Food and Energy Security最新文献

Small-grain-weight rice varieties are popular in South China. However, to maintain grain yields comparable to medium-grain-weight varieties, adjustments in nitrogen (N) and seeding rate management may be necessary. In this study, the small-grain-weight variety Mabayinzhan was direct-seeded in a three-season field experiment conducted from 2022 to 2023 in Qujiang County, Guangdong Province, South China, using four N rates and three seeding rates. The results showed that grain yield and grain weight ranged from 3.45 to 7.95 t ha⁻¹ and from 11.4 to 14.1 mg, respectively, across all treatments with N application. The variation in grain yield was primarily attributed to differences in spikelets per m², biomass production, and grain weight. Grain yield generally increased with higher N rates, but no significant difference was observed across the range of seeding rates. The grain yield responded more strongly to N rate than to seeding rate. The decrease in grain yield resulting from lower N rates could not be compensated by increasing seeding rate. While dense planting with reduced N application could improve N use efficiency (NUE), the increase in NUE was due to the reduced N rate rather than the seeding rate. Our findings indicate that high seeding rates are not essential for achieving high yields with a small-grain-weight rice variety. Moreover, increasing planting density while reducing N application may not be optimal for small-grain-weight inbred rice production under direct seeding conditions in South China.

Postharvest food losses represent a significant challenge worldwide. Enhanced solar drying technologies are a promising way to reduce losses of perishable foods, thereby enhancing accessibility and potentially increasing dietary diversity. This paper assesses the field-level performance of one chimney dryer design used for drying vegetables, fruits, and fish in rural Bangladesh. A mixed-methods research design was used for this study, including qualitative data analysis based on focus group discussions (FGD) and key informants' interviews (KII), coupled with detailed real-world quantitative assessments of the benefit–cost ratio (BCR), net present value (NPV), and internal rate of return (IRR) associated with the technologies tested. The chimneys were introduced in three locations of southwestern Bangladesh and used by 35 smallholder households. The IRR was found to be relatively high, resulting in profitability within 2 years of operation, depending on the food items selected for moisture removal through the chimney dryers. Two of the three dryers had a BCR > 1, and all three showed positive NPV values. However, none of the chimneys were used at full capacity. These findings suggest that such dryers are both technologically and economically viable, by accelerating drying times, improving food quality and market value, and reducing food losses in the process. The potential exists for enhancing local diets with dried nutrient-rich foods. Promotion of solar chimney dryer technologies could represent an important value-chain investment benefiting adopting households and food purchasers. The economic case would be stronger still if such technologies were used at full capacity for the drying of high-value perishable foods having high demand in local markets.

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of drought, which hampers wheat productivity from meeting the growing food demand worldwide. Therefore, improvements in yield under drought are urgently needed. This work evaluated a diverse set of 77 winter-wheat lines for two image-based early vigor traits and 15 mature traits of diverse winter-wheat lines. Early and late drought treatments were applied 12 and 65 days after vernalization, respectively. Further, a machine-learning-assisted phenotyping technique was adopted to measure spike area. Old Swedish cultivars showed the lowest early root vigor (4.92 cm) and large root biomass at maturity (5.25 g). No positive correlation was found between root biomass and yield components under the control condition. A high mean of grain yield was obtained in 1RS (9.8 g/plant), 2RL (9.5 g/plant), and cfAD99 (9.5 g/plant) genotypes under control. When including stability across control and two drought treatments, NGB, 1RS, 2RL, and cfAD99 genotypes showed the best performance. Peduncle length, root biomass, and NDVI positively contributed to the grain yield of 2RL genotypes under early drought, while 1000-grain weight and root biomass accounted for the high grain yield of 1RS genotypes under late drought. The image-based spike area measured by a machine-learning model correlated strongly to the yield component grain number (R² = 0.70***). Furthermore, combined with yield reduction results, the spike area results suggested increased sterility (empty spikes) as the main cause of drought-induced yield loss instead of changes in spike size. Further integration of traditional measurements, modern phenotyping, and computational image analysis is needed to accelerate evaluations of plant traits under drought conditions. Genes potentially governing drought tolerance can be identified in these diverse lines.

