Based on three-stage data envelopment analysis(DEA) model estimates of resource utilization efficiency of coal,we selected 29 provinces from China's 2012 input-output data and used the bootstrap DEA model to corre...Based on three-stage data envelopment analysis(DEA) model estimates of resource utilization efficiency of coal,we selected 29 provinces from China's 2012 input-output data and used the bootstrap DEA model to correct the bias.The results show that the mean overall technical efficiency,pure technical efficiency,and scale efficiency was 0.833,0.998,and 0.711 in 2012,respectively.Moreover,the comprehensive technical efficiency score indicates that the scale is invalid.Area utilization efficiencies for the eastern,central,and western regions were 0.917,0.731,and 0.629,respectively.The results prove that there are significant differences in the distribution of coal resources utilization efficiency across regions.展开更多
Wood-plastic composites(WPCs)combine the advantages of plastics and lumber,however,their progress is slowed by limitations resulting from the properties of plant-based materials(PBMs),the most critical of which is ins...Wood-plastic composites(WPCs)combine the advantages of plastics and lumber,however,their progress is slowed by limitations resulting from the properties of plant-based materials(PBMs),the most critical of which is insufficient thermal stability.The temperature boundary for processing of WPCs is 200℃,as higher temperatures induce PBMs’degradation,yielding odor,uncontrolled darkening,porosity generation,and loss of WPCs’mechanical performance.Going beyond the framework of composites’science and taking a transdisciplinary look at processing degradation leads to very different conclusions.The food sector makes the best of PBMs’degradation,yielding not only indispensable feed but often works of art.Drawing from its experience with the desire to go beyond the state-of-the-art,WPCs need a paradigm shift considering processing degrada-tion.The presented paper proposes the pathway against the flow.Instead of avoiding processing degradation,deliberately inducing and employing it with all the benefits,pushing WPCs toward sustainability by maximizing resource efficiency.Exceeding the temperature limit will enable the use of engineering plastics,which outperform commodity types.Considering PBMs,it will not only unleash the true potential of phytochemicals but also take advantage of the compounds yet to be generated in situ during processing degradation,enriching WPCs with benefits known from the food sector.展开更多
The effects of micro-ridge-furrow planting(MR)on yield and the efficiency of light,water,and thermal resource use in rapeseed were tested in a three-year field experiment comparing MR to conventional flat planting.MR ...The effects of micro-ridge-furrow planting(MR)on yield and the efficiency of light,water,and thermal resource use in rapeseed were tested in a three-year field experiment comparing MR to conventional flat planting.MR enhanced canopy heterogeneity by altering the leaf angle between plants on ridges and furrows.The heterogeneous canopy environment increased intercepted photosynthetic active radiation,alleviated canopy temperature stress,and optimized canopy humidity,leading to improvements in light-nitrogen matching and net photosynthetic rate.Consequently,dry matter and yield increased by 13.0%and 11.0%,respectively,while radiation,thermal,and precipitation utilization efficiency increased by 12.3%-16.2%.The corresponding improvements in yield and resource use efficiency were attributed to a heterogeneous canopy environment that improved microclimatic conditions.展开更多
As part of its efforts to promote a sustainable and high-quality development,China has pledged to reduce water consumption and create a water-efficient society.On the basis of identifying the institutional root causes...As part of its efforts to promote a sustainable and high-quality development,China has pledged to reduce water consumption and create a water-efficient society.On the basis of identifying the institutional root causes of excessive capital allocation and excessive water consumption in China’s water-intensive industrial sectors,this study elaborates how the national water-efficient cities assessment contributes to optimized capital allocation.Our research shows that national water-efficient cities assessment has motivated local governments to compete for water efficiency.To conserve water,local governments regulated the entry and exit of water-intensive enterprises,discouraged excessive investments in water-intensive sectors,and phased out obsolete water-intensive capacities within their jurisdictions.This approach has resulted in mutually beneficial outcomes,including improved allocation of capital,enhanced water efficiency,and reduced emissions.This paper offers policy recommendations for establishing a water-efficient society throughout the 14^(th) Five-Year Plan(2021-2025)period by presenting empirical evidence on the policy effects of resource efficiency evaluation.展开更多
Based on provincial panel data of water footprint and grey water footprint, and with the help of data envelopment analysis model considering and without considering the unde- sirable output, this paper estimates the w...Based on provincial panel data of water footprint and grey water footprint, and with the help of data envelopment analysis model considering and without considering the unde- sirable output, this paper estimates the water resources utilization efficiency in China from 1997 to 2011. The spatial weighting matrix based on economy-spatial distance function is established to discuss spatial autocorrelation of water resources utilization efficiency. With the help of absolute/3-convergence model, this paper concludes that there exists/%convergence in the water resources utilization efficiency. Under the conditions of considering and without considering the undesirable output, it takes about 52.6 and 5.6 years respectively to achieve the extent of half of convergence. By mean of the spatial Durbin econometric model, this paper studies spatial spillover effects of the provincial water resources utilization efficiency in China. The results are as follows. 1） With considering and without considering the undesir- able output, there is significant spatial correlation in provincial water resource efficiency in China. 2） Under the two cases, the spatial autoregressive coefficients （p） are 0.278 and 0.507 respectively, at 1% significance level. There exist the spatial spillover effects of provin- cial water resources utilization efficiency. 3） With considering the undesirable output, these factors of the education funds, the transportation infrastructure, and the industrial and agri- cultural water consumption proportion have positive impacts. These factors of foreign direct investment, the industry value-added water consumption per ten thousand yuan, per capita water consumption, and the total precipitation have negative impacts. 4） Without considering the undesirable output, the factor of GDP per laborer has a greater positive significant influ- ence on the water resources utilization efficiency. However the facts of industry value-added water consumption in ten thousand yuan and the transportation infrastructure have no sig- nificant influence. 5） Regardless of undesirable output of water resources utilization efficiency the assessment of the present real water resources utilization in China will be distorted and policy-making will be misled. The water efficiency measure considering environmental factors （such as gray water footprint） is more reasonable.展开更多
This paper examines the spatial pattern of land and water resources as well as urbanization and their interactions in the Tarim River Basin, Xinjiang, China. In order to do so, we extract the data associated with effi...This paper examines the spatial pattern of land and water resources as well as urbanization and their interactions in the Tarim River Basin, Xinjiang, China. In order to do so, we extract the data associated with efficiency of land and water resources and urbanization for the years of 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2008. Specifically the paper investigates the extent to which agglomeration of population and economic activities varies geographically and inter- plays with spatial pattern of resources efficiency through computation of Global Moran＇s I index, Getis-Ord Gi＊ index and a coordinated development model. The method used provides clear evidence that urbanization, land and water resources efficiency have shown uneven spatial pattern due to oasis distribution, climate, and initial phase of urban development. Some conclusions can be drawn as follows. （1） Agglomeration and dispersion of urbanization are not consistent with those of land and water resources efficiency. （2） Evolution of the hot and cold spots of urbanization, and land and water resources efficiency, in different trajecto- ries, indicate that there are no significant interactions between them. （3） The evidence that numbers of hot and cold spots of the three factors present varying structures reveals the dominance of unequal urban development in the study area. （4） Significant differences are also found between sub-river basins in terms of the three factors, which is a reflection of the complex physical geography of the area. （5） The degree of coordinated development of cities in the Tarim River Basin is generally low in part as a reflection of difference in spatial patterns of the three factors. It is also shown that the pattern of the degree of coordinated development is relatively stable compared with evolution of hot and cold spots of the three factors.展开更多
