INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON

June 17-18, 2020 | VANCOUVER, CANADA

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THaN 45 sEssIONs, KEyNOTEs & TaLKs

INNOVaTIVE FEaTUREd sPEaKERs

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p l a n t s c i e n c e . p e e r s a l l e y c o n f e r e n c e s . c o m

Plant and agricultural associations, Plant physiologists, Plant microbiologists, Plant biotechnologists, Plant genomics students and scientist, Plant Science researchers and faculty, Business entrepreneurs, Agriculture companies and Horticulture Companies.?WHO

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KEYNOTE FORUM / MINI-PLENARY SESSIONS

DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS FORUM(ORAL ABSTRACT SESSIONS)

STUDENT FORUM

Presentations under Keynote Forum or Mini-Plenary Sessions includes abstracts with remarkable research value selected by the program committee. These significant speeches are delivered by globally recognized honorable speakers and it is open to all registrants.

In this forum, speakers and experts of the research field gets an opportunity to showcase their noble research work that involves comprehensive research findings. These formal oral presentations include a wide range of talks covering basic research to advanced research findings in accordance to the theme and scientific sessions of the conference.

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An exclusive opportunity for students and young investigators to present their research work through a formal oral presentation. Young Investigators Forum provides a global platform for young researchers and scholars to showcase their valuable contribution to the scientific world and to get acknowledged by the global scientific community of experts. It is an excellent opportunity to recognize young scientific assets with promising research ideas. These oral presentations are of shorter time duration with 10-15 minutes of informative and precise presentations in relevant scientific sessions.

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Educational Sessions or training programs are specifically designed for a better understanding of the latest findings and technologies. These are generally 45-minute sessions that gives an exposure to the multidisciplinary field, that provides in-depth learning experiences and address educational needs.

This session involves open discussion between the experts and session attendees, it gives enough time for getting answers to specific questions and doubts. It is an opportunity for attendees to increase their professional networking, sometimes also leads to an excellent collaboration opportunity.

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https://plantscience.peersalleyconferences.com/

Plant Tissue Culture and Plant Biotechnology | Plant Genetics and Epigenetic | Plant Breeding and Molecular Breeding | Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology | Nanotechnology and Plant Sciences | Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Sciences | Plant Physiology and Biochemistry | Plant Morphology and Plant Metabolism | Soil science and Soil-Plant Nutrition | Agricultural Sciences and Bio security | Plant Ecology and Diversity | Horticulture and Landscaping | Crop Research and Seed Science Technology | Plant Synthetic and Weed Biology Control | Plant Science Research and Natural Products | Forest Science and Technology | Agricultural and Industrial Byproducts- Business - new realities | Plant Neurobiology and Plant Diseases and Bryology | Plant Anatomy and Molecular Biology | Plants and Climate Change- Overcoming Measures | Agricultural Genomics and Cereal Genomics | Plant Nutritional Genomics | Plant Signaling and Chemical Signaling | Plant Genome Sequencing | Crop Improvement and Plant Hormones | Plant Proteomics

https://plantscience.peersalleyconferences.com/

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2020Concurrent Educational Sessions

GROUP PHOTO

LUNCH BREaK

COFFEE BREaK

COFFEE BREaK

PLaNT TIssUE CULTURE aNd PLaNT BIOTECHNOLOGy

NaNOTECHNOLOGy aNd PLaNT sCIENCEs

PLaNT GENETICs aNd EPIGENETIC

MEdICINaL aNd aROMaTIC PLaNT sCIENCEs

PLaNT BREEdING aNd MOLECULaR BREEdING

PLaNT PHysIOLOGy aNd BIOCHEMIsTRy

PLaNT PaTHOLOGy aNd PLaNT-MICROBE BIOLOGy

• Micro propagation in plants• Applications of Plant Tissue

Culture• Callus and suspension Culture• Embryo Culture• Regeneration of Plantlets• Somatic Hybridization• Resistance to weedicides

• Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Sciences

• Biotechnology meetings• Soil Science and Soil-Plant

Nutrition• Agricultural Science• Plant Morphology and Plant

Metabolism• Plant Physiology and

Biochemistry• Green Nanotechnology• Plant Nano toxicology

• miRNA and RNA analysis• Genetic conferences• Plant breeding methods• Pathogen detection and

analysis• Epigenetics and DNA

methylation studies• Disease and stress resistance

• Aromatic plants• Collection • Crude drugs• Medicinal plants

• Molecular Marker• Molecular marker development

/ Marker assisted selection• Plant Molecular Assisted

Breeding• Marker Development• Dubai Plant Science congress• Genetic Modification• Mutagenesis in Plant Breeding• Mapping of Genes

• Physiology• Biochemistry• Cellular and molecular biology• Genetics• Biophysics• Environmental

• Insect Plant Interactions• Microbial Genomics• Plant Environment Interaction• Fungal Plant Interaction• Nutrition Improvement• Plant Immune Response• Plant Science

• Plastid Metabolite Transporters• Photosynthesis• Light Reactions• Oxidation-Reduction Reactions

sOIL sCIENCE aNd sOIL-PLaNT NUTRITION aGRICULTURaL sCIENCEs aNd BIO sECURITy PLaNT ECOLOGy aNd dIVERsITy HORTICULTURE aNd LaNdsCaPING • Soil Minerals • Plant Nutrition • Soil environment• Soil disintegration• Soil transformation

• Agricultural modernization• Biosecurity• Envirotechnical regimes

• Agro forestry• Microbial biomass• Soil enzymes• Multi-substrate-induced

respiration rates• Management strategy• Native plants

• Floriculture Management• Greenhouse Management• Plant Nursery Operations• Ornamental Horticulture• Turf Management

CROP REsEaRCH aNd sEEd sCIENCE TECHNOLOGy

• Agricultural seed science• Plant Breeding• Plant Biology• Agricultural Science

• Soil-inhabiting• Insect pests• Parasitic plants

• Plant proteomics• Molecular Plant Physiology• Plant stress biology

FOREsT sCIENCE aNd TECHNOLOGy • Soil disintegration• Climate change• Species richness• Disturbance

PLaNT MORPHOLOGy aNd PLaNT METaBOLIsM

PLaNT syNTHETIC aNd WEEd BIOLOGy CONTROL

PLaNT sCIENCE REsEaRCH aNd NaTURaL PROdUCTs

https://plantscience.peersalleyconferences.com/

Concurrent Educational SessionsTHURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020

GROUP PHOTO

LUNCH BREaK

COFFEE BREaK

COFFEE BREaK

aGRICULTURaL aNd INdUsTRIaL By-PROdUCTs- BUsINEss - NEW REaLITIEs

PLaNT NEUROBIOLOGy aNd PLaNT dIsEasEs aNd BRyOLOGy

PLaNT NUTRITIONaL GENOMICs

PLaNT aNaTOMy aNd MOLECULaR BIOLOGy

PLaNT sIGNaLING aNd CHEMICaL sIGNaLING

PLaNTs aNd CLIMaTE CHaNGE- OVERCOMING MEasUREs

• Agro-industrial by-products• Antimicrobial packaging • Agri science

• Agricultural Meteorology• Seasons and Systems of

Farming• Irrigation and Water

Management• Harvesting and Post-harvest

Technology• Agronomy of Field Crops and

Biofuel Plants

• Environmental signs• Biological information

transmission• Quantum neurobiology• Quantum biology

• Green nanotechnology• Agriculture Nano toxicology• Uptake and Translocation of

Nanoparticles in plants• Effects of Nanoparticles on

plant growth and development• Transgenic plants producing

vaccines• Vaccines given to plants for

healthy vegetation

• Chloroplast• Mitochondria• Anabolism and Catabolism• Botany• Medicinal plants• Micro phytology

