Organic Resources Research Articles

Increasing phosphorus rate alters microbial dynamics and soil available P in a Lixisol of Zimbabwe.

Soil phosphorus (P) deficiency is a major challenge to food security in most parts of sub-Saharan Africa, including Zimbabwe, where farmers largely depend on local organic nutrient resources as fertilizer in the production of crops. Soil microorganisms can contribute to synchronous availability of soil P to plants through regulating immobilization and mineralization cycles of soil P pools but their activity may be influenced by antecedent soil P, P fertilizer application regimes and P uptake by plants. Using soils collected from plots where Crotalaria juncea (high quality), Calliandra calothyrsus (medium quality), cattle manure (variable quality), maize stover and Pinus patula sawdust (both low quality) were applied at the rate of 4 t C ha-1 with 16 kg P ha-1 at the start of every season over 16 seasons. A pot study was conducted to evaluate the influence of increasing inorganic P fertilizer rates (26 and 36 kg P ha-1) on soil microbial dynamics, soil P pools, and maize P uptake. Results indicated that nineteen (19) fungal and forty-two (42) bacterial colonies were identified over the study period. Fungi dominated bacteria on day one, with Aspergillus niger showing a 30-98% abundance that depends on organic resource quality. Overall, microbial diversity peaked activity characterized succession on day 29, which coincided with a significant (P<0.05) increase in P availability. Increasing P rate to 26 kg P ha-1 amplified the microbial diverse peak activity under medium-high quality resources while under the control the peak emerged earlier on day 15. Mucor and Bacillus had peak abundances on day 43 and 57, respectively, across treatments regardless of P rates. Treatment and P rate had a significant (P<0.01) effect on microbial P. Bacteria were more responsive to added P than fungi. Increasing P to 36 kg P ha-1 also stimulated an earlier microbial diverse peak activity under maize stover on day 15. Addition of P alone, without supplying complementary nutrients such as N, did not have a positive effect on maize P uptake. Farmers need to co-apply medium-high quality organic resources with high fertilizer P rates to increase microbial diversity, plant available P and maize growth on sandy soils (Lixisols). Our results suggest that there is a need to reconsider existing P fertilizer recommendations, currently pegged at between 26 and 30 kg P ha-1, for maize production on sandy soils as well as develop new fertilizer formulations to intensify crop production in Zimbabwe.

Evaluation of Potential Organic Resources as Low Carbon-Emitting Soil Amendment in a Red Pepper Cultivated Soil

Evaluation of Potential Organic Resources as Low Carbon-Emitting Soil Amendment in a Red Pepper Cultivated Soil

Modeling the effect of soil fertility management options on maize yield stability under variable climate in a sub-humid zone in Ghana

IntroductionUncertainty in the yield of maize due to variability in weather is a major challenge to smallholder farmers in Sub Sahara Africa. This study explores the potential of combining locally available organic resources and inorganic fertilizer to increase grain yield and reduce variability in yields associated with variations in rainfall distribution.MethodsTo assess the effectiveness of this practice, the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM) crop model was calibrated and evaluated using maize experiments on nutrient management options. The evaluated model was used to simulate maize growth and yield using multiple-year data (1984–2018) under different planting windows for two growing seasons. The treatments were (i) control, (ii) inorganic fertilizer alone (INOFRecom), combining organic resources [empty fruit bunch of palm (EFB) and compost with inorganic fertilizer (INOF) to make up equivalent nutrients in (ii)]; (iii) EFB + INOF and (iv) Comp + INOF.ResultsThough all the soil amendments boosted grain output, the EFB + INOF treatment outperformed the other treatments in the major season with gains of between 161 and 211% and the most stable (least inter-annual variability of 27%) yield. Across the planting windows, the INOFRecom and EFB + INOF treatments achieved comparable yield increments in the minor season. Though grain yield variability was high during the minor rainy season, combining organic and inorganic fertilizers reduced inter-annual yield variability, thus, lowering uncertainty in yield due to variable inter-annual rainfall. Combining local organic resources with a reduced amount of inorganic fertilizer produced higher yields and better yield stability compared to using only inorganic fertilizer.DiscussionsThus, such soil fertility management solutions might sustain resource use and boost maize grain yield in the study area, where strategies for sustainable crop nutrition remain a critical necessity. The improved nitrogen management regimes may result in fewer environmental hazards for vulnerable rainfed agricultural systems.

