Search

Microbial xylanase has wide application in bioenergy, animal feed, environmental protection, the pulp and paper industry, and agricultural development. In this study, three xylanases from the microbiota of T. fuciformis with its companion strains were identified by metagenomics sequencing. The three enzymes were subjected to cloning and expression in E. coli or P. pastoris, purification, and characterization for their properties. The results showed that AsXyn1, from Annulohypoxylon stygium, among the three enzymes possessed high thermostability at 40 °C and broad pH tolerance in the range of 2.0–10.0, exhibiting its application potential. Furthermore, it was found that post-translational modification (such as glycosylation) of AsXyn1 enzyme modulated its activity, kinetic parameters, and thermostability. These results and findings provided a hint for enzyme modification and design in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need to address the complex exchanges between natural resource efficiency and economic growth has become increasingly discussed in worldwide strategies and position papers. Resource depletion, environmental challenges and climate change are just a few topics related to fast industrialization and economic expansion. The question is how information regarding crops, climatic factors, or solutions used in plant treatment are managed. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the scientific environment regarding quantitative indicators and models for the assessment of sustainable agriculture practices. The study is based on a bibliometric analysis made using Web of science database and processing using biblioshiny environment from R package. The most relevant works and influential authors in the field of quantitative modelling for sustainable agriculture were identified and a set of indicators and metrics for evaluating efforts in transitioning towards sustainability were synthetised. Integrating practical data into quantitative models can provide insights into trends, correlations, or even predictions, and the results obtained serve as inputs for decision-makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the current situation as regards the circular economy in agriculture in Romania, while also taking into consideration its global impact. We have here a system globally endorsed by the United Nations. It is also important for regional organisations such as the European Union or la Francophonie as the circular economy seems to have a high number of advantages in tackling climate change, creating a sustainable food chain, improving the organic character of the agriculture, etc. From that perspective Romania represents an interesting case study as it is both a European Union member state and a member of the Francophonie. It thus follows both sets of rules and recommendations in order to improve its status. The paper uses the bibliographic method and reviews the main documents that settle this aspect and presents the legal framework for circular economy. The put into practice of the circular economy in the Romanian agriculture would bring a series of advantages (environment, food safety, etc.) while also requiring systemic transformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As we race towards 2030, the target date for achieving the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, it is critical that we examine our approaches to agricultural development research and practice. We should not expect extraordinary results by using the approaches we have always used. Rather, we must innovate. To that end, Advancements in Agricultural Development held a Symposium on Methods of Agricultural Development Research and Practice in October 2023 on the University of Reading campus, co-hosted by the School of Agriculture, Policy and Development. We invited recognized experts from around the world to develop papers focused on innovative methods of agricultural development practice or innovative methods of agricultural development research. We had ten papers presented that were authored by 26 researchers representing 13 universities/research institutes in 6 countries. Sixteen authors attended the symposium to present their papers. A healthy dialogue followed each presentation to help authors refine their papers, resulting in the articles published in this special issue. A summary of each article is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural communities face problems related to depopulation, lack of jobs, weak digital infrastructure, decline of basic public services. LEADER is an initiative to support rural communities, which takes shape in a Local Development Strategy with a role in using local resources in a way that meets the needs identified in the territory. The support of projects for smart villages must be encouraged through local development strategies that pursue various fields: reducing the depopulation of villages, providing quality services, developing local services, promoting digitization. The paper proposes the role that the LEADER intervention belonging to the Strategic Plan, which is one of the instruments of the European Union, can contribute to supporting these rural development projects, which can represent local initiatives and which can benefit from funding sources that will contribute to the identification of strategies and future solutions to promote smart villages. The information used in the work was collected, processed and interpreted starting from data belonging to the Bureau for the Financing of Rural Investments, along with insights from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, converge in a rich tapestry of thought at the paper's conclusion. Here, they weave forward-thinking strategies for the cultivation of smart villages, which are envisioned as vibrant oases capable of elevating the quality of life for rural dwellers. These innovative settlements promise to champion the cause of sustainable rural development, casting a verdant future where community and sustainability flourish side by side. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the most active field in China's economic development, the digital economy is crucial to the high-quality development of enterprises. Taking Chinese-listed agricultural enterprises as research samples, this paper discusses the effect of the digital economy on promoting the high-quality development of agricultural enterprises and the mechanism behind it from the perspective of total factor productivity of enterprises. The study found that the digital economy significantly promoted the improvement of total factor productivity of agricultural enterprises and enabled the high-quality development of agricultural enterprises, and this conclusion remained valid after controlling for endogeneity and conducting robustness tests. In terms of action mechanisms, the digital economy is conducive to promoting green innovation and promoting the high-quality development of agricultural enterprises; However, entrepreneurial activity has a masking effect. Further analysis shows that the digital economy plays a more significant role in promoting non-resource-intensive agricultural enterprises located in northern China. At the same time, the higher the industrial structure and financial development level of the region, the more positive impact the digital economy can play. This study verifies the impact mechanism of the digital economy on the high-quality development of agricultural enterprises and provides enlightenment for China's the digital economy policy-making and enterprises' the high-quality development strategy decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pressurized irrigation network systems constitute an important water-saving approach, but their relatively high costs limit their promotion. Pipe diameter optimization is the most direct way to reduce irrigation costs and can bring significant economic benefits. In recent years, material technology developments have improved networks' impact resistance, resulting in traditional flow velocity constraints no longer applying to current network designs, and appropriately increasing the velocity has become an engineering requirement. In addition, with the update of engineering construction standards, the location of pipe diameter changes is no longer limited to pipe section connections and is allowed to change between standard pipes. Therefore, this paper removes the constraint of the upper limit of flow velocity, defines it as a factor related to the maintenance cost of the network, and establishes a pipe section optimization model. Further, this paper changes the minimum optimization unit from pipe sections to standard pipes and establishes a standard pipe optimization model. The results show that compared with traditional optimization methods, the pipe section optimization model that deletes the upper velocity limit can reduce costs by 5.1%, in which the velocity will not increase infinitely but will be stable within a reasonable range. The standard pipe optimization model can reduce irrigation costs by 12.1%. It is worth noting that the two models were optimized to balance the head loss; their energy costs did not change significantly with the reduction in pipe diameter. In addition, this paper changes the structure of the traditional algorithm and designs a structure of double selection and parallel variation, achieving a faster and more accurate solution than the classic genetic algorithm. Practical Applications: Smart irrigation is an irrigation method based on advanced technology and data analysis that can manage water resources more accurately and efficiently. As an essential part of smart irrigation, pressure networks have the characteristics of saving water resources, improving the water utilization coefficient, and facilitating management and control. Their promotion can promote the development of agriculture. However, high network costs limit the popularity of smart network irrigation. Therefore, this study is based on the latest material technology, cancels the upper limit of flow velocity, and establishes a pipe section optimization model. Furthermore, this paper changes the minimum optimization unit from