Search Results (146)

The degradation and loss of arable soils pose significant challenges to global food security, requiring advanced mapping and monitoring techniques to improve soil and crop management. This study evaluates the integration of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and orbital sensor data for monitoring and quantifying gullies with low-cost data. The research focuses on a gully in southern Brazil, utilizing high-spatial-resolution imagery to analyze its evolution over a 25-year period (2000–2024). Photointerpretation and manual delineation procedures were adopted to define gully shoulder lines, based on low-cost and multiple-spatial-resolution data from Google Earth Pro (GEP), UAVs and conventional aerial photographs. Planimetric, volumetric, climatic, and pedological parameters were assessed and evaluated over time. Field inspections supported our interpretations. The results show that gully expansion can be effectively mapped and monitored by combining high-spatial-resolution GEP data with aerial imagery. The gully area has increased by more than 50% over the past two decades, based on GEP data, which were corroborated by submeter-resolution UAV data. The findings indicate that the erosive process remains active, progressing toward the base level. These results provide critical insights for land managers, policymakers, and agricultural stakeholders to implement targeted soil recovery strategies and mitigate further land degradation. Full article

Crop production in Kazakhstan is characterized by vast resources, including over 200 M hectares of farmland and more than 23 M hectares of arable land located mainly in the arid zone with a short growing season. In 2023, the five most important crops in the country were spring wheat (12.5 M ha), spring barley (2.42 M ha), sunflower (1.13 M ha), flax (0.73 M ha), and winter wheat (0.59 M ha). Diverse agroecological conditions and low input farming represent good opportunities for the more sustainable use of resources through organic production. However, the area falling under certified organic farming recently varied from 0.1 to 0.3 M ha with wheat, flax, soybean and soybean meal, peas and lentils serving as the main commodities exported to Europe. Several factors limit organic farming development in the country, including the certification system, marketing, and the availability of crops, cultivars, and technologies. The current review summarizes the main organic agronomic practices and bioresources applicable in Kazakhstan into four main themes: crops and cultivars’ diversification; tillage systems for organic crops; crop nutrition; and protection. The technologies developed for organic farming in similar ecologies globally are highly relevant to Kazakhstan and need to be tested and adopted by producers. The lack of targeted cultivars and technology development for organic production in Kazakhstan impedes its progress and requires a longer-term producer-focused framework to extend related research. Full article

Rapid urbanization, climate variability, and land degradation are increasingly challenging traditional open-field farming systems. Soilless farming (SLF) has emerged as a complementary approach to enhance horticultural resilience in space-constrained and climate-stressed environments. This review critically evaluates the role of SLF within the broader framework of climate-smart agriculture (C-SA), with a particular focus on its applications in urban and peri-urban settings. Drawing on a systematic review of the existing literature, the study explores how SLF technologies contribute to efficient resource use, localized food production, and environmental sustainability. By decoupling crop cultivation from soil, SLF enables precise control over nutrient delivery and water use in enclosed environments, such as vertical farms, greenhouses, and container-based units. These systems offer notable advantages regarding water conservation, increased yield per unit area, and adaptability to non-arable or degraded land, making them particularly relevant for high-density cities, arid zones, and climate-sensitive regions. SLF systems are categorized into substrate-based (e.g., coco peat and rock wool) and water-based systems (e.g., hydroponics, aquaponics, and aeroponics), each with distinct design requirements, nutrient management strategies, and crop compatibility. Emerging technologies—including artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and automation—further enhance SLF system efficiency through real-time data monitoring and precision control. Despite these advancements, challenges remain. High setup costs, energy demands, and the need for technical expertise continue to limit large-scale adoption. While SLF is not a replacement for traditional agriculture, it offers a strategic supplement to bolster localized food systems and address climate-related risks in horticultural production. Urban horticulture is no longer a peripheral activity; it is becoming an integral element of sustainable urban development. SLF should be embedded within broader resilience strategies, tailored to specific socioeconomic and environmental contexts. Full article

