Low-carbon development policies and achievements in the context of the livestock sector in China

Rapid growth and a vast transition of Chinese livestock industry driven by economic incentives make it become an important contributor on climate change over the last four decades.This study first analyzes the evolving lowcarbon livestock development policies and regulations,then an assessment and explanations of the achievements and non-achievements are provided.The findings reveal that China began to pay attention to low-carbon development policy starting in the early 1990s.However,only after the cyclic and green concept became the main sustainable development policy,China began to move seriously toward low-carbon livestock development.Several policy instruments were introduced,including moderate scale,feed optimization,manure resource utilization,facility and equipment allocation rate,energy conservation and substitution.Overall,achievements were made in introducing such policies.However,due to the large share of standard agriculture and regional resources,and environmental diversity,such policies may have little effect in practice.The divergence between the policies and actual practices are explained,and important policies applicable to all developing countries are also recommended.

Highlights of special issue on“Sustainable Phosphorus Use in Agri-Food System”

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a project duration mistake.The correction is given below:The duration“2009-2011”(Page 312,line 4)of Sino-German research collaboration project should be“2008-2012”。

Genome-wide search for candidate genes determining vertebrae number in pigs

Longer porcine carcasses may be expected to have more vertebrae. Therefore, vertebrae number in pigs is an economically important trait. To examine the genetic basis of this trait, we genotyped 578 F-2 Large White x Minzhu pigs using the Porcine SNP60K BeadChip. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified 36 significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the chromosomes SSC1 (294.28-300.32 Mb) and SSC7 (102.22-109.39 Mb). A 6.04-Mb region that contained all 13 significant SNPs on SSC1 also contained the gene NR6A1, previously reported to influence the number of vertebrae in pigs. However, the reported putative casual mutation of NR6A1 c. 748C > T showed no genome-wide significant association with the trait, suggesting it was not a causal mutation in our population. The remaining 23 significant SNPs on SSC7 were concentrated in a 7.17-Mb region, which was within a quantitative trait locus interval for number of vertebrae. TMED10 was the closest gene to the most significant SNP and might be a candidate. Haplotype sharing and block analysis refined the QTL to an interval of about 3 Mb containing 29 candidate genes. Of these 29 genes, the previously reported possible casual mutation of VRTN g. 19034A > C was not found to be a causal mutation in our population. Exploration of these genes via additional genetic and functional studies in mammals revealed that TGF beta 3 could be a good candidate on SSC7. A mutation of TGF beta 3 c. 1749G > A was detected by GWAS and could be proposed as a candidate causal mutation, or as closely linked to a causal mutation, for the number of vertebrae in pigs.

Quantification of seepage in a multi-layered disconnected river-aquifer system

Quantification of seepage in disconnected river-aquifer systems is significant for local water management and groundwater pollution control, especially in areas with water shortage or contamination. The vadose zone under riverbeds usually exhibits a multi-layered structure, particularly when paved with low permeability liners. To evaluate the impact of engineering solutions to seepage under such conditions, we proposed an approach by combining GIS and the minimum flux in saturation layer(MFSL) method. MFSL can calculate the stable seepage rate by assessing the dominant low permeability layers(including but not limited to the liners) in multilayered disconnected river-aquifer systems. We used MFSL to calculate local seepage rate, and used GIS to extend the results to a regional scale. The reliability of MFSL is discussed by comparing the results with the double ring infiltration test, the numerical simulation by HYDRUS, and the methods of stream package in MODFLOW, including its improved form. A case study was conducted in the Yongding River with river-aquifer seepage calculated under various conditions, including different river water levels(i.e., under the designated water level, drought stage level, flood stage level and flood inundation level) and with/without low permeability liners(i.e., ecological membranes or geomembrane). Results showed that low permeability liners could greatly reduce the seepage rate. However, if an unlined inundation area exists, the seepage rate may increase greatly. The results indicated that the proposed method was reliable and convenient for calculating long-term, large area seepage in disconnected river-aquifer systems especially those paved with liners.

