Search Results (1,038)

Intensifying urbanization in Central Europe is increasingly pushing flood retention areas onto private farmland, yet the agronomic and socio-economic trade-offs remain poorly quantified. We conducted a narrative review of published field data and post-event assessments from 2014–2023 along the transboundary Sava River. Information was collected from research articles, case studies, and environmental monitoring reports, and synthesized in relation to national and EU regulatory thresholds to evaluate how floods altered soil functions and agricultural viability. Water erosion during floods stripped up to 30 cm of topsoil in torrential reaches, while stagnant inundation deposited 5–50 cm of sediments enriched with potentially toxic elements, occasionally causing food crops to exceed EU contaminant limits due to uptake from the soil. Flood sediments also introduced persistent organic pollutants: 13 modern pesticides were detected post-flood in soils, with several exceeding sediment quality guidelines. Waterlogging reduced maize, pumpkin, and forage yields by half where soil remained submerged for more than three days, with farm income falling by approximately 50% in the most affected areas. These impacts contrast with limited public awareness of long-term soil degradation, raising questions about the appropriateness of placing additional dry retention reservoirs—an example of nature-based solutions—on agricultural land. We argue that equitable flood-risk governance in the Sava River Basin requires: (i) a trans-boundary soil quality monitoring network linking agronomic, hydrological, and contaminant datasets; (ii) compensation schemes for agricultural landowners that account for both immediate crop losses and delayed remediation costs; and (iii) integration of strict farmland protection clauses into spatial planning, favoring compact, greener cities over lateral river expansion. Such measures would balance societal flood-safety gains with the long-term productivity and food security functions of agricultural land. Full article

This study systematically investigates settlement sites that record living patterns of ancient humans, aiming to reveal the interactive mechanisms of human–environment relationships. The core issues of landscape archeology research are the surface spatial structure, human spatial cognition, and social practice activities. This article takes the Han Dynasty settlement site in Sanyangzhuang, Neihuang County, Anyang City, Henan Province, as a typical case. It comprehensively uses ArcGIS 10.8 spatial analysis and remote sensing image interpretation techniques to construct spatial distribution models of elevation, slope, and aspect in the study area, and analyzes the process of the Yellow River’s ancient course changes. A regional historical geographic information system was constructed by integrating multiple data sources, including archeological excavation reports, excavated artifacts, and historical documents. At the same time, the sequences of temperature and dry–wet index changes in the study area during the Qin and Han dynasties were quantitatively reconstructed, and a climate evolution map for this period was created based on ancient climate proxy indicators. Drawing on three dimensions of settlement morphology, architectural spatial organization, and agricultural technology systems, this paper provides a deep analysis of the site’s spatial cognitive logic and the ecological wisdom it embodies. The results show the following: (1) The Sanyangzhuang Han Dynasty settlement site reflects the efficient utilization strategy and environmental adaptation mechanism of ancient settlements for land resources, presenting typical scattered characteristics. Its formation mechanism is closely related to the evolution of social systems in the Western Han Dynasty. (2) In terms of site selection, settlements consider practicality and ceremony, which can not only meet basic living needs, but also divide internal functional zones based on the meaning implied by the orientation of the constellations. (3) The widespread use of iron farming tools has promoted the innovation of cultivation techniques, and the implementation of the substitution method has formed an ecological regulation system to cope with seasonal climate change while ensuring agricultural yield. The above results comprehensively reflect three types of ecological wisdom: “ecological adaptation wisdom of integrating homestead and farmland”, “spatial cognitive wisdom of analogy, heaven, law, and earth”, and “agricultural technology wisdom adapted to the times”. This study not only deepens our understanding of the cultural value of the Han Dynasty settlement site in Sanyangzhuang, but also provides a new theoretical perspective, an important paradigm reference, and a methodological reference for the study of ancient settlement ecological wisdom. Full article

