Assessing the Fates of Water and Nitrogen on an Open-Field Intensive Vegetable System under an Expert-N System with EU-Rotate_N Model in North China Plain.

Nitrate leaching, greenhouse gas emissions, and water loss are caused by conventional water and fertilizer management in vegetable fields. The Expert-N system is a useful tool for recommending the optimal nitrogen (N) fertilizer for vegetable cultivation. To clarify the fates of water and N in vegetable fields, an open-field vegetable cultivation experiment was conducted in Dongbeiwang, Beijing.

Modeling Nitrogen Fate and Water and Nitrogen Use Efficiencies under Different Greenhouse Vegetable Production Systems Using the WHCNS-Veg Model.

Quantitative evaluation of the effects of diverse greenhouse vegetable production systems (GVPS) on vegetable yield, soil water consumption, and nitrogen (N) fates could provide a scientific basis for identifying optimum water and fertilizer management practices for GVPS. This research was conducted from 2013 to 2015 in a greenhouse vegetable field in Quzhou County, North China. Three production systems were designed: conventional (CON), integrated (INT), and organic (ORG) systems.

Adsorption Properties of Dissolved Gas Molecules in Transformer Oil on the ReSe Monolayer: A DFT Study.

Based on density functional theory, the adsorption behavior of seven typical dissolved gas molecules (CO, CO, H, CH, CH, CH, and CH) and HO molecule on the ReSe monolayer was systematically investigated. The interactions between the ReSe monolayer and eight gas molecules were investigated by calculating the adsorption energies, charge transfer, density of states (DOS), and deformation charge density (DCD) for eight different adsorption systems. The gas sensitivity of the ReSe monolayer toward these gases was studied using frontier molecular orbital theory and work function analysis.

Ground Cover Rice Production System Affects Soil Water, Nitrogen Dynamics and Crop Growth Differentially with or without Climate Stress.

The ground cover rice production system (GCRPS) has been proposed as a potential solution to alleviate seasonal drought and early low-temperature stress in hilly mountainous areas; clarifying its impact on crop growth is crucial to enhance rice productivity in these areas. A two-year (2021-2022) field experiment was conducted in the hilly mountains of southwest China to compare the effects of the traditional flooding paddy (Paddy) and GCRPS under three different nitrogen (N) management practices (N1, zero-N fertilizer; N2, 135 kg N ha-1 as a urea-based fertilizer; and N3, 135 kg N ha-1 with a 3:2 base-topdressing ratio as urea fertilizer for the Paddy or a 1:1 basal application ratio as urea and manure for GCRPS) on soil water storage, soil mineral N content and crop growth parameters, including plant height, tiller numbers, the leaf area index (LAI), aboveground dry matter (DM) dynamics and crop yield. The results showed that there was a significant difference in rainfall between the two growth periods, with 906 mm and 291 mm in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

Ag-Doped MoSe/ZnO Heterojunctions: A Highly Responsive Gas-Sensitive Material for Selective Detection of NO Based on DFT Study.

In this work, the adsorption and sensing behavior of Ag-doped MoSe/ZnO heterojunctions for H, CH, CO, NO, CO, and CH have been studied based on density functional theory (DFT). In gas adsorption analysis, the adsorption energy, adsorption distance, transfer charge, total electron density, density of states (DOS), energy band structure, frontier molecular orbital, and work function (WF) of each gas has been calculated. Furthermore, the reusability and stability of the Ag-doped MoSe/ZnO heterojunctions have also been studied.

Carbon dots and MnO nanosheet nanocomposites sensing platform for sensitive detection of oxalate in urine samples of urolithiasis patients.

In the human body, oxalate tends to form calcium oxalate with calcium ions, which can trigger the formation of stones in the urinary system. Therefore, oxalate in urine is usually utilized as a crucial biomarker in clinical urolithiasis diagnoses. In this work, a turn-on fluorescent nanoprobe was developed based on nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-CDs) and MnO nanosheets (NSs) nanocomposites for oxalate sensing in urolithiasis patients.

Effects of the Combining Straw Return with Urease Inhibitor on Ammonia Volatilization, Nitrogen Use Efficiency, and Rice Yield in Purple Soil Areas.

Straw return in rice ( L.) paddy has been heavily criticized for its potential to influence ammonia (NH) volatilization loss due to irrational fertilizer N application. Therefore, improving the N fertilization strategies within residue straw systems is necessary to reduce N loss from NH volatilization.

Increasing dominance of Indian Ocean variability impacts Australian wheat yields.

