Food wastes are thought to be a substantial source of bioactive components with many functions and varying biological activities, therefore, numerous studies have been conducted on the use of these wastes to maximize their benefits. Nano-materials have been demonstrated that have higher bioavailability, functionality and effectiveness in the food systems. This study was conducted to determine how the nutritional value and quality characteristics of ice cream would be affected by the use of nano-powders made from apricot (Prunus sp.) and peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch) kernels, watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) rind and banana (Musa spp.) peel as functional additives (1%).

The tested nano-waste powders significantly (P < 0.05) increased the total solids, protein, fat and ash contents distinctly with apricot kernels (AK) and peach kernels (PK). The physiochemical properties of ice cream mix and the final product were also affected with a significant increase of viscosity and overrun. Watermelon rind (WMR) and banana peel (BP) boosted the total phenolic content and diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity (%) as compared to the control and other wastes. The added nano-waste powders, except for BP, enhanced the meltability, microstructure properties and improved the sensory attributes of the resultant ice cream during 30 days of storage compared to control. The study recommends utilization of the tested nano fruit wastes as value added components to create innovative and higher-quality ice cream.

The goal of this study was to assess starch degradability, protein fractionation and fermentation profile of wet brewers grain (WBG) ensiled with maize or sorghum grains. Two treatments were prepared: maize + WBG, maize rehydrated with WBG; and sorghum + WBG, sorghum rehydrated with WBG, with 10 replications per treatment, adjusted to 55% dry matter (DM). Data were analysed in a completely randomised design using the MIXED procedure of SAS. Losses and pH were lower in maize + WBG; however, it also presented higher lactic acid bacteria, yeasts, moulds and lactic acid (P < 0.001). Acetic acid did not differ, but propionic acid was lower in maize + WBG. The DM and EE were higher in maize + WBG, whereas ash, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre and crude protein were lower in this treatment. Starch concentration was similar, however with higher degradability in maize + WBG. The A1, A2 and C protein fractions were higher for maize + WBG, while B1 and B2 were lower. Overall, WBG ensiled with maize showed higher A1 (ammonia) and A2 (soluble protein) protein fractions and higher starch degradability compared with sorghum silages rehydrated with WBG.

For many invasive plants, seed dormancy and persistence facilitate population expansion. These traits also complicate control efforts, as new seedlings may continue to emerge for years after the removal of existing plants. The maximum longevity of invasive plant seeds may range from years to decades. However, few seeds emerge after such a long time under field conditions. We conducted a field experiment testing the impact of seed burial depth on emergence of meadow knapweed (Centaurea × moncktonii C.E. Britton) and spotted knapweed [Centaurea stoebe L. ssp. micranthos (Gugler) Hayek] over 3 yr. For C. × moncktonii, emergence (raw data corrected for seed viability) was 57% at 0 cm, 28% at 2 cm, 3% at 4 cm, and 0% at 8 cm. For C. stoebe, emergence was 84% at 0 cm, 11% at 2 cm, 4% at 4 cm, and 0% at 8 cm. The primary flush of seedlings, averaged over Centaurea species and burial depths, occurred during the first few months of the study in fall 2018. Little emergence occurred after spring/summer 2019, although the study continued through spring/summer 2021. Our findings clarify the maximum burial depth from which these Centaurea species can emerge and demonstrate that emergence is concentrated in the first year after seed production.

Urbanization has become a key pressure on many of the world’s protected areas. This study investigates how local communities perceive landscape values and disvalues in and around Bannerghatta National Park (near Bengaluru, India), which is experiencing high rates of urban development at its peripheries. Using combined free-listing and Public Participation Geographic Information Systems (PPGIS) mapping, we surveyed 489 residents from 12 villages to elicit both landscape values and disvalues. Respondents mapped values such as biodiversity, fertile land and clean air, while disvalues focused on human–wildlife conflicts. Despite persistent conflicts and urbanization pressures, residents valued the National Park for its multiple landscape values. Both values and disvalues were concentrated around village areas. We find that socio-demographic factors – especially caste, land ownership and work in agriculture – significantly influenced perceptions. Specifically, marginalized caste members and landless individuals reported more disvalues, while landowners and farmers noted more values. Our study emphasizes the need to consider both landscape values and disvalues for balanced decision-making in protected areas. It also highlights the potential of free-listing to identify the well-being aspects that matter most for people, which points to the importance of agricultural uses in and around protected areas undergoing urbanization.

