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.

(Re)assessing Climate-Smart Agriculture practices for sustainable food systems outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa:The case of Bono East Region,Ghana

This research paper assesses the reality of Climate-Smart Agriculture(CSA)practices’potential to promote the outcomes of sustainable food systems(SFS)within Ghana’s smallholding agriculture context.The study demon-strates that rural farmers generally perceive CSA’s contribution to‘food and nutrition security’and‘economic performance’as more important than CSA’s contribution to‘social equity’and‘environmental stewardship’.From a narrow perspective,the study demonstrates that farmers perceive CSA’s potential to‘prevent pest and disease outbreaks’and‘increase human capital information’as the most important contribution of CSA to SFS outcomes.In contrast,CSA’s potential to promote environmental stewardship is perceived as the least important among Ghana’s rural farmers.This enormity of displacement of smallholders’perceptions at large is motivated by de-mographic,socioeconomic and ecological factors.Moreso,the CSA for SFS outcomes narratives is driven by farmers’self-apprise,social networks and other local information dissemination agents.Furthermore,research findings suggest farmers’awareness of CSA practices and interventions is deficient owing to unmet training and information needs for approximately 82%of the CSA practices and interventions.This situation elucidates the dichotomy of CSA practices’narratives as tools for attaining food,nutrition security and economic performance to the detriment of critical issues such as increasing awareness and building farmers’capacity to engage with CSA practices while also managing socio-ecological trade-offs that emerge over time due to engagement with CSA.Critical(re)orientation is needed across the scale to drive CSA practices and interventions that confine cli-mate adaptation and food production practices within safe planetary boundaries without undermining social,economic,food and nutrition security needs.

消费者信息素养对社区支持农业(CSA)可持续发展的影响--基于绿色信任的中介效应

信息和生态已经成为推进绿色农业发展的主导要素,提升消费者信息素养和绿色信任则是保障绿色农业发展模式可持续的关键.信息素养分为信息意识、信息知识和信息能力,绿色信任分为能力信任和善意信任.以新型绿色农业发展模式的代表社区支持农业(CSA)为例,基于820份CSA消费者调查问卷研究发现:消费者信息素养,以及消费者信息素养的3个维度对CSA可持续发展均具有正向显著影响;绿色信任在消费者信息素养和CSA可持续发展之间起中介作用;能力信任在消费者信息意识、信息知识和CSA可持续发展之间起中介作用;善意信任在消费者信息能力和CSA可持续发展之间起遮掩作用.因此,推进CSA可持续发展,不仅要提升消费者信息素养,加强生产者对网络、电商、物流等信息技术的应用,而且还要充分发挥社会力量在产销双方之间的桥梁作用,加强政府部门对CSA的制度和经济支持,为提升消费者绿色信任服务.

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.

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.

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT IN SALINE-ALKALI SOIL AREA OF SONGNEN PLAIN,NORTHEAST CHINA

There is great potential for agriculture in saline-alkali soil area in Songnen Plain, Northeast China. But the sustainable crop production in this area has been restricted by a few of main factors, such as less precipitation, h igher evaporation and frequent drought, high salinity and alkalinity, high excha ngeable sodium content and poor infiltration of the soil, and insufficiency and low availability in nutrition. It is also considered that there are a few of fav orable conditions for agricultural development in this region, such as sufficien t light and heat resources, rich ground water resources, plenty of manure produc ed by livestock, and so on. At the same time, scientific management and measurem ents have been employed; rational irrigation and drainage system has been establ ished; reclamation, amendment and fertilization of soil, and suitable strategies of cropping practices have been made for the sustainable development of agricul ture. Great progress has been made during 1996-2000.

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.

Sustainable Development of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry in Tibet Based on "Resource Saving and Environment Friendly"

During the ＂13th five-year＂ period,Tibet is building a well-off society in an all-round way and constructing a harmonious socialist new countryside. The pace of economic construction in the west is advanced step by step,and all kinds of economic construction subjects show obvious increasing trend. As one of the regions with rich agriculture and animal husbandry resources,it is inevitable to face the problems that wild resources are gradually consumed,and environmental pollution is severe in Tibet. While developing the economy,it must not damage the environment. To a certain extent,the resource and environment infrastructure is the material basis for economic development. With the gradual progress of economic construction,improvement of residents＇ living standards,and updating of consumption structure,it needs to build,produce and live in the environment of ＂ beautiful Tibet with clean water,blue sky and green＂. In this paper,based on resource-saving and environment-friendly angle,it sufficiently understands the importance and urgency of accelerating sustainable development of agriculture and animal husbandry in Tibet from the global and strategic heights. It should accelerate Tibet agriculture and animal husbandry taking ＂ resource-saving and environment-friendly＂,put the sustainable development of agriculture and animal husbandry in an important historical development opportunity,and impel large economic development of plateau agriculture and animal husbandry.

