Global Agriculture Research Articles

From De-collectivization to Re-collectivization: New Transformation Trend in Agriculture Production in Taicang City of the Eastern China from the Perspective of 'Governmentality'.

The continuous development of agricultural technologies and produces trade and updated state reforms strongly shape the dominant organizing styles of local agriculture production. Since the end of the 1970s, rural China has witnessed a drastic agriculture transformation featured by de-collectivization, and recently in Taicang, a developed city in the eastern China, a kind of new cooperative farms have replaced the smallholders by pooling households' contracted farmland, signaling a new shift tendency towards agriculture recollectivization that is distinctive compared to other countries. Given the state governance's leadership in promoting this latest transformation, drawing on the theoretical concept of 'governmentality' that is powerful in understanding how to govern the society to meet certain objectives, this paper examines the accurate processes of agriculture re-collectivization in Taicang City based on the methods of semi-structured interview and participant observation. Our research shows that the China's tax-sharing and relevant reforms in the 1990s framed a new governance structure in line with the new mode of 'governmentality' closely linked to 'advanced liberalism', creating the responsibility shift from central to local governments and a set of evaluation technologies, and guiding various actors to engage in the agriculture re-collectivization practice in Taicang. Importantly, the considerable subsidies and the impressive extension services in terms of farming personnel training and agricultural techniques diffusion underpin the normal running of cooperative farms and contribute to the local implementation of national strategy of agriculture modernization. We argue that the combination of distinctive institutional arrangement of rural land owned by village collectives in China and the burgeoning local economy allows the developed areas to re-collectivizing the agriculture production for ensuring grain self-sufficiency rather than capturing more share in global agriculture products trade, and that the cooperative farms in our case have been deeply integrated into the 'modern procurement system' and become more sensitive to market fluctuation, requiring rural extension service to transform towards farms' capacity building for maintaining the long-term development momentum.

Exogenous zinc mitigates salinity stress by stimulating proline metabolism in proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.).

Salinity is one of the most concerning ecological restrictions influencing plant growth, which poses a devastating threat to global agriculture. Surplus quantities of ROS generated under stress conditions have negative effects on plants' growth and survival by damaging cellular components, including nucleic acids, lipids, proteins and carbohydrates. However, low levels of ROS are also necessary because of their role as signalling molecules in various development-related pathways. Plants possess sophisticated antioxidant systems for scavenging as well as regulating ROS levels to protect cells from damage. Proline is one such crucial non-enzymatic osmolyte of antioxidant machinery that functions in the reduction of stress. There has been extensive research on improving the tolerance, effectiveness, and protection of plants against stress, and to date, various substances have been used to mitigate the adverse effects of salt. In the present study Zinc (Zn) was applied to elucidate its effect on proline metabolism and stress-responsive mechanisms in proso millet. The results of our study indicate the negative impact on growth and development with increasing treatments of NaCl. However, the low doses of exogenous Zn proved beneficial in mitigating the effects of NaCl by improving morphological and biochemical features. In salt-treated plants, the low doses of Zn (1 mg/L, 2 mg/L) rescued the negative impact of salt (150mM) as evidenced by increase in shoot length (SL) by 7.26% and 25.5%, root length (RL) by 21.84% and 39.07% and membrane stability index (MSI) by 132.57% and 151.58% respectively.The proline content improved at all concentrations with maximum increase of 66.65% at 2 mg/L Zn. Similarly, the low doses of Zn also rescued the salt induced stress at 200mM NaCl. The enzymes related to proline biosynthesis were also improved at lower doses of Zn. In salt treated plants (150mM), Zn (1 mg/L, 2 mg/L) increased the activity of P5CS by 19.344% and 21%. The P5CR and OAT activities were also improved with maximum increase of 21.66% and 21.84% at 2 mg/L Zn respectively. Similarly, the low doses of Zn also increased the activities of P5CS, P5CR and OAT at 200mM NaCl. Whereas P5CDH enzyme activity showed a decrease of 82.5% at 2mg/L Zn+150mM NaCl and 56.7% at 2mg/L Zn+200 mM NaCl. These results strongly imply the modulatory role of Zn in maintaining of proline pool during NaCl stress.

Cytosolic pH Controls Fungal MAPK Signaling and Pathogenicity.

