Fertilizer Consumption Research Articles

How Does Climate Change Affect Tomato and Okra Production? Evidence from Nigeria.

This study examined the impacts of climate change on okra and tomato yields. Fertilizer consumption and credit to the crop sector were considered as covariates in the analysis. Time-series data, spanning a period of 40 years, were obtained from various sources. An autoregressive distributed lag model was applied to analyze short- and long-term impacts of climate change and agricultural inputs on okra and tomato yields. Not all variables were stationary at levels (order zero), but they were all significant at first difference, indicating the presence of cointegration. The Bound's test F-ratio was statistically significant and implied the presence of long- and short-term relationships among the variables studied. The mean temperatures had negative impacts on okra and tomato yields in both the short and long terms. Credit guaranteed to the crop sector had positive short- and long-term impacts on tomato yield; fertilizer consumption had a negative long-term impact on okra yield. Our study concludes that climate change, particularly rising temperature, impacts herbaceous fruit crop production in Nigeria. Therefore, we recommend that breeding and disseminating climate-smart tomato and okra varieties will help fruit crop farmers respond to rising temperatures.

Risk Preference Responses to Fertilizer Expenditures: A Case of Maize Smallholder Farmers in Iringa and Arusha Regions in Tanzania

Initiatives have been tested to improve usage and expenditures on inorganic fertilizers; most did not yield the expected results, particularly in highly maize-growing highlands. This study evaluates the usage of inorganic fertilizers and the influence of maize farmers’ risk preferences on expenditure in inorganic fertilizers in the Iringa and Arusha regions. Data were adopted from an Agronomic Panel Survey (APS) from 129 maize farmers’ household heads (HHs), randomly selected within a spatial sampling frame in the maize-growing regions of the Southern and Northern highlands of Tanzania. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Tobit model. Results revealed that the majority of maize farmers (64%) did not apply inorganic fertilizers on maize plots. Results further showed statistical significance for the Arusha region (p<0.001), non-schooling (p<0.05), primary education (0.01), ordinary secondary education (p<0.05), number of plots (p<0.05) and size of the maize plot (p<0.001) in predicting inorganic fertilizer expenditures when Tobit model was estimated. Nevertheless, risk-preferred maize farmers statistically influenced fertilizer expenditure when both highlands were included. The study recommends a model comprising risk preferences, geographical factors, and household characteristics in studying farmers’ decisions on expenditure of inorganic fertilizers in respective regions and districts to uncover the location specificity and improve maize production.

An Analytical Economic Study of the Production and Consumption of Nitrogen Fertilizers in Egypt

An Analytical Economic Study of the Production and Consumption of Nitrogen Fertilizers in Egypt

Information and behavior: Evidence from fertilizer quantity recommendations in Bangladesh

We use a field experiment in Bangladesh to test if two types of variety-specific fertilizer recommendations – government provided, community-level recommendations and plot-specific recommendations based on individual soil tests – affect fertilizer use, yield, and profits. The treatments have a limited effect on quantity of most fertilizer types used by farmers. One exception is the case of TSP (phosphate fertilizer), which is recommended for all varieties but recommended quantities are significantly lower than the baseline average usage. A minority of treatment farmers over-react to the recommendations by stopping TSP use after the intervention. In the soil-testing treatment arm farmers also shift their seed choice to varieties for which their baseline fertilizer consumption aligns with the recommendation. Opting out of using TSP, an essential fertilizer, ultimately hurts productivity as farmers in the community-based recommendation arm experience a 4% yield reduction.

