Environmental, Social, Economic, and Technological aspects of Agricultural Science in Tropical and Subtropical Regions – V

Submission deadline: August, 1st 2025 (for November 2025 issue)

About the Special Issue:

The continuously rising demand for agricultural products, a result of the world population growth, has brought several well-known consequences, such as pollution, soil degradation, residues generation, and climate change. Besides the environmental impacts, the productivity of agricultural and horticultural crops is frequently affected by pests, diseases, and natural disasters. It can have severe implications for poverty, food security, nutrition, and health. Therefore, there is a need for research that focuses on the development and utilization of sustainable agricultural practices that take into account productivity and environmental, economic, social, and technological aspects.

This special issue addresses the challenges and limitations of agri-science in tropical and subtropical regions. All types of original submissions are welcome. The topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

Topics:

Crop and animal practices
Plant health and biology
Products nutrition and quality
Agricultural economics, business, and policy
Soil science
Agricultural machinery and engineering solutions
Land-use trends and management practices
Ecosystem services
Environmental impacts and protection
Modelling, machine learning and IoT sensors
Climate change adaption and mitigation strategies
Reduction and optimization of residues

Full text of the journal: Volume 23 Special Issue II (Environmental, Social, Economic, and Technological aspects of Agricultural Science in Tropical and Subtropical Regions – V)

