Food and Energy Security最新文献

On-farm trials were performed to investigate the nitrogen (N) uptake, N translocation, and grain yield of rice planted via different direct seeding methods into a field after wheat straw incorporation. The study conducted using two direct seeding methods, dry direct seeding of rice (DDSR) and wet direct seeding of rice (WDSR), in a field without or with straw incorporation demonstrated that straw incorporation negatively influenced both grain yield and N uptake in direct-seeded rice. Compared with WDSR, DDSR suffered significant negative effects, with a 7.2% decrease in grain yield and an 8.0% decrease in N uptake. Additionally, N uptake in direct-seeded rice with straw addition decreased by 6.5% at the middle stage and 9.5% at the late stage compared with that without straw incorporation. Straw incorporation prolonged the initial phase of growth and thus shortened the N uptake days in the last two phases. Moreover, the total N uptake of rice was positively associated with the uptake rate and the uptake days during the latter stages. Specifically, WDSR exhibited a higher N uptake rate, N uptake days, and N translocation ability than DDSR, which increased the N uptake in stem and panicle, total N uptake, and grain yield at maturity. These results indicated that straw incorporation decreased grain yield and N uptake, which was related to the fewer N uptake days in the latter stages caused by the prolonged early growth stage for direct-seeded rice. Nevertheless, using WSDR in a field incorporated with straw alleviated the losses in N uptake and grain yield.

Future frequent droughts threaten summer maize production in the North China Plain (NCP). A proper combination of irrigation and nitrogen (N) application can improve water and N use efficiency while maintaining summer maize yield. However, the optimal irrigation and N application strategies (OINASs) for summer maize during future drought years in the NCP require further exploration. This study applied the DSSAT-CERES-Maize model to investigate OINASs for summer maize for all drought years during 2021–2050 under three shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5). The performance of the OINASs was subsequently evaluated against no irrigation and N application (CK) condition and a conventional irrigation and N application strategy (CINAS). The results highlight the following: (1) For all drought years under the three SSP scenarios, the base fertilizer rate should be 60 kg/hm², after that the irrigation and N application are required during the jointing and heading periods. Under the SSP1-2.6 scenario, the average values of irrigation and N application during each earlier period are 35.5 mm and 22 kg/hm². Under the SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios, the average values are (34.5 mm, 23 kg/hm²) and (47.5 mm, 18 kg/hm²). (2) Under all SSP scenarios, the optimal irrigation amounts and N application rates are much lower than those under the CINAS. After applying OINASs for summer maize, an average of 1.16–1.22 billion kg of N and 2.98–5.19 billion m³ of freshwater will be saved per future drought year in the NCP. (3) Under all SSP scenarios, the summer maize yields under the OINASs are slightly and significantly greater than those under the CINAS and CK conditions. Moreover, both water and N use efficiencies improved under the OINASs compared with those under the CINAS, with more significant improvements in N use efficiency. The OINASs provide a practical way to ensure food security and environmental sustainability.

Drought stress is the primary abiotic threat to soybean production. Drought tolerance mechanisms in Mexican soybeans have not yet been fully studied. We examined the responses of three Mexican soybean genotypes, with varying maturities, to progressive drought stress and recovery irrigation, regarding plant water status, biomass traits, root system architecture, and their relationships. Genotypes I1240, I700 (intermediate maturity), and E2309 (early maturity) were examined since they showed drought tolerance characteristics under field conditions in previous studies. Drought stress was applied at the R2 growth stage for 17 days, after that irrigation was restored. Control plants were irrigated normally throughout the study. Responses to severe drought stress were different depending on the genotype. Early genotype E2309 exhibited a wider root system and tolerated drought stress maintaining shoot biomass and root characteristics at a low plant water potential. Intermediate genotypes, I1240 and I700, avoided drought stress achieving a greater root system at a higher plant water potential. Due to drought, genotype I1240 showed a more prominent increase in root diameter; meanwhile, root biomass was not decreased in genotype I700. Genotype I700 displayed a longer root system with the highest root-to-shoot ratio and recovered root growth more efficiently after recovery irrigation. General effects also indicated a longer root system in this genotype. Therefore, it could be used as a genetic source to improve root traits to cope with drought. Morphological and biomass root traits are suitable for selecting drought stress–tolerant soybean genotypes.

