Enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks is a key aspect of modern agriculture, but whether this can be achieved by incorporating legume green manure crops in cereal production to substitute synthetic N fertilizers is unknown. This study used a six-year (2017–2022) field study to explore the impacts of intercropping green manure with maize and reducing nitrogen fertilization on SOC stocks, while specifically focusing on the relationship between aggregate composition and carbon sequestration. Maize intercropped with common vetch (M/V), maize intercropped with rapeseed (M/R), and sole maize (M), were each tested at conventional (N2, 360kg ha^–1) and reduced (N1, 270kg ha^–1, 25% reduced) N application rates. Soil was sampled in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Compared with sole maize, intercropping with green manure (M/V and M/R) significantly increased SOC stocks which compensated for any negative effect due to the 25% reduction in N application. Based on 3-year averages, intercropping with M/V and M/R increased the SOC content compared to sole maize (M) by 12.1 and 9.1%, respectively, with intercropping further mitigating the negative impact of reduced nitrogen application. There was no significant difference between M/V and M/R. The SOC content at N1 was reduced by 9.3–10.5% compared to that at N2 in sole maize, but the differences in SOC stocks between N1 and N2 were not significant in the intercropping patterns (M/V and M/R). The intercropped M/V and M/R showed 20.9 and 16.3% higher SOC contents compared to sole maize at N1, with no differences at N2. Intercropping green manure led to a 5.3% greater SOC in the 0–20cm depth soil in 2022compared to that in 2020, due to the cumulative effect of two years of green manure intercropping. Intercropping green manure (M/V and M/R) increased the proportion of macroaggregates (>0.25mm) and aggregate stability while reducing the proportion of microaggregates compared to sole maize under the N1 application. Structural equation modeling indicated that cropping patterns and nitrogen application levels mainly affect SOC indirectly by regulating the composition of macroaggregates and aggregate organic carbon (AOC). Correlation analysis further revealed that the composition of macroaggregates is significantly and positively correlated with the SOC content (R²=0.64). In addition, intercropping green manure can maintain high crop yields by increasing SOC under reduced chemical nitrogen application. The results of this study show that intercropping green manure with grain crops can be a viable measure for increasing SOC sinks and maize productivity by optimizing the aggregate composition with reduced N application in the Hexi Oasis Irrigation Area.

The effect of adding hydroxycinnamic acids (caffeic acid, sinapic acid, p-coumaric acid and chlorogenic acid) in Cabernet Sauvignon dry red wine before and after fermentation was investigated, taking into account the color parameters, anthocyanin content, and overall polyphenol levels in the wine samples. The copigmentation effect of malvidin-3-O-glucoside and sinapic acid was further explored in model solution and through theoretical calculations. The results indicated that the addition of hydroxycinnamic acids significantly enhanced the wine’s color with sinapic acid (before the fermentation) showing the most pronounced color protection effect. Compared to control samples, the addition of hydroxycinnamic acids resulted in a 36% increase in total phenolic content and a 28% increase in total anthocyanin content. Thermodynamic analysis revealed that the interaction between sinapic acid and malvidin-3-O-glucoside was spontaneous and exothermic. Theoretical studies identified hydrogen bonding (HB) and dispersion forces as the main primary stabilizing forces, with the carboxyl group of sinapic acid playing a critical role while the anthocyanin backbone also influenced the interaction.

Understanding the molecular responses of tea leaves to mechanical stress is crucial for elucidating the mechanisms of post-harvest quality formation during oolong tea processing. This study employed an integrated multi-omics strategy to characterize the changes and interactions among metabolomic (MB), transcriptomic (TX), and proteomic (PT) profiles in mechanically stressed tea leaves. Mechanical stress initially activated damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), including Ca²⁺signaling, jasmonic acid signaling, and glutathione metabolism pathways. These processes subsequently induced quality-related metabolic pathways (QRMPs), particularly α-linolenic acid and phenylalanine metabolism. Up-regulated expression of LOX, ADH1, and PARgenes, together with the increased abundance of their encoded proteins, respectively promoted the accumulation of jasmine lactone, benzyl alcohol, and 2-phenylethanol. These findings indicate that mechanical stress influences the metabolite biosynthesis in tea leaves through coordinated molecular responses. This study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying tea leaf responses to mechanical stress and a foundation for future investigations into how early molecular events may contribute to post-harvest metabolic changes during oolong tea processing.

In China, farmers have increasingly adopted direct-seeded rice (DSR). While various impacts of DSR have been studied, limited evidence exists regarding the effect of DSR adoption on pesticide use. This study examines the impact of DSR adoption on pesticide use utilizing data from a 2018 survey of 982 rice farmers in China’s Yangtze River Basin. The endogenous treatment-regression and switching regression models are employed to address self-selection bias. The results indicate that, after accounting for self-selection, DSR adopters spend 401.72 CNY ha–1 more on pesticides compared to non-adopters. Although DSR adoption significantly increases the use of insecticides, fungicides and herbicides, its impact is most pronounced for insecticide expenditure and least pronounced for herbicide expenditure. The findings remain robust when altering the dependent variable, truncating the research sample, and modifying the estimation method. Heterogeneous analysis reveals that DSR adoption has a stronger positive impact on pesticide expenditure among farmers below 60 years of age, with at least 6 years of education, and managing rice sown areas less than 2 ha. Based on these findings, this study recommends enhancing complementary techniques for DSR, improving the dissemination of DSR cultivation technologies, and strengthening socialized services. This research provides a comprehensive assessment of DSR’s advantages and disadvantages, particularly regarding pesticide use, offering important policy implications for pesticide reduction.

Malnutrition remains a significant global challenge, particularly in developing countries. Policymakers have increasingly focused on improving household food security and nutrition through farm production diversity (FPD). While research indicates that FPD correlates positively with reduced malnutrition, other studies emphasize the importance of market access for improved nutritional outcomes. However, this evidence varies by region and remains inconsistent. To address this knowledge gap, this study analyzed survey data from 450 smallholder farmers in Punjab, Pakistan, using regression models to examine the relationship between FPD and dietary diversity, as well as the underlying impact pathways. The findings demonstrate that FPD significantly correlates with increased household dietary diversity score (HDDS). FPD influences dietary diversification through both own-farm production and market food consumption pathways, with the own-farm production pathway showing greater impact. The increase in food expenditure through own-farm production yielded a marginal return of 8% in household dietary diversity compared to 5.3% through marketing. Gender differences emerged as significant, with male-headed households showing relatively lower dietary diversity. These findings have substantial implications for countries with smallholder farming systems, providing valuable insights for the formation of agricultural policies, resource optimization, and rural development initiatives.