The relationships between crop productivity and climate variability drivers are often assumed to be stationary over time. However, this may not be true in a warming climate. Here we use a crop model and a machine learning algorithm to demonstrate the changing impacts of climate drivers on wheat productivity in Australia.

Effects of the Ratio of Substituting Mineral Fertilizers with Manure Nitrogen on Soil Properties and Vegetable Yields in China: A Meta-Analysis.

Substituting mineral fertilizers (MFs) with manure nitrogen (N) can not only reduce environmental pollution, but also improve soil quality. However, the effects of various manure N substitution ratios (SRs, the ratio of manure N over total N applied) on soil properties and vegetable yields in China are poorly studied. Here, through a meta-analysis of 667 observations, we assessed the effects of three manure N SRs (low (SR ≤ 35%), medium (35% < SR ≤ 70%), and high (SR > 70%)) on vegetable yields and soil properties (soil organic carbon, SOC; soil total nitrogen, STN; microbial biomass carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), MBC/N; and available phosphorus and potassium, (AP/AK)) in the 0-20 cm soil under different climatic conditions, initial soil properties, and management practices.

Improvement of Water and Nitrogen Use Efficiencies by Alternative Cropping Systems Based on a Model Approach.

The conventional double cropping system of winter wheat and summer maize (WW-SUM) in the North China Plain (NCP) consumes a large amount of water and chemical fertilizer, threatening the sustainable development of agriculture in this region. This study was based on a three-year field experiment of different cropping systems (2H1Y-two harvests in one year; 3H2Y-three harvests in two years; and 1H1Y-one harvest in one year). The 2H1Y system had three irrigation-fertilization practices (FP-farmer's practice; RI-reduced input; and WQ-Wuqiao pattern in Wuqiao County, Hebei Province).

Simulating the Effects of Different Textural Soils and N Management on Maize Yield, N Fates, and Water and N Use Efficiencies in Northeast China.

Determining the best management practices (BMPs) for farmland under different soil textures can provide technical support for improving maize yield, water- and nitrogen-use efficiencies (WUE and NUE), and reducing environmental N losses. In this study, a two-year (2013−2014) maize cultivation experiment was conducted on two pieces of farmland with different textural soils (loamy clay and sandy loam) in the Phaeozems zone of Northeast China. Three N fertilizer treatments were designed for each farmland: N168, N240, and N312, with N rates of 168, 240, and 312 kg ha−1, respectively.

Cropland carbon stocks driven by soil characteristics, rainfall and elevation.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) can influence atmospheric CO concentration and then the extent to which the climate emergency is mitigated globally. It follows the elucidation of the driving factors of cropland SOC stocks, which is fundamental to reducing soil carbon loss and promoting soil carbon sequestration. Here, we examined the influence of 16 environmental variables on SOC stocks and sequestration based on three machine learning soil mapping methods, i.

Constructing a defect-rich hydroxide nanoenzyme sensor based on dielectric barrier discharge microplasma etching for sensitive detection of thiamine hydrochloride and hydrogen peroxide.

In this work, a novel approach was designed to fabricate a defect-rich hydroxide nanoenzyme sensor based on transition metal cobalt derived from metal-organic framework (MOF). Facile preparation was realized by room-temperature reaction and chemical etching via dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) microplasma, which possesses great chemical reactivity to obtain defect-rich and ultrathin structures. The prepared cobalt hydroxide (Co(OH)) emerges with superior catalytic activity for thiamine hydrochloride (TCL) and hydrogen peroxide (HO) assay.

Can conservation agriculture mitigate climate change and reduce environmental impacts for intensive cropping systems in North China Plain?

Determining appropriate farming management practices to adapt to climate change with lower environmental costs is important for sustainable agricultural production. In this study, a long-term experiment (1985-2019) was conducted under different management practices combining fertilization rate (no, low and high N fertilizer, N, N and N), straw additions (no, low and high addition, S, S and S) with conservation tillage (no-tillage, NT) in the North China Plain (NCP). The Denitrification-Decomposition (DNDC) model was firstly evaluated using the experimental data, and then applied to simulate the changes of crop yields, soil organic carbon (SOC), and NO emissions under different management practices combined with climate change scenarios, under low and high emission scenarios of societal development pathways (SSP245 and SSP585, respectively) with climate projections from 2031 to 2100.

Collaborative Assessment and Health Risk of Heavy Metals in Soils and Tea Leaves in the Southwest Region of China.