Experimental investigation of corona discharge as a green technology for improving sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench seed germinationNovember 6, 2025
Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench is a vital cereal crop widely cultivated in arid and semi-arid regions due to its notable drought tolerance and adaptability. Enhancing germination efficiency is crucial for improving crop establishment and overall productivity. This study explores the effects of negative DC corona discharge treatment (a non-thermal plasma-based seed priming method) on the … Continue reading Experimental investigation of corona discharge as a green technology for improving sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench seed germination →
Spatio-temporal analysis of water productivity of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) under different bioclimatic stagesOctober 30, 2025
Water scarcity is a major problem in Algeria. This shortage is set to worsen in the coming years as a result of both climate change and the growth in socio-economic activities, leading to an increasing demand for water. Market gardening, in particular potato cultivation – the second most important crop after cereals – is booming … Continue reading Spatio-temporal analysis of water productivity of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) under different bioclimatic stages →
Forage potential of six sugarcane cultivars for feeding ruminantsOctober 21, 2025
The study evaluated the productive, morphometric, and bromatological characteristics of six sugarcane cultivars (Regional, RB 865536, RB 867515, CTC2, CTC9001, and CTC9004M). The experiment began at UESB and continued at Fazenda Bela Vista, with evaluations conducted 3 to 18 months after planting. A randomized complete block design was used, with six cultivars per cultivar and … Continue reading Forage potential of six sugarcane cultivars for feeding ruminants →
Evaluating the STICS Soil-Crop Model on durum wheat-chickpea intercropping system under the semi-arid conditions of Southern TunisiaSeptember 2, 2025
Soil-crop models provide critical insights for designing and assessing innovative cropping systems, particularly for improving sustainability in water-limited regions. However, accurately modeling intercropping systems particularly those involving grains and legumes continues to pose a significant challenge in agricultural research. This study focuses on the initial calibration and evaluation of the STICS soil-crop model for a … Continue reading Evaluating the STICS Soil-Crop Model on durum wheat-chickpea intercropping system under the semi-arid conditions of Southern Tunisia →
The quality and fermentation of the total diet containing BRS capiaçu or sugarcane with or without ureaAugust 28, 2025
The objective of this study was to evaluate total diet silages in PVC silos, containing BRS Capiaçu or sugarcane with or without urea. The experimental design was completely randomized with a 2×2 factorial arrangement with ten replicates, with one of the roughages (sugarcane or Capiaçu) being with or without urea (2% urea on a dry … Continue reading The quality and fermentation of the total diet containing BRS capiaçu or sugarcane with or without urea →
Liquid fertilization and conventional fertilization on soil fertility and agronomic and morphophysiological characteristics of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Braúna grassAugust 27, 2025
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of liquid and conventional fertilization on soil fertility, assessed by regrowth, and on the morphophysiological characteristics of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Braúna. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at the State University of Southwest Bahia, in Itapetinga-BA, from December 2018 to April 2019. The experimental … Continue reading Liquid fertilization and conventional fertilization on soil fertility and agronomic and morphophysiological characteristics of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Braúna grass →
Genotypic variation in rice tolerance to iron toxicity: insights from BangladeshAugust 5, 2025
Iron (Fe) toxicity is a major abiotic stress affecting rice production, particularly in acidic soils. Although not well-documented in Bangladesh, Fe toxicity is becoming a significant agronomic concern due to rising concentrations in irrigated soils. This study aimed to assess the tolerance of 18 rice genotypes to Fe toxicity stress based on morphophysiological and yield-related … Continue reading Genotypic variation in rice tolerance to iron toxicity: insights from Bangladesh →
Responses of Azospirillum brasilense on Brachiaria brizantha under different soil amendmentsJuly 21, 2025
The objective of this study was to evaluate the responses of Brachiaria brizantha to inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense in different soil amendments. Four soil amendment treatments were evaluated (Control, liming, combination of NPK fertilizers and liming + combination of NPK fertilizers), associated or not with the inoculant Azospirillum, in a completely randomized design, with five … Continue reading Responses of Azospirillum brasilense on Brachiaria brizantha under different soil amendments →
Seed priming with polyethylene glycol improved drought tolerance of late sown wheat by enhanced gas exchange attributesJuly 18, 2025
Late sowing, especially in regions prone to drought, significantly hampers crop growth and yield. To address this, field experiments were conducted during the winter of 2021–2022 at Maru and Mushaqar in Jordan to evaluate the effects of seed priming agents as seed priming with water (hydropriming), polyethylene glycol (osmopriming), calcium chloride (osmopriming), and a control … Continue reading Seed priming with polyethylene glycol improved drought tolerance of late sown wheat by enhanced gas exchange attributes →
Ammoniated sugarcane bagasse associated with cottonseed in sheep dietsJuly 14, 2025
The experiment was carried out in the goat farming sector and forage laboratory at UESB, with the objective of evaluating the association of ammoniated sugarcane bagasse with cottonseed in sheep diets. The experimental period was 21 days, with 17 days for animal adaptation and 4 days for data collection. The test was conducted in a … Continue reading Ammoniated sugarcane bagasse associated with cottonseed in sheep diets →
Liquid lime and conventional agricultural lime in soil acidity correction and characteristics of Brachiaria brizantha cv. BraúnaJuly 14, 2025
The effect of applying liquid limestone and conventional limestone together with regrowth in correcting soil acidity and characteristics of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Braúna was evaluated. The treatments were randomly distributed in a 3×3 factorial scheme, with three soil corrections: 1) control; 2) conventional limestone; 3) liquid limestone and three regrowths with a cutting interval of … Continue reading Liquid lime and conventional agricultural lime in soil acidity correction and characteristics of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Braúna →
Drought stress and selective manure on the growth and yield of Chaya (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius) in a tropical climateJuly 4, 2025
Chaya (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius) is a nutrient-dense, perennial leafy vegetable with great potential to support food security, especially in tropical regions. As a drought-tolerant plant, chaya is suitable for cultivation under changing climate conditions, including prolonged dry seasons. However, limited research has examined its specific response to varying levels of drought stress and organic fertilizer application. … Continue reading Drought stress and selective manure on the growth and yield of Chaya (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius) in a tropical climate →
Effect of different fertilization protocols and cutting intensity on marandu grassJune 27, 2025
The present study aimed to investigate the effects of different cutting intensities, combined with different fertilizations, on the productive characteristics, carbohydrate concentration and photosynthetic pigments of Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu. It was carried out in a completely randomized design in which five fertilization treatments were evaluated: a control treatment without fertilizers and four fertilizer combinations … Continue reading Effect of different fertilization protocols and cutting intensity on marandu grass →
