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Sustainable farming on ever-shrinking agricultural land and declining water resources for the growing human population is one of the greatest environmental and food security challenges of the 21st century. Conventional, age-old organic farming practices alone, and foods based on costly cellular agriculture, do not have the potential to be upscaled to meet the food supply challenges for feeding large populations. Additionally, agricultural practices relying on chemical inputs have a well-documented detrimental impact on human health and the environment. As the available farming methods have reached their productivity limits, new approaches to agriculture, combining friendly, age-old farming practices with modern technologies that exclude chemical interventions, are necessary to address the food production challenges. Growing genetically modified (GM) crops without chemical inputs can allow agricultural intensification with reduced adverse health and environmental impacts. Additionally, integrating high-value pleiotropic genes in their genetic improvement coupled with the use of modern agricultural technologies, like robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), will further improve productivity. Such 'organic-GM' crops will offer consumers healthy, agrochemical-free GM produce. We believe these agricultural practices will lead to the beginning of a potentially new chemical-free GM agricultural revolution in the era of Agriculture 4.0 and help meet the targets of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Furthermore, given the advancement in the genome editing (GE) toolbox, we ought to develop a new category of 'trait-reversible GM crops' to avert the fears of those who believe in ecological damage by GM crops. Thus, in this article, we advocate farming with no or minimal chemical use by combining chemical-free organic farming with the existing biofortified and multiple stress tolerant GM crops, while focusing on the development of novel 'biofertilizer-responsive GE crops' and 'trait-reversible GE crops' for the future. • Current regulations do not permit GM food be labelled organic or GM content be used in certified organic products. • Despite the hype, organic products have remained a niche market which is artificially sustained by the willingness of the rich to pay more and the profit motive of the farmers. • Modernizing GM agriculture by AI-based environment-friendly robotics technologies and avoiding synthetic agrochemicals will ensure a 'greener' future. • Developing biofertilizer-responsive GM crops is imperative, and can be based on selective host-microbe interactions governed by chemotaxis signalling and quorum sensing • Novel GM/ GE varieties should be engineered for higher secondary metabolite biosynthesis , and enhanced secretion of useful root exudates (volatile organic compounds, organic enzymes, siderophores, small secreted proteins, and terpenes) for better microbial associations in the rhizosphere. • For those who fear ecological damage by GM crops, we should develop 'trait reversible GM crops', as it would help build confidence among those vacillating and overly cautious in applying the precautionary principle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To meet the demands of the new Green Revolution and sustainable agriculture, it is important to develop crop varieties with improved yield, nitrogen use efficiency, and stress resistance. Nitrate is the major form of inorganic nitrogen available for plant growth in many well-aerated agricultural soils, and acts as a signaling molecule regulating plant development, growth, and stress responses. Abscisic acid (ABA), an important phytohormone, plays vital roles in integrating extrinsic and intrinsic responses and mediating plant growth and development in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Therefore, elucidating the interplay between nitrate and ABA can contribute to crop breeding and sustainable agriculture. Here, we review studies that have investigated the interplay between nitrate and ABA in root growth modulation, nitrate and ABA transport processes, seed germination regulation, and drought responses. We also focus on nitrate and ABA interplay in several reported omics analyses with some important nodes in the crosstalk between nitrate and ABA. Through these insights, we proposed some research perspectives that could help to develop crop varieties adapted to a changing environment and to improve crop yield with high nitrogen use efficiency and strong stress resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Hybrid breeding is a promising strategy to quickly improve wheat yield and stability. Due to the usefulness of the Rht 'Green Revolution' dwarfing alleles, it is important to gain a better understanding of their impact on traits related to hybrid development. Traits associated with cross‐pollination efficiency were studied using Near Isogenic Lines carrying the different sets of alleles in Rht genes: Rht1 (semi‐dwarf), Rht2 (semi‐dwarf), Rht1 + 2 (dwarf), Rht3 (extreme dwarf), Rht2 + 3 (extreme dwarf), and rht (tall) during four growing seasons. Results showed that the extreme dwarfing alleles Rht2 + 3, Rht3, and Rht1 + 2 presented the greatest effects in all the traits analyzed. Plant height showed reductions up to 64% (Rht2 + 3) compared to rht. Decreases up to 20.2% in anther length and 33% in filament length (Rht2 + 3) were observed. Anthers extrusion decreased from 40% (rht) to 20% (Rht1 and Rht2), 11% (Rht3), 8.3% (Rht1 + 2), and 6.5% (Rht2 + 3). Positive correlations were detected between plant height and anther extrusion, anther, and anther filament lengths, suggesting the negative effect of dwarfing alleles. Moreover, the magnitude of these negative impacts depends on the combination of the alleles: Rht2 + 3 > Rht3/Rht1 + 2 > Rht2/Rht1 > rht (tall). Reductions were consistent across genotypes and environments with interactions due to magnitude effects. Our results indicate that Rht alleles are involved in multiple traits of interest for hybrid wheat production and the need to select alternative sources for reduced height/lodging resistance for hybrid breeding programs. Significance Statement: Hybrid wheat is a promising strategy to increase grain yield. The negative effect on floral traits with relevance for hybrid breeding of different Rht genes using near‐isogenic lines was reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Semi-dwarfing alleles are used widely in cereals to confer improved lodging resistance and assimilate partitioning. The most widely deployed semi-dwarfing alleles in rice and barley encode the gibberellin (GA)-biosynthetic enzyme GA 20-OXIDASE2 (GA20OX2). The hexaploid wheat genome carries three homoeologous copies of GA20OX2, and because of functional redundancy, loss-of-function alleles of a single homoeologue would not be selected in wheat breeding programmes. Instead, approximately 70% of wheat cultivars carry gain-of-function mutations in REDUCED HEIGHT 1 (RHT1) genes that encode negative growth regulators and are degraded in response to GA. Semi-dwarf Rht-B1b or Rht-D1b alleles encode proteins that are insensitive to GA-mediated degradation. However, because RHT1 is expressed ubiquitously these alleles have pleiotropic effects that confer undesirable traits in some environments. Results: We have applied reverse genetics to combine loss-of-function alleles in all three homoeologues of wheat GA20OX2 and its paralogue GA20OX1 and evaluated their performance in three years of field trials. ga20ox1 mutants exhibited a mild height reduction (approximately 3%) suggesting GA20OX1 plays a minor role in stem elongation in wheat. ga20ox2 mutants have reduced GA1 content and are 12–32% shorter than their wild-type segregants, comparable to the effect of the Rht-D1b 'Green Revolution' allele. The ga20ox2 mutants showed no significant negative effects on yield components in the spring wheat variety 'Cadenza'. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that chemical mutagenesis can expand genetic variation in polyploid crops to uncover novel alleles despite the difficulty in identifying appropriate mutations for some target genes and the negative effects of background mutations. Field experiments demonstrate that mutations in GA20OX2 reduce height in wheat, but it will be necessary to evaluate the effect of these alleles in different genetic backgrounds and environments to determine their value in wheat breeding as alternative semi-dwarfing alleles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP), which is the site of India's Green Revolution, covers almost 15% of the country's landmass and is among the most extensively fertile lands across the world. The densely populated IGP region bears great importance for the socioeconomic facets of India and contributes to a major share of the GDP of the country. The present study demonstrates the regional-specific assessment of summer monsoon precipitation and associated extremes with dynamical and thermodynamical aspects over the IGP region using high-resolution regional climate models (RCMs) under the CORDEX-CORE framework. The analysis reveals that the eastern parts of the IGP receive low-to-moderate precipitation with a higher tail than the western parts, which is due to the direction of the monsoon low-level flow. The observed mean precipitation characteristics are well represented by the RCMs. Further, the research identifies extreme precipitation events over the IGP and conducts comprehensive analysis to understand their underlying mechanisms. It has been observed that extreme precipitation events are linked with the moisture transport associated with trough activity and instability, and RCMs are capable in representing the observed precipitation extremes and underlying mechanisms at localized scales. Overall, this study represents a significant step forward in understanding the evolution of spatio-temporal variability of precipitation over the IGP region, where agriculture is a major economic activity and millions of people depend on rainfed agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feminist scholarship regards the Western scientific revolution and twentiethcentury agricultural modernization as patriarchal endeavors and technoscientific regimes as entangled in societal interests and politics. In this article, I engage with these perspectives by focusing on women scientists working in Brazil’s leading agricultural sciences organization, Embrapa. My analysis draws on life history interviews with three women, juxtaposing their personal and career trajectories with the history of the organization, which is a symbol of the triumph of science over nature. Besides filling the gaps in a male-dominated history, these women’s accounts reveal what I argue to be feminist struggles for more equitable and pluralistic agricultural sciences and practices. I refer to them as “fringe heroines” as they adopt research agendas that are at odds with the prevailing technoscientific paradigm and often find themselves subject to condescending attitudes and discrimination. These fringe heroines experienced a short-lived moment in the limelight during a period of progressive politics in Brazil. However, confronted by a less favorable context during the Bolsonaro era, they have taken a step back but have maintained their resolve to swim against the tide in their unyielding quest for justice and diversity with respect to agricultural knowledge production. The time is ripe for reflecting on the place of their situated struggles and knowledges in the past, present, and future of Brazilian agricultural sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legacy phosphorus (P) is a reservoir of sparingly available P, and its recovery could enhance sustainable use of nonrenewable mineral fertilizers. Domestication has affected P acquisition, but it is unknown if subsequent breeding efforts, like the Green Revolution (GR), had a similar effect. We examined how domestication and breeding events altered P acquisition by growing wild, traditional (pre-GR), and modern (post-GR) tomato in soil with legacy P but low bioavailable P. Wild tomatoes, particularly accession LA0716 (Solanum pennellii), heavily cultured rhizosphere P solubilizers, suggesting reliance on microbial associations to acquire P. Wild tomato also had a greater abundance of other putatively beneficial bacteria, including those that produce chelating agents and antibiotic compounds. Although wild tomatoes had a high abundance of these P solubilizers, they had lower relative biomass and greater P stress factor than traditional or modern tomato. Compared to wild tomato, domesticated tomato was more tolerant to P deficiency, and both cultivated groups had a similar rhizosphere bacterial community composition. Ultimately, this study suggests that while domestication changed tomato P recovery by reducing microbial associations, subsequent breeding processes have not further impacted microbial P acquisition mechanisms. Selecting microbial P-related traits that diminished with domestication may therefore increase legacy P solubilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mass protest by farmers camped outside New Delhi in 2020–21 persuaded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government to repeal laws that aimed to further liberalize Indian agricultural markets. The protests reflected the depth of an ongoing agrarian crisis in the Indian countryside. The Green Revolution introduced in the 1960s and the economic liberalization of the 1990s deepened rural inequalities, creating fertile ground for right-wing populism. More recently, however, economic vulnerability has catalyzed a reassertion of farmer and rural identities over religious affiliations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement Summary Over the last 50 years, the practice of ‘intercropping’ (planting a mixture of several crops on the same field) has drawn growing attention in crop science. Given its high yields but low requirement for fertiliser or pesticides, it offers considerable advantages over conventional ‘industrial’ agriculture. Nevertheless, although research on intercropping has been conducted since the late 19th century, that work became largely invisible after 1945 as the rapid rise of industrial agriculture erased alternative approaches from view. Since the 1970s, however, intercropping and other alternatives have reappeared on the research agenda as the damaging impacts of industrial agriculture have become evident.Intercropping has long been of interest in agro‐ecology. Indeed, as the first generation of (English‐speaking) agro‐ecologists saw it, research on intercropping began in the 1970s and 1980s just as the field was beginning to emerge. Although the evidence confirms a rapid increase in such work from the 1970s, however, what nearly all agro‐ecologists then overlooked was the existence of two older traditions of work dating from the late 19th century. The aim of this paper is to explain why early agro‐ecologists were unaware of previous work. The history of research on intercropping in both the English‐ and German‐speaking worlds was traced using the journal literature as well as textbooks of agronomy. What this survey revealed is that in Europe and North America, agronomists had been working on intercropping since the 1890s, and during