Food and Energy Security最新文献

Accurate and efficient assessment of rice aboveground biomass (AGB) is crucial for enhancing field management, yield prediction, and decision-making in precision agriculture. While machine learning (ML) techniques have significantly improved the efficiency of AGB estimation, their inherent “black-box” nature often restricts model interpretability. This study aims to enhance both the interpretability and accuracy of rice AGB estimation models by integrating the CatBoost ensemble learning algorithm with SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP). An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform was used to capture canopy multispectral images of rice throughout its entire growth cycle under diverse field conditions. A high-precision CatBoost model for rice AGB estimation was developed based on extracted vegetation indices (VIs) and texture features (TFs). SHAP analysis was applied to quantitatively assess the impact of input features and their interactions on AGB estimation. The results demonstrated that the CatBoost model, incorporating VIs and TFs, outperformed both the random forest regression (RFR) and LightGBM models, achieving optimal predictive performance when trained on 90% of the dataset (R² = 0.96, RMSE = 813.00 kg/ha). SHAP analysis revealed that TFs (mean, homogeneity, variance, and correlation) and VIs (visible atmospherically resistant rededge indices (VARIre), normalized difference rededge index (NDRE) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)) were the primary factors influencing AGB estimation. The main and interaction effects of input features contributed 76% and 44% to AGB estimation on the testing set, and 59% and 55% on the training set, respectively. This study offers a reliable and cost-effective method for AGB estimation and provides an interpretable predictive framework for broader agricultural remote sensing applications.

This study was conducted to quantify the variation in environmental impacts of strawberry production across Europe to inform breeders and fruit producers on practical ways to improve the sustainability of their products. We assessed the environmental impact of different strawberry genotypes and cultivation systems, including open field and protected systems, conducted by seven different partners in Europe. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology was applied. Fifty-seven strawberry genotypes were included in the analysis, covering 19 different field trials. The functional unit (FU) was 1 kg of freshly harvested ripe strawberry fruit at the farm gate, produced between 2017 and 2024. The results for the climate change impact category showed an average of 0.58 kg CO₂ eq./FU among all the genotypes analyzed. The highest value was 3.8 kg CO₂ eq./FU for a greenhouse system, and the lowest was 0.21 kg CO₂ eq./FU for a polyethylene-covered tunnel system. The results highlighted the crucial roles of cultivation systems, genotype selection, produced yield, and various input and management practices in the environmental performance of strawberry production. The work was based on trials connected to the breeding and testing of strawberry genotypes. The results thus help breeders to develop high-quality strawberry cultivars designed to meet sustainable production under different climatic environments by showing the critical environmental impacts associated with their products. The comparison of the environmental performance of different strawberry cultivation systems across Europe even provides a benchmark to support fruit producers and policymakers in decision-making for shaping sustainable strawberry production in Europe.

China's self-sufficiency rate (SSR) for edible oil stands at 29%, which is mainly due to a low soybean SSR of 15% with substantial imports. Peanut, one of the major oil crops in China, has been self-sufficient since the 1960s and holds potential for enhancing the country's edible oil security if its production can be further increased. However, the potential for production increase remains largely unknown. In this study, we evaluated regional and national peanut yield gaps using a well-calibrated crop model with site-specific weather, soil, and management data through a “bottom-up” upscaling method following Global Yield Gap Atlas (GYGA) methodology. We further assessed the SSR for edible oil under various future scenarios and identified priority provinces for peanut planting compared with soybean by cumulative frequency distribution classification. The results showed that the relative yield gap (Yg) of peanut in China was still large (53%), and national production could increase by 71% through Yg closure, with the regions of North China Plain and the Yangtze River Valley contributing to the largest proportion of 43% and 31% to the total production increase, respectively. Edible oil SSR is projected to increase by 11 percentage points in the next decade (2032) through peanut Yg closure, which is equivalent to a 24% decrease in current soybean imports in China. In addition, priority provinces for peanut growing with large Yg and high stability of potential yield were identified compared with soybean, such as Shandong, Sichuan, and Jiangsu, which have the potential to increase edible oil SSR by another 3 percentage points. Moreover, yield-limiting factors and yield increase approaches in specific regions were discussed for increasing peanut production in a more sustainable manner.

