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African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a highly pathogenic and rapidly disseminated virus with strong viability in the environment, suggesting the importance of environmental detection for prevention and control in all the pig industry. However, the detection results of environmental swabs cannot always reflect the accurate status of viral pollution, leading to persistent ASFV environmental contamination. In this study, we developed an ASFV eluant with higher environmental ASFV detection efficiency relative to 0.85% saline solution, which obtains the patent certificate issued by the China Intellectual Property Office (patent number:202010976050.9). qPCR analysis showed that in the environmental swab samples, the number of viral copies was 100 times higher for the ASFV eluant treatment than the traditional eluant treatment (0.85% saline solution). And besides, the high sensitivity of the ASFV eluant had be verified in a slaughterhouse environmental sampling detection. In soil samples, the ASFV eluent showed the same extraction effect as the TIANamp Soil DNA Kit, in contrast to no extraction effect for 0.85% saline solution. Simultaneously, this eluent could protect ASFV from degradation and allow the transportation of samples at ambient temperature without refrigeration. In clinical practice, we monitored the environmental contamination condition of the ASFV in a large-scale pig farm. The results shown that the ASFV load decreased after every disinfection in environment. This study provides an effective solution for surveilling the potential threat of ASFV in environment. Key points: The ASFV eluant can significantly improve the positive detection rate in environmental samples in clinical practice. The ASFV eluant is economical and convenient compared to commercial kit.. The ASFV eluant can provide a caution for the environmental safety for China's pig industries, slaughter houses, and transportations and facilitate ASFV eradication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The erosion resistance of magnesium phosphate cement slurry to a solution mimicking saline soil was studied. • Resistance to saline soil erosion was evaluated by measuring the cement's macro-mechanical properties. • The mechanism of resistance to saline soil erosion was studied by microstructural analysis. The durability of concrete structures is affected by dry-wet and freeze–thaw cycling, and erosion by saline soils, such as those common to western China. In this study, the anti-erosion properties of magnesium phosphate cement paste (MPC) in salinized soil were investigated. The influences of the magnesium-to-phosphorus ratio (M/P), water-to-cement ratio (W/C), borax-to-magnesium ratio (B/M) and fly ash admixtures were studied in MPC specimens subjected to dry-wet cycle tests in water and saline solutions, with naturally cured specimens used as controls. The compressive strength of MPC was analysed by range analysis, analysis of variance and factor index analysis under various numbers of dry-wet cycles. Mass losses were quantified, morphologies were observed, and X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TG-DSC) were used to assess MPC before and after erosion. It was found that M/P and B/M were the major influences on the compressive strength of MPC. In MPC under natural curing, M/P was a strong influence on strength, while in MPC in water and saline solution, B/M was more important. The MPC slurry was most resistant to saline soil erosion with a 20% fly ash admixture, M/P = 2.5, borax admixture = 0.09 and water-cement ratio = 0.17. After dry-wet cycling, the MPC's mass in water gradually decreased while that in saline solution gradually increased. With 40% fly ash, the compressive strength corrosion resistance coefficient of MPC placed in saline solution for 180 dry-wet cycles was 78.28%, indicating that a moderate amount of fly ash can enhance the saline soil anti-erosion performance of MPC. According to TG-DSC and XRD analyses, when MPC was subject to dry-wet cycling in water, the content of MgKPO 4 ·6H 2 O(MKP) was the highest. The content was lower under natural curing and lowest in the saline solution. According to SEM, the degree of hydration of MPC was higher under dry-wet cycling than under natural curing, but the crystal structure of MKP was loosely arranged, which reduced the strength of the MPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past six decades, coastal wetlands in China have experienced rapid and extensive agricultural reclamation. In the context of saline conditions, long-term effect of cultivation after reclamation on soil chemical properties has not been well understood. We studied this issue using a case of approximately 60-years cultivation of a coastal saline marsh in Bohai Rim, northern China. The results showed that long-term reclamation significantly decreased soil organic carbon (SOC) (−42.2%) and total nitrogen (TN) (−25.8%) at surface layer (0–30 cm) as well as their stratification ratios (SRs) (0–5 cm:50–70 cm and 5–10 cm:50–70 cm). However, there was no significant change in total phosphorus (TP) as well as its SRs under cultivation. Cultivation markedly reduced ratios of SOC to TN, SOC to TP and TN to TP at surface layer (0–30 cm) and