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Enhancing switchgrass growth with biochar derived from mushroom residue: A study on regulating physicochemical properties of acidic phosphogypsum
No full textAcidity limits plant growth, particularly when the growing medium has a pH below 5, a challenge that is particularly relevant for certain plants like switchgrass Panicum virgatum. Although adding biochar to the growing medium has been shown to improve plant growth by modulating acidity, its specific impact on switchgrass remains largely uninvestigated. Thus, we conducted a pot experiment to assess how different biochar application rates (0%, 1%, 2.5%, 5%, 10%, and 20% w/w), derived from mushroom residue through muffle furnace pyrolysis at 350°C for 2 h, affect the physicochemical attributes of phosphogypsum and subsequent switchgrass growth. Our findings revealed that adding biochar to phosphogypsum significantly alleviated acidity and enhanced moisture, organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total potassium, available phosphorus, and available potassium contents. Notably, the 10% biochar treatment had the most positive impacts on germination rates, while the 5% treatment had the greatest improvements in shoot length, tiller number, and total weight compared to the control. Structural equation modeling illustrated that biochar indirectly contributed to switchgrass health by altering the physicochemical properties of phosphogypsum, with pH as the pivotal regulator. Our study demonstrated the potential of mushroom residue biochar as an effective amendment for acidic substrates/matrix (e.g., soil), offering a promising strategy to improve physicochemical conditions and stimulate plant growth
Facilitating the ecosystem-based management transition in Aotearoa New Zealand
No full textIn response to growing social and ecological pressures, ecosystem-based management (EBM) has been proffered as an alternative governance regime for marine and coastal systems in Aotearoa New Zealand. The challenge of how to engender a transition to EBM remains, however. This paper investigates the proposition that Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) can be a tool to drive the EBM transition by analysing the ocean and marine governance transition in Kaikōura over the past 20 years. The findings suggest that taking a top-down MSP approach to governance can crowd out some of the principles of EBM, but MSP can support the implementation of EBM principles if sufficient attention is given to developing institutions and processes that prioritise local decision-making and provide sufficient support for ongoing engagement and participation by local actors
Impact of agricultural cooperative membership on household food security in the Mchinji district, Malawi :A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Commerce at Lincoln University
No full textFood insecurity and malnutrition remain serious challenges in Malawi despite the country’s economy being heavily reliant on agriculture. Progress towards achieving food and nutrition security has been undermined by challenges such as small farm sizes, improper land management, and insufficient access to technical training, timely inputs, profitable markets, and financial resources leading to low productivity among smallholders. Agricultural cooperatives can improve productivity by making agricultural inputs, technical training, and modern farming technologies more accessible. Additionally, cooperatives can enhance smallholders’ income opportunities through the collective marketing of agricultural produce to preferred markets. While smallholder cooperatives often fall short of meeting performance expectations, empirical studies in some developing countries provide evidence supporting the view that cooperative membership can improve food and nutrition security among smallholders. However, no such research has been conducted in Malawi.