the interwar period and into the 1950s, the practice attracted considerable attention from colonial agronomists. Although this early work was in the public domain during the 1970s, however, few agro‐ecologists noticed it. There are various reasons why the first generation of agro‐ecologists might have known about but chose to ignore earlier work on intercropping. But more likely is that most members of that generation were simply unaware of the older work. For the forgotten history of intercropping, research appears to be just one aspect of a more general phenomenon during the 20th century in which a wide variety of ‘alternative’ cultivation practices were marginalised after 1945, only to re‐emerge from the 1970s as the social and environmental consequences of industrial agriculture came under attack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanomaterials (NMs) have distinctive physicochemical characteristics and offer adaptable scaffolds for biomolecule functionalization. NMs have such a wide range of properties and use that a general evaluation of their health and environmental concerns is impossible. A necessary component of sustainable development is the application of nanotechnology (NT) research in the agricultural sector. The green revolution and new farming techniques have significantly increased crop yield but gradually reduced soil micronutrients, including Zn, Mo, and Fe. It is possible to employ NT to increase the availability of micronutrients for plants. The significant interests of using NT in agriculture include specific applications like nano-fertilizers and nano-pesticides to trail products and nutrient levels to increase productivity without contamination of soils and waters and protection against several insect pests and microbial diseases. However, as with the deployment of any new technology, a trustworthy risk-benefit analysis and thorough cost-accounting study are required. The majority of the arid zone soils are deficient in Zn. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are prevalent candidates for usage in the agribusiness and nourishment segments, such as pesticides, fungicides, and fertilizers. Also, the Food and Drug Administration recorded ZnO bulk particles (ZnO BPs) as a secure fabric and utilized it as a nourishment additive. This review article contributes to the enrichment of knowledge about the interactions of ZnO NPs with plant systems. It summarizes the possible advantages and disadvantages of ZnO NPs in agriculture and offers suggestions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change poses a significant challenge to crop production and food security. Future environments require new varieties for sustainable food production. Breeding future varieties must consider combined stresses at the plant, plot, and landscape levels to maintain ecosystem services. Focusing on plants alone is not sufficient; it is essential to reach for the holobiont and include plant-associated microorganisms in breeding strategies for future environments. The complexity of the biological responses to predicted future environments underlines the need for interdisciplinary biological systems approaches to address agricultural adaptation more coherently. The green revolution successfully increased agricultural output in the early 1960s by relying primarily on three pillars: plant breeding, irrigation, and chemical fertilization. Today, the need to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers, water scarcity, and future environmental changes, together with a growing population, requires innovative strategies to adapt to a new context and prevent food shortages. Therefore, scientists from around the world are directing their efforts to breed crops for future environments to sustainably produce more nutritious food. Herein, we propose scientific avenues to be reinforced in selecting varieties, including crop wild relatives, either for monoculture or mixed cropping systems, taking advantage of plant–microbial interactions, while considering the diversity of organisms associated with crops and unlocking combinatorial nutritional stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AGRA (formerly known as the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa) was founded in 2006 by the Rockefeller Foundation and the Gates Foundation to initiate agricultural transformation in Africa. Although critics have argued that AGRA’s approach insufficiently addresses the needs of African smallholder farmers, there has been little analysis of the broader politics and networks that shape AGRA, a gap this paper aims to fill. Using a network analysis and key informant interviews, we identify the actors that constitute AGRA’s network, and describe related power constellations. Our paper illustrates that AGRA’s network is dominated by foundations, intergovernmental organisations and corporations, with decision-making located within Global North institutions. We reveal that the alliance displays characteristics of an ideological advocacy network and conclude that it can be considered a neoliberal food regime. We suggest better control mechanisms to hold accountable organisations without a political mandate, and to increase the transparency of their activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The climate is changing rapidly due to anthropogenic greenhouse gases. Glass is a significant contributor to these emissions, with 95 million tons of CO2 being emitted due to glass manufacturing in recent years. Furthermore, glass recycling remains poor in the United States, and most glass is left to landfill after a single use. The lack of recycling and the carbon footprint of manufacturing have made glass an environmentally damaging material despite its theoretical infinite recyclability. Additionally, glass has the potential to enable next‐generation energy materials, enabling the necessary technology for a green economy. In this review, we briefly cover the challenges of glass manufacturing and how to make glass the benchmark material for a carbon‐neutral economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims The development and morphology of crop plants have been profoundly altered by evolution under cultivation, initially through unconscious selection, without deliberate foresight, and later by directed breeding. Wild wheats remain an important potential source of variation for modern breeders; however, the sequence and timing of morphological changes during domestication are not fully resolved. Methods We grew and measured 142 wheat accessions representing different stages in wheat evolution, including three independent domestication events, and compared their morphological traits to define the morphospace of each group. Key Results The results show that wild and domesticated wheats have overlapping morphospaces, but each also occupies a distinct area of morphospace from one another. Polyploid formation in wheat increased leaf biomass and seed weight but had its largest effects on tiller loss. Domestication continued to increase the sizes of wheat leaves and seeds and made wheat grow taller, with more erect architecture. Associated changes to the biomass of domesticated wheats generated more grains and achieved higher yields. Landrace improvement subsequently decreased the numbers of tillers and spikes, to focus resource allocation to the main stem, accompanied by a thicker main stem and larger flag leaves. During the Green Revolution, wheat height was reduced to increase the harvest index and therefore yield. Modern wheats also have more erect leaves and larger flower biomass proportions than landraces. Conclusions Quantitative trait history in wheat differs by trait. Some trait