The rapidly growing demand for food, feed and fuel requires further improvements of land and water management, crop productivity and resource-use efficiencies.Combined field experimentation and crop growth modelling d...The rapidly growing demand for food, feed and fuel requires further improvements of land and water management, crop productivity and resource-use efficiencies.Combined field experimentation and crop growth modelling during the past five decades made a great leap forward in the understanding of factors that determine actual and potential yields of monocrops.The research field of production ecology developed concepts to integrate biological and biophysical processes with the aim to explore crop growth potential in contrasting environments.To understand the potential of more complex systems（multi-cropping and intercropping） we need an agro-ecosystem approach that integrates knowledge derived from various disciplines： agronomy, crop physiology, crop ecology, and environmental sciences（soil, water and climate）.Adaptation of cropping systems to climate change and a better tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses by genetic improvement and by managing diverse cropping systems in a sustainable way will be of key importance in food security.To accelerate sustainable intensification of agricultural production, it is required to develop intercropping systems that are highly productive and stable under conditions with abiotic constraints（water, nutrients and weather）.Strategies to achieve sustainable intensification include developing tools to evaluate crop growth potential under more extreme climatic conditions and introducing new crops and cropping systems that are more productive and robust under conditions with abiotic stress.This paper presents some examples of sustainable intensification management of intercropping systems that proved to be tolerant to extreme climate conditions.展开更多
This paper aims to establish an index system for evaluation of agricultural resources use efficiency(ARUE) in grain production and discuss the causes of low efficiency and high consumption of agricultural resources in...This paper aims to establish an index system for evaluation of agricultural resources use efficiency(ARUE) in grain production and discuss the causes of low efficiency and high consumption of agricultural resources in Changshu of Jiangsu Province,Taihe of Jiangxi Province and Ansai of Shaanxi Province in China by analyzing the data about meteorology,soil,water consumption and grain production. Agro-ecological Zone(AEZ) method was adopted to calculate the potential productivity,and synthetically multivariate equation was used to evaluate the ARUE of study areas. This paper can be concluded as:1) the agricultural resources in grain production can be classified into five categories,i.e.,climatic resources,water resources,land resources,biological resources and assistant resources,and 15 indexes were selected to evaluate their use efficiency in grain production;2) the values of ARUE in grain production are 0.5868,0.6368 and 0.5390 respectively in Changshu,Taihe and Ansai;and 3) Changshu ranks the highest among the three study areas in terms of the use efficiency of climatic resources and biological resources(evaluation values are 0.0277 and 0.1530) ,but Taihe tops the three in terms of the use efficiency of water resources,land resources and assistant resources(evaluation values are 0.0502,0.2945 and 0.1379 respectively) . However,the ARUE remains always low in Ansai for all the resources. The inefficiencies are caused by poor grain revenue in Changshu,deficient agriculture investments in Taihe and unfavorable natural conditions in Ansai.展开更多
Tillage represents an important practice that is used to dynamically regulate soil properties,and affects the grain production process and resource use efficiency of crops.The objectives of this 3-year field study car...Tillage represents an important practice that is used to dynamically regulate soil properties,and affects the grain production process and resource use efficiency of crops.The objectives of this 3-year field study carried out in the Huang-Huai-Hai(HHH) Plain of China were to compare the effects of a new deep vertical rotary tillage (DVRT) with the conventional shallow rotary tillage (CT) on soil properties,winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain yield and water and nitrogen use efficiency at different productivity levels,and to identify a comprehensive management that optimizes both grain yield and resource use efficiency in the HHH Plain.A split-plot design was adopted in field experiments in the winter wheat growing seasons of 2016–2017 (S1),2017–2018 (S2) and 2018–2019 (S3),with DVRT (conducted once in June 2016) and CT performed in the main plots.Subplots were treated with one of four targeted productivity level treatments (SH,the super high productivity level;HH,the high productivity and high efficiency productivity level;FP,the farmer productivity level;ISP,the inherent soil productivity level).The results showed that the soil bulk density was reduced and the soil water content at the anthesis stage was increased in all three years,which were due to the significant effects of DVRT.Compared with CT,grain yields,partial factor productivity of nitrogen (PFP_(N)),and water use efficiency (WUE) under DVRT were increased by 22.0,14.5 and 19.0%.Path analysis and direct correlation decomposition uncovered that grain yield variation of winter wheat was mostly contributed by the spike numbers per area under different tillage modes.General line model analysis revealed that tillage mode played a significant role on grain yield,PFP_(N) and WUE not only as a single factor,but also along with other factors(year and productivity level) in interaction manners.In addition,PFP_(N) and WUE were the highest in HH under DVRT in all three growth seasons.These results provided a theoretical basis and technical support for coordinating the high yield with high resource use efficiency of winter wheat in the resource-restricted region in the HHH Plain of China.展开更多
Yield gap analysis could provide management suggestions to increase crop yields,while the understandings of resource utilization efficiency could help judge the rationality of the management.Based on more than 110 pub...Yield gap analysis could provide management suggestions to increase crop yields,while the understandings of resource utilization efficiency could help judge the rationality of the management.Based on more than 110 published papers and data from Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO,www.fao.org/faostat) and the Global Yield Gap and Water Productivity Atlas (www.yieldgap.org),this study summarized the concept,quantitative method of yield gap,yield-limiting factors,and resource utilization efficiency of the three major food crops (wheat,maize and rice).Currently,global potential yields of wheat,maize and rice were 7.7,10.4 and 8.5 t ha^(–1),respectively.However,actual yields of wheat,maize and rice were just 4.1,5.5 and 4.0 t ha^(–1),respectively.Climate,nutrients,moisture,crop varieties,planting dates,and socioeconomic conditions are the most mentioned yield-limiting factors.In terms of resource utilization,nitrogen utilization,water utilization,and radiation utilization efficiencies are still not optimal,and this review has summarized the main improvement measures.The current research focuses on quantitative potential yield and yield gap,with a rough explanation of yield-limiting factors.Subsequent research should use remote sensing data to improve the accuracy of the regional scale and use machine learning to quantify the role of yield-limiting factors in yield gaps and the impact of change crop management on resource utilization efficiency,so as to propose reasonable and effective measures to close yield gaps.展开更多
