Applied Sciences

Research

12 pages, 444 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Transforming Wine By-Products into Energy: Evaluating Grape Pomace and Distillation Stillage for Biomass Pellet Production

by Miguel Oliveira, Bruno M. M. Teixeira, Rogério Toste and Amadeu D. S. Borges

Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(16), 7313; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14167313 - 20 Aug 2024

Viewed by 573

Abstract

The by-products of the wine industry represent a global production of 10.5 to 13.1 million tons of wine pomace annually. This study examines the chemical composition and energy potential of wine pomace and distillation stillage, evaluating their suitability for pellet production within ENplus [...] Read more.

The by-products of the wine industry represent a global production of 10.5 to 13.1 million tons of wine pomace annually. This study examines the chemical composition and energy potential of wine pomace and distillation stillage, evaluating their suitability for pellet production within ENplus^® standards. Proximate analysis, elemental analysis, and calorimetric analysis were conducted on samples of the two by-products collected in a local Distillery in Portugal. The results reveal that wine pomace has a higher volatile matter content (62.695%) than distillation stillage, which, however, has lower ash content (3.762%) and higher fixed carbon (31.813%). Calorimetric analyses show that distillation stillage has a superior low heating value compared to wine pomace, with values exceeding 19 MJ/kg. Both by-products, however, exceed ENplus^® limits for ash (≤0.70), nitrogen (≤0.3), and sulfur (≤0.04) content, presenting challenges for use as high-quality fuel pellets. Combining these biomasses with other materials could reduce the pollutant content of the pellet and improve efficiency. This study highlights the need for pre-treatment strategies to lower ash content and enhance combustion. Policy support for sustainable practices is essential to optimize the use of wine pomace and distillation stillage as renewable energy sources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Plant Biotechnology in Sustainable Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 963 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Exogenous Abscisic Acid on Germination and Physiological Traits of Sophora viciifolia Seedlings under Drought Conditions

by Xin Rao, Yujun Zhang, Yang Gao, Lili Zhao and Puchang Wang

Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(11), 4359; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14114359 - 21 May 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 491

Abstract

This study investigates the role of abscisic acid (ABA) in bolstering drought resistance in plants, employing “Panjiang Sophora viciifolia” as the subject. A simulated drought scenario was created using polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000) to examine the impact of varying drought intensities (0%, 5%, [...] Read more.

This study investigates the role of abscisic acid (ABA) in bolstering drought resistance in plants, employing “Panjiang Sophora viciifolia” as the subject. A simulated drought scenario was created using polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000) to examine the impact of varying drought intensities (0%, 5%, 20% PEG) and ABA concentrations (0, 10, 50, 100, 200 mg·L⁻¹) on the germination and physiological parameters of Sophora viciifolia. The results showed that in the absence of ABA, the germination rate (GR), germination potential (GP), and germination index (GI) of S. viciifolia seeds initially increased and then decreased with escalating PEG-induced drought stress. At PEG-induced drought stress levels of 5% and 20%, the activities of peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT), along with the malondialdehyde (MDA) content, were significantly higher than in the control (CK) (p < 0.05). In response to drought stress, S. viciifolia seeds adapted by modulating germination behavior, augmenting the content of osmoregulatory substances, and boosting the activity of protective enzymes. The addition of ABA markedly enhanced GR, GE, GI, activities of POD, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and CAT, as well as the levels of MDA and proline (Pro) under drought conditions (p < 0.05). Relative to CK, low ABA concentrations (10–100 mg·L⁻¹) resulted in increased GR, GP, GI, POD, SOD, CAT, MDA, and Pro levels; whereas, at a higher concentration (200 mg·L⁻¹), although GR, GP, and GI decreased, POD, SOD, CAT, MDA, and Pro levels increased. Through principal component analysis and membership function comprehensive evaluation, it was determined that administering 50 mg·L⁻¹ ABA was most effective in enhancing drought resistance in S. viciifolia seedlings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Plant Biotechnology in Sustainable Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 6204 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fulvic Acid Alleviates the Toxicity Induced by Calcium Nitrate Stress by Regulating Antioxidant and Photosynthetic Capacities and Nitrate Accumulation in Chinese Flowering Cabbage Seedlings

by Xue Wu, Ying Zhang, Yufeng Chu, Yifei Yan, Cuinan Wu, Kai Cao and Lin Ye

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(22), 12373; https://doi.org/10.3390/app132212373 - 15 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 990