This review examines the history of consumption, life cycle, and culture conditions of seven edible mucilaginous terrestrial cyanobacterial strains—Nostoc flagelliforme, Nostoc commune, Nostoc sphaeroides, Nostoc sphaericum, Nostoc verrucosum, Aphanothece sacrum, and Nostochopsis lobatus—as resilient and sustainable food sources in the face of climate change. Traditionally consumed across various cultures and known for their resilience in extreme environments, these cyanobacteria offer high nutritional value, including proteins, vitamins, and essential fatty acids, making them promising candidates for addressing food security. Their ability to fix nitrogen reduces reliance on synthetic fertilizers, enhancing agricultural applications by improving soil fertility and minimizing dependence on fossil fuel-derived chemicals. Unlike conventional crops, these cyanobacteria require minimal resources and do not compete for arable land, positioning them as ideal candidates for low-impact food production. Despite these advantages, the review highlights the need for scalable and cost-effective cultivation methods to fully realize their potential in supporting a resilient global food supply. Additionally, it underscores the importance of ensuring their safety for consumption, particularly regarding toxin content. Full article

Shallow arable soils (<35 cm depth) are classified as marginal for common agriculture but may still support biomass production from industrial crops like fiber hemp, which has a low indirect land-use change risk. However, little is known about hemp’s performance under such conditions. Therefore, this study investigated the biomass yield and quality of fiber hemp and other crops on a shallow (<35 cm), stony (>15% stone content), and clay-rich (>50% clay content) soil at 800 m above sea level in Southwest Germany (2018–2021). A randomized field trial tested different row widths and nitrogen (N) fertilization levels to assess low-input options for the given type of marginal land. Across years and row widths, hemp achieved average grain dry matter (DM) yields of 1.3 Mg/ha at a fertilization rate of 40 kg N/ha and 1.6 Mg/ha at 120 kg N/ha (with on average 30.9 ± 1.4% crude fat content across treatments). The average stem DM yields accounted for 5.11 Mg/ha (40 kg N/ha) and 6.08 Mg/ha (120 kg N/ha), respectively. Reduced N fertilization (40 kg/ha) lowered DM yields by up to 16% compared to full fertilization (120 kg/ha), but the effect was not significant and weaker at wider row spacing (45 cm). Additionally, maize reached acceptable DM yields (>17 Mg/ha). These findings suggest that shallow soils classified as marginal require reassessment, as they may offer viable opportunities for sustainable industrial hemp cultivation and contribute to a bio-based economy. Full article

Economic geography suggests that geographical distance tends to weaken supervisory effectiveness, giving rise to a “distance decay effect”. However, in the context of vertical governance by the central government, local authorities tend to intensify their efforts to enhance performance. The existence of the “distance decay effect” under such circumstances requires further investigation. This paper considers the establishment of China’s National Agency of Natural Resources Supervision as a quasi-natural experiment, utilizing panel data from 2015 to 2020 for cities and employing a continuous DID model to explore how geographical distance under vertical governance affects the supervisory effectiveness of non-grain cultivation on arable land. This research indicates that the supervisory effectiveness of the supervisory agency on the non-grain cultivation of arable land tends to decrease with an increase in geographical distance. This negative impact is achieved through an escalation in direct supervisory costs. Further analysis reveals that the diminishing effect of geographical distance on supervisory effectiveness intensifies as the opportunity costs of local government response increase. The above study provides fresh evidence for the “distance decay effect” on supervisory effectiveness, which is beneficial for the central government in optimizing control measures to prevent the phenomenon of non-grain cultivation on arable land. Full article

In light of global climate change and accelerated urbanization, preserving and restoring island ecosystems has become critically important. This study focuses on Changxing Island in Dalian, China, evaluating the quality of its ecological environment. The research aims to quantify ecological changes since 2000, with an emphasis on land use transformations, coastline evolution, and the driving factors behind these changes. Using the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform and remote sensing technology, an island remote sensing ecological index (IRSEI) was developed. The development of the IRSEI was grounded in several key ecological parameters, including the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), wetness index (WET), land surface temperature index (LST), multiband drought stress index (M-NDBSI), and land use intensity index (LUI). The research results show that, since 2002, land use types on Changxing Island have undergone significant changes, with a notable decrease in arable land and a significant increase in built-up areas, reflecting the ongoing urbanization process. With respect to coastline changes, the total coastline length of Changxing Island steadily increased from 2002 to 2022, with an average annual growth rate of 2.15 km. This change was driven mainly by reclamation and infrastructure construction. The IRSEI analysis further revealed a clear deterioration in the quality of the ecological environment of Changxing Island during the study period. The proportion of excellent ecological area decreased from 39.3% in 2002 to 8.89% in 2022, whereas the areas classified as poor and very poor increased to 56.23 km² and 129.84 km², both of which set new historical records. These findings suggest that, as urbanization and coastline development intensify, the ecosystem of Changxing Island is at significant risk of degradation. The optimized IRSEI effectively captured the ecological environment quality of the island, improved the long-term stability of the index, and adequately met the requirements for large-scale and long-term ecological environment quality monitoring. Full article

