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Pseudoestrogene bisphenol A (BPA) can be important ingredient of thermochromic inks, increasingly used materials in thermal printing paper, security printing, advertising, design and as temperature indicators in medicine and food industry. BPA mass fraction in thermochromic inks can be up to several percent. Hence, disposal of items with thermochromic prints pose a risk of environmental pollution. In this work BPA mass fraction was monitored during anaerobic degradation of papers with thermochromic prints in soil in both matrices: papers and soil. The degradation conditions simulated deeper layers of waste at a landfill site. Six types of papers with prints of thermochromic ink containing 2% of BPA were subjected to anaerobic degradation over up to 150 days. Initial mass fractions of BPA in papers decreased form (126-460) μg/g to (

Abstract Background The paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera L.) is a valuable source of woody forage that can be used for ruminants, such as goat and lambs. However, there is limited knowledge about how paper mulberry silage affects carcass characteristics, meat physicochemical attributes, amino acid and unsaturated fatty acids in Hu lambs compared to alfalfa silage. The objective of this experiment was to investigate the impact of substituting alfalfa silage with paper mulberry silage on the slaughter performance, meat quality, free amino acid and fatty acid composition in muscles of Hu lambs. Results Thirty 60-day-old male Hu lambs with 17.13 ± 0.26 kg body weight were randomly allocated into paper mulberry silage (30% of total mixed ration) and alfalfa silage (30% of total mixed ration) treatment, and the feeding trial lasted 70 days. The results indicated no significant differences in all measurements (P > 0.05). However, compared to the group fed with alfalfa silage, the group fed with paper mulberry silage exhibited a reduction in meat drip loss (P 0.05). Targeted metabolomics analysis revealed that feeding paper mulberry silage led to decreased levels of certain bitter amino acids, such as valine, leucine, isoleucine, tryptophan, and phenylalanine (P

Antiseptic paper soap is convenient because it is flexible, safe for the skin, easily foams, and relatively affordable. Measuring the ratio between the concentrations of NaOH, cooking oil, citronella oil, and aloe vera additives is needed to improve the quality of antiseptic paper soap. Testing the saponification rate, density, pH, water content, fatty acid (FA) level, and free alkali content is critical to determine the characteristics of antiseptic paper soap so that it meets the standards for solid bath soap according to SNI 3532-2021 which is closest to the characteristics of paper soap because SNI for paper soap is not yet available. The weight ratio of citronella oil to cooking oil used is 1:1, 1:2, and 1:3. The NaOH concentrations used were 30%, 40%, and 50% w/v. The natural additives used are 0%, 5%, and up to 10% of the total mass. The research results showed that saponification value of the antiseptic paper soap produced was 197.724 milligrams KOH/gram up to 206.138 milligrams KOH/gram, the pH of the antiseptic paper soap was 9.1-10.6, the water content value was 10.940%-23.863%, the alkali content value free is 0.044%-0.104%, total fatty acid (FA) content is 29.688%-45.734%. The best antiseptic paper soap is produced using 30% w/v NaOH with a weight ratio of citronella oil to cooking oil used of 1:1 and natural additives (aloe vera) 5% of the total mass.

Art paper made of betel nut husk fibre and paper waste is one example of an innovative product. Therefore, an analysis of the technical and financial feasibility of this innovation needed to be conducted. This research aimed to determine the technical and financial feasibility of the production business of art paper from betel nut husk fibre and paper waste. The technical aspect will focus on the technology utilized, primary raw material and additional raw material, production capacity, and any workforce involved in the business. Meanwhile, the financial aspect will emphasize the calculation of the Main Production Cost (MPC), Break Even Point (BEP), Business Efficiency (R/C Ratio), Payback Period (PP), Net Present Value (NPV), and Internal Rate of Return (IRR). The calculation result of the feasibility analysis shows that Production Cost (HPP) is IDR 12,786.00, BEPunit is 9,271 paper sheet, BEP (IDR) is IDR 148,326,906.00, R/C Ratio is 1.56, PP will be for 2.2 years, NPV is IDR 2,078,713,958.00, and IRR is 68.36%. Based on this result, this business on betel nut husk fibre and paper-based waste art paper is considered worth running.

