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Background: Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis is a rare entity which can be a result from autoimmune diseases, caused by various medications and infections. Case presentation: We herein present the case of a 62-year-old male patient who presented with fatigue and was found to have severe anemia, impaired renal function, and nephrotic syndrome. A renal biopsy revealed membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) of the immune complex type with activation of the classical complement pathway. Further investigations led to the diagnosis of a chronic Coxiella burnetii-infection (Q fever), likely acquired during cycling trips in a region known for intensive sheep farming. Additionally, the patient was found to have a post endocarditic destructive bicuspid aortic valve caused by this pathogen. Treatment with hydroxychloroquine and doxycycline was administered for a duration of 24 months. The aortic valve was replaced successfully and the patient recovered completely. Conclusions: Early detection and targeted treatment of this life-threatening disease is crucial for complete recovery of the patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmland habitats witness steep declines in biodiversity. One rapidly declining farmland species is the ortolan bunting Emberiza hortulana. In Finland, a staggering 99% of the population has been lost during the past 30 years. Changes in the breeding habitats have been proposed as a reason for the decline, although hazards during migration and wintering may also play a role. We gathered a 19‐year data set of Finnish ortolan buntings and studied which spatial characteristics, habitat features, and climate factors might explain the population growth rate at the singing‐group level. As explanatory variables we used region, density of small‐scale structures, proportion of agricultural area in the landscape, diversity of crop types, proportion of bare ground, and temperature and precipitation of previous breeding season. Higher population growth rates were associated with higher crop type diversity and higher proportion of bare ground. The mosaic of various crop plants and bare ground may provide a wider array of feeding, hiding and nesting places, and an easier access to food. Higher growth rates were also associated with landscapes dominated by interconnected agricultural land, which may reflect the species' sociability and avoidance of forested areas. The North Ostrobothnia region had higher growth rates compared to other regions. We suggest that northern populations of ortolan bunting should be targeted for further studies on feeding and breeding ecology as well as for urgent conservation actions, such as increasing crop type diversity and bare ground. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With its focus on the species level of the Anthropos, there is growing concern that the Anthropocene analytic lacks the conceptual nuance needed to grapple with the unevenly distributed harms and responsibilities tied up with issues of biodiversity loss, global warming, and land use change. Conceptual variants like the patchy Anthropocene have been proposed to better capture the justice implications of these socio‐ecological crises, directing attention to their spatially ubiquitous yet context‐specific character. The figure of the plantation has come to play an important role in this scholarship due to the contribution intensive agriculture had made to these interlinking crises. Through empirical study of the regenerative agricultural movement, this paper reflects on how regenerative farmers use different sites (fields, soils, livestock stomachs) to apprehend their agro‐ethical responsibilities to more‐than‐human actors both near to and far from the landscapes they manage. Our aims here are two‐fold. First, we provide a more affirmative account of agricultural management than is currently offered by plantation farming: a model of food production that is not just 'in' the Anthropocene, but 'for' it. Second, we contribute to ongoing discussions unfolding in the social sciences around the tools needed to conceptualise the interlinking spatial and justice aspects of the Anthropocene transition. By bringing the patchy analytic into conversation with more established geographic writing on scale, volume, and horizontal connections, we show the merit of juxtaposing multiple models of spatial relation as a way of gaining ethical and conceptual traction on complex socio‐ecological issues. We argue that the 'polymorphic' spatial imaginaries of regenerative agriculturalists can offer some guidance on the tools needed to attend to the specificity of local Anthropocene outcomes in relation to socio‐ecological forces actuating the world at much greater spatio‐temporal scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement: Increasing crop productivity is often proposed as a key goal for meeting the food security demands of a growing global population. However, achieving high crop yields alone without meeting end‐use quality requirements is counter to this objective and can lead to negative environmental and sustainability issues. High yielding feed wheat crops in the United Kingdom are a typical example of this. The historical context of UK agricultural industrialisation, developments in plant breeding and wheat end‐use processing are examined. We then outline how employing innovations in plant breeding methods offer the potential to redress the balance between wheat quantity and quality. Summary: Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) has historically been an important crop for many human civilisations. Today, variability in wheat supply and trade has a large influence on global economies and food security. The United Kingdom is an example of an industrialised country that achieves high wheat yields through intensive cropping systems and a favourable climate. However, only a minority of the wheat grain produced is of suitable end‐use quality for modern bread baking methods and most wheat produced is fed to livestock. A large agricultural land area and input use dedicated to producing grain for animal rather than human food has wide‐ranging negative impacts for environmental sustainability and domestic food production. Here we present an historical perspective of agricultural and economic changes that have resulted in UK production primarily focussing on wheat quantity over quality. Agricultural intensification, liberalisation of free trade in agricultural commodities, innovations in the milling and baking sector, developments in scientific understanding of genetics and plant breeding, and geopolitical changes have all played a role. We propose that wheat breeding plays a crucial role in influencing these issues and although wheat breeders in the United Kingdom have historically applied the most‐up‐to‐date scientific advances, recent advances in genomics tools and quantitative genetics present a unique opportunity for breeders to redress the balance between quantity and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humans have profoundly altered phosphorus (P) cycling across scales. Agriculturally driven changes (e.g., excessive P‐fertilization and manure addition), in particular, have resulted in pronounced P accumulations in soils, often known as "soil legacy P." These legacy P reserves serve as persistent and long‐term nonpoint sources, inducing downstream eutrophication and ecosystem services degradation. While there is considerable scientific and policy interest in legacy P, its fine‐scale spatial heterogeneity, underlying drivers, and scales of variance remain unclear. Here we present an extensive field sampling (150‐m interval grid) and analysis of 1438 surface soils (0–15 cm) in 2020 for two typical subtropical grassland types managed for livestock production: Intensively managed (IM) and Semi‐natural (SN) pastures. We ask the following questions: (1) What is the spatial variability, and are there hotspots of soil legacy P? (2) Does soil legacy P vary primarily within pastures, among pastures, or between pasture types? (3) How does soil legacy P relate to pasture management intensity, soil and geographic characteristics? and (4) What is the relationship between soil legacy P and aboveground plant tissue P concentration? Our results showed that three measurements of soil legacy P (total P, Mehlich‐1, and Mehlich‐3 extractable P representing labile P pools) varied substantially across the landscape. Spatial autoregressive models revealed that soil organic matter, pH, available Fe and Al, elevation, and pasture management intensity were crucial predictors for spatial patterns of soil P, although models were more reliable for predicting total P (68.9%) than labile P. Our analysis further demonstrated that total variance in soil legacy P was greater in IM than SN pastures, and intensified pasture management rescaled spatial patterns of soil legacy P. In particular, after controlling for sample size, soil P was extremely variable at small scales, with variance diminished as spatial scale increased. Our results suggest that broad pasture‐ or farm‐level best management practices may be limited and less efficient, especially for more IM pastures. Rather, management to curtail soil legacy P and mitigate P loading and losses should be implemented at fine scales designed to target spatially distinct P hotspots across the landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensification of agricultural production to support demographic growth has been invoked as a necessary correlate to the important socio-economic changes involved in the urbanisation process of Western Central Italy at the beginning of the 1st millennium BCE. Yet, the agricultural economy of the early urban centres in the region remains poorly understood. Ongoing excavations at Gabii provide a new substantial archaeobotanical dataset that allows the investigation of crop production and farming practices during the transitional period between the eighth and the sixth century BCE. This study presents a multi-proxy approach that integrates archaeobotanical data with carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses on charred cereal grains to reconstruct Gabii's crop husbandry regimes. Our results show an unexpected local combination of staples in which barley is the most common