values show progressive changes in the same direction (e.g. leaf size, grain weight), whereas others change in a punctuated way at particular stages (e.g. canopy architecture), and other trait values switch directions during wheat evolution (e.g. plant height, flower biomass proportion). Agronomically valued domestication traits arose during different stages of wheat history, such that modern wheats are the product of >10 000 years of morphological evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is an attempt to identify the socioeconomic factors that affect farmers' decision-making process regarding the adoption of organic farming. A total of 100 (50 organic and 50 conventional) farmers were interviewed and their demographic, socioeconomic and ecological behaviour differences were studied. The behavioural analysis identified education, environmental concerns and social benefits as the prominent drivers of organic farming, while lack of government support in marketing, managerial and technical spheres as major constraints to its adoption. The probit model confirms that farmers with a smaller size of holding who are educated, younger and practice diversified cropping are more inclined towards organic farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global agro-biodiversity has resulted from processes of plant migration and agricultural adoption. Although critically affecting current diversity, crop diffusion from Classical antiquity to the Middle Ages is poorly researched, overshadowed by studies on that of prehistoric periods. A new archaeobotanical dataset from three Negev Highland desert sites demonstrates the first millennium CE's significance for long-term agricultural change in Southwest Asia. This enables evaluation of the 'Islamic Green Revolution (IGR)' thesis compared to 'Roman Agricultural Diffusion (RAD)', and both versus crop diffusion during and since the Neolithic. Among the findings, some of the earliest aubergine (Solanum melongena) seeds in the Levant represent the proposed IGR. Several other identified economic plants, including two unprecedented in Levantine archaeobotany--jujube (Ziziphus jujuba/mauritiana) and white lupine (Lupinus albus)--implicate RAD as the greater force for crop migrations. Altogether the evidence supports a gradualist model for Holocene-wide crop diffusion, within which the first millennium CE contributed more to global agricultural diversity than any earlier period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement Summary Maize is one of the most consumed grains worldwide. Its production and international trade are expected to continue increasing because of its use as animal fodder and direct human food. Although maize's history spans millennia, in the last century it underwent significant changes due to genetic engineering, particularly during the Green Revolution. Due to maize's importance for current food security and energy production, it is fundamental to understand this engineering process to assess the implications of current styles of maize production for local and global landscapes, scientific institutions, and transnational networks of agricultural science. This article aims to explain how Mexican agricultural expertise contributed to the development of cytogenetics as a specialized field in the study of the diversity of maize within the framework of the Green Revolution. To this end, the article follows the work of Mexican agronomist Takeo Ángel Kato Yamakake within the activities of the Inter‐American Maize Improvement Program (IMIP), formally established in 1960. By reconstructing the debate on the genetic implications of chromosomal structure and function, this study contributes to the historiography devoted to the role played by local experts in the classification, experimentation, and conservation of maize. The article is based on sources from Mexico and the United States, an interview with Kato, and the consultation of the database “Rockefeller Fellows. Individual Mobility Awards at Rockefeller‐endowed Organizations, 1914‐1970.” Kato's trajectory provides an overview of agronomy in Mexico and shows the relevance of transnational exchange in the establishment of plant cytogenetics. Kato's academic activity features collaborations with key figures such as Edwin Wellhausen, Albert Longley, Barbara McClintock, W. Gallinat, Czeslawa Prywer, and Almiro Blumenschein. A Green Revolution era quest to unravel the origin of maize as a way of perfecting its genetic manipulation fueled the interest in establishing cytogenetics in Mexico. However, the irruption of the molecular approach made the study of the position of chromosomal knobs less of a priority. Despite this, classical cytogenetics, under Kato's leadership, remains a field that contributed to the knowledge of the vegetal genome, even when the IMIP disappeared and the logic of the Green Revolution lost its centrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The PETase enzyme from the bacterium Ideonella sakaiensis can degrade polyethylene terephthalate (PET) back into its polymeric constituents at room temperature, making it an ecologically friendly tool for reducing PET pollution. Computational enzyme optimization is a fundamental tool to accelerate enzyme engineering towards the "green revolution" promised by the introduction of enzymatic catalysis in industry. The Asp83Asn mutant generates a sub-optimal reactive conformation that the mutation-induced transition state stabilization does not compensate for, and the barrier is raised by 1.9 kcal mol−1. In contrast, the Asp89Asn mutant keeps a perfect reactive conformation, and the mutation stabilizes the transition state more than the reactants, lowering the barrier by 4.7 kcal mol−1. We show that computer-based well-chosen single-residue substitutions in PETase can decrease the activation barrier significantly, facilitating the development of highly-efficient PETase mutants. The results of this work encourage future studies that aim for rational enzyme engineering on PETase and other enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brassinosteroids (BR) signaling pathway is believed to be largely conserved among different species, although some components, steps, or events may differ between rice and Arabidopsis thaliana. BRs play essential roles in regulating both yield and stress-related traits, as well as in environmental adaptability, and thus hold promise for producing high-yielding and stable crops with less input. BR genes have been shown to be valuable for crop improvement employing various approaches. One prevalent method is to enhance the planting density of rice, maize, and wheat. Strategies such as exploring function-specific genes, identifying beneficial alleles, inducing favorable mutations, and optimizing the spatial hormone distribution can facilitate the utilization of BR genes towards the next Green Revolution. The use of gibberellin-related dwarfing genes significantly increased grain yield during the Green Revolution. Brassinosteroids (BRs) play a vital role in regulating agronomic traits and stress resistance. The potential of BR-related genes in crop improvement has been well demonstrated, positioning BRs as crucial targets for the next agricultural biotechnological revolution. However, BRs exert pleiotropic effects on plants, and thus present both opportunities and challenges for their application. Recent research suggests promising strategies for leveraging BR regulatory molecules for crop improvement, such as exploring function-specific genes, identifying beneficial alleles, inducing favorable mutations, and optimizing spatial hormone distribution. Advancing our understanding of the roles of BRs in plants is