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Pesticides are essential in contemporary agriculture, as they improve crop yields and quality while safeguarding against pests. However, long-term heavy use of traditional pesticides has led to increased pest resistance, while these pesticides are often toxic and less selective, and may also have adverse effects on the environment and nontarget organisms. To solve this problem, it is important to find new targets for pesticide to develop more effective and environmentally friendly alternatives. Therefore, exploring new pesticide action targets has become one of the current research focuses. In the past years, efforts have been made to investigate possible strategies, and this work systematically summarizes and criticizes the most recently used ones. This contribution not only helps promote the research and development of new pesticides but also holds substantial implications for promoting the sustainable development of agriculture and food security.

The growing global needs for food and feed and the impact of climate change on agriculture demand innovative and sustainable solutions to protect against crop losses and to improve yields worldwide. To facilitate the timely discovery and development of new sustainable crop protection products with favorable human health and environmental safety profiles, the development of new approach methodologies (NAMs) is essential to predict potential risk and to perform safety assessment early in the discovery process. Significant advances in NAM research have been made in recent years. We have organized a Virtual Special Issue and invited submissions of seven high-quality research articles and reviews on the latest advances in emerging NAMs for predictive safety assessment in agrochemical research and development. Here we provide an introductory overview of the need of innovation and research for the development of novel agricultural solutions and highlight findings from each invited article in this special edition.

Nanomaterials (NMs) have shown relevant impacts in crop protection, improvement of yields, and minimizing collateral side effects of fertilizer and pesticides in vegetable and fruit production. The application of NMs to improve biofortification has gained much attention in the last five years, offering a hopeful and optimistic outlook. Thus, we propose comprehensively revising the scientific literature about the use of NMs in the agronomic biofortification of crops and analyzing the beneficial impact of the use of NMs. The results indicated that different species of plants were biofortified with essential elements and macronutrients after the applications of Zn, Fe, Se, nanocomposites, and metalloid NPs. In addition, the physiological performances, antioxidant compounds, and yields were improved with NMs. Using nanofertilizers for the biofortification of crops can be considered a promising method to deliver micronutrients for plants with beneficial impacts on human health, the environment, and agriculture.

The demand for food has increased dramatically as the global population increases, putting more strain on the sustainability of agriculture. To fulfill this requirement, it is imperative to develop brand-new technologies. The application potential of nanozymes in the plant and environmental sectors is progressively becoming apparent as a result of their effective enzymatic catalytic activity and the distinctive characteristics of nanomaterials, including size, specific surface area, optical properties, and thermal properties. Herein, we systematically analyze the catalytic mechanisms of nanozymes with different enzyme-mimetic activities and summarize their applications in improving crop yields by regulating ROS levels and enhancing stress resistance and detecting and removing hazardous pollutants. Finally, we thoroughly analyze the challenges faced by nanozymes regarding size, design, application, economy, and biosafety and look forward to their future development directions to better serve sustainable agriculture.

Efficient management of crop diseases and yield enhancement are essential for addressing the increasing food demands due to global population growth. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which have rapidly evolved throughout the 21st century, are notable for their vast surface area, porosity, and adaptability, establishing them as highly effective vehicles for controlled drug delivery. This review methodically categorizes common MOFs employed in crop disease management and details their effectiveness against various pathogens. Additionally, by critically evaluating existing research, it outlines strategic approaches for the design of drug-delivery MOFs and explains the mechanisms through which MOFs enhance disease resistance. Finally, this paper identifies the current challenges in MOF research for crop disease management and suggests directions for future research. Through this in-depth review, the paper seeks to enrich the understanding of MOFs applications in crop disease management and offers valuable insights for researchers and practitioners.

Cereal grains play an important role in human health as a source of macro- and micronutrients, besides phytochemicals. The metabolite diversity was investigated in cereal crops and their milling fractions by untargeted metabolomics ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) of 69 samples: 7 species (barley, oat, pearl millet, rye, sorghum, triticale, and wheat), 23 genotypes, and 4 milling fractions (husk, bran, flour, and wholegrain). Samples were also analyzed by in vitro antioxidant activity. UHPLC-MS/MS signals were processed using XCMS, and metabolite annotation was based on SIRIUS and GNPS libraries. Bran and husk showed the highest antioxidant capacity and phenolic content/diversity. The major metabolite classes were phenolic acids, flavonoids, fatty acyls, and organic acids. Sorghum, millet, barley, and oats showed distinct metabolite profiles, especially related to the bran fraction. Molecular networking and chemometrics provided a comprehensive insight into the metabolic profiling of cereal crops, unveiling the potential of coproducts and super cereals such as sorghum and millet as sources of polyphenols.

Chemicals that modulate phytohormones serve as a research tool in plant science and as products to improve crop productivity. Subtype selectivity refers to a ligand to selectively bind to specific subtypes of a receptor rather than binding to all possible subtypes indiscriminately. It allows for precise and specific control of cellular functions and is widely used in medicine. However, subtype selectivity is rarely mentioned in the realm of plant science, and it requires integrated knowledge from chemistry and biology, including structural features of small molecules as ligands, the redundancy of target proteins, and the response of signaling factors. Here, we present a comprehensive review and evaluation of phytohormone receptor subtype selectivity, leveraging the chemical characteristics of phytohormones and their analogues as clues. This work endeavors to provide a valuable research strategy that integrates knowledge from chemistry and biology to advance research efforts geared toward enhancing crop productivity.