• Energy Conversion and Metabolic Regulation in Chloroplasts

• Bio-energy Conversion• Signal Transduction in Plants• Dissecting Mechanism in Crop

Plants

• Ecosystem-based planning• Climate governance• Climate change• Framing

• Protein Engineering• Drug Development and design• Single nucleotide

polymorphisms• Next-Gene Sequencing

GENETICaLLy MOdIFIEd ORGaNIsMs

• Plants affecting the soil• Plant and Micro biome• Nutrient uptake and plant

growth• Plant hormones

• Green nanotechnology• Agriculture Nano toxicology• Uptake and Translocation of

Nanoparticles in plants• Effects of Nanoparticles on plant

growth and development• Transgenic plants producing vaccines• Vaccines given to plants for healthy

vegetation• Omics Data integration• Plant Interaction with Environment• Quantitative Proteomics

• Genetically Modified Food• Genetically Modified Crop• Plant Science• GMO and Environment

Interaction• Genetic Engineering• Transgenic Plants

• Improving gene editing technology, enzymes, and methods

• Genome editing applications using new techniques

• Genome editing and the latest EU policies

• Genome / DNA assembly for editing• Plant Genetic Engineering and GM

crops• Plant Gene Editing for the Consumer• Plant Genomics its Applications in

Cereals• Plant Genome Engineering and Plant

genetic diversity

PLaNT FUNCTIONaL GENOMICs aNd BIOTECHNOLOGy

• Cereal Genomics• Plant Science Meeting• Plant genomics scope in

Europe• Micro propagation in Plants• Plant Tissue Culture and

Biotechnology• Sequencing• Transcriptomics• Proteomics• Molecular marker development

/ Marker assisted selection

• Bioinformatics analysis and challenges

• Use of genomic data for candidate genes

• Identifying novel functional genes

• Application of bioinformatics software for DNA / RNA analysis

• Computational systems for Modeling and visualization of information

• Plant Genome Annotation• Plant Gene Family Database• Plant Synthetic Biology

aRaBIdOPsIs • Genetic Engineering of

Arabidopsis• Cytogenetic of Arabidopsis

PLaNT GENOME sEqUENCING

BIOINFORMaTICs aNd daTa aNaLysIs

PLaNT syNTHETIC BIOLOGy aNd PLaNT TRaNsCRIPTOME

aGRICULTURaL GENOMICs aNd CEREaL GENOMICs

CROP IMPROVEMENT aNd PLaNT HORMONEs

PLaNT PROTEOMICs aNd PLaNT NUTRITIONaL GENOMICs

PLaNT GENOME ENGINEERING sTRaTEGIEs aNd dEVELOPMENTs

Title: Title: Effect of elicitors on metabolite production in cell suspensions of Piper

cumanense (Piperaceae)

Laura Rodríguez-Sanchez | Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Colombia

Abstract:

Plant secondary metabolites represent a wide variety of compounds with essential ecological roles. Moreover,

some of them are important in food, pharmaceutic and agriculture industries due to their applications as

flavoring, for treatment of diseases, and pest control. Although research in this field have increased in the last

years, it has been difficult to develop and extend more applications due to the low amounts of metabolites

produced by plants. Plant biotechnology appears as a valuable strategy for increasing production of

compounds of interest. Piper cumanense is a neotropical shrub that produces benzoic acid derivates with

promising bioactivity for control of phytopathogenic fungi. However, these compounds have been isolated

with low extraction yields being necessary to evaluate strategies that could increase their production. The

purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the elicitors methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid on

activation of secondary metabolic pathways on cell suspensions of P. cumanense. Cell suspensions were

established from friable callus in M&S liquid medium adding a combination of 2,4-D 1,0 mg/L and BAP 0,5

mg/L, thiamine 1 mg/L, myo-inositol 100 mg/L and sucrose 30 g/L. Fifteen days after growing, two

concentrations of MeJA and SA (10 and 100 µM) were separately added to cell suspensions. The effect of

elicitors was evaluated in three different exposure times (6h, 12h and 24h). Suspensions were harvested using

vacuum filtration and metabolites were extracted in ethyl acetate. Metabolic profiles of samples were obtained

by GC–MS and analyzed using multivariate statistical methods. The analysis revealed important differences

in profiles related to type of elicitor, concentration and exposure time. The elicitation induced secondary

metabolites production in cell suspensions treated. This research represents an important advance in the

development of strategies that could increase metabolites of interest in cell suspensions of P. cumanense.

Title: About the Nature of Climatic Oscillations

Alexander A. Ivlev | Russian State Agrarian University – MSKhA of K. A. Timiryazev, Russia

Abstract:

In the recently developed concept of global carbon turnover it was shown that the evolution of the global carbon

cycle and the biosphere took place on the background of alternating orogenic cycles, which were the result of the

interaction of continuously moving lithospheric plates and photosynthesis. At the same time, the existence of

short-term cycles, called climatic oscillations, was noted. Their duration was more than an order of magnitude

less and they covered a limited area. Analysis of the features of climatic oscillations showed that they are very

similar to the features of orogenic cycles. Just like orogenic cycles, climatic oscillations emerged during periods

of intense volcanic and magmatic activity and sea level rise. As well as orogenic cycles, climatic oscillations had

two phases : the "greenhouse effect" phase and successive phase of cooling. The phase of "greenhouse effect"

was characterized by an increase in temperature and anaerobic (low- oxygen) environment. The cooling phase

was associated with a decrease in CO2 concentration and with an increase in O2 concentration. Climatic

oscillations caused biotic turnovers, which have been ending with mass extinctions of organisms. Accordingly,

they have been accompanying by the appearance of sedimentary rocks rich in organic matter. Other

characteristics, such as carbon isotope characteristics of organic matterhas been changing similarly. The

similarity of characteristics allows us assuming the same nature of orogenic cycles and climatic oscillations.

Indeed, the orogenic cycles are linked to the uneven movement of lithospheric plates due to convective flows in

magma caused by the gravitational interactions of the Earth with celestial bodies. We hypothesized that there are

weaker gravitational interactions caused, for example, by periodic inclination of the orbit plane and by the

changes in orbit eccentricity.

Title: Endophytic Streptomyces spp.: Characterization, antagonistic activity against Pythium

myriotylum and plant growth promoting potential on cocoyam tissue culture plantlets

Peguy Flora Djuidje Kouomo | Biotechnology Center of University of Yaounde

Abstract:

Background: Pythium myriotylum is the most devastating pathogen of cocoyam. Chemical control method

based on utilization of pesticides is mostly used. However, this method presents a range of negative side effects

such as environmental pollution, detrimental health effects for farmers and consumers, and the risk of

emergence of resistant pathogen strains. In view of these serious drawbacks, an alternative method using

antagonistic microorganisms is necessary. Actinobacteria have been known to produce antimicrobial and plant

growth promoting metabolites. Objectives: The aim of this study was to characterize and evaluate endophytic

Streptomyces spp. isolated from healthy cocoyam roots taken in Cameroon for antagonistic activity and plant

growth promotion. Materials and Methods: PERM2 isolated from cocoyam root was characterized based on

morphological, cultural, electron scan microscopy and identified using gene 16S rDNA. Its antagonistic

activity against P. myriotylum was evaluated using dual culture assay and ability to produce cell wall

degrading enzymes according to the relevant protocols.

Otherwise, its ability to produce plant growth promoting attributes and its effect on cocoyam tissue culture

plantlets was evaluated. Results: Morphological, cultural characterization, 16S rDNA gene sequencing and

phylogenetic analysis suggested that isolate PERM2, belongs to Streptomyces genus. Dual culture assay

revealed that PERM2 highly inhibited the mycelial growth of P. myriotylum in vitro with the inhibition

percentage of 99.38%. Biochemical characterization indicated that PERM2 was positive for urea, catalase,

starch, gelatin and lytic enzymes such as chitinase, β-1,3-glucanase, protease, lipase, cellulase and pectinase.

PERM2 was also able to show plant growth promoting traits. Streptomyces sp. PERM2 increased significantly

length, fresh weight and number of secondary roots compare to control. Conclusion: These results suggest that

Streptomyces sp. PERM2 could be a potential biocontrol and PGP agent to be used for the development of

biopesticide and biofertilizer for a sustainable agriculture.

Title: Title: Foliar Application of Salicylic Acid and Glycine Betaine improve Antioxidant Enzymes and

Biochemical Characteristics of Potato Cultivars under Water Deficit

Mouhamad Alhoshan | Researcher in the General commission for scientific agriculture

Abstract:

This pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the response of potato plants to water deficit and foliar

application of salicylic acid (SA) and glycine betaine (GB). Four potato cultivars were grown in pots and

subjected to two irrigation regimes (30 and 60% depletion of available soil water) and two independent levels of

both SA (0.5 and 1.0 mM) and GB (1.0 and 2.0 mM) in addition to the control treatment (0.0 mM SA and GB).

Activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POX), proline content, photosynthesis,

total chlorophyll, carotenoid along with plant dry mass (PDM) and tuber yield (TY) were measured. Water

deficit significant effects on all traits. Drought tolerance was determined as increasing in antioxidant enzymes,

proline content and by calculating the stress susceptibility index (SSI). As well as, drought tolerant cultivars

(Spirit and Born) revealed higher accumulation of proline content, carotenoid and antioxidant enzymes activities.

Also, the maximum values of SSI were observed in tolerant cultivars. However, foliar applied SA and GB

affected the activities of antioxidant enzymes and increased proline content, photosynthesis, chlorophyll

pigments, PDM and TY. The range of the increases seemed greater when potato cultivars were grown under

water deficit conditions. All the above effects aided the PDM and TY of potato cultivars to increase by

increasing SA and GB in most levels and led to the supposition that external spray of SA and GB could be

improved the growth and enabled potato cultivars to withstand water deficit. Also, under 60% depletion of

available soil water, the SA effects was clearer on all traits as compared with their controls and applied GB.

Title: Identification and analysis of MAPKs and miRNAs in IR56 rice in response to

compatible and incompatible BPH infestations

Satyabrata Nanda | State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology

Abstract:

The brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens Stål, BPH) is one of the most dreadful pest of rice

challenging its production and sustainability. Therefore, understanding the rice-BPH interactions and

their underlying mechanisms are of high interest. Rice mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and

microRNAs (miRNA) have been reported to be involved in stress responses, including pest attacks. In

this study, the comprehensive analysis of the MAPKs and miRNAs in the IR56 rice (containing a BPH-

resistant gene Bph3) in response to separate BPH infestations of varied virulence levels identified the

BPH-responsive MAPKs and miRNAs. The interaction between IR56 rice and IR56-BPH (virulent

BPH population established on IR56 rice) is considered to be compatible, whereas the interaction

between IR56 rice and TN1-BPH (avriulent BPH population established on TN1 rice) is considered to

be incompatible in nature. Out of 17 MAPKs in IR56 rice, 5 OsMPKs (OsMPK1, OsMPK3, OsMPK7,

OsMPK14, and OsMPK16) were found to exhibit upregulated expressions exclusive to the

incompatible rice-BPH interactions, whereas 6 OsMPKs (OsMPK4, OsMPK5, OsMPK8, OsMPK9,

OsMPK12, and OsMPK13) were associated with both incompatible and compatible interactions. The

transcription analysis of salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and ethylene phytohormone signaling genes

revealed their roles during the rice-BPH interactions. The upregulated expression of OsC4H, OsCHS,

and OsCHI in the incompatible interaction implied the potential defense regulatory roles of

phenylpropanoids. Further, the elevated transcript accumulations of OsGST and OsSOD, and the

increased enzyme activities of POD, SOD, and GST at 1 day post-infestation (dpi), but not at 3 dpi,

indicated that reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling might be an early event in rice-BPH

interactions. In addition, the upregulated transcription of OsLecRK3 and OsLecRK4 was found only

during an incompatible interaction, suggesting their involvement in the BPH resistance response in the

IR56 rice variety.

Title: Effect of Organic and chemical Fertilization on growth and yield seeds of fennel

(Foeniculum vulgare L.) And it's active ingredients

Dler J. Ramzan sulaivani | Duhok Polytechnic University

Abstract:

A field experiment was carried out during the winter season 2012-2013 in fields of Agriculture College -

University of Tikrit, to study the effect of addition levels of Organic and chemical Fertilization on the special

characterizes for the growth, yield seeds, volatile oils, and active ingredients of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare L.)

by using Organic Fertilization (sheep manure ,cow manure) with three levels (0, 6 ton. hectar-1 sheep manure, 6

ton. hectar-1 ,cow manure) and chemical Fertilization (Boron) in the form of boric acid (17% B) with two levels

(0, 0.05 mg.litter-1) and it's interactions, The experiment carried out based on the system of testing the factorial

experiment has been used according to randomized complete block design ( R.C.B.D) with three replications.

The soil was plowed grazed soothed and divided into pallets of dimensions (2 x 2 m),the seeds were planted with

lines between the line and the last (25 cm) and the distance between plant and another (25 cm), And then put the

system of drip irrigation and distributed on all the panels ,placed (2-3) seeds in each hole at a depth (3-5 cm) and

covered with a layer of light from the soil, the seeds were planted in (15/10/2012). Organic fertilizers were added

to the experimental units before a week the planting, while the boron was added to the leaves of the plant until

the full wetness ,The quality and quantity of volatile oils in the samples were diagnosed using Shimladzu's

HPLC-type FLC-10A, 2000, with Spectrophotometer- Spd-6A-Uv and its speed of 1.2 min / ml.

