Major Food Source Research Articles

Sustainable Practices in Hospitality: A Case Study of a Slovenian Michelin Green Star Restaurant

As a major source of food and plastic waste and a large consumer of water and energy, the hospitality sector is key to combating climate change. Sustainable practices in the hospitality sector optimize food production and use, introduce innovative solutions and increase employee satisfaction in running environmentally friendly restaurants. This study examines the changes required for a restaurant to make a sustainable transition and the role of key stakeholders (i.e., chefs, head sommeliers, owners and main suppliers) in this process. It focuses on a prestigious Slovenian restaurant that has been awarded a Michelin Green Star and is 80% self-sufficient. The single case study uses semi-structured interviews, the critical incident method and participant observation to collect data. The results showed that in the case of the analyzed restaurant, the lifestyle of the owner/chef decisively shapes the culture of the restaurant, laying the foundation for its sustainable transformation. The success of the transformation itself, however, depends significantly on the employees’ ability to learn and innovate and their active involvement in the change process itself, which impacts both day-to-day business processes and relationships between stakeholders. The latter is reflected in the role the restaurant plays in the local environment as a driver for sustainable community and sustainable entrepreneurship development.

The role of stress hormones in regulating tomato resilience and metabolism.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) serves as a major food source and a model crop for understanding plant responses to stress. Abiotic and biotic stresses, exacerbated by climate change, threaten global tomato production. Stress hormones, including abscisic acid (ABA), ethylene (ET), jasmonates (JAs), and salicylic acid (SA), orchestrate intricate signaling pathways that mediate plant immunity and metabolism. This review synthesizes the roles of these hormones in tomato stress responses. We discuss the biosynthesis and signalling cascades of these stress hormones, and focus on the cellular and metabolic reprogramming they cause and the crosstalk that occurs between them. Increased understanding of these molecular events and interactions provides insights to improve tomato resilience and productivity under environmental challenges.

Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management of Antarctic Krill (Euphausia superba) to Support Baleen Whales and other Predators Production Adapted for Potential Climate Change Effects

Antarctic krill is an important component of the zooplankton production in the Southern Ocean and is a major food source for baleen whales. The role of commercial fishing and predation by whales on Krill abundance has been investigated here using the innovative ecosystem-based fishery management, EBFM which maintains the krill to whale food web ecosystem stability. The literature indicates the Krill fishery may have been overfished, so it was reduced to the current annual upper limit of 0.62 million tonnes for support other predators of krill, such as seals, penguins and flying sea birds. However, recent literature suggests a moderate reduction in krill catch in the Antarctic Peninsula area due to its importance for whale migration to temperate areas. The Peninsula area catch was estimated to be reduced by about 10% due to additional concerns about climate change effects on krill abundance in the Southern Ocean, reducing overall catch to 0.556 million tonnes, moderately higher than the maximum taken in 2022. Hence, the krill biomass fishing was reduced to allow for predation by baleen whales and other predators, giving a full ecosystem-based fishing mortality similar to that previously estimated to maintain krill production in the Southern Ocean.

The Significance of Probiotics in Aquaculture: A Review of Research Trend and Latest Scientific Findings.