Effect of Enriched Organic Manures and Bio-Enhancer on Quality, Soil Attributes and Nutrient Uptake in Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis)

Background: The extensive use of chemical fertilizers to boost vegetable production has been acknowledged, but its long-term consequences on soil health, ecology and other natural resources are detrimental. These effects extend to beneficial soil microorganisms and human beings. Therefore, there is a need of organic resources for plant nutrition.&#x0D; Methodology: An experiment was carried out during rabi season, 2020 at College Farm, College of Horticulture, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Jagudan, Dist. Mehsana, Gujarat. It was laid out in randomized block design with factorial concept with three replications comprised of two factors viz., different organic manures with six level i.e., 80% RDN through FYM (o1), 80% RDN through Poultry manure (o2), 80% RDN through Vermicompost (o3), 60% RDN through FYM (o4), 60% RDN through Poultry manure (o5) &amp; 60% RDN through Vermicompost (o6) and bio-enhancer with two level i.e., NPK consortium @ 5 lit/ha (f1) and Ghan-Jeevamrut @ 250 kg/ha (f2).&#x0D; Results: Among different application of organic manures, 80% RDN through Vermicompost performed significantly superior over other treatment with respect to TSS (7.07 oBrix), chlorophyll a (62.31 mg/100g), chlorophyll b (24.78 mg/100g), total chlorophyll content (87.09 mg/100g), available N (236.16 kg/ha), P (36.12 kg/ha) and K (361.07 kg/ha) in soil, N uptake (67.90 kg/ha), P uptake (8.46 kg/ha) and K uptake (61.74 kg/ha) by plant. Among different bio-enhancer, NPK consortium @ 5 lit/ha was found significantly superior with respect to chlorophyll b (24.00 mg/100g), total chlorophyll (83.10 mg/100g), organic carbon (0.36%) in soil, N uptake (63.61 kg/ha), P uptake (7.79 kg/ha) and K uptake (59.60 kg/ha) by plant. However, the interaction effect of both organic manures and bio-enhancer has found non-significant in terms of quality, soil attributes and nutrient uptake.

Organic and Conventional Agriculture- A Comparative Economics: Bulletin of Agrarian State University from Moldova: 2022; (5/462):123-130. ISSN 1994-2796 (Print) Scientific Article

The main problem of agriculture is finding a compromise between (1) food security and (2) minimal nega- tive impact on the environment. Currently, the first task is called upon to solve traditional agriculture, the second — organic. To identify the most sustainable type of agriculture, it is important to compare their economic aspects. When comparing, the analogy method was used. To assess the dynamics of demand for organic products and resources for their production, data from the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), the National Organic Union and the Union of Organic Farming were analyzed. The purpose of the study: to identify the benefits and opportunities of organic agriculture, the conditions for its long-term sustainability. The problem under consideration: the choice of the most appropriate type of agricul- ture for solving the main problems of the industry. The study showed that the driver for the development of organic agriculture in developed countries is consumer demand and a number of positive externalities, while the limiting factors for the wide distribution of this type are the high price of products, the decrease in the level of food security of countries, the need to increase the cost of research and development of specific technologies. In the short term, traditional agriculture will continue to dominate due to higher productivity. Organic agriculture, with an increase in research costs and the introduction of innovations, can compete with traditional agriculture in the long term.

Cover Caption

Researchers and producers are exploring ways to repurpose organic waste. Larvae of the black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens, offer a solution for converting organic waste into high‐quality protein and organic fertilizers. These saprophagous insects can fully utilize abandoned organic resources, promoting waste reduction. In order to make the BSF more efficiently use organic waste, scientific and technological workers have carried out a series of studies to solve various basic and transformational problems that BSF may face in its application (see pages 888‐1021). Due to limited space, this issue only covers part of the BSF research. We encourage further publication of research papers on this topic. Photo provided by Quan Zhou.