The results can be summarized as fallow:

The treatment (M2) (6 ton. hectar-1 cow manure) apparent highest average in an increasing percentage on

characterizes, plant height (115.9) cm, the number of flowers umbels (95.3) umbel.plant-1,Trans-Anethole

(336.88) microgram.ml-1 ,alpha- pinene (74.47) microgram.ml-1. while the treatment (M1) (6 ton. hectar-1

sheep manure) gave highest percent in the fresh weight (482) gram.plant-1, Trans-Anethole (250.9)

microgram.ml-1.

Title: Ecological Conditions and Species Diversity of Sundarbans Mangrove Forest

A.K.M. Nazrul Islam | Dhaka University

Abstract:

There are about 16 million mangrove forest in the world. Mangrove ecosystems have wide diversity

of plant species (Field 1996). The Sundarbans mangrove forest of Bangladesh is one of the single

largest tracts in the world and is situated in south west corner of the country (latitude 210.32 –

220.31’ N and longitude 890.0 to

900.1 E). The total forest area is 577,220 ha including river channels and other water courses. Plant

communities occupy approximately 401,600 ha. (Chaffey et al. 1985). Dominant plant species in the

low lying areas are Nypa fruticans, Acanthus ilicifolius, Phrgmites karka, Porteresia coarctata,Typha

elephantina and Sonneratia apetala. Soil physicochemical properties and plant community and

diversity were evaluated (Nazrul Islam 1995; 2015). The present paper explains in a nutshell the

ecological conditions and plant diversity. Soil and water samples were collected from the various

ecological zones in different seasons.

Mehods : Soils were extracted for exchangeable cations (Gupta and Rorison 1974, Nazrul-Islam and

Rorison 1978). Calcium and magnesium were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry;

sodium and potassium were analysed by the flame photometer; electrical conductivity was determined

by a conductance bridge (Griffin & Company); chloride and other ions in water samples were

determined according to standard methods of the American Public Health Association (1977).

Title: Evaluating the Fungicidal Effect of Bacterial Isolates in Infested Plant Species

Asia Nosheen | COMSATS University

Abstract:

Increase in the human population, gradual change in climate, decrease in land availability and enormous

weather conditions decreased the production of cereals and grains. To meet the current demand of food,

fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides are used but they pose a major threat to human health and

environmental pollution. The current study was performed to evaluate the antifungal and biocontrol

potential of Lactobacillus Rhamnosus and Weissella Confusa in basmati rice against Rhizoctonia

Solani. The agar disc method was performed to evaluate the antifungal activity of Lactobacillus

Rhamnosus and Weissella Confusa against Rhizoctonia Solani. Pot and petri plate experiments were

conducted to evaluate the potential of Lactobacillus Rhamnosus and Weissella Confusa to promote

growth of basmati rice and to evaluate the biocontrol potential of Lactobacillus Rhamnosus and

Weissella Confusa in basmati rice under Rhizoctonia Solani stress. Maximum antifungal activity was

recorded by Lactobacillus Rhamnosus against Rhizoctonia Solani. In petri plate experiment, the

maximum root length was shown by Weissella Confusa and maximum shoot length was shown by

Lactobacillus Rhamnosus. In pot experiment, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus treatment showed the enhanced

growth of basmati rice. The treatment Lactobacillus Rhamnosus + Rhizoctonia Solani showed the

increase in proline and sugar content. The plant defense enzyme SOD, POD, CAT, PPO and PAL was

recorded maximum in the treatment Weissella Confusa + Rhizoctonia Solani except the PPO activity

that was shown higher in Lactobacillus Rhamnosus Control. The Lactobacillus Rhamnosus showed the

best results in basmati rice growth and Weissella Confusa showed the best results in protecting the

basmati rice against Rhizoctonia Solani and can be suggested as potent biocontrol agents.

Title: The uniformly vegetative states and their linear stability in isotropic environmental

conditions: the case of vegetation spirals and arcs

Maroua Messaoudi | University Moulay Ismail

Abstract:

We present a generic interaction-redistribution model on facilitative and the competitive

interactions between individual plants responsible for the formation of periodic vegetation patterns.

Material and methods: To study the formation mechanisms of plant communities we based on a

generic interaction-redistribution model, which includes the competition and facilitation

interactions between individual plants. We predict theoretically the diameter of a single patch

grows in the course of t ime until it reaches a critical size over which the self-replication

phenomenon takes place, leading to the fragmentation or the circulation of the tufts. This process

continues until the system reaches a self- organized vegetation pattern.

Results and discussions: The kinetic equation governing the evolution of the biomass density

b(r,t) at time t and point r is written in the following form

bt (x, t) = F1 × F2- F3, (1)

Where the first term F1 × F2 of the right-hand side is the growth term; the second term of

equation (1) models the spontaneous or induced death of plants, it expresses the rate at which

vegetation density decreases.

Title: Isolation and Identification of endophytic fungi from Mangrove Rhizophora sp

Ravimannan N | University of Jaffna

Abstract:

Mangroves grow in the intertidal zone where there is high salinity. Previous studies have shown that

mangroves are rich sources of endophytic fungi. Researchers have found that mangrove fungi are important to

mangroves which are adapted to the extreme environmental conditions and suggest that they are potential

sources for screening of new products. In the present study, four different species of Aspergillus sp were

isolated from the mangrove Rhizophora sp. They were morphologically different and had different cultural

characteristics.

Further research should be carried out at molecular level to confirm the isolated Aspergillus sp at species

level.

Title: Green Vaccination: Smart Plant Health Care for Human Welfare

Prashant Singh | University of Rajasthan

Abstract:

One of the biggest challenges for food security in the 21st century is to improve crop yield stability

through the development of disease-resistant crops. Plants are constantly exposed to potentially

pathogenic microbes present in their surrounding environment. Population burst, loss of agricultural

land due to climate change, erosion and lack of water require that we reduce production losses such as

those caused by pest and pathogens as much as possible. As a result, biotic stress, a loss of fitness

caused to an individual by other organisms places a major constraint on plant growth.

In the absence of genetic resistance in crops, food production heavily depends on use of chemical to

control pathogens. Despite their effectiveness, chemicals-based plant defense has detrimental

environmental consequences and creating risks to the wider environment. Modern synthetic chemicals

usually have reduced environmental toxicity; however, they are expensive and only available to advanced

agricultural production systems. Moreover, as with antibiotics, discovery of new chemical to control plant

disease is difficult and extensive use of current agents may result in selection of pathogen strains tolerant

to pesticides.

Reducing the dependence of food production on chemical control is a key goal of plant pathology

research. One of the major goals of plant research in the 21st century is to increase our understanding

of the plant defense system and unravel how this is manipulated by pathogens, in order to engineer

crops with both durable resistance against pathogens and increased yields.

Plants have evolved a sophisticated immune system to resist pests and diseases. Apart from their

innate immune system controlling pre-programmed defense reactions, plants can also increase the

responsiveness of their immune system in response to selected environmental signals. This

phenomenon is known as “defense priming”.