The main cassava-producing regions include Africa, South America, Southeast Asia, and China. Due to significant differences in natural environments, industrial backgrounds, and technological resources for germplasm development across these regions, the utilization of cassava germplasm resources shows regional variation. Currently, main approaches to cassava germplasm development and utilization include traditional breeding methods such as selective breeding, mutation breeding, and hybrid breeding, as well as modern techniques like marker-assisted selection, genome editing, and genetic modification. Regionally, Africa mainly focuses on developing germplasm resources that improve resistance to environmental stress, enhance nutritional content, and strengthen pest and disease resistance. South America primarily emphasizes cultivating edible cassava germplasm. Southeast Asia prioritizes screening high-quality germplasm and developing high-yield, high-starch, and disease-resistant varieties. China concentrates on germplasm development aligned with food security strategies and high-quality edible cassava varieties. In the future, modern breeding technologies will be vital in advancing cassava germplasm development and use. Disease and pest resistance traits will become essential qualities for high-quality cassava germplasm. Additionally, different major cassava-producing regions should tailor their germplasm development strategies to their specific industrial needs and regional characteristics.

Direct-seeded rice is a promising practice for sustainable rice productivity due to its ability to enhance ecosystem services. The use of rice varieties with shorter growth periods has become crucial for effective crop rotation. However, shorter growth periods often result in lower grain yields. Enhancing early growth in these short-duration rice varieties could help offset yield losses, but the genetic potential for early growth remains largely untapped. In this study, we investigated early growth in 90 rice genotypes under field conditions. Significant variation in plant growth was observed at 15, 25, and 35 days after sowing (DAS), with differences becoming more pronounced over time. Seed size had no significant effect on variation in growth rate. Hierarchical clustering analysis grouped the genotypes into five distinct growth patterns: Consistently Slow, Early Surge, Steady Moderate, Delayed Vigor, and Consistently Rapid. These patterns exhibited distinct trends in absolute growth rate (AGR) and relative growth rate (RGR). The Consistently Rapid and Early Surge groups showed higher early growth, whereas Delayed Vigor displayed accelerated growth at later stages. Contrary to traditional assumptions, the RGR during the early growth stage was not constant but varied significantly over time. RGR was primarily correlated with net assimilation rate (NAR) rather than leaf mass ratio (LMR) or specific leaf area (SLA). Size-standardized RGR and its components followed similar trends, indicating consistent growth dynamics across genotypes. These findings highlight distinct early growth patterns among rice genotypes, providing valuable insights for breeding programs aimed at improving early vigor and optimizing yield in short-duration rice varieties.

The tuberous roots of Ophiopogon japonicus are well-known Chinese traditional herbal medicine. However, as a byproduct, the fibrous roots of O. japonicus (FROJ) are discarded during the production process, resulting in a waste of resources. Existing studies have demonstrated that the FROJ serves as an important resource for functional food and pharmaceutical applications. However, the application effects of FROJ as a feed resource in livestock remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of FROJ on in vitro ruminal fermentation, antioxidant capacity, and microbial communities in yaks. The results showed that dietary FROJ significantly increased the total volatile fatty acids (VFAs), the proportion of acetic acid, and propionic acid compared to the hay group. Furthermore, dietary FROJ significantly reduced the yak's rumen malondialdehyde (MDA) content and significantly increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in the rumen fluid. It also significantly increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes, Actinobacteriota, and unclassified_Lachnospiraceae, as well as the Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio in yak rumen. Spearman's correlation analysis of the microbiota, rumen fermentation parameters, and antioxidant capacity revealed positive and negative regulatory mechanisms. In conclusion, dietary FROJ can improve ruminal fermentation and antioxidant capacity in yaks, and this improvement may be associated with an increase in potentially beneficial microbiota. Our findings indicate that the FROJ can be utilized as a feed supplement for ruminants, serving to enhance their immune responses and alleviate the resource wastage.

