Table of contents

COVID-19 brought about long-lasting changes to all aspects of our daily lives. The "Social Distancing" and "Quarantine" policies making labor-oriented agriculture trap in the dilemma of migrant labor shortage and sharp increase in daily wages for some harvesting activities. Meanwhile, the supply chains in agriculture have been disrupted because of issues in transportation and market operation policy. Agriculture around the world underwent a difficult transition period to change production mode with the coronavirus-driven consumption patterns continued.

ABS is an international annual conference that deal with agricultural and biological sciences, and ABS 2021 is primarily scheduled to be held in a hybrid form of online via MS TEAMS and Offline at Bohai University from August 9th-11th. Many works were done, and many participants showed their willingness to participate ABS 2021 by submitting full papers or abstracts since late 2020. Considering the actual situation and for the safety of the participants, ABS 2021 was changed to online conference via MS TEAMS on August 9th-11th, 2021.

List of Chair of Technical Program Committee, Technical Program Committee are available in this pdf.

All conference organisers/editors are required to declare details about their peer review. Therefore, please provide the following information:

• Type of peer review: Single-blind / Double-blind / Triple-blind / Open / Other

Double-blind peer review was arranged via the system by editors and reviewers.

• Describe criteria used by Reviewers when accepting/declining papers. Was there the opportunity to resubmit articles after revisions?

Scope, organization, originality, grammar and as well as the significance of the papers would be considering when accepting/declining papers. It is ok to resubmit articles if minor or major revision is needed.

• Conference submission management system:

Bosen Academic Conference Submission System with URL as below:

http://www.academicconf.com/Identity/Account/Login?confName=ABS2021

• Number of submissions received: 230 submissions with 158 full papers

• Number of submissions sent for review: 50 papers

• Number of submissions accepted: 14 papers

• Acceptance Rate (Number of Submissions Accepted / Number of Submissions Received X 100): 28%

• Average number of reviews per paper: 2

• Total number of reviewers involved: 35

• Any additional info on review process (ie plagiarism check system): iThenticate Plagiarism Testing System

• Contact person for queries:

Xuqiao Feng

feng_xq@hotmail.com

Bohai University; Institute for Science and Technology of Fruits and Vegetables, China

Please submit this form along with the rest of your files on the submission date written in your publishing agreement.

The information you provide will be published as part of your proceedings.

The successful establishment of any crop is the initial indication of its productivity. Optimizing the establishment of a crop implies ensuring generalized, fast and concentrated emergence. This work studies optimal temperature ranges, under non-limiting water conditions, for both germination and emergence of two bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) varieties (catarina and ervilha) and two maize (Zea mays L.) varieties (matuba and sam3).

Experiments used a thermogradient plate. Petri dishes were used for germination experiments. Emergence experiments were performed in aluminium containers filled with packed portions of a sandy loam clay textured soil. Size, speed and spread of both germination and emergence were measured at different temperatures by Cu-CuNi thermocouples.

Thermal ranges with optimal counts of both germination and emergence [T_o1^sz, T_o2^sz] were identified using a flattened bell curve function. Speed was maximized for either germination or emergence over thermal ranges [T_o1^sp, T_o2^sp] defined using the plateau model to relate either germination or emergence rates with temperature. Ranges along which the spread of both germination and emergence are nearly minimized [T_o1^sd, T_o2^sd] were identified with the aid of even-degree polynomials. The intersection of all three thermal ranges gave rise to optimal temperature ranges [T_o1, T_o2] for germination (OTR_G) of the four varieties in study and for emergence (OTR_E) of three of them. In general, the lower thermal limit of OTRg was determined by speed (T_o1 = T_o1^sp) and the upper thermal limit by size (T_o2 = T_o2^sz). OTRe begins at T_o1^sp for ervilha and sam3 and at T_o1^sd for catarina and ends at T_o2^sz for catarina and at T_o2^sd for the others. The endpoints and length of both the OTR_G and OTR_E were also found to be crop-dependent. Thus, farmers can choose between crops and optimize their establishment. The identification of these parameters may also be useful in assessing weather forecasts and for warning systems and agro-climatic zoning. The influence of the substrate used in each experiment was also discussed.

