Food and Energy Security最新文献

Climate change has accelerated the degradation of agricultural land, prompting innovation to develop and adapt current global production systems to accommodate more people with increased demand for resources. Novel technologies such as vertical farming offer an opportunity to secure climate-resilient food production. This study used Life Cycle Assessment to examine how the environmental impact of lettuce production in a commercial vertical farm compares with traditional field farming based on two contrasting UK farms and a Spanish farm. The vertical farm was found to have higher emissions in all impact categories except for water use; however, when using renewable energy sources, vertical farming was found to have higher, yet more comparable greenhouse gas emissions to field farming (0.93 kg CO₂eq kg⁻¹ lettuce (VF), 0.58 kg CO₂eq kg⁻¹ lettuce (UK 1 + 2)). Energy use (electricity or diesel), the choice of substrate, and soil emissions were the biggest hotspots for lettuce production in this study. Yields per area in vertical farming systems, however, were much higher than the field farming scenarios (97.3 kg m⁻² (VF), 3.3 kg m⁻² (average of field farms)), and the land sparing potential of vertical farming systems offers an opportunity to use spared land to potentially reap other environmental benefits while securing food production.

Implementing phytodiverse grassland may benefit producers through improved herbage production when compared to reference grassland with fewer plant species and may reduce enteric methane emissions of ruminants. Available knowledge of the effect of diverse grassland on dairy cow milk production is contradictory, and influences of species diversity or composition are not precise enough to make valid statements on required species or proportions to improve milk production. The aims of the current study were therefore to evaluate effects of diverse grassland on dairy cow milk production, methane emissions, and forage nutritive value under grazing. Based on 16 eligible studies, we conducted a meta-analysis. In these studies, swards of diverse vs. reference grassland differed in the proportion of grass (0.38 vs. 0.69) and of dicotyledonous non-legumes (0.33 vs. 0.026). We found no differences in milk production or methane emissions related to sward type. Plant species that are expected to reduce methane emissions only occurred in very small proportions in the herbage dry matter. Our hypothesis that the milk production of cows grazing diverse grassland instead of simple reference swards is higher and methane emissions lower is thus neither rejected nor confirmed. Milk production correlated positively with legume proportion, which did not differ between sward types. Overall, the analysis revealed that 63% of the studies lasted 10 days or less. Consequently, there is a need for more full-year and multi-year dairy cow grazing system studies on diverse grassland to account for variation in grassland primary productivity and nutritive value within seasons and among years.

Although South Africa is nationally a food-secure country, food insecurity at household and individual levels is unacceptably high, particularly in rural areas, where many households struggle to meet their food needs. To address the food insecurity and poverty challenges in the rural areas of South Africa, the Department of Agriculture has promoted home and community garden programs to increase the food production of poor and vulnerable rural households. Thus, the study aimed to assess the impact of the food garden programs on households' food security status in uMzumbe Local Municipality. The study applied random and purposive sampling methods to collect data using a structured questionnaire administered directly to 223 respondents. A Tobit regression model was used to examine the determinants of households' food security status. The study revealed that total income (p < 0.001), extension services (p < 0.01), credit access (p < 0.05), age, farm size (p < 0.01), and education level (p < 0.05) positively impacted the respondents' food security status. In contrast, household size (p < 0.001), home gardens (p < 0.01), and community gardens (p < 0.01) negatively influenced the households' food security status in the study area. The study indicated that the implementation of the home and community garden programs was not enough, in and of itself, to improve the food security status of those living in uMzumbe Municipality. Therefore, it is recommended that land reform, income generation, credit access, and educational and extension services should be considered to expand the performance of the food gardens to contribute more to the households' food security in uMzumbe Local Municipality.

Climate/environmental changes have posed significant challenges to crop production. Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is an important starchy root crop of a great significance in food security, energy production, and various bio-industrial applications, as well as a model for studying stress tolerance. Improving stress tolerance can help further increase the starch yield of this crop and expand its planting regions. A20/AN1 domain-containing family genes are master regulators in abiotic stress tolerance, but functions for most cassava A20/AN1 genes (Metip) are unknown. In this study, three Metip genes (Metip4, Metip8, and Metip11) were functionally characterized by prediction, yeast two-hybrid, subcellular localization in rice protoplasts, transgene in Arabidopsis, and virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) and transcriptome sequencing in cassava. As a result, these genes were intron-free and positively regulated the tolerance of plants to drought, salt, high (32°C) and low (10°C) temperatures, and Mn, but differed in regulating resistance to Cd and Cu, which paralleled changes in plants in contents of proline and relative water, reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde, endogenous abscisic acid, and/or catalase activity. Metip4, Metip8, and Metip11 proteins were nucleus-localized, had no direct interactions between them, and displayed variations in amino acids within A20/AN1 domains. Moreover, 280 differentially expressed genes (DEG), 4 differentially regulated pathways, and 9 DEG-encoded protein interactions were found to be common in VIGS-treated cassava potted under drought. The results not only clue the formation of multiple functions of A20/AN1 family genes but also strongly suggest that Metip4, Metip8, and Metip11 genes have potentialities in gene engineering abiotic stress-tolerant crops.

