Simple model based on artificial neural network for early prediction and simulation winter rapeseed yield

The aim of the research was to create a prediction model for winter rapeseed yield.The constructed model enabled to perform simulation on 30 June,in the current year,immediately before harvesting.An artificial neural network with multilayer perceptron(MLP) topology was used to build the predictive model.The model was created on the basis of meteorological data(air temperature and atmospheric precipitation) and mineral fertilization data.The data were collected in the period 2008–2017 from 291 productive fields located in Poland,in the southern part of the Opole region.The assessment of the forecast quality created on the basis of the neural model has been verified by defining forecast errors using relative approximation error(RAE),root mean square error(RMS),mean absolute error(MAE),and mean absolute percentage error(MAPE) metrics.An important feature of the created predictive model is the ability to forecast the current agrotechnical year based on current weather and fertilizing data.The lowest value of the MAPE error was obtained for a neural network model based on the MLP network of 21:21-13-6-1:1 structure,which was 9.43%.The performed sensitivity analysis of the network examined the factors that have the greatest impact on the yield of winter rape.The highest rank 1 was obtained by an independent variable with the average air temperature from 1 January to 15 April of 2017(designation by the T1-4_CY model).

The influence of potassium to mineral fertilizers on the maize health

Field experiments （2009-2011） were conducted at the Department of Agronomy at Poznar~ University of Life Sciences on the fields of the Research Institute in Swadzim. We evaluated the health of maize plants of two types, depending on the variations in mineral fertilization. The conducted research recorded the occurrence of pests such as oscinella frit （Oscinella frit L.） and the European corn borer （Pyrausta nubilalis Hbn.）. Diseases recorded during the research included two patho- genes： Fusarium （Fusarium ssp.） and corn smut （Ustilago maydis Corda）. It was shown that the meteorological conditions during the maize vegetation had a significant influence on the occurrence of pests. Adding potassium to mineral fertilizers increased the maize resistance to Fusarium. Cultivation of ＂stay-green＂ cultivar shall be considered as an element of in- tegrated maize protection. The occurrence of oscineUa flit was correlated with the occurrence of Fusarium as well as the occurrence of the European corn borer for both examined cultivars.

Dietary Coleus amboinicus Lour. decreases ruminal methanogenesis and biohydrogenation, and improves meat quality and fatty acid composition in longissimus thoracis muscle of lambs

Background:Methane production and fatty acids(FA)biohydrogenation in the rumen are two main constraints in ruminant production causing environmental burden and reducing food product quality.Rumen functions can be modulated by the biologically active compounds(BACs)of plant origins as shown in several studies e.g.reduction in methane emission,modulation of FA composition with positive impact on the ruminant products.Coleus amboinicus Lour.(CAL)contains high concentration of polyphenols that may potentially reduce methane production and modulate ruminal biohydrogenation of unsaturated FA.This study aimed to investigate the effect of BAC of Coleus amboinicus Lour.(CAL)fed to growing lambs on ruminal methane production,biohydrogenation of unsaturated FA and meat characteristics.In this study,the in vitro experiment aiming at determining the most effective CAL dose for in vivo experiments was followed by two in vivo experiments in rumen-cannulated rams and growing lambs.Experiment 1(RUSITEC)comprised of control and three experimental diets differing in CAL content(10%,15%,and 20%of the total diet).The two in vivo experiments were conducted on six growing,rumen-cannulated lambs(Exp.2)and 16 growing lambs(Exp.3).Animals were assigned into the control(CON)and experimental(20%of CAL)groups.Several parameters were examined in vitro(pH,ammonia and VFA concentrations,protozoa,methanogens and select bacteria populations)and in vivo(methane production,digestibility,ruminal microorganism populations,meat quality,fatty acids profiles in rumen fluid and meat,transcript expression of 5 genes in meat).Results:CAL lowered in vitro methane production by 51%.In the in vivo Exp.3,CAL decreased methane production by 20%compared with the CON group,which corresponded to reduction of total methanogen counts by up to 28%in all experiments,notably Methanobacteriales.In Exp.3,CAL increased or tended to increase populations of some rumen bacteria(Ruminococcus albus,Megasphaera elsdenii,Butyrivibrio proteoclasticus,and Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens).Dietary CAL suppressed the Holotricha population,but increased or tended to increase Entodiniomorpha population in vivo.An increase in the polyunsaturated fatty acid(PUFA)proportion in the rumen of lambs was noted in response to the CAL diet,which was mainly attributable to the increase in C18:3 cis-9 cis-12cis-15(LNA)proportion.CAL reduced the mRNA expression of four out of five genes investigated in meat(fatty acid synthase,stearoyl-CoA desaturase,lipoprotein lipase,and fatty acid desaturase 1).Conclusions:Summarizing,polyphenols of CAL origin(20%in diet)mitigated ruminal methane production by inhibiting the methanogen communities.CAL supplementation also improved ruminal environment by modulating ruminal bacteria involved in fermentation and biohydrogenation of FA.Besides,CAL elevated the LNA concentration,which improved meat quality through increased deposition of n-3 PUFA.Highlight·Coleus amboinicus Lour.(CAL)into sheep diet decreased CH4emission.·CAL did not reduce nutrient digestibility,but inhibited the methanogen community.·CAL increased ruminal propionate proportion and decreased acetate/propionate ratio.·CAL elevated n-3 fatty acid concentration in ruminal fluid and meat.·Supplementation of CAL improved some meat quality traits.