crop. No significant changes are visible throughout the period suggesting a remarkable consistency in crop selection and persistence of traditional practices. The stable nitrogen isotope analysis has revealed low values that we argue could be an indication of intercropping cereals and pulses. A drop in the water availability during the sixth century BCE could be related to a combination of environmental factors, human behaviours, and, possibly, production stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural intensification and expansion are regarded as main drivers of biodiversity loss. This conclusion is mainly based on observed declines of local diversity (α-diversity), while effects on community composition homogenization (decrease of β-diversity) at a larger spatial scale are less well understood. Carabid beetles and spiders represent two widespread guilds and are important predators of pest species. Here we surveyed carabid beetles and spiders in 66 winter wheat fields in four northwestern European countries (Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and UK) and analyzed how their community composition was related to geographic distance (separation distance between any pairwise fields) and three environmental variables: crop yield (proxy for land-use intensity), percentage cropland (proxy for landscape complexity) and soil organic carbon content (proxy for local soil conditions). We further analyzed whether the relationship between carabid beetle and spider community composition and geographic distance was influenced by environmental variables. We found that, 55 % and 75 % of all observed carabid and spider individuals, respectively, belonged to species that occurred in all four countries. However, individuals of species that were unique to a particular country only accounted for 3 % of all collected individuals for both taxa. Furthermore, we found a negative relationship between distance and similarity of spider communities but not for carabid beetle communities. None of the environmental variables were related to similarity of carabid beetle and spider communities, nor moderated the effects of distance. Our study indicates that across a great part of the European continent, arthropod communities (especially carabid beetles) in agricultural landscapes are composed of very similar species that are robust to current variations in environment and land-use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although microplastics (MPs) in solid organic waste have been intensively studied, the presence of MPs in organic fertilizer and their potential as new emerging pollution to environment because of their use in agriculture has not been explained completely. Therefore, the identification and quantification of MPs in commercially available compost is important. This study aimed to estimate the quantity of MPs in commercial composts. The characteristics of MPs (shape, color, size, and type of polymers) were identified. This study found that MPs in commercial compost samples were found, reaching up to 160 particles/200 g of compost with various colors (blue, black, red, yellow, and white). The identified MPs had various sizes (0.1–1 mm) and shapes (81.8% fragment, 16.2% fiber, and 2% filament). The findings of this study are very important and significant to inform community and policymakers regarding the presence of MPs in commercial compost, hence, their intensive use in agriculture must be controlled and careful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of rural settlements into commuter towns in the hinterland of large cities, coupled with intensive agriculture and climate change, may negatively affect the prosperity of these areas. The presented analysis focused on randomly selected rapidly growing settlements in the Prague metropolitan area, examining their development with a focus on the peripheral parts of such settlements. Settlement margins constitute a specific part of rural settlements as it typically contributes to the rural character by providing the gradual gradient between the settlement and the open landscape. The representation of water-absorbing and non-water-absorbing areas and their suitability for the development of taller vegetation along the margins of three randomly selected suburbanised settlements in the hinterland of Prague are analysed from the perspective of the possibility to maintain the traditional character of the settlement margins. Historical maps, aerial photographs, spatial planning documents, and data on current land use and landscape cover were used for the analysis of the settlements' development over the last approx. 200 years. In order to determine whether an area is water absorbing or not, a manual approach was used for historical maps and a machine learning process for present orthophoto maps. The automated machine learning classification process could be utilised, because the used orthophoto imagery includes a near-infrared portion of the spectrum (i.e. NIR imagery). We have observed the trend of decreasing plot size and of reduction in the water-absorbing surfaces suitable for planting taller vegetation, especially in the twenty-first century residential developments, which disrupts the traditional rural character of these settlements. The utilisation and stabilisation of the current vegetation in the historical areas, together with the creation of the vegetation belts along the margins of the newly developed areas, could improve the environmental quality of these settlements, promote ecosystem services, and increase biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food insecurity is a multidimensional and intricate problem, known to have significant implications for individuals, communities, and countries worldwide. Africa has become the continent that is experiencing this uncertainty the most. Food Security (FS) encompasses several aspects such as availability, accessibility, nutrient use, and supply system stability with time and, more recently, other obliges to governance/agency and sustainability. Knowing the interconnection between these aspects and the Ecosystems Services (ES) and understanding the relationship and interactions between FS and ES is important. Moreover, this knowledge may contribute to supporting policies that promote long-term sustainable and secure food systems. Hereby, a conceptual framework is presented, that examines interactions between food insecurity drivers and ecosystem change drivers and the combined influence on ES. Our review further introduces existing trade-offs between ES on account of agricultural intensification vs. key existing strategies to promote sustainable agricultural production. These strategies include climate-smart agriculture, sustainably managed land, and effective handling of water resources. In the end, the potential of Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES), as a suitable approach to ensuring these strategies are adopted, especially in African countries where sustainable financial incentives are currently under-explored is discussed. In resume, this review aims to make a conceptual contribution to understanding how drivers of food insecurity influence drivers of ecosystem changes, the impact of these influences on the services of ecosystems, and how sustainable agro approaches and PES introduction can help to reduce such negative impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Europe's semi-natural grasslands support notably high levels of temperate biodiversity across multiple taxonomic groups. However, these ecosystems face unique conservation challenges. Contemporary agricultural practices have replaced historical traditional low-intensity agriculture in many regions, resulting in a spectrum of management intensities within these ecosystems, ranging from highly intensive methods to complete abandonment. Paradoxically, both extremes along this spectrum of management intensity can be detrimental to biodiversity of semi-natural grasslands. Moreover, while anthropogenic climate change is an overarching threat to these ecosystems, rapid changes in land use and its intensity often present more immediate pressures. Often occurring at a faster rate than climate change itself, these land-use changes have the potential to rapidly impact the biodiversity of these grasslands. Here, we divide the ecological processes, threats, and developments to semi-natural grasslands into three sections. First, we examine the different impacts of agricultural intensification and abandonment on these ecosystems, considering their different consequences for biodiversity. Second, we review seminal works on various evidence-based management practices and offer a concise summary that provides support for various conservation and management strategies. However, the socio-economic factors that drive both abandonment and intensification in semi-natural grasslands can also be used to develop solutions through strategic governmental and non-governmental interventions. Accordingly, we conclude with a way forward by providing several key policy recommendations. By synthesizing existing knowledge and identifying research gaps, this essay aims to provide valuable insights for advancing the sustainable management of semi-natural grasslands. The biodiversity of Europe's semi-natural grasslands is threatened by contemporary agricultural intensification and abandonment. Shipley et al. explore these threats, review management practices, and offer policy recommendations to support sustainable conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is responsible for avian infectious bronchitis, a disease prevalent in countries with intensive poultry farming practices. Given the presence of multiple genotypic strains in China, identifying the regionally dominant genotypes is crucial for the implementation of effective prevention and control measures. This study focuses on the IBV strain CK/CH/WJ/215, isolated from a diseased commercial chicken flock in China in 2021. The CK/CH/WJ/215 isolate was genetically characterized through complete S1 sequence analysis. Phylogenetic comparisons were made with prevalent vaccine strains (H120, LDT3-A, and 4/91). Glycosylation patterns in the S1 protein were also analyzed. Pathogenicity was assessed in 7-day-old specific-pathogen-free chicks, monitoring morbidity, mortality, and tissue tropisms. Phylogenetic analysis clustered the