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This article presents an energy-efficient biochar kiln that produces biochar from agricultural crop residues. The kiln is designed to be easy to operate and has minimal requirements for special operations. It works by heating biomass in a combustion chamber using recirculated pyrogas. The study optimized the process parameters and economics of producing biochar from wheat straw using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) based on Central Composite Design (CCD). The sustainable pyrolyzer had a thermal efficiency of 43.69%, with steady-state operation at 517.68 ± 98.18 °C. It produced an average of 54.57 ± 1.86 kg of biochar per batch, using 36.96 ± 3.66 kg of subabul (Leucaena leucocephala) as fuel and 179.61 ± 2.87 kg of wheat straw as feedstock. Subabul is chosen as a fuel due to its rapid growth, high calorific value, low moisture content, efficient combustion, and minimal smoke emission. The thermogravimetric index (TGI) and calorific value of WSB were 7.14 and 25.91 ± 0.74 MJ/kg, respectively. The benefit–cost ratio and payback period were 2.27 ± 0.16 and 4.92 ± 0.44 months, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing agricultural plastic pollution is vital for ecosystem sustainability. Shifting from traditional waste treatments to a sustainable pathway presents both challenges and opportunities for global plastic management. This study investigated the properties and environmental applications of biochar derived from honeydew melon vines contaminated with plastic hanging ropes, pyrolyzed at temperatures of 300, 500, and 700 °C. The resulting biochars were evaluated for their ability to remove Pb and Cd from aqueous solutions. Additionally, a Chinese cabbage pot experiment was conducted to assess the impact of biochar on Pb and Cd immobilization and plant growth in contaminated soil. Results revealed that the properties of biochar varied with pyrolysis temperature. Specifically, incomplete carbonization of plastic ropes was observed at 300 °C, while biochar produced at 500 °C (BC500) showed a higher yield and contained higher levels of available P and K compared to the biochar produced at 700 °C (BC700). The presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in biochars increased with temperature but remained within recommended limits. BC500 exhibited the highest adsorption capacities for Pb and Cd at 127 mg g−1 and 36 mg g−1, respectively. Soil amendment with BC500 and BC700 significantly improved soil pH, increased the availability of nutrients and microbial biomass, and effectively immobilized Pb and Cd in the soil. Consequently, the biomass yield of Chinese cabbage was enhanced by 119 % and 86 % under BC500 and BC700, respectively. Moreover, the Pb and Cd content in cabbage decreased by more than 80 % and 29 %, respectively. However, PAHs levels in cabbage leaves increased from 9.2 ng g−1 in the control to 20.8 ng g−1 and 30.4 ng g−1 under BC500 and BC700, respectively, remaining below China's standard for benzo(a)pyrene. This study suggests pyrolyzing plastic-contaminated crop residues at 500 °C is a feasible strategy for waste recycling. Highlights: The obtained biochar was nutrient-rich, porous, and low in Pb and Cd. The PAHs concentrations in the biochars rose with increasing pyrolysis temperatures. Biochar pyrolyzed at 500 °C exhibited the highest adsorption capacity for Pb and Cd. Biochars significantly promoted cabbage yield and immobilized soil Pb and Cd. Biochars raised Acpy and Nap in cabbage leaves but BaP and total PAHs within safe levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop residues colonized saprophytically by necrotrophic plant pathogens are an important primary inoculum source for epidemics of foliar diseases. Residues of crops, weeds, and litter were systematically sampled in a complex crop rotation experiment. Concentrations of DNA of major pathogens of the grown crops, Alternaria solani in potato and Cercospora beticola, Ramularia beticola , and Stemphylium beticola in sugar beet, were quantified in the residues using newly developed qPCR assays. Repeated field trials gave additional insights into the dynamics of A. solani in potato foliage residues for 2 years. The overall results demonstrate that the A. solani and C. beticola colonized crop residues of their host crops initially after harvest at high densities whereas R. beticola and S. beticola were almost absent in the field. Within several months, amounts of available host residues decreased substantially and concentrations of pathogens in the remaining host residues decreased steeply. Alternative substrates, residues of non-host crops including cover crops and weeds, were colonized saprophytically by the necrotrophic pathogens A. solani and C. beticola. It can be concluded that residues of non-hosts can potentially serve as an important bridge for pathogen populations during host-free cropping seasons in crop rotation systems. These findings contribute to the development of rational crop residue management strategies aiming at disease prevention by lowering the inoculum potential in crop rotation systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimum soil moisture and high crop residue return (RR) can increase the active pool of soil organic carbon and nitrogen, thus modulating the magnitude of greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes. To determine the effect of soil moisture on the threshold level of RR for the wheat production system, we analyzed the relationship between GHG fluxes and RR at four levels, namely 0, 5, 10, and 15 Mg ha−1 (R0, R5, R10, and R15) under two soil moisture content (80% FC and 100% FC) and three levels of nutrient management (NS0: no nutrient; NS1, NS2= 3x NS1). Nutrient input (N and P) in NS1 balanced the residue C/nutrient stoichiometry to achieve 30% stabilization of the residue C input in RR (R5). All RR treatments (cf. R0) were found to significantly reduce N2O emission in moderate soil moisture content (80% FC) by 22–56% across nutrient management due to enhanced soil C mineralization, microbial biomass carbon, and N immobilization. However, averaged across nutrient management, a linear increase in N2O emission was observed with increasing RR under 100% FC soil moisture. A significant decrease in CH4 emission by ca. 46% in most RR treatments was observed in 100% FC compared with the R0. The N2O emission was negatively correlated (p = <0.001) with nutrient stoichiometry. Partial least square (PLS) regression indicated that GHG emissions were more responsive (values > 0.8) to management variables (RR rate, nitrogen (N) input rate, soil moisture, and nutrient stoichiometry of C: N) and post-incubation soil properties (SMBC and NO3-N) in Alfisols. This study demonstrated that the mechanisms responsible for RR effects on soil N2O, CH4 fluxes, and carbon mineralization depend on soil moisture and nutrient management, shifting the nutrient stoichiometry of residue C: N: P. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing successful mitigation strategies for greenhouse gases (GHGs) from crop residue returned to the soil can be difficult due to an incomplete understanding of factors controlling their magnitude and direction. Therefore, this study investigates the effects of varying levels of wheat residue (WR) and nutrient management on GHGs emissions (CO2, N2O, and CH4) across three soil types: Alfisol, Vertisol, and Inceptisol. A combination of laboratory-based measurements and a variety of data analysis techniques was used to assess the GHG responses under four levels of WR inputs (0, 5, 10, and 15 Mg/ha; WR0, WR5, WR10, and WR15) and three levels of nutrient (NP0: no nutrient, NP1: nutrients (N and P) were added to balance the residue C/nutrient stoichiometry of C/N/P= 100: 8.3: 2.0 to achieve 30% stabilization of added residue C input at 5 Mg/ha (R5), and NP2: 3 × NP1). The results of this study clearly showed that averaged across residue and nutrient input, Inceptisol showed negative N2O flux, suggesting consumption which was supported by its high legacy phosphorus (19.7 mg kg⁻1), elevated pH (8.49), and lower clay content (13%), which reduced microbial activity, as indicated by lower microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and alkaline phosphatase (Alk-P) levels. N2O emissions were more responsive to nutrient inputs, particularly in Vertisol under high WR (15 Mg/ha) input, while CH4 fluxes were significantly reduced under high residue inputs, especially in Vertisol and Inceptisol. Alfisol exhibited the highest total carbon mineralization and GWP, with cumulative GWP being 1.2 times higher than Vertisol and 1.4 times higher than Inceptisol across residue and nutrient input. The partial least square (PLS) regression revealed that anthropogenic factors significantly influenced CO2 and N2O fluxes more than CH4. The anthropogenic drivers contributed 62% and 44% of the variance explained for N2O and CH4 responses. Our study proves that different biogeochemical mechanisms operate simultaneously depending on the stoichiometry of residue C and nutrients influencing soil GHG responses. Our findings provide insight into the relative contribution of anthropogenic and natural drivers to agricultural GHG emissions, which are relevant for developing process-based models and addressing the broader challenge of climate change mitigation through crop residue management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation practices in agriculture using crop rotations and residue management benefit the productivity; these can vary depending on climate and soil conditions, crops, and amount of incorporated residue. The present study evaluated the effect of two biannual rotations; canola (Brassica napus L.) – corn (Zea mays L.) and bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) – corn rotations with four residue incorporation rates (0%, 50%, 100%, and 200%) of the preceding crop on corn grain yield, residue production, and nutrient concentration and extraction after two rotation cycles in a volcanic soil of moderate depth in south-central Chile. Grain yield varied between 17.04 and 17.40 Mg/ha, residue production between 16.41 and 16.50 Mg/ha. The preceding crop affected concentration and extraction of some nutrients in both grain and residue. The residue rate affected both concentration and extraction of some nutrients only in the grain. The Ca distribution to the corn grain was negatively affected by both the preceding bean crop and increasing residue incorporation rate. The ranking of total macronutrient extraction in the corn crop was K > N > Ca > P > Mg > S. The extraction means ranged from 320 to 326, 56.0 to 57.1, 365 to 374, 86.5 to 99.3, 39.4 to 42.4, and 22.6 to 23.7 kg/ha, whereas grain nutrient distribution coefficients ranged from 64.5 to 66.8, 90.1 to 90.9, 23.1 to 23.7, 1.3 to 2.0, 50.8 to 57.5, and 60.3 to 60.6 for N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates the impact of conservation agriculture (CA) on soil carbon sequestration and crop productivity in the Indo-Gangetic Plains, focusing on short-term effects over 3 and 5 years. Conducted at two distinct sites, Karnal and Samastipur, the research compares zero tillage, permanent raised beds, and conventional tillage systems across diverse cropping patterns. Initial findings after 3 years showed no significant differences in carbon and nitrogen stocks at Karnal, while Samastipur's maize-mustard-mungbean rotation on permanent raised beds showed increased carbon stocks. Notably, after 5 years, significant differences in soil carbon stocks emerged at both sites, with improved organic matter input indicated by coarse particulate organic matter (cPOM) formation. The study confirms the potential of POXC and POC as early indicators for carbon sequestration in CA systems, highlighting the role of CA practices in enhancing soil health and crop productivity sustainably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the largest organic carbon input in the agroecosystems, crop residues can increase soil carbon sequestration and crop production in greenhouse