A global dataset of biochar application effects on crop yield, soil properties, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Biochar application is widely studied to mitigate the threats of soil degradation to food security and climate change. However, there are big variations in the effects of biochar application on crops, soils, and the atmosphere during crop production. This study provides a global dataset of biochar application effects on crop yield, soil properties, and greenhouse emissions.

Towards a better understanding of atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) technology.

Atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) technology is an emerging sustainable development strategy to deal with global water scarcity. To better understand the current state of AWH technology development, we conducted a bibliometric analysis highlighting three water harvesting technologies (fog harvesting, condensation, and sorption). By comprehensively reviewing the research progress and performing a comparative assessment of these technologies, we summarized past achievements and critically analyzed the different technologies.

Comparative evaluation of soil accumulation of light stabilizers from biodegradable mulching films versus conventional polyethylene ones.

Light stabilizers are commonly used as additives in mulching films and have environmental persistence, bioaccumulation and ecotoxicity. However, their occurrence and distribution in mulching films and accumulation in mulched soils are seldom reported. This study firstly presents a comprehensive screening of 19 light stabilizers in 65 mulching films and 30 farmland soils collected in China, of which five and eight light stabilizers were 100% detected, respectively.

Side Lighting of Red, Blue and Green Spectral Combinations Altered the Growth, Yield and Quality of Lettuce ( L. cv. "Yidali") in Plant Factory.

A plant factory with artificial lighting (PFAL) usually uses top lighting for cultivation. The light from the upper part of the canopy cannot penetrate the entire lettuce canopy, however, resulting in uneven vertical spatial light in the canopy, and accelerating the senescence of both the bottom and side leaves of the plant canopy. Therefore, in this study, the performance of lettuce in hydroponics was investigated upon supplemental side lighting with different spectral LEDs in a PFAL.

Design and Synthesis of a Water-Based Nanodelivery Pesticide System for Improved Efficacy and Safety.

Developing an environmentally friendly and safe nanodelivery system is crucial to improve the efficacy of pesticides and minimize environmental and health risks. However, preparing a completely water-based nanopesticide without using harmful solvents is a technical challenge. In this study, a water-based nanodelivery pesticide system was constructed to improve the efficacy and safety of Emamectin Benzoate (EB).

Assessment and Exposure Analysis of Trace Metals in Different Age Groups of the Male Population in Southern Punjab, Pakistan.

In developing countries, like Pakistan, the pursuit of urbanization and economic development disrupts the delicate ecosystem, resulting in additional biogeochemical emissions of heavy metals into the human habitat and posing significant health risks. The levels of these trace elements in humans remain unknown in areas at higher risk of pollution in Pakistan. In this investigation, selected trace metals including Copper (Cu), Chromium (Cr), Lead (Pb) Cadmium (Cd), Cobalt (Co), Nickel (Ni), and Arsenic (As) were examined in human hair, urine, and nail samples of different age groups from three major cities (Muzaffargarh, Multan, and Vehari) in Punjab province, Pakistan.

Evidence for the transportation of aggregated microplastics in the symplast pathway of oilseed rape roots and their impact on plant growth.

As an emerging contaminant, microplastics are absorbed by crops, causing diverse impacts on plants. Plants may have different physiological responses to different uptake modes of microplastics various stage of growth. In this study, the distribution of polystyrene (PS) microspheres in the roots of oilseed rape and the physiological responses at different growth stages were investigated by confocal laser scanning microscope, scanning electron microscopy, and biochemical analysis.

The interaction of climate, plant, and soil factors drives putative soil fungal pathogen diversity and community structure in dry grasslands.

Soil pathogens play important roles in shaping soil microbial diversity and controlling ecosystem functions. Though climate and local environmental factors and their influences on fungal pathogen communities have been examined separately, few studies explore the relative contributions of these factors. This is particularly crucial in eco-fragile regions, which are more sensitive to environmental changes.

[Fraction Characteristic and Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Surface Sediments of the Yellow River Mainstream].

Heavy metals(HMs) are highly toxic and do not easily degrade in the environment. They can accumulate in the human body through the food chain, with serious impacts on the ecological environment and human health. In this study, 14 sampling sites along the mainstream of the Yellow River were investigated, and the total content and chemical fractions of six heavy metals(As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn) in sediments were analyzed.

A microencapsulation approach to design microbial seed coatings to boost wheat seed germination and seedling growth under salt stress.

Introduction: Salt stress in seed germination and early seedling growth is the greatest cause of crop loss in saline-alkali soils. Microbial seed coating is an effective way to promote plant growth and salt resistance, but these coatings suffer from poor seed adhesion and low survival rates under typical storage conditions.

Methods: In this study, the marine bacterium from kelp was isolated and microencapsulated with calcium alginate using the emulsion and internal gelation method.

Monitoring and Mapping Winter Wheat Spring Frost Damage with MODIS Data and Statistical Data.

Spring frost is an extreme temperature event that poses a significant threat to winter wheat production and consequently jeopardizes food security. In the context of climate change, the accelerated phenology of winter wheat due to global warming advances the frost-sensitive stage, thereby escalating the risk of spring frost damage. Present techniques for monitoring and assessing frost damage heavily rely on meteorological data, controlled field experiments and crop model simulations, which cannot accurately depict the actual disaster situation for winter wheat.

The reciprocity principle in mulch film deterioration and microplastic generation.