their SRs (0–5 cm:50–70 cm). After cultivation, electrical conductivity and salinity significantly decreased by 60.1% and 55.3% at 0–100 cm layer, respectively, suggesting a great desalinization. In contrast, soil pH at 20–70 cm horizons notably increased as an effect of reclamation. Cultivation also changed compositions of cations at 0–10 cm layer and anions at 5–100 cm layer, mainly decreasing the proportion of Na+, Cl− and SO42−. Furthermore, cultivation significantly reduced the sodium adsorption ratio and exchangeable sodium percentage in plow-layer (0–20 cm) but not residual sodium carbonate, suggesting a reduction in sodium harm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study investigated the energy productivity and input sensitivity of sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), as compared with cotton and maize, at two coastal saline-alkali sites in Shandong Province, China. The data were collected quantitatively using a questionnaire for face-to-face interviewing of 116 farmers. The sorghum showed a lower energy input requirement than cotton and maize. The energy productivity indices were 12.4 and 9.2 for sweet sorghum, which were much higher than for cotton (3.1) at Wudi and maize (8.4) at Wendeng, respectively. Nitrogen fertilisation contributed the highest proportions (between 56% and 69% for the three crops) to the total energy consumption, as compared with the seed, labour, machinery, diesel fuel, phosphorus and potassium fertilisers, irrigation water, plastic film, and pesticides. All of the crops consumed much more non-renewable energy than renewable energy. According to the Cobb–Douglas production function, the diesel and nitrogen fertiliser energy inputs had a significantly positive impact on the sweet sorghum energy output. The energy crop showed an increasing return to scale, with cotton showing a constant and maize a decreasing return. These findings indicate that the sweet sorghum energy output is possible to be increased with further technical research and development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Abundant aryl isoprenoids have been detected in source rock extracts from the 25–65Ma saline lacustrine formations in the western Qaidam Basin, NW China. Identification was based mainly on comparison of mass spectra and gas chromatographic behaviour with literature data. Two pseudohomologous series in the range C13–C40 were assigned as 2,3,6- and 2,3,4-trimethyl monoaryl isoprenoids. The C40 2,3,4-trimethylaryl isoprenoid, okenane, was the most abundant component of the series, while its C40 2,3,6-trimethylaryl isomer, chlorobactane, was present in low abundance. Two C40 monoaromatic isoprenoids with a cyclohexyl ring were tentatively assigned as β-isorenieratane and β-renierapurpurane. One C40 diaryl isoprenoid was identified as isorenieratane. Identification of okenane, chlorobactane and isorenieratane was confirmed by co-elution experiments using synthetic standards. In addition, two novel series of aryl isoprenoids in the C12–C39 range were tentatively assigned as 2,6- and 2,3-dimethylaryl isoprenoids. The C39 2,3-dimethylaryl isoprenoid homologue was the most abundant component of the series, while the C39 2,6-dimethylaryl isomer was only present in low abundance. Two C39 monoaromatic bicyclic compounds were tentatively assigned as 2,6- and 2,3-dimethylaryl isoprenoids with a terminal cyclohexyl ring. Furthermore, a minor C38 component was tentatively assigned as a diaryl isoprenoid with a 2,3-/2,3-dimethyl substitution pattern. These dimethylaryl isoprenoids seem to be formed by demethylation of their parent trimethylaryl isoprenoid counterparts, the location of the demethylated position being exclusively at C-3, C-4 or C-6 of the aromatic ring. This specificity points to a biologically-mediated process (as opposed to an abiotic, maturity-related transformation) that needs to be further investigated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Normal planting of full-season cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) (NPF) in saline fields of the Yellow River vaHey, China, is currently faced with poor stand establishment, late maturity, and increasing cost of inputs. Our objective was to determine if late planting of short-season cotton (LPS) may alleviate these problems. In the first experiment, the effects of cultivar, planting date, seeding rate, and their interactions on stand establishment and seedling Na+ and malondialdehyde concentrations were studied. We also compared varietal effects, input costs, and gross economic returns under NPF and LPS. Late planting improved stand establishment due to increased temperature and reduced Na+ and malondialdehyde concentrations in cotton tissues. The LPS at 21 kg seeds ha-1 (LPSM) and NPF at 30 kg seeds ha-1 (NPFH) yielded better than other treatment combinations. Varietal effects on lint yield were not significant. The output value of both systems was comparable; however, the net revenue from LPSM was 32% greater than that from NPFH due to lower material cost and labor inputs. Late planting of short-season cotton is a promising option for cotton production in saline areas of the Yellow River delta and probably in other cotton-growing areas with similar ecologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]