The Impact of a Controlled-Release Fertilizer on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and the Efficiency of the Production of Chinese Cabbage

Soil Microbial Community Structure and Carbon Stocks Following Fertilization with Organic Fertilizers and Biological Inputs

The application of organic fertilizers and biological inputs to soil inevitably affects its quality, agrochemical indicators, and microbiota. Sustainable agriculture is based on continuously learning about how to properly manage available soil, water, and biological resources. The aim of the study was to determine changes in microorganism communities and carbon stocks in infertile soils for fertilization using different organic fertilizers and their combinations with bio-inputs. Genetic analysis of microorganism populations was performed using the NGS approach. Our study showed that the application of organic fertilizers affects the soil microbiota and the taxonomic structure of its communities. Specific groups of bacteria, such as Bacillota, were promoted by organic fertilization, meanwhile the abundance of Pseudomonadota and Ascomycota decreased in most treatments after the application of poultry manure. Metagenomic analysis confirmed that the use of bio-inputs increased the relative abundance of Trichoderma spp. fungi; meanwhile, a significant change was not found in the representatives of Azotobacter compared to the treatments where the bio-inputs were not used. The positive influence of fertilization appeared on all the studied agrochemical indicators. Higher concentrations of Corg and Nmin accumulated in the soil when we used granulated poultry manure, and pHKCl when we used cattle manure.

Agricultural and innovation policies aimed at mitigating climate change

The EU supports agricultural policies to help farmers meet the challenges of climate change (CC) by promoting more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. This study focuses on the European primary sector (agriculture, forestry, and fisheries), productive activities that meet humanity's basic needs, although this sector does not account for a dominant share of GDP. The analysis uses a panel data sample of 22 European countries for the period 2012-2019, and seeks to answer the following research questions: Is there a direct relationship between agricultural innovation efficiency and the technological advances implemented? What effect do GHG emissions and innovation efficiency have on CC? Which agricultural practices have the greatest effect on the volume of GHG emissions? The results indicate that the European primary sector has registered an average rise in productivity of 4%, mainly driven by technological improvements. This underscores the need for agricultural innovation policies that focus not only on improving aspects related to technology but also on making better use of existing resources. In addition, the econometric models estimated confirm that efficiency levels are the most influential determinants of temperature change, while GHG emissions are primarily explained by their own historical values. Ultimately, research and development is a tool that can be used to curb CC, along with the proper use of land and fertilizers. There is thus a need to foster novel agricultural practices that help reduce emissions while ensuring the efficiency of the sector.

Multicomponent biodegradable hydrogels based on natural biopolymers as environmentally coating membrane for slow-release fertilizers: Effect of crosslinker type

This work aims to explore the suitable crosslinker type for synthesizing multicomponent biodegradable hydrogels of cassava starch (CSt) grafted with acrylic acid (AA) semi-interpenetrated by natural rubber (NR)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) blend (CSt-g-PAA/NR/PVA, CSB semi-IPN hydrogel) as coating membranes for slow-release urea fertilizers. Three crosslinker types (ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA), glutaraldehyde (GA) and N,N'- methylene-bis-acrylamide (MBA)) were employed to investigate their influences on the properties of CSB semi-IPN hydrogels. The results revealed that the different crosslinkers clearly exhibited different water-retention capacity, biodegradation, slow release and plant growth performance of the CSB semi-IPN hydrogels. The CSB-G2 hydrogel (crosslinked with GA at 2 wt%) remained higher water-retention at 30 days (20.2 %), greater rate of degradation (1.37 %/day) and better biosafety (OD600 = 2.26) compared to CSB-M2 and CSB-E2 hydrogels. After urea pellets were coated by CSB hydrogels and wax layers (UCSBw formulation), the urea release rates from the UCSBw-M2, UCSBw-E2 and UCSBw-G2 formulations in 30 days were 67.7 %, 68.7 % and 78.3 %, respectively, corresponding well with swelling ratio and pore size. Besides, the UCSBw-G2 formulation yielded the greater plant growth performance (height, leaf length and product weight) than other two formulations and commercial fertilizer. In conclusion, GA is the suitable crosslinker for synthesizing the CSB-g-PAA/NR/PVA hydrogels with high water-retention, excellent biodegradation, less negative impact on environments, acceptable slow-release rate, good biosafety and reasonable price for slow-release fertilizers.