Plastic film mulching stands as a globally employed agricultural technology pivotal to agricultural progress. Nevertheless, the environmental degradation of plastic mulch films underscores their role as a major source of secondary plastic pollutants, particularly microplastics. While a growing body of research has drawn attention to the rising issue of microplastic pollution and its environmental implications stemming from the use of plastic mulch films, there remains a significant knowledge gap regarding the kinetics and rate-limiting mechanisms governing the generation of microplastics during processes driven by plastic photodegradation.

Cold acclimation alleviates photosynthetic inhibition and oxidative damage induced by cold stress in citrus seedlings.

Cold stress seriously inhibits plant growth and development, geographical distribution, and yield stability of plants. Cold acclimation (CA) is an important strategy for modulating cold stress, but the mechanism by which CA induces plant resistance to cold stress is still not clear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of CA treatment on the cold resistance of citrus seedlings under cold stress treatment, and to use seedlings without CA treatment as the control (NA).

High-Proportion Blue Light Irradiation at the End-of-Production Stage Promotes the Biosynthesis and Recycling of Ascorbate in Lettuce.

Ascorbate (AsA), an essential antioxidant for both plants and the human body, plays a vital role in maintaining proper functionality. Light plays an important role in metabolism of AsA in horticultural plants. Our previous research has revealed that subjecting lettuce to high light irradiation (HLI) (500 μmol·m·s) at the end-of-production (EOP) stage effectively enhances AsA levels, while the optimal light quality for AsA accumulation is still unknown.

Examining the Shift in the Decomposition Channel Structure of the Soil Decomposer Food Web: A Methods Comparison.

Selecting the appropriate indicators and measuring time point numbers is important for accurately examining the shift in soil gross decomposition channel structure. Through a selected case study on a natural forest vs. rainfed arable system over a two-month-long experiment, the utility of three commonly employed indicators (fungi to bacteria ratio (F:B), fungivore to bacterivore ratio (FF:BF), and glucosamine to muramic acid ratio (GlcN:MurN)) were compared to reflect the shift in soil gross decomposition channel structure.

Comprehensive study of the combined effects of biochar and iron-based conductive materials on alleviating long chain fatty acids inhibition in anaerobic digestion.

This study investigated the feasibility of alleviating the negative influence of long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) on anaerobic digestion by biochar, micron zero-valent iron, micron-magnetite (mFeO) and their combination. The results demonstrate that co-addition of biochar and 6 g/L mFeO (BC+6 g/L mFeO) increased cumulative methane production by 50% as suffered from LCFAs inhibition exerted by 2 g/L glycerol trioleate. The BC+6 g/L mFeO did best in accelerating total organic carbon degradation and volatile fatty acids conversion, through successively enriching Bacteroides, Corynebacterium, and DMER64 to dominant the bacterial community.

Variation of PM and PM in emissions and chemical compositions in different seasons from a manure-belt laying hen house.

Particulate matter (PM) emissions from animal houses and the corresponding hazard have raised increasing attention during recent years. In this study, a large-scale manure-belt laying hen house located in Beijing, China was selected as the experimental site for the study of the emission rates (ER) and chemical compositions of PM and PM in 3 seasons, namely, summer, autumn, and winter, to investigate their possible influences on ambient air quality and human health. The results showed that the mean ER from the hen house in summer, autumn, and winter were 9.

Microbial mechanism of biochar addition to reduce NO emissions from soilless substrate systems.

The soilless peat-based substrate partially solves the global soil problem in greenhouse vegetable production. However, it still produces serious NO emissions due to the application of nutrient solutions. The pyrolysis biochar is regarded as an effective measure to reduce soil NO emissions.

Impacts of climate change on climatically suitable regions of two invasive weeds in China.

Introduction: and are two ecologically destructive invasive plants from the Asteraceae family. Predicting the potential distribution pattern of two invasive alien weeds can provide a scientific basis for prevent the further spread of these two weeds in China under climate change.

Methods: Based on historical occurrence datasets and environmental variables, we optimized a MaxEnt model to predict the potential suitable habitats of and .

Biofilm formation promoted biodegradation of polyethylene in Gordonia polyisoprenivorans B251 isolated from bacterial enrichment acclimated by hexadecane for two years.

Polyethylene (PE) mulch films have been widely used in agriculture and led to a significant pollution in cultivated soils. It is desirable to develop the sustainable method for the degradation of PE. As an environment friendly approach, microbial or enzymatic degradation of PE could meet this demanding.

Keystone taxa of phoD-harboring bacteria mediate alkaline phosphatase activity during biochar remediation of Cd-contaminated soil.

Phosphorus (P)-modified biochar can efficiently remediate cadmium (Cd)-contaminated soil. However, the mechanisms of responses of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and phoD-harboring microorganisms, which are notably sensitive to Cd and P, are not clear during the remediation process. In this study, apple (Malus domestica) tree branches were co-pyrolyzed with tripotassium phosphate (KPO) to prepare P-modified biochar, which was used to remediate Cd-soil contaminated soil collected near a mine site.

Prioritized regional management for antibiotics and heavy metals in animal manure across China.

High levels of antibiotics and heavy metals in animal manure pose a potential threat to both the ecological environment and public health. A regional knowledge of their distribution and risk assessment across China remains unclear. A dataset containing 4082 records covering a total of forty-two antibiotics and eight heavy metals was established for animal manure across China.

Organic management increases beneficial microorganisms and promotes the stability of microecological networks in tea plantation soil.

Introduction: Organic agriculture is highly regarded by people for its commitment to health, ecology, care, and fairness. The soil microbial community responds quickly to environmental changes and is a good indicator for evaluating soil microecology. Therefore, from the perspective of soil microbial communities, elucidating the impact of organic management on soil microecology in tea plantations has great significance for improving local tea plantation systems.