Search Results (950)

Astragalus sinicus, a key leguminous green manure widely cultivated in Southern China’s rice-based cropping systems, plays a pivotal role in sustainable agriculture by enhancing soil organic matter sequestration, improving rice yield, and elevating grain quality. The symbiotic nitrogen-fixing association between A. sinicus and its matching rhizobia is fundamental to its agronomic value; however, suboptimal inoculant efficiency and field application methodologies constrain its full potential. To address these limitations, we conducted a multi-phase study involving (1) rhizobial strain screening under controlled greenhouse conditions, (2) an optimized lyophilization protocol evaluating cryoprotectant (trehalose, skimmed milk powder and others), and (3) seed pelleting trails with rhizobial viability and nodulation assessments over different storage periods. Our results demonstrate that Mesorhizobium huakuii CCBAU 33470 exhibits a superior nitrogen-fixing efficacy, significantly enhancing key traits in A. sinicus, including leaf chlorophyll content, tiller number, and aboveground biomass. Lyophilized inoculants prepared with cryoprotectants (20% trehalose or 20% skimmed milk powder) maintained >90% bacterial viability for 60 days and markedly improved nodulation capacity relative to unprotected formulations. The optimized seed pellets sustained high rhizobial loads (5.5 × 10³ cells/seed) with an undiminished viability after 15 days of storage and nodulation ability after 40 days of storage. This integrated approach of rhizobial selection, inoculant formulation, and seed coating overcomes cultivation bottlenecks, boosting symbiotic nitrogen fixation for A. sinicus cultivation. Full article

In China’s Loess Plateau, sustainable agricultural end products are affected by an insufficiency of water resources. Rising crop water use efficiency (WUE) through field management pattern improvement is a crucial plan of action to address this issue. However, there is no agreement among researchers on the most appropriate field management practices regarding WUE, which requires further integrated quantitative analysis. We conducted a meta-analysis by quantifying the effect of agricultural practices surrounding nitrogen (N) fertilizer management. The two experimental cultivars were Yunhan–20410 and Yunhan–618. The subplots included nitrogen 0 kg·ha⁻¹ (N0), 90 kg·ha⁻¹ (N90), 180 kg·ha⁻¹ (N180), 210 kg·ha⁻¹ (N210), and 240 kg·ha⁻¹ (N240). Our results show that higher N rates (up to N210) enhanced water consumption during the node-flowering and flowering-maturity time periods. YH–618 showed higher water use during the sowing–greening and node-flowering periods but decreased use during the greening-node and flowering-maturity periods compared to YH–20410. The N210 treatment under YH–618 maximized water use efficiency (WUE). Increased N rates (N180–N210) decreased covering temperatures (T_max, T_min, T_aver) during flowering, increasing the level of grain filling. Spike numbers rose with N application, with an off-peak at N210 for strong-gluten wheat. The 1000-grain weight was at first enhanced but decreased at the far end of N180–N210. YH–618 with N210 achieved a harvest index (HI) similar to that of YH–20410 with N180, while excessive N (N240) or water reduced the HI. Dry matter accumulation increased up to N210, resulting in earlier stabilization. Soil water consumption from wintering to jointing was strongly correlated with pre-flowering dry matter biological process and yield, while jointing–flowering water use was linked to post-flowering dry matter and spike numbers. Post-flowering dry matter accumulation was critical for yield, whereas spike numbers positively impacted yield but negatively affected 1000-grain weight. In conclusion, our results provide evidence for determining suitable integrated agricultural establishment strategies to ensure efficient water use and sustainable production in the Loess Plateau region. Full article

