Fertilizer Inputs Research Articles

Enhancing Productivity of Bread Wheat (Triticcum aestivum L.) Through Integrating Vermicompost and N fertilizer in Meskan District, Central Ethiopia

Soil fertility management is very crucial to optimize and sustain agricultural production so as to secure food for the current generation as well as the generation to come. Ethiopia is one of the food insecure countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The country is striving to secure food through optimizing and sustaining crop production. The purpose of the study was to examine the combined effect of organic (vermicompost) and inorganic (nitrogen) fertilizer rates on growth and yield of bread wheat in Meskan distric, Central Ethiopia. The experiment used four levels of vermicompost (0, 1, 1.5, and 2 t ha-1) and Nitrogen (0, 50 percent recommended rate of N (RN), 75 percent RN, and 100 percent RN) in a factorial combination in RCBD design with three replications using a wheat variety (Kekeba) as the test crop. The result of the study asserted that yield and yield-related traits were significantly different at P < 0.05. The treatment of 2 t ha-1 vermicompost + 75 percent of RN produced the maximum grain yield (2773 kg ha-1); while the control produced the lowest grain yield (1062 kg ha-1). Combined application of organic fertilizer (vermicompost) and inorganic fertilizer (N) optimizes wheat production in the study area. Sole application of organic fertilizer (vermicompost) and inorganic fertilizer (N) would not bring optimum production of wheat. Therefore, combined application of organic and inorganic fertilizers could have great contribution towards food security for countries like Ethiopia with low fertilizers input user and high food insecurity level.

A dynamic optimization of soil phosphorus status approach could reduce phosphorus fertilizer use by half in China

Sustainable phosphorus (P) management is essential for ensuring crop production while avoiding environmental damage and the depletion of phosphate rock reserves. Despite local demonstration scale successes, the widespread mobilization of smallholder farmers to adopt sustainable management practices remains a challenge, primarily due to the associated high costs and complicated sampling. Here, we propose a dynamic optimization of soil P status (DOP) approach aimed at managing long-term soil P status within the range of agronomic and environmental soil P thresholds, which facilitates the precise determination of optimal P application rates without the need for frequent soil testing. We evaluate the DOP approach in 35,575 on-farm trials, and the results show that it is agronomically acceptable. Our evaluation extends to estimating future soil P status and P fertilizer inputs across all counties in China for three cereal crops (wheat, rice, and maize). The results indicate that, compared to current practices, the DOP approach can achieve a 47.4% reduction in P fertilizer use without any yield penalty. The DOP approach could become an effective tool for global P management to safeguard food security and enhance environmental sustainability.

The regulatory mechanism controlling nitrification inhibitors-induced mitigation of nitrification and NO3--N leaching in alkaline purple soil.

Nitrification inhibitors (NIs) are critical to reduce nitrogen (N) leaching losses. However, the efficacy of different NIs can be highly variable across soils and crop types, and a deeper understanding of the mechanistic basis of this efficiency variation, especially in purple soil under vegetable production, is lacking. To enrich this knowledge gap, the impact of different NIs amendment (3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate, DMPP; dicyandiamide, DCD; nitrapyrin, NP) on nitrification and the microbial mechanistic basis of controlling nitrate (NO3--N) leaching of vegetable purple soil was explored in southwest China. The results showed that DCD and NP effect is dose-dependent, with 10% DCD, 1% DMPP and 1% NP were found to be optimal for nitrification inhibition in vegetable purple soil. When compared with the control treatment without NIs amendments, DCD, DMPP and NP reduced NO3--N leaching by 26.3%, 30.6% and 19.2%, respectively. It was noteworthy that NO3--N leaching inhibition was mediated predominantly by inhibiting ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) abundance. DCD, NP and DMPP incorporation decreased the AOB abundance by 39.8%, 73.2% and 51.4% and suppressed the ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) activity by 22.2%, 36.8% and 28.7%, respectively, in comparison with the control treatment without NIs amendments. DMPP inhibited AOB abundance and AMO activity much more than DCD and NP. DMPP also significantly decreased AOB alpha diversity and altered their community structure, whereas DCD and NP had no significant effect. The mantel test indicated that AOB abundance and AMO activity are strongly correlated with NO3--N leaching rate. These results show that soil application of 1% DMPP effectively mitigates NO3--N leaching from sub-tropical alkaline purple vegetable soil. This study also expanded our mechanistic understanding of NO3--N leaching and its regulators in an alkaline soil vegetable production system with N fertilizer and NI inputs.