CK/CH/WJ/215 isolate within the GI-19 lineage. Identity with the vaccination strains H120, LDT3-A, and 4/91 was low (75.7%, 78.6%, and 77.5% respectively). Novel glycosylation sites at positions 138 and 530 were identified compared to H120 and LDT-A. The isolate demonstrated nephropathogenic characteristics, causing 100% morbidity and 73.3% mortality in SPF chicks, with broader tropisms in tissues including trachea, lungs, kidneys, and bursa of Fabricius. Comprehensive genetic and pathological investigations revealed significant differences between the CK/CH/WJ/215 isolate and common vaccine strains, including novel glycosylation sites and a strong multiorgan infective capability. These findings are crucial for understanding the evolutionary dynamics of IBV and developing more effective prevention and control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investments in agricultural intensification in sub-Saharan Africa aim to fulfill food and economic demands. However, the increased use of fertilizers and pesticides poses ecological risks to water bodies in agricultural catchments. This study focused on assessing the impact of agricultural intensification on nutrient and pesticide pollution in the L. Naivasha catchment in Kenya. The research revealed significant changes in the catchment's agricultural landscape between 1989 and 2019, driven by intensified agricultural expansion. As a result, nutrient and pesticide emissions have worsened the lake's trophic status, shifting it towards hypereutrophic conditions. The study found a weak relationship between total nitrogen (TN) and sum dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (∑DDT), indicating that an increase in TN slightly predicted a reduction in ∑DDT. Analysis also showed potential phosphorus (P) limitation in the lake. Additionally, the observed ratio between dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDD:DDE) and (DDE + DDD):DDT ratios suggest recent use of banned DDT in the catchment. The study concludes that the transformation of L. Naivasha landscape shows unsustainable agricultural expansion with reduced forest cover, increased croplands, and increased pesticide contamination. This reflects a common issue in sub-Saharan Africa, that sustainable catchment management must address, specifically for combined pollutants, to support water quality and achieve the SDGs in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light is one of the important factors in Chinese soft-shelled turtle culture. The study investigated the effects of light intensity on growth performance, stress, immune-related parameters, and antioxidant enzyme activities of Chinese soft-shelled turtles under the light environment of lighting the basking area in intensive farming. Four degrees of light intensities with three replicates were used, including LL (low light intensity, 6.56 ± 0.14 W/m2), ML (medium light intensity, 18.11 ± 0.54 W/m2), HL (high light intensity, 37.81 ± 2.85 W/m2), and control group (0 W/m2). The experimental photoperiod was fixed as 12 L: 12 D, and the water temperature was controlled at 30 ± 2 °C. After 152-day rearing, it was found that the growth performance of Chinese soft-shelled turtles in the LL group was significantly higher than that in the HL group. The serum cortisol level of turtles in the LL group was significantly lower than that in the HL group, indicating lower stress in the LL group compared to other groups. The content of lysozyme (LZM) was highest in the LL group, the content of acid phosphatase (ACP) in the LL group was significantly higher than that in the control group and the HL group, and the content of nitric oxide (NO) in the LL group was significantly higher than that in the HL group, implying that turtles in the LL group had the best immune performance. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) activity in the liver of turtles in the LL group were significantly lower than that in the control and HL groups. Further, the catalase (CAT) activity of turtles in the LL group was the lowest among the treatments. Malonaldehyde (MDA) content was significantly lower in the LL group than in the control and HL groups. Therefore, considering the growth performance and physiological status of Chinese soft-shelled turtles, it is recommended to provide a low intensity of light when lighting the basking area only, and the optimum light intensity for the growth of Chinese soft-shelled turtles is between 7.07 and 11.50 W/m2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is the main cause of the biodiversity crisis. Recent suggestions to narrow biodiversity conservation to land sparing are misguiding. Intensifying farming does not lead to sparing more biodiversity-rich land, because higher yields are a major incentive to expand agriculture. Protected reserves are a cornerstone of global biodiversity, while enhancing spillover between on- and off-field habitats reduces extinctions and promotes a wealth of species, including providers of major ecosystem services. Hence, on- and off-field mixing of conservation measures is required. Biodiversity-friendly farming needs a focus on practices allowing high biodiversity at best without compromising yield, such as diversified and small-scale farming. Further, food trade must recognize and enforce high socioecological standards for production conditions worldwide. The continuing biodiversity losses through agricultural expansion and intensification are dramatic. We argue that a mix of on- and off-field measures is needed, overcoming the false dichotomy of the land sharing-sparing debate. Protected land is essential for global biodiversity, while spillover between farmed and natural land is key to reducing species extinctions. This is particularly effective in landscapes with small and diversified fields. Focusing only on protected land fails to conserve a wealth of species, which often provide major ecosystem services such as pest control, pollination, and cultural benefits. On-field measures must minimise yield losses to prevent increased demand for food imports from biodiversity-rich regions, requiring enforcement of high social–ecological land-use standards to ensure a good life for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indonesian rural youth face challenges accessing farmland and sustaining an agricultural livelihood while their labour is not necessarily absorbed by other sectors. In that context, the Omnibus Law on Job Creation (Law 11/2020) promises to liberalise trade and investment across multiple sectors, including agriculture and food security. Combining legal research and political economy approaches to youth and agrarian challenges, we identify amendments to legislation that reduce safeguards for the environment, workers' and farmers' rights and their livelihoods. If fully implemented, the legislative amendments could further narrow youth's options both for secure formal work and futures in farming by accelerating the expansion of infrastructure, industrial plantations and extractive industries that utilise low‐wage labour and huge areas of land. This exposes inconsistencies in the government's approach to increase future food security by promoting intensification of agriculture and attracting youth to farming, while enabling agro‐ and resource extraction that absorbs land yet offers limited and precarious employment prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to their nutritional value, their ability to adapt to the various environmental conditions, and their versatility, cereals are among the most cultivated plants in the world. However, the ongoing climate changes subject crops to important environmental stress that for some varieties leads to high production losses. Therefore, the selection of species and varieties that are more versatile and adaptable to different environmental conditions can be important. However, the characteristics of some cereals are not completely known; this is a priority before aiming to improve their cultivation. The aim of this study is to characterize select species that are potentially suitable for local environmental conditions and that possess nutritional value. The elemental composition was assessed in different cereal species grown following intensive and organic agriculture practices. Six species were grown for this study with techniques of intensive agriculture: Triticum monococcum L., Triticum dicoccum L., Triticum aestivum L., variety Verna, Triticum durum Desf., variety Senatore Cappelli, Triticum durum Desf., variety Claudio, and Avena strigosa Schreb.; four of these were also grown following organic procedures: Triticum monococcum L., Triticum dicoccum L., Triticum aestivum L., variety Verna, and Triticum durum Desf., variety Senatore Cappelli. The study considered twenty elements, including major nutrients (Ca, K, Mg, P, and S), seven micronutrients (B, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Se, and Zn), and trace elements with toxic properties (Al, Ba, Cd, Cr, Na, Rb, Sc, and Sr) that can be accumulated at the seed level. The results highlight the differences in the element concentrations in the cereal seeds in relation to the genus and species; the highest concentrations of the major nutrients appeared in T. monococcum; the concentrations were 6.9, 2.09, 7.2, and 2.9 mg/g for K, Mg, P, and S, respectively. The highest concentrations of certain micronutrients, B, Ca, Mo, and Se (16, 785, 3.69, and 0.34 μg/g), were in A. strigosa. There is also evidence that the element content can be affected by the adopted cultivation procedure; however, the effects of the growing procedure can be significantly different when different species are considered. T. monococcum, grown by an organic procedure, presented lower concentrations of the major nutrients, while it demonstrated a modest increase in the micronutrients in the T. durum variety organic S. Cappelli, and the production procedure did not affect the elemental composition of the T. aestivum variety Verna. The survey also highlights that the studied species and the growing procedure affected the capacity to accumulate and translocate trace hazardous elements for human health at the seed level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological intensification (EI) provides an important and increasingly adopted pathway for achieving more sustainable agricultural systems. However, the implementation and