Controlled release fertilizers (CRFs) for climate-smart agriculture practices: a comprehensive review on release mechanism, materials, methods of preparation, and effect on environmental parameters

Fertilizers play an essential role in increasing crop yield, maintaining soil fertility, and provide a steady supply of nutrients for plant requirements. The excessive use of conventional fertilizers can cause environmental problems associated with nutrient loss through volatilization in the atmosphere, leaching to groundwater, surface run-off, and denitrification. To mitigate environmental issues and improve the longevity of fertilizer in soil, controlled release fertilizers (CRFs) have been developed. The application of CRFs can reduce the loss of nutrients, provide higher nutrient use efficiency, and improve soil health simultaneously to achieve the goals of climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices. The major findings of this review paper are (1) CRFs can prevent direct exposure of fertilizer granule to soil and prevent loss of nutrients such as nitrate and nitrous oxide emissions; (2) CRFs are less affected by the change in environmental parameters, and that can increase longevity in soil compared to conventional fertilizers; and (3) CRFs can maintain required soil nitrogen levels, increase water retention, reduce GHG emissions, lead to optimum pH for plant growth, and increase soil organic matter content. This paper could give good insights into the ongoing development and future perspectives of CRFs for CSA practices.

Recent Advances in Nanomaterial-Based Biosensors for Pesticide Detection in Foods

Biosensors are a simple, low-cost, and reliable way to detect pesticides in food matrices to ensure consumer food safety. This systematic review lists which nanomaterials, biorecognition materials, transduction methods, pesticides, and foods have recently been studied with biosensors associated with analytical performance. A systematic search was performed in the Scopus (n = 388), Web of Science (n = 790), and Science Direct (n = 181) databases over the period 2016–2021. After checking the eligibility criteria, 57 articles were considered in this study. The most common use of nanomaterials (NMs) in these selected studies is noble metals in isolation, such as gold and silver, with 8.47% and 6.68%, respectively, followed by carbon-based NMs, with 20.34%, and nanohybrids, with 47.45%, which combine two or more NMs, uniting unique properties of each material involved, especially the noble metals. Regarding the types of transducers, the most used were electrochemical, fluorescent, and colorimetric, representing 71.18%, 13.55%, and 8.47%, respectively. The sensitivity of the biosensor is directly connected to the choice of NM and transducer. All biosensors developed in the selected investigations had a limit of detection (LODs) lower than the Codex Alimentarius maximum residue limit and were efficient in detecting pesticides in food. The pesticides malathion, chlorpyrifos, and paraoxon have received the greatest attention for their effects on various food matrices, primarily fruits, vegetables, and their derivatives. Finally, we discuss studies that used biosensor detection systems devices and those that could detect multi-residues in the field as a low-cost and rapid technique, particularly in areas with limited resources.

Agrobot Lala-An Autonomous Robotic System for Real-Time, In-Field Soil Sampling, and Analysis of Nitrates

This paper presents an autonomous robotic system, an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), for in-field soil sampling and analysis of nitrates. Compared to standard methods of soil analysis it has several advantages: each sample is individually analyzed compared to average sample analysis in standard methods; each sample is georeferenced, providing a map for precision base fertilizing; the process is fully autonomous; samples are analyzed in real-time, approximately 30 min per sample; and lightweight for less soil compaction. The robotic system has several modules: commercial robotic platform, anchoring module, sampling module, sample preparation module, sample analysis module, and communication module. The system is augmented with an in-house developed cloud-based platform. This platform uses satellite images, and an artificial intelligence (AI) proprietary algorithm to divide the target field into representative zones for sampling, thus, reducing and optimizing the number and locations of the samples. Based on this, a task is created for the robot to automatically sample at those locations. The user is provided with an in-house developed smartphone app enabling overview and monitoring of the task, changing the positions, removing and adding of the sampling points. The results of the measurements are uploaded to the cloud for further analysis and the creation of prescription maps for variable rate base fertilization.