The development of sustainable agricultural practices in Karst regions faces significant challenges due to inherent soil limitations and complex terrain characteristics. This study investigated the effects of biochar-based fertilizers on soil properties and fruit quality of chestnut rose (Rosa roxburghii) in Southwest China's Karst region. Three biochar types derived from R. roxburghii pomace (RPB), discarded mushroom substrate (DMB), and chili straw (CSB) were evaluated at five application rates in combination with conventional fertilizers (with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium). Results revealed that the RPB4 treatment (70% biochar) significantly enhanced soil moisture content (61.37%), organic matter content (22.73%), and available nitrogen (22.74%) compared to controls. Fruit quality parameters showed significant improvements under optimal biochar treatments, with vitamin C content increasing by 67.94% (DMB4), total flavonoids by 120.06% (RPB4), and soluble sugars by 148.69% (RPB4). Structural equation modeling revealed significant direct effects of biochar application on soil water content (Standardized path coefficient = 0.60) and pH (0.80). Principal component analysis identified RPB4 as the optimal treatment combination, explaining 69.328% of total variance in soil and fruit properties. These findings provide quantitative evidence for the efficacy of biochar-based fertilizers in improving both soil quality and fruit characteristics in Karst agricultural systems, while establishing optimal application rates for sustainable orchard management.

This study examines the impact mechanism and dynamic changes in how reports on the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water in Japan affect Chinese consumers' willingness to purchase seafood. An extended theoretical model is innovatively constructed by integrating the variables of media involvement and risk perception, based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). A longitudinal research design was employed, utilizing a mixed-method approach that combines Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA). The SEM results indicate that the influence of media involvement on risk perception significantly weakens over time. The relationship between risk perception and attitude shifts from negative to positive, while the impact of subjective norms on purchase intention strengthens over time. The fsQCA results reveal diverse antecedent configurations affecting purchase intention at different periods, highlighting the nonlinearity and complexity of consumer decision-making. This study provides new insights into understanding the dynamic evolution of consumer behavior in response to public emergencies, while also expanding the applicability of the TPB in this context. The findings have important practical implications for government crisis communication strategies and corporate marketing strategies.

This study investigated how nitrogen (N) fertilization influences rice grain quality and seed endophytic microbial communities, a topic of growing importance because of the critical role of N management in balancing crop productivity and nutritional attributes. Four N treatments were applied: no N (N0), low N (N1), normal N (N2), and high N (N3). The results showed that increasing N application significantly elevated amino acid and protein contents but reduced taste values. Microbial community structure was highly responsive to N levels, with Proteobacteria and Ascomycota as the dominant phyla. High N treatment notably enriched Mucoromycota, which correlated positively with amino acids and protein and negatively with taste. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed that high N increased microbial OTUs (64 bacterial and 50 fungal) and interactions, enhancing ecological network stability. Functional predictions suggested that N indirectly affects grain quality by modulating microbial metabolic processes such as heterotrophy. These findings demonstrate that N fertilization reshapes the seed microbiome, thereby influencing rice nutritional and sensory quality, and provide insights for optimizing N management to improve rice quality.

Annually, coffee results in the emission of at least 90 million tons of CO₂-equivalents. Here we provide a brief overview of the coffee export preparation process, with a focus on key sources of carbon emissions linked to production and transportation. We then present a road map that has the potential to significantly reduce the climate impact of coffee. We focus on the decarbonization of logistics and the production of biochar and other organic fertilizers from waste biomass. Together, these strategies could neutralize almost 3 million tons of CO₂-equivalents annually. Finally, this analysis highlights current knowledge gaps and areas where further mitigation of greenhouse gases might be possible.