Inflorescence architecture underpins sexual reproduction in wild Musa species and productivity in edible banana cultivars. In a functional analysis, we identified the apical inflorescence and lateral ‘cushion’ meristems and the change in flower type as the three primary components that generate inflorescence architecture. Five genotypes of two clone sets of edible plantains (Musa AAB) were grown for four generations along an elevation gradient (1100–2200 m, 16°C–24°C) straddling the equator in the humid highlands of East Africa. The data consisted of reproductive peduncle length at harvest (Pr), fruit per hand (Fh) and hands per bunch (Hb). The activity of the apical inflorescence meristem drives peduncle length and generates lateral ‘cushion’ meristems which determine Fh. However, Hb is determined by a change in flower type—from fruit forming to non-fruit forming. Site temperature affected Hb more than Fh, while the development of the genet (rhizome) changed the allocation of resources between Hb and Fh, independently of the effect of site temperature. Clone sets differed in their response to genet development. Cooler temperatures reduced the number of fruit-forming flowers in an inflorescence and changed the balance away from female towards male flowers. In banana breeding schemes, manipulating inflorescence components independently raises options for producing genotypes better suited to markets, environments and cultural practices.

Return of crop residues directly as straw, animal manure, or biochar are recommended management options for biowaste recycling and soil organic carbon (SOC) maintenance in agriculture. However, to address the soil health challenges associated with soil degradation and climate change, it is critical to determine if or which of these different forms of crop residues could deliver a synergic improvement in SOC storage, emission reduction, and crop productivity following field application. In this study, maize straw in the form of air-dried biomass (CS), manure via cattle digestion (CM), and biochar via pyrolysis (CB) was respectively amended once at a dose of 10 t C ha⁻¹, in comparison to no maize straw addition (CK), in a paddy field under rice-wheat rotation. Changes in soil properties, SOC storage, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and rice/wheat yield were examined over two consecutive rice/wheat rotation cycles following soil amendment. The total rice grain yield considerably increased by 6% under CM and CB, while it reduced by 6% under CS compared to CK. Soil nutrient content persistently increased under CM and CB by 4.2% ~ 17% and 11% ~ 26% for total nitrogen, 26% ~ 61% and 20% ~ 53% for available P, and 2% ~ 82% and 30% ~ 115% for available K, respectively. Topsoil SOC storage increased considerably by 8% under CM and 20% under CB, while remained unchanged under CS, compared to CK. The total methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions were considerably increased by 7 folds and 15% under CS and 3.5 folds and 61% under CM, respectively, compared to CK. In contrast, these emissions considerably decreased under CB by 33% for CH₄ and 29% for N₂O. Consequently, the C emission efficiency considerably reduced under CS and CM but increased under CB over the two rotation cycles monitored. Moreover, the soil quality index (SQI) considerably improved under CM and CB but remained unchanged under CS compared to CK. Among the different forms of straw return, manure, and biochar, straw amendments differed considerably in their effects on C sequestration, GHG emissions, and crop productivity. Only biochar from crop residues synergistically improved these functions in the short-term following application to paddy soil.

The Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bag, a sustainable post-harvest storage technology, can address the high postharvest losses that are a major threat to economic development, food security and the environment in Africa. However, there is limited empirical research on this technology. This study therefore aims to fill this knowledge gap by analysing the factors influencing the diffusion and adoption rates of PICS bags and estimates the impact of the technology adoption on postharvest losses, farm income and income inequality in the Ashanti region of Ghana. The results show that less than 20% of farmers adopt the PICS bag, suggesting low adoption despite the widespread exposure of 51.75%. The technology adoption rate could be increased by 20% if all the farmers were exposed to it. It reduces postharvest losses by 14.2%–19.1%, increases farm income by 89.7%–91.2% and reduces income inequality by 51.33%. These findings suggest that promoting the technology can stimulate sustainable rural development by improving farmers' welfare.