New opportunities for biologically and chemically mediated adsorption and precipitation of phosphorus from wastewater.

Biologically mediated adsorption and precipitation of phosphorus (P) from waste streams can restrict environmental P discharges. Here, we appraise progress in this field over the past decade. The research discipline has grown considerably in recent years. Industry 'wastes', including steel slags, continue to show promise as adsorbents with exceptionally high P retention capacities (>500mgPg-1). Hydrotalcite, a nanomineral, offers prospects as a P removal technology with imbedded climate change mitigation capacity. Biomineral struvite formation, driven by microbial processes, offers an exciting P removal and recovery approach that can be applied to diverse wastewater types due to its feedstock-independent mechanisms, emerging immobilisation techniques and adaptability to mixed cultures. All of these factors facilitate efficient nutrient recycling and scalable application to the wastewater industry. Adsorbed and precipitated P can be applied to cropland to offset dependence on conventional fertiliser inputs. Therefore, in addition to water treatment, these biologically mediated processes also offer opportunities to support food production. Moreover, as many of the input materials covered in this review are industry byproducts and common organic materials, the removal of P from waste streams by adsorption and precipitation offers strong circularity potential that aligns with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. We call for future work to focus on long-term full-scale trials involving community, government and industry partners.

Economic value of dual‐purpose cowpea as affected by variety, fertilizer, and environment

AbstractAcross the semiarid regions of West Africa, cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) varieties grown by farmers are either grain‐ or forage‐only, and often fields are not fertilized. Information regarding profitability of dual‐purpose over traditional varieties and fertilizer application in cowpea production system is limited. The main objective of this study was to quantify the economic value of newly released dual‐purpose and forage cowpea varieties and fertilizer inputs across the Senegalese peanut basin. This field study was conducted across three locations in Senegal (Bambey, Boulel, and Darou Mousty) in 2021 and 2022. Treatments were 20 cowpea varieties in the main plot and two levels of fertilizer (an unfertilized control and fertilized) in the subplot. Cowpea varieties E‐BC4STR1, E‐BC4STR5, E‐BC4STR11, Kelle, and Melakh had relatively greater grain yields (average 429–474 kg ha−1) in all environments. Forage varieties 66‐35F and 58‐74F produced the most forage (average 2353 and 1717 kg ha−1) yields across environments. Fertilizer‐NPK application increased grain yield by 22%–40% in most environments. Unlike grain yield, varietal effects on forage yields occurred only with fertilizer application. Dual‐purpose cowpea varieties E‐BC4STR1, E‐BC4STR2, E‐BC4STR5, and E‐BC4STR11 had a stable, significant economic value in our study compared with grain‐only variety Yacine (traditional variety) or forage variety 66‐35F. Fertilizer‐NPK increased net revenue in four out of six environments. We conclude that using dual‐purpose cowpea varieties provided significant economic advantage over traditional varieties, and application of fertilizer further increased the economic value. However, further studies are needed to determine the economically optimal fertilizer rate.