pipe sections to standard pipes and establishes a standard pipe optimization model. The research results show that the standard pipe optimization model can significantly reduce irrigation costs. This has practical significance for increasing farmers' income and promoting the development of smart pipeline irrigation. In addition, this paper changes the structure of the traditional algorithm and designs a structure of double selection and parallel variation, achieving a faster and more accurate solution than the classic genetic algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable agricultural economic development is the core task for achieving the objective of rural revitalization strategy in China, which cannot be separated from the support and guidance of fiscal policy, and agricultural industry integration is a key path for the fiscal promotion of sustainable agricultural economic development. This paper systematically examines the interaction mechanism between fiscal agricultural expenditures and sustainable agricultural economic development by using 31 provincial panel data in China from 2008 to 2020 and adopting a two-way fixed effect model, a panel quantile model, and a mediating effect model, respectively. The results show that the impact of fiscal agricultural expenditures on sustainable agricultural economic development is significantly positive, and appears a dynamic increasing trend with the agricultural development stage upgrading. Moreover, heterogeneity analysis shows that the effect of fiscal agricultural expenditures is more obvious for the samples in the central region and with a high share of primary industry. Further, a mediating effect test finds that agricultural industry integration plays a mediating mechanism between fiscal agricultural expenditures and sustainable agricultural economic development. Therefore, this paper proposes constructing a long-term investment mechanism for fiscal agricultural expenditures, formulating differentiated fiscal support policies for agriculture, and prioritizing support for agricultural industry integration, which provides theoretical support and policy inspiration for promoting sustainable agricultural economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of maize diseases is frequent but challenging to manage. Traditional identification methods have low accuracy and complex model structures with numerous parameters, making them difficult to implement on mobile devices. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a corn leaf disease recognition model SNMPF based on convolutional neural network ShuffleNetV2. In the down-sampling module of the ShuffleNet model, the max pooling layer replaces the deep convolutional layer to perform down-sampling. This improvement helps to extract key features from images, reduce the overfitting of the model, and improve the model's generalization ability. In addition, to enhance the model's ability to express features in complex backgrounds, the Sim AM attention mechanism was introduced. This mechanism enables the model to adaptively adjust focus and pay more attention to local discriminative features. The results on a maize disease image dataset demonstrate that the SNMPF model achieves a recognition accuracy of 98.40%, representing a 4.1 percentage point improvement over the original model, while its size is only 1.56 MB. Compared with existing convolutional neural network models such as EfficientNet, MobileViT, EfficientNetV2, RegNet, and DenseNet, this model offers higher accuracy and a more compact size. As a result, it can automatically detect and classify maize leaf diseases under natural field conditions, boasting high-precision recognition capabilities. Its accurate identification results provide scientific guidance for preventing corn leaf disease and promote the development of precision agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant pests and diseases are important parts of insect disease control and the high-quality development of agriculture. Traditional methods for identifying plant diseases and pests suffer from low accuracy and slow speed, while the existing machine learning methods are constrained by environmental and technological factors, leading to low recognition efficiency. To address the issue of the above problems, this paper has proposed an intelligent recognition algorithm based on the improved YOLOv8 model, which has high recognition accuracy and speed. Firstly, in the Backbone network, the Global Attention Mechanism (GAM) is adopted to weigh the important feature information, thereby improving the accuracy of the model. Secondly, in the mixed feature part of the Neck network, the Receptive-Field Attention Convolutional (RFA Conv) operation is used instead of standard convolution operations to enhance the processing ability for feature information and to reduce computational complexity and costs, thus improving the network performance. After verifying the rice and cotton datasets, the accuracy indicator mean average precision (mAP) reaches 71.27% and 82.91%, respectively, in the two different datasets. Comparing these indices with those of the Faster R-CNN, YOLOv7, and the original YOLOv8 model, the results fully demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the improved model in terms of detection accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reasonable allocation of grain production factors is of vital importance to food security and agricultural development. To assess the impact of agricultural factor misallocation on food security, this paper, based on the panel data from China spanning from 2005 to 2019, conducted a comprehensive evaluation of agricultural factor misallocation and food security coefficients across 31 provinces in China, using a spatial Durbin model to examine the effects of factor misallocations on food security. The findings are as follows: (1) Production factor misallocation has significant negative impacts on food security, among them, capital misallocation and labor misallocation inhibiting food security in the local and neighboring areas, and land misallocation has a significant negative impact on food security in local areas, while its spatial spillover effect is no longer significant. (2) Mechanism analysis shows that capital misallocation and labor misallocation hinder the development of transportation infrastructure and the transfer of rural labor, thereby reducing food security. Land misallocation has accelerated the construction of transportation infrastructure, promoted the migration of rural labor, and helped ensure food security. (3) The regional heterogeneity test reveals that capital misallocation and labor misallocation hinder food security in major grain-producing areas and both sides of the Hu Huanyong Line (Hu Line). Meanwhile, land misallocation hinders food security development in various grain-producing areas, as well as the southeast of the Hu Line. Based on the above conclusions, this paper proposes suggestions to improve the efficiency of land and labor resource allocation, accelerate the construction of transportation infrastructure, and encourage the transfer speed of surplus agricultural labor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since entering the 21st century, many developing countries around the world have begun to enter a stage of rapid urbanization; large-scale "rural-urban" population migration has become a typical social phenomenon in these countries. Against this backdrop, this paper aims to elucidate the spatial migration characteristics of rural populations and to discuss future rural–urban development strategies. For this purpose, this paper takes China as a case and employs methods such as spatial autocorrelation analysis, hotspot analysis, and network analysis to construct an intercity migration network of rural migrants and analyze its spatial characteristics and internal structure. The results indicate that the migration pattern of the rural population exhibits notable spatial clustering features. Cities in the eastern and central regions are, respectively, hotspots for the inflow and outflow of rural populations, with internal migration dominating in western cities and relatively inactive rural population movements in northeastern cities. Municipalities directly under the central government, sub-provincial cities, and provincial capitals show a significant tendency to attract rural populations, while prefecture-level and county-level cities mainly radiate rural populations outward. Cities nationwide form seven major clusters in the migration network, and these clusters exhibit distinct structural characteristics. Rural population migration is influenced by various factors. In the future, considerations should focus on the county as the primary unit, attracting rural populations for local employment, and promoting rural revitalization and agriculture development. The findings of this paper are of reference significance not only to China but also to many developing countries with similar national conditions in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper introduces a novel approach by combining a Backpropagation (BP) neural network with a non-angular and non-radial directional distance function to construct a BPNN-DDF model. This innovative model evaluates, decomposes, and analyzes China's agricultural sector's carbon emission rate across nine key subregions between 2010 and 2021. The key findings of this study are that China's agricultural carbon emission rate is decreasing, primarily due to technological advancements rather than technological efficiency. Subregions with robust economies and stable climates exhibit higher carbon emission efficiency, whereas those with underdeveloped economies, low agricultural technology, and volatile climates show relatively lower efficiency. The Dagum Gini coefficient analysis reveals a widening disparity in carbon emission rates among agricultural subregions, escalating from 0.174 in 2010 to 0.425 in 2021, indicating a growing gap between subregions that demands immediate attention. The kernel density distribution demonstrates an overall upward trend in China's carbon emission efficiency but also highlights an increasing divergence among subregions, particularly between the South China Area, the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, and other regions. Therefore, this paper posits that strategies focusing on technological progress, sustainable agricultural development, regional development initiatives, and addressing inter-subregional imbalances will be crucial pathways for China's future low-carbon agricultural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Agrometeorology is the property of Editorial Board of Chinese Journal of Agrometeorology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