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are regarded as a major threat to public health and ecological security globally. The Dongliao River Basin is a typical farming–pastoral ecotone in the northeast of China. It is of great practical significance to explore the pollution characteristics and sources of ARGs in the Dongliao River. In this study, the Dongliao River Basin was taken as the research object, and water samples were collected at five points in the wet season, the normal season and the dry season, and the qPCR technology was used to detect the ARGs, revealing its spatial and temporal distribution characteristics. The results show that the temporal difference in ARGs was mainly in the wet season, and the contribution rates of sulfonamides (SAs) and aminoglycosides (AMs)ARGs were the largest, with relative abundance reaching 13–27% and 7–37%. In the normal season, the contribution rate of AMs ARGs further increased to 26–37%, while the contribution rate of SAs and tetracyclines (TCs) ARGs also showed a high level, accounting for 12–20% and 11–16%. In dry season, the ARGs of AMs and TCs reached 29–43% and 16–22%. As far as the spatial distribution characteristics were concerned, the absolute abundance of ARGs reached the maximum value of 3.79 × 10⁶ copies/mL in the sampling section of Chengzishang during the wet season. In the normal season, the absolute abundance of ARGs was the largest at the sampling section of Heqing River, which was 2.62 × 10⁶ copies/mL; While in the dry season, the absolute abundance of ARGs reached the maximum at the sampling section of Sishuang Bridge, which was 5.30 × 10⁶ copies/mL. Furthermore, using principal component analysis–multiple linear regression (PCA–MLR) model, sul1, sul2, aadA2–03, aadA–01 genes with high absolute abundance was selected for source analysis, so as to reveal the source of ARGs pollution in Dongliao River. The results indicated that sulfonamide resistance genes (sul1, sul2) were primarily driven by nutrient salt contamination; aminoglycoside resistance genes (aadA2–03, aadA–01) exhibit sensitivity to temperature gradients, with significant proliferation during high–temperature seasons. This study provided a scientific basis for the prevention and control strategy of ARGs pollution in the Dongliao River Basin. Full article

The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of hock lesions and cow hygiene as a cross-sectional study in dairy cows housed in compost-bedded pack barns (CBPs) in southern Germany. The effects of season, compost variables, and housing conditions on cow hygiene and hock lesion prevalences were also investigated. Eight farms that housed their cows in CBPs were visited once in the cold season and once in the warm season between January and December 2023. All cows (cold season n = 592; warm season n = 613) were scored for hygiene and hock lesions at each visit. Compost samples were collected for laboratory analysis, and the quality of the compost-bedded pack and condition of the lying surface and concrete walkways were assessed. The udder was the cleanest body zone in both seasons; poor udder hygiene (too dirty score) occurred in 15.0% of cows in the cold season and 7.5% in the warm season (p ≤ 0.05). Only 1% of the cows had a hairless area on a hock in the cold season compared with 3.8% in the warm season; 0.2% of the cows also had swelling of the hock in the warm season (p ≤ 0.05). The compost variables that impacted cow hygiene most frequently were dry matter and compost temperature. Based on our results, CBPs reduce the prevalence of hock lesions. Cow hygiene was affected by various factors, and therefore good management of CBPs is required for good cow hygiene. Full article

The present study assessed the efficacy of selective dry cow therapy (SDCT) on two commercial Holstein-Friesian farms in the Czech Republic, involving 572 quarter milk samples from 74 cows collected over a two-year period. Quarter samples were taken both at dry-off (n = 296) and post-calving (n = 276) to assess somatic cell count (SCC), cultured microbial results (counts), milk composition, and mastitis incidence. The average SCC at dry-off was 264,000 cells/mL (SD = 650,000) in Farm 1 and 224,000 cells/mL in Farm 2. Mastitis incidence averaged 24.42% and 18.75% in Farms 1 and 2, respectively. Correlation analysis revealed significant associations between pre-dry-off milk parameters and post-calving udder health indicators, including negative correlations between SCC prior to drying-off and lactose content after calving (r = −0.161, p < 0.01). Statistical analyses showed a significant farm effect on cultured microbial occurrence and mastitis occurrence after calving (p < 0.05), as well as a significant influence of lactation number on postpartum mastitis and SCC (p < 0.05). Also, mastitis incidence was significantly higher (9.43%, p < 0.05) in treated quarters. The use of selective non-antibiotic dry cow therapy does not impair udder health and milk quality but helps reduce the risk of antibiotic resistance. Further refinement of diagnostic criteria is needed to optimize treatment decisions and improve herd-level outcomes. Full article

