Bacterial cellulose (BC), known for its exceptional physical properties and sustainability, has garnered widespread attention as a promising alternative to petrochemical-based plastic packaging. However, application of BC for packaging remains limited due to its hygroscopic nature, poor food preservation capabilities, and low optical transparency. In this study, a novel in-situ spraying method for chitosan (CS) encapsulation was developed to fabricate BC/CS hybrid structure layer by layer. The resulting composites exhibit effective antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative (> 75 %) bacteria, ensuring food preservation and safety. The BC/CS composites were modified through mercerization and heat drying (mBC/CS), transforming the cellulose crystal structure from cellulose I to the more stable cellulose II and inducing the alignment of a compact structure. Following waterborne polyurethane (WPU) coating, the mBC/CS/WPU composites acquired hydrophobic and heat-sealable properties, along with an 80 % reduction in haze and light transmittance exceeding 85 %. Further, they exhibited exceptional mechanical properties, including an ultimate tensile strength exceeding 200 MPa and omnidirectional flexibility. These composites could also preserve the freshness of sliced apples (< 20 % weight loss) and poached chicken (< 3 % weight loss) after one week of storage, comparable to commercial zipper bags, and also prevent food contamination. Notably, the mBC/CS/WPU composites displayed no ecotoxicity during decomposition and degraded completely within 60 days in soil. This study provides a valuable framework for functionalizing BC-based materials, promoting sustainable packaging, and contributing to the mitigation of plastic pollution.

Pine forests in the North-east German Plain (Brandenburg) are typical areas for outbreaks of insect pests, like Dendrolimus pini (L.). The reasons for the landscape-defining cultivation of Pinus sylvestris L. are mainly climatic and historical. In interest of forest management, it is important to prevent large-scale larvae feeding and defoliation damages. Therefore, insecticides can be applied to the crown area of pine forests, if a high risk of forest damage is predicted after using monitoring methods. According to Paragraph 18 of the German Plant Protection Act (PflSchG), the aerial application with helicopter is possible. Ecological-chemical monitoring can generate data on the fate and persistence of the plant protection products respectively incorporated active substances applied in the environment, which can be used to estimate the effects on the ecosystem. In the present study, aerial forest protection measures were monitored and further field trials were carried out to determine the active substance levels of tebufenozide and lambda-cyhalothrin on different compartments (insect pests/non-target organisms, pine needles and forest soil) in time-dependent sampling before and after application. The results of the trace analysis and exposure estimation allowed an evaluation of the exposure situation in pine forests.

Zinc deficiency is one of the most widespread nutritional problems, affecting nearly one-third of the world population. In addition, it is known that zinc deficiency not only reduces crop yield but also its quality. The effect of different methods of zinc application on the growth, yield, and quality of safflower seeds under regular irrigation and interruption of irrigation from flowering to harvest (82 and 80 DAS in the first and second years, respectively) was evaluated. Zinc sulfate was applied in both soil and foliar methods. The zinc sulfate treatments include no zinc sulfate, soil application of 20, 40, and 60 kg ha(-1) at the planting stage; spraying 2.5, 5, and 7.5 g L-1 in the rosette stage; and spraying 2.5, 5, and 7.5 g L-1 in the flowering stage. The end-season drought caused a decrease in the chlorophyll index, leaf area index, relative water content, plant height, yield components, biological yield, seed yield, harvest index, seed oil content, oil harvest index, and seed element content compared to regular irrigation. The decrease in yield occurred with a decrease in the capitol number and diameter, seed number per capitol, and 1000-seed weight. The severity of the damage of the end-season drought stress in the second year was higher than in the first year due to the higher temperatures and the decrease in the rainfall. In both years, the application of zinc sulfate in different ways had an increasing effect on the studied traits in both normal and stress conditions. The application of zinc sulfate reduced the negative effects of unfavorable environmental conditions and improved the yield and nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and iron element content in the seed. In both application methods of zinc sulfate, the increment in the zinc sulfate concentration decreased the seed phosphorus content. However, the phosphorous content was more than that of the treatment of non-zinc application. The application of zinc increased the biological, seed, and oil yield of the treated plants, but the seed and oil yield were more affected. This effect was shown in the seed and oil harvest index increment. Under regular irrigation, higher concentrations of zinc sulfate enhanced plant performance, but under stress conditions, medium and lower concentrations were more effective. The highest 1000-seed weight and potassium and zinc content were obtained by spraying zinc sulfate at 5 g L-1 in the flowering stage under normal irrigation conditions. A comparison of the two methods of applying zinc sulfate showed that foliar spraying was more effective than soil application in improving the seed yield. The soil application is more effective on biological yield than seed yield.

In the context of increasing global food demand and the urgent need for production processes optimization, plant protection products play a key role in safeguarding crops from insects, pests, and fungi, responsible of plant diseases proliferation and yield losses. Despite the inaccurate distribution of conventional aerial spraying performed by airplanes and helicopters, Unmanned Aerial Spraying Systems (UASSs) offer low health risks and operational cost solutions, preserving crops and soil from physical damage. This study explores the impact of UASS flight height (2 m and 2.5 m above ground level), speed (1 m s-1 and 1.5 m s-1), and position (over the canopy and the inter-row) on vineyard aerial spraying efficiency by analysing Water Sensitive Papers droplet coverage, density, and Number Median Diameter using a MATLAB script. Flight position factor, more than others, influenced the application results. The specific configuration of 2 m altitude, 1.5 m s-1 cruising speed, and inter-row positioning yielded the best results in terms of canopy coverage, minimizing off-target and ground dispersion, and represented the best setting to facilitate droplets penetration, reaching the lowest parts generally more affected from disease. Further research is needed to assess UASS aerial PPP distribution effectiveness and environmental impact in agriculture, crucial for technology implementation, especially in countries where aerial treatments are not yet permitted.

The remediation of soil contaminated with cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) has consistently been a complex issue. Foliar application of jasmonic acid (JA) could be a promising agronomic practice for reducing heavy metal accumulations. However, the combined reduction effects and mechanisms of Cd and As in rice through foliar JA application have not been fully explored. In this study, a pot experiment was conducted to investigate rice yield, Cd and As accumulations and translocations, photosynthesis, and ROS-scavenging attributes in Huanghuazhan (HHZ) and Huarun No.2 (HR). The results revealed that 1 mu M JA treatment significantly decreased the concentrations of Cd (by 34.6% in HHZ and 38.3% in HR) and As (by 30.8% in HHZ and 40.8% in HR) in the grains, and increased the percentage of filled-grain and 1000-grain weight in HHZ. The structural equation model (SEM) indicated that grain Cd was directly and positively affected by panicle Cd and leaf sheath Cd, while grain As was directly and positively affected by panicle As, leaf blade As and leaf sheath As. JA application enhanced the net photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll content (both a and b). Additionally, it scavenged levels of H2O2 and O2.-, reduced lipid peroxidation damage by promoting the activities of antioxidant enzymes and altering the cellular redox status in the flag leaves of rice. Overall, these results suggest that foliar JA application of could be an effective strategy for preventing Cd and As accumulations in rice grains in paddy soils with low to medium contamination risks.