Perspectives on ecological risks of microplastics and phthalate acid esters in crop production systems

Recognizing the growing interest in the application of organic photovoltaics (OPVs) with greenhouse crop production systems, in this study we used flexible, roll-to-roll printed, semi-transparent OPV arrays as a roof shade for a greenhouse hydroponic tomato production system during a spring and summer production season in the arid southwestern U.S. The wavelength-selective OPV arrays were installed in a contiguous area on a section of the greenhouse roof, decreasing the transmittance of all solar radiation wavelengths and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) wavelengths (400–700 nm) to the OPV-shaded area by approximately 40% and 37%, respectively. Microclimate conditions and tomato crop growth and yield parameters were measured in both the OPV-shaded (‘OPV’) and non-OPV-shaded (‘Control’) sections of the greenhouse. The OPV shade stabilized the canopy temperature during midday periods with the highest solar radiation intensities, performing the function of a conventional shading method. Although delayed fruit development and ripening in the OPV section resulted in lower total yields compared to the Control section (24.6 kg m−2 and 27.7 kg m−2, respectively), after the fourth (of 10 total) harvests, the average weekly yield, fruit number, and fruit mass were not significantly different between the treatment (OPV-shaded) and control group. Light use efficiency (LUE), defined as the ratio of total fruit yield to accumulated PAR received by the plant canopy, was nearly twice as high as the Control section, with 21.4 g of fruit per mole of PAR for plants in the OPV-covered section compared to 10.1 g in the Control section. Overall, this study demonstrated that the use of semi-transparent OPVs as a seasonal shade element for greenhouse production in a high-light region is feasible. However, a higher transmission of PAR and greater OPV device efficiency and durability could make OPV shades more economically viable, providing a desirable solution for co-located greenhouse crop production and renewable energy generation in hot and high-light intensity regions.

Download Full-text

Precision agriculture and geospatial techniques for sustainable disease control

Indian Phytopathology ◽

10.1007/s42360-021-00334-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Daniel P. Roberts ◽

Nicholas M. Short ◽

James Sill ◽

Dilip K. Lakshman ◽

Xiaojia Hu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Big Data ◽

Disease Control ◽

Crop Production ◽

Plant Disease ◽

Production Systems ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Data Driven ◽

Agricultural Community ◽

Plant Disease Control ◽

Crop Germplasm

AbstractThe agricultural community is confronted with dual challenges; increasing production of nutritionally dense food and decreasing the impacts of these crop production systems on the land, water, and climate. Control of plant pathogens will figure prominently in meeting these challenges as plant diseases cause significant yield and economic losses to crops responsible for feeding a large portion of the world population. New approaches and technologies to enhance sustainability of crop production systems and, importantly, plant disease control need to be developed and adopted. By leveraging advanced geoinformatic techniques, advances in computing and sensing infrastructure (e.g., cloud-based, big data-driven applications) will aid in the monitoring and management of pesticides and biologicals, such as cover crops and beneficial microbes, to reduce the impact of plant disease control and cropping systems on the environment. This includes geospatial tools being developed to aid the farmer in managing cropping system and disease management strategies that are more sustainable but increasingly complex. Geoinformatics and cloud-based, big data-driven applications are also being enlisted to speed up crop germplasm improvement; crop germplasm that has enhanced tolerance to pathogens and abiotic stress and is in tune with different cropping systems and environmental conditions is needed. Finally, advanced geoinformatic techniques and advances in computing infrastructure allow a more collaborative framework amongst scientists, policymakers, and the agricultural community to speed the development, transfer, and adoption of these sustainable technologies.

Download Full-text

Effects of cereal rye seeding rate on waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus) emergence and soybean growth and yield

Weed Technology ◽

10.1017/wet.2021.28 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-25

Author(s):

Mandy Bish ◽

Brian Dintelmann ◽

Eric Oseland ◽

Jacob Vaughn ◽

Kevin Bradley

Keyword(s):

