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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New revolutions have been taking place in agriculture since pre-historic times to increase agricultural production and meet the demands of rising population. The last revolution or green revolution has increased the overall production of all agricultural components but has led to several long-term environmental problems. Almost 62% of vegetables and 82% of fruits are found to have pesticide residues, which can affect our health in different ways. This have arisen the fear of eating raw fruits and vegetables and led to sublethal effects on natural enemies and pollinators. So, it is the very need of hour to look for sustainable approaches to control the plant diseases. Most of the plant pathogens are seed borne and disseminated. Thus, they affect the plants during pre-emergence stage or cause seedling damping off resulting in 100% crop loss. Under sustainable practices, microbial seed coating is an evolving precision technology. It enhances the shelf-life and activity of beneficial microbes and thereby decrease the use of harmful chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Natural products such as biochar, chitosan, peat, acacia gum, natural dyes from flowers Phutuka, Polash, Khoyar, Kodam can be used to manufacture microbial seed coats manually. Agribusiness firms Incotec, Novozymes and Monsanto have also led to developing of coated seeds laced with promising microbes. Thus, adoption of microbial seed coating can be a cost effective and efficient strategy in organic horticultural production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The elimination of seed shattering was a key step in rice (Oryza sativa) domestication. In this paper, we show that increasing the gibberellic acid (GA) content or response in the abscission region enhanced seed shattering in rice. We demonstrate that SLENDER RICE1 (SLR1), the key repressor of GA signaling, could physically interact with the rice seed shattering-related transcription factors quantitative trait locus of seed shattering on chromosome 1 (qSH1), O. sativa HOMEOBOX 15 (OSH15), and SUPERNUMERARY BRACT (SNB). Importantly, these physical interactions interfered with the direct binding of these three regulators to the lignin biosynthesis gene 4-COUMARATE: COENZYME A LIGASE 3 (4CL3), thereby derepressing its expression. Derepression of 4CL3 led to increased lignin deposition in the abscission region, causing reduced rice seed shattering. Importantly, we also show that modulating GA content could alter the degree of seed shattering to increase harvest efficiency. Our results reveal that the "Green Revolution" phytohormone GA is important for regulating rice seed shattering, and we provide an applicable breeding strategy for high-efficiency rice harvesting. DELLA protein SLR1 interacts with 3 shattering transcription factors (qSH1, OSH15, and SNB) to alter lignin biosynthesis and regulate seed shattering in rice (Oryza sativa). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines preparatory labor practices that South Korean farmers had to undertake to use chemical fertilizers in the 1960s. Preparatory labor, such as learning about and acquiring fertilizers, that came prior to the use of chemical fertilizer in the field was mundane and often invisible. However, it was this logistical and emotional labor that was essential for the maintenance of South Korea's chemical fertilizer system. In the system, which was part of the government's efforts to establish rural modernity through increased crop productivity, the state looked down on farmers as the subject of edification. Nevertheless, the farmers were crucial maintainers of the state-led agricultural reform, realizing the government's vision of modernity. To reveal the hidden relationship between farmers, technology, and the state, this article extensively uses diaries written by two farmers – Yoon Heesoo from Daecheon Village and Shin Kwonsik from Daegok Village. By doing so, this article aims to shed light on the voices of farmers and their roles in the agricultural reform of 1960s South Korea and, more broadly, of the Green Revolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of US‐backed agricultural initiatives under what became known as the Green Revolution (1945–1970) reshaped populations, ecologies, and landscapes worldwide. While most investigations into the implications of this era focus on the development of intensive farming in places such as Mexico, India, and the Philippines, few offer critical analysis of its Caribbean manifestations. This paper examines the role of the Green Revolution in the production of environmental injustice in Haiti. Historically, we situate Green Revolution technopolitics in a broader trajectory of US‐led imperial and neoliberal interventions that spans from the Occupation of Haiti (1915–1934) to the 21st century. We draw from our long‐term ethnographic research to show how Green Revolution transformations impact agrarian life in Haiti's lower Artibonite Valley and Central Plateau today. Integral to the Occupation were efforts to (re)establish production of export commodities. We demonstrate how such attempts, regardless of outcome, generated indelible material, social, and