Introduction Global warming and the resulting climate change are increasing the extent of marginal agricultural zones and reducing the availability of conventional feedstocks for bioethanol production, particularly corn. Therefore, it is necessary to find economically justifiable grain crops that can withstand arid climates better than corn. Grain sorghum can be a good choice because it is naturally drought-resistant and can be used as a feedstock for bioethanol production. In Ukraine, the economic viability of sorghum is supported by its increasing market availability and a lower cost of cultivation compared to corn, often resulting in a 15–20% reduction in raw material expenses in arid southern regions. The aim of this study is a comparative assessment of the technological characteristics of mash and wort from grain sorghum and corn, prepared using VHG technology, with a focus on viscosity, enzymatic efficiency, and the content of volatile by-products that affect the quality of raw distillate. Materials and Methods An early-maturing grain sorghum hybrid, the “Brigga” variety, was selected for comparison with the traditional raw material, corn of the hybrid variety “DKS 3730”. Wort from corn and grain sorghum with an increased concentration of dry matter (greater than 270 g/L) was prepared for ethanol fermentation. This was achieved through the hydroenzymatic treatment of ground grain raw materials, suitable enzyme preparations, and auxiliary components. The dynamic viscosity of corn and sorghum mash was measured using a rotational viscometer. Fermentation of the wort was carried out on a fermentation stand using dry yeast intended for bioethanol production. On completion of yeast fermentation, the fermented wort was subjected to distillation to determine ethanol concentration and the content of by-products in the raw distillates by chromatographic analysis. Results The grains of corn and sorghum varieties have similar starch levels, ranging from approximately 64% to 78%. However, the differences occur in their protein and non-starch polysaccharide content. These differences can alter the density of the wort and affect the quality of fermentation. When appropriate enzymes were applied, wort from grain sorghum and corn contained approximately 14% vol. ethanol after 72 hours of fermentation. The bioethanol production yield from sorghum and corn feedstock reached 1.52–1.54 g/(l•h). Raw sorghum wort distillates showed 11.1% lower levels of volatile by-products than corn. The proportions of unwanted by-products and total ethanol production were similar for both grains. Discussion Studies show that sorghum wort, despite its higher hemicellulose and β-glucan content, maintains a low viscosity. Due to this low density, it provides a higher dry matter concentration during VHG fermentation. However, the thinner consistency of sorghum mash makes it better for high-density bioethanol because it can be loaded with more grain and still result in decent fermentation. Conclusion Grain sorghum, due to its composition, has an advantage over corn in the production of bioethanol using Very High-Gravity technology. Understanding technological approaches to preparing sorghum wort will help achieve post-fermentation ethanol concentrations exceeding 18% v/v, which will positively affect the economic efficiency of biofuel production.

Background Agricultural development has the potential to strengthen food security, reduce poverty, and accelerate economic growth, especially in the early stages of development. Considering the important roles that agriculture can play in economic development, foreign aid donors have supported agriculture across developing countries. Method This study examined agricultural aid practices by bilateral donors in two African countries, Ghana and Ethiopia using official aid data. The two economies rely on agriculture, continue to receive agricultural aid, and have widely different governance qualities, with Ghana being considered better governed than Ethiopia. Results The study found that donors to Ghana prioritized agriculture over other aid sectors, whereas donors to Ethiopia did not prioritize agriculture, partly because of urgent humanitarian needs that included direct food assistance. Overall, donors to Ghana appeared to give the country more flexibility with agricultural aid by allocating more budget support, using the state channel, and partnering more with developing country-based non-governmental organizations. Donors to Ethiopia, by contrast, appeared to exert stricter control over agricultural aid by providing minimal budget support, making limited use of the state channel, and engaging negligibly with nongovernmental organizations based in developing countries. The largest donor, the US, shaped the overall profile of agricultural aid to Ghana and Ethiopia. While supporting two identical agricultural sub-sectors in both African countries, the US involved different aid agencies, reflecting greater confidence in Ghana. Conclusion Effective institutions in recipient governments may encourage donors to loosen their control over foreign aid, granting greater flexibility to recipient countries.