Evaluation of agricultural efficiency and influencing factors in the context of sustainable land management

Given the growing global focus on sustainable development, sustainable land management has emerged as a critical concern in contemporary agricultural development. The efficacy of agricultural production and its influencing factors in Shaanxi province of China, from 2012 to 2021, were analyzed using the Data envelopment analysis (DEA)-Banker, Charnes, Cooper model. Input and output indicators of agricultural production were selected for analysis. Inputs consist of land, machinery, water, and fertilizer. Specific indicators include the total sown area of crops, effective irrigated area, total power of agricultural machinery, and total reservoir capacity. Fertilizer inputs include the discounted amount of fertilizer applied for agricultural use. The output indicators considered include the gross output value of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery, the economic value added from agricultural production, and the production of cereal and fruit are all considered output indicators. From 2012 to 2018, the scale remuneration of agricultural production in Shaanxi province increased, suggesting gradual improvement in scale efficiency. Conversely, the efficiency of agricultural production has remained at the “DEA strong efficient” level from 2019 to 2021, suggesting effective management of scale efficiency. The investigation indicates that the allocation of resources and the administration of agricultural production in Shaanxi province have improved in recent years, contributing to the fostering of sustainable agricultural development.

Chemical Fertility of a Ferralitic Soil in a Cropping System Based on Cereals (Fonio and Sorghum) and Legumes (Soya and Mung Bean) on An Experimental Station in Burkina Faso

In Burkina Faso, the low nutrient content of the country's soils has a direct impact on crop yields. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of applying organic matter (compost, poultry manure.), and mineral fertilizer Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium (N:14% P:23% K:14%), urea (43% nitrogen) and Burkina Phosphate (BP) on soil fertility in a legume/cereal cropping system. The study was conducted at the INERA Farako-Bâ experimental station from 2018 to 2021. The experimental design was a 4x4 factorial, corresponding to four rotations and four manures, respectively, used as the first and second factors. A split-plot design with three replications was employed. The results obtained indicated that, in comparison to the initial soil, there was an increase of 33% in soil organic carbon and 36% in total nitrogen in the plots where soya and fonio were cultivated in rotation. In comparison to the plots with fonio-sorghum rotation, the plots with mung bean-sorghum and soya-fonio rotations demonstrated increase in assimilable phosphorus of 17% and 15%, respectively. Furthermore, the fertilizer combining compost and poultry manure resulted in a 300% increase in assimilable phosphorus and 28% increase in available potassium compared to the soil without fertilizer inputs and uncultivated for years. Additionally, the fertilizers of compost combined with poultry manure and compost combined with poultry manure and BP resulted in increases in assimilable phosphorus of 131.78% and 116%, respectively. The positive effects obtained on the chemical parameters (phosphorus, potassium and carbon) provide the potential for sustainable soil fertilization in cropping systems, while also valorizing local organic fertilizer.

Application of Biochar-Immobilized Bacillus megaterium for Enhancing Phosphorus Uptake and Growth in Rice.

Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient for rice growth, and the presence of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) is an effective means to increase soil P content. However, the direct application of PSB may have minimal significance due to their low survival in soil. Biochar serves as a carrier that enhances microbial survival, and its porous structure and surface characteristics ensure the adsorption of Bacillus megaterium. Inoculating rice husk biochar-immobilized with Bacillus megaterium (BMB) resulted in dissolved inorganic and organic P levels of 39.55 and 31.97 mL L-1, respectively. Subsequently, rice pot experiments were conducted to investigate the response of soil microbial P mobilization and P uptake in rice to fertilizer inputs. The organic fertilizer (OF) combined with BMB treatment (MOF) showed the highest soil available phosphorus (AP) at 38 days, with a value of 7.83 mg kg-1, as well as increased the pqqC abundance while decreasing the abundance of phoD bacterial communities compared with the control. Furthermore, the bioavailable P reservoir (H2O-Pi and NaHCO3-Pi) in soil was greatly increased through the fertilizer input and microbial turnover, with the highest H2O-Pi (3.66 mg kg-1) in OF treatment and the highest NaHCO3-Pi (52.65 mg kg-1) in MOF treatment. Additionally, carbon utilization analysis was applied using the commercial Biolog system, revealing that the MOF treatment significantly increased the utilization of carbohydrates, polymers, and amino acid carbon sources. Moreover, compared to the control, MOF treatment significantly increased the shoot (0.469%) and root P (0.516%) content while promoting root development and thereby supporting rice growth. Our study demonstrates that the MOF treatment displayed higher P levels in both soil and rice plants, providing a theoretical basis for further understanding the role of biochar-based bacterial agents in rice P management.

