Coupling Coordination Analysis of Cropland Intensification and Agroecosystem Services:Evidence from Loess Plateau in Shaanxi Province,China

One of the greatest challenges in the agroecosystem is to improve cropland intensification while preserving agroecosystem services.While many studies have investigated the effect of cropland intensification on agroecosystem service,the interactive coupling and coordination among these factors remain largely unexplored.In view of this,this study performed a case study of the Loess Plateau in Shaanxi Province,China and constructed comprehensive evaluation models to quantify the cropland intensification and agroecosystem service in this area.Balance analysis and the coupling coordination degree model were used to evaluate the interactive relationship between cropland intensification and agroecosystem service,and statistical analysis and spatial autocorrelation were used to analyze the spatial characteristics and potential mechanism of the coupling coordination.Results show that both the cropland intensification and agroecosystem service in the study area were relatively low yet gradually increased from 2000 to 2020.Agroecosystem service lag was identified as the dominant unbalanced development type.Improving the supply capacity of agroecosystem services plays a key role in the balanced development of cropland in the Loess Plateau.The coupling coordination degree between cropland intensification and agroecosystem service ranges from basic coordination to serious incoordination.Therefore,cropland intensification practices in the area should be optimized to enhance this coordination degree.An upward trend was also observed in the coupling coordination degree from2000 to 2020.The withdrawal of marginal cropland in the Grain for Green program is one of the most important reasons for this trend,especially for the northern region.Around 83.6%of the high-high clusters are concentrated in the southern region of the Loess Plateau,whereas 70.5%of the low-low clusters are distributed in the northern region.These clustering characteristics are mainly attributed to the environmental suitability of these areas for agriculture and their degree of economic development.

Alignment of Track Oscillations during Tropical Cyclone Rapid Intensification

Recent studies on tropical cyclone(TC)intensity change indicate that the development of a vertically aligned TC circulation is a key feature of its rapid intensification(RI),however,understanding how vortex alignment occurs remains a challenging topic in TC intensity change research.Based on the simulation outputs of North Atlantic Hurricane Wilma(2005)and western North Pacific Typhoon Rammasun(2014),vortex track oscillations at different vertical levels and their associated role in vortex alignment are examined to improve our understanding of the vortex alignment during RI of TCs with initial hurricane intensity.It is found that vortex tracks at different vertical levels oscillate consistently in speed and direction during the RI of the two simulated TCs.While the consistent track oscillation reduces the oscillation tilt during RI,the reduction of vortex tilt results mainly from the mean track before RI.It is also found that the vortex tilt is primarily due to the mean vortex track before and after RI.The track oscillations are closely associated with wavenumber-1 vortex Rossby waves that are dominant wavenumber-1 circulations in the TC inner-core region.This study suggests that the dynamics of the wavenumber-1 vortex Rossby waves play an important role in the regulation of the physical processes associated with the track oscillation and vertical alignment of TCs.

Mapping upland crop–rice cropping systems for targeted sustainable intensification in South China

Upland crop-rice cropping systems(UCR)facilitate sustainable agricultural intensification.Accurate UCR cultivation mapping is needed to ensure food security,sustainable water management,and rural revitalization.However,datasets describing cropping systems are limited in spatial coverage and crop types.Mapping UCR is more challenging than crop identification and most existing approaches rely heavily on accurate phenology calendars and representative training samples,which limits its applications over large regions.We describe a novel algorithm(RRSS)for automatic mapping of upland crop-rice cropping systems using Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar(SAR)and Sentinel-2 Multispectral Instrument(MSI)data.One indicator,the VV backscatter range,was proposed to discriminate UCR and another two indicators were designed by coupling greenness and pigment indices to further discriminate tobacco or oilseed UCR.The RRSS algorithm was applied to South China characterized by complex smallholder rice cropping systems and diverse topographic conditions.This study developed 10-m UCR maps of a major rice bowl in South China,the Xiang-Gan-Min(XGM)region.The performance of the RRSS algorithm was validated based on 5197 ground-truth reference sites,with an overall accuracy of 91.92%.There were7348 km^(2) areas of UCR,roughly one-half of them located in plains.The UCR was represented mainly by oilseed-UCR and tobacco-UCR,which contributed respectively 69%and 15%of UCR area.UCR patterns accounted for only one-tenth of rice production,which can be tripled by intensification from single rice cropping.Application to complex and fragmented subtropical regions suggested the spatiotemporal robustness of the RRSS algorithm,which could be further applied to generate 10-m UCR datasets for application at national or global scales.