Glucosinolates (GSLs) are plant secondary metabolites commonly found in the cruciferous vegetables of the Brassicaceae family, offering health benefits to humans and defense against pathogens and pests to plants. In this study, we investigated 23 GSL compounds' relative abundance in four tissues of five different Brassica oleracea morphotypes. Using the five corresponding high-quality B. oleracea genome assemblies, we identified 183 GSL-related genes and analyzed their expression with mRNA-Seq data. GSL abundance and composition varied strongly, among both tissues and morphotypes, accompanied by different gene expression patterns. Interestingly, broccoli exhibited a nonfunctional AOP2 gene due to a conserved 2OG-FeII_Oxy domain loss, explaining the unique accumulation of two health-promoting GSLs. Additionally, transposable element (TE) insertions were found to affect the gene structure of MAM3 genes. Our findings deepen the understanding of GSL variation and genetic regulation in B. oleracea morphotypes, providing valuable insights for breeding with tailored GSL profiles in these crops.

Singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) plays imperative roles in a variety of biotic or abiotic stresses in crops. The change of its concentration within a crop is closely related to the crop growth and development. Accordingly, there is an urgent need to develop an efficient analytical method for on-site quantitative detection of 1 O 2 in crops. Here, we judiciously constructed a novel ratiometric fluorescent probe, SX-2 , for the detection of 1 O 2 in crops. Upon treating with 1 O 2 , probe SX-2 displayed highly selective ratiometric fluorescence response, which is favorable for the quantitative detection of 1 O 2 . Concurrently, the fluorescence solution color of probe SX-2 was varied, obviously from blue to yellow, indicating that the probe is beneficial for on-site detection by the naked eye. Sensing reaction mechanism studies showed that the 2,3-diphenyl imidazole group in SX-2 could function as a new selective recognition group for 1 O 2 . Probe SX-2 was utilized for the detection of photoirradiation-induced 1 O 2 and endogenous 1 O 2 in living cells. The changes in the 1 O 2 level in zebrafish were also tracked by fluorescence imaging. In addition, the production of 1 O 2 in crop leaves under a light source of different wavelengths was studied. The results demonstrated more 1 O 2 were produced under a light source of 365 nm. Furthermore, to achieve on-site quantitative detection, a mobile fluorescence analysis device has been made. Probe SX-2 and mobile fluorescence analysis device were capable of on-site quantitative detecting of 1 O 2 in crops. The method developed herein will be convenient for the on-site quantitative measurement of 1 O 2 in distinct crops.

Guvermectin, as a novel nucleoside-like biopesticide, could increase the rice yield excellently, but the potential environmental behaviors remain unclear, which pose potential health risks. Therefore, the uptake and biotransformation of guvermectin in three types of crops (rice, lettuce, and carrot) were first evaluated with a hydroponic system. Guvermectin could be rapidly absorbed and reached equilibrium in roots (12-36 h) and shoots (24-60 h) in three plants, and guvermectin was also vulnerable to dissipation in roots ( t 1/2 1.02-3.65 h) and shoots ( t 1/2 9.30-17.91 h). In addition, 8 phase I and 2 phase II metabolites, transformed from guvermectin degradation in vivo and in vitro exposure, were identified, and one was confirmed as psicofuranine, which had antibacterial and antitumor properties; other metabolites were nucleoside-like chemicals. Molecular simulation and quantitative polymerase chain reaction further demonstrated that guvermectin was metabolized by the catabolism pathway of an endogenous nucleotide. Guvermectin had similar metabolites in three plants, but the biotransformation ability had a strong species dependence. In addition, all the metabolites exhibit neglectable toxicities (bioconcentration factor <2000 L/kg b.w., LC 50,rat > 5000 mg/kg b.w.) by prediction. The study provided valuable evidence for the application of guvermectin and a better understanding of the biological behavior of nucleoside-like pesticides.

Abiotic stresses including cold, drought, salt, and iron deficiency severely impair plant development, crop productivity, and geographic distribution. Several bodies of research have shed light on the pleiotropic functions of BASIC HELIX-LOOP-HELIX (bHLH) proteins in plant responses to these abiotic stresses. In this review, we mention the regulatory roles of bHLH TFs in response to stresses such as cold, drought, salt resistance, and iron deficiency, as well as in enhancing grain yield in plants, especially crops. The bHLH proteins bind to E/G-box motifs in the target promoter and interact with various other factors to form a complex regulatory network. Through this network, they cooperatively activate or repress the transcription of downstream genes, thereby regulating various stress responses. Finally, we present some perspectives for future research focusing on the molecular mechanisms that integrate and coordinate these abiotic stresses. Understanding these molecular mechanisms is crucial for the development of stress-tolerant crops.

