Nano/Micro-Structural Supramolecular Biopolymers: Innovative Networks with the Boundless Potential in Sustainable Agriculture

Sustainable agriculture plays a crucial role in meeting the growing global demand for food while minimizing adverse environmental impacts from the overuse of synthetic pesticides and conventional fertilizers.In this context,renewable biopolymers being more sustainable offer a viable solution to improve agricultural sustainability and production.Nano/micro-structural supramolecular biopolymers are among these innovative biopolymers that are much sought after for their unique features.These biomaterials have complex hierarchical structures,great stability,adjustable mechanical strength,stimuli-responsiveness,and self-healing attributes.Functional molecules may be added to their flexible structure,for enabling novel agricultural uses.This overview scrutinizes how nano/micro-structural supramolecular biopolymers may radically alter farming practices and solve lingering problems in agricultural sector namely improve agricultural production,soil health,and resource efficiency.Controlled bioactive ingredient released from biopolymers allows the tailored administration of agrochemicals,bioactive agents,and biostimulators as they enhance nutrient absorption,moisture retention,and root growth.Nano/micro-structural supramolecular biopolymers may protect crops by appending antimicrobials and biosensing entities while their eco-friendliness supports sustainable agriculture.Despite their potential,further studies are warranted to understand and optimize their usage in agricultural domain.This effort seeks to bridge the knowledge gap by investigating their applications,challenges,and future prospects in the agricultural sector.Through experimental investigations and theoretical modeling,this overview aims to provide valuable insights into the practical implementation and optimization of supramolecular biopolymers in sustainable agriculture,ultimately contributing to the development of innovative and eco-friendly solutions to enhance agricultural productivity while minimizing environmental impact.

The Bioprospecting of Microbial-Derived Antimicrobial Peptides for Sustainable Agriculture

Strategies aimed at defining,discovering,and developing alternatives to traditional antibiotics will underlie the development of sustainable agricultural systems.Among such strategies,antimicrobial peptides(AMPs)with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and multifaceted mechanisms of action are recognized as ideal alternatives in the post-antibiotic era.In particular,AMPs derived from microbes with active metabolisms that can adapt to a variety of extreme environments have long been sought after.Consequently,this review summarizes information on naturally occurring AMPs,including their biological activity,antimicrobial mechanisms,and the preparation of microbial-derived AMPs;it also outlines their applications and the challenges presented by their use in the agroindustry.By dissecting the research results on microbial-derived AMPs of previous generations,this study contributes valuable knowledge on the exploration and realization of the applications of AMPs in sustainable agriculture.

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria(PGPR)and its mechanisms against plant diseases for sustainable agriculture and better productivity

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria(PGPR)are specialized bacterial communities inhabiting the root rhizosphere and the secretion of root exudates helps to,regulate the microbial dynamics and their interactions with the plants.These bacteria viz.,Agrobacterium,Arthobacter,Azospirillum,Bacillus,Burkholderia,Flavobacterium,Pseudomonas,Rhizobium,etc.,play important role in plant growth promotion.In addition,such symbiotic associations of PGPRs in the rhizospheric region also confer protection against several diseases caused by bacterial,fungal and viral pathogens.The biocontrol mechanism utilized by PGPR includes direct and indirect mechanisms direct PGPR mechanisms include the production of antibiotic,siderophore,and hydrolytic enzymes,competition for space and nutrients,and quorum sensing whereas,indirect mechanisms include rhizomicrobiome regulation via.secretion of root exudates,phytostimulation through the release of phytohormones viz.,auxin,cytokinin,gibberellic acid,1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate and induction of systemic resistance through expression of antioxidant defense enzymes viz.,phenylalanine ammonia lyase(PAL),peroxidase(PO),polyphenyloxidases(PPO),superoxide dismutase(SOD),chitinase andβ-glucanases.For the suppression of plant diseases potent bio inoculants can be developed by modulating the rhizomicrobiome through rhizospheric engineering.In addition,understandings of different strategies to improve PGPR strains,their competence,colonization efficiency,persistence and its future implications should also be taken into consideration.

