ACS agricultural science & technology最新文献

This study evaluated the dissipation and terminal residue levels of flutriafol and cyflufenamid in grape berries and leaves under Egyptian field conditions. Using an optimized LC-MS/MS method, both fungicides were quantified with high recovery rates (97.65–104.34%) and low detection limits (0.001 mg·kg^–1). The dissipation half-lives of flutriafol were 3.25 days in berries and 1.95 days in leaves, while cyflufenamid exhibited half-lives were 4.1 days in berries and 3.31 days in leaves. Terminal residues for flutriafol ranged from 0.087 to 0.785 mg·kg^–1, and for cyflufenamid, they ranged from 0.010 to 0.085 mg·kg^–1, both below Codex MRLs. Based on terminal residues, the dietary risk assessment revealed risk quotients (RQs) below 1, indicating minimal consumer risk. A preharvest interval (PHI) of 3–10 days for flutriafol and 1–3 days for cyflufenamid is recommended. This study provides crucial data to ensure the safe use of these fungicides in grape production.

Zinc (Zn) is essential for plant development and its deficiency can reduce agricultural productivity. Nutrient-solubilizing microorganisms offer a promising solution to enhance the zinc availability for plants. However, directly applying these microorganisms in the field presents challenges such as cell viability loss. Here, we developed a formulation using poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), cationic starch (CS), and zinc oxide (ZnO) for microencapsulating Bacillus megaterium via spray drying. Our results showed that B. megaterium effectively solubilizes zinc oxide. The PVACS-ZnO matrix provided a favorable environment for the growth and development of B. megaterium, releasing cells in quantities exceeding initial inoculation (10 log₁₀ CFU/g). Additionally, it protected the cells against adverse field conditions, maintaining bacterial viability after heat (50 °C/48 h), UV light (95% after 180 min), and fungicide/insecticide exposure (99% after 2 h), unlike free bacteria. Accelerated shelf life tests indicated prolonged stability of PVACS-ZnO microspheres, with double the estimated shelf life (14 months) compared to free bacteria (6 months). In greenhouse experiments, the formulation increased aerial and root biomass of soybean plants, and enhanced phosphorus and zinc absorption. These findings indicate that PVASC-ZnO formulations offer a promising strategy for encapsulating microorganisms and enhancing zinc availability, resulting in an effective and environmentally friendly biofertilizer product.

Weed control poses a significant challenge to agriculture, warranting the development of effective but environmentally safe herbicides. Encapsulation of plant essential oils (EOs) with herbicidal properties in nanoscale polymers can offer high loading capacity as well as controlled and tunable agrochemical delivery. This study investigated the use of encapsulated thyme EO against redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.), a difficult-to-control weed resistant to multiple herbicides. Three volumes of thyme EO (500, 750, and 1000 μL) were encapsulated in a silica nanoparticle (SiNP) suspension to achieve 250 μL/mL (hereinafter “500”), 375 μL/mL (hereinafter “750”), and 500 μL/mL (hereinafter “1000”) EO concentrations. The efficacies of these preparations were compared to that of pristine EO. The loading efficiencies were 26, 42, and 64% for the “500”, “750”, and “1000” EO preparations, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed spherical and regular SiNPs with a size range of 220–300 nm. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy confirmed EO loading by the presence of characteristic peaks of isoprenoids and isomeric compounds. Herbicidal bioassays with pristine thyme EO in postemergence treatments on A. retroflexus seedlings exhibited a significant (p ≤ 0.05) concentration-dependent herbicidal activity, reducing shoot biomass by 85% at the highest tested concentration (“1000”), compared to the control (Tween 20). Encapsulation with SiNPs further enhanced the herbicidal efficacy compared to the control, reaching 96% at the highest concentration. Compared to the pristine EO, EO-SiNPs induced significant ROS production at the highest concentration, leading to cell membrane damage and an imbalanced antioxidant system, as demonstrated by the increased shoot malondialdehyde content (40%) and activities of the antioxidant enzymes ascorbate peroxidase (APX) (65%), catalase (CAT) (52%), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) (36%). These results suggest significant potential for developing an effective nanobioherbicide using thyme EO encapsulated in SiNPs.

