A new color index for vegetation segmentation and classification

Color vegetation indices enable various precision agriculture applications by transforming a 3D-color image into its 1D-grayscale counterpart, such that the color of vegetation pixels can be accentuated, while those of nonvegetation pixels are attenuated. The quality of the transformation is essential to the outcomes of computational analyses to follow. The objective of this article is to propose a new vegetation index, the Elliptical Color Index (ECI), which leverages the quadratic discriminant analysis of 3D-color images along a normalized red (r)—green (g) plane. The proposed index is defined as an ellipse function of r and g variables with a shape parameter. For comparison, the ECI’s performance was evaluated along with six other indices, by using 240 color images as a test sample captured from four vegetation species under different illumination and background conditions, together with the corresponding ground-truth patterns. For comparative analysis, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and the precision–recall (PR) curves helped quantify the overall performance of vegetation segmentation across all of the vegetation indices evaluated. For a practical appraisal of vegetation segmentation outcomes, this paper applied Gaussian filtering, and then the thresholding method of Otsu, to the grayscale images transformed by each of the indices. Overall, the test results confirmed that ECI outperforms the other indices, in terms of the area under the curves of ROC and PR, as well as other performance metrics, including total error, precision, and F-score.

     

Correction to: Automation in Agriculture by Machine and Deep Learning Techniques: A Review of Recent Developments

Precision Agriculture - A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11119-021-09824-9     

Separation of DNA for molecular markers analysis from leaves of the Vitis vinifera

In the present study, three DNA extraction procedures were examined to determine which might yield DNA from Grape leaves suitable for molecular analysis for RAPD, SSR. AFLP and etc analysis. The three methods examined were: the miniprep procedure and the modified CTAB for difficult species and protocol CTAB. Only the modified CTAB method consistently yielded DNA suitable for Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification, regardless of plant growing conditions or leaf age. The quality and quantity of extracted genomic DNA gained from these methods are deliberated by means UV biophotometer, electrophoresis in 1.2% agarose gel and PCR. In this regard, application chosen for young and mature leaves, the most value of qualified DNA, is extracted from fully expanded leave when PVP was added to the extraction buffer. This same procedure also yielded PCR-amplifiable DNA from various other perennial, woody species and from other fruit species such as apple (Malus domestica), cherry (Prunus avium), peach (Prunuspersica), plum (Prunus domestica). DNA yield from this procedure is high (up to 1 mg g(-1) of leaf tissue). DNA is completely digestible with restriction endonucleases and amplifiable in the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).     

热风辅助射频间歇干燥对稻米理化特性的影响（英文稿）

论文采用热风辅助射频干燥和间歇缓苏技术进行了稻谷产后处理。研究了极板间距（100、110、120 mm）、物料温度（50、55、60°C）、风速（0.5、1.5、2.5 m/s）等参数对稻米品质（整精米产量、破碎率、垩白度、长宽比、不良粒率、脂肪酸值和新鲜度）的影响,获得了最优干燥工艺条件为：极板间距110 mm、物料温度60°C、风速2.5 m/s。研究表明,与热风干燥相比,射频加热提高整精米产量、新鲜度,降低破碎率分别高达16.21%、36.48%和26.45%。热风辅助射频干燥和热风干燥样品的黄度、长宽比和脂肪酸值差异不显著（P > 0.05）,而前者的垩白度略高于后者。研究结果对于工业规模上应用热风辅助射频干燥技术改善稻米品质具有重要的指导意义。     

Silver nitrate and adenine sulphate induced high regeneration frequency in the recalcitrant plant Cosmos bipinnatus using cotyledon explants

Plant regeneration ability was studied in the medicinal-ornamental plant, Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Sonata white’, which is a dicotyledonous recalcitrant plant to shoot induction. Cotyledons were used as sources of explants to investigate plant regeneration. High frequency of direct shoot induction was obtained when BA (5 mg/l) and AgNO₃ (5 mg/l) were used in combination with 20 mg/l adenine sulphate (73.8%) in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. The highest shoot number per explant (5.7) was induced on MS medium supplemented with 5 mg/l BA, 5 mg/l AgNO₃, and 40 mg/l adenine. Eight week-old shoots were transferred to root induction media containing MS and half-strength MS medium with different concentration of IBA. The highest rate of root induction (70.8%) was obtained on half-strength MS medium with 1.5 mg/l IBA within four weeks. The plantlets were transferred to pot and kept in the greenhouse condition. Seventy percent of the plantlets successfully acclimatised.

Abbreviations: BA, 6-benzylaminopurine; IBA, Indole-3-butyric acid; MS, Murashige and Skoog; PGRs, plant growth regulators.     

Efficient in vitro multiplication in Ornithogalum ulophyllum Hand.-Mazz. from twin scale explants

Ornithogalum ulophyllum Hand.-Mazz. with beautiful white flowers is an important medicinal and ornamental plant of the Middle Eastern countries and need exploitation for commercial propagation. The study reports in vitro mass proliferation of bulblets achieved from twin scales and “in vitro regenerated bulblet” explants on MS medium supplemented with various concentrations of BAP–NAA. The best regeneration on twin scales and “in vitro regenerated bulblets” was obtained on MS medium containing 2 mg l⁻¹ BAP–0.5 mg l⁻¹ NAA and 2 mg l⁻¹BAP–1 mg l⁻¹ NAA, respectively. However, bulb scales seemed to be more potent for bulblet regeneration. A large number of the developing bulblets rooted on the regeneration medium. Remaining non-rooting bulblets were rooted on MS medium containing 1 mg l⁻¹ NAA. All plants were acclimatized in the environmental chamber for 4 weeks and were transferred to the greenhouse for flowering. Regenerated bulblets developed into morphologically normal plants.     

