Robusta coffee, a vital cash crop for Vietnamese smallholders, significantly contributes to the national economy. Vietnam is the largest exporter of Robusta coffee, supplying 53% of the global market. However, this success has come at a cost. Decades of intensive Robusta coffee cultivation in Vietnam have led to severe soil acidification and biodiversity loss, favoring soil-borne pathogens. There is a lack of literature analyzing how intensive management causes soil acidification, advances the spread of soilborne pathogens, and the application of soil amendments to address these issues. Therefore, this review explores the causes of acidification, pathogen proliferation, and sustainable amendments like lime and biochar to mitigate these effects. The study synthesizes findings from studies on soil acidification, soil-borne pathogen dynamics, and sustainable soil amendments in Robusta coffee systems. We found that the overuse of nitrogen-based chemical fertilizers to grow coffee is the primary driver of soil acidification, consequently increasing soilborne diseases and the severity of plant diseases. Additionally, the effects of soil amendments as a sustainable solution to reduce soil acidity, enhance soil health, and better control soilborne pathogens. The implementation of sustainable coffee farming systems is strongly recommended to meet the increased demand for safe and green products worldwide. Locally available resources (lime, biochar, and agricultural wastes) present immediate solutions, but urgent action is required to prevent irreversible damage. However, the effects of amendments significantly vary in field conditions, suggesting that further studies should be conducted to address these challenges and promote sustainability.

Radioactive cesium was released into the environment from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant of Tokyo Electric Power Company, which was damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake. The shiitake industry suffered various damages as a result. One type of damage is contamination by radioactive cesium in the cultivation environment, known as 'additional contamination'. Additional contamination is assumed to be caused by the transfer of radioactive cesium from the soil to the fruiting bodies via the bed-logs. We conducted a 15-month bed-log cultivation in a glasshouse on soil contaminated with radioactive cesium to verify the transfer of radioactive cesium from the soil to the fruiting body. The transfer was verified mainly using stable cesium, but no transfer of radioactive cesium from soil to the fruiting body was observed. This result indicates that additional contamination is caused by other factors.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivation faces significant challenges: highland cultivation leads to soil erosion and fertility degradation, while medium-land cultivation is constrained by suboptimal temperature and humidity conditions. Processing potatoes into starch improves shelf life and economic value, however, native potato starch has limited food applications due to heat sensitivity, high viscosity, and its propensity for retrogradation and syneresis. This study investigated the effects of cultivation altitude and modification methods on the physicochemical and functional properties of potato starch from 'Medians' cultivar, comparing samples from medium-land (765 m above sea level) and highland (1312 m above sea level) locations. Starch modifications included Heat Moisture Treatment (HMT), crosslinking with Monosodium Phosphate (MSP), and a combined treatment (CLM-HMT). A factorial randomized complete block design was employed to analyze physicochemical characteristics, functional properties, and pasting behavior, with statistical significance determined using two-way ANOVA and Duncan's Multiple Range Test (p < 0.05). Results revealed significant effects of cultivation altitude, modification method, and their interaction on starch properties. Highland-grown modified starch exhibited superior characteristics in color properties and thermal stability. Modification methods improved starch thermal stability and minimized retrogradation, with the combined CLM-HMT treatment yielding optimal results. This study provides valuable insights into optimizing potato starch production and modification techniques, contributing to sustainable agriculture and broadening its applications in the food industry.

Introduction Paris polyphylla var. chinensis (Franch.) Hara (P. polyphylla) is a perennial medicinal plant with a reputation for therapeutic properties. It is imperative to study the photochemical processes of P. polyphylla in order to determine the optimal levels of shading and moisture management for its cultivation in artificial environments.Methods In this study, six shading levels (no shading, 30%, 50%, 70%, 80% and 90% shading) and three soil water contents (20%, 40% and 60% of the soil water saturation capacity) were established to determine the appropriate shade intensity and soil moisture content for the growth of P. polyphylla.Results The results showed that only the low shade groups (no shade and 30% shade) showed irreversible damage to the daily photosynthetic dynamics of the plant over the course of a day. It is important to note that excessive light can damage not only the quantum yield for electron transport (phi Do) and PSII light quantum yield (Fv/Fm), but also various physiological mechanisms that can lead to overall plant damage and a decline in organic matter. A comparison of Fv/Fm during the midday period showed that the optimum shade intensity is between 50% and 70%. Low shading can significantly increase light use efficiency (LUE), but also reduces net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and transpiration (Tr), indicating the negative effect on P. polyphylla growth. Considering the balance between growth rate and damage incidence, 50% shade should be the optimal treatment for P. polyphylla, followed by 30% and 70% shade. It was also observed that treatment with low soil water content (20%) significantly reduced Pn and LUE, while increasing stomatal conductance (gs) and water use efficiency (WUE). This is associated with a decrease in the light response curve, indicating that low soil moisture inhibits the growth of P. polyphylla and increases the likelihood of irreversible light damage, so the optimum soil moisture content for P. polyphylla should be above 20%.Discussion Considering the economic benefits and the growth and health of P. polyphylla in artificial cultivation, it is recommended that shade be controlled at around 50% while maintaining soil moisture between 40% and 60% of water content.