vegetable fields (GVFs). However, the soil microbiological mechanisms driving straw decomposition in GVFs under different incubation temperatures and fertilization treatments are not clear. Thus, soil samples were collected from a long-term field experiment included chemical fertilizer application alone (CF), 2/4 fertilizer N+2/4 organic fertilizer N (CM), 2/4 fertilizer N+1/4 organic fertilizer N+1/4 straw N (CMS), 2/4 fertilizer N+2/4 straw N (CS), and incubated with 13C-labeled straw at different temperatures (15, 25, and 35°C) for 60 days. Organic-amended treatments (CM, CMS, and CS), especially CMS treatment, increased soil bacterial Alpha diversity before and after straw addition. Straw decomposition process was dominated by soil Proteobacteria , Actinobacteria , and Firmicutes for each treatments. The effect of incubation temperature on soil microbial community composition was higher than that of fertilization treatments. Soil Alphaproteobacteria and Actinomycetia were the most predominant class involved in straw decomposition. Gammaproteobacteria (Pseudomonas , Steroidobacter , Acidibacter , and Arenimonas) were the unique and predominant class involved in straw decomposition at medium and high temperatures as well as in the straw-amended treatments. Organic-amended treatments, especially straw-amended treatments, increased the relative abundance of glycosyl transferases (GT) and auxiliary activities (AA). Alphaproteobacteria , Actinomycetia , and Gammaproteobacteria had higher relative contribution to carbohydrase genes. In summary, the long-term organic-amended treatments altered the structure of soil microbial communities and increased soil bacterial diversity, with the CMS having a greater potential to enhance resistance to external environmental changes. Soil Alphaproteobacteria and Actinomycetia were responsible for the dominance of straw decomposition, and Gammaproteobacteria may be responsible for the acceleration of straw decomposition. Fertilization treatments promote straw decomposition by increasing the abundance of indicator bacterial groups involved in straw decomposition, which is important for isolating key microbial species involved in straw decomposition under global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residue management at the farm level is essential for ensuring sustainable agricultural productivity. This field experiment, initiated in 2005, provides maize data from 2016 to 2018. This study evaluates the impact of crop residue management and fertilization on maize yield and yield components. Maize was grown in a crop rotation sequence consisting of field pea (Pisum sativum L.), durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.), milk thistle (Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.), and maize (Zea mays L.). The measures studied include aboveground biomass removal (K), aboveground biomass incorporation (R), mineral fertilizer application (F), and their combination (RF). The results indicate that R and RF significantly improve yield parameters, such as kernel number per ear (KNE), thousand seed weight (TSW), stalk yield, and harvest index (HI), compared to control (K) or aboveground biomass incorporation alone (R). Grain yield varied across the years, with significant increases being observed for the fertilizer treatments, particularly when combined with straw or stalk incorporation. A nominal increase in grain yield of 1.43 t ha−1 for the F treatment and 1.86 t ha−1 for the RF treatment represents an increase of 39% to 51% compared to K and R. Strong positive correlations were observed between grain yield and several factors, including ears per hectare (0.61), KNE (0.94), TSW (0.61), and HI (0.85). These findings underscore the role of crop residue management and promoting sustainable crop production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dairy cattle feed supplies in the tropics, and particularly in Ethiopia, are mostly derived from base diets (natural and improved grasslands, agricultural wastes, fodder trees and shrubs), agro‐industrial by‐products and non‐conventional feeds. The availability of major feed resource kinds, sources and dairy cattle feeding practises is primarily influenced by agro‐ecology and season, as well as their interactions. Objectives: The research was carried out in the Chencha District of Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia, with the goals of assessing the available, feeding system, opportunity, limits and copying strategy of dairy cattle production, as well as estimating feed balance. Methods: Data were gathered through primary and secondary data sources, field observations, key informant interviews, focus group talks and individual interviews. The survey data were stratified into altitudes, coded and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20 and the general linear model approach. Cross‐tabulation was used to examine the statistical variance of categorical data. Results: The presence of different feed resource types, distinct agro‐ecologies (p < 0.05) and crop residue accessibility were the major opportunities for dairy cattle production in the study district, but land scarcity, a lack of dry season forages and land degradation due to erosion were the major constraints for dairy cattle feed production. In the research district, the main feed resource–copying approaches were reducing the number of dairy animals, saving optional feeds and purchasing optional feeds. The total mean of dairy cow feed supply to tropical livestock unit in terms of dry matter (DM) production each year was 3.86 t of DM/HH/annual, with a negative feed balance of 8.09 t that varied with seasons and agro‐ecology (p < 0.05). Conclusions: According to the findings of this study, the low production of dairy cattle in the district is clearly related to the scarcity of feed resources. To address these issues, alternative feed production technologies should be implemented, such as farmers practising forage development on their own crop land and collecting crop residues during crop harvesting times and storing them under shed; the nutritive value of different types of fodder trees and shrubs should be further determined in the future and feed storage methods, particularly hay and silage, should be used when there are an abundance of feed resources available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The management of crop residues in farmland is crucial for increasing soil organic matter and reducing soil erosion. Identifying the regional extent of crop residue cover (CRC) is vital for implementing conservation tillage and formulating agricultural subsidy policies. The Google Earth Engine (GEE) and remote sensing images from 2019 to 2023 were used to obtain spectral characteristics before the maize seedling stage in Northeast China, followed by constructing the CRC estimation models using machine learning algorithms. To avoid the impact of multicollinearity among data, three machine learning algorithms—ridge regression (RR), partial least squares regression (PLSR), and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)—were employed. By comparing the accuracy of these methods, the most accurate model was determined and applied to subsequent CRC estimation. Based on the estimated CRC and Conservation Technology Information Center definitions of tillage practices, the conservation tillage mapping was completed, and the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics were thoroughly analyzed. The following findings were demonstrated: (1) the PLSR-based model outperformed RR (Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) = 0.8875, R2 = 0.7877, RMSE = 6.99%) and LASSO (r = 0.8903, R2 = 0.7926, RMSE = 6.88%) with higher accuracy (r = 0.9264, R2 = 0.8582, RMSE = 4.93%). (2) Over the five years, the average no-tillage (NT) proportion in the study area was 15.9%, reduced tillage (RT) was 17.8%, and conventional tillage (CT) was 66.3%. In 2020 and 2022, NT rates were significantly higher at 27.5% and 15.5%, while RT were 15.7% and 30.0%, respectively. (3) Compared to the Sanjiang and Liaohe Plains (RT = 1907 km2 and 1336 km2, and NT = 559 km2 and 585 km2, respectively), the Songnen Plain exhibited higher conservation tillage rates (where RT was 3791 km2 and NT was 1265 km2). This provides crucial scientific evidence for the management and planning of conservation tillage, thereby optimizing farmland production planning, enhancing production efficiency, and promoting the development of sustainable agricultural production systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the utility of plant δ¹3C natural labeling in predicting the impacts of environmental shifts on carbon cycling within ecosystems, particularly focusing on paddy fields treated with maize (Zea mays L.) residues and biochar. Specifically, it examines how soil δ¹3C and the sources of soil organic carbon (SOC), respond in paddy fields (which cultivate C3 plants like rice) when amended with maize residues, maize biochar, and silica‐enriched biochar (derived from C4 plants). Conducted in the Fuzhou paddy fields, the experiment included control groups and treatment groups with maize residue (4 t ha⁻¹), maize biochar (4 t ha⁻¹), and silicon‐modified maize biochar (4 t ha⁻¹) during both the early and late rice growth periods. The results indicate that all soil treatments increased soil δ¹3C. The application of maize residues notably affected the δ¹3C of the upper soil profile (0–15 cm) differently from the deeper layers (15–30 cm), and it increased soil organic C more than biochar or silicon‐modified maize biochar. Soil available P (AP) and pH emerged as significant factors linking δ¹3C, influencing rice yield through changes in soil physicochemical properties. Unlike maize residues, which reduced rice yields, applications of biochar and silicon‐modified maize biochar increased rice yields. The latter, which was particularly effective in lowering SOC decomposition rates and addressing rice's silica needs, emerged as the preferred option. The study highlights maize biochar and silicon‐modified maize biochar as sustainable alternatives to maize residues for rice cultivation, enhancing soil fertility, carbon pool stability, and yields. Core Ideas: New management of crop residues to improve crop soil quality in paddy fields is studied.New management of crop residues to improve rice yield is studied.The suitability of use of δ13C labeling methods for this type of research is determined.The relationship between diverse soil physicochemical properties with changes in soil organic carbon contents and quality is studied.The use of excessive industrial fertilizers should be avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This inquiry is aimed at discerning the impact of various agricultural practices, such as crop rotation, the incorporation of plant residues, and the application of mineral fertilizers, on soil health and crop productivity, notably focusing on maize production. Cultivation included maize (Zea mays), velvet beans (Mucuna pruriens), soybeans (Glycine max), and vetch (Vicia sativa). After harvest, maize seeds were sown across all 48 plots to evaluate the influence of preceding crop rotation on soil properties and maize yield. Hypotheses posited in the study suggested that crop rotation, nitrogen fertilizer application, and the incorporation of crop residues positively impact soil fertility. The study further argues that the utilization of cover crops in crop rotation aids in nitrogen retention within the soil and enhances yield. The results were processed utilizing a two‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with interaction and post hoc comparisons. The findings confirm that crop rotation, nitrogen fertilizer application, and incorporation of crop residues influence soil fertility. The study found that crop rotation and nitrogen fertilizers have a significant impact on soil properties. Crop rotations such as "velvet beans‐maize" and "soybeans‐maize" increased soil fertility by 10%–15% compared to crop rotations of "vetch‐maize" and maize monocultures. Nitrogen fertilizers increased