Non-agricultural Fields Research Articles

Microorganism-Driven 2,4-D Biodegradation: Current Status and Emerging Opportunities.

The herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) has been widely used around the world in both agricultural and non-agricultural fields due to its high activity. However, the heavy use of 2,4-D has resulted in serious environmental contamination, posing a significant risk to non-target organisms, including human beings. This has raised substantial concerns regarding its impact. In addition to agricultural use, accidental spills of 2,4-D can pose serious threats to human health and the ecosystem, emphasizing the importance of prompt pollution remediation. A variety of technologies have been developed to remove 2,4-D residues from the environment, such as incineration, adsorption, ozonation, photodegradation, the photo-Fenton process, and microbial degradation. Compared with traditional physical and chemical remediation methods, microorganisms are the most effective way to remediate 2,4-D pollution because of their rich species, wide distribution, and diverse metabolic pathways. Numerous studies demonstrate that the degradation of 2,4-D in the environment is primarily driven by enzymatic processes carried out by soil microorganisms. To date, a number of bacterial and fungal strains associated with 2,4-D biodegradation have been isolated, such as Sphingomonas, Pseudomonas, Cupriavidus, Achromobacter, Ochrobactrum, Mortierella, and Umbelopsis. Moreover, several key enzymes and genes responsible for 2,4-D biodegradation are also being identified. However, further in-depth research based on multi-omics is needed to elaborate their role in the evolution of novel catabolic pathways and the microbial degradation of 2,4-D. Here, this review provides a comprehensive analysis of recent progress on elucidating the degradation mechanisms of the herbicide 2,4-D, including the microbial strains responsible for its degradation, the enzymes participating in its degradation, and the associated genetic components. Furthermore, it explores the complex biochemical pathways and molecular mechanisms involved in the biodegradation of 2,4-D. In addition, molecular docking techniques are employed to identify crucial amino acids within an alpha-ketoglutarate-dependent 2,4-D dioxygenase that interacts with 2,4-D, thereby offering valuable insights that can inform the development of effective strategies for the biological remediation of this herbicide.

A thematic review on livestock manure treatment strategies focusing on thermochemical conversion.

Livestock manure (LSM) management is emerging as a challenge due to increasing livestock consumption. Owing to the decreased agricultural land area, it is necessary to ensure LSM utilization in non-agricultural fields. LSM can be a valuable resource if managed as a circulating resource. This study discusses research trends based on a literature review and classifies LSM treatments. The analysis of each treatment is presented according to research trends, and implications for the future LSM processing are discussed. "Biological treatment" accounted for the largest portion at 48%, "manure management," which suggests improvement in manure treatment through systematic thinking or LSM management practices, accounted for 16%, and "thermochemical conversion" accounted for 11%. In addition, "life cycle assessment (LCA) research," "solid-liquid separation approach," and "nutrient-recovery/losses" were derived. Studies on biological treatments are increasing. Although anaerobic digestion (AD) is the most used method, it has the disadvantages of long processing time and waste generation after processing. As a key supplement, thermochemical conversion (TCC) technology, which could overcome the disadvantages of AD, was reviewed.

The multiple factors of suboptimal early feeding practices among infants aged 0-5 months in Indonesia.