Autophagy and the nutritional signaling pathway

During their growth and development, animals adapt to tremendous changes in order to survive. These include responses to both environmental and physiological changes and autophagy is one of most important adaptive and regulatory mechanisms. Autophagy is defined as an autolytic process to clear damaged cellular organelles and recycle the nutrients via lysosomic degradation. The process of autophagy responds to special conditions such as nutrient withdrawal. Once autophagy is induced,phagophores form and then elongate and curve to form autophagosomes. Autophagosomes then engulf cargo,fuse with endosomes, and finally fuse with lysosomes for maturation. During the initiation process, the ATG1/ULK1(unc-51-like kinase 1) and VPS34(which encodes a class III phosphatidylinositol(Ptd Ins) 3-kinase) complexes are critical in recruitment and assembly of other complexes required for autophagy. The process of autophagy is regulated by autophagy related genes(ATGs). Amino acid and energy starvation mediate autophagy by activating m TORC1(mammalian target of rapamycin) and AMPactivated protein kinase(AMPK). AMPK is the energy status sensor, the core nutrient signaling component and the metabolic kinase of cells. This review mainly focuses on the mechanism of autophagy regulated by nutrient signaling especially for the two important complexes,ULK1 and VPS34.

Efficient regeneration system applicable to five Musa cultivars

Banana(Musa spp.) is an important staple food, economic crop, and nutritional fruit worldwide.Hybridization is seriously hampered by the long generation time, polyploidy, and sterility of most cultivars.Establishment of an efficient regeneration and transformation system for banana is critical for their genetic improvement. An efficient and reproducible transformation system for banana using direct organogenesis was developed. Media containing benzylaminopurine(BA)combined with one of four other growth regulators was evaluated for the regeneration efficiency of five Musa cultivars and the ability to induce/support development of new banana shoots. The result indicated that the greatest number of shoots per explant for all five Musa cultivars was obtained using MS medium supplemented with8.9 mmol$L–1BA and 9.1 mmol$L–1thidiazuron(TDZ).In 240–270 d, one immature male flower could regenerate between 380 and 456, 310–372, 200–240, 130–156, and100–130 well-developed shoots for Gongjiao, Red banana, Rose banana, Baxi, and Xinglongnaijiao, respectively. Such a system will facilitate molecular breeding and functional genomics of banana.

Effect of calcium on porcine ICSI embryos expressing EGFP is related to activation of ooplasmic DNase I

Several reliable methods to produce transgenic animals use the male genome. After penetration into oocytes, sperm DNA undergoes dramatic conformational changes that might represent an opportunity for exogenous DNA to integrate into the zygote genome. A nuclease,DNase I, with Ca2+/Mg2+dependent activity and Zn2+inhibition, is one of the enzymes responsible for sperm DNA remodeling. To date, the effect of different calcium concentrations in manipulation media on porcine intracytoplasmic sperm injection has not been fully investigated.The present study was conducted to examine the effect of calcium in the surrounding media, and we found that the number of embryos expressing green fluorescent protein(EGFP) was increased in media containing Ca2+. However, the number did not change over Ca2+concentrations from 2 to 8 mmol$L–1(P > 0.05). Moreover, free Ca2+concentrations in the media were found to affect the efficiency which is porcine intracytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI) embryos expressing EGFP protein, which was related to the activation of ooplasmic DNase I. These findings reveal a mechanism and pathway involving EGFP expression in ICSI embryos.

