Woody encroachment on agricultural land – environmental drivers and carbon stock assessment: A case of Lithuania

We present here a first-of-its-kind survey of field margin flora in Sweden. The survey was carried out in summer 2020 - 2023, covering most of Sweden's major agricultural regions. Volunteer botanists surveyed a 100 × 1 m transect at the edge of the crop, estimating abundances of all non-crop plants growing there. We later cleaned the data by cross-referencing surveyor comments and reports with data on management and soil, and filtered it to only include herbaceous plants growing in the field at the height of the growing season, before harvest. In total, 7364 observations from 442 species found in 294 sites, ranging from Skåne in the south to Västerbotten in the north, were retained in the data. These data offer a unique insight into the present state of Swedish field margin plant communities, from a fine to a large scale. They are useful for community studies, and can aid in making informed decisions on management and conservation of plants growing on, or near, agricultural land.

Rainstorms peak governs nitrate export pathways and patterns: Insights from high-frequency sampling and stable isotopes.

Root hairs at the frontline: Tiny architects of adaptive responses to salinity stress.

Predicting nitrogen surplus in agricultural lands of China using a hybrid machine learning approach with smaller datasets and fewer features.

Large-scale estimation of carrying capacities in agricultural Crown lands of Manitoba, Canada using land cover datasets

Deciphering the potential of Bacillus cereus HS-9 in cadmium bioremediation and ensuring rice safety.

Balancing multiple sustainability objectives in feedstock cultivation: a case of Pongamia pinnata in Australia.

This project focuses on designing an agrivoltaic system integrated with smart irrigation to promote sustainable agriculture and efficient resource management. The system combines solar photovoltaic (PV) panels with agricultural land to generate renewable energy while cultivating crops, thereby achieving dual land utilization. The solar panels provide electricity for powering irrigation pumps and IoT based sensors, which monitor soil moisture, weather data, and crop conditions in real time. A smart irrigation mechanism uses this data to automate water distribution, ensuring crops receive the right amount of water at the right time, minimizing waste and reducing water consumption. Additionally, the shading effect of solar panels reduces soil evaporation and heat stress on crops, leading to improved crop yield and resilience against climate variability. Surplus solar energy can be stored or sold back to the grid, creating an extra source of income for farmers. This project aims to demonstrate an energy efficient, water saving, and climate smart agricultural model that is scalable for both small and large farming operations, addressing the pressing challenges of food security, water scarcity, and sustainable energy production.

Medium-chain carboxylates are required in various everyday products, including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and fragrances, and show a natural antimicrobial property. Furthermore, they represent food additives and serve as chemical building blocks for several other compounds. Traditionally, these carboxylates are produced from fossil resources, contributing to increased greenhouse gas emissions. Alternatively, they are derived from animal- or plant-based fat (e.g., coconut oil), which competes with agricultural land that is needed for food production. However, microbial chain elongation, which is a biotechnological approach relying on microbes, such as Clostridium kluyveri, is sustainable and a promising alternative to the conventional production of medium-chain carboxylates. Notably, it enables the use of industrial waste streams (e.g., off-gases and carbohydrate-rich industrial waste) as substrates, making the process more environmentally friendly. By applying our genetic system for C. kluyveri, a better understanding of microbial chain elongation can be achieved and potentially even enable an extension of its product portfolio.

Nexus between environmental development and agricultural productivity: A study of inclusive sustainable development for Brazil.

As a result of prolonged excessive anthropogenic impact, there is a degradation of meadow and pasture agrobiocenoses, and global climate change is exacerbating the situation by reducing the hydrothermal coefficient. In general, it can be stated that cattle breeding in the Central Black Earth Region has a fairly high development potential, which is due to a combination of factors, including favorable natural and climatic conditions, a high level of government support, and a growing demand for the industry's products from processing enterprises. At the same time, the increase in the number of beef cattle kept on pasture has an additional negative impact on pastures. Adopted federal and regional programs for restoring the fertility of agricultural lands can be implemented using zoned varieties of perennial grasses.