Impacts of Climate Variability on Sustainable Agriculture in Imo State,Nigeria

Rainfall and Temperature are important factors in agriculture especially in Nigeria where rain-fed agriculture is practiced extensively and agriculture contributes to food security and provides employment for urban and rural dwellers.Therefore,climate variability represents a major danger to agriculture by modifying the rainfall and temperature pattern,thereby resulting to a big peril in the sustainability of agriculture.This is the reason all countries of the world are concerned about the effects of climate variability on agriculture.This work therefore,examined the impact of climate variability on rainfall and temperature in Imo State,South Eastern Nigeria.The rainfall and temperature data were gotten from Nigerian Meteorological Agency(NIMET)for a period of 30 years which was analyzed by using descriptive statistics,decadal distribution,trend graph anomalies and 5 year moving average.The analysis showed increasing trend pattern in yearly maximum,minimum temperature and decrease in annual rainfall,The third order polynomial trend shows a decrease in the anomaly of annual mean rainfall(y=-0.0002x4)and a persistent increase in the mean temperature anomaly especially in the second decade(1996-2007).The discoveries show that there is a notable variability in temperature and rainfall pattern which revealed an increase in temperature and decrease in annual rainfall.This calls for serious attention as people in this part of Nigeria critically depend on rainfall for agricultural practices.It is recommended that government should support the agricultural sector by providing mechanized farming systems such as irrigation and drilling of water borehole in farm sites for agriculture,especially for the rural farmers and create awareness to the farmers on recent trends in climate issues to achieve sustainable agriculture.

Explaining farmers'reluctance to adopt green manure cover crops planting for sustainable agriculture in Northwest China

Green manure cover crops(GMCCs)planting has a potential for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions(GHG)in agroecosystems and provides important ecosystem services,thereby achieving the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)stipulated by the United Nations.However,the advantages of cultivating GMCCs on arable land are not widely recognized.For example,in the whole of China,the GMCCs planting area is less than 3.5%of total arable land.The aim of this study is to explore reasons for the low adoption rate of GMCCs planting.Using best–worst scaling(BWS)approach,farmers ranked their preferred conservation practices including three types of GMCC cropping systems.Taking Gansu Province in Northwest China as a case study,a survey with 276 farmers was conducted.The findings indicated that three factors are related to the low adoption rate of GMCCs:1)farmers preferred improving farmland irrigation facilities and substituting chemical fertilizers with organic rather than planting GMCCs;2)lack of awareness and understanding of government policy on GMCCs and limited access to training courses;3)financial support and subsidies from the government are insufficient.This study provides insights and strategic implications for policymakers on how to further promote GMCCs in the future.

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE: ITS STATUS QUO AND TREND IN CHINA

Agriculture is a complex of processes that takes place within a threefold (that is, bio-physical, socio-political and techno-economic) environmatal framework. The sustainability of agriculturral systems can also be assessed within this framework. Sustainable agnculture has different meanings at various spatial scales At local and regional scales, it is just ecological farming. At national and global scales, however, the emphasis is put on the issues of food production and distribution. Based upon the framework, this paper discusses the current situation and future trend of Chinese agriculture in relation to sustainability.

Considerations on Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development in Dryland Areas

Drylands of the world cover 41%of the Earth＇s land surface and are a direct source of livelihood for 6.5 billion people, especially in developing countries. However, nearly all drylands are at risk of land degradation as a result of human activities. Poverty and desertification in dryland areas are major problems threatening sustainable agriculture and rural development in dryland areas. Several topics that are significant for sustainable agriculture and rural development for food security and environmental rehabilitation in dryland areas were stressed in this paper.

Use of the knowledge,attitude,and practice(KAP)model to examine sustainable agriculture in Thailand

Sustainable agriculture plays an important role in achieving sustainable development goals with regard to food security and environmental conservation.Sustainable agriculture relies on sustainable farming practices that reduce greenhouse gas production,the wise use of local natural resources,and reductions in negative impacts on the environment and human health.Sustainable farming practices can be driven by various factors,such as the socio-environmental setting,socio-cognitive factors,agricultural institutions,and policy.This study used the knowledge,attitude,and practice(KAP)model to examine farmers’knowledge,attitudes,and practices in the area of sustainable agriculture.It also considered the factors affecting farmers’knowledge,attitudes,and practices.Two different socio-environmental contextual settings in Surin Province(a Thai-Cambodian border province)of Thailand are considered.The results show that there are differences between the two different socio-environmental contextual settings with regard to farmers’sustainable agricultural practice perceptions,knowledge,and attitudes.Farmers’perceptions of environmental degradation,the number of years of agricultural experience,and agricultural policy drive farmers’attitudes and individual sustainable practices.Another major result of the study is that individual farmers’attitudes and practices promote collective sustainable agricultural behaviors.The implication of these findings is that it is necessary to improve the learning ability of individual farmers on the environment and sustainable agricultural practices through social learning and scientific knowledge dissemination,so as to produce sustainable collective development behaviors.