Temporal characterization of biogas slurry: a pre-requisite for sustainable nutrigation in crop production

Biogas slurry serves as a useful organic fertilizer due to its substantial nutrient content, and its characterization enables the evaluation of nutrient content and its efficient utilization. This study focuses on the variations in the nutrient content of biogas slurry from different dairy farm systems located near the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) (New Delhi), Daryapur Kalan (New Delhi), and Madanpur (Uttar Pradesh) during the pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon seasons. The study reveals significant variations in macronutrient levels, particularly nitrogen (N), which showed variations exceeding 3% and a wider range of almost 6% during the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon periods. Spatial differences between dairy farms also contributed to the variance, with more than 10% differences observed between IARI and Daryapur Kalan and between IARI and Madanpur. Phosphorus (P) remained stable across seasons with spatial variation, while potassium (K) exhibited a reverse trend. Correlation analysis highlighted strong positive associations between N content and phosphorus (0.959), organic carbon (0.954), pH (0.813), and electrical conductivity (0.806). The findings suggest the use of biogas slurry has a potential to reduce the synthetic fertilizer consumption of N, P, and K by approximately 8.78%, 11.01%, and 14.33%, respectively and using them for further for nutrigation.

City-level decoupling between livestock and crop production and its effect on fertilizer usage: Evidence from China

China is one of the largest producers of livestock production and also with tremendous fertilizer consumption in crop production, regional decoupling between livestock and crop production often results in fertilizer overuse and environmental pollution. However, city-level coupling analysis between livestock and crop production is rare, and its impact on fertilizer usage also remains unclear. Here, we evaluated the nitrogen (N) nutrient supply from the livestock breeding sector and the N nutrient demand of cropland during the 2007–2020 period in a typical agricultural region in China. The city-level coupling degree of livestock and crop production and the effect on fertilizer usage were explored with spatial analysis and regression methods. Our results show that the province level has a relatively high coupling degree. However, significant spatial heterogeneity was found at the city level, especially in western Sichuan Province due to the highly unbalanced distribution of livestock and crop production, and this decoupling phenomenon may hinder fertilizer reduction. Furthermore, we reveal that technological development is not an effective way to achieve sustainable agriculture without other policy instruments, such as livestock spatial relocation, which must be considered when formulating crop-livestock integration policies. The findings expand city-level knowledge of the livestock-crop system and provide important implications for adjusting agricultural practices to realize sustainable agricultural development.

Impact of P Enriched Compost on Growth and Yield Attributes of Barnyard Millet in Red and Black Soils of Madurai District, India

A field study was conducted during the summer (kharif) season of 2023 at the Lalapuram village, Thirumangalam block of Madurai district, to assess the influence of phosphorus-enriched compost on the growth and yield parameters of barnyard millet in both red and black soils. The recommend dose of barnyard millet was 40: 20: 0 kg ha -1 of NPK in which the recommended dose of P (20 kg ha -1) was given in form of enriched compost and the enrichment was done at 1: 10 ratio of P source and compost. Three different types of compost such as farmyard manure compost, municipal solid waste compost and vermicompost were enriched with two different P sources such as single super phosphate @ 100 kg / t of compost and rock phosphate @ 100 kg / t of compost. Azophos, a plant growth promoting rhizobacteria based microbial consortium was added to the P enriched compost @ 2 kg / ton of compost. Among the different combinations, application of SSP enriched vermicompost @ 750 kg ha -1 along with microbial consortium performed better in both the soils. The growth and yield attributes of barnyard millet in black soil was better compared to that of red soil. SSP enriched vermicompost @ 750 kg ha -1 along with microbial consortium recorded the highest growth parameters in terms of no. of tillers per plant (8.71), Leaf area index ( 2.98 ), root length ( 20.7 cm) and dry matter production (5260.1 kg ha -1) at 60 DAS and yield parameters in terms of no of productive tillers (6.81), panicle length (21.4 cm), panicle weight (14.65 g), 1000 grain weight (3.24 g), grain yield (2350 kg ha -1) and stover yield (4420 kg ha -1). Hence, it was found that the application of SSP-enriched vermicompost coupled with azophos at 30 and 60 DAS of the crop growth stages, can curtail N and P fertilizer consumption by 50 and 100 percent respectively while fostering sustainable plant growth and enhancement of yield.

