Impact of agricultural intensification on soil organic carbon＂ A study using DNDC in Huantai County, Shandong Province, China

Using the biogeochemical model den itrification/decomposition （DN DC）, the dynamic changes of soil organic carbon （SOC） of farmland from the 1980s to 2030s were investigated in Huantai County, a typical intensive agricultural region in the Huang- Huai-Hai Plain of China. Prior to modelling, validation of the DNDC model against field data sets of SOC from Quzhou Experimental Station in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain was conducted at the site scale. We compared the simulated results with the observed SOC in Huantai County during 1982-2011 under two different classification methods of simulation unit （the first method integrated soil type and land use of Huantai County to form the overlapped modeling units; the second selected the 11 administrative towns as the modeling units）, and achieved a high accuracy in the model simulation with the improvement of the model parameters. Regional SOC （0-20 cm） density and stocks for Huantai County in the years 2012-2031 were predicted under different scenarios of farming management. Compared with current management practices, optimized fertilization （20% decrease of mineral N）, crop straw incorporation （90%） and appropriate animal manure input （40 kg N ha-1 yr-1） could achieve the highest level of SOC density （56.8% higher than 2011） in the period of 2012-2031. The research highlighted the importance of crop straw incorporation, optimized N fertilization and integration of crop production with ani- mal husbandry on the farmland carbon sequestration for maintaining a high land productivity in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain.

Discussions about Modern Standardized Production of Genuine Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicines

In recent years,with the vigorous development of the Chinese herbal medicine market in China,the government and various circles of society pay close attention to the safety of Chinese herbal medicine production. The cultivation and production of traditional Chinese herbal medicine already could not satisfy the current market demands. This paper summarized the forming,changing and the influencing factors of Chinese herbal medicines,and organized the research for the formation of traditional Chinese herbal medicines by modern scholars in China. It reached the following conclusion: the production of modern Chinese herbal medicines should ensure its unique properties,and the more important is to guarantee the quality and safety. With the continuous improvement of science and technology innovation ability and the appraisal method of Chinese medicines,the better management system has been applied in the process of planting. This paper summarized the six attributes of modern production of Chinese herbal medicines,to ensure genuine,safe and standardized production of traditional Chinese medicines.

Identification of Pathogens from Rotted Potato Tubers in Ventilated Storage House of Huade County,Inner Mongolia during the Storage Period

Rotted potato samples were collected from ventilated storage house of Huade County,Inner Mongolia from October 2015 to April 2016. Pathogens were isolated,purified and cultured with tissue separation method,and identified by morphological observation and molecular identification. The results showed that there were five main diseases that caused potato rotting in Huande County,Inner Mongolia during the storage period,including dry rot,late blight,early blight,ring rot and soft rot. Specifically,potato dry rot was the most serious disease,which was induced by four pathogens: Fusarium sambucinum,Fusarium Link,Fusarium acuminatum and Fusarium equiseti. Late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans and early blight caused by Alternaria solani could easily result in complex infection,which were mostly found in seriously rotted potato tubers. Moreover,these potatoes were always co-infected with fungal diseases at late stage of storage or even subject to complex infection with bacteriosis in serious cases. This study provided theoretical basis for the prevention of potato diseases during the storage period.

Functions of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives in Improving Rural Modern Circulation System

This paper firstly described current development situation of China's rural circulation system. In the process of accelerating modernization,the supply and marketing cooperative is always an essential force,but the gap between urban and rural circulation system is still expanding. On the basis of current development situation,it analyzed functions of supply and marketing cooperatives in rural logistics system. Finally,it came up with recommendations for improving China's rural circulation system. In the new period,it is recommended to bring into play advantages of supply and marketing cooperatives,expand the coverage,gradually promote industry upgrade of renewable resource recycling,and constantly strengthen functions of supply and marketing cooperatives in building the rural modern circulation system,to build supply and marketing cooperatives into new forces and comprehensive platform for farmers' production and living services.

