Water scarcity, limited land resources and global warming are the most challenging issues facing sustainable agricultural development, and modern agriculture requires efficient and environmentally friendly agricultural water and land management practices. This paper proposes a water-energy-food-carbon nexus system optimization model, which aims to formulate a scientific and rational water and land resource allocation strategy for sustainable agricultural development to increase irrigation water productivity, reduce carbon emissions and enhance regional agriculture competitiveness. First, the carbon footprint life cycle assessment method was used to measure carbon sinks and carbon emissions across the ecosystem. Second, a multiobjective nonlinear programming model with the goal of maximizing irrigation water productivity, minimizing carbon emissions, and maximizing the competitiveness of low-carbon agriculture is established. Finally, an empirical study is performed in the Yellow River Basin, and an elitist nondominated sorting genetic algorithm is used to solve the model. The research results show that the water-energy-food-carbon nexus system optimization model based on uncertain conditions established in this paper, can maximize resource utilization efficiency and effectively measure the impact of regional agricultural production on the environment. It has reference significance for the realization of carbon neutrality in the region.

This study examines a green building retrofit plan through a system dynamics model (SDM) creating symbiosis embedded in a building-scale food-energy-water (FEW) nexus. An indicator approach was employed to exploit cross-domain seams via the use of carbon, water, and ecological footprints for sustainability, as well as food security and energy supply reliability ratio for resilience. The SDM was formulated to demonstrate a continuous stormwater treatment outflow model for rooftop farming with stormwater reuse for irrigation, nutrient cycling via the use of green sorption media, and green energy harvesting in support of rooftop farming. We prove that green energy use, stormwater reuse, and rooftop farming can lower carbon, water, and ecological footprints, avoid CO₂ emissions via carbon sequestration in rooftop farming, and improve energy supply reliability and food security. Case 1 (Base Case) includes no retrofit (current condition), Case 2 includes rooftop farming and stormwater reuse, and Case 3 incorporates additional green energy harvesting for sustaining rooftop farming. All three scenarios were assessed using a life cycle assessment (LCA) to generate water and carbon footprints. Case 3 exhibited a 2.24% reduction of total building energy demand from the utility grid due to renewable energy harvesting, while the preservation of nitrogen and phosphorus via the use of green sorption media for crop growth promoted nutrient cycling by maintaining 82% of nitrogen and 42% of phosphorus on site. The ecological footprints for the three case studies were 0.134 ha, 0.542 ha, 6.50 ha, respectively. Case 3 was selected as the best green building retrofit option through a multicriteria decision analysis.

Packaging acts like a bond between visual communication and production technology. Packaging material is often coated to enhance visual appearance and some protective features. The COVID pandemic changed consumers&rsquo: behavior and understanding of the importance regarding the antimicrobial properties of goods that come in contact with hands. The aim of this research is to investigate and determine the antimicrobial properties of nanocomposite coatings which include nanosized zinc oxide (ZnO), titanium dioxide (TiO2), and silicon dioxide (SiO2). For the purpose of this research, a lithographic printed packaging was coated with a nanocomposite composed of flexographic water-based varnish with incorporated ZnO, TiO2, and SiO2 nanosized particles. A total of eight modulations were presented and compared to the lone water-based varnish. The results have shown that applying nanocomposites will increase the total surface free energy of the packaging surface but will decrease the polar component of the surface free energy leading to lower hydrophilic properties. Both nanocomposite types showed that the increase in the nanoparticle weight ratio leads to higher protection benefits. Nanocomposites with ZnO have better antimicrobial activity than the ones with TiO2. The Hybrid/Z (ZnO + SiO2) significantly improved the antimicrobial capacity of water-based varnish, primarily against the ubiquitous foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes.

