Food and Energy Security最新文献

Currently, approximately 4.5 billion people in developing countries consider bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) as a staple food crop, as it is a key source of daily calories. Wheat is, therefore, ranked the second most important grain crop in the developing world. Climate change associated with severe drought conditions and rising global mean temperatures has resulted in sporadic soil water shortage causing severe yield loss in wheat. While drought responses in wheat crosscut all omics levels, our understanding of water-deficit response mechanisms, particularly in the context of wheat, remains incomplete. This understanding can be significantly advanced with the aid of computational intelligence, more often referred to as artificial intelligence (AI) models, especially those leveraging machine learning and deep learning tools. However, there is an imminent and continuous need for omics and AI integration. Yet, a foundational step to this integration is the clear contextualization of drought—a task that has long posed challenges for the scientific community, including plant breeders. Nonetheless, literature indicates significant progress in all omics fields, with large amounts of potentially informative omics data being produced daily. Despite this, it remains questionable whether the reported big datasets have met food security expectations, as translating omics data into pre-breeding initiatives remains a challenge, which is likely due to data accessibility or reproducibility issues, as interpreting omics data poses big challenges to plant breeders. This review, therefore, focuses on these omics perspectives and explores how AI might act as an interface to make this data more insightful. We examine this in the context of drought stress, with a focus on wheat.

Ensuring a stable supply and demand of food represents a pivotal challenge for sustainable development. This study seeks to delineate the spatiotemporal distribution and circulation patterns of supply and demand for staple crops, identify the major producing and consuming zones in China, and investigate the drivers underpinning efficient coordination of food supply and demand. Results indicate that between 2000 and 2020, China's food supply and demand expanded by 73.8% and 36.62%, respectively, achieving a supply surplus. However, the most significant threats to supply–demand coordination are the extensive use of feed and industrial crops, compounded by the import vulnerabilities arising from global supply chain uncertainties. In terms of major producing and consuming zones, Northeast China plays a vital role in the national food supply, contributing 71% of domestic soybeans, 55% of its maize, and 34% of its rice. Climatic conditions and self-sufficiency rates are key determinants of provincial supply and demand for staple crops. Provinces such as Sichuan, Hubei, Anhui, and Shandong represent balanced producing–consuming zones for these staple crops. To enhance food supply–demand coordination, tailored and adaptive measures for different provinces are imperative. This study offers theoretical insights to understand the trends of food supply and demand and further contributes to adaptive strategies to address climate change for sustainable food systems.

For forage production to be efficient and environmentally sustainable, the extent and timing of nitrogen fertiliser applications should match the uptake and growth capabilities of a grass crop. A two-year field experiment, comprising four diverse grass cultivars, was conducted to assess the impact of two contrasting N-application rates on forage and root biomass (RB) production and nitrogen-use-efficiencies (NUEs). Replicated field plots of perennial ryegrass, tall fescue and two Festulolium (ryegrass × fescue hybrid) cultivars were compared at Low N (LN) 178 and High N (HN) 356 kg ha⁻¹ over 2 years. HN applications increased dry matter yield (DMY) in Year 1 (p < 0.05) but not in Year 2. Ryegrass outyielded all in Year 1 but in Year 2, fescue had the highest DMY at HN (p < 0.05), but cultivars did not differ in yield at LN. Festulolium yields were consistently intermediate. Root biomass at LN in Yr1 was highest in the Festulolium (Lolium perenne × Festuca arundinacea var glaucescens) (p < 0.05). For all grasses, and in both years, mean RB and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and nitrogen utilisation efficiency (NutE) were higher under LN, than HN. Nitrogen uptake efficiency (NupE) was similar in all grasses in Year 1, irrespective of N treatment, but in Year 2, excepting tall fescue, was greater in grasses grown under LN. Increasing RB correlated (p < 0.05) with improved NUE and NutE, but no association was evident for NupE. Grass cultivars differed in their response to nitrogen applications. Whilst relative forage production of ryegrass and fescue contrasted over the 2 years, forage yields of Festulolium cultivars were more consistent. In conclusion, HN application depressed NUE by productive grass cultivars and correlations between RB and NUEs may indicate opportunities to help tailor grass cultivar/fertiliser combinations and achieve sustainable forage and root production.