Biopolymers, such as polysaccharides, polyphenols, alkaloids, and terpenoids, found in marine algae exhibit antiviral and anticancer properties. These compounds can inhibit viral replication, induce apoptosis in cancer cells, and enhance the immune response. Their diverse bioactive properties make marine algae a promising source for the development of sustainable antiviral and anticancer therapies. A major advantage of marine algae is that they do not require freshwater or arable land and can be cultivated in seawater, thus making them sustainable substitutes for conventional resources. Additionally, their ability to sequester carbon and recycle nutrients enhances their environmental sustainability. Despite their promising biomedical potential, challenges, such as compound extraction, large-scale production, and clinical validation, must be addressed for effective drug development. The vast biological diversity of marine algae across different ocean ecosystems is a largely unexplored source of distinct chemical structures, which may be the basis for new therapeutic schemes. Despite their therapeutic potential, the translation of marine algae-derived compounds into clinical applications faces significant hurdles, including challenges in large-scale extraction, bioavailability enhancement, and regulatory approval. The need to extract particular compounds to make them available for large-scale production and to overcome issues such as bioavailability and regulatory policies are formidable challenges. Marine algae represent innovative advances in antiviral and anticancer drug development, but only when combined with ecologically sound cultivation methods, interdisciplinary approaches, and understanding. The integration of advanced biotechnological approaches, innovative gene editing techniques, and environmentally sustainable aquaculture practices is pivotal for harnessing the full potential of marine algae for the development of next-generation antiviral and anticancer therapeutics. Full article

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the method of use and different fertilization of the foothill soil on the manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) concentration in leachates and the loads of trace elements leached from the soil profile. An experiment was carried out in Wiśnicz Foothills (Malopolska Province, Poland). In each plot, three lysimeters were installed, placed at a depth of 0–30 cm. The experiment included six variants, five on meadow, without fertilization (A—control); with mineral fertilization (B); with liquid manure (C) and with manure application (D); non-fertilized and non-mowed (E); and on arable land with mineral fertilization (F), in three repetitions each. Leachates were collected for three years in three periods: I—intensive growing, II—slow growing, and III—non-growing seasons. In general, the highest concentrations of Mn, Cu, Cd and Pb were recorded in leachates during period III. The lowest amounts of Cu and Cd were found in leachates in period II and Mn and Pb in period I. The exception were leachates from the following treatments: fertilized with liquid manure, which contained the most Mn and Cd in period II and the least Cd in period I; unused meadow, which contained the least Pb in period I; and leachates from arable land contained the least Cd in period I. The differences in the content of trace elements in the leachates were significant and amounted to 150–200% for Cd and Pb and about 20% for Mn and Cu. Mineral fertilization generally did not affect significantly Mn, Cu, Pb and Cd content in relation to the control, and the contents of Mn, Cu and Pb were even lower than in the leachates from the control. There was a significant increase in Mn concentration in leachates from unused meadow and arable land, Cu, Pb and Cd after both natural fertilizer applications and from arable land compared to other objects, in addition to Cd from unused meadow. Generally, the highest loads of trace elements were removed in period II and the smallest in period I of the study. Differences in leached loads during these periods were 2- to 8-fold and greater after liquid manure and manure application. The differences in Mn, Cd and Pb loads in subsequent years were 1.5- to 2-fold, and Cu loads in all years were similar. Natural fertilizers increased the trace element loads 1.5–4-fold compared to the control. Smaller differences concerned Mn and Cu and larger Pb loads. The method of land use significantly affected the quantity and quality of water percolates through the soil profile. Contrary to popular belief, the leachates from the unused meadow were not of the best quality, which resulted from their increased permeability into the soil under these conditions. Due to the quantity and quality of leachate waters and surface runoff in the foothill and mountain areas, it is advisable to limit tillage treatments, and the rational use of meadows and pastures with moderate fertilization is recommended. It is important to emphasize the importance of the proper management of the use of foothill and mountain areas for the optimal supply of plants with trace elements. Substantial losses of microelements necessary for optimal plant development may require their use in the form of fertilizers, which will result in increased agricultural production expenditures, reduce economic effects and slow down the pace of achieving sustainable agriculture. Full article

