Agricultural Production Areas Research Articles

Trade-off and synergistic relationship of land use function and zoning in coastal saline-alkali area: A case study of Huanghua, Hebei, China

Analyzing the multi-functional evolution of land use can help solve the confusion in the relationship between land use functions and unreasonable land use structure. From the perspective of ecological security, we integrated multi-source data on the basis of quantitative evaluation of various land use functions, and used the method of combining band set statistical model and bivariate local Moran's I to measure the dynamics of trade-off and synergy relationship between land use functions in Huanghua, Hebei from 2000 to 2018, and divided land use functional areas. The results showed that production function (PF) and life function (LF) showed the alternate evolution of the trade-off and synergy relationship, which mostly occured in the central urban areas such as the southern region. The PF and ecological function (EF) was mainly based on the synergistic relationship, which mostly occured in the traditional agricultural areas in the west region. The degree of synergy between LF and water conservation function (WCF) first increased and then decreased, with obvious regional differences in the degree of synergy. LF and soil health function (SHF)/ biological diversity function (BDF) was dominated by trade-off relationship, which mostly occured in western saline-alkali land and coastal areas. The performance of multiple EF was the mutual transformation of trade-offs and synergies. The land space of Huanghua could be divided into six types of areas, agricultural production area, urban development core area, urban and rural optimized development area, renovation and improvement area, nature reserve area, and ecological restoration area. There were differences in the dominant mode of land function and optimization strategies in each area. This research could provide scientific refe-rence for clarifying land function relationship and optimizing land spatial development pattern.

Determination and accounting of carbon costs in agricultural production areas

Purpose- This study aims to determine and account for the carbon change as a result of agricultural activities in agricultural production areas within the framework of environmental benefits and environmental costs. Methodology- In the study, carbon costs in agricultural production areas were examined with the “Case Study” method. In this context, the data used in the study were taken from the research conducted by She et al. (2017). The total carbon sink and carbon resources of a product group consisting of wheat, corn, potato and cotton produced by XYZ enterprise in a region have been calculated and accounted for within the framework of environmental benefits and environmental costs. Findings- The carbon amounts determined in the production area were evaluated according to the London Stock Exchange. According to the valuation, it was determined that wheat provided 62,042.75 TL, corn 74,921.00 TL and potato 84,931.00 TL per hectare, while cotton created 10,221.75 TL environmental cost. Conclusion- The study reveals that the benefit and cost of carbon exchange in agricultural production areas can be measured and associated with the product. In this respect, it is thought that the study can help the investment decisions of agricultural enterprises and can be a guide for similar studies. Keywords: Agribusiness, carbon accounting, environmental benefit and cost JEL Codes: M11, M41, M48

Sustainable Management Behavior of Farmland Shelterbelt of Farmers in Ecologically Fragile Areas: Empirical Evidence from Xinjiang, China

The farmland shelterbelt is an important artificial ecological project for improving farmland microclimates, ensuring agricultural production, and promoting sustainable development in China’s ecologically fragile areas. Due to the quasi-public attribute, farmland shelterbelts were mainly constructed and managed by the government in the past. In recent years, the reform of the separation of three rights in collective forestland and the mechanism of “private supply of public goods” have prompted farmers to participate in the modern forest management system. However, there is a lack of consistency between farmers’ management intentions and actual contract operation and management behaviors, resulting in weakened management and protection in many places, which seriously restricts the construction efficiency of farmland shelterbelts. Therefore, based on the survey data and planning behavior theory (TPB) of 1106 farmers in 16 major agricultural production areas (counties) in Xinjiang, this study aims to explore the key factors affecting farmers ‘forestry management and production decision making and to verify the transformation mechanism of farmers’ behavior through path analysis. The results show that the management decisions of farmers in ecologically fragile areas follow the path form of “cognitive → intention → behavior”, in which the multi-dimensional cognition of farmers has a significant impact on farmers’ behavioral intention, while the effect on behavioral response is relatively small, which currently depends on the promotion of ecological compensation and government behavior. Finally, this study puts forward countermeasures and suggestions for continuously stimulating the farmers’ forest operation behavior and provides policy reference for promoting the sustainable development of farmland shelterbelts in ecologically fragile areas put forward countermeasures and suggestions for continuously stimulating farmers’ forestry behavior.