Title: Wheat breeding for biotic and abiotic stresses tolerance at ICARDA targeting

CWANA and SSA regions

W. Tadesse | International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas

Abstract:

Wheat production is highly affected by biotic and abiotic stresses at global level in general and in the

Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) and Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) regions in

particular. Associated to climate change, heat and drought stresses are increasingly important resulting

in reduction of photosynthesis, pollen viability, grain number and weight, and hence lowering yield and

quality of major cereals and legumes crops. The wheat breeding program at ICARDA uses

conventional and molecular approaches such as the Focused Identification of Germplasm Strategy

(FIGS), mega environments, shuttle breeding, doubled haploids, marker-assisted selection, genomic

selection, speed breeding and key location phenotyping to develop elite genotypes with high yield

potential and resistance to the major biotic and abiotic stresses. Yield levels of the top yielding elite

spring bread wheat genotypes ranged up to 6t/ha at Wadmedani station of Sudan under extreme heat

stress, 7t/ha at Merchouch station of Morocco under terminal moisture stress (260 -300 mm) and 11

t/ha at Sids station in Egypt under optimum conditions. Genetic gain analysis from 1980 to 2017

showed 2.5, 1.3 and 2.3%year -1 increment at Merchouch, Wadmedani and Sids stations, respectively.

Association mapping identified 14 associations related to grain yield on chromosomes 5B (4), 4B (3),

3B (2), 5A (2), 1B, 2B and 7B (1) under moisture stress. Significant MTAs for yield under heat stress

have been also identified through genome wide association mapping studies.

Title: Impact of agronomic practices on the development of wheat leaf blotches

Biruta Bankina | Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Latvia

Abstract:

A field experiment was established at the Research and Study farm of the Latvia University of Life

Sciences and Technologies (56° 30.658′ N and 23° 41.580′ E) in the autumn of 2008: A – soil tillage

system (A1 – traditional soil tillage with ploughing at the depth of 22–24 cm; A2 – reduced soil tillage

with disc harrowing up to the depth of 10 cm), and B – crop rotation (B1 – continuous wheat; B2 –

oilseed rape and wheat; B3 – crop rotation where barley and faba beans were included in addition to

wheat and rape). Data obtained during 2012–2019 were analysed. Severity of leaf diseases was

assessed every week, and the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) was calculated. Tan spot

caused by Pyrenophora tritici-repentis dominated during the experimental period, and also Septoria

leaf blotch caused by Zymoseptoria tritici was observed. Minimal soil tillage significantly increased the

development of tan spot but decreased the level of Septoria leaf blotch. The level of tan spot was higher

in continuous wheat sowings but similar in other variants. The inclusion of faba beans and barley in the

crop rotation scheme did not decrease the level of tan spot compared to the variant where only oilseed

rape and wheat were grown. Relationship between these two pathogens has to be studied in future.

Acknowledgement. The research was supported by the grant from the Ministry of Agriculture of the

Republic of Latvia “Influence of minimal soil tillage on its fertility maintenance, development and

distribution of pests as well as crops’ yield and quality in resowings”.

Title: Photopedogenesis, A Fundamental Soil Forming Process Associated with Soil-

Light- Rhizosphere Interface

Bipin B Mishra | Bihar Agricultural University

Abstract:

Sun light is not only the source of energy during pedogenesis, but works also as an active factor to

stimulate the weathering of rock in presence of moisture leading to soil formation under a sustainable

management strategy, such as regenerating farming or conservation agriculture. Photopedogenesis is a

cumulative term used for weathering of rock in presence of moisture due to emergence of phototrophic

microbes and lichens leading to soil development in time and space. Light radiation passes directly

through moist soils since water is a medium for light. In a simple classical experiment, sunlight was

observed to move and penetrates the moist soil (2 mm). Penetration of light into the moist soil (after

reflection) undergoes either absorption or transmittance or both. The fresh rock during rain (wetness)

promotes the growth of lichen, phototrophs, mosses, blue green algae forming mat, hyphae and root.

The biomass so produced undergoes decomposition and gradually helps in weathering of the rock

surface, where contribution of light as well as moisture is vital. In almost all known soil forming

processes, horizonation begins at surface of the parent material forming “O” horizon and subsequent A,

B horizons over C horizon. The “O” horizon is the outcome of the contribution of sunlight and moisture

on rock or parent materials leading to humification.

Soil being the lowest boundary of earth’s atmosphere, interacts with incoming sun light as reflection,

absorption, scattering and transmittance, in which transmitted light is vital to further interact

photochemically to either in soil biofilm as well as in soil-rhizosphere interface, though the role of light

radiation in the existence of either biofilm or rhizosphere has been least understood and necessitates

detailed investigation.

Theory of Photopedology was initially developed in 1996, which was subsequently improved to

Photopedogenesis in 2006 as being the fundamental soil forming process besides stabilizing the soil

biofilm and soil-rhizosphere interface. Two additional soil forming factors are proposed in the modern

pedology. Chandrayan 1 in India discovered signals for water on lunar surface

(https://images.app.goo.gl/8BNb2fRoj4MXHP1C6) having weatherable rocks (basalt) and minerals

(pyroxene). Photopedogenesis may be expanded on lunar or mars surface to understand the possibility

of soil genesis.

Title: Pistacia lentiscus: a plant with multiple virtues

Djebbar Atmani | University of Bejaia, Algeria

Abstract:

Medicinal plants are believed to be an important source for the discovery of potential antioxidant,

anticancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic substances. The present study was designed to

investigate the neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and anti-hyperuricemic potential of

Pistacia lentiscus, as well as identification of active compounds, using appropriate methodology.

Evaluation of antioxidant activity was undertaken to support anti-inflammatory activity.

The antioxidant potential of plant extracts against known radicals was measured using various

standard in vitro methods. Anti-inflammatory activity was determined using the paw edema model

in mice whereas the anti-diabetic effect was assessed in vivo by streptozotocin (STZ)-induced

diabetic rats and in vitro by inhibition of alpha-amylase. Anti-inflammatory activity of plant

extracts using in vitro assay was equally evaluated by measuring the secretion of pro-inflammatory

cytokine (Interleukin-1β) using ELISA kits. Diuretic activity was assessed by measurement of

urinary volume output and determination of electrolytes (Na+ and K+), whereas neuroprotective

activity was investigated using Aluminum-induced toxicity test. Identification of phenolics was also

carried out using HPLC-MS.

Pistacia lentiscus extracts and fractions exhibited high scavenging capacity against DPPH, NO. and

ABTS+ radicals in a dose-dependent manner, with respective IC50 values of 4.6, 2.71 and 1.0µg/ml

and restored blood glucose levels, in vivo, to normal values, in agreement with the in vitro anti-diabetic

effect (65% inhibition of α-amylase). Oral administration of plant extracts significantly decreased (60%

inhibition) carrageenan- induced mice paw oedema, similar to the standard drug, diclofenac, was

effective in reducing the serum levels of IL-1β in cell culture and induced a significant increase in

urinary volume in mice, associated to a promising anti-hyperuricemic activity.

Title: Metabolomics of a resurrection plant during a complete dehydration/rehydration cycle

Kjell Sergeant | Institute of Science and Technology, Luxembourg

Abstract:

A limited number of plant species have the capacity to undergo close-to-complete loss of water and

recover from this, Craterostigma plantagineum is such resurrection plant. In the frame of the current

climate change and the predicted higher frequency of drought, studies of the mechanisms by which C.

plantagineum can withstand drought can provide leads to improve the drought resistance of crops.