The productivity of yam in Ghana has been on a constant decline recently, mainly due to weather extremes and nematode infestations. This has significantly affected the profitability of yam production, with a resultant effect on the livelihoods of the thousands of yam income dependent households. Several techniques have been developed to improve the situation. This study purposes to estimate the profitability of yam production under the novel ‘wrap and plant’ technology of planting seed yam, in comparison to the traditional method in three agro-ecological zones in Ghana using 20 young and male-dominated randomly sampled yam farmers. The term ‘wrap and plant’ refers to a novel method of wrapping seed yam with abamectin treated banana paper (ABM) before planting in the soil. This is to prevent nematode migration into the seed yam during planting and also the new yam that develops. Each farmer was supported to farm on four demonstration plots of 144 mounds in all (six rows of six mounds, making 36 mounds per plot). The four demonstration plots/sites per farmer were randomly selected and the three treatments (ABP) banana paper with abamectin, (BP) banana paper without abamectin and the control, representing Farmer Practice (FP), were used with four replications per site for both dry and wet seasons. The profitability of their production under three yam planting techniques, abamectin-treated banana paper (ABP), untreated banana paper (BP), and farmer practice (FP) was determined using Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) analysis. The study found that though the use of the new planting technology yielded significantly higher net-benefits compared to FP, they resulted in rather lower BCRs. Using FP led to 0.916 and 1.531 significantly higher BCR on the average, compared to ABP and BP, respectively. Although this study affirms FP as the most profitable planting technique, the new technology increased yam yields, but at higher costs. Farmers are willing to adopt this technology if the cost of the banana paper is further reduced. The findings of the study reinforce the importance of lowering the cost of adopting new planting techniques in order to make production under such techniques profitable for farmers.

Peat-based growing media are not ecologically sustainable and peat extraction threatens sensitive peatland ecosystem. In this study, olive-stone waste (OSW) and paper waste (PW) were used in different ratios-as growing media-for ornamental crop production, as peat (P) substitutes. Marigold (Calendula officinalis L.), petunia (Petunia x hybrita L.) and matthiola (Matthiola incana L.) plants were grown in (1) P (100%), (2) P:OSW (90%:10%), (3) P:OSW (70%:30%), and (4) P:OSW:PW (60%:20%:20%). The physicochemical properties of these substrates and the effects on plant growth were determined. The addition of 10-30% OSW into the substrate increased marigold height compared to plants grown in 100% peat. No differences in plant size, plant biomass (leaves and flowers), and dry matter content were found. Adding PW, in combination with OSW, maintained marigold height and total number of flowers produced to similar levels as in plants grown in 100% peat. In matthiola, adding 30% OSW into the substrate reduced plant size and fresh weight, but not plant height. No differences were observed when plants grew in lower OSW (i.e., 10%) content. Petunia's height, its total number of flowers and flower earliness (flower opening) were increased in the presence of OSW compared to the plants grown in 100% peat. The addition of OSW did not affect petunia's size and fresh weight among treatments. The addition of PW suppressed several plant growth-related parameters for both matthiola and petunia. The insertion of OSW did not change leaf chlorophyll content whereas the presence of PW decreased chlorophylls for marigold, petunia, and matthiola. Both OSW and PW altered the content of total phenolics and antioxidant capacity of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) in leaves and flowers for marigold and petunia. Both 30% OSW and PW increased antioxidative enzyme metabolism due to the increased damage index and lipid peroxidation observed in plants. Leaf N and P content decreased in PW-based media, while matthiola displayed visual phytotoxicity symptoms when PW was added into the substrate. The present work indicates that up to 30% of OSW can replace peat for marigold and petunia growing and only up to 10% of OSW for matthiola, while the addition of PW on top of OSW is not recommended, so further research is needed.