Factors affecting early embryonic development in cattle:relevance for bovine cloning

Female infertility represents a major challenge for improving the production ef?ciency in the dairy industry. Historically, fertility has declined whereas milk yield has increased tremendously due to intensive genetic selection. In vivo evidence reveals about 60% pregnancy loss takes place during the ?rst month following fertilization. Meanwhile, early embryo development is signi?cant for somatic cell nuclear transfer in cattle as a large proportion of cloned embryos fail to develop beyond periimplantation stage. Oocyte quality is of utmost importance for the early embryo to develop to term for both fertilized and cloned embryos. Epigenetic reprogramming is a key process occurring after fertilization and critical roles of epigenetic modi?ers during preimplantation development are now clear. Incomplete epigenetic reprogramming is believed to be a major limitation to cloning ef?ciency.Treatment of cloned embryos with epigenetic modifying drugs(e.g., Trichostatin A) could greatly improve cloning ef?ciency in both mice and cattle. Recently, the rapid progress in high-throughput sequencing technologies has enabled detailed deciphering of the molecular mechanisms underlying these events. The robust ef?ciency of genomic editing tools also presents an alternative approach to the functional annotation of genes critical to early development.

Factors influencing near infrared spectroscopy analysis of agro-products: a review

The near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy technique has wide applications in agriculture with the advantages of being nondestructive, sensitive, safe and rapid. However, there are still more than 40 error sources influencing the robustness and accuracy of its calibration and operation. Environmental, sample and instrument factors that influence the analysis are discussed in this review, including temperature, humidity and other factors that introduce uncertainty. Error sources from livestock products, fruit and vegetables, which are the most common objects in the field of NIR analysis, are also emphasized in the second part. In addition, studies utilizing different instruments, spectral pretreatments, variable selection methods, wavelength ranges, detection modes and calibration methods are tabulated to illustrate the complications they introduce and how they influence NIR analysis. It is suggested that large scale of data with abundant varieties can be used to build a more robust calibration model, in order to improve the robustness and accuracy of the NIR analytical model, and overcome problems caused by confining analysis to too many uniform samples.

Invitation to Contribute to Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering

Colleagues,It is our great pleasure to introduce you to the Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering(FASE),a new international journal launched in 2014.FASE was founded jointly by the Chinese Academy of Engineering,China Agricultural University and Higher Education Press of China.

Invitation to Contribute to Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering

Colleagues,It is our great pleasure to introduce you to the Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering(FASE),a new international journal launched in 2014.FASE was founded jointly by the Chinese Academy of Engineering,China Agricultural University and Higher Education Press of China.

Bioinspired C/TiO_2 photocatalyst for rhodamine B degradation under visible light irradiation

Papilio paris butterfly wings were replicated by a sol-gel method and a calcination process, which could take advantage of the spatial features of the wing to enhance their photocatalytic properties. Hierarchical structures of P. paris-carbon-TiO_2(PP-C-TiO_2) were confirmed by SEM observations. By applying the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method, it was concluded that in the presence of wings the product shows higher surface area with respect to the pure TiO_2 made in the absence of the wings. The higher specific surface area is also beneficial for the improvement of photocatalytic property.Furthermore, the conduction and valence bands of the PPC-TiO_2 are more negative than the corresponding bands of pure TiO_2, allowing the electrons to migrate from the valence band to the conduction band upon absorbing visible light. That is, the presence of C originating from wings in the PP-C-TiO_2 could extend the photoresponsiveness to visible light. This strategy provides a simple method to fabricate a high-performance photocatalyst,which enables the simultaneous control of the morphology and carbon element doping.

Progress in NMR-based metabolomics of Catharanthus roseus

Metabolomics has been rapidly developed as an important field in plant sciences and natural products chemistry.As the only natural source for a diversity of monoterpenoid indole alkaloids(MIAs),especially the low-abundance antitumor agents vinblastine and vincristine,Catharanthus roseus is highly valued and has been studied extensively as a model for medicinal plants improvement.Due to multistep enzymatic biosynthesis and complex regulation,genetic modification in the MIA pathway has resulted in complicated changes of both secondary and primary metabolism in C.roseus,affecting not only the MIA pathway but also other pathways.Research at the metabolic level is necessary to increase knowledge on the genetic regulation of the whole metabolic network connected to MIA biosynthesis.Nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)is a very suitable and powerful complementary technique for the identification and quantification of metabolites in the plant matrix.NMR-based metabolomics has been used in studies of C.roseus for pathway elucidation,understanding stress responses,classification among different cultivars,safety and quality controls of transgenic plants,cross talk between pathways,and diversion of carbon fluxes,with the aim of fully unravelling MIA biosynthesis,its regulation and the function of the alkaloids in the plant from a systems biology point of view.