In addition to other analyses, the changes in the metabolite profile during a dehydration/rehydration

cycle were followed. Metabolites were extracted at different stages (fully hydrated, partially

dehydrated, 2% relative water content and 24 hours after rewatering) and analysed with both GC-MS

(targeting amino acids and mono-saccharides) and LC-MS for secondary metabolites.

In total about 150 metabolites that undergo a chance in abundance during the dehydration/rehydration

cycle were identified. Major known processes (accumulation of mono- and disaccharides, decreased

abundance of octulose …) were confirmed by our data. Specific processes for which numerous

compounds were identified include the biosynthesis and degradation of chlorophyll.

However the bulk of the identified compounds is made up of lipids, with most lipid classes including

phophocholines and phosphoethanolamines having an increased abundance during dehydration.

Title: 2 Da, a small but significant difference

Kjell Sergeant | Institute of Science and Technology, Luxembourg

Abstract:

Although rare in natural proteins, α-β didehydroamino acids are essential components of numerous bioactive

peptides. They are furthermore intensively studied for their conformation-directing properties and in the

production of recombinant proteins with a custom-made fold.

While doing a study on the cell wall proteome of alfalfa stems, a mass shift of -2Da was observed on a

phenylalanine of the β-subunit of polygalacturonase (BPG). An observation confirmed by reanalysis of datasets

generated in-house or downloaded from proteomics repositories. The conclusion of these analyses is that all

identified phenylalanines in the sequence FxxY of the active BPG are modified by desaturation of the alpha-beta

carbon bond, resulting in didehydrophenylalanine (ΔPhe). The same modification was not observed in any other

protein, not from plants nor from animal or bacterial origin.

The known fold-determining properties of didehydroamino acids also give a clue on the functional significance

of this modification. The protein is inherently disordered without modification but known to interact tightly with

the catalytic subunit of polygalacturonase and pectin nonetheless. The repetitive occurrence of ΔPhe might be

the way by which the protein’s fold is stabilized to ensure these interactions.

This research was supported by funding obtained through the National Research Fund Luxembourg, FNR

Project CANCAN C13/SR/5774202 and CADWALL INTER/FWO/13/14.

Title: Screening Vitis Genotypes for Responses to Botrytis cinerea and Evaluation of Antioxidant

Enzymes, Reactive Oxygen Species and Jasmonic Acid in Resistant and Susceptible Hosts

Mati Ur Rahman | State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas

Abstract:

Botrytis cinerea is a necrotrophic fungal phytopathogen with devastating effects on many Vitis

genotypes. Here, a screening of 81 Vitis genotypes for leaf resistance to B. cinerea revealed two highly

resistant (HR), twelve resistant (R), twenty-five susceptible (S) and forty-two highly susceptible (HS)

genotypes. We focused on the HR genotype, ‘Zi Qiu’ (Vitis davidii), and the HS genotype ‘Riesling’

(V. vinifera), to elucidate mechanisms of host resistance and susceptibility against B. cinerea, using

detached leaf assays. These involved a comparison of fungal growth, reactive oxygen species (ROS)

responses, jasmonic acid (JA) levels, and changes in the anti-oxidative system between the two

genotypes after inoculation with B. cinerea. Our results indicated that the high-level resistance of ‘Zi

Qiu’ can be attributed to insignificant fungal development, low ROS production, timely elevation of

anti-oxidative functions, and high JA levels. Moreover, severe fungal infection of ‘Riesling’ and

sustained ROS production coincided with relatively unchanged anti-oxidative activity, as well as low

JA levels. This study provides insights into B. cinerea infection in grape, which can be valuable for

breeders by providing information for selecting suitable germplasm with enhanced disease resistance.

Title: Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Vegetation Dynamics as a Response to Climate

Variability and Drought Patterns in the Semiarid Region, Eritrea

Simon Measho | Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research

Abstract:

There is a growing concern over change in vegetation dynamics and drought patterns with the

increasing climate variability and warming trends in Africa, particularly in the semiarid regions of East

Africa. Here, several geospatial techniques and datasets were used to analyze the spatio-temporal

vegetation dynamics in response to climate (precipitation and temperature) and drought in Eritrea from

2000 to 2017. A pixel-based trend analysis was performed, and a Pearson correlation coefficient was

computed between vegetation indices and climate variables. In addition, vegetation condition index

(VCI) and standard precipitation index (SPI) classifications were used to assess drought patterns in the

country. The results demonstrated that there was a decreasing NDVI (Normalized Difference

Vegetation Index) slope at both annual and seasonal time scales (Figure 1). In the study area, 57.1% of

the pixels showed a decreasing annual NDVI trend, while the significance was higher in South-Western

Eritrea. In most of the agro-ecological zones, the shrublands and croplands showed decreasing NDVI

trends. About 87.16% of the study area had a positive correlation between growing season NDVI and

precipitation (39.34%, p < 0.05). The Gash Barka region of the country showed the strongest and most

significant correlations between NDVI and precipitation values. The specific drought assessments

based on VCI and SPI summarized that Eritrea had been exposed to recurrent droughts of moderate to

extreme conditions during the last 18 years. Based on the correlation analysis and drought patterns, this

study confirms that low precipitation was mainly attributed to the slowly declining vegetation trends

and increased drought conditions in the semi-arid region.

Title: Physiological and qualitative response of rice (Oryza sativa L.) to varying planting

methods, sowing time and irrigation schedules

Wasiq Ikram | Minhaj University Lahore

Abstract:

Crop management strategies that reduce ground water depletion and labour requirement, while

maintaining and enhancing crop yields are urgently needed in Pakistan, to grow more crops with

efficient natural resource management. Dry direct-seeded rice (DSR) has been proposed as one of the

means in achieving these objectives. However, optimal water management strategy for DSR is required

to be devised with respect to paddy yield as well as grain quality. Moreover planting time also affects

crop growth, yield and quality. Therefore field experiments were conducted to investigate the

physiological and qualitative response of rice (Oryza sativa L.) to varying planting methods, sowing

time and irrigation schedules. The irrigation scheduling was based on soil moisture conditions ranging

from continuous flooding (CF) for transplanted rice (TPR) to alternate wetting and drying (AWD) for

DSR. Different growth, yield and qualitative parameters were recorded to evaluate sowing window,

planting methods and irrigation schedules using Basmati variety (Super Basmati). The higher paddy

yield was recorded in early planted (EP) DSR than TPR. Among different irrigation schedules, 3

supplemental irrigations (SI) at reproductive stage in addition to AWD style resulted in higher yield as

compared to the other schedules. Under DSR, EP (mid June) produced enhanced crop growth and yield

than end June sowing. The DSR-AWD treatment improved water use efficiency with 17 % water

saving than TPR. Furthermore, DSR+AWD at reproductive stage resulted in higher leaf protein but less

sugar as compared to the other irrigation treatments.

Title: Harnessing Science for Developing and Delivering Nutritious Maize

Abebe Menkir | International Institute of Tropical Agriculture

Abstract:

Millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) depend mainly on maize and other staple food crops

containing inadequate amounts of essential nutrients including vitamin A, iron and zinc to meet their daily

requirements, resulting in ill health, increased morbidity and disability, impaired physical and mental

development, and diminished capacity to do physical work. Targeting such widely consumed staple food

crops for nutrient enrichment through conventional breeding can contribute to improvement of the nutritional

status, health, and quality of life of the people who have limited access to diverse diets, supplements and

fortified foods. Mining novel alleles regulating the levels of β-carotene and other carotenoids from exotic

maize germplasm has thus been considered critical to boost provitamin A content in tropical-adapted maize.