Agronomic and bromatological characteristics of Cassava cultivarsJune 26, 2025
The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of the aerial part of cassava, analyzing its development and nutritional value, in addition to the production of biomass at different times and with different management. A randomized complete block design was used, with six cassava varieties (BRS Formosa, BRS Mulatinha, Eucalyptus, BRS White Pot, … Continue reading Agronomic and bromatological characteristics of Cassava cultivars →
Evaluation of salt tolerance in sugarcane mutant clone M4through the application of a rhizobacterial consortiumJune 21, 2025
Sugarcane is one of the most important commodities in the world, with average global production reaching 1.9 billion tonnes in 2022. However, the availability of productive land does not meet the high production demand. This encourages farmers to utilize suboptimal land to meet global sugar cane needs. The aim of this study was to utilise a rhizobacterial … Continue reading Evaluation of salt tolerance in sugarcane mutant clone M4through the application of a rhizobacterial consortium →
Bolstering household resilience to food insecurity in protracted crisis: the Case of Upper-Nile State, South SudanMay 14, 2025
This study assessed food insecurity in four counties of Upper Nile State using the Food Consumption Score (FCS) and Household Hunger Scale (HHS). It also ascertained the coping mechanisms adopted by households in response to food insecurity using the Reduced Coping Strategy Index (rCSI), it also formulated recommendations to bolster the ability of households to … Continue reading Bolstering household resilience to food insecurity in protracted crisis: the Case of Upper-Nile State, South Sudan →
Comparison of in vitro regeneration and transformation efficiency among five vietnamese indica rice cultivarsMay 4, 2025
This study optimized the in vitro regeneration and transformation processes for five popular indica rice cultivars in Vietnam named as BC15, Bac Thom 7 (BT7), Khang Dan 18 (KD18), OM5451, and TBR225. The highest callus induction rates (83-93.67%) were achieved on a medium containing 2.5 mgL-l 2,4-D, supplemented with 500 mg L-l each of L-proline, L-glutamine, and casein. … Continue reading Comparison of in vitro regeneration and transformation efficiency among five vietnamese indica rice cultivars →
Gender and intersectional analysis of agricultural value chains for youth engagement in RwandaApril 22, 2025
Youth engagement in agriculture is recognized as a quick and effective way to address problems of rural unemployment, poverty and food insecurity. This paper explores factors influencing youth engagement in agricultural value chains across nine districts in Rwanda, focusing on five major crops in Rwanda: maize, Irish potatoes, beans, chilies, and avocados. The study employed … Continue reading Gender and intersectional analysis of agricultural value chains for youth engagement in Rwanda →
Biodiversity of phytoplankton (non-diatoms) as bio- indicators in assessing the water quality and trophic status of the Euphrates river between Al- Baghdadi and Al-Ramadi Cities, Western IraqApril 16, 2025
Given the global climate changes, especially the drought conditions that Iraq’s climate has been suffering from in recent years, along with the stifling water scarcity, the current study aimed to focus on developing quantitative and qualitative tools and strategies for phytoplankton (non-diatoms) as vital indicators in order to protect ecosystems, enhance their resilience, and promote … Continue reading Biodiversity of phytoplankton (non-diatoms) as bio- indicators in assessing the water quality and trophic status of the Euphrates river between Al- Baghdadi and Al-Ramadi Cities, Western Iraq →
Efficiency of seed priming and co-treatment strategies in salt effect mitigation using Nicotiana glauca leaf extract on tomato seedlings (Solanum lycopersicum L.)April 3, 2025
The Al-Baha region suffers from soil salinity, negatively impacting agriculture. Current study examined aqueous extracts from Nicotiana glauca as plant-based biostimulants to alleviate salinity’s effects and reduce chemical fertilizer use. An aqueous extract of N. glauca, applied in ascending doses of 20%, 50%, and 100%, was being used. This biostimulant was applied using two methods: … Continue reading Efficiency of seed priming and co-treatment strategies in salt effect mitigation using Nicotiana glauca leaf extract on tomato seedlings (Solanum lycopersicum L.) →
Development of tropical grassland biomass prediction model based on UAV RGB imagesMarch 15, 2025
The objective of this study is to assess the predictive potential of indices derived from RGB images captured by a camera mounted on a remotely piloted vehicle (RPV) to estimate the fresh and dry forage yield of grasses from the Urochloa genus. The experiment was conducted between December 2021 and January 2023, involving four cultivars … Continue reading Development of tropical grassland biomass prediction model based on UAV RGB images →
Diazotrophic plant growth-promotion bacteria and sugarcane straw levels: Effects on sugarcane productivity and on soil enzymatic and microbiological activitiesMarch 11, 2025
Due to the rising demand for bioenergy, a certain amount of sugarcane straw is often removed for ethanol production, but this practice may compromise health soil. In addition to the amount of straw, growing concern with the environment has made the use of diazotrophic plant-growth promotion bacteria (DPGPB) an alternative to the use of nitrogen … Continue reading Diazotrophic plant growth-promotion bacteria and sugarcane straw levels: Effects on sugarcane productivity and on soil enzymatic and microbiological activities →
Productive and biochemical responses of Marandu grass under fertilization protocolsJanuary 20, 2025
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of liming and chemical fertilization protocols, containing different combinations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), on the photosynthetic pigments, productive characteristics and carbohydrate concentration of Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu. Five fertilization protocols were evaluated (PK fertilizer combination; NP fertilizer combination; NK fertilizer combination; NPK fertilizer combination; … Continue reading Productive and biochemical responses of Marandu grass under fertilization protocols →
The impact of straw application on growth dynamics and proline accumulation in drought-stressed riceJanuary 9, 2025
The frequent occurrence of unpredictable extreme droughts necessitates investigating measures to mitigate their impacts, as drought may occur at any growth phase of rice. This study evaluated the efficiency of straw applications to conserve soil moisture and mitigate the negative effect of drought stress on rice in tropical riparian wetlands. Rice straw was applied as … Continue reading The impact of straw application on growth dynamics and proline accumulation in drought-stressed rice →
Toxicity of insecticides for adults of Diceraeus melacanthus Dallas, 1851 (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in three exposure modesJanuary 2, 2025
Phytophagous stink bugs are considered the important pest in second-crop corn cultivation in Brazil, especially when they occur during the early stage of plant development. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of insecticides in controlling adults of the Diceraeus melacanthus (Dallas, 1851) stink bug when applied separately in three different modes of exposure. The … Continue reading Toxicity of insecticides for adults of Diceraeus melacanthus Dallas, 1851 (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in three exposure modes →
Assessment of new citrus hybrid rootstocks to salinity at the early seedling stage under greenhouse conditionsDecember 25, 2024
The citrus industry in arid areas is largely constrained by the salinity of irrigation water and soil. This study was conducted to determine how six novel citrus hybrid rootstocks will respond to salinity at the seedling stage. Three different NaCl concentrations, 0, 2, and 5 g L-1, were added to the half-concentrated Hoagland solution (corresponding to 1.3 … Continue reading Assessment of new citrus hybrid rootstocks to salinity at the early seedling stage under greenhouse conditions →