This study evaluated a sustainable strategy for Para grass (Brachiaria mutica) forage using composted cow manure in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. At Nam Can Tho Experimental Farm (January–September 2023), a completely randomized design with three replications and three harvest cycles tested five topdressing rates: 0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10 t/ha/year (TDM0–TDM10). Tiller emergence, plant height, forage quality, biomass yield, and cost–benefit were measured. Tiller counts were unaffected (p > 0.05), but plant height rose significantly with manure rate. Forage quality remained optimal (CP 7.10–7.85%, NDF 60.5–63.8%). Average fresh biomass yield (FBM, t/ha) increased linearly: y = 0.788x + 14.9 (R² = 0.937), where x is manure rate (t/ha/year). TDM10 yielded 50% more fresh forage (22.6 t/ha) and 48% more dry matter (4.43 t/ha) than the control (15.0 and 2.98 t/ha; p = 0.001), with crude protein up 56% (0.347 t/ha) and neutral detergent fiber up 41% (2.68 t/ha). Total cost increased slightly (from 521 to 552 USD/ha), but per-ton cost dropped 30% (from 34.7 to 24.4 USD). At 10 t/ha/year, manure optimized yield, profitability, circular nutrient use, and reduced fertilizer dependence, providing a scalable model for tropical smallholder livestock feed. Full article

Milk microbiota is a complex microbial ecosystem with implications for product quality, safety, and animal health. However, limited data exist on goat milk microbiota, particularly in local breeds. This study provides the first detailed characterization of the milk microbiota of Girgentana goats, a resilient Sicilian breed valued for high-quality dairy products. Illumina NovaSeq sequencing was used to analyze the 16S rRNA V3–V4 regions of 44 individual and 3 bulk milk samples. Briefly, 16S rRNA-gene sequencing produced a total of 8,135,944 high-quality reads, identifying 1134 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) across all individual samples. On average, each sample showed 864 OTUs with counts > 0. Alpha diversity metrics, based on richness estimators (Chao1: 948.1; ACE: 936.3) and diversity indices (Shannon: 4.06; Simpson: 0.95; Fisher: 118.5), indicated a heterogeneous community with both common and low-abundance taxa. Firmicutes (51%) and Proteobacteria (27%) were the predominant phyla, with Lactobacillaceae (54%) and Bifidobacteriaceae (22%) dominating at the family level. Notably, farm bulk milk profiles closely mirrored individual samples. These results establish a milk microbiota baseline for the Girgentana breed and offer valuable insights into microbial ecology in traditional dairy systems, supporting future comparisons across breeds and farming practices. Full article

Reproductive performance in rabbits is highly sensitive to seasonal environmental variation and management practices, while the proportion of variance attributable to additive genetics for litter-level traits is typically low. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of year and season on litter size at birth (BR), litter size at weaning (WR), and weaning rate (WT), and to estimate the heritability of these traits in a commercial rabbit farm. A total of 770 kindling events recorded between 2015 and 2021 were analyzed. The mixed model for BR included the fixed effects of year and season, and the random effects of sire and residual error. The model for WR included the same structure, with BR added as a covariate. Least-squares means for fixed effects were used for pairwise comparisons using Tukey’s test. Year and season effects were significant for BR (p < 0.005), and the year effect was also significant for WR (p < 0.021). Litter size at birth ranged from 7.80 (dry season) to 9.21 (year 2020), with higher means observed during the semi-dry (8.52) and humid (8.56) seasons compared to the dry season (7.80). Litter size at weaning varied between 4.65 and 5.81 kits depending on the year. Weaning rate showed interannual variation (56.1–68.2%), but seasonal differences did not reach statistical significance (p < 0.075). Heritability estimates from the sire variance component were low: 0.01 for BR, 0.04 for WR, and 0.05 for WT. These results indicate that phenotypic variation in prolificacy in this population was predominantly driven by interannual and seasonal environmental factors, as well as perinatal management practices, while the additive genetic contribution was marginal. Full article