Optimal early infant feeding practices are critical to ensure adequate nutrition for infants' growth and development. This study aimed to examine the determinants of suboptimal early feeding practices (i.e., delayed initiation of breastfeeding, prelacteal feeding, and non-exclusive breastfeeding) among infants aged 0-5 months in Indonesia. We used data collected in the 2012 and 2017 Indonesia Demographic and Health Surveys. Analyses were conducted using information from 3,198 live-born singleton infants aged 0-5 months. The primary outcomes used were: (1) delayed initiation of breastfeeding in the first hour after birth, (2) prelacteal feeding in the first 3 days, and (3) non-exclusive breastfeeding in the last 24 h preceding the survey. Potential predictors analyzed were categorized into the environmental, household, maternal, pregnancy, delivery, and child characteristics. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors significantly associated with each outcome. Approximately 78,6% of infants aged 0-5 months in Indonesia had at least one of the three suboptimal early infant feeding practices. We found a strong association between the three outcome indicators analyzed. The determinants of delayed initiation of breastfeeding included infants from Sumatera region (adjusted odds ratios (aOR) = 2.02, p < 0.001), infants delivered by Cesarean section (aOR = 2.78, p < 0.001), and in non-health facilities (aOR = 1.53, p = 0.003). The determinants of prelacteal feeding in the first 3 days included infants living in urban areas (aOR = 1.32, p = 0.035), the first birth-ranked infants (aOR = 1.32, p = 0.019), and infants who had delayed initiation of breastfeeding in the first hour of life (aOR = 3.90, p < 0.001). The determinants of non-exclusive breastfeeding in the last 24 h included infants whose mothers worked in non-agricultural fields (aOR = 1.52, p < 0.001), infants delivered by Cesarean section (aOR = 1.33, p = 0.044), and the first birth-ranked infants (aOR = 1.28, p = 0.039). There was a high percentage of infants aged 0-5 months who had suboptimal feeding practices in Indonesia. As we found multiple factors associated with suboptimal early feeding practices among infants, integrated approaches, including health promotion and supportive public policy, are required to ensure infants receive adequate nutrition in the early stages of life.

Identification of terrestrial gastropods families found in district Swat, Pakistan.

Very little is known about the malacofauna in district Swat of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, situated in the Northern part of Pakistan. The Swat valley possesses a variety of suitable environmental conditions, providing different types of habitats for both flora and fauna. Taken into consideration these points, the present study was conducted to explore the terrestrial snails diversity in agricultural and non-agricultural fields in the lower Swat valley. A total of 417 shells were collected from three sites: Kokarai, Kanju Township, and Deolai. Based on conchological features, three families: Bradybaenidae, Hygromiidae, and Zonitidae were identified using different terrestrial snail keys. In Kokarai and Deolai, shells of members of all the above-mentioned families were found from agricultural fields. In Kanju Township, shells of members of the family Bradybaenidae and Zonitidae were found. From these findings, it was concluded that district Swat possesses a significant malacofauna which was unexplored before and aided more to the existing literature on malacofauna. It also supports the idea that the agroecosystem is rich in species diversity. Further in-depth and extensive study is recommended to be carried out for a detailed taxonomy of the described terrestrial gastropod families.

A Geographic Analysis on Rural Reconstruction-Transformation-Revitalization: A Case Study of Jianghan Plain in China

At the beginning of the 21st century, with the rapid advancement of industrialization and urbanization, production factors such as population, capital, and land between urban and rural areas in China have gradually shifted to non-agricultural fields, the structure and function of rural territorial systems have been reconstructed and transformed therewith. In response to the relatively declining villages, the Chinese government proposed rural revitalization strategy. Taking the human–land relationship as the theoretical basis and functional changes of rural region as the main line, the study analyzes the characteristics of rural reconstruction, interprets the rural transformation mechanism and deconstructs paths of rural revitalization by using the rural reconstruction index, the model of rural transformation measurement and rural spatial transformation effect. The case study shows that: (1) Rural reconstruction in Jianghan Plain is characterized by temporal continuity and spatial imbalance. The periodical changes presents from social-reconstruction-dominated, economic-reconstruction-dominated to spatial reconstruction -dominated. The distribution of high values varied from the U-type to O-type along the main transportation routes, while that of low values alternated between points (hinterlands of the Plain) and lines from spatial viewpoint. (2) The driving mechanism of rural transformation was the coupling effect of the exogenous drivers and endogenous responses. The standardized regression coefficient between the drivers and the changes to rural regional functions is 0.766. The endogenous response is mainly manifested as the negative effect of the rural spatial reconstruction on the territorial agriculture-oriented function. (3) The key path of rural revitalization facilitated the optimization of regional functions through reorganization of the rural elements in Jianghan Plain. It is the strategic choice of rural areas to implement regional function zoning and realize the balance of spatial function. The research results can provide inspiration for theoretical research on rural geography, and provide policy and method support for rural revitalization in case areas.

The Incidence of Fusarium graminearum in Wild Grasses is Associated With Rainfall and Cumulative Host Density in New York.