Boro rice cultivation in the Haor (wetland) environment of northeastern Bangladesh is extremely vulnerable to flash floods. This study examines how flash floods in the Haor region affect crop income and household food consumption. For this research, household-level data were generated from the “Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (BIHS) 2018-19,” which is a nationwide dataset of 5604 households across 64 districts of the country. However, this paper represents a sample of 428 farm households in six Haor-concentrated districts (Sunamganj, Sylhet, Habiganj, Maulvibazar, Kishoreganj, and Netrakona) of northeastern Bangladesh. These districts were selected based on the climate shock data (damaged Boro land due to flash floods) from the “Yearbook of Agricultural Statistics-2018.” Descriptive results uncover that in 2017, flash floods inundated about one-third of the standing Boro rice lands of Haor farmers. This study employed simultaneous quantile regression, which reveals flash floods extensively decrease crop income. Nevertheless, a male-headed and educated family, a larger farm, and livestock asset availability in the household are the pivotal determinants that protect crop income. Moreover, flash floods negatively impact the consumption of home-produced food, but the consumption of purchased food remains unaffected. Notably, possession of farmlands and livestock assets encourages food consumption from own production, while household access to credit enhances consumption of purchased food. Livestock-raising households could increase their consumption of self-produced food, increase their agricultural income, and be more resilient to climatic shocks. Hence, this study emphasizes the policy intervention that prioritizes the upbringing of livestock assets in farm households. In addition, policy-enhancing farmers' credit access is crucial for smoothing their purchased food consumption and mitigating the adverse effects of climatic events. Therefore, livestock assets and credit availability in farm households are profoundly resilient against the adverse effects of climatic shocks in northeastern Bangladesh.

Seasonal drought and traditional water-fertilizer management limit the increase in the grain yield of summer maize in Southwest China. Drip fertigation mode (HM) can effectively improve crop yields. However, research on drip fertigation has not been conducted in Southwest China. A 2-year field experiment about HM was carried out with the traditional water-fertilizer management mode (FM) as control. The plant densities were 5.25 × 10⁴ plants ha⁻¹ and 8.25 × 10⁴ plants ha⁻¹ in 2022 and 6.00 × 10⁴ plants ha⁻¹ and 9.00 × 10⁴ plants ha⁻¹ in 2023. The effects of HM on the aboveground biomass, leaf area index, yield, and resource utilization rate of summer maize were studied. Compared with the FM treatment, the HM treatment significantly increased the yield (25.18%), aboveground biomass (25.58%), leaf area index (34.87%), and leaf area duration (29.60%). HM optimized the canopy structure with an 11.05% improvement in light transmission at the top and a significant 61.32% increase in cumulative light radiation interception per unit area at the bottom of the canopy. The nitrogen partial factor productivity (NPFP), radiation utilization efficiency (RUE), heat utilization efficiency (HUE), and economic benefits of the HM treatment significantly increased by 39.58%, 49.45%, 25.92%, and 32.53%, respectively. In addition, dense planting increased the irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) by 14.25%. In summary, drip irrigation combined with water and fertilizer can significantly improve maize grain yield, resource utilization efficiency, and economic benefits by increasing light interception in Southwest China. This study will lay a theoretical foundation for filling the relevant research gap in the region.

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is a set of economically and environmentally friendly practices that can address the issues of food security under the new realities of climate change. However, the adoption of these practices among smallholder farmers is still low, especially in developing countries like Ethiopia. Thus, the main objective of this study was to assess the factors determining rural farm households' adoption of CSA practices and their impact on food security in the Sidama region, Ethiopia. Primary data for this study were obtained from a randomly selected sample of 523 households using a pre-tested, structured questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, multivariate probit, and an endogenous switching regression model. The study found that, in the study area, conservation of agriculture is the most popular CSA practice, which is adopted by 96.2% of the adopters, followed by soil fertility management (82.2%), crop diversification (62.3%), small-scale irrigation (47.9%), and crop–livestock integration (40.7%). The multivariate probit model revealed that the sex of the household head, age of the household head, educational level of the household head, extension contact, information on climate change, and distance to the market were identified as determinants for the adoption of CSA practices. Furthermore, the endogenous switching regression model analysis revealed that adoption of CSA practices increased rural farm household food security status. Therefore, this paper suggests that smallholder farmers should incorporate CSA practices to improve their food security.

Climate migrants and their food accessibility are a pressing issue in Bangladesh that has not been adequately addressed in previous studies. This research aimed to examine the food security status and its associated drivers among climate migrant households' residing in urban informal settlements in Khulna city. This study was conducted in three selected wards (12, 21, and 31) known for their urban informal settlements and high concentrations of climate migrants. Data were collected on socioeconomic, demographic, COVID-19 impacts, and the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale using an interview schedule. Descriptive (mean, standard deviation, and percentage) and inferential statistics (chi-square test and binary logit model) were used to analyze the data. The study found a large portion of households to be food insecure (83.3%). Several socio-demographic and economic issues, including the household head's education, occupation, and health, the number of working members, monthly income, savings, debt, and access to a safety net, were identified as significant drivers of food insecurity. Moreover, COVID-19 impacts, considering loss of employment, income, and savings, shortages of daily needs, and price hikes on food items, were identified as the significant contributors to food insecurity. Responsible stakeholders may utilize the outcomes of this study to combat food insecurity and hunger among climate migrants residing in urban informal settlements through necessary policy measures.