2-O-β-d-Glucopyranosyl l-ascorbic acid (AA-2βG) is a stable, bioavailable vitamin C (AA) derivative. We report the distribution and seasonal variation of AA-2βG in apples and its occurrence in other domesticated crops and in wild harvested Ma̅ori foods. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses showed high AA-2βG concentrations in crab apples ( Malus sylvestris ) but low concentrations in domesticated apples. Leaves of crab and domesticated apple cultivars contained similar intermediate AA-2βG concentrations. Fruits and leaves of other crops were analyzed: mainly Rosaceae but also Actinidiaceae and Ericaceae. AA-2βG was detected in all leaves (0.5-6.1 mg/100 g fr. wt.) but was at lower concentrations in most fruits (0.0-0.5 mg/100 g fr. wt.) except for crab apples (79.4 mg/100 g fr. wt.). Ma̅ori foods from Solanaceae, Piperaceae, Asteraceae, and a fern of Aspleniaceae also contained AA-2βG. This extensive occurrence suggests a general role in AA metabolism for AA-2βG.

Residual pesticides in soil may be taken up by crops and negatively affect food safety. The uptake mechanism of imidacloprid and propiconazole was studied using wheat roots. The factors affecting root uptake were also studied with different crops and in different soils. Imidacloprid and propiconazole were taken up by wheat roots mainly through the symplastic and apoplastic pathways, respectively. Root protein and lipid contents were the main factors affecting the uptake and accumulation of imidacloprid and propiconazole by different crop roots, respectively. The uptake of imidacloprid and propiconazole in soil by wheat plants was linearly correlated with their concentrations in soil pore water, which were governed by soil characteristics. These results are helpful for understanding and estimating crop uptake of residual pesticides in soils.

The agriculture system is tasked with the responsibility to deliver adequate quantities of food, which meet national needs, provide health benefits, and deliver these in an environmentally sustainable system. Efforts by the food industry to deliver safe and nutritious foods, which also improve health and wellness, are complicated by a constantly changing landscape. As early as the 1950s, fat in diets was a concern, and in the 1980s and early 1990s, fat was an evil component in foods. In response, the industry developed zero/low fats and foods and low-fat foods. The evolution in dietary guidelines in the 2000s has evolved to greater concern over simple sugars and starches as negative sources of calories in an environment of increasing obesity. With the world population approaching 9 billion individuals by 2050, food production, which relies on large amounts of water and energy, must become more efficient. Food production and delivery also must find innovative ways to reduce food waste, environmental pollutants, and greenhouse gas production. The nexus of food, energy, and water is and will continue to be a major research and political and communication emphasis for the scientific community. We must find clear and consumer friendly communications to explain the utilization of modern technology in food production. Solutions to these issues must also include sustainably produced, safe, nutritious, satisfying, and wholesome foods.

Micronutrient deficiencies in global food chains are a significant cause of ill health around the world, particularly in developing countries. Agriculture is the primary source of nutrients required for sound health, and as the population has continued to grow, the agricultural sector has come under pressure to improve crop production, in terms of both quantity and quality, to meet the global demands for food security. The use of engineered nanomaterial (ENM) has emerged as a promising technology to sustainably improve the efficiency of current agricultural practices as well as overall crop productivity. One promising approach that has begun to receive attention is to use ENM as seed treatments to biofortify agricultural crop production and quality. This review highlights the current state of the science for this approach as well as critical knowledge gaps and research needs that must be overcome to optimize the sustainable application of nano-enabled seed fortification approaches.

Due to the growing demand in society for healthier foods, scientific communities are searching and developing new ingredients. In this context, agro-industrial residues, which can have a negative impact on the environment, represent a natural source for bioactive compounds and their recovery can contribute to economic and environmental sustainability. Ionizing radiation is a clean and eco-friendly technology that can be used to improve the extraction of bioactive compounds. The aim of this review, after presenting general aspects about bioactive compounds in agro-industrial residues and radiation technologies, is to focus on the effects of ionizing radiation on the extraction of bioactive compounds from these residues and related bioactive properties. Irradiated residues were demonstrated to have enhanced bioactive characteristics that turn the prepared extracts suitable for applications in food industry, resulting in high-added-value products as well as reducing adverse impacts on the environment.

Increasing use of emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) has caused extensive concerns around the world. Effective detection methods to trace their pollution characteristics and environmental behaviors in complex soil-crop systems are urgently needed. In this study, a reliable and matrix effect (ME)-free method was developed for simultaneous determination of 14 legacy and emerging PFASs, including perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorooctane sulfonate, 6 hydrogenous PFASs, 3 chlorinated PFASs, and 3 hexafluoropropylene oxide homologues, in 6 crop (the edible parts) and 5 soil matrices using ultrasonic extraction combined with solid-phase extraction and ultraperformance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (MS)/MS. The varieties of extractants and cleanup cartridges, the dosage of ammonia hydroxide, and the ME were studied to obtain an optimal pretreatment procedure. The developed method had high sensitivity and accuracy with satisfactory method detection limits (2.40-83.03 pg/g dry weight) and recoveries (72-117%) of all target analytes in matrices at five concentrations, that is, 0.1, 1, 10, 100, and 1000 ng/g. In addition, the ME of this method (0.82-1.15) was negligible for all PFASs, even considering 11 different matrices. The successful application of the ME-free method to simultaneously determine the legacy and emerging PFASs in crop and soil samples has demonstrated its excellent practicability for monitoring emerging PFASs in soil-crop systems.

