Agricultural Research最新文献

{"title":"Response of Wheat and Faba Bean to Intercropping and Tillage System on a Mediterranean Rainfed Vertisol","authors":"Rafael J. Lopez-Bellido,&nbsp;Veronica Muñoz-Romero,&nbsp;Purificacion Fernandez-Garcia,&nbsp;Luis Lopez-Bellido","doi":"10.1007/s40003-024-00718-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40003-024-00718-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The sustainability of agricultural systems can be improved by practices such as intercropping or no tillage. Such practices have not been evaluated for wheat–faba bean cropping systems on a Vertisol in the rainfed Mediterranean region. A 3-yr study (2014–2015, 2015–2016 and 2016–2017) was conducted to determine the effects of tillage systems (reduced tillage and no tillage) on wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i> L.)–faba bean (<i>Vicia faba</i> L.) intercrop and sole crop performance under a dryland rotation system with sunflower (<i>Helianthus annuus</i> L.) rotation. Wheat was intercropped with faba bean arranged 2:1 row. The field experiment was designed in a split plot randomized block with tillage system in main plot and cropping system in sub-plot with four replications. The land equivalent ratio of the grain yield was greater than 1, indicating a more efficient use of land by intercropping. No tillage improved the grain yield compared to reduced tillage by 65, 10 and 32% in the cultivation of wheat, faba beans and sunflower, respectively. The grain yield obtained with the intercropping system was higher than that with the sole cropping system only in the faba bean crop. The cropping system was not influenced by the tillage systems. The soil–plant analyses development (SPAD) values were lower for the intercropped wheat, suggesting a lower bioavailability of N in this cropping system. However, intercropping could be highly beneficial compared to planting wheat alone since higher grain yields are achieved even without the application of N fertilizer.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7553,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Research","volume":"13 3","pages":"553 - 562"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140700511","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Improve Tolerance to Water Deficit in Indian Pennywort (Centella asiatica) by Promoting Physio-morphological and Biochemical Adaptations","authors":"Patchara Praseartkul,&nbsp;Rujira Tisarum,&nbsp;Thanyaporn Sotesaritkul,&nbsp;Daonapa Chungloo,&nbsp;Cattarin Theerawitaya,&nbsp;Kanyarat Taota,&nbsp;Harminder Pal Singh,&nbsp;Suriyan Cha-um","doi":"10.1007/s40003-024-00725-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40003-024-00725-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are a consortium of symbiont fungi present in the root zone of plants, which provide phosphorus and enhance the soil water holding capacity, resulting in low-cost input for plant growth and development. The objective of this study was to promote growth and development of Indian pennywort (<i>Centella asiatica</i> (L.) Urb.) via arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)-regulated water deficit tolerance. One-month-old stolon propagated stocks were cultivated under greenhouse conditions by following a regular irrigation schedule for a month. Two treatments of soil samples were prepared: i) sterilized soil—AMF and ii) sterilized soil + AMF. Three water regimes, (i) well-watering (control; 95% field capacity), (ii) moderately water deficit (73% field capacity) and (iii) severely water deficit (66% field capacity) for 14 days, were applied. Root colonization in + AMF plants was larger than—AMF, leading to the enhanced phosphorus content in the leaf tissues and better plant growth performances. Leaf temperature (T_leaf) (+ 0.92 °C) and crop water stress index (1.74 folds) were significantly increased, when subjected to severely water deficit. In contrast, leaf greenness was increased by 1.42 folds over the control and the maximum quantum yield of PSII and photon yield of PSII were retained. In the case of gas exchange parameters, net photosynthetic rate, and stomatal conductance were sensitive to severely water deficit. Under without AMF-inoculation, net photosynthetic rate was decreased by 52.2 and 79.1% when subjected to moderate and severe water deficit conditions, respectively. Increment of free proline and glucose in the water deficit stressed plants were evidently observed as major osmolytes to control the leaf osmotic potential, especially under without AMF-inoculation. Under AMF inoculation, free proline and glucose concentration in the leaf tissues was stable even subjected to moderate and severe water deficit. Madecassoside content in + AMF plants was the maximum at 120 mg g⁻¹ dry weight, and it was retained under moderately water deficit at 118.9 mg g⁻¹ dry weight, whereas it declined by 37.11% over the control when subjected to severely water deficit. Similarly, centellosides yield in + AMF plants under moderately water deficit was increased over the control (− AMF) and declined by 5 folds when subjected to severely water deficit. In the case of herbal yield traits, number of leaves, leaf area and plant biomass of AMF-inoculated plants were greater than those of without AMF inoculation and also retained even subjected to WD stress. In summary, AMF inoculation is an alternative way to promote madecassoside, high biomass yield and high centellosides content as well as alleviate moderate water deficit stress during the production of Indian pennywort.