Biological control(biocontrol) is a safe, sustainable approach that takes advantage of natural enemies such as predators, parasitic insects or pathogens to manage pests in agroecosystems. Parasitoid wasps, a very larg...Biological control(biocontrol) is a safe, sustainable approach that takes advantage of natural enemies such as predators, parasitic insects or pathogens to manage pests in agroecosystems. Parasitoid wasps, a very large evolutionary group of hymenopteran insects, are well-known biological control agents for arthropod pests in agricultural and forest ecosystems. Here, we summarize the recent progress on the application of parasitoid wasps in biocontrol in China for the last five years. These include species diversity of parasitoid wasps, identification of dominant parasitoid wasps associated with insect pests and biocontrol practices(three types of biological control, i.e., classical, augmentative and conservation biological control) in several Chinese agroecosystems. We then treat different mass-rearing and release technologies and the commercialization of several parasitoid wasp species. We also summarize other work that may have a potential use in biocontrol, including the effect of plant volatiles on parasitoids and recent advance in the molecular mechanisms underlying the host regulation by parasitoid wasps. Future research area and applied perspectives are also discussed, noting that advances in biocontrol technologies in Chinese agriculture informs research at the global level.展开更多
Scarcity of water and emission of greenhouse gases(GHGs)are the two key environmental issues affecting crop production in India.Reducing the carbon footprint(CF)and water footprint(WF)of crop production can help to mi...Scarcity of water and emission of greenhouse gases(GHGs)are the two key environmental issues affecting crop production in India.Reducing the carbon footprint(CF)and water footprint(WF)of crop production can help to mitigate the environmental hazards that stem from GHG emissions and water scarcity.The CFs and WFs of three major cereal crops,rice,wheat,and maize,were estimated for the year 2014 under the environmental conditions in India,based on national statistics and other data sources.Total CFs(TCFs)of rice,wheat,and maize in India were estimated to be 2.44,1.27,and 0.80 t CO_(2)equivalent ha-1,respectively,and product WFs for rice,wheat,and maize in India were 3.52,1.59,and 2.06 m3 kg^(-1),respectively.Blue WF was found to be the highest in West India for rice and in South India for both wheat and maize,with the highest irrigation water use in these regions.There was a positive correlation between TCF and total WF,and hence mitigation of both was possibly simultaneous in various regions in India.Potential measures for mitigating GHG emissions and optimizing water use for rice,wheat,and maize production in India are recommended in this paper.展开更多
The crop production in Ethiopia is markedly constrained by soil nutrient depletion and limited fertilizer input. Nitrogen is among the most yield-limiting factors of cereal crops, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA...The crop production in Ethiopia is markedly constrained by soil nutrient depletion and limited fertilizer input. Nitrogen is among the most yield-limiting factors of cereal crops, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). A meta-analysis of 82 studies was carried out to evaluate the response of major cereal crops, viz. wheat, maize, barley, teff, and sorghum, to nitrogen fertilization in Ethiopia. The results showed that N-application significantly increased yields of all the five crops examined herein. The average yields of the treatment effects over controls for the five crops were 3775.8 kg∙ha<sup>−1</sup> and 2593.3 kg∙ha<sup>−1</sup>, respectively. The overall yield response to nitrogen treatments for all the crops was 64.8% (wheat, 96.5%;maize, 40.65%;barley 84.36%;teff, 50.48%;and sorghum;23%). Overall, nitrogen agronomic efficiency (AE<sub>N</sub>) and partial factor productivity (PFP<sub>N</sub>) were 18.2 and 71.81 kg∙kg<sup>−1</sup>, respectively. A downtrend of nitrogen use efficiency with an increase in N rate was realized. The yield response was higher for the nitrogen treatment effects of >100 kg∙N∙ha<sup>−1</sup> (123.9%), clay soils (75.46%), low initial soil organic carbon (SOC) and available phosphorous (AP) (92.4% and 101.6%), respectively, Therefore, we recommend the application of nitrogen fertilizer (>100 kg∙N∙ha<sup>−1</sup>), especially on infertile soils for improved grain yield and NUE in aforementioned cereal crops in Ethiopia and similar regions in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).展开更多