A comparison of the gelling of isubgol,agar and gelrite on in vitro shoot regeneration and rooting of variety Samsun of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.)

Agar is being used to solidify media for plant tissue culture since long. Both purity and type of agar or gelling agent influence the behaviour and growth of tissues in culture. The study using leaf disc explants of variety Samsun of tobacco compares adventitous shoot regeneration on 0.5 cm × 0.5 cm leaf discs cultured on MSD4X2 medium and rooting on MSO medium gelled with different blends of agar–isubgol, gelrite–isubgol, phytagel–isubgol or isubgol singly. It was found that irrespective of some problems associated with isubgol gel, the maximum number of shoot per explant were recorded on MSD4X2 medium gelled with 7 g/l isubgol. The longest shoots were recorded on MSD4X2 medium gelled with 9 g/l isubgol. Likewise, the highest number of roots were also recorded on MSO medium gelled with 7 g/l isubgol. For a given quantity of a medium, agar, gelrite/isubgol blends are very cheap compared to agar used singly. Moreover, blends of agar/isubgol, gelrite/isubgol gelled at low temperatures indicated safe use of these gels for heat labile substances in genetic transformation or tissue culture experiments. The results emphasized the potential of the isubgol used singly or in combination with agar and gelrite for economic commercial application, replacing the costliest, though not indispensable, gelling agent agar.     

Interspecies allometric scaling: prediction of clearance in large animal species: part II: mathematical considerations

Interspecies scaling is a useful tool for the prediction of pharmacokinetic parameters from animals to humans, and it is often used for estimating a first-time in human dose. However, it is important to appreciate the mathematical underpinnings of this scaling procedure when using it to predict pharmacokinetic parameter values across animal species. When cautiously applied, allometry can be a tool for estimating clearance in veterinary species for the purpose of dosage selection. It is particularly valuable during the selection of dosages in large zoo animal species, such as elephants, large cats and camels, for which pharmacokinetic data are scant. In Part I, allometric predictions of clearance in large animal species were found to pose substantially greater risks of inaccuracies when compared with that observed for humans. In this report, we examine the factors influencing the accuracy of our clearance estimates from the perspective of the relationship between prediction error and such variables as the distribution of body weight values used in the regression analysis, the influence of a particular observation on the clearance estimate, and the 'goodness of fit' (R(2)) of the regression line. Ultimately, these considerations are used to generate recommendations regarding the data to be included in the allometric prediction of clearance in large animal species.     

Allelic variation and composition of HMW-GS in advanced lines derived from d-genome synthetic hexaploid / bread wheat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum aestivum</Emphasis> L.)

The objective of this study was to identify allelic variations at Glu-1 loci of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) advanced lines derived from hybridization of bread wheat and synthetic hexaploid wheats (2n = 6x = 42; AABBDD). Locally adapted wheat genotypes were crossed with synthetic hexaploid wheats. From the 134 different cross combinations made, 202 F₈ advanced lines were selected and their HMW-GS composition was studied using SDS-PAGE. In total, 24 allelic variants and 68 HMW-GS combinations were observed at Glu-A1, Glu-B1, and Glu-D1 loci. In bread wheat, the Glu-D1 locus is usually characterized by subunits 1Dx2+1Dy12 and 1Dx5+1Dy10 with the latter having a stronger effect on bread-making quality. The subunit 1Dx5+1Dy10 was predominantly observed in these advanced lines. The inferior subunit 1Dx2+1Dy12, predominant in adapted wheat germplasm showed a comparative low frequency in the derived advanced breeding lines. Its successful replacement is due to the other better allelic variants at the Glu-D1 locus inherited in these synthetic hexaploid wheats from Aegilops tauschii (2n = 2x = 14; DD).     

Seroprevalence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Toxoplasma gondii</Emphasis> in sheep and goats in Rahim Yar Khan (Punjab), Pakistan

Toxoplasmosis, an infection caused by Toxoplasma (T.) gondii Apicomplexa protozoan, is widespread in humans and other animal species, having already been reported in many countries and different climates. In Pakistan, no data is available on this aspect among food animals. This study was undertaken to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in sheep and goats. A total of 200 serum samples from sheep and goats, were collected from urban area of Rahim Yar Khan (Punjab), Pakistan and tested for Toxoplasmosis with a commercial latex agglutination kit (Eiken Chemical Co., Ltd. Japan). The overall seroprevalence of Toxoplasmosis was 19%. Goats had a significantly higher (p < 0.01) prevalence (25.4%) as compared to the sheep (11.2%); and higher (p < 0.01) in the female (24%) than in the males (19%) for both species. In the present study the male (both in sheep and goat) are found less seropositive T. gondii (OR = 0.23; 99% C.I. = 0.01, 1.81) as compared to female sheep and goat. The prevalence was significantly higher (p < 0.01) in adult sheep than younger animals. Among both the sheep and goats the group from 1–1.5 years are highly seropositive (OR = 1.75; 99% C.I. = 0.47, 6.51) as compared to the group less than one year of age followed by the 2–2.5 years age group (OR = 1.63; 99% C.I. = 0.50, 5.74) whereas group with more than 3 years of age least seropositive.