With the development of smart agriculture, autopilot technology is being used more and more widely in agriculture. Because most of the current global path planning only considers the shortest path, it is difficult to meet the articulated steering tractor operation needs in the orchard environment and address other issues, so this paper proposes a hybrid algorithm of an improved bidirectional search A* algorithm and improved differential evolution genetic algorithm(AGADE). First, the integrated priority function and search method of the traditional A* algorithm are improved by adding weight influence to the integrated priority, and the search method is changed to a bidirectional search. Second, the genetic algorithm fitness function and search strategy are improved; the fitness function is set as the path tree row center offset factor; the smoothing factor and safety coefficient are set; and the search strategy adopts differential evolution for cross mutation. Finally, the shortest path obtained by the improved bidirectional search A* algorithm is used as the initial population of an improved differential evolution genetic algorithm, optimized iteratively, and the optimal path is obtained by adding kinematic constraints through a cubic B-spline curve smoothing path. The convergence of the AGADE hybrid algorithm and GA algorithm on four different maps, path length, and trajectory curve are compared and analyzed through simulation tests. The convergence speed of the AGADE hybrid algorithm on four different complexity maps is improved by 92.8%, 64.5%, 50.0%, and 71.2% respectively. The path length is slightly increased compared with the GA algorithm, but the path trajectory curve is located in the center of the tree row, with fewer turns, and it meets the articulated steering tractor operation needs in the orchard environment, proving that the improved hybrid algorithm is effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Digital agricultural technology service has the characteristics of high efficiency, convenience and flexibility, and plays an important role in the process of Chinese agricultural digitalization, which is of great significance for realizing the modernization and intelligent development of agricultural production. Methods: Based on micro-survey data of small-scale farmers in Sichuan Province, this study utilizes the OLS method and the mediation effect model to investigate the impact of digital agricultural technology services on farmers' willingness to adopt digital production technologies and its underlying mechanisms. Results: The results indicate that digital agricultural technology services effectively enhance farmers' willingness to adopt digital production technologies, especially among those engaged in cooperative. Further analysis of mechanisms suggests that digital agricultural technology services influence farmers' choices of household production and management methods by expanding their information channels, enhancing their cognition of digital production technologies, and facilitating access to technology. Moreover, heterogeneous analysis reveals significant differences in the willingness of farmers with varying levels of digital literacy to adopt digital production technologies. Digital agricultural technology services have a more pronounced impact on the willingness of highly digitally literate farmers. Discussion: The findings of this paper deepen our comprehension of the operational mechanisms of digital agricultural technology services in the context of agricultural development, and advocate for policy recommendations such as enhancing the supply of digital agricultural technology services, strengthening the role of new agricultural entities, improving farmers' digital literacy training, and enhancing policy support systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the main service mode and management mode of socialized service, agricultural production trusteeship services (APTS) are an important way to realize the tight link between farmers and modern agricultural development, which is highly important for ensuring national food security. By constructing a utility model of farmers, this paper deduces the decision-making mechanism of farmers' APTS from the dual mechanism of natural risk and non-agricultural employment income (NAEI) and uses the survey data of 956 farmers in the three northeastern provinces to verify the empirical results by using multivariate logit (Mlogit) and propensity score matching (PSM) methods. The research shows that natural risk hinders farmers' choice of the APTS; NAEI has a positive impact on APST, and an increase in NAEI weakens the negative effect of natural risk on the choice of the APTS, and has an enhanced moderating effect. In addition, the scale heterogeneity analysis revealed that the impacts of natural risk and NAEI on farmers of different scales are significantly different. The NAEI adjustment effect has the greatest impact on small-scale farmers, followed by medium-scale farmers. In view of this, the government should stabilize the nonagricultural employment market and improve the nonagricultural employment opportunities of farmers. APTS organizations should transfer natural risks and improve the agricultural insurance system. According to the differences of different scales of farmers, different promotion policies are formulated, and the expansion of management and deepening services is proposed to further promote the development of APTS and consolidate the foundation of food security in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's agricultural economy has been hindered by insufficient accumulation of agricultural capital and credit constraints. It is worth investigating whether China's county financial marketization reform policy can alleviate these constraints and promote high-quality development of the agricultural economy (HQDAE). This paper presents an empirical analysis of the impact of county financial marketization reform on the HQDAE, based on county panel data. The focus is on the mechanism of county urbanization in the above relationship. The results show that county financial marketization has a significant non-linear impact on the HQDAE. Specifically, it has a 'U-shaped' impact on the overall growth of the agricultural economy and an inverted 'N-shaped' impact on the quality improvement of the agricultural economy. Secondly, the relationship between county financial marketization and the HQDAE is influenced by a threshold effect based on the level of county urbanization. As the level of county urbanization increases, the promoting effect of county financial marketization on HQDAE also increases significantly. Additionally, county financial marketization helps to promote county urbanization and accelerate urban-rural integration, which in turn leads to HQDAE. The research in this paper suggests that county-level local governments should promote a differentiated county financial system. In the early stages of financial market-oriented reform, the government should enhance the capacity of financial services in rural areas through tax breaks, policy incentives, and other measures to prevent financial leakage from agriculture. In the later stages of financial marketization reform, the government should strengthen financial supervision to prevent financial resources from being diverted from industry to capital. Moreover, to achieve the HQDAE, it is necessary to promote county financial market-oriented reform and accelerate the construction of county urbanization. This will help break the dual economic structure of urban and rural areas and promote the flow of financial capital, technology, and human capital from county cities to rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating drones in Indian agriculture presents a transformative potential, ushering in a new era of sustainable farming practices. In India, various incidents tell a story of how pesticides, seeds, and many more applications, once deemed a boon for agricultural progress, have gradually unfolded into a complex web of ecological and health challenges. Presently, the case of drones for spraying purposes in agriculture brings forth compiling advantages. These include enhanced precision in results, alleviation of the diverse adverse effects linked with manual spraying methods, operational feasibility in inclement weather conditions, utility in cultivating tall-standing crops and addressing the complexities of manual spraying for crops such as paddy and sugarcane. This paper explores the role of drones in promoting spraying applications in Indian agriculture. The study addresses two research questions: how can the utilisation of drones for spraying applications contribute to the sustainability of Indian agriculture, and how can drone-assisted spraying applications contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Indian agriculture? To accomplish this, a responsible innovation approach is adopted as a theoretical framework to explore the dimensions of innovations in drone mounted spraying in Indian agriculture, juxtaposed by erratic weather conditions and knitted by diverse values and norms. The snowball sampling technique was employed to identify the interviewees and collect qualitative data. For this, in-depth interviews were conducted in person or by using Zoom. The findings suggest that efficiency, capability, effectiveness, gender equality, trust, and accuracy are certain values embedded in drone technology that assist in achieving the SDGs in Indian agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the paper was to assess