European Green Deal: Threats Assessment for Agri-Food Exporting Countries to the EU

This article is devoted to assessing and substantiating the threats for countries/exporters of agricultural products to the EU under conditions of the European Green Deal. The revealed comparative advantages index (RCA), comparison method, correlation and regression analysis, and taxonomic method have been applied. According to the RCA index the main causes for the relatively significant volume of agri-food exports by some countries to the EU have been identified; using the comparison method it was found that among the leading countries by agricultural products export to the EU, many states do not meet the European Green Deal target criteria for agriculture. Correlation and regression analysis has revealed that among the chosen factors only the volume of fertilisers use per cropland has direct and strong influence on CO2eq emissions; by a taxonomic method the threats value for the leading agri-food exporters to the EU has been calculated. The major agri-food exporters to the EU under conditions of the European Green Deal targets till 2030 have a high threat regarding reduction of their supply to the Member States in the case of a possible Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism or the introduction of other import restriction mechanisms in future. The results of the study can be used by the government and other executive bodies of the analysed countries to make adequate and rapid decisions to avoid the threats of possible agri-food exports reduction to the EU under the further European Green Deal implementation.

Taxonomy and Stakeholder Risk Management in Integrated Projects of the European Green Deal

The article analyzed the state of the global problem of ecological safety of the EU and argued the need to create a methodology for planning technologically integrated projects of the “European Green Deal” (TIP “EGD”) that accounts for the risks to the stakeholders, i.e., the state, project executors, resource suppliers, project managers, and clients. Each of these has an individual set of values that determines the project risk for them. Herein is proposed a taxonomy of three ranks of TIP “EGD” involving agricultural waste, determined by their characteristics, products, and requirements for the stakeholders. The authors point out the need to create tools for quantitative risk assessment for the stakeholders of TIP “EGD” involving agricultural waste and distinguish four groups of risk components with regard to the value of such projects. A model of value risk formation is presented that addresses the risk management of each of these stakeholder values. The need to develop tools (models, methods, and algorithms) for quantitative risk assessment of the values of each type of project is discussed. Regularities in the formation of stakeholder values, which were a foundation of the model of formation, are established.

Preparation, Characterization of Granulated Sulfur Fertilizers and Their Effects on a Sandy Soils

There is a potential for using sulfur waste in agriculture. The main objective of this study was to design a granular fertilizer based on waste elemental sulfur. Humic acids and halloysite were used to improve the properties and their influence on soil properties. This is the first report on the use of proposed materials for fertilizer production. The following granular fertilizers were prepared (the percentage share of component weight is given in brackets): fertilizer A (waste sulfur (95%) + halloysite (5%)), fertilizer B (waste sulfur (81%) + halloysite (5%) + humic acids (14%)), fertilizer C (waste sulfur (50%) + halloysite (50%)) and fertilizer D (waste sulfur (46%) + halloysite (46%) + humic acids (8%)). Basic properties of the obtained granulates were determined. Furthermore, the effect of the addition of the prepared fertilizers on soil pH, electrolytic conductivity, and sulfate content was examined in a 90-day incubation experiment. Enrichment with humic acids and the higher amount of halloysite increased the fertilizer properties (especially the share of larger granules and bulk density). In addition, it stabilized soil pH and increased the sulfur content (extracted with 0.01 mol·L^-1 CaCl₂ and Mehlich 3) in the soil.

Mechanical Activation of Smectite-Based Nanocomposites for Creation of Smart Fertilizers

This research presents the mechanical creation of smart fertilizers from a mixture of smectite and urea in a 3:2 ratio by using the planetary milling technique. The smectite–urea composites show intercalation between urea and mineral, which increases steadily with increasing activation time. A shift of X-Ray Diffraction basal reflections, intensities of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) peaks, and weight losses in thermogravimetric analysis (TG) document the systematic crystallo-chemical changes of the composites related to nitrogen interaction with activation. Observations of the nanocomposites by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) corroborate the inference. Nitrogen intercalates with smectite in the interlayer space and remains absorbed either within micro-aggregates or on the surface of activated smectites. Soil leaching tests reveal a slower rate of nitrogen than that of traditional urea fertilizers. Different forms of nitrogen within the composites cause their differential release rates to the soil. The formulated nanocomposite fertilizer enhances the quality and quantity of oat yield.