Parallel coordinate plots of maize traits under different magnesium applications

The parallel coordinate plot is proposed as an efficient tool for visualization of 13 traits of ＂stay-green＂ maize（Zea mays L.） cultivar exposed to different methods of magnesium application. The field experiment was conducted in the Department of Agronomy, Poznań University of Life Sciences, on the fields of the Department of Teaching and Experimental Station in Swadzim in 2006–2008. Experiment was conducted as a single-factor experiment with seven applications of magnesium in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. The highest mean values of grain yield and 1 000-grain weight were obtained after application of variant T3 of magnesium（10 kg MgO ha^–1 soil） in the all three years of study.

Phytosociology—A Useful Tool for the Assessment of Past and Future Human Impacts on Plants and Forest Ecosystems

The aim of this research was to answer the question of whether the floristic- phytosociological characteristics of the forest communities described in the mid-twentieth century in the Zielonka Experimental Forest (Poland) have changed, and if so, what were the reasons for these changes and what were their environmental and economic consequences. The basis of the research was a comparison of plant community descriptions drawn up in 1957-1961 to descriptions of the states of those communities in 2010-2017. The study showed a significant decrease in the number of plant species. The reasons for the disappearance of some plant communities are seen in the natural or artificial changes of pine in sandy habitats, which evolved towards richer communities. The disappearance of xero-thermophile oak woods had two main causes: a natural cause, which was a consequence of regeneration towards oak-hornbeam woods after the anthropogenic phenomena responsible for their management, and anthropogenic disturbance related to the planting of Fagus sylvatica trees or Prunus serotina. The second case is described more broadly and considers both the positive and negative roles of changing the floristic compositions of forest ecosystems.

The Impact of Willow Flowering Time on Species Composition and the Number of <i>Apoidea</i>Pollinators

Pollinators are important to wild and cultivated plants, and the same plants are important to pollinators as well. A very important source of pollen and nectar to pollinators are willows (Salix spp.). The aim of this study was to demonstrate which Apoidea species are attracted by a species-diverse willow plantation (Poznań University of Life Sciences Willow Collection, Poland), the proportion of the number of honeybees to other species from the Apoidea superfamily visiting willow plantations, and whether the flowering date of male and female willow individuals affect the species composition and number of pollinators. Observations of willow phenology were carried out in the second year of willow growth, from March 9 to December 7, 2012. The insects were observed between April 6 and May 11, 2012. The results of this study showed 30 Apoidea species. Among 1591 Apoidea individuals, only 17 honeybee individuals were noted. The results show that the willow pollen production optimum occurred when the minimum air temperatures stopped dropping below zero. This parameter and this period are also related to the intensification of the occurrence of the noted insects. It can also be concluded that the pollen production season precedes the flowering optimum of female flowers and that the optimum flowering of female flowers is correlated with a significant increase in air temperature.

Path analysis and estimation of additive and epistatic gene effects of barley SSD lines

In the paper presented, 99 single seed descent barley lines as well as their parental forms Roland and Apex were studied. The grain weight components and their interrelations were analyzed using simple coefficients of correlation. The direct and indirect effects of such components on grain weight per plant and 1 000-grain weight were estimated using path analysis. In the 2006 and 2007, the spike length and number of spikelets per spike were the determinants of grain weight. Genetic parameters as additive and epistasis effects were estimated for all studied traits. The results indicate the importance of both additive and epistasis gene effects of number of spikes per plant, grain weight per spike, grain number per plant and grain weight per plant in this study.

Isolation of New Strains of Bacteria Able to Synthesize 1,3-Propanediol from Glycerol

The natural environment is inhabited by many species that exhibit very specific metabolic activities that may find industrial applications. The aim of the study was to select non-pathogenic cultures of bacteria of the genus Clostridium and lactic acid bacteria able to convert glycerol into 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PD). Another aim of this study was to identify the isolates that best produced 1,3-propanediol both from pure and crude glycerol. The most efficient strains identified (Cl. butyricum) were analysed on a bioreactor scale. The aim was to determine temperature conditions on the efficiency and duration of 1,3-PD synthesis. The species Clostridium were identified using amplification of the 16S rRNA coding sequence. A total of 123 isolates (of the genus Clostridium and lactic acid bacteria) were isolated;a vast majority of these were able to synthesize 1,3-PD. The best results were obtained for Cl. butyricum strain DSP1, which was isolated from the rumen of a cow fed with glycerol. The strain efficiency using pure glycerol on bioreactor scale 0.65 mol/mol of glycerol at a temperature of 38℃ and a constant pH of 7.0.

Preliminary study of acrylamide monomer decomposition during methane fermentation of dairy waste sludge

Polyacrylamide（PAM） used in sludge dewatering exists widely in high-solid anaerobic digestion. Acrylamide is registered in the list of chemicals demonstrating toxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic properties. Therefore, it is reasonable to ask about the mobility of such residual substances in the environment. The study was carried out to assess the impact of the mesophilic（39 ± 1°C） and thermophilic（54 ± 1°C） fermentation process on the level of acrylamide monomer（AMD） content in the dairy sludge. The material was analysed using high-performance liquid chromatography（HPLC） for quantification of AMD. The results indicate that the process of methane fermentation continues regardless of the temperature effects on the degradation of AMD in dairy sludge. The degree of reduction of acrylamide monomer for thermophilic fermentation is 100%, while for mesophilic fermentation it is91%. In practice, this means that biogas technology eliminates the risk of AMD migration to plant tissue. Moreover, it should be stressed that 90% of cumulative biogas and methane production was reached one week earlier under thermophilic conditions — the dynamics of the methanisation process were over 20% faster.