Input: Claim: Mycorrhizal fungi improve water and nutrient uptake for plants in nutrient-poor soils. [SEP] Text: In the introduction, the authors state: “The exact mechanism by which roots can induce HR is, however, not known. Here, we present a modelling study that demonstrates that alteration of rhizosphere soil by rhizodeposition facilitates HR”. I am of the opinion that this knowledge gap is not one that can be filled with the mathematical modelling approach presented in this paper. The fact that one can simulate HR by changing rhizosphere properties in a mathematical model does not provide evidence that real plants can do the same, and it will this not shed light on the mechanisms by which roots can induce HR. I am of the opinion that the paper should be reframed to focus on the results that show how changes in rhizosphere properties differentially affect water uptake, nutrient uptake, and nutrient mineralisation in different soils and soil water conditions. This can then be framed as a series of hypotheses that should be tested with experiments: namely that plants are able to modify soil properties in the way that was tested with the model through rhizosphere depositions, and that the exudation of these deposits is more common or more pronounced in soil types and soil water conditions where the model predicts the largest increase in the uptake of either water (under wet conditions and in sandy loams) or nutrients (under dry conditions and in sandy loam). However, I think that the authors currently overextend the impact of this work in sections 4. 3 and 4. 4. I think framing this work in the context of climate change is not appropriate in the paper’s current form, and a statement such as the one made in L. 363-365 (“Our results indicate that answering questions about plant adaptation to complex and changing soil and environmental conditions requires integrating biotic and abiotic feedback in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum”) does not match up with the model presented in this paper. Either the modelling should be extended significantly to include more than just a hydraulic model, or the framing of this work should not go beyond the metrics simulated by the model (i. e. water and nutrient uptake). This reframing should lead to significant re-writing of the introduction and the discussion (sections 4. 3 and 4. 4 in particular). I would suggest that the paper is carefully proofread to improve the text, which is currently full of grammatical flaws, especially in the introduction and discussion sections.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Renewable agriculture often incorporates natural pest control instead of chemical pesticides. [SEP] Text: -19 PreprintsProtocolsVideosJournalsTools & a 10. 21203/rs. 3. rs-3285054/v1This work is licensed under a CC BY 4. 0 LicenseStatus:Published25 Jun, 2024Read the published version in →Version 1posted You are reading this latest preprint versionAbstractFuture trajectories of agricultural productivity need to incorporate environmental targets, including the reduction of pesticides use. Landscape features supporting natural pest control (LF-NPC) offer a nature-based solution that can serve as a partial substitute for synthetic pesticides, thereby supporting future productivity levels. Here, we introduce a novel approach to quantify the contribution of LF-NPC to agricultural yields and its associated economic value to crop production in a broad-scale context. Using the as case study, we combine granular farm-level data, a spatially explicit map of LF-NPC potential across agricultural land, and a regional agro-economic supply and market model. The results reveal that farms located in areas characterized by higher LF-NPC potential experience lower productivity losses in a context of reduced synthetic pesticides use. Specifically, we estimate that a one-unit increase in LF-NPC potential, on average, leads to a 6. 1% increase in agricultural income. These results highlight the significance of LF-NPC for agricultural production, and provide a valuable reference point for farmers and policymakers aiming to successfully invest in landscape features to achieve pesticides reduction targets. Earth and environmental sciences/Ecology/Ecosystem servicesEarth and environmental sciences/Ecology/BiodiversityEarth and environmental sciences/Environmental sciences/Environmental impactFiguresFigure 1Figure 2Figure 3Figure 4Figure 5MainSustainable use and management of biodiversity, including valuing, maintaining and enhancing ecosystem functions and services, is among the four long-term goals of the Kunming-(GBF) adopted by the UN Convention on 1. Amongst others, the framework sets the 2030 global target of reducing the overall risk from pesticides and highly hazardous chemicals by at least 50%. Similarly, the Deal promotes biodiversity preservation and restoration, and targets a reduction of pesticides use by 50% by 2030 2. These goals are a direct response to mounting societal concerns and scientific evidence pointing at the negative environmental impacts resulting from intensive agricultural systems 3–7.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: All food shortages can be solved by simply planting more crops. [SEP] Text: Books and journals Case studies Publish with us Advanced search Why are Chinese small farmers planting more grain crops? – Review of the Logic of (2018) (of and ) : 1756-137X 175. Publisher: © 2020, are Chinese small farmers planting more grain crops? – Review of the Logic of (2018) China? Brown (1994, 1995), expressed great concern about whether China can maintain grain self-sufficiency due to its large and rapidly increasing population, and how the country might affect the global market with increasing demand. This apparent food security problem has caused concern around the world. Between 1982 and 2017, China’s grain output was volatile during some periods and once appeared to be a periodic “non-grain cultivating” phenomenon, but overall grain production increased from 354 to 618m tons, far more than the 34 percent population growth during the same period. This success in agricultural production far exceeded 1990s predictions. Moreover, there was an unprecedented continuous annual increase in China’s grain output from 2003 to 2015. Although the began supply-side structural reform of agriculture by adjusting the agricultural planting structure to encourage more cash crops in 2016, total grain output still reached 616m tons, the second-highest annual yield in history. This prompts a question: what factors have driven the sustained growth of grain production in China? How can we explain the significant transition from “non-grain-oriented” to “grain-oriented” production? A grain supply pressure does exist in China and will persist for a long time, but Luo et al. (2018) show that the problem is not as serious as Brown thought. Their book shows that adverse factors listed in the literature such as non-agricultural transfer of agricultural labor, farmland transfers and agricultural scale operation do not hinder China’s food security, but instead increase grain growing behavior. The organizational and mobilization potential of China’s small farmers are the basic guarantee of China’s food security. The small-scale decentralized agricultural operation pattern determined by the household contract system was long regarded as inefficient and a serious potential risk to China’s food security. However, despite the trend toward “non-grain” growing during structural adjustment from 1978 to 2003, and the continuous increase in grain production after 2003, the basic agricultural management structure pattern has not changed significantly, and independent small farmers are still the main agricultural operating entities.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Mycorrhizal fungi improve water and nutrient uptake for plants in nutrient-poor soils. [SEP] Text: Methods to improve forage quality for mammalian herbivores in nutrient poor savannas PE&RC output: Thesis › internal (1) savanna biome covers one eighth of the earth’s land surface area and contains high levels of biodiversity. Many people inhabit savannas and utilise them for agriculture and livestock farming. Particularly in this biome, biodiversity conservation is under an ever mounting threat by the rapidly growing human population with livestock and their associated requirements for arable land use. The quality of the browse and graze is paramount to the survival of the many free-roaming herbivores, especially in nutrient poor savannas that are characterized by unpalatable grasses and broad-leaved trees with high concentrations of secondary metabolites in their foliage. Grazing lawns, with short, stoloniferous grasses, could provide high-quality food for grazers in these areas, but lawn grasses occur only sporadically in nutrient poor savannas. There is not much known about the effects of adding specific nutrients on the establishment of grazing lawns in nutrient poor savannas and the resultant quality of the forage. Therefore, this thesis aims to improve the understanding of the effect between large free-roaming herbivores in a nutrient poor savanna and improving the quality of the forage. Often conservation practices lack scientific underpinning, which is the motivation for this thesis. I address the question whether nutrient addition leads to the establishment of grazing lawns in a nutrient poor savanna, coupled with mowing with a tractor and slasher to reduce the woody components which compete with the grasses. Such addition is hypothesized to result in a switch (“jolt”) from tall, nutritionally poor grass to short, highly nutritional grass species. The main hypothesis of this thesis is that a savanna can be forced from a state with low quality forage as food for large free-roaming herbivores, to a state with high-quality forage through management interventions of these systems. Before understanding the intricacies of evidence-based conservation experiments in forcing a savanna to change its state of food quality, it is important to understand the complexities of managing protected areas and to understand the origins for their establishment. Therefore, I first summarized the motives for establishing protected areas in Southern and Eastern Africa, and the possible consequences for management of these areas today.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Renewable agriculture often incorporates natural pest control instead of chemical pesticides. [SEP] Text: The expansion of agricultural land for example, and the intensive use of agrochemicals have resulted in simplified landscape structures and a loss of biodiversity in Europe and other regions of the world 8–12. The loss of biodiversity has also led to a reduction in functional biodiversity, including natural enemies11,13–15. These organisms, such as predatory insects, parasitoids, or birds are a valuable tool for sustainable pest management in agriculture, as they reduce pest populations, providing the ecosystem service of natural pest control (NPC) 16. Consequently, they can reduce reliance on synthetic pesticides and in theory mitigate the suggested adverse impacts on agricultural productivity and its consequences resulting from the targeted 50% reduction in synthetic pesticides use 17–20. In agricultural systems, NPC can be promoted through landscape complexity 21, which refers to small areas of natural or semi-natural vegetation within an agricultural landscape that can provide ecosystem services, promote biodiversity, and are often denoted as agricultural landscape features 22,23. Agricultural landscape features can support the abundance of natural enemies, by providing shelter and alternative prey, thus allowing them to persist over time 24,25. Accordingly, in scientific literature it has long been established that landscape complexity, with its associated diversity in flora and fauna, plays a crucial role in promoting NPC in agricultural systems and reduce reliance on chemical inputs 26. Several recent empirical studies provide evidence of enhanced NPC resulting from higher landscape complexity 27–33. While current research provides pivotal insights, it remains bottlenecked regarding the general quantification of the ecosystem service of NPC. Furthermore, links of NPC to crop yields, which is one of the main drivers of a farm’s operability, are difficult to establish and often missing 34,35 due to multifaceted challenges. These challenges arise from insufficient data 36, inconclusive results 30,35,37–40, the underlying ecological complexity 41,42, or because results remain highly context-specific 37,43–45. An additional challenge is the economic valuation of NPC as an ecosystem service. Losey & Vaughan (2006) estimate the monetary value of NPC in the at 4. 