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) regulate a variety of cellular processes in eukaryotes. In fungal pathogens, conserved MAPK pathways control key virulence functions such as infection-related development, invasive hyphal growth, or cell wall remodeling. Recent findings suggest that ambient pH acts as a key regulator of MAPK-mediated pathogenicity, but the underlying molecular events are unknown. Here, we found that in the fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum, pH controls another infection-related process, hyphal chemotropism. Using the ratiometric pH sensor pHluorin we show that fluctuations in cytosolic pH (pHc) induce rapid reprogramming of the three conserved MAPKs in F. oxysporum, and that this response is conserved in the fungal model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Screening of a subset of S. cerevisiae mutants identified the sphingolipid-regulated AGC kinase Ypk1/2 as a key upstream component of pHc-modulated MAPK responses. We further show that acidification of the cytosol in F. oxysporum leads to an increase of the long-chain base (LCB) sphingolipid dihydrosphingosine (dhSph) and that exogenous addition of dhSph activates Mpk1 phosphorylation and chemotropic growth. Our results reveal a pivotal role of pHc in the regulation of MAPK signaling and suggest new ways to target fungal growth and pathogenicity. IMPORTANCE Fungal phytopathogens cause devastating losses in global agriculture. All plant-infecting fungi use conserved MAPK signaling pathways to successfully locate, enter, and colonize their hosts. In addition, many pathogens also manipulate the pH of the host tissue to increase their virulence. Here, we establish a functional link between cytosolic pH (pHc) and MAPK signaling in the control of pathogenicity in the vascular wilt fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum. We demonstrate that fluctuations in pHc cause rapid reprogramming of MAPK phosphorylation, which directly impacts key processes required for infection, such as hyphal chemotropism and invasive growth. Targeting pHc homeostasis and MAPK signaling can thus open new ways to combat fungal infection.

Effects of water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions on detection of enteropathogens and host-specific faecal markers in the environment: a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis

Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) improvements are promoted to reduce diarrhoea in low-income countries. However, trials from the past 5 years have found mixed effects of household-level and community-level WASH interventions on child health. Measuring pathogens and host-specific faecal markers in the environment can help investigate causal pathways between WASH and health by quantifying whether and by how much interventions reduce environmental exposure to enteric pathogens and faecal contamination from human and different animal sources. We aimed to assess the effects of WASH interventions on enteropathogens and microbial source tracking (MST) markers in environmental samples. We did a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis, which included searches from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 5, 2023, from PubMed, Embase, CAB Direct Global Health, Agricultural and Environmental Science Database, Web of Science, and Scopus, of prospective studies with water, sanitation, or hygiene interventions and concurrent control group that measured pathogens or MST markers in environmental samples and measured child anthropometry, diarrhoea, or pathogen-specific infections. We used covariate-adjusted regression models with robust standard errors to estimate study-specific intervention effects and pooled effect estimates across studies using random-effects models. Few trials have measured the effect of sanitation interventions on pathogens and MST markers in the environment and they mostly focused on onsite sanitation. We extracted individual participant data on nine environmental assessments from five eligible trials. Environmental sampling included drinking water, hand rinses, soil, and flies. Interventions were consistently associated with reduced pathogen detection in the environment but effect estimates in most individual studies could not be distinguished from chance. Pooled across studies, we found a small reduction in the prevalence of any pathogen in any sample type (pooled prevalence ratio [PR] 0·94 [95% CI 0·90-0·99]). Interventions had no effect on the prevalence of MST markers from humans (pooled PR 1·00 [95% CI 0·88-1·13]) or animals (pooled PR 1·00 [95% CI 0·97-1·03]). The small effect of these sanitation interventions on pathogen detection and absence of effects on human or animal faecal markers are consistent with the small or null health effects previously reported in these trials. Our findings suggest that the basic sanitation interventions implemented in these studies did not contain human waste and did not adequately reduce exposure to enteropathogens in the environment. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office.

A Localized CRISPR Assay that Detects Short Nucleic Acid Fragments in Unamplified Genetically Modified Samples.