imperative to implement these strategies effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chapter discusses, at length, the environmental hazards of the highly chemical-centric farming, euphemistically known as the "green revolution" in South Asia, in particular, in India. It discusses the potentials of bio farming as an effective alternative to the highly extractive farming centered on chemical fetilizers, to contain the huge environmental hazards, in particular, soil-related hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Mutations in the Rht‐B1a and Rht‐D1a genes of wheat (Triticum aestivum; resulting in Rht‐B1b and Rht‐D1b alleles) cause gibberellin‐insensitive dwarfism and are one of the most important elements of increased yield introduced during the 'Green Revolution'.We measured the effects of a short period of heat imposed during the early reproductive stage on near‐isogenic lines carrying Rht‐B1b or Rht‐D1b alleles, with respect to the wild‐type (WT).The temperature shift caused a significant fertility loss within the ears of Rht‐B1b and Rht‐D1b wheats, greater than that observed for the WT. Defects in chromosome synapsis, reduced homologous recombination and a high frequency of chromosome mis‐segregation were associated with reduced fertility. The transcription of TaGA3ox gene involved in the final stage of gibberellic acid (GA) biosynthesis was activated and ultra‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry identified GA1 as the dominant bioactive GA in developing ears, but levels were unaffected by the elevated temperature.Rht‐B1b and Rht‐D1b mutants were inclined to meiotic errors under optimal temperatures and showed a higher susceptibility to heat than their tall counterparts. Identification and introduction of new dwarfing alleles into modern breeding programmes is invaluable in the development of climate‐resilient wheat varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cover Legend A column of meiocytes isolated from bread wheat carrying the Rht‐B1b Green Revolution dwarfing allele. Image courtesy of Adél Sepsi (Cseh et al., pp. 180–196).. [Extracted from the article]

This document, titled "The Importance of Mineral Elements for Sustainable Crop Production," emphasizes the significance of mineral elements in crop growth and production. It highlights the need to optimize the application of essential macro- and micro-nutrients to enhance crop performance. The document also discusses strategies for enhancing nutrient acquisition and utilization efficiency, such as genetic and microbial approaches. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of matching nutrition to specific plant-soil environments and balancing mineral nutrition for sustainable production. The research compiled in this document provides valuable insights for guiding mineral nutrition management in the direction of sustainable agriculture. [Extracted from the article]

Weeds are the most severe and widespread biological constraint on agricultural production systems and cause damage to cropped and non-cropped lands. They reduce crop yield and degrade the quality of the produce, besides raising the cost of production. The intensification of agriculture in the Green Revolution era attracted chemical fertilizers and dwarf varieties coupled with mono-cropping and irrigation practices, which enhanced crop-associated weeds and the widespread use of herbicides for easy control. Pesticides may kill many organisms, both target and non-target species, in the environment, causing an imbalance in the ecosystem. Despite the significant increase in productivity, the environmental repercussions of industrial agriculture, characterized by the use of high-yielding crop varieties and the extensive application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, have prompted a quest for more sustainable agricultural practices worldwide. One potential alternative lies in innovative approaches that draw upon ecological insights gleaned from studying natural ecosystems. These approaches aim to create "ecologically intensive" agro-ecosystems. Developing ecologically intensive agro-ecosystems necessitates a deep understanding of the biological dynamics within ecosystems and the integration of traditional agricultural knowledge held by local farmers. Considering the potentiality of appropriate weed management technologies to substantially improve crop productivity, there is an opportunity for the development, popularization, and adoption of effective, economical, and eco-friendly weed management technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"The Globalization of Wheat" by Marci R. Baranski is a book that critically examines the research and contributions of Norman Borlaug, a prominent figure associated with the Green Revolution. Baranski argues that the focus on wide adaptation in wheat production, championed by Borlaug, has led to a neglect of small farmers and a disregard for local environmental, cultural, and sociopolitical conditions. The book provides case studies from India, Mexico, the Middle East, and North Africa to highlight the limitations of wide adaptation as a research strategy. Baranski concludes that technologies alone are insufficient for helping smallholder farmers and emphasizes the importance of socioeconomic factors such as land reform, farmer groups, access to markets, and education. This book is recommended for the international-development community and serves as a reminder of the ongoing relevance of Green Revolution research. [Extracted from the article]

The article is a book review of "Agriculture's Energy: The Trouble with Ethanol in Brazil's Green Revolution" by Thomas D. Rogers. The book explores the labor and environmental history of sugar and ethanol production in Brazil, focusing on the expansion of sugar plantings and ethanol production from the end of World War I to the present. It examines the impact of these agricultural projects on Brazilian society, labor relations, the environment, and hunger. The book provides a neutral perspective, highlighting both the achievements and the negative consequences of Brazil's agro-industrial development. [Extracted from the article]

The article is a book review of "Wonder Foods: The Science and Commerce of Nutrition" by Lisa Haushofer. The book explores the development and market of "wonder foods" in Britain and the United States between 1840 and 1940. These foods were created to provide easy solutions to health and food supply problems. The review highlights the book's exploration of the history of "wonder foods" and their impact on gender, imperialism, and race. It also suggests that the book could have benefited from a broader engagement with the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century health and fitness movements. [Extracted from the article]

"Making the Green Revolution: Agriculture and Conflict in Colombia" by Timothy W. Lorek is a comprehensive study of the history of agricultural innovation in Colombia, specifically in the Valle del Cauca region. Lorek explores how sugarcane production led to the homogenization and standardization of the region, as well as the displacement and exclusion of previous settlers. The book also examines the creation and management of the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and its role in scientific research and innovation. Lorek's work offers a transnational perspective and critiques the processes of theoretical and historiographical construction between academia in the global North and South. Overall, the book provides valuable insights into the complex history of the Green Revolution in Colombia and its implications for the future of socioenvironmental processes and peacebuilding in the country. [Extracted from the article]