5 billion USD per year, but acknowledge lack of data to further refine the evaluation 46. Other studies have estimated the monetary value of NPC, but focus on a specific crop, pest, or geographic location, and hence do not provide a general economic evaluation 47–49.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: All food shortages can be solved by simply planting more crops. [SEP] Text: Given that the proportion of agricultural income to the total income of farmers and the proportion of agricultural labor are decreasing, why are farmers actively and increasingly planting grain? To date little attention has been paid to the mechanism behind “grain-oriented” planting behavior. This book provides the following explanations. First, cash crops are more labor intensive than grain crops. Given the rigid constraints of the agricultural labor force, farmers will be more inclined to grow grain crops. Second, the rigid constraints and increasing opportunity costs of the agricultural labor force will inevitably induce capital to replace labor. Grain planting is more suitable for mechanical operation than cash crops. In addition, once agriculture is involved in the economies of specialization and division of labor economy, the development of the agricultural production service market and the outsourcing of production will increase the comparative advantages of grain crops and will thus promote a “grain-oriented” planting structure. Based on the above observations, the book argues that the “non-grain-oriented” planting structure usually exists when non-agricultural transfer of agricultural labor is insufficient. In other words, in an economic environment with restrictions in the flow of production and a lack of agricultural socialization services, farmers tend to expand cash crop planting to use the abundant agricultural labor force efficiently. Thus, when non-agricultural labor migration or farmland transfers exceed a certain level, cash crop planting decreases. This could indicate that planting structure adjustment in China is periodic and contextual, and changes in factor constraints will further transform planting structures. As a result, elements flow and structural adjustment do not necessarily cause “non-grain-production” problems. On the contrary, smallholders have a grain preference incentive in the processes of factor flow and the integration of the division of labor. The basic logic is as follows. First, the increased non-agricultural transfer of agricultural labor increases opportunity costs. In these circumstances, grain crops that require less labor or involve machinery have comparative advantages. At the same time, cash crops that are labor intensive or are unsuitable for machinery are less likely to be planted. The book calls this the “logic of resource allocation. ” Second, with the extension of the contracted period of farmland to the “confirmation of farmland rights with all sides clarified,” the property rights of lands have been enhanced.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Mycorrhizal fungi improve water and nutrient uptake for plants in nutrient-poor soils. [SEP] Text: The findings illustrate that the establishment of protected areas occurred in three periods, and that these periods gave rise to ramifications for management of these areas today. One of the ramifications is to enhance the quality of the vegetation as food for mammalian herbivores. I then tested whether we could use the addition of fertilizer to establish grazing lawns in a nutrient poor savanna, in order to achieve a switch from a vegetation of tall, nutritionally poor grass species to a short vegetation comprised of (highly) nutritional grass species. The experiments demonstrate that fertilization in nutrient poor savannas can trigger the establishment of grazing lawns, coupled with mowing with a tractor and slasher to reduce the woody components which compete with the grasses. I found that phosphorus supplementation resulted in a shift from tall grasses to short grasses within three years with a higher nutrient concentration in the grass species than without supplementation. When grazed, the biomass of lawn grasses was higher compared to the other grasses when not grazed, demonstrating the role of grazers in lawn grass patch establishment. I study the effects of increased grazing pressure by mammalian herbivores on maintaining patches of lawn grass and tested whether the application of specific nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorous or in combination with lime, would attract mammalian herbivores to graze frequently. I showed that the addition of N attracts and increases the grazing pressure for a number of herbivore species and our findings suggest that often abundantly present mammalian herbivores with intermediate body mass can maintain grazing lawns. This study illustrates that the distribution of specific nutrients to an area has an effect on the vegetation, causing elevated local grazing pressure resulting in improved quality of forage. I concluded that ongoing local fertilization in nutrient poor savannas is a practical and achievable method of ensuring that herbivores obtain high-quality forage. Further to obtaining a better understanding of improving the quality of the forage for free-ranging herbivores, I wanted to study how herbivores could obtain additional nutrients or better forage quality from the broad-leaved trees in a nutrient poor savanna. deployed game lick blocks with polyethylene glycol (PEG), a polymer, to standard game lick blocks (nutrient supplements) in an attempt to establish if we could broaden the diet of herbivores with higher percentages of browse species and higher amounts of utilisation per browse species that had high levels of condensed tannins.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Renewable agriculture often incorporates natural pest control instead of chemical pesticides. [SEP] Text: However, especially under pesticides reduction targets, as outlined by the GBF and Green Deal, it becomes crucial to establish the economic value of NPC to crop production in more general terms. Policymakers and farmers must be aware of the financial benefits associated with landscape-driven NPC to undertake timely and appropriate investments in landscape management to meet the GBF and targets 50 without encountering severe losses in agricultural production. Taking the (EU) as a case study, in this paper we provide a comprehensive assessment of the contribution of NPC potential driven by landscape features (hereafter referred to as LF-NPC potential), quantifying its impact on crop yields and the associated economic value in agricultural production under a reduced synthetic pesticides framework. For the assessment, we combine a European-wide dataset on yield observations derived from the (FADN) and a map of the continent's LF-NPC potential at 100-meter resolution. The LF-NPC map has been derived by merging high-resolution geospatial layers depicting landscape elements with extensive field surveys of insects flying predators and parasitoids 23. The landscape elements considered were small woody features, grasslands, and forests, and their contribution to LF-NPC potential was determined based on observed flying insect abundance 23. The resulting indicator is the only one available which establishes LF-NPC potential across the European continent. At the same time, FADN provides farm-level yield observations and characteristics across the EU. Since synthetic pesticides are largely avoided in organic agriculture, we use the reported farm typology (organic or conventional) under FADN as a starting point to establish yield gaps capturing the difference in productivity between intensive (conventional) and less-intensive (organic) farming systems. To further narrow down the differences in yield gaps that can be attributed specifically to the avoidance of synthetic pesticides in organic farming, we control for other influential factors that can affect yield differences between organic and conventional farms, such as mineral fertilizers. After estimating the regional yield gaps attributed to pesticides use for major crops, we investigate whether regions with higher LF-NPC potential exhibit a lower yield gap. Finally, to evaluate the economic implications of LF-NPC potential, we parametrize a partial equilibrium model and simulate the EU agricultural sector in 2030 taking into account a reduction in pesticides use and the previously estimated yield gaps, which are a function of a region’s landscape complexity.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: All food shortages can be solved by simply planting more crops. [SEP] Text: With the increased certainty over land rights, more laborers migrate to cities and households can freely allocate their labor supply between the agricultural and the non-agricultural sectors. Thus, field crops such as grain are more likely to be chosen because they have lower market risks and benefit more from the division of labor. This book calls this “the logic of property right. ” Third, once farmers are involved in the economy of specialization, service outsourcing of agricultural production chains and the development of agricultural production service markets will strengthen the “grain-oriented” planting structure. Here agricultural mechanization has a dual effect. The mechanical replacement of labor and outsourcing services can further release the demographic dividend of the surplus labor force. It also assists with farmland circulation and thus optimizes resource distribution structures, promotes the continuous planting of crops, and further facilitates the vertical division of agricultural labor during the market capacity upgrade process. This book calls it the “the logic of division of labor. ” With the non-agricultural transfer of agricultural labor and the continuous increase of agricultural labor costs, the substitution of capital for labor will be an inevitable trend. As a result, grain crops that require less labor or are easier to replace with machinery will have a comparative advantage in planting structure adjustment. Cash crops tend to be labor intensive and involve associated labor management costs. Grain crop labor forces are mainly involved in soil preparation, sowing and harvesting, and can be replaced with machinery for these tasks, thus reducing labor supervision costs. This provides a comparative advantage for grain crop production in the division of agriculture. In particular, once farmers participate in the division of labor economy, service outsourcing of agricultural production chains and the development of the agricultural production service market will further promote the “grain-oriented” planting structure. The author argues that the following three factors encourage small farmers to plant grain crops. First, with the enforcement of farmland property rights, grain crops have relatively lower costs for early stage fixed asset investment and technique searching. Thus, farmers achieve high investment conversion flexibility and can adjust the use of land as prices change. Second, agricultural production requires the complementary input of land and labor, and cash crops require more labor input than grain crops. Increasing agricultural labor migration to cities weakens the agricultural production workforce because relatively older people and females stay in villages, and more land is transferred. Because they have low labor requirements, grain crops are thus preferred.