Homalomena occulta, a member of the Araceae family, is a medicinal plant of high economic value widely used in traditional medicine. Clonal propagation via stem cuttings offers several advantages, including maintaining genetic fidelity, ensuring highquality seedlings. This study aimed to determine the optimal concentration of α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), the appropriate treatment duration, and the most suitable substrate formulation to enhance the growth performance and nursery-stage transplanting success of Homalomena occulta. The results showed that treating cuttings with 150 ppm NAA for 60 sec yielded the best outcomes, with an average of 20.1 roots, and a root length of 27.7 cm. The most effective growing medium for the nursery stage was a mixture of 25% Tribat soil, 50% sand, and 25% coir dust. This substrate achieved a survival rate of 85.8%, shoot height of 27.7 cm, an average of 3.9 leaves, stem diameter of 14.4 mm, transplanting success rate of 99.4%, and a Dickson quality index of 1.8. This study provides a scientific basis for optimizing propagation techniques and nursery practices for Homalomena occulta, contributing to large-scale production and conservation of this valuable medicinal species.

The objective of this study was to determine the optimal seedling age and number of leaves on the main stem for cultivating the Kim Hoàng Hậu melon in greenhouses to achieve good growth and high yield. The experiment utilized a main-subplot design with three replications, comprising two factors: the age of the seedlings at planting (T), which included seedlings without true leaves (T1), those with one true leaf (T2), and those with two true leaves (T3); and the number of leaves on the main stem (L), categorized as 24 leaves (L1), 28 leaves (L2), and 32 leaves (L3). The results indicated that the combination of no true leaves and 32 leaves on the main stem resulted in the longest duration from planting to topping and fruit ripening, taking 47 and 80 days, respectively, during the spring-summer crop, and 44 and 74 days in the summer-autumn crop. Additionally, the combination of one true leaf and 28 leaves (T2L2) achieved the highest yield and brix level, yielding 37.8 tons/ha with a brix of 12% in the spring-summer season and 36.2 tons/ha with a brix of 11.6% in the summer-autumn season.

Saltwater intrusion presents a global challenge that adversely affects ecosystems, depletes freshwater resources, compromises human health, and hinders agricultural development. Therefore, the development of efficient desalination methods has become critically important. Among emerging solutions, microalgaebased desalination has gained significant attention due to its high efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and environmental sustainability. This study summarizes current knowledge on the mechanisms, influencing factors, and practical applications of microalgae (Chlorophyta) in desalination. Microalgae desalinate water mainly through two mechanisms: biosorption and bioaccumulation. Cultivation of microalgae can be employed in different photosynthetic bioreactors, in which open pond systems are particularly promising due to their scalability, low operational costs, and ability to harness solar energy. The application of microalgae for desalination addresses salinization and contributes to sustainable development goals by promoting ecological balance.

The purpose of this study was to find a suitable feed for Koi carp during the nursing time, a period from 1 to 20 days old. Three types of feed were tested: Moina, bloodworms, and commercial food. Moina and bloodworms were used in the form of fresh biomass, while the commercial food was a type of fine powder and flakes with a protein content of 42%, specifically formulated for fish. There were three experimental treatments (NT) as follows: NT1: days 1 - 10, feeding Moina; days 11 - 15, feeding bloodworms; days 16 - 20, feeding commercial food. NT2: days 1 - 5, feeding Moina; days 6 - 10, feeding Moina + bloodworms (50:50 ratio); days 11 - 15, feeding bloodworms + commercial food (50:50 ratio); days 16 - 20, feeding commercial food. NT3: feeding commercial food from days 1 - 20. The stocking density was 5 fingerlings per liter. Each treatment was repeated 3 times simultaneously. The research results showed that the type of feed significantly affected the growth in length, weight, and survival rate of the fish (P < 0.05). The NT2 exhibited the best growth, with the highest length (24.03 ± 0.37 mm), weight (414.25 ± 8.06 mg), and had the highest survival rate (81.67 ± 0.33%). The NT3 had the lowest growth performance, with length (7.52 ± 0.34 mm), weight (75.18 ± 0.91 mg), and survival rate (54.33 ± 2.73%). The NT1 had an intermediate growth performance, with length (20.52 ± 0.32 mm) and weight (16.98 ± 0.33 mg) (P < 0.05). Briefly, these results help improve the koi carp rearing process in a commercial farming environment.

The study aimed to identify beneficial indigenous microorganisms to control root-knot nematodes on vegetables. This research isolated, selected, and identified three promising indigenous Bacillus strains (Bacillus velezensis BHMT 4.1, B. amyloliquefaciens CCCX 2.2, and B. subtilis CCCX 2.1) for controlling root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) and promoting vegetable plant growth. The study qualitatively assessed several plant growth-promoting traits of Bacillus strains. All of them were capable of producing IAA (indole-3-acetic acid), solubilizing phosphate (with solubilization halos ranging from 1.57 to 2.0 mm), and producing siderophores (with siderophore production indices from 3.33 to 6.33 mm). Furthermore, three Bacillus strains exhibited nematicidal activity against the second juvenile stage (J2) and inhibited egg hatching of Meloidogyne spp. B. velezensis BHMT 4.1 strain demonstrated the highest mortality rate of 66.67% against J2 after 48 h and achieved a 44% inhibition rate of egg hatching after 7 days. These findings suggest that indigenous Bacillus strains have strong potential for application in the biological control of root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) on vegetables.

