Green Agriculture Research Articles

Cellulose nanocrystals-based Pickering emulsion with enhanced foliar adhesion and pH responsiveness for intelligent delivery of pesticides

Pickering emulsions stabilized by functionalized natural macromolecules have emerged with promising responsiveness for pesticide encapsulation and release. This study developed Pickering emulsions using amine-modified cellulose nanocrystals (ACNCs) as stabilizers. The resultant O/W ACNCs-Pickering emulsions (ACNCs-Pickering) exhibited long-term storage stability and showed increasing emulsion stability depending on the concentration of ACNCs. Imidacloprid (IMI) was subsequently loaded onto the ACNCs-Pickering to form the IMI@ACNCs-Pickering via the in-situ loading route. The release rate of IMI demonstrated a notable pH responsiveness. Moreover, the IMI@ACNCs-Pickering prepared with an ACNCs concentration of 3 wt% showed optimal performances. Its foliar adhesion on Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L.ssp.pekinensis) was significantly higher than that of the commercial IMI formulation (70 WS, Bayer®, LS200032) (DG). In detail, the pesticide residue for the IMI@ACNCs-Pickering was 3.8 folds to that for DG after spraying and washing for 10 min. Also, the green peach aphid mortality rate was 98.33 %, which was 1.1 folds higher than that of the DG group. The present work developed a Pickering emulsion-based fat-soluble pesticide formulation with excellent foliar adhesion, resistance to rainfall washout, and insecticidal effect. It provided a new option to ensure the sustainable development of green agriculture.

ITS amplicon sequencing revealed that rare taxa of tea rhizosphere fungi are closely related to the environment and provide feedback on tea tree diseases.

The rhizospheres of plants and soil microorganisms are intricately interconnected. Tea trees are cultivated extensively on the karst plateau of Guizhou Province, China; however, the understanding of the interactions among fungal communities, community taxa, and diseases impacting tea tree in the soil rhizosphere is limited. Our aim is to offer insights for the advancement of modern agriculture in ecologically fragile karst tea gardens, as well as microbiomics concepts for green and sustainable environmental development. This study utilized the internal transcribed spacer high-throughput sequencing technology to explore the symbiotic relationship between rhizosphere fungi and plant disease feedback in multiple tea estates across the Guizhou Plateau. The ecological preferences and environmental thresholds of fungi were investigated via environmental variables. Furthermore, a correlation was established between different taxa and individual soil functions. Research has indicated that tea leaf blight disrupts symbiotic connections among fungal groups. For various taxa, we found that numerous taxa consistently maintained core positions within the community, whereas rare taxa were able to stabilize due to a high proportion of positive effects. Additionally, abundant taxa presented a wider range of environmental feedback, whereas the rare taxon diversity presented a stronger positive association with the soil Z score. This study contributes to our understanding of the importance of rare taxa in plant rhizosphere soil processes. Emphasis should be placed on the role of rare taxa in pest and disease control within green agriculture while also strengthening systematic development and biogeographical research related to rare taxa in this region.IMPORTANCEIn this study, based on internal transcribed spacer high-throughput sequencing, fungal communities in the rhizosphere soil of tea trees and their interactions with the environment in karst areas were reported, and the symbiotic relationships of different fungal taxa and their feedback to the environment were described in detail by using the knowledge of microbial ecology. On this basis, it was found that tea tree diseases affect the symbiotic relationships of fungal taxa. At the same time, we found that rare taxa have stronger cooperative relationships in response to environmental changes and explored their participation in soil processes based on fungal trait sets. This study will provide basic data for the development of modern agriculture in tea gardens and theoretical basis for the sustainable prevention and control of tea tree diseases.

Peptides, Modern Technology for Plant Defense Response for Sustainable Green Agriculture for Increasing worldwide populations

Peptides are short chains of amino acids that are the building blocks of chosen proteins. Peptides are a secure and efficient alternative to existing synthetic pesticides and insecticides. A constant and reasonable food supply is critical to the foundation of economic prosperity and growth in several countries. Innovations in fertilizers, pesticides, plant breeding, trait development, and improved farming methods are the main drivers of productivity and growth. India's per capita food prices are among the lowest in the world among healthcare, pharmaceuticals, animal nutrition, and plant nutrition. In current years, peptides have become widespread research targets in crop protection as antibacterial agents, immune inducers, plant growth regulators, insecticides, and herbicides due to their rich raw material sources, excellent activity, and supreme environmental compatibility. The present manuscript briefly introduces the advances in peptide research, provides an overview of peptide research in crop protection, and summarizes the utilization of peptides in crop protection and the prospects of peptides as green pesticides for agriculture and sustainable development for increasing populations.