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Mycorrhizal fungi improve water and nutrient uptake for plants in nutrient-poor soils. [SEP] Text: I showed that the addition of PEG to standard game lick blocks supported a change in the dietary choices of herbivore species and that these changes are expressed as a broader diet choice (higher percentage of browse species) and a higher number of browse species utilised with higher concentrations of secondary compounds in their diet. The findings showed that the largest change in diet selection was for Burchell’s zebra (a grazer) and impala (a mixed feeder). My thesis shows that there is a need for the manipulation of vegetation and animals through evidence-based conservation, in a nutrient poor savanna to help with survival of the herbivore species. I have shown that through the addition of nutrients, and the use of a polymer to combat tannin, in a practical manner will improve forage quality in a nutrient poor savanna. As a consequence, this better quality food that would otherwise not have been utilised, thus helps in alleviating the effect of food shortages during the dry winter season. My thesis provides scientific understanding of the association between large free-roaming herbivores in a nutrient poor savanna and methods of improving the quality of the forage. In conclusion, this study provides new information on nutrient-plant-herbivore associations that helps evidence-based conservation, forcing a nutrient poor savanna from a state with low quality forage for large free-roaming herbivores, to a state with high-quality forage, through management of these systems. These findings have important consequences for the management of nutrient poor savannas around the world. Original languageEnglishQualificationDoctor ofdate21 Jun 2021Place of 9789463957403DOstatusPublished - 21 Jun 2021 output contributes to the following UN Goals (SDGs) Access to Document 10. 18174/543076 Files and links into the research topics of 'Methods to improve forage quality for mammalian herbivores in nutrient poor savannas'. Together they form a unique fingerprint. 100% Agricultural and 100% 47% Protected areas Agricultural and 15% Agricultural and 15% Agricultural and 10% 10% 10% View full fingerprint Projects 1 per year The ecological and economic foundations for successful in nutrient poor savannas. Schroder, B. , Prins, H. , de Boer, F. , van Langevelde, F. , Schroder, B. , Prins, H.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Renewable agriculture often incorporates natural pest control instead of chemical pesticides. [SEP] Text: Quantification of the financial benefit of LF-NPC to agricultural production By incorporating these newly estimated, LF-NPC dependant yield gaps into the agro-economic, partial-equilibrium model CAPRI (), insights are gained regarding the financial benefit of LF-NPC to agricultural production. Specifically, we simulate a scenario in which all EU regions reduce their pesticides use and cost to level’s observed in organic farming by 2030 and adopt yield gaps according to their LF-NPC profile (hereafter referred to as LF-NPC scenario). The results of the LF-NPC scenario are then compared to a business-as-usual scenario (baseline scenario), where no yield changes, nor synthetic pesticides use reductions have been implemented. By comparing the income change between the baseline scenario and LF-NPC scenario between regions with varying LF-NPC potential, one can evaluate the financial benefits of LF-NPC in a reduced pesticide usage scenario, as the LF-NPC scenario considers factors such as the reduction in synthetic pesticide usage and cost, the LF-NPC potential of each region, and the corresponding crop-specific yield gap. This assessment is conducted holding all other factors constant, allowing for a focused analysis of the financial agricultural benefits associated with LF-NPC. Results show that, on average, a one-unit increase in the LF-NPC potential improves farm revenue by 5. 1% and farm income by 6. 2% per hectare (Fig. 3). While on average a higher LF-NPC potential is linked to positive revenue and income changes, results also point at an important variability across regions with similar LF-NPC potential. This variability relates to differences in the agricultural structure of each region, such as the crop mixture grown, the associated yield gaps and the existing cost structure. To illustrate, one can consider two French regions, Bourgogne and Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Ázur, which have similar LF-NPC scores. It is observed that the revenue in Bourgogne experiences a more substantial reduction compared to Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Ázur. This is mainly attributed to the fact that Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Ázur focuses primarily on growing fodder crops, which use and depend less on synthetic pesticides and thus the reduction in pesticides use has a smaller productivity and hence revenue impact.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Many investors see cryptocurrency as a hedge against inflation. [SEP] Text: examine the association of Bitcoin, and other cryptocurrency, returns with changes in inflation expectations, and form a comparison with gold, a traditional inflation hedge. We control for uncertainty in economic policy, cryptocurrency, and financial markets, and show that cryptocurrency returns are positively related to changes in US inflation expectations only for a limited set of circumstances. Unlike with gold, the identified relationship is only significant for short-term inflation expectations, and when inflation or market-implied inflation expectations are below 2% (the Fed's inflation target). Moreover, cryptocurrency returns tend to be lower on days with monthly consumer price index (CPI) announcements and respond negatively to CPI surprises. Our results suggest that cryptocurrencies do not currently offer investors a viable alternative to gold for hedging inflation. 1 recent years, the proponents of Bitcoin (and other cryptocurrencies) have emphasised the limited supply of coins as a means of preventing the monetary inflation associated with fiat currency. The argument is that increased fiat money supply will eventually lead to price inflation, particularly in light of the expansionary policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. The speed with which this occurs is dependent on inflation expectations and the monetary transmission mechanism. If this attribute of cryptocurrencies is prized by investors, then we should expect crypto returns to be associated with changes in inflation expectations. The post-pandemic surge in inflation, together with recognition that this may not be a transitory effect, means that market participants are eager to understand which assets offer a hedging opportunity. We evaluate this relationship in comparison to gold, a traditional inflation hedge. Introduced in 2009, Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency and, for much of our sample period, it has accounted for over 55% of total crypto market capitalisation. Because of its relative longevity, much of the crypto-related research to date has focused on Bitcoin, including its ability to act as a hedge or safe haven. There continues to be debate as to the ‘true’ value of holding cryptocurrencies during times of turmoil. For instance, Blau et al. (2021) and Choi and Shin (2022) suggest Bitcoin is useful as an inflation hedge while Conlon et al. (2021) argue there is no clear evidence of this outside of the COVID-19 crisis period. More generally, Mariana et al. (2021) and Hasan et al.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Mycorrhizal fungi improve water and nutrient uptake for plants in nutrient-poor soils. [SEP] Text: Such addition is hypothesized to result in a switch (“jolt”) from tall, nutritionally poor grass to short, highly nutritional grass species. The main hypothesis of this thesis is that a savanna can be forced from a state with low quality forage as food for large free-roaming herbivores, to a state with high-quality forage through management interventions of these systems. Before understanding the intricacies of evidence-based conservation experiments in forcing a savanna to change its state of food quality, it is important to understand the complexities of managing protected areas and to understand the origins for their establishment. Therefore, I first summarized the motives for establishing protected areas in Southern and Eastern Africa, and the possible consequences for management of these areas today. The findings illustrate that the establishment of protected areas occurred in three periods, and that these periods gave rise to ramifications for management of these areas today. One of the ramifications is to enhance the quality of the vegetation as food for mammalian herbivores. I then tested whether we could use the addition of fertilizer to establish grazing lawns in a nutrient poor savanna, in order to achieve a switch from a vegetation of tall, nutritionally poor grass species to a short vegetation comprised of (highly) nutritional grass species. The experiments demonstrate that fertilization in nutrient poor savannas can trigger the establishment of grazing lawns, coupled with mowing with a tractor and slasher to reduce the woody components which compete with the grasses. I found that phosphorus supplementation resulted in a shift from tall grasses to short grasses within three years with a higher nutrient concentration in the grass species than without supplementation. When grazed, the biomass of lawn grasses was higher compared to the other grasses when not grazed, demonstrating the role of grazers in lawn grass patch establishment. I study the effects of increased grazing pressure by mammalian herbivores on maintaining patches of lawn grass and tested whether the application of specific nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorous or in combination with lime, would attract mammalian herbivores to graze frequently. I showed that the addition of N attracts and increases the grazing pressure for a number of herbivore species and our findings suggest that often abundantly present mammalian herbivores with intermediate body mass can maintain grazing lawns. This study illustrates that the distribution of specific nutrients to an area has an effect on the vegetation, causing elevated local grazing pressure resulting in improved quality of forage.