Grain yield is a polygenic trait that can be influenced by environmental factors and genetic compositions at all plant growth stages.Currently,the molecular mechanisms behind the coordination of the interaction betwee...Grain yield is a polygenic trait that can be influenced by environmental factors and genetic compositions at all plant growth stages.Currently,the molecular mechanisms behind the coordination of the interaction between grain yield-related traits remain unknown.In this study,we characterized the function of four STRESS_tolerance and GRAIN_LENGTH(Os SGL)Poaceae ortholog genes that are transcribed into DUF1645 domain-containing proteins in relation to the grain length,grain weight,and drought stress-tolerance of rice.The transgenic plants with overexpressing or heterologous high levels of Poaceae OsSGL ortholog genes exhibited longer grain size than the wild type plants.Larger cells were seen in panicles of the four transgenic lines with paraffin sectioning and scanning electron microscopy analyses.In addition,four Poaceae OsSGL ortholog genes positively affected the drought tolerance of rice.Four transgenic plants displayed higher resistance to drought stress at the seedling and vegetative stages.RNA-sequencing and qRT-PCR results indicated that over-or heterologous-expression of four Poaceae OsSGL ortholog genes also affected the transcriptome of rice plants.These genes may play a role in auxin and cytokinin biosynthesis and their transduction pathways.Taken together,these results suggested that the four OsSGL orthologs have a conserved function in the regulation of stress-tolerance and cell growth by modulating hormonal biosynthesis and signaling.展开更多
Vertical farming systems,such as sky farms,are a potential type of agricultural system for stable and effective food production.Here,we highlight the potential of the sky farm,denoted as the“skyscraper crop factory”...Vertical farming systems,such as sky farms,are a potential type of agricultural system for stable and effective food production.Here,we highlight the potential of the sky farm,denoted as the“skyscraper crop factory”(SCF),for cereal crop production and discuss some nascent technologies that would be applied in this production system.SCFs are ideal crop-production systems for increasing the effective arable area for crops and ensuring food security in times of crises that cause a shock in global trade.They can also provide food in urban areas to meet producers’and consumers’demands for the increased nutrition,taste,and safe production of cereal crops.Moreover,as their use can reduce greenhouse gas emissions,SCFs could be a sustainable addition to conventional agricultural crop production.展开更多
基金supported by the Key Program(31630060)Fund for Excellent Young Scholars(31230068)General Program(31672079 and 31501700) of the National Natural Science Foundation of China
文摘Biological control(biocontrol) is a safe, sustainable approach that takes advantage of natural enemies such as predators, parasitic insects or pathogens to manage pests in agroecosystems. Parasitoid wasps, a very large evolutionary group of hymenopteran insects, are well-known biological control agents for arthropod pests in agricultural and forest ecosystems. Here, we summarize the recent progress on the application of parasitoid wasps in biocontrol in China for the last five years. These include species diversity of parasitoid wasps, identification of dominant parasitoid wasps associated with insect pests and biocontrol practices(three types of biological control, i.e., classical, augmentative and conservation biological control) in several Chinese agroecosystems. We then treat different mass-rearing and release technologies and the commercialization of several parasitoid wasp species. We also summarize other work that may have a potential use in biocontrol, including the effect of plant volatiles on parasitoids and recent advance in the molecular mechanisms underlying the host regulation by parasitoid wasps. Future research area and applied perspectives are also discussed, noting that advances in biocontrol technologies in Chinese agriculture informs research at the global level.
基金financial assistance provided by the Ministry of Earth Sciences,Government of India and Department of Science and Technology,Government of Indiathe Director General,Indian Council of Agricultural Research(ICAR)and Director,ICAR-National Rice Research Institute(NRRI)for providing support in the execution of this workthe Delivering Food Security on Limited Land Project,Belmont Forum,India(No.FACCE-JPI via NERC)。
文摘Scarcity of water and emission of greenhouse gases(GHGs)are the two key environmental issues affecting crop production in India.Reducing the carbon footprint(CF)and water footprint(WF)of crop production can help to mitigate the environmental hazards that stem from GHG emissions and water scarcity.The CFs and WFs of three major cereal crops,rice,wheat,and maize,were estimated for the year 2014 under the environmental conditions in India,based on national statistics and other data sources.Total CFs(TCFs)of rice,wheat,and maize in India were estimated to be 2.44,1.27,and 0.80 t CO_(2)equivalent ha-1,respectively,and product WFs for rice,wheat,and maize in India were 3.52,1.59,and 2.06 m3 kg^(-1),respectively.Blue WF was found to be the highest in West India for rice and in South India for both wheat and maize,with the highest irrigation water use in these regions.There was a positive correlation between TCF and total WF,and hence mitigation of both was possibly simultaneous in various regions in India.Potential measures for mitigating GHG emissions and optimizing water use for rice,wheat,and maize production in India are recommended in this paper.