Abandoned agricultural lands in the Middle Volga region of Russia, which appeared because of socio-economic transformations after the collapse of the USSR and the liquidation of collective farms, represent a significant potential for increasing agricultural production and economic development of the region. This study develops a comprehensive approach to assessing the suitability of these lands for return to agricultural turnover using machine learning methods and remote sensing data. Sentinel-2 satellite imagery and a deep neural network based on MAnet architecture with Mix Vision Transformer encoder (MiT-b5), which achieved an accuracy of 93.4% and an IoU coefficient of 0.84, were used for semantic segmentation of modern agricultural land. Land use dynamics since 1985 were analysed using Landsat 4–9 data, revealing significant areas of abandoned arable land. Land suitability was assessed, taking into account natural resource factors such as topography, soils and climatic conditions. The results showed that the total area of land suitable for reclaimed land is 2,014,845 ha, which could lead to an increase in wheat yield by 7.052 million tons. The potential cumulative net profit is estimated at 35.26 billion rubles (about US$352.6 million). The main conclusions indicate the significant economic and social potential of returning abandoned land to agricultural turnover, which requires a comprehensive approach that includes investment in infrastructure and the introduction of modern agro-technologies. Full article

Research on the carrying capacity of land resources and their outputs to population size will be able to better serve the ecological governance of food security. This paper analyzes the population carrying capacity level of southern Xinjiang by using the population carrying capacity model of land resources, and ANOVA analyzes the significance difference between the newly added arable land and the original arable land. At the same time, the demand of cultivated land development is discussed. The results showed that the sown area of grain crops in all the prefectures showed an overall increase from 2009 to 2019. The population carrying scale is more optimistic under subsistence and well-off conditions. From 2009 to 2019, cropland in Aksu region increased the most, followed by Kashgar region, with both regions exceeding 300,000 ha. ANOVA results show that the new arable land is comprehensively lower than the original arable land in terms of quality grade and agricultural output, and salinization and desertification are more serious than on the original arable land. At the same time, the subsistence type requires the least amount of arable land development while the affluent type requires the most. Therefore, we should adapt to local conditions and develop modern agriculture scientifically and reasonably. Full article

The conventional measuring methods (runoff plots and soil morphological comparison) and models (WaTEM/SEDEM and regional model of Russian State Hydrological Institute (SHI)) were tested with regard to the Southern Cis-Ural region of Russia, along with data from rainfall simulation for assessing soil erosion. Compared with conventional methods, which require long-running field observations, using erosion models and rainfall simulation is less time-consuming and is found to be fairly accurate for assessing long-term average rates of soil erosion and deposition. In this context, ¹³⁷Cs can also be used as a marker of soil redistribution on the slope. The data of soil loss and sedimentation rates obtained by using conventional measuring methods were in agreement with the data based on the used contemporary modeling approaches. According to the erosion model calculations and data on the fallout of radionuclides in the Southern Cis-Ural (54°50–25′ N and 55°44–50′ E), the average long-term annual soil losses were ~1.3 t·ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in moderate (5°) arable slopes and ~0.2 t·ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in meadows. In forests, surface erosion is negligible, or its rates are similar to the rate of soil formation of clay–illuvial chernozems. The rates of soil erosion and sediment deposition on the arable land obtained using different methods were found to be very close. All the methods, including the WaTEM/SEDEM, allowed us to measure both soil erosion and intra-slope sedimentation. The regional SHI model fairly accurately assesses soil erosion in the years when erosion events occurred; however, soil erosion as a result of snowmelt did not occur every year, which should be taken into account when modeling. The concentrations of ¹³⁷Cs in the topsoil layer (0–20 cm) varied from 0.9 to 9.8 Bq·kg⁻¹, and the ¹³⁷Cs inventories were 1.6–5.1 kBq·m⁻², with the highest values found under the forest. The air dose rate in the forest was higher than in open areas and above the average of 0.12 μSv·h⁻¹ on the slope (0.1 μSv·h⁻¹ in the meadow and 0.08 μSv·h⁻¹ on the arable land), with the value increasing from the watershed to the lower part of the slope in all the areas. The γ-background level in the studied ecosystems did not exceed the maximum permissible levels. Full article