Experience of the UK in Urban and Rural Planning System and Rural Planning Management and Recommendations for China

Based on the field survey,training and related literature review of urban and rural planning system and rural planning management and protection in the UK,this paper summarized the development history,basic experience and main characteristics of the UK's urban and rural planning system and rural planning management.It is intended to analyze its reference significance to China's current efforts to strengthen agricultural and rural planning management,promote urban and rural development,and promote the construction of new urbanization.It was found that the establishment of the UK's urban and rural planning system can be contributed to the problem of "urban diseases" arising from the process of urbanization development.Its development has undergone many revisions and adjustments,and has now formed a two-level planning structure,namely "regional spatial strategies" and "local development framework";the UK's urban and rural planning system stresses the planning management and protection of rural areas and small towns,and has formed a series of important rules and systems.In the process of urbanization development,the UK has completely preserved the historical buildings,local culture and landscape environment of traditional villages,which is worthy of our learning.With reference to the experience of the UK,in the process of coordinating urban and rural development and promoting new urbanization construction,it is recommended to give full play to the guiding role of planning and the participation of the public,attach great importance to the protection and planning management of agriculture and rural areas,and also emphasize the re-innovation based on China's national conditions.

Research progresses in technological innovation and integration of agricultural engineering

Based on the technical characteristics of agricultural engineering,this research developed a theoretical system and methodology on the integration of agricultural engineering technology by studying the classification of constituent technologies,technological evaluation and integration,and optimization of agricultural engineering patterns.Thirty-two integrated agricultural engineering patterns are proposed according to the methodology for different regions with different local industry backgrounds,operating scales and objects.This research provides a solid foundation for the study of the agricultural engineering technical scheme,patterns and construction standards,which can help to provide a comprehensive solution to problems relevant to modern agriculture.

Analysis of journal content characteristics and metrics reported in the Clarivate Analytics Journal Citation Reports and Web of Science Core Collection Agricultural Engineering categories

The Clarivate Analytics Journal Citation Reports(JCR)and Web of Science(WoS)platforms are arguably the most influential journal citation/metric databases worldwide.Journals must first be indexed in the WoS Core Collection(CC)before being indexed in the JCR.The JCR and WoS platform are separate Clarivate Analytics products,but the JCR is included in the WoS platform for organizations that purchase both databases.The analysis for this study focused on citation data reported in the 2017 JCR(based on 2016 citation data)and other data reported in the WoS CC up to 2016.A total of 14 journals are indexed in the 2017 JCR agricultural engineering category;however,only 13 journals are analyzed in this because one journal was listed by mistake.Six of the 13 journals are published by large for-profit publishers(i.e.,Elsevier B.V.or Springer Verlag)and the other seven are published by respective professional societies.The journals were analyzed as a function of type(specialty versus comprehensive),type of publisher and publication frequency,metrics such as the Journal Impact Factor(JIF),volumes of articles published by year and journal,and the source institutions and countries of published articles.Bioenergy-and industrial crop-focused journals included in the 2017 JCR agricultural engineering category manifest the strongest overall metrics,as evidenced by relatively high JIF scores:Bioresource Technology(4.917),Biomass and Bioenergy(3.219)and Industrial Crops and Products(3.181).In contrast,the highest JIF reported in the 2017 JCR for a comprehensive agricultural engineering journal was 2.044 for Biosystems Engineering.During 2006 to 2016,the number of articles indexed in the Core Collection for the JCR agricultural engineering category rose from 1,124 to 4,078,an increase of 263%.Over 70% of the total articles published in 2016 were published in the three bioenergy-or industrial-crop focused journals.The top three countries that published the highest levels of WoS Core Collection agricultural engineering articles in 2016 were China(1132),United States(669)and Brazil(474).The similar top publishing institutions were the United States Department of Agriculture(USDA;136),Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS;136)and Indian Council for Scientific and Industrial Research(CSIR;79).The results of the study also show that publishing by Chinese scientists in the 13 journals indexed in the JCR Agricultural Engineering(AE)category is rapidly increasing,with seven research institutions ranked in the global top 20 in 2016,based on studies published in journals indexed in the JCR agricultural engineering category.The analysis also reveals that the specialty journals(e.g.,the three bioenergy-focused journals)are not directly comparable with the comprehensive agricultural engineering journals and should potentially be excluded from future versions of the JCR and WoS CC AE categories.