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Renewable agriculture often incorporates natural pest control instead of chemical pesticides. [SEP] Text: Conversely, Bourgogne grows crops, where the yield gap due to lower pesticides use is higher and hence, the reduction in pesticides use has a stronger negative impact on production and revenue levels. This being said, the reduction in pesticides cost due to the reduction in use is stronger in Bourgogne, nevertheless not sufficient to compensate for the loss in revenue. In some cases, when pesticides cost represent a very large share of the total cost, and the regions LF-NPC profile is very high hence the yield gap small, the revenue loss can be compensated by the cost reduction. Latter finding emphasises that the economic value of LF-NPC is especially high in regions where synthetic pesticides represent a large share of the total cost structure. DiscussionRecent global and EU targets for reducing pesticide use require an acceleration in the exploration of alternative pest control strategies that can reduce reliance on chemical inputs. In our study, we investigate the economic advantages of incorporating landscape complexity to enhance LF-NPC potential and support agricultural productivity under a reduced pesticides scenario. Specifically, we compare the agricultural economic performance of regions with higher LF-NPC potential to those with lower potential. We estimated that a one-unit increase in LF-NPC potential, on average, results in a 6. 1% increase in productivity and a similar increase in overall farm income. In this study, LF-NPC serves as a proxy for potential species richness providing NPC 23 to sustain agricultural productivity when less synthetic pesticides are used. Therefore, the measured positive impact of LF-NPC can be interpreted as the beneficial feedback of species richness on farming productivity in the context of reduced synthetic pesticides use. Opposed to experimental field designs, the approach chosen is similar to the category of causal inference using a potential-outcome framework 51: Observational data and domain assumptions are applied to build a statistical model connecting LF-NPC (proxy of species richness) to agricultural productivity. Notably, our focus lied on the direct benefits of LF-NPC potential for agricultural production and does not measure other positive externalities of LF-NPC, such as soil erosion or carbon sequestration. The inclusion of these public goods would increase the total economic value of LF-NPC 52. Additionally, our study does not undertake a comprehensive appraisal of the positive ramifications arising from a reduced use of synthetic pesticides, such as cost savings in water purification, health benefits for workers or nearby residents 53,54.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Many investors see cryptocurrency as a hedge against inflation. [SEP] Text: (2021) find that Bitcoin and Ethereum possess short-term safe-haven properties for the stock market response to COVID-19, while Dyhrberg (2016a, 2016b) suggests that Bitcoin has similar hedging abilities to gold. However, this is disputed by Baur et al. (2018) who report that the return and volatility characteristics of Bitcoin differ from those of gold. Chan et al. (2019) note that the hedging ability of Bitcoin is related to the sharp price increase of December 2017, while others (e. g. , Conlon & McGee, 2020; Smales, 2019) question whether Bitcoin can be a safe haven, and Corbet, Larkin, & Lucey (2020) suggest it may amplify financial contagion. In contrast, gold has played an important role in the monetary system for millennia and has garnered a reputation for providing an inflation hedge. However, the empirical evidence for this attribute is mixed. For instance, it is argued that the gold–inflation relationship is sensitive to the time-period chosen and is insignificant once the early 1980s are excluded (Batten et al. , 2014; Erb & Harvey, 2013). On the other hand, several studies find that gold is an inflation hedge for the US in the long run (Aye et al. , 2016; Bampinas & Panagiotidis, 2015; Beckmann & Czudaj, 2013; Hoang et al. , 2016) and protects against an increase in the money supply (Lucey et al. , 2017). This paper also relates to the literature concerning the macroeconomic announcement effect on financial market returns. There is an extensive literature providing evidence of a significant response to macroeconomic news in traditional stock (e. g. , Boyd et al. , 2005; Flannery & Protopapadakis, 2002; McQueen & Roley, 1993; Nikkinen et al. , 2006), bond (e. g. , Balduzzi et al. , 2001; Green, 2004; Smales, 2021), currency (e. g. , Andersen et al. , 2003; Brooks & Kwok, 1993; Faust et al. , 2007) and commodity (e. g. , Cai et al. , 2001; Elder et al. , 2012) markets. Of particular relevance to our study is the strong reaction of gold prices to the monthly CPI release noted by Christie-David et al.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Mycorrhizal fungi improve water and nutrient uptake for plants in nutrient-poor soils. [SEP] Text: of for to & Inclusion Statement/Code of News and this journal Search all journals of for to & Inclusion Statement/Code of News and this journal Search all journals HortDate: 01 May 2012 Online ISSN: 2327-9834 Advertisement 0. 05 (nutrients, n = 40; phenolics, n = 24). Asterisk (*) denotes compounds detected only in shoots. Polyphenolic peak designation (P2–P11) as described in Lee and Scagel (2009, 2010). MPP = sum of P2–P8 and P10. Definitions for phenolic acronyms given in Table 3. AMF = arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus; MPP = minor polyphenolics. View in gallery Relative differences in concentration and content of nutrients and phenolics in (a–b) whole plants, (c–d) shoots (stems and leaves), and (e–f) roots of 16-week-old, greenhouse-grown basil plants grown with a complete fertilizer containing 16 mg·L−1 (LP) or 32 mg·L−1 (HP) P. Shaded bars distinguish the following: enhanced (greater biomass, concentration, and content); greater (greater biomass, similar concentration, greater content); similar (greater biomass, lower concentration, and similar content); suppressed (greater biomass, lower concentration, and lower content). Significant differences in biomass, concentration, and content determined by analysis of variance (ANOVA) or Kruskal-and median test at P ≤ 0. 05 (nutrients, n = 40; phenolics, n = 24). Asterisk (*) denotes compounds detected only in shoots. Polyphenolic peak designation (P2–P11) as described in Lee and Scagel (2009, 2010). MPP = sum of P2–P8 and P10. Definitions for phenolic acronyms given in Table 3. LP = low phosphorus; HP = high phosphorus; MPP = minor polyphenolics. raw image Relative differences in concentration and content of nutrients and phenolics in (a–b) whole plants, (c–d) shoots (stems and leaves), and (e–f) roots of 16-week-old, greenhouse-grown, basil plants inoculated or not (non-AMF) with the AMF, Rhizophagus intraradices.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Renewable agriculture often incorporates natural pest control instead of chemical pesticides. [SEP] Text: Furthermore, although we explore the potential positive feedback loop of an enhanced landscape design supporting LF-NPC, we did only account for the costs related to reduced pesticides use and did not explore the costs associated with redesigning the agricultural landscape to increase LF-NPC potential. Further investigation is needed to estimate these costs, involving different data sources. Nevertheless, the explored and quantified benefit of LF-NPC to support agricultural production fills the existing gap of a missing general quantification, which paves the way to further investment in redesigning the agricultural landscape, aligning also with the biodiversity strategy for 2030 that promotes incorporating landscape features in agricultural land 55. Previous studies have provided economic valuations of NPC in specific contexts, focusing on a specific location, crop or pest. For instance, one study valued NPC for soybean aphid management between 4. 2 to 32. 6 Euro per ha 56, while another found a 18% decrease in net farm income due to the loss of natural enemies in pear production 47. Our study provides a general quantification of the regional benefits of LF-NPC potential across Europe, considering multiple crops. The general quantification of LF-NPC potential allowed us to parametrize an agro-economic partial equilibrium model in such way that we can examine the general economic value of LF-NPC potential for agricultural production. Taking into account regional agricultural sector characteristics, we obtain an estimate on the positive economic contribution of landscape features to farm income under reduced pesticides use. It is worth to note that when running a partial equilibrium scenario without considering trade feedbacks and related price effects from agri-food markets, lower yields generally result in decreased overall farm income (see extent of y-axis Fig. 3). The main reason for this outcome is the decline in production levels while prices remain unchanged. When allowing for market and price feedback, higher prices due to lower production levels can potentially increase overall agricultural income compared to the business-as-usual (baseline) scenario (see supplementary information section 3). However, these price-related effects are not the focus of our analysis. The key insight here is the relative benefit of regions with higher LF-NPC potential compared to regions with lower LF-NPC potential in a reduced pesticides context. The financial benefit has been derived from the positive coefficient associated with LF-NPC potential in the regression analysis, when comparing a region's LF-NPC potential to future income changes (Fig. 3).

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Many investors see cryptocurrency as a hedge against inflation. [SEP] Text: 1 In doing so, we contribute to the literature as the first to consider a full policy cycle, and in turn provide evidence that the inflation-hedging capabilities of cryptocurrency appear to be limited to periods of low inflation. In addition, we evaluate the relative performance of both gold and cryptocurrencies against market-based measures of inflation expectations (BEIR), survey-based measures of inflation expectations (and University of Michigan), and realised inflation (CPI and Core CPI). Our empirical results indicate that both gold and cryptocurrency returns increase when inflation expectations rise, even after incorporating a set of control variables and changes in cryptocurrency uncertainty. This is true whether we measure inflation expectations using daily market-based measures or monthly survey-based measures. We identify a structural break in the return–inflation relationship that occurs in early March 2020, amid the COVID-pandemic. Consistent with asset returns becoming more correlated during times of crisis (Forbes & Rigobon, 2002), we find that gold and bitcoin returns become more positively related to stock returns2 and changes in inflation expectations post-breakpoint. 3 Further, when inflation and inflation expectations rise above the Federal Reserve's 2% target, we find that the cryptocurrency return–inflation relationship becomes insignificant. In contrast, the gold return–inflation relationship remains positive and significant even when inflation rises above 3% (and higher). Finally, we find that cryptocurrency returns are generally negative on days when there is a monthly CPI announcement, and are negatively related to CPI surprises (i. e. , returns are lower when CPI is higher than expected), whereas gold returns are positive on announcement days and insignificantly related to CPI surprises. Together, our results suggest that cryptocurrencies only seem to offer an inflation hedge under a restricted set of conditions,4 consistent with Conlon et al. (2021), when inflation expectations and/or actual levels of inflation (personal consumption expenditures, PCE) are below the Fed's 2% target, and do not hedge against CPI announcement surprises. In other words, cryptocurrencies are unable to hedge against inflation when it is most desirable. In contrast, gold appears to have maintained an ability to fulfil a role as a potential inflation hedge, and so we provide additional evidence that cryptocurrencies are not the ‘new gold’ (Klein et al. , 2018). The paper proceeds as follows: Section 2 details the data used in our study, focusing on cryptocurrency returns and measures of inflation expectations.