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

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

Morocco contains one of the greatest phosphate deposits and is the second-largest international phosphate fertilizer producer. However, it heavily relies on imported grey ammonia. To reduce this dependency, a paradigm shift is required toward local green ammonia production to strengthen the fertilizer industry. The purpose of the study is to identify the most promising locations in Morocco for hosting a green ammonia unit through a land suitability analysis. This was carried out using multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) and geographical information systems (GIS). Eight relevant criteria were considered, based on carefully studying the relevant literature and consultation with renewable energy experts and professionals. The land suitability analysis revealed high suitability locations and five sites were selected from the regions of Dakhla, Laayoune, Boujdour, and Tarfaya. These locations were introduced to Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Electric Renewables (HOMER) software 3.16.2 for simulation. The simulation findings showed that the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) ranges from 1.67 USD/kg to 1.82 USD/kg, with the lowest LCOH at Dakhla. The corresponding levelized cost of ammonia (LCOA) ranges from 646 USD/t to 687 USD/t. Dakhla was identified as the location with the lowest LCOA, accounting for 646 USD/t. The outcomes showed a similar trend compared to other studies (Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iran). Considering improvements in the electrolyzer's efficiency and cost, a technical and financial sensitivity analysis was conducted, identifying highly promising LCOA in Morocco, reaching 548 USD/t. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fertilizer industry plays a crucial role in assuring the food security of a nation, but it also faces significant environmental obstacles. These problems often contribute to decreased supply chain efficiency and overall industrial productivity. The industry's focus on profit maximization hinders adopting green supply chain strategies. This paper examines company q's adoption of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices. This study evaluates its performance using the green supply chain operations reference (Green SCOR) model, scoring 73.54 out of 100, classifying it as 'good.' However, there is room for improvement, especially concerning key performance indicators (KPIs). This paper identifies six KPIs that fall below satisfactory levels and offers specific recommendations for improvement. This study significantly contributes to the fertilizer industry by providing actionable insights for practitioners and advancing theoretical understanding by highlighting key overlooked indicators. Furthermore, this research also emphasizes the crucial role of government policies in stimulating the implementation of sustainable supply chain practices.

This article recovers and analyzes the sophisticated corporate response to environmentalist concerns already in the 1960s about the radical disruption of the nitrogen cycle that governs life on the planet caused by intensified application of chemical fertilizers. In 1971, ecologist Barry Commoner petitioned the Illinois Pollution Control Board to curtail the use of nitrogen fertilizer. This was the first-ever effort to use new state environmental protections to mandate limits on intensive agricultural practices. After holding ten public forums, the board ruled against restrictions. This decision marked a critical inflection point in the intertwined histories of US environmental activism, agribusiness, and the chemical technologization of food production at just the moment when nitrogen fertilizer was going global. This article aims to restore Commoner's long-forgotten campaign against the nitrogen fertilizer industry to its rightful place in postwar US environmental history. It additionally details how that industry had preemptively used a Malthusian logic of resource scarcity to make a nearly unassailable case for itself as a savior of humankind from the threat of global hunger. The article examines this early exemplar of "greenwashing" and reconstructs an untold story in the history of nitrogen capitalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the utilization ways and research status of phosphorus tailings resources in phosphorus magnesium fertilizer, calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer, phosphorus containing organic fertilizer, medium and trace element fertilizer and compound fertilizer, and emphasizes the botanical avail-ability of nutrients in phosphorus tailings resources, with a view to providing theoretical support for the fertilizer utilization of phosphorus tailings resources. Promote the full quantitative utilization of mineral resources and nutrients, and promote the green transformation and upgrading of the fertilizer industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Agricultural Outlook (1673-3908) is the property of Institute of Agricultural Information, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Contextualization: The inappropriate use of soluble mineral fertilizers generates major environmental problems, including greenhouse gas emissions. This has been overlooked for a long time due to the high demand for global agricultural production; currently, negative effects are evident from the sustainability perspective, coupled with the conjuncture of high agro-input prices. Knowledge gap: Compiling information on bio-inputs registered as biological inoculants in Colombia facilitates access to specific information required by producers interested in mitigating the use of soluble mineral fertilizers. It also facilitates the inclusion of bio-inputs that can supply the agricultural requirements of crops. Purpose: This review aims to present the edaphic benefits associated with using microbial biological inoculants and the opportunity they represent for agricultural sustainability and the strengthening of the Colombian bioeconomy. Methodology: A systematic literature review was carried out with parameters established by PRISMA and based on relevant information from biological inoculant companies in Colombian agriculture. Results and conclusions: A total of 4,910 studies were identified, and 12 met the screening protocols. Of 393 biological product registrations in Colombia, 119 correspond to biological inoculants. From the perspective of bioeconomy and green business, the exploration and ecologically responsible use of microbial biodiversity in Colombia is an opportunity