The movement of plant pathogens between cultivated and natural host communities can result in lost agricultural production and altered microbial or plant biodiversity. Fusarium graminearum incidence was studied in wild grass hosts for 3 years to better understand the ecology of this plant pathogen at the interface of crop fields and nonagricultural environments. Research sites (n = 23) were spread between regions of high and low agricultural production and included both agricultural and nonagricultural fields. Pathogen incidence in living grass spikes and senesced, overwintered stems varied between regions of New York and was lowest in a region with sparser agricultural production (P = 0.001). However, pathogen incidence within regions was similar at both agricultural and nonagricultural sites. The groundcover of crop and wild hosts within 1 km of sample sites were equally effective predictors of pathogen incidence, indicating either host group may drive pathogen spread. Rainfall in the 8 weeks preceding sample collection was strongly correlated with F. graminearum incidence in grasses, as well as an increased prevalence of F. graminearum in Fusarium spp. communities (P = 0.001). Grass species diversity was not associated with a reduction in pathogen incidence, and F. graminearum incidence did not vary among the most well-sampled grasses. These results indicate the pathogen colonizes and spreads in noncultivated grasses in a manner consistent with existing concepts of pathogen epidemiology in cereal crops. Increasing host acreage, whether cultivated or not, could drive the colonization of grasses in remote or protected environments, potentially altering their microbial communities.

Ethnobotanical Survey of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of Bhagalpur Region

Medicinal and aromatic plants have been used since the time immortal in different parts on the world including India. Ayurveda provides a detailed insight of different medicinal plants and their use. Different regions of India have a array of different types of medicinal and aromatic herbs. Depending upon climate and soil they may have different degree of pharmacological importance. Lower Gangetic plane present at around eastern part of the Bihar has some sort of Medicinal and Aromatic plants common to Bhagalpur and nearby region. These plants were surveyed on non-agricultural fields of four different localities of Bhagalpur by using quardat method. Abundance, Counts, Cover, Frequency and relative importance were calculated as a whole. About 14 plants were recorded having either well known medicinal or aromatic properties in a total survey area of 1000m2.&#x0D; Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 8(2): 216-222

Estimation of Factors Affecting Job Migration in Vietnam

This study utilized the logit regression model with data from the Vietnamese Household Living Standards Survey (VHLSS) in 2016 to discover key factors that determined the probability of job migration in Vietnam. The estimated results of the model indicated that there were seven factors affecting job migration of households including the proportion of people with high school or higher qualification, the proportion of dependents, the number of males, the rate of income from non-agricultural fields, ethnics, areas and households’ living standards compared to the previous five years. In particular, the rate of non-agricultural income had a positive impact on households’ job migration, while other factors had negative effects on households’ job migration. Households’ accommodations and living standards had made great impacts on households whose family members working far away from home and even being helpers.

Aktywność zawodowa kobiet mieszkających na obszarach wiejskich

Celem niniejszej pracy było ukazanie sytuacji zawodowej kobiet z obszarów wiejskich na rynku pracy. Autorka przedstawiła wyniki badań dotyczące ich obowiązków oraz pracy zawodowej. Największą liczbę wśród pracujących zawodowo stanowiły kobiety, które od urodzenia zamieszkują obszary wiejskie, a głównym impulsem do podjęcia pracy były powody finansowe. Z przeprowadzonych badań wynika, iż mimo braku satysfakcji z wykonywanej pracy w dziedzinach pozarolniczych, nie zdecydowałyby się na jej zmianę.

Improvement of the Culture Medium for the Dichlorvos-Ammonia (DV-AM) Method to Selectively Detect Aflatoxigenic Fungi in Soil.

The dichlorvos-ammonia (DV-AM) method is a simple but sensitive visual method for detecting aflatoxigenic fungi. Here we sought to develop a selective medium that is appropriate for the growth of aflatoxigenic fungi among soil mycoflora. We examined the effects of different concentrations of carbon sources (sucrose and glucose) and detergents (deoxycholate (DOC), Triton X-100, and Tween 80) on microorganisms in soils, using agar medium supplemented with chloramphenicol. The results demonstrated that 5–10% sucrose concentrations and 0.1–0.15% DOC concentrations were appropriate for the selective detection of aflatoxigenic fungi in soil. We also identified the optimal constituents of the medium on which the normal rapid growth of Rhizopus sp. was completely inhibited. By using the new medium along with the DV-AM method, we succeeded in the isolation of aflatoxigenic fungi from non-agricultural fields in Fukui city, Japan. The fungi were identified as Aspergillus nomius based on their calmodulin gene sequences. These results indicate that the new medium will be useful in practice for the detection of aflatoxigenic fungi in soil samples including those from non-agricultural environments.