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Mycorrhizal fungi improve water and nutrient uptake for plants in nutrient-poor soils. [SEP] Text: Shaded bars distinguish the following: enhanced (greater biomass, concentration, and content); greater (greater biomass, similar concentration, greater content); similar (greater biomass, lower concentration, and similar content); suppressed (greater biomass, lower concentration, and lower content). Significant differences in biomass, concentration, and content determined by analysis of variance (ANOVA) or Kruskal-and median test at P ≤ 0. 05 (nutrients, n = 40; phenolics, n = 24). Asterisk (*) denotes compounds detected only in shoots. Polyphenolic peak designation (P2–P11) as described in Lee and Scagel (2009, 2010). MPP = sum of P2–P8 and P10. Definitions for phenolic acronyms given in Table 3. AMF = arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus; MPP = minor polyphenolics. View raw image Relative differences in concentration and content of nutrients and phenolics in (a–b) whole plants, (c–d) shoots (stems and leaves), and (e–f) roots of 16-week-old, greenhouse-grown basil plants grown with a complete fertilizer containing 16 mg·L−1 (LP) or 32 mg·L−1 (HP) P. Shaded bars distinguish the following: enhanced (greater biomass, concentration, and content); greater (greater biomass, similar concentration, greater content); similar (greater biomass, lower concentration, and similar content); suppressed (greater biomass, lower concentration, and lower content). Significant differences in biomass, concentration, and content determined by analysis of variance (ANOVA) or Kruskal-and median test at P ≤ 0. 05 (nutrients, n = 40; phenolics, n = 24). Asterisk (*) denotes compounds detected only in shoots. Polyphenolic peak designation (P2–P11) as described in Lee and Scagel (2009, 2010). MPP = sum of P2–P8 and P10. Definitions for phenolic acronyms given in Table 3. LP = low phosphorus; HP = high phosphorus; MPP = minor polyphenolics. Previous 10. 21273/. 47. 5. 660 Free access Download PDF Cite this 6. 3) for 5 months.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Renewable agriculture often incorporates natural pest control instead of chemical pesticides. [SEP] Text: Our analysis also highlights the potential economic variability of outcomes given the same LF-NPC profile. Reducing synthetic pesticide use will have different financial impacts on regions, depending on their crop mix and cost structure. Regions growing crops with lower LF-NPC benefits and higher yield impacts due to reduced synthetic pesticides use, will experience more severe consequences. This variability should be taken into account in future research and policies aimed at optimizing pesticide reduction strategies. Despite the observed variability in income, regions with a higher LF-NPC profile generally experience positive changes in income due to the established positive link between LF-NPC potential and yield gaps. Based on the FADN data, the average yield gap between organic and conventional farms used to determine the contribution of LF-NPC-potential is -16. 5%, with important differences across crops and regions. Meta-analyses comparing organic and conventional yields often conclude that yields are highly contextual, depending on the system, site-specific characteristics and management practices 57–59. These meta-analyses report average yield gaps between 19–25%, with considerable standard deviations 57–59. Notably, organic fruits and oilseed crops show smaller gaps compared to conventional, whereas cereals and vegetables demonstrate larger gaps. Such differences might be related to the better organic performance of perennial over annual crops, and legumes over non-legumes. Our findings also confirm this, showing for example an average yield gap of -8% for legumes and − 25% for wheat (see supplementary Table 1). Additionally, field experiments that specifically assessed the effects of pesticides on yields also support our estimations. For example, Delin et al. (2008) found yield gaps ranging from − 8% to -37% in wheat when comparing systems with and without pesticides use in Sweden, with all other production characteristics being equal. Trials of Hossard et al. (2014) generated − 5% to -13% wheat yield losses from a 50% pesticide reduction in France, corresponding to -24% to -33% in a zero-pesticide system 60. In the subsequent stage of our analysis, the estimated yield gaps were used to quantify the impact of LF-NPC potential on yield gaps using a mixed effect model. We found that higher LF-NPC profiles are positively linked to lower yield gaps, suggesting that landscapes providing more favourable habitats for beneficial insects not only enhance NPC but also reduce the existing productivity gap when less synthetic pesticides are applied.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Many investors see cryptocurrency as a hedge against inflation. [SEP] Text: The key explanatory variable is the daily percentage change in 5- and 10-year breakeven inflation rates (BEINF510Y) or inflation swaps (INFSW510Y). Control variables include economic policy uncertainty (EPU), financial market uncertainty proxied by CBOE implied volatility index (VIX), the TED spread (TED), and the 2Y10Y term premium (TERM). Newey-West standard errors are shown in parentheses. *, **, *** indicate statistical significance at the 10%, 5% and 1% levels, respectively. Sample period: January 2012–November 2022. Once we introduce the set of controls into our model (Panel B) we find that the identified relationships are maintained for gold, but the only association that remains statistically significant for Bitcoin is for the 5-year breakeven inflation rate. This is a first indication that the return–inflation relationship is stronger for gold than for Bitcoin. A 1-standard deviation increase in the 5-year break even inflation rate (3. 15) is associated with a return of 10. 4 bps or a Bitcoin return of 35. 9 bps. Control variable estimates imply that both gold and Bitcoin returns are higher when credit spreads (TED) decline, and when the term structure flattens (TERM) although the relationships are only statistically significant for GLD. Gold and Bitcoin returns are lower when financial market uncertainty (VIX) increases, but this relationship is not well-defined for gold, suggesting that financial market uncertainty is particularly important for Bitcoin (consistent with Choi & Shin, 2022). Economic policy uncertainty appears to have no significant relationship with returns. The results are consistent with gold fulfilling its traditional role as a hedge against changes in inflation and suggest there is limited evidence for Bitcoin offering an alternative hedge, particularly for changes in shorter-term (5-year) inflation expectations. 4. The relationship between inflation expectations and the daily returns of leading cryptocurrencies. r_BTC r_BNB r_DOGE r_ETH r_XRP r_r_BGCI r_: Excl. UCRY Constant 0. 298*** 0. 600** 0. 250 0. 368** 0. 171 1. 298 0. 117 0. 307*** (0. 106) (0. 274) (0. 212) (0. 167) (0. 185) (0. 841) (0. 145) (0.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Mycorrhizal fungi improve water and nutrient uptake for plants in nutrient-poor soils. [SEP] Text: Inoculum consisted of a mixture of the soil substrate, extraradical hyphae and spores, and colonized root segments (less than 2 mm in length). Propagule numbers (15 propagules/g of soil substrate) in the inoculum used in this study were estimated using the MPN (most probable number) method (Woomer, 1994). Plant culture and treatments. Surface-sterilized (30% sodium hypochlorite for 10 min followed by a sterile water rinse) basil seeds were sown in 0. 92-L containers (Pot #GDP400; ) containing a steam-pasteurized (60 °C for 30 min) 3:1 mixture of alluvial silt loam and vermiculite (Horticultural Vermiculite; ). in the growing substrate was 3 mg·kg−1, and pH was 6. 2. Half of the plants were inoculated with AMF by hand-mixing 50 g of the AMF inoculum into the growing substrate in each pot before sowing seeds (AMF treatment) and the same quantity of sterile (121 °C, 15 min) inoculum was mixed into the growing substrate for the remainder of the plants before sowing seeds (non-inoculated treatment) (20 plants per cultivar per AMF treatment). Containers were placed in a glass greenhouse and watered as needed. Supplemental light (·720 μmol·m−2·s−1 photosynthetically active radiation) was provided for 16 h·d−1 by high-pressure multivapor lamps. Day/night temperatures were controlled at 24/15 °C during the experiment. After cotyledons had fully expanded, plants were fertilized weekly with 50 mL of a liquid fertilizer containing either 64 mg·L−1 P (low P) or 128 mg·L−1 P (high P) and 380 mg·L−1 N, 380 mg·L−1 K, 64 mg·L−1 S, 100 mg·L−1 Ca, 36 mg·L−1 magnesium (Mg), 4. 6 mg·L−1 Fe, 18 mg·L−1 chlorine, 0. 55 mg·L−1 manganese (Mn), 0. 37 mg·L−1 B, 0. 024 mg·L−1 Zn, 0.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Renewable agriculture often incorporates natural pest control instead of chemical pesticides. [SEP] Text: 005 Global food security, biodiversity conservation and the future of agricultural intensification. Biol Conserv. 2012;151(1). doi:10. 1016/j. biocon. 2012. 01. 068 Sánchez-. Worldwide decline of the entomofauna: A review of its drivers. Biol Conserv. 2019;232:8-27. doi:. Sustainable pest regulation in agricultural landscapes: A review on landscape composition, biodiversity and natural pest control. . 2006;273(1595). doi:10. 1098/rspb. 2006. 3530. Impacts on for Transformation in Support of Nature. ; 2021. . Risks of large-scale use of systemic insecticides to ecosystem functioning and services. Pollut Res. 2015;22(1). doi:10. 1007/s11356-014-3277-x A global synthesis reveals biodiversity-mediated benefits for crop production. Sci Adv. 2019;5(10). doi:10. 1126/sciadv. aax0121 Schiavo, M. , Le Mouël, C. , Poux, X. A, P. -M. Europe by 2050: on Land Use, Trade and Security? ; 2021. Iddri/Etude/202107-ST0821_TYFA World_1. pdf. Economic and food security impacts of agricultural input reduction under the Green Deal’s farm to fork and biodiversity strategies. . 2020;EB-30. Barreiro- Modelling environmental and climate ambition in the agricultural sector with the CAPRI model. JRC Tech Rep. Published online 2021. . Europe’s offshores environmental damage to other nations. Nature. 2020;586:671. doi:10. 1038/d41586-020-02991-1 Larsen AE, Noack F. Impact of local and landscape complexity on the stability of field-level pest control. Nat Sustain. 2021;4(2). doi:10. 1038/s41893-020-00637-8 Czúcz Classification and Quantification of in across the EU. of the European Union; 2022. doi:doi/10. 2760/59418 A pan-European model of landscape potential to support natural pest control services. Ecol Indic. 2018;90. doi:10. 1016/j.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Many investors see cryptocurrency as a hedge against inflation. [SEP] Text: Note: This figure depicts the rolling coefficient estimates for the association between percentage changes in the 5-year breakeven inflation rate (BEIR) and Bitcoin (BTC) or gold (GLD) returns. Perhaps of more concern for investors seeking a potential inflation hedge are the circumstances under which the return–inflation relationship changes. In particular, investors will be interested as to whether the relationship differs according to the pervading level of inflation. In managing monetary policy, the has a target of 2% growth in the PCE price index. To maintain inflation around this target, it is important to also anchor inflation expectations in the 2% range. Therefore, there is a possibility that our findings differ when either expected or actual inflation is above or below this target. We assess this by repeating our earlier analysis with the sample disaggregated into periods when actual inflation (PCE price deflator), or inflation expectations (BEINF5Y), are above or below the 2% target. 