Improving the efficiency with which natural resources are utilized is an indispensable for achieving sustainable development and carbon neutrality. By analyzing the utilization efficiency of energy, water, and land, w...Improving the efficiency with which natural resources are utilized is an indispensable for achieving sustainable development and carbon neutrality. By analyzing the utilization efficiency of energy, water, and land, we established a comprehensive natural resource utilization efficiency index(NRUEI). We then calculated the 2016 index for 165 cities in China,and investigated what caused it to vary. We found three main results:(1) the NRUEI varied greatly across China and there were significant positive correlations between urban energy utilization efficiency(EUE), water utilization efficiency(WUE) and land utilization efficiency(LUE);(2) the NRUEI showed a significant positive correlation with a city’s population size,economy(Gross Domestic Product(GDP)), and the level of urban social development(GDP per capita);(3) cities in East China have the highest natural resource utilization efficiency,while cities in Northeast China have the lowest. These results indicate that China’s increasing urban development is associated with rising natural resource utilization efficiency and that the city’s endowment of natural resources is an important factor affecting that efficiency. Further, the results showed that the determinants of a city’s NRUEI differed in large and small cities. Lastly, our results suggest that improving EUE is key for improving NRUEI in urban China, and different efficiencies can be improved intertwined. A major takeaway of this study is that there is great potential for improving natural resource utilization efficiency in Chinese cities and we include city-specific suggestions for efficiency improvements.展开更多
Invasion is often facilitated by high resources availabilities and suppressed under low resources habitats. However, a number of invasive plants can successfully establish and dominate in resource-poor and （or） the ...Invasion is often facilitated by high resources availabilities and suppressed under low resources habitats. However, a number of invasive plants can successfully establish and dominate in resource-poor and （or） the understory of closed forests, indicating the plant＇s performances are habitats-dependent and species-specific. It is therefore necessary to explore the ecophysiological characteristics associated invasiveness for one invasive species across multiple resources availabilities whilst taking the relatedness into these comparative studies. In this study, invasive Eupitorium adenophorum and its native congener E. japonicum grew under different resource gradients in terms of light levels and soil nitrogen additions to identify the functional significance morphological and physiological traits associated closely with invasion and to examine their comparative responses. Photosynthetic carbon gain, biomass allocation and resource-use efficiency are evaluated in this pot experiment. Across treatments, E. adenophorum exhibited consistently higher values for most of the morphological variables including plant stature, relative growth rate （RGR）, leaf root ratio （LRR）, leaf area ratio （LAR）, total leaf area, and lower root： shoot ratio （RSR）. Significantly higher Pmax corresponded with higher photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency （PNUE） and photosynthetic energy use efficiency （PEUE） especially in low light and （or） unfertile condition. Higher Gs and Pmax but lower photosynthetic water use efficiency （WUE） indicated the trade-off relationship between WUE and PNUE for E. adenophorum. Final biomasses were higher for E. adenophorum in nutrient and（or） light limited conditions, in which higher leaf construction cost（CC） compared with E. japonicum could be over-compensated by its significantly higher assimilation rates. The effects of light levels on these plant attributes were stronger than soil nutrient contents. The responses of these two congeneric species to light and nitrogen availabilities were similar, but the differences were magnified in resources limited conditions, indicating the better performancer at acquiring and at using limited resources of E. adenophorum over its co-occurring native flora. Our study presented the distinctive advantages of E. adenophorum in resources-poor environments, indicating conventional strategy of managing resources levels to control the invasion and expending of exotic species may not be as effective as expected.展开更多
With the rapid development of Internet technology,the importance of blockchain technology has become increasingly prominent.Faced with this situation,extensive research has been carried out at home and abroad.Through ...With the rapid development of Internet technology,the importance of blockchain technology has become increasingly prominent.Faced with this situation,extensive research has been carried out at home and abroad.Through the analysis of relevant literature on blockchain in recent years,it is found that there are many research results of blockchain technology in medical care,finance,education,etc.,but its application in the field of resource allocation efficiency is rare.From the existing studies on the influencing factors of resource allocation efficiency in China,it is found that there are significant differences in resource allocation efficiency between China and some developed countries or between various provinces and cities of China.展开更多
The Yangtze River Basin’s water resource utilization efficiency(WUE)and scientific and technological innovation level(STI)are closely connected,and the comprehension of these relationships will help to improve WUE an...The Yangtze River Basin’s water resource utilization efficiency(WUE)and scientific and technological innovation level(STI)are closely connected,and the comprehension of these relationships will help to improve WUE and promote local economic growth and conservation of water.This study uses 19 provinces and regions along the Yangtze River’s mainstream from 2009 to 2019 as its research objects and uses a Vector Auto Regression(VAR)model to quantitatively evaluate the spatiotemporal evolution of the coupling coordination degree(CCD)between the two subsystems of WUE and STI.The findings show that:(1)Both the WUE and STI in the Yangtze River Basin showed an upward trend during the study period,but the STI effectively lagged behind the WUE;(2)The CCD of the two subsystems generally showed an upward trend,and the CCD of each province was improved to varying degrees,but the majority of regions did not develop a high-quality coordination stage;(3)The CCD of the two systems displayed apparent positive spatial autocorrelation in the spatial correlation pattern,and there were only two types:high-high(H-H)urbanization areas and low-low(L-L)urbanization areas;(4)The STI showed no obvious response to the impact of the WUE,while the WUE responded greatly to the STI,and both of them were highly dependent on themselves.Optimizing their interaction mechanisms should be the primary focus of high-quality development in the basin of the Yangtze River in the future.These results give the government an empirical basis to enhance the WUE and promote regional sustainable development.展开更多
The central concept of strategic benchmarking is resource management efficiency,which ultimately results in profitability.However,little is known about performance measurement from resource-based perspectives.This stu...The central concept of strategic benchmarking is resource management efficiency,which ultimately results in profitability.However,little is known about performance measurement from resource-based perspectives.This study uses the data envelopment analysis(DEA)model with a dynamic network structure to measure the resource management and profitability efficiencies of 287 US commercial banks from 2010 to 2020.Furthermore,we provide frontier projections and incorporate five variables,namely capital adequacy,asset quality,management quality,earning ability,and liquidity(i.e.,the CAMEL ratings).The results revealed that the room for improvement in bank performance is 55.4%.In addition,we found that the CAMEL ratings of efficient banks are generally higher than those of inefficient banks,and management quality,earnings quality,and liquidity ratios positively contribute to bank performance.Moreover,big banks are generally more efficient than small banks.Overall,this study continues the current heated debate on performance measurement in the banking industry,with a particular focus on the DEA application to answer the fundamental question of why resource management efficiency reflects benchmark firms and provides insights into how efficient management of CAMEL ratings would help in improving their performance.展开更多
Cloud computing has become an essential technology for the management and processing of large datasets,offering scalability,high availability,and fault tolerance.However,optimizing data replication across multiple dat...Cloud computing has become an essential technology for the management and processing of large datasets,offering scalability,high availability,and fault tolerance.However,optimizing data replication across multiple data centers poses a significant challenge,especially when balancing opposing goals such as latency,storage costs,energy consumption,and network efficiency.This study introduces a novel Dynamic Optimization Algorithm called Dynamic Multi-Objective Gannet Optimization(DMGO),designed to enhance data replication efficiency in cloud environments.Unlike traditional static replication systems,DMGO adapts dynamically to variations in network conditions,system demand,and resource availability.The approach utilizes multi-objective optimization approaches to efficiently balance data access latency,storage efficiency,and operational costs.DMGO consistently evaluates data center performance and adjusts replication algorithms in real time to guarantee optimal system efficiency.Experimental evaluations conducted in a simulated cloud environment demonstrate that DMGO significantly outperforms conventional static algorithms,achieving faster data access,lower storage overhead,reduced energy consumption,and improved scalability.The proposed methodology offers a robust and adaptable solution for modern cloud systems,ensuring efficient resource consumption while maintaining high performance.展开更多
