Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment最新文献

{"title":"Plant Agrobiodiversity, Agricultural and Phytosanitary Practices of Market Garden Crops in the Centre-East Region of Burkina Faso","authors":"Issouf Zerbo,&nbsp;Kounbo Dabiré,&nbsp;Sibiry Albert Kaboré,&nbsp;Constant Martin Sawadogo,&nbsp;Adjima Thiombiano","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70016","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Introduction</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In West Africa, market gardeners use various agricultural practices to increase yields. However, many of these practices do not comply with agroecological standards and cause intoxication, pollution, soil degradation and biodiversity loss. This study characterizes the plant agrobiodiversity of market garden crops grown during the rainy season and the agricultural and phytosanitary practices used for their management.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Materials and Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The study was carried out in Burkina Faso. Plant agrobiodiversity was assessed in 100 market gardens. Agricultural and phytosanitary practices were characterized using semi-structured interviews. A Sankey diagram was used to highlight the relationships among market garden crops, bioaggressors and diseases. Principal component analyses were applied to highlight the agricultural and phytosanitary practices used.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The results revealed rich agrobiodiversity, including 16 market garden crops, 15 local agroforestry species, 17 planted species and 37 weed species. The main market garden crops grown in the rainy season were cabbage (20.30%), lettuce (16.62%), tomato (11.69%), and amaranth (10.15%). The most frequent agroforestry species were <i>Azadirachta indica</i> (18.20%) and <i>Mangifera indica</i> (15.03%). The most common weeds were <i>Eleusine indica</i> (11.02%) and <i>Cyperus reduncus</i> (9.70%). Eleven pests were identified, and the most frequently recorded were caterpillars (39.06%). Sixteen diseases were reported, the most common being leaf yellowing (15.67%) and leaf wilt (11.67%). Numerous market gardeners use mineral fertilizers such as Yaramila (NPK 23-10-5), NPK (14-23-14), urea (46.00% nitrogen), and liquid fertilizer as well as compost and organic manure. The most common agricultural practice was crop rotation (79.00%). To protect crops, 89.00% of producers used synthetic chemical pesticides in an uncontrolled manner, most of which are purchased on the local market. Only 11.00% of the market gardeners practiced the natural phytosanitary treatments.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study provides important information that can be used for the sustainable management of market gardens. Agroecological standards should be popularized to ensure food security for market garden crops.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"3 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70016","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142596242","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Threat of Human Pathogens in Farmlands: A One Health Perspective","authors":"Gaofei Jiang,&nbsp;Xinrun Yang,&nbsp;Thomas Pommier,&nbsp;Yangchun Xu,&nbsp;Qirong Shen,&nbsp;Zhong Wei","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70023","url":null,"abstract":"<p>A key aspect of “One Health” is to recognize that environmental health and human health are inseparable. In this interconnected network, farmland plays a crucial role, as it serves as a link connecting various ecosystems. However, the threat of human pathogens in farmlands is often overlooked despite growing evidence highlighting its importance as a pressing public health concern via direct and indirect pathways. To address this issue, we advocate the adoption of a “One Health” approach, which relies on strengthening the development of detection tools and emphasizing the importance of sustainable agricultural practices aimed at enhancing soil biodiversity. By doing so, we can effectively disrupt the transmission source and mitigate the risks posed by human pathogens in agricultural ecosystems, ultimately safeguarding both human health and agricultural sustainability.</p>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"3 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70023","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142596296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Long-term application of mineral fertilizer weakens the stability of microbial N-transforming functions via the decrease of soil microbial diversity","authors":"Zhou Zhang,&nbsp;Ruirui Chen,&nbsp;Evgenia Blagodatskaya,&nbsp;Sergey Blagodatsky,&nbsp;Deyan Liu,&nbsp;Yongjie Yu,&nbsp;Xiaolin Zhu,&nbsp;Youzhi Feng","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70014","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Introduction</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Ensuring functional stability is crucial for the sustainable development and soil health of agroecosystems amidst escalating climate changes. Although mineral fertilization is known to enhance the strength of soil N-transforming functions, its effects on functional stability remain unclear.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Materials &amp; Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study evaluated three stability components (resistance, resilience, and recovery), along with the dimensionality of soil microbial N-transforming functions during drought-rewetting process. We investigated enzymatic activity and functional gene abundances after 10 years of fertilization under three strategies, mineral fertilization (NPK), mineral fertilization plus organic amendments (OMN), and no fertilization (CK).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The resistance was 0.60, 0.66 and 0.56; the resilience was 0.46, 0.28 and 0.46; and the recovery was 0.83, 0.73 and 0.82, respectively in the CK, NPK and OMN treatments. Soils with long-term mineral fertilization exhibited the highest resistance but the lowest resilience and recovery during drought-rewetting. Furthermore, mineral fertilization demonstrated the lowest dimensionality of stability, with smallest ellipsoid volume and most negative correlations. Soil microbial alpha diversity was identified as a key predictor of functional stability, positively correlating with stability across fertilization strategies.