9 6 we disaggregate the sample according to whether actual inflation is at or below (Panel A), above (Panel B) or far above (Panel C) the Fed target. For both gold and cryptocurrencies, the estimated relationship is positive regardless of the prevailing PCE price index. For cryptocurrencies, the relationship becomes insignificant once inflation rises above the Fed target. However, for gold the relationship remains statistically positive even when the actual level of inflation rises above 2% (and 3%). The explanation for the differing results can be related to the likelihood of (FOMC) monetary policy actions and ‘novelty bias’. When inflation is low (below 2%) there is not likely to be a significant FOMC response, monetary policy can remain loose (supporting ‘risky’ assets such as cryptocurrency). Additionally, investors may pay relatively little attention to the inflation rate since it has been subdued for some time. However, bouts of high inflation are new or novel, so investors pay more attention at a time when it becomes more likely that the FOMC will tighten monetary policy (decreasing the attractiveness of ‘risky’ assets). TABLE 6. What happens when inflation deviates from the Fed's target? r_GLD r_GLD r_BTC r_BTC r_PANEL r_: PCE ≤2% Constant 0. 002 0. 002 0. 446*** 0. 446*** 0. 460*** 0.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Mycorrhizal fungi improve water and nutrient uptake for plants in nutrient-poor soils. [SEP] Text: 06 mg·L−1 copper (Cu), and 0. 006 mg·L−1 molybdenum (10 plants per cultivar per AMF treatment per P treatment). Plants were pruned back, to three nodes, 6weeks after germination and inflorescences that began to develop 9 weeks after germination were removed from plants. Plant harvest and colonization assessment. All plants were destructively harvested 16 weeks after germination and separated by structure: leaves, stems, or roots. Growing substrate was removed from roots by washing and fresh weight of each structure was recorded. Fresh samples (n = 5) of each structure from each cultivar by treatment combination were frozen, liquid N-powdered, extracted, and analyzed for phenolic composition as described in detail previously (Lee and Scagel, 2009, 2010). Fresh subsamples (n = 10) of roots were weighed, cleared, and stained using a modified procedure of Philips and Hayman (1970), in which lacto-phenol was replaced with lacto-glycerin and assessed for AMF colonization. AMF colonization was measured on ≈1-cm sections of root samples using the Bierman and Linderman (1980) method. Fresh samples (n = 5) of each structure were dried at 65 °C in a forced-air oven, weighed, ground to pass through a 40-mesh screen, and analyzed for nutrient composition (Scagel et al. , 2007). Nutrient analyses. Dried samples were analyzed for concentrations (mg·g−1 dry weight) of carbon (C) and N by combustion (CHN; LECO Corp. , St. Joseph, MI) (Scagel et al. , 2007) and concentrations (mg·g−1 dry weight) of other macro- and micronutrients by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (Perkin-3000, Wellesley, MA) after nitric acid digestion (Scagel et al. , 2008). Standard reference apple leaves (#151; of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD) were run with samples for all procedures to ensure accuracy of results with ± 3% cv. Phenolic analyses. Aqueous extracts were analyzed for concentration of total anthocyanins (ACY) and total phenolics (TP). These extracts were further purified with a Sep-C18 mini column (Waters Corp.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Renewable agriculture often incorporates natural pest control instead of chemical pesticides. [SEP] Text: ecolind. 2018. 03. 075. Structure, function and management of semi-natural habitats for conservation biological control: a review of European studies. Sci. 2016;72(9). doi:10. 1002/ps. 4318 Gontijo LM. Engineering natural enemy shelters to enhance conservation biological control in field crops. Biol Control. 2019;130. doi:10. 1016/j. biocontrol. 2018. 10. 014. and Practice of of Plant Pathogens. J Appl Ecol. 1985;22(1). doi:10. 2307/2403361 Rusch A, Chaplin-Kramer R, Gardiner MM, et al. Agricultural landscape simplification reduces natural pest control: A quantitative synthesis. Environ. 2016;221. doi:10. 1016/j. agee. 2016. 01. 039 The interplay of landscape composition and configuration: new pathways to manage functional biodiversity and agroecosystem services across Europe. Ecol Lett. 2019;22(7). doi:10. 1111/ele. 13265. High effectiveness of tailored flower strips in reducing pests and crop plant damage. . 2015;282(1814). doi:10. 1098/rspb. 2015. 1369 The effectiveness of flower strips and hedgerows on pest control, pollination services and crop yield: a quantitative synthesis. Ecol Lett. 2020;23(10). doi:10. 1111/ele. 13576. Flow and stability of natural pest control services depend on complexity and crop rotation at the landscape scale. J Appl Ecol. 2013;50(2). doi:10. 1111/1365-2664. 12055 Perez-. Effectiveness of augmentative biological control depends on landscape context. Sci Rep. 2019;9(1). doi:10. 1038/s41598-019-45041-1 Rodríguez-án CA, et al. Quantifying ecological and economic value of pest control services provided by bats in a vineyard landscape of central Chile. Environ. 2020;302. doi:10. 1016/j. agee. 2020. 107063 Semi-natural habitats support biological control, pollination and soil conservation in Europe. A review. Dev. 2017;37(4). doi:10.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Many investors see cryptocurrency as a hedge against inflation. [SEP] Text: 026 0. 153 0. 152 0. 095 0. 095 F-statistic 3. 69 2. 83 13. 37 13. 31 22. 80 22. 56 No. obs. 412 412 412 412 2065 2065 Note: This table provide the estimated coefficients for the OLS model shown in Equation (1). The dependent variable is the daily return on the SPDR gold ETF (GLD), Bitcoin (BTC) or panel of five leading cryptocurrencies (PANEL). The key explanatory variable is the daily percentage change in 5-year breakeven inflation rates (BEINF5Y). Unreported control variables include economic policy uncertainty (EPU), financial market uncertainty proxied by CBOE implied volatility index (VIX), the TED spread (TED) and the 2Y10Y term premium (TERM). Cross-section fixed-effects are included for the panel data. Newey-West standard errors are shown in parentheses. reports results when PCE deflator is ≤2%, when PCE >2% and when PCE >%. *, **, *** indicate statistical significance at the 10%, 5% and 1% levels, respectively. Sample period: January 2012–November 2022. Similar results are found in Table 7 when we disaggregate the sample dependent on inflation expectations (BEINF5Y10) below (Panel A), above (Panel B) or far above (Panel C) the 2% objective. The relationship between changes in expected inflation and gold returns is positive and significant regardless of whether inflation expectations are above or below 2%. Indeed, as with PCE levels, the magnitude of the coefficient is larger when inflation measures are above 2%. Intuitively, this fits the purpose of an inflation hedge since a greater response is elicited when inflation is perceived to be more likely to exceed the Fed's remit. In contrast, the identified relationship for Bitcoin (and other cryptocurrencies) is only present when inflation expectations are below 2%. That is, the inflation hedge properties of Bitcoin only seem to be present when they are least required. TABLE 7. What happens when inflation expectations differ from the Fed's target? r_GLD r_GLD r_BTC r_BTC r_PANEL r_: BEINF5Y ≤ 2% Constant 0. 019 0. 022 0. 324*** 0. 318*** 0. 441*** 0. 439*** (0. 022) (0.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Mycorrhizal fungi improve water and nutrient uptake for plants in nutrient-poor soils. [SEP] Text: , Milford, MA; Lee and Finn, 2007) before individual phenolics other than anthocyanins (polyphenolics) analysis. Using a SpectraMax M2 microplate reader (Corp. , Sunnyvale, CA), absorbance at 520 nm and 700 nm was used to determine ACY (mg cyanidin-glucoside/g fresh weight) (Lee et al. , 2005) and absorbance at 765 nm was used to determine TP (mg gallic acid/g fresh weight) (Waterhouse, 2002) in duplicate measurements for each sample. Specific polyphenolics were determined using an high-performance liquid chromatography/diode array detector (HPLC/DAD) (HP1100; Agilent Technologies, Inc. , Palo Alto, CA) and HPLC/DAD/electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectroscopy (MS was a XCT ion trap mass spectrometer; Agilent Technologies, Inc. ) system (Lee and Finn, 2007). Phenolic acids were quantified as caffeic acid equivalents at 320 nm and flavonol-glycosides were quantified as quercetin-rutinoside equivalents at 370 nm based on external standards. Polyphenolics were identified based on ultraviolet-visible spectra, retention time, authentic standards (caffeic acid, chicoric acid, quercetin-rutinoside, and rosmarinic acid), molecular ions, and fragmentation ions. Peak identification is detailed in Lee and Scagel (2009, 2010) and abbreviated by P1 through P11: caffeic acid derivative (P1; not detected in samples from this study), caftaric acid (P2), cinnamyl malic acid (P3), feruloyl tartaric acid (P4), caffeic acid (P5), caffeic acid derivative (P6), chicoric acid (P7), caffeic acid derivative (P8), quercetin-rutinoside (P9), cinnamic acid derivative (P10), and rosmarinic acid (P11). Calculations. Total fresh and dry biomasses were calculated as the sum of fresh and dry weights, respectively, over all structures. Biomass allocation between different structures (e. g.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Renewable agriculture often incorporates natural pest control instead of chemical pesticides. [SEP] Text: 1007/s13593-017-0434-x. Does landscape composition affect pest abundance and their control by natural enemies? A review. Environ. 2013;166. doi:10. 1016/j. agee. 2011. 05. 027 -Schmutz K. An ecological future for weed science to sustain crop production and the environment. A review. Dev. 2020;40(4). doi:10. 1007/s13593-020-00631-6 Landscape-scale expansion of agroecology to enhance natural pest control: A systematic review. In: Advances in Ecological Research. Vol 63. ; 2020. doi:10. 1016/bs. aecr. 2020. 09. 001. Landscape greening and local creation of wildflower strips and hedgerows promote multiple ecosystem services. J Appl Ecol. 2018;55(2). doi:10. 1111/1365-2664. 12977 Caveats to quantifying ecosystem services: Fruit abortion blurs benefits from crop pollination. Ecol Appl. 2007;17(6). doi:10. 1890/06-1763. 1 Karp DS, Chaplin-Kramer R, Meehan TD, et al. Crop pests and predators exhibit inconsistent responses to surrounding landscape composition. . 2018;115(33). doi:10. 1073/pnas. 1800042115 Alexandridis N, Marion G, Chaplin-Kramer R, et al. Models of natural pest control: Towards predictions across agricultural landscapes. Biol Control. 2021;163. doi:10. 1016/j. biocontrol. 2021. 104761 Tamburini G, Santoiemma G, E. O’Rourke M, et al. Species traits elucidate crop pest response to landscape composition: a global analysis. . 2020;287(1937). doi:10. 1098/rspb. 2020. 2116 van der Putten WH. Ecological Intensification: Bridging the Gap between Science and Practice. Evol. 2019;34(2). doi:10. 1016/j. tree. 2018. 11. 002. Landscape composition and configuration have scale-dependent effects on agricultural pest suppression. Environ. 2020;302. doi:10. 1016/j. agee. 2020.