Millions of people around the world rely on aquaculture as a major source of food. In the recent few years, probiotics have gained considerable attention as an alternative agent to antibiotics. They have been shown to play an important role in improving aquaculture species through different mechanisms, mainly disease management, improving their growth performance, and improving water quality. Consequently, this review aimed to identify the key areas of research in the global literature about the influence of probiotics on aquaculture based on the selected keywords "aquaculture" AND "probiotics" AND "growth performance" AND "disease resistance" (APGD). The meta-data of the published literature were extracted from the Web of Science (WoS) database on 23 December 2024, and then the co-authors, countries, and keywords were analyzed and visualized using VOSviewer (v. 1.6.20). The search found a remarkable number of documents, which included 175 APGD documents. The results of the bibliometric analysis of the global literature reveal a substantial increase in the publication of APGD documents from 2019 to 2024. Asia, particularly China (32.3% of documents), has emerged as a leader of APGD publications, followed by Iran (8.67%), India (8.01%), Malaysia (7.5%), and Spain (7.5%), respectively. Keyword analysis revealed the prevalence of disease resistance (length = 1793), probiotics (1348), aquaculture (1169), and growth performance (913) as the most impactful keywords based on the WoS database. This could indicate that most of the APGD documents were focused on disease resistance and probiotics relationships. In addition, an extensive review of the recent literature showed that probiotics have demonstrated a remarkable efficacy in improving the growth performance, feed utilization efficiency, disease prevention, and water quality management in various aquaculture species under different aquaculture systems when used as feed or water additives for 30-90 days. It can be concluded that Asia is the lead continent in aquaculture probiotics research, with a significant increase in APGD documents in the last 5 years. Probiotics played a major role in improving aquatic species. This research aims to provide valuable insight into the use of probiotics in aquaculture and highlights the need for further research to fully understand their benefits and mechanisms of action.

Banana Value Chain Factors and Marketing Channels: A Case Study of Meru, Embu and Tharaka-Nithi Counties in Kenya

Banana is a tropical crop grown in most developing countries, where it is commercialized by smallholder farmers. Banana is a major source of income, improved food security and possess great potential for value addition and export. Kenya is the largest producer of banana in East Africa, where it is a major source of food and income for smallholders. However, despite all these benefits, little is reported about its value chain factors and marketing channels in Kenya. Apparently, there are many restricting constraints in terms of banana supply and marketing management. Therefore, this study mapped socio-economic factors in the banana value chain and identified marketing channels in one banana-rich region, comprising Meru, Embu, and Tharaka-Nithi in Kenya. The study employed a cross-sectional survey design and multi-stage sampling of 384 respondents, comprising farmers, traders, and middlemen. A structured questionnaire was administered to respondents to collect primary data, which was subjected to descriptive and econometric analyses. The study found that majority of the farmers were small-scale, who used family labour (60%) and had limited access to credit and extension services. Middlemen were the dominant actors in marketing channels, compared to direct marketing. Farming experience and land allocated to banana were significant predictors with P=.030 and .040, respectively in Tharaka-Nithi, and P=.030 and .014, respectively in Embu. In Meru, land allocated to banana, type of labour, farming experience and education level were significant predictors with P=.012, .009, .059 and .080, respectively. Most farmers did not have a specific buyer of their bananas and hence were prone to exploitation by middlemen. Also few farmers got information on marketing channels. These findings provide insights into challenges faced by small-scale banana farmers in the region and recommends enactment of policies that support farmer access to credit, extension services, and direct marketing channels. Sustained sensitization of farmers on value chain requirements should instill the right marketing channel to adopt and consistently use.

Incidence of Natural Virus Infection on Selected Improved Genetic Varieties of Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) in Minna, Northern Nigeria

Cassava is a major staple food source for millions of people in Africa. It is one of the most cultivated root crops and it is a sustainable source of food security and family income for the poor in the developing world. Despite its economic significance, cassava yield is significantly reduced by viral diseases which can often result in 100 % yield loss in susceptible cultivars. Through a field-based randomized complete block-designed experiment, the present study screened five cassava genotypes in three replications at Teaching and Research Farm, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria. Collected samples were scored based on disease severity scale and data were subjected to ANOVA. Research results reveal that the five genotypes (PRV A, TME 419, TMS 98/0505, TMS 98/0581, and TMS 30572) were asymptomatic throughout the growing season, suggesting that all treatments were resistant to natural virus infection. Despite all treatments being resistant to virus infection, TME 419 had a better growth and yield performance compared to other treatments. Hence, the cassava genotypes identified in this study could be used for future breeding programs as resistant varieties to virus diseases in Minna, which can enhance food security and family income. Additionally, more research is needed to better understand the effect of diseases on these selected varieties.