As emerging alternatives of legacy perfluoroalkyl substances, 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate (6:2 FTS), 6:2 chlorinated polyfluoroalkyl ether sulfonates (6:2 Cl-PFESA), and perfluorophosphinates (C6/C6 and C8/C8 PFPiAs) are supposed to be partitioned to soil and highly persistent in the environment. The uptake of novel per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) by plants represents a potential pathway for their transfer in the food chain. In this study, the bioavailability of these four novel PFASs in soil and the bioaccumulation characteristics in greenhouse-grown wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.), maize ( Zea mays L.), soybean ( Glycine max L. Merrill), and pumpkin ( Cucurbita maxima L.) were investigated. The results indicated that these novel PFASs with higher hydrophobicity were more easily sequestrated in soil, and the fractions extracted by methanol could well describe their bioavailability, which could be stimulated by low-molecular-weight organic acids at rhizospheric concentrations. A negative relationship was found between root soil concentration factors (RSCFs) and hydrophobicity (log  K ow ) of the target PFASs. This correlation was also found in the translocation factors (TF) from roots to shoots. Furthermore, the uptake and transfer of the target PFASs were regulated by the protein contents in plant roots and shoots.

Selenium (Se) is an important micronutrient for living organisms, since it is involved in several physiological and metabolic processes. Se intake in humans is often low and very seldom excessive, and its bioavailability depends also on its chemical form, with organic Se as the most available after ingestion. The main dietary source of Se for humans is represented by plants, since many species are able to metabolize and accumulate organic Se in edible parts to be consumed directly (leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, and sprouts) or after processing (oil, wine, etc.). Countless studies have recently investigated the Se biofortification of plants to produce Se-enriched foods and elicit the production of secondary metabolites, which may benefit human health when incorporated into the diet. Moreover, feeding animals Se-rich diets may provide Se-enriched meat. This work reviews the most recent literature on the nutraceutical profile of Se-enriched foods from plant and animal sources.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) are perfluorinated alkyl substances widely used in industrial and domestic products. The European Food Safety Authority and United States Environmental Protection Agency have recently lowered the reference doses (RfDs) for PFOA and PFOS 4-1800-fold. The recently lowered RfDs call for re-evaluation of potential human health risks from PFOA and PFOS via food consumption. Serious concerns arise because some intakes of PFOA and PFOS exceeded the RfDs. Innovative cultivation of low-accumulating crop varieties becomes an option to decrease human exposure. We present an up-to-date review on low-accumulating crop varieties for PFOA and PFOS in reference to toxic metals and other organic pollutants, including the variety identification, physiological-biochemical mechanisms, molecular uptake mechanisms, and molecular docking, to call for attention and research efforts to decrease human intakes of PFOA and PFOS via crop consumption.

Since 2011, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has implemented combined difference and equivalence testing of agronomic, phenotypic, and composition data in the risk assessment of genetically modified crops. A short perspective is provided on misunderstandings that have shown up in published criticisms of the approach to equivalence testing, different viewpoints regarding the questions to be answered, and new developments in statistical modeling.

AFEX treatment of crop residues can greatly increase their nutrient availability for ruminants. This study investigated the concentration of acetamide, an ammoniation byproduct, in AFEX-treated crop residues and in milk and meat from ruminants fed these residues. Acetamide concentrations in four AFEX-treated cereal crop residues were comparable and reproducible (4-7 mg/g dry matter). A transient acetamide peak in milk was detected following introduction of AFEX-treated residues to the diet, but an alternative regimen showed the peak can be effectively mitigated. Milk acetamide concentration following this transition was 6 and 10 ppm for cattle and buffalo, respectively, but also decreased over time for cattle while tending to decrease ( p = 0.08) for buffalo. There was no difference in acetamide concentration in the meat of cattle consuming AFEX-treated residues for 160 days compared to controls. Further investigation is necessary to determine the metabolism of acetamide in ruminants and a maximum acceptable daily intake for humans.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) oversees the safety assessment of genetically engineered (GE) crops in the European Union and has developed a study design and statistical approach for assessing the compositional equivalency between a GE crop and the corresponding non-GE crop on the basis of the results from a small number of concurrently grown reference lines. Confidence limits around the differences in mean analyte composition between the GE variety and the reference lines are compared with equivalence limits on the basis of the variability of the reference lines. Here, we evaluated the performance and consistency of the equivalence conclusions using a non-GE variety that is, by definition, equivalent to the non-GE crop. Using this approach across the same analytes with the same non-GE variety, it was found that equivalence could not be concluded for 19.7, 22.9, 25.4, and 53.5% of the analytes in four separate studies. In addition, equivalency conclusions for the same analyte often differed from study to study. These results call into question the consistency and value of this approach in the risk assessment of GE crops.