Ambient background and quality reference values for trace metals in soils from Algeria

The establishment of the reference ambient background concentrations (ABCs) and quality reference values (QRVs) for trace metal (TM) concentrations in soils are required for the environmental assessment and any implementation of a protective action. This information is lacking for soils of the eastern Mitidja plain, which is an important agricultural production area in Algeria. Data for the aqua regia extractable Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn concentrations from 180 composite topsoil samples taken across the Mitidja plain in a stratified random pattern were statistically analysed. Descriptive statistical methods and linear regression equations were applied to determine the upper limit of the ABCs for the TMs. After removal of outliers, the derived QRVs were: Cd 0.24, Cr 62.1, Cu 99.3, Fe 45 590, Ni 47.7, Pb 33 and Zn 115 mg/kg. Iron is a macro element in the soils, but is included as its concentration can be used to normalise the concentrations of the other elements. The derived QRVs are similar or less than those reported for other regions of the world, apart from Cu, where a wide range (36 to 206 mg/kg) is reported. These reference values can be used to identify areas that may require follow-up surveys or to identify priority sites for decision making.

Effects of biochar addition and deficit irrigation with brackish water on yield-scaled N2O emissions under drip irrigation with mulching

Biochar has been proven to have great potential for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and improving crop growth. However, the effects of biochar addition on yield-scaled N2O emissions in a mulched and drip-irrigated maize field using different irrigation water qualities and quantities remain unclear. A two-year field experiment was conducted to examine the effects of biochar addition, irrigation level and water salinity on soil N2O emissions, maize yield and grain N uptake in Northwest China. Eight treatments in total included the combination of two biochar addition rates of 0 t/ha (B0) and 60 t/ha (B1), two irrigation levels of full (W1) and deficit irrigation (W2, W2 = 1/2 W1) and two water salinity levels of freshwater (S0, 0.71 g/L) and brackish water (S1, 4 g/L). The soil properties, N2O emission fluxes, maize yield and grain N uptake, along with the abundances of N-cycle functional marker genes were measured during the two growing seasons. Soil water-filled pore space (WFPS), soil NH4+-N and NO3--N contents accounted for the majority of the variation in the dynamic changes of N2O fluxes. Deficit irrigation had lower N2O emissions compared with full irrigation, which was more pronounced in the second year. Relative to freshwater irrigation, brackish water irrigation increased N2O emissions under W1, but freshwater and brackish water irrigation had similar N2O emissions under W2 in both years. Biochar addition effectively mitigated N2O emissions by 29.4–31.0% and 17.9–29.2% under different irrigation treatments in 2020 and 2021, respectively. The continuous drought induced by deficit irrigation weakened the effectiveness of biochar in reducing N2O emissions. The differences in N-cycle functional marker genes could not reflect the variation in cumulative N2O emissions among treatments. Under all irrigation treatments excluding W2S1, biochar addition improved the total maize yield and grain N uptake over the two-year period by 4.06–10.74% and 5.57–8.63%, respectively. Brackish water and deficit irrigation increased grain and grain N yield-scaled N2O emissions, whereas biochar addition reduced both of them. Overall, these findings suggest that biochar addition can effectively reduce N2O emissions and increase yield and grain N uptake under brackish water and deficit drip irrigation with mulching in a maize field system, and thus adding biochar can help with achieving the sustainability of agricultural production in areas with limited freshwater resources.