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Many investors see cryptocurrency as a hedge against inflation. [SEP] Text: Next, a positive association is identified for %Δ_IE and %ΔUMICH_IE – both associations are positive for GLD returns, only %ΔUMICH_IE is significant for the panel of cryptocurrency returns, while neither are significant for BTC returns. This provides additional evidence as to the stronger inflation-hedging properties of gold. TABLE 8. The relationship between survey-based inflation expectations, actual inflation and monthly returns of gold and leading cryptocurrencies. r_GLD r_GLD r_GLD r_BTC r_BTC r_BTC r_PANEL r_PANEL r_: Inflation expectations Constant −0. 228 −0. 238 −0. 236 2. 301** 5. 312** 5. 448** 6. 398*** 6. 447*** 6. 385*** (0. 358) (0. 343) (0. 350) (2. 381) (2. 454) (2. 402) (1. 976) (1. 992) (1. 960) %ΔBEINF5Y 0. 080** 0. 050 0. 294* (0. 038) (0. 127) (0. 158) %Δ_IE 0. 140** 0. 001 0. 215 (0. 070) (0. 488) (0. 411) %ΔUMICH_IE 0. 098** 0. 500* 0. 595** (0. 043) (0. 294) (0. 234) %ΔEPU 0. 027* 0. 017 0. 024* −0. 188 −0. 192 −0. 216 −0. 077 −0. 118* −0. 132** (0. 015) (0. 013) (0. 014) (0. 159) (0. 144) (0. 155) (0. 070) (0. 068) (0. 067) %ΔVIX 0. 004 −0. 003 −0. 006 −0. 150** −0. 157** −0. 159** −0. 064 −0. 103 −0. 098 (0. 012) (0. 013) (0. 014) (0. 067) (0. 069) (0. 071) (0. 079) (0. 076) (0.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Mycorrhizal fungi improve water and nutrient uptake for plants in nutrient-poor soils. [SEP] Text: , roots, stems, leaves) was calculated as the percentage (%) of total fresh or dry biomass in each structure. The nutrient and phenolic content of each plant structure was calculated by multiplying the compound concentration in each structure by the dry (nutrients) or fresh (phenolics) mass of each structure. Net nutrient uptake and phenolic production were calculated as the sum content for each nutrient and phenolic overall structures. Shoot accumulation of nutrients and phenolics were calculated as the sum content for each nutrient and phenolic in leaves and stems. Minor polyphenolics (MPP) were calculated as the sum of phenolic peaks P2 through P8 and P10. Statistical analyses. Containers were arranged in a randomized design with each treatment unit (container) replicated 10 times for each AMF treatment (non-inoculated, AMF-inoculated) and P treatment (low P, high P) for each cultivar. All statistical analyses were performed using Statistica® (Statsoft, Inc. , Tulsa, OK). Data were tested for homogeneity of variance (Levene’s test) and normality (Kolmogoro-Smirnov test). Root colonization by AMF and biomass allocation data were arcsin-transformed before analyses and backtransformed means are presented. ACY data were analyzed by cultivar using the Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance (ANOVA) and median test and means were separated at P ≤ 0. 05 (K-W0. 05). All other data were analyzed using mixed-model ANOVA with cultivar, AMF treatment, and P treatment as main effects and cultivar considered a random effect. Non-inoculated plants were not colonized by AMF (Table 1); therefore, only cultivar and P treatment were used in analysis of AMF colonization data. Eta-squared (η2) was used to determine the proportion of total variability attributable to differences among cultivars (η2C) or treatments (AMF inoculation, η2A; P rate, η2P). When appropriate, based on ANOVA results, means were compared using Tukey’s honestly significant difference test at P ≤ 0. 05 (thsd0. 05) for main effects and P ≤ 0. 01 (thsd0. 01) for interactions.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Renewable agriculture often incorporates natural pest control instead of chemical pesticides. [SEP] Text: 107085 Local pesticide use intensity conditions landscape effects on biological pest control. . 2019;286(1904). doi:10. 1098/rspb. 2018. 2898 Losey JE, Vaughan M. The economic value of ecological services provided by insects. Bioscience. 2006;56(4). doi:10. 1641/0006-3568(2006)56[311:]2. 0. CO;2 Daniels S, Witters N, Beliën. of for Control in Pear Production. Ecol Econ. 2017;134. doi:10. 1016/j. ecolecon. 2016. 12. 029 Uncovering the economic value of natural enemies and true costs of chemical insecticides to cotton farmers in China. Lett. 2018;13(6). doi:10. 1088/1748-9326/aabfb0. Economic valuation of natural pest control of the summer grain aphid in wheat in England. Ecosyst Serv. 2018;30. doi:10. 1016/j. ecoser. 2018. 02. 019. Biological control and integrated pest management in organic and conventional systems. Biol Control. 2020;140. doi:10. 1016/j. biocontrol. 2019. 104095 Runge J. Modern causal inference approaches to investigate biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships. Nat Commun. 2023;14(1):1917. doi:10. 1038/s41467-023-37546-1 History, current situation and challenges for conservation biological control. Biol Control. 2019;131. doi:10. 1016/j. biocontrol. 2018. 12. 010 Bourguet D, Guillemaud T. of Pesticide Use. In: 2016. doi:10. 1007/978-3-319-26777-7_2 Worldwide pesticide usage and its impacts on ecosystem. SN Appl Sci. 2019;1(11). doi:10. 1007/s42452-019-1485-1 European Union. EU 2030 Biodiversity strategy: Bringing nature back into our lives. EU Green Deal. Published online 2020:81-86. Zhang W, Swinton SM. Optimal control of soybean aphid in the presence of natural enemies and the implied value of their ecosystem services. J Environ Manage.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Many investors see cryptocurrency as a hedge against inflation. [SEP] Text: 024 F-statistic 4. 42 1. 13 10. 96 7. 09 13. 65 22. 04 No. obs. 129 129 1763 2166 1298 9565 Note: This table provide the estimated coefficients for the OLS model shown in Equation (1). The dependent variable is the monthly return on the SPDR gold ETF (GLD), Bitcoin (BTC) or a panel of cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Binance Coin, Dogecoin, Ethereum and XRP. A, the key explanatory variable is the monthly percentage change in 5-year breakeven inflation rates (BEINF5Y) and 1-year inflation expectations from the (_IE) or University of Michigan (UMICH_IE) consumer confidence surveys. B, the key explanatory variables are core CPI (CPI_CORE) and headline CPI (CPI). The control variables include economic policy uncertainty (EPU), financial market uncertainty proxied by CBOE implied volatility index (VIX), the TED spread (TED) and the 2Y10Y term premium (TERM). Newey-West standard errors are shown in parentheses. *, **, *** indicate statistical significance at the 10%, 5% and 1% levels, respectively. Sample period: January-2012–October-2022. We also test whether there is a relationship between returns and the actual prevailing level of inflation. We replace measures of inflation expectations with the year-on-year change in core (CPI_CORE) and headline CPI (CPI) in our regression models. The estimates in of Table 8 show that there is a positive relationship between actual inflation and returns, but this is only statistically significant for CPI_CORE. This could be due to the higher variability of CPI owing to inclusion of food and energy prices. 3. 4 Inflation announcement effects We have identified that cryptocurrency offers limited inflation hedging properties in general, and that those properties seem to fail when inflation rises above 2%. As a final step, we question whether cryptocurrency may at least offer some ability to hedge inflation announcement effects. We consider this by augmenting Equation (1) in two different ways. First, we include an announcement dummy variable (CPI_ANN) that indicates whether a monthly CPI announcement occurs on day t (1) or not (0). Second, we capture the news effect of each CPI announcement by introducing a surprise variable (CPI_SURP). We follow Balduzzi et al.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Mycorrhizal fungi improve water and nutrient uptake for plants in nutrient-poor soils. [SEP] Text: 19), Fe (ηA2 > 0. 26), Mn (ηA2 > 0. 13), and Zn (ηA2 > 0. 25) uptake than P rate (ηP2 not shown). P rate accounted for a greater proportion of variation in P (ηP2 > 0. 59) and Ca (ηP2 > 0. 18) uptake than AMF inoculation (ηA2 not shown). Size Fig. 1. Relative differences in concentration and content of nutrients and phenolics in (a–b) whole plants, (c–d) shoots (stems and leaves), and (e–f) roots of 16-week-old, greenhouse-grown, basil plants inoculated or not (non-AMF) with the AMF, Rhizophagus intraradices. Shaded bars distinguish the following: enhanced (greater biomass, concentration, and content); greater (greater biomass, similar concentration, greater content); similar (greater biomass, lower concentration, and similar content); suppressed (greater biomass, lower concentration, and lower content). Significant differences in biomass, concentration, and content determined by analysis of variance (ANOVA) or Kruskal-and median test at P ≤ 0. 05 (nutrients, n = 40; phenolics, n = 24). Asterisk (*) denotes compounds detected only in shoots. Polyphenolic peak designation (P2–P11) as described in Lee and Scagel (2009, 2010). MPP = sum of P2–P8 and P10. Definitions for phenolic acronyms given in Table 3. AMF = arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus; MPP = minor polyphenolics. Citation: HortScience horts 47, 5; 10. 21273/. 47. 5. 660Download FigureDownload figure as PowerPoint slide Size Fig. 2. Relative differences in concentration and content of nutrients and phenolics in (a–b) whole plants, (c–d) shoots (stems and leaves), and (e–f) roots of 16-week-old, greenhouse-grown basil plants grown with a complete fertilizer containing 16 mg·L−1 (LP) or 32 mg·L−1 (HP) P.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Renewable agriculture often incorporates natural pest control instead of chemical pesticides. [SEP] Text: Using predatory species and entomopathogenic fungi as alternatives to chemical pesticides in green bean field access Published: 13 June 2024 Using predatory species and entomopathogenic fungi as alternatives to chemical pesticides in green bean field Hamzah M. Kamel1, Aziza E. Eid2, Gehan M. : orcid. org/0000-0003-1017-12362 & …: orcid. org/0000-0002-4403-72572 Show authors of Control 85. 57 and 84. 87%), respectively, while in El-Menoufia, C. carnea (97. 74%) was the most effective treatment followed by M. anisopliae (90. 32%). Pesticide treatment in this case yielded a reduction rate of (22. 76 and 59. 67%) in Giza and El-Menoufia plots, respectively. However, for spider mite control, P. persimilis proved to be the most effective treatment in Giza and El-Menoufia plots, reducing the spider mite population to 98. 44 and 96. 14%, respectively. Metarhizium anisopliae treatment also displayed moderate effectiveness, with reduction rates of 75. 62 and 75. 37% in Giza and El-Menoufia plots, respectively. In comparison, pesticide treatment showed low effectiveness, with reduction rates of only 23. 92 and 53. 16% in the two locations, respectively. ConclusionApplications of the predator, C. carnea and the EPF, M. anisopliae were highly effective in reducing the population of whitefly, while the predator mite P. persimilis proved to be the most effective for controlling the spider mites. Overall, the study suggests that biocontrol agents, such as the predators and the EPF, can be considered as alternatives to synthetic chemical pesticides for controlling pests infesting green beans. BackgroundGreen bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. , Leguminosae) is a major grain legume that is widely consumed as edible seeds and pods. Common beans are a valuable source of protein, minerals such as iron and zinc, and vitamins for numerous human populations (Beebe et al. 2000). Immature pods are consumed fresh and can be easily preserved by freezing, canning, or dehydrating. Mature pods and seeds are typically dried and can be eaten boiled, baked, fried, or ground into flour.