Developing low-carbon and efficient power systems is critical for energy security in the global warming context.We address this issue by focusing on the productivity impact of a decarbonization policy in China’s ther...Developing low-carbon and efficient power systems is critical for energy security in the global warming context.We address this issue by focusing on the productivity impact of a decarbonization policy in China’s thermal power sector—namely,the“Constructing Large Units and Restricting Small Ones”(CLRS)initiative.Utilizing a resource misallocation model,we construct a new theoretical framework to distinguish between technical and allocative efficiency and analyze productivity using plant-level data.The results indicate that the CLRS policy has significantly improved the allocative and technical efficiency of China’s coal-fired power sector,thereby ensuring power security.The closure of outdated and highly distorted small coal-fired units,which have been replaced by technologically advanced large units,primarily drives the enhanced efficiency.The policy’s effects are most pronounced in large-scale power plants and those with high coal combustion efficiency.Furthermore,a comparison of power plants’productivity distribution before and after policy implementation reveals that the CLRS policy not only enhances capital productivity in the coal-fired power sector but also increases rational labor allocation.Our findings have important policy implications for developing countries vis-à-vis building efficient and stable power systems amid climate change.展开更多
Rice is the staple food of nearly half the global population,and its production must steadily increase to meet the growing demand driven by an increasing global population.While an increase in rice production heavily ...Rice is the staple food of nearly half the global population,and its production must steadily increase to meet the growing demand driven by an increasing global population.While an increase in rice production heavily relies on substantial water and fertilizer inputs,which not only decreases water and fertilizer use efficiencies,but also pose significant environmental risks.Therefore,it is an urgent need to enhance yield and resource use efficiency through the development and adoption of innovative,sustainable and environmentally-friendly technologies.This paper reviews progress in green rice production over recent decades based mainly on such research.Firstly,it explores physiological strategies aimed at enhancing yield and improving resource use efficiency in rice production.Secondly,it proposes three key agronomic and physiological strategies to achieve green rice production:optimizing the grain-leaf ratio to balance source-sink dynamics,enhancing the sugar-spikelet ratio to improve sink strength and facilitate non-structural carbohydrates remobilization during grain filling,and increasing ratio of productive tillers to optimize canopy structure.Based on these strategies,a quantitative evaluation of rice population characteristics was undertaken to achieve high yield and resource use efficiency.Thirdly,green technologies for rice production is introduced,including alternate wetting-drying irrigation,three-criteria nitrogen application(based on soil,leaf color and cultivar),and water-nitrogen coupling regulation.Finally,the implication of these technologies is summarized for the major rice-growing areas in China,including Anhui,Heilongjiang,Hubei,Jiangsu,Jilin and Sichuan,and Shanghai.The future prospects for sustainable rice production is then discussed,emphasizing the potential of green technologies to meet the growing demand for rice in an environmentally sustainable way.展开更多
Improving both grain yield and resource use efficiencies simultaneously is a major challenge in rice production.However,few studies have focused on integrating dense planting with delayed and reduced nitrogen applicat...Improving both grain yield and resource use efficiencies simultaneously is a major challenge in rice production.However,few studies have focused on integrating dense planting with delayed and reduced nitrogen application to enhance grain yield,nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and radiation use efficiency (RUE) in rice (Oryza sativa L.) in the double rice cropping system in South China.A high-yielding indica hybrid rice cultivar (Yliangyou 143) was grown in field experiments in Guangxi,South China,with three cultivation managements:farmers’practice (FP),dense planting with equal N input and delayed N application (DPEN) and dense planting with reduced N input and delayed N application (DPRN).The grain yields of DPRN reached 10.6 and 9.78 t ha^(–1) in the early and late cropping seasons,respectively,which were significantly higher than the corresponding yields of FP by 23.9–29.9%.The grain yields in DPEN and DPRN were comparable.NUE in DPRN reached 65.2–72.9 kg kg^(–1),which was 61.2–74.1% higher than that in FP and 24.6–30.2% higher than that in DPEN.RUE in DPRN achieved 1.60–1.80 g MJ^(–1),which was 28.6–37.9% higher than that in FP.The productive tiller percentage in DPRN was 7.9–36.2% higher than that in DPEN.Increases in crop growth rate,leaf area duration,N uptake from panicle initiation to heading and enhancement of the apparent transformation ratio of dry weight from stems and leaf sheaths to panicles all contributed to higher grain yield and higher resource use efficiencies in DPRN.Correlation analysis revealed that the agronomic and physiological traits mentioned above were significantly and positively correlated with grain yield.Comparison trials carried out in Guangdong in 2018 and 2019 also showed that DPRN performed better than DPEN.We conclude that DPRN is a feasible approach for simultaneously increasing grain yield,NUE and RUE in the double rice cropping system in South China.展开更多
Planting at an optimum density and supplying adequate nitrogen（N） to achieve higher yields is a common practice in crop production, especially for maize（Zea mays L.）; however, excessive N fertilizer supply in maiz...Planting at an optimum density and supplying adequate nitrogen（N） to achieve higher yields is a common practice in crop production, especially for maize（Zea mays L.）; however, excessive N fertilizer supply in maize production results in reduced N use efficiency（NUE） and severe negative impacts on the environment. This research was conducted to determine the effects of increased plant density and reduced N rate on grain yield, total N uptake, NUE, leaf area index（LAI）, intercepted photosynthetically active radiation（IPAR）, and resource use efficiency in maize. Field experiments were conducted using a popular maize hybrid Zhengdan 958（ZD958） under different combinations of plant densities and N rates to determine an effective approach for maize production with high yield and high resource use efficiency. Increasing plant density was clearly able to promote N absorption and LAI during the entire growth stage, which allowed high total N uptake and interception of radiation to achieve high dry matter accumulation（DMA）, grain yield, NUE, and radiation use efficiency（RUE）. However, with an increase in plant density, the demand of N increased along with grain yield. Increasing N rate can significantly increase the DMA, grain yield, LAI, IPAR, and RUE. However, this increase was non-linear and due to the input of too much N fertilizers, the efficiency of N use at NCK（320 kg ha^（–1）） was low. An appropriate reduction in N rate can therefore lead to higher NUE despite a slight loss in grain production. Taking into account both the need for high grain yield and resource use efficiency, a 30% reduction in N supply, and an increase in plant density of 3 plants m^（–2）, compared to LD（5.25 plants m^（–2））, would lead to an optimal balance between yield and resource use efficiency.展开更多
基金the National Social Science Foundation of China(No.11BGL028)Higher Education Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of China(No.20110095110003)
文摘Based on three-stage data envelopment analysis(DEA) model estimates of resource utilization efficiency of coal,we selected 29 provinces from China's 2012 input-output data and used the bootstrap DEA model to correct the bias.The results show that the mean overall technical efficiency,pure technical efficiency,and scale efficiency was 0.833,0.998,and 0.711 in 2012,respectively.Moreover,the comprehensive technical efficiency score indicates that the scale is invalid.Area utilization efficiencies for the eastern,central,and western regions were 0.917,0.731,and 0.629,respectively.The results prove that there are significant differences in the distribution of coal resources utilization efficiency across regions.