Brief history of agricultural engineering development in China:In memory of Mr.Zou Bingwen

Mr.Zou Bingwen,also known by his English name P.W.Tsou,struggled for the cause of building Chinese agriculture all his life.He has made fundamental contributions in many aspects such as agricultural education,research,extension,inspection of farm products,foreign trade,and even rural banking and financing.Agricultural engineering as a relatively new area of agricultural science and technology was also brought to China under his initiative and direct leadership.

Improvement to Maize Growth Caused by Biochars Derived From Six Feedstocks Prepared at Three Different Temperatures

Biochar is increasingly proposed as a soil amendment, with reports of benefits to soil physical, chemical and biological properties. In this study, different biochars were produced from 6 feedstocks, including straw and poultry manure, at 3 pyrolysis temperatures （200, 300 and 500℃） and then added separately to a calcareous soil. Their effects on soil properties and maize growth were evaluated in a pot experiment. The biochars derived from crop straw had much higher C but smaller N concentrations than those derived from poultry manure. Carbon concentrations, pH and EC values increased with increasing pyrolysis temperature. Biochar addition resulted in increases in mean maize dry matter of 12.73% and NPK concentrations of 30, 33 and 283%, respectively. Mean soil pH values were increased by 0.45 units. The biochar-amended soils had 44, 55, 254 and 537% more organic C, total N, Olsen-P and available K, respectively, than the control on average. Both feedstocks and pyrolysis temperature determined the characteristics of the biochar. Biochars with high mineral concentrations may act as mineral nutrient supplements.

Automatic image segmentation method for cotton leaves with disease under natural environment

In order to improve the image segmentation performance of cotton leaves in natural environment, an automatic segmentation model of diseased leaf with active gradient and local information is proposed. Firstly, a segmented monotone decreasing edge composite function is proposed to accelerate the evolution of the level set curve in the gradient smooth region. Secondly, canny edge detection operator gradient is introduced into the model as the global information. In the process of the evolution of the level set function, the guidance information of the energy function is used to guide the curve evolution according to the local information of the image, and the smooth contour curve is obtained. And the main direction of the evolution of the level set curve is controlled according to the global gradient information, which effectively overcomes the local minima in the process of the evolution of the level set function. Finally, the Heaviside function is introduced into the energy function to smooth the contours of the motion and to increase the penalty function Φ(x) to calibrate the deviation of the level set function so that the level set is smooth and closed. The results showed that the model of cotton leaf edge profile curve could be obtained in the model of cotton leaf covered by bare soil, straw mulching and plastic film mulching, and the ideal edge of the ROI could be realized when the light was not uniform. In the complex background, the model can segment the leaves of the cotton with uneven illumination, shadow and weed background, and it is better to realize the ideal extraction of the edge of the blade. Compared with the Geodesic Active Contour(GAC) algorithm, Chan-Vese(C-V) algorithm and Local Binary Fitting(LBF) algorithm, it is found that the model has the advantages of segmentation accuracy and running time when processing seven kinds of cotton disease leaves images, including uneven lighting, leaf disease spot blur, adhesive diseased leaf, shadow, complex background, unclear diseased leaf edges, and staggered condition. This model can not only conduct image segmentation of cotton leaves under natural conditions, but also provide technical support for the accurate identification and diagnosis of cotton diseases.