Non-antibiotic growth promoters in poultry nutrition

Abstract Poultry meat and eggs are considered as major sources of food for rapidly increasing human population across the globe. During the rearing of poultry, different antibiotics were included in poultry diets in sub therapeutic doses to attain improvements in growth performance. Recently, the use of antibiotics in poultry production has been considered as one of the major reasons behind the emergence of antibiotic resistance in human and poultry pathogens. The pressing issue of antibiotic resistance led to complete or partial bans on the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in many parts of the world. Moreover, there have been increased concerns among the consumers about the antibiotic residues in poultry products. These administrative bans led to an increased incidence of bacterial disease outbreaks thus compromising the poultry performance, welfare, and economic outcomes of poultry producers. This ultimately attracted the attention of researchers to find the alternative strategies that could replace the antibiotics and bring production, health, and food safety benefits to the poultry production systems. These non-antibiotic growth promoters mainly include probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, phytogenic substances, organic acids, antimicrobial peptides, enzymes, bacteriophages, and egg yolk antibodies. Inclusion of these non-antibiotic solutions in poultry diets demonstrates promising results in terms of production performance and birds’ health. These promising results are demonstrated through improvements in nutrient absorption, proliferation of beneficial bacteria, reduction in pathogenic bacterial species, production of bacterial metabolites that serve as energy sources for intestinal epithelial cells of the host, and positive modulation of immune responses. Apart from reducing the colonization of bacterial species that are pathogenic for poultry, these alternative solutions have also exhibited satisfactory efficacy in reducing the colonization of foodborne pathogens like Salmonella and Campylobacter jejuni which cause illness in the human population. In this paper, we reviewed studies that evaluated the effects of non-antibiotic growth promoters on different types of poultry. A description of mechanism of action, advantages, disadvantages and effects on production performance, gut health and immune parameters are discussed in this paper.

Agromorphological Characterization of Biofortified Cassava Genotypes (Manihot esculenta)

Cassava is an important food security crop and millions of people rely on it as a major source of food around the world. Cassava is a main staple in Ghana and an ideal candidate for biofortification to improve its nutritional content to mitigate malnutrition and increase food security. The objective of the study was to assess the genetic diversity of 21 biofortified cassava accessions using agromorphological descriptors to determine significant variations among the genotypes for breeding programs. The trial was carried out in a complete randomized block design with two replications at the University of Ghana, Legon. Data were collected at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after planting. Significant differences were observed for all quantitative traits that were measured. There was a positive correlation between fresh root weight and the number of storage roots and also the number of leaf lobes and the length of the petiole. The first two principal component analyses (PCAs) explained 53.023% of the total variance. The key traits that influenced PC1 and PC2 included the total weight of commercial storage roots, leaf retention, average weight, number of storage roots, height at first branching, petiole length, and percentage of dry matter, further emphasizing the diverse traits among these genotypes and their breeding potential. Genotypes WC 2 and WC 14 made substantial contributions, while WC 15 signifies exceptional trait diversity and are promising candidates for enhancing genetic diversity in breeding programs. The dendrogram revealed phylogenetic relationships among the cassava germplasms, forming two main groups and subgroups. This study revealed substantial phenotypic diversity, providing a foundation for future breeding programs to improve food and nutrition security.

Dietary isoflavone intake among breast cancer survivors and cancer-free women.