Insect damage to crops is a serious issue, in particular when the pest dwells within its host. The cowpea bruchid ( Callosobruchus maculatus) is an herbivore of legumes including beans and peas. The bruchid lays its eggs on the seeds themselves; after hatching, the larvae burrow into and develop inside the seed, complicating detection and treatment. Left unchecked, two insects could destroy up to 50% of 1 ton of harvest cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata) after several months of storage. In this study, we investigated the possibility of using a hand-held Raman spectrometer to detect the pest during its development within intact cowpeas. Our results show that Raman spectroscopy can detect chemical signatures of bruchid larvae as well as their excrements inside the intact seeds. Additionally, using chemometric methods, we distinguished between healthy and infested seeds as well as among seeds hosting developmentally early or late-stage larvae with high accuracy. This study demonstrates Raman spectroscopy's efficacy in not only detection of pathogens and pests present on the surface of plant leaves and the grain but also inside the seeds. This Raman-based method may prove useful as a rapid means of screening crops for internal pests.

Common pillar across the risk assessment strategies implemented worldwide for genetically modified plants is the comparison of their compositional profile to that of conventional counterparts deemed safe. If differences are observed, those that cannot be attributed to natural variation are further evaluated for their safety relevance. This principle is clear, but its implementation is challenging. Here we first discuss the difficulties of estimating natural variation of crop-specific compositional end-points and the various attempts made, together with their advantages and limitations. Second we present the empirical distribution curves of compositional end-points for two crops bearing a large commercial interest worldwide, maize and soybean. These curves provide novel information on end-point specific variability relevant for further progressing in the risk assessment process.

In a society where the environmental conscience is gaining attention, it is necessary to evaluate the potential valorization options for agricultural biomass to create a change in the perception of the waste agricultural biomass from waste to resource. In that sense, the biorefinery approach has been proposed as the roadway to increase profit of the agricultural sector and, at the same time, ensure environmental sustainability. The biorefinery approach integrates biomass conversion processes to produce fuels, power, and chemicals from biomass. The present review is focused on the extraction of value-added compounds, anaerobic digestion, and composting of agricultural waste as the biorefinery approach. This biorefinery approach is, nevertheless, seen as a less innovative configuration compared to other biorefinery configurations, such as bioethanol production or white biotechnology. However, any of these processes has been widely proposed as a single operation unit for agricultural waste valorization, and a thoughtful review on possible single or joint application has not been available in the literature up to now. The aim is to review the previous and current literature about the potential valorization of agricultural waste biomass, focusing on valuable compound extraction, anaerobic digestion, and composting of agricultural waste, whether they are not, partially, or fully integrated.

We developed a novel loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP)-based detection method using lateral flow dipstick chromatography for genetically modified (GM) soybean and maize events. The single-stranded tag hybridization (STH) for the chromatography printed-array strip (C-PAS) system was used for detections targeting the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter, mannose-6-phosphate isomerase gene, Pisum sativum ribulose 1, 5-bisphosphate carboxylase terminator, a common sequence between the Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac genes, and a GA21-specific sequence. The STH C-PAS system was applicable for multiplex analyses to perform simultaneous detections. The limit of detection was 0.5% or less for each target. By using the developed method, the LAMP amplification was visually detected. Moreover, the detection could be carried out without any expensive instruments, even for the DNA amplification steps, by virtue of the isothermal reaction. We demonstrated that the rapid and useful method developed here would be applicable for screening GM crops.

We have developed an effective competitive electrochemical immunosensor assay based on hapten-grafted programmed probe (HGPP) as a corecognition element for highly sensitive and selective detection of acetamiprid. Starting with the synthesis of hapten, HGPP was prepared using carboxyl group in the hapten and amino group in the 5' end of the programmed probe through covalent conjugation. Acetamiprid present in samples competes with HGPP to bind with capture antibody on the electrodes by specific recognition interaction. Methylene blue probe (MBP) was used as the electrochemical redox probe to capture the hybridized HGPP on the electrodes. The competitive reaction changes in accordance with the quantity of the target acetamiprid in the sample, as the amounts of the hybridized HGPP and the immobilized antibody are constant, i.e., the more acetamiprid samples are added, the less MBP is combined on the electrodes. In the optimal conditions, thus, biosensor output showed a linear relationship from 5 to 10 5 ng L -1 for the acetamiprid assay with a detecting limit of 3.2 ng L -1 . The biosensor was successful in quantifying the amount of acetamiprid in spiked strawberry and cabbage extracts. This competitive immunosensor assay represents a rapid and sensitive technology for acetamiprid assay or other small molecule targets in food.

Carbon-based nanoparticles (CBNs) are nanomaterials that have been shown to be plant growth regulators. Here, we investigated the effects of long-term exposure to multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the growth of three important crops (barley, soybean, and corn). The tested species were cultivated in hydroponics supplemented with 50 μg/mL MWCNTs. After 20 weeks of continuous exposure to the nanomaterials, no significant toxic effects on plant development were observed. Several positive phenotypical changes were recorded, in addition to the enhancement of photosynthesis in MWCNT-exposed crops. Raman spectroscopy with point-by-point mapping proved that the MWCNTs in the hydroponic solution moved into all tested species and were distributed in analyzed organs (leaves, stems, roots, and seeds). Our results confirmed the significant potential of CBN in plant agriculture. However, the documented presence of MWCNTs in different organs of all exposed crops highlighted the importance of detailed risk assessment of nanocontaminated plants moving into the food chain.