Analysis of the Impact of Digital Inclusive Finance on the Development of Green Agriculture

Analysis of the Impact of Digital Inclusive Finance on the Development of Green Agriculture

Multi-Party Collaboration in Agricultural Green Technology Innovation and Adoption: An Evolutionary Game Approach

Multi-Party Collaboration in Agricultural Green Technology Innovation and Adoption: An Evolutionary Game Approach

Analysis of spatial and temporal characteristics and evolution of green total factor productivity in agriculture in the lower Yellow River basin

The construction of ecological barriers in the Yellow River Basin represents a significant step toward reducing agricultural carbon emissions, achieving carbon neutrality, and reaching carbon peaking in China. The diverse agrarian development objectives of various regions within the basin have resulted in a heterogeneous approach to greening agriculture. Therefore, this paper will evaluate the development of carbon sink agriculture across 34 cities and municipalities in the lower Yellow River basin from 2008 to 2021 based on the EBM-GML model, and analyze the spatial-temporal evolution of agricultural green total factor productivity (AGTFP) in each region through the application of the Moran index, kernel density estimation, and spatial Markov chain analysis. The results demonstrate that agricultural carbon emissions in the Lower Yellow River Basin gradually decreased throughout the study period. Furthermore, overall carbon emission efficiency improved, indicating significant potential for further emission reduction. In addition, Agricultural Green Technology Progress (AGTC) has become a primary driver of AGTFP growth, while Agricultural Green Technology Efficiency (AGEC) has demonstrated a gradual upward trend. Locally, most areas are weakly connected and display an isolated development trend. The results of the kernel density analysis demonstrate a notable degree of mobility in the distributional dynamics of AGTFP growth, characterized by a gradual narrowing of the gap between locations. The transfer of (AGTFP) types in the lower reaches of the Yellow River Basin is stable, with a noticeable “club convergence” phenomenon, while geographical conditions significantly influence the transfer of AGTFP types in this region. Based on long-term trend predictions, the future trajectory of AGTFP in the lower Yellow River Basin appears optimistic and is expected to improve progressively, with the overall distribution tending toward equilibrium.

Green Agriculture: An Assessment of the Effectiveness of Centralized Management of Contaminated Cropland in China

Green Agriculture: An Assessment of the Effectiveness of Centralized Management of Contaminated Cropland in China

The role of the digital economy on the coordinated development of green agriculture and food security: evidence from China

Promoting the coordinated development of green agriculture and food security is important for global sustainable development, and digital economy is a potential path to realizing this goal. Using panel data of 30 provinces (municipalities directly under the central government and autonomous regions) in China from 2014 to 2021, this study applies the entropy weight method and the coupling coordination degree model to measure the development of the digital economy and the coordination of green agriculture and food security. Moreover, the study constructs fixed-effects and spatial spillover effect models to determine the effect of the digital economy on the coordination of green agriculture and food security. We find a positive development trend between digital economy and coordination development in China, with no evident polarization phenomenon. The digital economy can effectively promote the coordinated development of green agriculture and food security, and has positive spatial spillover effects. Our findings expand the research related to the digital economy, and contribute to the promotion of sustainable agricultural development and food security.

Spatial benefit difference of fertilizer reduction and substitution policy based on grid scale: A case study of the Heihe River Basin