Isoflavones are estrogen-like compounds found in plants and their health effects remain equivocal. We investigated dietary isoflavone intake and its associated factors in Korean breast cancer survivors, with a comparison to cancer-free women. The usual dietary intake of breast cancer survivors (n = 981, mean age 52 yrs) in 9 hospitals between 2012 and 2019 was assessed using 3-day food records or food frequency questionnaires (FFQs). They were age-matched to 2,943 cancer-free women who completed FFQs as part of a nationwide study conducted between 2012 and 2016. We used the flavonoid database of common Korean foods and the Phenol-Explorer database to estimate isoflavone intake. The contribution of each food or food group to the total isoflavone intake was calculated. The adjusted least-squares means of dietary isoflavone intake according to lifestyle and clinical factors were calculated using generalized linear models. Breast cancer survivors had a higher mean dietary isoflavone intake (23.59 mg/day) than cancer-free women (17.81 mg/day). Major food sources, including tofu, soybeans, and doenjang, contributed to over 70% of the isoflavone intake in both groups. When we estimated dietary isoflavone intake according to lifestyle characteristics, isoflavone intake increased with higher scores of adherence to the American Cancer Society dietary guidelines but decreased with increasing body mass index in both groups. Among cancer-free women, dietary isoflavone intake was higher among those who had never smoked and among dietary supplement users. Among breast cancer survivors, dietary isoflavone intakes did not vary with clinical characteristics, including time since surgery and estrogen receptor status. Breast cancer survivors were more likely to consume isoflavones than age-matched cancer-free women. Dietary isoflavone intake was associated with healthy lifestyle characteristics in women both with and without breast cancer. Further research is needed to understand the role of the higher isoflavone intake among breast cancer survivors compared to cancer-free women on their prognosis.

The AWC OFF neuron is important for attraction to 1-butanol in Caenorhabditis elegans.

C. elegans uses chemosensation to recognize a variety of odors, many of which are released by bacteria, the major food source of C. elegans . Specific amphid sensory neurons are known to detect different odorants. Here we show that the AWC OFF neuron detects the attractive odorant 1-butanol. Because few odorants that are specifically recognized by the AWC OFF neuron have been identified, we hope that the identification of this additional odorant will facilitate studies of the role of the AWC OFF neuron in odor detection and discrimination.

Rapid Gluten Allergen Detection Using an Integrated Photoimaging Assay and Ionic Liquid Extraction Sensor.

In recent years, food allergies and food sensitivities have remained critical public health problems that affect approximately 15% of the global population. Wheat is a major food source worldwide, but it is also a common food allergen. Celiac disease is chronic immune-mediated enteropathy triggered by exposure to dietary gluten in genetically predisposed individuals; it can be treated only through strict gluten avoidance. Therefore, rapid gluten detection is crucial for protecting the health of patients. Gluten contains two primary water-insoluble proteins: gliadin and glutenin. Gliadin is a key contributor to celiac disease and poses challenges for sample pretreatment owing to its insolubility, thereby reducing the accuracy and sensitivity of detection systems. Rapid sample processing is a critical problem in gliadin detection. In this report, we developed a gliadin sensor system called the integrated food allergy and microorganism sensor (iFAMs). The iFAMs comprises a gliadin lateral flow chip, a one-pot extraction solution, and an image assay app. The iFAMs enables gliadin extraction and detection in under 2 min with high sensitivity (0.04 mg/kg for gliadin, lower than the regulatory limit of 20 mg/kg). Users can easily measure gluten concentrations in samples and quantify gliadin levels using the smartphone-based image assay app. In samples collected from restaurants, the iFAMs successfully detected hidden gluten within "gluten-free" food items. The compact size and user-friendly design of the iFAMs render it suitable for not only consumers but also clinicians, food industries, and regulators to enhance food safety.

Economic influences of agriculture production and import mechanisms through commodity market in the nepalese context

Agriculture production not only manage food and domestic needs rather enhance nation’s economy. Nepalese production is relying from neighbours through import due to insufficiency. This study design to analyse the impact of agricultural cereal production and import scenario in the Nepalese context. A mixed method approach, both Qualitative and Quantitative data utilized for this Doctoral study-based paper, Farmers of all Seven Provinces samples with HHs interview and secondary data of agriculture and Custom data used. The study was conducted from January to June 2023. The findings revealed the major cereal crop production from own like paddy, maize, wheat and millet are limited for some season. In addition, import from India shifting large economy to India through import. The agriculture production meeting domestic needs like seasonal food and market stock. Whereas seeds, input and mechanization dependency largely depending on neighbours due to no manufacturing of own. The study concluded as agriculture production is a major source of income and food for Nepal. Limited month of sufficiency at the local production bounded Nepal depends on import. The cause was found as lack of sufficient input system, low priority of agriculture from all sectors, diversity and low-political priority. Food Diversity and local production enhancement is the ultimately way out to deal with this issue.

Exploring the reporting, intake and recommendations of primary food sources of whole grains globally: a scoping review.

Whole-grain intake is associated with reduced risk of non-communicable diseases. Greater understanding of major food sources of whole grains globally, and how intake has been quantified, is essential to informing accurate strategies aiming to increase consumption and reduce non-communicable disease risk. Therefore, the aim of this review was to identify the primary food sources of whole-grain intake globally and explore how they are quantified and reported within literature, and their recommendation within respective national dietary guidelines. A structured scoping review of published articles and grey literature used a predefined search strategy across electronic databases. Data were extracted and summarised based on identified outcomes (e.g. primary sources of whole-grain intake and quantification methods). Dietary intake values were noted where available. Thirteen records across twenty-four countries identified bread and bread rolls, and ready-to-eat cereals as primary sources of whole-grain intake in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, the UK and Northern America. Elsewhere, sources vary and for large parts of the world (e.g. Africa and Asia), intake data are limited or non-existent. Quantification of whole grain also varied across countries, with some applying different whole-grain food definitions, resulting in a whole-grain intake based on only consumption of select ‘whole-grain’ foods. National dietary guidelines were consistent in promoting whole-grain intake and providing examples of country-specific whole-grain foods. Consistency in whole-grain calculation methods is needed to support accurate and comparative research informing current intake evidence and promotional efforts. National dietary guidelines are consistent in promoting whole-grain intake; however, there is variability in recommendations.

Fish Gut Metabarcoding Detects Diets and Parasites Simultaneously

ABSTRACTUnderstanding the dietary habits and trophic niches of species is crucial for the conservation and management of species and ecosystems. Science‐based fisheries management requires large‐scale data of prey and parasites of fish species that enables the analysis of multitrophic interactions in an ecosystem. Using one of the commercially exploited beaked redfish (Sebastes mentella) from the Barents Sea, our study aims to understand its diet composition and parasites. We used 12S and COI markers to analyze the stomach and intestine contents of uncleaned, water‐cleaned, and bleach‐cleaned fish samples to also trace how external contamination affects diet analysis of fishes. We detected 19 potential prey taxa each of vertebrates and invertebrates from the guts of beaked redfish. While invertebrates were the major food source of redfish, our analysis indicated only two taxa of vertebrates that significantly contributed to the diet composition. In addition, we also detected two jellyfish species which were among the dominant prey taxa. Several parasites that have been frequently reported from redfish by visual examination were also detected by metabarcoding of gut contents. As in metabarcoding studies in general, it is important to build the reference libraries of fish parasites to fully harness the power of molecular approaches in achieving multi‐trophic interactions. We underscore that metabarcoding captures both the common prey as well as delicate taxa which may not be available for visual examinations such as jellyfishes or other cryptic taxa. Our study showcases the importance of gut metabarcoding in terms of simultaneous detection of diets and parasites.

Detection of Viruses and Elimination of Sweet Potato Feathery Mottle Virus in High-Yielding Varieties of Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas) from Ethiopia