Sustainable Intensification and Large-scale Operation of Cultivated Land Use at the Farmers’ Scale:A Case Study of Shandong Province,China

Sustainable intensification of cultivated land use(SICLU) and large-scale operations(LSO) are widely acknowledged strategies for enhancing agricultural performance.However,the existing literature has faced challenges in precisely defining SICLU and constructing comprehensive indicators,which has hindered the exploration of factors influencing LSO within the SICLU framework.To address this gap,we integrated self-efficacy theory into the design of an index framework for evaluating SICLU.We subsequently employed econometric models to analyze the significant factors that impact LSO.Our findings reveal that SICLU can be divided into four key dimensions:intensive management,efficient output,resource conservation,and ecological environment optimization.Furthermore,it is crucial to incorporate belief-based cognitive factors into the index system,as farmers’ understanding of fertilizer and pesticide application significantly influences their willingness to engage in LSO.Moreover,we identify grain market turnover as the most influential factor in promoting LSO,with single-factor contribution rates reaching 70.9% for cultivated land transfer willingness and 62.5% for the total planting areas.Interestingly,unlike irrigation and agricultural machinery inputs,increased labor inputs correspond to larger planting areas for farmers.This trend may be attributed to reduced labor availability because of rural labor migration,whereas the reduction in irrigation and agricultural input is contingent on innovations in production practices and the transfer of cultivated land management rights.Importantly,SICLU dynamically influences LSO,with each index related to SICLU having an optimal range that fosters LSO.These insights offer valuable guidance for policymakers,emphasizing farmers as their central focus,with the adjustment of input and output factors as a means to achieve LSO as the ultimate goal.In conclusion,we propose research avenues for further enriching the SICLU framework to ensure that it aligns with the specific characteristics of regional agricultural development.

Progress in research of process intensification of spouted beds:A comprehensive review

The development of intensification technology for spouted beds has become a current research focus,and an effective way to improve the efficiency of spouted beds is to reform their structure.Although numerous studies have been conducted on conventional beds,there are few reviews on the comprehensive application of intensification technology for spouted beds.In this paper,we comprehensively review the role of intensification technology in spouted beds for use in hydrodynamics,drying,desulfurization,pyrolysis,coating,biomass and waste gasification,and biomass drying from the perspective of experiment and simulation.Finally,potential problems and challenges in current spouted-bed research are summarized.

Kinetic Energy Budgets during the Rapid Intensification of Typhoon Rammasun (2014)

In this study,Typhoon Rammasun(2014)was simulated using the Weather Research and Forecasting model to examine the kinetic energy during rapid intensification(RI).Budget analyses revealed that in the inner area of the typhoon,the conversion from symmetric divergent kinetic energy associated with the collocation of strong cyclonic circulation and inward flow led to an increase in the symmetric rotational kinetic energy in the lower troposphere.The increase in the symmetric rotational kinetic energy in the mid and upper troposphere resulted from the upward transport of symmetric rotational kinetic energy from the lower troposphere.In the outer area,both typhoon and Earth’s rotation played equally important roles in the conversion from symmetric divergent kinetic energy to symmetric rotational kinetic energy in the lower troposphere.The decrease in the symmetric rotational kinetic energy in the upper troposphere was caused by the conversion to asymmetric rotational kinetic energy through the collocation of symmetric tangential rotational winds and the radial advection of asymmetric tangential rotational winds by radial environmental winds.

