Search Results (117)

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor, (L.) Moench.), is one of the most important cereals in semi-arid and subtropical regions of Africa. However, in these regions, sorghum cultivation is often faced with several constraints. In Mali, terminal or post-flowering drought, caused by the early cessation of rains towards the end of the rainy season, is one of the most common constraints. Sorghum is generally adapted to harsh conditions. However, drought combined to heat reduce its yield and production in tropical and subtropical regions. To identify parents of sorghum hybrids tolerant to post-flowering drought for commercial hybrids development and deployment, a total of 200 genotypes, including male and female parents of the hybrids, were evaluated in 2022 by lysimeters under two water regimes, well-irrigated and water-stressed, at ICRISAT in Niger. Agronomic traits such as phenological stages, physiological traits including transpiration efficiency, and morphological traits such as green leaf number were recorded. Genotype × environment (G × E) interaction was significant for harvest index (HI), green leaf number (GLN), and transpiration efficiency (TE), indicating different responses of genotypes under varying water conditions. Transpiration efficiency (TE) was significantly and positively correlated with total biomass (BT), harvest index (HI), and grain weight (GW) under both stress conditions. Genotypes ICSV216094, ICSB293, ICSV1049, ICSV1460016, and ICSV216074 performed better under optimal and stress conditions. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) results led to the identification of three groups of genotypes. The Groups 1 and 3 are characterized by their yield stability and better performance under stress and optimal conditions. These two groups could be used by breeding programs to develop high yield and drought tolerant hybrids. Full article

Soil potentially toxic element (PTE) contamination remains a global concern, particularly in rural agricultural regions. This study collected 157 agricultural topsoil samples within a rural area in SW China. Combined with multivariate statistical analysis in the compositional data analysis (CoDa) perspective, the PMF model was applied to identify key contamination sources and quantify their contributions. Potential ecological risk assessment and Monte Carlo simulation were employed to estimate ecological-health risks associated with PTE exposure. The results revealed that the main exceeding PTEs (Mercury—Hg and Cadmium—Cd) are rich in urbanized areas and the GFGP (Grain for Green Program) regions. Source apportionment indicated that soil parent materials constituted the dominant contributor (32.48%), followed by traffic emissions (28.31%), atmospheric deposition (21.48%), and legacy agricultural effects (17.86%). Ecological risk assessment showed that 60.51% of soil samples exhibited higher potential ecological risk (PERI > 150), with moderate-risk areas concentrated in the GFGP regions. The elements Cd and Hg from legacy agricultural effects and atmospheric deposition contributed the most to ecological risk. Health risk assessment demonstrated that most risk indices fell within acceptable ranges for all populations, while only children showed elevated non-carcinogenic risk (THI_max > 1.0). Among PTEs, the element As, mainly from traffic emissions, was identified as a priority control element due to its significant health implications. Geospatial distributions showed significant risk enrichment in the GFGP regions (legacy agricultural areas). These findings present associated risk levels in sustainable agricultural regions, providing valuable data to support soil environmental management in regions requiring urgent intervention worldwide. Full article

Aboveground biomass (AGB) serves as a crucial indicator of the effectiveness of the Grain for Green Program (GGP), and its accurate estimation is essential for evaluating forest health and carbon sink capacity. However, due to the dominance of sparse forests in GGP stands, research in this area remains significantly limited. In this study, we developed the optimal tree height-diameter at breast height (DBH) growth models for major tree species and constructed a high-quality AGB sample dataset by integrating airborne LiDAR data and tree species information. Then, the AGB of the GGP stands was estimated using the Sentinel-2 data and the gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT) algorithm. The results showed that the AGB sample dataset constructed using the proposed approach exhibited strong consistency with field-measured data (R² = 0.89). The GBDT-based AGB estimation model shows high accuracy, with an R² of 0.96 and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 560 g/m². Key variables such as tasseled cap greenness (TCG), red-edge normalized difference vegetation index (RENDVI), and visible-band difference vegetation index (VDVI) were identified as highly important. This highlights that vegetation indices and tasseled cap transformation index information are key factors in estimating AGB. The AGB of major tree species in the new round of the GGP stands in Inner Mongolia ranged from 120 to 9253 g/m², with mean values of 978 g/m² for poplar, 622 g/m² for Mongolian Scots pine, and 313 g/m² for Chinese red pine species. This study offers a practical method for AGB estimation in GGP stands, contributing significantly to sustainable forest management and ecological conservation efforts. Full article