How does forest fine root litter affect the agricultural soil NH3 and N2O losses?

In farmland shelterbelt systems, the decomposition and/or apoptosis of forest fine root litter could affect farmland soil properties at the tree-crop interface, particularly the soil nitrogen (N) cycling. However, how fine root litter affect the ammonia (NH3) and nitrous oxide (N2O) losses from farmland soil and the crop production is little known. A soil column experiment covering a whole rice season was conducted to evaluate the dynamics aforesaid in response to fine root litter of Populus (RP) and Metasequoia glyptostroboides (RM) with 0 and 240kgha-1 N fertilizer input. Both RP and RM had minimal impact on NH3 and N2O emissions from soils without N input. At 240kgN ha-1 input, RP significantly (p<0.05) increased total NH3 volatilization (including yield-scaled NH3 volatilization and emission factor) by 37.1%, while RM significantly (p<0.05) decreased it by 18.1%. Both fine root litter significantly (p<0.05) reduced the N2O emissions from paddy soil receiving 240kgN ha-1 by 22.7-27.1%. The reduction of N2O emission in N240+RM was primarily attributed to higher topsoil ammonium-N but lower nitrate-N contents that indicating a reduced nitrification rate during the mid-season drainage stage. In addition, the decreases in soil AOA amoA (-39.4%) and nirS (-23.7%) gene copies explained the mitigating effect of RP on N2O emission. Regardless of N fertilizer application or not, there was no statistically significant difference in rice grain yield between treatments with and without fine root litter, although RM reduced grain yield by 11.2-14.9% compared to treatments without fine root litter. In conclusion, the impact of fine root litter on N emissions via NH3 and N2O depends on both N input rates and fine root types. RM simultaneously reduce reactive farmland soil N losses via NH3 and N2O in the tree-crop interface soils with N input.

Long-term effects of combining anaerobic digestate with other organic waste products on soil microbial communities.

Agriculture is undergoing an agroecological transition characterized by adopting new practices to reduce chemical fertilizer inputs. In this context, digestates are emerging as sustainable substitutes for mineral fertilizers. However, large-scale application of digestates in agricultural fields requires rigorous studies to evaluate their long-term effects on soil microbial communities, which are crucial for ecosystem functioning and resilience. This study presents provides a comparative analysis in long-term field conditions of fertilization strategies combining annual applications of raw digestate with biennial applications of different organic waste products (OWPs)-biowaste compost (BIO), farmyard manure (FYM), and urban sewage sludge (SLU)-and compares them to combinations of the same OWPs with mineral fertilizers. The cumulative effects of repeated OWP applications, paired with two nitrogen sources-organic (digestate) and chemical (mineral fertilizer)-were assessed through soil physicochemical and microbial analyses. We hypothesized that the combined effect varied according to the N-supply sources and that this effect also depended on the type of OWP applied. Soil microbial communities were characterized using high-throughput sequencing targeting 16S and 18S ribosomal RNA genes, following DNA extraction from soil samples collected in 2022, six years after the initial digestate application. The results indicated that combining OWPs rich in stable and recalcitrant organic matter, such as BIO and FYM, with raw digestate, offers an improved fertilization practice. This approach maintains soil organic carbon (SOC) levels, increases soil phosphorus and potassium content, and stimulates microbial communities differently than nitrogen supplied via mineral fertilizers. While microbial biomass showed no significant variation across treatments, microbial diversity indices exhibited differences based on the type of OWP and nitrogen source. The fertilization strategies moderately influenced prokaryotic and fungal community structures, with distinct patterns depending on the OWP and nitrogen source. Notably, fungal communities responded more strongly to treatment variations than prokaryotic communities. This study provides new insights into the cumulative effects of substituting mineral fertilizers with digestates on soil microbial communities and soil physicochemical parameters. The sustainable development of agroecosystems significantly depends on a better understanding of the complex responses of soil microbial communities to different fertilization regimes. Future research should continue to assess the long-term impact of digestate application on soil microbiota in real agronomic field conditions, considering associated agricultural practices.

