Availability of data on agricultural activities and production are essential for an appropriate socioeconomic planning and sustainability. This study was conducted using a questionnaire that was randomly distributed to farmers to identify some features of the agricultural activities in Hail region and to serve as baseline data on agricultural practices. The questionnaire was divided into main t...

The first generation of biotechnology products commercialized were crops focusing largely on input agronomic traits whose value was often opaque to consumers. The coming generations of crop plants can be grouped into four broad areas each presenting what, on the surface, may appear as unique challenges and opportunities. The present and future focus is on continuing improvement of agronomic tra...

Laser scanning is a new technology that provides accurate and dense 3D measurements from the object. Development of laser scanners and techniques has led to several successful applications in the field of land surveying, forestry, industrial design and city planning. However, airborne laser scanners have not broken through in the field of agriculture and precision planning due to high expenses ...

Food crops are a vital source of nutrition for humans and domestic animals, with an estimated 4 billion metric tons food produced per year. Crops do not only provide yields, but their traits also play significant role in regulating the ecosystem processes croplands, affecting local biotas, water balance, nutrient carbon cycling. Domestication has led to changes crop traits, making it important ...

23 The biogeochemistry and bioavailability of cadmium, released during sphalerite 24 weathering in soils, were investigated under contrasting agricultural scenarios to assess 25 health risks associated with sphalerite dust transport to productive soils from mining. 26

The use of biochemical or morphological genetic traits in a crop to protect ripening seeds or grain from bird damage remains a promising tool under certain situations. Research on bird-resistance in crops has focused on grain sorghum, corn, sunflower and rice. This crop protection method involves feeding behavior of granivorous birds and its effectiveness depends on the availability of preferre...

Food allergies are a major health concern in industrialized countries.Reduction of allergens in foods, either by food processing or genetic engineering are strategies to minimize the risk of adverse reactions for food allergic patients.Biotechnological approaches can use for the reduction of allergens in plant foods. Because food allergens can be life threathening, a variety of strategies to ab...

This paper summarises the main results derived from a study developed under the ESA funded PolSAR-Ap project, aimed to demonstrate the contribution of SAR polarimetry in diverse Earth observation products. The specific application treated here is the retrieval of phenology of agricultural crops by exploiting C-band polarimetric images. Using a set of 20 images acquired by Radarsat-2 during the ...

Melatonin is an indoleamine present in animals and other organisms. Its main function in animals where it acts as a hormone regulating circadian rhythms related processes is well established. It was not until 1995 that this compound was detected in plants and, since then, interest clarifying their role has been increasing. This article describes the functions that have been identified so far in...