Abstract

Continuous cropping can lead to an excessive accumulation of nitrate in facility-cultured soil. Excessive accumulation of nitrate gradually becomes the main reason for crop failure in vegetables and endangers human health. Therefore, the exploration of effective measures to decrease abundant nitrate accumulation in [...] Read more.

Continuous cropping can lead to an excessive accumulation of nitrate in facility-cultured soil. Excessive accumulation of nitrate gradually becomes the main reason for crop failure in vegetables and endangers human health. Therefore, the exploration of effective measures to decrease abundant nitrate accumulation in Chinese flowering cabbage is indispensable. In this study, a kind of plant growth regulator, fulvic acid (FA), was used to study its positive effect on alleviating the growth inhibition induced by excessive Ca(NO₃)₂ in Chinese flowering cabbage. Meanwhile, we conducted hydroponic cultivation and measured the growth indices, photosynthetic and oxidation-reduction characteristics of Chinese flowering cabbage with different treatments. After determining the optimal treatment concentration, we mainly designed four treatment groups, including Con, FA, Ca(NO₃)₂ and FA + Ca(NO₃)₂ cotreatment, to explore the regulatory mechanism by which FA alleviates Ca(NO₃)₂ stress in Chinese flowering cabbage. The results showed that FA can effectively alleviate the inhibitory effect of excessive Ca(NO₃)₂ on the growth of Chinese flowering cabbage seedlings. FA recovered the photosynthetic capacity of seedlings under Ca(NO₃)₂ stress. In addition, FA depressed the accumulation of O^2·−, H₂O₂, malondialdehyde (MDA) and relative electrical conductivity, but increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes, including SOD, POD, CAT and APX, which finally enhanced the stress resistance of Chinese flowering cabbage to Ca(NO₃)₂. The expression of nitrate-related transporters, BcNRT1.1 and BcNRT1.5, was depressed by FA, which inhibited redundant nitrate absorption and restricted more nitrate from being stored in the roots instead of being transferred to the shoot. Ultimately, nitrate accumulation in the edible part was reduced in Chinese flowering cabbage seedlings. In general, exogenous FA may alleviate nitrate stress by improving oxidation resistance, photosynthetic capacity and redundant Ca(NO₃)₂ accumulation in Chinese flowering cabbage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Plant Biotechnology in Sustainable Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 5096 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Phosphorus Fertilization on Transcriptome Expression Profile during Lentil Pod and Seed Development

by Ekaterini Koura, Adamantia Pistikoudi, Margaritis Tsifintaris, George Tsiolas, Evangelia Mouchtaropoulou, Christos Noutsos, Triantafyllos Karantakis, Athanasios Kouras, Athanasios Karanikolas, Anagnostis Argiriou, Irini Nianiou-Obeidat, Photini V. Mylona and Alexios N. Polidoros

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(20), 11403; https://doi.org/10.3390/app132011403 - 17 Oct 2023

Viewed by 1141

Abstract

Seed coat hardness and water permeability, which are determined by the accumulation of tannins through the phenylpropanoid pathway in the seed, are important lentil quality characteristics. The impact of seeds’ developmental stage and phosphorus (P) fertilization levels on tannin accumulation is still under [...] Read more.