Prospective Scenarios for Addressing the Agricultural Plastic Waste Issue: Results of a Territorial Analysis

Agricultural activities have been positively affected by the use of plastic products, but this has resulted in the production of plastic waste and led to an increase in environmental pollution. To continue benefiting from the use of plastics but addressing at the same time the environmental issue, two strategies seem viable: the development of technologies for extending plastics lifespan and the gradual replacement of traditional non-biodegradable materials by biodegradable ones, at least for some products. This study focuses on a territorial analysis, performed using a Geographic Information System (GIS) in an agricultural area of the Apulia region (southern Italy). Areas of agricultural plastic waste production were identified through land-use maps. The application of plastic waste indices to different crop types and plastic products allowed quantifying and georeferencing actual plastic waste production. From this actual visualization, the other strategies were obtained by properly managing the indices. Two improved scenarios were obtained, the first consisted of extending the lifespan of some plastics, and the second entailed the introduction of some biodegradable alternatives. About 11,103 tons of agricultural plastic waste are yearly produced in the area and 7450 tons come from covering films. Lifespan extension would reduce the annual waste amount by about 25%, while more alternative products are needed to achieve significant results in the second scenario.

An Assessment of the Effects of Flood on Agricultural Production in Auyo Local Government Area of Jigawa State, Nigeria

Within the past decades, the impact of climate conditions is evident on crop productions across the Nigeria’s different regions. Between the years 2021 and 2022 Nigeria witnessed one of its worst floods in the last decade as hundreds of villages and urban centres were submerged in waters, displacing over 2.4 million people. These events had negative impacts on crop yield. Crop yield is the product of both growth and development. Thus, this study attempted to investigate the effects of flood on agricultural production in Auyo Local Government Areas of Jigawa State, Nigeria spanning a period of 30 years (1993-2022), with the aimed of conducting a land-use and land-cover change of the study area; analyze the temporal trends of rainfall in the area of study; examining the yields of agricultural production in the area and to establish the relationship between agricultural yields and flood occurrence in the Auyo Local Government Area. Thus, both primary and secondary sources of data were employed in this study. In view of this, Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) of 2002 and Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) data of 2022 where used. In order to examine the trend in rainfall and agricultural yields series, 5-year running mean and linear trend lines was calculated and plotted using Microsoft Excel Statistical Tool. The rainfall and agricultural yields series were also sub-divided into 5-year non-overlapping sub-periods and Cramer’s test was then used to compare the means of the sub-periods (5-years) with the mean of the whole record period (30 years). The relationship between the flood and agricultural yields were tested using R statistical analysis. The study revealed that built-up increased from 14% in 2002 to 19% in 2022. Bare lands occupied about 50km2 of the total area examined in 2002, but decreased to about 44km2 in 2022. In addition, the water body decreased from about 172km2 in 2002 to 155km2 in 2022. Besides, the positive nature of relationships between rice yields and flood occurrences indicated a significant degree of relationship at 95% confidence level. In view of this, it was recommended among other measures, the need for the development of a Response Farming Technique and longitudinal approach for comprehensive measures to address the shock and destruction that comes with re-occurrence of flood.

Recent rainfall trends between 1990 and 2020: Contrasting characteristics between two climate zones in Burkina Faso (West Africa)

The northern region (municipality of Samba) and the southwestern region (municipality of Gaoua) are agricultural production areas, which are however dependent on rain-fall. Therefore, knowledge of rainfall characteristics is essential for good agricultural planning. Thus, the objective of this study is to analyse the recent evolution of rainfall between 1990 and 2020 in Burkina Faso. To this end, monthly rainfall data were acquired from the National Meteorological Agency of Burkina Faso. Statistical methods for detecting breaks in time series, standardised rainfall indices, rainfall extremes and rainfall concentration were applied to the data collected. The study shows that annual rainfall totals are increasing between 1990 and 2020, but are marked by alternating wet and dry periods. Moreover, precipitation is more concentrated in a few months (July, August, September) in the northern region since the rainfall concentration index (RCI) is ? 25% between 1990 and 2020, and precipitation is more spread over several months (May, June, July, August, September, October) in the southwestern region, since the RCI oscillates between 18.13% and 19.09%, except for the decade 2000-2010 when the RCI is 20.3%. Therefore, the northern region is exposed to extreme precipitation (increase in total wet days (precipitation ?1 mm) (JP), frequency of intense rainfall (P95(day), intensity of rainy days (SDII (mm/day), maximum daily precipitation (PXJA (mm)) more than the southwestern region (decrease in frequency of intense rainfall, maximum daily precipitation). It is therefore imperative for the national authorities to initiate resilience actions in favour of farmers in the northern region.