The gullied Loess Plateau, a region characterized by the overlapping of ecological fragility and energy abundance in China, requires urgent analysis of its territorial spatial conflict mechanisms to harmonize human–environment relationships. This study integrated multi-temporal remote sensing data (1990–2020) to develop a Comprehensive Spatial Conflict Index (CSCI) and applied the Optimal Parameter-based Geographical Detector (OPGD) to unravel the driving mechanisms of territorial spatial evolution in Qingyang City, Gansu Province. The results revealed that: (1) Territorial spaces exhibit a transition pattern of ecological restoration, urban expansion, and agricultural contraction. Forest and grassland ecological spaces increased by 1.42 percentage points (to 13.14%) and 1.26 percentage points (to 49.29%), respectively, while industrial-mining production spaces expanded sevenfold (0.01% to 0.08%), and agricultural production spaces decreased by 3.36 percentage points. (2) Spatial conflicts transitioned through three phases: ① A low-intensity stabilization phase (1990–2000), with 90.55% of areas under weak and moderately weak conflict (CSCI ≤ 0.4); ② A moderate conflict contraction phase (2000–2010), where weak conflict zones surged by 28.18 percentage points (13.06% → 41.24%), with moderate and moderately weak spatial conflict (0.2–0.6) decreasing by 28.27 percentage points (86.06% → 57.79%); ③ A moderately strong to strong expansion phase (2010–2020), with moderate and moderately strong conflict areas rising to 16.82%. Strong conflict zones (CSCI ≥ 0.8) expanded to 0.61%, spatially clustered in the Xifeng urban area and the Malian–Pu River corridor, showing significant positive correlations with gully density (>3.5 km∙km⁻²) and nighttime light index (NL). (3) The interaction between NDVI and land use intensity (LUI) dominated conflict patterns (q = 0.2583). In northern energy development zones (Huanxian County), LUI and precipitation (PRE) synergistically intensified landslide risks, while facility agriculture in central plateau farmlands (Ningxian County) triggered groundwater overexploitation. The coupling of road density (RND) and population (POP) factors (q = 0.1892) formed a transportation–population axial belt compression. Policy interventions exhibited spatial heterogeneity: the Grain-for-Green Program increased weak conflict zones by 28.18 percentage points, whereas wind power development in the Huanxian–Huachi northern belt escalated moderately strong to strong conflict zones by 3.6 percentage points. A three-dimensional governance framework integrating geomorphological adaptation, development phasing, and ecological compensation is proposed to optimize territorial spatial planning in the gullied Loess Plateau. Full article

Within the context of global desertification trends in arid regions, advancing afforestation and sand stabilization efforts are not only vital for human survival but are also key considerations in addressing the challenges of climate change and achieving sustainable development. This study, set against the backdrop of China’s new round of Grain-for-Green compensation policies implemented in 2014, investigates farmers’ behavior in planting economically valuable forests and grasslands driven by compensation incentives. Grounded in the principles of behavioral economics and assuming farmers as rational “economic agents”, this study focuses on farmers residing on the northern and southern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang. Employing the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) approach, it examines the intricate causal mechanisms that shape farmers’ involvement or lack thereof in economic forest and grassland activities. These mechanisms are analyzed through the lenses of resource endowment, psychological perception, and external environmental factors. The results indicate that perceived benefits and neighbor imitation serve as essential conditions for non-participation in planting economic forests and grasslands. Three configurational pathways account for participation: farmers motivated by perceived benefits, those guided by the combined influence of “psychological perception and external environment”, and individuals driven by ecological aspirations alongside neighbor imitation. Additionally, four configurational pathways explain non-participation, with two types of farmers identified: those facing a dual deficiency of psychological perception and external environment, and non-high income traditional farmers dependent on agricultural irrigation water. Full article