the impact of climate changes on agricultural development and food security in Ukraine and Slovakia using statistical data from Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic, State Statistics Service of Ukraine, Eurostat, Food and Agriculture Organization and other sources. The comparison method was used to evaluate changes in agricultural development indicators, as well as climate changes in 1998-2021 in Ukraine and Slovakia. The main indicators of agricultural development used in the research were agricultural raw materials exports(%), agricultural raw materials imports (%), agriculture value added (% of GDP), agriculture value added (annual % growth), agriculture value added (current US$), cereal production (metric tons), cereal yield (kg per hectare), crop production index, food production index. Correlation and regression equations were used to establish the relationship between climatic factors and agricultural development indicators. The multiple correlations between air temperature and indicators of agricultural development was r=0.75 for Ukraine, r=0.69 for Slovakia. Using neuromodeling tools, the indicators of cereal production volumes and cereals yields in Ukraine and Slovakia in 2024-2033 were predicted. Tables were used to summarize the results. In conclusion, it should be noted that climatic conditions should be analyzed in each sector of crop production, and measures should be taken to adapt technologies for the gradual expansion of obligations for the production and export of agricultural products to world markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A century ago the New Age philosopher Dr Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) called for the development of a differentiated. agriculture, one focussed on biology rather than chemistry. At his Agriculture Course at Koberwitz (now Kobierzyce), in the summer of 1924, Steiner founded the Experimental Circle of Anthroposophical Farmers and Gardeners. The Experimental Circle members each signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). Their task was to test Steiner's ideas, establish what worked, and to publish the results. That injunction was arguably satisfied by the publication of Ehrenfried Pfeiffer's book 'Bio-Dynamic Farming and Gardening' in 1938. The results reported in the present paper are Experimental Circle results that were subject to the secrecy provisions of the NDA at that time (1936), and are now finally revealed. Immanuel Voegele (1897-1959) recorded yields for five crops under Biodynamic (BD) management in the years 1931-1933, comparing these results to yields in the pre-BD years 1920-1926. He reported yield increases for potatoes to 55%, rye up to 48%, oats to 31%, wheat to 14%, and barley to 9%. Voegele was well credentialed and grounded to report on Biodynamics. He had studied agriculture at Stuttgart, he attended the Agricultural Course of Rudolf Steiner at Koberwitz, and he was an inaugural member of the Experimental Circle. Voegele had served as a farm manager at the Koberwitz estate of Count Carl Keyserlingk (1869-1928) (until 1925). He subsequently worked at the Biodynamic farm of Ernst Stegemann (1882-1943) at Marienstein. The present paper reports longitudinal yield results for five crops at Voegele's farm at Pilgramshain, Silesia, Germany, before and after the conversion to BD. These early BD yield data were shared amongst 'the faithful' at the time, and only now publicly. From the high point of his reported successes with BD, life and prospects for Voegele would rapidly deteriorate. The Nazi regime was hostile to Rudolf Steiner, Anthroposophy, and Anthroposophic ventures (of which Biodynamics was one). All books by Rudolf Steiner were banned by the Nazis in 1935 (including the Agriculture Course). Germany invaded Poland in 1939 and slaughtered millions of Polish civilians, before eventually in 1945 the Russian Army routed the Nazi army. The Russians marched on 'Fortress Breslau' and on to Berlin, sparking a mass westward exodus of Germans, including Immanuel Voegele. Territory, including Pilgramshain, was relinquished to Poland at the Potsdam Conference of 1945. Immanuel Voegele's legacy of reported successes with Biodynamics at a time when secrecy prevailed is now shared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable agricultural progress is one of the world's greatest challenges in the twenty-first century as the global population is estimated to rise to over nine billion by 2050. Over the years, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the African Union (AU) have sought prosperous African Policies based on sustainable agriculture and inclusive growth. Additionally, the AU has adopted the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) policy framework. Given the growing need for innovative policies and studies to reduce the negative environmental effects of agricultural development in Africa, this paper investigates the significance of green finance and digital technologies on green agricultural growth in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) from 2003 to 2018. Analysis of panel co-integration estimates indicates all variables are integrated. Using the panel-corrected standard errors estimator for long-run equilibrium co-integration assessment, the outcomes indicate mitigated green finance (MGF), internet and mobile phone use (IMU), as well as sustainable energy utilization (RE), individually and collectively exert a positive effect on agriculture, forestry and fishing value added (AVA). Additionally, panel causality estimates indicate (i) a bi-directional causality between MGF and AVA. (ii) A uni-directional causality running from IMU towards AVA without any rebound effect. For policy insights, the AU could urge member states to implement macro-policies to increase agricultural green credit to sustain food production and employment generation. Similarly, the FAO and AU could provide technical support in digital agricultural research and value chains towards ensuring sustainable agriculture development in SSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitization is becoming the key to achieving rural revitalization, and there is a complex inter-active relationship with farmer enrichment, and agriculture development, making it highly valued by governments around the world. Quantitatively evaluating the symbiotic relationship between rural digitization, farmer enrichment, and agricultural development, and reveal the driving mechanism behind them, which can provide evidence for the rural government, agricultural enterprises, and relevant stakeholders. This paper conducts an empirical study of 84 digital village national pilots in China based on coupling coordination model and geographically weighted regression, with focus on the spatial characteristics, symbiotic relationship and driving mechanisms of the pilots. The symbiotic relationship between rural digitization, farmer enrichment, and agriculture development has significant heterogeneity, with most of the pilots in coordination state. The driving mechanism of rural digitization, farmer enrichment, agriculture development, and symbiotic relationship were complicated, with significant heterogeneity and synergy in the driving forces of different factors, and special attention should be paid to spatial effects (the nature and intensity of regression coefficients in local regions) in the policy design and implementation. It is worth noting that population aging mainly plays a negative role, while industrialization, government support, resident capacity plays a positive role. The other factors play both positive and negative roles. Income gap between urban and rural residents, population aged 65 and above, financial self-sufficiency are the most critical factors. We suggest developing differentiated management policy, accurate management policy, and integrated management policy, which can provide a basis for digital village and smart village planning, construction and management in China. In view of the significant differences in rural digitalization and its driving mechanisms in different pilots as shown in the study, it is necessary to design differentiated spatial policies according to local conditions, to design accurate management policies based on the driving effects of key single factors, and to design integrated development policies by taking into account the interactive effects of multiple factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to provide a scientific basis for the development of county-level agricultural industries through a comprehensive evaluation of the environmental and economic benefits of agricultural products. Focusing on Hancheng City in Shaanxi Province, this paper calculates and analyzes the carbon emission intensity per unit output value and the economic benefits of major agricultural products, assessing their comprehensive advantage indices. The research methods include data collection, data processing, and model construction, utilizing a bi-factor matrix analysis to explore the balance between environmental sustainability and economic profitability of different agricultural products. The results indicate that pepper and vegetables have the highest comprehensive advantages, demonstrating significant economic and environmental benefits, while soybeans show lower comprehensive advantages, requiring improvements in cultivation techniques and management practices. Based on the research findings, this paper proposes policy and management recommendations for different agricultural products, including focusing on the development of high-comprehensive-advantage products, improving cultivation techniques for low-comprehensive-advantage products, promoting green agricultural technologies, establishing a carbon footprint monitoring system for agricultural products, and strengthening agricultural infrastructure construction. The study's conclusions provide theoretical support and practical guidance for the agricultural development strategies of Hancheng City and similar regions, contributing to the achievement of sustainable agricultural development and carbon reduction goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging climate-development processes jeopardize water supply, especially in the Global South. In the Vietnamese Mekong Delta, disrupted water flows driven by climate change and hydropower development have caused water scarcity, threatening agricultural systems in both upstream and coastal areas. Based on insights from desk reviews, stakeholder workshops and interviews with local informants, this paper argues that while grey (engineered) solutions take precedence in addressing water scarcity, securing water sustainability (water retention) for agricultural resilience demands integrated 'grey–green' (engineered-nature-based) solutions. This paper suggests demands for translating this approach into the water governance framework for the delta's agricultural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the relationship between income inequality and consumption, utilizing panel data from rural China over a span of four years to validate the application of relative income theory in the domain of food consumption. Food consumption represents a significant portion of expenditures for the low-income demographic and is of vital importance to China's food security and agricultural development. To ascertain the impact of income inequality on food consumption, this paper employs a bi-directional fixed-effects model, a mediation effect model, and machine learning causal analysis methods. Utilizing four years of rural resident survey data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey database, the study empirically tests the effect of income inequality on various types of food consumption, the channels through which it operates, and the heterogeneity among different income groups and educational backgrounds. The findings indicate that (1) income inequality within rural communities positively influences food consumption, and this conclusion remains robust under endogeneity treatment and robustness checks, positively affecting the transformation of food consumption and healthy intake; (2) income inequality among rural residents promotes food consumption through two mediating channels: the "demonstration effect" and the "ratchet effect;" (3) the impact of income inequality on food consumption exhibits heterogeneity among rural residents of different income levels and educational backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anthrax is a zoonotic disease that is still regarded as a public health issue in developing nations. This paper aims to discuss the epidemiology of anthrax in Africa, the current outbreaks in Ghana and Nigeria, clinical presentations, diagnosis, and treatment of anthrax, challenges associated with the transmission of the disease to both countries and recommendations to reduce this current outbreak and curb future outbreaks in Africa. Online databases (PubMed, and Google Scholar) and Nigeria Ministry of Agriculture report were used to provide detailed information on the paper. On June 1, 2023, two suspected human cases of anthrax were reported, via a letter sent to all stakeholders in the country, with one death in Binduri District, Upper East region of Ghana. The cases were due to the consumption of dead cattle. Four cattle were reported dead at the time, and eleven suspected human cases were identified through contact tracing. Afterward, on July 17, 2023, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Nigeria announced the first case of anthrax disease in Nigeria. The National Veterinary Research Institute confirmed the case from samples collected from a suspected livestock farm in Niger State, Nigeria. No human case has been reported. Short conclusion: Anthrax poses significant challenges to public health and requires cooperation between nations, especially in regions like Ghana and Nigeria, where animal movement and ecological changes can impact disease transmission. Challenges attributed to the spread of anthrax in both countries were discussed, focusing on the role of government and the general public in addressing this public health concern. Given the endemicity of certain transboundary animal diseases such as anthrax in sub-Saharan Africa, the control of animal movement across intra- and international borders in the region needs to be tightened. Regulations governing the transboundary movement of animals should be based on the World Organisation of Animal Health Terrestrial Code and should be strictly enforced to prevent ongoing and future outbreaks in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spread of ill information with or without the intention of deceiving or causing harm has negatively impacted agricultural development both in social and digital spaces. This has led to a lack of trust in adopting new technologies and practices, which has hindered the process of facilitating agricultural development. Although the study of agri-food misinformation is still in its early stages, this paper draws on a scoping review of existing literature and lessons learned from other fields, such as political science and public health, which have extensive experience in combating misinformation in social settings. The article explores how Farmer Field Schools (FFS), a popular participatory and community-based approach, can incorporate media literacy education and how a local agricultural information hub, platform approach and a relatively new approach called technology stewardship in agricultural extension can help those working in the agri-food industry combat misinformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae is the property of Uniwerystet Kardynala Stefana Wyznskiege w Warzawie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Green agricultural development opens up a feasible way for China to construct sustainable communities and promote rural revitalization strategies. However, a clear gap on the subject sets apart various regions in China, resulting in off-balance development. This paper, based on the panel data from 31 provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions) in China from 2013 to 2020, established an evaluation index system for China's green agricultural development levels, measured the green agricultural development in different regions, and applied the log(t) model, the Ordered Probit model, and the Ordered Logit model to identify convergence trends and causes of China's green agricultural development level club convergence, respectively. Our research found the following: (1) The green agricultural development levels in various regions in China are on the rise, and regional gaps are still significant. The output of green agricultural products is the focus of various regions in promoting green agricultural development. (2) The green agricultural development levels in China's 31 provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions) have converged to four clubs. China is gradually forming a convergence pattern of green agricultural development levels, with the main agricultural production areas as the core. (3) The regional gap at the level of environmental regulation for green agricultural development first narrows, then expands, and then narrows. The intensity of environmental regulation in most areas is in the first stage. This indicates that China should continue to maintain the current intensity and promote green agricultural development levels to converge towards high-level clubs. In addition, the GDP, grain production area, fiscal support for agriculture, and rural human capital can narrow the gaps in green agricultural development levels between regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the background of the continuous progress of China's agricultural reform, the development of characteristic agriculture is an important field of agricultural development in the country and even the world. Yunnan has unique advantages in geography, location, climate, and human resources, and has unique conditions for the development of agriculture with plateau characteristic. However, the sustainable development of agriculture with plateau characteristic is affected and restricted by many factors. How to promote the sustainable development of agriculture with plateau characteristic is an important research topic, and it is also the main purpose of this study. Therefore, through literature analysis and investigation, this study studies the advantages and disadvantages, development status, main problems, countermeasures and suggestions, macro development direction, and theoretical research methods of characteristic agriculture in the Yunnan plateau. This paper analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of the Decision-making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and the Adversarial Interpretation Structure Modeling Method (AISM) and proposes to combine the two models to make up for each other and improve the accuracy of model analysis. On this basis, a set of identification and evaluation systems of factors affecting the sustainable development of agriculture with plateau characteristic is established, which can comprehensively and accurately identify and evaluate various influencing factors, and provide a scientific basis for the sustainable development of agriculture with plateau characteristic. Finally, combined with the relevant statistical data of Yunnan Province from 2009 to 2020 and many results calculated by the model, the factors affecting the sustainable development of agriculture with plateau characteristic were comprehensively analyzed. The results show that transportation, environment, and insurance support factors are the root factors that affect the sustainable development of agriculture with plateau characteristic, while the regional economy, scientific and technological support, and the development of agricultural enterprises are of high importance. Financial support, the level of agricultural mechanization, the quality of labor, and other factors can not be ignored. Finally, according to the results of the analysis, the corresponding policy recommendations are put forward to provide a reference for the sustainable development of plateau characteristic agriculture in Yunnan Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the new challenges and crises facing agriculture, digitalization and