基金related to the project“In pursuit of degradation-seeking beneficial effects of thermal and thermomechanical modification of plant-based materials used in polymeric materials”(No.OPUS 272024/53/B/ST8/02082)funded by the National Science Center in Poland.
文摘Wood-plastic composites(WPCs)combine the advantages of plastics and lumber,however,their progress is slowed by limitations resulting from the properties of plant-based materials(PBMs),the most critical of which is insufficient thermal stability.The temperature boundary for processing of WPCs is 200℃,as higher temperatures induce PBMs’degradation,yielding odor,uncontrolled darkening,porosity generation,and loss of WPCs’mechanical performance.Going beyond the framework of composites’science and taking a transdisciplinary look at processing degradation leads to very different conclusions.The food sector makes the best of PBMs’degradation,yielding not only indispensable feed but often works of art.Drawing from its experience with the desire to go beyond the state-of-the-art,WPCs need a paradigm shift considering processing degrada-tion.The presented paper proposes the pathway against the flow.Instead of avoiding processing degradation,deliberately inducing and employing it with all the benefits,pushing WPCs toward sustainability by maximizing resource efficiency.Exceeding the temperature limit will enable the use of engineering plastics,which outperform commodity types.Considering PBMs,it will not only unleash the true potential of phytochemicals but also take advantage of the compounds yet to be generated in situ during processing degradation,enriching WPCs with benefits known from the food sector.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2021YFD1901200)the Key Research and Development Program of Hubei Province of China (2023BBB028)+1 种基金the Earmarked Fund of Hubei province of Chinathe Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2662024ZKQD005)
文摘The effects of micro-ridge-furrow planting(MR)on yield and the efficiency of light,water,and thermal resource use in rapeseed were tested in a three-year field experiment comparing MR to conventional flat planting.MR enhanced canopy heterogeneity by altering the leaf angle between plants on ridges and furrows.The heterogeneous canopy environment increased intercepted photosynthetic active radiation,alleviated canopy temperature stress,and optimized canopy humidity,leading to improvements in light-nitrogen matching and net photosynthetic rate.Consequently,dry matter and yield increased by 13.0%and 11.0%,respectively,while radiation,thermal,and precipitation utilization efficiency increased by 12.3%-16.2%.The corresponding improvements in yield and resource use efficiency were attributed to a heterogeneous canopy environment that improved microclimatic conditions.
基金Sponsorship of the Outstanding Youth Innovation Team Development Program for Institutes of Higher Learning in Shandong Province(2021RW008)the Youth Program of the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province(ZR2021QG048).
文摘As part of its efforts to promote a sustainable and high-quality development,China has pledged to reduce water consumption and create a water-efficient society.On the basis of identifying the institutional root causes of excessive capital allocation and excessive water consumption in China’s water-intensive industrial sectors,this study elaborates how the national water-efficient cities assessment contributes to optimized capital allocation.Our research shows that national water-efficient cities assessment has motivated local governments to compete for water efficiency.To conserve water,local governments regulated the entry and exit of water-intensive enterprises,discouraged excessive investments in water-intensive sectors,and phased out obsolete water-intensive capacities within their jurisdictions.This approach has resulted in mutually beneficial outcomes,including improved allocation of capital,enhanced water efficiency,and reduced emissions.This paper offers policy recommendations for establishing a water-efficient society throughout the 14^(th) Five-Year Plan(2021-2025)period by presenting empirical evidence on the policy effects of resource efficiency evaluation.
基金National Social Science Foundation of China, No. 11BJY063 Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University, No.NECT-13-0844
文摘Based on provincial panel data of water footprint and grey water footprint, and with the help of data envelopment analysis model considering and without considering the unde- sirable output, this paper estimates the water resources utilization efficiency in China from 1997 to 2011. The spatial weighting matrix based on economy-spatial distance function is established to discuss spatial autocorrelation of water resources utilization efficiency. With the help of absolute/3-convergence model, this paper concludes that there exists/%convergence in the water resources utilization efficiency. Under the conditions of considering and without considering the undesirable output, it takes about 52.6 and 5.6 years respectively to achieve the extent of half of convergence. By mean of the spatial Durbin econometric model, this paper studies spatial spillover effects of the provincial water resources utilization efficiency in China. The results are as follows. 1） With considering and without considering the undesir- able output, there is significant spatial correlation in provincial water resource efficiency in China. 2） Under the two cases, the spatial autoregressive coefficients （p） are 0.278 and 0.507 respectively, at 1% significance level. There exist the spatial spillover effects of provin- cial water resources utilization efficiency. 3） With considering the undesirable output, these factors of the education funds, the transportation infrastructure, and the industrial and agri- cultural water consumption proportion have positive impacts. These factors of foreign direct investment, the industry value-added water consumption per ten thousand yuan, per capita water consumption, and the total precipitation have negative impacts. 4） Without considering the undesirable output, the factor of GDP per laborer has a greater positive significant influ- ence on the water resources utilization efficiency. However the facts of industry value-added water consumption in ten thousand yuan and the transportation infrastructure have no sig- nificant influence. 5） Regardless of undesirable output of water resources utilization efficiency the assessment of the present real water resources utilization in China will be distorted and policy-making will be misled. The water efficiency measure considering environmental factors （such as gray water footprint） is more reasonable.
基金Foundation： National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.40901092
文摘This paper examines the spatial pattern of land and water resources as well as urbanization and their interactions in the Tarim River Basin, Xinjiang, China. In order to do so, we extract the data associated with efficiency of land and water resources and urbanization for the years of 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2008. Specifically the paper investigates the extent to which agglomeration of population and economic activities varies geographically and inter- plays with spatial pattern of resources efficiency through computation of Global Moran＇s I index, Getis-Ord Gi＊ index and a coordinated development model. The method used provides clear evidence that urbanization, land and water resources efficiency have shown uneven spatial pattern due to oasis distribution, climate, and initial phase of urban development. Some conclusions can be drawn as follows. （1） Agglomeration and dispersion of urbanization are not consistent with those of land and water resources efficiency. （2） Evolution of the hot and cold spots of urbanization, and land and water resources efficiency, in different trajecto- ries, indicate that there are no significant interactions between them. （3） The evidence that numbers of hot and cold spots of the three factors present varying structures reveals the dominance of unequal urban development in the study area. （4） Significant differences are also found between sub-river basins in terms of the three factors, which is a reflection of the complex physical geography of the area. （5） The degree of coordinated development of cities in the Tarim River Basin is generally low in part as a reflection of difference in spatial patterns of the three factors. It is also shown that the pattern of the degree of coordinated development is relatively stable compared with evolution of hot and cold spots of the three factors.