Best soil managements from long-term field experiments for sustainable agriculture

Global food production is expected to double by 2050 for feeding 9 billion people（Godfray et al.2010）,but yields had stagnated or even collapsed in 24–39%of crop-growing areas over the period 1961–2008（Ray et al.2012）,

Advancing sustainable agriculture: Enhancing crop nutrition with next-generation nanotech-based fertilizers

The pressing need to enhance nutrient use efficiency(NUE)in fertilizers has become increasingly urgent in light of food insecurity and climate-related issues.Nanotechnology offers promising prospects for the development of effective and environmentally friendly alternatives in the field of fertilization.This review focuses on the impact of nanotechnology on conventional fertilizers,encompassing inorganic,organic,and microbial approaches.We emphasize the superior attributes of nano-fertilizers compared with their conventional counterparts and explore their potential and versatility in boosting crop productivity,reducing fertilizer expenses,and mitigating detrimental environmental impacts.In conclusion,given the significant challenges posed by food insecurity and climate change,the application of nano-fertilizers demonstrates immense potential for advancing sustainable and intelligent agricultural practices.

Harvest optimization for sustainable agriculture:The case of tea harvest scheduling

To ensure sustainability in agriculture,many optimization problems need to be solved.An important one of them is harvest scheduling problem.In this study,the harvest scheduling problem for the tea is discussed.The tea harvest problem includes the creating a harvest schedule by considering the farmers'quotas under the purchase location and factory capacity.Tea harvesting is carried out in cooperation with the farmer-factory.Factory man-agement is interested in using its resources.So,the factory capacity,purchase location capacities and number of expeditions should be considered during the harvesting process.When the farmer's side is examined,it is seen that the real professions of farmers are different.On harvest days,farmers often cannot attend to their primary professions.Considering the harvest day preferences of farmers in creating the harvest schedule are of great importance for sustainability in agriculture.Two different mathematical models are proposed to solve this problem.The first model minimizes the number of weekly expeditions of factory vehicles within the factor and purchase location capacity restrictions.The second model minimizes the number of expeditions and aims to comply with the preferences of the farmers as much as possible.A sample application was performed in a region with 12 purchase locations,988 farmers,and 3392 decares of tea fields.The results show that the compli-ance rate of farmers to harvesting preferences could be increased from 52%to 97%,and this situation did not affect the number of expeditions of the factory.This result shows that considering the farmers'preferences on the harvest day will have no negative impact on the factory.On the contrary,it was concluded that this situation increases sustainability and encouragement in agriculture.Furthermore,the results show that models are effective for solving the problem.

Smart Farming for Sustainable Rice Production:An Insight into Application,Challenge,and Future Prospect

Rice has a huge impact on socio-economic growth,and ensuring its sustainability and optimal utilization is vital.This review provides an insight into the role of smart farming in enhancing rice productivity.The applications of smart farming in rice production including yield estimation,smart irrigation systems,monitoring disease and growth,and predicting rice quality and classifications are highlighted.The challenges of smart farming in sustainable rice production to enhance the understanding of researchers,policymakers,and stakeholders are discussed.Numerous efforts have been exerted to combat the issues in rice production in order to promote rice sector development.The effective implementation of smart farming in rice production has been facilitated by various technical advancements,particularly the integration of the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence.The future prospects of smart farming in transforming existing rice production practices are also elucidated.Through the utilization of smart farming,the rice industry can attain sustainable and resilient production systems that could mitigate environmental impact and safeguard food security.Thus,the rice industry holds a bright future in transforming current rice production practices into a new outlook in rice smart farming development.