Abstract Background Paper mulberry has been regarded as a potential protein resource for relieving the forage supply crisis, and ensiling has become the most important method for preserving it. An in-depth analysis of the fermentation characteristics of paper mulberry silage could provide a theoretical basis for producing high-quality silage. In this study, we aimed to investigate the dynamic fermentation quality and bacterial community of paper mulberry silages harvested from different regions in China. Results The results showed an increased trend in ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) concentration, despite a decrease in pH with prolonged ensiling days. Furthermore, fermentation patterns varied among paper mulberry silages from three regions. Paper mulberry from Zhuozhou, Hebei (HZ) showed the highest dry matter (DM) content and a slight decrease in pH during ensiling. While the lowest DM content was observed in Hechi, Guangxi (GH), which exhibited abnormal fermentation in the silage. In particular, silage from Lankao, Henan (HL) exhibited the best fermentation quality, with lower pH and NH3-N concentration, and higher lactic acid concentration than others (P

[Purpose/Significance] Interdisciplinary research can creatively solve complex problems in natural environment and human society through knowledge integration and penetration. With the increase of interdisciplinary research results, the evaluation of interdisciplinarity becomes increasingly necessary. How to establish an effective method for interdisciplinarity measurement and achieve a comprehensive measurement of scientific research papers is an urgent problem to be solved. [Method/Process] Based on the above background, this study takes the data of scientific research papers as the analysis source, deconstructs the interdisciplinarity of scientific research papers from multiple dimensions, constructs the feature set of interdisciplinarity of scientific research papers, and on this basis proposes the method for measuring interdisciplinarity based on the adaptive method of machine learning, and conducts a comprehensive measurement of interdisciplinarity. This study has certain positive significance for researchers to understand the interdisciplinary papers in the field. The work process is as follows: First of all, the basic concepts of interdisciplinarity are sorted out and related concepts are discriminated, and the index of interdisciplinarity of different dimensions is analyzed. Based on the connotation and characteristics of interdisciplinary research, the characteristic index of interdisciplinarity of scientific research papers is extracted from three dimensions: subject attribute, knowledge network topology and knowledge integration text content. Secondly, an interdisciplinarity measurement method based on machine learning is constructed. By analyzing information gain and feature similarity of input indexes and data in feature sets, a feature selection calculation method based on adaptive feature selection is proposed, and the accuracy of feature classification is maximized by machine learning classifier. At the same time, the feature subset that can best express the interdisciplinary is selected based on the adaptive selection of the minimum number of features, and the selected adaptive feature set is used in the calculation of the interdisciplinary of the paper, and the results of the calculation of the original feature set are analyzed comprehensively. Finally, an empirical study was carried out in the field of plant nanobiotechnology to verify the effectiveness of the index system and adaptive feature selection listed above, identify and screen papers with high interdisciplinarity in the field, measure the interdisciplinarity of papers and identify key influencing factors based on the calculation of subject attributes, knowledge network topology and knowledge integration text content features. [Results/Conclusions] The main empirical results show that, among the subject attributes, the balance degree and the difference degree have a greater effect on the interdisciplinary evaluation. The overall effect of knowledge network topology structure features is satisfactory, the distribution breadth of knowledge integration text content features has a greater effect on interdisciplinary evaluation, and the calculation effect is further improved by fitness weighted summation of each feature. The results demonstrate that the adaptive feature selection proposed in this paper can effectively screen the interdisciplinary related feature indexes, improve the reliability of the results, and achieve a comprehensive and in-depth measurement of the interdisciplinary of scientific research papers. This measure method avoids the subjective defects that may occur in qualitative evaluation and the problems that different measure indicators may produce contradictory results. It provides a new idea and direction for interdisciplinary measurement.

