Search Results (3,405)

This study aims to examine whether and through which transmission channels physical climate risk becomes financially relevant in agricultural commodity markets. Using daily returns on seven agricultural futures over 2000–2025 and a Diebold–Yilmaz connectedness framework, this paper shows that the increase in agricultural connectedness during La Niña episodes is explained mainly by global risk aversion rather than by regional macro-financial conditions. A sequential decomposition indicates that the VIX accounts for most of the unconditional La Niña effect, while Latin American financial variables explain only a negligible share. After controlling for these factors, the residual climate effect becomes small and statistically insignificant under wild cluster bootstrap inference. Quantile results further show that La Niña raises the floor of connectedness in low-stress states but adds little in already-stressed regimes. The effect is economically relevant: relative to neutral conditions, La Niña increases the absolute one-day 95% CVaR by approximately 17%—from 2.39% to 2.80%—and reduces the diversification ratio by 12.9%, from 1.889 to 1.645. Overall, the results suggest that climate stress in agricultural markets is transmitted primarily through global uncertainty pricing, with direct implications for portfolio management and climate stress testing. Full article

Agricultural biomass, comprising animal manure, food processing residues, lignocellulosic agricultural by-products, and other agro-industrial wastes, is generated in large quantities worldwide, particularly in developing countries. Although these residues pose significant environmental disposal challenges, they represent abundant renewable carbon resources that can be valorized into biofuels, contributing to sustainable waste management and circular bioeconomy initiatives. Biohythane, a gaseous fuel consisting of hydrogen and methane, is primarily produced through two-stage anaerobic digestion, in which dark fermentation generates hydrogen-rich intermediates that are subsequently converted into methane during methanogenesis. The separation of these stages enables independent optimization of hydrogen and methane production, resulting in improved substrate conversion efficiency and higher energy recovery than conventional single-stage anaerobic digestion. In addition, the presence of hydrogen enhances combustion characteristics while reducing greenhouse gas and nitrogen oxide emissions. This review critically evaluates recent advances in biohythane production from agricultural biomass through a structured assessment of peer-reviewed literature retrieved from major scientific databases. The selected studies were synthesized to examine biomass feedstocks, pretreatment technologies, microbial communities, metabolic pathways, reactor configurations, and process optimization strategies influencing biohythane production. The review further discusses the advantages and limitations of different agricultural residues, identifies current technological and economic challenges, and highlights emerging research opportunities to improve process efficiency and facilitate the sustainable commercialization of biohythane as a low-carbon renewable energy source. Full article

Drought persistence in the Sudan–Sahel transition zone of Northern Nigeria poses a substantial risk to agricultural productivity. This study develops a Hybrid Prophet–Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) architecture to address the existing research gap in near-term predictive capacity for non-stationary hydroclimatic time series. Utilizing Kano State as a case study, the Prophet algorithm was employed to extract deterministic trends from the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI-12) derived from CRU TS v4.09 data (1980–2024), while an integrated LSTM network modeled the stochastic residuals. Diagnostic results indicate a statistically significant trend toward moisture recovery (p < 0.0001). Comparative analysis demonstrated that the hybrid model significantly outperformed standalone baselines, achieving a Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) exceeding 0.87 and a 67.2% reduction in Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). Furthermore, the framework accurately simulated hydroclimatic transitions with a directional accuracy exceeding 87%, confirming high predictive reliability. Projections for the 2025–2030 period indicate a continued positive moisture shift of approximately 0.9 SPEI units. These findings underscore the technical necessity of decoupling non-linear noise from deterministic signals to resolve complex drought dynamics. Consequently, the proposed framework serves as a robust tool for near-term climate prediction. Scaling this methodology across diverse agroecological zones is recommended to enhance national drought early warning systems and regional climate resilience strategies. Full article