Dissolved organic carbon bioreactivity and DOC:DIN stoichiometry control ammonium uptake in an intermittent Mediterranean stream

Abstract Heterotrophic organisms in streams use dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) from the water column to meet their growth and energy requirements. However, the role of DOC availability in driving DIN uptake in headwater streams is still poorly understood. In this study, we focus on how DOC:DIN stoichiometry and DOC bioreactivity control ammonium (NH4+) uptake and heterotrophic aerobic respiration, and how this influence varies among seasons in a forested Mediterranean headwater stream. We estimated in‐stream NH4+ uptake rates seasonally by conducting whole‐reach constant‐rate additions of NH4+ with and without amendments of either lignin (recalcitrant DOC) or acetate (labile DOC). During each addition, we characterised microbial community composition by molecular analyses, stream metabolism with the single‐station method, and heterotrophic aerobic respiration by adding a metabolic tracer (resazurin). The stream was heterotrophic (net ecosystem production &lt;0) regardless of the season, with a microbial community mostly composed of heterotrophic bacteria. In‐stream NH4+ uptake rates were not related to either background NH4+ or DOC concentrations. Instead, these rates increased with increasing the molar ratio of NH4+ to nitrate (NO3−) (NH4+:NO3−) and DOC to DIN (DOC:DIN).Whole‐reach heterotrophic aerobic respiration rates showed the same relationship against stoichiometric ratios as NH4+ uptake rates. Furthermore, in‐stream NH4+ uptake rates were from 5% to &gt;800% higher during the co‐additions of acetate than when adding NH4+ either alone or with lignin. Our results indicate that in‐stream NH4+ uptake was largely controlled by heterotrophic bacteria, and that the stoichiometric balance between organic resources and nutrients was key to explaining the variability of in‐stream NH4+ uptake and heterotrophic aerobic respiration. Moreover, the observed increase in NH4+ uptake during acetate additions suggests that heterotrophic activity was limited by labile DOC availability. Our study highlights that both DOC:DIN stoichiometry and DOC bioreactivity are relevant factors driving the seasonal pattern of in‐stream N processing in this forested Mediterranean headwater stream.

Sewage treatment decreased organic carbon resources in Hong Kong waters during 1986–2020

Riverine organic carbon (OC) transport plays a role in regulating terrestrial and marine carbon pools and deteriorating coastal water quality. However, long-term OC transport in Asian rivers and its diffusion in marginal seas have remained unreported. This study reported the spatiotemporal variations in OC resources for Hong Kong waters, China, based on monthly monitoring data collected at 82 river stations and 94 ocean sites during 1986–2020. The station-based riverine OC varied spatially and was generally high, with a mean value of 1.4–52.0 mg/L. Moreover, along with improving water quality, OC at 97.6% of the river stations decreased during 1986–2020; overall, sewage treatment accounted for 83.4% of the exponential decrease in riverine OC (R2 = 0.68, p < 0.01). However, the reduction in riverine OC accounted for only 10.4% of the reduction in the marine five-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), which occurred at 70.2% of the ocean sites, especially those closest to the shore. The linear reduction in the marine BOD5 (R2 = 0.24, p < 0.01) was mainly attributed to reduced OC input from the adjacent Pearl River (61.9%) and decreases in phytoplankton growth (19.0%). These results indicated that sewage treatment improved water quality and decreased OC resources in Hong Kong waters, which can serve as a sustainable development model for other coastal cities. This study has important implications for mitigating organic pollution in the context of human efforts to manage the water environment.