Crop Production ◽

Production Systems ◽

Soil Seed Bank ◽

Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Growth And Yield ◽

Seeding Rate ◽

Early Season ◽

Cereal Rye ◽

Herbicide Resistant ◽

Growing Seasons

Abstract The evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds has resulted in the necessity to integrate non-chemical control methods with chemicals for effective management in crop production systems. In soybean, control of the pigweed species, particularly herbicide-resistant waterhemp and Palmer amaranth, have become predominant concerns. Cereal rye planted as a winter cover crop can effectively suppress early-season weed emergence in soybean, including waterhemp, when planted at a rate of 123 kg ha−1. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of different cereal rye seeding rates (0, 34, 56, 79, 110, and 123 kg ha−1) on early-season waterhemp suppression and soybean growth and yield. Soybean was planted into fall-seeded cereal rye, which was terminated within four days of soybean planting. The experiment was conducted over the 2018, 2019, and 2020 growing seasons in Columbia, Missouri. Effects of cereal rye on early-season waterhemp suppression varied by year and were most consistent at 56 kg ha−1 or higher seeding rates. Linear regression analysis of cereal rye biomass, height, or stand at soybean planting showed inverse relationships with waterhemp emergence. No adverse effects to soybean growth or yield were observed at any of the cereal rye seeding rates relative to plots that lacked cereal rye cover. Result differences among the years suggest that the successfulness of cereal rye on suppression of early-season waterhemp emergence is likely influenced by the amount of waterhemp seed present in the soil seed bank.

Download Full-text

The Assessment of the Sewage and Sludge Contamination by Phthalate Acid Esters (PAEs) in Eastern Europe Countries

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13020529 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 529

Author(s):

Olga Anne ◽

Tatjana Paulauskiene

Keyword(s):

Water Samples ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Phthalate Esters ◽

Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽

Sediment Samples ◽

Toxicological Effects ◽

Sources Of Pollution ◽

Eastern European Countries ◽

Acid Esters ◽

Phthalate Acid Esters

Phthalate acid esters (PAEs) are widely used as raw materials for industries that are well known for their environmental contamination and toxicological effects as “endocrine disruptors”. The determining of PAE contamination was based on analysis of dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dipropyl phthalate (DPP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in wastewater and sediment samples collected from city sewer systems of Lithuania and Poland, and Denmark for comparison. The potential PAE sources as well as their concentrations in the wastewater were analyzed and discussed. The intention of the study was to determine the level and key sources of pollution by phthalates in some Eastern European countries and to reveal the successful managerial actions to minimize PAEs taken by Denmark. Water and sludge samples were collected in 2019–2020 and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The highest contamination with phthalates in Lithuania can be attributed to DEHP: up to 63% of total PAEs in water samples and up to 94% of total PAEs in sludge samples, which are primarily used as additive compounds to plastics but do not react with them and are gradually released into the environment. However, in water samples in Poland, the highest concentration belonged to DMP—up to 210 μg/L, while the share of DEHP reached 15 μg/L. The concentrations of priority phthalate esters in the water samples reached up to 159 μg/L (DEHP) in Lithuania and up to 1.2 μg/L (DEHP) in Denmark. The biggest DEHP concentrations obtained in the sediment samples were 95 mg/kg in Lithuania and up to 6.6 mg/kg in Denmark. The dominant compounds of PAEs in water samples of Lithuania were DEHP > DEP > DiBP > DBP > DMP. DPP and DCHP concentrations were less than 0.05 μg/L. However, the distribution of PAEs in the water samples from Poland was as follows: DMP > DEHP > DEP > DBP, and DiBP, as well as DPP and DCHP, concentrations were less than 0.05 μg/L. Further studies are recommended for adequate monitoring of phthalates in wastewater and sludge in order to reduce or/and predict phthalates’ potential risk to hydrobiots and human health.

Download Full-text

Revisiting Sulphur—The Once Neglected Nutrient: It’s Roles in Plant Growth, Metabolism, Stress Tolerance and Crop Production

Agriculture ◽

10.3390/agriculture11070626 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 626

Author(s):

Tinashe Zenda ◽

Songtao Liu ◽

Anyi Dong ◽

Huijun Duan

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Abiotic Stresses ◽

Crop Production ◽

Production Systems ◽

Crop Productivity ◽

Plant Phenotyping ◽

Special Importance ◽

Nutrient Deficiencies ◽

Sulphur Nutrition ◽

Physiological Processes

Sulphur plays crucial roles in plant growth and development, with its functions ranging from being a structural constituent of macro-biomolecules to modulating several physiological processes and tolerance to abiotic stresses. In spite of these numerous sulphur roles being well acknowledged, agriculture has paid scant regard for sulphur nutrition, until only recently. Serious problems related to soil sulphur deficiencies have emerged and the intensification of food, fiber, and animal production is escalating to feed the ever-increasing human population. In the wake of huge demand for high quality cereal and vegetable diets, sulphur can play a key role in augmenting the production, productivity, and quality of crops. Additionally, in light of the emerging problems of soil fertility exhaustion and climate change-exacerbated environmental stresses, sulphur assumes special importance in crop production, particularly under intensively cropped areas. Here, citing several relevant examples, we highlight, in addition to its plant biological and metabolism functions, how sulphur can significantly enhance crop productivity and quality, as well as acclimation to abiotic stresses. By this appraisal, we also aim to stimulate readers interests in crop sulphur research by providing priorities for future pursuance, including bettering our understanding of the molecular processes and dynamics of sulphur availability and utilization in plants, dissecting the role of soil rhizospherical microbes in plant sulphur transformations, enhancing plant phenotyping and diagnosis for nutrient deficiencies, and matching site-specific crop sulphur demands with fertilizer amendments in order to reduce nutrient use inefficiencies in both crop and livestock production systems. This will facilitate the proper utilization of sulphur in crop production and eventually enhance sustainable and environmentally friend food production.