Since the adoption of the open-door policy, the Chinese dietary pattern has changed greatly. Based on the dietary changes, this study analyzed the arable land and water footprints (WFs) for the food consumption of urban and rural residents in China. The results showed that the arable land demand and WFs for meat, vegetable oil, soybeans and liquor exceeded those for other foods, and the per capita arable land and WFs for food consumption of urban residents were higher than those of rural residents. The total arable land and WFs for the food consumption of residents increased by 16.9 million ha (from 91.1 to 108 million ha) and 214.5 billion m³ (from 457.9 to 672.4 billion m³), respectively, from 1983 to 2017. Specifically, the total arable land and WFs for the food consumption of urban residents increased by 45.9 million hm² (from 22.6 to 68.5 million hm²) and 318.3 billion m³ (from 113.2 to 431.5 billion m³), respectively. Additionally, those of rural residents decreased by 29.7 million hm² (from 69.2 to 39.5 million hm²) and 103.9 billion m³ (344.8 to 240.9 billion m³), respectively, mainly due to the migration of the rural population to cities and the reductions in per capita arable land and WFs due to increased crop yields. The arable land and blue WFs required for food consumption will reach 127.7 million hm² and 221.1 billion m³, respectively, in 2030. However, these values will be reduced by approximately 23% and 20%, respectively, to 98.9 million hm² and 177.8 billion m³ under a balanced dietary pattern. Measures such as improving the investment in agricultural research and development, advocating a balanced diet, and increasing the import of resource-intensive foods could alleviate the pressure on land and water resources.

Greenhouse farming is essential in increasing domestic crop production in countries with limited resources and a harsh climate like Qatar. Smart greenhouse development is even more important to overcome these limitations and achieve high levels of food security. While the main aim of greenhouses is to offer an appropriate environment for high-yield production while protecting crops from adverse climate conditions, smart greenhouses provide precise regulation and control of the microclimate variables by utilizing the latest control techniques, advanced metering and communication infrastructures, and smart management systems thus providing the optimal environment for crop development. However, due to the development of information technology, greenhouses are undergoing a big transformation. In fact, the new generation of greenhouses has gone from simple constructions to sophisticated factories that drive agricultural production at the minimum possible cost. The main objective of this paper is to present a comprehensive understanding framework of the actual greenhouse development in Qatar, so as to be able to support the transition to sustainable precision agriculture. Qatar’s greenhouse market is a dynamic sector, and it is expected to mark double-digit growth by 2025. Thus, this study may offer effective supporting information to decision and policy makers, professionals, and end-users in introducing new technologies and taking advantage of monitoring techniques, artificial intelligence, and communication infrastructure in the agriculture sector by adopting smart greenhouses, consequently enhancing the Food-Energy-Water Nexus resilience and sustainable development. Furthermore, an analysis of the actual agriculture situation in Qatar is provided by examining its potential development regarding the existing drivers and barriers. Finally, the study presents the policy measures already implemented in Qatar and analyses the future development of the local greenhouse sector in terms of sustainability and resource-saving perspective and its penetration into Qatar’s economy. | Open Access funding provided by the Qatar National Library. The authors are grateful to Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) for funding and supporting the M-NEX Project (Grant No. BFSUGI01-1120-170005) in Qatar. The M-NEX is a project of the Collaborative Research Area Belmont Forum (Grant No. 11314551).

International audience | Pd/ZnO/APC nanocomposite-modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for voltammetric detection of carbaryl pesticides.

There is an important practical significance to understanding and evaluating the nexus of water, energy, and food (WEF) for ensuring regional security. The Yellow River Basin is a typical area displaying the contradiction between water, energy, and food development caused by the difference in resource distribution and production attributes. The nexus of the WEF system in the Yellow River Basin is systematically and innovatively studied from different perspectives. The aim of the research is to analyze the distribution and transfer direction of single resource elements, the matching and evolution of two kinds of resources linked by water resources, and finally the nexus based on Copula function. The results show that water resources, farmland, and energy production are concentrated in different areas, while the center of gravity shifted to the northwest, northeast, and west of the basin, respectively. For the resource balance of energy production and available industrial water resources, the matching degree has become worse in recent years. For the resource balance of farmland areas and available agricultural water resources, the matching degree in the most source area and middle reaches has improved, but the gap among different sub-regions has widened slightly. It is proven that the three-dimensional <i>t</i> Copula is well characterized by the nexus of the WEF system in the Yellow River Basin. The joint not exceeding the probability of the WEF (W ≤ 7.08 × 10¹⁰ m³, E ≤ 6.24 × 10⁸ TCE, F ≤ 4.23 × 10⁷ t) is about 0.3–0.4. The WEF system in the Yellow River Basin (G_n = 0.728 and 0.688) may still have certain security risks in the future compared with other regions in the world, which needs to be regulated by more reasonable policies. This study can provide a theoretical basis for ensuring regional water, energy, and food security.