Perspective methods of monitoring soil moisture under irrigation in the near-Ob area in the Novosibirsk region

The aim of the study. Analyzing the known methods and technologies of soil moisture monitoring for irrigation management in the agricultural production areas in the Near-Ob region, Russia. Location and time of the study. Novosibirsk region, Russia, 2023. Methods. Comparative analysis of irrigation regime management technologies described in the literature and currently used in irrigation practice. Results. Methods of quick operational control over soil moisture using as an example a large irrigation system (Verkh-Irmenskaya irrigation system in the Novosibirsk region) were analyzed and compared. The methods were evaluated from the point of view of their applicability in large grain production areas. Of many methods of soil moisture content measurement, the neutron method and the method of soil dielectric constant measurement are described in detail, and their advantages and disadvantages identified. Electrometric methods are proposed for grain production areas. Trends in the development of irrigation technologies are outlined, primarily digitalization and automation, which allow processing large data amounts. Conclusions. At present, irrigation management technologies are mostly represented by experimental developments; the use of artificial intelligence remains mainly the prerogative of research projects. For agricultural production, determination of soil moisture reserves using soil moisture sensors is still the most popular method. From our point of view, electrometric methods are the most promising, as they are mobile, not costly and have high measurement speed.

Coal seam gas extraction and related landscape changes in the agricultural production area of Western Downs (Queensland, Australia)

In Australia, coal seam gas (CSG) could help to meet growing demands for cleaner alternatives to coal, thus making it important for the energy transition. By developing such an industry, not only does an energy resource become available, but large water volumes are also extracted, especially in the first stages of production. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impacts of a large-scale coal seam gas industry on the landscape. Specifically, the research intends to explore how coal seam gas has changed the landscape of the agricultural production area in Western Downs, Queensland. In this Australian State, the water associated with coal seam gas production is considered an asset and the legislation in force encourages beneficial use of such resources. Comparison of aerial pictures highlights how, in a short timeframe, the local rural landscape has changed considerably due the extensive development of unconventional gas resources. The coal seam gas industry has provided the host region with opportunities for local development, but the issue of the sustainability of these new mining and non-mining activities still needs to be properly addressed.

State policy of Russia in the field of transition to an innovative economy in agribusiness

The aim of the article is to analyse the state policy of Russia in the field of transition to an innovative economy in agribusiness. The achievement of the goal set by the authors is carried out as a result of the study of the provisions of regulatory and program documents that establish the foundations of the state policy of the Russian Federation in the scientific, technical and innovative sphere and in the field of agriculture. In conducting the research, the authors used systematic and structural-functional methods of scientific cognition, the method of interpretation of legal norms, as well as the logical method. As a result of the consideration of various directions of state policy in the field of transition to an innovative economy in the field of agribusiness, the authors draw conclusions about the need to take a number of measures aimed at increasing the innovative activity of agricultural organisations, in particular measures of tax incentives in some areas of innovative agricultural production. According to the authors, the proposed measures of state stimulation of innovative activity in agriculture will positively affect the dynamics of the agricultural products market and the agro-industrial sector of the Russian economy.

APPLICATION GIS IDENTIFY LAND AREA SUITABLE FOR RUBBER AND COFFEE TREES TO AGRICULTURE RESTRUCTURE GIA LAI PROVINCE

Gia Lai has great potential for developing agricultural production, and it is home to a large crop industrial material area in Vietnam. It boasts nearly 100,000 hectares of coffee and nearly 90,000 hectares of rubber. The area has immense potential to develop its agricultural production due to its unique characteristics of soil and climate, which can support a rich diversity of plants and animal with high economic value. By creating areas for intensive agricultural production and concentrating on commodity products with a competitive advantage, Gia Lai can improve the efficiency of its agricultural restructuring. To achieve this goal, this research has utilized the Land Evaluation Method of the FAO method and GIS to identify suitable land areas for rubber and coffee trees to restructure agriculture in Gia Lai province. the results indicate that the land suitability for coffee trees is mainly moderately suitable (S2) with 86,163 hectares of land suitable for cultivation. Coffee trees are primarily grown in districts such as Chu Pah, Dak Doa, Chu Se and Ia Grai. On the other hand, the land suitability for rubber trees is mainly moderately suitable (S2) with 60,000 hectares of land suitable for cultivation. Rubber trees are primarily grown in districts such as Chu Pah, Dak Doa, Chu Se, Ia Grai and Chu Prong. These areas are characterized by the distribution of red basaltic soils, rainfall exceeding 2500 mm, and a favorable climate for the development of industrial plants.