Download Full-text

Phthalate acid esters in pickled vegetables packaged in polyethylene terephthalate container: Occurrence, migration, and estrogenic activity-associated risk assessment

Journal of Food Composition and Analysis ◽

10.1016/j.jfca.2021.103880 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 99 ◽

pp. 103880

Author(s):

Elhameh Cheshmazar ◽

Leila Arfaeinia ◽

Yasser Vasseghian ◽

Bahman Ramavandi ◽

Masoud Moradi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Assessment ◽

Polyethylene Terephthalate ◽

Estrogenic Activity ◽

Pickled Vegetables ◽

Acid Esters ◽

Phthalate Acid Esters

Download Full-text

iHSD Mill Efficacy on the Seeds of Australian Cropping System Weeds

Weed Technology ◽

10.1017/wet.2017.95 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 32 (2) ◽

pp. 103-108 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Michael J. Walsh ◽

John C. Broster ◽

Stephen B. Powles

Keyword(s):

Moisture Content ◽

Crop Production ◽

Production Systems ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Cropping System ◽

High Efficacy ◽

Weed Seed ◽

Rigid Ryegrass ◽

Mill Speed ◽

Wheat Chaff

AbstractIn Australia, widespread evolution of multi-resistant weed populations has driven the development and adoption of harvest weed seed control (HWSC). However, due to incompatibility of commonly used HWSC systems with highly productive conservation cropping systems, better HWSC systems are in demand. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the integrated Harrington Seed Destructor (iHSD) mill on the seeds of Australia’s major crop weeds during wheat chaff processing. Also examined were the impacts of chaff type and moisture content on weed seed destruction efficacy. Initially, the iHSD mill speed of 3,000 rpm was identified as the most effective at destroying rigid ryegrass seeds present in wheat chaff. Subsequent testing determined that the iHSD mill was highly effective (>95% seed kill) on all Australian crop weeds examined. Rigid ryegrass seed kill was found to be highest for lupin chaff and lowest in barley, with wheat and canola chaff intermediate. Similarly, wheat chaff moisture reduced rigid ryegrass seed kill when moisture level exceeded 12%. The broad potential of the iHSD mill was evident, in that the reductions in efficacy due to wide-ranging differences in chaff type and moisture content were relatively small (≤10%). The results from these studies confirm the high efficacy and widespread suitability of the iHSD for use in Australian crop production systems. Additionally, as this system allows the conservation of all harvest residues, it is the best HWSC technique for conservation cropping systems.

Download Full-text

An Old Pest, a New Solution

Outlook on Agriculture ◽

10.5367/000000005774378793 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 34 (3) ◽

pp. 181-187 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Alan Cork ◽

Malcolm J. Iles ◽

Nazira Q. Kamal ◽

J.C. Saha Choudhury ◽

M. Mahbub Rahman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Crop Production ◽

Production Systems ◽

Insect Pests ◽

Cropping System ◽

Environmentally Benign ◽

Mass Trapping ◽

Economic Returns ◽

Collaborative Project ◽

Field School ◽

High Yielding Varieties

Bangladesh is essentially self-sufficient in rice as a result of the successful adoption of new high-yielding varieties and irrigated summer production over traditional deep-water cultivation practices. The sustainability of the cropping system depends on farmers adopting integrated pest management (IPM) practices in preference to relying solely on insecticides for pest and disease control. Yet insecticide consumption in rice is increasing, in common with other crop-production systems in Bangladesh. It is probably only the poor economic returns from rice cultivation that prevent more widespread use of pesticides. Enlightened agrochemical companies such as Syngenta Bangladesh Limited have recognized that insecticide use in rice should be discouraged, and promote IPM options through their farmer field school (FFS) programme. This paper describes the results of a collaborative project to assist Syngenta to develop and incorporate mass trapping with sex pheromones into their FFS programme as an environmentally benign method of controlling the predominant insect pests of rice, stem borers.

Download Full-text