Review of the biological and engineering aspects of algae to fuels approach

Current biofuel production relies on limited arable lands on the earth,and is impossible to meet the biofuel demands.Oil producing algae are alternative biofuel feedstock with potential to meet the world’s ambitious goal to replace fossil fuels.This review provides an overview of the biological and engineering aspects in the production and processing technologies and recent advances in research and development in the algae to fuels approach.The article covers biology,selection and genetic modification of algae species and strains,production systems design,culture media and light management,harvest and dewatering,downstream processing,and environment and economic assessment.Despite the many advances made over several decades,commercialization of algal fuels remains challenging chiefly because of the techno-economic constraints.Technological breakthroughs in all major aspects must take place before commercial production of algal fuels becomes economically viable.

Effects of different biochars on antibiotic resistance genes during swine manure thermophilic composting

Elimination of antibiotic resistance genes(ARGs)in animal manure from concentrated animal feeding operations by thermophilic composting has drawn increasing attention.This study investigated the effects of sawdust biochar,corn stover biochar and peanut hull biochar with three spiked levels on ARGs in swine manure during thermophilic composting.Thirteen ARGs corresponding to four classes of antibiotics(tetracyclines,sulfonamides,macrolides and quinolones)were determined in the composting piles.Results indicated that the ten tested composting groups became fully mature after 30-day thermophilic composting process.tetM,tetO and ermB were reduced in all tested groups;tetC and tetG,tetX,sul1,sul2,ermF,qnrD and aac(6’)-Ib were mostly reduced under low level biochar addition but increased under higher level biochar addition;gyrA increased under medium biochar addition and reduced in other groups;oqxB remained comparatively stable throughout the composting process.The addition levels of spiked biochar are more important than types of spiked biochar on the removal of ARGs in the composting pile.The average removal rates of ARGs in the control group,low,medium and high level biochar addition groups were 0.24 logs,0.52-0.72 logs,-0.52-0.18 logs and-0.19-0.21 logs,respectively.In summary,low level biochar addition could enhance the elimination of studied ARGs in swine manure during the composting process,while medium level biochar addition to the composting piles would increase the risk of ARGs’propagation.

Analytical study on pyrolyzed products of Desmodesmus sp.cultivated in BG11

Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry(Py-GC/MS)was adopted to determine the changes in component of BG11-cultivated Desmodesmus sp.(BG11/8-10)pyrolyzed products at different temperatures(300℃-800℃).The results of analysis on a series of total ions chromatogram(TIC)showed that pyrolyzed products of BG11/8-10 at different temperature mainly included aliphatic hydrocarbons,nitrogen compounds,aromatic hydrocarbons,fatty acids,ketones,alcohols,aldehydes and furan compounds.Compared to the bio-oil(42.36%)generated by pyrolysis at 700℃,the relative content of bio-oil generated at 800℃was the highest up to 56.96%.However,higher temperature could easily cause the generation of large quantities of such pollutants as nitrogen compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs).Therefore,based on lower pollutant discharge and higher bio-oil yield,the optimal pyrolysis temperature of BG11/8-10 was around 700℃.

Effects of extrusion conditions on the physicochemical properties of soy protein/gluten composite

Soybean protein-gluten blend was extruded using a co-rotating twin-screw extruder.Effects of different extrusion conditions on the textural properties of extrudates were analyzed by central composite design through the evaluation of texturization index,water holding capacity,and hardness of extruded protein products.Extrusion process variables including feed moisture content(40%-60%),screw speed(12-20 Hz),extrusion temperature(120℃-180℃),and gluten content(16%-32%)were studied by the nonlinear regression equations analysis.The extrusion process was also optimized using response surface methodology(RSM).The influence of moisture content on the hardness of extrudate was the most significant.The optimized results,including feed moisture content,extrusion temperature,screw speed and gluten content were 49.18%-50.15%,155.24℃-159.86℃,16.41-16.73 Hz,20.00%-20.03%,respectively.The microstructures of TISP products were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and the changes of protein molecules before and after extrusion were also analyzed by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis.

