Maize production in Thailand is increasingly suffering from drought periods along the cropping season. This creates the need for rapid and accurate methods to detect crop water stress to prevent yield loss. The study was, therefore, conducted to improve the efficacy of thermal imaging for assessing maize water stress and yield prediction. The experiment was carried out under controlled and field conditions in Phitsanulok, Thailand. Five treatments were applied, including (T1) fully irrigated treatment with 100% of crop water requirement (CWR) as control; (T2) early stress with 50% of CWR from 20 days after sowing (DAS) until anthesis and subsequent rewatering; (T3) sustained deficit at 50% of CWR from 20 DAS until harvest; (T4) late stress with 100% of CWR until anthesis and 50% of CWR after anthesis until harvest; (T5) late stress with 100% of CWR until anthesis and no irrigation after anthesis. Canopy temperature (FLIR), crop growth and soil moisture were measured at 5‐day‐intervals. Under controlled conditions, early water stress significantly reduced maize growth and yield. Water deficit after anthesis had no significant effect. A new combination of wet/dry sponge type reference surfaces was used for the determination of the Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI). There was a strong relationship between CWSI and stomatal conductance (R² = 0.90), with a CWSI of 0.35 being correlated to a 64%‐yield loss. Assessing CWSI at 55 DAS, that is, at tasseling, under greenhouse conditions corresponded best to the final maize yield. This linear regression model validated well in both maize lowland (R² = 0.94) and maize upland fields (R² = 0.97) under the prevailing variety, soil and climate conditions. The results demonstrate that, using improved standardized references and data acquisition protocols, thermal imaging CWSI monitoring according to critical phenological stages enables yield prediction under drought stress.

The utilization of a non-destructive SPAD-502 chlorophyll meter, which enables the measurement of nitrogen status in plant leaves, has gained popularity in agronomic crops. Its application to horticultural crops like coffee remains relatively uncommon. The device provides quick and real-time measurements, helping to provide on-time nitrogen fertilizer to coffee plants before deficiency signs occur. Coffee leaves are characterized by thick and waxy leaves, together with many layers of tree crown. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop a method for measuring nitrogen levels in coffee plants using the SPAD-502 Chlorophyll meter for an appropriate nitrogen fertilizer application rate in Arabica coffee plants. •Coffee trees were separated into upper, middle and lower levels. Data on SPAD values and total nitrogen were analyzed.•Pearson Correlation Coefficient (R), Coefficient of Determination (R²) and linear regression were calculated for different three levels of both SPAD-502 and total nitrogen values.•The results revealed a strong correlation (R² = 0.63) between the SPAD readings of coffee leaves obtained from the upper canopy and their nitrogen content. These findings can provide a good concept of which coffee crown level will be a better part for measuring N content using a SPAD-502 Chlorophyll meter.

Vaccines prepared from formalin-killed Streptococcus agalactiae were administered to Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) via three different routes: immersion in a water-based vaccine, injection with an oil-based vaccine, and as a water-based oral vaccine. All vaccination treatments increased lysozyme and peroxidase activity in skin mucus of Nile tilapia by 1.2- to 1.5-fold compared to their activities in unvaccinated control fish. Likewise, alternative complement, phagocytosis, and respiratory burst activities in the blood serum of the vaccinated fish were 1.2- to 1.5-times higher than in the unvaccinated fish. In addition, the expression transcripts of interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) were 2.3- to 2.9-fold higher in the vaccinated fish compared to those in the unvaccinated control. The unvaccinated fish challenged with Streptococcus agalactiae had a survival rate of 25% compared to a survival rate of 78–85% for the vaccinated fish. The differences between the unvaccinated and vaccinated fish were all statistically significant, but there was no significant difference in any of the indicators of immunity between the three vaccinated groups. Collectively, these results confirm that vaccination with formalin-killed Streptococcus agalactiae significantly improved the resistance of Nile tilapia to infection by the pathogen. Overall, the efficacy of oral administration of the vaccine was comparable to that of vaccine administered via injection, indicating that oral vaccination is a viable cost-effective alternative to administering vaccines by injection.