Analysis of the bean agricultural production system in the state of São Paulo from a survey of agricultural production areas

Resumo Este trabalho teve por objetivo caracterizar e analisar aspectos sociais, econômicos, produtivos e tecnológicos sobre a cultura do feijão em dois períodos (2007/2008 e 2016/2017), a partir Levantamento das Unidades de Produção Agropecuária (LUPA). Destaca-se que a originalidade deste trabalho se deve ao fato de ser a primeira análise de dados quantitativos do LUPA para a caracterização do cultivo de feijão no Estado de São Paulo. Como resultados, observou-se em 2016/2017 que o cultivo de feijão esteve presente em 9.187 Unidades de Produção Agropecuárias (UPAs), totalizando uma área de 105.018 ha. Entre os dois anos agrícolas, esses indicadores apresentaram redução de 19,5% no número de UPAs e 2,0% na área cultivada. As reduções podem estar associadas à crise hídrica e oscilações de preços pagos aos produtores de feijão, que fizeram a opção por culturas mais rentáveis, como o milho e a soja. Fenômenos como escassez hídrica e falta de mão de obra provocaram aumento em áreas com cultivo irrigado e uso de colheita mecanizada. Em ambos os períodos, se observou que a maioria dos produtores apresentavam a área de seus imóveis de até quatro módulos fiscais e a renda obtida pela exploração agropecuária superior a 50% na composição da renda familiar, informações que podem caracterizar essa atividade como de agricultura familiar. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram a importância de bases de informações organizadas e sistematizadas para compreender tanto essa atividade agrícola quanto outras, além de permitir observar o processo de desenvolvimento da agropecuária no Estado de São Paulo.

Spatiotemporal responses of habitat quality to land use changes in the source area of Pearl River, China.

Habitat quality assessment provides an effective interface for exploring the mechanisms linking land use change and biodiversity. We used InVEST model to assess the spatial and temporal variations of habitat quality in the Pearl River source area from 2000 to 2020, and to examine the impacts of land use change on habitat quality. The results showed that during the study period, construction land had the largest change, with an area increase of 321.48 km2, and the area of grassland decreased most significantly. Habitat quality in the Pearl River source area was generally at a high level, with a small downward trend. The low value areas were concentrated in the town centers and main agricultural production areas, while habitat quality was high in the mountainous areas in the south and north region. The cold spots of habitat quality change had the most significant aggregation effect in the Quzhan Basin along the Nanpan River. The number of hot spots was small and scattered. Among the various types of nature reserves, habitat quality of Jiache Nature Reserve in Huize County was the lowest, and that of Zhujiangyuan Nature Reserve had a slight decreasing trend, mainly due to the transformation of grassland to cropland. The contribution of habitat quality degradation driven by land function change was 5.6 times as that of improvement. The encroachment of urban and rural construction space into grassland ecological space and agricultural production space was the dominant factor driving the reduction of habitat quality in the Pearl River source area. The contribution of construction land expansion decreased from 69.9% (2000-2010) to 46.7% (2010-2020). The expansion of construction land was the main cause for the degradation of habitat quality. The degradation threat from arable land expansion overtook the traffic network construction as the secondary threat source from 2010 to 2020. It was necessary to increase control of nature reserves in the Pearl River source area and to implement land use regulation strictly to guarantee no net loss and integrity of the ecosystem.

Soil aggregation and associated organic matter under management systems in sandy-textured soils, subtropical region of Brazil.