The growing demand for sustainable energy has intensified interest in converting abundant agricultural residues into renewable fuels. Among these feedstocks, corn stover represents a promising biomass for thermochemical conversion due to its high volatile matter content and widespread availability. This study investigates syngas production and product distribution from corn stover via pyrolysis and steam gasification in an atmospheric fixed-bed tubular furnace at temperatures of 650–850 °C. Furthermore, the effects of steam-to-carbon (S/C) ratio and nickel aluminate (NiAl₂O₄) catalyst loading at 650 °C were also investigated to determine their influence on product distribution and syngas composition. Increasing temperature significantly enhanced gas production in both processes, while steam gasification consistently produced higher gas yields than pyrolysis. At an S/C ratio of 3, the gas yield increased from 37% to 58.6%, with a 55.1% increase in H₂ production after 60 min compared with the pyrolysis baseline. Furthermore, incorporation of NiAl₂O₄ improved the H₂ yield and H₂/CO molar ratio while suppressing CO₂ and CH₄ formation, indicating enhanced catalytic reforming and secondary cracking of pyrolysis vapors. These findings demonstrate that optimizing steam addition and nickel aluminate catalyst loading effectively promotes hydrogen-rich syngas from corn stover and provides valuable insight for the development of efficient biomass-to-fuel conversion technologies. Full article

Panax notoginseng stems and leaves are abundant agricultural residues generated during root harvest, rich in flavonoids yet remain largely underutilized as a valuable phytochemical source. This study optimized a green steaming-sodium bicarbonate aqueous extraction process via orthogonal design. Optimal conditions (steaming 1 h, 1.0% food-grade NaHCO₃, boiling extraction 2 h, 1:20 g/mL) achieved a solid yield of 13.50 ± 0.41%, significantly higher than conventional water extraction (7.98 ± 0.41%, p < 0.05), demonstrating enhanced recovery of bioactive compounds. The extract exhibited 91.95 ± 0.08% xanthine oxidase inhibition (IC₅₀ = 5.0 mg/mL) with reversible mixed-type inhibition (K_i = 4.99 mg/mL). UHPLC-MS/MS identified 3392 metabolites, predominantly flavonoids, alkaloids, and organic acids with potential XO inhibitory activity. Network pharmacology and molecular docking revealed multi-target interactions involving ADRA2A, ADA, GAA, PNP, and PTGS2 enriched in purine metabolism and AGE-RAGE signaling pathways, with quercetin 3-Gentiobioside exhibiting the strongest binding affinity and favorable ligand-target interactions (ΔG = −12.91 kcal/mol). This eco-friendly strategy employs only pure water and food-grade additives, efficiently concentrating xanthine oxidase inhibitors and offering a clean-label, sustainable approach for high-value utilization of P. notoginseng agricultural residues. These findings provide a pharmacological basis for developing functional foods targeting hyperuricemia and associated metabolic disorders. Full article

Water quality analysis plays an essential role in maintaining the health and sustainability of river ecosystems, especially in semi-arid regions like the Arroyo Colorado Watershed in South Texas. Since the river is a vital source of water supply for local communities, agriculture, and wildlife, it faces significant challenges and pollution from land use changes, climate variation, and agricultural runoff. Continuous monitoring and assessment of water quality parameters and their temporal variability are essential to ensure the drinking water supply and aquatic ecosystem health. However, comprehensive laboratory-based water quality investigations are often constrained by higher costs, logistical complexity, and limited manpower. As a result, monitoring datasets are often not available for all water quality parameters, or the datasets may be incomplete. To address such challenges, the objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of water quality index (WQI)-based assessment supported by machine learning algorithms as an alternative decision-support tool for water quality evaluation. The analysis compared four monitoring stations in the Austin and Arroyo Colorado Watersheds, with particular emphasis on one gauging station at Port Harlingen. Datasets were collected from the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ). A complete exploratory data analysis (EDA) was performed to understand the TCEQ water quality datasets containing sixteen parameters, and seven water quality parameters were selected based on multicollinearity checks. It was observed that seven independent water quality parameters (dissolved oxygen, ammonia, nitrate, phosphorus, temperature, fecal coliform, and residual non-filterable material concentrations) were identified as sufficient to define the WQI of the Austin monitoring stations. Moreover, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-based guidelines were utilized to scale individual parameters to a range of 0–100 to remove their magnitude and correlation-based bias. These parameters were further analyzed using machine learning techniques, i.e., principal component analysis, K-means, and one-class support vector machine, to compute the relative importance based on their fluctuation within the temporal dataset. Finally, the mean WQI model was developed for Port Harlingen and achieved a strong agreement with the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) WQI (R² = 0.91). These findings demonstrate the applicability of the proposed data-driven WQI framework for regional water quality assessment and comparative analysis across watersheds. Full article