An Empirical Analysis of the Impact of Pesticide and Fertilizer Pollution on Household Income

In agricultural production, agricultural non-point source pollution threatens the safety of water supply and food safety, restricts the sustainable development of the agricultural economy and rural ecological environment, and is the bottleneck of agricultural development in China. To explore the impact of this situation on the real income of rural households, the paper is based on the data from China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) from 2014 to 2018. With the pollution status in agricultural production as the explanatory variable and the total value of household agricultural and sideline products as an explanatory variable, a fixed effect model was established to estimate the influence of fertilizer and pesticide application on labor income level. The results show that the income brought by pesticide and fertilizer input is low efficiency, and some farmers have achieved high yields with low input. In addition, the education level of the agricultural population and the size of the family had no significant effect on this. Considering the output problem, the application of pesticides and fertilizers is necessary, but the cognition that pesticides and fertilizers can increase crop yield and income makes the application of pesticides continue to increase, which is not conducive to the increase of agricultural output value. It is necessary to attach importance to new methods of increasing agricultural production based on the application of small amounts of fertilizers and pesticides and use technological reform and professional agricultural education to promote the rational use of pesticides and fertilizers and achieve rapid development of agriculture.

Performance and legacy effect of crop rotations on eastern Canadian dairy farms

AbstractCrop rotations on dairy farms in eastern Canada nowadays include fewer perennial crops and more nitrogen‐demanding annual crops. This study compared, over a 7‐year rotation cycle, the agronomic performance and the legacy effect of six crop rotations that varied in crop types (perennial or annual) and nutrient sources (mineral or organic). Crop yield and nutritive value were determined on a yearly basis and cumulated over the rotation cycle. The legacy effect was assessed by growing forage corn (Zea mays L.) in year 6 and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] in year 7 in all rotations. The legacy effect of perennial forage crops manifested with a 78% lower weed biomass at harvest of forage corn in year 6 and a 14% greater soybean yield in year 7. A greater soil‐derived corn nitrogen uptake in year 6 after repeated slurry applications indicated a modest legacy effect of organic fertilization on soil N supply capacity. The presence of perennial forage crops or the use of organic fertilization did not affect cumulative dry matter or crude protein production over the 7‐year rotation cycle. The addition of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in mixture with perennial grasses improved forage yield (+26%) and nutritive value (greater digestible energy and crude protein concentration) in post‐seeding years. In perennial‐based rotations, adding alfalfa to grasses resulted in greater dry matter (+22%) and crude protein (+46%) productions over the 7‐year cycle despite a fourfold reduction in N fertilizer input, attesting to the high N use efficiency of perennial legume‐based cropping systems.

Management of soil organic matter regime in biologization of agriculture

All related research was conducted from 2010 to 2022 in the Belgorod region, located in the south-west of the Central Chernozem region (CCR). The goal of this study was to analyze the effects of introducing agriculturally biologized elements into arable soils on the organic matter content of those same soils. It was determined, that compared to their virgin counterparts, unwashed arable chernozems, typical and leached, had lost about 39.8–42.0% of their organic matter due to long-term agricultural use. In comparison to 2010–2014, the level of organic fertilizer input had doubled to 9,6 t/ha in 2019–2022, while the area of green manure cultures had increased by a factor of 2.56 to 317 thousand ha/year. Concurrently to the aforementioned years, the by-product output increased by 18.8–37.6% (depending on the crop), reaching levels between 2.07–10.3 t/ha, due to an increase in agricultural yield. The area of ley farms decreased by a factor of 2.73 down to 47.1 thousand ha/year. Additionally, a wide percentage of the Belgorod region have implemented low tillage technology usage, including no-till and executed complex anti-erosion activities. As a result of that, in 2019–2022, the average content of organic matter in the arable layer of soils went up by 0.3% (to 5.3%), while reserve by 9 t/ha (to 159 t/ha). Each hectare of the cultivated areas on average accumulated 19 carboxylic units, thereby making it worth about 19 thousand rubles. The percentage of soils, which contain 6.1–8.0% of organic matter, rose to 20.0%, while those containing 2.1–4.0%, were reduced to 10.9%.