An integrated model to assess the psychosocial determinants of the intention to adopt organic farming practices.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are long-lasting organic pollutants which have toxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic effects, making them of significant concern for both environmental and human health. This study determined the PAH levels in soils around the Rajiv Gandhi Thermal Power Plant, Khedar, Hisar (Haryana, India). Among 16 USEPA PAHs, 9 were detected. Descriptive statistics used in the study revealed that the concentration of Σ9PAHs in soils varied from 3354 to 44,648μgkg-1 with a mean of 7513.51μgkg-1. Diagnostic ratios (LMW/HMW = 0.61) revealed the prevalence of high-molecular-weight (HMW) PAHs, which validated a signature of combustion. The correlation patterns suggested a common pyrogenic source for most of the PAHs, with DahA suggesting another, sporadic one. PCA revealed two major source categories, coal-fired emissions and traffic contributions. Overall, the study reveals that 39 soil samples collected from the agricultural lands around the thermal power plant are dominated by high-molecular-weight PAHs. The lack of a big traffic route, as well as industrial activities in the area, indicates little impact from other sources. As a result, the PAH profile is primarily explained by pyrogenic sources, which can be attributed to the emissions from the thermal power plant. The ecological and carcinogenicity risks of PAHs in soils surrounding the RGTPP area were assessed by applying the risk quotient approach and the toxic equivalency approach. Some of the PAHs had risk levels above safe levels, and when they are combined, the ecological threat is very high. There is an imperative necessity for strategic management and remediation of the PAH polluted soil in the surroundings of RGTPP.

ABSTRACT The rapid development of industries near forest and river has led to concerns about the toxic metal contamination of agricultural land following the release of radiotoxic elements. The study area, characterized by agricultural land influenced by the Jamuna River, Madhupur forest and numerous industries, has been assessed for concentrations of natural radionuclides and associated radiological hazards. A total of 48 agricultural soil samples were collected from twelve upazilas of the Tangail district. The measurement was performed using gamma-ray spectrometry, employing a high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector. The measured mean activity concentrations of ²²6Ra, ²³²Th, and 40K in soil samples were found to be 25.63 ± 5.00, 43.63 ± 2.00, and 451 ± 15 Bq kg−¹, respectively. The mean radium equivalent activity, absorbed dose rate for indoor and outdoor environments, and indoor and outdoor annual effective doses were lower than the world average value. Hazard indices such as external hazard index (Hex), and internal hazard index (Hin) were found to be less than unity. However, the gamma index (Iγ) was found higher than unity for some locations. The annual gonadal dose equivalent (AGDE) and excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) exceeded the global average. These findings are likely attributed to the natural environmental features of Tangail, including the geological characteristics of the Jamuna River, Madhupur forest, and industrial regions. The presented data may serve as the baseline radioactivity data for this area and may be useful for assessing any future radiological risk of this region.

ABSTRACT Agricultural land use and dams present prevalent, interacting stressors on freshwater ecosystems across Europe and globally. This study assessed the efficacy of established, taxonomy-based macroinvertebrate metrics for detecting localized dam impacts within streams already heavily modified by agriculture. Community responses were compared between rare riffle habitats and the dominant, slow-flow habitat types within the catchments. Metrics were based on the relative species richness of sensitive and tolerant taxonomic groups (calculated as the number of species within taxonomic groups divided by the total number of species). Despite a lack of significant differences in measured single-event physical habitat parameters between the dammed and reference sites, the macroinvertebrate assemblages exhibited clear responses. Dam impacts were most strongly detected in riffle habitats, aligning with a priori expectations of a greater number of sensitive taxa in these habitats. The general degradation metrics effectively teased out the dam signal, which shifted toward tolerant taxa (Oligochaeta, Diptera). The responses were habitat specific; for instance, filter feeding Trichoptera increased below the dams, while riffle specialist Plecoptera decreased. These findings underscore the utility of indices of general degradation when applied strategically with targeted, habitat-specific sampling, highlighting that effective biomonitoring and conservation strategies must prioritize the assessment and protection of rare, highly valued microhabitats in multi-stressed river networks.

Land use changes in Germany mainly affect agricultural land. Demands on these areas are increasing and exceeding the amount of land available. Previous efforts to reduce the use of open spaces and move towards a circular economy have failed to meet political targets (e.g., the 30-hectare target). Unlike other land uses, arable land is less protected by law. Therefore, spatial planning plays a special role in securing (high-quality) agricultural land. However, the demands on agricultural land extend (far) beyond spatial planning and pose challenges for the planning and implementation of future land use options. Against this background, the article analyses the spatial planning specifications for safeguarding agricultural land and assesses them in terms of land-related spatial claims and aspects of food security. In particular, from a spatial balance perspective, it highlights the contribution that regional planning currently makes to avoiding irreversible losses of productive land to limit supra-regional land displacement effects with negative consequences for near-natural areas. The results confirm a fundamental need for discussion about the role of spatial planning in balancing land-related spatial demands.