CHANGES IN THE CONSUMPTION OF MINERAL FERTILIZERS AND PESTICIDES IN POLAND AND UKRAINE – COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Ukraine has very good natural conditions for agricultural production and year by year it is becoming an increasingly important producer in Europe and the World. Poland, despite worse natural conditions and more than three times smaller area of utilization agricultural area, is also an important producer in the EU. The current geopolitical situation requires comparative analyzes of numerous aspects of the agricultural potential of Poland and Ukraine. They are necessary for utilitarian reasons and provide a scientific basis for making political decisions of a strategic nature, especially in relation to agricultural policy. Therefore, the purpose of the paper is to compare the trends of changes and the current state in the consumption of mineral fertilizers and pesticides in Polish and Ukrainian agriculture. The material for analysis was statistical data from the FAO. The analysis covers the years 1992-2020. The consumption of mineral NPK fertilizers and pesticides in Poland and Ukraine in the years 1992-2020 varied both in terms of the level, dynamics and directions of changes. The consumption of mineral fertilizers in the analyzed period was higher in Poland than in Ukraine. On the other hand, the use of pesticides in most years was higher in Ukraine than in Poland. However, since 2015, this regularity has changed and therefore the consumption of pesticides in Poland is higher than in Ukraine. Considering the outlined trends in the consumption of mineral fertilizers and plant protection products, it should be pointed out that Ukraine will strengthen its position as the leading food producer in the world. In this case, it will be a big challenge for Poland and the entire EU, which should be the subject of further scientific analyses.

Assessment of Biological Trickling System with Different Layers of Material for Grey Water Treatment

Greywater reuse is an attractive alternative whenever water resources are scarce because it can lower water demand and increase available water supply. This study used simple, easy-to-find treatment and purification methods to examine how gray sewage from homes could be used in agriculture. The primary motivation for reducing agricultural fertilizer consumption is financial gain. If feasible, society can achieve more acceptable economic objectives. The multimedia biofilter, a biological trickling filter, treats wastewater biologically by attaching biomass to various media. In this investigation, raw greywater was settled for two hours. The same influent was used to compare and contrast two treatment approaches. The treatment methods include an exploration of the effectiveness of two filters. The first filter comprises sand, gravel, cotton, and activated carbon filtration layers. The second contains sand, gravel, brick bat, wood chips, and rice husk filtration layers. Gray water was purified utilizing a sand filtration system (gravel and sand), along with the addition of other materials to improve the effectiveness of the treatment. These additional materials included cotton, active carbon, brick, wood chips, and rice husks. Chemical tests were performed on the graywater, and each component was identified. Overall, the sand-gravel-cotton-activated carbon filter improved greywater quality to irrigation standards by reducing organic matter. The second filter (made of sand, gravel, brick, wood chips, and rice husks) is a low-cost greywater recycling unit. But there is still room for improvement in how well these filters work with higher and changing loads and how long their materials last. As a result, most of the filter materials used were waste products generated inside homes and are said to be the least expensive and most inexpensive filters.

Influence of Chemical, Organic, and Biological Silicon Fertilization on Physiological Studies of Egyptian Japonica Green Super Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Rice plants are known to be silicon (Si) accumulators, hence farmers often use specific commercial chemical fertilizers to meet the nutrient needs of plants. Farmers commonly use fertilizers that are expensive and produce immediate effects, yet they contaminate the soil, water, and air. We should reduce the use of chemical fertilizers by combining a part of them with alternative organic and biological sources of Si, such as rice husk and Bacillus mucilaginosus (Si-solubilizing bacteria). Furthermore, it rationalizes chemical fertilizer consumption, reduces environmental pollution, and improves nutrient use efficiency to achieve rationalization of consumption with economic benefits in spending and rationalization of consumption of chemicals polluting the environment. In two successive growth seasons, 2021 and 2022, a field experiment was conducted to determine the effects of chemical, organic, and biological silicon fertilization in physiological studies of Egyptian Japonica green super rice. A randomized complete block design was used, with four replications, and the following treatments were used: T1, recommended dose of silica gel (SG; chemical Si); T2, recommended dose of rice husk (RH; organic Si); T3, recommended dose of Si-solubilizing bacteria (SSB; Bacillus mucilaginosus; biological Si); T4, ½ SG + ½ RH; T5, ½ SG + ½ SSB; T6, ½ RH + ½ SSB; T7, 1/3 SG + 1/3 RH + 1/3 SSB; T8, zero chemical, organic, and biological Si (control). The results showed that the application of silica gel as a chemical Si fertilizer, rice husk as an organic Si fertilizer, and Bacillus mucilaginosus as a Si-solubilizing bacteria or biological Si fertilizer source resulted in significantly higher yields of grain (10.71 and 10.53) t ha−1 and straw (12.66 and 12.37) t ha−1 in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Following that, silica gel, when combined with Si-solubilizing bacteria, led to increases in grain yield output of 10.32 and 10.39 t ha−1 and straw yield of 12.16 and 12.05 t ha−1 in 2021 and 2022, respectively. In addition, yield attributes, chlorophyll content in leaves, flag leaf area, flag leaf weight, chlorophyll in flag leaf, crop growth rate (CGR), relative growth rate (RGR), net assimilation rate (NAR), and silicon uptake in grain and straw were determined as follows: The application of silica gel as a chemical Si fertilizer, rice husk as an organic Si fertilizer, and Bacillus mucilaginosus as a Si-solubilizing bacteria or biological Si fertilizer source had a substantial impact on all examined characteristics. According to the optimal treatment, one part of the three parts of Si fertilization utilized just chemical Si fertilizer and the other two parts organic and biological Si. So we can minimize chemical fertilizer use and reduce soil pollution. The findings of this study will be valuable for future research, such as the usage of alternative organic and biological sources of Si in rice.