Agriculture green development faces the challenge of balancing the application of both organic and chemical fertilizers. Formulating effective policies to harmonize these applications is essential for ensuring food security and environmental sustainability. However, there is a lack of studies investigating the economic and environmental benefits of policy implementation at the grid scale, and insufficient research has been conducted on the subsequent impacts these policies have on diverse crops. Therefore, this paper develops the SIMPLE-G-Heihe model to simulate the impacts of green agricultural policies on multiple crops planting in arid regions. This model addresses limitations found in the SIMPLE-G model, which supported a single crop and lacked organic fertilizer substitution simulation. The results show that: (1) Merely increasing subsidies for organic fertilizers is insufficient to significantly enhance yields, and improving the efficiency of fertilizer utilization should also be emphasized. (2) Combining improvements in fertilizer technology with subsidies for organic fertilizers can concurrently support economic advancement and environmental mitigation. Research indicates that integrating a 3% organic fertilizer subsidy with an 8% improvement in chemical fertilizer technology increases vegetable output value by 0.27% and reduces N2O emissions by 1.09%. (3) The upstream areas of the Heihe River Basin show a significant reduction in fertilizer use. Fertilizer input is mainly reduced for vegetables in the upstream areas, while for wheat and maize, the reduction is primarily in the midstream and upstream areas. The findings discuss the spatial heterogeneity and flexibility of policy impacts, providing valuable insights for the implementation of green agriculture strategies in China.

Impact of Digital Villages on Agricultural Green Growth Based on Empirical Analysis of Chinese Provincial Data

The construction of digital villages has progressed in tandem with the transformation of traditional production methods, offering new perspectives for agricultural green growth and sustainable development. This study employs the entropy value method alongside the super-efficient global SBM (Slacks-Based Measure) mixed function model, which assesses efficiency by accounting for both inputs and outputs, thereby facilitating a comprehensive evaluation of agricultural green growth. This methodology facilitates the examination of the correlation between digital villages and agricultural green growth, as well as the influence of digital villages on this growth. Furthermore, the utilization of financial resources is employed as a mediating variable to elucidate the mechanism of action. The utilization of green finance and agricultural insurance can be facilitated by the establishment of digital villages, and that has been shown to promote agricultural green growth. Additionally, the promotion of agricultural green growth by digital village construction is stronger in middle-altitude regions, non-grain-producing regions, and regions where the digital literacy of the rural labor force is higher than average, as well as areas where the use of agricultural film is higher than average. Accelerating the construction of digital villages and promoting the utilization of rural financial resources while adapting the digital village development to local conditions are crucial for effectively fostering agricultural green growth and sustainable agricultural development.

Effects of Green Financing Drives on the Performance of DSE Listed Banks in Bangladesh

All commercial banks must take green financing drives to promote environment-friendly projects in their mainstream investment. Inherently, all commercial banks are encouraged to make a profit, but exploring the relationship between GF and bank performance is necessary. This article categorizes the data regarding different types of green financing such as renewable energy, alternative energy, energy efficiency, liquid waste management, recycling and manufacturing of recycling products, Hybrid Hoffman Kiln (HHK), environment-friendly green structures, green agriculture etc. The study feeds an inclusive overview of the GF situation with a particular emphasis on renewable energy (RE), energy efficiency (EE), liquid waste management (LWM), recycling and manufacturing of recycling goods (RRG), producing environment-friendly bricks (PEFB), and green ecology friendly establishments (GEE) and its impact on bank profitability in Bangladesh. This research collects secondary data from related published articles, Bangladesh Bank annual reports, quarterly reports, sustainability reports, other commercial banks' reports, different proceedings, ADB reports, World Bank reports, and national newspaper reports from 2014 to 2023. MS-Excell-2016, with SPSS software version 25, was applied to conduct the research. According to the results of the study, GF has a significant impact on bank profitability. Regression Model 1 indicates that energy efficiency (EE) and the recycling and manufacturing of recycling goods (RRG) have the most positive impact on bank performance (ROA and ROE). Regression Model 2 found that renewable energy (RE) impacts bank performance. However, the main challenge is creating awareness among the bankers, BB, other regulators, and the community. The possible future essence of this study is to convince bankers and policy planners that GF can be the best solution for surviving in the competitive market, maximizing wealth, and improving bank profitability.

Microbes in Agriculture: Prospects and Constraints to Their Wider Adoption and Utilization in Nutrient-Poor Environments.

