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The aim of this study was to quantify direct and indirect relationships between soil microbial community properties (potential basal respiration, microbial biomass) and abiotic factors (soil, climate) in three major land-cover types. Location: Europe Time period: 2018 Major taxa studied: Microbial community (fungi and bacteria) We collected 881 soil samples from across Europe in the framework of the Land Use/Land Cover Area Frame Survey (LUCAS). We measured potential soil basal respiration at 20ºC and microbial biomass (substrate-induced respiration) using an O2-microcompensation apparatus. Climate and soil data were obtained from previous LUCAS surveys and online databases. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to quantify relationships between variables, and equations extracted from SEMs were used to create predictive maps. Fatty acid methyl esters were measured in a subset of samples to distinguish fungal from bacterial biomass. Soil microbial properties in croplands were more heavily affected by climate variables than those in forests. Potential soil basal respiration and microbial biomass were correlated in forests but decoupled in grasslands and croplands, where microbial biomass depended on soil carbon. Forests had a higher ratio of fungi to bacteria than grasslands or croplands. Soil microbial communities in grasslands and croplands are likely carbon-limited in comparison with those in forests, and forests have a higher dominance of fungi indicating differences in microbial community composition. Notably, the often already-degraded soils of croplands could be more vulnerable to climate change than more natural soils. The provided maps show potentially vulnerable areas that should be explicitly accounted for in coming management plans to protect soil carbon and slow the increasing vulnerability of European soils to climate change. [Methods] Soil samples were collected during the 2018 LUCAS soil sampling campaign. Soil chemical and physical properties were measured at the Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy (Orgiazzi et al., 2018). Soil microbial respiration and biomass, as well as water content and water holding capacity, were measured in the Eisenhauer lab of the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research. Fungi/Bacteria was measured by fatty acid analysis by Felipe Bastida at CEBAS CSIC. Climate and geographical data were harvested from various databases, which are listed in Appendix 1 (data sources) of the associated paper. For more details on the soil sampling and physical and chemical properties, see: Orgiazzi, A., Ballabio, C., Panagos, P., Jones, A., & Fernández-Ugalde, O. (2018). LUCAS Soil, the largest expandable soil dataset for Europe: a review. European Journal of Soil Science, 69(1), 140-153. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.12499 For more details on the measurements of soil microbial respiration and biomass, fatty acids, and water holding capacity, see the supplementary methods of the associated paper (Appendix 2). [Usage Notes] Fatty acid analysis was performed for a subset of 267 samples. Water holding capacity and associated measurements of basal respiration was analyzed in a subset of 100 samples. The samples that were not in these subsets have NA values for the columns associated with these measurements. In order to protect the precise locations of the LUCAS sampling sites, latitude and longitude values could not be given. The approximate location of each sampling site is instead described by the NUTS3 region. If you wish to replicate the structural equation modeling described in the paper, for which latitude is required, please get in touch. A description of each column is available in the associated metadata file. Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Award: FZT 118-202548816. European Research Council, Award: 694368. European Commission. Directorate-General for the Environment. Direction Générale Opérationnelle Agriculture, Ressources Naturelles et Environnement du Service Public de Wallonie. Eurostat. Peer reviewed

To reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the European Union (EU) has targets for utilizing energy from renewable sources. By 2030, a minimum of 3.5% of energy in the EU���s transport sector should come from renewable biological sources, such as crop residues. This paper analyzed EU���s ���advanced bioethanol��� potential from wheat straw and maize stover and evaluated its environmental (land, water, and carbon) footprint. We differentiated between gross and net bioethanol output, the latter by subtracting the energy inputs in production. Results suggest that the annual amount of the sustainably harvestable wheat straw and maize stover is 81.9 Megatonnes (Mt) at field moisture weight (65.3 Mt as dry weight), yielding 470 PJ as gross (404 PJ as net) advanced bioethanol output. Calculated net advanced bioethanol can replace 2.95% of EU transport sector���s energy consumption. EU���s advanced bioethanol has a land footprint of 0.28 m2 MJ���1 for wheat straw and 0.18 m2 MJ���1 for maize stover. The average water footprint of advanced bioethanol is 173 L MJ���1 for wheat straw and 113 L MJ���1 for maize stover. The average carbon footprint per unit of advanced bioethanol is 19.4 and 19.6 g CO2eq MJ���1 for wheat straw and maize stover, respectively. Using advanced bioethanol can lead to emission savings, but EU���s advanced bioethanol production potential is insufficient to achieve EU���s target of a minimum share of 3.5% of advanced biofuels in the transport sector by 2030, and the associated water and land footprints are not smaller than footprints of conventional bioethanol.

