Food and Energy Security最新文献

This review explores the potential of genetically engineering cyanobacteria with the aim of synthesizing high-value protein directly from atmospheric nitrogen. The article examines numerous techniques that may enhance protein synthesis in cyanobacteria, and discusses advantages, barriers, and opportunities for this strategy going forward. Genetic manipulation of cyanobacteria shows promise in sustainably raising protein production via reduced greenhouse gas emissions and lower dependence on synthetic fertilizers, but also potentially fewer environmental implications traditionally caused by conventional protein production methods. The article uncovers many difficulties in genetically modifying cyanobacteria for protein production. For example, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have legal and regulatory ramifications that must be accounted for if ethical, moral and secure use of these technologies is to be ensured. Economic viability, too, must be evaluated, taking into consideration production costs, scalability, market demand and future market potential. We suggest that processing of cyanobacterial proteins in downstream stages need further development. Effective and economical methods are needed for protein extraction, purification, and formulation into commercially viable products. For successful application of cyanobacterial protein production at scale, such obstacles must be overcome. We conclude that genetic engineering of cyanobacteria for protein synthesis has a great deal of potential to offer a resource-effective and sustainable replacement for the synthesis of high-value proteins, so promoting a more sustainable and environmentally conscious future.

Fusarium disease and the consequent mycotoxin accumulation pose significant problem in maize cultivation, with fumonisins produced by Fusarium verticillioides posing a global health concern. To address this issue, a range of preventive measures (e.g. crop management techniques) can be implemented to minimize fungal infections. A promising strategy to counteract this issue involves the selection of genotypes with greater resistance to fungal pathogens. This approach has the potential to reduce the reliance on chemical inputs for controlling fungus growth or indirect infection vectors. Leveraging genetic approaches can help improve the economic sustainability of agriculture in the face of climate change challenges. In the present work, we assessed the importance of two husk leaf traits (coverage and number), their association with F. verticillioides infection, fumonisin content, and their potential influence on crop yield. The study was conducted in three locations in the North of Italy and 38 hybrids with varying resistance to F. Verticillioides were compared. The results obtained showed that husk coverage has a pivotal role not only in protecting maize ears from Fusarium infection but have also a significant impact on crop yield: a significant positive correlation was found between husk coverage and yield in all three locations (r = 0.33185; r = 0.51327 and r = 0.51207, respectively). Furthermore, in the field of Vicenza, a significant negative correlation was found between husk coverage and Fusarium severity (r = −0.41492). Husk coverage emerges as an important trait that merits inclusion in maize breeding programs, given its protective role against fungal infections and its favourable influence on both yield and grain quality.

Agricultural intensification affects natural and crop ecosystems, and increases the risk of agricultural pests in agroecosystems. Helicoverpa armigera Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is an important pest that damages a wide range of crops. However, the effect of agricultural intensification on the genetic diversity of this pest is still unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of the composition and configuration of the landscape on the genetic diversity of the agricultural pest H. armigera based on cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) analyses. In total, 10 haplotypes were found in 2016 and 15 haplotypes in 2021 based on COI genes. The haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity were the highest in the Anqiu (AQ) region during 2016 and in the Bincheng (BC) region during 2021. Haplotype 2 and haplotype 3 (Hap2 and Hap3) were the dominant haplotypes in the H. armigera population. Agricultural intensification had no effect on the genetic diversity of H. armigera between 2016 and 2021. Our study highlights the effect of agricultural intensification on the genetic diversity of H. armigera. Understanding the genetic consequences of agricultural intensification is essential for the green control of agricultural pests and the sustainable development of agriculture.