Barrier properties are very important in food packaging; the better the properties, the longer the product can stay fresh in the packaging, which prolongs the shelf life of the product. One way of improving barrier properties is to modifying the existing coatings with the addition of metal oxides, nanoparticles, or natural extracts. The aim of the study was to compare the barrier properties between paper coated with starch and paper coated with starch and black cherry extract mix. Prunus serotina extracts were prepared by ultrasonic extraction in 60°C water. The extracts were then filtrated and evaporated to obtain a constant mass. The reference coatings were prepared by dissolving starch in hot water to obtain a solution of 30%. The experimental coatings were prepared by substituting 10% starch for black cherry extract. Coatings were applied on the paper by laboratory coater in two thicknesses: c.a. 7 and 15 g/m2. The papers were characterised by grammage, coating weight, porosity, and roughness. Barrier properties were tested by following methods: Cobb-Unger, KIT, water vapour transmission rate, and heptane vapour transmission rate. Papers coated with formulations including extract had better barrier properties against oils and waxes, better results in KIT, Cobb-Unger, and heptane vapour transmission rate tests. The results of the water vapour transmission rate test as well as porosity and roughness were the same for papers coated with and without extract addition, they were influenced by the thickness of the coating, not the extract addition. The addition of black cherry extract influenced the barrier properties of the coated paper, and the extract improved the properties against oils and waxes.

First paragraph: On the cover of this fall 2024 issue is a family of happy strawberry pickers at Last Resort Farm in Monkton, Vermont (photo by farmner Eugenie Doyle). Such pictures may seem a bit cliché, but they serve to remind us of the tremendous value of getting out and getting a bit of dirt under our nails from time to time. I believe that as a part of self-care, agritourism can be particularly important during these turbulent times that are fraught with toxic politics, war, and environmental challenges that keep us on edge. It is easy for those of us involved in food systems work to forget that we are quite privileged to know farmers and local food businesses on a personal basis. And so, on this issue’s cover we take the opportunity to celebrate agritourism as a contributor to community development. Later in this issue, Chadley R. Hollas and colleagues take a close look at farm-based recreation and hospitality data in the U.S. Census of Agriculture and find the USDA definition wanting. . . .

First paragraph: Our spring-summer 2024 issue is devoted largely to a set of commentaries prepared by more than two dozen participants in the U.S. Agroecology Summit 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. Their indivi­dual and collective voices challenge the hegemony of the dominant global industrial food system. However, they acknowledge that there are significant philosophical and pragmatic divisions between progressives in the agroecology “movement” that need to be openly addressed before significant progress can be made in build­ing a cohesive movement. . . .

During the next decade it will be necessary to develop novel combinations of management strategies to sustainably increase crop production and soil resilience. Improving agricultural productivity, while conserving and enhancing biotic and abiotic resources, is an essential requirement to increase global food production on a sustainable basis. The role of farmers in increasing agricultural productivity growth sustainably will be crucial. Farmers are at the center of any process of change involving natural resources and for this reason they need to be encouraged and guided, through appropriate incentives and governance practices, to conserve natural ecosystems and their biodiversity, and minimize the negative impact agriculture can have on the environment. Farmers and stakeholders need to revise traditional approaches not as productive as the modern approaches but more friendly with natural and environmental ecosystems values as well as emerging novel tools and approaches addressing precise farming, organic amendments, lowered water consumption, integrated pest control and beneficial plant-microbe interactions. While practical solutions are developing, science based recommendations for crop rotations, breeding and harvest/postharvest strategies leading to environmentally sound and pollinator friendly production and better life in rural areas have to be provided., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Livestock dung, discarded crop straws, and residual plastic film are the primary agricultural non-point sources of pollution. For livestock dung and discarded crop straw, the general treatment focuses on compost, animal fodder, industrial raw material, and new energy. The development of degradable mulch film is the main way to solve pollution from residual plastic film. However, an effective way to solve the above three types of pollution simultaneously and use them for ecological circular agriculture has been less studied. In this study, using cow dung and flax straw wastes as raw materials, we prepared natural, fibre-based paper mulch using the rapid-Kothen method and analysed the film-forming mechanism. Based on the Van Soest method, the cow dung and flax straw waste contain abundant cellulose fibres: 36.75% and 54.69%, respectively. The tensile strength and tear strength of fibre paper mulch are 1.87 kN/m and 19.91 N/mm, respectively. To enhance the adaptability of the fibre paper mulch in humid environments, the surface of the mulch was treated with alkyl ketene dimer (AKD). The AKD-coated fibre paper mulch displays hydrophobic properties, indicated by a contact angle of 128° ± 2°. It has a wet tensile strength of 0.64 kN/m and a wet tear strength of 8.23 N/mm. Additionally, it exhibits a dry tensile strength and a tear strength of 2.13 kN/m and 16.43 N/mm, respectively. Notably, the dry tensile strength is increased by 16.31%. In this way, the livestock dung and discarded crop straw can be reused, reducing dung pollution and straw burning in livestock farms, and the final products can alleviate the residual film pollution simultaneously.