Seed coat hardness and water permeability, which are determined by the accumulation of tannins through the phenylpropanoid pathway in the seed, are important lentil quality characteristics. The impact of seeds’ developmental stage and phosphorus (P) fertilization levels on tannin accumulation is still under research. Through RNA sequencing, this study explored the effect of three P treatments (P0, 6 mg kg⁻¹; P1, 15 mg kg⁻¹; and P2, 21 mg kg⁻¹) and three seed maturity stages (S1, immature 2 mm seed in a flat pod; S2, fully developed seed within the pod; and S3, mature seed at the beginning of the pod’s discoloration) on lentil gene expression. The key findings highlighted a significant influence of the seed maturity stage on phenylpropanoid genes, with S1 displaying the highest expression levels, and on phosphorus-related Gene Ontology (GO) terms that presented the highest number of downregulated genes in the S3 to S1 comparison. P exhibited a targeted effect on the flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H) and flavonol synthase (FLS) genes and specific gene clusters, as shown by the differential gene expression analysis. This study investigates the molecular mechanisms related to phosphorus fertilization and seed maturity stages that influence tannin accumulation, offering valuable information for the enhancement of lentil product quality through breeding programs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Plant Biotechnology in Sustainable Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 4524 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Configuration Mode on the Light-Response Characteristics and Dry Matter Accumulation of Cotton under Jujube–Cotton Intercropping

by Tiantian Li, Peijuan Wang, Yanfang Li, Ling Li, Ruiya Kong, Wenxia Fan, Wen Yin, Zhilong Fan, Quanzhong Wu, Yunlong Zhai, Guodong Chen and Sumei Wan

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(4), 2427; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13042427 - 13 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1567

Abstract

The current study evaluated the canopy cover competition for light and heat in a jujube–cotton intercropping system to measure the growth and yield performance of cotton, and the optimal cotton planting configuration. In this study, a two-year field experiment (2020 and 2021) was [...] Read more.

The current study evaluated the canopy cover competition for light and heat in a jujube–cotton intercropping system to measure the growth and yield performance of cotton, and the optimal cotton planting configuration. In this study, a two-year field experiment (2020 and 2021) was studied with different spacing configuration modes designed as follows: two rows of cotton (CM1) planted 1.4 m apart, four rows of cotton (CM2) planted 1.0 m apart, and six rows of cotton (CM3) planted 0.5 m apart, spacing intercropped jujube trees, respectively. The control treatment consisted of monocultured cotton (CK). The light-response curve was plotted using an LI-6400 XT photosynthesis instrument. Based on the modified rectangular hyperbola model, the photosynthetic characteristics were fitted, and the dry matter distribution characteristics and yield were compared. The results showed that with the increase in photosynthetically active radiation, the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of each growth phase decreased first and then increased rapidly in the range of 0–200 μmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ and then decreased slightly after the inflection point (light saturation point). The light-response curves of stomatal conductance and transpiration rate showed a linear relationship. The trend in the intercellular CO₂ concentration response curve was opposite to that of Pn. The maximum Pn (Pmax) of intercropped cotton was significantly impacted by configuration modes, of which CM2 treatment generated 1.8% and 22.8% higher Pmax than the CM1 and CM3 treatments. The cotton yield in the two years ranked as CK > CM3 > CM2 > CM1, and the average land equivalent ratio of CM2 was significantly higher than that of CM3 (22.4%) and CM1 (95.9%). The six-row configuration resulted in greater competition with the trees, which affected the accumulation of below-ground dry matter, while the four-row configuration formed a reasonable canopy structure, which ensured that more photosynthetic substances were distributed to the generative organs. The reasonable four-rows configuration mode may improve the photosynthetic efficiency of intercropped cotton economic yield. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Plant Biotechnology in Sustainable Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 7766 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Growth Response of Tartary Buckwheat to Plastic Mulching and Fertilization on Semiarid Land

by Yanjie Fang, Xianfeng Yu, Huizhi Hou, Hongli Wang, Yifan Ma, Guoping Zhang, Kangning Lei, Jiade Yin and Xucheng Zhang

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(4), 2232; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13042232 - 9 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1161

Abstract

Integrated hole-sowing, fertilization, and plastic mulching techniques are common agronomic practices applied to collect rainwater and to improve rainwater utilization in semiarid rain-fed regions. However, little is known about the growth responses of tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum L.) to the practices adopted [...] Read more.