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Mineral fertilization, which decreased alpha diversity, posed challenges for sustainable development of agroecosystems under drought conditions. Mineral fertilization plus organic amendments provided strong N-transforming functions and moderate stability, making it as an optimal fertilization strategy. These results offer valuable insights for optimizing agroecosystem management and advancing soil sustainability.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"3 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70014","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142579669","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Intensity of synthetic and organic fertilizers use among Indian paddy growers: Determinants and implications for productivity and sustainability","authors":"Girish Kumar Jha,&nbsp;Praveen Koovalamkadu Velayudhan,&nbsp;Toritseju Begho,&nbsp;Vera Eory,&nbsp;Arti Bhatia","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70013","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Introduction</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is lower for South Asia than for most other regions of the world, and average crop NUE is on the decline in India. This inefficient use of nitrogen fertilizers has implications for agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Materials and Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Using data from 14,669 farmers in India, this paper examined the determinants of synthetic fertilizer and manure adoption and intensity of use for rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.) production. The latter was assessed through fertilizer expenditure rather than the traditional weight-based method. A double hurdle model was estimated.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The study showed that farmers' decisions to adopt fertilizer or manure and the decision on use intensity were independent. Both synthetic fertilizers and manure adoption were influenced by common drivers such as access to financial resources through instruments like the Kisan Credit Card and loans, expenditure on irrigation and labour, and geographical location. In terms of barriers, the likelihood of adoption of both synthetic fertilizer and manure was lower among landowners and paddy area cultivated. The intensity of fertilizer and manure use was higher for older farmers and was positively influenced by expenditure on labour but negatively influenced by ownership of livestock. Also, synthetic fertilizers and manure use intensity were determined by regional temperature and geographical zones.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The results of this study are useful for targeted interventions to promote sustainable fertilizer use with a focus on following recommendations in zones or among demographic groups that are currently more likely to have a high intensity of use. Similarly, the findings inform support towards increased adoption and sustainable use where fertilizer is underutilised.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"3 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70013","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142573953","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The rhizosphere bacterial community of water yam (Dioscorea alata L.) under limited water conditions","authors":"Shunta Kihara,&nbsp;Kosuke Yamamoto,&nbsp;Yuh Shiwa,&nbsp;Minenosuke Matsutani,&nbsp;Hidehiko Kikuno,&nbsp;Hironobu Shiwachi","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70009","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Introduction</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Yam cultivation in West Africa, the largest yam production area, has expanded to the northern Guinea savanna, which receives an annual rainfall of 800–1000 mm. However, variations in rainfall are problematic for the stable productivity of yams. Integrated soil fertility management is urgently needed to improve and stabilise yam productivity. Plants have complex interactions with bacterial communities, influencing their health and environmental adaptability. Although the growth of water yams (<i>Dioscorea alata</i> L.) at various rainfall levels might be related to their interaction with the bacterial community, their structure under water limitation is yet to be elucidated. Here, we evaluated the bacterial community structure in the rhizosphere (Rh) and roots of ‘A-19’ under water limitation conditions.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Materials and Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Plants were grown under normal conditions, and watering was reduced to less than 70% for 1 month. Rh and root samples were collected for DNA extraction, and downstream amplicon sequencing analyses were performed.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The dry weight of the shoots, particularly the leaves, decreased under water limitation. Bacterial diversity in the rhizocompartments was significantly reduced. However, bacterial community composition was not affected by water limitation. Despite water-limited conditions, bacterial community structure was robust in the <i>Burkholderia-Caballeronia-Paraburkholderia</i> and <i>Streptomyces</i> clades. These taxa accounted for approximately 60% of the relative abundance in the roots under water limitation.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>identifying bacterial community composition of ‘A-19’ under water-limited conditions provides fundamental information for developing integrated soil fertility management strategies across rainfall gradients in West Africa. Our study indicates that ‘A-19’ has a robust bacterial community structure for beneficial interactions with bacteria despite soil water conditions.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"3 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70009","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142561532","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reduced ligninase-cellulase ratio enhances soil carbon sequestration following afforestation of agricultural land","authors":"Shuhai Wen,&nbsp;Dailin Yu,&nbsp;Jiao Feng,&nbsp;Yu-Rong Liu","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70010","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Introduction</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Afforestation of agricultural land is one of the most essential approaches to mitigate climate change by enhancing the sequestration of atmospheric carbon (C) into the soil. C-degrading extracellular enzymes produced by soil microbes regulated the decomposition and fate of sequestrated soil organic carbon (SOC), with potential divergent variations following afforestation across different ecosystem scales. However, the feedbacks of different C-degrading enzymes and their relationships with SOC following afforestation of agricultural land remain unclear.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Materials and Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We investigated the changes in enzyme activity and their relationships with SOC in soil aggregates across two typical climatic vegetation restoration regions in China, and explored the mechanisms through which changes in enzyme activity contribute to SOC sequestration following afforestation of agricultural land.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Afforestation of agricultural land generally decreased ligninase activity and increased cellulase activity across various aggregate fractions, compared to the adjacent croplands in both subtropic (Danjiangkou Reservoir, DJK) and temperate (Maoershan, MES) region. Additionally, the ratio of ligninase to cellulase (L:C) was lower in afforested lands than in the croplands, with L:C as the major factor explaining the variations of SOC sequestration following afforestation. Specifically, ligninase and L:C were negatively correlated with SOC, whereas cellulase showed positive correlations with SOC. Further analyses suggested that microbial biomass C and nitrogen (MBC and MBN) and the ratio of SOC and total nitrogen (SOC:TN) were important factors influencing L:C and subsequently regulating SOC. These results suggest that shifts in microbial enzyme production from ligninase to cellulase following afforestation, reduced the decomposition of recalcitrant C, thus contributing to SOC sequestration.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Our work underscores the critical role of reduced L:C in enhancing SOC sequestration following the restoration of croplands to afforested lands. These findings advance the understanding of the influence of microbial community physiological adaptations on C sequestration across different land use types.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"3 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70010","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142524764","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advancing effective methods for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from rice (Oryza sativa L.) fields","authors":"Shubh Pravat Singh Yadav,&nbsp;Netra Prasad Ghimire,&nbsp;Prava Paudel,&nbsp;Dipesh Kumar Mehata,&nbsp;Sangita Bhujel","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70012","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The implications of global warming present significant threats to both crop productivity and environmental sustainability. The global population greatly depends on rice as a staple food, contributing significantly to global warming and agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Agricultural soils play a crucial role in the release and uptake of essential GHGs, including methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and carbon dioxide (CO₂), serving as both sources and sinks within the agricultural ecosystem. Notably, rice fields alone account for approximately 30% and 11% of global CH₄ and N₂O emissions from agricultural activities, respectively. As the demand for rice is expected to rise in the future, it becomes increasingly critical to address GHG emissions and minimise the detrimental environmental effects associated with rice production. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of the available data regarding the influence of different crop management practices on GHG emissions in rice fields. We recognise the substantial potential for reducing GHG emissions through modifications in traditional crop management systems. Our analysis evaluates various options, such as adjustments in cropping practices, regulation of organic and fertiliser inputs, management of tillage techniques and irrigation strategies, and the selection of suitable cultivars, all of which can contribute to GHG emission reduction. It is crucial to consider that changes in management practices may have simultaneous and sometimes contradictory effects on different gases through various mechanisms. Therefore, our comprehensive evaluation aims to assess the potential global warming impact of each approach, considering the magnitude of their effects on all gases. This assessment seeks to identify suitable crop management practices that effectively reduce GHG emissions in rice cultivation while considering the overall environmental impact.</p>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"3 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70012","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142524763","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of climate on soil viral communities in Australia on a regional scale","authors":"Li Bi,&nbsp;Zi-Yang He,&nbsp;Bao Anh Thi Nguyen,&nbsp;Lok Hang Chan,&nbsp;Shuo Na,&nbsp;Ji-Zheng He,&nbsp;Hang-Wei Hu","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70008","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Viruses play a crucial role in regulating microbial communities and ecosystem functioning. However, the biogeographic patterns of viruses and their responses to climate factors remain underexplored. In this study, we performed viral size fraction metagenomes on 108 samples collected along a 2600 km transect across Australia, encompassing distinct climate conditions. A total of 14,531 viral operational taxonomic units were identified. Climate factors had a greater influence than edaphic and biotic factors on driving the alpha diversity of viral communities. The strongest relationship was observed between mean annual temperature and the diversity of viral communities. Moreover, climate factors, particularly aridity index, were the primary drivers of viral community structure. Overall, these findings underscore the pivotal role of climate factors in shaping viral communities and have implications for understanding how climate change influences soil viral ecology.</p>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"3 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70008","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142429446","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biodegradable plastic film mulch increases the mineralisation of organic amendments and prevents nitrate leaching during the growing season in organic vegetable production","authors":"Martin Samphire,&nbsp;David R. Chadwick,&nbsp;Davey L. Jones","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70007","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Introduction</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Organic vegetable production relies on inputs of organic forms of nitrogen (N). This presents a challenge as it needs to be mineralised by the soil microbial community. Difficulties matching the timing and rate of organic N amendments to crop demand could potentially lead to high rates of nitrate leaching. The use of plastic film mulch (PFM) has the potential to increase crop yield, accelerate N mineralisation, reduce rainfall infiltration and therefore N leaching. Biodegradable PFM reduces the risk of contaminating soil with plastics. Although these positive effects have been proven in major conventionally grown commodity crops, the effects of PFMs are poorly understood in organic vegetable crops, particularly in moist temperate climates prone to N losses via winter leaching.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Materials &amp; Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Our plot-scale field experiment attempted to quantify the effect of biodegradable PFM on N leaching and N mineralisation in organic lettuce production in the presence and absence of biodegradable PFM. It took place in one season within a longer-term experimental organic vegetable rotation.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We used two methods to measure the rate of carbon and N mineralisation: the buried bag method showed biodegradable PFM resulted in no additional N mineralisation; however, the ion exchange membrane method indicated an increase in N mineralisation of 30%. During heavy rainfall at the end of the growing season, nitrate leaching was observed only in the non-PFM plots, leading to N losses equivalent to 6.3 g N m⁻². This led to surplus mineral N at harvest of 18.1 g N m⁻² in the PFM treatment and 8.6 g N m⁻² in the corresponding unmulched plots. This did not lead to more leaching in the mulched plots in the following 6 months.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In conclusion, our evidence supports the use of biodegradable PFMs to enhance the sustainability of organic vegetable production systems in temperate climates.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"3 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70007","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142313220","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Psyllium husk mucilage as a novel seed encapsulant for agriculture and reforestation","authors":"Cameron Dingley,&nbsp;Peter Cass,&nbsp;Benu Adhikari,&nbsp;Prajakta Bendre,&nbsp;Nitin Mantri,&nbsp;Fugen Daver","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70004","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Introduction</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>An efficient, economical, and flexible reforestation system capable of uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) deployment is a global necessity. Hydrogels have been previously investigated for their use in agriculture, however, research is limited in terms of UAV deployment. Psyllium Husk Mucilage (PHM) a natural hydrogel seed mucilage, has been previously investigated in other agricultural settings and shows promise in fulfilling the needs of UAV seeding.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Materials and Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A greenhouse trial was conducted under controlled laboratory conditions using two soil conditions 50% and 90% field capacity. PHM and bentonite clay blends containing dextran (DEX) and sodium alginate (SA) were tested for efficacy for two agricultural crops Green beans (<i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i>) and Lebanese cucumber (<i>Cucumis sativus</i>), as well as three Australian native species <i>Acacia stenophylla</i>, <i>Cymbopogon refractus</i>, and <i>Eucalyptus coolabah</i>. Agricultural Trials were conducted across a 4-week period, whilst <i>A. stenophylla</i> was 8 weeks, and <i>C. refractus</i> and <i>E. coolabah</i> was 12 weeks.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Utilisation of PHM had varying effectiveness based on seed and soil moisture. In nonagricultural seed trials, PHM hydrogel succeeded with <i>A. stenophylla</i> but dried out and rotted in the extended trials with <i>C. refractus</i> and <i>E. Coolabah</i>, leading to plant death. The encapsulated agricultural seeds were largely outperformed in growth trials by C-Planted at 50% FC, and C-Surface at 90% FC.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>PHM exhibits potential for successful UAV seeding in low-moisture agricultural conditions and is promising for fast-germinating plants or other riverbank species with high water content requirements. Without extending degradation time PHM is not suitable for slow-growing species.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"3 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70004","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142273061","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}