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L. Lam.) is a major source of food in many parts of Ethiopia. In recent years, viral diseases have become the main threat to sweet potato production in Ethiopia. Previous virus survey studies carried out from 1986 to 2020 reported eight viruses infecting sweet potato in Ethiopia. Consequently, obtaining and multiplying virus-free planting materials have been difficult for farmers and commercial multipliers. This study was conducted to detect viruses infecting the five sweet potato varieties used as source plants and compare the virus elimination efficiency between meristem cultures from untreated and heat-treated mother plants and production of virus-free sweet-potato-planting materials. Seven common viruses were tested for, using grafting to Ipomoea setosa, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) before and after elimination procedures as screening and confirmatory methods. The sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV) elimination efficiencies of meristem cultures from untreated (grown at 25 ± 1 °C) and heat-treated (grown at 39 ± 1 °C) potted plants of sweet potato varieties were evaluated and compared. Sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV) was detected in 12 of the 15 source plants tested. Triple infections of SPFMV, sweet potato chlorotic stunt virus (SPCSV), and sweet potato virus C (SPVC) were detected in one of the fifteen plants. This study reports the detection of SPVC for the first time in sweet potato plants from Ethiopia. The cutting of meristems from heat-treated plants further increased the percentage of virus-free plantlets by ca 10% to ca 16%, depending on the plant variety. Elimination efficiency also seemed to vary among varieties: the greatest difference was observed for ‘Tola’, and the least difference was observed for ‘Guntute’. The present study provided protocols for detecting viruses and generating virus-free sweet-potato-planting materials in Ethiopia.

Faecal DNA Metabarcoding for Diet Analysis of Endangered Fish Species, Odontobutis obscurus.

Understanding the ecological characteristics of endangered species is essential for their management and conservation. The dark sleeper (Odontobutis obscurus) is a carnivorous freshwater fish that has been designated an endangered species in South Korea because of its highly restricted habitat range and small population size. However, ecological research on prey items for this species remains severely limited globally, posing challenges for establishing conservation measures such as translocation management. In this study, the food sources and feeding strategies of O. obscurus were identified through non-invasive faecal DNA metabarcoding. A total of 24 O. obscurus specimens were collected from Sanyang Stream on Geoje Island, and faecal DNA was amplified using mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) primer. As a result, 13 prey items were identified, comprising fish and benthic invertebrates. Dietary metrics revealed the overall food composition and major food source of O. obscurus, and the Costello method enabled graphical diet analysis, suggesting that O. obscurus is a generalist, feeding on a wide variety of food sources. The food selectivity index suggested that O. obscurus prefers specific prey items, such as genus Misgurnus, Zacco (fish), Radix (gastropod), and Ephemera (mayfly). This molecular method facilitated the diet analysis of an endangered fish species that cannot undergo dissection, providing crucial information for their management, particularly regarding translocation efforts.

The Capacity of Integrated Small-Scale Agricultural Production in Realization of Food Security in Rural Kenya: A Case of Suwerwa Location

Extreme poverty and hunger in many parts of Kenya is a common phenomenon. In recent years, there has been a deteriorating food supply. In the year 2011, approximately 4 million people were facing severe hunger and starvation. This has been attributed to multiple factors: poor traditional agricultural practices, over-reliance on maize and maize products as the major source of food, crop failure occasioned by erratic rainfall patterns, runaway food prices occasioned by a rise in global food price, poor logistics in the distribution of food to needy people and the influx of refugees from war-torn neighboring countries. Another factor that has contributed to food shortage is diminishing land sizes due to an increase in population. What used to be huge arable land suitable for large-scale commercial agriculture has been fragmented, making large-scale farming untenable. This has led to diminishing returns in food production and its attendant consequences. With dwindling agricultural output, household incomes have also been made worse, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. This study, therefore, examines the capacity of integrated agricultural production in the realization of food security in rural Kenya. The research was a case study of Suwerwa Location. The research instruments that were used included questionnaires, interview schedules and focus group discussions. The researcher used purposive and simple random sampling to generate a sample size of 200 respondents. The research used both descriptive and analytical methods of data analysis. This study found out that integrated small-scale agricultural production, as is practised in the Suwerwa location, has not ensured food self-sufficiency for all because of the numerous challenges that farmers face, ranging from financial and technical to those posed by weather. The study concluded that it is important to re-orient farming practices and adopt integrated farming systems on tiny land holdings. At the same time, farmers must be taught new ways of integrating farm activities. In addition, they must move away from rain-fed agriculture to irrigation so that they can grow food throughout the year and be provided with credit facilities and extension services. The study findings benefit policy-makers at the planning level because they inform them of the farming trends and food situation and reflect the country's capacity to attain food sufficiency through integrated small-scale agricultural production.