Analiza i ocena pakietu legislacyjnego Komisji Europejskiej oraz stanowiska polskiego Ministerstwa Rolnictwa i Rozwoju Wsi dotyczących kształtu Wspólnej Polityki Rolnej Unii Europejskiej po 2013 roku

The Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union plays a particular role in the process of European integration and the implementation of numerous community goals that go beyond the traditional functions of agriculture, associated with the production of food, and concern the multifunctional development of rural territories. The CAP played the main role in enlarging the EU, by incorporating the twelve new states from Central and Eastern Europe by means of ensuring their smooth integration into the common market and facilitating the accelerated adaptation, modernization and restructurization of the agricultural and food sectors, as well as the non-agricultural fields of the socio-economic and cultural activation of rural populations. The EU’s agricultural and rural policy continues to undergo evolutionary transformation, and its shape in the new 2014–202 financial perspective is of vital and justified interest for Poland. The paper presents the latest proposals of the European Commission in this respect, presented on October 12, 2011, the Polish official negotiating position and the author’s assessments, opinions and predictions.

Effect on the dopaminergic metabolism induced by oral exposure to simazine during the prepubertal period in rats.

The herbicide simazine is widely used in agricultural and non-agricultural fields. Studies have shown that simazine inhibits the proliferation of dopaminergic cells and affects the developmental differentiation of dopamine neurons. However, little is known about the effects of simazine on dopaminergic metabolism. Therefore, the present study examined the effects of simazine on Sprague‑Dawley(SD) rats from weaning to puberty(40days exposure). Simazine was administered orally to SDrats at doses of 0, 12.5, 50and 200mg/kg bodyweight. The contents of dopamine(DA), levodopa, dihydroxy-phenyl-acetic acid and homovanillic acid in the striatum were then examined by high-performance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting were used to analyze the mRNA and protein expression of aromatic amino acid decarboxylase(AADC), tyrosine hydroxylase, orphan nuclear hormone(Nurr1), dopamine transporter(DAT), vesicular monoamine transporter2(VMAT2), monoamine oxidase(MAO) and catechol-O-methyltransferase(COMT). The results indicated that simazine influenced the synthesis, transport and metabolism of DA and led to a reduction of DA levels in the striatum. One potential underlying mechanism is decreased levels of Nurr1, DAT andVMAT2 impacting upon the transport of DA; another is the decreased level of AADC and increased levels of MAO and COMT impacting upon the synthesis and metabolism of DA. These factors may eventually lead to neurological disorders of the dopaminergic system.

Effects of Simazine Exposure on Neuronal Development-Related Factors in MN9D Cells.

BackgroundSimazine is a triazine herbicide used worldwide in both agricultural and non-agricultural fields that is frequently detected in surface water and groundwater. Due to its widespread use, an increasing amount of research has focused on the potentially serious environmental and health risks.Material/MethodsWe used Western blotting and real-time quantitative PCR to analyze the effects of simazine on dopamine neuronal development-related factors in MN9D dopaminergic cells.ResultsThe expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) mRNA was significantly increased after treatment with 300 and 600 μmol L−1 simazine after 24 and 48 h. Levels of nuclear-related receptor 1 (Nurr1) mRNA after 24- and 48-h exposure were decreased with 50 μmol L−1 simazine, but increased with 600 μmol L−1 simazine. Significant increases in TH and Nurr1 protein were observed in all simazine-treated groups at 24 and 48 h. The expression of neurogenin 2 and LIM homeobox transcription factor 1 beta (Lmx1b) mRNA were significantly increased after exposure to 600 μmol L−1 simazine for 48 h, while the expression of wingless-type MMTV integration site family member 1 (Wnt1) mRNA was increased by all doses of simazine.ConclusionsSimazine may have an impact on TH in MN9D cells through 2 mechanisms; one mechanism is through the Lmx1a/Ngn2 pathway, and the other mechanism is through the Lmx1b-pitx3/Wnt1-Nurr1 pathway. These 2 pathways likely do not operate in isolation, but rather together, during the cellular response to simazine exposure.