With adverse impacts of climate change growing in number and intensity, there is an urgent need to reduce emissions from food systems to net zero. This can only be achieved if rural areas in low- and middle-income countries gain access to clean energy. A review of the research and capacity building contributions of the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE) over the last 10 years suggests important contributions in the areas of energy policy and energy investment planning, cost and feasibility frameworks, and business models for clean energy technology uptake. WLE has also conducted successful pilot projects on solar irrigation to provide an evidence base for scaling up innovative energy initiatives. Finally, the program also considered non-agricultural uses of energy where relevant to food systems, and implemented capacity building activities. Going forward, CGIAR has a key role to play in providing information, supporting access and piloting innovative, scalable clean energy interventions to support the achievement of multiple impacts for the poorest and most food-insecure women and men farmers and entrepreneurs. | Non-PR | IFPRI5; CRP5 | EPTD | CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE)

La administración oral de antibióticos a través del agua de bebida y del alimento es una práctica ampliamente difundida en producción porcina. Estas matrices pueden alterar el comportamiento farmacológico de los antimicrobianos afectando su disposición sistémica. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue evaluar el impacto del agua de bebida y del alimento sobre la biodisponibilidad oral de dos formulaciones antibióticas en lechones de destete. Se utilizaron 16 lechones de destete, clínicamente sanos, con un peso de 12 ± 2 kg PV, divididos en 4 grupos. Dos grupos recibieron 40 mg/Kg de una formulación de oxitetraciclina (OTC), disuelta en agua (grupo OTCagua) o incorporada al alimento (grupo OTCali). Los dos grupos restantes recibieron 30 mg/Kg de una formulación de fosfomicina (FOS) disuelta en agua (FOSagua) o incorporada al alimento (FOSali). Además del tratamiento oral, cada animal recibió una dosis intravenosa (20 mg/kg de OTC o 15 mg/kg de FOS) para el cálculo de biodisponibilidad absoluta (BA). Se recolectaron muestras de sangre a tiempos estandarizados mediante la técnica de cateterismo yugular y se analizaron por HPLC-UV y MS/MS. El software PKSolution® fue utilizado para obtener las áreas bajo la curva (AUC) concentración/tiempo. La BA fue calculada según la ecuación: BA= ((AUCoral*Dosisiv)/(AUCiv*Dosisoral))*100. Se realizó un ANOVA para determinar el efecto de los tratamientos y test de Tukey para detectar diferencias entre ellos (p<0,05). FOSagua arrojó una BA de 36,87 ± 9,52 significativamente mayor a la encontrada para FOSali de 14,47 ± 4,62. Valores de BA considerablemente menores se obtuvieron para OTC, con diferencias significativas entre OTCagua (6,13 ± 1,99) y OTCali (2,15 ± 1,22). La vehiculización de los antibióticos en el alimento mostró una disminución de BA con respecto a la administración a través del agua de bebida. Esta situación podría deberse a que el alimento aumenta la viscosidad de los fluidos gastrointestinales, y por otro lado podrían ocurrir distintas interacciones (como quelación, hidrólisis, adsorción, etc.) entre los antibióticos y diferentes componentes del alimento que obstaculicen el proceso de disolución disminuyendo la absorción de los fármacos. Es importante considerar que los bajos valores de biodisponibilidad obtenidos al administrar antibióticos mezclados con el alimento podrían conducir a dosificación errática, fracaso terapéutico y aumento del riesgo de resistencia bacteriana. Por dicha razón, sería recomendable restringir el uso de estos antibióticos vehiculizados en el alimento para tratamientos sistémicos de enfermedades infecciosas. | Fil: Decundo, Julieta María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina | Fil: Dieguez, Susana Nelly. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina | Fil: Martínez, Guadalupe. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina | Fil: Romanelli, Agustina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina | Fil: Pérez, Denisa Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina | Fil: Fernández Paggi, María Belén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina | Fil: Amanto, Andres Fabian. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina | Fil: Soraci, Alejandro Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina | Jornadas de Investigación y Posgrado: El desafío de visibilizar la Ciencia | Tandil | Argentina | Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias