Unveiling the synergistic mechanisms of multi-ionic removal in microbial desalination cells: Ion transfer, electrochemical behavior and microbial response.

Microbial desalination cells (MDCs) have traditionally employed simplified NaCl solutions as feedwater for synchronous desalination and bioenergy recovery. Nevertheless, the specific mechanisms by which MDCs remove complex multi-ions from saline wastewater remain obscure. This study thoroughly investigated ion migration, bioelectrochemical dynamics, and microbial ecological responses across three distinct configurations: monovalent ions - PMDC, divalent cations - CMDC and anions - AMDC.

Development of biodegradable starch-based lambda-cyhalothrin microcapsules for sustainable long-term pest control and enhanced utilization efficacy.

The inefficiency of traditional pesticides leads to significant resource waste, severe environmental pollution, and potential threats to human health. Pesticide microcapsules present a promising strategy for developing environmentally friendly, safe, and sustained-release formulations. In this study, we produced degradable starch nanocrystals (SNCs) via acid hydrolysis and employed octenyl succinic anhydride-modified SNCs (O-SNCs) to fabricate pesticide microcapsules.

Directed Structural Evolution of Nickel Nanoparticles into Atomically Dispersed Sites for Efficient CO Electroreduction.

Electrochemical CO reduction (CORR) to carbon monoxide (CO) offers a sustainable pathway for carbon utilization, yet challenges remain in terms of improving selectivity and activity. Herein, we report a Ni/NC catalyst synthesized via a milling - pyrolysis method, in which Ni particles anchored on nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) are electrochemically activated under an Ar atmosphere, leading to their structural evolution into single-atom Ni sites. After activation in Ar atmosphere, the current density nearly doubles (from ≈30 to ≈60 mA cm), and concurrently, the Faradaic efficiency of CO stays at ∼90% with the potential set to -0.

Peanut oil is more environmentally sustainable than rapeseed oil from a carbon and nitrogen footprint perspective in China.

Peanut and rapeseed oil, prominent edible oils in China, significantly contribute to greenhouse gas and reactive nitrogen emissions. A comprehensive examination of their environmental footprints is foundational for developing green and low-carbon products. Using a cradle-to-factory gate life cycle assessment, we quantified the carbon footprint (CF) and nitrogen footprint (NF) associated with the oil production of peanut and rapeseed from 2004 to 2023 in China.

Hydrothermal characteristics of carboxymethyl cellulose-induced soil film in farmland.

The Ningxia Yellow River Irrigation Area is located in a temperate arid zone, where the development of double-cropping systems is strongly restricted by high evaporation. The application of modified carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) can induce the binding of surface soil particles to form a soil film, achieve a mulching effect, and improve soil hydrothermal conditions. To elucidate the hydrothermal characteristics of soil film in farmland, we conducted an experiment with the treatments including ammonium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-NH) application rates of 0 (CK, control), 50 (T), 100 (T), 200 (T), and 300 kg·hm(T) to induce soil film formation, and analyzed their effects on soil temperature at 20 cm depth, soil water content, and crop yield in a spring wheat-summer maize rotation system.

A Review on the Degradation of Antibiotic Resistance Genes During Composting of Livestock Manure.

As emerging pollutants, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have been recognized as originating from diverse sources. Among these, the use of livestock feed and veterinary drugs was identified as the primary source of ARGs in livestock manure. ARGs were found to be widely distributed in global environments, particularly in agriculture-related soils, water bodies, and the atmosphere, posing potential threats to ecological environments and human health.

Assessing grassland degradation based on abrupt changes in living status of vegetation in a subalpine meadow.

Grassland degradation impacts and restoration strategies have been extensively studied in existing literature. Nevertheless, current diagnostic approaches for assessing degradation conditions predominantly rely on either empirical or mechanistic approaches, leading to inconsistent findings across studies. Here, we proposed a geo-coding and abrupt analysis based (GAAB) method to identify the degradation conditions of grasslands.