Evaluating bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) diversity using Malaise traps in coffee landscapes of Costa Rica

AbstractEven though Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica Linnaeus, Rubiaceae) can self-pollinate, bees are important pollinators, without which there is lower fruit quality and yield. We studied bee diversity in coffee agroecosystems in Costa Rica during two coffee flowering seasons (2005 and 2006). Malaise traps were used as a passive sampling method to collect bees during coffee blooms. We collected 1012 bee individuals from three different site types: nonagricultural fields and shaded and unshaded coffee farms. Unshaded coffee farms had significantly higher species richness (S) and number of bee individuals (n) than did the shaded coffee farms and nonagricultural sites. Overall bee diversity did not differ among site types but evenness (J′) was significantly lower in unshaded coffee farms. Using a more detailed community analysis, there was a significant association between functional groups and habitat type with more species and individuals of small-bodied ground-nesting bees (Lasioglossum (Dialictus) Robertson) associated with unshaded coffee farms. A large proportion (49%) of bees collected were of this subgenus, which was never before reported as common in coffee agroecosystems. Further studies should establish whether Dialictus is important in coffee pollination. We propose strategies involving conservation of native bees through simple habitat management for small-scale coffee farms that may improve crop quality and quantity.

Taxonomic studies of nodulated leguminous weeds from the flora of North Western part (Dera Ismail Khan) of Pakistan

An extensive survey was carried out during 2005 - 2007 to investigate nodulated leguminous weed species which grow in agricultural and non-agricultural fields of North Western part (Dera Ismail Khan) of Pakistan. Studies revealed that 18 such weed species belonging to 10 genera are commonly found in the research area. The genera with number of species are: Alhaji ( 1 sp.), Argyrolobium ( 1 sp.), Astragalus ( 2 spp.), Cajanus ( 1 sp.), Lathyrus ( 2 spp.), Lotus ( 1 sp.), Medicago ( 5 spp.), Melilotus ( 3 spp.), Sesbania ( 1 sp.) and Vicia ( 1 sp.). Results were systematically arranged by alphabetic order of botanical names, followed by synonyms (if any), description of the plant, flowering and fruiting period, type, local and general distribution. Nodulated leguminous plant specimens were collected, identified, preserved, mounted and deposited as voucher specimens in the Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-University, Islamabad, for future references.

Research and Development of Laser-Beam Automatic Grade-Control System on High-Speed Subsurface Drainage Equipment

Subsurface drainage methods and materials technologies were modernized more through innovative research and development between 1960 and 1975 than during the previous 100 years. Original research conducted by ASABE Member agricultural engineers who were employed by the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and worked cooperatively with other ARS scientists and technicians plus scientists at The Ohio State University developed the prototype materials and equipment to test the new drainage technology. High-speed installation of plastic subsurface drains with plow-type equipment was made possible and practical in the late 1960s with the adoption of coilable corrugated-wall polyethylene plastic tubing. However, manual control of depth and grade by the operator of the drain plow at speeds of 35 to 50 m/min was not sufficiently accurate or practical. A laser-beam automatic grade-control system was designed and developed to meet the specific requirements of high-speed plow-type draintube installation equipment. The first use of the laser in agriculture was reported to be in the installation of plastic drain tubing with plow and/or trencher equipment. Through cooperative field trial demonstration projects with university extension specialists and industry representatives, the new technology was transferred to industry for final development and marketing. A laser-plane system, rather than the laser-line prototype tested, was developed by the industry cooperators to project a beacon of laser light (a laser plane) over an entire field. Laser-plane technology subsequently applied in precision land grading for surface irrigation vastly improved irrigation efficiency and saved untold millions of acre-feet of irrigation water worldwide. From this agricultural engineering beginning, laser technology expanded rapidly into many engineering agricultural and non-agricultural fields, including surveying, land leveling and grading, construction (highways and buildings), and military tasks. The laser-beam and laser-plane systems are considered the engineering standard method today for alignment and guidance applications.

