Bioenergy: Examining the Efficient Utilization of Agricultural Biomass as a Source of Sustainable Renewable Energy in Louisiana

The use of renewable energy is steadily being adopted as a mitigative measure for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By assessing biomass production and consumption estimates from Louisiana parishes, this study examines the utilization of agricultural biomass as a convenient renewable energy source, and the potential of marginal lands for growing bioenergy crops in Louisiana. This was achieved by retrieving parish-level acreage production of some biofuel crops recorded in 2021 using the Quick Stats Database, to map out the spatial locations and distribution of the biofuel crops. To examine the potential of Louisiana’s marginal lands in bioenergy crop production, data was obtained from the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) database and mapped-out according to the eight Land Capability Classes numbered I-VIII. The results of the mapped-out acreage data revealed that 25% of the 64 parishes including Morehouse recorded high corn production estimates, while 43%, such as East Carroll, recorded high soybean production. Meanwhile, cotton production estimates were relatively low, as recorded in only 9 parishes, with one parish, Tensas, having the highest acreage production of around 23,000. Although the identified marginal lands in parishes such as Allen and Vernon had no records of corn, soybean, or cotton production, the soil survey database revealed that these marginal lands have high nutrient soils like Alfisols, Entisols and Inceptisols with optimal nutrient balance essential for high yield bioenergy crop production. Hence, this paper highlights Louisiana’s agricultural biomass to be leveraged as sustainable renewable sources while adhering to clear production guidelines, biofuel sustainability certification, and internationally agreed sustainability criteria.

Crop Insurance, Premium Subsidy and Agricultural Output

This paper studied the effects of crop insurance on agricultural output with an economic growth model. Based on Ramsey-Cass-Koopmans （RCK） model, a basic model of agriculture economic growth was developed. Extending the basic model to incorporate uncertainty and insurance mechanism, a risk model and a risk-insurance model were built to study the inlfuences of risk and crop insurance on agricultural output. Compared with the steady states of the three models, the following results are achieved：（i） agricultural output decreases if we introduce uncertainty into the risk-free model;（ii） crop insurance promotes agriculture economic growth if insurance mechanism is introduced into the risk model;（iii） premium subsidy constantly improves agricultural output. Our contribution is that we studied the effects of crop insurance and premium subsidy from the perspective of economic growth in a dynamic framework, and proved the output promotion of crop insurance theoretically.

Phosphorus losses via surface runoff in rice-wheat cropping systems as impacted by rainfall regimes and fertilizer applications

Phosphorus（P） losses from agricultural soils contribute to eutrophication of surface waters. This field plot study investigated effects of rainfall regimes and P applications on P loss by surface runoff from rice（Oryza sativa L.） and wheat（Triticum aestivum L.） cropping systems in Lake Taihu region, China. The study was conducted on two types of paddy soils（Hydromorphic at Anzhen site, Wuxi City, and Degleyed at Xinzhuang site, Changshu City, Jiangsu Province） with different P status, and it covered 3 years with low, high and normal rainfall regimes. Four rates of mineral P fertilizer, i.e., no P（control）, 30 kg P ha^（–1） for rice and 20 kg P ha^（–1） for wheat（P_（30＋20））, 75 plus 40（P_（75＋40））, and 150 plus 80（P_（150＋80））, were applied as treatments. Runoff water from individual plots and runoff events was recorded and analyzed for total P and dissolved reactive P concentrations. Losses of total P and dissolved reactive P significantly increased with rainfall depth and P rates（P〈0.0001）. Annual total P losses ranged from 0.36–0.92 kg ha^–1 in control to 1.13–4.67 kg ha^–1 in P150＋80 at Anzhen, and correspondingly from 0.36–0.48 kg h^–1 to 1.26–1.88 kg ha^–1 at Xinzhuang, with 16–49% of total P as dissolved reactive P. In particular, large amounts of P were lost during heavy rainfall events that occurred shortly after P applications at Anzhen. On average of all P treatments, rice growing season constituted 37–86% of annual total P loss at Anzhen and 28–44% of that at Xinzhuang. In both crop seasons, P concentrations peaked in the first runoff events and decreased with time. During rice growing season, runoff P concentrations positively correlated（P〈0.0001） with P concentrations in field ponding water that was intentionally enclosed by construction of field bund. The relative high P loss during wheat growing season at Xinzhuang was due to high soil P status. In conclusion, P should be applied at rates balancing crop removal（20–30 kg P ha^–1 in this study） and at time excluding heavy rains. Moreover, irrigation and drainage water should be appropriately managed to reduce runoff P losses from rice-wheat cropping systems.