Assessment of the Multiannual Impact of the Grape Training System on GHG Emissions in North Tajikistan

The overarching goal of agricultural sciences is to optimize production technology to rationalize the use of production resources, energy, and space. Due to its high fertilization and water requirements, the vine is a plant with a high potential for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The modifying factor in the production technology is plantation management. To reach the assumed goal, a field experiment was conducted in the years 2001–2020, and the following training systems were used: multi-arm fan system (A) trunk height <30 cm, (B) 80 cm, (C) 120 cm, one-side multi-arm, paired planting (D) 120 cm, (E) 140 cm. The total amount of GHGs emitted in vine cultivation was calculated according to ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards. The system boundaries were: establishing the plantation, the production and use of fertilizers and pesticides, energy consumption for agricultural treatments, and gas emissions from the soil. The amount of GHG emissions for cultivation using the systems A, B, C ranged from 426.77 to 556.34 kg of CO2-eq Mg of yield−1, while in the case of D and E systems, the value was approx. 304.37 to 306.23 CO2-eq Mg of yield−1. When comparing this stage with total annual emissions related to cultivation (for 1 ha), the amount of emitted GHGs at this stage is from approx. 42% to 58% higher than from annual emission related to cultivation. Concrete poles are the main element related with GHG emission during stage of plantation establishment, from 97 to 98% of emission. In the case of annual production, nitrogen fertilizers are responsible for approx. 36%. Moreover, the results show that systems D and E increased the average annual fruit yield (per 19 years of research) by approx. 68% compared to the A, B, C systems. There was no difference in the yield of plants with different height of shoots in the D and E systems. The “one-side, multi-arm, paired planting system” was characterized by the highest production and environmental efficiency.

A Review on Current Status of Biochar Uses in Agriculture

In a time when climate change increases desertification and drought globally, novel and effective solutions are required in order to continue food production for the world's increasing population. Synthetic fertilizers have been long used to improve the productivity of agricultural soils, part of which leaches into the environment and emits greenhouse gasses (GHG). Some fundamental challenges within agricultural practices include the improvement of water retention and microbiota in soils, as well as boosting the efficiency of fertilizers. Biochar is a nutrient rich material produced from biomass, gaining attention for soil amendment purposes, improving crop yields as well as for carbon sequestration. This study summarizes the potential benefits of biochar applications, placing emphasis on its application in the agricultural sector. It seems biochar used for soil amendment improves nutrient density of soils, water holding capacity, reduces fertilizer requirements, enhances soil microbiota, and increases crop yields. Additionally, biochar usage has many environmental benefits, economic benefits, and a potential role to play in carbon credit systems. Biochar (also known as biocarbon) may hold the answer to these fundamental requirements.

Food Choices and Their Impact on Health and Environment

Food choices are complex and highly variable, even over short periods, as they are influenced by numerous psychological, social, and cultural factors, in addition to biological and economic ones. Consumer choices are increasingly complex because of the growing quantity and variety of available food products, which also affects individuals’ environments. This paper is part of a larger study on health-related food choices, and it discusses how food choices affect the environment. To achieve the research goal, classes of respondents that are homogeneous in their food choices were identified. The authors used an algorithm to build classification trees and found that health status is determined by respondents’ age and food consumption habits. The paper demonstrates that understanding individual nutritional choices is a prerequisite for changing consumption habits and shaping healthy behavior, which is in line with the principle of sustainable development through sustainable consumption. The findings are relevant to public health researchers and practitioners who wish to understand the relationship between nutritional practices and health in line with sustainable development.