Unveiling the potential of nanobubbles in water: Impacts on tomato's early growth and soil properties

Nanobubbles (NBs) in water have been proven to improve plant growth and seed germination, potentially reducing both water and fertilizer consumption. To unravel the promotion mechanism of NBs on plant growth, this study investigated the characteristics of NBs in tap water and their impacts on tomato's early growth, soil chemical properties, enzymatic activity and electrochemical properties of plant roots. Oxygen NBs (ONBs) were found to increase the seed germination by 10 % and plant growth by 30 %–50 % (e.g., stem and diameter), whereas nitrogen NBs (NNBs) only had a significant promotion (7 %–34 %) on plant height. Additionally, compared to control group, irrigation with ONBs increased the peroxidase activities by 500 %–1000 % in tomato leaves, which may increase the expression of genes for peroxidase and promote cell proliferation and plant growth. Moreover, electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed that the ONBs could reduce the interfacial impedance due to the increased active surface area and electrical conductivity of root.

The Role of the Libyan Agricultural Sector in the Development: an Analytical Study

Background: The Libyan economy depends on oil, which contributes more than 45% of GDP and earn the country more than 90% of its foreign exchange. While Agriculture activities producing only 3- 5% of the GDP and employs around 6% of the workforce. The low agricultural productivity of most of the crops cultivated together with rising demand for food has turned Libya into a net food importer.
 Objectives: an advanced development of productivity of food crops especially cereals, olives and date palm needs a very trusted data that enhance the efforts of agriculture development. So the present study aims to analyze the UN data.
 Data collection: data were collected from FAO and another UN reports.
 Results: the agriculture sector shared only (0.7 – 1.1%) of the total Libyan GDP during the period of 2000 - 2018. The highest ratio recoded in 2000 and 2005 gaining 1004.4 and 1268.5 USD million dollars. the crop land area ranged between (2,050,000 – 2,150,000 ha) during the period 2000 – 2018. The per capita crop land ranged (0.31 0.4 ha). The percentage of area equipped for irrigation in land area ranged (2.6 – 3.0%). The area of agriculture land ranged (15,350,000 – 15,450,000 ha) during the same period. While the area of forest land recorded (217,000 ha) during the same period. the total percentage of workforce in agriculture sector ranged between (18.4 – 24%). The percentage of women share in agriculture employment recorded (35.9 – 40.8 %) of the total agriculture workforce during the same period. the percentage of gross fixed capital formation (agriculture, forestry and fishing) as a share of value added recorded (6.9 -15.7%). the pesticide use per cropland area recorded (0.51 – 1.34 kg per ha) during the period 2000 - 2018. the total consumption of chemical fertilizers ranged (8.3 -25.6) (kg per ha) during the same period. fruits recorded the highest amount of the total agriculture production (696,000 tons) followed by vegetables (682,000 tons). the total agriculture production recorded (2,210,000 tons) in 2018. the total food exports, 2018 recorded (43 USD millions), fish recorded the highest value (36 USD millions) followed by fruits and vegetables (6 USD millions). the total food imports recorded (3167 USD millions), cereals recorded the highest value (975 USD millions) followed by dairy (420 USD millions) while, beverage was the lowest (81USD millions). Wheat recorded the highest amount among cereal crop imports (1461.8 thousand tons) followed by maize (784.3 thousand tons) and rice (101.2 thousand tons). Moreover. water stress percentage ranged (615.4 – 817.1%) during the period 2000 – 2018