Impacts of organic matter amendments on urban soil carbon and soil quality: A meta-analysis

Organic matter amendment application is an important avenue of beneficial waste diversion and is used to improve soil quality in agricultural and urban settings. In urban regions, amendments are used to support local food production, maintain vegetation for landscaping and recreational use, and reclaim disturbed soils. Urban regions generate large quantities of wasted organic resources for potential application aiding in creating a circular nutrient economy. There is a growing interest in understanding the effects of amendments such as compost, biosolids, and biochar on soil properties in agricultural settings. Gaps remain, however, in assessing their effects in urban land uses. We conducted a literature review to assess the effects of compost, biochar, and biosolids on soil carbon and soil quality of urban soils managed for gardening, landscaping, recreation, and reclamation. Application of organic matter amendments led to an average increase of 3.6 units of soil organic matter% (SOM%). Compost and biochar improved SOM% the most, by 3.1 and 6.5 units of SOM%, respectively. Biosolids resulted in the smallest increase in SOM% but had greater nutrient benefits than other amendments. Parameters related to chemical and physical soil quality improved with the application of amendments. Gaps in the literature remain, such as assessing urban gardens, soil to depths greater than 30 cm, and the persistence of SOM in amended soils. This meta-analysis proposes that organic matter amendments are a powerful means to improve soil quality in urban regions, provide vital cobenefits to surrounding communities, and increase soil carbon storage.

Engineering thermochemistry to cope with challenges in carbon neutrality

More than 90% of anthropogenic carbon emissions are from uses of organic carbon resources and carbonate minerals that cannot be abandoned any time soon. In this context, we have realized that the most effective strategy to cope with carbon-neutral challenges is to focus on a few super-emitters, which are all associated with heat-induced or heat-driven thermochemical reactions. To assist in reducing CO2 emissions from these super-emitters, we introduce an emerging interdisciplinary Engineering Thermochemistry (ETC) that focuses on heat-induced/driven thermochemical reactions and their engineering. Combined with some exemplary processes, we demonstrate how and why ETC can play a vital role in innovating CO2 super-emitting processes to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions substantially at the scale of several billion tons. The approaches discussed in this study can help governments and researchers to establish applicable policies and develop practical techniques to meet the challenges of CO2 emission reductions toward a green and carbon-neutral future.

Divergent consequences of bio-resources on morphological plasticity and biochemical responses in early-stage leguminous species: Sustainable productivity approaches

Inorganic resources can be detrimental to the environment when exploited. In comparison, organic resources help balance the soil's carbon and nitrogen (C/N) ratio, enhance soil fertility and benefit ecological protection. Current climate crises, rapid urbanization, and fast population growth are causing many natural forests to be converted to agricultural and industrial lands to fulfill ever-increasing food and developmental requirements. Application of different bio-resources becomes necessary for sustainable productivity of available lands. This study explores the effects of various organic amendments on the growth, morpho-physiological and biochemical attributes of three leguminous tree species: Dalbergia sissoo, Vachellia nilotica, and Acacia ampliceps, concerning sustainable productivity. One-year-old healthy, disease-free, and homogenous seedlings were used as study material in a greenhouse pot experiment. Four organic amendments, i.e., compost (CMP), cow dung (CD), poultry manure (PM), and biochar (BC), along with a control (CK) treatment, were applied. Results showed that all the organic amendments performed significantly better (P < 0.05) than CK. CD produced the most significant results, followed by BC application, while PM influence was the least. Among all treatments and species, the maximum values of root length, root biomass, chlorophyll content, carotenoids, catalase, and total phenolic content were recorded under the CD treatment. Whereas for plant height and collar diameter, no big differences were observed between CD and BC (P = 0.054). While comparing species, V. nilotica growth was significantly enhanced under organic amendments, followed by A. ampliceps. Combined and comparative results of studied parameters conclude that CD and BC were the most effective organic amendments, which greatly improved the growth of experimental leguminous tree species; this makes these two biofertilizers a powerful tool for sustainable agricultural productivity. Our study contributes toward an enhanced understanding of plant's morpho-physiological responses, biochemical growth patterns, controls, and activities under different bio-fertilizers.