success of on‐farm EI practices may vary depending on landscape context and local management practices.We evaluated how EI interventions, including two different agricultural input regimes (high or low use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers) and floral border crops, affected local natural enemy biodiversity, pest abundance and crop yield, and how this was influenced by the surrounding landscape context across 12 rice fields on smallholder farms in Puducherry, India.Reducing agricultural inputs positively impacted the overall natural enemy assemblage; however, responses to landscape factors varied. For example, coccinellid beetles were negatively correlated with higher densities of field edges (landscape configuration). In contrast, spiders, the most abundant group surveyed, were not significantly influenced by any landscape metric. Furthermore, pest abundance was greatest in fields with reduced inputs but only at sites where floral border crops were not present.Mean rice grain yield was lower across low‐input sites compared with high‐input sites and floral border crops had opposing effects across high‐ and low‐input sites. At low‐input sites, mean yields were 33% higher where floral border crops were present. At high‐input sites, the presence of floral border crops was correlated with a lower mean yield (16%).These findings show that ecological intensification practices can benefit smallholder crop systems but highlight the need to account for variations in landscape context and local management practices for developing effective sustainable management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intensification of food production via conventional crop breeding alone is inadequate to cater for global hunger. The development of precise and expeditious high throughput reverse genetics approaches has hugely benefited modern plant breeding programs. Targeting Induced Local Lesions in Genomes (TILLING) is one such reverse genetics approach which employs chemical/physical mutagenesis to create new genetic sources and identifies superior/novel alleles. Owing to technical limitations and sectional applicability of the original TILLING protocol, it has been timely modified. Successions include: EcoTILLING, Double stranded EcoTILLING (DEcoTILLING), Self-EcoTILLING, Individualized TILLING (iTILLING), Deletion-TILLING (De-TILLING), PolyTILLING, and VeggieTILLING. This has widened its application to a variety of crops and needs. They can characterize mutations in coding as well as non-coding regions and can overcome complexities associated with the large genomes. Combining next generation sequencing tools with the existing TILLING protocols has enabled screening of huge germplasm collections and mutant populations for the target genes. In silico TILLING platforms have transformed TILLING into an exciting breeding approach. The present review outlines these multifarious TILLING modifications for precise mutation detection and their application in advance breeding programmes together with relevant case studies. Appropriate use of these protocols will open up new avenues for crop improvement in the twenty first century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, the cultivation of avocados (Persea americana Mill) has expanded throughout the Iberian Peninsula, with most of the production occurring on the Southern Atlantic and Mediterranean Coast, as well as in the Canary Islands. This expansion is due to high demand and high prices, which have made the crop very attractive. However, climatic suitability criteria have not always been followed, putting sustainability at risk. Avocados originate from tropical and subtropical areas and have very specific climatic requirements that must be met to ensure good production. This study analyzed the key climatic variables, including winter cold damage, pollen viability and flowering and fruit set temperatures. Using daily climate data from 1975 to 2022, advanced spatial analysis techniques were applied to produce suitability maps. The results indicate that the expansion of the crop is possible in certain areas of Southern Andalusia but not in the rest of the peninsula. Variables associated with low temperatures, such as cold damage (temperatures below 0 °C in winter) and conditions unfavorable for fruit set (minimum daily temperatures below 10 °C in spring), have been identified as the most restrictive factors. Specifically, the number of days with minimum temperatures above 10 °C in March and April appears to be the most limiting climatic factor for avocado cultivation in the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands. Andalusia and the Valencian Community have been identified as the most climatically suitable regions for avocado cultivation, with approximately 1,500,000 hectares recognized as potentially suitable for avocado production. This work provides valuable insights into the potential for sustainable agricultural intensification, the sustainability of agricultural decision-making and resilience to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Accelerating the adoption of intensification methods is critical for improving African agricultural productivity growth. This study synthesizes the effect of determinants underlying the speed of adoption of agricultural intensification methods in Africa. Design/Methodology/Approach: A systematic literature search was conducted using online databases, covering 20 years of publication research. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. Findings: After controlling for innovation type, a subgroup analysis reveals that gender and formal education influence the speed of adoption of improved staple crop varieties and other agricultural intensification methods. Practical implications: Continued investment in approaches that are gender sympathetic and in agricultural education and extension is implied. Theoretical implications: Accelerating agricultural productivity growth requires a broad understanding of the potential determinants. This extends beyond farmer characteristics and includes factors that describe the context of agricultural systems, policies, and technology. Originality/Value: This is the first study quantifying the effect size of factors that influence the pace of adoption of agricultural intensification methods in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the seropositivity rate of Hepatitis E virus (HEV) in domestic and working animals in Namibia, which included dogs, cats, horses, and donkeys. HEV poses a growing threat as a significant cause of human hepatitis globally and has several genotypes of varying zoonotic potential. As epidemiological data on the seroprevalence of HEV in Namibia is scarce, a serosurvey was conducted on archived serum samples of 374 dogs, 238 cats, 98 horses, and 60 donkeys collected between 2018 and 2022 from different regions, to assess the potential of these animals as sources of HEV infection. The findings revealed that 10.43% (n = 39/374) canine and 5.88% (n = 14/238) feline samples tested positive for HEV antibodies, whereas no seropositivity was detected in horses and donkeys. The study further examined the risk factors associated with HEV seropositivity, including animal sex, age, and geographical region, and noted a higher prevalence in dogs living in areas with intensive pig farming. Although there is no direct evidence indicating that these animals served as major reservoirs for HEV transmission to humans, the study underscores the importance of preventive measures to minimize contact exposure with pets considering the potential zoonotic risk, especially for susceptible risk groups. Further research is needed to explore the zoonotic potential of domestic animals and the epidemiological links between animal and human HEV transmissions in Namibia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to present the archaeological data that allows us to characterise the agrarian practices of Roman farmers through the study of cultivated fields. To undertake this research, we designed an analytical strategy combining spatial analysis, microstratigraphic analysis through soil micromorphology and physical-chemical analyses of bulk soil samples, and archaeobotanical analyses including palynology, phytoliths and geochemical analysis. All this has allowed us to obtain data of interest for the reconstruction of agrarian land use and to establish a methodological basis for developing future research. This high-resolution, multiscalar, and multianalytical approach pursues to characterise these archaeological contexts to singularize intensive agricultural practices developed in terraced field. The creation of this Roman peasant landscape is related to a specific models of socioeconomic organisation of agricultural work based on the household and its workforce as a determining vector in agrarian intensification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution is one of the main environmental health concerns globally, with particulate matter (PM) as the primary threat. While many policies address emissions from transport and industry, there is growing evidence of agriculture's significant impact on air quality. Evaluating how intensive farming impacts PM concentrations and public health is necessary for informed policy interventions. We focus on the Po Valley (Italy), characterized by intensive agricultural practices and substantial pollution levels. Our study examines secondary inorganic aerosol (SIA) concentrations between 2013 and 2020 in Lombardy. Our findings reveal key insights into the impact of intensive farming on air pollution and public health. First, we find that ammonium salts make up over 30% of the daily particulate matter = 10 µ m (PM10), with annual levels [11.6-11.8 µg/m³] reaching half of the European Union's proposed limit (20 µg/m³). Second, exposure tends to peak in low-wind conditions. In Milan, ammonia predominantly flows from the east, aligning with heavy livestock activity, while nitrogen oxides' (NOx) impacts seem more localized. Rural SIA peaks correlate with winds from NOx-rich areas. These outcomes imply that targeted, single-sector policies might fall short of significantly reducing PM10 concentrations. Additionally, manure spreading raises SIA levels by 2-3 µg/m³ in urban backgrounds the following days. Local sources also stand out in backtrajectory modeling of