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The global agricultural sector faces immense challenges in ensuring food security for a growing population while safeguarding environmental and human health. The discovery of new products and solutions for the sustainable crop protection of the future is an imperative necessity and a matter of great urgency. With the purpose to showcase the most recent innovations and developments in crop protection

Understanding the relationships among different types of droughts is critical for effective drought early warning systems and water resource management. While much attention has recently been given to how agricultural drought (AD) is influenced by meteorological drought (MD), the spatial continuity of this relationship has often been overlooked. In this study, we introduce a set of criteria for identifying

As one of the important factors limiting tree growth in forests, competition structure, such as neighborhood competitive pressure and individual tree competitive ability, plays a significant role in regulating tree responses to drought events, but how it performs in different intensities of droughts remains unclear. Here, we used a network of Larix gmelinii tree-ring data and field data in 41 sites

Fog inundation along California's Coast Range creates microclimates that support coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) Endl.) forests during the summer drought period. With changes in land use and climate, the coast redwood ecosystem is more susceptible to increased drought stress. Thus, understanding the role of fog in relieving drought stress is important to manage the remaining coast redwood

Plant phenology is an important trait in the adaptation of species to climate change. Shifts in multiple sequential phenological events and phenological synchrony among species would influence ecosystem function. However, little is known about how climate change affects sequential phenological events and phenological synchrony among species, limiting our comprehensive understanding of the strategies

Shrubland soils play a significant role in global carbon sequestration, yet the factors influencing soil organic carbon stocks at different depths in subtropical shrublands remain poorly understood, introducing large biases in understanding and predicting terrestrial carbon dynamics. This study examines the relative impacts of abiotic and biotic drivers on SOC density (SOCD) in topsoils (0–30 cm) and

In the Midwest region of the United States, the dormant or cold season has experienced significant changes over the past several decades due to human-caused global warming, and changes are projected to continue or intensify through the end of the century. Changes in chill accumulation and spring frost injury risk are particularly concerning for specialty crop growers in the Midwest. Despite their importance

Perennials can produce more biomass and partially replace annual crops. However, environmental benefits of perennials over annuals in terms of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions have rarely been compared in a long-term field experiment. By combining automatic and manual chamber methods, we aimed to develop reliable N2O estimates from annual and perennial systems. We measured N2O emissions from: i. perennial

Purpose of Review Tree species mixtures are often more productive than monocultures. One possible reason for this is higher absorption of photosynthetically active radiation (APAR) and improved light use efficiency (LUE) in mixtures. Here, we identified the processes influencing APAR and LUE in forests, examined how APAR and LUE are influenced by mixing species or reducing stand density, how these

The mid-high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere are one of the major gathering areas of global vegetation, playing a key role in regulating the climate and carbon cycle. Studying the interactive effects of vegetation phenological dynamics and climate change will help predict future vegetation dynamics and ecological protection. However, the response of vegetation phenology to multi-dimensional climatic

The rapid expansion of oasis areas and seasonal water scarcity pose significant threats to the stability and maintenance of oases. Oases and deserts exhibit distinct dynamic and hydrothermal properties, resulting in oasis-desert interactions that help alleviate the situation. However, due to difficulties in adequately characterizing the high dynamic and thermal heterogeneities of the real oasis-desert

This study introduces an innovative approach, addressing dual environmental challenges of water treatment and sustainable bioenergy generation. We have synthesized a sustainable biogenic agal-bivalve shells-based composite (CAL-GRABC) for phosphate recovery from aqueous solutions and subsequent biogas production. The findings revealed that the sorption process of PO43− onto CAL-GRABC was pH-dependent

Crops face vulnerability due to climate change, but the consequences of warming on crop production across diverse environmental conditions need to be better understood. We conducted a global meta-analysis by analyzing 5690 paired observations to understand the warming effects on the production of four major staple crops (wheat, rice, maize, and soybean). Results indicated that a 2.1 °C warming decreases

In this study, we present results of characterization and reactivity of Fe-doped carbonaceous materials during their catalytic gasification with CO2. The samples include carbons derived from the thermal treatment of lignocellulosic residues pine sawdust (PiDC) and almond shells (AlDC) and a commercial graphite (AG) used for comparison. Iron-supported samples (Fe/PiDC, Fe/AlDC, Fe/AGC) were prepared

The increasing demand for sustainable bioenergy solutions emphasizes the need of optimizing microalgae cultivation systems to achieve cost-effective and efficient biomass production. The potential of microalgae as a bioenergy feedstock is significantly influenced by nutrient optimization, particularly with respect to nitrogen. This study evaluated the effects of six nitrogen sources, each providing

Decentralized energy systems in the Amazon face challenges such as diesel dependence, high transport costs, and limited sustainability. Woody residues from sustainable forest management offer a viable bioenergy alternative, yet combustion kinetics, thermodynamics, and emissions data remain scarce. This study provides a comprehensive thermokinetic assessment of four blends comprising six Amazonian wood

The depletion of petroleum reserves has intensified the global pursuit of renewable and sustainable alternative fuels. Single-cell oils (SCOs), produced by microorganisms, have emerged as a promising substitute for traditional fossil fuels and other biological sources owing to their renewability, environmental sustainability, energy efficiency, versatility, and potential to reduce carbon emissions

Afforestation is gaining global attention for its role in carbon sequestration and timber production. Afforestation affects hydrological processes in forest ecosystems, including water yield. However, there is a paucity of long-term observation data to examine the effects of afforestation on water yield. Moreover, drought caused by global warming could change the runoff generation process and make

Perennial fruit trees will likely face a severe drought during their lifespan as climate change places pressure on irrigation resources. Our understanding of carry-over effects of seasonal drought on physiological performance is limited. This research assessed the physiological effects of soil water deficit on three-year-old field-grown pear trees of the combination ‘D'Anjou’/OHxF.87 and then also

Southwest China was affected by two extreme droughts in the autumn to spring of 2012–2013 and the winter to summer of 2020–2021. These droughts caused water depletion, crop damage, and socio-economic disruption. However, little is known about the accurate representation of the two drought events and the responses of vegetation to the droughts. We used multiple vegetation indices and multi-source climate

The nocturnal boundary layer height (hN) was investigated using one year of data (2022) collected by sonic anemometers installed at 11 heights, above the canopy top on the towers of the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO) in Central Amazon. Unlike previous assessments relying on indirect methodologies, in the present study hN was directly estimated from measurements of turbulent fluxes of momentum

Agri-food system is facing multiple challenges under climate change. Developing climate-smart agricultural practices need process-based agroecosystem models which better simulate crop production and greenhouse gas emissions simultaneously. However, existing models often prioritize one aspect while oversimplify the other. Here, we develop an agroecosystem model, the MCWLA 2.0, which integrates the process-based

Traditional Chinese medicine residue (CMR) is a solid waste after the decoction of traditional Chinese medicine. Directly burying or burning is a waste of this resource. Most Chinese medicine residues are from plants, so they have great potential for pyrolysis, gasification and combustion. However, research on the CMR pyrolysis combustion process and pyrolysis gasification products is lacking. This

Electrolysis from biomass offers a viable approach to transforming organic waste into high-purity hydrogen that remains unexplored. The study discusses optimising the pre-treatment conditions to maximise hydrogen production from poultry litter via electrolysis. Biomass electrolysis involves two steps: first, the biomass material is broken down, and then the hydrogen produced during the electrolysis