Smart horticulture as an emerging interdisciplinary field combining novel solutions:Past development,current challenges,and future perspectives

Horticultural products such as fruits,vegetables,and tea offer a range of important nutrients such as protein,carbohydrates,vitamins and lipids.However,the present yield and quality do not meet the requirements of the rapid population growth associated with global climate change,the decline in horticultural practitioners,poor automation,and epidemic diseases such as COVID-19.In this context,smart horticulture is expected to greatly improve the land output rates,resource-use efficiency,and productivity,all of which should facilitate the sustainable development of the horticulture industry.Emerging technologies,such as artificial intelligence,big data,the Internet of Things,and cloud computing,play an important role.This paper reviews past developments and current challenges,offering future perspectives for horticultural chain management.We expect that the horticulture industry would benefit from integration with smart technologies.This requires the use of novel solutions to build a new advanced system encompassing smart breeding,smart cultivation,smart transportation,and smart sales.Finally,a new development approach combining precise perception,smart operation,and smart control should be instituted in the horticulture industry.Within 30 years,we expect that the industry will embrace mechanical,automatic,and informational production to transform into a smart industry.

Application of horticulture therapy as a health intervention for elderly people in nursing homes:a scoping review

Objective:To review the scope of interventional studies on horticultural therapy(HT)applied to elderly people in nursing institutions to support the efficient implementation of HT among this target group.Methods:In accordance with the scoping review framework proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute(JBI),the Pub Med,JSTOR,Web of Science,CNKI,and Wanfang databases were searched.Data from the retrieved literature were summarized and analyzed.Results:In all,18 studies were included in this review.The target population groups of interventions included self-supporting elderly people,cognitively impaired elderly people,elderly people with negative emotions,and elderly people with frailty living in nursing institutions.HT interventions,including planting,craft activities,derivative activities,and outdoor viewing activities,are implemented indoors,outdoors,or in mixed settings.The most common duration of the intervention was 8 weeks,the most common frequency was once per week,and the most common session duration was 60 min.Conclusions:The measurements used in HT interventions included assessments of physical,psycho-mental,and social health;quality of life;and activity effects.Future studies should include partially dependent groups and completely dependent groups of elderly individuals,interventions that last at least 6 months,scientifically designed activity intensity and safety-guarantee plans,and outcomeevaluation indicators such as compliance and intervention benefits.

Review and Application Prospect of Agricultural Film for Protected Horticulture

The development of Chinese agriculture is now facing the grim situation of decreasing farmland area, increasing population and social demands, so the devel- opment of protected horticulture becomes necessary to solve the issue. This paper reviewed the characteristics of traditional horticulture films and application prospects of new functional films.

Application and Development of Protected Horticulture Intelligent Monitoring System

Protected horticulture makes use of related facilities, engineering technolo- gy and management technologies to create or improve local environment in order to provide optimal environment concerning controllable temperature, humidity, and light for farming and breeding industry, as well as product storage. Protected horticulture is independent to some extent, instead of relying greatly on nature, targeting full use of soil, climate and biological potential. The research concluded production characteristics of protected horticulture and analyzed the application of protected hor- ticulture intelligent monitoring system in protected greenhouse cultivation. In addition, the future development was proposed on protected horticulture intelligent monitoring system.

世界一流科技期刊的创办路径探析--以园艺领域领军期刊Horticulture Research为例

以南京农业大学和自然出版集团(Nature Publishing Group,NPG)合作创办的英文期刊Horticulture Research为例,详细分析了其从创刊到快速发展成为园艺领域领军科技期刊的路径,主要包括明确办刊定位、争取办刊单位支持、科学组建编辑团队、选择合适国际出版商、推动编委国际化、加大新媒体宣传等6个方面的成功经验,以期为拟创办英文科技期刊的国内办刊单位提供借鉴,推动科技期刊的学术组织力、人才凝聚力、创新引领力、国际影响力明显提高。

Sustainable Development in Education of Horticulture in Bulgaria

Sustainable development in education of horticulture imposes involvement of new system in education of agricultural experts, in particular vegetable growers, such as ethical view off point to the reality of production, synthesis of traditional practices （crop rotation and mixed crops, etc.）, the love to the land inherited from ancestors and modem scientific achievements from this perspective which will have a positive environmental effect over the agrarian ecosystems and the environment in general. From this perspective, lectures and practices should be based on the principles of integration of different systems and methods of production, which will include sustainable management of fertilizing and irrigation, energy use associated with production and integrated control of pests with sustainable application in the farms. These principles should be presented in a special section entitled ＂Sustainable Growing of Vegetables＂ which will form the basic knowledge related to the topic. They should be included in an appropriate place in the relevant sections for each vegetable crop, with the active participation of trained people. In order to overcome the specified problems and ensure sustainable development of the sector, it is necessary to provide well-trained people who know not only the traditional technologies used at present, but also the principles of sustainable agriculture as well, especially related with keeping natural resources to next generations.

Who Will Triumph in the Horticulture Industry?

THE World Horticultural Exhibition held 20 years ago in Kunming catalyzed the development of China’s horticultural industry. The International Horticultural Exhibition 2019, held in Beijing from April to October this year, has set up a platform for horticultural cooperation and exchange among many countries, and also serves as a stage to showcase the progress of China’s horticultural industry.

Controlled LED Lighting for Horticulture: A Review

As energy gradually becomes a more valuable commodity, the desire for reduced energy losses strengthens. Lighting is a critical field on this matter, as it accounts for a large percentage of the global electricity consumption and modern lighting systems are greatly more efficient than incandescent, discharge, and fluorescent lights. Previous research has proven that plants do not require the entire visible spectrum but react only to specific wavelengths, making it possible to control their growth and yield via artificial lighting. The flexibility of control of Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights allows for the combination of great energy losses reduction and controlled plant growth, achieving the improvement of two major parameters in a single action. This review paper summarizes the current research on the effect different light wavelengths have on specific plant species and discusses the applications of LED lighting for horticulture, yield storage, and disease protection.

Research on Gardening Status and Development Prospect of China Facilities Horticulture

Horticulture refers to the producing of horticultural plants in unsuitable season （cold or hot）, the use of keeping heat, preventing cold or keeping cool, rain facilities and equipment, to artificially create a suitable micro climate horticultural crop growth environment, not or less affected by natural seasons conduct horticultural crop production, which is known as horticulture. It Simply covers facilities include a variety of hotbed, cooling bed, a small shed, shade avoidance, shade, shade cover, etc.; ordinary protection facilities usually refers to plastic greenhouses, plastic shed and Greenhouse; modem greenhouse, usually refers to capable of temperature and humidity, environmental conditions, fertilizer, gas and other automatic control of single buildings or greenhouse.

World Horticulture Expo'99 in Kunming

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Strategies and prospects for melatonin to alleviate abiotic stress in horticultural plants

Melatonin is a conserved pleiotropic molecule in animals and plants.Melatonin is involved in many development processes and stress responses;thus,exploring its function in plants,particularly in horticultural plants,has become a rapidly developing field.Many studies have revealed that phytomelatonin acts as a plant biostimulant and increase its tolerance to various abiotic stressors,including extreme temperature,drought,osmotic disturbance,heavy metals,and ultraviolet(UV).Melatonin appears to have roles in the scavenging of reactive oxygen species(ROS)and other free radicals,affecting the primary and secondary metabolism of plants,regulating the transcripts of stress-related enzymes and transcription factors,and crosstalk with other hormones under different environmental conditions.This pleiotropy makes phytomelatonin an attractive regulator to improve resistance to abiotic stress in plants.The recent discovery of the potential phytomelatonin receptor CAND2/PMTR1 and the proposition of putative models related to the phytomelatonin signaling pathways makes phytomelatonin a new plant hormone.Based on relevant studies from our laboratory,this review summarizes the phytomelatonin biosynthetic and metabolic pathways in plants and the latest research progress on phytomelatonin in abiotic stress of horticultural plants.This study will provide a reference for elucidating the regulatory mechanism of phytomelatonin affecting the resistance to abiotic stress in plants.