Effect of Bat Guano and Biochar on Okra Yield and Some Soil Properties

The difficulty in obtaining commercial fertilizers by smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa makes it very important to optimize the use of local organic resources. In VilanKulo, Mozambique, a study was carried out on okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) over two growing seasons. The soil was a haplic, loamy-sand textured Lixisol. As organic amendments, bat guano and biochar were used. Bat guano is a phosphorus (P)-rich and low-carbon (C)/nitrogen (N)-ratio material from natural deposits on a cave floor. Biochar is a C-rich material prepared via an artisanal process using forest residues as a feedstock. Bat guano was applied at two rates (5 and 10 t ha−1) just before sowing. It was also applied at the same rates one month before sowing. Biochar was used at two rates (5 and 10 t ha−1) applied at sowing. Biochar and guano were mixed at the rates of 1 and 4 t ha−1 and 2 and 8 t ha−1, respectively, and applied at sowing. The experiment also used a non-fertilized control. Field trials were arranged in a completely randomized design with three replicates. The treatments that received high rates of guano tended to show significantly higher fruit yields (&gt;10 t ha−1 as the two-year average) in comparison with the control, which showed the lowest average okra fruit yield (6.21 t ha−1). In the guano treatments, the apparent recovery by okra of some important nutrients, such as N, was greater than the amount of the nutrient contained in the guano itself. This result, together with many others related to the tissue nutrient concentration, soil properties and residual fertilizing value in guano plots, indicated a strong mineralization of guano during the growing season. This was probably due to its low C/N ratio and favourable environmental conditions for the mineralization process. The result also suggests some kind of manuring effect, i.e., a fertilizing effect of guano beyond what can be explained by the nutrient supply. The use of biochar increased the total organic C in the soil and cation exchange capacity (CEC) compared with the control but did not affect the variables related to plant performance. Overall, the results showed that farmers can benefit from the use of guano in the short term because it releases nutrients, while with the use of biochar, the benefits can arise in the long term by improving the soil properties.

Effect of organic amendments obtained from different pretreatment technologies on soil microbial community

The application of organic amendments (OAs) obtained from biological treatment technologies is a common agricultural practice to increase soil functionality and fertility. OAs and their respective pretreatment processes have been extensively studied. However, comparing the properties of OAs obtained from different pretreatment processes remains challenging. In most cases, the organic residues used to produce OAs exhibit intrinsic variability and differ in origin and composition. In addition, few studies have focused on comparing OAs from different pretreatment processes in the soil microbiome, and the extent to which OAs affect the soil microbial community remains unclear. This limits the design and implementation of effective pretreatments aimed at reusing organic residues and facilitating sustainable agricultural practices. In this study, we used the same model residues to produce OAs to enable meaningful comparisons among compost, digestate, and ferment. These three OAs contained different microbial communities. Compost had higher bacterial but lower fungal alpha diversity than ferment and digestate. Compost-associated microbes were more prevalent in the soil than ferment- and digestate-associated microbes. More than 80% of the bacterial ASVs and fungal OTUs from the compost were detected 3 months after incorporation into the soil. However, the addition of compost had less influence on the resulting soil microbial biomass and community composition than the addition of ferment or digestate. Specific native soil microbes, members from Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria, and Mortierellomycota, were absent after ferment and digestate application. The addition of OAs increased the soil pH, particularly in the compost-amended soil, whereas the addition of digestate enhanced the concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and available nutrients (such as ammonium and potassium). These physicochemical variables were key factors that influenced soil microbial communities. This study furthers our understanding of the effective recycling of organic resources for the development of sustainable soils.