NH, NO, NO and NO losses, emission factors and reduction mechanisms under different N managements from greenhouse vegetable soils.

Excessive nitrogen (N) application in greenhouse cultivation has led to substantial reactive N (Nr) emissions from soils, necessitating effective mitigation strategies. This study presents simultaneous high-frequency monitoring of ammonia (NH) volatilization, nitrous oxide (NO), nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO) emissions across three greenhouse vegetable seasons (tomato, cabbage and lettuce) under different N management regimes. Key findings reveal that emission factors of NH, NO, NO, and NO were 0.

Remediation effects of straw combined with microbial agents on cinnamon soils with varying degradation based on metagenomics and untargeted metabolome.

Microbial agents show potential for improving soil quality and crop yield. However, in the context of different soil degraded degrees, the effects of straw combined with microbial agents on soil microbial communities and their associated metabolic processes remain insufficiently explored. Here, we conducted pot experiments using cinnamon soils at three degradation levels (highly, moderately, and non-degraded), applying straw alone or straw combined with microbial agents during alfalfa cultivation.

Ultrasonic-acidification coupled backwash-mixing technology in wastewater filtration system: Determination and optimisation of cleaning parameters.

A filtration system is crucial for recycling wastewater, with the filter as its core component. However, traditional filters struggle with rapid cleaning due to wastewater complexity, which challenges the sustainable operation of filtration systems. This study proposes a new method of mixed ultrasound assisted acid backwashing, however, the optimal cleaning parameters for this method are not yet clear.

The Influence of Hydrogen Bonding in Wood and Its Modification Methods: A Review.

Construction wood has a high economic value, and its construction waste also has multiple consumption values. Natural wood has many advantages, such as thermal, environmental, and esthetic properties; however, wood sourced from artificial fast-growing forests is found to be deficient in mechanical strength. This shortcoming makes it less competitive in certain applications, leading many markets to remain dominated by non-renewable materials.

Nitrogen and phosphorus addition affected soil organic carbon storage and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi contributions.

Substantial quantities of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) released by human activities, enter terrestrial ecosystems, thereby affecting the carbon cycling within these ecosystems. Previous studies found that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) could affect soil organic carbon (SOC) storage, the impacts of AMF on SOC under nutrients enrichment have yet to be well understood. Here, we conducted an 8-year field experiment involving N and P addition, and aC labeled microcosm experiment labeled with AMF inoculation, to explore how SOC respond to nutrients enrichment, as well as AMF-induced changes in SOC.

Sustained benefits of long-term biochar application for food security and climate change mitigation.

Biochar application offers significant potential to enhance food security and mitigate climate change. However, most evidence stems from short-term field experiments (≤3 y), leaving uncertainty about the long-term sustainability of these benefits, especially with annual biochar additions to soils. To address this knowledge gap, we analyzed a global dataset from 438 studies (3,229 observations) and found that long-term annual biochar application (≥4 y) not only sustains but often enhances its benefits.

Physiological effects and technical strategies of LED supplemental lighting for pitaya cultivation: a review.

Pitaya is a high-value perennial tropical fruit known for its nutritional and health benefits. It is now widely cultivated in many tropical and subtropical countries, offering strong economic returns. China ranks first globally in pitaya cultivation, which includes both open-field production in tropical and subtropical regions and facility-based cultivation in temperate zones.

Salt gradient-driven adaptation in okra: uncovering mechanisms of tolerance and growth regulation.

Soil salinity is an increasingly critical constraint on crop establishment and yield stability, especially in marginal and irrigated agricultural zones. Despite its nutritional and economic value, the mechanistic basis of salt tolerance in (okra) remains poorly defined. Here, we integrated physiological phenotyping with transcriptome profiling to elucidate the stage-specific strategies employed by okra in response to NaCl stress.

Mechanistic insights into nitrogen-mediated carbon transformation during hydrothermal humification for the synthesis of nutrient-enriched artificial humic acids.