Agrivoltaics (APVs) represent a growing technology in Europe that enables the co-location of energy and food production in the same field. Photosynthesis requires photosynthetic active radiation, which is reduced by the shadows cast on crops by APV panels. The design of the module rows, material, and field orientation significantly influences the radiation distribution on the ground. In this context, we introduce an innovative approach for the effective simulation of the shading effects of various APV designs. We performed an extensive sensitivity analysis of the photovoltaic (PV) geometry influence on the ground-incident radiation and crop growth of selected cultivars. Simulations (2013–2021) for three representative arable crops in eastern Austria (winter wheat, spring barley, and maize) and seven different APV designs that only limited to the shading effect showed that maize and spring barley experienced the greatest annual above-ground biomass and grain yield reduction (up to 25%), with significant differences between the APV design and the weather conditions. While spring barley had similar decreases within the years, maize was characterized by high variability. Winter wheat had only up to a 10% reduction due to shading and a reduced photosynthetic performance. Cold/humid/cloudy weather during the growing season had more negative yield effects under APVs than dry/hot periods, particularly for summer crops such as maize. The lowest grain yield decline was achieved for all three crops in the APV design in which the modules were oriented to the east at a height of 5 m and mounted on trackers with an inclination of +/−50°. This scenario also resulted in the highest land equivalent ratios (LERs), with values above 1.06. The correct use of a tracker on APV fields is crucial for optimizing agricultural yields and electricity production. Full article

Promoting the coordination of livelihoods at the county and farmers’ scales is essential for achieving balanced regional development and rural revitalization in post-poverty mountainous areas. Existing studies predominantly focus on farmers’ or regional livelihood capital and livelihood efficiency at a single scale, lacking research on cross-scale coordination between farmers’ and county livelihoods. Consequently, these studies fail to reveal the interactions and synergistic enhancement pathways between the two scales. This study, using the Qinba mountains in southern Shaanxi as a case, employs system dynamics to construct a coupled system dynamics model of farmers’ livelihood efficiency and county livelihood efficiency. From the perspective of livelihood capital, five regulatory modes, comprising a total of 17 scenarios, were designed and simulated. The results indicate the following data: (1) The coupling coordination degree between farmers’ livelihood efficiency and county livelihood efficiency in the Qinba mountains is 0.623, indicating a moderate level of coordination overall. However, the coupling coordination relationship requires further optimization and adjustment. Specifically, Foping exhibits a severe imbalance, while the coupling coordination degree of Shiquan, Zhashui, Baihe, Pingli, and Lan’gao is in a state of basic coordination. Additionally, 19 other counties, including Lueyang, Ningqiang, Yang, and others, exhibit moderate coordination. (2) Enhancing social or financial capital through various means typically promotes the coordinated development of farmers’ and county livelihood efficiency. On average, social capital and financial capital regulation models can increase the coupling coordination degree by 0.08 and 0.17, respectively. Additionally, strategies such as increasing fixed asset investment and regulating other capital types, including reducing arable land, also effectively improve the coupling coordination degree of farmers’ and county livelihood efficiency. This study provides a decision-making basis for improving the coordination of farmers’ and county livelihoods in post-poverty mountainous areas, thereby promoting economic development and intensive resource utilization. It assists in formulating more precise policy measures and offers a reference for sustainable development and rural revitalization in similar regions. Full article

This study aimed to assess the potential of soil organic carbon (SOC) production through organic amendments. SOC sequestration would help to achieve the net-zero emissions targets set by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Given the urgency to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, traditional methods that estimate SOC over 100 years must be revised. Hence, a novel fate transport numerical model was developed to forecast SOC levels relevant to individual countries’ net-zero targets in various time frames. The simulation results revealed that most countries had sufficient organic amendment to mitigate the CO₂ emission of that country for a year if the organic amendment was applied on 20% of the arable land. However, if a significant fraction of the total CO₂ emissions needs to be mitigated before reaching the net zero target, the requirements of organic amendments need to be increased several folds. All the available agricultural land should also be brought under the organic amendment regime. Later, the dynamic LCA approach was undertaken for estimating Global Warming (GWP) from land-applied organic residue. It was observed that, depending on the dynamic LCA model, the estimated GWP was different. However, the estimated dynamic GWP was very close to the residual SOC calculated through the fate transport model. The mass of organic residues generated from a biorefinery was examined by employing a waste biorefinery model to explore further the routes of acquiring additional organic amendment. Simulated results showed that while a waste biorefinery could not provide additional organic residue compared to the original organic waste input, it was highly efficient for nutrient recovery and its uses. This study demonstrated that organic amendment-based carbon sequestration adequately mitigated residual GHG at the net-zero target. Full article