Evaluation of water-energy-food-environment-agricultural economic growth nexus integrated approach to achieve sustainable production.

Today, growing the production of the agricultural sector in order to meet the increasing demand of food is happening through excessive consumption of water resources, energy, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides, especially in developing countries. Therefore, the present study aims to design a new approach for sustainable management of resources and realization of clean production in the agricultural sector. In order to design the new approach of the present study, the integration of two concepts of water-energy-food (WEF) nexus and decoupling pollution-agricultural growth (DEC) was used. The proposed approach is modeled through the multi-objective programming model by optimizing the WEF and DEC indices, which is the first research effort in this field. In this regard, the performance of this approach was evaluated in Jiroft County in Kerman province, Iran. The results of the study showed that the consumption of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the optimal pattern with the simultaneous provision of WEF and gross margin (GM) goals (optimal 1) is about 110 kg and 0.19 l per hectare, respectively, more than the proposed pattern (optimal 3). On the other hand, the consumption of water and energy resources in the optimal pattern with the simultaneous provision of DEC and GM goals (optimal 2) is about 8785 cubic meters and 1108 MJ per hectare more than the proposed pattern (optimal 3), respectively. Therefore, this approach, due to the simultaneous integration of two concepts of sustainable development in the agricultural sector, can overcome the weakness of the WEF nexus in not paying attention to the issues of environmental pollution affected by the use of chemical inputs and the weakness of separating pollution-agricultural growth in not paying attention to the management of water and energy resources in the agricultural sector.

Patterns, Determinants and Challenges of Horticulture Diversification in India

This study attempts to analyze the trends and patterns of horticulture diversification in India, the differences between states in diversification toward high value crops, and identify the factors influencing horticulture diversification. Herfindahl–Hirschman index (HHI) and Simpson Index of Diversification (SID) are employed to evaluate the extent of diversification towards horticulture crops and regression analysis is performed to assess the factors affecting horticulture diversification in India. The results reveal that total horticulture crops have shown moderate diversification. Among horticulture crops, Fruits, plantation crops and spices have exhibited high diversification, whereas high and moderate diversification have been recorded for vegetables during the period under study. The states Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Gujrat, Kerala, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Maharashtra, Manipur, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Odisha, Sikkim, Tripura, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh have shown high diversification whereas Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Uttarakhand have displayed moderate diversification in the year 2020-21. Per capita income, annual rainfall, and lagged SID for total horticulture crops all have positive effects on horticulture diversification, whereas fertilizer consumption has a negative effect.

DEPENDENCE OF THE VOLUME OF NATURAL FERTILIZER CONSUMPTION IN RELATION TO THE LEVEL OF LIVESTOCK DENSITY IN POLAND

The article presents the results of an analysis of the dependence of the volume ofconsumption of various types of natural fertilizers in Poland, on the intensity of animal husbandry. As a measure of the intensity of animal husbandry, the level of animal stocking rate was adopted. The scope of the analysis covered the years 2017-2020. The amount of natural fertilizer consumption was determined at the level of voivodeships. The study showed that the size of animal stocking rates in Poland is determined by the share of cattle, followed by pig and poultry stocking rates. Analysis of basic statistical indicators, confirmed spatial inequality with regard to the location of animal husbandry in Poland at the regional level. The intensity ofmanure application is a reflection of the level of livestock stocking, and this relationship isexplained by a 2 polynomial regression, where R2 = 0.7326. The highest intensity oflivestock and natural fertilization in Poland was the Podlaskie Voivodeship, where theaverage level of natural fertilizer use in recent years was 11.48 t/ha UAA, and the stocking rate was 85.2 LU/100 ha UAA, while the average level of use for Poland is 4.64 t/ha UAA. The amount of each type of manure applied per large animal unit (LU) is relatively constant, and in Poland in recent years has been: 6.0 t of manure, 0.8 t of poultry manure, 1.3 m3 of liquid manure and 2.4 m3 of slurry.