Rabbit Intensification Systems in Rwanda: Feeding Influence and Growth

A study was conducted in Northern Province of Rwanda, from the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Busogo Campus located in Musanze district to evaluate the effect of feed type on rabbit growth in rabbit intensification systems in Rwanda. The Complete Randomized Design (CRD) was used and data were collected on rabbit growth weekly for a period of 12 weeks. The experiment was composed of three treatments replicated ten times. The treatments included three types of feeds namely;cabbage combined with Mucuna pruriens added to local forage (I), cabbages combined with Leucaena leucocephala added to local forage (II) and a control composed of other varieties of locally available forage, such as Bidens pilosa, Crassocephalum vitellium and Galinsoga parviflora (III) which was considered as the control (Farmers practice). The feeds were given to ten rabbits separated in individual cages, and each rabbit was considered a replicate. Water was given ad libitum. One month old rabbits (weaners) were used and data were collected after one week of adaptation for 12 weeks. The results showed that the mean of weight gain after 12 weeks was 783.3 g, 760.7 g and 705.7 g for feed type I, II and III respectively. The difference between means of feed types after 12 weeks was not significant (p > 0.5), which implied that rabbit growth did not depend on the feed type. The mean weight gain after 8 weeks was 707.5 g, 661.4 g and 577.1 g for feed type I, II and III respectively. At 8 weeks, the difference between means of feed types was significant (p Mucuna pruriens combined with cabbage and local forage were growing faster than rabbits from other treatments at 8 weeks. The researchers recommended that farmers should be facilitated with feeding materials by the concerned institutions. Training of rabbit farmers and further researches on locally available feeding materials were also given as recommendations at the end of this study.

Science and Technology Backyard: A novel approach to empower smallholder farmers for sustainable intensification of agriculture in China

Sustainable feeding of the growing population in China without ecological destabilization is a grand challenge. In this populous country where agriculture is dominated by smallholder farming, developing innovative technology and translating scientific knowledge into action for smallholder farmers is a crucial step in addressing this challenge. Here, we present a novel approach for technology innovation and dissemination to achieve sustainable intensification in the fields of smallholder farmers. The Science and Technology Backyard(STB) is a hub in a rural area that links knowledge with practices to promote technology innovation and exchange. In this study, the framework and functions of STB are introduced, and the key implications for sustainable intensification across millions of smallholder farmers are explicitly stated:(i) develop innovative technology based on stated demands of farmers;(ii) disseminate technology by innovative social service models though combined top-down approaches with bottom-up measures to enable smallholders in rural areas. This paper provides a perspective on transformation of small-scale agriculture toward sustainable intensification in China and useful knowledge applicable to other developing countries.

Impacts of the Diurnal Cycle of Radiation on Tropical Cyclone Intensification and Structure

To investigate the impacts of the diurnal cycle on tropical cyclones （TCs）,a set of idealized simulations were conducted by specifying different radiation （i.e.,nighttime-only,daytime-only,full diurnal cycle）.It was found that,for an initially weak storm,it developed faster during nighttime than daytime.The impacts of radiation were not only on TC intensification,but also on TC structure and size.The nighttime storm tended to have a larger size than its daytime counterparts.During nighttime,the radiative cooling steepened the lapse rate and thus reduced the static stability in cloudy regions,enhancing convection.Diabatic heating associated with outer convection induced boundary layer inflows,which led to outward expansion of tangential winds and thus increased the storm size.

Process intensification and energy saving of reactive distillation for production of ester compounds

Reactive distillation(RD) process is an innovative hybrid process combining reaction with distillation, which has recently come into sharp focus as a successful case of process intensification. Considered as the most representative case of process intensification, it has been applied for many productions, especially for production of ester compounds. However, such problems existing in the RD system for ester productions are still hard to solve,as the removal of the water which comes from the esterification, and the separation of the azeotropes of ester–alcohol(–water). Many methods have been studying on the process to solve the problems resulting in further intensification and energy saving. In this paper, azeotropic–reactive distillation or entrainer enhanced reactive distillation(ERD) process, reactive extractive distillation(RED) process, the method of co-production in RD process, pressure-swing reactive distillation(PSRD) process, reactive distillation–pervaporation coupled process(RD–PV), are introduced to solve the problems above, so the product(s) can be separated efficiently and the chemical equilibrium can be shifted. Dividing-wall column(DWC) structure and novel methods of loading catalyst are also introduced as the measures to intensify the process and save energy.