Agricultural intensity for sustainable regional development:A case study in peri-urban areas of Karawang Regency,Indonesia

Peri-urban areas are playing an increasingly crucial role in the agricultural development and intensification in Indonesia.Peri-urban agriculture is highly vulnerable to change compared with urban and rural agriculture,due to its location in transitional areas.Indicators of peri-urban agricultural intensity can help guide regional development.In this study,we assessed the sustainability of peri-urban areas based on agricultural intensity in Karawang Regency,Indonesia.We developed a village-based index to assess the region’s agricultural intensity by rescaling the village agriculture index(VAI)and combining the local sustainability index(LSI)with factor analysis.Since the unit of analysis is the village,we modified the LSI to the village sustainability index(VSI).In addition,we also developed a logical matrix analysis to determine the level of agricultural sustainability(LoAS)of each village.The combined results of the three indices(VAI,VSI,and LoAS)generated information about agricultural sustainability.The results indicated that peri-urban villages with high agricultural intensity tended to exhibit low levels of social welfare,economic development,and disaster risk.Moreover,high agricultural intensity did not necessarily ensure the prosperity of the people.Instead,there was the economic disparity among the villages in the study area.Encouraging diversity of agricultural intensity seems to be more critical than promoting agricultural intensity itself.Overall,this study highlights the distinctive characteristics and dynamic of peri-urban areas.New approaches,variables,and information regarding the combination of agricultural intensity and sustainability need to be developed as valuable tools for regional planning.

Potential of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria-plant interactions in mitigating salt stress for sustainable agriculture:A review

Soil salinization affecting different crops is one of the serious threats to global food security.Soil salinity affects 20%and 33%of the total cultivated and irrigated agricultural lands,respectively,and has been reported to caused a global crop production loss of 27.3 billion USD.The conventional approaches,such as using salt-tolerant varieties,saline soil scrapping,flushing,leaching,and adding supplements (e.g.,gypsum and lime),often fail to alleviate stress.In this context,developing diverse arrays of microbes enhancing crop productivity under saline soil conditions without harming soil health is necessary.Various advanced omics approaches have enabled gaining new insights into the structure and metabolic functions of plant-associated beneficial microbes.Various genera of salt-tolerating rhizobacteria ameliorating biotic and abiotic stresses have been isolated from different legumes,cereals,vegetables,and oil seeds under extreme alkaline and saline soil conditions.Rapid progress in rhizosphere microbiome research has revived the belief that plants may be more benefited from their association with interacting diverse microbial communities as compared with individual members in a community.In the last decade,several salt-tolerating plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) that improve crop production under salt stress have been exploited for the reclamation of saline agrosystems.This review highlights that the interaction of salt-tolerating microbes with plants improves crop productivity under salinity stress along with potential salt tolerance mechanisms involved and will open new avenues for capitalizing on cultivable diverse microbial communities to strengthen plant salt tolerance and,thus,to refine agricultural practices and production under saline conditions.

Engineering crop nutrient efficiency for sustainable agriculture

Increasing crop yields can provide food,animal feed, bioenergy feedstocks and biomaterials to meet increasing global demand; however, the methods used to increase yield can negatively affect sustainability. For example, application of excess fertilizer can generate and maintain high yields but also increases input costs and contributes to environmental damage through eutrophication, soil acidification and air pollution. Improving crop nutrient efficiency can improve agricultural sustainability by increasing yield while decreasing input costs and harmful environmental effects. Here, we review the mechanisms of nutrient efficiency(primarily for nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and iron) and breeding strategies for improving this trait, along with the role of regulation of gene expression in enhancing crop nutrient efficiency to increase yields. We focus on the importance of root system architecture to improve nutrient acquisition efficiency, as well as the contributions of mineral translocation, remobilization and metabolic efficiency to nutrient utilization efficiency.

Biochar amendments and its impact on soil biota for sustainable agriculture

Beneficial microbes in soil biota are known to enhance plant growth by stimulating the nutrient supply and by devising certain mechanisms to cope up with the biotic(diseases)or abiotic(salinity,drought,and pollution)stresses.Owing to their effectiveness and sustainability concerns,the application of microbes in the agricultural sector has seen a positive surge recently.Biochar has been commended as an exemplary carrier material for beneficial microbes in the soil ecosystem.Biochar is generally produced from the waste biomasses,which not only resolve the management crisis of agricultural wastes but also render many benefits such as enhancement of soil properties,alteration of nutritional dynamics,removal of pollutants,and in the stimulation of beneficial microbial diversity in soil.The strategic application of biochar in agricultural land could help provide agronomic,economic,and environmental benefits.Since certain risks are associated with the application of biochar,attention needs to be paid while preferring for soil amendments.This present review focused on highlighting the role of microbes in plant growth.The influence of biochar on soil biota along with its detailed mechanisms was discussed further to delineate the scope of biochar in soil amendments.Further,the risks associated with the biochar amendments and the future perspectives in this research arena were highlighted.