Planting green manure to improve cash crop yield and soil health has been widely recognized, and understanding cash crop performance after green manure integration is pivotal for determining its potential to bolster and enhance crop productivity and sustainable production. However, it is unclear whether the effects of different types of green manure on subsequent cash crops are uniform. In order to clarify this issue, we systematically analyzed the effects of green manure types and nitrogen (N) application rates on succeeding cotton agronomic performance, yield, biomass, yield stability, and nutrient uptake. A split-plot experiment with two factors was designed, main factor includes four cover cropping systems monoculture cotton (MC), February orchid/cotton cover cropping (FoC), hairy vetch/cotton cover cropping (HvC), and a mixture of February orchid and hairy vetch/cotton cover cropping (FHC), and sub-main factor include four N application levels (0 (N0), 112.5 (N1), 168.75 (N2), and 225 (N3) kg N ha⁻¹). Results suggests that nonlegume green manure (February orchid) accumulated more biomass, N, P, and K nutrients than the legume green manure (hairy vetch) and green manure mixture. Compared with cotton yield of MC, the FoC, HvC, and FHC system increased by 5.8%, 7.6%, and 15%, respectively. N use efficiency was more significantly influenced by the N application rates than by cropping systems. Specifically, as N application rates increased, N use efficiency decreased under MC, HvC, and FHC systems, while it increased under the FoC system. Additionally, we observed a trade-off between cotton yield and yield stability, with the highest yield stability when cotton yield reached 2633 kg ha⁻¹. This study provides evidence that nonlegume green manure (February orchid) with greater advantages on cotton vegetative organ growth, legume green manure (hairy vetch) can promote nutrient uptake compared to other green manure, while green manure mixture (February orchid and hairy vetch mixture) significantly increased cotton yield and yield stability. These findings provide evidence-based insights highlighting the respective benefits of incorporating diverse species of green manure into cotton-based cropping systems in the Yellow River Basin of China.

This study examines cumulative energy (CEnC), exergy (CExC), CO₂ emissions (CCO₂C), and life cycle assessment of sweet red pepper (SRP) paste production. A whole system approach in five improvement scenarios including different packaging materials and precision farming encompasses the supply chain from farm to fork and cradle to gate. The largest impact on SRP farming is caused by the use of diesel oil, the excessive use of chemical fertilizers, and the use of electricity. In SRP farming step, the CEnC is mainly caused by 86.5% fertilizer and 11% diesel usage. Hotspot impact categories were determined as abiotic (fossil) depletion potential, global warming potential, and human toxicity potential. The base case scenario has the greatest values for CEnC, CExC, and CCO₂C and impact assessment results. A CEnC value reduction of 48.6%, 50%, and 30% in the factory processing, packaging-transportation step and whole process, respectively, is observed when the biodiesel scenario is performed. With a 40% reduction in global warming potential value, the combination of polyethylene terephthalate packaging, biodiesel, and precision farming scenario yielded the best results for each impact category analyzed in this study.

Maize starch is an important source of industrial starch in the world, and its production is seriously affected by water deficit. Waxy maize starch is composed of nearly pure amylopectin, which endows with its high economic value. The effects of mild, moderate, and severe drought stresses during grain filling on the structural and functional properties of waxy maize starch were evaluated using two hybrids as materials. In general, the starch granule size enlarged, the branching degree decreased, and amylopectin chain length and relative crystallinity increased when both hybrids suffered post-silking water deficit in 2 years. Meanwhile, the influence of drought degree on these starch structures depended on the hybrid and year. Peak, breakdown, and setback viscosities gradually decreased with the severity of water shortage, and trough and final viscosities were the lowest under severe drought conditions. Gelatinization enthalpy gradually decreased with the water supply decrease, and gelatinization temperatures showed an opposite trend and were the highest during severe drought. Correlation analysis indicated that the decrease in pasting viscosities and gelatinization enthalpy and the increase in gelatinization peak temperature may be due to the high proportion of low-molecular-weight amylopectin, low proportion of DP 25–36 chains and large granule size of starch. Furthermore, drought stress was easily destroyed the starch structure of JKN2000 and the pasting viscosities and gelatinization enthalpy of SYN5. In conclusion, water deficit during grain filling affected the structural and physicochemical properties of waxy maize starch. The lowest pasting viscosities and gelatinization enthalpy and the highest gelatinization temperatures were observed when these plants suffered severe water shortage during grain filling.