Abstract An assessment of the human impact on the global water cycle requires estimating the volume of water withdrawn for irrigated agriculture. A key parameter in this calculation is the irrigation efficiency, which corrects for the fraction of water lost between irrigation withdrawals and the crop due to management, distribution or conveyance losses. Here we show that the irrigation efficiency used in global irrigation models is flawed for it overlooks key ambiguities in partial efficiencies, irrigation technologies, the definition of ‘large-scale’ irrigated areas or managerial factors. Once accounted for, these uncertainties can make irrigation withdrawal estimates fluctuate by more than one order of magnitude at the country level. Such variability is larger and leads to more extreme values than that caused by the uncertainties related with climate change. Our results highlight the need to embrace deep uncertainties in irrigation efficiency to prevent the design of shortsighted policies at the river basin-water-agricultural interface.

The conversion of renewable biomasses into biofuels and chemicals represents a strategic way to reduce the use of fossil feedstock, by contributing in switching to a more sustainable society. The use of agro-industrial wastes does not subtract resources destined for food consumption. In addition, waste utilization would result in a reduction of its accumulation, with a consequent decrease of environmental impact and financial losses due to the relevant disposal. In this context, a wide variety of exploitable agricultural resources can be used to support this sustainable growth. However, the characterization represents the first step towards a targeted and proficient exploitation of the chemical and energetic potential of a residual biomass. In this work, some representative residual (Mexican) biomasses were investigated: pepper residues (Hungarian yellow and red variety), coconut shells (Cocos nucifera), flamboyant pods (Delonix regia), seeds of avocado (Persea Americana), palm (Palma de Coroco) and nance (Byrsonima crassifolia) were chemically characterized and the relevant potential applications for the synthesis of biofuels and fine chemicals were specifically evaluated. Lipids, structural carbohydrates, and lignin were specifically valorized in a proficient cascade of technologies, which aim to exploit the correspondent potential, according to the principles of biorefinery and circular economy.

The MAGIC-CROPS database is an easy-to-use tool including 37 promising non-food species suited to marginal land as defined in the JRC’s report (EUR 23412 EN - 2008 and later modifications). Additionally, to biophysical constraints referred in the above-mentioned report, the MAGIC-CROPS database includes also information about the suitability of some species to soil contaminated by heavy metals. The present deliverable is the final version of the MAGIC-CROPS database and all the 37 crops are included. Twenty out of the 37 species included in the database are under-study in WP4 of the MAGIC project, so in the event that important new insights will come out after the publication of the present deliverable, the MAGIC-CROPS database will be updated accordingly by the end of the project (31.12.2021).

The objectives of this study were to examine the possibility of reducing the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of harvesters during cut-to-length operations by applying various technical settings to the machine through the machine's own software package. The adjustment of machine settings had an effect on the fuel consumption per unit product (l m3) and can reduce the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in cut-to-length harvesting operations. The main factor significantly affecting both fuel consumption and productivity was stem size. The study involved three cut-to-length machines operating in thinning with comparable stand environment and silvicultural prescriptions. The novelty of this work is in exploring the fuel saving potential of simple adjustments of machine settings in cut-to-length harvesting machines. Such adjustments have an impact on fuel efficiency and may reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in cut-to-length harvesting operations. This work may result in a reduction of energy consumption and environmental pollution, thereby contributing to cleaner production. This study bridges the gaps between research, development and implementation: it offers practical solutions that may affect manufacturers as well as practitioners and entrepreneurs in the field. The outcome of this study may result in innovative technology development with less impact on the environment.

The implementation of alley cropping in orchards can be a sustainable strategy to increase farm productivity by crop diversification and contribute to climate change mitigation. In this research, we evaluated the short-termeffect of alley cropping with reduced tillage on soil CO2 and N2O emissions and soil total organic carbon (TOC) in an almond orchard under Mediterranean rainfed conditions. We compared an almond monoculture with tillage in all plot surface (MC) with almond crop with reduced tillage and growth of Capparis spinosa (D1) and almond crop with reduced tillage and growth of Thymus hyemalis (D2). For two years, soil CO2 and N2O were measured, with soil sampling at the start and end of the experimental period. Results showed that CO2 emission rates followed the soil temperature pattern, while N2O emissions were not correlated with temperature nor moisture. Soil CO2 emissions were significantly higher in MC(87mgm−2 h−1), with no significant differences between D1 and D2 (69mgm−2 h−1). Some peaks in CO2 effluxes were observed after tillage operations during warm days. Soil N2Oemission rateswere not significantly different among treatments. Cumulative CO2 and CO2 equivalent (CO2e) emissions were significantly highest in MC. When CO2e emissions were expressed on a crop production basis, D2 showed the significantly lowest values (5080 g kg−1) compared to D1 (50,419 g kg−1) and MC (87,836 g kg−1), owing to the high thyme yield, additional to the almond yield. No production was obtained for C. spinosa, since at least two more years are required. TOC did not change with time in MCneither D1, but it significantly increased inD2 from3.85 g kg−1 in 2019 to 4.62 g kg−1 in 2021. Thus, alley cropping can contribute to increase the agroecosystem productivity and reduce CO2 emissions. However, it is necessary to grow