The collaborative assessment and health risk evaluation of heavy metals (HMs) enrichment in soils and tea leaves are crucial to guarantee consumer safety. However, in high soil HM geochemical background areas superimposed by human activities, the health risk associated with HMs in soil-tea systems is not clear. This study assessed the HMs concentration (i.

Is rice field a nitrogen source or sink for the environment?

Rice field has been traditionally considered as a nonpoint source of reactive nitrogen (N) for the environment, while it, with surrounding ditches and ponds, also contributes to receiving N inputs from atmosphere and waterbodies and intercepting N outputs from rice field. However, a comprehensive assessment of the N source or sink of rice field for the environment is lacking. Here, we conducted the 3-year systematic observations and process-based simulations of N budget at the Jingzhou site in Central China.

The Adsorption and Sensing Performances of Ir-modified MoS Monolayer toward SF Decomposition Products: A DFT Study.

In this paper, the Ir-modified MoS monolayer is suggested as a novel gas sensor alternative for detecting the characteristic decomposition products of SF, including HS, SO, and SOF. The corresponding adsorption properties and sensing behaviors were systematically studied using the density functional theory (DFT) method. The theoretical calculation indicates that Ir modification can enhance the surface activity and improve the conductivity of the intrinsic MoS.

Comparison of the Total, Diazotrophic and Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacterial Communities Between Under Organic and Conventional Greenhouse Farming.

Organic greenhouse farming is an innovative system that may maintain a high yield and healthy agroecosystem. There have been no rigorous studies on the comparison of total and nitrogen-cycling bacterial community in vegetable soils between organic and conventional farming management at large scale. A survey of bacterial community and nitrogen cycles from soils under organic and conventional greenhouse farming was performed at 30 sites, covering seven soil types with 4 to 18 years of organic farming history.

Relationship between the Electrical Characteristics of Molecules and Fast Streamers in Ester Insulation Oil.

The effects of C=C, ester and β-H groups on the ionization potential () and electron affinity () of molecules in natural ester insulation oil were investigated by density functional theory (DFT). The major contribution to the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) comes from the carbon atoms adjacent to C=C. Thus, the s of triglycerides decrease as the number of C=C double bonds increases.

Superior Hydrogen Sensing Property of Porous NiO/SnO Nanofibers Synthesized via Carbonization.

In this paper, the porous NiO/SnO nanofibers were synthesized via the electrospinning method along with the carbonization process. The characterization results show that the pristine SnO-based nanofibers can form porous structure with different grain size by carbonization. The hydrogen gas-sensing investigations indicate that the NiO/SnO sensor exhibits more prominent sensing properties than those of pure SnO sensor devices.

[Life Cycle Environmental Impact Assessment on Different Modes of Greenhouse Vegetable Production in the North China Plain].

Organic agriculture has a higher potential than traditional agriculture to reduce environmental emissions. However, heavy metals in organic manure inevitably exacerbate eco-toxicity. At present, there are few studies on systematically and comprehensively evaluating the effects of different production modes on the environmental impact of vegetable production in the North China Plain (NCP).

Estimation of Soil Water Content Based on Hyperspectral Features and the ANN Model.

Soil water content (θ) is an important factor for the crop growth and crop production. The objectives of this study were to (i) test various regression models for estimating θ based on spectral feature parameters, and (ii) compare the performance of the proposed models by using artificial neural networks (ANN) and spectral feature parameters. The θ data of sand and loam and concurrent spectral parameters were acquired at the laboratory experiment in 2014.

Can nitrate contaminated groundwater be remediated by optimizing flood irrigation rate with high nitrate water in a desert oasis using the WHCNS model?

Nitrate contamination of groundwater is an environmental concern in intensively cultivated desert oases where this polluted groundwater is in turn used as a major irrigation water resource. However, nitrate fluxes from root zone to groundwater are difficult to monitor in this complex system. The objectives of this study were to validate and apply the WHCNS (soil Water Heat Carbon Nitrogen Simulator) model to simulate water drainage and nitrate leaching under different irrigation and nitrogen (N) management practices, and to assess the utilization of groundwater nitrate as an approach to remediate nitrate contaminated groundwater while maintain crop yield.

An integrated soil-crop system model for water and nitrogen management in North China.

An integrated model WHCNS (soil Water Heat Carbon Nitrogen Simulator) was developed to assess water and nitrogen (N) management in North China. It included five main modules: soil water, soil temperature, soil carbon (C), soil N, and crop growth. The model integrated some features of several widely used crop and soil models, and some modifications were made in order to apply the WHCNS model under the complex conditions of intensive cropping systems in North China.