to reduce the use of chemically synthesized fertilizers and to move towards a transition to sustainable agriculture based on the use of microbial biological inoculums to improve the quality and health of agricultural soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High price in energy sources and consumption of the limited amount of global resources have been a critical issue, and searching for new alternatives within reduce, reuse, and recycle (3R) approach is gaining importance. In addition, global population increase-related current consequences such as enhanced industrialization capacity to meet the population's demand in every aspect through energy and emission-intensive technologies and increased anthropogenic impacts on urban and ecological life together with ever-increasing food demand have put the importance of applying 3R approach and to embrace sustainability concept. Agriculture is a focus point where sustainable transition is required to correlate a balance between food supply and demand through introducing environment-friendly agricultural inputs or organic/industrial-derived wastes with low-carbon footprint to increase the circularity of the materials and focusing on low-carbon-targeted technology developments to lower the ecological footprint of the current technologies employed in fertilizer industry. The concept of this study might be beneficial to underline the importance of developing mitigation techniques for global warming and studies regarding to enhancing agricultural yield with lower environmental impact and industrial waste evaluation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Agricultural Outlook (1673-3908) is the property of Institute of Agricultural Information, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Consuming diets of low diversity may lead to micronutrient deficiencies and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Dietary diversity (DD) has become a popular indicator to assess the quality of diets as well as nutrient adequacy of food intake among adults and children. With the high prevalence of malnutrition in the Northwest Region (NWR) of Cameroon, the objective of this study was to determine the DD of the diet and nutritional status of adults (18-65 years) and children (1-5 years) in four selected rural (Mankon and Mendakwe) and urban (Mankon and Nkwen) communities. Cross-sectional study design was used with multistage sampling technique to select the participants and study sites. The study sample consisted of a total of 1248 participants. Nutritional status of adults was determined using body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC), while weight-for-age, weight-for-height, height-for-age and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) were used for children. Dietary diversity (DD) of adults and children was determined using individual DD questionnaire. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. A significant number of adults from Nkwen (urban) were either overweight (n=74; 47.4%) or obese (n=44; 28.2%) with 43.6% (n=68) from urban Mankon. A significant number of adults from rural Mankon were normal weight (49.4%; n=77), while 2.6% (n=4) from Mendakwe (rural) were underweight and 64.1% (n=100) were normal weight. Children in the rural areas were severely underweight (n=45; 14.4%), while children in the urban areas were either normal (n=158; 50.6%) or overweight (n=43; 13.8%). Mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) values indicated that most children in both urban and rural areas were not acutely malnourished. The food groups that were consumed most across all age groups in all areas were grains, roots and tubers, fats and oils. The least consumed were fruit and vegetables, including vitamin A-rich plant foods as well as milk and milk products. There was a significant relationship between poor DD and weight-for-height (MAM) among 1-3 year old children in urban Nkwen (p=0.03) and urban Mankon (p=0.04). Although there was no significant association between DD, BMI and WC across all areas, most of the adults who had good DD were either of normal weight, overweight or obese. Overweight and obesity were more prevalent in the urban areas compared to the rural areas. There is a need to investigate the association between overall dietary intake and nutritional status and not specifically DD. Key words: Malnutrition, nutritional status, dietary diversity, association, obesity, rural, urban, Cameroon, INTRODUCTION Macro- and micro-nutrient deficiencies due to the consumption of diets high in refined starch, few meats or meat alternatives and few fruits and vegetables have been a public health [...]

Phosphogypsum (PG) is a byproduct of the phosphate fertilizer industry that can be used in cement mortar. However, PG mortar is known to have high water absorption. This paper proposes a new method to address this issue by using superhydrophobic phosphogypsum (SPG). PG was modified using stearic acid and sodium metasilicate. The hydrophobic mortar (H-mortar) was obtained by replacing a portion of the cement with SPG powder. The optimum water contact angle of the H-mortar was measured at 108.3°. Results from the experiment show that the water absorption of H-mortar was 19% lower than that of the reference mortar (Ref-M). Furthermore, the mechanical strength of H-mortar increased compared to Ref-M, as observed through strength testing. The study also investigated the impact of SPG addition rate on mortar corrosion resistance, and found that the addition of SPG reduces water migration and enhances resistance to chloride ion corrosion. The proposed method has the potential to utilize PG waste while improving mortar strength and corrosion resistance, making it suitable for use in marine mortar structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years concerns have been raised regarding the environmental consequences of over-use of nitrogen fertilizers on a global level. However, the balance between sustainability and agricultural productivity, a central concern for policy makers in developing countries, has not been sufficiently addressed. In this paper, I evaluate farmers' fertilization practices and their effect on yield using unique plot level data from India. I estimate quadratic crop response functions for different crops and cropping systems. To address endogenous input choices, I use input prices and cost shifters from the fertilizer industry as instrumental variables for the fertilization practice. I find that a large share of Indian cultivators overuse nitrogen relative to the other two nutrients, and could benefit from simply reducing the amount of nitrogen used while keeping the other nutrients fixed. This suggests a potential win-win situation where both productivity and sustainability can be improved by changing fertilizer application. The widespread "nitrogen-only" fertilization pattern is rejected as optimal in most cases. [EconLit Citations: Q12, Q15, Q16, E23, C26, C14]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A general guide how to implement process safety management (PSM) is missing in the literature. This article provides general procedure to implement PSM which any industry in underdeveloped, developing and developed countries can adopt to start PSM implementation. PSM implementation can be initiated through the proposed framework consisting of four steps: (1) PSM introduction, (2) Assigning departmental wise PSM duties, (3) Trainings and (4) Audits and improvements. Trainings include process hazard analysis (PHA) using Integrated What‐If/HAZOP analysis, quantitative risk assessments using ALOHA or equivalent software, PSM forms developments and other trainings. In a case study, ammonia release is estimated and quantified using ALOHA. Nine various forms for PSM are required to be developed for industry implementing PSM. Various trainings should be arranged including specific learning outcomes and few examples are discussed in this article. An audit scheme is proposed for any new industry implementing PSM. PSM elements implementation sequence is discussed. New established industries can adopt this procedure to implement PSM following suggested forms and sequences, which can help engineers in understanding PSM implementation. This PSM implementation proposed framework is being implemented in the fertilizer industry and caustic industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry is a significant part of the economy in developing countries. During Indonesia's 2010-2020 period, many large-scale EPC projects were launched to build new plants and infrastructure facilities. However, most of these projects experienced delays. This research aims to identify the causes of delays in EPC projects in Indonesia. It also investigates whether specific characteristics of EPC projects within the fertilizer industry in Indonesia, particularly those associated with state-owned companies, contribute to these delays. Data was collected through questionnaires with samples from company construction experts involved in EPC projects consisting of 41 owners, 14 contractors, and 12 consultants. The Relative Importance Index (RII) was subsequently computed, revealing the top ten delay causes for EPC projects in Indonesia based on the highest RII values consisting of delays in procuring equipment/materials, contractor difficulties in funding the project, ineffective project planning and scheduling, the winner of the tender is the lowest bidder, rework due to errors during construction, poor communication and coordination between parties involved in the project, delays in the work of design, disputes in understanding the EPC contract and project specification, unrealistic the duration of the project and delays in the owner's decision. Comparison of delay factors with other developing countries in Asia and Africa shows similarities. Notably, among these categories, contractor-related factors demonstrated the highest RII values. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient shows that all respondents highly agreed with the individual ranking of delay factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Countervailing duties are a trade policy instrument by which importing governments tax imports that are found to benefit from foreign subsidies. Thus, in effect, these duties attempt to remedy market distortions generated by foreign subsidies by further distorting market mechanisms. On March 11, 2021, the U.S. International Trade Commission issued duties ranging between 19.97% and 47.05% on Moroccan phosphate imports upon finding that Moroccan exports had been receiving unfair government subsidies. In this research, we estimate the impacts of these duties on U.S. diammonium phosphate and triple superphosphate fertilizers, as well as long‐run downstream prices of five U.S. row crops with the largest phosphate usage. Using these results, we assess the implications for gross receipts in the U.S. fertilizer industry and gross margins for American farmers. We also calculate the implied change in expenditure for agricultural end users. We find that the countervailing duties have increased U.S. phosphate fertilizer prices by approximately 34% over counterfactual levels. This corresponds to an expected downstream price response ranging from around 10% for corn, cotton, and sorghum to between 1% and 4% for soybeans and wheat. This market distortion generates a $23 billion increase in gross receipts for a concentrated domestic fertilizer industry while shrinking gross margins for American farmers by 2% and 8% and increasing agricultural user expenditures by approximately $10.84 billion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic proxy approaches proved to be efficient for potentially toxic elements (PTEs) pollution assessment when targeting forests or areas with a homogenous background where anthropogenic magnetic signals could be easily distinguished. Here, we present a multidisciplinary approach for magnetic susceptibility (x ) and HM assessment in a complex area in the Nile Delta, where geogenic input, land use, and various industries with different fly ash and surface water emissions interfere. Statistical analysis discriminates between the effects of lithologic elements and the concentrations of toxic anthropogenic elements. The studied elements are classified into lithogenic and anthropogenic-related (HMs, Au industry, and fertilizers industry) groups with maximum contamination levels of eight anthropogenic-related and highly toxic PTEs (Cu, Zn, Mo, Cd, Sb, Pb, Hg, and As) in the Akrasha industrial area (pollution load index = 15.84). Considering the whole data set, the numerical correlation of x with most PTE concentrations and the pollution load index (PLI) is weak, while it is moderate to strong with lithogenic elements. However, a comparison of lithogenic elements and PTE concentrations along with x-values in two separate clusters supports the correspondence of lithology with elevated x-values in silt and clay-rich soil samples as well as HM concentration in industrial sandy soils. Correspondence between magnetic maps and chemistry data with land use reflects the potential of magnetic proxy methods for qualitative PTE pollution pre-delineation of the polluted spots, provided that lithological conditions are carefully considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]