Microbial detoxification, as an environmentally friendly strategy, has been widely applied for benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) degradation. Within this approach, food-derived microbial strains offer unique advantages in safety, specificity, and sustainability for detoxifying food-borne BaP. In this study, we aimed to explore the potential of such strains in BaP degradation. Bacillus mojavensis TC-5, a strain that degrades BaP, was isolated from kefir grains. Surprisingly, 12 genes encoding dehydrogenases, synthases, and oxygenases, including betB, fabHB, qdoI, cdoA, and bioI, which are related to BaP degradation, were up-regulated by 2.01-fold to 4.52-fold in TC-5. Two potential degradation pathways were deduced. In pathway I, dioxygenase, betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase, and beta-ketoacyl-ACP synthase III FabHB act sequentially on BaP to form 4H-pyran-4-one,2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl via the phthalic acid pathway. In the presence of the cytochrome P450 enzyme, BaP progressively mediates ring cleavage via the anthracene pathway, eventually forming 3-methyl-5-propylnonane in pathway II. Notably, TC-5 achieved an impressive BaP removal efficiency of up to 63.94%, with a degradation efficiency of 32.89%. These results suggest that TC-5 has significant potential for application in addressing food-borne BaP contamination. Moreover, our findings expand the application possibilities of Xinjiang fermented milk products and add to the available green strategies for BaP degradation in food systems. Full article

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is defined as a group of metabolic defects that include hypertension, insulin resistance, visceral obesity, fatty liver disease, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). The first step in controlling the progression of MetS is lifestyle changes, including dietary modification. Regular consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other plant foods negatively correlates with the risk of developing chronic diseases. Green leafy vegetables (GLVs) are a key element of healthy eating habits and an important source of vitamins C and E, carotenoids—mainly β-carotene and lutein—and minerals. This review discusses and summarizes the current knowledge on the health benefits of consuming GLVs in the prevention and treatment of MetS to provide a compendium for other researchers investigating new natural products. Full article

This study aims to analyze the differences in soil bacterial community structure under different vegetation restoration types, and to explore the role of microorganisms in the process of vegetation restoration on the soil ecosystem of the Grain for Green area in the Loess Plateau. High-throughput sequencing technology was used to analyze the alpha diversity of soil bacteria, community structure characteristics, and the correlation between soil environmental factors and bacterial communities in different artificial Hippophae rhamnoides forests. Soil microbial C and N show a decreasing trend with an increase in the 0–100 cm soil layers. The results indicated that the bacterial communities comprised 24 phyla, 55 classes, 110 orders, 206 families, 348 genera, 680 species, and 1989 OTUs. Additionally, the richness indices and diversity indices of the bacterial community in arbor shrub mixed forest are higher than those in shrub pure forest, and the indices of shrub forest on sunny slope are higher than those on shady slope. Across all samples, the dominant groups were Actinobacteria (37.27% on average), followed by Proteobacteria (23.91%), Acidobacteria (12.75%), and Chloroflexi (12.27%). Soil nutrient supply, such as TOC, TN, AN, AP, and AK, had crucial roles in shaping the composition and diversity of the bacterial communities. The findings reveal that vegetation restoration significantly affected soil bacterial community richness and diversity. Furthermore, based on the results, our data provide a starting point for establishing soil bacterial databases in the Loess Plateau, as well as for the plants associated with the vegetation restoration. Full article

Remote sensing tools have been proposed to assist with rice crop monitoring but have been developed and validated on ponded rice. This two-year study was conducted on a commercial rice farm with irrigation automation technology aimed to (i) understand how canopy reflectance differs between high-yielding ponded and aerobic rice, (ii) validate the feasibility of using the squared simplified canopy chlorophyll content index (SCCCI²) for N uptake estimates, and (iii) explore the SCCCI² and similar chlorophyll-sensitive indices for grain quality monitoring. Multispectral images were collected from an unmanned aerial vehicle during both rice-growing seasons. Above-ground biomass and nitrogen (N) uptake were measured at panicle initiation (PI). The performance of single-vegetation-index models in estimating rice N uptake, as previously published, was assessed. Yield and grain quality were determined at harvest. Results showed that canopy reflectance in the visible and near-infrared regions differed between aerobic and ponded rice early in the growing season. Chlorophyll-sensitive indices showed lower values in aerobic rice than in the ponded rice at PI, despite having similar yields at harvest. The SCCCI² model (RMSE = 20.52, Bias = −6.21 Kg N ha⁻¹, and MAPE = 11.95%) outperformed other models assessed. The SCCCI², squared normalized difference red edge index, and chlorophyll green index correlated at PI with the percentage of cracked grain, immature grain, and quality score, suggesting that grain milling quality parameters could be associated with N uptake at PI. This study highlights canopy reflectance differences between high-yielding aerobic (averaging 15 Mg ha⁻¹) and ponded rice at key phenological stages and confirms the validity of a single-vegetation-index model based on the SCCCI² for N uptake estimates in ponded and non-ponded rice crops. Full article