Managing soil organic carbon in tropical agroecosystems: evidence from four long-term experiments in Kenya

Abstract. In sub-Saharan Africa, maize is one of the most important staple crops, but long-term maize cropping with low external inputs has been associated with the loss of soil fertility. While adding high-quality organic resources combined with mineral fertilizer has been proposed to counteract this fertility loss, the long-term effectiveness and interactions with site properties still require more understanding. This study used repeated measurements over time to assess the effect of different quantities and qualities of organic resource addition combined with mineral nitrogen (N) on the change of soil organic carbon (SOC) contents over time (and SOC stocks in the year 2021) in four ongoing long-term experiments in Kenya. These experiments were established with identical treatments in moist to dry climates, on coarse to clayey soil textures, and have been conducted for at least 16 years. They received organic resources in quantities equivalent to 1.2 and 4 t C ha−1 yr−1 in the form of Tithonia diversifolia (high quality, fast turnover), Calliandra calothyrsus (high quality, intermediate turnover), Zea mays stover (low quality, fast turnover), sawdust (low quality, slow turnover) and local farmyard manure (variable quality, intermediate turnover). Furthermore, the addition of 240 kg N ha−1 yr−1 as mineral N fertilizer or no fertilizer was the split-plot treatment. At all four sites, a loss of SOC was predominantly observed, likely because the sites had been converted to cropland only a few decades before the start of the experiments. Across sites, the average decline of SOC content over 19 years in the 0 to 15 cm topsoil layer ranged from 42 % to 13 % of the initial SOC content for the control and the farmyard manure treatments at 4 t C ha−1 yr−1, respectively. Adding Calliandra or Tithonia at 4 t C ha−1 yr−1 limited the loss of SOC contents to about 24 % of initial SOC, while the addition of sawdust, maize stover (in three of the four sites) and sole mineral N addition showed no significant reduction of SOC loss over the control. Site-specific analyses, however, did show that at the site with the lowest initial SOC content (about 6 g kg−1), the addition of 4 t C ha−1 yr−1 farmyard manure or Calliandra with mineral N led to a gain in SOC contents. The other sites lost SOC in all treatments, albeit at site-specific rates. While subsoil SOC stocks in 2021 were little affected by organic resource additions (no difference in three of the four sites), the topsoil SOC stocks corroborated the results obtained from the SOC content measurements (0–15 cm) over time. The relative annual change of SOC contents showed a higher site specificity in farmyard manure, Calliandra and Tithonia treatments than in the control treatment, suggesting that the drivers of site specificity in SOC buildup (soil mineralogy, soil texture, climate) need to be better understood for effective targeting management of organic resources. Farmyard manure showed the highest potential for reducing SOC losses, but the necessary quantities to build SOC are often not realistic for smallholder farmers in Africa. Therefore, additional agronomic interventions such as intercropping, crop rotations or the cultivation of crops with extended root systems are necessary to maintain or increase SOC.

Fluorescence signal from carbon quantum dots synthesized from natural resources

The present work deals with synthesis of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) from some easily available organic resources as urea and citric acid. The heating of these precursors leads to formation of strong photoluminescent carbon quantum dots (CQDs). The characteristics of prepared CQDs have been analyzed by UV–Vis absorption, fluorescence and FTIR spectroscopy. The average size of synthesized CQDs obtained was 6.8 nm which was further verified with FESEM image analysis. The band gap of 3.15 eV have been estimated for the synthesized CQDs from absorption data. The appearance of high intense luminescence emission validates CQDs’ strong candidature as promising sensors for today’s optoelectronic and biomedical industries.

Better Nitrogen Fertilizer Management Improved Mchare Banana Productivity and Profitability in Northern Highlands, Tanzania

Declining land productivity is a major problem constraining banana (Musa spp.) production in Tanzania. Banana fruit yield consequently reaches only 15% of the potential, primarily due to inadequate soil nutrient replenishment. Improving farmers’ soil nutrient replenishment strategy in banana home gardens, which relies on applications of cattle manure only, by mixing with inorganic fertilizer resources can increase land productivity and can improve the overall profitability of banana production in the country. Experiments were conducted at Tarakea, Lyamungo, and Tengeru to determine the effects of organic fertilizer resources (animal manure and crop residue) and their combination with inorganic fertilizer resources on the productivity and profitability of Mchare banana production. Banana fruit yield differed significantly among the experimental sites, with drier areas of Tengeru recording, on average, 19.6 t ha−1 year−1, while the more humid areas of Lyamungo recorded, on average, 39.3 ha−1 year−1. Mchare banana plants grown under sole inorganic fertilizer produced significantly low yields (33.0 t ha−1 year−1) compared with those fertilized with cattle manure only, which lifted the yields to 38.8 t ha−1 year−1, but the latter required more labor input. Soil nitrogen (N) fertilization via cattle manure + mineral fertilizer gave the highest average banana fruit yield (43.0 t ha−1 year−1) across the sites, and reduced fertilization costs by 32%. Subsequently, this integrated fertilization technique generated the highest average net benefits in all sites and both cropping cycles. Thus, the findings of this study form a basis to improve land productivity and profitability in banana-based home gardens in the study area by directing more labor input to good soil N management.