This study focused on incorporating total carotenoids (TC) into Pink Lady apples using vacuum-impregnation with carrot juice at 20, 30, 40, and 50°Brix and then assessing the shelf life of the impregnated apples after freeze-drying. The highest TC (12.30 ± 0.48 mg β-carotene/100 g) and minimal shrinkage were achieved using 20°Brix juice (20CJ). The freeze-drying of vacuum-impregnated apples with 20CJ reduced the time to reach equilibrium conditions compared with fresh apples. The shelf life of the freeze-dried impregnated samples was determined using time-to-fail models (TTF) at different conditions of package permeability (P = 2.17 × 10^–15 and 1.04 × 10^–6 g/s × Pa × m), temperature (T = 15, 25, and 35 °C), and relative humidity (RH = 0, 35, and 75%). TTF predictions indicate a T-independent shelf life, exceeding 105 days for P evaluated at RH < 35%. Sensory evaluation indicates that consumers preferred impregnated freeze-dried apples with intermediate hardness textures (above 18.14 N) and TC > 0.81 mg β-carotene/100 g in dried apples stored at RH = 35% and T = 15 °C.

Saclipins A and B, which accumulate in the edible cyanobacterial strain Aphanothece sacrum in response to desiccation stress, are natural compounds with absorption maxima in the ultraviolet (UV)-A and UV-B regions. Saclipins are promising natural products for use in skincare cosmetics and oral supplements, but their chemical properties and biological activities remain largely unknown. In this study, we found that saclipins were highly stable compounds when treated with light and heat and that they have important biological activities in terms of skin antiaging and whitening. Furthermore, we revealed that saclipin-containing extracts prepared from dried A. sacrum exhibited the same or enhanced activity compared with purified saclipins. Specifically, purified saclipins and saclipin-containing extracts showed remarkable activity in inhibiting elastase activity and promoting collagen and hyaluronic acid production in human fibroblasts. Our findings will be useful for the formulation of saclipins in skincare cosmetics and oral supplements.

This study presents on predicting the shelf life of’Khasi mandarin’ oranges stored under specific conditions through the analysis of their respiration rate and ripeness levels. By employing a finely tuned deep convolutional neural network (CNN) trained on 1284 images of’Khasi mandarin’ oranges, the research classifies the fruit into four ripeness categories: unripe, partially ripe, ripe, and over-ripe. Stored at temperature (26.39 ± 3.07 °C) and humidity level between 60 and 80%, the CO₂ respiration rate (RR_CO2) was calculated based on enzyme kinetics principles to correlate with these ripeness levels, indicating a shift toward anaerobic respiration as the fruit undergoes ripening and metabolic changes. Moreover, ethylene release, initially at 0.43 ± 0.017 mL/kg/h on day 0, precipitously increased to 6.943 ± 0.0296 mL/kg/h by day 17, reflecting the ripening process. A support vector regression model predicts shelf life and ripeness levels, creating an AI-based soft sensor applicable to various fruits. This approach enables dynamic decision-making in pricing, logistics, and storage conditions, reducing fruit waste and economic losses. Integrating AI-driven solutions into postharvest handling enhances efficiency and sustainability in fruit distribution and storage, benefiting agricultural and retail industries.