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7553,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Research","volume":"13 4","pages":"718 - 732"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140699571","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genetic Diversity and Population Structure in Chestnut (Castanea spp.) Varieties Revealed by RAPD and SRAP Markers","authors":"Un-Hyang Ho,&nbsp;Chang-Hyok Kim,&nbsp;Il-Jin Kim,&nbsp;Yong-Il Chon,&nbsp;Hye-Song Kim,&nbsp;Sam-Rang Song,&nbsp;Song-Hyok Pak","doi":"10.1007/s40003-024-00722-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40003-024-00722-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Chestnut (<i>Castanea</i> spp.) species give delicious fruits containing balanced nutriments and their varieties have been mainly distinguished by nuts and leaves. Because these morphological traits are influenced by environmental factors, it may be impracticable to distinguish various varieties exactly based solely on morphological traits. We used RAPD and SRAP markers to assess genetic relationship among exotic varieties and native ones including ‘SongchonBam’ and ‘KumyaWangBam’. UPGMA phylogenetic tree and PcoA analysis divided 35 chestnut varieties into 2 major clusters at the genetic distance of 0.26–0.30. According to STRUCTURE analysis, all samples were divided into two groups corresponding to two species (<i>C. mollissima</i>, <i>C. crenata</i>) in case <i>K</i> = 2. The markers selected in this study would be useful to provide detailed information about genetic diversity of chestnut germplasms to assist in breeding and conservation strategies.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7553,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Research","volume":"13 3","pages":"419 - 428"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142410864","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Spermidine and Salicylic Acid Application on the Morphological and Physiological Characteristics of Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) Under Salt Stress Conditions","authors":"Alireza Reisizadeh,&nbsp;Mohammadreza Amerian,&nbsp;Ahmad Gholami","doi":"10.1007/s40003-024-00710-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40003-024-00710-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>To investigate the growth and physiological response of the halophyte quinoa plant to the application of salicylic acid and spermidine under salt stress conditions, two experiments were conducted under field and greenhouse conditions in the Jofair region of Khuzestan province in 2019. The findings indicated that salinity significantly increased root membrane electrolyte leakage while reducing root volume and relative water content. It was observed that the most severe salinity stress (24 dS/m) resulted in the highest membrane electrolyte leakage and lowest root volume and relative water content. Additionally, salinity escalation led to a notable rise in antioxidant activity, including superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase. On the other hand, treatments involving salicylic acid and spermidine effectively alleviated the negative consequences of salinity stress on the Quinoa plant by enhancing its anti-stress capabilities. Specifically, the application of 1.5 mM of salicylic acid and spermidine exhibited increased relative water content and root volume, as well as enhanced antioxidant enzymes such as SOD, CAT, POX, and proline. This treatment also reduced ion leakage and hydrogen peroxide levels. The findings of the present study suggest that the applied salicylic acid and spermidine positively impacted the Quinoa plant's ability to alleviate the negative effects of salinity stress.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7553,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Research","volume":"13 3","pages":"450 - 464"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140719654","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Fermentation Methods and Turning Interval on the Quality of Cocoa Beans (Theobroma cacao)","authors":"R. Arulmari,&nbsp;R. Visvanathan","doi":"10.1007/s40003-024-00715-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40003-024-00715-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Cocoa (<i>Theobroma cacao</i> L.) is the main ingredient in the manufacture of chocolates and confectionery undergoes different unit operations, viz<i>.