Yuan Longping, known as the "Father of Hybrid Rice," was a renowned scientist and academician who dedicated his life to developing hybrid rice for food security. He made significant contributions to the field of agriculture, particularly in the development of male sterile rice plants and the commercial production of hybrid rice. Yuan's research and innovations in hybrid rice technology have had a profound impact on China's food security and have been extended to other countries, benefiting farmers worldwide. His work has been widely recognized and honored with numerous awards and accolades. Yuan's legacy as a hunger fighter and his commitment to ending world hunger will continue to inspire future generations. [Extracted from the article]

Key message: A recent study identified a natural deletion in the r-e-z haploblock which confers a semi-dwarf trait, higher nitrogen use efficiency, and improved yield in semi-dwarf wheat varieties by attenuating the brassinosteroid signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In "Endangered maize. Industrial agriculture and the crisis of extinction," Helen Anne Curry explores the methods used to counter the endangerment of maize, one of the world's most important crops. Curry argues that the urgency to preserve crop varieties through off-site storage is damaging to the crops, the subsistence farmers who cultivate them, and the cultures that have protected them. She suggests that active use of crop varieties on farms is a better way to conserve diversity and support farming communities. Curry emphasizes the importance of understanding the social, cultural, and environmental context of cultivation and learning from traditional farmers. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses two books on the topic of food security. The first book, "The Paradox of Agrarian Change," focuses on Indonesia and examines the issues of inequity, nutritional insecurity, and ecological decline resulting from global market integration. The book argues that feeding and nutrition programs are not enough and that policy should address structural issues such as community access to and control over land. The second book, "Food Security," takes a neoliberal approach and discusses the key issues of availability, income, and productivity. However, the book is criticized for its focus on the Global North and its failure to address the challenges faced by peasant farmers in the Global South. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of addressing food security for the poor and marginalized, particularly women farmers, and suggests targeting them for access to resources such as land tenure and agricultural support services. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the role of phosphorus in controlling plant height and its impact on crop lodging and yield. The authors identified a transcription factor called MYB110 that negatively regulates plant height in rice under phosphorus deficiency. They also found that MYB110 is a direct target of the PHOSPHATE STARVATION RESPONSE 2 (PHR2) regulator. The study suggests that manipulating MYB110 expression could be a potential strategy for breeding tall rice plants with lodging resistance and high yield. [Extracted from the article]

Green Revolution 2.0 addresses the mitigation of various hazardous pesticides utilized in agriculture. The increased usage of chemical pesticides has witnessed deleterious consequences in less productivity, soil fertility, and crop production. Nevertheless, escalated use during harvesting or post-harvesting practices, affects human health, either directly or indirectly. Hence, eco-friendly sustainable management and remediation of pesticide contamination in soils are prioritized by several researchers. Sustainable strategies encompass pesticide degradation by microbes, both individually and as consortia. Plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB)-mediated biodegradation converts harmful pesticide residues into less harmful metabolites. The subsequent consequence of measures includes augmented bioavailability of less harmful pesticide residues in the rhizosphere. Therefore, the environment-friendliness of remediated soils accounts for PGPB-mediated hazardous pesticide degradation as an affirmed alternative. The present review summarizes the strategic management of hazardous pesticides like extremely hazardous (phorate), highly hazardous (carbofuran), moderately hazardous (endosulfan), and slightly hazardous (malathion). Further the mode of action and underlying mechanisms of PGPR mediated bioremediation of pesticides. The critical compilation emphasizes sustainable agricultural and environmental impact assessment of PGPB-based hazardous pesticide degradation. • PGPB mediated biodegradation of pesticides are considered as eco-friendly sustainable management. • Pesticides such as phorate, carbofuran, endosulfan malathion were considered as a hazardous pesticide. • PGPB mediated degradation is environmental-friendly revival of toxic metabolites into lesser toxic ones. • PGPB not only degrade pesticides but also improve plant growth promoting characteristics. • PGPB are considered as an alternative for chemical fertilizer in sustainable agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extensive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in modern agriculture, particularly since the green revolution, has led to profound consequences for agricultural ecosystems. This approach, while initially boosting yields, has disrupted soil health, biodiversity, and environmental balance. Moreover, it contributes silently to global climate change by releasing greenhouse gases. These challenges underscore the urgent need for a shift towards sustainable agricultural practices to safeguard soil health, biodiversity, and human nutrition while mitigating the impacts of climate change. The primary objective of this study is to assess the impact of the long-term (seventeen years) application of organic nutrient management on the physicochemical properties of basmati rice soil and its nutritional quality. The study aims to understand the effectiveness of different organic nutrient management practices in mitigating the negative consequences associated with conventional agricultural practices. The experiment used a strip-plot design with three replications, assigning two cropping systems (basmati rice-wheat-green gram and basmati rice-wheat-sesbania) to vertical strips. Seven nutrient management practices, including control, farmyard manure (FYM), vermicompost, farmyard manure + crop residues, vermicompost + crop residues, farmyard manure + crop residues + biofertilizers, and vermicompost + crop residues + biofertilizers [nitrogen-fixing Azospirillum, phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria (PSB), potassium-solubilizing bacteria (KSB), and a cellulolytic culture (Aspergillus awamori , Trichoderma viride , Phanerochaete chrysosporium , and Aspergillus wululens)] were applied to the horizontal strips. The findings show that the cropping system with sesbania green manure significantly improved soil physicochemical attributes, nutritional content, and basmati rice yield compared to the green gram-based system. Continued application of organic manures, crop residues, and biofertilizers notably enhanced soil fertility, grain quality, and basmati rice productivity. The combined use of vermicompost, wheat residue, biofertilizers, and sesbania green manure treatment increased organic carbon content by 78.7% over the control, and soil available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium by 38.3–54.9%, 57.6–143.8%, and 27.9–64.1%, respectively. Additionally, it