Yield Assessment and Responsiveness of Shallot (Allium cepa ascalonicum L.) Landraces to Storability Relevant Traits in a Controlled Environment in Mali

Shallots (Allium cepa ascalonicum L.) are an important crop primarily due to their likely culinary and economic value. However, its production comes with specific challenges. In addition, effective post-harvest management is critical to ensure the quality and availability of shallot bulbs for extended periods. This study assessed the yield performance and storability relevant traits of five shallot cultivars (Saboula Jaba, Espagne Jaba, Daou Jaba, Tata Jaba, and N’galamandjan Jaba) under controlled storage conditions. Field experiments were conducted in 2021 to evaluate growth and yield in terms of bulb quantity, size, and weight. Storability traits such as firmness, weight loss, and Total Soluble Solids (TSS) were also measured for each entry. The five ecotypes of shallots were evaluated on-station with a total rainfall of 810 mm in 2021. The results revealed statistically significant variations (p > 0.01) in storability traits and yield among the tested entries. Furthermore, the weight loss of stored bulbs varied, indicating genetic differences among the cultivars that can influence their moisture retention abilities, leading to differences in weight loss rates. Indeed, Daou jaba showed less weight loss and superior firmness. The top highest-ranking entry for yield was shown by N’galamandjan jaba with 40 T/ha, followed by Saboula jaba with 39 T/ha. These highest productivity entries also showed significantly higher bulb quantity and individual bulb size. While there was a significant correlation between weight loss and firmness, a correlation between weight loss and TSS was also observed. The weight loss and firmness of N’galamandjan jaba were significantly correlated (r = 0.52) on the one hand, and on the other hand, the weight loss and visual quality of Espagne Jaba were highly and significantly correlated (r = 0.69). N’galamandjan Jaba and Saboula Jaba can be used to improve the yield and the storability relevant traits and prevent post-harvest losses.

Influences of Horticultural Therapy and Functional Recovery Training at a Day-Care Center for the Elderly and Text Mining of Care Records by AI

Background: In Japan, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, various behavioral restrictions were implemented from March 2020, resulting in an increased number of elderly people with reduced participation in care and rehabilitation. As a result, the decline in motor and cognitive functions became more pronounced. Purpose: The study examined how activities combining passive horticultural therapy, which is always introduced, with active functional recovery training, which is used in the functional recovery training of patients with hemiplegia, influence the behavior of elder people using the facility. Methods: 36 elder people with care need 1 or 2 who regularly used the day-care facilities after the pandemic ended and who agreed to participate in the study was included. The assessment data were every three months from December 2021 to December 2023 after the COVID-19 pandemic, the MMSE and Moca-J, TMIG-Index, and GDS15. AI-based text mining was used to compare changes in visit reports before and after the introduction of the Posture Chart and Red Code, and the relationship between the language used. Results: The results of MMSE and Moca-J were both significantly higher in Group B and C than in Group A. TIMG assessment, was significantly higher in Group B and C than in Group A, and Group C was significantly higher than Group B. The GDS, an assessment of depression in old age, tended to be significantly higher in Group A than in Groups B and C. In the “Co-Occurrence Network Analysis” shown after the introduction of the latest functional recovery training equipment such as the Red Cord, its results showed a high association between the words Bathing and CARE and words such as POSTURE, Red-Code, and AI, App, which are used in functional training and rehabilitation, and their analysis. Conclusion: At day-care facilities specializing in functional recovery training and rehabilitation, a combination of horticultural therapy and the latest functional training equipment found to help maintain the physical and mental health of elderly people certified as requiring nursing care. Since this is a short-term study following behavioral restrictions, long-term research should continue to study the effects of adding functional training, handled by rehabilitation professionals, to horticultural therapy.

Landscape Planning and Design of Kunming Garden on the 7^(th) Jiangsu Horticultural Exposition,China

Taking Kunming Garden on the 7th Jiangsu Horticultural Exposition for an example,its landscape design concepts were disclosed as "based on A Lengthened Couplet of Kunming Daguanlou Mansion,with idyllic scenery as the background,'worthwhile seeing' as the theme",conception and layout,theme and zoning of the garden were discussed,"three scenic spots and one center" were stressed to analyze the expression of landscape creation elements,regional cultures were highlighted in discussing the present landscape design of gardens on the horticultural exposition,so as to provide references for future landscape designs of gardens in the horticultural expo park.