</i> fermentation, drying and roasting for a quality product. Fermentation followed by drying is an important farm level processing of cocoa. Fermentation studies were conducted by holding the cocoa beans (mixed F1 progeny varieties) in the bamboo basket, heaping on the floor and wooden box, and allowed to ferment for 6 days. During fermentation, the fermenting mass was manually turned at 12, 24 and 48h interval with a control. During the fermentation, pH of the pulp and beans, quantity of sweat collected temperature of the fermenting mass, moisture content of the mass and microbial population were determined following the standard procedures. After fermentation, the beans were dried by sun-drying, and the physical and biochemical qualities of dried cocoa beans, viz<i>.</i> bean count, number of beans per 100 g, bean texture, cut test, pH, titratable acidity and free fatty acid were determined. The method of fermentation and tuning intervals were non-significant on pH of pulp, moisture content, sweat produced, microbial population and free fatty acid. The method of fermentation and tuning intervals were significant on temperature profile, bean count, cut test and pH of bean. The microbial population varied with fermentation duration in all fermentation methods. In heap method with 48-h turning interval, pH, temperature and hardness (texture) were found higher than other fermentation methods. The per cent brown beans, considered as healthy beans, were at par with the turning interval and significant with the method of fermentation and were higher under the heap method at 12 and 24 h of turning intervals. Turning at 12h interval in heap method resulted in less acidic nature (titratable acidity) and desirable quality attributes, which is considered as optimum.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7553,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Research","volume":"13 3","pages":"586 - 598"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140722804","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"GGE Biplot Analysis of Exotic Sugarcane Genotypes in Major Sugarcane Producing Agro-ecologies of Ethiopia","authors":"Esayas Tena,&nbsp;Feyissa Tadesse,&nbsp;Diribu Tesfaye,&nbsp;Feven Million","doi":"10.1007/s40003-024-00721-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40003-024-00721-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The purpose of the current study was to evaluate adaptability and phenotypic stability of 24 exotic advanced sugarcane genotypes across three major sugarcane producing agro-ecologies of Ethiopia and identify ideal location for genotype evaluation via GGE biplot analyses. The trials were conducted for 3 years involving three crop cycles or three cuttings corresponding to plant cane and first and second ratoon crops representing nine environments (location-cut combinations). Data for estimable recoverable sugar percent (ERS), cane yield (CY) (tons/ha), and sugar yield (SY) (tons/ha) were collected from the trials and subjected to ANOVA and GGE [genotype (<i>G</i>) plus genotype-environment (GE)] biplot analysis. ANOVA portrayed that genotype by environment interaction (GEI) accounted for 42.74%, 54.70% and 60.52% of the total variation for ERS, CY and SY, respectively, indicating GEI variation was a substantial proportion of the total variation in all the traits. High broad sense heritability (<i>H</i>²) was recorded for ERS (79.28) whereas that of SY was extremely low (2.90) showing difficulty of this trait to improve by simple phenotypic selection. GGE biplots for ERS, CY and SY showed that the first two principal components (PCs) together explained 59.01%, 80.54% and 71.73% of the total variation, respectively. GGE biplot analysis also revealed high positive correlations among crop cycles at all locations for all measured traits implying evaluation of genotypes across locations could give reliable information on the performance of the genotypes than testing for ratooning ability. The location Metehara, being both discriminating and representative, was identified as ideal for genotype evaluation. Genotypes G1 (PSR-9784) and G7 (VMC95-252) having high mean performance for cane yield (152 tons/ha and 142 tons/ha) and sugar yield (18 tons/ha and 18 tons/ha) and stability across environments, were recommended as ideal genotypes. These genotypes could be commercially grown at the studied locations or similar agro-ecologies.