Integrated hole-sowing, fertilization, and plastic mulching techniques are common agronomic practices applied to collect rainwater and to improve rainwater utilization in semiarid rain-fed regions. However, little is known about the growth responses of tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum L.) to the practices adopted in semiarid areas of Loess Plateau in Northwest China. To address the concerns, a long-term field experiment was conducted in 2015–2017. Four fertilization levels, namely, high fertilization level (N–P₂O₅–K₂O: 120–90–60 kg ha⁻¹, HF), moderate fertilization level (80–60–40 kg ha⁻¹, MF), low fertilization level (40–30–20 kg ha⁻¹, LF), and zero fertilization level (ZF), were applied to hole-sown tartary buckwheat with whole plastic mulching, in comparison to the control with no-mulching and zero fertilization (CK). Several key growth-influencing indicators were measured in the consecutive experimental years, including soil temperature (T_s), soil water storage (SWS), leaf area index (LAI), dry matter (DM), and grain yield. The results showed that in different precipitation years, 2015 (193 ± 23 mm), 2016 (149 ± 19 mm), and 2017 (243 ± 28 mm), the ZF, LF, MF, and HF treatments had the potential to optimize T_s in 0~25 cm soil layers (at 5 cm interval). The four treatments improved SWS in 0~300 cm soil layers by 3.5% and increased soil water consumption in the pre-anthesis period by 22.4%, compared with CK. Moreover, the four treatments shortened the pre-anthesis growth period by 0.4~5.4 d, while extended the post-anthesis growth period by 5.7~10.0 d, giving rise to an overall extension of 0.6~5.0 d for a whole growth period of tartary buckwheat. Furthermore, the ZF, LF, MF, and HF treatments increased LAI by 4.4~225.3% and DM weight by 41.5~238.0%. The rain yield of the four treatments was increased by 14.0~130.4%, and water use efficiency (WUE) was improved by 11.3~102.7%, especially for the LF treatment, compared with CK. The study indicated that the technique of hole-sowing and plastic mulching combined with a low fertilization rate was an effective measure for tartary buckwheat to optimize crop growth and to boost grain yield and WUE on semiarid lands. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Plant Biotechnology in Sustainable Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
Daily precipitation and mean air temperature during the growing seasons of tartary buckwheat, 2015–2017, at Dingxi Dryland Experimental Station. Full article ">Figure 2
(a) Experimental plots after sowing, mulching, and fertilizer application using an integrated seed drill and mulching machine; (b) different experimental treatments of film mulching and fertilization levels at Dingxi Dryland Experimental Station. Full article ">Figure 3
Dynamics of average soil temperature (Ts, °C) in 0–25 cm soil layer during the growing seasons of tartary buckwheat in 2015–2017. HF: high fertilization level; MF: moderate fertilization level; LF: low fertilization level; ZF: zero fertilization; CK: the control with no mulching and zero fertilization. So–Se: sowing–seeding; Se–Br: seeding–branching; Br–Fl: branching–flowering; Fl–Fi: flowering–filling; Fi–Ma: filling–maturity. Bars are error bars of the means (n = 3). Full article ">Figure 4
Soil water storage (SWS, mm) in the 0~300 cm soil depth at different growth stages of tartary buckwheat in 2015–2017. In each growing season, mean values (n = 3) followed by different letters within a column are significantly different among treatments at p < 0.05. Bars are error errors of the means (n = 3). Full article ">Figure 5
Crop water consumption of tartary buckwheat during the growing seasons of 2015–2017. In each growing season, mean values (n = 3) followed by different letters within a column are significantly different among treatments at p < 0.05. Bars are error bars of the means (n = 3). Full article ">Figure 6
Effects of fertilization application levels on growth period of tartary buckwheat during 2015–2017. HF: plastic mulching and high fertilization; MF: plastic mulching and moderate fertilization; LF: plastic mulching and low fertilization; ZF: plastic mulching and zero fertilization; CK: traditional non-mulching and zero fertilization. So–Se: sowing–seeding; Se–Br: seeding–branching; Br–Fl: branching–flowering; Fl–Fi: flowering–filling; Fi–Ma: filling–maturity. Full article ">Figure 7
Leaf area index at branching, flowering, and filling stages of tartary buckwheat in 2015–2017. HF: plastic mulching and high fertilization; MF: plastic mulching and moderate fertilization; LF: plastic mulching and low fertilization; ZF: plastic mulching and zero fertilization; CK: traditional non-mulching and zero fertilization. In each growing season, mean values (n = 3) followed by different letters within a column are significantly different among treatments at p < 0.05. Bars are error bars of the means (n = 3). Full article ">Figure 8
Dry matter accumulation at seeding, flowering, and maturity stages of tartary buckwheat treated with different fertilization application levels. In each growing season, mean values (n = 3) followed by different letters within a column are significantly different among treatments (p < 0.05). Bars are error bars of the means (n = 3). Full article ">Figure 9
Effects of fertilization application and mulching treatments on grain yield and water use efficiency of tartary buckwheat in 2015–2017. In each year, mean values (n = 3) followed by different letters within a column are significantly different among treatments (p < 0.05). Bars are error bars of the means (n = 3). Full article ">