In this study, probability-based sampling techniques were used to select a representative sample of 475 cooperative member and non-member households to estimate the impact of agricultural cooperative membership and the use of cooperative services on household food security. Propensity Score Matching (PSM) and Two-stage Least Squares (2SLS) regression models with instrumental variables (IV) were used to account for sample selection bias. Findings showed that cooperative membership had a positive and meaningful impact on household food and nutrition security; specifically, it increased household dietary diversity by an average of 2.945 units, improved household food consumption by an average of 23.638 units, reduced the number of hungry months experienced by households by an average of 2.759 units, and reduced the frequency and severity of negative coping strategies required by households to manage food shortages by an average of 9.450 units. The findings suggest that government and non-government organisations (NGOs) should encourage awareness of cooperative benefits and facilitate the establishment of cooperatives in districts where food security is weak and the demand for cooperatives is strong. Cooperative leaders should focus on providing technical training and access to farm inputs and product markets
Late pregnancy is associated with an increase in regulatory cytokines and a decline in nematode-specific antibody levels in sheep infected with Teladorsagia circumcincta
No full textThe gastrointestinal nematode Teladorsagia circumcincta is a prevalent and economically important parasite of sheep. Sheep develop acquired immunity to T. circumcincta, characterised by nematode-specific antibody production and a type 2 T-helper (Th) cell response. During late pregnancy and early lactation, ewes experience increased nematode faecal egg count (FEC) known as the peri-parturient rise (PPR). The PPR is associated with a decline in nematode-specific antibodies, but research on the role of Th cell-mediated immunity in the PPR is limited. Here, we characterised the cellular and humoral immune responses of T. circumcincta-infected ewes fed at two dietary levels during the peri-parturient period. Diet had a limited effect on any trait, likely due to the high body condition of the ewes entering the study, but all ewes experienced a pronounced PPR. The PPR was associated with a decline in nematode-specific IgG, and antigen-dependent declines of IgA and IgE around parturition. Levels of the Th1-associated cytokine IFN-γ and the Th2-associated cytokine IL-4 showed antigen- dependent declines during the peri-parturient period. In contrast, the regulatory cytokine IL-10 increased around parturition in response to a generic mitogen, nematode antigens and Heptavac® vaccine, suggesting a generalised regulatory immune phenotype. Our results provide a comprehensive view of the immunological changes during the PPR and suggest a possible role for regulatory T cell response
Regenerative farming enhances human health benefits of milk and yoghurt in New Zealand dairy systems
No full textThis on-farm study evaluated the effects of a regenerative (plant polyculture) as compared to conventional (monoculture) pasture-based New Zealand dairy production system on milk and yoghurt nutraceutical properties and environmental impact. Milk and yoghurt produced by two adjacent regenerative and conventional farms were sampled throughout the year and analyzed for chemical composition, metabolomics, and microbiome. Milk samples were also collected over four consecutive days (one day after herbage sampling) on four occasions throughout lactation: early lactation (October), peak lactation (December/January), mid-lactation (March), and late lactation (May). Overall, the regenerative system had a lower environmental impact while maintaining a similar yield and the same milk composition compared to conventional systems. Furthermore, milk and yoghurt from the regenerative system had a more favourable profile of phytochemical antioxidants with potential positive benefits to human health (anti-inflammatory and antioxidant
High flows contributed a large part of annual contaminant yields in New Zealand’s rivers
No full textAccurate contaminant yield estimation in rivers is essential to developing water quality policies and monitoring their effectiveness over time. We assessed the contribution of high-flows (≥90th percentile) to total yields of nitrate-nitrogen, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and E. coli calculated from monthly data over 15 years (310–325 sites) in New Zealand, and at 24 sites with high-frequency (30-min) nitrate-nitrogen and total phosphorus. High flows contributed 51–74% of annual contaminant yields at long-term sites and 48% of nitrate-nitrogen and 63% of total phosphorus in the high-frequency sites. Mean uncertainties in annual yields estimated from monthly monitoring data (compared to the true yield, calculated from high-frequency records) were 29% for nitrate-nitrogen and 52% for total phosphorus. Daily sampling was needed to reduce uncertainty to <10% especially in catchments with a high proportion of agricultural land use
Spatial opportunities at the rural-urban fringe: Balancing urban growth, food production and ecology