Intensification of adsorption process by using the pyrolytic char from waste tires to remove chromium(Ⅵ) from wastewater

Pyrolysis has the potential of transforming waste into valuable recyclable products. Pyrolytic char(PC) is one of the most important products from the pyrolysis of used tires. One of the most significant applications for pyrolytic char recovered is used for the removal of Cr(Ⅵ) in the wastewater effluent to control waste by waste. The surface chemistry properties of surface element distribution / concentration and chemical structure were examined for the pyrolytic char and the commercial activated carbon(CAC) respectively. The results showed that surfaces of PC possesses a large amount of ester and hydrocarbon graft, whereas there are mainly carbon functional components of C—OH, C O and COOH on the surface of CAC. Therefore the surface electronegativity of PC is lower than that of CAC in the water. The repulsive interactions between the surfaces of PC and the negatively charged Cr(Ⅵ) ion are weaker than that of CAC, which results in an intensification of the adsorption process by the utilization of PC. The adsorption isotherms of Cr(Ⅵ) ion on the two kinds of carbons were determined experimentally. The larger adsorption amount on the PC in the case of Cr(Ⅵ) may be attributed mainly to its special surface micro-chemical environment. The mechanism of the removal Cr(Ⅵ) from aqueous solution was assumed to be the integration of adsorption and redox reaction. The adsorption was the rate-controlled step for Cr(Ⅵ) removal. The adsorption of Cr(Ⅵ) was identified as pseudo-second-order kinetics. The rate constants of adsorption were evaluated.

Improving the phenotypic expression of rice genotypes:Rethinking “intensification” for production systems and selection practices for rice breeding

Intensification in rice crop production is generally understood as requiring increased use of material inputs: water, inorganic fertilizers, and agrochemicals. However, this is not the only kind of intensification available. More productive crop phenotypes, with traits such as more resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses and shorter crop cycles, are possible through modifications in the management of rice plants, soil, water, and nutrients, reducing rather than increasing material inputs. Greater factor productivity can be achieved through the application of new knowledge and more skill, and(initially) more labor, as seen from the System of Rice Intensification(SRI), whose practices are used in various combinations by as many as 10 million farmers on about 4 million hectares in over 50 countries. The highest yields achieved with these management methods have come from hybrids and improved rice varieties, confirming the importance of making genetic improvements. However,unimproved varieties are also responsive to these changes, which induce better growth and functioning of rice root systems and more abundance, diversity, and activity of beneficial soil organisms. Some of these organisms as symbiotic endophytes can affect and enhance the expression of rice plants' genetic potential as well as their phenotypic resilience to multiple stresses, including those of climate change. SRI experience and data suggest that decades of plant breeding have been selecting for the best crop genetic endowments under suboptimal growing conditions, with crowding of plants that impedes their photosynthesis and growth, flooding of rice paddies that causes roots to degenerate and forgoes benefits derived from aerobic soil organisms, and overuse of agrochemicals that adversely affect these organisms as well as soil and human health. This review paper reports evidence from research in India and Indonesia that changes in crop and water management can improve the expression of rice plants' genetic potential, thereby creating more productive and robustphenotypes from given rice genotypes. Data indicate that increased plant density does not necessarily enhance crop yield potential, as classical breeding methods suggest. Developing cultivars that can achieve their higher productivity under a wide range of plant densities—breeding for density-neutral cultivars using alternative selection strategies—will enable more effective exploitation of available crop growth resources. Density-neutral cultivars that achieve high productivity under ample environmental growth resources can also achieve optimal productivity under limited resources, where lower densities can avert crop failure due to overcrowding. This will become more important to the extent that climatic and other factors become more adverse to crop production. Focusing more on which management practices can evoke the most productive and robust phenotypes from given genotypes is important for rice breeding and improvement programs since it is phenotypes that feed our human populations.

Process Intensification in Pneumatically Agitated Slurry Reactors

Pneumatically agitated slurry reactors,including bubble column reactors and airlift loop reactors(ALRs),are important gas-liquid-solid multiphase reactors.These reactors have been widely applied in many processes,especially in the biological fermentation and energy chemical industry,due to their low shear stress,good mixing,perfect mass-/heat-transfer properties,and relatively low costs.To further improve the performance of slurry reactors(i.e.,mixing and mass/heat transfer)and to satisfy industrial require-ments(e.g.,temperature control,reduction of back-mixing,and product separation),the process intensi-fication of slurry reactors is essential.This article starts by reviewing the latest advancements in the intensification of mixing and mass/heat transfer in these two types of reactors.It then summarizes process-intensification methods for mixing and separation that allow continuous production in these slurry reactors.Process-intensification technology that integrates directional flow in an ALR with simple solid-liquid separation in a hydrocyclone is recommended for its high efficiency and low costs.This arti-cle also systematically addresses vital considerations and challenges,including flow regime discrimina-tion,gas spargers,solid particle effects,and other concerns in slurry reactors.It introduces the progress of numerical simulation using computational fluid dynamics(CFD)for the rational design of slurry reactors and discusses difficulties in modeling.Finally,it presents conclusions and perspectives on the design of industrial slurry reactors.

Factors in fluencing farmers' participation in crop intensification program in Rwanda

The crop intensification program（CIP）was introduced in Rwanda in 2007 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources（MINAGRI）,Rwanda,as a solution to the land fragmentation,low use of agricultural inputs and low access to extension services.However,due to the voluntary nature of farmers’participation and their reluctance to participate,this study aimed at assessing the factors that influence their participation.Data were collected from 340 respondents through a household survey in Mayange and Rusarabuye sectors.Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression model were used to analyze the data.Results show that the factors that significantly influenced the farmers’participation in the CIP include gender,non-farm income,farmland size,farming experience,land acquisition means,market access,trust and agro-ecological conditions.In fact,the non-farm income significantly increased the farmers’decisions to participate in the CIP（P〈0.001）as it eases the financial capital needed to invest in the CIP activities.On the land acquisition means,the farmers who inherited or bought the land positively and significantly participated in the CIP（P〈0.05）because they had the land tenure security.However,the participation in the CIP was hindered by inadequate irrigation and mechanization facilities,lack of farmers’participation in the CIP planning process,inadequate extension services,inadequate agricultural inputs and inadequate post-harvest technologies.Closer collaboration between farmers,local leaders,extension agents and agricultural service providers as well as the farmers’practical skills in irrigation and mechanization could enhance the participation to the program.Therefore,there is a need on the part of policymakers to empower farmers with adequate knowledge on better cropping practices and agricultural technologies through appropriate extension services and bottom-up based program.

Luminescence intensification of lanthanide complexes by silver nanoparticles incorporated in sol-gel matrix

We present how the luminescence of europium RR-2-P-oxides complexes can be increased by interaction of electronic levels of the complex with the radiation field of silver nanoparticles （NPs）. The procedure by which silver NPs are formed in a sol-gel polyurethane matrix precursor was elaborated. The formed Ag NPs were combined with Eu complex incorporated in ormocer matrix. The emission spectra of the complexes without silver NPs were compared with spectra of the same complexes with addition of silver NPs. As the result of the interaction of the electronic levels of lanthaaide ligands with silver plasmons, dramatic increase of luminescence was observed.

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.

Sustainable Intensification of Cultivated Land Use and Its Influencing Factors at the Farming Household Scale: A Case Study of Shandong Province, China

Promoting the sustainable intensification of cultivated land use(SICL) has become crucial for ensuring a sufficient supply of grain and important agricultural products, as well as for the sustainable use of resources. Taking widely used areas of Shandong Province in China as examples, an analytical scale and level framework for SICL is constructed in this study. It measures the level of SICL through material flow analysis, constructs Tobit models to analyze the influencing factors of SICL at the farming household scale,and analyzes the transition mechanisms of SICL. The results show that the overall level of SICL in Shandong Province is low, and the spatial distribution is uneven. There are relatively more farmers participating in unsustainable intensification than in medium or low levels of SICL, with farmers working at a high level of SICL making up the smallest proportion. The factors that determine the level of SICL at which farmers work vary significantly. More male farmers operate at a low SICL level than female farmers, while females outnumber males at a high SICL level. This is mainly related to the regional distribution of age and population. Meanwhile, with larger cultivated land areas, there is a lower degree of land fragmentation, with a higher level of SICL corresponding to a smaller distance to the nearest town closer within 1–5 km from the town center. We can see the level of SICL and its processes themselves are closely related to time and space scales. Based on the above analysis, it is necessary to clarify the standard processes of SICL to adapt them to local conditions. This includes instructing managers on how to improve resource utilization, increase the sustainable development of cultivated land and establish a comprehensively efficient and functional SICL mechanism. The sustainable intensification of cultivated land use and its specific application in the new era are conducive to enriching the frontier theories and methodology of sustainable development, and are of great significance to the advancement of green agriculture and the decision-making of rural high-quality development.

Sensitivity of Tropical Cyclone Intensification to Inner-Core Structure

In this study, the dependence of tropical cyclone （TC） development on the inner-core structure of the parent vortex is examined using a pair of idealized numerical simulations. It is found that the radial profile of inner-core relative vorticity may have a great impact on its subsequent development. For a system with a larger inner-core relative vorticity/inertial stability, the conversion ratio of the diabatic heating to kinetic energy is greater. Furthermore, the behavior of the convective vorticity eddies is likely modulated by the system-scale circulation. For a parent vortex with a relatively higher inner-core vorticity and larger negative radial vorticity gradient, convective eddy formation and radially inward propagation is promoted through vorticity segregation. This provides a greater potential for these small-scale convective cells to self-organize into a mesoscale inner-core structure in the TC. In turn, convectively induced diabatic heating that is close to the center, along with higher inertial stability, efficiently enhances system-scale secondary circulation. This study provides a solid basis for further research into how the initial structure of a TC influences storm dynamics and thermodynamics.

Influence of intensification pressures on pores in die-cast ADC12 alloys

Die casting process is widely applied in making Al parts. However, due to high speed of liquid metal flow in the die cavity, gases are prone to be entrapped in the filling, resulting in porosity defects. The X-ray computed tomography scanning technique was used to detect the pores in die-cast ADC12 alloys with different intensification pressures. The three-dimensional features of pores including pore size, number, sphericity have been obtained. The effect of different intensification pressures on two different kinds of pores, namely gas-pores and shrinkage pores, was analyzed. The results show that with increasing the pressure, the pore fractions and quantity gradually decrease. When the pressure increased to 85 MPa, the pores from gas entrapment during the mold filling were compressed, leading to a lower porosity fraction. The pressure cannot affect the pores in the samples with a thin wall (2 mm) due to a great solidification rate.

Microinterface intensification in hydrogenation and air oxidation processes

Hydrogenations and air oxidations usually have low apparent reaction rate,generally controlled by mass transfer rate,and widely exist in the modern chemical manufacturing process.The key to increase the mass transfer rate is the reduction of the liquid film resistance 1/kLa.In this work,the original concept of microinterface intensification for mass transfer and then for these reactions has been proposed.We derived the regulation model and set up the mathematical calculation method of micron-scale gas-liquid interface structure on mass transfer and reaction,designed the mechanical energy exchange device that can produce gas-liquid microinterface system on a large scale,and established the OMIS system which is able on line to measure the diameter and distribution of millions of microbubbles,interface area a and mass transfer film thicknessδM,as well as developed a series of microinterface intensified reactor systems(MIRs)for the applications of hydrogenation and air oxidation processes.It is believed that this research will provide an up-to-date development for the intensification of hydrogenation and air oxidation reactions.