green transformation have become important ways to solve the problems. This paper uses an international economics perspective to chart a new path for sustainable agricultural development. Specifically, it analyzes whether two-way international direct investment (FDI) can facilitate agricultural digital-green fusion(DGF)? Using a sample of 31 provinces (autonomous regions) from 2012 to 2021, this study finds: (1) Two-way FDI can significantly contribute to agriculture's DGF. (2) In the mechanism test, it is proved that two-way FDI can promote agriculture's DGF level by promoting green technology innovation capacity and overall regional technology innovation capacity. (3) The positive effects of two-way FDI are prominent in the eastern and central regions, coastal regions, and economically developed areas. (4) In the spatial Durbin model, the local two-way FDI growth improves agriculture's DGF level in the surrounding areas to a certain extent. The government is advised to prioritize openness, foster an environment for technological innovation, leverage spatial radiation for agricultural DGF, and advance digitally empowered agricultural modernization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The conventional manual grading of vegetables poses challenges that necessitate innovative solutions. In this context, our paper proposes a deep learning methodology for vegetable quality grading. Methods: To address the scarcity of vegetable datasets, we constructed a unique dataset comprising 3,600 images of diverse vegetables, including lettuce, broccoli, tomatoes, garlic, bitter melon, and Chinese cabbage. We present an improved CA-EfficientNet-CBAM model for vegetable quality grading. The CA module replaces the squeeze-and-excitation (SE) module in the MobileNet convolution (MBConv) structure of the EfficientNet model. Additionally, a channel and spatial attention module (CBAM) is integrated before the final layer, accelerating model training and emphasizing nuanced features. Results: The enhanced model, along with comparisons to VGGNet16, ResNet50, and DenseNet169, was subjected to ablation experiments. Our method achieved the highest classification accuracy of 95.12% on the cabbage vegetable image test set, outperforming VGGNet16, ResNet50, and DenseNet169 by 8.34%, 7%, and 4.29%, respectively. Notably, the proposed method effectively reduced the model's parameter count. Discussion: Our experimental results highlight the effectiveness of the deep learning approach in improving vegetable quality grading accuracy. The superior performance of the enhanced EfficientNet model underscores its potential for advancing the field, achieving both high classification accuracy and parameter efficiency. We hope this aligns with your expectations. If there are further adjustments or clarifications needed, please let us know. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Improving agricultural carbon-output efficiency is an important path to realize the "double carbon" goal in the Yellow River Basin. In the context of rapid urbanization development, it is significant to explore whether promoting urbanization will affect agricultural carbon-output efficiency. Methods: Based on panel data of 75 cities in the Yellow River Basin from 2000 to 2020, this paper uses the super-DEA model, three-dimensional kernel density model, and Markov chain model to measure and analyze the spatio-temporal evolution of agricultural carbon-output efficiency in the Yellow River Basin. The panel Tobit model is used on this basis to analyze the relationship between urbanization and carbon-output efficiency in agriculture. Results: The results show the following: (1) The level of agricultural carbon-output efficiency in the Yellow River Basin is low and has not reached an effective state, showing a slow downward trend in general where the agricultural carbon-output efficiency in the lower reaches is higher than that in the middle reaches, and the upper reaches has the lowest. (2) Agricultural carbon-output efficiency in the Yellow River Basin has a negative trend of transitioning to a low level overall and maintaining its original level, and it is difficult to realize the leapfrog transfer between states. Agricultural carbon-output efficiency has an obvious spatial spillover effect and "club convergence" phenomenon; the high-efficiency area has a positive driving effect on the neighborhood area, while the low-efficiency area has a negative impact on the neighborhood area. (3) The level of urbanization has a significant positive impact on the carbon-output efficiency of agriculture in the upper, middle, and lower reaches of the Yellow River Basin, which plays an important role in promoting the green development of agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital technologies represent a new direction increasing the efficiency of the agro-industrial sector and the sustainable development of agriculture. At the current stage, we can note the role of the transmissibility of new technologies and innovations in the agri-food complex, vis-a-vis regional improvement and development, the need for economic-financial and human sources for the implementation of innovations, as well as the efficiency of their implementation in practice. Management efficiency is treated through the complex and synergistic approach of economic, financial and ecological efficiency of enterprises. The purpose of the present article is to propose the digital assurance chain and to analyze the importance of current digital services in the development of intelligent management in agriculture. In the process of developing the objectives proposed in this article, the authors used the following methods, such as: analysis and synthesis, the statistical and mathematical method, the comparative method, the survey, the interview that would ensure the development of the entire economy by ensuring the sustainability of the agri-food sector. The proposed proposals will be used by agricultural entrepreneurs, not taking into account specialization and fields of activity, as well as by certain state institutions in the Republic of Moldova. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of the scientific and intellectual potential of the agri-food complex contributes to the achievement of sustainable socio-economic growth. The article proposes models for the development of the scientific and intellectual potential of the Russian agri-food complex. An analysis of the activities of existing institutes for the development of agricultural scientific research was carried out. The assessment of the state of scientific and intellectual potential was carried out on the basis of cross-country comparisons of indicators of the number of researchers and expenditures on research and development. Empirically, imbalances were identified between the number of researchers and internal R&D costs. The positive experience of forming the scientific and intellectual potential of countries with developed market economies has been systematized, priority directions and stimulation of innovation and investment development have been identified. The practical significance of the research results lies in increasing the efficiency of agricultural production based on the development of scientific and intellectual potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of agricultural films, pesticides, and fertilizers has increased in China, leading to the degradation of the agricultural ecological environment. Based on the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2010 to 2021, this paper takes agricultural film usage as the threshold variable to study the impact of pesticide and fertilizer usage on agricultural development. The research results show that a single threshold effect of agricultural film usage is significant. When agricultural film usage is both a core and threshold variable, that is lower than the threshold value, every 1% increase in agricultural film usage will reduce agricultural output value by 0.9862%, and the impact is significant. When agricultural film usage crosses the threshold value, every 1% increase in agricultural film usage will increase agricultural output value by 1.1843%, and the impact is significant. When pesticide usage is the core variable, regardless of whether agricultural film usage is below or above the threshold, pesticide usage promotes agricultural development. Its impact is significant. When fertilizer input is a core variable, regardless of whether agricultural film usage is below or above the threshold, the use of fertilizers hinders agricultural development. The impact of fertilizer input on agricultural development is significant. Through empirical testing, this paper explores the deep relationship between agricultural film usage, pesticide usage and fertilizer input on agricultural development. These can effectively allocate agricultural production factors, transform the mode of agricultural economic growth, achieve the coordinated development of the ecological environment and agricultural economy and provide data support for the formulation of agricultural green development policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