concentrations. Finally, applying long-term concentration-response functions to ammonium salts as a fraction of PM10, our study suggests that pollution stemming from agricultural activities in Milan leads to approximately 589 [446-866] deaths annually, resulting in an average loss of 6,951 [5,267-10,222] life years. This equates to 43 [33-64] deaths and 511 [387-751] lost life years for every 100,000 residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitats resulting from agricultural intensification harbour a wide array of stressors for resident organisms. Environmental stress during development can leave imprints on the phenotype that are useful as indicators of its impairment. Among them, fluctuating asymmetry (FA), considered the morphological manifestation of developmental instability (DI), may reflect the increment of developmental noise and the inefficiency of buffering mechanisms. Here, we evaluated for the first time the impact of intensive agriculture on the development of a viviparous reptile, the asp viper, Vipera aspis (Linnaeus 1758), by means of FA. To this end, we first quantified unsigned asymmetry indexes (uAI) of dorsal head shape captured by geometric morphometrics (GM) and of seven pholidotic traits in 127 and 482 individuals, respectively. Using linear models, we then tested for variation in uAI according to habitat type. Furthermore, we tested the effect of climatic variables with a potential influence on development, and thus, on FA. We performed analyses at the V. aspis zinnikeri subspecies range and at the population level, including three well‐sampled natural localities (NAT) and three sites of intensive agriculture (AGR). We found significantly higher FA levels in dorsal head shape in individuals from agricultural habitats than in those from natural habitats, which suggests that asp viper development is impaired by stressors resulting from agricultural intensification. Our results also point to a lower sensitivity of traditional morphological tools to capture the signal that intensive agriculture leaves on development and a lack of capacity of climatic factors in isolation to predict variation in the degree of asymmetry. In addition to encouraging the use of high‐precision methods, we hypothesize on the overall effect of different stressors linked to intensive agriculture as the real constraint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insect biodiversity and abundance declines have been reported widely and are expected to alter ecosystem functions and processes. Land use change has been recognised as a major cause of such declines. However, variation in local environmental drivers and the scale of available monitoring data have left large knowledge gaps in which taxa are declining, where declines are the greatest, and how these declines will impact ecosystems. We used 11 years (2006–2016) of monitoring data on 40 farms distributed over ~10,000 km2 in southern Québec, Canada, to quantify the impact of agricultural intensity on temporal trends in abundance and biomass of Diptera (true flies). There was a large difference in temporal trends between farms, which we found to be driven by agricultural landcover. Contrary to expectation, increases in Diptera abundance over time were greater in areas with higher agricultural intensity, especially with an increase in cereal crops. In contrast, declines in biomass were steeper in areas of higher agricultural intensity, although only with greater maize and soy production rather than cereals such as wheat. Variation in forest cover around farms had the least effect on trends. We found steeper declines in biomass per total number of Diptera with increasing agricultural intensive cover, suggesting the presence of community turnover towards smaller bodied flies with lower individual biomass. Our results imply that land use may not only alter abundance and species composition of insect species assemblages but also the distribution of key functional traits such as body size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the ecology of three threatened butterfly species on a 60 km2 site in Gotland, Southeast Sweden, using mark–recapture methods from 2017 to 2020. Nearly 30,000 captures were recorded, with average lifespans of 6 days for Euphydryas aurinia (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) and Parnassius apollo (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) and 2 days for Phengaris arion (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). Population size, density and maximum flight distances varied between species, with E. aurinia at 7.2 km, P. apollo at 6.4 km and P. arion at 2.5 km. Movement data showed the lognormal kernel fit better than gamma, negative exponential and half‐normal kernels for distance travelled per time unit across species and sexes. Generalised linear models revealed significant positive density‐dependent emigration and negative density‐dependent immigration in all three species. Despite available suitable habitats, these species face threats from limestone quarry expansions, agricultural intensification, modified forestry practices, natural succession and climate change, highlighting the need for proactive conservation and strategic habitat management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The vomeronasal organ is essential for chemical communication in many species, particularly in pigs, in which the establishment of a social hierarchy in groups is crucial. Alterations to the vomeronasal organ have been shown to be linked to aggressive behaviors in this species. Moreover, it was recently demonstrated in a mouse model that the environmental air composition can impact the condition of the vomeronasal organ. As pigs can be farmed in intensive and free-range farming conditions, the aim of this study was to analyze whether the porcine farming method influences the condition of the vomeronasal organ using a histological approach. The results showed that pigs housed in free-range farming conditions exhibited more alterations in their vomeronasal organs than did those housed in intensive conditions. The vomeronasal organ (VNO) plays a key role in mammals, since it detects pheromones thus enabling social interactions between congeners. VNO inflammatory changes have been shown to severely impact animal life, leading to impaired social interactions in groups, such as in pigs. Environmental air is known to be strongly modified in farms, and it is suspected to be one of the causes of this alteration. This study aimed to compare via histology the VNOs of pigs housed in intensive conditions (n = 38) to those of pigs housed in free-range farming conditions (n = 35). VNO sections were stained in hematoxylin and eosin to assess the presence of nonsensory and sensory epithelium alterations and collagenolysis. The nonsensory epithelium was significantly more inflamed in animals in free-range farming conditions than those in intensive conditions (p < 0.0001) and was more strongly affected by signs of collagenolysis (p < 0.0001). The sensory epithelium seemed to be less altered by the different environmental conditions (p = 0.7267). These results suggest that species-typical pig behaviors, such as digging and rooting for food, could facilitate the presence of microparticles in the oral cavity and their entrance into the vomeronasal canals, leading to changes to the VNO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Subacute rumen acidosis (SARA) is a significant clinical issue in high-yield livestock, including dairy sheep, and it is characterized by rumen pH dropping below 5.8 for at least four hours daily. This condition leads to economic losses due to reduced milk production and lower milk fat content. High-concentrate, low-fiber diets increase the risk of SARA by disrupting rumen fermentation. Diagnosing SARA is challenging, with rumen fluid pH measurement being the gold standard. This study investigated the prevalence of SARA and its impact in forty-two Greek dairy sheep flocks, as well as the potential of computerized rumen colorimetry as a diagnostic tool post mortem. Over nine months, rumen pH and milk composition were monitored, and rumen wall samples were analyzed for color and histological changes. The results showed increased epithelium thickness and discoloration in SARA-affected sheep. This study highlights the prevalence of SARA in the modern intensive dairy sheep industry, underscores the need for balanced feeding strategies, and suggests computerized rumen colorimetry as a promising tool for SARA detection and management in dairy sheep farms. Subacute rumen acidosis (SARA) is a current issue in intensive livestock farming, and it is particularly associated with feeding high-concentrate diets. This study investigated the prevalence and impact of SARA in forty-two Greek dairy sheep flocks by recording rumen pH, milk composition, and milk yield over a period of nine months. Moreover, it explored the use of computerized rumen colorimetry as a management and diagnostic tool for SARA in dairy sheep. In culled ewes, computerized rumen mucosal colorimetry was applied, and rumen wall samples taken for histological examination. SARA cases were identified in 19 farms (45%, n = 42). Farms with SARA cases had lower milk fat levels, while milk yield and milk protein levels did not differ based on the SARA status of the farms. In culled ewes, rumen color was significantly associated with the flock's SARA status, and affected ewes showed increased thickness in non-keratinized and total epithelial layers. It was concluded that computerized rumen mucosal colorimetry in aged, culled ewes shows promise as an indicator, post mortem, of SARA present in dairy sheep flocks whose impact can be minimized by making significant changes in dietary management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: High-density intensive farming easily induces immune stress in broilers, leading to significant impairment of growth performance and intestinal health. Sea-buckthorn flavone (SF), extracted from the fruits, leaves, and branches of sea buckthorn, exhibits anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, liver protective, and lipid metabolism-regulating properties. This study examined the effects of SF on growth performance, serum inflammation, the intestinal barrier, and the microbiota in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged broilers. Our