Review on the Impact of Climate Change on Great Lakes Region’s Agriculture and Water Resources

This study investigates the multifaceted impacts of climate change on the Midwest region of the United States, particularly the rising temperatures and precipitation brought about by hot weather activities and technological advances since the 19th century. From 1900 to 2010, temperatures in the Midwest rose by an average of 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit, which would also lead to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Precipitation is also expected to increase due to increased storm activity and changes in regional weather patterns. This paper explores the impact of these changes on urban and agricultural areas. In urban areas such as the city of Chicago, runoff from the increasing impervious surface areas poses challenges to the drainage system, and agriculture areas are challenged by soil erosion, nutrient loss, and fewer planting days due to excessive rainfall. Sustainable solutions such as no-till agriculture and the creation of grassland zones are discussed. Using historical data, recent climate studies and projections, the paper Outlines ways to enhance the Midwest’s ecology and resilience to climate change.

Performance of a Horizontal Flow Constructed Reed Bed Filter for Municipal Wastewater Treatment: The Case Study of the Prototype Installed at Gaston Berger University, Saint-Louis, Senegal

In Saint-Louis, Senegal, a constructed wetland with horizontal flow reed beds (FHa and FHb) has demonstrated significant efficacy in treating municipal wastewater. Analyzing various treatment stages, the system showed only a slight temperature variation, from an influent average of 26.3°C to an effluent of 24.7°C. Electrical conductivity decreased from 1331 mS/cm to 974.5 mS/cm post-primary treatment, with suspended solids (SS) dramatically reduced from 718.9 mg/L to 5.7 mg/L in the final effluent. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) saw a notable decrease, from initial levels of 655.6 mg/L and 1240 mg/L to 2.3 mg/L and 71.3 mg/L, respectively. Nitrogenous compounds (N-TN) and phosphates () also decreased significantly, indicating the system’s nutrient removal capacity. Microbiological analysis revealed a reduction in fecal coliforms from 7.5 Ulog/100ml to 1.8 Ulog/100ml and a complete elimination of helminth eggs. The presence of Phragmites and Typha was instrumental in enhancing these reductions. The system’s compliance with the Senegalese standards for disposal into natural environments, WHO recommendations for unrestricted water reuse in irrigation, and the European legislation for water reuse was established. The effluent quality met the stringent criteria for various classes of agricultural reuse, illustrating the system’s potential for sustainable water management. This wetland model presents a robust solution for water-stressed regions, ensuring environmental protection while supporting agricultural needs. The study calls for ongoing research to further refine the system for optimal, reliable wastewater treatment and water resource sustainability.

The Role of Cover Crops towards Sustainable Soil Health and Agriculture—A Review Paper

Cover crops are the plants which are grown to improve soil fertility, prevent soil erosion, enrichment and protection of soil, and enhance nutrient and water availability, and quality of soil. Cover crops provide several benefits to soils used for agriculture production. Cover crops are helpful in increasing and sustaining microbial biodiversity in soils. We summarized the effect of several cover crops in soil properties such as soil moisture content, soil microbial activities, soil carbon sequestration, nitrate leaching, soil water, and soil health. Selection of cover crops usually depends on the primary benefits which are provided by cover crops. Other factors may also include weather conditions, time of sowing, either legume or non-legume and timing and method of killing of a cover crop. In recent times, cover crops are also used for mitigating climate change, suppressing weeds in crops and increasing exchangeable nutrients such as Mg2+ and K+. Cover crops are also found to be economical in long-term experiment studies. Although some limitations always come with several benefits. Cover crops have some problems including the method of killing, host for pathogens, regeneration, and not immediate benefits of using them. Despite the few limitations, cover crops improve the overall health of the soil and provide a sustainable environment for the main crops.

The Discussion on the Interaction and Integration of Modern Agriculture and Rural Tourism Sustainable Development

The thesis summarizes the connotation of rural tourism and divides it into six types,including rural sight-seeing,rural body-building activity,rural folk culture,rural experience of farm work,rural business affairs,and study and development.It outlines the theory of sustainable development of rural tourism and points out that what sustainable development of tourism concerns is the coordination of ecology,economy,and society centering on human and nature.On the basis of introducing the connotation of modern agriculture,it divides modern agriculture into six types,including sightseeing agriculture,leisure agriculture,green agriculture,characteristic agriculture,factory agriculture,and three-dimensional agriculture.And by concluding,it obtains the combination model of modern agriculture and rural tourism.Based on the introduction of the above related theories,the thesis discusses the interaction and integration model of the sustainable development of modern agriculture and rural tourism.It emphatically analyzes the integration model of modern agriculture and rural tourism,including pastoral agriculture tourism model(sightseeing village,leisure farm,citizen farm),and science education tourism model(agricultural science and technology education base,tourism and leisure education agricultural park,children's,agricultural education base,agricultural exposition).Based on the interaction and integration relationship between modern agriculture and rural tourism,the thesis puts forward corresponding countermeasures so as to promote their positive development and realize the maximum of ecological,social and economic benefits.