ecological entanglements that served to intensify empire. In 1949, the US and Haitian governments established an agency tasked with extending Occupation‐era irrigation infrastructure throughout the Artibonite Valley. After these efforts stalled, 1970s interventionists sought different inroads for increasing agricultural production, particularly of rice. Their initiatives paved the way for post‐2010 ventures that perpetuate many of the same consequences, including hunger, economic insecurity, and environmental degradation. We show how the history of imperial intervention in Haiti created the conditions for the ongoing production of environmental injustice through agrarian reform. Ultimately, we argue that the Green Revolution transformed Haiti's agrarian geographies in ways that intensified environmental harms and advanced a project of US empire that continues to shape Haiti today. We examine the contemporary implications of this century of transformation for farmers, who carry on a legacy of agrarian justice that has contested the project of the Green Revolution since its inception. The Green Revolution describes a series of US‐driven technopolitical interventions that reshaped global agriculture and agrarian life across the globe between 1945 and 1970. In Haiti, this project maps onto a broader trajectory of US‐led imperial and neoliberal interventions that spans from the US Occupation (1915–1934) to the 21st century, which we illustrate through the example of the transformation of the rice sector. We draw on a combined decade of research and engagement in Haiti's lower Artibonite Valley and Central Plateau, where we argue that the Green Revolution transformed agrarian geographies in ways that intensified environmental injustice and advanced a contested project of US empire that continues to shape Haiti today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genetic potentials of rice cultivars will need to be expressed to their fullest if global rice production is to be expanded enough by 2050 to meet the increased demand of the expanding population while the availability of land and water per capita dwindles. New and 'improved' rice varieties have contributed greatly to increased production over the past 50 years, but the rate of rice yield increase based on genetic changes has declined in recent decades compared with the early years of the Green Revolution. In fact, many rice consumers continue to prefer to consume 'traditional' rice varieties (referred to also as local, native, unimproved, or indigenous varieties) because of their taste, aroma, texture, and other qualities. Furthermore, many farmers prefer to cultivate these varieties because of their better adaptation to local climatic and soil conditions and their evolved resistance to endemic stresses. The practices that comprise the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), including transplanting rice seedlings at a young age, wide spacing between plants, keeping the soil well aerated rather than inundated, and enhancing soil organic matter, provide traditional rice varieties with micro-environments that are more favorable for the expression of their genetic and agronomic potentials. Interactions among rice plants, soil characteristics, water, energy, and other inputs improve the phenotypic and physiological performance of rice plants. This paper considers how the cultivation of traditional rice varieties with SRI methods can raise yields, reduce farmers' costs of production, and generate higher incomes while contributing to the conservation of rice biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 'Green Revolution (GR)' has been successful in meeting food sufficiency in India, but compromising its nutritional security. In a first, we report altered grain nutrients profile of modern-bred rice and wheat cultivars diminishing their mineral dietary significance to the Indian population. To substantiate, we evaluated grain nutrients profile of historical landmark high-yielding cultivars of rice and wheat released in succeeding decades since the GR and its impacts on mineral diet quality and human health, with a prediction for decades ahead. Analysis of grain nutrients profile shows a downward trend in concentrations of essential and beneficial elements, but an upward in toxic elements in past 50 y in both rice and wheat. For example, zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) concentration in grains of rice decreased by ~ 33.0 (P < 0.001) and 27.0% (P < 0.0001); while for wheat it decreased by ~ 30.0 (P < 0.0001) and 19.0% (P < 0.0001) in past more than 50 y, respectively. A proposed mineral-diet quality index (M-DQI) significantly (P < 0.0001) decreased ~ 57.0 and 36.0% in the reported time span (1960–2010) in rice and wheat, respectively. The impoverished M-DQI could impose hostile effects on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like iron-deficiency anemia, respiratory, cardiovascular, and musculoskeletal among the Indian population by 2040. Our research calls for an urgency of grain nutrients profiling before releasing a cultivar of staples like rice and wheat in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The global population is increasing at a pace that food security has become a major