The adoption of protected cultivation techniques has significantly enhanced vegetable productivity in India, by offering numerous advantages such as extended growing seasons, increased yield and better control over environmental conditions. Growing crops under protected cultivation has multifaceted benefits; however, the adoption of sequential cropping pattern in these closed structures has led to the prevalence of soil borne pathogens, nematodes and pest incidence, which became a major hindrance to the sustainable agriculture. Continuous cultivation of crops without adequate rotation or sanitation measures in the same soil creates a conducive environment for pest and disease proliferation. Prevalence of nematode infestation is particularly concerning as they pose a serious threat to the yield and quality of agriculture production. Nematodes, such as root-knot nematodes and reniform nematodes, can survive in the congenial conditions of higher temperatures and humidity present in the protected cultivation structures. Nematode infestations can cause significant damage to the root systems of plants, leading to reduced water and nutrient uptake, stunted growth and lower yields and symptoms like chlorosis, wilting and stunting will appear after the significant damage. This review discusses the key nematode species affecting crops under protected cultivation, their impact on crop health and productivity, their ecological interactions and various integrated management strategies. Integrated management strategies, including biological, chemical and cultural practices, are essential for mitigating the menace caused by the plant parasitic nematodes. Cultural practices such as crop rotation and soil solarisation, chemical treatments with nematicides, Biological control using biocontrol agents and natural predators, are all part of a comprehensive strategy to manage nematode populations effectively and sustain the productivity of protected cultivation systems.

Flooded rice cultivation, accounting for 75% of global rice production, significantly influences soil redox potential, element speciation, pH, and nutrient availability, presenting challenges such as extensive water usage and altered soil properties. This study investigates bacterial community dynamics in rice soils subjected to repeated draining and flooding in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. We demonstrate that bacterial communities exhibit remarkable resilience (the capacity to recover after being altered by a disturbance) but cannot remain stable after long-term exposure to environmental changes. The beta diversity analysis revealed four distinct community states after 11 draining/flooding cycles, indicating resilience over successive environment changes. However, the consistent environmental disturbance reduced microbial resilience, causing the bacterial community structure to shift over time. Those differences were driven by substitutions of taxa and functions and not by the loss of diversity. Notable shifts included a decline in Acidobacteria and an increase in Proteobacteria and Chloroflexi. Increased Verrucomicrobia abundance corresponded with lower pH levels. Functional predictions suggested dynamic metabolic responses, with increased nitrification during drained cycles and a surge in fermenters after the sixth cycle. Despite cyclic disturbances, bacterial communities exhibit resilience, contributing to stable ecosystem functioning in flooded rice soils. These findings enhance our understanding of microbial adaptation, providing insights into sustainable rice cultivation and soil management practices.

Allium tuberosum, commonly known as garlic chives, is an underutilized Allium species despite its significant culinary value for its mild garlic flavor and therapeutic potential due to the presence of sulphur-containing compounds with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. This study assessed the cultivation potential of A. tuberosum in the non-traditional agro-climatic region of the Western Ghats, focusing on the effects of cultivars and seasonal variations on growth, yield, and quality in two-year field trials. Among the accessions tested, A. tuberosum Kazakhstan CGN-1587 demonstrated the highest yield, producing 157.01 tons of green foliage per hectare. Bright sunshine seasons positively influenced both yield and quality, while the monsoon season induced morphological changes such as increased stem length, reduced leaf width, and decreased stem girth, traits generally considered inferior for market quality. The monsoon also led to increased waste generation, highlighting the need for careful management during this period. Nutritional analysis revealed high concentrations of potassium (5355 mg/kg), phosphorus (691 mg/kg), and sulphur (2484 mg/kg), while biochemical profiling identified bioactive compounds such as flavonoids (3.19 mg/g) and organosulfur compounds, including Allyl Methyl Thiosulfinate (269.00 mg/kg), which contribute to the plant's notable health benefits. These findings support the suitability of A. tuberosum for year-round cultivation in the Western Ghats and its potential for commercialization, especially in regions with similar climatic conditions.