Life Cycle Assessment of the Solok Rice Production System in the Gunung Talang District, Solok Regency, West Sumatra

Solok rice is an important agricultural commodity that contributes significantly to the economic prosperity of the West Sumatra region. As indigenous knowledge from West Sumatra, the development and preservation of Solok rice can stimulate a nationwide increase in rice production. The cumulative effects of the entire sequence of activities comprising Solok rice production will impact environmental quality due to increased output. Therefore, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)-based environmental impact assessment of Solok rice production is necessary. The analysis results indicate that the total greenhouse gas emissions from Solok rice production equal 1.94 kg CO2eq per kilogram of rice. The subsequent potential effects include acidification at a rate of 0.06 kilograms of SO2-equivalent per kilogram of rice and eutrophication at a rate of kilograms of PO43-equivalent per kilogram of rice. The calculation of net energy yielded a Net Energy Value (NEV) of 18.36 GJ and a Net Energy Ratio (NER) greater than 1. To mitigate emission values in the land and environment, the current system improvement emphasizes fertilizer consumption, increasing the use of organic materials, and instituting production waste recycling.
 

Seasonal variation, contamination and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in sediments of coastal wetlands along the Bay of Bengal

Functioning of coastal wetland habitats is essential for the ecosystem integrity and sustainability of coastal development that enables human progress along transitional waterways. However, these habitats are continuously being affected by a variety of pollutants including metallic elements. In this study, seasonal variation, pollution status and ecological risks of heavy metals (Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, As, Cu, Zn and Pb) in surface sediment of the several types of coastal wetlands (estuaries, mudflats, sandy beaches, mangroves, and saltmarshes) were detected by using X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometry. The results showed that the mean concentration level of metals in the surficial sediment samples followed the order of Cu (84.06 ± 8.60 μg/g) > Zn (51.00 ± 8.97 μg/g) > Mn (38.25 ± 11.34 μg/g) > Cr (3.52 ± 0.91 μg/g) > Pb (0.27 ± 0.13 μg/g) > Co (0.24 ± 0.13 μg/g) > As (0.21 ± 0.12 μg/g) > Ni (0.16 ± 0.08 μg/g). In comparison to the pre-monsoon period, the post-monsoon season had higher concentrations of heavy metals while the overall accumulation level of metals in the wetlands exhibited a pattern of estuarine wetland (28.47 ± 31.35 μg/g) > mangrove (22.23 ± 30.79 μg/g) > mudflat (21.79 ± 29.71 μg/g) > sandy beach (21.47 ± 28.15 μg/g) > saltmarsh (21.28 ± 30.02 μg/g). Although, the pollution assessment indices e.g., contamination factor (CF), degree of contamination (CD), geoaccumulation index (Igeo) and pollution load index (PLI) showed minimal levels of contamination in the studied sites, enrichment factor (EF) suggested greater enrichment of the metals in the pre-monsoon season but with the lowest ecological risk (RI < 40) in both seasons. Cluster analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and Pearson's correlation were performed to determine the sources of heavy metals in collected samples which specified that Pb, As, Co and Ni predominantly came from natural sources whereas Cu, Mn, Zn and Cr emerged from anthropogenic sources such as industrial effluents, domestic wastewater, fertilizer or pesticide consumption on farmland along the riverbank, vessel emissions, and the confluence of tributary rivers.

Impact of economic globalisation on value-added agriculture, globally.