Aims This research aims to investigate the reduced hepatoprotective effect of virgin olive oil if olive fruits are boiled before being pressed. The hepatoprotective activity of virgin olive oil with boiled oil is also determined whether boiled oil still exhibits hepatoprotective activity in the rat’s liver. Background The Olive tree (Olea European L) is the most cultivated fruit tree, and olive oil is one of the main products in Jordan. The hepatoprotective activity of virgin olive oil (VOO) was earlier attributed to phenolic compounds' antioxidant activity. In some villages in Northern Jordan, villagers boil olive fruits in tap water for 10 minutes and sundry them for two weeks before oil extraction to enhance the colour and obtain an intense taste. Moreover, the locals claim that this oil has healing properties and refer to this oil as “boiled oil”. Methods Forty-two male Wistar albino rats were divided into six groups of 7 rats/group. Corn oil was used as a negative control. The positive control groups were fed corn oil, virgin olive oil, or “boiled oil” in addition to 3 g/Kg body weight of paracetamol (acetaminophen, N-acetyl- P -aminophenol) as a hepatotoxin on the penultimate day. The experimental groups were fed virgin olive oil (VOO) and boiled oil only. All groups were fed 7.5 ml/kg/day for 21 days. On the slaughter day, the rats were anaesthetised with ether, and blood samples were collected via heart puncture, then liver function tests, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and bilirubin, were conducted. The liver was excised, washed, paper toweled and weighed to calculate the liver weight/body weight ratio (LW/BW ratio). Results Virgin olive oil decreased ALT significantly (p<0.05) from (108.42 ± 3.79 U/L) in the corn oil group to ((26.86 ± 8.22 U/L) in the VOO group and (71.50 ± 5.13 U/L) in the boiled group. VOO and boiled oil also affected AST similarly. AST decreased significantly from (117.07 ± 2.13 U/L) in the corn oil group to (41.16 ± 1.61 U/L) in the VOO group and (66.35 ± 4.78 U/L) in the boiled oil group. Bilirubin also decreased significantly from (0.86 ± 0.12 mg/dl) in the control group to (0.27 ± 0.02 mg/dl) in the VOO group and (0.62 ± 0.02) mg/dl) boiled oil group. Liver weight/ body weight ratio also decreased from (3.67 ± 0.10%) to (3.50 ± 0.09%) using VOO and to (3.88 ± 0.038%) using boiled oil. All positive control groups (receiving paracetamol) showed a significant increase (p<0.05) in all parameters compared with their negative controls. Moreover, VOO with paracetamol decreased ALT significantly (p<0.05) from (191.06 ± 4.23 U/L) in the corn oil group to ((70.17±17.89U/L) in the VOO group and (110.50 ± 18.69U/L) in the boiled group. AST decreased significantly from (208.94 ± 4.68U/L) in the corn oil group to (74.58 ± 3.87 U/L) in the VOO group and (116.48 ± 15.73 U/L) in the boiled oil group. Bilirubin decreased significantly from (1.65 ± 0.10 mg/dl) in the control group to (0.57±0.04 mg/dl) in the VOO group and (0.90 ± 0.08mg/dl) in the boiled oil group. LW/BW ratio also decreased from (3.76 ± 0.15%) to (3.61 ± 0.12%) using VOO and to (3.93 ± 0.12%) using boiled oil. Conclusion Boiling olive fruits before pressing (boiled oil) decrease hepatoprotective activity compared to VOO, but is not completely diminished.

Background Poorly nutritious soils limit the growth of crops. Moreover, lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) has never been applied with purple nonsulfur bacteria (PNSB). Therefore, this study was performed to (i) evaluate the phosphorus (P) providing capacity of PNSB and (ii) determine the effectiveness of the PNSB in ameliorating P uptake, growth, and yield of lemon balm in alluvial soils. Materials and methods The experiment was designed in completely randomized blocks with nine treatments and three replications. The treatments from (1)-(4) were fertilizations of 100% P, 75% P, 50% P, and 25% according to the recommended fertilizer rate for lemon balm (RFRLB). The treatments (5-7) corresponded to the treatments (2-4), but they were combined with PNSB; the treatment (8) was applied with only PNSB, and the treatment (9) was applied without either chemical fertilization or PNSB. Results The results showed that P fertilization combined with PNSB increased Pavailable by 14.1-24.2% as compared with the treatments with only chemical fertilization. Supplying both 75% P and PNSB improved lemon balm growth, such as the number of leaves per plant by 8.63%, the number of secondary branches by 7.69%, and essential oil content by 43.8% in season 1, and increased P uptake by 15.0-29.6% in both seasons. Conclusion A reduction of 25% P combined with PNSB maintained the yield of lemon balm like the 100% P fertilization in the two consecutive seasons because the PNSB solubilized unavailable P nutrient in the soil, leading to another P source rather than the chemical fertilizer.

Background Cassava leaf disease detection is a major problem since it is very difficult to identify the disease in naked-eye observation and even experts such as agricultural scientists can fail in this task. The approach we use in this paper has the potential to overcome this problem. Materials and Methods In this, we propose an approach based on artificial intelligence for leaf disease detection using deep learning with generative adversarial networks (GAN). Our experimental study used a dataset including 12880 cassava leaf pictures generated using CycleGAN showing five major disease classes. In order to avoid overfitting, a GAN architecture is proposed for data augmentation using two networks, i.e., a Generator and a Discriminator. The generator is trained to generate similar data samples as the original data Results The proposed approach achieved an accuracy of 99.51% for the classification of healthy or unhealthy leaf images, which outperformed existing methods. Discussion The discriminator is trained to distinguish between the unique and generated sample records, as actual or fake. To classify cassava images into five categories of diseases, a combination of machine learning models has been trained on original and generated images. The proposed approach showed better accuracy compared to the existing methods. Conclusion The proposed deep learning-based method can be used as a tool for early disease diagnosis in cassava leaf disease detection and classification