The review summarizes the historical and current research on perennial grain breeding in Russia within the context of growing global interest in perennial crops. N.V. Tsitsin’s pioneering work in the 1930s produced the first wheat–wheatgrass amphiploids, which demonstrated the capacity to regrow after harvest and survive for 2–3 years. Subsequent research at the Main Botanical Garden in Moscow focused on characterizing Tsitsin’s material, selecting superior germplasm, and expanding genetic diversity through new cycles of hybridization and selection. This work led to the development of a new crop species, Trititrigia, and the release of cultivar ‘Pamyati Lyubimovoy’ in 2020, designed for dual-purpose production of high-quality grain and green biomass. Intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium) is native to Russia, where several forage cultivars have been released and cultivated. Two large-grain cultivars (Sova and Filin) were developed from populations provided by the Land Institute and are now grown by farmers. Perennial rye was developed through interspecific crosses between Secale cereale and S. montanum, demonstrating persistence for 2–3 years with high biomass production and grain yields of 1.5–2.0 t/ha. Hybridization between Sorghum bicolor and S. halepense resulted in two released cultivars of perennial sorghum used primarily for forage production under arid conditions. Russia’s agroclimatic diversity in agricultural production systems provides significant opportunities for perennial crop development. The broader scientific and practical implications of perennial crops in Russia extend to climate-resilient, sustainable agriculture and international cooperation in this emerging field. Full article

The nutritional and quality characteristics of improved vegetable soybean genotypes were evaluated and compared with those of a grain-type soybean at the R6 (green maturity) and R8 (physiological maturity) stages. Significant variation (p < 0.05) was observed among genotypes for all measured traits. The overall quality parameters increased from the R6 (green maturity) stage to the R8 (physiological maturity) stage. Among the R6-stage genotypes, AVSB2001 recorded the highest contents of protein (15.30 ± 0.57 g/100 g), ash (2.31 ± 0.06 g/100 g), fat (8.05 ± 0.17 g/100 g), and calcium (140.78 ± 0.97 mg/100 g). The genotype Karune exhibited significantly higher levels of total sugars, non-reducing sugars, iron, and magnesium than the other entries. At the R8 stage, Swarna Vasundhara showed the highest protein content (39.23%), while AGS 447 recorded the highest values for fat, total sugars, in vitro protein digestibility, iron, copper, magnesium, and manganese. Notably, in vitro protein digestibility was lower across all genotypes at the R8 stage compared to the R6 stage. These findings suggest that selected vegetable soybean genotypes possess substantial nutritional value and can contribute meaningfully to meeting the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) across different age and occupational groups, underscoring this research’s potential public health impact. Based on stage-specific quality profiles, R6-stage genotypes may be better suited for fresh vegetables, whereas R8-stage genotypes can be utilized similarly to grain-type soybean for processing into products such as dhal, oil, flour, and other value-added foods. Full article

Organic amendments provide a sustainable strategy to enhance soil quality in degraded environments while also helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, for example, by improving soil structure, minimizing the use of synthetic fertilizers, and promoting a green economy. This study assessed the comparative effects of two organic amendments—vermicompost leachate and biochar—on the performance of popcorn maize (Zea mays L. var. everta) cultivated in saline soil conditions. Four treatments were evaluated: T0 (Control), T1 (Vermicompost leachate), T2 (Biochar), and T3 (Vermicompost leachate + Biochar), each with 10 replicates arranged in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Although various soil physicochemical, microbiological, and agronomic parameters displayed no significant differences compared to the control, the application of biochar resulted in considerable improvements in soil total organic carbon, the microbial community (mesophilic aerobic bacteria, molds, and yeasts), and increased seed length and diameter. In contrast, vermicompost leachate alone negatively impacted plant growth, leading to decreases in leaf area, stem thickness, and grain yield. Specifically, grain yield declined by 46% with leachate alone and by 31% when combined with biochar, compared to the control. These findings emphasize the superior effectiveness of biochar over vermicompost leachate as a soil amendment under saline conditions and highlight the potential risks of widely applying compost teas in stressed soils. It is recommended to conduct site-specific assessments and screenings for phytotoxins and phytopathogens prior to use. Additionally, the combined application of leachate and biochar may not be advisable given the tested soil characteristics. Full article

