Current Issue : January-March Volume : 2025 Issue Number : 1 Articles : 5 Articles
This study analyzed temperature and yield data from 34 meteorological stations in Heilongjiang Province during 1961–2020. Four climate averages (P1, P2, P3, and P4) were determined based on their respective time distributions (1961–1990, 1971–2000, 1981–2010, and 1991–2020). The national standard temperature anomaly index was used to identify delayed chilling damage in rice cultivation compared to these climate averages. Climate tendency rate analysis, Mann–Kendall detection, and linear regression methods were employed to examine the relationship between temperature anomaly and rice yield from May to September. The results showed that there were noticeable dierences in recognizing delayed chilling damage across dierent climate averages from 1961 to 2020. The average duration of chilling damage under P1, P2, P3, and P4 was, respectively, estimated as 8.5 years, 13.3 years, 21.4 years, and 30.9 years, with severe cold damage accounting for a signi- cant portion (68.2–76.0%) of the total chilling damage period. The occurrence of severe cold damage increased signicantly over time while light and moderate cold damage did not show a clear increasing or decreasing trend. Based on the test results, P3 was found to be the most suitable climate average for identifying delayed chilling damage in rice cultivation from 1961 to 2020. Moreover, the incidence of chilling damage revealed declining trend over time. There was a high incidence of chilling damage in the 1960s and 1970s, followed by a decrease from the 1980s to the mid 1990s, and nally a low-incidence period after the mid-1990s. Spatially, the western regions experienced greater occurrence of chilling damage than the eastern regions. Additionally, there was a highly signicant positive correlation (p < 0.01) between temperature anomalies from May to September and relative meteorological yield of rice. As temperature anomalies decreased during this period, there was an observed downward trend in relative meteorological yield of rice, indicating that delayed cold injury had a negative impact on rice production....
The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is the second most produced vegetable globally, playing a significant role in national and international economies. This crop is highly sensitive to water deficit and thermal stress, which directly affect yield and fruit quality. Foliar application of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) may be a possible strategy to minimize the effects of these abiotic stresses. This research aimed to determine: (a) the effects of different water replacement levels (WRLs) and photoprotector strategies (Ps) applied to the canopy on production and harvest quality of tomato fruit, (b) thermal responses—CropWater Stress Index (CWSI) and soil temperature and (c) crop water productivity (WPc). The research was conducted at the University of São Paulo (USP/ESALQ), Piracicaba, State of São Paulo, Brazil. The experimental design adopted was randomized blocks, with four blocks and nine treatments, totaling 36 plots. The treatments were arranged in a 3 × 3 factorial scheme, with three WRLs (70, 100 and 130% of the required irrigation depth) and three photoprotector strategies (without photoprotector, with photoprotector and with photoprotector + adjuvant). Biometric and thermal responses, productivity, harvest quality and WPc were determined. The highest plant height and stalk diameter values were found in the treatment with photoprotector and adjuvant, with an average of 0.98 m and 0.0130 m, respectively. For the variables soil temperature, CWSI and tomato productivity, no significant differences were observed. The general average productivity obtained was 77.9 Mg ha−1. The highest WPc values were found in the WRL 70 treatments, with an average of 23.6 kg m−3. No significant differences were observed for pulp firmness. The highest average value of soluble solids was observed in the treatments with photoprotector (4.8 ◦Brix) and the highest average value of titratable acidity was observed in the WRL 130 treatments (0.36%). Therefore, deficit irrigation resulted in water savings without compromising tomato productivity and the application of photoprotector and adjuvant increased tomato quality....
The field of urban agriculture has seen an increase in development and attention in recent years, with a large share of literature addressing whether urban agriculture may pose a solution for food insecurity and combat environmental impacts. However, few studies have examined the many sustainability claims of urban agriculture systems, especially for urban farms intended for larger output and commercial ends. In this study, we analyze sustainability assessments of urban agriculture for commercial implementation. We do this by exploring the methods employed for conducting sustainability analyses, outlining the different urban agriculture cultivation systems, analyzing which sustainability aspects are considered, looking into what the sustainability analyses conclude, and studying how authors anticipate the knowledge gained from their sustainability assessments can be used. Environmental aspects of sustainability were more often assessed than other sustainability aspects, and LCA research practice was used for the majority of environmental assessments. Some studies compared the environmental benefits of different types of urban agriculture systems, but this was not conclusive overall as to what systems would be more environmentally beneficial. This suggests that urban agriculture’s sustainability cannot be universally categorized but should be assessed in relation to specific environmental conditions and urban contexts. Future research should aim to develop more nuanced frameworks for evaluating the environmental, social, economic and governance impacts of urban agriculture....
Intercropping with green manure is a soil-sustainable cultivation practice that has demonstrated positive impacts on tea growth and the soil environment in tea plantations. Nevertheless, research examining the effect of leguminous green manure varieties in tea plantations is scarce. This study aimed to analyze the tea quality and soil environment components in response to intercropping with three distinct leguminous green manures, Cassia sophera cv. Chafei 1 (CF), Sesbania cannabina (Retz.) Pers. (SC), and Chamaecrista rotundifolia (Pers.) Greene (CR), with 70% chemical fertilizer, and compare them to non-intercropped green manures with 100% chemical fertilizer (CK) in tea plantations. The findings indicated that intercropping with SC increased the amino acids content of tea leaves, the soil organic carbon (SOC), the soil acid phosphatase (ACP), the soil acid protease (ACPT), and the bacterial diversity compared to the CK treatment. Intercropping with CR improved the ACP activity and bacterial diversity while intercropping with CF improved the polyphenols. Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinomycetes, and Firmicutes were identified as the dominant bacterial taxa in tea plantations with intercropped green manure. A strong positive correlation was indicated between the SOC contents and the amino acids content in tea leaves after intercropping. A canonical correspondence analysis indicated significant associations between the ACP and the urease activity, and between the ACP and ACPT, and both were closely linked to SC. This finding provides an explanation that intercropping with SC may positively affect tea quality by influencing the SOC content, the soil enzyme activity, and the soil bacterial diversity. Green manure intercropping may replace part of chemical fertilizers, improve the soil environment in tea gardens, and enhance the quality of tea. These findings offer a theoretical reference for selecting leguminous green manure and advancing the sustainable development of tea plantations....
In the last few years, there has been an increasing interest in solutions for sustainable agriculture to reduce negative impacts on the environment resulting from modern agricultural practices. The use of environmentally beneficial bacteria, like Pseudomonas, which can increase plant productivity by reducing growth time, is a promising opportunity for sustainable agriculture. Pseudomonas is a gram-negative bacterium genus, commonly present in soils, plants, and irrigation water. Pseudomonas has a wide range of metabolic routes that could benefit agriculture, such as nutrient uptake, pathogen suppression, heavy metal solubilization, drought tolerance, and high salt concentration tolerance. Pseudomonas may even be proposed as a potential tool for future agriculture on other planets, where the use of microorganisms would be essential for crop development in hostile and inhospitable environments. Hence, the present review discusses the potential use of Pseudomonas in sustainable agriculture on planet Earth and potentially on Mars, highlighting its role in plant growth enhancement and plant protection from pathogenic microorganisms....
Loading....