Hydrothermal humification (HTH) of biomass is a promising approach to address the depletion of soil organic matter. However, the HTH products derived from lignocellulose are limited by low nutrient availability and conversion efficiency. In this study, four nitrogen-containing additives were used to produce nitrogen-rich artificial humic acids (AHA) from crop waste.

Evaluate the impacts of different straw returning rates on soil quality and field environmental sustainability of film mulching or non-mulching farmland in semiarid region.

Film mulching (FM) has been widely adopted in dryland agriculture to increase crop yields, but its potential long-term impacts on soil health and degradation remain a subject of debate. In contrast, straw returning (SR) has shown promising results in improving soil quality and enhancing economic returns, making it an effective measure to optimize FM practices. This study assessed the effects of varying straw return rates (0, 6, 12, and 18 t ha) on soil quality, ecosystem services, and economic benefits in a semiarid region, under both mulched (FM) and non-mulched conditions.

Biochar counteracts the negative effects of microplastics on physiological and biochemical characteristics and leaf metabolism in Zea mays L.

The influence of microplastics (MPs) on plant development has attracted increased attention; however, whether biochar (BC) impacts the toxicological impacts of MPs on plants remains unclear. Exogenously added MPs and mulched 10-year soils were selected to study the possible combined effects of BC and various MPs on maize development to fill this knowledge gap. Maize leaves subjected to various MP treatments showed significant levels of antioxidant enzyme activities, and adding BC counteracts this negative effect.

A downscaled examination of drought vulnerability and self-reported preparedness among livestock farmers in the northeast of Romania.

Recent European drought events have highlighted that vulnerability and preparedness play a pivotal role in shaping both the potential impacts of drought and its management. This study aims to take an in-depth look at drought vulnerability and preparedness, their spatial distribution, and the relationships between them, local landforms, and farm settings. The case study focuses on livestock farmers who face challenges related to drought impacts due to significant drought exposure, but whose needs and interests are often overlooked by mitigation strategies and compensation schemes.

Effect of Roughage Source on the Composition and Colonization of Rumen Bacteria and Methanogens in Dumont and Mongolian Sheep.

Understanding the influence of the sheep breed and roughage source on the composition of rumen bacteria and methanogens is essential for optimizing roughage efficiency. The experiment employed a 2 × 2 factorial design. Twenty-four Dumont and Mongolian sheep (initial body weight of 18.

A unimolecule nanopesticide delivery system applied in field scale for enhanced pest control.

Nanopesticides provide immense potential in reducing pesticide use and promoting sustainable agriculture for their enhanced pesticidal efficacy. Nano-enabled delivery systems can enhance pesticide penetration into both insects and leaves through their unique nanoproperties, in particular their small size. However, it remains a great challenge to achieve unimolecular formulations in water-based processes in order to take full advantages of nanoproperties.

Tomato in the spotlight: Light regulation of whole-plant physiology in tomato.

The introduction of LED light in plant research and controlled environment agriculture has given a boost to understanding how light regulates tomato physiology. This paper reviews the regulation of whole-plant physiological processes in tomato by light. Emphasis is on morphogenesis, light interception, photosynthesis, source/sink interactions, assimilate partitioning, fruit set, fruit development, plant-water relations and how this controls plant growth and fruit quality.

Composted PBST Biodegradable Mulch Film Residues Enhance Crop Development: Insights into Microbial Community Assembly, Network Interactions, and Soil Metabolism.

Biodegradable mulch film (BDM) is regarded as a key solution to combat plastic mulch film pollution due to its ability to degrade completely into CO and HO through environmentally friendly microorganisms. However, commercial BDM often fails to degrade fully after use, leading to the accumulation of BDM residues in soil and their transformation into microplastics (MPs) via various processes, posing a threat to the soil ecosystem. Given these discrepancies between the theoretical and practical degradation performance of BDM, there is an urgent need to understand the impacts of BDM residues on plant growth and soil health.