基金funded by the International Cooperation and Exchange of the National Science Foundation of China(31461143025,31210103906,51209220)the National Basic Research Program of China(973 Program,2011CB100405)the Special Fund for Agro-Scientific Research in the Public Interest,China(201003043)
文摘The rapidly growing demand for food, feed and fuel requires further improvements of land and water management, crop productivity and resource-use efficiencies.Combined field experimentation and crop growth modelling during the past five decades made a great leap forward in the understanding of factors that determine actual and potential yields of monocrops.The research field of production ecology developed concepts to integrate biological and biophysical processes with the aim to explore crop growth potential in contrasting environments.To understand the potential of more complex systems（multi-cropping and intercropping） we need an agro-ecosystem approach that integrates knowledge derived from various disciplines： agronomy, crop physiology, crop ecology, and environmental sciences（soil, water and climate）.Adaptation of cropping systems to climate change and a better tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses by genetic improvement and by managing diverse cropping systems in a sustainable way will be of key importance in food security.To accelerate sustainable intensification of agricultural production, it is required to develop intercropping systems that are highly productive and stable under conditions with abiotic constraints（water, nutrients and weather）.Strategies to achieve sustainable intensification include developing tools to evaluate crop growth potential under more extreme climatic conditions and introducing new crops and cropping systems that are more productive and robust under conditions with abiotic stress.This paper presents some examples of sustainable intensification management of intercropping systems that proved to be tolerant to extreme climate conditions.
基金Under the auspices of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 70673097)
文摘This paper aims to establish an index system for evaluation of agricultural resources use efficiency(ARUE) in grain production and discuss the causes of low efficiency and high consumption of agricultural resources in Changshu of Jiangsu Province,Taihe of Jiangxi Province and Ansai of Shaanxi Province in China by analyzing the data about meteorology,soil,water consumption and grain production. Agro-ecological Zone(AEZ) method was adopted to calculate the potential productivity,and synthetically multivariate equation was used to evaluate the ARUE of study areas. This paper can be concluded as:1) the agricultural resources in grain production can be classified into five categories,i.e.,climatic resources,water resources,land resources,biological resources and assistant resources,and 15 indexes were selected to evaluate their use efficiency in grain production;2) the values of ARUE in grain production are 0.5868,0.6368 and 0.5390 respectively in Changshu,Taihe and Ansai;and 3) Changshu ranks the highest among the three study areas in terms of the use efficiency of climatic resources and biological resources(evaluation values are 0.0277 and 0.1530) ,but Taihe tops the three in terms of the use efficiency of water resources,land resources and assistant resources(evaluation values are 0.0502,0.2945 and 0.1379 respectively) . However,the ARUE remains always low in Ansai for all the resources. The inefficiencies are caused by poor grain revenue in Changshu,deficient agriculture investments in Taihe and unfavorable natural conditions in Ansai.
基金supported and funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2016YFD0300105,2017YFD03002 and 2016YFD0300106)the Key Research and Development Program of Hebei Province,China(20326403D)。
文摘Tillage represents an important practice that is used to dynamically regulate soil properties,and affects the grain production process and resource use efficiency of crops.The objectives of this 3-year field study carried out in the Huang-Huai-Hai(HHH) Plain of China were to compare the effects of a new deep vertical rotary tillage (DVRT) with the conventional shallow rotary tillage (CT) on soil properties,winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain yield and water and nitrogen use efficiency at different productivity levels,and to identify a comprehensive management that optimizes both grain yield and resource use efficiency in the HHH Plain.A split-plot design was adopted in field experiments in the winter wheat growing seasons of 2016–2017 (S1),2017–2018 (S2) and 2018–2019 (S3),with DVRT (conducted once in June 2016) and CT performed in the main plots.Subplots were treated with one of four targeted productivity level treatments (SH,the super high productivity level;HH,the high productivity and high efficiency productivity level;FP,the farmer productivity level;ISP,the inherent soil productivity level).The results showed that the soil bulk density was reduced and the soil water content at the anthesis stage was increased in all three years,which were due to the significant effects of DVRT.Compared with CT,grain yields,partial factor productivity of nitrogen (PFP_(N)),and water use efficiency (WUE) under DVRT were increased by 22.0,14.5 and 19.0%.Path analysis and direct correlation decomposition uncovered that grain yield variation of winter wheat was mostly contributed by the spike numbers per area under different tillage modes.General line model analysis revealed that tillage mode played a significant role on grain yield,PFP_(N) and WUE not only as a single factor,but also along with other factors(year and productivity level) in interaction manners.In addition,PFP_(N) and WUE were the highest in HH under DVRT in all three growth seasons.These results provided a theoretical basis and technical support for coordinating the high yield with high resource use efficiency of winter wheat in the resource-restricted region in the HHH Plain of China.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2016YFD0300100)the Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciencesthe Elite Youth Program of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science。
文摘Yield gap analysis could provide management suggestions to increase crop yields,while the understandings of resource utilization efficiency could help judge the rationality of the management.Based on more than 110 published papers and data from Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO,www.fao.org/faostat) and the Global Yield Gap and Water Productivity Atlas (www.yieldgap.org),this study summarized the concept,quantitative method of yield gap,yield-limiting factors,and resource utilization efficiency of the three major food crops (wheat,maize and rice).Currently,global potential yields of wheat,maize and rice were 7.7,10.4 and 8.5 t ha^(–1),respectively.However,actual yields of wheat,maize and rice were just 4.1,5.5 and 4.0 t ha^(–1),respectively.Climate,nutrients,moisture,crop varieties,planting dates,and socioeconomic conditions are the most mentioned yield-limiting factors.In terms of resource utilization,nitrogen utilization,water utilization,and radiation utilization efficiencies are still not optimal,and this review has summarized the main improvement measures.The current research focuses on quantitative potential yield and yield gap,with a rough explanation of yield-limiting factors.Subsequent research should use remote sensing data to improve the accuracy of the regional scale and use machine learning to quantify the role of yield-limiting factors in yield gaps and the impact of change crop management on resource utilization efficiency,so as to propose reasonable and effective measures to close yield gaps.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 42101290 and 71533005)the Special Project on National Science and Technology Basic Resources Investigation of China (No. 2021FY100703)。
文摘Improving the efficiency with which natural resources are utilized is an indispensable for achieving sustainable development and carbon neutrality. By analyzing the utilization efficiency of energy, water, and land, we established a comprehensive natural resource utilization efficiency index(NRUEI). We then calculated the 2016 index for 165 cities in China,and investigated what caused it to vary. We found three main results:(1) the NRUEI varied greatly across China and there were significant positive correlations between urban energy utilization efficiency(EUE), water utilization efficiency(WUE) and land utilization efficiency(LUE);(2) the NRUEI showed a significant positive correlation with a city’s population size,economy(Gross Domestic Product(GDP)), and the level of urban social development(GDP per capita);(3) cities in East China have the highest natural resource utilization efficiency,while cities in Northeast China have the lowest. These results indicate that China’s increasing urban development is associated with rising natural resource utilization efficiency and that the city’s endowment of natural resources is an important factor affecting that efficiency. Further, the results showed that the determinants of a city’s NRUEI differed in large and small cities. Lastly, our results suggest that improving EUE is key for improving NRUEI in urban China, and different efficiencies can be improved intertwined. A major takeaway of this study is that there is great potential for improving natural resource utilization efficiency in Chinese cities and we include city-specific suggestions for efficiency improvements.