Hong Kong is a densely populated area with a limited area, so most country parks are adjacent to busy traffic roads and town activities. The soil in country parks may be contaminated by heavy metals emitted by traffic activities. During the holidays, most people go to country parks to play. It is very important to assess the potential risks of residents, especially children. So far, data on pollution in Hong Kong's country parks is very limited. The heavy metals arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), silver (Ag) and zinc (Zn) were collected in the Kam Shan (KS), Plover Cove (PC), Sai Kung West (SK) and Lion Rock (LR) country parks. The mean Zn concentration in KS Country Park was more than three times higher than the background concentration in Dutch soil standard, while Cu and Pb were more than 1.6 times higher. The average pollution index (PI_ave) of KS Country Parks was classified as high, and the potential ecological risk index (RI) was classified as moderate. Country parks should pay special attention to heavy metal pollution in order to continue further research and remedial measures.

The pathology of diabetic nephropathy (DN) is due to long-term poor blood sugar control leading to changes in the filtration unit of the kidneys. However, drugs used to offer renal protection cause many side effects. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a new drug or food supplement that acts on multiple factors of DN. Studies have confirmed that Phyllanthus emblica (PE) has anti-diabetic, free radical scavenging, anti-inflammatory, immune regulation, antipyretic, analgesic, wound healing, anti-atherosclerosis, liver protection, kidney protection, and neuroprotection properties. In this study, we explored the antioxidant activity and ability to maintain redox balance in MES-13 cell line. We performed DPPH and FRAP assay to detect the antioxidant property of PE. SDS-PAGE was performed to understand the changes in the types of protein of the glomerular cells treated (24 hr) with high sugar (25 mM) with/without PE extract (10 & 100 μg/ml). Oxidative stress in cells was detected by RedCC-1 staining. Significant antioxidant activity was shown by the extract (IC₅₀ – 108.9 μg/ml) compared to Trolox (IC₅₀ – 60.9 μg/ml). The protein pattern of high glucose (25 mM) treated cells significantly reduced compared to normal and PE treated cells. Mitochondrial dysfunction and cellular oxidative stress produced by high glucose (intensity - 222.04 units) supplementation was significantly reduced by PE (intensity - 38.67 units). In conclusion, PE extract possesses an antioxidant property that can reduce the glomerular damage and oxidative stress in the cells caused by high glucose exposure

Low nutrient status and high salinity have been identified as significant constraints for KDML105 aromatic rice production in the TKR region, Northeastern, Thailand. The use of PGPR can provides green alternatives to synthetic fertilizer in this region. In this study, therefore, rhizobacteria were isolated from KDML105 rice and evaluated for their potential in P and K solubilization, and siderophore production. The results indicated that 52.0, 21.5, 17.9, and 21.1% of 629 tested isolates, were able to solubilize P, K-mica, K-feldspar, and produce siderophore, respectively. At 0% NaCl the highest amount of solubilized P (35.6 mg L^-1), K (49.5 mg L^-1), and hydroxamate-type siderophore (618.3 μg L^-1), were obtained from isolates ORF4-13, ORF15-23, and CRF16-3, respectively. Under salt stress, the amount of solubilized P of almost all the isolates increased with salt concentration up to 0.5% NaCl and declined thereafter, as compared to the control. In contrast, the amount of solubilized K progressively decreased with NaCl concentration. On the average, ORF15-23 exhibited promising ability in P and K solubilization under salt stress. The promising isolates obtained in this study should be evaluated for their effects on rice nutrients uptake and growth before developing them as biofertilizer.

Kombucha tea is the product of sugared tea fermentation by a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. This beverage contains a high source of the microbial community, such as acetic acid bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and yeast, which may serve as an alternate source of probiotics. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of dietary enriched kombucha tea at different levels on the protein and lipid retention of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus). A total of 400 fish, with an average initial weight of 5.26±0.11 g, were randomly divided into five treatments. The diet treatment containing different volumes of added kombucha tea (4 mL, 6 mL, 8 mL, and 10 mL per kg of feed) was given and compared to the control, without kombucha addition. The fed was given at satiation three times a day for 30 days. The result showed a significant increase (P<0.05) in protein and lipid retention in the groups that received kombucha tea addition, compared to the control group. Kombucha tea addition at 8 mL/kg of feed resulted in the highest protein and lipid retention, but the addition above this value showed a slight decrease in protein and lipid retention. Overall, the present study proved that the addition of kombucha at the optimum levels in diet could improve the protein and lipid retention of fish, which are related to the fish's somatic growth. These results provide evidence of the potential application of kombucha tea in the aquaculture industry as a feed additive, especially for probiotic sources.