Economic globalisation is the integration of national economies into the global economy through the increasing flow of goods, services, capital, and technology across borders and it has contributed to garnering a significant portion of most nations' national income, although its agricultural value-added aspect has yet to be maximised. This pioneering study explores the impact of economic globalisation on value-added agriculture in a global context based on countries' income levels. Panel data regression with the stepwise method was employed to quantify the impact of economic globalization on agriculture value added in 101 countries between 2000 and 2021. The findings of our study reveal that economic globalisation, through various channels such as fertilizer consumption, employment in agriculture, agriculture raw materials export and import, exchange rate, and foreign direct investment, significantly influences the agricultural value-added factor globally and across different income levels. Furthermore, the results show that agricultural employment significantly impacts the agricultural value-added factor globally and across all income levels. Also, countries with low and lower-middle-income levels significantly affect agricultural value-added due to exchange rates. In comparison, high-income and lower-middle-income levels have an impact due to foreign direct investment. Finally, the upper-middle-income countries have significantly affected agricultural value-added due to agricultural raw materials imports. This study confirms that employment in agriculture, exchange rate and foreign direct investments positively impact agriculture value-added on the global level and based on the income level of countries.

Deployment of hydrogen in hard-to-abate transport sectors under limited carbon dioxide removal (CDR): Implications on global energy-land-water system

The decarbonization of hard-to-abate transport sectors presents a significant barrier to climate mitigation necessitating the deployment of hydrogen and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) methods. Existing studies are yet to look at the combined implications of these two carbon mitigation solutions on global climate-energy-land-water system. Using an integrated assessment model, several hydrogen transition scenarios for hard-to-abate transport sectors have been developed in the current study against a pathway with just fossil and biofuels. All pathways have been modelled to achieve below 1.5 and 2 °C global mean temperature by 2100. Results show that the transition of hard-to-abate transport sectors to hydrogen would lead to reduction in emissions from the transport sector but resulting emissions from other sectors such as buildings, industry, and power would increase compared to a pathway with just fossil and biofuels. Considering the amount of energy required to transition the hard-to-abate transport sectors to hydrogen, the transition would cause an increase in land use for cultivating energy crops while reducing land allocated for food crops and pastures. Water and fertilizer demand for hydrogen production and energy crop cultivation is another issue to expect from the transition. Transitioning the hard-to-abate transport sectors to hydrogen under limited reliance on CDRs (1.8–2 GtCO2yr−1 until mid-century) could lead to a reduction in primary energy consumption, CO2 emissions, CDR deployment, land expansion for bioenergy crops, water (for bioenergy crops, CDR, and hydrogen production), and fertilizer consumption by 3%, 13%, 14%, 22%, 23%, and 2%, respectively compared to a transition under an unlimited availability of CDRs.

Sediment core records and impact factors of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Chinese lakes

Lake sediment is a natural sink for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAH sedimentation characteristics and their impact factors of Chinese lakes have mainly been qualitative assessed. However, quantitative impacts of PAH sedimentation from different factors have not been well analyzed. To fill this gap, we screened PAH sedimentation records from the literature, for 51 lakes in China and other regions of the world, to identify historical concentration variation and the impact factors of PAHs in different regions, in lake sediment. The results show that PAH concentrations in the sediment core in the selected Chinese lakes (478 ± 812 ng/g dry weight (dw)) were significantly lower than those in North America (5518 ± 6572 ng/g dw) and Europe (3817 ± 4033 ng/g dw). From 1900 to 2015, most of the lakes in China showed an increasing trend of PAH sedimentation concentrations, with the lakes in Southeastern China showed a decreasing trend of PAH concentration in the period of 2001–2015, which was later than the peak times shown in Western countries (1941–1970). The 2-3-ring PAHs were the main components in the sediment core of Chinese lakes, but the proportion to the total PAHs decreased from 72% in 1900–1940 to 55% in 2001–2015. Generalized additive modeling (GAM) was adopted to simulate the associations between PAH sedimentation records and the impact factors. There are large regional variations of economic and industrial development in China. The impact factors of PAH accumulation in the lake sediments differ in different regions. However, population and the consumption of coal, pesticides, and fertilizer were identified to be the most important impact factors influencing PAH sedimentation. The Chinese government needs to strengthen control measures on pollutant discharge to reduce the anthropogenic impact of PAH sedimentation in lakes.