findings demonstrate that SF alleviates LPS-induced inflammatory responses in broilers while improving intestinal health and enhancing growth performance. These findings serve as a valuable reference for poultry production. The experiment investigated the effects of sea-buckthorn flavonoids (SF) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged broilers. A total of 288 one-day-old male broilers were randomly assigned to 4 groups, with 6 replicates of 12 broilers each. The experiment lasted for 20 days. The diet included two levels of SF (0 or 1000 mg/kg) and broilers intraperitoneally injected with 500 μg/kg LPS on 16, 18, and 20 days, or an equal amount of saline. LPS challenge decreased final body weight, average daily gain, and average daily feed intake, increased feed-to-gain ratio, and elevated serum IL-1β, IL-2, TNF-α, D-LA, and endotoxin levels. Moreover, it resulted in a reduction in the IL-10 level. LPS impaired the intestinal morphology of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, down-regulated the mRNA relative expression of Occludin, ZO-1, and MUC-2 in the jejunum mucosa, up-regulated the mRNA relative expression of TLR4, MyD88, NF-κB, and IL-1β, and increased the relative abundance of Erysipelatoclostridium in broilers (p < 0.05). However, SF supplementation mitigated the decrease in growth performance, reduced serum IL-1β, IL-2, and D-LA levels, increased IL-10 levels, alleviated intestinal morphological damage, up-regulated mRNA expression of Occludin and ZO-1, down-regulated the mRNA expression of TLR4, NF-κB, and IL-lβ in jejunum mucosal (p < 0.05), and SF supplementation presented a tendency to decrease the relative abundance of proteobacteria (0.05 < p < 0.1). Collectively, incorporating SF can enhance the growth performance, alleviate serum inflammation, and improve the intestinal health of broilers, effectively mitigating the damage triggered by LPS-challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Biosecurity measures are necessary to the development of a family alpine farming system. In this study, good practices and areas of improvement have been investigated. In particular, practices related to quarantine, cleaning, waste milk feeding to calves, immunization, and diagnostics could be improved to implement optimal biosecurity measures. Farmers confirm that they are willing to adopt effective preventive measures under the recommendation of the veterinarian, and this attitude may be crucial to designing multisectoral participatory activities and strategies. Further investigations and the development of customized applications and digital toolkits are now required to better understand farmers' drivers toward biosecurity and to provide support. Background: Biosecurity measures are essential to improve animal health and welfare, tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR), minimize the burden of infectious diseases, and enhance the safety, security, and quality of sustainable agricultural products. However, the implementation of these measures in small mountain farms can be influenced by several factors, which probably differ from the main variables that affect intensive farming systems. Methods: This study investigated the awareness among farmers regarding the implementation of biosecurity measures at the local level in small dairy farms located in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano/Bozen (Italy). In order to determine to what extent these measures are in line with the recommendations, a questionnaire was conceptualized and sent by post to a representative group of local farmers. The initiative was voluntary and anonymous. Results: A total of 50 farmers responded to the questionnaire, resulting in a response rate of 27.5%. This study confirms that most of the farmers are familiar with biosecurity, and 38% of them know its comprehensive definition. The results indicate that 77% of respondents are willing to implement preventive measures to reduce the use of antimicrobials, and 76% of them acknowledge that they would follow the recommendations provided by veterinarians. In agreement with other studies, the role of the veterinarian as a person of trust among farmers is confirmed. Conclusions: Main strengths and areas of improvement have been identified. Additional data and effective tools are needed to better investigate drivers toward biosecurity and to implement impactful and practical measures for mountain farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activities, including urban expansion, intensive farming practices, and the application of pesticides have significantly reshaped bee habitats. Understanding the nutritional content of pollen, the primary source of bees' proteins and lipids, is important for maintaining their diet and health. In this study, we set out to determine the nutritional composition of pollen from various plant families and genera. Our objectives were to analyze the levels of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs), amino acids (AAs), protein-to-lipid (P:L) ratios, and omega-6:3 ratios of 57 pollen species native to North America. These data suggest a potential trade-off between NEFA and AA content within pollen, suggesting that a diverse floral diet may benefit bees more than a single pollen source. The AA profiles showed considerable diversity, with all pollen species providing the essential amino acids (EAAs) required for bee health, except for methionine which was lacking in Rhus glabra pollen. The plant family Asteraceae was especially abundant in EAAs. P:L ratios varied widely further emphasizing bees' need for access to a diverse array of nutritional profiles. There were no overall nutritional differences between pollen from native and introduced plant species. This study highlights the significance of a diverse array of floral resources to meet the comprehensive nutritional needs of bees, contributing to the support of pollinator populations and the broader ecological system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insect abundance and diversity appear to decline rapidly in recent decades, garnering significant media attention, and hence raising public awareness. Macro‐moths—a species‐rich and ecologically diverse insect group—face severe declines, particularly in urbanised and intensively farmed areas in NW Europe. Flanders is a highly anthropogenic region, serving as a case study where the impact on macro‐moths of stressors like intensive agriculture, industrialisation and urbanisation has been quantified through a recently compiled Red List. Here, for 717 macro‐moth species, we calculated relative changes in distribution area between a reference period (1980–2012) and the subsequent period (2013–2022). By correlating these species‐specific trends with 10 key ecological and life history traits, we calculated more general Multi‐Species Change Indices (MSCIs). These MSCIs showed that species associated with wet biotopes and heathlands declined on average by 20%–25%, while (sub)urban species increased by more than 60%. Species feeding on lichens or mosses increased by 31%, while grass‐feeding species decreased by 20%. Both very small (+34%) and very large species (+15%) increased, whereas medium‐sized species decreased by 5%. Monophagous (+17%), migrant (+88%) and colour‐invariable species (+5%) increased, while colour‐variable species decreased (−8%). Finally, Holarctic (−21%) and Palaearctic species (−5%) decreased, while Mediterranean (+27%) and Western‐Palaearctic species (+9%) increased. Our trait‐based approach identifies key threats and mitigation strategies for moths in anthropogenic regions, offering evidence‐based insights for crafting efficient management recommendations and informed conservation policies to safeguard moth communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Understanding patterns and processes of microbial biogeography in soils is important for monitoring ecological responses to human activities, particularly in ecologically vulnerable areas such as the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. Highland barley is the staple food of local people and has mainly been cultivated along the Yarlung Zangbo River valley in Xizang. Methods: Here we investigated soil bacterial communities from 33 sampling sites of highland barley farmland in this region and compared them to those from wild ecosystems including alpine tundra, meadow, forest, and swamp. Additionally, the effects of environmental factors on bacterial communities, as well as the relative importance of stochastic and deterministic processes in shaping the beta diversity of soil bacterial communities in alpine ecosystems were assessed. Results: In contrast to soils of wild ecosystems, these farmland samples harbored a highly homogeneous bacterial community without significant correlations with geographic, elevation, and edaphic distances. Discriminant bacterial taxa identified for farmland samples belong to Acidobacteria, with Acidobacteria Gp4 as the dominant clade. Although Acidobacteria were the most abundant members in all ecosystems, characterized bacterial taxa of meadow and forest were members of other phyla such as Proteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia. pH and organic matter were major edaphic attributes shaping these observed patterns across ecosystems. Null model analyses revealed that the deterministic assembly was dominant in bacterial communities in highland barley farmland and tundra soils, whereas stochastic assembly also contributed a large fraction to the assembly of bacterial communities in forest, meadow and swamp soils. Discussion: These findings provide an insight into the consequences of human activities and agricultural intensification on taxonomic homogenization of soil bacterial communities in the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is involved in finding fields? Agricultural intensification and its archaeological correlates are not always obvious. Archaeologists frequently equate capital‐based investment and arable farming as the sole path to intensified production. The presence of terraces to slow water flows across land, canals to bring water to drier lands, and raised and drained fields to reduce water, are methods to bring marginal lands into productive use. Labor‐based economies, especially those of the Americas before European conquest, present an entirely distinct