Waste to Energy: Combustion, Performance, and Emission Characteristics of Waste Animal Fats/Diesel Blends Premixed with Various Alcohols as Port Fuels.

Animal flesh is a major food source with economic and industrial value for consumer demand. These meats produced biowaste during and after preparation and use. Chicken intestines make up most of the waste thrown away after processing or frying. This study considers it a biodiesel source. Transesterification turns chicken intestine waste fat oil into biodiesel. This oil is used in compression ignition (CI) engines but performs poorly compared to diesel. Diesel, the base fuel, is mixed with 20% biodiesel. The remaining 10% and 20% of butanol and pentanol are port fuels, improving combustion and lowering emissions in the 5.2kW, 1500rpm CI engine. 20% pentanol premixing outperformed butanol premixing, blending, and engine CIWFOB operation. The greater heating value improves combustion, therefore 20% pentanol premixing with blend produces 32.76% BTE, 10.57% more than diesel. It produced 55.18% less CO and 50.92% less smoke than diesel, which has a greater heat release rate (48.86 J/CAD) and peak pressure (64.76 bar). This premixing costs NOx emissions. The CIWFOB blend with 20% pentanol premixing improves engine performance. For SDGs 7, 9, 12, and 13, this study is supported.

Optimizing Resource Utilization for Paddy Cultivation in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India: A Study on Efficiency and Sustainability

Agriculture is a cornerstone of the Indian economy, essential for providing food and livelihoods to millions. Efficient resource management of key resources such as land, water, labour, and inputs like fertilizers and pesticides enhance productivity, reduce production costs and environmental sustainability. Rice is a major food source and a vital agricultural commodity in India. This paper examines resource use in paddy cultivation across different farm sizes in Chandauli and Mirzapur districts in Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The selected districts are among the highest in the state in terms of productivity. Resource use efficiency was assessed using the well-known Cobb-Douglas, or log-log, production function. The findings reveal a general trend of under-utilization of crucial inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, and machinery, with varying levels of efficiency across farm categories. The analysis underscores the need to better utilize these resources to improve profitability and efficiency in paddy farming in the study area. Improving resource management and adopting technological advancements, such as direct-seeded rice, the use of nano fertilizers, and the incorporation of rice straw into fields to enhance soil fertility, can significantly increase production outcomes on farmers' fields while promoting sustainable practices.

Sex difference in the association of dietary fiber intake with visceral fat volume in Japanese adults.

Dietary fiber is a possible nutritional component which aids in the prevention of visceral fat accumulation. We examined the association between dietary fiber intake and visceral fat volume (VFV) by sex, and further analysed the association by major food sources of dietary fiber. In this cross-sectional study, we measured VFV in 2779 Japanese (1564 men and 1215 women) aged 40-89 who underwent positron emission tomography/computed tomography for cancer screening between 2004 and 2005. Dietary fiber intake was calculated based on a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. The association between dietary fiber intake and VFV was investigated using multivariate linear regression models after adjustment for potential confounders. Total, soluble, and insoluble fiber intakes were inversely associated with VFV in men (Q1: 3740 cm3, Q4: 3517 cm3, Ptrend: 0.0006 for total fiber), but not in women (Q1: 2207 cm3, Q4: 2193 cm3,Ptrend: 0.88 for total fiber). Statistically significant sex difference was observed (Pinteraction = 0.001 for total fiber). Subgroup analyses by major food sources revealed that dietary fiber intakes from beans, vegetables and fruits showed an inverse association with VFV in men, while cereal fiber intake showed a tendency toward a positive association in both sexes (Q1: 3520 cm3, Q4: 3671 cm3, Ptrend: 0.05 in men, Q1: 2147 cm3, Q4: 2227 cm3, Ptrend: 0.10 in women). We observed a sex-specific association between dietary fiber intake and VFV in Japanese adults. This study suggests that efforts against visceral fat accumulation should take account of the source of dietary fiber.