Life cycle assessment of pyrolysis process of Desmodesmus sp.

This paper described a comprehensive assessment of the pyrolysis process of 1 kg Desmodesmus sp.cultivated in BG11 medium at the optimum temperature by using life cycle assessment method.This assessment took 1 kg of Desmodesmus sp.as a functional unit,and chose energy efficiency analysis and potential environmental impact as assessment indices.The results showed that the energy conversion efficiency index of the pyrolysis process was above 1,which meant the pyrolysis process was beneficial.The primary impact of the pyrolysis process on the environment was eutrophication;which followed by photochemical ozone synthesis and acidification;and global warming impact was the last.The overall environmental impact during the whole life cycle was 1347.63 mPET2000.

Identification of banana fusarium wilt using supervised classification algorithms with UAV-based multi-spectral imagery

The disease of banana Fusarium wilt currently threatens banana production areas all over the world.Rapid and large-area monitoring of Fusarium wilt disease is very important for the disease treatment and crop planting adjustments.The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of supervised classification algorithms such as support vector machine(SVM),random forest(RF),and artificial neural network(ANN)algorithms to identify locations that were infested or not infested with Fusarium wilt.An unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV)equipped with a five-band multi-spectral sensor(blue,green,red,red-edge and near-infrared bands)was used to capture the multi-spectral imagery.A total of 139 ground sample-sites were surveyed to assess the occurrence of banana Fusarium wilt.The results showed that the SVM,RF,and ANN algorithms exhibited good performance for identifying and mapping banana Fusarium wilt disease in UAV-based multi-spectral imagery.The overall accuracies of the SVM,RF,and ANN were 91.4%,90.0%,and 91.1%,respectively for the pixel-based approach.The RF algorithm required significantly less training time than the SVM and ANN algorithms.The maps generated by the SVM,RF,and ANN algorithms showed the areas of occurrence of Fusarium wilt disease were in the range of 5.21-5.75 hm2,accounting for 36.3%-40.1%of the total planting area of bananas in the study area.The results also showed that the inclusion of the red-edge band resulted in an increase in the overall accuracy of 2.9%-3.0%.A simulation of the resolutions of satellite-based imagery(i.e.,0.5 m,1 m,2 m,and 5 m resolutions)showed that imagery with a spatial resolution higher than 2 m resulted in good identification accuracy of Fusarium wilt.The results of this study demonstrate that the RF classifier is well suited for the identification and mapping of banana Fusarium wilt disease from UAV-based remote sensing imagery.The results provide guidance for disease treatment and crop planting adjustments.

Metagenome analysis reveals potential microbial functions in topsoil of wheat-maize rotation system with five-year application of fertilizers

Fertilization mode affects soil quality and ecological health.The effects of four fertilization regimens on lignocellulose content,readily degradable carbohydrate decomposition,and potential microbial functions in the topsoil of a wheat-maize rotation system between 2012 and 2017 were investigated.The fertilization regimens of control(control NFNB),high chemical fertilizer(HCF),high biochar plus low chemical fertilizer(HBLCF),and biochar-based fertilizer(BBF)were compared on soil fundamental properties,microbial structure,and potential function in soil carbohydrate degradation based on metagenome analysis.The diversity of carbohydrate-active enzyme genes in the topsoil microbial consortia in the four trials was primarily distributed within the ten ecologically most dominant phyla.Application of BBF was associated with the lowest decline in total nitrogen and P2O5(2012-2017:6.5%and 28.1%,respectively)and the most effective carbohydrate decomposition(2015-2017:67.0%for cellulose and 59.9%for readily degradable carbohydrate).Carbohydrate transport and metabolism accounted for 6.0%of reads assigned functional classification under the BBF regimen.These findings reveal the ecologically functional diversity of topsoil microorganisms and suggest BBF application as a promising strategy for sustainable agriculture and beneficial to soil health.