Adjusting the sowing date is a crucial strategy for improving rice adaptability to climate change and improving grain yield. Among the quality traits of fragrant rice, the content of 2-Acetyl-1-Pyrroline (2-AP) in brown rice has garnered significant attention due to its impact on flavor and market value. The comprehensive effects of weather changes induced by adjusting the sowing date on the synthesis and accumulation of 2-AP in fragrant rice, as well as on yield, remain unclear. We conducted a 5-year field study in Hubei Province, China, measuring sunshine duration, temperature, and rainfall variations under six sowing dates. The research aimed to assess the comprehensive effects of these changes on the 2-AP content in brown rice and fragrant rice yield. Delaying the sowing date resulted in shortening the rice growth duration from transplanting to heading. Early sowing (March 16) resulted in the highest rice yield, while late sowing (June 1) led to the highest 2-AP content. Generally, with delayed sowing, the effective panicles and 1000-grain weight increased, while the number of spikelets per panicle and grain filling rate decreased. The contents of proline, pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid, and γ-aminobutyric acid exhibited a trend of initially increasing and then decreasing with delayed sowing. The 2-AP content was significantly positively correlated with rainfall during the grain filling to maturity stage, while it showed significant negative correlations with sunshine duration, average air temperature, and the number of high temperature days (maximum air temperature ≥ 35°C) during the same stage. Since the sowing date for the highest yield differed from that for the highest 2-AP content, we recommend early sowing to achieve optimal yield while implementing other strategies to mitigate the negative effects of prolonged sunshine duration and high temperatures during the grain filling to maturity stage on 2-AP content. This study reveals the relationship between 2-AP content and the yield of fragrant rice with weather factors during different growth stages, providing new insights for adjusting sowing dates to adapt to climate change in order to achieve either high yield or high 2-AP content.

Intercropping cereals and legumes can increase agricultural productivity, but the effects of silicon (Si) fertilizer application on intercropped crop yield and interspecific root interactions in cereal/legume intercropping systems are unclear. Hence, field and pot experiments were conducted with dry-cultivated rice and soybean grown alone or intercropped under two Si levels (0 and 45 kg ha⁻¹) to investigate the effects of Si application on the yield, root morphology, and distribution of dry-cultivated rice/soybean intercropping systems. The results revealed that the total yields of the intercropping and monoculture systems were 15% and 13% greater, respectively, under Si application (Si45) than under no Si addition (Si0). Compared with the yield under monoculture, the total yield under intercropping increased by 5% and 7% under Si0 and Si45, respectively. This overyielding leads to a land equivalent ratio > 1 under both Si levels. This increase was primarily due to a 24% increase in intercropped soybean yield, despite a 7% decrease in rice yield averaging the two Si levels. The crop yield was positively correlated with root morphological traits, and the root surface area was the most significant predictor of crop yield. Intercropped soybean demonstrated a competitive advantage over rice. Thus, the root morphology traits of soybean were promoted, whereas these parameters in rice were inhibited by intercropping. Compared with Si0, Si application significantly promoted the root morphology and distribution traits of both crops in the intercropping system. Overall, the application of Si during dry-cultivated rice/soybean intercropping significantly enhanced yield production by modifying the root morphology and distribution.