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7553,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Research","volume":"13 3","pages":"563 - 573"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140729155","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An IoT-Enabled Smart pH Monitoring and Dispensing System for Precision Agriculture Application","authors":"Lachit Dutta,&nbsp;Swapna Bharali,&nbsp;Pranjal Barman,&nbsp;Amarprit Singh","doi":"10.1007/s40003-024-00702-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40003-024-00702-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Water contamination and land pollution are becoming severe environmental concern worldwide. Constant monitoring of the contaminants is indispensable for keeping the groundwater, freshwater, and land safe for various life forms. In aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, along with different crucial nutrients like nitrate, phosphate, and sulfur, the optimal pH level plays a significant role in plant and animal growth. Therefore, the demand for a real-time pH monitoring and control system is essential for agricultural and aquaculture applications. This work presents the development of an Internet of Things (IoT)-based pH monitoring system that examines the real-time pH level of rainwater, agricultural land, and aquaculture tanks and accordingly adapts it to the desired level using a dispenser system. Along with pH monitoring, the location-based intelligent sensing system with IoT connectivity is equipped to transmit a warning signal to the concerned authorities in case of heavy acidic rain. IoT-based pH monitoring also facilitates the transmission and reception of data from various remote locations in terms of a swarm intelligent approach. A learning algorithm instructs the NodeMCU-based system and measures the pH level in rainwater samples and marine and agricultural land areas. The performances of the employed sensing system are stable, dependable, and repeatable to be effective in intelligent sensing networks of farming applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7553,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Research","volume":"13 2","pages":"309 - 318"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s40003-024-00702-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140752595","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparing the Efficiency of Sunflower, Marigold and Spinach Plants for Their Phytoextraction Ability of Zinc and Copper in Contaminated Soil","authors":"Saubhagya Kumar Samal,&nbsp;Siba Prasad Datta,&nbsp;Debasis Golui,&nbsp;Md Basit Raza,&nbsp;Brahma Swaroop Dwivedi,&nbsp;Mahesh Chand Meena,&nbsp;Mahaveer Nogiya,&nbsp;Mahipal Choudhary,&nbsp;Punyavrat S. Pandey","doi":"10.1007/s40003-024-00713-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40003-024-00713-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Phytoextraction is a cost-effective technique to remediate contaminated soil. The efficiency of the phytoextraction process is limited by the slow growth, small biomass production of hyper-accumulator plants, and lower phytoavailability of contaminants in soil. The study is focused on comparing the efficiency of the three reported accumulator plants for phytoextraction of zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) from contaminated soil and their effect on the bioavailability/toxicity of the elements after harvest. In a pot experiment, sunflower, marigold, and spinach were grown in Zn and Cu-contaminated soil. After harvest, the effect of phytoextraction on the distribution of Zn and Cu in various soil-solid phases was studied through a fractionation study as an indicator of bioavailability. The efficiency of phytoextraction was compared in terms of the metal uptake ability of the plants. The highest biomass yield of accumulator plants was obtained with marigold (30.1 g pot⁻¹), followed by sunflower (16.3 g pot⁻¹) and spinach (7.75 g pot⁻¹). The concentrations of Zn and Cu in the three plants ranged from 58.0 to 222 mg kg⁻¹ and 6.33 to 13.3 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. In both the cases of Zn and Cu, sunflower was found superior to the other two plants in terms of phytoextraction of the metals from the contaminated soil. A fractionation study showed that in sunflower and marigold-grown soil, the carbonate bound fraction of Zn enriched water-soluble and exchangeable fraction of Zn, while in spinach-grown soil, the dissolved carbonate bound fraction of Zn enriched the organically bound fraction. Thus, it can be inferred that sunflowers and marigolds increased the bioavailability and toxicity of Zn and Cu more than that of spinach.