This perspective examines the detection of rhizosphere biomarkers, namely, root exudates and microbial metabolites, using molecular recognition elements, such as molecularly imprinted polymers, antibodies, and aptamers. Tracking these compounds in the rhizosphere could provide valuable insight into the status of the crop and soil in a highly localized way. The outlook and potential impact of the combination of molecular recognition and other innovations, such as nanotechnology and precision agriculture, and the comparison to advances in personalized medicine are considered.

The First International Conference on Nanotechnology Applications and Implications of Agrochemicals toward Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems was held in Beijing, China, on November 17-18, 2016 to address and exchange the latest knowledge and developments in nanotechnology of agrochemicals toward sustainable agriculture and food systems. World-leading scientists gathered to discuss a wide range of relevant topics. The purposes of this symposium introduction are to provide an introduction to the international conference, summarize in brief the contributions of papers that follow within this special issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, provide a synthesis of conference outcomes, and suggest future directions, including an important role of converging science and technologies to advance sustainable agriculture, food, and natural resource systems.

The development of innovative technologies to rapidly detect biomarkers associated with nutritional deficiencies in crops is highly relevant to agriculture and thus could impact the future of food security. Zinc (Zn) is an important micronutrient in plants, and deficiency leads to poor health, quality, and yield of crops. We have developed portable sensors, based on graphene oxide and upconversion nanoparticles, which could be used in the early detection of Zn deficiency in crops, sensing mRNAs encoding members of the ZIP-transporter family in crops. ZIPs are membrane transport proteins, some of which are up-regulated at the early stages of Zn deficiency, and they are part of the biological mechanism by which crops respond to nutritional deficiency. The principle of these sensors is based on the intensity of the optical output resulting from the interaction of oligonucleotide-coated upconversion nanoparticles and graphene oxide in the absence or presence of a specific oligonucleotide target. The sensors can reliably detect mRNAs in RNA extracts from plants using a smartphone camera. Our work introduces the development of accurate and highly sensitive sensors for use in the field to determine crop nutrient status and ultimately facilitate economically important nutrient management decisions.

Carotenoids are a diverse group of tetraterpenoid pigments that play indispensable roles in plants and animals. The biosynthesis of carotenoids in plants is strictly regulated at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels in accordance with inherited genetic signals and developmental requirements and in response to external environmental stimulants. The alteration in the biosynthesis of carotenoids under the influence of external environmental stimulants, such as high light, drought, salinity, and chilling stresses, has been shown to significantly influence the nutritional value of crop plants. In addition to these stimulants, several pre- and postharvesting cultivation practices significantly influence carotenoid compositions and contents. Thus, this review discusses how various environmental stimulants and pre- and postharvesting factors can be positively modulated for the enhanced biosynthesis and accumulation of carotenoids in the edible parts of crop plants, such as the leaves, roots, tubers, flowers, fruit, and seeds. In addition, future research directions in this context are identified.

Recent research has shown that the biosynthesis of several key odorants is controlled by genes whose expression is altered or even induced by biotic or abiotic stress. These new findings provide a roadmap for improvement of flavor quality by the application of moderate, well-controlled stress. This strategy aims at reducing the flavor deficiencies in modern commercial varieties as a "green" alternative to genetic engineering. The workflow for a successful implementation of this approach, from the identification of key odorants by molecular science techniques to the investigation of mechanisms controlling their biosynthesis, is complex and calls for interdisciplinary research.

The reduction of the environmental footprint of crop production without compromising crop yield and their nutritional value is a key goal for improving the sustainability of agriculture. In 2009, the Balruddery Farm Platform was established at The James Hutton Institute as a long-term experimental platform for cross-disciplinary research of crops using two agricultural ecosystems. Crops representative of UK agriculture were grown under conventional and integrated management systems and analyzed for their water-soluble vitamin content. Integrated management, when compared with the conventional system, had only minor effects on water-soluble vitamin content, where significantly higher differences were seen for the conventional management practice on the levels of thiamine in field beans (p < 0.01), Spring barley (p < 0.05), and Winter wheat (p < 0.05), and for nicotinic acid in Spring barley (p < 0.05). However, for all crops, variety and year differences were of greater importance. These results indicate that the integrated management system described in this study does not significantly affect the water-soluble vitamin content of the crops analyzed here.

Glucosinolates (GSLs) and isothiocyanates (ITCs) produced by Brassicaceae plants are popular targets for analysis due to the health benefits associated with them. Breeders aim to increase the concentrations in commercial varieties; however, there are few examples of this. The most well-known is Beneforté broccoli, which has increased glucoraphanin/sulforaphane concentrations compared to those of conventional varieties. It was developed through traditional breeding methods with considerations for processing, consumption, and health made throughout this process. Many studies presented in the literature do not take a holistic approach, and key points about breeding, cultivation methods, postharvest storage, sensory attributes, and consumer preferences are not properly taken into account. In this review, we draw together data for multiple species and address how such factors can influence GSL profiles. We encourage researchers and institutions to engage with industry and consumers to produce research that can be utilized in the improvement of Brassicaceae crops.