Biofabrication of carbon quantum dots and their food packaging applications: a review.

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) are an emerging class of novel carbon nanomaterials (< 10nm). These zero-dimensional CQDs have recently invoked significant interest due to their high fluorescence ability, strong electronic conductivity, biocompatibility, excellent chemical stability, non-toxicity, and environmental safety. Bio-fabrication of CQDs from organic resources remains attractive owing to their excellent functional properties. An emerging class of CQDs is fabricated by various conventional methods. However, these methods need many chemical agents and instrument facilities. Bio-fabrication of CQDs has a lot of benefits because of its simple fabrication and eco-friendly. Therefore, the green synthesized CQDs are considered optimistic candidates for developing novel functional materials for food packaging applications. Thus, it is important to investigate the latest update on green-based CQDs for food packaging applications. This current review paper discusses the physicochemical properties of CQDs, the bio-fabrication of CQDs, and the fluorescent properties of CQDs along with their food packaging applications.

Effects of Chinese Milk Vetch Returning Incorporated with Chemical Fertilizer Reduction on the Composition and Function of Soil Bacterial Communities in Paddy Fields

Chinese milk vetch (Astragalus sinicus L.) is an important organic nutrient resource in the southern Henan rice-growing area. Thus, the effects of Chinese milk vetch (MV) returning incorporated with reduced chemical fertilizer on the physicochemical properties and bacterial community characteristics in paddy soil were studied. These results can provide a certain theoretical basis for the improvement of soil fertility and reduction of chemical fertilizer in this area. A field experiment was conducted for 12 consecutive years, involving six fertilization treatments (blank control, CK; 100% chemical fertilizer, F100; 80% chemical fertilizer+22.5 t·hm-2 MV, MV1F80; 80% chemical fertilizer+45 t·hm-2 MV, MV2F80; 60% chemical fertilizer+22.5 t·hm-2 MV, MV1F60; and 60% chemical fertilizer+45 t·hm-2 MV, MV2F60). The high-throughput sequencing method was used to compare the effects of different fertilization treatments on soil bacterial community diversity, composition, and structural characteristics. The FAPROTAX function prediction method was used to analyze the abundance differences of functional groups between different fertilization treatments. Additionally, combined with soil physicochemical properties and bacterial community characteristics, we explored the key soil environmental factors that changed the structure and functional characteristics of the soil bacterial community. Compared with that under CK, the soil bulk density (BD) under the MV returning incorporated with reduced chemical fertilizer treatment was decreased, whereas soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and total potassium (TK) were increased by 12.7%-35.5%, 38.2%-65.7%, 66.7%-95.2%, and 20.3%-31.6%, respectively. Compared with that under the F100 treatment, the Sobs index and Shannon diversity index of the bacterial community under the MV returning incorporated with reduced chemical fertilizer were decreased, and the Sobs index and Shannon diversity index were significantly positively correlated with BD (P<0.05) but significantly negatively correlated with SOC and TN (P<0.05). Compared with that under the F100 treatment, the relative abundances of Firmicutes under the MV1F80 and MV2F60 treatments were significantly increased by 82.2% and 67.4% (P<0.05), but the relative abundances of Acidobacteria were significantly reduced by 32.6% and 40.5% (P<0.05), respectively. The relative abundance of Actinobacteria under the MV2F60 treatment was significantly increased by 30.0% (P<0.05) compared with that under the F100 treatment. According to RDA analysis, soil SOC, TN, and TK were the main soil environmental factors that significantly affected bacterial community (P<0.05). Compared with that under CK and the F100 treatment, the abundance of functional groups of chemoheterotrophy, nitrogen fixation, fermentation, and ureolysis under the MV returning incorporated with reduced chemical fertilizer treatment were improved, whereas the abundance of functional groups of animal parasites or symbionts, all human pathogens, and human pathogen pneumonia were reduced, particularly under MV1F80 and MV2F60. To summarize, the long-term MV returning to the field incorporated with reduced chemical fertilizer improved the soil physical and chemical properties, thus changing the structure and functional characteristics of the soil bacterial communities, contributing to the improvement in the soil fertility, stability, and health of micro-ecosystems in paddy fields, thus ensuring the green and sustainable development of regional agriculture.