Cymbidium finlaysonianum is one of the Vietnamese orchid species, diverse in shape and color of flowers, with high economic value, but the genetic resources of this species have been depleted due to overexploitation. A total of 32 C. finlaysonianum samples were collected and evaluated for genetic diversity based on SSR markers. The results showed that 12 primers showed high polymorphism with an average polymorphic allele frequency of 0.22 and an average allele number of 3.5 alleles/primer, ranging from 2 to 6 alleles/primer. In addition, the high genetic diversity between these samples was also recorded through the polymorphic information content of 0.79, ranging from 0.58 to 0.94. The results of genetic relationship analysis showed that these samples had genetic diversity coefficients ranging from 0.02 to 0.4 with an average of 0,17. Cluster analysis displayed that 32 C. finlaysonianum samples were divided into 06 main groups. Group (Ia, Ib) consisted of 18 samples, group Ic comprised 04 samples, group IIa comprised 07 samples, group IIb comprised 02 samples, and group III showed only 01 sample. These results could be useful information for the genetic conservation and development of new C. finlaysonianum varieties in the future.

Along with the development of the transportation system and urban infrastructure in Ho Chi Minh City, many overpasses have been formed to connect districts, shortening travel time and reducingtraffic jams during rush hours. This study was organized from March to September 2024 with the aim of surveying and evaluating the landscape under overpasses in terms of infrastructure, soil, light, usage, and flora; thereby proposing solutions to improve these spaces. The survey was conducted with survey questionnaires at 33 overpasses. The criteria were directly observed, photographed, and recorded in the questionnaires, then synthesized, analyzed, and presented graphically. The results showed that most landscapes under the overpasses had plants and infrastructure that met their functions; however, many overpasses were encroached upon or improperly used. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance the landscape under overpasses by planning, designing, and managing solutions to meet its functions.

This study applied the Markov chain model integrated with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to analyze land use trends in Cu Chi district, Ho Chi Minh City, from 2010 to 2020 and to project land use changes for 2025 and 2030. Utilizing land use status maps in 2010, 2015, and 2020, the study developed a land use transition probability matrix to simulate future land use trends. The results indicated that from 2010 to 2030, agricultural land and perennial cropland will decline, while residential land and non-agricultural production land will expand significantly due to urbanization and industrialization. The model's accuracy was validated by comparing the 2020 forecast with actual data, yielding an overall model average of 9.08% for Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) and 428.73 ha for root mean square error (RMSE), demonstrating high reliability. By 2030, residential land is projected to increase (+973.81 ha, +28.52%), whereas perennial cropland will decline sharply (-1,946.22 ha, -12.45%), primarily being converted into urban and industrial zones, posing challenges in balancing urban expansion, economic growth, and land resource conservation. This research provides a scientific basis to support land use planning, thereby assisting policymakers and urban planners in developing sustainable land management strategies for Cu Chi district.

Increased temperatures and changes in rainfall patterns in Vietnam due to climate change are likely to have significant impacts on flow regimes in river basins as well as on national water resources. This study investigated the changes in hydrological regime at 11 freshwater hydrological monitoring stations with good observation data (spanning 35 years, from 1987 to 2022) distributed across Vietnam. The study applied the Mann-Kendall statistical test and calculated Sen’s slope for three hydrological indices (annual mean flow, annual maximum flow and annual minimum flow) at selected monitoring stations. The assessment highlighted a dominant decreasing trend throughout the period under study, with data from four monitoring stations (distributed in different river systems) showing a decline in all three indicators. Two basins showed an increasing trend in all three assessed indicators, but most of these trends were not statistically significant. This result demonstrates the complex changes in the hydrological regime of Vietnam's river basins. Some important factors that may influence these trends are changes in land use, the expansion of dams and reservoirs and rapid urbanization (to support the national economic development since 2000s), which should be further investigated in future research.

Coffee fruit pulp is known to be a rich source of fiber and natural antioxidant compounds. Current research has only exploited this source of by-products as fertilizer, animal feed, and new materials, while research in the food industry is still limited. This research aimed to valorize the coffee pulp by developing a new fruit leather product. The research showed that pectin supplementation at a rate of 2%, with a mixing ratio of two types of pectin, including commercial product with high methoxyl pectin (HMP) and commercial low methoxyl pectin (LMP), at the ratios of 1.5:0.5, 1:1, and 0.5:1.5 g/g, significantly affected the physical properties of the dried coffee fruit leather. All the samples supplemented with pectin had higher rupture force values compared to the control samples. Besides, the addition of pectin slightly changed the drying kinetic characteristics of the sample. Moisture diffusivity decreased with the increase in pectin concentration. However, the dried samples with and without pectin had similar drying time, moisture content, and water activity. The supplementation of pectin improved the panelists’ acceptance of the texture but did not affect the color, odor, and taste characteristics of the product. To further enhance the product's structure, optimization of pectin concentration and the mixing ratio of HMP and LMP, needs to be performed.