Agro-based pulp and paper mills in India are one of the most polluting industries; in addition, they are high consumers of raw water. Growing scarcity of high quality freshwater as well as stringent regulatory standards is compelling these units to explore appropriate water management options. Based on data obtained through a questionnaire survey and plant visits, this work provides an overview of the water use and effluent treatment status in Indian agro-residue and recycled pulp and paper mills. The challenges faced by this sector are reviewed and practices adopted by progressive units to minimize freshwater use are illustrated through case studies.

This study was conducted under greenhouse conditions to evaluate the potential use of SPS as a fertilizer, amendment and/or liming agent for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Two representative Mediterranean agricultural soils, a Cambic Arenosol (cmAR) and a Cromic Cambisol (crCM) were used. Treatments included four sludge rates ranging from 0 to 40 g kg(-1) (equivalent of 0, 38, 88 and 120 Mg ha(-1)). A significant increment in soil pH, organic carbon, N total, available P and exchangeable K were observed in both soils. Sludge application significantly increased N and decreased Zn, Mn and Cu concentrations in wheat. Wheat grain yields were reduced by 33% and 37% when 120 Mg SPS ha(-1) was applied to cmAR and crCM soils, respectively, due apparently to unavailability of Mg. However, straw yields, with much lower Mg requirements, increased significantly with SPS rates. Secondary pulp mill sludge seems to be a potential source of organic matter, N, P, K and a potential soil amendment liming agent for acid soils, when appropriate supplemental fertilizer was provided. For grain crops grown in these soils, addition of Mg is required for proper nutrient balance.

This protocol describes rapid colorimetric detection of Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and Listeria monocytogenes from large volumes (10 L) of agricultural waters. Here, water is filtered through sterile Modified Moore Swabs (MMS), which consist of a simple gauze filter enclosed in a plastic cartridge, to concentrate bacteria. Following filtration, non-selective or selective enrichments for the target bacteria are performed in the MMS. For colorimetric detection of the target bacteria, the enrichments are then assayed using paper-based analytical devices (µPADs) embedded with bacteria-indicative substrates. Each substrate reacts with target-indicative bacterial enzymes, generating colored products that can be detected visually (qualitative detection) on the µPAD. Alternatively, digital images of the reacted µPADs can be generated with common scanning or photographic devices and analyzed using ImageJ software, allowing for more objective and standardized interpretation of results. Although the biochemical screening procedures are designed to identify the aforementioned bacterial pathogens, in some cases enzymes produced by background microbiota or the degradation of the colorimetric substrates may produce a false positive. Therefore, confirmation using a more discriminatory diagnostic is needed. Nonetheless, this bacterial concentration and detection platform is inexpensive, sensitive (0.1 CFU/ml detection limit), easy to perform, and rapid (concentration, enrichment, and detection are performed within approximately 24 hr), justifying its use as an initial screening method for the microbiological quality of agricultural water.