Land suitability analysis is a key approach for evaluating the potential of land resources for specific uses and for supporting sustainable agricultural planning. In Ethiopia, where agriculture forms the backbone of rural livelihoods, identifying suitable land for staple crops is essential to ensure food security and long-term productivity. This study evaluated the actual land suitability for enset (Ensete ventricosum) cultivation in the Hadiya Zone, Central Ethiopia, by systematically comparing the spatial distribution of key environmental factors with established enset crop requirement standards. For each parameter, spatial data were overlaid with enset-specific ecological thresholds derived from relevant literature and expert consultation. Based on the FAO land evaluation framework, all factors were classified into five suitability classes: Very Highly Suitable (S1), Highly Suitable (S2), Moderately Suitable (S3), Marginally Suitable (N1), and Permanently Not Suitable (N2), enabling the identification of spatial variability in enset suitability and supporting subsequent multi-criteria evaluation and weighted overlay analysis. The analysis evaluated criteria such as soil properties (type, depth, organic carbon content, pH, and texture), topographic situation (slope and elevation), climate variables (rainfall and temperature), and LULC. The integrated analysis revealed that enset cultivation is highly favorable across most of the study area, with 57.72% classified as highly suitable (S1), 36.89% as moderately suitable (S2), 0.16% as marginally suitable (S3), and 5.23% as currently not suitable (N1), while no areas were identified as permanently unsuitable (N2). Overall, the results highlight the strong natural potential of the Hadiya Zone for enset cultivation, although localized constraints related to soil fertility, water availability, and slope conditions may require targeted management interventions.

While understanding the drivers of river water quality is crucial, the dependence on ground observations hinders the accurate quantification of driver thresholds, as well as the scale-dependent effects of buffer zones. By transcending the limitations of ground observations, satellite remote sensing provides the spatially continuous data required to define effective buffer zones and determine the threshold intervals for natural and anthropogenic drivers, effectively promoting sustainable watershed management. Herein, we determined the total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), permanganate index (CODMn), and turbidity in the Minjiang River of Fujian Province by synergizing Sentinel-2 imagery and in situ data (2021–2024). Subsequently, we further employed generalized additive models (GAMs) considering scale-dependent (50 m to 20 km) characteristics to screen and evaluate the natural–anthropogenic factors influencing the water quality indicators. The GAMs revealed that TN exhibited multiphasic responses to forest cover and water area, characterized by alternating positive and negative effects across their range. TP was found to be predominantly driven by agricultural and urban land use, showing clear scale–threshold effects. This study provides an integrated framework that moves beyond retrieval to quantitatively assess the impact of multi-scale natural–anthropogenic factors, offering actionable insights for precise watershed zoning and science-based management for the sustainable development of river systems.

Soil degradation remains a major challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly within smallholder farming systems characterized by low-input agriculture and unsustainable land use practices. Sustainable agriculture production requires a good understanding of soil characteristics across diverse farming contexts. This study assessed soil health and microbial diversity across three contrasting systems: long-term fallow (aggregated farm A), high-input (aggregated farm B), and conventional smallholder (non-aggregated farm C) farms experiencing declining productivity. Soil samples collected from the three contrasting systems were analyzed for physicochemical properties and microbial communities using high-throughput DNA sequencing. Microbial communities were characterized by using amplicon sequencing targeting bacterial 16S rRNA and fungal ITS gene regions, allowing taxonomic profiling and inference of microbial diversity patterns. The two aggregated farms predominantly had clay soils, with pH values ranging from 6.78 to 7.39 and organic carbon content from 1.17% to 1.64%. In contrast, conventional farms had loamy to clayey soils with a pH value of 5.88 and an organic carbon content of 1.25%. Both types of aggregated farms showed moderate to high concentrations of total nitrogen (0.12–0.13%), phosphorus (38.79–151.36 mg/kg), and potassium (548.84–943.52 mg/kg), along with elevated levels of calcium and magnesium, though fertilizer application was inconsistent across the sites. Microbial diversity analysis revealed significant differences among the systems. The dominant bacterial phyla were Pseudomonadota (48.5%), Acidobacteriota (34.2%) and Actinomycetota (19.6%), while the primary fungi included Ascomycota, Basidiomycota and Mortierellomycota. Functional profiling using COG and KEGG databases showed distinct variations in microbial potentials, with a high diversity of Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria and Proteobacteria. Functional profiles inferred from amplicon-based predictions represent potential metabolic capabilities and should be interpreted cautiously as indicative rather than direct functional gene quantification. Correlation analyses between soil and microbial communities provided essential baseline data to support the development of sustainable farming practices and land restoration strategies aimed at improving soil fertility and agricultural productivity in these degraded landscapes.