Microbes such as bacteria and fungi play important roles in nutrient cycling in soils, often leading to the bioavailability of metabolically important mineral elements such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn). Examples of microbes with beneficial traits for plant growth promotion include mycorrhizal fungi, associative diazotrophs, and the N2-fixing rhizobia belonging to the α, β and γ class of Proteobacteria. Mycorrhizal fungi generally contribute to increasing the surface area of soil-root interface for optimum nutrient uptake by plants. However, when transformed into bacteroids inside root nodules, rhizobia also convert N2 gas in air into ammonia for use by the bacteria and their host plant. Thus, nodulated legumes can meet a high proportion of their N requirements from N2 fixation. The percentage of legume N derived from atmospheric N2 fixation varies with crop species and genotype, with reported values ranging from 50-97%, 24-67%, 66-86% 27-92%, 50-92%, and 40-75% for soybean (Gycine max), groundnut (Arachis hypogea), mung bean (Vigna radiata), pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), and Kersting's groundnut (Macrotyloma geocarpum), respectively. This suggests that N2-fixing legumes require little or no N fertilizer for growth and grain yield when grown under field conditions. Even cereals and other species obtain a substantial proportion of their N nutrition from associative and endophytic N2-fixing bacteria. For example, about 12-33% of maize N requirement can be obtained from their association with Pseudomonas, Hebaspirillum, Azospirillum, and Brevundioronas, while cucumber can obtain 12.9-20.9% from its interaction with Paenebacillus beijingensis BJ-18. Exploiting the plant growth-promoting traits of soil microbes for increased crop productivity without any negative impact on the environment is the basis of green agriculture which is done through the use of biofertilizers. Either alone or in combination with other synergistic rhizobacteria, rhizobia and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi have been widely used in agriculture, often increasing crop yields but with occasional failures due to the use of poor-quality inoculants, and wrong application techniques. This review explores the literature regarding the plant growth-promoting traits of soil microbes, and also highlights the bottle-necks in tapping this potential for sustainable agriculture.

Study on High-quality Development Strategy of Rural Economy Under the Strategy of Agriculture, Rural Areas and Farmers

With the in-depth implementation of the "three rural" strategy, the high-quality development of rural economy has become an important goal to achieve rural revitalization. This paper starts with the current situation of rural economic development, analyzes the main challenges facing rural economy, including infrastructure construction lag, unreasonable industrial structure and brain drain and innovation ability. On this basis, the core strategy of high-quality development of rural economy is put forward from three aspects: industrial revitalization, ecological revitalization and talent revitalization. By optimizing the industrial structure and promoting the integration of the primary, secondary and tertiary industries, the agricultural production efficiency is improved; Emphasizing green agriculture and environmental governance to promote sustainable development; Attention should be paid to attracting high-quality talents and improving rural education and training systems to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in rural areas. Through comprehensive measures, we will strive to provide systematic support for the high-quality development of the rural economy and help the smooth implementation of the rural revitalization strategy.

Has the Policy of National Agricultural Green Development Pilot Zones Enhanced the Agricultural Eco-Efficiency? Observation Based on the County-Level Data from Hubei Province of China

China’s agricultural green development is of great significance to protecting the ecological environment, ensuring food security, and promoting rural revitalization. This study considers China’s agricultural green development pilot zones policy as a natural experiment to examine its impact on regional agricultural eco-efficiency. Based on county-level data in Hubei Province from 2013 to 2021, the EBM-Undesirable model was employed to measure regional agricultural eco-efficiency. Then, the staggered DID model was conducted to estimate the policy impact. The results indicate that the pilot zones policy significantly enhances the agricultural eco-efficiency in the designated areas. The results from heterogeneity and mechanism analysis indicate that the pilot zones policy has a more substantial effect on the western region and less-affluent counties, and rural innovation serves as an intermediary variable for the policy to exert the “green” effect. Therefore, it is crucial for the government to consider regional disparities and the role of rural innovation when advancing policy implementation. Tailoring measures to suit specific local circumstances and consistently enhancing agricultural eco-efficiency in different regions is essential.

The Impact of Digitalization on Agricultural Green Development: Evidence from China’s Provinces

Agricultural green development is crucial for achieving the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, with the digital technology revolution acting as a catalyst for both China’s green agricultural transformation and global sustainable development efforts. This study utilizes panel data from 30 Chinese provinces (including autonomous regions and municipalities) from 2012 to 2022 to assess the digitalization level and agricultural green development through a combined entropy weight and TOPSIS method. It also investigates the spatial agglomeration of agricultural green development using Moran’s I index and empirically evaluates the impact of digitalization on agricultural green development through OLS and spatial Durbin models. The findings reveal that, while China’s agricultural green development has progressed slowly yet steadily during the study period, it demonstrates significant spatial agglomeration, driven primarily by agricultural production efficiency and resource recycling. Notably, a non-linear U-shaped relationship exists between digitalization and agricultural green development, suggesting that digitalization fosters agricultural green development only after surpassing a certain threshold. Additionally, digitalization has spatial spillover effects: advancements in neighboring provinces correlate with local agricultural green development in a U-shaped manner, with an initial “siphon effect” followed by a “trickle-down effect.” These insights inform policy recommendations aimed at optimizing the use of digital technology to facilitate green agricultural transformation, offering valuable guidance for policymakers.