No full textUrban expansion at the rural-urban fringe is driving loss of productive agricultural land, biodiversity and ecosystem services. This phenomenon is underpinned by Western society’s evolving conceptual and spatial distinctions between food production, nature, and the city. With particular relevance for the Anglosphere, this narrative review explores how these competing interests can be negotiated spatially. First, we give an overview of urban utopian approaches; second, a comparison between high-intensity, sparing approaches and their low-intensity, sharing counterparts; and finally, an exploration of spatial considerations for mixed intensities of urban, food production and ecological land uses. The review highlights the role of multifunctional green infrastructure to integrate both food production and ecological function across the urban-rural continuum at a range of scales. We emphasise the need for context-specific research to draw together multiple perspectives across different knowledges, disciplines, and experiences to better understand competing interests at the rural-urban fring
Ecological recreation across the Jinma Mountain region: A comprehensive evaluation of suburban mountain greenway networks
No full textInvestigating the construction of greenway network systems in mountainous suburban areas from an integrated “ecology–recreation” perspective is crucial for promoting the coordinated development of regional multifunctionality. Taking Jinma Mountain in Kunming as a specific case study, this research comprehensively adopts a multivalue, multidimensional perception evaluation method to construct an assessment framework for suburban mountainous greenway networks that couples ecological and recreational functions. The results show that the Jinma Mountain greenway network exhibits a unique “multiple rings intertwined and dense network” pattern, with an optimized density of 0.79 km/km2, achieving efficient utilization. Compared to single-function greenways, the network’s ring index (α), connectivity index (β), and cohesion index (γ) have improved by 12.88%, 20%, and 4.19%, respectively, demonstrating a high degree of coupling and coordination. These improvements demonstrate the rationality and scientific rigor of the designed evaluation system, offering significant advantages over traditional single-function greenways. This comprehensive evaluation system not only supplements existing research on greenway networks but also provides a theoretical reference for integrated “ecology–recreation” and sustainable development in mountainous suburban areas
Therapeutic potential of sea cucumber-derived bioactives in the prevention and management of brain-related disorders: a comprehensive review
No full textThe popularity of bioactive compounds extracted from sea cucumbers is growing due to their wide application in the pharmaceutical industry, particularly in the development of drugs for neurological disorders. Different types of compounds, such as saponins, phenolic compounds, cerebrosides, and glucocerebrosides, are being studied intensively for their efficacy in assessing the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and brain tumors, among others. Positive results have been observed in the upregulation in the content of p-CREB, p-PL3K, BDNF, SOD, and MDA. Furthermore, the neuroprotective mechanism of the compounds against Alzheimer’s disease revealed that suppressing the phosphorylation of tau protein by the PI3K/Akt/GSK3β pathway leads to improved synaptic plasticity and reduced nerve fiber tangles. This comprehensive review explores recent findings on the therapeutic potential of sea cucumber bioactives in the treatment of brain-related disorders
Enhancing sheep vitality through diverse pastures and seaweed bio-stimulants: effects on performance, health, and product quality
No full textThis on-farm study explored the effects of diverse pasture systems and seaweed bio-stimulants (AgriSea NZ Seaweed Products, Paeroa, New Zealand) on sheep performance, metabolic health, milk composition, and carcass characteristics. A 3 × 2 factorial design was used to compare three pasture systems; ryegrass-white clover (RW), a 23-species diverse mix (DI), and functionally diverse strip swards (ST), with (SW) or without (CO) a seaweed bio-stimulant. Ninety pregnant ewes were stratified by live weight and allocated across six treatment groups (15 ewes per treatment). Lambing occurred on treatment paddocks. At weaning, 90 lambs (15 per treatment) were selected based on body weight and sex balance to continue through to finishing. Pasture chemical composition differed among treatments: ST had lower fibre (neutral detergent fibre, NDF; acid detergent fibre, ADF) than RW and DI, while SW increased dry matter digestibility (DMD) and metabolisable energy (ME), and reduced NDF and ADF (p < 0.05). Strip pastures improved lamb average daily gain (ADG) by 17% from lambing to weaning compared to DI, and by 14% from weaning to finishing compared to RW (p < 0.05). Seaweed bio-stimulant treatment enhanced lamb ADG by up to 12% and improved carcass traits, including loin and shoulder yields (p < 0.05). Ewes and lambs on seaweed-treated pastures exhibited lower serum non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations (p < 0.05), indicating better energy balance. Milk from ST and/or SW treated ewes had elevated omega-6 fatty acids and essential amino acids, suggesting enhanced nutritional value. These findings demonstrate that combining botanical diversity with natural bio-stimulants can improve animal growth, metabolic health, and product quality, offering a promising strategy for sustainable and welfare-oriented sheep production system