State aid to certain economic sectors in the European Union was an acceptable model until the establishment of the single market in 1992. The EC acknowledge that the allowance is imputable to the MS and that it constitutes State aid. In the light of the foregoing, the Commission concludes that the measures at issue in the present case constitute State aid (Article 107(1) TFEU). "Special rules on provision of state aids were created as secondary law rules by the EU Council and EU Commission". State aid to promote the economic development of the agricultural sector is part of the wider framework of the "Common Agricultural Policy" ("CAP"). This paper analyzes EU state aid regulation in the agriculture sector, with special focus on the provisions of the "Agriculture Block Exemption Regulation" -- ABER. The paper also analyzes agricultural aid, which must be notified to the EC as being authorized under the "Agriculture Guidelines". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coupling coordination of agricultural technology innovation with food security is of great significance for high-quality agricultural development. By identifying the coupling coordination relationship between the two systems and the influencing factors, this paper aims to promote the virtuous cycle of coordinated development between regional agriculture and technology, as well as accelerate the realisation of high-quality development of Chinese agriculture. Therefore, this paper explores the spatial and temporal coupling characteristics of the two using the entropy value method, coupling coordination degree model, and exploratory spatial data analysis, and it screens for important influencing factors using the grey correlation model. The main results show that ① the coupling coordination relationship between agricultural technology innovation and food security in China is at a dissonant stage, but the value of the coupling coordination degree increases from 0.2076 to 0.3437 during the period of study, and the level of coordination gradually improves. ② The degree of coupling coordination in the provincial space exhibits a distribution pattern of "high in the east and low in the west". The areas of high value are primarily situated in the provinces of Shandong, Jiangsu, and other provinces along the southeastern coast of China, while the areas of low value are mainly located in the provinces of Qinghai, Ningxia, and other provinces in inland northwest China. ③ The Moran's index of provincial coupling coordination is greater than 0, showing a certain positive correlation, and there is a significant pattern of spatial aggregation. ④ The correlation coefficients between the influencing factors and the degree of coupling coordination are all greater than 0.35, indicating a moderate or high correlation, but the significance of technological support capacity and food distribution security increased over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Industrial Revolution led to great changes in the world. New technologies were being developed and introduced at a rapid pace, forever changing the way people lived and worked. One of the areas that underwent significant changes due to the Industrial Revolution is agriculture, which is one of the oldest and most traditional form of use of nature and land by humans. Making changes to the agriculture became possible only under the influence of industrial revolutions. Still, even in the early stages, they were not able to radically and visibly transform this important branch of the economy. One of the most visible effects of industrialization on agriculture is the introduction of new technologies. The interdependence between traditional agriculture and modern industrial sectors of the economy is crucial for the overall economic development of the country. The growth of the agricultural sector depends on the growth of industrial demand for agricultural products. Similarly, the growth of the industrial sector depends on an increase in the purchasing power of the agricultural sector for industrial products and an increase in the supply of raw materials for processing. Many developing countries have realized the importance and role of the agricultural sector's industrialization in the country's economic development which ensures food security, optimizes foreign trade balance and raises the welfare of population. The industrial revolutions transformed the agricultural sector from traditional agriculture to mechanized agricultural production and modern precision farming. The fourth industrial revolution stimulated the development of new technologies and methods that changed the global production system. Industry 4.0 has transformed agricultural operations using cyber-physical systems, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and machine learning, big data analytics, and the integration of cloud technology into agricultural machinery. Agriculture 4.0 is a digital model of agricultural production, which is based on a highly efficient production process and is the result of long-term technological development. The paper aims to analyze and describe the innovations of Agriculture 4.0, its origin, and characteristics. The paper discusses the current state of the industrial agriculture (industrial agricultural production model, production process, supply chain) sector's strengths and weaknesses. The paper presents the opportunities and challenges of digital agriculture, emphasizing its importance in solving several pressing issues in industrial agriculture. Innovation and technology are essential to maintaining competitiveness in the agricultural sector. Digitization of the agro-food sector creates a highly productive, predictable, and adaptable system to changes. Which, in turn, leads to an increase in food security. Industrial agriculture significantly increases productivity, but at the same time, monoculture and intensive animal husbandry, which is the main production model of modern industrial agriculture, cause great damage to the environment, public health, and animal welfare. In addition, although agricultural production is mechanized and computerized, the lack of digitization and intelligent systems is a major obstacle that hinders the possibility of improving automation. The agri-food supply chain is not managed wisely at the current stage. To solve the mentioned issues, it is necessary to integrate the innovative technologies of the emerging industry 4.0 in agriculture. At the same time, agricultural technologies are also evolving towards a new paradigm -- "Agriculture 5.0 ", which should better combine science and technology with social equity and sustainability. The development of bio-economy in the concept of Society 5.0 implies that the most promising areas of agricultural development are the optimal use of resources, mass personalization and individualization of the final product, the development of creative product differentiation, and the introduction of autonomous automatic decision-making systems based on robotic complexes. The absence of communication barriers in human-machine interaction, including the use of bioinformatics technologies, will allow us to focus on increasing heuristics for innovative solutions in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: China’s rural financial landscape has long been characterized by exclusion, leaving countless farmers without access to essential financial services. However, the advent of digital financial inclusion presents a promising solution, offering low-cost, high-penetration avenues to bolster agricultural sustainability. This paper unravels how “Byte-Sized Finance” can yield “Bushel-Sized Benefits” in China’s agricultural green development. Methods: Methodologically, we pioneer a novel system to gauge agricultural green development across 31 Chinese provinces spanning from 2013 to 2021. Empirically, employing fixed-effect, mediation effect, and spatial Durbin models. Results: Our study reveals the intricate pathways through which digital financial inclusion influences agricultural green development. We find that it exerts its impact through the lenses of industrial structure and entrepreneurship, operating at both macro and micro levels. Furthermore, our analysis uncovers spatial spillover effects, shedding light on the differential roles played by these mechanisms across regions. Discussion: This groundbreaking discovery underscores the transformative potential of leveraging digital financial inclusion to propel China toward agricultural green development. By shedding light on these crucial dynamics, our findings offer insights for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners striving to foster sustainability within China’s agricultural sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new video based multi behavior dataset for cows, CBVD-5, is introduced in this paper. The dataset includes five cow behaviors: standing, lying down, foraging,rumination and drinking. The dataset comprises 107 cows from the entire barn, maintaining an 80% stocking density. Monitoring occurred over 96 h for these 20-month-old cows, considering varying light conditions and nighttime data to ensure standardization and inclusivity.The dataset consists of ranch monitoring footage collected by seven cameras, including 687 video segment samples and 206,100 image samples, covering five daily behaviors of cows. The data collection process entailed the deployment of cameras, hard drives, software, and servers for storage. Data annotation was conducted using the VIA web tool, leveraging the video expertise of pertinent professionals. The annotation coordinates and category labels of each individual cow in the image, as well as the generated configuration file, are also saved in the dataset. With this dataset,we propose a slowfast cow multi behavior recognition model based on video sequences as the baseline evaluation model. The experimental results show that the model can effectively learn corresponding category labels from the behavior type data of the dataset, with an error rate of 21.28% on the test set. In addition to cow behavior recognition, the dataset can also be used for cow target detection, and so on.The CBVD-5 dataset significantly influences dairy cow behavior recognition, advancing research, enriching data resources, standardizing datasets, enhancing dairy cow health and welfare monitoring, and fostering agricultural intelligence development. Additionally, it serves educational and training needs, supporting research and practical applications in related fields. The dataset will be made freely available to researchers world-wide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Momilactones are defined as every lactone derived from rice husk. To date, these compounds can only be naturally found in rice (Oryza lineage) and moss (Pseudoleskeella papillosa and Hypnum plumaeforme). Their basic structure refers to the (9β-H)-pimarane skeleton bearing a γ-butyrolactone. In this review, the beneficial properties of momilactones, especially momilactones A (MA) and B (MB), including allelopathy, antimicrobials, antioxidants, anti-chronic diseases, anti-inflammation, and anticancer, are highlighted. Additionally, the signaling roles of