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The use of general target detection algorithms for small-target detection is computationally costly and has a high missed detection rate. A lightweight small-target detection model based on YOLOv5 is proposed to address this issue.First, a maximum pooling layer is introduced to reduce the number of calculations. Second, Shuffle_Conv is designed to replace the ordinary convolutional layer to reduce model parameters. To further compress the model, the Add fusion method is used in the C3 module, while the GAC3 layer is designed with GhostNet. Finally, Mosaic_9 is introduced to improve the small-target detection without increasing the number of calculations. Compared with YOLOv5, computation and parameters of the improved model are reduced by 84.9% and 39.1%, respectively, and the accuracy is improved by 2%, which is more obvious than that of the original model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinization, a significant global challenge, threatens sustainable development. This study explores the potential of magnetized ionized water irrigation and Bacillus subtilis application to mitigate this issue. The former method is hypothesized to enhance soil salt leaching, while the latter is expected to improve soil nutrient availability, thereby increasing microbial diversity. To address the unclear impact of these interventions on soil quality and cotton productivity, this study employs four different experimental methods: magnetized ionized water irrigation (M), application of 45 kg ha−1 B. subtilis (B), a combination of 45 kg ha−1 B. subtilis with magnetized ionized water irrigation (MB), and a control treatment with no intervention (CK). This study aims to clarify the effects of these treatments on soil bulk density (BD), field capacity (FC), salinity and alkalinity, nutrient content, microbial activity, and cotton crop yield and quality. Additionally, it aims to evaluate the efficacy of these methods in improving saline soil conditions by developing a soil quality index. The results showed that using magnetized ionized water for irrigation and applying B. subtilis, either alone or together, can effectively lower soil pH and salt levels, enhance microbial diversity and abundance, and improve the yield and quality of cotton. Notably, B. subtilis application significantly decreased BD and enhanced FC and nutrient content (p < 0.05). A correlation was found where soil nutrient content decreased as pH and salt content increased. Furthermore, a strong correlation was observed between the major soil bacteria and fungi with BD, FC, and salt content. Comparatively, M, B, and MB significantly boosted (p < 0.01) the soil quality index by 0.21, 0.52, and 0.69 units, respectively, and increased (p < 0.05) cotton yield by 5.7%, 14.8%, and 20.1% compared to CK. Therefore, this research offers eco-friendly and efficient methods to enhance cotton production capacity in saline soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In irrigated agriculture, the combination of multiple regulation measures is an effective method to improve saline soil and promote crop growth. Magnetized ionized water irrigation is considered a promising irrigation water activation technique, while the use of Bacillus subtilis for soil amelioration is environmentally friendly. In this study, magnetized ionized water irrigation and B. subtilis were used to promote cotton growth under film-mulched drip irrigation (FMDI) in saline soil. A two-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of differing B. subtilis amounts under two irrigation water types (non-magnetized-ionized water (NMIW) and magnetized ionized water (MIW)) on the growth (plant height, leaf area index, shoot dry matter and chlorophyll content) and the yield of cotton, as well as the soil water content, salts accumulation, water use efficiency (WUE) and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) under FMDI in a saline soil in southern Xinjiang. Five amounts of B. subtilis (0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 kg ha−1) under NMIW (designated as B0, B1, B2, B3 and B4) and MIW (designated as M, MB1, MB2, MB3 and MB4) were applied to the field experiments. The results showed that MIW and B. subtilis increased soil water content and reduced salts accumulation in the 0–40 cm soil layers compared with B0. Moreover, the two measures significantly (p < 0.01) increased cotton plant height, leaf area index, shoot dry matter and chlorophyll content compared with B0. Seed cotton yield, WUE and IWUE were also observed to significantly increase (p < 0.05). Compared with the NMIW treatments, the MIW treatments increased seed cotton yield by 2.1–12.2%, increased WUE by 0.2–9.0%, and increased IWUE by 2.1–12.2%. Under MIW, with the B. subtilis amount as an independent variable, quadratic function relationships with seed cotton yield, WUE and IWUE were established. By taking the first derivative of the quadratic function, the highest seed cotton yield, WUE and IWUE were obtained with the B. subtilis amounts of 51.8, 55.0 and 51.4 kg ha−1, respectively. Based on comprehensive consideration of seed cotton yield, WUE, IWUE and salts accumulation in soil, 51.4 kg ha−1 of B. subtilis under MIW treatment is recommended for cotton cultivated under FMDI in a saline soil of southern Xinjiang, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar is commonly employed to enhance soil structure. However, the soil structure degradation due to multi-year continuous cropping poses a significant obstacle to the advancement of solar greenhouse agriculture. This study aimed to optimize the water−biochar management mode for seasonal solar greenhouse tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.), which have been continuously cultivated over three years, with irrigation guided by the evaporation of a 20 cm evaporation pan (E p-20). The experimental design employed a split–plot arrangement with two factors. The primary factor, irrigation amount, was tested at three levels: 0.6 E p-20 (W 1), 0.8 E p-20 (W 2), and 1.0 E p-20 (W 3). The secondary factor, biochar amount, was tested at three levels: 0 (B 0), 20 t ha−1 (B 1), and 40 t ha−1 (B 2). The results revealed that biochar reduced soil bulk density and enhanced field capacity, tomato plant height, and photosynthesis. Increased irrigation improved tomato appearance quality but reduced nutritional quality, whereas higher biochar application improved both aspects. Principal component analysis (PCA) and grey relational analysis (GRA) results identified W 2 B 2 as the optimal mode for the quality of spring tomato and autumn tomato. Compared to the control (W 3 B 0), W 2 B 2 exhibited an average increase of 18.0 % in yield and 47.5 % in irrigation water productivity (WP I) with a 20 % reduction in irrigation amount across two seasons. The technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) comprehensive evaluation determined that the W 2 B 2 mode maximized comprehensive benefits, enhancing both the overall quality of tomato and achieving higher yield and WP I. This study utilized the E p-20 to characterize the reference crop evapotranspiration (ET o) and the crop evapotranspiration (ET c). The investigation demonstrated the feasibility of utilizing E p-20 to guide irrigation under biochar application conditions and develop ET c estimation models for water−biochar management modes to optimize solar greenhouse tomato production. • 20 cm pan evaporation (Ep-20) was feasible for seasonal irrigation scheduling. • Biochar improved the tomato appearance and nutritional quality and productivity. • Irrigation over 0.8 Ep-20 reduced tomato nutritional quality and productivity growth. • The ETc estimation models under biochar condition were established with Ep-20. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]