the total nitrogen content in the soil by 5%–10% in both years. Crop residues also positively affected soil properties, increasing pH and total nitrogen by 1%–5%. The study demonstrates that crop rotation, nitrogen fertilizers, and crop residues can be effective management methods for improving soil fertility and reducing the risk of nitrate leaching. Core Ideas: A 3‐year experiment was performed in the Astrakhan region of Russia.The aim of this study is to quantify changes in the physical and chemical properties of soils.The study focused on the effects of organic and mineral farming methods on soil properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stubble burning, a prevalent agricultural practice in Punjab and Haryana, poses significant environmental, health and socioeconomic challenges, particularly concerning air pollution and soil degradation. This systematic literature review (SLR) examines research findings, policy interventions and technological innovations aimed at addressing the adverse effects of stubble burning and promoting sustainable crop residue management. This review encompasses studies investigating the extent of stubble burning, its impact on air quality, soil fertility and human health, as well as alternative management strategies like the adoption of Happy Seeder technology and bioenergy utilization. The present article identifies key trends, challenges and opportunities in stubble-burning research and policymaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effect of household air pollution on pregnant women with GDM, and assessed the modifying effect of a healthy lifestyle on this relationship. Household solid fuel exposure was defined as using solid fuels (coal, crop residue, and wood) for cooking and heating. Four individually modifiable lifestyle factors were assessed in early pregnancy: body mass index, diet, sleep, and vitamin D supplementation. Multifactorial logistic regression modeling was used to assess the relationship between household air pollution and GDM. A stratified analysis and additive interaction tested the effects of healthy lifestyle scores. After adjusting for potential confounders, we found that using solid fuels for heating was significantly associated with an increased risk of GDM (adjusted OR = 1.60, 95% CI 1.18–2.18). GDM risk showed a decreasing trend in the medium versus the high score group when compared to the low score group, with a consistent trend regardless of household fuel type used (adjusted OR = 0.39, 95% CI 0.27–0.57) (adjusted OR = 0.12, 95% CI 0.05–0.28), respectively. Importantly, when the healthy lifestyle score increased, exposure to household air pollution was no longer associated with a higher GDM risk. There was a negative additive interaction between exposure to household solid fuels exposure and a healthy lifestyle (FERI: −5.10 [−16.48, −2.04]; AP: −1.29 [−2.80, −0.39]; SI: −0.37 [−0.20, −0.67]). We determined that exposure to household air pollution may be an important GDM risk factor. In addition, A healthy lifestyle may have a protective effect on women with GDM exposed to indoor fuel air pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

State‐level cooperative extension services provide fertilizer recommendations for row crops in the United States. Of these, nitrogen (N) recommendations are arguably the most important because N is the most common yield‐limiting nutrient in nonlegume crop production systems. Throughout the peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) growing region of the United States, Cooperative Extension Services generally recommends 22–67 kg N/ha credit to crops following peanut, likely due to the assumption that peanut, being a legume, contributes N to the following crop. The body of peer‐reviewed literature indicates that N credits from peanut to the subsequent crop are negligible. Recent literature indicates that apparent differences in yield following peanut compared to a nonlegume are a result of nonlegume crop residue favoring N immobilization rather than N mineralization from peanut residue. Taken together, recent research corroborates the few previous scientific publications addressing the issue, namely, that cooperative extension service recommendations to reduce N fertilization to crops after peanut are not supported by the peer‐reviewed literature. Future field research should include summer fallows to determine if yield differences between legumes and nonlegumes are due to N credits by the legume or N immobilization by nonlegumes. Data on N loss pathways following peanut are needed to identify management strategies that can mitigate N losses after peanut harvest. In conclusion, the preponderance of peer‐reviewed science does not support current Extension recommendations regarding peanut N credits to the following crop. Core Ideas: Nitrogen (N) credits from peanut to the subsequent crop are negligible.Data on N loss pathways following peanut are needed to identify management strategies that can mitigate N losses after peanut harvest.Peer‐reviewed science does not support current Extension recommendations regarding peanut N credits to the following crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate‐smart agricultural practices, such as no‐tillage (NT) and cover cropping, have been widely adopted and are anticipated to yield multiple benefits, including soil carbon sequestration, enhancing soil health, and crop yield stability. However, their influence on nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions varies, with the potential of both increasing and decreasing N2O emissions. Increasing N2O emissions under these practices may potentially offset the climate mitigation benefits from increased soil carbon sequestration. We investigated N2O emissions in response to 42 years of long‐term adoption of NT and legume cover crop, under nitrogen (N) rates of 0 and 67 kg N ha−1, in a continuous cotton system in the Southeastern United States. Intensive manual chamber‐based measurements were conducted over two growing seasons (2021–2022 and 2022–2023). Long‐term NT did not significantly affect cumulative N2O emissions during the study period (p > 0.05). Hairy vetch cover crop‐grown plots emitted two to three times more N2O than those without cover crops in 2021–2022, with no significant effect observed in 2022–2023. Cumulative emissions in cover crop plots were greater compared to those in no cover crop plots when fertilized with 67 kg N ha−1 in 2021–2022; however, this trend did not persist in 2022–2023. While interannual variability exists, our results generally suggest that long‐term NT may not increase N2O emissions, hence its adoption could enhance its broader soil health and climate benefits via soil carbon sequestration, whereas managing legume cover crop residues in N‐fertilized systems is critical to mitigate N2O emissions. Core Ideas: Nitrous oxide emissions from continuous cotton were measured in response to long‐term NT and cover cropping.No‐tillage did not increase N2O emissions compared to conventional tillage.Inclusion of a legume cover crop (hairy vetch) in cotton cropping systems increased N2O emissions.The impact of hairy vetch was more pronounced in presence of mineral N fertilizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulosic biomass‐to‐bioenergy systems provide fuel, reduce emissions, and offer economic benefits. Corn (Zea mays L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) residues could be used as feedstocks for biofuel production. However, the impact of residue removal on crop productivity in the Mid‐Atlantic region has not been thoroughly assessed. A trial was conducted to assess crop yield and quality response to different biomass retention rates in grain cropping systems during 2015–2017. Various combinations of corn stover (0–10 Mg ha−1) and wheat straw (0–3 Mg ha−1) were applied in a corn–wheat/soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation in New Kent, VA. In Blacksburg, VA, corn stover (0–20 Mg ha−1) was applied in the continuous corn system. Residues were applied after grain harvest over two production cycles for each system. Residue retention showed no significant impact on grain or crop residue yields or nutrient uptake in either system. Treatment minimally impacted feedstock quality, except wheat straw's sulfur (S) concentration, optimized at around 70% retention in New Kent. Theoretical ethanol potential (TEP) and yield remained unaffected by total residue rates in New Kent. In Blacksburg, over 2 years, a minimum TEP for corn stover corresponded to a retention rate of approximately 30%. A retention rate of more than 30% increased TEP, likely due to improved feedstock quality. Nutrient replacement costs for primary macronutrients and S uptake ranged from $18.3 to $36.9 ha−1 for corn stover and $6.1 to $11.8 ha−1 for wheat straw. Residue harvest or addition did not harm short‐term biomass yield in Virginia's grain‐based cropping systems. Core Ideas: Crop residue removal has negligible impact on corn grain yield or quality in continuous cropping systems.Optimal residue retention preserves feedstock quality, notably sulfur levels in wheat straw.Theoretical ethanol yield remains stable despite varied residue retention rates.Residue can be removed for bioenergy without significantly raising nutrient replacement costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multi-season research trial entitled 'crop residue management effects on yield and water productivity of summer mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) under different irrigation regimes in Indian Punjab' was conducted at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Regional Research Station (RRS), Bathinda, during rabi 2020 and 2021. The field experiment was conducted in a split-plot layout with nine treatment combinations and replicated thrice. The treatments consisted of T1 (no wheat residue along with tillage), T2 (leftover wheat residue with zero tillage), and T3 (incorporated wheat residue along with tillage) in main plots and irrigation regimes viz., I1 (vegetative growth and flowering stage), I2 (vegetative growth, flowering, and pod filling stage) and I3 (vegetative growth, flowering, pod formation and pod filling stage) in sub-plots, respectively. The growth and yield attributing characters were significantly higher under T3 than T1 but statistically at par with T2 during both years. An increase of 24.1% and 19.0% in grain yield was found in residue incorporation (T3) and residue retention (T2) over residue removal (T1), respectively. Maximum crop and irrigation water productivity was observed under T3 due to reduced water use and increased yield. Among the irrigation regimes, the I3 recorded significantly higher grain yield (0.70 and 0.79 t ha− 1) than I1. It was at par with I2 during both years due to higher irrigation frequency at the pod formation and pod filling stage. Crop water productivity (CWP) was higher under I3, whereas irrigation water productivity (IWP) was higher under I1 during both years. Additional irrigation at the pod-filling stage increased the grain yield by 36.5%, and two additional irrigations at the pod-formation and pod-filling stage further increased yield by 46.2% compared to only two irrigations at the vegetative and flowering stages. The treatment combinations of T2I2 and T3I2 outperformed T1I3 in terms of growth and yield attributing characters viz. plant height, dry matter accumulation (DMA), leaf area index (LAI), pods plant− 1, seeds pod− 1, and 1000-seed weight, which resulted in higher grain yield in these treatment combinations over T1I3. Applying crop residue can help minimize water use and increase crop water productivity. So, retaining crop residue in summer mung bean resulted in saving irrigation water due to lesser evapotranspiration from the soil surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pesticides constitute a major threat to biodiversity, but our understanding of the complex interactions between local and landscape factors influencing their distribution in agroecosystems remains limited. We conducted a pioneering study where we