augmented diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid extractable iron, zinc, manganese, and copper content by up to 44.2%, 28.5%, 57.9%, and 71.0%, respectively. Co-application of the above organic sources also significantly enhanced grain and straw yields by 74.5–80.1% and 46.1–50.0%, respectively, compared to the control. Enhancing Basmati rice yield and quality in the Indo-Gangetic Plains can be sustainably achieved through sesbania green manuring and organic practices. Positive correlations with key soil parameters emphasize the significance of organic farming for long-term sustainability. The study suggests that adopting organic practices, including sesbania green manuring and combining organic inputs, can alleviate the adverse effects of conventional farming on soil health, biodiversity, and climate change. This aligns with the broader goal of establishing sustainable production and consumption in basmati rice-based cropping systems. • Sesbania manure boosts rice-wheat attributes, nutrition, yields over green gram. • Long-term organics boost soil health, grain quality, and basmati rice productivity. • Diverse organics raised soil C by 78%, stress-integrated amendments for fertility. • Manure, residue, biofertilizer enhance NPK, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, and uptake by plants. • Rice yield, quality linked to soil moisture, nutrients, crucial in organic farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to escalating environmental challenges posed by the overexploitation of non-renewable resources, this article critically explores the transformative potential of seaweed across diverse bioindustries. Envisioning seaweed as a key player in shaping a parallel global economy, the review comprehensively investigates key sectors such as aquaculture, hydrocolloid production, biopesticide efficacy, biofertilizer formulation, biofuel production, and the development of biodegradable/edible bioplastics. Despite the promising potential of seaweed, challenges persist in its bioindustry, with most of the research currently confined to laboratory settings. The review underscores the need for comprehensive strategies to address environmental threats, including pests and global warming, ensuring the resilience and growth of the seaweed industry. A compelling call urges scholars, industrialists, communities, and government entities to collaborate in establishing robust seaweed value chains, fostering a circular and sustainable economy by promoting responsible resource use. The path forward involves large-scale seaweed cultivation and innovative technologies, recognized as crucial for propelling the seaweed bioindustry onto the global stage. This review serves as a strategic guide, encouraging stakeholders to unite in steering the seaweed industry toward sustainability, contributing to the broader discourse on global bioindustrial solutions. Adopting a comprehensive approach with a global perspective, the review integrates academic literature, reputable organizations, and industry materials to conduct a thorough and detailed analysis of the diverse potential of seaweed. • Seaweed-derived hydrocolloids can act as functional ingredients in various foods. • Seaweed biofertilizers/biostimulants promote plant growth and soil productivity. • Seaweed extracts have biopesticidal properties against plant and human pathogens. • Seaweed-derived bioplastics can be manufactured for use in packaging and medicine. • Seaweed offers a renewable feedstock for affordable and clean energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agricultural green revolution spectacularly enhanced crop yield through modification of gibberellin (GA) signaling. However, in cotton, the GA signaling cascades remain elusive, limiting our potential to cultivate new cotton varieties and improve yield and quality. Here, we identified that GA prominently stimulated fiber elongation through the degradation of DELLA protein GhSLR1, thereby disabling GhSLR1's physical interaction with two transcription factors, GhZFP8 and GhBLH1. Subsequently, the resultant free GhBLH1 binds to GhKCS12 promoter and activates its expression to enhance VLCFAs biosynthesis. With a similar mechanism, the free GhZFP8 binds to GhSDCP1 promoter and activates its expression. As a result, GhSDCP1 upregulates the expression of GhPIF3 gene associated with plant cell elongation. Ultimately, the two parallel signaling cascades synergistically promote cotton fiber elongation. Our findings outline the mechanistic framework that translates the GA signal into fiber cell elongation, thereby offering a roadmap to improve cotton fiber quality and yield. [Display omitted] • Gibberellins promotes fiber cell elongation by degrading GhSLR1 • GhSLR1 interacts with two transcription factors, GhZFP8 and GhBLH1 • GhBLH1 activates the transcription of GhKCS12 and enhances VLCFA biosynthesis • GhZFP8 activates the expression of GhPIF3 by upregulating GhSDCP1 in cotton He et al. identified two signaling cascades, GhSLR1-GhZFP8- GhSDCP1 - GhPIF3 and GhSLR1-GhBLH1- GhKCS12 , which translate the gibberellins signal to regulate cotton fiber cell elongation. This finding can be potentially used in the field to improve cotton fiber quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental protection and sustainable development are now profoundly ingrained in the public consciousness in the modern era of the global green revolution. First, this paper uses an evolutionary game model to theoretically analyse the impact of environmental regulation and green finance on enterprises by dissecting the game behaviour between local governments, banks and enterprises. Then, we incorporate entrepreneurial spirit into the model to determine whether entrepreneurial spirit accelerates the achievement of green sustainability objectives. Environmental regulation and green finance are found to contribute substantially to the innovation of green technologies by local enterprises, while entrepreneurial spirit accelerates this process. Finally, we empirically test the findings based on a prefecture-level panel dataset from 2007 to 2020. We find that green finance has a positive impact in Central and Western cities of China, while Eastern cities are in greater need for government environmental regulation controls. For entrepreneurial spirit, the incentive effect of entrepreneurial spirit on the level of green technology innovation is more significant in Central and Western regions of China. This paper enriches the field of research on entrepreneurial spirit and regional green sustainable development by providing empirical evidence for the evaluation of environmental regulatory and green financing policy impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the process of crop domestication, specifically focusing on the evolution of wheat. The authors identify four key stages in the evolution of wheat: polyploidy formation, domestication, landrace improvement, and the Green Revolution. They examine the morphological changes that occurred during each stage and highlight the importance of understanding the spatial scale and order in which beneficial agronomic traits arose. The study reveals a complex shift in the structure of wheat throughout evolution, with some traits showing continuity and others exhibiting a reversal in direction. The findings have implications for future crop improvement strategies and highlight the need to consider the genetic basis of traits and the potential challenges in reversing thousands of years of evolution. [Extracted from the article]