concern. The 20th-century Green Revolution saved billions of people from starvation, but the continuous widespread utilization of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers to boost yields has negatively impacted arable lands, water resources, and the environment. Moreover, the production and use of chemical inputs contribute to global climate change. But this impact could be reduced by replacing synthetic chemical inputs with sustainable resources. A promising and environmentally friendly approach to reduce synthetic chemicals is to incorporate biostimulants from sustainable resources. Humic substances (HSs) are composed of humic, fulvic, and ulmic acids and are the most abundant organic matter on earth. They are well known for their beneficial effects on plant growth and development. Scope: This review encompasses the most recent findings related to the bio-stimulatory effects of HSs in modulating phytohormone biosynthesis, nutrient uptake and assimilation, primary and secondary metabolism, and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Conclusion: Existing evidence shows that HSs have multifaceted actions that are attributed to different functional groups and other bioactive compounds enclosed in their macrostructure. Studies have shown that HSs possess auxin-like properties that alter plant metabolism which results in beneficial effects on plant growth and productivity, such as improved nutrient use efficiency and increased abiotic and biotic stress tolerance. In future studies, delineating the mechanisms that can pave the way to further refine these products and increase their efficacy to amplify beneficial effects is required to develop novel products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DELLA proteins are master regulators of gibberellic acid (GA) signaling through their effects on gene expression. Enhanced DELLA accumulation in rice and wheat varieties has greatly contributed to grain yield increases during the green revolution. However, the molecular basis of DELLA‐mediated gene repression remains elusive. In this work, we show that the rice DELLA protein SLENDER RICE1 (SLR1) forms a tripartite complex with Polycomb‐repressive complex 2 (PRC2) and the histone deacetylase HDA702 to repress downstream genes by establishing a silent chromatin state. The slr1 mutation and GA signaling resulted in dissociation of PRC2 and HDA702 from GA‐inducible genes. Loss‐of‐function or downregulation of the chromatin regulators impaired SLR1‐dependent histone modification and gene repression. Time‐resolved analysis of GA signaling revealed that GA‐induced transcriptional activation was associated with a rapid increase of H3K9ac followed by H3K27me3 removal. Collectively, these results establish a general epigenetic mechanism for DELLA‐mediated gene repression and reveal details of the chromatin dynamics during transcriptional activation stimulated by GA signaling. Synopsis: DELLA proteins are master repressors of gibberellin (GA) signaling, but the molecular basis of this repression is not well understood. This work shows that one DELLA forms a tripartite complex with Polycomb‐repressive complex 2 (PRC2) and histone deacetylase HDA702 to repress GA‐inducible genes by establishing a silent chromatin state in rice. The rice DELLA protein SLENDER RICE1 (SLR1) interacts with PRC2 and HDA702.SLR1 is required for H3K27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) at a subset of PRC2 targets.GA signaling increases H3K9 acetylation (H3K9ac) and decreases H3K27me3.GA signaling dissociates PRC2 and HDA702 from target genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the impact of agribusiness on the politics of legislative elections in Brazil. The central argument is that social contexts dominated by agribusiness tend to amplify the number of right‐wing micro‐parties, due firstly to the economic interests prevalent in such regions and secondly given the 'catch all' nature of Brazil's traditional right and centre‐right political parties. By showing how agribusiness favours the proliferation of small parties, we may also reveal one of the main reasons behind the 'hyperfragmentation' of Brazil's party system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Therefore, new strategies should be developed for food production that optimizes land productivity, without harming the environment, and new sources of nutrients should be made available. Food fermentation is the most economical method to produce and preserve food, and it is the most ancient method that all cultures have used (Rizo et al., [17]). However, symbiotic nitrogen fixation by the I Rhizobium i -legume interaction has been widely studied in the light of sustainable production of food (Lindström & Mousavi, [14]). The 17 sustainable developmental goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations (UN) General assembly in 2015 are the following: No poverty. [Extracted from the article]

The article focuses on the development of short corn varieties that can withstand windstorms, improve yields, and benefit the environment. Topics include the advantages of shorter corn, such as increased resistance to wind damage, improved late-season fertilization, and potential environmental benefits due to reduced fertilizer runoff.

The utilization of reduced plant height genes Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b, encoding homeologous DELLA proteins, led to the wheat Green Revolution (GR). However, the specific functions of GR genes in yield determination and the underlying regulatory mechanisms remained unknown. Here, we validated that Rht-B1b, as a representative of GR genes, affects plant architecture and yield component traits. Upregulation of Rht-B1b reduced plant height, leaf size and grain weight, but increased tiller number, tiller angle, spike number per unit area, and grain number per spike. Dynamic investigations showed that Rht-B1b increased spike number by improving tillering initiation rather than outgrowth, and enhanced grain number by promoting floret fertility. Rht-B1b reduced plant height by reducing cell size in the internodes, and reduced grain size or weight by decreasing cell number in the pericarp. Transcriptome analyses uncovered that Rht-B1b regulates many homologs of previously reported key genes for given traits and several putative integrators for different traits. These findings specify the pleiotropic functions of Rht-B1b in improving yield and provide new insights into the regulatory mechanisms underlying plant morphogenesis and yield formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The original 'Green Revolution' genes are associated with gibberellin deficiency. However, in some species, mutations in these genes cause pleiotropic phenotypes, preventing their application in dwarf breeding. The development of novel genotypes with reduced plant height will resolve this problem. In a previous study, we obtained two dwarf lines, L28 and L30, by introducing the Ammopiptanthus mongolicus (Maxim. ex Kom.) Cheng f. C-repeat-binding factor 1 (AmCBF1) into the upland cotton variety R15. We found that Gossypium hirsutum Tubulin beta-1 (GhTUBB1) was downregulated in L28 and L30, which suggested that this gene may have contributed to the dwarf phenotype of L28 and L30. Here, we tested this hypothesis by silencing GhTUBB1 expression in R15 and found that decreased expression resulted in a dwarf phenotype. Interestingly, we found that repressing AmCBF1 expression in L28 and L30 partly recovered the expression of GhTUBB1. Thus, AmCBF1 expression presented a negative relationship with GhTUBB1 expression in L28 and L30. Moreover, yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase assays suggest that AmCBF1 negatively regulates GhTUBB1 expression by directly binding to C-repeat/dehydration-responsive (CRT/DRE) elements in the GhTUBB1 promoter, potentially explaining the dwarf phenotypes of L28 and L30. This study elucidates the regulation of GhTUBB1 expression by AmCBF1 and suggests that GhTUBB1 may be a new target gene for breeding dwarf and compact cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although day length is a constant factor and is practically immutable over history, it modulates pathways related to plant growth and development. Proteins associated with day length (such as HY5 and PHY) affect the activity of nutrient transporters, whereas deficiencies in functional copies of these proteins generate an elevated demand for nutrients. A regulatory loop between nutrients and the circadian clock supports the significance of nutrients in monitoring spatiotemporal variation and nutrient use efficiency in plants. A better understanding of the pathways related to photoperiodism and the circadian clock relies on deciphering the molecular bases of these pathways in wild and crop species, emphasising nutrient and toxic metal responsiveness. Multidisciplinary projects are required to understand the molecular basis of the phenotypic traits involved in the interactions between photoperiodism and the circadian clock in biotic and abiotic environments. For over 2500 years, considerable agronomic interest has been paid to soil fertility. Both crop domestication and the Green Revolution shifted photoperiodism and the circadian clock in cultivated species, although this contributed to an increase in the demand for chemical fertilisers. Thus, the uptake of nutrients depends on light signalling, whereas diel growth and circadian rhythms are affected by nutrient levels. Here, we argue that day length and circadian rhythms may be central regulators of the uptake and usage of nutrients, also modulating responses to toxic elements (e.g., aluminium and cadmium). Thus, we suggest that knowledge in this area might assist in developing next-generation crops with improved uptake and use efficiency of nutrients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Plant breeding is constrained by trade‐offs among different agronomic traits by the pleiotropic nature of many genes. Genes that contribute to two or more favourable traits with no penalty on yield are rarely reported, especially in wheat. Here, we describe the editing of a wheat auxin response factor TaARF12 by using CRISPR/Cas9 that rendered shorter plant height with larger spikes. Changes in plant architecture enhanced grain number per spike up to 14.7% with significantly higher thousand‐grain weight and up to 11.1% of yield increase under field trials. Weighted Gene Co‐Expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) of spatial–temporal transcriptome profiles revealed two hub genes: RhtL1, a DELLA domain‐free Rht‐1 paralog, which was up‐regulated in peduncle, and TaNGR5, an organ size regulator that was up‐regulated in rachis, in taarf12 plants. The up‐regulation of RhtL1 in peduncle suggested the repression of GA signalling, whereas up‐regulation of TaNGR5 in spike may promote GA response, a working model supported by differential expression patterns of GA biogenesis genes in the two tissues. Thus, TaARF12 complemented plant height reduction with larger spikes that gave higher grain yield. Manipulation of TaARF12 may represent a new strategy in trait pyramiding for yield improvement in wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urgent need to accelerate on, and make a national success of, the green and digital transition is leading to widespread calls for greater government involvement in the economy, including by means of an active industrial policy. After reviewing several case studies, it becomes evident that, against conventional wisdom, nearly all countries have systematically engaged in some form of industrial policy, especially large economies like the USA and China, notwithstanding their very different economic models. The same is true for Europe, both at the national level and through European Union policies. After analysing these experiences, we draw six key policy lessons to inform future debates on how to shape a successful industrial policy in the years to come and mitigate its risks, while acting in a context of souring geopolitical tensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gibberellins (GAs) are plant hormones with a tetracyclic diterpenoid structure that are involved in various important developmental processes. Two GA-deficient mutants were isolated: a semidwarf mutant “sd1”, which was found to have a defective GA20ox2 gene and was introduced to the world in a green revolution cultivar, and a severe dwarf allele of “d18”, with a defective GA3ox2 gene. Based on the phenotypic similarity of d18, rice dwarf mutants were screened, further classifying them into GA-sensitive and GA-insensitive by applying exogenous GA3. Finally, GA-deficient rice mutants at 6 different loci and 3 GA signaling mutants (gid1, gid2, and slr1) were isolated. The GID1 gene encodes a GA nuclear receptor, and the GID1–DELLA (SLR1) system for GA perception is widely used in vascular plants. The structural characteristics of GID1 and GA metabolic enzymes have also been reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reasonable plant type is a necessity for achieving high yield, and improving plant type to achieve high yield in crops has been fully demonstrated in major cereal crops. In the 1960s, the "Green Revolution" was characterized by the breeding of semi-dwarf varieties, which resulted in a doubling of rice and wheat yields worldwide. This increase in yield can be attributed to the presence of the sd1 recessive semi-dwarf gene in rice and the widespread use of Rht-B1b, Rht-D1b, and Rht8 in wheat. These genes increased the water and fertilizer tolerance and lodging resistance of both crops, resulting in improved harvest index. Additionally, the number of tillers per unit area and panicle increased, leading to a significant increase in population yield. In recent years, the super high yield breeding for rice and wheat is still focusing on the excavation of plant types and new dwarf sources, hoping to achieve yield breakthroughs through new plant type design. The breeding practices for foxtail millet have also demonstrated that increasing the number of effective panicles per unit area(known as tillering type millet) or utilizing dwarfing and dense planting methods can greatly boost yield. Therefore, this paper suggests that the exploration and development of new dwarf sources in foxtail millet should consider both reducing plant height and increasing tillers, in order to effectively ensure population quantity and increase yield by maximizing the number of effective panicles. Simultaneously, research should focus on the exploration and utilization of major breeding value genes related to the plant type and yield, as well as the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying millet's stress resistance, water and nutrient utilization efficiency. This will provide excellent genes and theoretical foundations for the development of breakthrough varieties with high yield and stability, strong resistance, and efficient nutrient utilization. Furthermore, it will effectively support the utilization of marginal land and ensure the sustainable development of agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shanxi province is one of the main sorghums producing areas and also an important hybrid sorghum breeding center in China. The research on hybrid sorghum breeding in Shanxi began in the 1960s and has achieved significant results through the unremitting efforts of several generations of breeders. In this article, the research progress of hybrid sorghum breeding in Shanxi was reviewed, the highlights and achievements of hybrid sorghum breeding in Shanxi were summarized from the breeding situation of sorghum in Shanxi, the improvement and creation of hybrid sorghum restoration lines and sterile lines, the breeding of new sorghum varieties for brewing, and the mechanized cultivation and improvement of sorghum varieties. In additional, the main problems and challenges faced by hybrid sorghum breeding in Shanxi were analyzed, they were few breakthrough varieties, bottleneck period of breeding technology, sluggishness of China's sorghum feed and edible industry, and lagging of the green revolution in sorghum breeding. Also, the direction and goals of hybrid sorghum breeding in Shanxi were looked forward to, they were enhancement of the utilization of sorghum in low yield and marginal farmland such as saline alkali land, mountainous arid land, and barren land, reinforcement of the development and utilization of sorghum in feeding and consumption, and intensification of the identification and innovation of germplasm resources, acceleration of the green revolution process of sorghum varieties, and promotion of hybrid sorghum breeding in Shanxi to a new level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the Green Revolution, the management of agrochemicals has become a cornerstone of agriculture, allowing it to expand over terrestrial ecosystems previously deemed unsuitable for cultivation. Such expansion altered the connectedness of aquatic habitats to organisms with complex life cycles by increasing the number of temporary ponds in interfluves. Here, we investigate how spatial isolation and intensification in the use of agrochemicals can interact to increase or decrease the permeability of agricultural fields to these organisms by affecting community structure in temporary ponds.We carried out a field experiment that simulates realistic scenarios of agrochemical contamination at different levels of spatial isolation. We constructed 45 1200‐L artificial ponds in a Savanna landscape in Brazil at three distances from a source wetland (30, 120, and 480 m). The ponds were spontaneously colonized by aquatic insects and amphibians and treated with no agrochemicals (control), fertilizers (as in managed pastures) or fertilizers and a single pulse of the insecticide fipronil and the herbicide 2,4‐D (as in sugarcane fields) following realistic dosages and application schedules.Communities treated only with fertilizers generally exhibited a higher abundance of aquatic insects at the peak of the rainy season, suggesting that fertilization caused bottom‐up effects. However, because low spatial isolation and fertilization favoured different predatory taxa, their insect prey eventually became less abundant in less isolated fertilized ponds. Communities treated with fertilizers and pesticides diverged strongly from other treatments after the application of the insecticide, when a decrease in insect abundance indirectly benefitted amphibian populations. In this case, spatial isolation delayed the recovery of the abundance of several herbivore and detritivore insects in isolated ponds.Synthesis and applications. These results have direct consequences for the emergence of insects and amphibians, possibly affecting important ecosystem services. Such consequences can be controlled by avoiding agrochemical contamination at the peak of most taxa reproductive season or through changes in spatial isolation by deliberately constructing wetlands in interfluves. In all cases, the effects of agrochemicals and isolation must be addressed jointly for a successful management of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

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

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