Review on Integrated Nutrient Management on Yield and Yield Components of Okra in Ethiopia

Maintaining soil fertility necessitates applying inorganic and organic fertilizer sources in balance. Vegetable crops cannot be successfully produced without proper plant nutrition. Though little is known about it, okra is a crop that is commonly farmed in western Ethiopia and is rather adaptable. Grown across Ethiopia, okra is a vegetable crop with significant economic value, especially in the southwest region. For okra&amp;apos;s output to increase integrated use of chemical and organic fertilizer on yield and yield components is essential. By optimizing the benefits from all available plant nutrient sources in an integrated manner, integrated nutrient supply/management, or INS, aims to maintain or improve soil fertility and plant nutrient supply to an optimal level for sustaining the desired crop productivity. This includes enhancing or maintaining soil productivity through a balanced use of fertilizers that are organic and biological sources of plant nutrients. Increase the amount and effectiveness of plant nutrients in the soils to reduce losses to the environment. However, the integrated nutrient management system (INMS) continues to be the means of preserving and perhaps enhancing soil fertility for long-term crop yield and lowering the cost of inorganic (fertilizer) inputs for all agricultural production.

Evaluating shifts in species distribution following herbicide and fertilizer applications for smutgrass (Sporobolus indicus) control in bahiagrass

Abstract Novel management strategies for controlling smutgrass have potential to influence sward dynamics in bahiagrass forage systems. This experiment evaluated population shifts in bahiagrass forage following implementation of integrated herbicide and fertilizer management plans for controlling smutgrass. Herbicide treatments included indaziflam applied preemergence (PRE), hexazinone applied postemergence (POST), a combination of PRE + POST herbicides, and a nonsprayed control. Fertilizer treatments included nitrogen (N), nitrogen + potassium (N+K), and an unfertilized control. The POST reduced smutgrass coverage regardless of PRE or fertilizer application by the end of the first season and remained low for the three-year duration of the experiment (P &lt; 0.01). All treatments, including nontreated controls, reduced smutgrass coverage during year 3 (P &lt; 0.05), indicating that routine harvesting to remove the biomass reduced smutgrass coverage. Bahiagrass cover increased at the end of year 1 with POST (P &lt; 0.01) but only the POST + fertilizer treatment maintained greater bahiagrass coverage than the nontreated control by the end of year 3 (P &lt; 0.05). Expenses associated with the POST + fertilizer treatment totaled $348 ha-1 across the three-year experiment. Other smutgrass control options could include complete removal of biomass (hay production) and pasture renovation, which can cost threefold or greater more than POST + fertilizer treatment. Complete removal of biomass may reduce smutgrass coverage by removing mature seedheads, but at a much greater expense of $2,835 to $5,825 ha-1 depending on herbicide and fertilizer inputs. Bahiagrass renovation is $826 ha-1 in establishment costs alone. When pasture production expenses are included for two seasons post-renovation, the total increases to $1,120 ha-1 across three seasons. The importance of hexazinone and fertilizer as components of smutgrass control in bahiagrass forage was confirmed in this study. Future research should focus on the biology of smutgrass and the role of a PRE in a long-term, larger-scale forage system.

Insights of nano-NPK foliar application on growth and yield of maize (Zea mays L.)