Application of Granular and Non-Granular Organic Fertilizers in Terms of Energy, Environmental and Economic Efficiency

Granular organic fertilizers have been increasingly used in agriculture due to the longer delivery of nutrients to plants and the milder impact on the environment. The aim of this study was to determine the energy, environmental and economic efficiency of granular and non-granular organic fertilizers. Four technological scenarios of organic fertilizer use were used for comparative assessment: (1) manure fertilization (16.0 t ha−1), (2) manure fertilization (30.0 t ha−1), (3) manure pellet fertilization (2.0 t ha−1), and (4) fertilization with meat and bone meal pellets (0.7 t ha−1). Experimental studies using the mass flow method of laser spectroscopy were performed to evaluate the comparative environmental impact of granular and non-granular organic fertilizers. Economic assessment was performed for mechanized technological operations of loading, transportation and distribution of organic fertilizers, estimating the price of aggregates used and fuel consumed, the costs of individual technological operations and other indirect costs. The results showed that for mechanized technological operations, when fertilizing with granular organic manure and meat and bone meal fertilizer, energy consumption is 3.2 to 4.0 times lower compared to fertilization with manure. The average ammonia (NH3) emissions from granular organic fertilizers were found to be six times lower than from non-granular organic fertilizers. The lowest costs for mechanized works were incurred when using meat and bone meal pellets, the highest economic benefits of organic fertilizers by elements was when using manure 30 t ha−1, and the highest costs for organic fertilizers were incurred when using manure pellets.

The RES in the Countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States: Potential and Production from 2015 to 2019

Amidst the changes and adjustments of the international energy situation, the leading trend is to shift from fossil fuels to low-carbon fuels, and ultimately, to enter the era of sustainable energy, based mainly on renewable energy. The ongoing changes in global security of energy supply and the high volatility of fossil energy prices also stimulate investment in alternative energy sources, making renewable energy sources (RES) one of the rapidly growing elements in the global energy system. This article fills the research gap by analyzing the potential of using renewable energy in the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in the years 2015–2018. The authors address the energy potential in the years 2015–2019, and energy consumption in the years 2015–2018 as the potential of RES in the CIS countries was not researched after 2014. Please note that the study covers the CIS countries, along with Georgia and Ukraine, which are no longer formal members of the Community, but have been included for cognitive and comparative purposes. Upon comparing the increase in energy production in the CIS countries to the average increase for the European Union (EU) countries, the value of this increase is observably higher than the average for the EU countries only in Ukraine. However, the average for the entire CIS is much lower than the EU average, therefore in CIS countries, the changes in the volume of RES energy production are varied. In some countries, there is a significant increase in the production of this type of energy (e.g., Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Georgia). However, there are also countries in which the changes are negligible, or which noted significant drops in RES energy production (Uzbekistan, Moldova, Russia, Armenia). The findings contribute to the RES market debate and the international relations theory by comparing political factors with territorial and economic factors.

Environmental impact of the cultivation of energy willow in Poland

The purpose of the work is to analyze the structure of the environmental impact of energy willow cultivation (Salix spp.) on plantations of various sizes, divided per materials and processes. The research covered 15 willow plantations, ranging from 0.31 ha to 12 ha, located in southern Poland. It was found, among others, that the so-called processes, i.e. the use of technical means of production, dominate the structure of the environmental impact (EI) related to the cultivation of energy willow, and that the cultivation of energy willow on larger plantations has a much lower environmental impact compared to cultivation on smaller plantations. Also, in the case of the environmental impact of processes, the largest environmental impact was recorded in the human health category, which is mainly associated with the consumption of fuel, i.e. diesel. It was determined, e.g., that the cultivation of energetic willow on larger plantations is characterized by a much lower environmental impact (as per the cultivation area), at approx. 108 Pt, compared to the cultivation on smaller plantations, where the value of the environmental impact is 168 Pt. A decisively dominant position in the structure of the environmental impact (EI), related to the cultivation of energy willow, is held by the so-called processes, i.e. the use of technical means of production. Their share in the total environmental impact decreases from 148.5 Pt in the group of the smallest plantations to 77.9 Pt in the group of the largest plantations.