This led to the development of inbred lines, hybrids and varieties with intermediate to high provitamin A

content without compromising grain yield and other adaptive traits that are required to profitably cultivate

maize by farmers in Africa. In this presentation, highlights will be provided on drivers of breakthroughs for

modifying the carotenoid profile and content of tropical maize to derive varying health benefits from maize to

meet the dietary needs of low-income families. The current research efforts to integrate nutrient enrichment

with stress resilience for adaptation to climate change and other stressful growing conditions will also be

featured. Furthermore, the establishment of collaborative partnerships with the national agricultural research

systems, private seed companies and community-based seed producers will be highlighted as critical drivers

of nutritious maize delivery to farming communities in diverse production zones.

Title: Endophytic Beauveria bassiana in Foliar-Treated Citrus limon Plants Acting as a Growth

Suppressor to Three Successive Generations of Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae)

Bamisope Steve Bamisile | Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University

Abstract:

Entomopathogenic fungi are commonly applied as inundative sprays to protect plants against insect pests.

Their artificial establishment as fungal endophytes to provide other benefits to the host plants aside mere

protection against the primary pests has also been widely demonstrated. In the present study, two fungal

strains of Beauveria bassiana and one strain of Isaria fumosorosea were assessed in a pathogenicity test

against adults of Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri) and found to induce 50% reduction in the survival rate

of D. citri adults within 5 days of exposure. The ability of the three fungal strains to endophytically colonize

Citrus limon, the impact on plant growth and the effects of systemic colonization on 3 successive generations

of D. citri feeding on colonized plants was evaluated. Citrus seedlings at 4 months post-planting were

inoculated with each of the fungal strains via foliar spraying. Both strains of B. bassiana successfully

colonized the seedlings. One of the B. bassiana strains (BB Fafu-13) was sustained up to 12 weeks in the

colonized seedlings, whereas the other B. bassiana strain (BB Fafu-16) was only recovered up to 8 weeks

post-inoculation. Isaria fumosorosea (IF Fafu-1) failed to colonize the plant. Both strains of B. bassiana

induced significant improvement in plant height and flush production in endophytically colonized seedlings.

In addition, endophytic B. bassiana caused 10–15% D. citri adult mortality within 7 days of exposure. Female

D. citri feeding on B. bassiana challenged plants laid fewer eggs as compared to those feeding on endophyte-

free seedlings, while reduction in adult emergence was recorded on B. bassiana treated plants. With this study,

we present the first evidence of B. bassiana artificial establishment as fungal endophyte in citrus plants and its

negative effects on D. citri.

Title: Bayesian analysis of canopy transpiration models in rain-fed jujube orchard in the

Loess Plateau region

Dianyu Chen | Yunnan University

Abstract:

The Jarvis canopy resistance sub-model is commonly used in transpiration modelling, although its optimal

structure is rarely studied. The extent to which different constraint function forms of key environmental

factors in Jarvis canopy resistance sub-model differ in contribution to transpiration modeling is still not fully

clear. Exploring whether embedding the key environmental factor in Jarvis canopy resistance sub-model

always associate with improving transpiration modeling? various Jarvis canopy resistance sub-model

configurations were embedded in the Penman-Monteith model to compare their ability to model daily

transpiration of rain-fed jujube plantations where soil moisture is a key factor of tree water use. Parameters

were calibrated using the Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation technique and model

comparison was quantified using Deviance Information Criterion (DIC).

Results: Significant differences showed in model performance between constraint function forms of soil

water content. When the best constraint function form was used, the performance of the transpiration model

improved. The model performance worsened when the other constraint function forms were used, even worse

than those without consideration for soil water content. However, only slight differences in model

performance were detected for the constraint function forms of temperature, vapor pressure deficit and

photosynthetically active radiation. Using the best configuration of Jarvis canopy resistance sub-model, the

transpiration model yielded overall well accuracy and uncertainty. The predictions and observations were

highly correlated.

Title: Industrial Microwave Technologies Enhance Agricultural Productivity

Graham Brodie | The University of Melbourne

Abstract:

Microwave frequencies occupy portions of the electromagnetic spectrum between 300 MHz to 300 GHz.

Because microwaves are also used in the communication, navigation and defence industries, their use in

thermal heating is restricted to a small subset of the available frequency bands. In Australia, the commonly

used frequencies include 434 ± 1 MHz, 922 ± 4 MHz, 2450 ± 50 MHz and 5800 ± 75 MHz. Similar

frequencies are allocated for thermal heating in other parts of the globe. Since the early 1950’s microwave

heating has been applied to many applications and proven to be reliable, controllable and efficient.

Microwave heating has many potential applications in agricultural industries. It has been demonstrated to kill

weeds and their seeds; it can be used to sanitize soil, similar to a chemical fumigant but with fewer

environmental concerns; it can be used to rapidly extract products such as essential oils from plant materials;

it can potentially sanitize grain before entering storage; low energy doses can enhance germination and early

plant growth vigor when applied to seeds; it can enhance the digestibility of ruminant animal forages; and it

can be used to process waste materials into biochar, bio-oil and syngas via microwave assisted pyrolysis. All

these applications have been explored at laboratory scale and some applications, such as weed control, soil

sanitization, and animal fodder treatment have been explored at small field and commercial scales. All of

these applications are enhanced by the unique volumetric heating process associated with microwave heating,

which is very different to the surface heating associated with more conventional heating methods.

Title: Thermodynamics for plant science made easy: the unifying role of action and entropy

as agents of biological information and change

Ivan Robert Kennedy | University of Sydney

Abstract:

Interest in thermodynamics in plant and biochemical sciences has declined, perhaps understandably, but

detrimentally for real progress. This presentation aims to provide a practical remedy using a novel approach

based on action. This property of state (@) has the same physical dimensions as angular momentum, a

product of mass, radius and velocity (mrv or mr2ω). Yet action is physically a scalar quantity, its unit value

defined in Planck’s constant the quantum of action (ħ). It denotes relative change in the spatial configuration

of different materials – viz. the “vineyard effect” – cumulative in nature while providing realistic

morphological information. By contrast, the vector angular momentum indicates an intensity of motion

directed in space. Action has been traditionally expressed mathematically as the space integral of momentum

(@ = ꭍmvds). This can be given in polar coordinates for a conservative system as follows; @ = ꭍmrωds =

ꭍmr2ωdθ = nħꭍdθ, where ds = rdθ. We have recently shown that molecular entropy (s) can be expressed

simply as a logarithmic function of mean values of action (s = kln[eu(@t/ħ)3(@r/ħ)2 ,3(@v/ħ)], where u

indicates the number of degrees of freedom of molecular motion, k is Boltzmann’s constant and the subscripts

t, r and v indicate translational, rotational and vibrational action respectively). This simple approach is a novel

development from statistical mechanics with the guiding principle favoured by Nobel laureate Richard

Feynman, that of least action. Action thermodynamics can be applied to all aspects of plant and environmental

science involving energy, work and expression of information. It provides novel ways of estimating reaction

rates, variation in chemical equilibrium with temperature and the diversity and evolution of genomic

information.

