Identification of appropriate genotypes based on their capability and consideration of genetic parameters such as genetic distance and heritability could help breeders to make accurate selection for breeding populations. In this paper, the analytical hierarchy process has been modified to make a multivariate selection index used for selecting the most appropriate tomato genotypes. This method enables fast, easy, precise and relatively repeatable selection.

The response of modern cotton cultivars to increasing N-fertiliser application was assessed for lint percentage, seed mass, seed protein and oil concentrations, and seed vigour. Increasing N fertiliser decreased lint percentage by increasing seed mass, increased seed protein concentration, and decreased seed oil concentration. Seed germination was improved in seeds with higher oil concentration, meaning that seed produced with high N fertiliser had reduced seed vigour. It was concluded that little scope exists for further lint yield increase via lint percentage.

The conversion of natural forest into agrosystems is perceived as a threat to biodiversity conservation. We tested whether soil physico-chemical and biological parameters could be improved with the aging of oil palm plantations by sampling soil and soil-dwelling macroinvertebrates in an oil palm chronosequence. The results showed that soil biological variables decreased, whereas soil nutrients increased with the aging of the plantations and reached levels of organic carbon, total nitrogen and organic matter similar to secondary forests.

Flax-leaf fleabane is a difficult-to-control summer weed in Australia. This work showed that one reason for this problem is that populations are becoming resistance to glyphosate, the most common herbicide used in summer fallows. Some of these populations have multiple resistance to other important herbicides used in crop production.