BACKGROUNDTruffle cultivation is evolving rapidly and new agronomic practices such as 'truffle nests' (localized peat amendments of the orchard soil) are being developed. Truffle nests improve the shape of truffles and their depth in the soil and reduce the occurrence of insect damage but have also raised concerns about their impact on the ripeness and maturity of the harvested truffles. In this study, the effect of the nests on the volatile organic compounds profile and the aromatic profile of black truffles was evaluated, as well as the existence of perceptible sensorial differences in truffles. For this, truffles growing in nests were compared with truffles growing in the bulk soil of the same host tree.RESULTSGas chromatography showed that nest truffles had a less complex volatile organic compound profile than bulk-soil truffles. Olfactometry indicated that nest truffles were associated with higher modified frequency values of odorants corresponding to sulfur-containing compounds. Despite this, sensory evaluation with consumers could not clearly show that nest truffles can be distinguished sensorially from bulk-soil truffles.CONCLUSIONThe results prove that soil conditions can influence the aromatic profile of truffles and thus suggest the possibility of managing truffle aroma using agronomic practices. (c) 2024 The Author(s). Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Damping-off disease in chili (Capsicum annum L.) cultivation is a significant global issue, severely affecting seeds, seedlings, and young plants, regardless of the location of cultivation, whether in greenhouses or open fields. Despite chili being a widely popular vegetable used in various cuisines globally, farmers face challenges in meeting the growing demand due to the extensive damage caused by this disease, ranging from 20 to 85%. The shelf life and quality of mature pods are also severely affected. Damping-off disease is mainly caused by soil-borne fungus from the Pythium species, with additional contributions from Phytophthora, Fusarium, and Rhizoctonia species. These pathogens' adaptability to diverse environmental conditions and resistance to synthetic fungicides make controlling damping-off on a commercial scale challenging. However, integrated disease management has shown promising results as a remedial approach. In this review, we discuss the current state of chili diseases, the nature of the pathogens causing damping-off, the epidemiology of the disease, and various control mechanisms. In this review, we broadly discuss the current state of chili diseases, the nature of the pathogens causing damping-off, the epidemiology of the disease, and various control mechanisms. Furthermore, we highlight the importance and efficacy of integrated disease management techniques, along with future prospects in unexplored areas, such as host-pathogen interaction and sustainable disease control measures. The information in this review aims to assist chili growers in understanding the epidemiology and management of damping-off in chili cultivation.

At present, the soil of Chinese greenhouses is experiencing severe nitrogen input in the form of fertilizer, which will cause damage to the soil environment and restrict crop growth in the long run. The response of potential functions of microorganisms as drivers of nutrient cycling and material transformation to nitrogen enrichment has rarely been reported in northern vegetable planting systems. Therefore, we set up four cucumber pot experiments with different nitrogen addition rates (0, 258, 516, and 1032 kg N ha-1 yr-1) in the greenhouse. Bacterial and fungal communities were detected by 16S and ITS rRNA gene sequencing, and bacterial and fungal functional groups were predicted using the FAPROTAX and FUNGuild databases. The findings showed that nitrogen addition induced soil acidification (a decrease of 0.25-1.63 units) significantly reduced microbial diversity and changed the community composition of bacteria and fungi. The relative abundance of bacterial functional groups associated with the nitrogen cycle increased significantly when medium and high levels of nitrogen were added. Conversely, the bacterial functional groups involved in the carbon cycle exhibited the opposite pattern. In this study, NO3- and soil pH were the main factors affecting the soil microbial community and its functional groups. Our results highlight that hydrocarbon degradation and saprophytic fungi may play key roles in yield formation during cucumber cultivation in northern solar greenhouses. In general, adopting a fertilization strategy that ensures low-medium nitrogen availability can contribute to the sustainable progress of facility agriculture.