The analysis of soil organic matter (OM), total carbon (TC), and total nitrogen (TN) using traditional methods is quite time-consuming and involves the use of hazardous chemical reagents. Absorbance spectroscopy, especially near-infrared (NIR), is becoming more popular for soil analysis. This method requires little sample preparation, no chemicals, and a single spectral analysis to evaluate soil properties. Thus, this research aimed to develop an NIR spectroscopy method for the analysis of OM, TC, and TN in agricultural soils. These findings can provide a good concept of using PLS regression with NIR techniques. The method is as follows: • Topsoil (0–20 cm) samples were collected from various agricultural fields. OM, TC, and TN were analyzed using traditional methods and NIR spectroscopy. • NIR spectra were obtained using an FT-NIR spectrometer, original spectral including with Savitzky–Golay smoothing, standard normal variate (SNV) and multiplicative scatter correction (MSC) preprocessing method were used to create a predicted model through Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression with 65 % calibration, and the rest 35 % for validation. • The results showed significant relationships between measured soil properties (SOM and TC) and NIR absorbance spectra in agricultural soil (R² of calibration and validation higher than 0.80).

Background: As a method for sustainable agriculture, biofertilizers containing plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) have been recommended as an alternative to chemical fertilizers. However, the short shelf-life of inoculants remains a limiting factor in the development of biofertilizer technology. The present study aimed to (i) evaluate the effectiveness of four different carriers (perlite, vermiculite, diatomite and coconut coir dust) on the shelf-life of S2-4a1 and R2-3b1 isolates over 60 days after inoculation and (ii) evaluate isolated bacteria as growth-promoting agents for coffee seedlings. Methods: The rhizosphere soil-isolated S2-4a1 and plant-tissue-isolated R2-3b1 were chosen based on their P and K-solubilizing capacities and their ability to produce IAA. To evaluate the alternative carriers, two selected isolates were inoculated with the four different carriers and incubated at 25 °C for 60 days. The bacterial survival, pH, and EC in each carrier were investigated. In addition, coconut coir dust inoculated with the selected isolates was applied to the soil in pots planted with coffee (Coffea arabica). At 90 days following application, variables such as biomass and total N, P, K, Ca, and Mg uptakes of coffee seedlings were examined. Results: The results showed that after 60 days of inoculation at 25 °C, the population of S2-4a1 and R2-3b1 in coconut coir dust carriers was 1.3 and 2.15 × 10⁸ CFU g⁻¹, respectively. However, there were no significant differences among carriers (P > 0.05). The results of the present study suggested that coconut coir dust can be used as an alternative carrier for S2-4a1 and R2-3b1 isolates. The significant differences in pH and EC were observed by different carriers (P < 0.01) after inoculation with both bacterial isolates. However, pH and EC declined significantly only with coconut coir dust during the incubation period. In addition, coconut coir dust-based bioformulations of both S2-4a1 and R2-3b1 enhanced plant growth and nutrient uptake (P, K, Ca, Mg), providing evidence that isolated bacteria possess additional growth-promoting properties.

The pollution caused by plastic mulch film in agriculture has garnered significant attention. To safeguard the ecosystem from the detrimental effects of plastic pollution, it is imperative to investigate the use of biodegradable materials for manufacturing agricultural plastic film. Biochar has emerged as a feasible substance for the production of biodegradable mulch film (BDM), providing significant agricultural soil benefits. Although biochar has been widely applied in BDM manufacturing, the effect of biochar-filled plastic mulch film on soil carbon stock after its degradation has not been well documented. This study provides an overview of the current stage of biochar incorporated with BDM and summarizes its possible pathway on soil carbon stock contribution. The application of biochar-incorporated BDM can lead to substantial changes in soil microbial diversity, thereby influencing the emissions of greenhouse gases. These alterations may ultimately yield unforeseen repercussions on the carbon cycles. However, in light of the current knowledge vacuum and potential challenges, additional study is necessary to ascertain if biochar-incorporated BDM can effectively mitigate the issues of residual mulch film and microplastic contamination in agricultural land. Significant progress remains necessary before BDM may fully supplant traditional agricultural mulch film in agricultural production.