Title: Conservation Agriculture Improves Long-term Yield and Soil Quality in Irrigated

Maize-oats Rotation

Miguel-Angel Martinez Gamino | Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias

Abstract:

Conservation agriculture, characterized by minimal tillage, permanent soil cover and crop

Diversification has been widely adapted under rainfed conditions, but adoption under irrigated conditions is

limited. An experiment initiated in 1997 to evaluate the level of tillage and the amount of soil cover needed

for conservation agriculture to work under irrigated conditions in the highlands of San Luis Potosí, Mexico.

The trial encompassed seven treatments: conventional tillage, two types of reduced tillage and permanent

raised beds (PB), which are untilled, with four levels of soil cover in an irrigated rotation with maize (Zea

mays L.) in the summer and fodder oats (Avena sativa L.) in the winter. Maize and oats yielded significantly

more under PB than with tillage. Maize yielded on average 1.2 Mg ha-1 more in PB with the hybrid used from

1997 to 2008 and 3.9 Mg ha-1 more with the hybrid used from 2012 to 2017. Permanent raised beds generated

on average $18,424 MXN ha-1

More profit than the tilled treatments and increased soil organic carbon on average 63% at 0 to 5 cm depth

and 32% at 5 to 30 cm depth. The trial shows that conservation agriculture, with PB and little residue cover, is

a viable and sustainable option in similar production systems.

Title: Non-Timber Forest Products Collection Affects Education of Children in Forest

Proximate Communities in Northeastern Pakistan

Muhammad Zubair | Bahauddin Zakariya University

Abstract:

Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are crucial in driving the economy of communities living inside or

around forests. The scarcity of business and employment opportunities often push the forest proximate

communities to tap a range of NTFPs for earning their livelihoods. In many forest-based communities around

the world, children are actively involved in NTFPs collection, which is likely to affect the socioeconomic

paradigms of these children. We aim to investigate how the NTFP collection venture affects the education of

the children involved in the forest proximate communities of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Pakistan. A

stratified sampling followed by a series of focus group discussions and one-to-one interviews were carried out

to collect information on collection behaviour, patterns, income generation, and other socioeconomic

variables. We used a binary logistic regression model to explain children’s state of attending schools using a

range of socioeconomic variables. The empirical evidence showed that 42% of the NTFP-collecting children

were not going to school, and nearly two-thirds were working in unfavourable working environments. The

regression model showed that the role and behaviour of contractors, along with factors like household

conditions, were important factors in employing children for long working hours. The study has implications

for reforming policies regarding the nexus of income generation and education in the forest-based

communities.

Title: Soil-plant relationships according to the rules of Polish forest typology

Paweł Rutkowski | Poznań University of Life Sciences

Abstract:

Forest typology has been rapidly growing in Poland since the 60s of the twentieth century. The Polish

typology is based on the description of forest soils, plant cover and tree stand. According to the rules forests

in Poland are divided into lowland, upland and mountain types, and among them into coniferous forests

(mainly with pine in the lowlands and spruce in the uplands and mountain), coniferous mixed forests (mainly

with pine and admixture of oak or beech in the lowlands and spruce and admixture of fir and beech in the

uplands and mountain), deciduous mixed forests (mainly with pine, oak and beech in the lowlands and

spruce, fir and beech in the uplands and mountain) and deciduous forests (mainly with oak or beech and on

wet sites with ash and alder). These types of forest, due to the moisture conditions are divided into dry, mesic,

humid and swampy subtypes. The results of typological studies are carried out for each forest district in

Poland, and are the basis for species composition of stands and all activities related to silviculture and nature

protection. This way, forest typology goes beyond the sphere of forest management, finding wide application

in the protection of valuable forest and non-forest habitats.

This paper presents examples of the consequences, both positive and negative, arising from the

implementation of the rules of forest typology.

Title: The Necessity for Tendency to Phenotype in Agriculture

Razieh POURDARBANI | University of Mohaghegh Ardabili

Abstract:

Increase in the world population has led to increase demand for agricultural productivity. Traditional methods

to augment crop and animal production are facing exacerbating pressures in keeping up with population

growth. Technologies based on phenotypic data enable scientists to conduct plant genotyping with high speed

and low cost (Shendure and Ji, 2008). The use of genomic data, however, must be coupled with high quality

to meet its full potential. Many believe that, if this challenge can be mastered, we will be able to spark a new

green revolution to greatly enhance the productivity of all major food, feed, and energy crops around the

world. This success would be an essential part of thesolutions to solve the global food security problem by

2050 when a world population of 9.7 billion is projected (Ray et al., 2012).

Collecting plant phenotypic data with sufficient resolution (in both space and time) and accuracy represents

a long standing challenge in plant science research, and has been a major limiting factor for the effective use

of genomic data for crop improvement. Many authors have advocated field-based phenotyping systems and

approaches for plant breeding (Passioura, 2012; White et al., 2012; Araus and Cairns, 2013). However, the

development of field-based phenotyping systems has been slower than their greenhouse counterparts. There

have been numerous reports in the literature on the vehicle based sensor systems for crop measurements in the

fields; and most of them were developed in the context ofprecision agriculture (Scotford and Miller, 2004;

Noh et al., 2006; Sui and Thomasson, 2006; Sui et al., 2008; Farooque et al., 2013; Wang et al., 2014).

Montes et al. (2011) reported a field phenotyping system employing a light curtain and spectral reflectance

sensors for the biomass determination of maize in early developmental stages to measure the canopy water

mass of tropical maize hybrids. Sharma and Ritchie (2015) reported a high throughput phenotyping system for

cotton. This system includedsensors that automatically measured plant height, ground cover fraction, NDVI,

and canopy temperature.

Title: Influence of residue management practices and planting techniques on the

productivity of rice - wheat cropping system

Avtar Singh Bimbraw| Punjab Agricultural University

Abstract:

An experiment was conducted at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India to determine

the effect of residue management practices and planting techniques on the productivity of rice-wheat cropping

system for the three consecutive years. The grain yield of rice was significantly varied in all the three years

but wheat grain yield was varied significantly in the first year of study. Results revealed that the highest

average grain yield of rice was recorded where rice transplanted (TP) without wheat straw but wheat sown

with zero tillage (ZT) without rice straw which was considerably similar with TP rice without wheat straw but

wheat sown with conventional method (CT) without rice straw, TP rice without wheat straw and ZT wheat

with rice straw and rice TP without wheat straw but CT wheat with rice straw. These treatments were superior

to other treatments. It was also observed that grain yield of TP rice reduced might be due to the ZT and

rotavator (RT) wheat sown with rice straw and after burning of rice straw. Similarly, grain yield ZT rice

without wheat straw was also reduced with ZT wheat with or without rice straw which was recorded lowest as

compared to other treatments. However, the grain yield of wheat did not much vary with different residue

management practices and planting techniques. The productivity of rice -wheat system was lowest where ZT

rice sown without wheat straw followed by ZT wheat with or without rice straw.

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