Agro-ecological engineering in China: a way towards sustainable agriculture

Sustainable development, as a “hot topic”, concerns not only economic development but also environmental protection. Agriculture, the base of other economic activities, has faced many difficulties that include over growth population, land decrease, and land degradation and so on. Therefore, how to increase the food supply, to meet the over\|growth population demands, is the main task all over the world at present, especially in the developing countries, such as China, but we also must protect agricultural environment for medium\| and long\|term development simultaneously. Hence, sustainable development in agriculture is the most important estate that we must concern. Its sustainable development determines the sustainability of other economic development to a great extent. Despite Chinese government has paid much attention to develop agricultural production and obtained great successions, there are also many shortcomings in Chinese agriculture. Therefore, China must seek new approaches for its development and environmental protection that suit local conditions and are based on local resources. Agro ecological engineering, the application of ecological engineering in agriculture, is very thriving in China in recent decades. In this paper, the ecological, economic and social benefits of agro\|ecological engineering are analyzed. The principles are discussed. The results indicated that agro\|ecological engineering can meet the farmer′s short\|, medium\| and long\|term benefits. In the meanwhile, it also concerns not only economic benefits but ecological and social benefits. Therefore, agro\|ecological engineering is a way that leads to sustainable agriculture in the future in China.

Science and Technology Backyard model:implications for sustainable agriculture in Africa

Sustainable food production to feed the growing population in Africa remains a major challenge.Africa has 64%of the global arable land but produces less than 10%of its food locally due to its inherently low soil nutrient concentrations.Poor soil fertility and a lack of fertilizer use are the major constraints to increasing crop yields in Africa.On average only about 8.8 kg NPK fertilizer is applied per hectare by African smallholder farmers.There is therefore considerable potential for increasing food production through sustainable intensification of the cropping systems.The low crop yields in Africa are also partly due to limited farmer access to modern agronomic techniques,including improved crop varieties,a lack of financial resources,and the absence of mechanisms for dissemination of information to smallholders.This study analyzed the Science and Technology Backyards(STBs)model and investigated its use for the transformation of agriculture in Africa.Some key lessons for sustainable crop intensification in Africa can be found from analysis of the STB model which is well established in China.These include(1)scientist-farmer engagement to develop adaptive and innovative technology for sustainable crop production,(2)dissemination of technology by empowering smallholders,especially leading farmers,and(3)the development of an open platform for multiple resource involvement rather than relying on a single mechanism.This review evaluates the benefits of the STB model used in China for adoption to increase agricultural productivity in Africa,with a perspective on sustainable crop intensification on the continent.

Evaluating the Effects of Sustainable Chemical and Organic Fertilizers with Water Saving Practice on Corn Production and Soil Characteristics

The rapidly growing world population,water shortage,and food security are promising problems for sustainable agriculture.Farmers adopt higher irrigation and fertilizer applications to increase crop production resulting in environmental pollution.This study aimed to identify the long-term effects of intelligent water and fertilizers used in corn yield and soil nutrient status.A series of field experiments were conducted for six years with treatments as:farmer accustomed to fertilization used as control(CON),fertilizer decrement(KF),fertilizer decrement+watersaving irrigation(BMP1);combined application of organic and inorganic fertilizer+water-saving irrigation(BMP2),and combined application of controlled-release fertilizer(BMP3).A significant improvement was observed in soil organic matter(14.9%),nitrate nitrogen(106.7%),total phosphorus(23.9%),available phosphorus(26.2%),straw yield(44.8%),and grain yield(54.7%)with BMP2 treatment as compared to CON.The study concludes that integrating chemical and organic fertilizers with water-saving irrigation(BMP2)is a good approach to increasing corn productivity,ensuring water safety and improving soil health.The limitations of the current study include the identification of fertilizer type and its optimum dose,irrigation water type,and geographical position.