Second-Generation Bio-Fuels: Strategies for Employing Degraded Land for Climate Change Mitigation Meeting United Nation-Sustainable Development Goals

Increased Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from both natural and man-made systems contribute to climate change. In addition to reducing the use of crude petroleum’s derived fuels, and increasing tree-planting efforts and sustainable practices, air pollution can be minimized through phytoremediation. Bio-fuel from crops grown on marginal land can sustainably address climate change, global warming, and geopolitical issues. There are numerous methods for producing renewable energy from both organic and inorganic environmental resources (sunlight, air, water, tides, waves, and convective energy), and numerous technologies for doing the same with biomass with different properties and derived from different sources (food industry, agriculture, forestry). However, the production of bio-fuels is challenging and contentious in many parts of the world since it competes for soil with the growth of crops and may be harmful to the environment. Therefore, it is necessary to use wildlife management techniques to provide sustainable bio-energy while maintaining or even improving essential ecosystem processes. The second generation of bio-fuels is viewed as a solution to the serious issue. Agricultural lignocellulosic waste is the primary source of second-generation bio-fuel, possibly the bio-fuel of the future. Sustainable practices to grow biomass, followed by their holistic conversion into ethanol with desired yield and productivity, are the key concerns for employing renewable energy mix successfully. In this paper, we analyze the various types of bio-fuels, their sources, and their production and impact on sustainability.

Network Safety : A Research for Society

Network protection is the movement of safeguarding data and data frameworks (organizations, PCs, information bases, server farms and applications) with fitting procedural and mechanical safety efforts. Firewalls, antivirus programming, and other mechanical answers for protecting individual information and PC networks are fundamental however not adequate to guarantee security. As our country quickly constructing its Digital Framework, we should teach our populace to work appropriately with this foundation. Digital Morals, Digital Wellbeing, and Network protection issues should be coordinated in the instructive cycle starting at an early age. Security counter estimates assist with guaranteeing the privacy, accessibility, and respectability of data frameworks by forestalling or moderating resource misfortunes from Network safety assaults. As of late network safety has arisen as a laid out discipline for PC frameworks andinfrastructures with an emphasis on security of important data put away on those frameworks fromadversaries who need to get, bad, harm, obliterate or disallow admittance to it. An Interruption Discovery Framework (IDS) is a program that examinations what occurs or has occurred during an execution and attempts to find signs that the PC has been abused. A large number of illustrations was thought of, including those connecting with: military and different kinds of contention, organic, medical services, markets, three-layered space, and actual resource security. These thusly prompted thought of various potential methodologies for improving network protection later on. These methodologies were marked "Heterogeneity" ,"Rousing Secure Way of behaving" and "Digital Wellbeing" . Network protection assumes a significant part in the improvement of data innovation as well as Internet providers. Our consideration is generally drawn on "Network protection" when we catch wind of "Digital Violations". Our most memorable idea on "Public Network protection" subsequently begins on how great is our foundation for dealing with "Digital Wrongdoings". This paper center around digital protection arising patterns while taking on new advancements, for example, portable registering, distributed computing, web based business, and informal communication. The paper additionally portrays the difficulties because of absence of coordination between Security organizations and the Basic IT Framework.