Detecting short genetically modified (GM) nucleic acid fragments in GM crops and associated products is critically important for the global agriculture industry. Although nucleic acid amplification-based technologies have been widely used for genetically modified organism (GMO) detection, they still struggle to amplify and detect these ultra-short nucleic acid fragments in highly processed products. Here, we used a multiple-CRISPR-derived RNA (crRNA) strategy to detect ultra-short nucleic acid fragments. By combining confinement effects on local concentrations, an amplification-free CRISPR-based short nucleic acid (CRISPRsna) system was established to detect the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter in GM samples. Moreover, we demonstrated assay sensitivity, specificity, and reliability by directly detecting nucleic acid samples from GM crops with a wide genomic range. The CRISPRsna assay avoided possible aerosol contamination from nucleic acid amplification and saved time due to an amplification-free approach. Given that our assay displayed distinct advantages over other technologies in detecting ultra-short nucleic acid fragments, it may have wide applications for detecting GM in highly processed products.

Rural Industrial Integration's Impact on Agriculture GTFP Growth: Influence Mechanism and Empirical Test Using China as an Example.

Agricultural carbon emission is an significant cause of global climate change and many environmental and health problems. Achieving low-carbon and green development in agriculture is not only an inevitable choice for countries around the world to cope with climate change and the accompanying environmental and health problems, but also a necessary path for the sustainable development of global agriculture. The promotion of rural industrial integration is a practical way to realize sustainable agricultural growth and urban-rural integration development. The analysis framework of agriculture GTFP is creatively extended in this study to include the integration and growth of rural industries, rural human capital investment and rural land transfer. According to the sample data of 30 provinces in China from 2011 to 2020 and the systematic GMM estimation method, and through the combination of theoretical analysis and empirical testing, this paper discusses the influence mechanism of rural industrial integration development on agriculture GTFP growth, as well as the regulating role of rural human capital investment and rural land transfer. The results show that rural industrial integration has significantly promoted the growth of agriculture GTFP. Additionally, after decomposing agriculture GTFP into the agricultural green technology progress index and agricultural green technology efficiency index, it is found that rural industrial integration has a more obvious role in promoting agricultural green technology progress. Furthermore, quantile regression found that with the increase in agricultural GTFP, the promoting effect of rural industrial integration showed an "inverted U-shaped" feature. Through heterogeneity testing, it is found that the agriculture GTFP growth effect of rural industrial integration is more obvious in areas with high level of rural industrial integration. Additionally, as the nation places more and more focus on rural industrial integration, the promotion role of rural industrial integration has become more and more obvious. The moderating effect test showed that health, education and training, migration of rural human capital investment and rural land transfer all strengthened the promoting effect of rural industrial integration on agricultural GTFP growth to varying degrees. This study provides rich policy insights for China and other developing countries around the world to address global climate change and many related environmental and monitoring issues by developing rural industrial integration, strengthening rural human capital investment and promoting agricultural land transfer to achieve sustainable agricultural growth and reduce undesirable output outputs such as agricultural carbon emissions.

THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON HORTICULTURE: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE AND ADAPTATION STRATEGIES.

Change is an undeniable and pressing challenge of our era, with far-reaching consequences that extend to horticulture, a critical component of global food production and economic sustainability. Global temperatures are rising, leading to shifting climate patterns and an increased frequency of extreme weather events. These shifts pose significant challenges to horticulture, where specific environmental conditions are susceptible to disruption by climate change. Rising temperatures, for instance, affect plant development, flowering, and fruiting, ultimately impacting crop yields. The effects of climate change are not uniform across regions. Vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities vary depending on geographic location and socio-economic context. Regions with fragile ecosystems and limited resources are at heightened risk, while regions with established infrastructure and adaptive capabilities have better means to mitigate and adapt. climate change is reshaping horticulture, presenting challenges, and opportunities. By adopting adaptive strategies and continuing research endeavors, horticulture can endure and thrive, contributing to global food security and sustainable agriculture. This review paper presents a comprehensive exploration of the impact of climate change on horticulture, offering a global perspective while emphasizing adaptation strategies to address these challenges.

Phytotoxicity Assessment and Nanotechnological Remediation of Textile Industrial Dyes on Vegetation

In current scenario, one of the most significant sources of pollution is textile dye and increasing day by day. Many issues confront global agriculture, including the sustainable use and protection of natural resources, climate change, urbanisation, and pollution caused by agrochemicals (e.g., fertilisers and pesticides). These businesses release a wide range of chemicals, dyes, acids and alkalis, as well as other toxic compounds such as heavy metals, all of which are known to be poisonous. The physico-chemical parameters of dye manufacturing effluents, as well as their impact on seed germination and plant growth, were studied. Nanotechnology is also being studied as a potential solution to the worldwide food crisis. The use of plants to remove toxins from the soil, such as heavy metals, trace elements, organic chemicals, and radioactive substances. It also explains how nanoparticles are becoming a popular method of desalination and it also faces the environmental challenges for the protection of plants.