Diabetes has been a long-standing disorder and its management has been challenging various medical and research experts for several decades because of its complex causative factors and pathophysiological processes leading to complications. Medicinal plants have been explored in several countries and traditional Chinese medicine is one of the well-recognized alternative treatment methods. In this study, we have chosen some of the underexplored plant parts of Chinese medicinal herbs and analyzed their antioxidant activity and ability to modulate the expression of fibronectin during high glucose conditions. Extraction of the plant materials with different solvent led to 17 extracts and among which, 3 extracts (2, 12 & 17) were observed to render more than 50 μg/ml vitamin C equivalents of DPPH free radical scavenging ability and 2 of them (2 & 17) showed more than 25 μg/ml of vitamin C equivalents of ferric ion reducing power. Based on the antioxidant activity and comparison of their total phenolic content, we used extracts 2 & 17 to check their effect on fibronectin expression in MES-13 cells under high sugar conditions. We observed that both extracts showed a significant reduction of fibronectin expression compared to untreated cells with high glucose levels. The expression was much lesser than the normal untreated, normal sugar supplemented cells and this was not observed in vitamin C supplemented cells. In conclusion, crude extracts containing a group of phenolic compounds have shown significant effects against fibronectin expression leading to reduced ECM deposition and tissue fibrosis. Further exploration might provide insights into the exact mechanism and checkpoints of the extract that can successfully reduce diabetes-induced renal complications.

Wound healing is an important physiological process and several natural and synthetic drugs are being tested to speed up the process to avoid infection and other undesirable pathological events. Although andrographolide has been reported to be an excellent bioactive compound that can influence multiple pathways in the cells, its wound healing property has not been widely appreciated. In this study, we wanted to exhibit the improvement in the pathological events concerning wound healing process by injecting andro in a surgical wound model in rats. The right paw of female SD rats was operated and after 5 days, pathological events in the operated right paw was observed by staining the sections using hematoxylin & eosin dyes to elucidate the dermal and epidermal changes, while Mason's trichrome staining was performed on the sections to show the granulation layer formation and provide supporting evidence for angiogenesis and ECM deposition. Pathological score was given to the sections according to the extent of the changes observed and the results suggested that epidermal changes were scored almost similar in both saline and andro injected rats (2-3), while angiogenesis and inflammation were moderately improved in favor of wound healing in the andro injected rats (2.5 & 3.7 respectively) compared to saline-injected rats (3 & 4 respectively). The results clearly suggested that, though the improvement due to andro injection was moderate, these observations might create an awareness regarding the wound healing property of andro. Further studies are required to optimize the dosage of andro to influence the molecular pathways in order to show a better wound healing activity.

The productivity of livestock farming depends on the welfare of the livestock. This can be achieved by physically and constantly monitoring their behaviors and activities by human experts. However, the degree of having high accuracy and consistency with manual monitoring in a commercial farm is herculean, and in most cases impractical. Hence, there is a need for a method that can overcome the challenges. Proposed in this paper, therefore, is the cow detection and monitoring method using computer vision techniques. The proposed method is capable of tracking and identifying cow objects in video experiments, thereby actualizing precision livestock farming. The method generates reasonable results when compared to other methods.

Four essential oils of Curcuma longa, Illicium verum, Ocimum tenuiflorum and Foeniculum vulgare were selected for insecticidal activity against the tobacco cutworm, Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) by using leaf dipping bioassay. Toxicity on second instar larvae was assessed after 24 hours of exposure. The result revealed that all the four essential oils effectively killed the larvae and showed high antifeedant activity. The highest killing amount for controlling the larvae and highest anti-feedant effect were observed in the essential oils of Curcuma longa and Illicium verum 0.75% concentration causing 100% mortality after 24 hours. These oils also presented the highest anti-feedant effect for controlling the larvae at 0.25% concentration. It seems that, plant essential oils derived from Curcuma longa and Illicium verum have an ability to be used as herbicide for controlling Spodoptera litura.