Many governments have set ambitious targets for tree planting and increased woodland cover as a key part of actions to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. However, many uncertainties remain concerning how and where to expand tree cover, what species to plant, and how best to manage new plantations. Much contemporary forestry has been based on even-aged monocultures, largely because of perceived advantages for timber production. However, in order to play a key role in climate change mitigation future forests will have to achieve timber production (and wider ecosystem service provision) alongside resilience to biotic and abiotic challenge. It is therefore crucial that appropriate informed decisions are made with regard to the structure, composition, and planning of future forests, in order to provide sustainable solutions that provide environmental, economic, and health benefits to society. Genetically diverse, mixed, and irregular forests, with their higher biodiversity and niche complementarity, are promising new forest configurations for regulating the water cycle, storing carbon, and delivering other goods and services. In the following discussion, we have used UK information to illustrate the benefits of mixed woodland versus monocultures and highlighted current issues related to government initiatives and policies for current and future forests. However, similar issues and problems are encountered globally.

Different social protection programs are designed in low-income countries to eradicate poverty and improve the food security of poor people. Currently, the Urban Productive Safety Net Program (UPSNP) is designed to support those who are living in poverty and face food insecurity with predictable and reliable support through food, cash, or vouchers. However, limited empirical evidence has been presented about the significant impact of the program on the well-being of households who participated in the program and the factors that affect the households' decision to participate in the program. Hence, this study aims to evaluate the impact of participation in UPSNP on well-being using household survey data gathered from three main cities of Ethiopia: Dire Dawa, Harar, and Jigjiga in 2022. This study employed both propensity score matching (PSM) and endogenous switching regression (ESR) models to assess the impact of the UPSNP. The result shows that the probability of a household's participation decision is determined by the age of the household head, number of children, savings, house ownership, employment status of the household head, and shock. Furthermore, we found a consistently positive impact across models, indicating that participation in UPSNP reduces poverty and increases food security of households.

This article explores the fundamental right to food, examining its legal framework, its relationship with other human rights, and the efforts being made globally to improve this right. It begins by looking at international and national laws that protect the right to food and examining their importance in ensuring food security and sovereignty. It then explores how food rights intersect with other rights, such as health, education, and labor, revealing the interrelated web of human rights. The article further highlights how the right to food is closely tied to the objectives of reducing poverty and promoting social justice, which are crucial components in the collective effort to achieve food security for all. Additionally, it evaluates the effectiveness of current policies and strategies in promoting the right to food, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The novelty of the article is that it brings into perspective, the encumbrance of food sovereignty in sub-Saharan Africa and concludes with potential solutions.

Genome editing technology has become part and parcel of biotechnological approach to understand the genetic basis of different biological processes in an organism and for its application in different fields. The basic need of world food production demands a highly variable population of plants with maximum diversity of agronomic traits of interest. Genome editing is unique in the sense that it provides a direct approach to generate targeted variability. The worldwide availability of genome-edited crop varieties in the global market is approaching, whereas the decision to deal with genome-edited (GE) crops differently from genetically transformed crop varieties is under discussion all around the world. GE may add allochthonous or autochthonous sequences into the genome much like traditional transgenesis or cisgenesis. Considering this fact, the United States declared genome-edited crops as conventional. Many countries such as Japan, UK, China, and Brazil have already legislated their GE products and their products are near to get entry to the market. In Pakistan, academic and research-based scientific institutions have been working on genome-edited crops by using CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) Cas technology. As being a signatory of the Cartagena protocol, every case of GM (Genetically modified) or GE (Genetically Engineered) should be passed through the Technical Advisory Committee which will be decided on case-to-case bases depending upon its nature of random or targeted mutation. Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, Intellectual Property Organization of Pakistan Act, Seed amendment act, and PBR (The Plant Breeders' Rights Act) are the major constitutional acts employed and working for the regulations of GM alongside GE crops. Now, discussions of scientists, academicians and officials from regulatory body are in process for the design of GE crop commercialization policy in Pakistan. The CRISPR-Cas9 system is now the most in-demand piece of technology and has become an indispensable component of research and development in the field of life sciences.