As an important part of the urban ecological environment, urban green space plays a crucial and irreplaceable role in improving air quality, promoting sustainable development, and enhancing residents’ quality of life. This study takes Beijing’s urban green space as the research object. Based on Landsat series satellite remote sensing images, the land use distribution of Beijing is obtained through supervised classification. Combined with data such as PM_2.5 concentration and wind speed, the dry deposition efficiency of PM_2.5 is quantitatively analyzed. The results show that: (1) Beijing’s urban green space has significant advantages in PM_2.5 dry deposition. In terms of dry deposition flux, the order of annual average deposition of different land types is: forest land > farm land > grassland > impervious surface > water body = unutilized land. Among them, forest land has the best dry deposition effect, with an annual average dry deposition of 1.13 g/m², which is 188.41 times that of impervious surface; cultivated land and grassland are 0.22 g/m² and 0.19 g/m² respectively, which are 37.13 times and 32.34 times that of impervious surface. (2) From 2000 to 2020, the PM_2.5 removal rate of green space continued to rise, but the reduction amount showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing. There are significant seasonal differences. The reduction amount is the highest in autumn (reaching 449.90 tons in October), followed by summer, spring, and winter (the lowest in August, at 190.27 tons). (3) In terms of spatial distribution, the high-value areas of dry deposition are concentrated in the suburbs, showing a “southwest-northeast” axial distribution, while the low-value areas are mainly located in the outer suburbs, reflecting the imbalance of green space layout and the regional differences in PM_2.5 reduction. Combined with the current situation of green space in Beijing, the study puts forward targeted optimization suggestions, providing theoretical support and scientific basis for the construction of Beijing as a “garden city”. Full article

In light of the exponential rise in feed costs within the livestock sector, the scientific research and valorization of novel agro-industrial by-products have essential strategies in animal nutrition. The overall objective of this study was to characterize and evaluate the inclusion of a novel olive pulp included at 12% of the concentrate on a dry matter basis in the diet of Murciano–Granadina goats to assess its effects on ruminal fermentation, nutrient digestibility, energy and nitrogen metabolism, and milk yield and composition. Two experiments were conducted, taking into account two groups (control group, CTL, and an experimental group) with the inclusion of 12% olive pulp in the concentrate (OPD): one in vivo trial in metabolic cages (n = 10 nulliparous female goats (34.1 ± 0.70 kg) per treatment) was conducted to evaluate digestibility, nitrogen balance, and energetic utilization; and a second on-farm production trial (n = 24 adult dairy goats (53.6 ± 1.14 kg) per treatment). The results showed no significant differences in energy balance or microbial protein synthesis between CTL and OPD (p > 0.05). However, the OPD exhibited higher digestibility of dry matter (71.2 vs. 68.8%; p = 0.028), organic matter (70.8 vs. 68.4%; p = 0.026), and crude fat (85.9 vs. 83.4%; p = 0.024), but lower crude protein digestibility (70.7 vs. 73.4%; p = 0.012) and nitrogen excretion (1.24 vs. 1.44 g/kg^0.75; p < 0.001). Additionally, ruminal butyrate concentrations were higher in OPD goats (13.5 vs. 11.3 mol/100 mol of total short-chain fatty acids; p = 0.020). Although milk yield remained unaffected, the OPD exhibited higher milk protein (4.17 vs. 3.79%; p = 0.036) and conjugated linoleic acid (0.620 vs. 0.400%; p < 0.001) concentrations compared to CTL. These findings demonstrate that the inclusion of 12% of the novel olive pulp in goat concentrate is a viable feeding strategy that maintains productive performance while enhancing the nutritional quality of milk. Full article