The overtopping-induced lateral erosion breaching of tailings dams represents a critical disaster mechanism threatening structural safety, particularly in reinforced fine-grained tailings dams where erosion behaviors demonstrate pronounced water–soil coupling characteristics and material anisotropy. Through physical model tests and numerical simulations, this study systematically investigates lateral erosion failure patterns of reinforced fine-grained tailings under overtopping flow conditions. Utilizing a self-developed hydraulic initiation test apparatus, with aperture sizes of reinforced geogrids (2–3 mm) and flow rates (4–16 cm/s) as key control variables, the research elucidates the interaction mechanisms of “hydraulic scouring-particle migration-geogrid anti-sliding” during lateral erosion processes. The study revealed that compared to unreinforced specimens, reinforced specimens with varying aperture sizes (2–3 mm) demonstrated systematic reductions in final lateral erosion depths across flow rates (4–16 cm/s): 3.3–5.8 mm (15.6−27.4% reduction), 3.1–7.2 mm (12.8–29.6% reduction), 2.3–11 mm (6.9–32.8% reduction), and 2.5–11.4 mm (6.2–28.2% reduction). Smaller-aperture geogrids (2 mm × 2 mm) significantly enhanced anti-erosion performance through superior particle migration inhibition. Concurrently, a pronounced positive correlation between flow rate and lateral erosion depth was confirmed, where increased flow rates weakened particle erosion resistance and exacerbated lateral erosion severity. The numerical simulation results are in basic agreement with the lateral erosion failure process observed in model tests, revealing the dynamic process of lateral erosion in the overtopping breach of a reinforced tailings dam. These findings provide critical theoretical foundations for optimizing reinforced tailings dam design, construction quality control, and operational maintenance, while offering substantial engineering applications for advancing green mine construction. Full article

Grain production is crucial for national security and stability. Studying the impact of digital literacy on green production by grain farmers is of great significance for ensuring food security and achieving green agricultural development. This article utilizes data from the 2020 China Rural Revitalization Survey (CRRS), selecting a sample of 1811 farming households engaged in grain cultivation. Employing methods such as the ordered Probit model and mediating effect model, it analyzes the impact of digital literacy on green grain production from the perspectives of transformation drivers and pathways. The results show, first, that digital literacy significantly promotes farmers’ green production behaviors, and the findings remain valid after multiple robustness tests. Second, a mechanism analysis reveals that digital literacy drives farmers’ green production by reconstructing their benefit cognition and green cognition and promoting the application of green mechanization technologies. Third, a heterogeneity analysis indicates that the larger the farmers’ operation scale and the stronger their economic capacity, the more significant the promoting effect of digital literacy on their green production. Accordingly, it is necessary to accelerate the improvement of farmers’ digital literacy, reduce green production costs, popularize green mechanization technologies, and promote the green transformation of grain production. Full article

Quickly and accurately identifying weed areas is of great significance for improving weeding efficiency, reducing pesticide residues, protecting soil ecological environment, and increasing crop yield and quality. Targeting low detection efficiency in complex agricultural environments and inability of multispectral input in weed recognition of minor grain based on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), a semantic segmentation model for buckwheat weeds based on MSU-Net (multispectral U-shaped network) was proposed to explore the influence of different band optimizations on recognition accuracy. Five spectral features—red (R), blue (B), green (G), red edge (REdge), and near-infrared (NIR)—were collected in August when the weeds were more prominent. Based on the U-net image semantic segmentation model, the input module was improved to adaptively adjust the input bands. The neuron death caused by the original ReLU activation function may lead to misidentification, so it was replaced by the Swish function to improve the adaptability to complex inputs. Five single-band multispectral datasets and nine groups of multi-band combined data were, respectively, input into the improved MSU-Net model to verify the performance of our method. Experimental results show that in the single-band recognition results, the B band performs better than other bands, with mean pixel accuracy (mPA), mean intersection over union (mIoU), Dice, and F1 values of 0.75, 0.61, 0.87, and 0.80, respectively. In the multi-band recognition results, the R+G+B+NIR band performs better than other combined bands, with mPA, mIoU, Dice, and F1 values of 0.76, 0.65, 0.85, and 0.78, respectively. Compared with U-Net, DenseASPP, PSPNet, and DeepLabv3, our method achieved a preferable balance between model accuracy and resource consumption. These results indicate that our method can adapt to multispectral input bands and achieve good results in weed segmentation tasks. It can also provide reference for multispectral data analysis and semantic segmentation in the field of minor grain crops. Full article