Effects of chlorine dioxide on morphology and ultrastructure of Fusarium sulphureum and its virulence to potato tubers

The inhibitory effect and its virulence of chlorine dioxide(ClO_(2))against dry rot of potato were investigated.Potatoes were treated by ClO_(2),then observed for indoor bioassay,scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and transmission electron microscopy(TEM)were used to observe the morphology and ultrastructure of hyphae,and evaluated the control efficiency of ClO_(2) on potato tuber(LK99)dry rot by F.sulphureum pre-treatment.The results showed that the pathogen of potato dry rot was sensitive to ClO_(2),the virulence of regression of y=5.05+7.308x,EC50 and EC90 were 0.3490 and 0.6261 respectively,the treatment of ClO_(2) could significantly inhibit the spore germination and mycelium growth of F.sulphureum,which was in a concentration-dependent manner,SEM and TEM observed that the morphology and ultrastructure of F.sulphureum hyphae were regularly damaged by ClO_(2),in vivo experiment further indicated that ClO_(2) could effectively control the dry rot of potato tubers with F.sulphureum,and ClO_(2) at the concentration of 0.75 ug/mL could significantly reduce the incidence of potato tuber dry rot and lesion expansion rate.The study showed that ClO_(2) could greatly against the pathogen of F.sulphureum,which could provide a scientific theoretical basis for the safe and efficient application of ClO_(2) in the prevention and control of potato diseases after harvest.

Thoughts on developing small/medium size no-till equipment for conservation agriculture in Asia:Summary of post-publication peer review comments

Traditional agriculture bases most of its operations or practices on soil tillage,which causes likely occurrence of water and soil erosion and sediment runoff.In order to conserve soil,water and environment,Conservation agriculture(CA)is increasingly adopted to replace traditional tillage agriculture to achieve sustainable and profitable agriculture and subsequently improve the livelihoods of farmers.CA holds great potential for all sizes of farms and agro-ecological systems,but its adoption is most urgently required by smallholder farmers,especially those short of laborers.Small/medium size no-till machines and implements are the key to CA adoption.A review article on small/medium size no/minimum-till seeders in Asia published in IJABE triggers a lot of scientific conversation on how to develop suitable no-till equipment among peer experts.This paper presents a collection of these post-publication peer review comments including commentary,questions,answers,suggestions,critical thinking,etc.The authors of the review article also provide response,summary of the review comments and their own standpoints.This open post-publication review and commentary may add value to the published review article and provide new ideas useful for future research and development of CA equipment.

Pedotransfer Functions for Estimating Soil Bulk Density:A Case Study in the Three-River Headwater Region of Qinghai Province,China

Bulk density(BD) is an important soil physical property and has significant effect on soil water conservation function. Indirect methods, which are called pedotransfer functions(PTFs), have replaced direct measurement and can acquire the missing data of BD during routine soil surveys. In this study, multiple linear regression(MLR) and artificial neuron network(ANN) methods were used to develop PTFs for predicting BD from soil organic carbon(OC), texture and depth in the Three-River Headwater region of Qinghai Province, China. The performances of the developed PTFs were compared with 14 published PTFs using four indexes, the mean error(ME), standard deviation error(SDE), root mean squared error(RMSE) and coefficient of determination(R^2). Results showed that the performances of published PTFs developed using exponential regression were better than those developed using linear regression from OC. Alexander(1980)-B, Alexander(1980)-A and Manrique and Jones(1991)-B PTFs, which had good predictions, could be applied for the soils in the study area. The PTFs developed using MLR(MLR-PTFs) and ANN(ANN-PTFs) had better soil BD predictions than most of published PTFs. The ANN-PTFs had better performances than the MLR-PTFs and their performances could be improved when soil texture and depth were added as predictor variables. The idea of developing PTFs for predicting soil BD in the study area could provide reference for other areas and the results could lay foundation for the estimation of soil water retention and carbon pool.