This study investigated the effects of different water management practices on the growth, yield, and grain quality of rice grown under environmentally friendly farming methods in Apgok-Ri, Gungnyu-Myeon, Uiryeong-Gun, from 2022 to 2024. Treatments included mid-season drainage for 2, 3, or 4 weeks (2MD, 3MD, 4MD), followed by either low-level water management (MD-1) or alternate wetting and drying (MD-2), with continuous flooding (CF) as the control. The rice variety was machine-transplanted on 9–10 June, and organic fertilizer (90 kg N/ha) was applied as a basal dressing. Water treatments were initiated in mid-July each year. The highest yield was consistently recorded in the 2MD-2 treatment, with 5.85, 5.74, and 5.38 tons/ha from 2022 to 2024, representing 15.0%, 14.5%, and 7.8% increases over CF, respectively. On average, alternate irrigation (MD-2) resulted in higher yields than low-level water management (MD-1) by 1.19–5.90%. Grain quality was also highest in 2MD-2, showing the greatest percentage of ripened grains each year, whereas CF had the highest proportion of immature and unripe grains. Crude protein content in brown rice was lowest in 3MD-2 (6.12%), followed by 2MD-2 (7.51%). Incidences of major diseases such as sheath blight, rice blast, panicle blight, and bacterial grain blight were highest in the CF treatment. Rice leaf blight was not significantly different in 2022, but was most prevalent in CF in 2023 and 2024. There were no major differences in brown planthopper and false smut incidence, although false smut peaked in CF in 2024. These findings suggest that 2-week mid-season drainage followed by alternate irrigation (2MD-2) is an effective strategy to improve yield, grain quality, and disease resistance in sustainable rice farming systems. Full article

Among the Central Asian republics, Uzbekistan is unique in that approximately 80% of its territory lies within a plain, characterized by an arid geographic zone and dry climate. Agricultural production in these regions is possible only through artificial irrigation. In recent years, global climate change and challenges related to transboundary water use have led to a reduction in water availability. The average annual water allocation to Uzbekistan is estimated at 51–53 billion m³, of which 90–91% is consumed by the agricultural sector. Due to the uneven distribution of water resources and the complex topography of irrigated lands, water supply is supported by numerous pumping stations operated by the state, water users associations, farms, and clusters. Additionally, well-based pumping systems are employed to maintain groundwater levels and ensure irrigation. On average, these facilities consume around 8.0 billion kWh of electricity annually. The agricultural sector faces several critical challenges, including crop water deficits caused by water shortages, slow adoption of water-saving technologies, and limited implementation of drip irrigation on household plots, dachas, and greenhouses that play a key role in food supply. Moreover, the delivery of water to fertile lands situated far from main power lines and water sources remains problematic. This article aims to explore the integration of solar energy solutions to support drip irrigation in both large-scale agricultural lands (ω = 1.0–100.0 ha and above) and small-scale areas such as homestead plots, dachas, and greenhouses (ω = 0.01–1.0 ha), as well as their application in small- to medium-sized pumping stations. Based on the research and experimental design work carried out, three mobile photovoltaic units—MPPU-8-500-4000, MPPU-2-550-1100, and MPPU-4-500-2000—were developed and implemented to address water and energy shortages in agriculture. Full article