Mulch has been considered effective for saving water and promoting plant growth. However, little has been investigated about the effect of mulch from recycled shredded paper under different soil moisture conditions on spinach growth. A pot-grown Komatsuna spinach experiment with a factorial design was conducted under two main conditions, with and without shredded paper mulch. Each of these conditions was treated with three different soil moisture levels (SWC) 20%, 25%, and 30%. The smallest evapotranspiration amount was in the mulch-only, no-plant treatment with SWC 20% (92.88 mm), and the largest was in the plant-only, no-mulch treatment (226.19 mm). All biomass yield attributions were negatively influenced by increasing the frequency of irrigation and SWC levels. SWC 20% with shredded mulch resulted in the largest dry matter, although it was statistically non-significant. But it resulted in taller plant heights and a larger leaf area index (LAI) compared to soil with no shredded mulch (p < 0.05). For SWC 25% and 30% treatments, Komatsuna spinach with no shredded mulch resulted in slightly superior plant dry matter and plant height, compared to mulched plants. These results suggest that SWC 20% with shredded paper mulch has the highest potential for saving water among all treatments for growing spinach under limited water availability.

Climate change pose significant challenges to modern agriculture management systems, threatening food production and security. Therefore, tackling its effects has never been so imperative to attain sustainable food access and nutrition worldwide. In the case of viticulture, besides jeopardizing grape production, climate change has severe impact in quality, which has becoming more challenging to manage, due to the increasingly frequent fungal contamination, with consequences for relevant quality parameters such as the aromatic profiles of grapes and wines and their phenolic compounds. This has been leading to a reconfiguration of the wine industry geostrategic landscape and economy dynamics, particularly in Southern Europe. To address these and other emerging challenges, in-field deployable proximity-based precision technologies have been enabling real-time monitoring of crops ecosystems, including climate, soil and plants, by performing relevant data gathering and storage, paving the way for advanced decision support under the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm. This paper explores the integration of agronomic and technological knowledge, emphasizing the proper selection of IoT-capable sensors for viticulture, while considering more general ones from agriculture to fill gaps when specialized options are unavailable. Moreover, advisable practices for sensor installation are provided, according to respective types, data acquisition capabilities and applicability., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Consent for publication: All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This review provides an overview on the fate and behavior of imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide, in agricultural environments. The study focuses on four key aspects: adsorption and leaching of imidacloprid in soil, degradation and hydrolysis of imidacloprid in soil and water, uptake and persistence of imidacloprid in plants, and volatilization of imidacloprid to the atmosphere. The review presents the latest findings from research on each of these topics. While imidacloprid is highly effective at controlling pests, it is also known to persist in the environment, posing risks to non-target organisms such as bees, birds, and aquatic life. Moreover, there is increasing concern about its potential to accumulate in the soil and water systems, which may have long-term effects on the ecosystem. The review suggests that better understanding of the behavior and fate of imidacloprid in agricultural environments is essential for developing effective strategies to minimize its environmental impact., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This study utilizes natural language processing techniques and panel vector autoregression methodology, to delve into the perceived attitudes of social media users towards the digital transformation of agriculture, and to assess its impact on total agricultural output and agricultural science and technology inputs. Data related to agricultural digital transformation were collected from Sina Weibo using web crawlers. The SnowNLP model was employed to infer users' attitudes, encompassing both positive and negative aspects. Furthermore, the study delves into the specific themes capturing users' positive attitudes and explores regional variations in focus. The findings reveal a sustained increase in users' interest in agricultural digital transformation since 2013. Positive attitudes primarily center around green development, agricultural intelligence, and global cooperation and innovation. Moreover, the study establishes a significant positive impact of users' positive attitudes on both total agricultural output value and agricultural science and technology investment, highlighting the constructive influence of user support on the agricultural industry's development., (© 2024 International Association of Applied Psychology.)

