Digital technology enablers for resilient and customer driven food value chains

Food production chains have to respond to disrupted global markets and dynamic customer demands. They are coming under pressure to move from a supply to a demand-driven business model. The inherent difficulties in the lifecycle management of food products, their perishable nature, the volatility in global and regional supplier and customer markets, and the mix of objective and subjective drivers of customer demand and satisfaction, compose a challenging food production landscape. Businesses need to navigate through dynamically evolving operational risks and ensure targeted performance in terms of supply chain resilience and agility, as well as transparency and product assurance. While the industrial transition to digitalised and automated food production chains is seen as a response to such challenges, the contribution of industry 4.0 technology enablers towards this aim is not sufficiently well understood. This paper outlines the key features of high performing food production chains and performs a mapping between them and enabling technologies. As digitalisation initiatives gain priority, such mapping can help with the prioritisation of technology enablers on delivering key aspects of high performing food production chains

Efficacy of Exogenous Sodium Nitroprusside, Salicylic Acid and Moringa (Moringa oleifera) Leaf Extracts as Biostimulants on Growth and Physiological Attributes of Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) under Sub-optimal Climatic Conditions

Stress phenomena that coincide, such as drought and heat, have been shown to affect the growth of rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) negatively under sub-optimal climatic conditions in nontraditional drier areas of Sri Lanka. Exogenous sodium nitroprusside (SNP), salicylic acid (SA), and moringa leaf extract (MLE) as bio-stimulants have been shown to improve the growth and physiology of crop plants under sub-optimal climatic conditions. Therefore, the present study aimed at exploring the effect of the above bio-stimulants on the growth and physiology of rubber under sub-optimal climatic conditions. Rubber plants of clone RRIC 121 cultivated in Hingurana, Ampara, Dry Zone (DZ) were spray treated with SNP at 100 and 200 µM, SA at 0.1 and 0.2 µM, and MLE at 5, 10% concentrations at monthly intervals for six months. Physiological parameters viz. chlorophyll content (cc), stomatal conductance (gs), and leaf water potential (Ψ) were recorded before and after three months from the commencement of treatments while growth measurements (girth and height) were recorded at three and ten months of treatments. Significantly higher girth values were recorded in plants treated with SNP, SA, and MLE at all concentrations compared to control and mock treatment after ten months from the commencement of treatments. Significantly higher chlorophyll values were recorded in plants treated with SNP at 100 µM (50.6±1.85), 200 µM (53.4±1.24), SA at 0.1 µM (49.5±1.49), MLE at 5% (50.1±1.98) and 10% (51.1±1.35) concentrations compared to control (41.9±1.15) and mock treatment (44.6±1.32) respectively after ten months from the commencement of treatments. Significantly higher leaf water potential values were recorded in plants treated with SNP, SA, and MLE at all concentrations compared to control and mock treatments after three months of the first treatment. Significantly lower stomatal conductance values were recorded in plants treated with SNP at 200 µM, SA at 0.1 and 0.2 µM, and MLE at 10% concentrations compared to control and mock treatments after three months from the first treatment. Improved growth and physiological attributes of rubber plants could be attributed to the beneficial effect of SNP, SA, and MLE as bio-stimulants. Therefore, exogenous application of the above bio-stimulants may be utilized for growth improvement in Hevea sp. under sub-optimal climatic conditions. Keywords: Bio-stimulants, Growth, Physiological parameters, Rubber, Sub-optimal climatic condition

Efficacy of Exogenous Sodium Nitroprusside, Salicylic Acid and Moringa (Moringa oleifera) Leaf Extracts as Biostimulants on Growth and Physiological Attributes of Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) under Sub-optimal Climatic Conditions

Stress phenomena that coincide, such as drought and heat, have been shown to affect the growth of rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) negatively under sub-optimal climatic conditions in nontraditional drier areas of Sri Lanka. Exogenous sodium nitroprusside (SNP), salicylic acid (SA), and moringa leaf extract (MLE) as bio-stimulants have been shown to improve the growth and physiology of crop plants under sub-optimal climatic conditions. Therefore, the present study aimed at exploring the effect of the above bio-stimulants on the growth and physiology of rubber under sub-optimal climatic conditions. Rubber plants of clone RRIC 121 cultivated in Hingurana, Ampara, Dry Zone (DZ) were spray treated with SNP at 100 and 200 µM, SA at 0.1 and 0.2 µM, and MLE at 5, 10% concentrations at monthly intervals for six months. Physiological parameters viz. chlorophyll content (cc), stomatal conductance (gs), and leaf water potential (Ψ) were recorded before and after three months from the commencement of treatments while growth measurements (girth and height) were recorded at three and ten months of treatments. Significantly higher girth values were recorded in plants treated with SNP, SA, and MLE at all concentrations compared to control and mock treatment after ten months from the commencement of treatments. Significantly higher chlorophyll values were recorded in plants treated with SNP at 100 µM (50.6±1.85), 200 µM (53.4±1.24), SA at 0.1 µM (49.5±1.49), MLE at 5% (50.1±1.98) and 10% (51.1±1.35) concentrations compared to control (41.9±1.15) and mock treatment (44.6±1.32) respectively after ten months from the commencement of treatments. Significantly higher leaf water potential values were recorded in plants treated with SNP, SA, and MLE at all concentrations compared to control and mock treatments after three months of the first treatment. Significantly lower stomatal conductance values were recorded in plants treated with SNP at 200 µM, SA at 0.1 and 0.2 µM, and MLE at 10% concentrations compared to control and mock treatments after three months from the first treatment. Improved growth and physiological attributes of rubber plants could be attributed to the beneficial effect of SNP, SA, and MLE as bio-stimulants. Therefore, exogenous application of the above bio-stimulants may be utilized for growth improvement in Hevea sp. under sub-optimal climatic conditions.&#x0D; Keywords: Bio-stimulants, Growth, Physiological parameters, Rubber, Sub-optimal climatic conditions</jats:p