A comprehensive analysis of immunoglobulin heavy chain genes in the Bactrian camel(Camelus bactrianus)

Heavy chain only antibodies(HCAbs)represent a rare type of antibody that is devoid of light chains and the CH1 domain that have been reported in cartilaginous fish and camelids.By analyzing transcript data and genome sequences,we conducted a comprehensive analysis of Bactrian camel immunoglobulin heavy chain genes.Based on the transcript data,oneμgene,fiveγgenes,oneαgene and oneεgene were found.Additionally,the variable region of HCAbs(VHH)and the conventional antibodies(VH)sequences associated with theγ3,γ1a/b andμgenes were amplified.Based on these genome sequences,seven DH,six JH,μ,γ2a,γ2c,α,andεgenes and a portion of aγ3 gene were observed.Different Kozak sequences within different VH families were found in our analysis,and the variability index differed between the VHH3 and VH3 families.Phylogenetic analysis of the constant regions of the camelid immunoglobulin genes indicates that these genes appeared before the evolutionary divergence of Bactrian camels and dromedaries.

Depletion of conventional mature B cells and compromised specific antibody response in bovine immunoglobulin μ heavy-chain transgenic mice

In this study,we introduced the bovine immunoglobulinμheavy-chain gene(the orphaned gene on BTA11)into mouse germline cells.Bovine IgM was highly expressed in selected transgenic lines,and it largely inhibited rearrangements of the endogenous immunoglobulin heavy chain(IgH)genes in these lines.The forced expression of bovine IgM resulted in reduced numbers of pro-and pre-B cells but increased the number of immature B cells in the transgenic mice.Bovine IgM-expressing B cells can migrate from the bone marrow to the spleen,but most of the cells are arrested at the T1 transitional B cell stage,leading to a significantly lower number of T2 transitional and mature B cells in the spleen.Although the serum concentrations of endogenous IgM and IgG in the transgenic mice were significantly decreased,the IgA levels were slightly increased compared to the WT mice.The bovine IgM level in the serum was only one-tenth to one-fifth of that of endogenous mouse IgM,suggesting that most of the serum immunoglobulin were contributed by endogenous IgH gene-expressing B cells.These transgenic mice also exhibited a lower frequency of unique complementarity determining region 3(CDR3)sequences in their VH repertoire and Vκrepertoire but exhibited an increased frequency of unique CDR3 in their Vλrepertoire.Compared to the WT mice,the transgenic mice had a significantly higher percentage of mouse IgMexpressing B cells that expressedλchains.Finally,we showed that the transgenic mice were deficient in a specific antibody response to antigen stimulation.

SUSTAINABLE NITROGEN MANAGEMENT IN AUSTRALIAN AGROECOSYSTEMS: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient that supports life,but excess N in the humanenvironment system causes multiple adverse effects from the local to the global scale.Sustainable N management in agroecosystems,therefore,has become more and more critical to address the increasing concern over food security,environmental quality and climate change.Australia is facing a serious challenge for sustainable N management due to its emission-intensive lifestyle(high level of animal-source foods and fossil fuels consumption)and its diversity of agricultural production systems,from extensive rainfed grain systems with mining of soil N to intensive crop and animal production systems with excessive use of N.This paper reviews the major challenges and future opportunities for making Australian agrifood systems more sustainable,less polluting and more profitable.