Jhum cultivation is a traditional agricultural practice, which continues to support the livelihood of indigenous communities in Northeast India while also serving as an important on-farm conservation of crop genetic resources. In Mon district of Nagaland, over 93% of the population depends on jhum for subsistence. This study documents traditional rice cultivation practices, associated cultural values, socio-economy and conservation status of landrace rice under jhum farming systems. Rice germplasm collection and semi-structured personal interviews were conducted across 24 villages, involving 120 farmers in 8 administrative blocks of Mon district. Results from this study document the critical role of traditional jhum cultivation in livelihood generation and socio-cultural life of the Konyak community living in Mon district. The study resulted in the collection of 147 traditional rice accessions. Some of the landrace rice were linked with cultural practices, medicinal uses and ritual significance. Rice such as ‘Vumchong’ and ‘Wang-tsahyan’ holds deep historical and ceremonial importance. Pests and diseases pressure, limited external inputs and climatic factors were some concerns that influence rice production. However, farmers continue to safeguard their unique germplasm through traditional methods of seed selection and preservation. This research underscores rich genetic diversity conserved through traditional agricultural practice and the urgent need for conservation, participatory breeding and policy interventions.

Hormone exposure in utero affects male- and female-typical behavior in animals, and these effects may persist in the next generation. Prenatal exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES), a potent estrogen and endocrine disruptor, has been associated with a tendency toward greater heterosexual behavior in women, but the association in the next generation has not been studied. We evaluated the associations of maternal prenatal DES exposure with sexual behavior, sexual identity, and gender identity in 982 female offspring participating in the National Cancer Institute’s DES Third Generation Study, a cohort born to mothers who were prenatally exposed and unexposed to DES. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated from logistic regression models that included birth year. The ORs were 0.71 (CI 0.46–1.1) for DES in relation to non-heterosexual compared with heterosexual behavior, and 0.99 (CI 0.55–1.8) for non-heterosexual identity, compared with heterosexual identity. Results were similar after additional adjustment for education. Only three individuals reported a gender identity distinct from what was reported by the mother at cohort inception, preventing meaningful quantitative analysis of DES and gender identity. These data do not provide evidence of differences in sexual behavior and sexual identity in female offspring of mothers with and without prenatal exposure to DES.

Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins Sousa chinensis face multiple anthropogenic threats in the coastal waters of Langkawi and the adjacent Perlis–Kedah mainland in north-west Peninsular Malaysia. The area is recognized by the IUCN as an Important Marine Mammal Area and harbours a significant population of humpback dolphins. Understanding their social structure is crucial for identifying conservation units to guide targeted management to preserve the species’ ecological processes, particularly for a species in the data-deficient Southeast Asia region. Association patterns and network analysis from a decade of photo-identification surveys (2010–2020) revealed a fission–fusion society defined by frequent changes in group membership and size, and characterized by loose associations between individuals. Association strength was generally low, although some non-random long-term associations persisted for 5 months to several years. Unusually large groups of humpback dolphins (81–204 individuals) were often observed, comprising travelling mother–calf pairs and functioning as nursery groups. The grouping plasticity and social dynamics reflect the species’ survival strategies in response to local environmental conditions, notably resource availability and predation pressure. Most importantly, our findings confirm that the humpback dolphin population in this region constitutes a stable and well-connected single conservation unit, necessitating coordinated protection by different governmental administrators across the extensive study area. The insights from our study should inform tailored management strategies for humpback dolphins and promote early detection of anthropogenic threats that may impact social-ecological processes and the overall survival of the population.

Appropriate soil water and nitrogen (N) management strategies are critical for achieving sustainable agricultural development in drylands. Straw mulching has been used to improve crop yield and water use efficiency (WUE), but N management strategies may need to be adjusted from conventional practice. The current study investigated the interactive effects of N application rate (conventional and high N rate), N application frequencies (single, and split N in 2 – 3 applications) and seasonal conditions on wheat population density dynamics, yield, harvest index (HI), grain protein content, water- and N-use efficiency, and residual soil N under straw mulching on the Loess Plateau of China. Nitrogen rate had no effect on yield, HI, WUE and grain protein content, but high N rate resulted in lower grain weight and nitrogen partial factor productivity (PFPN), and higher soil N residue. Splitting N applications significantly improved grain yield (7%), HI (9%), grain protein content (5%), PFPN and N harvest index, along with a reduction in soil N residue, compared to single application. However, there was no difference in above traits between split-N in 2 and 3 applications. Conventional N rate (vs. high N rate) and split N application (vs. single application) both alleviated the negative correlation between grain yield and grain protein content, and split N application increased grain N removal per unit yield compared to single N application. It is concluded that conventional N rate combined with split application in two doses, is suitable for straw mulching in drylands of the Loess Plateau, China.