Accurately determining protein content is essential in exploiting biomass as feed and fuel. A survey of biomass samples in China indicated protein contents from 2.65 to 3.98% for crop residues and from 6.07 to 10.24% for animal manure of dry basis. Conversion factors based on amino acid nitrogen (k A ) ranged from 5.42 to 6.00 for the former and from 4.78 to 5.36 for the latter, indicating that the traditional factor of 6.25 is not suitable for biomass samples. On the other hand, conversion factors from Kjeldahl nitrogen (k P ) ranged from 3.97 to 4.57 and from 2.76 to 4.31 for crop residues and animal manure, respectively. Of note, conversion factors were strongly affected by amino acid composition and levels of nonprotein nitrogen. Thus, k P values of 4.23 for crop residues, 4.11 for livestock manure, and 3.11 for poultry manure are recommended to better estimate protein content from total nitrogen.

A robust method was developed for simultaneous determination of nine trace perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) in various edible crop matrices including cereal (grain), root vegetable (carrot), leafy vegetable (lettuce), and melon vegetable (pumpkin) using ultrasonic extraction followed by solid-phase extraction cleanup and high liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The varieties of extractants and cleanup cartridges, the usage of Supelclean graphitized carbon, and the matrix effect and its potential influencing factors were estimated to gain an optimal extraction procedure. The developed method presented high sensitivity and accuracy with the method detection limits and the recoveries at four fortification levels in various matrices ranging from 0.017 to 0.180 ng/g (dry weight) and from 70% to 114%, respectively. The successful application of the developed method to determine PFCAs in various crops sampled from several farms demonstrated its practicability for regular monitoring of PFCAs in real crops.

Modern analytical techniques can determine a multitude of fungal metabolites contaminating food and feed. In addition to known mycotoxins, for which maximum levels in food are enforced, also currently unregulated, so-called "emerging mycotoxins" were shown to occur frequently in agricultural products. The aim of this review is to critically discuss the relevance of selected emerging mycotoxins to food and feed safety. Acute and chronic toxicity as well as occurrence data are presented for enniatins, beauvericin, moniliformin, fusaproliferin, fusaric acid, culmorin, butenolide, sterigmatocystin, emodin, mycophenolic acid, alternariol, alternariol monomethyl ether, and tenuazonic acid. By far not all of the detected compounds are toxicologically relevant at their naturally occurring levels and are therefore of little or no health concern to consumers. Still, gaps in knowledge have been identified for several compounds. These gaps should be closed by the scientific community in the coming years to allow a proper risk assessment.

A symposium entitled "Public Health Perspectives of Mycotoxins in Food" was held at the 251st American Chemical Society (ACS) Meeting in March 2016 in San Diego, CA, and was sponsored by the ACS Division of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The purpose of the symposium was to convene the leading mycotoxin researchers throughout the world to discuss the current state of knowledge as well as research needs with respect to evaluating the toxicological properties of mycotoxins and ways to detect, control, and reduce human and animal exposure to these natural toxins. A total of 23 presentations were delivered by speakers representing academic, government, and industrial institutions from North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The presentations covered such diverse topics as a historical perspective on the discovery of the major fungal toxins, occurrence of mycotoxins in food and feed, toxicological properties of mycotoxins and their influence on public health, analytical methods for mycotoxins, pre- and postharvest control of mycotoxins, and regulatory aspects. This paper is intended to provide a brief summary of the presentations as well as a record of the proceedings of the symposium.

Aflatoxin contamination has a major economic impact on crop production in the southern United States. Reduction of aflatoxin contamination in harvested crops has been achieved by applying nonaflatoxigenic biocontrol Aspergillus flavus strains that can out-compete wild aflatoxigenic A. flavus, reducing their numbers at the site of application. Currently, the standard method for applying biocontrol A. flavus strains to soil is using a nutrient-supplying carrier (e.g., pearled barley for Afla-Guard). Granules of Bioplastic (partially acetylated corn starch) have been investigated as an alternative nutritive carrier for biocontrol agents. Bioplastic granules have also been used to prepare a sprayable biocontrol formulation that gives effective reduction of aflatoxin contamination in harvested corn kernels with application of much smaller amounts to leaves later in the growing season. The ultimate goal of biocontrol research is to produce biocontrol systems that can be applied to crops only when long-range weather forecasting indicates they will be needed.