Background The Fujairah region is characterized by extremely arid land covered with rocky mountains and rocky soil, with minimal rainfall, presenting significant water availability challenges. A large portion of the globe lacks comprehensive soil data, even as soil knowledge becomes increasingly crucial in addressing environmental and food security concerns. Methods The imminent threats posed by arid soils, urban expansion, and vegetation depletion in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are endangering the region's economy, well-being, community stability, and the preservation of the local ecosystem and wildlife. To address these challenges, this study focuses on three specific areas within the UAE: Al Taween, Al Taiba Farms (ATF), and Flag Park. These locations have undergone thorough examination to better understand their soil characteristics, topography, and reforestation potential. The international standard methods (United States Environmental Protection Agency, USEPA 9045 D, EPA 9253, USEPA 9050A) Kjeldahl Method, Titration, and ICP-OES, have been used for soil assessment. Results The field survey, soil characteristics analysis, average precipitation, temperature, and overall environmental conditions of all three sites in the Emirates indicate a poor agricultural potential at these locations. The assessment of temperature, wind speed, and rainfall has been done based on weather station data. It is assessed that with proper planning and strategic interventions, these lands can be effectively utilized for agricultural purposes. Conclusion This proposal outlines a gradual strategy that could be implemented throughout the UAE, serving as a foundational step for initiating vegetation and greening projects to mitigate the environmental challenges and resource constraints facing the region.

Background Paraphalaenopsis labukensis P.S. Shim, A. Lamb & C.L. Chan is a monopodial epiphytic species that can only be found in Sabah. P. labukensis orchids have unique characteristics in that it has a long floral lifespan as compared to other orchid species. The flower developmental pattern of P. labukensis greatly influenced capsule formation and seed maturation. Objective The present research was conducted to record the initiation of flower initiation, and floral morphology, and to observe the flowering and capsule development, as well as the effect of different capsule ages on asymbiotic seed germination. Methods A total of three individual plants of P. labukensis were observed. The flowering stages were characterized by quantitative parameters such as length of inflorescence, diameter, and length of buds, the number of flowers produced, and the length of the capsule formed. All the data were recorded through direct observation. Results Overall, twelve morphological landmark that define each stage of floral development was recorded. Based on the observation, P. labukensis inflorescence was asymmetric and in the shape of a panicle. The number of flowers varied among inflorescences, ranging from 3–5, that blossomed at different times. Furthermore, early capsules appeared 40–90 days after pollination (DAP). Then, 120 DAP of the capsule was selected as the most suitable capsule age for germination as it had reached its maturation period. Conclusion Identifying the duration of the whole flowering developmental process will aid in the production of capsules to attain a reliable and adequate seed source for in vitro seed germination.

Introduction: This study aimed to analyse eco-efficiency and its determinants for small holder vegetable producers in Eastern Ethiopia. Multi-stage sampling was used to select 256 small-scale vegetable producers in the study area. Methods: The study employed Data Envelopment Analysis to estimate eco-efficiency and Tobit model to identify the sources of differences in the eco-efficiency of farmers. The results of the DEA model revealed that the mean of eco-efficiency was 0.75, indicating that there is still a chance of improving the environmental performance of the farms without compromising the economic output of the farms. Results: The results of Tobit depicted that age, education, training, and adoption of sustainable intensification practices positively affect eco-efficiency, while farm size, farm income, and leadership status of the farmer negatively influence the eco-efficiency of the farm. Conclusion: Due emphasis should be given to promoting the adoption of SIPs and introducing an inclusive approach to educating farmers in the study area.

Background: The Mekong Delta features acidic clay soil of alluvial origin with a soil texture ranging from silty clay to clay. The growth of wild blueberry plants in clay soils requires the addition of materials to enhance soil porosity and aeration. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the effects of the combined use of biochar and compost on the growth, yield, and NPK uptake of blueberry ( Vaccinium tenellum) cultivated in the Mekong Delta. Methods: The pot experiment had a 3 × 3 factorial design, containing the application of biochar at 0, 10, and 20 t ha -1 (B0, B10, and B20, respectively), compost at 0, 5, and 10 t ha -1 (C0, C5, and C10, respectively), and NPK at 45:20:20 kgha -1 according to the growth stages of blueberries. Results: The interaction between biochar and compost provided a more efficient response in terms of plant growth, yield, and NPK uptake. Notably, in the combined application of B20 and C10, NPK uptake and biomass of blueberries were significantly increased. However, only the concentration (gkg -1) of N (14.8) and K (3.82), except for P (1.37), in the blueberry leaves were below the Trevett threshold. Conclusion: This approach effectively mitigates the challenges posed by high clay content in the soil, which results in poorer soil porosity and aeration. The findings emphasize the potential benefits of tailored soil amendment strategies to optimize blueberry cultivation in similar environments.