Hexokinases (HXKs) in plants are multifunctional enzymes that not only phosphorylate hexose but also function as glucose sensors, integrating nutrient, light, and hormone signaling networks to regulate cell metabolism and signaling pathways, thereby controlling growth and development in response to environmental changes. To date, limited information is available regarding the HXKs of foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.). In this study, six HXK genes were identified and characterized in foxtail millet. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the foxtail millet hexokinases were classified into three subfamilies, corresponding to the two types (B-type and C-type) of hexokinases in plants. Gene structure and conserved motif analysis showed that the SiHXKs exhibited varying numbers of introns and exons, with proteins in each subfamily showing similar motif organization. Evolutionary divergence analysis indicated that the foxtail millet HXK and green foxtail HXK genes families underwent both positive and negative selection and experienced a large-scale duplication event approximately 1.18–154.84 million years ago. Expression analysis revealed that these genes are widely expressed in roots, stems, leaves, panicles, anthers, and seeds, with most genes showing significantly increased expression in roots under abiotic stress conditions, including 20% PEG 6000 (drought stress), 200 μmol/L NaCl (salt stress), and 1 μmol/L BR (brassinosteroid-mediated stress response). These results suggest that these genes may play a pivotal role in enhancing stress tolerance. Subcellular localization assay showed that SiHXK5 and SiHXK6 were predominantly localized in mitochondria. Haplotype analysis revealed that SiHXK3-H1 was associated with higher plant height and grain yield. These findings provide valuable insights into the functional characteristics of HXK genes, especially in the context of marker-assisted selection and the pyramiding of advantageous haplotypes in foxtail millet breeding programs. Full article

Soil microorganisms play pivotal roles in terrestrial ecological processes. However, how soil microbial biomass and community characteristics respond to changes in land utilization in karst regions remains largely unknown. The present study investigated the impacts of land-use change on soil chemical properties, microbial community structure, and biomass in a karst region of southwest China across four land-use types: shrubland (natural vegetation restoration), plantation forest (managed vegetation restoration), orchards, and croplands. Vegetation restoration increased microbial biomass carbon and microbial biomass nitrogen. Shrubland had the highest bacterial and fungal abundance and fungal diversity; in addition, the soil microbial community structure differed significantly among land-use types. The dominant bacterial phyla were Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Chloroflexi, whereas Ascomycota was the predominant fungal phylum, with its abundance declining significantly following vegetation restoration. Soil properties, including soil organic matter and available phosphorus, were strongly associated with microbial community composition and diversity in karst areas. The findings of this study are essential for gaining a deeper understanding of how changes in land-use affect soil properties and microbial dynamics, and provide valuable insights for ecological restoration and agricultural management in karst regions. Full article

Improvements in vegetation coverage are driven by both resource endowment conditions and policy behaviors. To accurately reflect the vegetation restoration effect after ecological policies, this study used the potential realization model to calculate the potential realization degree of vegetation restoration on the Loess Plateau and to assess the vegetation restoration effect after the Grain for Green Program from 2000 to 2020. Then, the influencing factors were explored using the spatial Dubin model. The results reveal that (1) the EVI value of the Loess Plateau in northern Shaanxi increased from below 0.25 at the beginning of the study to approximately 0.35 by the end, indicating that the green territory of the Loess Plateau gradually expanded to the northwest over the study period, and that the east and west of the Loess Plateau are key areas of vegetation cover for further improvement; (2) compared to the traditional EVI indicator, the potential realization degree can more accurately evaluate the vegetation restoration effect driven by ecological policies; (3) policy intensity is positively correlated with the growth rate of the vegetation restoration potential realization degree by 0.183 and significant at 1% level, making it the primary factor influencing the effect of vegetation restoration. Additionally, annual average precipitation and annual sunshine percentage have significant spatial positive contributions to the improvement of vegetation restoration on the Loess Plateau. The study’s findings are expected to contribute to the development of a scientific basis for adjusting the vegetation restoration policy on the Loess Plateau and enhancing ecological restoration efforts. Full article

Despite declines in biodiversity and habitat quality (HQ) at a global scale, our understanding of the HQ and matches between HQ and biodiversity under management scenarios is incomplete. To address this deficiency, the study examined trends in HQ and (mis)matches between biodiversity and HQ over four decades in Shandong province, China, identified the key drivers, and assessed the effectiveness of ecological policies, including Ecological Redlines (ERLs) and the Grain for Green (GG) program. During the 40-year period, HQ and matching degrees (indicated by related coefficients) between biodiversity and HQ decreased obviously. Correlation analysis showed that related coefficients between HQ and four biodiversity indices (vertebrate, vascular plant, and vegetation formation type richness, and comprehensive biodiversity index) were all significant (p < 0.01), and coefficients were highest for the biodiversity composite index. An analysis of relative importance by the random forest algorithm indicated significant variation in driving factors for spatial distribution of HQ, biodiversity, and matches between them. The key determinants of biodiversity distribution were biophysical factors, such as NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index), DEM (digital elevation model), and temperature. However, the main drivers of HQ distribution were social factors, such as the accessibility of anthropogenic activities, urbanization, and population density. Ecological policy scenarios, ERLs and GG, are clearly effective and could improve HQ and the matching degree between HQ and biodiversity significantly. Furthermore, the improvement in HQ under ERLs was less than that under GG, while the increase in the matching degree was opposite. The results of this study can be integrated by ecological managers and planners for biodiversity conservation. Full article

This study addresses an intermodal routing problem encountered by an intermodal transportation operator fulfilling the food grain transportation order of an agri-food company. To enhance the environmental sustainability of food logistics, carbon tax and trading regulations have been employed to reduce the carbon emissions associated with transportation. Multi-source uncertainties, including the company’s demand for food grains and various parameters related to the intermodal transportation activities, are modeled via trapezoidal fuzzy numbers to optimize the comprehensive reliability of the solution. This work incorporates wastage reduction by lowering the wastage costs and formulating a wastage threshold constraint in intermodal routing. Accordingly, a fuzzy mixed-integer nonlinear programming model for a green and reliable intermodal routing problem for food grain transportation is proposed. To overcome the model’s insolvability and the difficulty in finding the global optimum solution to a nonlinear optimization model, a two-stage solution method is developed, employing chance-constrained programming and linearization technique to reformulate the initial model. A numerical case study is given to verify the feasibility of the proposed methods. Sensitivity analysis reveals the influence of confidence levels and wastage threshold, providing insights for the agri-food company to balance economics, reliability, and wastage reduction in food grain transportation. The numerical case study also analyzes the feasibility of carbon tax and trading regulations in reducing carbon emissions, concluding that carbon tax regulations consistently achieve greater reductions and are universally feasible. In contrast, the feasibility of carbon trading regulations depends on confidence levels and wastage threshold. The findings of this work could provide strong quantitative support for intermodal transportation operators and agri-food companies seeking to implement sustainable food grain transportation. Full article

Background: It is currently believed that breeding priorities, including maize breeding, should focus on introducing varieties with greater utility value, specifically higher yields, into production. Global modern maize breeding relies on various molecular genetics techniques. Using the above mentioned technologies, we can identify regions of the genome that are associated with various phenotypic traits, including yield, which is of fundamental importance for understanding and manipulating these regions. Objectives: The aim of the study was to analyze the expression of candidate genes associated with maize yield. To better understand the function of the analyzed genes in increasing maize yield, their expression in different organs and tissues was also assessed using publicly available transcriptome data. Methods: RT-qPCR analyses were performed using iTaq Universal SYBR Green Supermix (Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA, USA) and CFX96 Touch Real-Time PCR Detection System (Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA, USA). Each of the performed RT-qPCR experiments consisted of three biological replicates and three technical replicates, the results of which were averaged. Results: The research results allowed us to select three out of six candidate genes (cinnamoyl-CoA reductase 1—CCR1, aspartate aminotransferase—AAT and sucrose transporter 1—SUT1), which can significantly affect grain yield in maize. Not only our studies but also literature reports clearly indicate the participation of CCR1, AAT and SUT1 in the formation of yield. Identified molecular markers located within these genes can be used in breeding programs to select high yielding maize genotypes. Full article

Background: Children’s dietary quality is suboptimal, increasing the risk of numerous chronic illnesses. Salad bars (SBs) have potential to enhance children’s nutritional intake within the National School Lunch Program (NSLP); yet, empirical support is lacking. To address this gap, we evaluated the impact of school salad bars on dietary quality and energy intake at lunch. Methods: Seven matched elementary school pairs were randomly selected. All schools served pre-portioned fruit and vegetables (F&V) at baseline. Within each pair, one school received an SB. Digital imagery plate waste methods were applied at baseline and 4–6 weeks post salad bar installation to determine intake (20% increments for food, ounces for beverages). Dietary quality (Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015)) and energy intake (kcal) were evaluated in NDSR. Multilevel modeling evaluated group (SB vs. control) and time (baseline vs. post) differences and group-by-time interactions for: (1) HEI-2015 (total and component scores) and (2) kcal intake (overall, F&V, non-F&V, and beverage kcals). Results: Data from 5674 trays are reported. Significant group-by-time interactions were observed for HEI-2015 total scores and Greens and Beans, Total Fruit, Whole Fruit, Refined Grains, and Added Sugar component scores (p < 0.0001), supporting improved dietary quality in SB schools. SB HEI-2015 scores were 60.1 ± 9.8 at post (+5.3 from baseline; p < 0.0001) compared with 57.2 ± 9.5 in controls (+1.0 from baseline; p = 0.065). Total energy intake significantly increased in SB schools (376 ± 151 kcal (baseline) → 434 ± 176 kcal (post)), driven by F&V energy (+59 kcal), with no change for controls. Discussion: Within the NSLP, SBs improved dietary quality and increased energy intake due to increased F&V intake without replacing other foods. Results can inform school nutrition policies designed to reduce chronic illness risk. Full article

