BACKGROUND Lower Saxony (Germany) has the highest installed electric capacity from biogas in Germany. Most of this electricity is generated with maize. Reasons for this are the high yields and the economic incentive. In parts of Lower Saxony, an expansion of maize cultivation has led to ecological problems and a negative image of bioenergy as such. Winter triticale and cup plant have both shown...

Model projections suggest that although increased temperature and decreased soil moisture will act to reduce global crop yields by 2050, the direct fertilization effect of rising carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]) will offset these losses. The CO2 fertilization factors used in models to project future yields were derived from enclosure studies conducted approximately 20 years ago. Free-air co...

A regional climate change model (PRECIS) for China, developed by the UK's Hadley Centre, was used to simulate China's climate and to develop climate change scenarios for the country. Results from this project suggest that, depending on the level of future emissions, the average annual temperature increase in China by the end of the twenty-first century may be between 3 and 4 degrees C. Regional...

Ensuring stable crop yields in an era where climate change threatens traditional agricultural practices through altered rainfall patterns and increased urban consumption has become a vital concern in global food security. Projected freshwater availability for irrigation indicates that between 20 and 60 Mha of irrigated cropland may have to be reverted to rainfed management [57]. Formerly irriga...

In the recent years, agricultural soils have received more chemicals in various forms for higher yields. This may result in the accumulation of metals in soils which subsequently may be transferred into the agricultural crops. In the present investigation, nickel content of 58 composite soil samples and also agricultural crops, is studied. Ni in samples of soil and agricultural products were ex...