Increasing the diversity of plant species in agricultural production areas favors the maintenance or improvement of soil quality, particularly for soils with a sandy texture. This beneficial effect is related to the formation of aggregates of different origins. This study aimed to (i) verify whether soil use and management affect the proportion of biogenic (Bio) and physicogenic (Phy) aggregates and (ii) verify whether biogenic aggregation is more likely to lead to soil improvement than physicogenic aggregation. Three management systems were evaluated (permanent pasture, PP; no-tillage system, NT; and no-tillage + Brachiaria system, NT + B) as well as a reference area (Atlantic Forest biome vegetation, NF). According to their origin or formation pathway, the aggregates were separated, identified, and classified as Bio (formed by biological processes) and Phy (resulting from chemical and physical actions). The differentiation between Bio and Phy aggregates was performed based on the visualization of morphological features, such as shape, size, presence of roots, porosity, and subunit arrangements, and junctions. Only the PP area was able to promote greater aggregate formation of biological origin, with greater amounts of Bio aggregates. The highest total organic carbon (TOC) contents and the least negative δ13C values were also quantified in the aggregates of the PP area. The NT + B system provided an increase in the TOC content of its aggregates in comparison with aggregates in the NT and NF areas. Among the formation pathways, the Bio aggregates had the highest TOC and soil organic matter fractions contents and the most negative δ13C values. Perennial forage grasses vegetation was more important than the plant species diversity in favoring Bio aggregate formation. The beneficial effect of Brachiaria can be observed when incorporated as part of intercropping with corn in grain production systems. The biogenic aggregates favored the concentration of more labile soil organic matter fractions. The results of this study can provide important theoretical information for future studies focused on the combination of different plant species in agricultural food production areas on sandy-textured soils.

Comparison of Performance in Mechanised Agricultural Tasks Between Precision and Conventional Agriculture on Farms in Tolima (Colombia)?

Purpose: Agricultural work in Colombia, particularly in small and medium-sized farms, is lagging behind in terms of technology; advances such as precision agriculture (PA) are unknown. This project managed to promote the implementation of PA technologies in the primary tasks of land adaptation, by comparing efficiency indices when conventional practices were used against the use of new technologies. Theoretical framework: The company CasaToro SA, with its John Deere® agricultural line, allowed the implementation of StarFire TM6000®, 4240® Monitors, Auto Track 200®, and JDLink® technologies, and the use of T3RRA CUTTA® software, in tractors of its brand in different farms in Tolima, Colombia. Method/design/approach: Measurements of time and area worked in situ were taken and the data obtained were statistically compared using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Results and conclusion: Finding significant differences in tasks such as contour line drawing, which reported a decrease of up to 30% in the time needed in h ha–1, and in primary tillage with discs with increases of up to 13% of the tilled area in ha h–1. Research implications: In conclusion, in Tolima, which has extensive areas of agricultural production, the implementation of PA can improve yields and reduce production costs. Originality/value: To demonstrate the benefits of PA.

A Large-Scale Dataset of Conservation and Deep Tillage in Mollisols, Northeast Plain, China

One of the primary challenges of our time is to feed a growing and more demanding world population with degraded soil environments under more variable and extreme climate conditions. Conservation tillage (CS) and deep tillage (DT) have received strong international support to help address these challenges but are less used in major global food production in China. Hence, we conducted a large-scale literature search of English and Chinese publications to synthesize the current scientific evidence to evaluate the effects of CS and DT on soil protection and yield maintenance in the Northeast China Plain, which has the most fertile black soil (Mollisols) and is the main agricultural production area of China. As a result, we found that CS had higher soil bulk density, strong soil penetration resistance, greater water contents, and lower soil temperature, and was well-suited for dry and wind erosion-sensitive regions i.e., the southwest areas of the Northeast. Conversely, DT had better performance in the middle belt of the Northeast China Plain, which contained a lower soil temperature and humid areas. Finally, we created an original dataset from papers [dataset 1, including soil physio-chemical parameters, such as soil water, bulk density, organic carbon, sand, silt, clay, pH, total and available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), etc., on crop biomass and yield], by collecting data directly from publications, and two predicted datasets (dataset 2 and dataset 3) of crop yield changes by developing random forest models based on our data.