screened spiders, rodents, plants and soils for multiple pesticide residues in perennial crops (orchards and vineyards) managed under organic (N = 8) and integrated pest management (N = 8) systems. We then quantified the proportional representation of major habitat types in surrounding landscapes. Additionally, we conducted interviews with farmers to gain precise insights into pesticide applications. We expected that landscape factors would be more important for mobile entities (i.e. spiders and rodents), while management type would be relatively more important for the sedentary entities (i.e. soils and plants). We detected various pesticides within studied crop types, including several forbidden in the European Union. We found that pesticide distribution in spiders was influenced by the proportion of semi‐natural habitats in the landscape, with pesticide concentration decreasing as the proportion of semi‐natural habitats increased. Additionally, we observed that the spectrum of pesticides in spiders increased with the dominance of web‐building spiders. In contrast, pesticide levels in rodents were not affected by either landscape composition or local management type. For plants, pesticide distribution was affected by the proportion of forests and shrublands and, to some extent, by local management practices. In the case of soil, pesticide distribution was primarily determined by local management. This study marks an effort in demonstrating that both local and landscape factors play crucial roles in shaping pesticide distribution within perennial crops. Importantly, the relative importance of these factors varied across the four matrices investigated. Synthesis and applications: To comprehend the factors that determine pesticide distribution in crops, it is crucial to monitor diverse ecosystem components rather than focusing on a few model species. This approach underscores the necessity for ecologically sensitive management at landscape scale. Such management should involve the preservation and enhancement of (semi)natural habitats around crops. These combined insights can form the foundation for conservation and management initiatives aimed at mitigating the impact of pesticides on biodiversity within crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laccase, the selectively lignin degrader, vital to the initiation of lignocellulosic deconstruction was immobilized onto activated agarose beads to increase its reuse potential. Laccase cross-linked beads (~ 3.42 mm) recorded a specific activity of 23 Umg− 1, retaining about 80.43% enzyme activity after 45 days of storage. The immobilization yield and efficiency were 89% and 97% respectively. The equilibrium data fitted the Freundlich equation (R2 = 0.9987) demonstrating multilayer adsorption and the presence of Cu, Fe, and S in the elemental analysis of immobilized beads established effective binding between activated agarose beads and the laccase protein. Characterization studies of the immobilized laccase-treated crop residues revealed significant differences in the lignin polymer after each treatment cycle. An increase in digestibility of 26.21% and 7.62% was observed in paddy and finger millet-treated straws respectively, over the controls corroborating efficient lignin depolymerization. The propitious performance of laccase beads authenticated in the batch enzymatic reactor to treat crop residues paves headway as a sustainable green technology in the deconstruction of crop residues for use as ruminant feed, augmenting productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food production is one of the most important sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, both in primary production and in processing and the logistics chain. The most problematic and risky is the optimization of environmental effects in the stage of primary production. This is due to the significant influence of factors related to climate and soil that are difficult to predict. The scientific literature offers much information on the impact of crop residue management, but the context for assessing the impact of crop residue management in corn production on the carbon footprint is still unclear. The effectiveness of using organic additives like biochar, compost, corn, or straw to maintain soil productivity is well acknowledged. Information about the effects of particular crop residue management strategies on soil carbon sequestration, soil quality, and crop yield in corn cultivation is currently scarce. The research aimed to assess the potential for optimizing corn production through modifications in crop residue management, with a focus on the efficiency indicator being the level of greenhouse gas emissions per functional unit of the product. A 3-year growing experiment was conducted to investigate the impact of different corn crop residue management strategies. The modifications of the corn cultivation technology in terms of the crop residue management strategy had a significant impact on the yield of plants and the amount of GHG emissions. The conversion of corn straw to biochar and its introduction into the soil reduced the GHG emissions from corn cultivation per functional unit, despite the energy expenditure related to straw transport and biochar production. From a 3-year time perspective, a beneficial effect of biochar addition on the size of the commercial yield of plants was observed. In variants with biochar and a reduced level of nitrogen fertilization, no reduction in yields was observed. This confirmed the hypothesis that biochar could be a useful material for the production of slow-acting fertilizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The poor quality of available feed resources is the major limiting factor for livestock production in Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the chemical composition of major feed resources in three agro-ecological zones (AEZs) of the Gera District, southwest Ethiopia. Three representative samples of natural pasture (Cynodon dactylon, Pavonia schimperiana Hochst and Rhynchosia ferruginea), three indigenous fodder trees and shrubs (IFTSs) (Erythrina abyssinica, Vernonia amygdalina and Maytenus undat), two cultivated forages (Pennisetum purpureum and Pennisetum pedicellatum) and five crop residues (Hordeum vulgare (barley), Zea mays (maize), Sorghum bicolor (sorghum), Triticum aestivum (wheat) and Eragrostis tef (Teff)) were randomly and separately collected from the Highland (HL), midland (ML) and lowland (LL) AEZs. The samples were analyzed for ash, dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), ether extract (EE), and acid detergent lignin (ADL) content using standard analytical methods. The results showed that AEZ significant (P < 0.05) affected the chemical composition parameters of most of the feed samples. Regardless of the feed sample and AEZs, the mean DM, CP, ash, EE, NDF, ADF, ADL and CF content varied from 89.17% in Pennisetum purpureum to 92.22 ± 0.51 in Erythrina abyssinica, 2.90 ± 0.22% in Triticum aestivum to 10.70 ± 0.52 in Vernonia amygdalina, 7.24 ± 0.19% in Sorghum bicolor to 13.25 ± 0.51% in Pavonia Schimperiana Hochst, 1.33 ± 0.04% in Triticum aestivum to 2.39 ± 0.15% in Maytenus undata, 57.65 ± 1.19% in Erythrina Abyssinica to 79.16 ± 1.04% in Triticum aestivum, 34.57% in Pennisetum purpureum to 59.41 ± 0.98% in Sorghum bicolor, 8.15 ± 0.62% in Rhynchosia ferruginea to 12.65 ± 0.57% in Triticum aestivum and 37.51% in Pennisetum pedicelatum to 69.93 ± 0.65% DM in Triticum aestivum, respectively. It was observed that IFTSs had the highest CP and the lowest NDF, implying their potential for protein supplement, whereas crop residues had the lowest CP and the highest NDF, indicating the need for their treatment using urea or supplementing animals with protein source feeds, especially during the dry season. In conclusion, AEZ has an influence on the chemical composition traits of feed resources attributed to its effects on the microclimate conditions that affect plant growth and maturation in the study sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The application of cover crop residue is an important means in managing paddy soil. This study was to investigate the influences of minerals on the mineralization of organic matter and the community and necromass of microbes in paddy soils amended with cover crop residue. Methods: 13C-labelled cover crop residue (Astragalus sinicus L.) was prepared using a pulse labeling method. The mineralization of cover crop residue and native soil organic matter and the community and necromass of microbes in two flooded paddy soils amended with or without illite, goethite and ferrihydrite was investigated by incubation experiments. The released CO2/CH4 was analyzed by gas chromatography. Amino sugar was used as the biomarker of microbial residue carbon. Soil microbial communities were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: Illite, goethite and ferrihydrite significantly decreased the amounts of both CO2 and CH4 emissions from native soil organic carbon in both paddy soils. Moreover, the inhibition efficiency followed the same sequence of ferrihydrite > goethite > illite for both CO2 and CH4 emissions. However, ferrihydrite significantly stimulated the mineralization of cover crop residue in both paddy soils. The examined minerals, especially ferrihydrite, also tended to decrease bacterial and fungal abundance and diversity in both paddy soils. Moreover, the contents of both bacterial and fungal residue carbon were significantly decreased by the examined minerals in alkaline paddy soil. Conclusion: Examined minerals tended to decrease total mineralization of cover crop residue and native organic matter, the microbial abundance, diversity, and necromass in flooded paddy soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open biomass burning has significant adverse effects on regional air quality, climate change, and human health. Extensive open biomass burning is detected in most regions of China, and capturing the characteristics of open biomass burning and understanding its influencing factors are important prerequisites for regulating open biomass burning. The characteristics of open biomass burning have been widely investigated at the national scale, with regional studies often focusing on northeast China, but few studies have examined regional discrepancies in spatiotemporal variations over a long timescale in Guangxi province. In this study, we used the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) 375 m active fire product (VNP14IMG), combined with land cover data and high-resolution remote sensing images, to extract open biomass burning (crop residue burning and forest fire) fire points in Guangxi province from 2012 to 2023. We explored the spatial density distribution and temporal variation of open biomass burning using spatial analysis methods and statistical methods, respectively. Furthermore, we analyzed the driving forces of open biomass burning in Guangxi province from natural (topography, climate, and plant schedule), policy, and social (crop production and cultural customs) perspectives. The results show that open biomass burning is concentrated in the central, eastern, and southern parts of the study area, where there are frequent agricultural activities and abundant forests. At the city level, the highest numbers of fire points were found in Baise, Yulin, Wuzhou, and Nanning. The open biomass burning fire points exhibited large annual variation, with high levels from 2013 to 2015 and a remarkable decrease from 2016 to 2020 under strict control measures; however, inconsistent enforcement led to a significant rebound in fire points from 2021 to 2023. Forest fires are the predominant type of open biomass burning in the region, with forest fires and crop residue burning accounting for 76.82% and 23.18% of the total, respectively. The peak period for crop residue burning occurs in the winter, influenced mainly by topography, planting schedules, crop production, and policies, while forest fires predominantly occur in the winter and spring, primarily influenced by topography, climate, and cultural customs. The results indicate that identifying the driving forces behind spatiotemporal variations is essential for the effective management of open biomass burning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular agriculture is an inevitable trend in the sustainable development of global agriculture. At present, there are issues such as insufficient utilization of resources, serious land pollution, and lack of technical support in circular agricultural ecological parks. This study explores the safe application of organic fertilizer to field crops within circular agricultural ecological parks. A peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.)–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–maize (Zea mays L.) crop rotation system was selected to research safe application methods of biogas residues on the peanut–wheat–maize crop rotation system. In this experiment, we set up different amounts of biogas residues as the base fertilizers, with no fertilizer and only chemical fertilizer treatments serving as controls. We determined the yield, quality, heavy metal content, and nutrient uptake of wheat, maize, and peanuts, as well as soil nutrient content and heavy metal content under different biogas residue application rates. The results of the experiment are as follows: (1) Biogas residue as a base fertilizer increased the yield of peanuts, wheat, and maize. The highest yield for each crop occurred when the biogas residue amount was 67,500 kg hm−2, with yield increases of 36.7%, 26.6%, and 14.1% for peanuts, wheat, and maize, respectively, compared to the no fertilizer treatment. (2) The application of biogas residue improved the seed quality of peanuts, wheat, and maize. The B3 treatment showed strong quality improvement potential, increasing peanut crude protein content by 3.92–7.48%, soluble sugar content by 36.99–49.70%, crude fat content by 0.95–3.27%, wheat crude protein content by 2.22–8.72%, soluble sugar content by 6.21–8.51%, maize crude protein content by 2.87–3.61%, and soluble sugar content by 21.62–28.05% compared to the control. (3) The application of biogas residue enhanced the uptake of nutrients by crops and increased the contents of effective nutrients in the soil. (4) The application of biogas residue did not cause excessive accumulation of heavy metals in crops and soil. In conclusion, the application of biogas residue positively impacts crop growth, quality, and soil health in circular agricultural ecological parks, and has potential in agricultural production systems. Future research should focus on determining the optimal ratio of organic and chemical fertilizers, their efficient use, and the mechanisms by which organic fertilizer application can increase crop yield and quality, as well as improve soil quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights the progress made by the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR), the European Union European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Japanese Pharmaceutical Affairs and Food Sanitation Council (PAFSC) on the residues risk assessment of glufosinate-ammonium registration on transgenic crops, focusing on the metabolism of glufosinate-ammonium in transgenic crops, the animal metabolism, the methods of residue analysis, storage stability, supervised residue trials, toxicological evaluation, residue definitions, and maximum residue limit (MRL) setting were summarized and analyzed. Compared with non-genetically modified crops, new metabolic pathways have emerged after the use of glufosinate-ammonium in transgenic crops. The metabolite N-acetyl-glufosinate (NAG) is the main residue of glufosinate-ammonium in transgenic crops, and thus relevant countries and organizations have included it in the residue definition of glufosinate-ammonium. The higher residue levels of glufosinate-ammonium in transgenic crops than in non-genetically modified crops are mainly related to the technical characteristics of glufosinate-ammonium use on transgenic crops and the emergence of new metabolites. Currently, no distinction is made between non-genetically modified crops and transgenic crops on MRLs for glufosinate-ammonium. The authors believe that when carrying out risk assessment of pesticide residues in transgenic crops, corresponding metabolism tests should be carried out first, and residue data should be reasonably selected based on the principle of risk. maximization to formulate uniform MRLs. This paper can provide a reference for improving the technical level of pesticide residue risk assessment and developing MRL standards for pesticide application on transgenic crops in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Household air pollution arising from combustion of unclean fuels during cooking activities causes serious respiratory health effects. This study investigated patterns of household cooking fuel use and its effect on respiratory health status of women and children. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in rural households of Ballabgarh, Haryana during December 2019 to January 2020 among 18–45 years old women and their children having age between 6 and 59 months. A total of 450 households were selected using simple random sampling. Cooking fuel use was categorised as unclean (Wood, dung cakes, crop residues) and clean (LPG and electricity). The classification of mixed fuel use (predominantly unclean or clean) was based upon duration of unclean fuel use ≥ 2.5 h per day. The clinical history and physical examination was done using a semi-structured questionnaire. Assessment of respiratory health status of women participants was done using peak expiratory flow meter and presence of pneumonia in children was evaluated as per Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illnesses (IMNCI) guidelines. Results: Overall use of unclean cooking fuels was predominant in 59.6% of households and 71.8% of households had mixed fuel use. Only clean fuel use was in 11.3% of households. Nasal stuffiness, breathing difficulty and cough were observed among 13.1%, 10.5% and 8.5% among women while the common respiratory symptoms in children were cough (27.8%) and runny nose (22.9%). As compared to clean fuels, women using unclean fuels were more likely to have any respiratory symptom (aOR 3.0, 95% CI: 1.5-6.0) and impaired pulmonary functions (adjusted OR 1.9, 95% CI: 1.2–2.9). Cooking fuel use was not associated with respiratory symptoms and presence of pneumonia in children living in the households. Conclusion: Cooking with unclean fuel continues to be prevalent in the households of rural Ballabgarh and adversely affects the respiratory health of women indicating strengthening of initiatives promoting clean fuel use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Cover crops and reduced tillage are two key climate smart agricultural practices that can provide agroecosystem services including improved soil health, increased soil carbon sequestration, and reduced fertilizer needs. Crop residue carbon traits (i.e., lignin, holocellulose, non-structural carbohydrates) and nitrogen concentrations largely mediate decomposition rates and amount of plant-available nitrogen accessible to cash crops and determine soil carbon residence time. Non-destructive approaches to quantify these important traits are possible using spectroscopy. Methods: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of spectroscopy instruments to quantify crop residue biochemical traits in cover crop agriculture systems using partial least squares regression models and a combination of (1) the band equivalent reflectance (BER) of the PRecursore IperSpettrale della Missione Applicativa (PRISMA) imaging spectroscopy sensor derived from laboratory collected Analytical Spectral Devices (ASD) spectra (n = 296) of 11 cover crop species and three cash crop species, and (2) spaceborne PRISMA imagery that coincided with destructive crop residue collections in the spring of 2022 (n = 65). Spectral range was constrained to 1200 to 2400 nm to reduce the likelihood of confounding relationships in wavelengths sensitive to plant pigments or those related to canopy structure for both analytical approaches. Results: Models using laboratory BER of PRISMA all demonstrated high accuracies and low errors for estimation of nitrogen and carbon traits (adj. R2 = 0.86 − 0.98; RMSE = 0.24 − 4.25%) and results indicate that a single model may be used for a given trait across all species. Models using spaceborne imaging spectroscopy demonstrated that crop residue carbon traits can be successfully estimated using PRISMA imagery (adj. R2 = 0.65 − 0.75; RMSE = 2.71 − 4.16%). We found moderate relationships between nitrogen concentration and PRISMA imagery (adj. R2 = 0.52; RMSE = 0.25%), which is partly related to the range of nitrogen in these senesced crop residues (0.38–1.85%). PRISMA imagery models were also influenced by atmospheric absorption, variability in surface moisture content, and some presence of green vegetation. Conclusion: As spaceborne imaging spectroscopy data become more widely available from upcoming missions, crop residue trait estimates could be regularly generated and integrated into decision support tools to calculate decomposition rates and associated nitrogen credits to inform precision field management, as well as to enable measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification of net carbon benefits from climate smart agricultural practice adoption in an emerging carbon marketplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroponic wastewater recovery provides a green alternative to chemical fertilizers by recycling nutrients, yet transitioning to closed systems introduces problems such as pathogen proliferation and high sterilization costs. These challenges, along with the need for regular water analysis to correct nutrient imbalances, can hinder crop growth and increase expenses. However, hydroponic wastewater is also beneficial for capturing harmful emissions like CO2, NOx, and NH3, thanks to its rich mineral content. As it reacts with air pollutants, it produces compounds like Ca(NO3)2 and NH4NO3, turning pollutants into useful fertilizers. This study designed a novel hydroponic wastewater recovery process for CO2, NOx, and NH3 utilization from crop residue burning gas. through the following procedures: (1) ion separation of hydroponic wastewater, (2) NOx capture and utilization using precipitated Ca(OH)2, (3) NH3 capture and utilization using separated NO3− and SO42−, and (4) CO2 capture and utilization using KOH, Ca(OH)2 and Mg(OH)2. A process model was developed, and the economic feasibility of the proposed system was determined by calculating the total annualized cost. The result shows that approximately 85% of NOx, 99% of CO2, and 99% of NH3 were captured and utilized. Importantly, the total annualized cost of the system could decrease by 70% compared with that of the base process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the dynamics of soil phosphorus (P) over extended periods of soil and crop management practices is essential for sustainable P management. This study assessed the impact of four crop rotations [maize-wheat (M-W), maize-wheat-mungbean (M-W-Mb), maize-wheat-maize-chickpea (M-W-M-C), and pigeonpea-wheat (P-W)] each with three levels of nutrient management [control (CT), integrated nutrient management (suboptimal fertilizer+ farmyard manure + crop residue + bio-fertilizers; INM), and sole-chemical fertilizers (CF)] on soil inorganic and organic P (Pi and Po) pools and crop–soil relationships at the end of 15-year cropping. Legume-inclusive rotations resulted in higher labile-P pools, being higher with M-W-M-C and P-W. M-W-M-C rotation had higher moderately labile organic P (Po) in both surface (+23%) and subsurface (+18%) depths over M-W. Di-calcium P (Ca2-P) (+6%) and microbial biomass P (MBP) (+46%) increased in M-W-Mb over M-W, while iron-P (Fe-P) was reduced (−12%) in subsurface soil. INM enhanced bioavailable-P [soluble-P (+17%), labile-Pi (+15%) labile-Po (+12%), MBP (+96%), moderately labile-Po (+22%)] over CF in surface soil, while CF had a higher Fe-P (+16%). Legumes in rotation caused notable changes in the surface-to-subsurface ratio (SSBR) of Ca2-P (1.18–1.50) and occluded-P (1.64–2.78). INM had a higher SSBR of labile-P pools but had a lower SSBR of occluded-P facilitating mobilization of the later in the surface. Hence, in tropical soils, legume-inclusive diversification (particularly with chickpea) and INM involving crop residue recycling could be a sustainable option to improve P use efficiency, crop productivity, and save fertilizer resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional tillage over the long term in more intensive-cropping systems is not sustainable as it enhances soil degradation, soil moisture loss, soil erosion, and cost of cultivation and disturbs beneficial micro-organisms. Retaining crop residues as mulch has been recognized as a desirable management practice for conserving soil moisture and lowering soil temperature, which ultimately helps in improving seed emergence. However, no-tillage or reduced tillage with crop residue produced better or non-significant differences in the growth and yield attributes and crop yield than that obtained under conventional tillage. However, zero or reduced tillage combined with crop residue improves biological nitrogen fixation, nitrogenase activity, symbiotic parameters and the uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Continuous adoption of conservation tillage will have a positive effect on soil's physical, chemical, and biological properties and may also be better for the sustainability of crop production. The novelty of the study is that it examines the integrated effect of conservation tillage and residue retention through mulching on the crop emergence, symbiosis and quality of soybean along with growth, productivity, and profitability of soybean, nutrient uptake by the crop and soil properties together as sustainable agricultural technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of biosolids, manure, and slurry onto agricultural soils and the growing use of treated wastewater in agriculture result in the introduction of human and veterinary pharmaceuticals to the environment. Once in the soil environment, pharmaceuticals may be taken up by crops, resulting in consequent human exposure to pharmaceutical residues. The potential side effects of pharmaceuticals administered in human medicine are widely documented; however, far less is known regarding the risks that arise from incidental dietary exposure. The aim of this study was to evaluate human exposure to pharmaceutical residues in crops and assess the associated risk to health for a range of pharmaceuticals frequently detected in soils. Estimated concentrations of carbamazepine, oxytetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, and tetracycline in soil were used in conjunction with plant uptake and crop consumption data to estimate daily exposures to each compound. Exposure concentrations were compared to Acceptable Daily Intakes (ADIs) to determine the level of risk. Generally, exposure concentrations were lower than ADIs. The exceptions were carbamazepine, and trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole under conservative, worst-case scenarios, where a potential risk to human health was predicted. Future research therefore needs to prioritize investigation into the health effects following exposure to these compounds from consumption of contaminated crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The high cost and scarcity of feed, and increasing demand for animal product such as meat and milk increased the need for efficient utilization of high lignocellulose roughages for ruminant production (Makkar 2018). Iran is one of the arid and semi-arid desert regions and is facing a shortage of crops and fodder. On the other hand, there is always the problem of providing cheap and acceptable quality feed for livestock, and one of the ways to solve this problem is to use unusual feed such as crop residues and food factories; But most of these foods have not been studied and their chemical composition and level of consumption for animals are not well known. This requires the study of the effect of different levels of food sources on the diet and the determination of animal production responses. Sugarcane bagasse can be used as a substitute for part of the diet forage (wheat straw) for animal feed due to its high cellulose content and high palatability (Ahmed and Babiker 2015). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of diets containing different levels of old or fresh bagasse as a substitute for wheat straw in ewes's diet on chemical composition, fermentation parameters and digestibility of dry matter and organic matter by gas production method. The in vitro gas production technique is used widely in animal nutrition for feed digestibility. Based on the strong relationship between measured digestibility and that predicted from gas production, regression equations have been developed and the method has been standardized. (Dijkstra et al 2005; Getachew et al 1998) Material and methods: A sample of bagasse was obtained from a sugarcane factory located in Khuzestan province and a sample of wheat straw was obtained from agricultural farms and immediately transferred to a nutrition laboratory. The old bagasse was stored in storage for a year. Experimental diets were adjusted based on the nutrient requirements of ewes (NRC 2007) and included 50% forage (20% alfalfa and 30% straw) and 50% concentrate (32.5% barley, 10% soybean meal, 7% wheat bran and 0.5% of vitamin and mineral supplements were based on dry matter. The experimental treatments, old or fresh bagasse was replaced with wheat straw at different levels, so that the experimental diets in the first experiment (old bagasse) included: Diet 1: Diet containing 30% wheat straw, Diet 2: Diet containing 22.5% Wheat straw and 7.5% old bagasse, Diet 3: Diet containing 15% wheat straw and 15% old bagasse, Diet 4: Diet containing 7.5% wheat straw and 22.5% old bagasse and Diet 5: Diet containing 30 Percentage of old bagasse; And in the second experiment (fresh bagasse) including: diet 1: diet containing 30% wheat straw, diet 2: diet containing 22.5% wheat straw and 7.5% fresh bagasse, diet 3: diet containing 15% wheat straw and 15 Percentage of fresh bagasse, diet 4: diet containing 7.5% wheat straw and 22.5% fresh bagasse and diet 5: diet containing 30% fresh bagasse. The fresh bagasse sample was dried in an oven at 60 ° C for 48 hours and after determining the dry matter content, along with the old bagasse sample, wheat straw and experimental diets ground through a 1-mm screen using a Wiley mill, and analysed for dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP) (AOAC 2019), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) (Van Soest et al 1991). For measurement of methane production, the final gas production (end of 24 hours) was recorded after 24 hours of incubation of the sample in ruminal fluid + phosphate buffer. Then 10 M sodium hydroxide was added to the contents of the glass bottle to absorb the carbon dioxide gas. After absorbing carbon dioxide (after about 10 minutes), the gas remaining in the syringe or glass bottle will be methane (Fievez et al 2005). The chemical composition of the treatments statistically analyzed in a completely randomized design and gas production, separation factor, dry matter and organic matter digestibility, microbial mass production and production efficiency and methane production statistically analyzed in a randomized complete block design. Statistical analysis of data was performed using SAS (2006) software. Results and discussion: The results showed that wheat straw compared to fresh or old bagasse had a higher content of DM, CP, ash, Total gas accumulation 24h (ml), digestibility of DM and OM and lower content of OM, NDF, ADF and ADL (P˂0/05). The ADL and NDF contents of fresh bagasse was lower than old bagasse (P˂0/05). Among the experimental diets, the highest content of DM and ash, and the lowest content of OM and ADF belonged to the diet containing 30 percent wheat straw (P˂0/05). Diets containing different levels of old or fresh bags had higher and lower NDF content, respectively, compared to the diet containing wheat straw (P˂0.05). The digestibility of DM and OM in the diet containing 30 percent of old and fresh bagasse tended to decrease compared to its lower levels (P = 0/08 and 0/07). In general, if the price of each kilogram of wheat straw is low compared to bagasse, it can be suggested that a maximum level of 22.5 percent of bagasse be used instead of wheat straw in the diet of ewes; Of course, the 30 percent bagasse level can also be used with caution. It is recommended to use fresh bagasse instead of old bagasse in the diet of ewes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Addressing agricultural plastic pollution is vital for ecosystem sustainability. Shifting from traditional waste treatments to a sustainable pathway presents both challenges and opportunities for global plastic management. This study investigated the properties and environmental applications of biochar derived from honeydew melon vines contaminated with plastic hanging ropes, pyrolyzed at temperatures of 300, 500, and 700 °C. The resulting biochars were evaluated for their ability to remove Pb and Cd from aqueous solutions. Additionally, a Chinese cabbage pot experiment was conducted to assess the impact of biochar on Pb and Cd immobilization and plant growth in contaminated soil. Results revealed that the properties of biochar varied with pyrolysis temperature. Specifically, incomplete carbonization of plastic ropes was observed at 300 °C, while biochar produced at 500 °C (BC500) showed a higher yield and contained higher levels of available P and K compared to the biochar produced at 700 °C (BC700). The presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in biochars increased with temperature but remained within recommended limits. BC500 exhibited the highest adsorption capacities for Pb and Cd at 127 mg g−1 and 36 mg g−1, respectively. Soil amendment with BC500 and BC700 significantly improved soil pH, increased the availability of nutrients and microbial biomass, and effectively immobilized Pb and Cd in the soil. Consequently, the biomass yield of Chinese cabbage was enhanced by 119 % and 86 % under BC500 and BC700, respectively. Moreover, the Pb and Cd content in cabbage decreased by more than 80 % and 29 %, respectively. However, PAHs levels in cabbage leaves increased from 9.2 ng g−1 in the control to 20.8 ng g−1 and 30.4 ng g−1 under BC500 and BC700, respectively, remaining below China’s standard for benzo(a)pyrene. This study suggests pyrolyzing plastic-contaminated crop residues at 500 °C is a feasible strategy for waste recycling. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Laccase, the selectively lignin degrader, vital to the initiation of lignocellulosic deconstruction was immobilized onto activated agarose beads to increase its reuse potential. Laccase cross-linked beads (~ 3.42 mm) recorded a specific activity of 23 Umg− 1, retaining about 80.43% enzyme activity after 45 days of storage. The immobilization yield and efficiency were 89% and 97% respectively. The equilibrium data fitted the Freundlich equation (R2 = 0.9987) demonstrating multilayer adsorption and the presence of Cu, Fe, and S in the elemental analysis of immobilized beads established effective binding between activated agarose beads and the laccase protein. Characterization studies of the immobilized laccase-treated crop residues revealed significant differences in the lignin polymer after each treatment cycle. An increase in digestibility of 26.21% and 7.62% was observed in paddy and finger millet-treated straws respectively, over the controls corroborating efficient lignin depolymerization. The propitious performance of laccase beads authenticated in the batch enzymatic reactor to treat crop residues paves headway as a sustainable green technology in the deconstruction of crop residues for use as ruminant feed, augmenting productivity.

Abstract The poor quality of available feed resources is the major limiting factor for livestock production in Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the chemical composition of major feed resources in three agro-ecological zones (AEZs) of the Gera District, southwest Ethiopia. Three representative samples of natural pasture (Cynodon dactylon, Pavonia schimperiana Hochst and Rhynchosia ferruginea), three indigenous fodder trees and shrubs (IFTSs) (Erythrina abyssinica, Vernonia amygdalina and Maytenus undat), two cultivated forages (Pennisetum purpureum and Pennisetum pedicellatum) and five crop residues (Hordeum vulgare (barley), Zea mays (maize), Sorghum bicolor (sorghum), Triticum aestivum (wheat) and Eragrostis tef (Teff)) were randomly and separately collected from the Highland (HL), midland (ML) and lowland (LL) AEZs. The samples were analyzed for ash, dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), ether extract (EE), and acid detergent lignin (ADL) content using standard analytical methods. The results showed that AEZ significant (P

• Rice straw-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM) included four main components. • The presence of goethite significantly promotes the straw decomposition process. • OM's adsorption capacity for Cd increased with the straw decomposition time. • The presence of minerals promoted the OM's adsorption capacity and affinity of Cd. • Surface precipitation and complexation dominant Cd adsorption by OM. Organic matter (OM) derived from the decomposition of crop residues plays a key role as a sorbent for cadmium (Cd) immobilization. Few studies have explored the straw decomposition processes with the presence of minerals, and the effect of newly generated organo-mineral complexes on heavy metal adsorption. In this study, we investigated the variations in structure and composition during the rice straw decomposition with or without minerals (goethite and kaolinite), as well as the adsorption behavior and mechanisms by which straw decomposition affects Cd immobilization. The degree of humification of extracted straw organic matter was assessed using excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence and Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), while employing FTIR spectroscopy and XPS to characterize the adsorption mechanisms. The spectra analysis revealed the enrichment of highly aromatic and hydrophobic components, indicating that the degree of straw decomposition and humification were further intensified during incubation. Additionally, the existence of goethite (SG) accelerated the humification of OM. Sorption experiments revealed that the straw humification increased Cd adsorption capacity. Notably, SG exhibited significantly higher adsorption performance compared to the organic matter without minerals (RS) and the existence of kaolinite (SK). Further analysis using FT-IR spectroscopy and XPS verified that the primary mechanisms involved in Cd immobilization were complexion with —OH and —COOH, as well as the formation of Cd-π binds with aromatic C=C on the surface of solid OMs. These findings will facilitate understanding the interactions of the rice straw decomposing with soil minerals and its remediation effect on Cd-contaminated farmland. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Côte d’Ivoire has substantially neglected crop residues from farms in rural areas, so this study aimed to provide strategies for the sustainable conversion of these products to hydrogen. The use of existing data showed that, in the Côte d’Ivoire, there were up to 16,801,306 tons of crop residues from 11 crop types in 2019, from which 1,296,424.84 tons of hydrogen could potentially be derived via theoretical gasification and dark fermentation approaches. As 907,497.39 tons of hydrogen is expected annually, the following estimations were derived. The three hydrogen-project implementation scenarios developed indicate that Ivorian industries could be supplied with 9,026,635 gigajoules of heat, alongside 17,910 cars and 4732 buses in the transport sector. It was estimated that 817,293.95 tons of green ammonia could be supplied to farmers. According to the study, 5,727,992 households could be expected to have access to 1718.40 gigawatts of electricity. Due to these changes in the transport, energy, industry, and agricultural sectors, a reduction of 1,644,722.08 tons of carbon dioxide per year could theoretically be achieved. With these scenarios, around 263,276.87 tons of hydrogen could be exported to other countries. The conversion of crop residues to hydrogen is a promising opportunity with environmental and socio-economic impacts. Therefore, this study requires further extensive research.

Light‐absorbing carbonaceous aerosols that dominate atmospheric aerosol warming over India remain poorly characterized. Here, we delve into UV‐visible‐IR spectral aerosol absorption properties at nine PAN‐India COALESCE network sites (Venkataraman et al., 2020, https://doi.org/10.1175/bams‐d‐19‐0030.1). Absorption properties were estimated from aerosol‐laden polytetrafluoroethylene filters using a well‐constrained technique incorporating filter‐to‐particle correction factors. The measurements revealed spatiotemporal heterogeneity in spectral intrinsic and extrinsic absorption properties. Absorption analysis at near‐UV wavelengths from carbonaceous aerosols at these regional sites revealed large near‐ultraviolet brown carbon absorption contributions from 21% to 68%—emphasizing the need to include these particles in climate models. Further, satellite‐retrieved column‐integrated absorption was dominated by surface absorption, which opens possibilities of using satellite measurements to model surface‐layer optical properties (limited to specific sites) at a higher spatial resolution. Both the satellite‐modeled and direct in‐situ absorption measurements can aid in validating and constraining climate modeling efforts that suffer from absorption underestimations and high uncertainties in radiative forcing estimates. Plain Language Summary: Particulate pollution in the atmosphere scatter and absorb incoming solar energy, thus cooling or warming Earth's atmosphere. In developing countries and especially in India, one of the most polluted regions of the world, the extent to which particles can absorb solar energy and warm the atmosphere is not well understood. Here, for the first time, we measure particle absorption simultaneously at nine ground sites across India, in diverse geographical regions with different levels and types of particulate pollution. We find that organic carbon particles exert large absorption at near‐ultraviolet wavelengths, which contain significant solar energy. These light absorbing organic carbon particles, called brown carbon, are emitted in large quantities from biomass burning (e.g., burning crop residue and cooking on wood‐fired stoves). Comparing ground measurements of absorption with satellite‐retrieved measurements that are representative of the entire atmospheric column, we find that near‐surface atmospheric particles can exert significant warming. This study highlights the need to improve climate model simulations of particulate pollution's impact on the climate by incorporating spatiotemporal surface‐level absorption measurements, including absorption by brown carbon particles. Key Points: Measurements at nine regional PAN‐India sites reveal several regions with large aerosol absorption strengthBrown carbon contributes significantly (21%–68%) to near‐ultraviolet absorption, indicating its importance in shortwave light absorptionStrong correlations observed between satellite data and surface absorption indicate future potential in modeling surface absorption [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farming is the primary source of livelihood in India. A variety of crops (cereals, fibers, oil seeds, sugarcane, and others) are grown for food and other consumable products. This results in the production of a large amount of agricultural waste, also known as crop residue. The disposal of crop residue is a major problem in India. Farmers often burn it in open fields (in-situ burning) due to a lack of farmer-friendly options. This has led to increased air pollution in the Indo-Gangetic plains, the loss of beneficial soil microbes and nutrients, and other health risks. This review paper discusses the current status of agricultural residual production in India. It examines waste-to-energy production technologies and assesses the potential for second-generation fuel production in the country. The paper also discusses in-situ management practices (such as happy seeder, rotary mulcher, shrub master, and paddy straw chopper/shredder) and ex-situ energy recovery technologies (such as biogas, biochar, bioethanol plants, and vermicomposting) for sustainable energy production. Highlights: This review focused on Agricultural waste generation. Majorly focused on the current status of agricultural residue production. Discussed waste to energy production technologies. It evaluated the second-generation fuels production possibilities in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reach the estimated food demands for 2050 in decreasingly suiting climates, current agricultural techniques have to be complemented by sustainably intensified practices. The current study repurposed wheat crop residues into biochar, and investigated its potential in different plant cultivation systems, including a hydroponic cultivation of wheat. Biochars resulting from varying pyrolysis parameters including feedstock composition (straw and chaff) and temperature (450°C and 600°C), were tested using a fast plant screening method. Biochar WBC450, produced from a combination of chaff and straw at 450°C, was selected for further plant experiments, and used in a static leaching experiment in the Arabidopsis thaliana cultivation medium. Increased pH and EC were observed, together with an increase of most macronutrient (K, Mg, P, S) and a decrease of most micronutrient (Fe, Mn, Zn) concentrations. Considering plant growth, application of biochar resulted in concentration-dependent effects in both tested plant species (A. thaliana and wheat). It improved the vegetative yield across all tested cultivation systems. Increases in K and S, and concentration-dependent decreases in Fe and Na content in wheatgrass were observed. Biochar influenced the reproduction of hydroponically cultivated wheat by increasing the number of spikes and the number of seeds per spike. The antioxidative capacity of wheat grass, and the seed sugar and starch contents remained unaffected by biochar application. This study contributes to innovation in soilless cultivation approaches of staple crops, within the framework of closing waste loops for a circular bioeconomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large amount of agricultural waste is produced annually in China, and these agricultural wastes include crop residues and the manure generated from poultry and livestock farming. But there is still a considerable portion of agricultural waste that is not recycled and disposed of or directly burned. Therefore, if these agricultural wastes can be reasonably utilized, it will generate significant socio-economic and environmental benefits. Soil salinization has become one of the main threats to soil health, and agricultural waste is considered an effective tool for improving saline alkali land due to its unique properties. Utilizing agricultural waste to improve saline alkali land has advantages such as wide material sources, low cost, and low environmental risks. This article reviews the effectiveness and potential physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms of agricultural waste in improving soil health in saline alkali soils. Agricultural waste is mainly used to improve saline alkali land through a direct return to the field, burial of salt barriers, pyrolysis and carbonization into biochar, and composting, which can play a positive role in physical, chemical, and biological aspects. Finally, the problems existing in the improvement of saline alkali land with agricultural waste were discussed, and future research directions and hotspots in this field were proposed. It is believed that the improvement of ecological service functions is the key to its sustainability. This article can provide a theoretical basis for the study of agricultural waste in the improvement of saline alkali land, and help to further explore the resource utilization pathways of agricultural waste in sustainable agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand potential sources and losses of nitrogen from farming systems in Darusa, Bangladesh, a detailed survey of farming practices was conducted. A total of 100 households were randomly selected using demographic and agricultural information about the farmers in the study area. Data were used to stratify the farmers according to their operational land holding, livestock numbers (tropical livestock unit), use of irrigation, age, and educational level. Four clusters of farm households were identified, and nine households were randomly selected from each cluster for a total of 36 households. These 36 households completed more detailed surveys about their cropping and livestock. The surveys identified local practices of nitrogen management in different crops and types of livestock. Further information on traditional practices for soil fertility management was obtained by interviewing selected farmers. The results show that the major use for organic residues from crops and livestock is to provide fuel. Crop residues were used as fuel by 84% of farmers, with 23% using all of their crop residues as fuel. Some manure was used as fuel by all farmers, with 56% of farmers using most of their manure as fuel. As a result, 23% used no crop residues and 56% used less than half of their manure to improve soil fertility. This suggests that recycling of nitrogen in the study area is low. Soil analysis indicates that the organic matter and nitrogen contents of the soil in the study area were only 1.43% and 0.08%, respectively. Therefore, further recycling of organic residues should be practiced in order to reduce losses of available nitrogen from the system. More research is needed to quantify nitrogen lost by these practices and to draw up a full nitrogen budget for the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays a vital role in maintaining or enhancing soil fertility and quality of paddy field, but there is still limited information about how SOC mineralization responds to different tillage managements under the double-cropping rice (Oryza sativa L.) system in southern of China. Therefore, this study was designed to explore the changes in SOC content, soil enzyme activities (invertase, cellulose and urease), SOC mineralization at 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm layers and its relationship with 7-years tillage management under the double-cropping rice system of southern China. The experiment included four tillage managements: rotary tillage with all residues removed as a control (RTO), conventional tillage with residue incorporation (CT), rotary tillage with residue incorporation (RT), and no-tillage with residue retention (NT). The results indicated that SOC and soil labile organic carbon contents at 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm layers in paddy field with CT and RT treatments were significantly higher than the RTO treatment. Compared to the RTO treatment, SOC mineralization and accumulation at 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm layers in paddy field with CT, RT and NT treatments were increased. SOC accumulation and potential mineralization at 0–10 cm layer with NT treatment were significantly higher than the CT, RT and RTO treatments. Soil mineralization constant at 10–20 cm layer with CT treatment was significantly higher than those of RT, NT and RTO treatments. This result indicated SOC mineralization rate and accumulation at 10–20 cm layer of CT, RT, NT and RTO treatments were lower than those of treatments at 0–10 cm layer. Compared to RTO treatment, soil invertase, cellulose and urease activities with CT and RT treatments were significantly increased. Compared to RTO treatment, soil invertase, cellulose and urease activities at 0–20 cm layer of CT treatment increased by 22.6%, 46.2% and 89.0%, respectively. There was significantly positive correlation between SOC accumulation and SOC content, soil invertase, cellulose, urease activities, but SOC accumulation was significantly negative correlated with soil pH, bulk density. Therefore, CT and RT treatments were beneficial managements to improve SOC content and SOC mineralization in the double-cropping rice field of southern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the allelopathic effects of wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum) on the growth and yield of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum), barley (Hordeum vulgare), and wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum). The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at Shamamar-Hawler/Kurdistan Region of Iraq using a complete randomized factorial design (CRD) within 3 replications. The roots, shoots, and seeds of wild barley were dried, powdered, and added to the soil at different concentrations (0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%) in 500 g pots. Each pot was planted with 5 seeds, which were later reduced to 3 seedlings. Growth parameters such as shoot and root lengths, dry weights, number of tillers, weight of spikes, seeds number per plant, and biological yield was measured. The results indicated significant effects of wild barley residues on the studied crops. Wheat showed the highest roots, shoots and total lengths were (29.56 cm, 17.05 cm and 46.58 cm, respectively) and the highest shoots and roots dry weights were (0.24 g and 0.30 g). Barley showed the highest number of stems (1.96) but the lowest shoots and dry weights of roots were (0.11 g and 0.23 g). Wild barley had the highest biological weight and harvest index (HI). Among the plant parts, seed extracts significantly enhanced growth parameters, while roots and shoots extract had the greatest inhibitory effects as wild barley residue concentrations increased. Nevertheless, the HI showed a decline as the concentrations increased, suggesting a detrimental effect on growth efficiency. The study shows the potential of wild barley as a bio-herbicide, emphasizing its allelopathic effects. This suggests that agricultural practices should be carefully considered to maximize the efficiency of crops. Incorporating these results into precision agriculture can greatly improve crop management and increase yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Return of crop residues directly as straw, animal manure, or biochar are recommended management options for biowaste recycling and soil organic carbon (SOC) maintenance in agriculture. However, to address the soil health challenges associated with soil degradation and climate change, it is critical to determine if or which of these different forms of crop residues could deliver a synergic improvement in SOC storage, emission reduction, and crop productivity following field application. In this study, maize straw in the form of air‐dried biomass (CS), manure via cattle digestion (CM), and biochar via pyrolysis (CB) was respectively amended once at a dose of 10 t C ha−1, in comparison to no maize straw addition (CK), in a paddy field under rice‐wheat rotation. Changes in soil properties, SOC storage, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and rice/wheat yield were examined over two consecutive rice/wheat rotation cycles following soil amendment. The total rice grain yield considerably increased by 6% under CM and CB, while it reduced by 6% under CS compared to CK. Soil nutrient content persistently increased under CM and CB by 4.2% ~ 17% and 11% ~ 26% for total nitrogen, 26% ~ 61% and 20% ~ 53% for available P, and 2% ~ 82% and 30% ~ 115% for available K, respectively. Topsoil SOC storage increased considerably by 8% under CM and 20% under CB, while remained unchanged under CS, compared to CK. The total methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions were considerably increased by 7 folds and 15% under CS and 3.5 folds and 61% under CM, respectively, compared to CK. In contrast, these emissions considerably decreased under CB by 33% for CH4 and 29% for N2O. Consequently, the C emission efficiency considerably reduced under CS and CM but increased under CB over the two rotation cycles monitored. Moreover, the soil quality index (SQI) considerably improved under CM and CB but remained unchanged under CS compared to CK. Among the different forms of straw return, manure, and biochar, straw amendments differed considerably in their effects on C sequestration, GHG emissions, and crop productivity. Only biochar from crop residues synergistically improved these functions in the short‐term following application to paddy soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate dryland wheat genotypes' performance under different pre-crop and residue managements under dryland conditions, a split–split plot experiment based on the RCB design, with three replications, was conducted for two years (2017–2018 and 2018–2019). The site of the study has a long-term average precipitation, temperature, and relative humidity of 376 mm, 9 °C, and 50%, respectively. Wheat–wheat and vetch–wheat cropping systems were considered in the main plots, different wheat and vetch residue levels, including 0, 2, and 4 t ha−1, were located in the subplots, and five dryland wheat genotypes, including Sadra, Hashtroud, Baran, Varan, and Ohadi, were allocated in the sub-sub plots. The results indicated that the leaf chlorophyll content index (CCI) and stomatal conductance (gs) were greater in the vetch–wheat cropping system compared to the wheat monoculture system for all genotypes. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of the genotypes improved by applying the crop residue. Over two years, the application of crop residues resulted in higher variable fluorescence at the J and I steps, as well as an increase in the photosynthesis performance index (PI). The Varan and Baran genotypes stood out as the superior genotype, exhibiting the highest values in physiological characteristics and grain yield under the application of 4 t ha−1 of vetch residue. The grain-filling rate (GFR) was reduced, while the grain-filling duration (GFD) was increased with increasing the crop residue levels. The enhanced grain yield of the wheat genotypes grown under vetch residue was attributed to factors such as improvement in leave pigments and photosynthetic efficiency, which facilitate longer grain filling duration, with high grain weight. As a result, it is advisable to adopt a vetch–wheat cropping system with a high proportion of crop residue in dryland regions to achieve increased and sustainable wheat production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Côte d'Ivoire has substantially neglected crop residues from farms in rural areas, so this study aimed to provide strategies for the sustainable conversion of these products to hydrogen. The use of existing data showed that, in the Côte d'Ivoire, there were up to 16,801,306 tons of crop residues from 11 crop types in 2019, from which 1,296,424.84 tons of hydrogen could potentially be derived via theoretical gasification and dark fermentation approaches. As 907,497.39 tons of hydrogen is expected annually, the following estimations were derived. The three hydrogen-project implementation scenarios developed indicate that Ivorian industries could be supplied with 9,026,635 gigajoules of heat, alongside 17,910 cars and 4732 buses in the transport sector. It was estimated that 817,293.95 tons of green ammonia could be supplied to farmers. According to the study, 5,727,992 households could be expected to have access to 1718.40 gigawatts of electricity. Due to these changes in the transport, energy, industry, and agricultural sectors, a reduction of 1,644,722.08 tons of carbon dioxide per year could theoretically be achieved. With these scenarios, around 263,276.87 tons of hydrogen could be exported to other countries. The conversion of crop residues to hydrogen is a promising opportunity with environmental and socio-economic impacts. Therefore, this study requires further extensive research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]