pathway toward intensification based on tending the landscape. Tropical societies in general, and the Maya in particular, demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of the natural world, cultivating biological capital as a product of their culture with skill, hand tools, scheduling, and fire. Asynchronous and embedded fields transform into forests in a poly‐cultivation practice, emphasizing the diversity that prevails in tropical woodlands. As with most traditional land‐use systems around the world, the Maya milpa cycle reduces temperature and evapotranspiration, conserves water, maintains biodiversity, builds soil fertility, inhibits erosion, and nurtures people. Labor investments per se do not leave direct evidence on the landscape, apart from the implicit density of settlement, yet the imprint of their management lies in the forest landscape itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we review current understandings of anthropogenic field systems, focusing on trends and variations in the chronology of field construction, use, and in some cases, abandonment, as well as labor organization of agrarian production across the Lake Titicaca Basin. These trends indicate that agricultural intensification increased both during the political centralization of the Tiwanaku state and during periods of political fragmentation. In contrast to prior work on fields in the region, we argue that there was no single cultural, environmental, or historical impetus that ignited the construction of any particular field type. Additionally, we present the results of pedestrian survey of terraces carried out in 2018 in the northern Lake Titicaca Basin. While there were regional commonalities across survey areas in the masonry design of terrace risers, presence of pathways and radiating walls separating vertical tracts of terraces, and a general absence of irrigation, we found deviations from each of these trends in individual terrace complexes. While preliminary evidence indicates that more terraces were built or cultivated during the Late Intermediate period (1100–1450 CE) than in other time periods in the northern Titicaca basin, some terraces were likely built earlier. Our findings point to the multiplicity of strategies that ancient farmers employed in the varied ecological settings of the Lake Titicaca basin under diverse sociopolitical programs. This contrasts with previous research on agrarian field systems, which is mostly single‐sited and tends to emphasize individual strategies over the quiver of agrarian options available to Andean farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) can tolerate brackish water conditions besides their ability to grow under intensive farming systems. This study tested the growth performance, body composition, and blood variables of Nile tilapia juveniles cultivated in RAS with brackish water. Fish were allocated in 16 plastic tanks (1000 L) at 200 fish per tank with an average weight of 14.34 ± 0.47 g/fish, subdivided into four groups where each group was replicated in four tanks. Nile tilapia juveniles in the four groups were kept at different levels of salinities (0, 5, 10, and 15 ppt). After 70 days, the growth performance and feed efficiency ratio were significantly lower in Nile tilapia grown at 15 ppt than those reared at 0, 5, and 10 ppt (P <.05). The Nile tilapia reared at 15 ppt had significantly lower total protein and lipid contents in the carcass than those reared at 0, 5, and 10 ppt (P <.05). The glucose content was higher while the protein profile was lower in fish reared at 15 ppt than those reared at 0, 5, and 10 ppt (P <.05). The superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase were higher while the malondialdehyde level was lower in fish reared at 15 ppt than those reared at 0, 5, and 10 ppt (P <.05). The results indicated that brackish water (5 –10 ppt) is suitable for farming Nile tilapia under RAS conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first step to achieving ecological sustainability and intensification in agricultural systems is to have a comprehensive agroecological analysis of agricultural systems. This research analyzed the agroecological ecosystem of potato cultivation in the Torbat-e Heydariyeh Region of Iran over fifteen years (2001-2016). Based on the results, potato yield increased by 0.28 t ha-1 yr-1. The average potential yield of potato was calculated by the FAO method to be 64 t.ha-1. Also, the potential yield did not increase significantly during the study period. The average yield gap of potato was calculated to be 32.44 t ha-1. Also, with increasing yield, the yield gap showed a decreasing trend. The ecosystems experienced a steady rise in intensification, and the stability decreased. It was observed that although nitrogen fertilizer application was increased, its efficiency dropped from 110 kg tuber per kg of nitrogen fertilizer to 70 kg. Due to the decreasing trend of NUpE (Nitrogen uptake efficiency) and NUE (Nitrogen use efficiency) during the studied years, the NUE gap was the main factor in increasing nitrogen consumption, increasing intensification, and reducing stability in the studied systems. Therefore, changing the management method to increase the efficiency of nitrogen consumption can be suggested as the first step for moving towards ecological intensification and improving the sustainability of potato production systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anne Brontë's Agnes Grey (1847) is about many things: chief among them is kindness. In this short novel, the words 'kind' and 'kindness' appear over 50 times. In the course of the work, we are brought to see that kindness is not a weak flame over which the downtrodden can warm their hands a little but rather a bonfire of a life force, the source of social good, and between Agnes Grey and Edward Weston, mutual kindness—specifically the shared valuing of kindness itself—ignites eros. As Marianne Thormӓhlen rightly observed, 'Agnes Grey's falling in love with Mr Weston is erotically charged in ways which present-day readers easily overlook'. I want to argue that this erotic charge is an intensification of currents of feeling that characterise Agnes's whole narrative. The way Agnes describes, late in the novel, the pressure of her lover's hand could also describe her experiences of kindness, both given and received, throughout her life: 'emphatic, yet gentle'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lapwing are among those ground nesting bird species that suffered strong population declines following agricultural intensification in many parts of Europe. The key problem appears to be a low breeding success which, depending on the situation, may be due to predation of eggs and chicks, starvation of chicks especially during dry conditions, agricultural activities leading to direct killings, and suboptimal breeding habitat. Here, we report on a population of 40–60 lapwing breeding pairs in an intensively cultivated arable landscape in central Switzerland, where protection from farming activities, implementation of special lapwing habitat and nest fencing to exclude terrestrial predators (mainly red fox) started in 2005 and is still ongoing. Chicks were ringed and families subsequently observed every 2–3 days. Hatching success for fenced nests built before May was high. Low hatching success was observed in unfenced nests due to high predation rates and in late nests due to abandonment by the female when the vegetation was growing too tall (e.g. maize). Regularly, chicks disappeared during the night shortly after hatching. Most likely many of them first left the fence and were predated outside. Our observations from a fenced field with wet soils and puddles suggest that lapwing may produce sufficient offspring if predation can be reduced and if large enough areas with suitable habitat are available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The achievement of international forest restoration goals requires economically viable land‐use options. The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is a priority area for ecosystem restoration, as it is widely deforested to make place for intensive agriculture and one of the most threatened biodiversity hotspots in the world. We systematically reviewed existing scientific literature on the biome to highlight the evidence on economic benefits and costs of forest restoration. A total of 15 publications were identified that quantify costs and/or economic benefits of forest restoration. We observed that most studies (11) [Correction added on 15 May 2024, after first online publication: In the preceding phrase, (12) was corrected to (11) in this version.] were published after 2018 and that research on the topic was biogeographically biased as 12 publications referred to study sites in Brazil's Southeast Region. Given its beneficial natural conditions, the Atlantic Forest is predestined for a wide range of restoration‐related opportunities, yet economic benefits of restoration are underexplored (seven studies). Moreover, benefits from a multifunctional use of restored forests are almost absent in the literature with only three studies presenting primary data. Elaboration of restoration costs is also limited to 10 studies that focus predominantly on active restoration. Thus, we argue that the economic costs and benefits of forest restoration are not well understood. Clarity thereon is, however, critical for policy formulation and to mobilize private investments. We therefore call for studies to fill in the knowledge gap on restoration economics in the Atlantic Forest biome, and to study restoration economics in other biomes as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement: Bhutan is an ancient kingdom in the Himalayan range and one of the most rugged, geodiverse, and mountainous agricultural countries in the world. Historically secluded and geographically isolated, Bhutan is a hotspot for Himalayan agrobiodiversity where small‐scale agriculture supports the livelihoods of a large share of the resident population. Here, Bhutanese maize agrobiodiversity is explored to unlock its adaptation potential using genomics and participatory variety selection in combination with climate research. We show that Bhutanese traditional farmers maintain a wealth of diversity that may support the sustainable intensification of maize cropping in