16 pages, 4072 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preliminary Results Detailing the Effect of the Cultivation System of Mulched Ridge with Double Row on Solanaceous Vegetables Obtained by Using the 2ZBX-2A Vegetable Transplanter

by Tengfei He, Hui Li, Song Shi, Xuechuan Liu, Hu Liu, Yupeng Shi, Wei Jiao and Jilei Zhou

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(2), 1092; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13021092 - 13 Jan 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1681

Abstract

China is the largest vegetable producer in the world, and vegetable production is more geographically concentrated in the Huang-Huai-Hai region and the Yangtze River Basin. There are significant challenges ahead for increasing the average yields of the vegetables in this region. The effects [...] Read more.

China is the largest vegetable producer in the world, and vegetable production is more geographically concentrated in the Huang-Huai-Hai region and the Yangtze River Basin. There are significant challenges ahead for increasing the average yields of the vegetables in this region. The effects of a cultivation system, a mulched ridge with a double row (MRDR), were evaluated by using the 2ZBX-2A vegetable transplanter newly designed in this paper. The key parameters of the equipment were designed and optimized by using the human–computer interaction method and the discrete element method according to agronomy requirements. Compared with the traditional ridge (TR) system on two typical solanaceous vegetables (eggplant and capsicum), the uniformities of the plant spacing and the planting depth in the MRDR system were significantly improved. Finally, the fresh fruit yield in the MRDR system increased significantly (p < 0.05) by 40.8% and 35.3% compared with that in the TR system for eggplant and capsicum, respectively. In addition, the water use efficiency (WUE) was also 54.9~59.7% higher under the MRDR system than under the TR system. All the results indicate that the MRDR system has the potential to improve the yields and WUE of solanaceous vegetables in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain of China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Plant Biotechnology in Sustainable Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 2516 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Border Width and Micro-Sprinkling Hose Irrigation on Soil Moisture Distribution and Irrigation Quality for Wheat Crops

by Shengfeng Wang, Pengwei Ji, Xinqiang Qiu, Haochen Yang, Yanping Wang, Hengkang Zhu, Min Wang and Hongdong Li

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(21), 10954; https://doi.org/10.3390/app122110954 - 28 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1435

Abstract

Micro-sprinkling irrigation is a small-flow irrigation technology that uses the grouped outlets on the micro-sprinkling hoses to spray the pressure water evenly in the field. Plants’ barriers during the middle to late growth period of winter wheat significantly reduce the irrigation quality of [...] Read more.