The integration of cover crops during forage establishment represents a widely adopted agronomic strategy to suppress weed emergence, enhance stand establishment, and improve grassland community stability. In this study, a two-year field experiment (2023–2024) was conducted in Jiaozhou, Shandong Province, China, to evaluate the effects of varying sowing proportions of oat (Avena sativa), employed as a protective cover crop, on forage productivity and weed dynamics in alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) mixed grasslands. The oat sowing ratios were set at 0%, 15%, 30%, 45%, and 60% in 2023, and subsequently refined to 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% in 2024, based on first-year performance. Two spatial configurations (same-row and inter-row sowing) were examined to assess resource partitioning effects. Results demonstrated that inter-row sowing combined with moderate oat inclusion (15%–20%) significantly improved system performance. In 2023, inter-row sowing with 15% oat yielded 16.57 t/ha, while in 2024, inter-row sowing with 20% oat achieved the maximum dry matter yield of 18.4 t/ha. Crude protein concentration also improved by 25.6%, reaching 20.13%. Meanwhile, grass and broadleaf weed biomass decreased by 87.2% and 83.4%, respectively, with total weed biomass and coverage reduced by 64.5% and 60.8%. Additionally, the land equivalent ratio (LER) peaked at 1.48, reflecting a 48% increase in land-use efficiency compared to monoculture systems. Collectively, these findings indicate that incorporating 15%–20% oat as a cover crop, particularly under inter-row sowing patterns, offers a practical and ecologically sound strategy for optimizing forage yield, improving nutritional quality, and achieving robust weed suppression. This approach contributes to sustainable intensification and reduced dependence on chemical herbicides in temperate forage systems.

Rice-crayfish system (RCS) is an integrated farming technology that benefits grain production, food safety, and green sustainable agricultural development. However, little is known about the effects of RCS on the biosynthesis of 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP), a volatile aroma compound. The present study examined rice yield, 2-AP content, and its biosynthesis enzyme activities in two rice cultivars Xiangyaxiangzhan (XYXZ) and Meixiangzhan-2 (MXZ2) under rice-crayfish system (RCS), rice-crayfish system without crayfish (RCS-NC), and traditional rice system (TRS). The results showed that the 2-AP content was significantly higher in RCS than in RCS-NC and TRS. In RCS, the contents of proline and Δ1-pyrroline (2-AP biosynthesis precursors) and the activities of rice aroma-related enzymes proline dehydrogenase (ProDH), and Δ1 pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid synthetase (P5CS) were increased by 11.31%–12.55%, 19.53%–47.75%, 6.25%–8.98%, and 18.18%–51.26%, respectively, relative to those in RCS-NC. Up-regulation of P5CS2 and downregulation of BADH2 in RCS promoted 2-AP biosynthesis in two rice cultivars. Overall, the increase in the levels of proline, Δ1-pyrroline, ProDH, P5CS, P5CS2 gene and the decrease in BADH2 gene expression jointly led to the grain 2-AP content increase. RCS also improved soil properties such as soil total nitrogen and total phosphorus contents. Overall, this study reveals that RCS is an environmentally-friendly sustainable approach to improving aromatic rice traits.

The global push toward renewable energy systems has prompted a desire to more efficiently use land through the co-location of agricultural and industrial activities. Agrivoltaic systems (AV), crops grown underneath/adjacent to solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, present a unique value proposition to produce food and energy in a single location. Here, we conducted a field trial within a PV site, empirically testing AV methods using small-scale sustainable farming practices in a peri-urban landscape in Hawaiʻi. By mimicking commercial production conditions, we identified the most profitable lettuce genotype (e.g., Magenta) and created an enterprise budget to generate realistic financial expectations for those (company, municipality, university) aiming to create energy-generating foodscapes. These empirical data generated in a commercial setting can be used as valuable inputs for future planning work in a range of different geographies.

In the rapidly evolving and competitive sector of agricultural production, optimizing operational efficiencies is crucial for the sustainability of enterprises. This study introduces a novel approach to enhance the profitability and sustainability of perishable food production enterprises by optimizing harvest planning and logistics activities, which are significantly influenced by weather conditions. Using the weighted fuzzy c-means (WFCM) method, a two-stage solution approach was developed to improve the decision-making process in both short- and long-term operational planning. In the first stage, clustering analysis was conducted to determine optimal facility locations and assign fields to these facilities, thereby facilitating the efficient processing of perishable food products. Following this, an integer linear programming model was developed to optimize the harvest plan, considering the variable weather-related costs and maximizing the total operating profit. This innovative approach not only considers the economic value of the product, which fluctuates over time, but also integrates weather precipitation data to dynamically adjust the harvesting plan, thereby minimizing costs and maximizing revenues. The model was rigorously tested using real data from 16 sugar factories in Türkiye and their corresponding sugar beet fields. The results demonstrated a substantial potential increase in operating profit by 27.47% compared with the current scenario. Furthermore, the model promises to reduce economic losses associated with improper storage and stacking and to stabilize seasonal fluctuations in vehicle supply and freight prices by distributing vehicle demand over a longer period. This study adds a significant layer to the existing literature, offering a comprehensive solution that addresses the complex interplay of various factors in agricultural production and setting the stage for more resilient and sustainable operations in the perishable food sector.