The enteric methane (CH₄) emission from dairy cattle is a significant factor contributing to anthropogenic climate change and the energy loss of animals. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prediction accuracy of the existing CH₄ estimation models from dairy cattle, and to identify the most reliable model for quantifying CH₄ emission. A database was compiled from 135 treatment means obtained from 81 peer-reviewed literatures, which included data on dietary composition, energy intake, and enteric CH₄ emission from dairy cattle. Forty existing dairy cattle prediction models were evaluated using this dataset based on the root mean square prediction error (RMSPE), concordance correlation coefficient (CCC), the ratio of RMSPE to standard deviation (RSR), and error decomposition indicators (ECT, ER, and ED). Results indicated that the RSR of model 38 was the lowest (0.71) but there were large prediction errors. Considering all evaluation indicators, model 21, which included dry matter intake (DMI), demonstrated the most robust predictive performance (RSR = 0.83, RMSPE = 14.41%, ECT = 3.42%, ER = 0.74%, ED = 96.75%, CCC = 0.58). Therefore, it is recommended for estimating enteric CH₄ emissions from dairy cattle. Future research will need to further improve the accuracy and robustness of enteric CH₄ prediction models by establishing a more comprehensive large-scale database, and expand the applicability of the model in various dairy farming systems. Full article

Rainfall deficits and erratic dry spells pose major challenges in rainfed ecosystem. In-situ moisture conservation practices (MCP) like ridge–furrow methods, improve soil moisture but are inadequate during 2–3 week dry spells at critical crop stages (flowering and maturity), leading to yield loss. Supplemental irrigation (SI) using an ex-situ rainwater harvesting (RWH) pond can mitigate these effects, but optimizing the pond design is challenging due to limited runoff and storage losses. This study aims to design RWH pond for small farm holders with a 1.0 ha area and evaluate its efficient use for SI during intermittent dry spells and critical crop stages. The design volume was estimated using the SCS-CN method based on daily rainfall data (1974–2010) for the northeast monsoon. A pond with a capacity of 487.5 m³, constructed for a 1 ha micro-watershed, was used to observe the runoff for design validation. The harvested runoff can be used as SI for a cultivable area of 0.4 ha, based on the watershed-to-cultivable area ratio. Statistical analysis of observed and estimated runoff data from 2011 to 2023 revealed a strong correlation (r = 0.87), confirming the pond design. Harvested rainwater, applied through micro-irrigation (rain gun) at a depth of 50 mm during moisture stress periods, significantly improved cotton productivity. The combined use of harvested rainwater and MCP increased yield in the range of 3.8 to 25.3%, improved rainwater use efficiency (1.52 to 3.13 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹), and had a higher benefit-cost ratio (1.15 to 2.43) over a 13-year period. This study concludes that integrating in-situ MCP with ex-situ RWH with micro-irrigation significantly improves rainfed crop productivity in vertisols. Full article

Scenarios of climate change, extensive land use, soil degradation, the loss of native forest cover due to monoculture expansion, and pasture scarcity pose new challenges to livestock farming worldwide. Associated crops emerge as an alternative to mitigate these factors; however, selecting compatible species that do not generate competition and optimize the attributes of the forage is a necessity. Therefore, this study evaluated the effect of a maize and bean association, and cutting time on the morphological variables, yield, and nutritional composition of forage. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) with a 3A × 3C factorial arrangement and three blocks was used. Factor A (associations) had three levels: INIA-604-Morocho maize monoculture (M), M+PER1003544 chaucha bean association (M+F1), and M+PER1003551 chaucha bean association (M+F2). Factor C (maize cutting stage) had three levels: R2 (blister grain), R3 (milky grain), and R4 (pasty grain). A total of 27 experimental units were established. No silage was made; the nutritional quality was evaluated as the raw material for silage. The treatments modulated key attributes for silage. In R4, the M+F2 association (INIA-604-Morocho + PER1003551) showed a higher percentage of dry matter in the system (32.36%) and better mixture quality due to a lower NDF and ADF (48.22% and 23.29%) and higher digestibility and protein values (62.10% and 9.53%). In addition, dry matter yields increased compared with R2 in M+F1 (134.16%), M+F2 (90.56%), and M (138.48%). Although R3 maximized green forage, R4 offered the best combination of quantity and quality for silage (as raw material), reducing the risk of deterioration and improving forage use efficiency. In general, combining maize with beans and adjusting the cut to R4 optimizes the production and quality of the raw material for silage, with the criterion that these findings pertain to pre-ensiled material and should be validated in future studies. Full article