Ecological risk assessment of pesticides in sediments of Pampean streams, Argentina

After their application in agricultural areas, pesticides are dispersed throughout the environment, causing contamination problems. In Argentina, the main promoter of transgenic biotechnology in the region, the total consumption of agrochemicals has increased significantly in recent years. Most chemicals dumped near surface waters eventually end up in bottom sediments and can be toxic to the organisms that live there. However, published data on the mixing of pesticides in this compartment is still scarce. The objective of this work was to detect and quantify pesticide residues in the sediment of rural streams in the Pampas region and to carry out acute and chronic risk assessment in these aquatic ecosystems. The study area comprises the mountainous system of Tandilia, located in one of the most productive agricultural areas in the country. The concentration of atrazine, acetochlor, chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin, and 2,4-D in the sediment of four rural streams was determined in three different seasons, and the toxic units (TU) and the risk ratios (RQ) were calculated. All the compounds analyzed were detected in most of the sampling seasons and study sites, at concentrations higher than those established in the national and international quality guidelines for the protection of aquatic biota in surface waters and for human consumption. Chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin, and acetochlor were the main pesticides contributing to the TU and RQ values, representing a medium or high ecological risk in most of the sites. Therefore, the evaluation of these pesticides in the bottom sediments could be a decisive factor in assessing the risk to the aquatic environment.

Optimization and Construction of Ecological Security Patterns Based on Natural and Cultivated Land Disturbance

In previous research on the construction of ecological security patterns (ESPs), the positioning characteristics of urban development were rarely considered, resulting in the identification of key conservation areas that are insufficient to support the ecological security of the entire region and the overall development of urban functions. Firstly, a “quality-importance-connectivity-balance” framework was created to identify ESPs and chose Liaocheng City (LC), a typical main agricultural production area, as the study site. Secondly, the ecological security level of the watershed perspective is an integrated resistance assessment method that exhibits topography, human activities, distance, and agricultural environmental impacts. Finally, the coordination pattern between agriculture and ecology was divided by the comprehensive quality of cultivated land and ESPs. A “six cores-seven belts-three zones” optimization pattern was constructed based on the components of ESPs and the distribution of cultivated land comprehensive quality. The study presents a novel approach for measuring ESPs and is an essential resource for ecological conservation and regional development planning in agroecologically complex regions.

Highland barley grain and soil surveys reveal the widespread deficiency of dietary selenium intake of Tibetan adults living along Yalung Zangpo River

ObjectiveIn order to assess selenium (Se) flux through the soil-plant-human chain in Tibet plateau and explore the reason why local Tibetan adult residents from large scale agricultural production areas in Tibet lacked daily Se intake.MethodsA total of 210 intact highland barley plants and their corresponding cultivated topsoil samples were collected in fields of 14 agricultural counties along Yalung Zangpo River and quantitative dietary data were collected from a cross-sectional survey using a cultural-specific food frequency questionnaire that contained all local Tibetan foods in 2020.ResultsThe mean value of The estimated daily Se dietary intake by each participant was 17.1 ± 1.9 μg/day/adult, the Se concentration in topsoil and highland barley grain were 0.128 ± 0.015 mg/kg and 0.017 ± 0.003 mg/kg, respectively. Although highland barley was the first contributor of dietary Se in local adult residents (34.2%), the dietary Se intake provided by highland barley only about 10% of the EAR value (50 μg/day/adult) currently. A significantly positive relationship was determined between soil total Se content (STSe), available Se content (SASe) and highland barley grain Se content (GSe). The amount of Se in food system depends on a number of soil properties (TOC, pH, clay content, Fe/Mn/Al oxides), climate variables (MAP, MAT) and terrain factor (altitude).ConclusionTo sum up, it can be inferred that the insufficient dietary Se intake of Tibetan adult population living along Yalung Zangbo River is mainly caused by the low Se content in highland barley grain, which was result from the low Se content in cultivated soil. In order to enable adult participants in the present study to achieve recommended dietary Se-intake levels, agronomic fortification with selenised fertilizers applied to highland barley could be a great solution. It is necessary to combine the influencing factors, and comprehensively consider the spatial variation of local soil properties, climatic and topographic conditions, and planting systems.