momilactones in the response of host plants against environmental stresses are discussed, raising the question of whether momilactones act as novel phytohormones that require further comprehensive clarification. In another aspect, we come up with promising approaches to the future exploitation of these valuable compounds based on the current knowledge of their bioactivity mechanisms, biosynthetic pathways, and isolation protocols. However, momilactone biosynthetic processes remain elusive. Moreover, challenges in researching these compounds are mainly due to difficulties in isolation procedures and the lack of commercial sources, which have been least improved over the last half-century. Accordingly, we propose promising strategies to address these present problems and promote the effectiveness of further research, including: i) to improve the efficiency of momilactone extraction and isolation from plant sources; ii) to increase momilactone production applying synthetic models; iii) to generate crops that accumulate greater momilactone contents through genetic engineering approaches; iv) to discover new applications that combine momilactones with other prospective substances for enhancing targeted biological properties and preventing undesirable impacts; and v) to employ smart farming for optimizing the application of momilactones, monitoring their levels, and promoting sustainable agriculture. This paper may provide valuable insights for future strategies, focusing on the exploitation of momilactones for human health-beneficial purposes and the development of green agriculture aligned with sustainable development targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Anhui Agricultural Sciences is the property of Journal of Anhui Agricultural Sciences Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Groundwater resources serve as the primary source of water in the agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China, where scarcity of water resources constrains the development of agriculture and animal husbandry. As a typical rainfed agricultural area, the agro-pastoral ecotone in Inner Mongolia is entirely dependent on groundwater for agricultural irrigation. Due to the substantial groundwater consumption of irrigated farmland, groundwater levels have been progressively declining. To obtain a sustainable irrigation pattern that significantly conserves water, this study faces the challenge of unclear water transport relationships among water, soil, and crops, undefined water cycle mechanism in typical irrigation units, and water use efficiency, which was not assessed. Therefore, this paper, based on in situ experimental observations and daily meteorological data in 2022–2023, utilized the DSSAT model to explore the growth processes of potato, oat, alfalfa, and sunflower, the soil water dynamics, the water balance, and water use efficiency, analyzed over a typical irrigation area. The results indicated that the simulation accuracy of the DSSAT model was ARE < 10%, nRMSE/% < 10%, and R2 ≥ 0.85. The consumption of the soil moisture during the rapid growth stage for the potatoes, oats, alfalfa, and sunflower was 7–13% more than that during the other periods, and the yield was 67,170, 3345, 6529, and 4020 kg/ha, respectively. The soil evaporation of oat, potato, alfalfa, and sunflower accounted for 18–22%, 78–82%; 57–68%, and 32–43%, and transpiration accounted for 40–44%, 56–60%, 45–47%, and 53–55% of ETa (333.8 mm–369.2 mm, 375.2 mm–414.2 mm, 415.7 mm–453.7 mm, and 355.0 mm–385.6 mm), respectively. It was advised that irrigation water could be appropriately reduced to decrease ineffective water consumption. The water use efficiency and irrigation water use efficiency for potatoes was at the maximum amount, ranging from 16.22 to 16.62 kg/m3 and 8.61 to 10.81 kg/m3, respectively, followed by alfalfa, sunflowers, and oats. For the perspective of water productivity, it was recommended that potatoes could be extensively cultivated, alfalfa planted appropriately, and oats and sunflowers planted less. The findings of this study provided a theoretical basis for efficient water resource use in the agro-pastoral ecotone of Northern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The implementation of cultivated land quality protection is fundamental for ensuring the sustainable use of land resources, and it is the inevitable choice for maintaining the balance of agricultural ecology and promoting the long-term healthy development of agriculture. Methods: Based on survey data from 927 grain family farms in 13 major grain-producing areas in China, this paper empirically tests the effects of participation in cooperatives on the cultivated land quality protection behavior of grain family farms by using a logit model, an ordered probit model and the propensity score matching method. Results: The results show that participation in cooperatives has a significant positive effect on the implementation of cultivated land quality protection behavior and the degree of cultivated land quality protection of grain family farms. A series of robustness tests reveals that the conclusion of the study does not change. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the probability of implementing cultivated land quality protection behavior significantly increased, and the effect was greater for farms with the younger farmers, farmers of lower education level, farmers of non-party members, larger scale of operation, longer establishment years, larger labor force, or provincial demonstration. Discussion: On this basis, we should vigorously support and guide grain family farms to participate in cooperatives, give full play to the advantages of cooperatives, effectively encourage farms to implement cultivated land quality protection behavior, and promote sustainable agricultural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water is considered one of the vital natural resources and factors for performing short- and long-term agricultural practices on Earth. Meanwhile, globally, most of the available freshwater resources are utilized for irrigation purposes in agriculture. Currently, many world regions are facing extreme water shortage problems, which can worsen if not managed properly. In the literature, numerous methods and remedies are used to cope with the increasing global water crises. The use of precision irrigation water-saving systems (PISs) for efficient water management under climate change is one of them and is a highly recommended approach by researchers. It can mitigate the adverse effects of changing climate and help enhance water use efficiency, crop yield, and environmental footprints. Thus, the present study aimed to comprehensively examine and review PISs, focusing on their development, implementation, and positive impacts on sustainable water management. In addition, we searched the literature using different online search engines and reviewed and summarized the main results of the previously published papers on PISs. We discussed the traditional irrigation method and its modernization for enhancing water use efficiency, PIS monitoring and controlling, architecture, data sharing communication technologies, the role of artificial intelligence for irrigation water-saving, and the future prospects of the PIS. Based on the brief literature review, the present study concluded that the future of PISs seems bright, driven by the need for efficient irrigation water management systems, technological advancements, and increasing environmental awareness. As the water scarcity problem intensifies due to climate change and population growth, the PIS is poised to play a critical role in optimizing and modernizing water usage, increasing water use efficiency, and reducing environmental footprints, thus ensuring sustainable agriculture development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advancing the construction and application of new quality productive forces is an essential prerequisite for achieving high-quality agricultural development and expediting the establishment of agricultural powerhouses. This study aims to elucidate the internal mechanisms through which new quality productivity contributes to high-quality agricultural development and to explore practical pathways for enhancing agricultural quality through its promotion. Utilizing panel data spanning 2012 to 2021 from 30 provinces and municipalities in mainland China, the entropy method is employed to gauge levels of new quality productivity and high-quality agricultural development. Additionally, employing research methodologies including SYS-GMM and threshold effect models, this study empirically investigates how the advancement of new quality productivity influences high-quality agricultural development. Our research reveals the following key findings: (1) The development of new quality productive forces significantly enhances high-quality agricultural development, exhibiting a heterogeneous distribution pattern favoring the "eastern region > western region > central region" and "northern region > southern region". (2) New quality productive forces can bolster the level of high-quality agricultural development by fostering innovation, coordination, openness, and shared development within its subsystems. However, they may impede progress by inhibiting improvements in green development within the subsystems. (3) The results of the threshold effect test demonstrate that the promotion effect of the development of new quality productive forces on high-quality agricultural development escalates with the level of high-quality agricultural development. Specifically, as the level of high-quality agricultural development exceeds the first threshold value of 0.1502, the promotion effect becomes significant; crossing the second threshold value of 0.2010 further amplifies this effect. This paper's primary marginal contribution involves empirically analyzing the potential nonlinear effects of advancing new quality productivity in enhancing the level of high-quality agricultural development. This enriches empirical research on how new quality productivity fosters the development of high-quality agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]