The Impact and Mechanisms of Rural Digitization on Agricultural Green Total Factor Productivity

The Impact and Mechanisms of Rural Digitization on Agricultural Green Total Factor Productivity

Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation and Agricultural Green Development: China’s Experience

Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation and Agricultural Green Development: China’s Experience

Isolation of a novel Bacillus subtilis HF1 strain that is rich in lipopeptide homologs and has strong effects on the resistance of plant fungi and growth improvement of broilers.

Bacillus subtilis is an important probiotic microorganism that secretes a variety of antimicrobial compounds, including lipopeptides, which are a class of small molecule peptides with important application value in the fields of feed additives, food, biopesticides, biofertilizers, medicine and the biological control of plant diseases. In this study, we isolated a novel B. subtilis HF1 strain that is rich in lipopeptide components and homologs, has a strong antagonistic effect on a variety of plant fungi, and is highly efficient in promoting the growth of broilers. The live B. subtilis HF1 and its fermentation broth without cells showed significant inhibitory effects on 20 species of plant fungi. The crude extracts of lipopeptides in the fermentation supernatant of B. subtilis HF1 were obtained by combining acid precipitation and methanol extraction, and the lipopeptide compositions were analyzed by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). The results showed that HF1 could produce 11 homologs of surfactin and 13 homologs of fengycin. Among the fengycin homologs, C13-C19 fengycin A and C15-C17 fengycin B were identified; among the surfactin homologs, C11-C17 surfactin A and C13-C16 surfactin B were characterized. C13 fengycin A, C11 surfactin A and C17 surfactin A were reported for the first time, and their functions are worthy of further study. In addition, we found that HF1 fermentation broth with and without live cells could be used as a feed additive to promote the growth of broilers by significantly increasing body weight up to 15.84%. HF1 could be a prospective strain for developing a biocontrol agent for plant fungal diseases and an efficient feed additive for green agriculture.

Can Agricultural Socialized Services Promote Agricultural Green Total Factor Productivity? From the Perspective of Production Factor Allocation

In the context of China’s large country with small farmers, agricultural socialized services are regarded as an important way for small farmers to organically connect with modern agriculture and provide ideas for improving agricultural green total factor productivity (AGTFP). Based on data from 1066 farmers from the China Land Economy Survey (CLES), this paper takes net carbon sink as the environmental output variable, adopts the Cobb–Douglas production function for stochastic frontier method estimation, and measures the AGTFP based on the stochastic frontier analysis method with an output-oriented distance function. At the same time, through the construction of intermediary effect and regulatory effect models, it empirically analyzes the impact and mechanism of agricultural socialized services on farmers’ AGTFP from the perspective of factor allocation. The study found that agricultural socialized services not only significantly promote AGTFP, but also that the effect of AGTFP improvement is more significant as the degree of participation in agricultural socialized services increases. The main results have passed a series of robustness tests. Further research found that agricultural socialized services promote the improvement of AGTFP through the intermediary role of improving the scale of farmland and the level of agricultural green technology adoption. Off-farm employment of the rural labor force has a positive regulatory effect between agricultural socialized services and AGTFP. Therefore, it is recommended to further play the role of agricultural socialized services in optimizing the allocation of production factors and to motivate agricultural socialized service organizations to provide multiple green production services for farmers through policy support or subsidies, enhance the service capacity of agricultural socialized service organizations, and provide precise services by fully considering the differences in the endowment of production factors among farmers, as well as take multiple measures and make solid and steady progress in promoting the sustainable development of agriculture.

Impact of Farmers’ Participation in the Transformation of the Farmland Transfer Market on the Adoption of Agricultural Green Production Technologies

Impact of Farmers’ Participation in the Transformation of the Farmland Transfer Market on the Adoption of Agricultural Green Production Technologies