Green initiatives are popular mechanisms globally to enhance environmental and human wellbeing. However, multiple green initiatives, when overlapping geographically and targeting the same participants, may interact with each other, giving rise to what is termed “spillover effects”, where one initiative and its outcomes influence another. This study examines the spillover effects among four major concurrent initiatives in the United States (U.S.) and China using a comprehensive dataset. In the U.S., we analysed county-level data in 2018 for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), both operational for over 25 years. In China, data from Fanjingshan and Tianma National Nature Reserves (2014–2015) were used to evaluate the Grain-to-Green Program (GTGP) and the Forest Ecological Benefit Compensation (FEBC) program. The dataset comprises 3106 records for the U.S. and 711 plots for China, including several socio-economic variables. The results of multivariate linear regression indicate that there exist significant spillover effects between CRP & EQIP and GTGP & FEBC, with one initiative potentially enhancing or offsetting another’s impacts by 22% to 100%. This dataset provides valuable insights for researchers and policymakers to optimize the effectiveness and resilience of concurrent green initiatives. Full article

Conservation set-asides face a trade-off between soil erosion control and grain security. Using the Grain for Green Program (GGP) in China’s Loess Plateau as a case study, this study aims to reveal the main source of productivity improvements that help offset the possible negative effect of conservation set-asides on grain supply. For empirical estimation purposes, we combine county-level remote sensing data with detailed grain production information from 209 counties in the Loess Plateau, spanning from 2000 to 2015. The satellite image interpretation and statistical records show that the area of arable land has decreased while the grain supply has been increasing in the Loess Plateau since 2000. A multiple-mediation analysis reveals that the GGP has a negligible total effect on the grain supply, which contributes to the positive mediating effect of multiple cropping, rather than technological progress. Further analysis shows that the increasing land-use intensity exerts higher water stress on areas with less rainfall. The results indicate that studies investigating conservation set-asides and food security relationships should not overlook the changes in land-use intensity, especially in water-scarce areas. Full article

The Fen River Basin (FRB), an ecologically fragile region in China, exemplifies the intricate interplay between vegetation dynamics and both climatic and human-driven factors. This study leverages a 40-year (1982–2022) dataset, utilizing the kernel-based normalized difference vegetation index (kNDVI) alongside key climatic variables—rainfall (PRE), temperature (TMP), and solar radiation (SRAD)—to investigate vegetation variations and their drivers in the FRB, particularly in relation to the Grain for Green Program (GGP). Our analysis highlights significant greening across the FRB, with the kNDVI slope increasing by 0.0028 yr⁻¹ and green-covered areas expanding by 92.8% over the study period. The GGP facilitated the greening process, resulting in a notable increase in the kNDVI slope from 0.0005 yr⁻¹ to 0.0052 yr⁻¹ and a marked expansion in the area of significant greening from 24.6% to 95.8%. Regional climate shifts, characterized by increased warming, heightened humidity, and a slight rise in SRAD, have further driven vegetation growth, contributing 75%, 58.7%, and 23.6% to vegetation dynamics, respectively. Notably, the GGP has amplified vegetation’s sensitivity to climatic variables, with areas significantly impacted by multiple climate factors expanding from 4.8% to 37.5%. Specially, PRE is the primary climatic influence, impacting 71.3% of the pertinent regions, followed by TMP (60.1%) and SRAD (30%). The integrated effects of climatic and anthropogenic factors, accounting for 47.8% and 52.2% of kNDVI variations, respectively, collectively influence 96% of the region’s vegetation dynamics. These findings underscore the critical role of climate change and human interventions in shaping vegetation patterns and provide a robust foundation for refining ecological conservation strategies, particularly in the context of global warming and land-use policies. Full article