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In recent years, vegetable production has been in the transitional stage from traditional cultivation mode to modern cultivation mode. Therefore, evaluating the actual productivity and economic benefits of different cultivation modes is instructive for leafy vegetable production. This research chose a vegetable production company (Shanghai, China) as a demonstration case to cultivate various leaf vegetables under different cultivation modes (hydroponic, substrate, and soil cultivation). By investigating the yield and quality of vegetables, as well as all production costs and selling prices, we drive a comparative evaluation of comprehensive features and economic benefits of different cultivation modes. The results showed that leafy vegetables cultivated by hydroponic mode gain the highest fresh weight at the early growth stage, but the greatest unit yield (0.98~1.21 kg·m−2) emerged under the soil cultivation mode. Vegetables grown under substrate mode had the best comprehensive quality with high soluble solids content and low nitrate content. The unit costs of the soilless cultivation modes (8.26~10.3 CNY·m−2) were 3–4-fold higher than that of soil cultivation, mainly due to the high fixed costs and input costs, especially for substrate mode. According to actual prices, the soil cultivation mode had the highest economic benefits as a whole (4.83~8.83 CNY·m−2), and only hydroponic cabbage which had comparable yield gained considerable benefits (8.94 CNY·m−2). Quality-based pricing scheme can make substrate mode achieve profitability. The pricing scheme that guarantees a 40% revenue is within acceptable limits for consumers. Based on this actual production case, it can be concluded that a low unit yield of hydroponic mode and a high unit cost of substrate mode are the predominant factors affecting their profitability and economic viability.

Background Continuous cropping of ginseng ( Panax ginseng Meyer) cultivated in farmland for an extended period gives rise to soil-borne disease. The change in soil microbial composition is a major cause of soil-borne diseases and an obstacle to continuous cropping. The impact of cultivation modes and ages on the diversity and composition of the P. ginseng rhizosphere microbial community and technology suitable for cropping P. ginseng in farmland are still being explored. Methods Amplicon sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes and fungal ITS regions were analyzed for microbial community composition and diversity. Results The obtained sequencing data were reasonable for estimating soil microbial diversity. We observed significant variations in richness, diversity, and relative abundances of microbial taxa between farmland, deforestation field, and different cultivation years. The bacterial communities of LCK (forest soil where P. ginseng was not grown) had a much higher richness and diversity than those in NCK (farmland soil where P. ginseng was not grown). The increase in cultivation years of P. ginseng in farmland and deforestation field significantly changed the diversity of soil microbial communities. In addition, the accumulation of P. ginseng soil-borne pathogens ( Monographella cucumerina , Ilyonectria mors - panacis , I. robusta , Fusarium solani , and Nectria ramulariae ) varied with the cropping age of P. ginseng . Conclusion Soil microbial diversity and function were significantly poorer in farmland than in the deforestation field and were affected by P. ginseng planting years. The abundance of common soil-borne pathogens of P. ginseng increased with the cultivation age and led to an imbalance in the microbial community.

Microbial fermentations are widely used for the production of chemicals used as pharmaceuticals, food ingredients, materials, solvents, and biofuels.Technoeconomic analysis of a given fermentation process is important to perform before scaling the process to levels that enable commercial production.Titer, rate, and yield (TRY) of the fermentation process are key metrics that are used for technoeconomic analysis.TRY metrics have different impacts on the technoeconomic analysis, and it is important to be aware of these differences. Microbial fermentations offer the opportunity to produce a wide range of chemicals in a sustainable fashion, but it is important to carefully evaluate the production costs. This can be done on the basis of evaluation of the titer, rate, and yield (TRY) of the fermentation process. Here we describe how the three TRY metrics impact the technoeconomics of a microbial fermentation process, and we illustrate the use of these for evaluation of different processes in the production of two commodity chemicals, 1,3-propanediol (PDO) and ethanol, as well as for the fine chemical penicillin. On the basis of our discussions, we provide some recommendations on how the TRY metrics should be reported when new processes are described. Microbial fermentations offer the opportunity to produce a wide range of chemicals in a sustainable fashion, but it is important to carefully evaluate the production costs. This can be done on the basis of evaluation of the titer, rate, and yield (TRY) of the fermentation process. Here we describe how the three TRY metrics impact the technoeconomics of a microbial fermentation process, and we illustrate the use of these for evaluation of different processes in the production of two commodity chemicals, 1,3-propanediol (PDO) and ethanol, as well as for the fine chemical penicillin. On the basis of our discussions, we provide some recommendations on how the TRY metrics should be reported when new processes are described.

Dendrobium officinale is an important traditional Chinese medicinal plant and crop, which contains many kinds of medicinal components. The quality of medicinal plants is closely related to the ecological factors in a growing environment. The main components of D. officinale determined in this study were polysaccharides, total alkaloids and total flavonoids. In addition, this study dealt with the correlation of these components to 16 ecological factors under three different cultivation modes (Greenhouse, Bionic, Wild; Lu’an, Anhui Province, China). The relationship between ecological factors and quality factors was analyzed step by step using correlation analysis, principal component analysis and stepwise multiple linear regression. Eight ecological factors: maximum relative humidity, minimum relative humidity, maximum temperature, sunshine duration, soil pH, soil total nitrogen, soil total phosphorus and soil available phosphorus were considered as key factors that influenced the main medicinal qualities of cultivated D. officinale. This study provides an insight for exploring the complex relationship between ecological factors and D. officinale medicinal value in artificial cultivation.

