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Northern Africa has become the first region in the world to exhaust its water resources, with a 40 % decrease in per capita water availability south of the Sahara over the past decade. While adjusting production structures and consumption can regulate the supply-demand dynamics of water resources, the extent of the impact of virtual water-induced pressure on both the regional and national levels in Africa remains largely understudied. Applying the standard Penman formula, this research calculates the water footprint of eight cereal crops in 54 African countries from 1990 to 2021. By integrating corresponding data on cereal trade, the study analyzes changes in virtual water stress. The findings indicate a decline in the per-unit production and consumption water footprints for African cereals. However, the continuous expansion of cultivation areas contributes to a rising water stress. In comparison to 1990, the water stress for soybeans, sorghum, rice, maize, and cassava increased by 149.72 %, 146.88 %, 133.89 %, 123.30 %, and 90.8 %, respectively, in 2021. Only barley showed a reduction in water stress by 23.22 %. The study underscores the growing interconnectedness of virtual water trade (VWT) among African nations from 1990 to 2021, leading to a more balanced trade distribution. VWT has reduced water stress by 7.65 %, 2.08 %, and 1.8 % in Western, Central, and Northern Africa, respectively, while increasing pressure in Southern and Eastern Africa by 10.51 % and 1.01 %. The flow of virtual water in Africa is most influenced by spatial proximity, primarily occurring between adjacent countries or regions. Forecasts for water stress under the five scenarios of SSPs-RCP8.5 have been conducted, revealing a continuous increase in water stress across Africa. Furthermore, analysis of the SSP2-RCP8.5 scenario indicates that by 2030 and 2040, African cereal crops are projected to face virtual water resource stress increases of 7 % and 18.76 %, respectively, compared to 2020 levels. During the same period, Sierra Leone is anticipated to experience a growth rate in virtual water stress of approximately 1903.38 %. Consequently, altering crop cultivation structures and enhancing VWT are poised to alleviate water resource pressure, promoting the scientific management of agricultural water resources in Africa., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Micro- and nano-plastics (MPs/NPs) have emerged as a global pollutant, yet their impact on the root environment of plants remains scarcely explored. Given the widespread pollution of phthalate esters (PAEs) in the environment due to the application of plastic products, the co-occurrence of MPs/NPs and PAEs could potentially threaten the growth medium of plants. This study examined the combined effects of polystyrene (PS) MPs/NPs and PAEs, specifically dibutyl phthalate and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, on the chemical properties and microbial communities in a wheat growth medium. It was observed that the co-pollution with MPs/NPs and PAEs significantly increased the levels of oxalic acid, formic acid, and total organic carbon (TOC), enhanced microbial activity, and promoted the indigenous input and humification of dissolved organic matter, while slightly reducing the pH of the medium solution. Although changes in chemical indices were primarily attributed to the addition of PAEs, no interaction between PS MPs/NPs and PAEs was detected. High-throughput sequencing revealed no significant change in microbial diversity within the media containing both PS MPs/NPs and PAEs compared to the media with PS MPs/NPs alone. However, alterations in energy and carbohydrate metabolism were noted. Proteobacteria dominated the bacterial communities in the medium solution across all treatment groups, followed by Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia. The composition and structure of these microbial communities varied with the particle size of the PS in both single and combined treatments. Moreover, variations in TOC, oxalic acid, and formic acid significantly influenced the bacterial community composition in the medium, suggesting they could modulate the abundance of dominant bacteria to counteract the stress from exogenous pollutants. This research provides new insights into the combined effects of different sizes of PS particles and another abiotic stressor in the wheat root environment, providing a critical foundation for understanding plant adaptation in complex environmental conditions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

To systematically assess the impact of typical CNMs on the growth effects of cereal crops, we conducted a meta-analysis of 48 independent studies worldwide. The pooled results showed that shoot weight (13.39%) and antioxidant metabolite content (SOD: 106.32%, POD: 32.29%, CAT: 22.63%) of cereal crops exposed to the presence of CNMs were significantly increased, but phytohormones secretion (17.84%) was inhibited. The results of subgroup analysis showed that there were differences in the results of different CNM types with the same exposure concentration on growth effects. Short-term exposure adversely affected the root and photosynthetic capacity of the crop, but prolonged exposure instead showed a promoting effect. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the concentration of CNMs and cereal variety variables were significantly associated with changes in multiple growth effect values. This work could offer references and fresh perspectives for investigating how nanoparticles and crops interact.