In the rhizosphere, the activities within all processes and functions are primarily influenced by plant roots, microorganisms present in the rhizosphere, and the interactions between roots and microorganisms. The rhizosphere, a dynamic zone surrounding the roots, provides an ideal environment for a diverse microbial community, which significantly shapes plant growth and development. Microbial activity in the rhizosphere can promote plant growth by increasing nutrient availability, influencing plant hormonal signaling, and repelling or outcompeting pathogenic microbial strains. Understanding the associations between plant roots and soil microorganisms has the potential to revolutionize crop yields, improve productivity, minimize reliance on chemical fertilizers, and promote sustainable plant growth technologies. The rhizosphere microbiome could play a vital role in the next green revolution and contribute to sustainable and eco-friendly agriculture. However, there are still knowledge gaps concerning plant root-environment interactions, particularly regarding roots and microorganisms. Advances in metabolomics have helped to understand the chemical communication between plants and soil biota, yet challenges persist. This article provides an overview of the latest advancements in comprehending the communication and interplay between plant roots and microbes, which have been shown to impact crucial factors such as plant growth, gene expression, nutrient absorption, pest and disease resistance, and the alleviation of abiotic stress. By improving these aspects, sustainable agriculture practices can be implemented to increase the overall productivity of plant ecosystems. • The rhizosphere, around plant roots, is a dynamic hub for root-microbe interactions, shaping various functions. • Symbiotic plant-microbes: Paving the way for green agriculture, sustainability, and enhanced crop yields. • Microbe-plant signaling boosts crop health via nutrients availability, hormonal signnalling, and outcompeting pathogens. • Rhizosphere plant-microbe symbiosis aids abiotic stress adaptation for sustainable agriculture and ecosystem resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C 4 photosynthesis in higher plants is carried out by two distinct cell types: mesophyll cells and bundle sheath cells, as a result highly concentrated carbon dioxide is released surrounding RuBisCo in chloroplasts of bundle sheath cells and the photosynthetic efficiency is significantly higher than that of C 3 plants. The evolution of the dual-cell C 4 cycle involved complex modifications to leaf anatomy and cell ultra-structures. These include an increase in leaf venation, the formation of Kranz anatomy, changes in chloroplast morphology in bundle sheath cells, and increases in the density of plasmodesmata at interfaces between the bundle sheath and mesophyll cells. It is predicted that cereals will be in severe worldwide shortage at the mid-term of this century. Rice is a staple food that feeds more than half of the world's population. If rice can be engineered to perform C 4 photosynthesis, it is estimated that rice yield will be increased by at least 50% due to enhanced photosynthesis. Thus, the Second Green Revolution has been launched on this principle by genetically installing C 4 photosynthesis into C 3 crops. The studies on molecular mechanisms underlying the changes in leaf morphoanatomy involved in C 4 photosynthesis have made great progress in recent years. As there are plenty of reviews discussing the installment of the C 4 cycle, we focus on the current progress and challenges posed to the research regarding leaf anatomy and cell ultra-structure modifications made towards the development of C 4 rice. • Leaf morphoanatomy modifications are required for C 4 rice engineering. • Molecular factors contributing to C 4 rice engineering are proposed. • Breakthrough and limitations for C 4 rice engineering are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the Green Revolution, world agriculture has relied heavily on agrochemical inputs (synthetic fertilizers and pesticides) in cereal- and oilseed-dominated monoculture systems, which has had long-lasting effects on soil health. Significant efforts have been undertaken to suppress these adverse impacts and resolve the conflict between producing sufficient agri-food to address world hunger and maintaining/enhancing soil health for the long run. In the context of agricultural land use and crop/soil managements impacting soil health, this comprehensive review explores the differences in soil fertility, soil quality, and soil health via delving into the complex assemblage of organisms – the home of the multi-dimensional interactive ecosystem. Through analyzing numerous studies across the major agricultural regions in the world, we provide feasible strategies to improve soil health, such as promoting the conversion of atmospheric N 2 to plant-available N to enrich soil nutrients; diversifying crop rotations using alternative, cover, and green crops to increase systems' resilience; adopting no-till with straw retention and organic/inorganic mulches to increase infiltration, stimulate enzyme activities, and enhance soil microbiome functions; and promoting C–N–water cycling to nourish soil microenvironments. These strategies, through coordinated management of the interactive nexus of plant–soil–microbe–anthropogenic activities, will help improve soil health. • Soil is a complex ecosystem connecting the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and lithosphere. • Soil health links plant-, animal-, and human-health and societal sustainability beyond physiochemical properties. • Host plants are essential, providing the primary resources for soil biochemical processes. • Microbial abundance, composition, and diversity impact soil ecosystem's functions and services. • Coordinated management of the nexus of plant–soil–microbe–anthropogenic activities will improve soil health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An historical explanation for success and failure in crop technology uptake. • Emphasis on how regulations can block uptake. • Emphasis on necessary social and political factors to avoid blockage. • A projection for future uptake of CRISPR crops. Applications of new crop science often spread widely to reach farm fields, but sometimes they do not. The Green Revolution seeds first released in the 1960s and 1970s were taken up widely and quickly, but the transgenic GMO seeds first released in the 1990s, which also performed well, have remained highly restricted. After more than two decades, 84 percent of all GMO crop acres around the world are still in just four Western Hemisphere countries, and 97.2 percent of total acres are still planted to just four crops. The presence or absence of six "success factors" can explain these divergent uptake trajectories. The success factors are 1) a broad social agreement on the urgent need to boost food production, 2) an immediate and obvious benefit for farmers when they plant the new seeds 3) social trust in the institutions producing and delivering the new technology, 4) an absence of new consumer food safety concerns, 5) an absence of organized opposition from environmental advocacy groups, and 6) the absence of a simple means to detect the altered genetics of the new seeds. The Green Revolution seeds enjoyed all six of these success factors, while GMO seeds enjoyed only one of the six. This same approach can be used to predict the future uptake of genome-edited crops, which show three of the six success factors, predicting a rate of uptake slower than for the Green Revolution but wider and faster than for GMOs. A preliminary scan of national regulatory decisions being made toward genome-edited seeds strengthens this prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]