文摘The crop production in Ethiopia is markedly constrained by soil nutrient depletion and limited fertilizer input. Nitrogen is among the most yield-limiting factors of cereal crops, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). A meta-analysis of 82 studies was carried out to evaluate the response of major cereal crops, viz. wheat, maize, barley, teff, and sorghum, to nitrogen fertilization in Ethiopia. The results showed that N-application significantly increased yields of all the five crops examined herein. The average yields of the treatment effects over controls for the five crops were 3775.8 kg∙ha<sup>−1</sup> and 2593.3 kg∙ha<sup>−1</sup>, respectively. The overall yield response to nitrogen treatments for all the crops was 64.8% (wheat, 96.5%;maize, 40.65%;barley 84.36%;teff, 50.48%;and sorghum;23%). Overall, nitrogen agronomic efficiency (AE<sub>N</sub>) and partial factor productivity (PFP<sub>N</sub>) were 18.2 and 71.81 kg∙kg<sup>−1</sup>, respectively. A downtrend of nitrogen use efficiency with an increase in N rate was realized. The yield response was higher for the nitrogen treatment effects of >100 kg∙N∙ha<sup>−1</sup> (123.9%), clay soils (75.46%), low initial soil organic carbon (SOC) and available phosphorous (AP) (92.4% and 101.6%), respectively, Therefore, we recommend the application of nitrogen fertilizer (>100 kg∙N∙ha<sup>−1</sup>), especially on infertile soils for improved grain yield and NUE in aforementioned cereal crops in Ethiopia and similar regions in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.31501393,31671671 and 31671612)the Open Research Fund of State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice(Wuhan University,China)(Grant No.KF201803)。
文摘Grain yield is a polygenic trait that can be influenced by environmental factors and genetic compositions at all plant growth stages.Currently,the molecular mechanisms behind the coordination of the interaction between grain yield-related traits remain unknown.In this study,we characterized the function of four STRESS_tolerance and GRAIN_LENGTH(Os SGL)Poaceae ortholog genes that are transcribed into DUF1645 domain-containing proteins in relation to the grain length,grain weight,and drought stress-tolerance of rice.The transgenic plants with overexpressing or heterologous high levels of Poaceae OsSGL ortholog genes exhibited longer grain size than the wild type plants.Larger cells were seen in panicles of the four transgenic lines with paraffin sectioning and scanning electron microscopy analyses.In addition,four Poaceae OsSGL ortholog genes positively affected the drought tolerance of rice.Four transgenic plants displayed higher resistance to drought stress at the seedling and vegetative stages.RNA-sequencing and qRT-PCR results indicated that over-or heterologous-expression of four Poaceae OsSGL ortholog genes also affected the transcriptome of rice plants.These genes may play a role in auxin and cytokinin biosynthesis and their transduction pathways.Taken together,these results suggested that the four OsSGL orthologs have a conserved function in the regulation of stress-tolerance and cell growth by modulating hormonal biosynthesis and signaling.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program(2022YFB3604600)the Local Financial Project of the National Agricultural Science and Technology Center(NASC2023TD01 and NASC2023TD10)+2 种基金the Central Public-interest Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund(S2022006)the Sichuan Science and Technology Program(2022NSFSC1719)the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program of CAAS(ASTIP-34-IUA-01 and ASTIP-IUA2023002)。
文摘Vertical farming systems,such as sky farms,are a potential type of agricultural system for stable and effective food production.Here,we highlight the potential of the sky farm,denoted as the“skyscraper crop factory”(SCF),for cereal crop production and discuss some nascent technologies that would be applied in this production system.SCFs are ideal crop-production systems for increasing the effective arable area for crops and ensuring food security in times of crises that cause a shock in global trade.They can also provide food in urban areas to meet producers’and consumers’demands for the increased nutrition,taste,and safe production of cereal crops.Moreover,as their use can reduce greenhouse gas emissions,SCFs could be a sustainable addition to conventional agricultural crop production.