Clarifying the spatiotemporal variation of crop irrigation water requirement (IWR) under the background of climate change is an essential basis for water resource management, determining the irrigation quota and adjusting the planting structure. Using 61 years of climate data from 205 stations in Northwest China, this study investigated the spatiotemporal variations of climatic factors and IWR during the growth period of five main grain crops (spring wheat, winter wheat, spring maize, summer maize, and rice) and explored the dominant climatic driving factors of IWR variation. Results showed that (1) the IWR of grain crops showed distinct differences. Rice was the highest water consumption crop (mean of 753.78 mm), and summer maize was the lowest (mean of 452.90 mm). (2) The variation trends and average values of IWR of different grain crops have spatial heterogeneity across Northwest China. For most crops, high values and increasing trends of IWR were mainly located in eastern Xinjiang, western Gansu, and western Inner Mongolia. (3) T max (maximum temperature), T min (minimum temperature), and P eff (effective precipitation) showed an increasing trend during the growth period of each grain crop, while U 10 (wind speed at 10 m height), SD (solar radiation), and RH (relative humidity) presented decreasing trends. (4) SD, T max , and U 10 promoted the increase of grain crops' IWR, while P eff and RH inhibited it. The impacts of climatic factors on the grain crop IWR differed among different regions. P eff was the most influential factor to the IWR of all grain crops in most areas. Therefore, under the premise of a significant increase in T and uncertain precipitation mode in the future, it is urgent to take effective water-saving measures according to the irrigation needs of the region. To cope with the adverse impact of climate change on the sustainable development of agriculture in the northwest dry area, to ensure regional and national food security., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The present study aimed to evaluate the potential toxic heavy metal (PTHM) concentrations and associated ecological and health risk of nearby inhabitants (child and adult populations) of the Bokaro thermal power station (BTPS), Jharkhand, India. The fly ash containing PTHMs is released from the thermal power plant and contaminates the soil of the nearby agricultural area, roadside area and residential area. Furthermore, PTHMs cause ecological risk as well as carcinogenic health effects in adults. Inhabitants are exposed to PTHMs through exposure pathways (for instance, direct ingestion, dermal contact and air inhalation), and PTHMs were examined in this study by calculating the estimated daily intake (EDI). The contamination factor (C f ) of Cd exceeded the threshold value throughout the study area, whereas the C f of Hg was observed higher only in roadside soil (RSS). The geoaccumulation index (I geo ) of Cd was higher in the top soil of agricultural soil (AS) (7.39) and RSS (9.38). The level of PTHMs was monitored slightly higher in the topsoil of RSS. The ecological risk index (Eri) was detected to be the highest in RSS (1628.9). The permissible limit of Cd (0.05 mg kg -1 ) and Pb (0.1 mg kg -1 ) for all sampled vegetables and grain crops was surpassed. The transfer factor (TF) of the studied vegetables and grain crops was in the order of Cd > Cr > Pb > Hg > As. The results of the present study concluded that the hazard quotient (HQ) values for all PTHMs analysed in soil throughout the study area were < 1, which indicates that the child population was within the safe limit. However, the adult population was at a high risk of non-carcinogenic health effects due to increased permissible limits of Cd, Pb and Cr in vegetables and grain crops whereas the target carcinogenic risk (TCR) of Pb and Cr was higher and indicated that there may be a health risk of cancer in adults., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Underutilized grain crops are an essential part of the food system that supports humankind. A number of these crops can be found in China, such as barley, buckwheat, broomcorn millet, foxtail millet, oat, and sorghum, which have characteristics such as containing more nutritional elements, being resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses, and having strong adaptability to poor environments. The diversity of these crops provides options for farmers' livelihoods and healthy food for the population. Although some mentioned crops such as barley, oat, and sorghum are not underutilized crops globally, they could be considered underutilized in China as they were more important in the past and could be revitalized for food and nutrition in the future. This paper reviews current progress in research and development in the areas of germplasm resource conservation, variety improvement, cultivation technologies, processing, and the nutrition and benefits of six underutilized grain crops in China. It is concluded that underutilized grain crops could play a critical role in food and nutritional security in China.

Background: The European earwig, Forficula auricularia (L.) (Dermaptera: Forficulidae), is regarded as an important beneficial in many orchard environments but has the potential to be a plant pest in other systems, including to grain crops. Due to its agricultural importance, the lifecycle of F. auricularia has been widely studied in North America and Europe. However, much less is known in the southern hemisphere, including Australia where F. auricularia has been present for over 170 years., Results: To elucidate the lifecycle of F. auricularia, we monitored five sites in grain-growing areas of southern Australia using two different trap types. Adults were found year-round, but most prevalent from late-spring to mid-winter. First instars were typically found from mid to late winter. Second, third and fourth instars occurred from winter through to late spring. The seasonal development of F. auricularia in Australia may be much earlier than observed in comparable North American studies. Degree day modelling highlights variation in development times across the active season for F. auricularia across our sites., Conclusion: Forficula auricularia is well adapted to the Australian grain growing environments. The timing of egg hatching aligns closely with crop emergence, juveniles then develop alongside the crop, and adult development occurs by harvest time in late spring. These findings are important given that many of these crops (canola, lucerne, pulses) are vulnerable to attack by F. auricularia during emergence and development. They also suggest a phenotypic capacity of this species to adapt different phenology after introduction into a novel environment. © 2020 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2020 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.)

One method for identifying noncoding regulatory regions of a genome is to quantify rates of divergence between related species, as functional sequence will generally diverge more slowly. Most approaches to identifying these conserved noncoding sequences (CNSs) based on alignment have had relatively large minimum sequence lengths (≥15 bp) compared with the average length of known transcription factor binding sites. To circumvent this constraint, STAG-CNS that can simultaneously integrate the data from the promoters of conserved orthologous genes in three or more species was developed. Using the data from up to six grass species made it possible to identify conserved sequences as short as 9 bp with false discovery rate ≤0.05. These CNSs exhibit greater overlap with open chromatin regions identified using DNase I hypersensitivity assays, and are enriched in the promoters of genes involved in transcriptional regulation. STAG-CNS was further employed to characterize loss of conserved noncoding sequences associated with retained duplicate genes from the ancient maize polyploidy. Genes with fewer retained CNSs show lower overall expression, although this bias is more apparent in samples of complex organ systems containing many cell types, suggesting that CNS loss may correspond to a reduced number of expression contexts rather than lower expression levels across the entire ancestral expression domain., (Copyright © 2017 The Author. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)