Maize (Zea mays L.), a nutrient-demanding crop, faces significant challenges when conventional fertilizers are applied excessively, leading to adverse effects such as soil degradation, nutrient leaching and environmental eutrophication. In response to the growing need for sustainable agricultural practices, innovative fertilization techniques and nano-fertilizers have emerged as viable solutions. The present study, conducted during the rabi season (2024) using a randomized block design with 8 treatments and 3 replications to investigate the impact of IFFCO Nano-NPK (8-8-8) foliar fertilizer on maize growth and yield. The study assessed the effectiveness of nano NPK through growth, yield and nutrient uptake measurements. Results indicated that applying a 100% recommended dose of NPK fertilizers (RDF) and two foliar sprays of 1% nano-NPK at critical growth stages (V6-V8 and V11-V12), significantly improved plant growth and yield attributes. Notably, this performance was statistically at par with 75% RDF with two foliar sprays of 1% nano-NPK. These findings suggest that nano-NPK foliar applications can reduce traditional fertilizer use by 25% while maintaining optimal growth, yield and nutrient uptake. Thus, nano-NPK application offers a sustainable pathway for maize production, enhancing nutrient efficiency and reducing fertilizer inputs.

Toward Low-Carbon Agriculture: Factor Decomposition and Decoupling Analysis of Agricultural Carbon Emissions in Northeast China

Chemical fertilizer inputs in China peaked in 2015; however, agricultural carbon emissions continue to rise, and the effect of chemical fertilizer inputs on agricultural carbon emissions remains unclear in this context. This paper aims to offer a useful policy reference for low-carbon agriculture based on agrochemical inputs. Taking northeast China as an example, we incorporated chemical fertilizers as a factor in the generalized Divisia index model (GDIM) and conducted a decoupling analysis using a decoupling effort index (DEI) on data from 2000 to 2020. The factor decomposition results indicate that the chemical fertilizer input scale served as a driving factor with a declining trend, and carbon productivity from chemical fertilizer shifted from an inhibiting effect to a driving effect on agricultural carbon emissions. The results of integrating the GDIM with a DEI indicate that reducing chemical fertilizer inputs and exerting the inhibiting effect of carbon productivity from chemical fertilizer both contribute to effective decoupling.

Straw Return with Biodegradable Film Mulch: A Synergistic Cultivation Measure with Environmental and Economic Benefits Based on Life Cycle Assessment

Straw return and plastic film mulching are two critical management measures that not only maintain high and stable crop yields, but also have a significant impact on the ecological environment. However, there is still a lack of research on the comprehensive effects of straw return and different film mulching treatments on the ecological environment. Thus, a 2-year field experiment was conducted and six treatments, which included two main treatments, namely straw return (SR) and non-straw return (NR), and three sub-treatments, namely no film mulching (CK), plastic film mulching (PM) and fully biodegradable film mulching (BM), were applied in a garlic cropping system. Based on the life cycle assessment method, six endpoint damage categories, resource consumption, global warming potential, environmental acidification, eutrophication, human health, and ecotoxicity, were assessed. Furthermore, we also evaluated the costs and economic benefits of the six treatments and optimized the treatment of used mulch and straw off-farm. The results indicated that the environmental impacts of the six endpoint damages in the garlic cropping system were ranked as ecotoxicity, eutrophication, environmental acidification, global warming potential, human health, and resource consumption. The SR-BM treatment had the lowest life cycle environmental impact composite index at 27.68 per unit area, followed by SR-PM at 27.75. All six endpoint damage categories for the PM and BM treatments were lower than the CK treatment per t of yield, with the SR-BM treatment being the most economically efficient, yielding at 3691.03 CNY·t−1 and exceeding that of the SR-CK treatment by 7.26%. Fertilizer inputs were the primary contributor to resource consumption, global warming potential, environmental acidification, eutrophication, and ecotoxicity, accounting for about 72.80% of these five environmental impacts. Crop protection significantly affected human health, and garlic mulching helped minimize pesticide use, thereby reducing potential health impacts. Compared to straw incineration and waste mulch power generation, straw power generation and waste mulch recycling granulation offered positive environmental benefits and were more effective offset strategies. In conclusion, straw return with biodegradable mulch is a synergistic cultivation measure that offers both environmental and economic benefits. For straw return with plastic film mulch, environmental impacts can be reduced by waste mulch recycling granulation.