Stingless bees (family Apidae; tribe Meliponini), native from Mexico, are essential in tropical ecosystems. They are responsible for the pollination of many crops, native flora, and honey production. Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) are a regular host of the bee microbiota. LAB provide beneficial effects such as decreasing bacterial and parasitic pathogens infections and enhancing beehive honey production. Four different stingless bee species were sampled in the southeast of Mexico (Veracruz State) and identified as Melipona beecheii, Scaptotrigona pectoralis, Plebeia llorentei and Plebeia jatiformis. Twelve LAB strains were isolated from the bee gastrointestinal tract and characterised by microbiologic features, carbohydrates fermentation profile, antibiogram and phylogenetic reconstructions through distance and Bayesian inference methods, selecting two genes with hypervariable regions (16S rRNA and pheS). The species were characterised as gram-positive and catalase-negative as rods and cocci. Moreover, most of the species identified were able to use diverse polysaccharides as the only carbon source. Lactobacillaceae resulted in resistance to ciprofloxacin and Leuconstaceae to cotrimoxazole. Finally, ten strains could be identified by both phylogenetic reconstructions as Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (2), Weissella paramesenteroides (3), Leuconostoc citreum (2), and Apilactobacillus spp. (3). This is the first report of LAB isolated from Mexican stingless bees to the best of our knowledge.

With the steep growth of the global population, especially in developing countries, the pressure on the agricultural sector has been increasing. Since the Chinese dairy industry is undergoing rapid development, the demand for adequate high-quality forage is proportionately increasing. Australian oaten hay is regularly exported to China with distinct nutritional benefits, but studies concerning details of the nutritional composition and its influence on the performance of Chinese dairy cows are limited. The controversy related to the harvesting time of oaten hay is another less explored area but critically important factor affecting the nutritional value of forage. This research used a comparative research method to analyze the nutritional composition difference between Australian oaten hay and Chinese oaten hay and the nutrient and yield difference during different harvesting times. Three different forage replacement experiments were reviewed, which were conducted on dry and mid-lactating Chinese Holstein cows and weaned Chinese Holstein calves separately. The corresponding impacts of feeding Australian oaten hay on their production performances were investigated by regression analysis methods. The results of this project can provide a comprehensive understanding of nutritional composition and a systematic overview of the impact of Australian oaten hay on the production performance of Chinese dairy Holstein cows.

The study about the effect of variation concentration medium NPK to the Biomass Mastigocladus (Cyanobacteria) had been done. The aim of the study was to known the effect of variance concentration of NPK growth media within the biomass production. The other aim of the study was to determine the best concentration NPK growth media for Mastigocladus HS-46 to produce higher biomass with high lipid content. Mastigocladus HS-46 was grown in BBM as a control and NPK growth media as working media. The variance concentration of NPK growth media that had been used for this study were 80 ppm, 160 ppm and 240 ppm. Mastigocladus HS-46 was incubated on 35 °C with light intensity 1500-3000 lux and initial pH 6.5. The growth of Mastigocladus HS-46 was measured by qualitative data based on morphology and color of biomass and quantitative data based on cell diameter size (width cell), biomass weight (mg/mL), and lipid content (%). The result showed that the best concentration for Mastigocladus HS-46 growth was in 240 ppm than BBM, NPK medium 80 ppm, and NPK medium 160 ppm. Based on the highest biomass production was 2.09 mg. mL^-1 and lipid content was 57%.

The possibility of using the developed equations reflecting the dependence of the raw gluten content (Y, %) on the protein content (X₁, %) and the 1000-grain weight (X₂, g) to predict its (gluten) content in wheat grain is discussed. The developed equations allow to determine the main trends in the change in raw gluten content of wheat grains, occurring when the protein content and 1000-grain weight vary under the influence of various factors, and explain the contradictory nature of these dependencies available in the scientific literature. The equations can be used to control the quality of the manual or mechanical determination of the raw gluten content of winter and spring soft and hard wheat grains, as well as to test the operation and reliability of the various analyzers used in protein and gluten analysis.

Cervical cancer seriously threatens women's health, it seriously harm the patient's physical and mental health. The new derivative of Acanthus ilicifolius Linn alkaloid 2-benzoxazone was obtained from o-aminophenol, substituted benzaldehyde, trichloroacetic acid and isocyanate via a tandem Ugi 4CC/SN cyclization (N-cyclohexyl-2-(2-benzoxazolone-3-yl)-2-p-trifluoromethylphenylacetamide, BOABB), and the toxicity of the new compound to the cervical cancer C-33A cells was detected by CCK-8 assay, wound healing assay and apoptotic assay. The results exhibited that BOABB had obvious inhibitory effect on C-33A cells, and the calculated IC50 was 32.3 μM. Wound healing assay showed that BOABB could significantly inhibit cell migration (P<0.05). The apoptotic assay demonstrated that BOABB has induced apoptosis in C-33A cells (from 10.86% to 34.70%).