Sewage Sludge: An Important Biological Resource for Sustainable Agriculture and Its Environmental Implications

Intensive farming generally needs large addition of organic matter to maintain fertility and enhance crop yields. Sewage sludge/biosolids are by-products of municipal and industrial wastewater treatment and a rich source of organic nutrients. Sewage sludge having high content of organic matter, macro- and micro-nutrients, can be used as fertilizer/soil conditioner for food, vegetable crop, horticultural plants and pasture, which in most cases can be beneficially recycled. In the past sewage sludge was regarded as a waste product due to expected high level of contaminants such as pathogens, pollutants and synthetic materials discharged in sewer from homes and industries, which were often incinerated, dumped in occasion or land fill. As a result of rapidly increasing population, urbanization and industrialization, wastewater production and sewage sludge generation have increased manifold. Due to high cost of mineral fertilizers and escalating trends in their prices, there is an increasing trend of using sewage sludge in agriculture, especially under intensive cropping in arid and semi arid regions of the country. Therefore, application of sewage sludge to agricultural soils may be sustainable and economical due to nutrient cycling and disposal of sewage sludge. However, there may be a risk in use of sewage sludge due to potentially harmful contents present in the sludge such as heavy metals and pathogens. This paper, therefore, presents a review on various aspects of sewage sludge used in agriculture.

COMPLEX ECOLOGIC－ECONOMIC SYSTEM OF AFFORESTATION－AN EXAMPLE OF SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

ＣＯＭＰＬＥＸ ＥＣＯＬＯＧＩＣ－ＥＣＯＮＯＭＩＣ ＳＹＳＴＥＭ ＯＦ ＡＦＦＯＲＥＳＴＡＴＩＯＮ－ＡＮ ＥＸＡＭＰＬＥ ＯＦ ＳＵＳＴＡＩＮＡＢＬＥ ＡＧＲＩＣＵＬＴＵＲＥ ＬｉＸｉａｏｆａｎｇ（李孝芳）（ＣｏｍｍｉｓｓｉｏｎｆｏｒＩｎｔｅｇｒａｔ...

Agriculture in Hilly and Mountainous Landscapes: Threats, Monitoring and Sustainable Management

Agricultural landscapes cultivated in hilly and mountainous areas,often with terracing practice,could represent for some regions historical heritages and cultural ecosystem services.For this reason,they deserve to be protected.The complex morphology that characterises them,however,makes these areas intrinsically susceptible to hydrogeological instability,such as soil loss due to surface erosion or more severe mass movements.We can identify three major critical factors for such landscapes.The first is related to the socio-economic evolution of contemporary civilization,that increased the land abandonment of several rural regions,leading therefore to a lack of maintenance.A second element is the unsustainable agricultural practices,such as excessive heavymechanization that cause soil compaction thus accelerating degradation.Finally,the climate change forcing,with the increasing of the extreme rainfall.In this complex framework,it is necessary to find innovative solutions for the mitigation of hydrogeological risk and to respond in a well-prepared way to the possible future critical scenarios.Therefore,the use of sustainable agricultural practices,which allow the production of quality agricultural products in perfect harmony with the surrounding environment,becomes crucial.Suitable solutions must respond to the criterion of multidisciplinary,where the various stakeholders collaborate by offering their specific knowledge in a shared intention of problem-solving.The discipline of geography may become a valuable asset in this framework.In particular,thanks to the recent technological advances in the topographic survey(e.g.innovative remote sensing techniques such as drones and airborne laser scanning),it is possible to exploit digital terrain analysis to synthesize key information for decision-makers,in order to plan sustainable interventions.Moreover,thanks to the high-resolution and accuracy offered by digital topography and the advanced morphometric algorithms,it is possible to tackle the problem of hydrogeological risk from a unique and privileged perspective:that of prevention.

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）,

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.

Closing crop yield and efficiency gaps for food security and sustainable agriculture

The world population is estimated to reach 10 billion by 2050. The rise in population coupled with improving living standards will require a doubling of the crop yield to fulfill food demand and livestock feed, which means crop yield will need to increase by 60–110% between 2005 and 2050(Tilman et al. 2011).

Urbanization and Its Impacts to Food Systems and Environmental Sustainability in Urban Space: Evidence from Urban Agriculture Livelihoods in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Urbanisation is the key factor underpinning and catalysing changes in food systems, environmental quality, climate change and agriculture livelihoods in the overall urban ecosystem setting and its sustainability. The paper explores Dar es Salaam, a rapidly expanding city in Sub-Saharan Africa, and shows that urban agriculture provides urban ecosystem services and contributes to environmental sustainability. The interconnections of environmental justice, urban ecosystem services and climate change and variability found eminent feature that influence land governance, productivity and aesthetic value of the city. The study reaffirms the pivotal role urban agriculture which plays to enhance community health services and access to resources, with important implications on urban environmental sustainability and redistributive spatial land use planning policies and practices. The process of urbanisation, forms of urban agriculture and government strategies for enhanced urban food systems in the city economy have been highlighted. Equally, the process triggers the transformation of settlements from rural in character to modernity with an augmented land use conflicts. The results suggests that with increasing population, a clear spatial land use planning and management strategy is required to overcome the challenges and enhanced food systems and urban environmental sustainability in rapidly urbanizing cities like Dar es Salaam in Sub-Saharan Africa.