There is increasing interest in enhancing weed-suppression potential from cover crop surface residues by delaying termination until at or after cash crop planting, often referred to as “planting green.” The combination of increased cover crop biomass production and application of soil-residual herbicides into living cover crops in planting green systems may significantly affect herbicide deposition to the soil surface and wash-off from residues. We conducted field studies to describe the (1) relative effects of cover crop management tactics on herbicide deposition to the soil surface at the time of application; and (2) the influence of cover crop management tactics on herbicide wash-off potential from living cover crops (0 d after termination [DAT]) and aged early postemergence residues. Pyroxasulfone was used as the test herbicide. Our results indicate that in scenarios with standing cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) below 2 Mg ha−1, herbicide deposition is reduced by approximately 35% relative to bare ground regardless of application timing (0 DAT, early postemergence). At 5 Mg ha−1, herbicide deposition is reduced by 50% regardless of application timing, but due to greater wash-off potential, concentration in soil is greater at an early postemergence application timing (70%) than in a planting green scenario (0 DAT; 55%). When roll-crimping is employed before herbicide application, deposition is reduced by approximately 70% compared with bare ground regardless of application timing. After accounting for wash-off dynamics, total recovery was greater when pyroxasulfone was applied at an early postemergence timing (55%) compared with a planting green scenario (0 DAT; 45%). Inclusion of hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) in mixture with cereal rye further decreased herbicide deposition (85%) into roll-crimped residues at a 5 Mg ha−1 biomass level, but comparatively greater wash-off of pyroxasulfone resulted in similar soil concentration compared with cereal rye monocultures. Our results quantify the relative effects of cover-cropping tactics on initial concentrations of herbicides in soil.

Noug (Guizotia abyssinica L.) is among the key oilseed crops of Ethiopia and India and is valued for its tolerance to drought, with its very nutrient-dense oil being rich in essential fatty acids, protein and minerals. Despite the economic potential of noug, its production is limited by biological factors such as self-incompatibility, seed shattering, parasitic weeds and disease susceptibility. This review consolidates advances in the past decade, highlighting the transition from conventional breeding to the application of genomic tools. We critically assess how the development of self-compatible lines, transcriptome sequencing and linkage mapping are being used to produce improved germplasm. There is, however, a huge gap between research products and farmer-preferred variety development. This review suggests an integrative approach that brings genomics, phenomics and participatory breeding to realize the faster generation of high-yielding, durable noug cultivars. This is an important strategy to ensure that noug is a sustainable crop that ensures food security and financial empowerment of Ethiopian smallholder farmers.

The genus Aphelenchoides Fischer, 1894, encompasses nearly 200 species with significant ecological and economic importance, yet its taxonomy remains complex due to morphological similarities among species and limited molecular data. In this study, we describe a new species, Aphelenchoides vinhphucensis sp. n., collected from the rhizosphere of rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Vinh Phuc Province, Vietnam. The new species is distinguished by its morphological characteristics, including a slender stylet (9.6–12.7 μm), distinct lateral fields with four lines, a conical tail with a pointed mucro, and a well-developed post-uterine sac. Males feature three pairs of caudal papillae and arcuate spicules. Scanning electron microscopy provided detailed insights into surface features, complementing light microscopy observations. Molecular analyses of the D2-D3 regions of 28S rRNA and 18S rRNA supported the distinct phylogenetic placement of Aphelenchoides vinhphucensis sp. n., differentiating it from closely related species. Bayesian phylogenetic analysis confirmed its divergence, contributing to our understanding of biodiversity of the genus Aphelenchoides. This integrative approach highlights the importance of combining classical morphological methods with modern molecular tools for accurate species identification. The discovery of Aphelenchoides vinhphucensis sp. n. underscores the nematode diversity in Vietnam, especially those associated with rice cultivation.