基金The author is grateful to Dr Feng Yulong, the teachers and students at the Qujing normal university for enabling me to carry out this experiment. The study was founded by the Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China （30670394）, the Applied Basic Study Project of Yunnan Province （2007C107M）,
文摘Invasion is often facilitated by high resources availabilities and suppressed under low resources habitats. However, a number of invasive plants can successfully establish and dominate in resource-poor and （or） the understory of closed forests, indicating the plant＇s performances are habitats-dependent and species-specific. It is therefore necessary to explore the ecophysiological characteristics associated invasiveness for one invasive species across multiple resources availabilities whilst taking the relatedness into these comparative studies. In this study, invasive Eupitorium adenophorum and its native congener E. japonicum grew under different resource gradients in terms of light levels and soil nitrogen additions to identify the functional significance morphological and physiological traits associated closely with invasion and to examine their comparative responses. Photosynthetic carbon gain, biomass allocation and resource-use efficiency are evaluated in this pot experiment. Across treatments, E. adenophorum exhibited consistently higher values for most of the morphological variables including plant stature, relative growth rate （RGR）, leaf root ratio （LRR）, leaf area ratio （LAR）, total leaf area, and lower root： shoot ratio （RSR）. Significantly higher Pmax corresponded with higher photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency （PNUE） and photosynthetic energy use efficiency （PEUE） especially in low light and （or） unfertile condition. Higher Gs and Pmax but lower photosynthetic water use efficiency （WUE） indicated the trade-off relationship between WUE and PNUE for E. adenophorum. Final biomasses were higher for E. adenophorum in nutrient and（or） light limited conditions, in which higher leaf construction cost（CC） compared with E. japonicum could be over-compensated by its significantly higher assimilation rates. The effects of light levels on these plant attributes were stronger than soil nutrient contents. The responses of these two congeneric species to light and nitrogen availabilities were similar, but the differences were magnified in resources limited conditions, indicating the better performancer at acquiring and at using limited resources of E. adenophorum over its co-occurring native flora. Our study presented the distinctive advantages of E. adenophorum in resources-poor environments, indicating conventional strategy of managing resources levels to control the invasion and expending of exotic species may not be as effective as expected.
基金Supported by National Innovation Planning Project for University Students in 2021 (202110414021)
文摘With the rapid development of Internet technology,the importance of blockchain technology has become increasingly prominent.Faced with this situation,extensive research has been carried out at home and abroad.Through the analysis of relevant literature on blockchain in recent years,it is found that there are many research results of blockchain technology in medical care,finance,education,etc.,but its application in the field of resource allocation efficiency is rare.From the existing studies on the influencing factors of resource allocation efficiency in China,it is found that there are significant differences in resource allocation efficiency between China and some developed countries or between various provinces and cities of China.
基金funded by the Humanities and Social Science Research Project of Chongqing Education Commission(23SKJD111)Science and Technology Research Project of Chongqing Education Commission(KJQN202101122 and KJQN201904002)+6 种基金Project of Chongqing Higher Education Association(CQGJ21B057)Chongqing Graduate Education Teaching Reform Research Project(yjg223121)Chongqing Higher Education Teaching Reform Research Project(233337)Higher Education Research Project,Chongqing University of Technology(2022ZD01)Annual project of the“14th Five-Year Plan”for National Business Education in 2022(SKKT-22015)Party Building and Ideological and Political Project,Chongqing University of Technology(2022DJ307)Chongqing University of Technology Undergraduate Education and Teaching Reform Research Project(2021YB21).
文摘The Yangtze River Basin’s water resource utilization efficiency(WUE)and scientific and technological innovation level(STI)are closely connected,and the comprehension of these relationships will help to improve WUE and promote local economic growth and conservation of water.This study uses 19 provinces and regions along the Yangtze River’s mainstream from 2009 to 2019 as its research objects and uses a Vector Auto Regression(VAR)model to quantitatively evaluate the spatiotemporal evolution of the coupling coordination degree(CCD)between the two subsystems of WUE and STI.The findings show that:(1)Both the WUE and STI in the Yangtze River Basin showed an upward trend during the study period,but the STI effectively lagged behind the WUE;(2)The CCD of the two subsystems generally showed an upward trend,and the CCD of each province was improved to varying degrees,but the majority of regions did not develop a high-quality coordination stage;(3)The CCD of the two systems displayed apparent positive spatial autocorrelation in the spatial correlation pattern,and there were only two types:high-high(H-H)urbanization areas and low-low(L-L)urbanization areas;(4)The STI showed no obvious response to the impact of the WUE,while the WUE responded greatly to the STI,and both of them were highly dependent on themselves.Optimizing their interaction mechanisms should be the primary focus of high-quality development in the basin of the Yangtze River in the future.These results give the government an empirical basis to enhance the WUE and promote regional sustainable development.
基金provided by Ministry of Science and Technology(Grant No.MOST 107-2410-H-034-056-MY3).
文摘The central concept of strategic benchmarking is resource management efficiency,which ultimately results in profitability.However,little is known about performance measurement from resource-based perspectives.This study uses the data envelopment analysis(DEA)model with a dynamic network structure to measure the resource management and profitability efficiencies of 287 US commercial banks from 2010 to 2020.Furthermore,we provide frontier projections and incorporate five variables,namely capital adequacy,asset quality,management quality,earning ability,and liquidity(i.e.,the CAMEL ratings).The results revealed that the room for improvement in bank performance is 55.4%.In addition,we found that the CAMEL ratings of efficient banks are generally higher than those of inefficient banks,and management quality,earnings quality,and liquidity ratios positively contribute to bank performance.Moreover,big banks are generally more efficient than small banks.Overall,this study continues the current heated debate on performance measurement in the banking industry,with a particular focus on the DEA application to answer the fundamental question of why resource management efficiency reflects benchmark firms and provides insights into how efficient management of CAMEL ratings would help in improving their performance.
文摘Cloud computing has become an essential technology for the management and processing of large datasets,offering scalability,high availability,and fault tolerance.However,optimizing data replication across multiple data centers poses a significant challenge,especially when balancing opposing goals such as latency,storage costs,energy consumption,and network efficiency.This study introduces a novel Dynamic Optimization Algorithm called Dynamic Multi-Objective Gannet Optimization(DMGO),designed to enhance data replication efficiency in cloud environments.Unlike traditional static replication systems,DMGO adapts dynamically to variations in network conditions,system demand,and resource availability.The approach utilizes multi-objective optimization approaches to efficiently balance data access latency,storage efficiency,and operational costs.DMGO consistently evaluates data center performance and adjusts replication algorithms in real time to guarantee optimal system efficiency.Experimental evaluations conducted in a simulated cloud environment demonstrate that DMGO significantly outperforms conventional static algorithms,achieving faster data access,lower storage overhead,reduced energy consumption,and improved scalability.The proposed methodology offers a robust and adaptable solution for modern cloud systems,ensuring efficient resource consumption while maintaining high performance.