Faced with a significant devaluation of its currency and a surge in food prices, the Nigerian government prohibited the use of foreign currency for food imports. This essentially blocked the importation of numerous food items under the guise of stimulating the domestic output of these staples. Consequently, food prices in Nigeria increased despite a global decline in food prices, and the incidence and severity of food insecurity escalated. This study examines the changes in the types and severity of coping mechanisms for food insecurity resulting from the food price shock caused by the oil price crash, currency devaluation, and restrictions on foreign exchange. Nigeria's General Household Survey Panel data from 2012 and 2015, during periods of high oil prices, is compared with data from 2018 when oil prices had remained low, the currency had been devalued, and the treasury had been depleted. Alongside detailed descriptive statistics, logistic and hurdle regressions are employed for statistical analysis. Findings indicate a rise in the percentage of Nigerian households grappling with food insecurity from 2015 to 2018. During this period, 68.7% of households resorted to at least one coping mechanism, 31.8% adopted six or more coping strategies, and 43.2% resorted to severe coping strategies. The issue stems not primarily from natural disasters or conflicts but from a failure in macroeconomic and agricultural economic policies. Our findings confirm that these policies come at great cost, particularly to female-headed households, single-parent households, households headed by elderly people, and other vulnerable populations, pushing them deeper into food insecurity.

The existing literature addresses the importance of food system disruptions and the risk of the global food crisis. However, there is insufficient understanding of response strategies and their effectiveness evaluations. This study offers a comprehensive introduction to China's food security policies and evaluates their effectiveness in enhancing the nation's risk resistance capability. Utilizing the Entropy Weight Method (EWM) and the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), we evaluated China's provincial food security resilience (FSR) from 2003 to 2020 and adopted the ArcGIS platform to map spatiotemporal trends. Our findings reveal significant improvements in FSR nationwide, with a notable average annual growth rate of 1%–5%. However, regional disparities persist, with higher resilience observed in eastern provinces compared to the west. The study emphasizes the effectiveness of China's food security policies, which have synergistically enhanced grain production, agricultural mechanization, and farmers’ economic conditions. The article offers policy recommendations aimed at bolstering China's FSR and challenges with global implications. Our study contributes to the broader discourse on global food security by offering a nuanced understanding of the effectiveness of policy interventions in a major agricultural economy.

Extreme climatic events, such as droughts, hinder progress toward achieving the sustainable development goal of food security. South Africa is vulnerable to drought-related agricultural losses, which have led to food insecurity. However, few studies have focused on the long-term impacts of drought on crop production at a regional scale. Therefore, we aimed to examine the intensity, magnitude, and trend of rainfall-based short-term agricultural drought at the provincial scale in South Africa based on the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI). Additionally, we analyzed the impact of agricultural drought on maize yield by calculating the Standardized Yield Residual Series (SYRS) and Crop Drought-Resilience Factor (CDRF). To this end, we collected rainfall data from 29 stations across nine provinces along with maize yield data for the period of 1993–2022. Agricultural drought analyses based on the three-month (SPI-3) and six-month (SPI-6) SPIs demonstrated dynamic variations in occurrence, with Sen's slope indicating that 10 stations exhibited a significant increase in drought events across South Africa. Notably, SPI-6 analysis showed that Gauteng, Free State, and North West provinces experienced the highest percentages of severe to extreme drought events during the study period, at 4.17%, 3.89%, and 3.61%, respectively. Furthermore, the majority of provinces in South Africa experienced an extreme SPI-6 magnitude ranging from −46.03 in Western Cape Province to −61.6 in Free State Province. The dynamic effects of agricultural drought on maize yield revealed that the maximum yield loss of 13% occurred in 1993 in Eastern Cape Province, while some provinces experienced no yield loss during certain years. However, CDRF analyses identified Western Cape (CDRF [SPI-3] = 0.52, CDRF [SPI-6] = 0.62) and Mpumalanga (CDRF [SPI-6] = 0.7) provinces as the most vulnerable to food insecurity due to the severe non-resilience of maize to drought in these regions. This study reveals the complex interplay between climatic extremes and maize yield variability, providing valuable insights for managing regional food production systems and ensuring future food security in South Africa.