Orchard Management and Incorporation of Biochemical and Molecular Strategies for Improving Drought Tolerance in Fruit Tree Crops.

Water scarcity is one of the greatest concerns for agronomy worldwide. In recent years, many water resources have been depleted due to multiple factors, especially mismanagement. Water resource shortages lead to cropland expansion, which likely influences climate change and affects global agriculture, especially horticultural crops. Fruit yield is the final aim in commercial orchards; however, drought can slow tree growth and/or decrease fruit yield and quality. It is therefore necessary to find approaches to solve this problem. The main objective of this review is to discuss the most recent horticultural, biochemical, and molecular strategies adopted to improve the response of temperate fruit crops to water stress. We also address the viability of cultivating fruit trees in dry areas and provide precise protection methods for planting fruit trees in arid lands. We review the main factors involved in planting fruit trees in dry areas, including plant material selection, regulated deficit irrigation (DI) strategies, rainwater harvesting (RWH), and anti-water stress materials. We also provide a detailed analysis of the molecular strategies developed to combat drought, such as Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat (CRISPR) through gene overexpression or gene silencing. Finally, we look at the molecular mechanisms associated with the contribution of the microbiome to improving plant responses to drought.

Impact of climate perturbations on seeds and seed quality for global agriculture.

In agriculture, seeds are the most basic and vital input on which croplands productivity depends. These implies a good starting material, good production lines and good storage options. High-quality seed lots must be free of pests and pathogens and contain a required degree of genetic purity. Seeds need also to be stored in good condition between harvest and later sowing, to insure later on the field a good plant density and higher crop yield. In general, these parameters are already widely accepted and considered in many countries where advanced technologies evaluate them. However, the more and more frequently devastating climate changes observed around the world has put seed quality under threat, and current seeds may not be adapted to hazardous and unpredictable conditions. Climate-related factors such as temperature and water availability directly affect seed development and later germination. For these reasons, investigating seed quality in response to climate changes is a step to propose new crop varieties and practices that will bring solutions for our future.

Moving beyond narrow definitions of gene drive: Diverse perspectives and frames enable substantive dialogue among science and humanities teachers in the United States and United Kingdom.

Gene drive is an emerging biotechnology with applications in global health, conservation and agriculture. Scientists are preparing for field trials, triggering debate about when and how to release gene-drive organisms. These decisions depend on public understandings of gene drive, which are shaped by language. While some studies on gene drive communication assume the need to persuade publics of expert definitions of gene drive, we highlight the importance of meaning-making in communication and engagement. We conducted focus groups with humanities and science teachers in the United Kingdom and United States to explore how different media framings stimulated discussions of gene drive. We found diversity in the value of these framings for public debate. Interestingly, the definition favoured by gene drive scientists was the least popular among participants. Rather than carefully curating language, we need opportunities for publics to make sense and negotiate the meanings of a technology on their own terms.

Mitochondrial alternative NADH dehydrogenases NDA1 and NDA2 promote survival of reoxygenation stress in Arabidopsis by safeguarding photosynthesis and limiting ROS generation.

Plant submergence stress is a growing problem for global agriculture. During desubmergence, rising O2 concentrations meet a highly reduced mitochondrial electron transport chain (mETC) in the cells. This combination favors the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by the mitochondria, which at excess can cause damage. The cellular mechanisms underpinning the management of reoxygenation stress are not fully understood. We investigated the role of alternative NADH dehydrogenases (NDs), as components of the alternative mETC in Arabidopsis, in anoxia-reoxygenation stress management. Simultaneous loss of the matrix-facing NDs, NDA1 and NDA2, decreased seedling survival after reoxygenation, while overexpression increased survival. The absence of NDAs led to reduced maximum potential quantum efficiency of photosystem II linking the alternative mETC to photosynthetic function in the chloroplast. NDA1 and NDA2 were induced upon reoxygenation, and transcriptional activation of NDA1 was controlled by the transcription factors ANAC016 and ANAC017 that bind to the mitochondrial dysfunction motif (MDM) in the NDA1 promoter. The absence of NDA1 and NDA2 did not alter recovery of cytosolic ATP levels and NADH : NAD+ ratio at reoxygenation. Rather, the absence of NDAs led to elevated ROS production, while their overexpression limited ROS. Our observations indicate that the control of ROS formation by the alternative mETC is important for photosynthetic recovery and for seedling survival of anoxia-reoxygenation stress.