Micro-sprinkling irrigation is a small-flow irrigation technology that uses the grouped outlets on the micro-sprinkling hoses to spray the pressure water evenly in the field. Plants’ barriers during the middle to late growth period of winter wheat significantly reduce the irrigation quality of the micro-spray system. It is still unclear whether soil border width in wheat fields can alleviate the negative effect. In this study, a popularly-used variety (c.v. ZM 369) was adopted to test the mitigation effect of soil borders on irrigation quality, as well as soil moisture distribution, in wheat fields. Two irrigation quotas (i.e., 75 mm and 45 mm per time) and three border widths (i.e., 2.3 m, 3.3 m, and 5.3 m) were arranged in a randomized block design in the experimental years of 2020–2022. Soil moisture distribution and irrigation quality during the middle to late growth period of winter wheat (i.e., jointing to heading stage and grain filling stage) were investigated, as well as the effects on grain yield and water use efficiency (WUE). The results showed that irrigation water distribution in the direction perpendicular to micro-spray tapes generally decreased with the distance from tapes increasing. The maximum difference between the irrigation amount and water collected under the canopy was 134 mm. The uniformity coefficient of soil moisture distribution was increased by 25.8% with a 5.3 m border width compared to a 2.3 m width. Although an irrigation quota of 75 mm was beneficial for ensuring better irrigation uniformity and more stable grain yield, grain yield and WUE were produced with an irrigation quota of 45 mm. In conclusion, it is appropriate to increase border width and adopt a small quota for the micro-spray system in the North China Plain for wheat crops. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Plant Biotechnology in Sustainable Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
The layout of soil moisture distribution experiment in the second experimental year of 2021–2022. Full article ">Figure 2
Variations in precipitation, temperature, and reference crop evapotranspiration after winter wheat re-greening. Full article ">Figure 3
Dynamics of soil moisture content (SMC, cm3 cm−3) in 0–100 cm soil layers before irrigation (BI) and after irrigation (AI) events at (A–C) booting stage and (D–F) filling stage of winter wheat. Full article ">Figure 4
Distribution of soil moisture content (A,C,E) and grain yield (B,D,F) at different positions from the borders with 75 mm irrigation quota. Full article ">Figure 5
Distribution of soil moisture content (A,C,E) and grain yield (B,D,F) at different positions from the borders with a 45 mm irrigation quota. White lines indicate the positions of micro-spray tapes between borders. Full article ">Figure 6
Relationship between grain yield and water use efficiency, and between water consumption and water use efficiency for winter wheat. Full article ">

15 pages, 3016 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hybrid Genetic Algorithm−Based BP Neural Network Models Optimize Estimation Performance of Reference Crop Evapotranspiration in China

by Anzhen Qin, Zhilong Fan and Liuzeng Zhang

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(20), 10689; https://doi.org/10.3390/app122010689 - 21 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1704

Abstract

Precise estimation of reference evapotranspiration (ET₀) is of significant importance in hydrologic processes. In this study, a genetic algorithm (GA) optimized back propagation (BP) neural network model was developed to estimate ET₀ using different combinations of meteorological data across various [...] Read more.

Precise estimation of reference evapotranspiration (ET₀) is of significant importance in hydrologic processes. In this study, a genetic algorithm (GA) optimized back propagation (BP) neural network model was developed to estimate ET₀ using different combinations of meteorological data across various climatic zones and seasons in China. Fourteen climatic locations were selected to represent five major climates. Meteorological datasets in 2018–2020, including maximum, minimum and mean air temperature (T_max, T_min, T_mean, °C) and diurnal temperature range (∆T, °C), solar radiation (R_a, MJ m⁻² d⁻¹), sunshine duration (S, h), relative humidity (RH, %) and wind speed (U₂, m s⁻¹), were first subjected to correlation analysis to determine which variables were suitable as input parameters. Datasets in 2018 and 2019 were utilized for training the models, while datasets in 2020 were for testing. Coefficients of determination (r²) of 0.50 and 0.70 were adopted as threshold values for selection of correlated variables to run the models. Results showed that U₂ had the least r² with ET₀, followed by ∆T. T_max had the greatest r² with ET₀, followed by T_mean, R_a and T_min. GA significantly improved the performance of BP models across different climatic zones, with the accuracy of GABP models significantly higher than that of BP models. GABP_0.5 model (input variables based on r² > 0.50) had the best ET₀ estimation performance for different seasons and significantly reduced estimation errors, especially for autumn and winter seasons whose errors were larger with other BP and GABP models. GABP_0.5 model using radiation/temperature data is highly recommended as a promising tool for modelling and predicting ET₀ in various climatic locations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Plant Biotechnology in Sustainable Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Advanced Plant Biotechnology in Sustainable Agriculture

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Published Papers (9 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI