{"title":"Reframing anaerobic digestion as a defossilization platform","authors":"Suraj Negi, Justin N. W. Chiu, Shu-Yuan Pan","doi":"10.1002/ael2.70066","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.70066","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Anaerobic digestion (AD) coupled with carbon capture, utilization, and/or storage (CCUS) is a deployable bioenergy platform that supplies renewable energy and bioresources while valorizing biogenic CO<sub>2</sub> for integrated carbon management on the pathway to net-zero. Framing AD solely as a waste-treatment technology undervalues its broader contribution to defossilization, particularly its capacity to directly substitute fossil-based natural gas, fertilizers, and chemicals. Here, we reconceptualize the role of AD-CCUS in future net-zero policy frameworks by synthesizing recent life cycle assessment findings. We further identify priority research directions, including (i) developing energy-water-resource hubs to enable multi-product ecosystems, (ii) advancing environmental–economic analyses to quantify ecosystem service values derived from bioresource valorization in AD-CCUS systems, (iii) integrating AD-CCUS into CO<sub>2</sub> transport, storage, and e-fuel networks, (iv) leveraging artificial intelligence, digitalization, and digital twins for performance optimization and emissions verification, and (v) establishing governance frameworks and market instruments that recognize biogenic CO<sub>2</sub> as strategic carbon infrastructure. Repositioned in this way, AD-CCUS emerges as a central pillar in the portfolio of solutions for a defossilized economy.</p>","PeriodicalId":48502,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural & Environmental Letters","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ael2.70066","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147566096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Diego Rivera, Daniela Latoja, Mario Lillo-Saavedra, Alex Godoy-Faúndez, Pablo Aranda-Valenzuela, Felipe Mora
{"title":"Decadal climate variability and increasing exposure of Chilean agriculture","authors":"Diego Rivera, Daniela Latoja, Mario Lillo-Saavedra, Alex Godoy-Faúndez, Pablo Aranda-Valenzuela, Felipe Mora","doi":"10.1002/ael2.70064","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.70064","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Central Chile has undergone a steady shift from traditional annual crops to fruit orchards and vineyards, and a decline in the area dedicated to annual crops. This transition coincides with a decrease in precipitation and an increase in temperature. We compare regions experiencing different levels of variability with observed changes in crop patterns. Our findings suggest significant swings in seasonality and transitions between dry and wet months in certain regions and periods. The most impacted regions coincide with areas undergoing transitions toward water-intensive crops, which require technical upgrades of irrigation systems. We suggest that farmers are increasingly turning to groundwater rather than surface water, which may pose longer term risks to the sustainability of Central Chile's agricultural systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":48502,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural & Environmental Letters","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ael2.70064","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147637100","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sunghyun Nam, Md Nayeem Hasan Kashem, Zhongqi He, Noureddine Abidi
{"title":"Structure-driven immature cotton nanocomposite fibers for ESKAPE pathogen control","authors":"Sunghyun Nam, Md Nayeem Hasan Kashem, Zhongqi He, Noureddine Abidi","doi":"10.1002/ael2.70065","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.70065","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Transforming underutilized, low-quality immature cotton fibers into functional materials provides a sustainable strategy for enhancing economic value. In this study, the intrinsic structural features of immature cotton (<i>Gossypium hirsutum</i> L.) fibers—typically considered as defects in textile processing—were exploited for the in situ synthesis of silver (Ag) nanoparticles (8.1 ± 2.7 nm; 2.2 ± 0.6 wt%). The structure-driven reducing and stabilizing capacities of the fibers facilitated nanoparticle formation without the need for external chemical reagents. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction confirmed the presence of crystalline Ag nanoparticles embedded within the fiber matrix, while the native cellulose Iβ crystalline structure remained intact. Hydroentangled nonwoven fabrics fabricated with a 10 wt% blend of the resulting Ag-cotton nanocomposite fibers exhibited strong antibacterial activity, achieving >4 log reductions against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including <i>Enterococcus faecium</i>, <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i>, <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i>, <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>, and <i>Enterobacter</i> species (ESKAPE pathogens).</p>","PeriodicalId":48502,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural & Environmental Letters","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ael2.70065","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147618074","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Laura E. Lindsey, Gregory J. McGlinch, Matthew Hankinson
{"title":"Nitrogen fertilization rates to maximize winter malting barley yield while meeting protein requirements in Ohio","authors":"Laura E. Lindsey, Gregory J. McGlinch, Matthew Hankinson","doi":"10.1002/ael2.70063","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.70063","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Due to the craft beer industry, there is an emerging need for winter malting barley (<i>Hordeum vulgare</i> L.) nitrogen (N) rate recommendations in Ohio. An experiment was conducted at seven site-years to identify the optimum spring N application rate to maximize barley grain yield while maintaining protein requirements for malting. Yield increased quadratically with increasing N application rate, while grain protein increased linearly. Across site-years, yield was maximized with a spring N rate of 113 kg N ha<sup>−1</sup>. Applications >67 kg N ha<sup>−1</sup> resulted in grain protein that exceeded the grain protein requirements; however, there was variability among site-years. At low-yielding site-years (<3000 kg ha<sup>−1</sup>), protein exceeded the requirement with 0–22 kg N ha<sup>−1</sup>. In high-yielding site-years (approximately 7000 kg ha<sup>−1</sup>), over 110 kg N ha<sup>−1</sup> could be applied.</p>","PeriodicalId":48502,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural & Environmental Letters","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ael2.70063","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147288381","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}