Toxigenic fungi and mycotoxins entered human food supplies about the time when mankind first began to cultivate crops and to store them from one season to the next, perhaps 10,000 years ago. The storage of cereals probably initiated the transition by mankind from hunter-gatherer to cultivator, at the same time providing a vast new ecological niche for fungi pathogenic on grain crops or saprophytic on harvested grain, many of which produced mycotoxins. Grains have always been the major source of mycotoxins in the diet of man and his domestic animals. In the historical context, ergotism from Claviceps purpurea in rye has been known probably for more than 2000 years and caused the deaths of many thousands of people in Europe in the last millennium. Known in Japan since the 17th century, acute cardiac beriberi associated with the consumption of moldy rice was found to be due to citreoviridin produced by Penicillium citreonigrum. This toxin was believed to be only of historic importance until its reemergence in Brazil a few years ago. Other Penicillium toxins, including ochratoxin A, once considered to be a possible cause of Balkan endemic nephropathy, are treated in a historical context. The role of Fusarium toxins in human and animal health, especially T-2 toxin in alimentary toxic aleukia in Russia in the 1940s and fumonisins in equine leucoencephalomalasia, is set out in some detail. Finally, this paper documents the story of the research that led to our current understanding of the formation of aflatoxins in grains and nuts, due to the growth of Aspergillus flavus and its role, in synergy with the hepatitis B virus, in human liver cancer. During a period of climate change and greatly reduced crop diversity on a global basis, researchers tasked with monitoring the food system need to be aware of fungal toxins that might have been rare in their working careers that can reappear.

Provitamin A biofortification, the provision of provitamin A carotenoids through agriculture, is regarded as an effective and sustainable intervention to defeat vitamin A deficiency, representing a global health problem. This food-based intervention has been questioned in conjunction with negative outcomes for smokers and asbestos-exposed populations of the CARET and ATBC trials in which very high doses of β-carotene were supplemented. The current notion that β-carotene cleavage products (apocarotenoids) represented the harmful agents is the basis of the here-presented research. We quantitatively analyzed numerous plant food items and concluded that neither the amounts of apocarotenoids nor β-carotene provided by plant tissues, be they conventional or provitamin A-biofortified, pose an increased risk. We also investigated β-carotene degradation pathways over time. This reveals a substantial nonenzymatic proportion of carotene decay and corroborates the quantitative relevance of highly oxidized β-carotene polymers that form in all plant tissues investigated.

Regulatory-compliant rodent subchronic feeding studies are compulsory regardless of a hypothesis to test, according to recent EU legislation for the safety assessment of whole food/feed produced from genetically modified (GM) crops containing a single genetic transformation event (European Union Commission Implementing Regulation No. 503/2013). The Implementing Regulation refers to guidelines set forth by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for the design, conduct, and analysis of rodent subchronic feeding studies. The set of EFSA recommendations was rigorously applied to a 90-day feeding study in Sprague-Dawley rats. After study completion, the appropriateness and applicability of these recommendations were assessed using a battery of statistical analysis approaches including both retrospective and prospective statistical power analyses as well as variance-covariance decomposition. In the interest of animal welfare considerations, alternative experimental designs were investigated and evaluated in the context of informing the health risk assessment of food/feed from GM crops.

A microwave-induced plasma optical emission spectrometer with N 2 -based plasma was combined with a multimode sample introduction system (MSIS) for hydride generation (HG) and multielemental determination of As, Bi, Ge, Sb, and Sn in samples of forage, bovine liver, powdered milk, agricultural gypsum, rice, and mineral fertilizer, using a single condition of prereduction and reduction. The accuracy of the developed analytical method was evaluated using certified reference materials of water and mineral fertilizer, and recoveries ranged from 95 to 106%. Addition and recovery experiments were carried out, and the recoveries varied from 85 to 117% for all samples evaluated. The limits of detection for As, Bi, Ge, Sb, and Sn were 0.46, 0.09, 0.19, 0.46, and 5.2 μg/L, respectively, for liquid samples, and 0.18, 0.04, 0.08, 0.19, and 2.1 mg/kg, respectively, for solid samples. The method proposed offers a simple, fast, multielemental, and robust alternative for successful determination of all five analytes in agricultural samples with low operational cost without compromising analytical performance.

Disharmony currently exists in regulatory requirements regarding whether multiple seasons of field residue trials are necessary. This analysis used historical residue data to evaluate whether the year in which trials are conducted is a significant contributor to the overall variability in field residue data. It was concluded that residue behavior is highly variable in nature, regardless of the season, that variation of residue data compiled from multiple years is not statistically greater than data resulting from trials conducted within any one year, and that variation across years does not result in large systematic differences in residue values or resulting Maximum Residue Limits compared to trials conducted in any single year. Field trials conducted at a variety of locations across geographical regions will capture variability due to different environmental conditions and agricultural practices and provide a robust estimate of the spread of residues expected due to labeled use of a pesticide.

Insect pests cause serious economic, yield, and food safety problems to managed crops worldwide. Compounding these problems, insect pests often vector pathogenic or toxigenic microbes to plants. Previous work has considered plant-insect and plant-microbe interactions separately. Although insects are well-understood to use plant volatiles to locate hosts, microorganisms can produce distinct and abundant volatile compounds that in some cases strongly attract insects. In this paper, we focus on the microbial contribution to plant volatile blends, highlighting the compounds emitted and the potential for variation in microbial emission. We suggest that these aspects of microbial volatile emission may make these compounds ideal for use in agricultural applications, as they may be more specific or enhance methods currently used in insect control or monitoring. Our survey of microbial volatiles in insect-plant interactions suggests that these emissions not only signal host suitability but may indicate a distinctive time frame for optimal conditions for both insect and microbe. Exploitation of these host-specific microbe semiochemicals may provide important microbe- and host-based attractants and a basis for future plant-insect-microbe chemical ecology investigations.