Increasing crop productivity, along with increasing water, nutrient, and energy use efficiency, is vital for sustainable food production. Globally, the maize–wheat system contributes to this goal by improving resource efficiency and ensuring food security. A field experiment was conducted in Northwest India to optimize water, nutrient, and energy use in a maize–wheat rotation system. This study evaluated four crop management systems (conventional chemical, organic, integrated, and natural farming), two irrigation methods (surface drip and subsurface drip) and two irrigation schedules (irrigation at 80% and 100% crop evapotranspiration, ETc) via a randomized complete block design over 2 years. A control with conventional flood irrigation and recommended fertilizer doses was also included for comparison. The integrated crop management system resulted in the highest productivity in terms of the maize equivalent yield (10.7 t ha⁻¹), outperforming organic and natural farming systems by 16.8% and 32.4%, respectively, while remaining statistically equal to the conventional chemical system. System productivity was not affected by the type of drip irrigation; however, irrigation scheduling significantly influenced the grain yield of wheat alone. Combining the integrated production system with subsurface drip irrigation at 80% ETc increased productivity by 8.0%, net returns by 15.3%, reduced irrigation water use by 51.2%, and improved irrigation water productivity by 113.8% compared with conventional flood irrigation and soil application of recommended fertilizers. Additionally, the input energy was reduced by 27.9%, the output energy increased by 3.7%, and consequently, the energy use efficiency and energy productivity improved by 44.3% and 44.3%, respectively, compared with those of conventional flood irrigation and soil application with the recommended fertilizer doses. In conclusion, subsurface drip irrigation at 80% ETc, coupled with integrated crop management, significantly increased water, nutrient, and energy use efficiency, which is essential for sustainable food production in the maize–wheat cropping system.

From a perspective of food security, the agricultural sector worldwide has a responsibility to improve crop yields. Wheat yield in Japan is about half that of high-yielding countries in Northwest Europe. Explanations offered so far—such as high temperatures and a rainy summer season shortening wheat's growth period, or comparatively underdeveloped breeding and cultivation techniques—remain speculative. This lack of clarity risks misdirecting research efforts on wheat cultivation in Japan and possibly other parts of the world. To address the issue, the present study focused on the efficiency of yield formation, rather than yield itself, across Japan and Northwest Europe. The efficiency of yield formation, derived from the division of actual yield by sunshine hours during the specific growth period from ear emergence to maturity, was compared between two geographical regions while factoring in climate variables. Despite the large yield difference, there was no significant difference in the efficiency of yield formation of wheat between the two regions. This indicates that Japan's low yield is largely due to climatic adversity for wheat, that is, high temperature, high precipitation and short sunshine hours during the critical growth phase for yield formation of the crop. The implication is that improvements in breeding and cultivation techniques alone are not likely to significantly increase wheat yield in Japan. A fruitful direction for future research endeavors in wheat production in monsoon Asia was discussed.

The development of specialized agricultural services has been a common trend of global agricultural modernization, and suppliers of specialized agricultural services are the core agents of fertilizer application. The impact of specialized agricultural services on fertilizer application intensity remains to be investigated. Based on panel data from 27 provinces in China from 2004 to 2018, this study empirically tested the impact of specialized agricultural services on fertilizer application intensity. Considering potential spatial spillover effects, a spatial lag model was employed. Results showed that specialized agricultural services effectively reduced fertilizer application intensity. Furthermore, there was a positive spatial spillover effect of specialized agricultural services on fertilizer application intensity, likely due to cross-regional specialized agricultural services. Specifically, for every 1% increase in the level of specialized agricultural services, the fertilizer application intensity within a province decreased by 0.040%, while that in neighboring provinces increased by 0.009%, resulting in a negative net impact of specialized agricultural services on fertilizer application intensity. These findings suggested that specialized agricultural services could be promoted in regions with fertilizer overapplication, and service standards and specifications should be established to mitigate the positive spatial spillover effect of specialized agricultural services on fertilizer application intensity.