Biology of Spodoptera litura on natural and artificial diet under laboratory conditions

Armyworm, Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera; Noctuidae) is one of the most economically significant insect pests in global agriculture. The current study was performed to study the biology of S. litura under laboratory conditions. In the current study, the biological parameters of pests i.e., egg, larva, pupa and adult along with the duration were determined. The mean incubation period of pests on cabbage, maize and artificial diet was 2.86±0.33, 3.09 ± 0.12 and 3.97±0.77 days, respectively. S. litura had five instars. The mean developmental period of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth larval instar on cabbage was 3.44±0.11, 2.09±0.12, 4.11±0.12, 3.00±0.20, 6.68±0.23 and 5.94±0.18 days, respectively while 2.81±0.77, 3.55±0.33, 3.64±0.45, 4.43±0.71, 6.55±0.21 and 5.98±0.19 days on the maize, respectively. The mean developmental periods were 3.85±0.54, 3.45±0.63, 3.67±0.67, 4.37±0.82, 6.55±0.23 and 5.30±0.38 days of first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth larval instars on artificial diet, respectively. The mean total life period of S. litura was 33.43±5.86 days on cabbage and 34.79±6.95 days on maize while 35.98±7.86 days on an artificial diet. The longest developmental period of S. litura was recorded on the artificial diet while the minimum was on cabbage. The mean developmental period of pupa was 7.50±0.71 days on cabbage, 9.87±0.94 days on maize and 11.63±0.99 days on an artificial diet. Females were short-lived as compared to males. The pre-oviposition, oviposition and post-ovipositional period of S. litura on cabbage were recorded as a minimum while maximum on an artificial diet. The maximum number of eggs laid by females with the highest hatchability on cabbage followed by maize and artificial diet. An artificial diet was not good for pest development and growth as compared to a natural diet i.e., cabbage and maize. The findings will provide basic information about food pests which help in pest management.

Lentil and Mungbean protein isolates: Processing, functional properties, and potential food applications

Among the wide range of plant-based protein sources, pulse proteins stand out for their nutritional values and functional properties, together with sustainability. The global attention on soy and pea proteins, however, has overlooked other pulses. This review has explored underutilized and under-researched pulses, lentils and mungbean, by considering their comparable protein contents but different protein composition to that of soy and pea proteins. The traditional subsistence farming of lentils and mungbean has evolved with their emergence in the global agriculture sector. Research on lentil and mungbean protein extraction, however, has not been as extensive as for soy and pea. The novel dry fractionation methods benefiting protein native structure are in the early stage of optimizing protein yield. The milder wet extraction techniques-ultrafiltration or salt extraction-dilutive precipitations-have been investigated to a lesser extent. The harsh conventional wet extraction, i.e. alkaline extraction-isoelectric precipitation, is widely employed for lentils and mungbean. Apart from extraction method, drying process, pH condition, and genetic makeup of the plants directly influence protein functional properties. Protein functional properties, including gelation, emulsification, water holding (WHC) and oil absorption capacities (OAC), and foaming of lentils and mungbean, are discussed to understand their potentiality in the development of meat analogs. Lentil protein exhibited comparable gelling, emulsifying, and superior foaming properties to pea and soy protein. Meanwhile, the gelling, WHC and OAC of mungbean proteins are comparable to soy. This review highlights the promising application of lentil and mungbean proteins as sustainable plant-based protein sources for human food applications.

Urban agrobiodiversity, health and city climate adaptation plans.