Characterizing historical(1992–2010) transitions between grassland and cropland in mainland France through mining land-cover survey data

Grassland, as one of the largest ecosystems on the earth, supports various goods and services to humanity.Historically, humans have increased agricultural output primarily by cropland expansion and agricultural intensification.The cropland area was primarily gained at the expense of grassland and forests.Apart from grassland conversion, increasing consumption of calorie- and meat-intensive diets drives the intensification of livestock systems, which is shifting steadily from grazing to feeding with crops.To cope with the environmental degradation due to agriculture, various forms of ‘green payment＇ were implemented to promote the adoption of sustainable farming practices over the last two decades in the European Union.The aim of this study is to monitor the recent transitions（1992–2010） between grassland and cropland during two Common Agricultural Policy（CAP） reforms at the French mainland scale.We proposed an innovative approach to link grassland conversion to agricultural commodities and farming systems practices.We first assessed the grassland-to-cropland conversion and further investigated the crop sequence patterns that were observed to be dominant after the conversion through mining land-cover survey data Teruti and Teruti-Lucas.We found the trends of the transitions between grassland and cropland over the two time intervals： The loss of grassland（1992–2003） and restoration or re-expansion of grassland（2006–2010） in mainland France.Our finding on the crop sequence patterns after the grassland conversion reveals two notable evolutions of agricultural production systems.These evolutions were related to the increase in the proportion of cropland in the total agricultural land use.One evolution was most likely influenced by the demand for fodder： The conversion from grazing livestock to feeding livestock.Another evolution was the conversion from livestock production to field crop production.Our results indicate that the intensification of livestock farming systems continued over the last two decades in France.We conclude that, the approach developed in this study can be considered as a generic method for monitoring the transitions between grassland and cropland and further identifying the crop sequence patterns after the grassland conversion from time-series land cover data.

A Modeling Study of Climate Change and Its Implication for Agriculture in China Part II: The Implication of Climate Change for Agriculture in China

The potential CO2-induced impacts on the geographical shifts of wheat growth zones in China were studied from seven GCMs outputs. The wheat growth regions may move northward and westward under the condition of a doubling CO2 climate. The wheat cultivation features and variety types may also assume significant changes. Climatic warming would have a positive influence in Northeast China, but high temperature stress may be produced in some regions of central and southern China. Higher mean air temperatures during wheat growth, particularly during the reproductive stages, may increase the need for earlier-maturing and more heat-tolerant cultivars.

Impact of systems modelling on agronomic research and adoption of new practices in smallholder agriculture

An analysis of the impact of simulation modelling in three diverse crop-livestock improvement projects in Agricultural Research for Development（AR4D） reveals benefits across a range of aspects including identification of objectives, design and implementation of experimental programs, effectiveness of participatory research with smallholder farmers, implementation of system change and scaling-out of results.In planning change, farmers must consider complex interactions within both biophysical and socioeconomic aspects of their crop and animal production activities.For this, whole-farm models that include household models of food, workload and financial requirements have the most utility and impact.The analysis also proposes improvements in design and implementation of AR4 D projects to improve the utility of simulation modelling for securing positive agronomic and livestock outcomes and lasting legacies.

Applying Technique Assembly to Raise the Production Level of Mechanized Agriculture

On the basis of accomplishment obtained in the course of mechanized crop production owing to the progress of science and technology,the authors propose further in this paper the target and prineiples of technique assembly in agricultural production.A typical high yield model of technique assembly for soybean and wheat production is given as an example.

Filling agricultural waste into coal mine goafs:a potential carbon sequestration in China

China is a significant atmospheric carbon dioxide producer.Burning of agricultural waste in China is also a problematic issue,raising environmental and carbon-emission-related concerns.Furthermore,the coal-dependent economy is accompanied by the formation of large coal mine goaf areas,particularly in Shanxi Province.In this context,the idea of filling crop residues into the coal mine goafs is proposed.This concept addresses multi-functions:(1)carbon sequestration,(2)an alternative disposal method of crop residue in rural areas,and(3)coal mine goaf remedy.

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.

China's Entry into the WTOWill Invite a Bumper Crop of Foreign Investment in Its Agriculture

China’sentryintotheWorldTradeOrganizationwillinviteabumpercropofforeigninvestmentinitshugeagriculturaleconomy,anofficialfromtheMinistryofAgriculturesaid."Expansionofthecountry’sagricultureand’ruraleconomymeansever-increasingdemandsonforeignfundsandte...

Natural and anthropogenic rates of soil erosion

Regions of land that are brought into crop production from native vegetation typically undergo a period of soil erosion instability,and long term erosion rates are greater than for natural lands as long as the land continues being used for crop production.Average rates of soil erosion under natural,non-cropped conditions have been documented to be less than 2 Mg ha^(-1) yr^(-1).On-site rates of erosion of lands under cultivation over large cropland areas,such as in the United States,have been documented to be on the order of6 Mg ha^(-1) yr^(-1)or more.In northeastern China,lands that were brought into production during the last century are thought to have average rates of erosion over this large area of as much as 15 Mg ha^(-1) yr^(-1) or more.Broadly applied soil conservation practices,and in particular conservation tillage and no-till cropping,have been found to be effective in reducing rates of erosion,as was seen in the United States when the average rates of erosion on cropped lands decreased from on the order of 9Mg ha^(-1) yr^(-1) to 6 or 7Mg ha^(-1) yr^(-1) between 1982 and 2002,coincident with the widespread adoption of new conservation tillage and residue management practices.Taking cropped lands out of production and restoring them to perennial plant cover,as was done in areas of the United States under the Conservation Reserve Program,is thought to reduce average erosion rates to approximately 1 Mg ha^(-1) yr^(-1) or less on those lands.