Phosphatase (SP) enzyme activities were in roots of G. barbadense [+AMF]. The present study suggests that despite dramatic physiological alterations under high-salinity in comparison with mild-salinity, AMF and G. barbadense showed the best symbiotic performance under 12-13 dS m-1.

Phosphorous (P) is an important macroelement for all organisms. However, there is a finite amount of P on Earth, therefore, new enzymes and technologies are needed for better P use in agriculture. Metallophosphoesterases are a large group of evolutionarily related proteins that are important in biotechnology. We found fourteen putative Metallophosphoesterase (MPA) genes in the genome of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Our RT-PCR analyses showed that some of these genes were constitutively expressed, and some were upregulated under phosphate deficiency. These results and bioinformatic analyses suggest that two of the genes (MPA11 and MPA13) are transcribed in high levels and the putative polypeptides are predicted to be secreted to extracellular space, making them ideal to be used in biotechnological applications. Phylogenetic analyses show that MPA11 and MPA13 are related to known phytases from plant species, suggesting MPA11 and MPA13 might have specific phytase activity. In light of these results, we discuss the potential of C. reinhardtii as a phytase producing organism for agricultural and industrial use.

Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) is one of the most cultivated mushrooms in the world, and it prefers a temperate climate. The improvement of warm-weather shiitake strains is one way to increase shiitake yield in Thailand. Mushroom-growing houses should be equipped with mechanical cooling to control and establish the optimal environment for cultivation. In this study, an Indirect–Direct Evaporative Cooling (IDEC) system consisting of a cooling coil and evaporative cooling (cellulose pad) was tested for its suitability for shiitake cultivation from August 2020 to December 2020. Under optimal shading of, and growing conditions, the IDEC system maintained the air temperature (27–28°C) and relative humidity in the required ranges. The mushroom compost was almost completely brown after the 100-day test and ready for the next fruiting phase. When compared with the fan-pad system, regression analysis showed that the two systems exhibited similar performance and had similar equipment costs. However, the IDEC system had a lower air temperature at a lower relative humidity, and its efficiency was over 100%. This study demonstrated that the IDEC system can be applied to promote shiitake cultivation in hot and humid climates.

The local strain of B. thuringiensis var. tenebrionis-BN2 (Btt-BN2) was used to control the alfalfa weevil. Experimental design using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was applied for the optimization of the culture medium and fermentation parameters in order to achieve a high level of Colony-Forming Unit (CFU) (spore mL−1). The parameters including the amount of carbon and nitrogen sources at three levels were investigated with CFU (spore mL−1) response for two sets of experiments. The obtained results showed that the maximum CFU (spore mL−1) for the minimum concentration of oat (2 g L-1), the minimum concentration of corn steep liquor (10 g L-1), and the maximum concentration of sugarcane molasses (10 g L-1) were equivalent to 1.4×1013 spore mL-1. Optimum fermentation parameters to obtain the highest value of CFU (spore mL−1) were determined as a maximum level of pH of eight and a medium level of temperature (280C). Amazingly, optimum conditions enhanced the CFU value to 8.06× 1013 spore mL-1, which is very significant in the Btt research. Finally, the bioassay analysis of Btt in a single system and binary system (combination of two insecticides; Matrine® and Abamectin®) at different concentrations illustrated 83% of mortality efficiency (3 ppm of Btt and 0.5 ppm Matrine) on the 3rd day of treatment and 100% efficiency almost for all combination of Btt with Matrine and/or Abamectin after the 7th day. The bioassay results showed promising environmentally friendly mortality efficiency compared to the current chemical treatments.

Over the last three decades, there has been a general tendency for changing research methods on soil resource management from conventional and mainly qualitative methods to quantitative ones based on spatial correlation models, which are called Digital Soil Mapping (DSM). The present study was carried out in Shabankareh Plain (15,000 ha) with different physiographic units, in Bushehr Province, southern Iran. The target sites (172 points) were selected for soil sampling at depths of 0-30 cm. Soil texture classes DSM was produced by two methods. The first method was Conventional DSM, in which data of soil particles was obtained from laboratory analysis for each sampling point along with their geographical location. Also, the study area boundary was added to ArcGIS software in UTM format and was analyzed by operating Kriging or IDW estimators. The map produced by this method was a low quality digital map containing extra and scattered texture classes with unrealistically sharp boundaries. The second method used CoKriging of L8 multispectral imagery data (OLI bands) and soil samples analysis was operated. Results showed that using B1 band (0.433-0.453 µm) of Landsat 8 satellite imageries of the study area in April 2020 produced high quality digital maps. In this method, soil textures were the same as the ones in the study area. Salt accumulation and water content of surface soil were possible reasons indicating why satellite imageries in the other periods of year were not suitable for DSM. The highest and the lowest ranges of influence among soil texture parameters were 684 meters and 388 meter for clay and sand particles, respectively.