Botrytis cinerea is the causative agent of grey mould disease in grapes, which was linked to significant postharvest losses. This study examined three grape-isolated yeasts (Metschnikowia aff. fructicola, Metschnikowia pulcherrima, and Hansenispora uvarum) through in vitro and in vivo tests on detached grape berries against grey mould, as well as the elucidation of their possible mechanisms of action. The antifungal mechanism of action of yeasts was determined by the lytic enzyme activity, inhibition of spore germination, biofilm activity, iron depletion, diffusible metabolites, wound-site colonisation, mycocin, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) production. The highest in vitro efficacy (83.13%) was observed on M. aff. fructicola, followed by M. pulcherrima (82.10%) and H. uvarum (71.66%). Metschnikowia yeasts exhibited comparable enzyme activities, including protease, β-1,3 glucanase, gelatinase chitinase, and cellulase, while H. uvarum had a poor enzymatic activity with chitinase and gelatinase. M. aff. fructicola showed relatively higher iron depletion activity than M. pulcherrima, while M. pulcherrima outperformed via diffusible metabolites. All yeast cultures significantly reduced spore germination by at least 86%. Overall, M. aff. fructicola exhibited the highest biocontrol activity with its iron depletion, inhibition of conidial germination, biofilm formation, VOCs, and well colonisation on grape berries. M. aff. fructicola 1-UDM outperformed all other yeasts by significantly reducing disease incidence and lesion diameter values (93.4% and 94.3%, respectively). Remarkably, H. uvarum VOCs demonstrated potential as a biofumigant for suppressing grey mould. All yeasts are well adapted to their ecological niche to bio-protect grapes from grey mould disease.

Climate change-induced drought stress (DS) poses a significant threat to crop production, emphasizing the need for innovative strategies to mitigate its adverse effects. Prior studies have demonstrated the distinct capacities of salicylic acid (SA) and sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) to augment plant resilience against drought-related stressors. However, little is known about how they work together or the specific processes by which they increase DS tolerance. The purpose of this research was to determine how SA and NaHS affected the performance of wheat plants during the growing seasons of 2021–2022 and 2022–2023, when there was a drought. The research employed a block-randomized experimental layout with split plots, where the primary factors included two irrigation levels: full irrigation (IW1, 100% of water requirement) and deficit irrigation (IW2, 50% of water requirement). Secondary factors included the application of mock control, 0.5 mM SA, and 0.3 mM NaHS, an H₂S donor, either individually or in combination, administered before the onset of DS. The application of SA, NaHS, or their combination significantly enhanced wheat plant resistance to DS. Significant increases in a number of physiological markers, including proline content, relative water content (RWC), Fv/Fm, chlorophyll content, and antioxidant enzyme activity, demonstrated this improvement. Furthermore, in drought-stressed wheat plants, SA and NaHS treatments decreased the amounts of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and electrolyte leakage (EL). In conclusion, our study highlights the possibility of SA and NaHS, whether applied individually or in combination, to improve drought resistance in wheat plants, presenting a viable approach to lessen the effects of climate change on agricultural yield.

Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz is a low-input oilseed crop that has great potential in providing sustainable feedstock for biofuels and bioproducts. Climate change is threatening production of camelina with rising global temperatures. Elucidating the genetic response to high temperatures is essential for successful breeding of heat-tolerant camelina varieties. Here, we report a combinatorial approach to identifying candidate genes associated with heat stress by quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping and comparative transcriptome profiling. A population of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) was grown in a controlled growth chamber under the high-temperature regimes for 14 days beginning at the onset of the reproductive stage. Several traits related to seed production were evaluated at maturity. The QTL analysis identified several regions with co-located traits on chromosomes 8, 10, and 12. Two RILs with contrasting phenotypic responses to heat stress were chosen for gene expression profiling via RNA sequencing. Multiple pathways and genes were found to be strongly affected by heat stress, and many genes expressed differently between the two RILs. Several genes identified within the QTL regions were considered strong candidates that may control heat tolerance during reproduction in camelina. These studies provide resources for future studies that may assist in improving the heat tolerance of camelina.