While the influences of environment and genetics on plant traits are widely recognized, quantitative analysis of their relative contributions remains limited in crop systems, constraining precise environmental manipulation of agronomic traits. This study investigated the effects of cultivation mode (representing external environment) and sprouting stage (reflecting internal developmental program) on tea bud morphology and chemical quality, with particular focus on their intrinsic relationships. Through dynamic monitoring at three sprouting period across five contrasting cultivation modes in Fuliang County, Jiangxi Province, China, key morphological and chemical traits were obtained. The effects of cultivation mode and sprouting stage were assessed using linear mixed-effects models and partial ω². Results revealed a consistent developmental trend over the observed sprouting period: across all cultivation modes, bud length and number increased continuously, while width decreased, and size first declined then increased. Critically, cultivation mode had a stronger influence on bud width, number, and size (effect sizes: 0.739—0.768) than on length (0.132), which was predominantly governed by the sprouting stage (effect size: 0.812). Cultivation mode exerted a stronger effect on morphological composite traits (0.753) than on chemical composite traits (0.530). The correlations between bud length and width and between width and number shifted from positive to negative during sprouting ( P < 0.05), suggesting increasing resource competition among these traits. Most importantly, no significant correlations were observed between morphological traits and chemical quality at the final sprouting stage. Based on data from this single yet harvest-critical time point, our results directly challenge the traditional belief that bud size predicts tea quality. These findings provide new insights into gene-environment interactions, phenotypic plasticity, and ecological trade-offs in agroecosystems, establishing a scientific basis for precision management strategies that simultaneously optimize tea production and quality.

Biodiesel from microalgae provides a promising alternative for biofuel production. Microalgae can be produced under three major cultivation modes, namely photoautotrophic cultivation, heterotrophic cultivation, and mixotrophic cultivation. Potentials and practices of biodiesel production from microalgae have been demonstrated mostly focusing on photoautotrophic cultivation; mixotrophic cultivation of microalgae for biodiesel production has rarely been reviewed. This paper summarizes the mechanisms and virtues of mixotrophic microalgae cultivation through comparison with other major cultivation modes. Influencing factors of microalgal biodiesel production under mixotrophic cultivation are presented, development of combining microalgal biodiesel production with wastewater treatment is especially reviewed, and bottlenecks and strategies for future commercial production are also identified.

Facing wild resource depletion, artificial cultivation of  Gastrodia elata  ( G. elata ) is crucial. This study compared traditional wood (TW) and artificial mushroom grow kits (AM) cultivation impacts on G. elata quality. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) showed similar gastrodin levels, but TW G. elata had higher 4-hydroxybenzylalcohol (0.05–0.16%) than AM G. elata (0.02–0.04%), while AM G. elata had more parishin E (0.90–1.58%) than TW G. elata (0.68–0.96%). AM G. elata exhibited elevated crude protein (8.86–10.57%) and stable total polysaccharides (38.91–39.90%), contrasting with TW G. elata . Umami amino acids (glutamic acid, aspartic acid) were significantly higher in AM G. elata (6.03–7.37 mg/g, 1.24–1.88 mg/g). Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction coupled with Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) identified thirteen differential volatile compounds, with AM G. elata showing increased esters and aromatics like (2S,3S)-2,3-butanediol and tetramethylpyrazine, contributing sweet/meaty notes. TW G. elata was rich in decanal and (2E,4E)-deca-2,4-dienal, yielding citrus/chicken-like aromas. AM cultivation enhances G. elata ’s nutritional and aromatic profiles, supporting its refined application.

Microalgae are considered promising sustainable sources of natural bioactive compounds to be used in biotechnological sectors. In recent years, attention is increasingly given to the search of microalgae-derived compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties for nutraceutical or pharmacological issues. In this context, attention is usually focused on the composition and bioactivity of algae or their extracts, while less interest is driven to their biological features, for example, those related to morphology and cultivation conditions. In addition, specific studies on the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of microalgae mainly concern Chlorella or Spirulina. The present work was focused on the characterization of the Chlorophyta Neochloris oleoabundans under two combinations of cultivation modes: autotrophy and glucose-induced mixotrophy, each followed by starvation. Biomass for morphological and biochemical characterization, as well as for extract preparation, was harvested at the end of each cultivation phase. Analyses indicated a different content of the most important classes of bioactive compounds with antioxidant/anti-inflammatory properties (lipids, exo-polysaccharides, pigments, total phenolics, and proteins). In particular, the most promising condition able to prompt the production of antioxidant algal biomass with anti-inflammatory properties was the mixotrophic one. Under mixotrophy, beside an elevated algal biomass production, a strong photosynthetic metabolism with high appression of thylakoid membranes and characteristics of high photo-protection from oxidative damage was observed and linked to the overproduction of exo-polysaccharides and lipids rather than pigments. Overall, mixotrophy appears a good choice to produce natural bioactive extracts, potentially well tolerated by human metabolism and environmentally sustainable.

Morels are one of the most highly prized edible and medicinal mushrooms worldwide. Therefore, historically, there has been a large international interest in their cultivation. Numerous ecological, physiological, genetic, taxonomic, and mycochemical studies have been previously developed. At the beginning of this century, China finally achieved artificial cultivation and started a high-scale commercial development in 2012. Due to its international interest, its cultivation scale and area expanded rapidly in this country. However, along with the massive industrial scale, a number of challenges, including the maintenance of steady economic profits, arise. In order to contribute to the solution of these challenges, formal research studying selection, species recognition, strain aging, mating type structure, life cycle, nutrient metabolism, growth and development, and multi-omics has recently been boosted. This paper focuses on discussing current morel cultivation technologies, the industrial status of cultivation in China, and the relevance of basic biological research, including, e.g., the study of strain characteristics, species breeding, mating type structure, and microbial interactions. The main challenges related to the morel cultivation industry on a large scale are also analyzed. It is expected that this review will promote a steady global development of the morel industry based on permanent and robust basic scientific knowledge.