基金supported by the Chengdu Philosophy and Social Science Planning Project[Grant No.2022C05]National Natural Science Foundation of China[Grant No.71904158].
文摘Developing low-carbon and efficient power systems is critical for energy security in the global warming context.We address this issue by focusing on the productivity impact of a decarbonization policy in China’s thermal power sector—namely,the“Constructing Large Units and Restricting Small Ones”(CLRS)initiative.Utilizing a resource misallocation model,we construct a new theoretical framework to distinguish between technical and allocative efficiency and analyze productivity using plant-level data.The results indicate that the CLRS policy has significantly improved the allocative and technical efficiency of China’s coal-fired power sector,thereby ensuring power security.The closure of outdated and highly distorted small coal-fired units,which have been replaced by technologically advanced large units,primarily drives the enhanced efficiency.The policy’s effects are most pronounced in large-scale power plants and those with high coal combustion efficiency.Furthermore,a comparison of power plants’productivity distribution before and after policy implementation reveals that the CLRS policy not only enhances capital productivity in the coal-fired power sector but also increases rational labor allocation.Our findings have important policy implications for developing countries vis-à-vis building efficient and stable power systems amid climate change.
基金Funding support for this work is provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32272198,31461143015,31271641 and 31471438)the National Key Basic Research Program of China(2012CB114306)+1 种基金the National Key Technology Support Program of China(2014AA10A605 and 2012BAD04b08)the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions.
文摘Rice is the staple food of nearly half the global population,and its production must steadily increase to meet the growing demand driven by an increasing global population.While an increase in rice production heavily relies on substantial water and fertilizer inputs,which not only decreases water and fertilizer use efficiencies,but also pose significant environmental risks.Therefore,it is an urgent need to enhance yield and resource use efficiency through the development and adoption of innovative,sustainable and environmentally-friendly technologies.This paper reviews progress in green rice production over recent decades based mainly on such research.Firstly,it explores physiological strategies aimed at enhancing yield and improving resource use efficiency in rice production.Secondly,it proposes three key agronomic and physiological strategies to achieve green rice production:optimizing the grain-leaf ratio to balance source-sink dynamics,enhancing the sugar-spikelet ratio to improve sink strength and facilitate non-structural carbohydrates remobilization during grain filling,and increasing ratio of productive tillers to optimize canopy structure.Based on these strategies,a quantitative evaluation of rice population characteristics was undertaken to achieve high yield and resource use efficiency.Thirdly,green technologies for rice production is introduced,including alternate wetting-drying irrigation,three-criteria nitrogen application(based on soil,leaf color and cultivar),and water-nitrogen coupling regulation.Finally,the implication of these technologies is summarized for the major rice-growing areas in China,including Anhui,Heilongjiang,Hubei,Jiangsu,Jilin and Sichuan,and Shanghai.The future prospects for sustainable rice production is then discussed,emphasizing the potential of green technologies to meet the growing demand for rice in an environmentally sustainable way.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2016YFD0300108-5)the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province,China(2017A030313110,2018A030313463)+2 种基金the Discipline Team Building Project of Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences,China(201617TD)the Special Fund for Scientific Innovation Strategy,China(Construction of High-Level Academy of Agricultural Science)the Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany,South China Botanical Garden,Chinese Academy of Sciences(AB2018013)。
文摘Improving both grain yield and resource use efficiencies simultaneously is a major challenge in rice production.However,few studies have focused on integrating dense planting with delayed and reduced nitrogen application to enhance grain yield,nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and radiation use efficiency (RUE) in rice (Oryza sativa L.) in the double rice cropping system in South China.A high-yielding indica hybrid rice cultivar (Yliangyou 143) was grown in field experiments in Guangxi,South China,with three cultivation managements:farmers’practice (FP),dense planting with equal N input and delayed N application (DPEN) and dense planting with reduced N input and delayed N application (DPRN).The grain yields of DPRN reached 10.6 and 9.78 t ha^(–1) in the early and late cropping seasons,respectively,which were significantly higher than the corresponding yields of FP by 23.9–29.9%.The grain yields in DPEN and DPRN were comparable.NUE in DPRN reached 65.2–72.9 kg kg^(–1),which was 61.2–74.1% higher than that in FP and 24.6–30.2% higher than that in DPEN.RUE in DPRN achieved 1.60–1.80 g MJ^(–1),which was 28.6–37.9% higher than that in FP.The productive tiller percentage in DPRN was 7.9–36.2% higher than that in DPEN.Increases in crop growth rate,leaf area duration,N uptake from panicle initiation to heading and enhancement of the apparent transformation ratio of dry weight from stems and leaf sheaths to panicles all contributed to higher grain yield and higher resource use efficiencies in DPRN.Correlation analysis revealed that the agronomic and physiological traits mentioned above were significantly and positively correlated with grain yield.Comparison trials carried out in Guangdong in 2018 and 2019 also showed that DPRN performed better than DPEN.We conclude that DPRN is a feasible approach for simultaneously increasing grain yield,NUE and RUE in the double rice cropping system in South China.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(3117 1497)the National Basic Research Program of China(973 Program,2011CB100105)+1 种基金the National Food Science and Technology of High Yield Program of China(2011BAD16B09)the Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest of China(201203096)
文摘Planting at an optimum density and supplying adequate nitrogen（N） to achieve higher yields is a common practice in crop production, especially for maize（Zea mays L.）; however, excessive N fertilizer supply in maize production results in reduced N use efficiency（NUE） and severe negative impacts on the environment. This research was conducted to determine the effects of increased plant density and reduced N rate on grain yield, total N uptake, NUE, leaf area index（LAI）, intercepted photosynthetically active radiation（IPAR）, and resource use efficiency in maize. Field experiments were conducted using a popular maize hybrid Zhengdan 958（ZD958） under different combinations of plant densities and N rates to determine an effective approach for maize production with high yield and high resource use efficiency. Increasing plant density was clearly able to promote N absorption and LAI during the entire growth stage, which allowed high total N uptake and interception of radiation to achieve high dry matter accumulation（DMA）, grain yield, NUE, and radiation use efficiency（RUE）. However, with an increase in plant density, the demand of N increased along with grain yield. Increasing N rate can significantly increase the DMA, grain yield, LAI, IPAR, and RUE. However, this increase was non-linear and due to the input of too much N fertilizers, the efficiency of N use at NCK（320 kg ha^（–1）） was low. An appropriate reduction in N rate can therefore lead to higher NUE despite a slight loss in grain production. Taking into account both the need for high grain yield and resource use efficiency, a 30% reduction in N supply, and an increase in plant density of 3 plants m^（–2）, compared to LD（5.25 plants m^（–2））, would lead to an optimal balance between yield and resource use efficiency.