HARNESSING ECOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES AND PHYSIOLOGIC MECHANISMS IN DIVERSIFYING AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS FOR SUSTAINABILITY:EXPERIENCE FROM STUDIES DEPLOYING NATUR-EBASED SOLUTIONS IN SCOTLAND

To achieve the triple challenge of food security,reversing biodiversity declines plus mitigating and adapting to climate change,there is a drive to embed ecological principles into agricultural,value-chain practices and decisionmaking.By diversifying cropping systems at several scales there is potential to decrease reliance on inputs,provide resilience to abiotic and biotic stress,enhance plant,microbe and animal biodiversity,and mitigate against climate change.In this review we highlight the research performed in Scotland over the past 5 years into the impact of the use of ecological principles in agriculture on sustainability,resilience and provision of ecosystem functions.We demonstrate that diversification of the system can enhance ecosystem functions.Soil and plant management interventions,including nature-based solutions,can also enhance soil quality and utilization of legacy nutrients.Additionally,this is facilitated by greater reliance on soil biological processes and trophic interactions.We highlight the example of intercropping with legumes to deliver sustainability through ecological principles and use legumes as an exemplar of the innovation.We conclude that there are many effective interventions that can be made to deliver resilient,sustainable,and diverse agroecosystems for crop and food production,and these may be applicable in any agroecosystem.

Highlights of special issue “Genome Editing in Agriculture:Technology, Applications and Regulations”

Development of a green and sustainable agriculture is one of the greatest challenges for the globe to feed the increasingly growing human population.Among the multiplicity of factors that contribute to highly efficient agriculture,animal and crop breeding have always been regarded as a top priority in the agricultural practice of all agriculturally developed nations.Modern animal and crop breeding,following the theories of Mendel and Darwin.

Agriculture Green Development: a model for China and the world

Realizing sustainable development has become a global priority.This holds,in particular,for agriculture.Recently,the United Nations launched the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs),and the Nineteenth National People’s Congress has delivered a national strategy for sustainable development in China—realizing green development.The overall objective of Agriculture Green Development(AGD)is to coordinate"green"with"development"to realize the transformation of current agriculture with high resource consumption and high environmental costs into a green agriculture and countryside with high productivity,high resource use efficiency and low environmental impact.This is a formidable task,requiring joint efforts of government,farmers,industry,educators and researchers.The innovative concept for AGD will focus on reconstructing the whole crop-animal production and food production-consumption system,with the emphasis on high thresholds for environmental standards and food quality as well as enhanced human well-being.This paper addresses the significance,challenges,framework,pathways and potential solutions for realizing AGD in China,and highlights the potential changes that will lead to a more sustainable agriculture in the future.Proposals include interdisciplinary innovations,whole food chain improvement and regional solutions.The implementation of AGD in China will provide important implications for the countries in developmental transition,and contribute to global sustainable development.

Effect of biochar amendment on soil's retention capacity for estrogenic hormones from poultry manure treatment

Most animals, including humans, produce natural sex hormones such as estrogens: 17β-estradiol(E2) and estrone(E1). These compounds are able to disrupt the reproductive systems of living organisms at trace concentrations(ng·L^(–1)). This experiment tests the hypothesis that 1% slow pyrolysis biochar-amended sandy soil could retain significant amount of estrogens(E1, E2)from poultry manure in its second year of application. The experiment was conducted over 46 days and consisted of a series of lysimeters containing sandy soil with biocharamended topsoil. The application rate of poultry manure was kept at 2.47 kg·m^(–2). The biochar held a significant concentration of hormone during the first year of its application. However, in the following year(current study), there was no significant retention of hormones in the biochar-amended soil. During the first year after application, the biochar was fresh, so its pores were available for hydrophobic interactions and held significant concentration of hormones. As time passed there were several biotic and abiotic changes on the surface of the biochar so that after some physical fragmentation, pores on the surface were no longer available for hydrophobic interactions. The biochar started releasing dissolved organic carbon, which facilitated greater mobility of hormones from poultry manure down the soil profile.