Plant synthetic biology is an emerging and pioneering field for designing and manipulating genome information to modify metabolic pathways. Prime Editing (PE) has the advantage of being able to insert DNA segments into the genome. However, the low efficiency of PE in dicot plants has hindered its development and application. To address this issue, we have developed a method called Repeated High-Temperature Treatment (RHTT), which combines a repeated short period of heat stress with longer recovery periods in a cyclical manner. This approach maintains a balance between the contradictory effects of heat stress and efficiency enhancement. RHTT increased knockout efficiency (equivalent to cleavage ability of Cas9) 1.26 to 2.57-fold and precise PE efficiency 1.85 to 16.30-fold in Nicotiana benthamiana (Nb). When applied to Arabidopsis thaliana (At) for small segment insertion, RHTT improved PE efficiency by up to 15.67-fold.

The fabrication of eco-friendly, nano cellulose particle (NCP)-based take away bowls using agro wastes has hardly been investigated in the literature. In this study, NCP was prepared from Palmyra fruit waste, wood apple shell, and pepper spikes using a combination of physiochemical treatments. After each treatment, the morphology and purity of NCP were confirmed using electron microscopic techniques and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, respectively. The average diameter of prepared NCP was 1–10 nm. Palmyra NCP had the highest yield (53 ± 0.51%) and crystallinity (96%) and hence was selected for further studies. Then, NCP-Bioplastic pellets with different combinations of NCP, polylactic acid (PLA), and thermoplastic starch (TPS) were developed via compounding, extrusion, and injection molding. NCP-Bioplastic strips with 60% NCP, 30% PLA, and 10% TPS had enhanced mechanical, thermal, and biodegradation properties and reduced oxygen and water vapor transmission rates compared to neat PLA. The developed NCP-Bioplastic strips had a contact angle of >93°; hence, it is also suggested for packing wet food products. Therefore, the present investigation has verified the potential for substituting synthetic plastic with nano cellulose-based bioplastic in the production of take away bowls.

Pesticides are chemicals used in agriculture and forestry to control and kill plant pests. However, due to the excessive usage of pesticides, groundwater pollution, changes in soil composition, poisoning of aquatic organisms, and other ecological pollution have occurred. These pollutions ultimately pose a persistent threat to human health. According to previous studies, adsorbents can achieve higher removal efficiency. This review summarizes the application of porous organic frame materials in agriculture, especially in removing pesticide pollutants. It includes the advantages of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), and supramolecular macrocycles based on MOFs and COFs in pesticide removal, such as high porosity and adjustable pore size, and discusses the related challenges of these three organic frame materials, such as production cost. The agricultural application of porous organic frame materials may overcome the limitations of traditional methods and provide new solutions for pesticide pollutant adsorption removal. This study shows that organic porous frame materials can achieve the efficient and healthy application of pesticides, thereby reducing environmental and human harm.

This review explores the development of chitosan-based nanofilms reinforced with agricultural waste fillers, offering a promising approach to sustainable food packaging. By integrating chitosan’s natural properties─biocompatibility, biodegradability, and antimicrobial activity─with mechanical improvements gained from agricultural waste fillers, these nanofilms provide a substantial enhancement over conventional plastic packaging. The incorporation of natural fillers (e.g., cellulose, starch, and lignin) derived from agricultural byproducts not only strengthens the films but also promotes waste valorization, contributing to a circular economy. These nanofilms effectively address key challenges in the packaging industry by improving moisture and oxygen barriers, enhancing durability, and offering antimicrobial protection, all of which are essential for extending shelf life and preserving the freshness of perishable goods. Unlike traditional plastics, which pose significant environmental risks due to their long-term persistence, chitosan-based films naturally biodegrade, reducing their ecological footprint. The review highlights advancements in the synthesis and functional optimization of these nanofilms, showing their capability to meet the stringent requirements of food packaging. Moreover, the use of agricultural waste in production aligns with global sustainability efforts, offering the dual benefit of enhancing packaging properties while reducing agricultural waste. Nevertheless, the review acknowledges several challenges to commercialization, such as the need for cost-effective large-scale production methods and ensuring regulatory compliance with food safety standards. Overall, the potential of chitosan-based nanofilms to replace conventional plastics in packaging is clear, as they offer a sustainable, high-performance alternative with both environmental and practical advantages.