In Brazil, agriculture consumes most of the available freshwater, especially in the Cerrado biome, where the rain cycle is marked by long periods of drought. This study, conducted at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) Research Corporation unit in Santo Antônio de Goiás, Goiás, Brazil, estimated evapotranspiration (ET) in different crops and soil cover. Using multispectral unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images, Sentinel satellite data, weather station information, and towers employing the eddy covariance method, we applied the "Simple Algorithm for Evapotranspiration Retrieving" (SAFER) to calculate ET in common bean, pasture, and semideciduous seasonal forest areas. The results showed a good agreement between UAV and satellite data, with R 2  = 0.84, also validated with flow towers by the eddy covariance method. UAV-based ET was observed to correspond well to tower (EC) during full vegetative development of beans but is underestimated at the beginning of planting and in the final periods of plant senescence, due to the influence of soil or straw cover. These findings contribute to a better understanding of water dynamics in the system and to enhancing sustainable agricultural practices. This method, adapted for multispectral aerial imaging, can be applied flexibly and on-demand, in different contexts and ground cover. The study highlights the importance of integrated agricultural practices for better management of water resources and preservation of the Cerrado in balance with cultivation areas., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Dwindling groundwater supplies threaten food security and livelihoods. Output subsidies for farmers are a ubiquitous agricultural policy tool, yet their contribution to growing groundwater stress remains poorly quantified. We show how output subsidies guaranteeing the purchase of crops at higher than market prices may have contributed substantially to declining water tables in India. Our analysis suggests that these policies may have led to a 30% over-production of water intensive crops. In the northwestern state of Punjab, rice procurement can potentially account for at least 50% of the groundwater table decline over 34 years. In the central state of Madhya Pradesh, wheat procurement adopted in the late 2000s appears to have driven a 5.3 percentage point increase in dry wells and a consequent 3.4 percentage point increase in deep tubewells. These results suggest that well-intentioned but poorly designed subsidies can impose harmful externalities on the environment and undermine long-term sustainable development., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Genetically Modified (GM) Organisms have been used in various domains since their introduction in the 1980s. According to ISAAA data, the use of GM crops in agriculture has also increased significantly in the past 30 years. However, even after 3 decades of commercialisation, GM crops are still surrounded with controversies with different countries adopting varying approaches to their introduction in the consumer markets, owing to different stances of various stakeholders. Motivated by this multitude of opinions, and absence of knowledge mapping, this study has undertaken scientometric analysis of the publication (Web of Science) and patent (Lens.org) data about genetically modified technology use in agriculture to explore the changing knowledge patterns and technological advancements in the area. It explores both scientific and technological perspectives regarding the use of Genetically Modified Crops, by using publication as well as patent data. The findings of this study highlight the major domains of research, technology development, and leading actors in the ecosystem. These findings can be helpful in taking effective policy decisions, and furthering the research activities. It presents a composite picture using both publications and patent data. Further, it will be of utility to explore the other technologies which are replacing GM technology in agriculture in future studies., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

A major global catastrophe would likely disrupt trade in liquid fuels. Countries dependent on imported oil products might struggle to sustain industrial agriculture. Island nations importing 100% of refined fuels are particularly vulnerable. Our case study aimed to estimate the agricultural land area and biofuel volumes needed to feed the population of New Zealand in the absence of trade. Results showed that stored diesel would quickly be exhausted with ordinary use (weeks) and even with strict rationing (months). To preserve fuel, we found that farming wheat (requiring as little as 5.4 million liters [L] of diesel per annum) was more fuel-efficient than potatoes (12.3) or dairy (38.7) to feed the national population under a climate-as-usual scenario. In a nuclear winter scenario, with reduced agricultural yields, proportionately greater diesel is needed. The wheat would require 24% of current grain-cropped land, and the canola crop used as feedstock for the required biofuel would occupy a further 1%-7%. Investment in canola biodiesel or renewable diesel refineries could ensure supply for the bare minimum agricultural liquid fuel needs. Were subsequent analysis to favor this option as part of a fuels resilience response and as a tradeoff for routine food use, expansion in refining and canola cropping before a catastrophe could be encouraged through market mechanisms, direct government investment, or a combination of these. Logistics of biofuel refining scale-up, post-catastrophe, should also be analyzed. Further, biodiesel produced in normal times would help the nation meet its emissions reduction targets. Other countries should conduct similar analyses., (© 2024 Society for Risk Analysis.)