Distribution transformers serve as critical nodes in smart grids, and management of their recycling plays a vital role in the full life-cycle management for electrical equipment. However, the traditional manual dismantling methods often exhibit a low metal recovery efficiency and high levels of hazardous substance residue. To facilitate green, cost-effective, and fine-grained recycling of distribution transformers, this study proposes a fine-grained dismantling decision-making system based on a knowledge graph subgraph comparison and multimodal fusion perception. First, a standardized dismantling process is designed to achieve refined transformer decomposition. Second, a comprehensive set of multi-dimensional evaluation metrics is established to assess the effectiveness of various recycling strategies for different transformers. Finally, through the integration of multimodal perception with knowledge graph technology, the system achieves automated sequencing of the dismantling operations. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method attains 99% accuracy in identifying recyclable transformers and 97% accuracy in auction-based pricing. The residual oil rate in dismantled transformers is reduced to below 1%, while the metal recovery efficiency increases by 40%. Furthermore, the environmental sustainability and economic value are improved by 23% and 40%, respectively. This approach significantly enhances the recycling value and environmental safety of distribution transformers, providing effective technical support for smart grid development and environmental protection. Full article

Urban vacant land can provide important habitat for birds, especially in cities with high concentrations of residential vacancy. Understanding which vegetation features best support urban biodiversity can inform greening strategies that benefit both wildlife and residents. This study addressed two questions: (1) How does bird species composition reflect the potential conservation value of these neighborhoods? (2) Which vegetation structures predict bird abundance across a fine-grained urban landscape? To answer these questions, we conducted avian and vegetation surveys across 100 one-hectare plots in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. These surveys showed that species richness was positively associated with canopy cover (β = 0.32, p = 0.003). Canopy cover was also the strongest predictor of American Robin (Turdus migratorius) and Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) abundance (β = 1.9 for both species). In contrast, impervious surfaces and abandoned buildings were associated with generalist species. European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) abundance was strongly and positively correlated with NMS Axis 1 (r = 0.878), while Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica) abundance was negatively correlated (r = −0.728). These findings underscore the significance of strategic habitat management in promoting urban biodiversity and addressing ecological challenges within urban landscapes. They also emphasize the importance of integrating biodiversity goals into urban planning policies to ensure sustainable and equitable development. Full article

Green hydrogen production from water electrolysis (WE) is one of the most promising technologies to realize a decarbonized future and efficiently utilize intermittent renewable energy. Among the various WE technologies, the emerging anion exchange membrane (AEMWE) technology shows the greatest potential for producing green hydrogen at a competitive price. To achieve this goal, simple methods for the large-scale synthesis of efficient and low-cost electrocatalysts are needed. This paper proposes a very simple and scalable process for the synthesis of nanostructured NiCo- and NiFe-based electrode materials for a zero-gap AEMWE full cell. For the preparation of the cell anode, oxides with different Ni molar fractions (0.50 or 0.85) are synthesized by the sol–gel method, followed by calcination in air at different temperatures (400 or 800 °C). To fabricate the cell cathode, the oxides are reduced in a H₂/Ar atmosphere. Electrochemical testing reveals that phase purity and average crystal size significantly influence cell performance. Highly pure and finely grained electrocatalysts yield higher current densities at lower overpotentials. The best performing membrane electrode assembly exhibits a current density of 1 A cm⁻² at 2.15 V during a steady-state 150 h long stability test with 1 M KOH recirculating through the cell, the lowest series resistance at any cell potential (1.8 or 2.0 V), and the highest current density at the cut-off voltage (2.2 V) both at the beginning (1 A cm⁻²) and end of tests (1.78 A cm⁻²). The presented results pave the way to obtain, via simple and scalable techniques, cost-effective catalysts for the production of green hydrogen aimed at a wider market penetration by AEMWE. Full article