Decoding Land Use Conflicts: Spatiotemporal Analysis and Constraint Diagnosis from the Perspectives of Production–Living–Ecological Functions

Exploring the intensity and constraint factors of land use conflicts provides essential insights for efficient land use planning. Currently, China’s spatial development is gradually transitioning towards the coordinated development of production, living, and ecological functions (PLEFs). Previous studies have typically focused on land use conflicts from a micro perspective, examining conflicts between production, living, and ecological land uses at a fine scale. There is limited research from a macro perspective that conducts a theoretical analysis based on the production, living, and ecological functions of land use conflicts themselves. In addition, existing studies primarily analyze the influencing factors of land use conflicts, with limited literature directly addressing the constraint factors of land use conflicts. This study focuses on 12 prefecture-level cities in Hubei Province, China, using data from 2010 to 2020. It categorizes land use conflicts at the macro level into production perspective, living perspective, and ecological perspective conflicts. For each of these conflict perspectives, different pressure, state, and response indicators are introduced. This approach leads to the development of a theoretical framework for analyzing land use conflicts at the macro level. On this basis, a spatiotemporal evolution analysis of land use conflicts was conducted. Additionally, using a constraint factor diagnosis model, the study analyzed the constraint factors of land use conflicts at the macro level across cities, leading to the following research conclusions: (1) the land use conflicts from the production and living perspectives in the 12 prefecture-level cities of Hubei showed an upward trend from 2010 to 2020, while the land use conflicts from the ecological perspective exhibited a downward trend; (2) during the study period, Wuhan exhibited the highest intensity of land use conflicts from both the production and living perspectives, while Ezhou experienced the highest intensity of land use conflicts from the ecological perspective for most of the study period; (3) the main constraining factors of land use conflicts from the production perspective in the 12 prefecture-level cities of Hubei are population density, average land GDP, and effective irrigation rate. The primary constraining factors of land use conflicts from the living perspective are population density, urbanization rate, and average land real estate development investment. The main constraining factors of land use conflicts from the ecological perspective are population density, average land fertilizer input, and effective irrigation rate. This study constructs a new theoretical framework for land use conflict assessment at the macro level, providing a novel approach for studying land use conflicts at the macro scale.

The Effect of Climate Change on Agricultural Output in Ethiopia

Globally, the most pressing environmental issue at the moment is thought to be climate change. The resulting effect is a clear deterioration in both overall economic growth and agricultural output. The objective of the study was to look at how climate change might affect Ethiopian agricultural productivity in the short- and long-run between 1990 and 2023. An analysis of the short- and long-run effect of climate change on agricultural output was conducted using the ARDL cointegration approach. For the unit root test, the ADF test was employed. The results of the bound test exhibit that the real agricultural GDP, labour force, average annual rainfall, carbon dioxide emissions, average annual temperature, agricultural land and imports of fertilizer inputs have a stable long-run relationship. The estimated long-run model shows that the country&amp;apos;s main component of GDP, agricultural output, is significantly impacted by climate change. The error correction term&amp;apos;s coefficient is -0.783, indicating an annual adjustment of nearly 78.3% percent towards long-run equilibrium. The estimated coefficients of the short-run show that mean annual rainfall have a significant effect whereas the average temperature is an insignificant effect on output. Average temperature has a negative effect on agricultural output over the long run, whereas mean annual rainfall has positive effect. These are the two key variables of significance. According to the study, in order to lessen the effects of climate change, the government and other stakeholders should develop specific policies. They should also concentrate on technological innovation that prevents temperature increases from increasing output and the adoption of technology at both the macro and micro levels.