Ensuring food security while enhancing agricultural sustainability remains a critical challenge in Africa. China's rice technology transfer has emerged as an important external driver to address this issue, yet its comprehensive impacts remain underexplored. This study uses panel data from 40 African countries (2000–2022) and utilizes Agricultural Technology Demonstration Centers (ATDC) as a quasi-natural experiment to evaluate the economic and environmental impacts of China's rice technology transfer, as well as its role in promoting production convergence across African nations. Results reveal the following: (1) China's rice technology transfer significantly increased total rice output, cultivation area, and yield, while effectively reducing methane emission intensity, highlighting its dual benefits of economic and environmental outcomes; (2) The impact of China's rice technology transfer is more pronounced in African countries with higher levels of agricultural technology and governance performance; (3) The analysis also identified a natural convergence trend in African rice production, with China's technology transfer accelerating this process, suggesting its potential as a tool to foster regional integration and reduce inequalities. These findings provide valuable insights and practical guidance for the sustainable development of China-Africa agricultural cooperation.

Nitrogen (N) supply plays a critical role in influencing the onset of drought thresholds, yet the effects of N on stomatal characteristics and transpiration, both diurnal and nocturnal, remain inadequately understood. To elucidate the relationship between transpiration rate and stomatal morphology, this study investigated the effects of four distinct levels of N supply (N0, N0.1, N0.2, and N0.4) on stomatal density (SD) and morphology across both adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces, alongside their impact on diurnal (E_d) and nocturnal (E_n) transpiration rates in potato plants. The findings indicate that SD decreases with increasing N supply on both leaf surfaces. Furthermore, stomatal apertures were consistently larger on the abaxial surface compared to the adaxial surface across all N supply treatments. While E_n remained largely unaffected by variations in N supply, E_d exhibited a non-linear decrease as N supply increased, reaching its minimum value at the N0.2 level. This reduction in E_d, which plateaued at N0.2, is likely associated with the larger stomatal aperture on the abaxial surface at the highest N supply level (N0.4) compared to the other treatments. Overall, the results suggest that N supply primarily reduces E_d by decreasing SD, while also maintaining a larger stomatal aperture on the abaxial surface under high N conditions to optimize the balance between CO₂ uptake and water loss. The findings can provide valuable insights into the role of N supply for sustainable crop management, particularly in optimizing water-use efficiency.

Understanding what drives farmers to choose one seed system over another is important in setting goals for crop improvement programs and designing an effective seed delivery system and marketing strategy. This study used survey data from 1492 households and a multinomial logit model to analyze seed systems choice by smallholder sorghum grain producers in Tanzania. Results showed that 84% of the farmers relied on the informal seed system, 11% on an integrated seed system (involving a combination of informal and formal systems), and only 5% exclusively accessed seed through the formal system. Farmers mainly accessed information on seed, agronomy, and markets from their peers. Proximity and participation in input and output markets, financial literacy, use of crop insurance, and access to financial and extension services were associated with a high likelihood of using formal seed systems. On the other hand, limited access to agronomic, and seed information from peers, as well as long distances to main markets, were associated with the use of informal seed systems. The integrated system was associated with intercropping and willingness to experiment with new ideas and technologies. Making sufficient quantities of quality seed available to farmers at the last mile through various channels, improving farmers' access to financial services, and developing multiple stress-tolerant varieties can enhance the use of improved varieties and formal channels of seed access. We recommend innovative ways of moving sufficient quantities of quality seeds of improved varieties through the informal seed system in the interim while further developing the formal system in the long run.

Agricultural communities around the world, including those in Bangladesh, are becoming increasingly vulnerable to climate-induced damage that jeopardizes their livelihoods and food security. While burgeoning research on adaptation exists, there is a lack of an in-depth account of the specific strategies that farming communities in Bangladesh adopt to become more resilient to climate change impacts. Hence, the present study seeks to answer the following questions: (i) what are the predominant climate change adaptation strategies adopted by Bangladeshi farming communities, and how do these strategies vary across different agroecological zones? and (ii) what are the primary institutional, economic, and environmental barriers to the effective implementation of these adaptation strategies? Employing the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) technique, this study conducted a theory-driven literature review (published between 2000 and 2024) using three prominent journal databases: Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The primary strategies being used by farmers to boost agricultural resilience are crop diversification, water management approaches, adoption of new technology, the transition to more resilient varieties, and community-based adaptation. However, the effectiveness of these strategies depends heavily on community efforts at the local level, as well as the type of crop grown, the local climate, and the availability of resources. Our synthesis also reveals that resource-poor farmers need support from the government and other external sources to successfully upscale these intervention strategies to enhance resilience against climate change impacts.