Soil history as a primary control on plant invasion in abandoned agricultural fields

SummaryAbandoned agricultural (AA) fields are often invaded by exotic plants. This observation has been difficult to explain because agricultural practices change nearly every aspect of an ecosystem. Restoring native plants to AA fields is likely to require a prioritized understanding of the many mechanisms through which agriculture encourages exotic and discourages native plant growth.Using 660 experimental plots in three sites in Methow Valley, Washington, USA, we determined the relative role of neighbour removal, propagule addition, plant–soil feedback, soil disturbance and fungal restriction to explain why exotics cover 38% of the ground in AA fields and 3% of the ground in non‐agricultural (NA) fields.After three growing seasons, neighbour removal improved exotic growth from 3% to 11% cover in NA fields but had no effect in AA fields. Propagule addition did not increase exotic growth above natural recruitment. Differences in soil history, a proxy for plant–soil feedback, explained an increase in exotic growth from 9% in NA fields to 39% in AA fields. Soil disturbance improved exotic growth from 9% to 16% cover in NA fields but had no effect in AA fields. Fungicide reduced exotic growth from 39% to 28% cover in AA soils but had no effect on exotic growth in NA soils. Native plant growth never differed by more than 5% cover among treatments.Soil carbon, nitrogen (organic, inorganic and mineralization), phosphorus concentrations and fungal biomass were better associated with plant type (exotic or native) than agricultural history, suggesting that exotics facilitated their own growth by maintaining small beneficial fungal populations and fast nutrient cycling rates.Synthesis and application. Soil history was more important than neighbour removal in determining exotic and native plant distributions. Where exotics rely on plant–soil feedback or legacies of agricultural disturbance, native plant restoration may require soil‐based management. In these cases, changing mycorrhizal fungal abundance, increasing soil pathogen loading and slowing nutrient cycling rates may help restore native plants to invaded fields.

Nitric oxide emissions from soils amended with municipal waste biosolids

Land spreading nitrogen-rich municipal waste biosolids (NO 3 −-N<256 mg N kg −1 dry weight, NH 3-N∼23,080 mg N kg −1 dry weight, Total Kjeldahl N∼41,700 mg N kg −1 dry weight) to human food and non-food chain land is a practice followed throughout the US. This practice may lead to the recovery and utilization of the nitrogen by vegetation, but it may also lead to emissions of biogenic nitric oxide (NO), which may enhance ozone pollution in the lower levels of the troposphere. Recent global estimates of biogenic NO emissions from soils are cited in the literature, which are based on field measurements of NO emissions from various agricultural and non-agricultural fields. However, biogenic emissions of NO from soils amended with biosolids are lacking. Utilizing a state-of-the-art mobile laboratory and a dynamic flow-through chamber system, in-situ concentrations of nitric oxide (NO) were measured during the spring/summer of 1999 and winter/spring of 2000 from an agricultural soil which is routinely amended with municipal waste biosolids. The average NO flux for the late spring/summer time period (10 June 1999–5 August 1999) was 69.4±34.9 ng N m −2 s −1. Biosolids were applied during September 1999 and the field site was sampled again during winter/spring 2000 (28 February 2000–9 March 2000), during which the average flux was 3.6±1.7 ng N m −2 s −1. The same field site was sampled again in late spring (2–9 June 2000) and the average flux was 64.8±41.0 ng N m −2 s −1. An observationally based model, developed as part of this study, found that summer accounted for 60% of the yearly emission while fall, winter and spring accounted for 20%, 4% and 16% respectively. Field experiments were conducted which indicated that the application of biosolids increases the emissions of NO and that techniques to estimate biogenic NO emissions would, on a yearly average, underestimate the NO flux from this field by a factor of 26. Soil temperature and % water filled pore space (%WFPS) were observed to be significant variables for predicting NO emissions, however %WFPS was found to be most significant during high soil temperature conditions. In the range of pH values found at this site (5.8±0.3), pH was not observed to be a significant parameter in predicting NO emissions.