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7553,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Research","volume":"13 3","pages":"542 - 552"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140245437","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Physico-Chemical Properties of Termitaria and their Surrounding Soils in Some Nigerian Ecozones","authors":"Simon Idoko Okweche,&nbsp;Hilili Patrick Matthew,&nbsp;Emmanuel Bassey Effa,&nbsp;Chukwudi Nwaogu","doi":"10.1007/s40003-024-00707-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40003-024-00707-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Termites provide ecosystem services and have been used as a biological index of soil quality and fertility because of their key role in soil nutrient cycling that enables trees associated with their activities to remain evergreen throughout the year. To gain further insight into this situation, we compared the soil physico-chemical properties of termitaria and their surrounding soils in three Nigerian ecological zones including savannah, derived savannah and rainforest. Parameters evaluated were the pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), organic carbon (OC), available phosphorus (Av.P) and total nitrogen (TN); base saturation (BS) and soil texture were also determined alongside the elemental (K, Na, Ca, Mn, H, Al) composition. The pH, OC, Av.P and TN in the termitaria were significantly higher than those in the surrounding soils. There were significant differences in the composition of the elements among sites in the termitaria and surrounding soils. The predominant analyte in the termitaria was Al, being in significantly higher concentration than in the surrounding soil. Na and Ca were also much higher in the termitaria than the surrounding soils in the guinea savannah zone. Soil pH had strong positive correlation with OC and CEC in the termitaria soil, but negative correlation with the surrounding soils outside the termitaria. On the other hand, both the termitaria and surrounding soils, base saturation, cation and soil texture were highly correlated between the ecozones. The findings from this study might promote nature conservation and enrichment of biodiversity in the different ecological zones, and could also support the local and poor farmers’ decisions in growing specific crops closer to the termitaria, especially the crops that require higher uptake of OC, N, Na and Ca for their growth and yields.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7553,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Research","volume":"13 3","pages":"509 - 518"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140257532","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From Laboratory to Production: Innovating the Small-scale Mass Production of Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) with an Alternative Culture Medium and Refined Culture Conditions","authors":"Kaent Immanuel N. Uba,&nbsp;Gaireen D. Gaid,&nbsp;John Mark L. Perales,&nbsp;Flordeliz C. Bongga,&nbsp;Ruth D. Gaid","doi":"10.1007/s40003-024-00709-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40003-024-00709-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study reports information on the small-scale mass production of spirulina utilizing low cost and locally available media under refined culture conditions in northern Mindanao, Philippines. A low-cost alternative culture medium was formulated using NPK 30-10-10 fertilizer as the main nutrient source, after which the optimum nutrient levels were first determined, followed by refinement of the culture conditions (<i>i</i>.<i>e</i>., salinity, aeration intensity, photoperiod, inoculum density, and inoculum growth phase). Furthermore, the proximate composition of the product, spirulina powder, was determined, and a cost-return analysis was performed. The optimum level for the NPK 30-10-10 fertilizer was found to be 1.0 mM N, which resulted in the highest biomass production of 0.750 ± 0.06 g L⁻¹. The highest biomass and best growth indices were observed at 30 ppt salinity, 90 L h⁻¹ aeration intensity, 24:0 L:D photoperiod, and 1.5 g L⁻¹ inoculum density in the exponential phase. The spirulina powder produced was of good quality based on its proximate composition, with 62.87 ± 1.38% crude protein, 6.62 ± 0.05% minerals, 0.38 ± 0.01% crude fat, 3.91 ± 0.47% crude fiber, 14.84 ± 1.76% carbohydrate, 11.38 ± 0.02% moisture, and 314.24 ± 2.04 kcal 100 g⁻¹ total digestible energy. The cost-return analysis showed that small-scale production is profitable, with a 65.22% return on investment and a payback period of 1.82 years. This small-scale production technology of spirulina can be adapted by local companies and cooperatives to spur local spirulina production in the country.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7553,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Research","volume":"13 3","pages":"465 - 476"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140257812","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}