Ukraine’s energy strategy under martial law necessitates decentralized local energy systems to counter electricity shortages and systemic infrastructure failures. The study develops and validates an optimization model for designing the architecture of decentralized “energy islands” based on circular bioenergy models for agricultural waste use. Empirical verification was conducted using data from the Vinnytsia region in Ukraine. The model accounts for a multi-level structure that separates micro/small generation (0.1–2.0 MW) from medium generation (1–20 MW) based on the logistical radius for raw material collection. The model incorporated the Value of Lost Load (VLL), enabling the monetization of avoided socio-economic losses from energy shortages. In addition, the coefficient of energy island sustainability (I_sred) was introduced to quantitatively assess the effectiveness of investments in terms of replacing external resources. The modeling revealed the nonlinear nature of the total cost function, enabling us to determine an optimal energy-autonomy range of 40% to 50% for communities. At this threshold, the total construction and logistics costs are minimized. The potential socio-economic losses from blackouts are effectively mitigated, as confirmed by the calculated sustainability coefficient (I_sred), which ranges from 0.78 to 0.94 across the studied communities. The resource potential assessment confirms that the region’s total potential is approaching 30 million tons of oil equivalent, driven by solid biofuels, agricultural residues, and energy crops (miscanthus, switchgrass). The classification of biomass supply chains shows that exceeding the transportation radius by more than 70 km at the meso level, or deviating from the optimal logistics lever by 20%, reduces the profitability of projects below the critical limit of 15%, which justifies strict localization within raw-material clusters. This enables local communities to eliminate natural gas consumption, reduce energy supply operating costs by 15%, and ensure the autonomous and stable operation of critical infrastructure facilities during prolonged disruptions to the national power grid. Full article

The increasing generation of agricultural and industrial waste has created a growing need for sustainable materials that can reduce environmental burdens while maintaining desirable performance. This study explores the development of hybrid composites using pinecone waste and cottonseed waste generated during spinning operations as reinforcement materials in epoxy and PCL (polycaprolactone) matrices. Four composite formulations were produced and evaluated in terms of their physical, mechanical, thermal, morphological, and crystallographic characteristics. Density, water absorption, tensile, compressive, flexural, and thermal conductivity properties were measured using standard testing procedures. Surface morphology and fiber–matrix interactions were examined through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to investigate the crystalline structure of the composites. The epoxy-based formulations exhibited superior tensile and flexural performance, reduced moisture uptake, and lower thermal conductivity, indicating their suitability for interior and semi-structural applications. In comparison, the PCL-based composites demonstrated higher compressive load resistance and greater deformation capability, suggesting potential use in biodegradable packaging and cushioning materials. SEM analysis revealed noticeable differences in filler distribution and interfacial characteristics among the formulations, whereas XRD confirmed the crystalline features associated with both the polymer matrices and lignocellulosic reinforcements. Overall, the results demonstrate a practical route for converting forestry residues and spinning-industry waste into functional composite materials, supporting waste valorization and resource-efficient material development. Full article

Pesticide and veterinary drug residues, heavy metals and other hazardous contaminants in agricultural products and food systems pose severe threats to food safety and agro-ecological security. Conventional detection techniques are plagued by complicated operations, long testing cycles and insufficient sensitivity, which fail to meet the practical requirements for rapid, accurate on-site detection and in situ remediation. This paper systematically introduces the fundamental physicochemical properties of typical carbon-based nanomaterials, including graphene, carbon nanotubes, carbon quantum dots and biomass-derived carbon. It comprehensively reviews the latest research advances of these materials in the detection of heavy metal ions, pesticide residues, mycotoxins and illegal additives, as well as in the non-destructive monitoring of food quality. Meanwhile, relevant applications of carbon-based nanomaterials in the adsorption, enrichment and catalytic remediation of heavy metals and organic pollutants in farmland soil and water environments are summarized. The intrinsic mechanisms underlying their performance in high-precision detection and environmental remediation are elaborated from the perspectives of optical sensing response and adsorption–separation effects. Furthermore, the current technical limitations and bottlenecks restricting the practical application of carbon-based nanomaterials are discussed. Combined with the industrial demands for rapid screening of agro-food safety risks and in situ treatment of farmland environments, the future development prospects of carbon-based nanomaterials in agriculture and food safety fields are outlined. This work aims to provide theoretical references for the development and industrialization of high-performance carbon-based sensing and remediation materials, and to facilitate the risk prevention and control of agro-food safety as well as the green and sustainable development of agricultural ecosystems. Full article

Thermochemical conversion of nitrogen- and sulfur-rich biomass-derived wastes, such as sewage sludge, algae, and agricultural residues, is a promising route for renewable fuel production and waste valorization. However, fuel-bound nitrogen can be released as NH₃, HCN, and HNCO, while sulfur species such as H₂S, SO₂, and COS accelerate catalyst deactivation and generate NO_x/SO_x precursors. Metal-loaded ZSM-5 catalysts are attractive for clean catalytic pyrolysis because they combine the MFI pore confinement and tunable Brønsted/Lewis acidity of ZSM-5 with the hydrogen transfer, dehydrogenation, cracking, redox, and sulfur-tolerance functions of metal species. This review critically summarizes recent advances in metal-loaded ZSM-5 catalysts for catalytic denitrogenation of biomass-derived solid wastes. The formation and migration of NH₃, HCN, HNCO, tar-N, and char-N are first discussed to clarify the chemical basis of fuel-N conversion. The effects of ZSM-5 pore structure, acid-site distribution, Si/Al ratio, hierarchical porosity, and synergy on adsorption, diffusion, C-N bond cleavage, heterocyclic-N ring-opening, aromatization, and nitrogen redistribution are then analyzed. Catalyst deactivation under realistic pyrolysis atmospheres is also highlighted, including coke deposition, metal sintering, framework dealumination, mineral poisoning, and H₂S/SO₂/COS-induced sulfur poisoning. Finally, future directions are proposed for designing multifunctional ZSM-5-based catalysts integrating denitrogenation activity, sulfur resistance, coke resistance, regenerability, and quantitative nitrogen/sulfur mass balance. Full article

The extensive use of petroleum-based plastics in food packaging has raised environmental concerns, increasing interest in biodegradable materials derived from renewable resources. Cellulose-based films from agricultural residues offer a sustainable alternative, and incorporating bioactive compounds can provide active packaging functionality to enhance food preservation. In this study, resveratrol was incorporated into oat straw-derived cellulose films to develop biodegradable active packaging materials. Films with varying concentrations of resveratrol were prepared and evaluated for physical, mechanical, barrier, optical, antioxidant, biodegradation, and fruit preservation properties. Resveratrol significantly enhanced the films’ antioxidant activity, increasing radical-scavenging activity from 4.05% in the control film to 19.70% in the film containing 0.7% resveratrol. The films also exhibited improved ultraviolet light-blocking properties while maintaining comparable moisture content, water solubility, mechanical properties, water vapor permeability, and biodegradation behavior. All films showed rapid soil biodegradation, with more than 80% weight loss after 33 days. During grape storage, the resveratrol-containing film maintained the fruit quality by moderating changes in weight loss, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, and ascorbic acid content, while avoiding the quality deterioration observed in polystyrene-covered grapes during storage. These findings demonstrate that oat straw-derived cellulose films containing resveratrol combine antioxidant activity, ultraviolet light protection, biodegradability, and improved preservation performance during grape storage. The developed films show promise as sustainable antioxidant active packaging materials for fresh-produce applications. Full article

Biological hydrogen production from lignocellulosic residues is increasingly recognized as a promising route toward sustainable fuel production. However, efficient conversion of these materials requires appropriate pretreatment strategies to enhance carbohydrate accessibility while preserving the quality of the resulting hydrolysates for fermentation to hydrogen. To date, most pretreatment studies have primarily emphasized maximizing sugar release and biomass fractionation, often overlooking the critical role of hydrolysate quality and hydrogen fermentability. This review evaluates lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment technologies with a specific focus on their impacts on hydrogen fermentability. Among all of the well-studied pretreatments, only a few are good candidates for biohydrogen production from lignocellulosic biomass. In particular, the selection of an optimal pretreatment approach was shown to depend not only on the physicochemical characteristics of the biomass but also upon the metabolic capabilities and substrate utilization patterns of the microorganisms employed. This article highlights the need for integrated optimization of pretreatment and fermentation processes and identifies key challenges and opportunities for advancing lignocellulosic biohydrogen production. Full article

The rapid growth of insect farming generates significant volumes of insect frass, a novel organic by-product. Utilizing frass-based organo-mineral fertilizers represents a sustainable alternative to synthetic fertilizers, yet long-term agronomic efficacy and residual effects require further field validation. This study evaluated pelletized organo-mineral formulations for conventional and organic agriculture, derived from Hermetia illucens and Tenebrio molitor frass. Eight field treatments were evaluated: an unfertilized control; an inorganic NPK fertilizer (150 kg N ha⁻¹); a biostabilized municipal solid waste compost at two nitrogen rates (150 and 300 kg N ha⁻¹); and two novel insect-frass-derived organo-mineral fertilizers (VHTI and VHTO) applied at a standard product dose (1000 kg ha⁻¹) and an N-equivalent dose (150 kg N ha⁻¹). Application of organo-mineral and organic treatments at the same nitrogen dose (150 kg N ha⁻¹) doubled cabbage yield compared to the unfertilized control and significantly outperformed the conventional inorganic treatment. These formulations demonstrated enhanced nitrogen and phosphorus use efficiencies, reflecting improved synchronization between nutrient release and crop demand. Furthermore, organo-mineral formulations significantly increased soil available phosphorus without adversely affecting key soil quality parameters. The Integrated Soil–Crop Response Index (ISCRI) confirmed a superior overall agroecosystem response for these treatments. These findings provide important theoretical insights into nutrient synchronization mechanisms in organo-mineral fertilizers, alongside practical applications for sustainable cabbage production. Consequently, frass-based pelletized fertilizers represent a highly sustainable, circular, and efficient alternative to optimize horticultural yield and nutrient use efficiency while enhancing soil health, ultimately supporting the valorization of insect farming by-products as viable substitutes for synthetic fertilizers. Full article

The search for sustainable and ethical alternatives to conventional protein production has become increasingly important due to climate change, population growth, and the need to reduce the environmental impact of food systems. This work explores the development of animal-free proteins produced in laboratory settings using innovative technologies such as precision fermentation, submerged fermentation, plant cell culture, and molecular engineering. These methods enable the production of high-quality proteins without relying on animal farming or large-scale traditional agriculture. In addition to reviewing traditional plant-based protein sources and their nutritional limitations, the study highlights novel protein sources derived from fungi, algae, and bacteria, focusing on their nutritional profiles, production methods, and challenges related to digestibility, safety, and consumer perception. Special attention is given to downstream processing techniques that preserve protein functionality and enhance key food attributes such as texture, flavor, and stability. The use of agro-industrial residues is also discussed as a strategy to improve sustainability and economic viability. Key barriers to large-scale implementation, including production costs, regulatory approval, and consumer acceptance, are addressed, alongside emerging applications beyond food, such as cosmetics, animal nutrition, and biodegradable materials. Overall, animal-free proteins represent a promising path toward a more sustainable, resilient, and ethical global food system. Full article

The determination of pesticide residues at trace levels in complex environmental matrices requires robust and reliable analytical methodologies. In this study, a multi-residue method for determining 48 pesticides across different chemical classes in agricultural soils was developed and validated using a modified QuEChERS extraction followed by GC-MS/MS analysis. The method exhibited good linearity (R² ≥ 0.9871) over a concentration range of 5–600 µg/kg. Matrix effects were observed for several compounds, requiring matrix-matched calibration for accurate quantification. Recoveries fulfilled the recommended 70−120% criterion in 91.0% of the evaluated cases, while more than 98% of the relative standard deviation values were ≤20%, demonstrating satisfactory overall accuracy and precision according to SANTE/2020/12830 (Rev. 2) guidelines. The validated method was subsequently applied to tropical agricultural soils from Puerto Carreño (Colombian Orinoquia), which exhibited predominantly sandy textures (>80% sand), slightly acidic pH (5.2−5.7), low total organic carbon (0.1−0.8%), and low cation exchange capacity (5.6−8.1 meq/100 g). No pesticide residues were detected in the analyzed samples. The proposed method provides a reliable analytical framework for multi-class pesticide determination in tropical agricultural soils and contributes to the application of QuEChERS-based methodologies in underrepresented tropical soil matrices. Full article