To identify the scope and nature of agricultural biodiversity actions within the climate adaptation plans of a sample of large world cities. I evaluated data from the 2021 Cities Climate Adaptation Actions database curated by the Carbon Disclosure Project. Cities with a population over 1million and reporting at least one adaptation action were included. I identified actions involving agriculture and biodiversity using a framework consisting of five agrobiodiversity categories: urban and peri-urban land use and water management, and urban food supply chains, food availability and food environments. I also identified reported health co-benefits and health sector involvement. Of 141 cities reviewed, 61 cities reported actions on agricultural biodiversity, mostly supporting land use or water management. Key health outcomes addressed were illnesses linked to air pollution and excessive heat and vector-borne diseases, corresponding with cities' major health concerns. Greenhouse gas mitigation was also addressed by many cities. Fewer cities reported actions in food categories or concern for noncommunicable diseases or poor nutrition. Nearly two thirds of cities (40/61) reported health co-benefits or health-sector involvement for at least one intervention. A higher proportion of the 43 cities in low- and middle-income countries reported agrobiodiversity actions and health co-benefits than the 18 cities in high-income countries. Cities are key partners in achieving sustainable global agriculture that promotes health and supports climate and biodiversity goals. Cities can enhance this role through climate adaptation plans with strong health engagement, a focus on nature-based solutions and greater emphasis on food and nutrition.

Evolution of wound-activated regeneration pathways in the plant kingdom

Regeneration serves as a self-protective mechanism that allows a tissue or organ to recover its entire form and function after suffering damage. However, the regenerative capacity varies greatly within the plant kingdom. Primitive plants frequently display an amazing regenerative ability as they have developed a complex system and strategy for long-term survival under extreme stress conditions. The regenerative ability of dicot species is highly variable, but that of monocots often exhibits extreme recalcitrance to tissue replenishment. Recent studies have revealed key factors and signals that affect cell fate during plant regeneration, some of which are conserved among the plant lineage. Among these, several members of the ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR (ERF) transcription factors have been implicated in wound signaling, playing crucial roles in the regenerative mechanisms after different types of wounding. An understanding of plant regeneration may ultimately lead to an increased regenerative potential of recalcitrant species, producing more high-yielding, multi-resistant and environmentally friendly crops and ensuring the long-term development of global agriculture.

An overview of the most threating diseases that affect worldwide citriculture: Main features, diagnose, and current control strategies

Citriculture has been one of the most important agricultural activities worldwide. Brazil is among the five major citrus producers in the world, together with China, the European Union (EU), the United States, and Mexico. Together, these five groups are responsible for about 50% of the global citrus fruit production and this industrial segment is responsible for generating direct and indirect jobs. However, several citric diseases such as citrus canker, huanglongbing, citrus variegated chlorosis, and citrus black spot have been associated with annual losses of tons of fruits and orange trees impacting the global economy for decades. Citrus canker is caused by the Gram-negative bacteria Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri. and is associated with symptoms such as the formation of chlorotic rings in the leaves, stems, and fruits. Huanglongbing (HLB) is mainly associated with the Gram-negative bacteria Candidatus Liberibacter spp. and its main symptoms are the appearance of yellowish branches and deformed small leaves with yellowish spots. Citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC) is associated with the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa and causes chlorotic spots with irregular edges on leaves and deformation of new leaves. Citrus black spot (CBS) is caused by the fungus Phyllosticta citricarpa and generates lesions on fruits and reddish-brown leaf lesions. Since citrus is important for global agriculture, the current review addresses the main features of these important diseases including their symptoms and transmission, as well as the diagnosis and control strategies that have been studied so far for application in the field.

Nitrogen balance is a predictor of farm business performance in the English Farm Business Survey

Global environmental sustainability and food security are fundamental societal issues, and most crop production relies upon inputs from organic or inorganic nitrogen sources. Previous research in the Global North has demonstrated a typical over application of nitrogen across global agriculture with substantial negative impacts on the environment. The objective of this work was to draw on English Farm Business Survey (FBS) data of non-organic General Cropping and Cereal farms to explore the relationship between farm gate nitrogen balance, fertilizer application advice and farm business performance. A mixed effects generalized modeling approach was used to partition the variance into random (such as year, or farm ID) and fixed effects (those of interest). Whilst the financial performance of farm businesses is subject to high variance and multiple drivers, a negative relationship was detected between business performance and farm gate nitrogen balance, we demonstrate that nitrogen lost to the environment of >60 kg per hectare is associated with a significant negative impact on farm performance. Supplier-provided fertilizer advice was also associated with reduced farm performance. These results imply a positive effect on farm performance of enhancing on-farm understanding of crop nutrient requirements through the provision of accredited fertilizer advice. Within the stated bounds our model demonstrates good predictivity on randomly subsetted data, and is presented as a tool for use in scenario modeling of interventions such as agri-environment schemes, Natural Capital and Ecosystems Assessment, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Sex Pheromone Receptor-Derived Peptide Biosensor for Efficient Monitoring of the Cotton Bollworm Helicoverpa armigera.

The cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (H. armigera), causes damage to a wide range of cultivated crops and is one of the pests with the greatest economic importance for global agriculture. Currently, the detection of H. armigera is based on manual sampling. A low limit of detection (LOD), convenient, and real-time monitoring method is urgently needed for its early warning and efficient management. Here, we characterized the amino acid sequence in the sex pheromone receptors (SPRs) recognizing the pheromone components of H. armigera by three-dimensional (3D) modeling and molecular docking. Next, sex pheromone receptor-derived peptides (SPRPs) were synthesized and conjugated to nanotubes by chemical connection. The modified nanotubes were used to fabricate a sensor capable of real-time monitoring of gaseous sex pheromone compounds with a low LOD (∼10 ppb for Z11-16:Ald) and selectivity, and the sensor was able to detect a single live H. armigera. Furthermore, the developed biosensor allowed direct monitoring of the pheromone release dynamics by female H. armigera and showed that the release was instantly reduced in response to light. Here, we report the first demonstration of a biosensing method for detecting gaseous sex pheromones and live H. armigera. The findings show the great potential of the SPRP sensor for broad applications in insect biology study and infestation monitoring.

Connecting Climate Change Mitigation to Global Land Regeneration, Doubling Worldwide Livestock, and Reduction of Early Deaths from Noncommunicable Diseases.

Aim and background This article aims to link early deaths due to diet-related noncommunicable diseases at the global level, low animal food intake, primarily in developing countries, regenerative/organic agriculture, worldwide food security, and global warming mitigation. On statistically modeling Global Burden of Disease (GBD) risk factor and health outcome data, the unexpected finding was that early deaths(death before age 70) per year per 100k population due to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs, such as coronary artery disease, emphysema, liver failure, kidney failure, and cancers) were much higher in cohorts with low consumption of animal-sourced foods (processed meat, red meat, dairy, fish, poultry, eggs, and saturated fats). Relatively low NCD rates are associated with high animal food consumption. This unexpected finding led to exploring the implications of climate change. Methods I critiqued the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC's) definitions of "sustainability in land management, sustainable intensification (of agriculture), climate-smart agriculture," and "sustainability-focused socioeconomic pathway 1 (SSP1)"-the most climate-favorable scenario that the IPCC modeled. I modeled doubling the global livestock together with global regenerative/organic agriculture compared with the IPCC's SSP1, using the IPCC's mean 2010-2019 global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) as the baseline for comparison. Results This study found that all the IPCC's agricultural land-related definitions of interest were aspirational without detailing the farming methods used and those not allowed. The IPCC's land management-related definitions differed from the same or similar terms in the literature. The status quo net global agriculture and other land useGHGs (2010-2019) totaled 11.9 ± 4.4 gigatonnes (GT) carbon dioxide equivalent per year (11.9 ± 4.4 GTCO2-eq yr-1). The IPCC's modeling of the SSP1 scenario reduced GHGs to 3 GTCO2-eq yr-1 by 2050. Transitioning to global regenerative/organic agriculture (5 billion hectares) and doubling the global livestock for human consumption and agricultural land fertilization corresponded to net global GHGs = -24.1 GTCO2-eq yr-1 for 2-3 decades, totaling -482 to -723 GTCO2-eq of CO2 sequestration. Conclusions Doubling global livestock combined with worldwide regenerative/organic agriculture has the potential to mitigate climate change significantly more than SSP1 while providing global food security by reversing land degradation. Worldwide transitioning from intensive industrial agriculture that degrades land to regenerative/organic agriculture that sequestersCO2in soil ​​​​​and doubling global livestock would require initial support with finances, resources, and additional workersfor farms in both developing and developed countries.Subsequently, farms and farmers would be sustainably self-supporting with food sales. Retainingthe existing farm workers and attracting hundreds of millions more workers would likely require transitioning most agricultural lands into worker-owned cooperatives.