Effectiveness of Instruments Supporting Inter-Organizational Cooperation in the RES Market in Europe. Case Study of Enterprise Europe Network

In the renewable energy source (RES) market, which is highly atomized, business events play an important role in supporting inter-organizational cooperation. The aim of this paper was to examine the impact of three characteristics of the events, namely, the location of the event, type of event (brokerage event versus company mission), and type of leading partner (public versus private), on the effectiveness of the business events (expressed by the number of meetings during an event and the number of partnerships initiated as a result of these meetings). We analyzed 304 promotional events organized in the European RES market. We employed basic statistical tests to verify our hypotheses. Our findings suggest that (1) the numbers of meetings and partnerships differ depending on the event’s location (country and region of Europe), (2) the type of the event (brokerage event versus company mission) affects the numbers of meetings and partnerships (in particular, during brokerage events (BEs), significantly more meetings take place than during company meetings (CMs)), and (3) the type of an event’s leading partner (public versus private) has no impact on the numbers of meetings and partnerships. With its findings, this paper contributes to RES market development and the theory of inter-organizational relations. It presents meaningful implications and recommendations for enterprises, business networks, and event managers operating in RES markets.

Renewable Energy Promotion Instruments Used by Innovation Brokers in a Technology Transfer Network. Case Study of the Enterprise Europe Network

Stable and sustainable economic development—including that of renewable energy resources (RES)—requires institutional support of an environment that would enable market operations, and support them in case they are ineffective. Innovation brokers, including structured technology transfer networks, play a key role in promoting, disseminating, and liaising between the parties in the RES sector. The aim of the paper is to present the structure of events used to promote RES in Europe by the Enterprise Europe Network in the years 2017–2018; to verify whether the type of promotion instrument used is significantly related to the location of the events organized; to research whether the selection of the supporting partner is determined by the organized event’s geographical location. The analysis is carried out by means of an empirical study of the network of innovation brokers, i.e., the Enterprise Europe Network. Additionally, the available data are analyzed in terms of the type of the partner supporting individual events. It has been shown that there is a significant variation in the structure of the types of events for individual regions of Europe. This could mean that the organizers’ decisions as to the type of events organized in particular regions of Europe are deliberate and in some way adjusted to the region in which they take place.

Promotion of RES in a Technology Transfer Network. Case Study of the Enterprise Europe Network

The promotion of renewable energy is a key concept in the European Union for both environmental and economic reasons. It contributes to securing the objectives set out in the Kyoto Protocol. In addition, it brings various social and economic benefits, e.g., diversification of the energy offer, new jobs, improvement of regional and local development opportunities and building a solid national industry. The main purpose of the article is to contribute to the debate on the instruments promoting renewable energy sources (RES) by emphasizing its importance within the technology transfer network. The subject is an empirical study of an actual technology transfer network. Its international activity promotes RES among entrepreneurs. Data related to meetings as part of brokerage events (BE) and company missions (CM) were subject to statistical and visual analysis, based on the data obtained from the Enterprise Europe Network from the years 2017–2018. The presented results are the foundation for future theoretical and practical studies. One of the important aspects to be examined is the intensity of cooperation launched during CM and BE. It is related to the results of partnership agreements and the importance of increasing the knowledge flow and creating opportunities for partners to acquire foreign technologies.

“Leaky Bucket” of Kazakhstan’s Power Grid: Losses and Inefficient Distribution of Electric Power

This paper aims to determine and explain the main factors for power losses (the so-called “leaky bucket” effect) in Kazakhstan and the reasons for inefficient energy distribution within the country. Energy efficiency in Kazakhstan is much lower compared to more economically developed countries. The differences between energy efficiency in various regions of Kazakhstan are also significant. This article explores the impact of administrative monopoly tariffs on the regional energy efficiency, based on a national study conducted in Kazakhstan in 2017. The purpose of the study was to identify the administrative barriers and their impact on the sustainability of enterprise development. What hinders the distribution of energy resources among different regions is artificial barriers in the energy market and the administrative tariff monopoly for electric power. This leads to the inefficient distribution of resources throughout the country. In addition, it is difficult to leverage low distribution efficiency in the absence of a market. The authors attempt to prove that the magnitude of administrative barriers directly affects the efficiency and competitiveness of business, as well as the final prices of goods and services for the end consumer.