the Himalayas and beyond. Summary: Bhutan, an ancient kingdom enshrouded in the Himalayas, hosts largely untapped agrobiodiversity that may harness genetic variation useful for adaptation to local climates and user needs.Here, we genotyped‐by‐sequencing 351 pooled samples of local maize (Zea mays L.) landraces, the entire collection of the Bhutan National Gene Bank, comparing their genomic diversity with maize from other countries in the Himalayan range. We reconstructed the adaptation of Bhutanese maize to historical and projected climates, identifying areas of future maladaptation. We then run a common garden experiment involving local smallholder farmers in a participatory evaluation of landraces' performance, aiming at the identification of quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) contributing to adaptation, performance, and farmers' choice.We found that Bhutanese maize agrobiodiversity is unique in the Himalayan range, and a locus on Chromosome 5 supports the differentiation of three distinct genetic clusters. We found that a portion of current genomic diversity can be associated with the Bhutanese landscape and that maize cultivation in the southwest of the country may be negatively impacted by projected climates. We also found that Bhutanese maize agrobiodiversity is large and may contribute to adaptation and improvement. A genome‐wide association study identified 117 QTNs for climatic adaptation, agronomic performance, and farmers' preferences.Our results show that Bhutanese maize landraces are a unique source of genetic agrobiodiversity for local adaptation. We found that the integration of genomics, climate science, and participatory methods can speed up the identification of genetic factors contributing to the sustainable intensification of maize cultivation in the Himalayas and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global imperatives call for reduced water consumption in homogeneous, intensive farming systems, where farmland landscape heterogeneity significantly impacts anthropogenic, ecological, and socioeconomic factors. However, the impact of this heterogeneity on crop water footprint (WF) remains uncertain. To address this, this study assessed the WF at the landscape scale across 616 subplots (1 × 1 km) in a representative county of North China Plain from 2013 to 2019, integrating green (WFgreen), blue (WFblue), and gray (WFgray) water footprints. Results showed that the winter wheat–summer maize double cropping pattern (WM) exhibited the highest WFgreen, WFblue, and WFgray. Over six years, most subplots saw significant reductions in WFgreen, WFblue, WFgray, and WF. At the landscape scale, diversification (compositional heterogeneity), fragmentation, and spatial distribution (configurational heterogeneity) were assessed using Shannon's diversity index (SHDI), edge density (ED), and effective mesh size (MESH), which exhibited average variations of 0.07, −3.16 m ha−1, and −5.86 m2, respectively. For WM patches, the percentage of landscape (PLAND) and MESH were used to evaluate diversification and spatial distribution, resulting in reductions of 1.14% and 2.32 m2, respectively. Regression analysis and structural equation modeling further illuminated the connections between the landscape pattern and WF, emphasizing the significant role of MESH in reducing WFblue and influencing crop diversity (p < 0.001). Therefore, spatial distribution, whether directly or through the mediation of diversification, demonstrated a more substantial overall impact on WF. Consequently, future research should prioritize investigating how spatial distribution influences crop choice and agronomic management in order to determine the optimal cropping patterns and field size that strike a balance between crop production and the water footprint. This study offers theoretical guidance and a scientific foundation for redesigning farmland landscapes to bolster water sustainability in intensive farming systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South American coca (Erythroxylum coca and E. novogranatense) has been a keystone crop for many Andean and Amazonian communities for at least 8,000 years. However, over the last half-century, global demand for its alkaloid cocaine has driven intensive agriculture of this plant and placed it in the center of armed conflict and deforestation. To monitor the changing landscape of coca plantations, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime collects annual data on their areas of cultivation. However, attempts to delineate areas in which different varieties are grown have failed due to limitations around identification. In the absence of flowers, identification relies on leaf morphology, yet the extent to which this is reflected in taxonomy is uncertain. Here, we analyze the consistency of the current naming system of coca and its four closest wild relatives (the "coca clade"), using morphometrics, phylogenomics, molecular clocks, and population genomics. We include name-bearing type specimens of coca's closest wild relatives E. gracilipes and E. cataractarum. Morphometrics of 342 digitized herbarium specimens show that leaf shape and size fail to reliably discriminate between species and varieties. However, the statistical analyses illuminate that rounder and more obovate leaves of certain varieties could be associated with the subtle domestication syndrome of coca. Our phylogenomic data indicate extensive gene flow involving E. gracilipes which, combined with morphometrics, supports E. gracilipes being retained as a single species. Establishing a robust evolutionary-taxonomic framework for the coca clade will facilitate the development of cost-effective genotyping methods to support reliable identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinization poses a significant threat to agricultural production in Portugal. Collaborative research spanning three decades with the U.S. Salinity Laboratory in Riverside, California, has been instrumental in advancing our understanding of this issue. This study provides a concise overview of the causes of soil salinization in Portugal, focusing on ongoing efforts to comprehensively address this challenge. Key advancements highlighted in this study encompass the meticulous characterization of soil hydraulic and solute transport parameters, the application of cutting‐edge modeling tools for water flow and solute transport in diverse agricultural systems, and the utilization of innovative proximal and remote sensing methods for mapping soil salinity. Noteworthy results and practical implications of these advancements underscore their relevance in real‐world scenarios. While celebrating these achievements, the study emphasizes the current nature of the ongoing research, highlighting the dynamic landscape of soil salinization. The study underscores the imperative need for further advancements to effectively cope with soil salinization, especially in anticipation of the intensification of agricultural practices and the looming impacts of climate change. This comprehensive overview not only encapsulates past achievements but also sets the stage for future research endeavors in mitigating the pervasive effects of soil salinization on agricultural sustainability in Portugal. Core Ideas: Three decades of studies on soil salinization in Portugal are reviewed, with an overview of the extent and causes.Studies were started by characterizing soil hydraulic and solute transport parameters of Portuguese soils. They then extended to water flow and multicomponent solute transport modeling using the HYDRUS software package.Mapping of soil salinity using proximal and remote sensing methods is the most recent advance.Several research developments are discussed as well as priorities for the coming years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global population growth and intensive agriculture have both contributed negatively to the environment. As a result, there is increasing interest in the use of sustainable alternatives is increasing to promote better use of natural resources and create an equilibrium between agriculture and the environment. Intercropping, the simultaneous cultivation of multiple crops, aims to optimize land use economically while enhancing biodiversity through plant–microorganism interactions, thereby boosting crop productivity. This practice has particularly benefited nut production by combining the nutrient-sequestering capacity of trees with continuous annual crop production, improving soil nutrient and water utilization. Intercropping systems not only enhance nut yield and quality but also offer economic advantages to farmers. This review synthesized the existing literature with the aim of highlighting not only the positive aspects that intercropping brings to the production of nuts, but also the challenges and limitations faced in different regions when it comes to agricultural production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term exposure to a relatively high concentration of airborne bacteria emitted from intensive livestock houses could potentially threaten the health and welfare of animals and workers. There is a dual effect of air sterilization and promotion of vitamin D synthesis for the specific bands of ultraviolet light. This study investigated the potential use of A-band ultraviolet (UVA) tubes as a clean and safe way of reducing airborne bacteria and improving calf health. The composition and emission characteristics of airborne bacteria were investigated and used to determine the correct operating regime of UVA tubes in calf houses. Intermittent exceedances of indoor airborne bacteria were observed in closed calf houses. The measured emission intensity of airborne bacteria was 1.13 ± 0.09 × 107 CFU h−1 per calf. Proteobacteria were the dominant microbial species in the air inside and outside calf houses. After UVA radiation, the indoor culturable airborne bacteria decreased in all particle size ranges of the Anderson sampler, and it showed the highest reduction rate in the size range of 3.3–4.7 μm. The results of this study would enrich the knowledge of the source characteristics of the airborne bacteria in intensive livestock farming and contribute to the environmental control of cattle in intensive livestock production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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