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Many investors see cryptocurrency as a hedge against inflation. [SEP] Text: (2001) in computing a standardised surprise measure as: CPI _ SURP t = CPI _ ACT t − CPI _ EST t σ CPI _ SURP (2)where CPI_ACTt is the actual value of CPI indicated in the data release on day t, CPI_ESTt is the median of the Bloomberg forecast survey for the announcement, and σCPI_SURP is the standard deviation of CPI_SURP across all observations. A positive (negative) surprise therefore occurs when the CPI release is greater (lower) than market expectations. Table 9 reports the estimated coefficients. shows that gold returns tend to be positive on days with a CPI announcement which is consistent with the results of Christie-David et al. (2000). In contrast, cryptocurrency returns tend to be negative but are statistically insignificant, as Pyo and Lee (2020) report for Bitcoin returns. reports results relating to the CPI news effect. Whereas CPI surprises have negligible influence on same-day gold returns, the effect is significant and negative for cryptocurrency returns. In other words, cryptocurrency returns are lower when the CPI release is higher than expected, and vice versa. This result differs from Corbet, Larkin, Lucey, et al. (2020) as they find a positive relationship that is weakly significant. The difference is largely explained by their sample ceasing in September 2019, prior to the post-March 2020 surge in inflation and the accompanying number of positive CPI surprises. When we adjust our sample to end on 30 September 2019, as in Corbet, Larkin, Lucey, et al. (2020), we find that the significance of our result disappears although the sign remains negative. The remaining difference could be due to the different sample size owing to differing start dates (July 2010 vs. January 2012) and them including only announcement days as opposed to all trading days (130 vs. 2700 observations). TABLE 9. CPI announcement effect. r_GLD r_GLD r_BTC r_BTC r_: Announcement effect Constant −0. 005 −0. 042 0. 327*** 0. 318*** 0. 326*** (0. 019) (0. 036) (0. 112) (0. 110) (0. 079) CPI_ANN 0. 160** 0. 354** −0. 452 −0. 439 −0. 414 (0. 081) (0. 164) (0.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Mycorrhizal fungi improve water and nutrient uptake for plants in nutrient-poor soils. [SEP] Text: These two studies used different methods for quantifying AMF colonization, different basil cultivars, different AMF, and were 6 to 8 weeks shorter than our study. AMF colonization can be sensitive to nutrient availability (particularly P) in the growing substrate (Fernández et al. , 2011). rates used in our experiment were selected, based on previous experience with this AMF isolate, in an effort to minimize their potential for impact on AMF colonization. P rate had no significant influence on colonization; thus, the influence of P rate on growth and composition in AMF-inoculated plants is not confounded by differences in colonization. Beneficial and pathogenic bacteria and fungi in the rhizosphere and the compounds they produce can alter plant secondary metabolism (Kim et al. , 2003, 2006; Toussaint et al. , 2007). The AMF inoculum used in this study consisted of spores and root fragments from pot cultures of onion. Therefore, although non-inoculated plants were not colonized by AMF, any effects of AMF inoculation on growth and composition of basil need to be interpreted as a response to AMF and other rhizosphere organisms from the pot culture inoculum. Cultivar variation. The among-cultivar variation accounted for greater than 60% for most variables measured (e. g. , biomass, nutrients, and phenolics) in our study. The among-cultivar variation for most variables measured in our study was substantially greater than the variation associated with either AMF or P rate effects. Basil cultivars accumulate biomass at different rates and in different structures depending on growing environment (Beaman et al. , 2009; Zheljazkov et al. , 2008a). High among-cultivar variation in growth can complicate interpretation of composition data based solely on concentration or content alone. Production and composition of phenolics in basil can vary substantially among cultivars (Kwee and Niemeyer, 2011). The four cultivars in our experiment were randomly selected from a large number of commercially available cultivars; thus, the among-cultivar growth variation in one growing environment broadens the inference of the effects of treatments on basil growth and composition. Plant growth and biomass allocation. AMF inoculation and increased P rate had different effects on growth and biomass allocation in basil.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Renewable agriculture often incorporates natural pest control instead of chemical pesticides. [SEP] Text: Additionally, crop residues such as dried pods and stems (straw) and processing by-products like discarded pods and pod extremities can be used as fodder for livestock (Wortmann 2006). Overall, green beans are a versatile and nutritious crop with a range of uses for both human consumption and animal feed. However, the use of pesticides in bean cultivation can pose risks to human health, animal health and the environment. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that bean crops are grown and processed, using sustainable and environmentally friendly practices, such as integrated pest management and organic farming methods. Green bean is usually infested with a variety of pests throughout its growing season, including the two-spotted mite, whitefly, aphids, leaf miners, leafhoppers and thrips. These insect pests and mites can cause an extensive damage to the bean pods, affecting both their quantity and quality. As a result, the infestation often leads to reduced yields, which can have a significant impact on the overall productivity of the crop (El-lakwah et al. 2010). Use of synthetic pesticides has been the primary method for managing pests, but they had led to challenges in controlling the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Genn. (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). This main pest poses a significant threat to the vegetable industry due to its resistance to many pesticides and its role as a vector for numerous plant viruses (Gerling 1990). Unfortunately, the extensive use of synthetic insecticides has resulted in B. tabaci developing resistance to a wide range of insecticides, making it difficult to manage (Patra and Hath 2022). Similarly, the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, has also developed resistance to various insecticides and acaricides, including organophosphates (OPs), carbamates, synthetic pyrethroids and even some recently developed compounds (Xu et al. 2018). Mixed infestations of insects and mites are commonly occurring, and the traditional method of controlling them involves the use of large amounts of insecticides and acaricides. It is essential to adopt effective non-chemical control measures of both pests. One promising alternative is the use of biocontrol agents, such as predators, parasitoids and microbial entomopathogenics. These agents can be effective in reducing the pest population and minimizing the harmful side effects of pesticides (Batta 2003).

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Many investors see cryptocurrency as a hedge against inflation. [SEP] Text: In summary, the analysis of CPI announcements shows that cryptocurrency returns tend to be lower on announcement days, and respond negatively to CPI surprises, providing additional evidence against using cryptocurrency as an inflation hedge. 4 cryptocurrency market has grown exponentially in recent years and approached a $3 trillion market capitalisation in November 2021. One rationale posited for holding cryptocurrencies is the ability to hedge inflation. Our initial finding of a positive relationship between cryptocurrency returns and changes in inflation expectations for the overall sample period seems to provide some evidence in support of this rationale. However, we also find that this relationship varies greatly over time and is insignificant when actual inflation or inflation expectations are above 2%. Moreover, cryptocurrency returns have a negative association with the surprise component of monthly CPI announcements. Together, the evidence suggests that the crypto-inflation ‘hedge’ fails when it is most needed. In comparison, although the significance of the positive gold return–inflation relationship appears concentrated in the latter part of our sample, the hedge properties appear to be maintained as inflation surged post-March 2020. One consequence is that investors seeking to hedge inflation shocks should prefer to hold gold over the cryptocurrency alternative. research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors. access publishing facilitated by of Western Australia, as part of the Wiley - of agreement via the Council of Librarians. 0. 297* 1. 939** 1. 933*** (0. 167) (0. 941) (0. 732) %ΔBEINF5Y 0. 033*** 0. 144*** 0. 160*** (0. 006) (0. 042) (0. 028) log(EPU) 0. 056* 0. 436** 0. 736*** (0. 033) (0. 174) (0. 142) log(VIX) 0. 013 −1. 287*** −1. 754*** (0. 064) (0. 379) (0. 320) ΔTED −0. 014** −0. 048 −0. 051** (0. 006) (0. 047) (0. 025) ΔTERM −4. 616*** −2. 501 −2. 614 (0. 691) (3. 020) (2. 343) Lag(Return) −0. 008 −0. 019 0. 019 (0. 026) (0.

Output: contrast


Input: Claim: Mycorrhizal fungi improve water and nutrient uptake for plants in nutrient-poor soils. [SEP] Text: For example, the effects of AMF inoculation on content of cinnamyl malic acid (P3), caffeic acid derivative (P8), and quercetin-rutinoside (P9) and the effects of P rate on content on caftaric acid (P2) and feruloyl tartaric acid (P4) were primarily a function of differences in plant size between treatments. Copetta et al. (2006) tested three AMFs (F. mosseae BEG 12, Gigaspora margarita BEG 34, and Gi. rosea BEG 9) and demonstrated AMF altered essential oil composition of ‘Genovese’ basil depending on the AMF isolated used for inoculation. The authors suggested that the increase in essential oil production in Gi. rosea-inoculated plants may have been linked to greater plant biomass (Copetta et al. , 2006). When plant growth increases and more photosynthates are produced as a result of improved nutrition, phenolic concentrations will increase as a result of allocation of excess fixed carbon to the shikimic acid pathway (Haukioja et al. , 1998). Some of the conflicting statements in the literature concerning the effects of fertilizer rates and AMF on phenolic production may be a result differences in concentration not being interpreted in conjunction with biomass data. Phenolics influenced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus and phosphorus rate. Both increased P rate and AMF inoculation enhanced production (increased biomass, concentration, and content) of certain phenolics resulting in enhanced production of MPP. Both AMF inoculation and increased P rate enhanced production of caffeic acid derivative (P6) and chicoric acid (P7), two polyphenolics only produced in shoots. Caffeic acid derivative (P6) was first quantified in basil by Lee and Scagel (2009). The presence of chicoric acid, the main polyphenolic found in coneflower (Lee and Scagel, 2010; Mølgaard et al. , 2003), was recently reported in basil (Lee and Scagel, 2009). Chicoric acid is purportedly one of the numerous a. i. (alkamides, other caffeic acid derivatives, polysaccharides, and glycoproteins) associated with human health benefits from coneflower dietary supplements (Barnes et al.

Output: pass


Input: Claim: Renewable agriculture often incorporates natural pest control instead of chemical pesticides. [SEP] Text: Tetranychus urticae and B. tabaci are significant pests that can cause substantial damage to green bean crops if not managed effectively. Due to avoid potential harm to human health and the environment from conventional pesticide treatments, this study aimed to assess the efficacy of EPF, M. anisopliae and two predatory species, P. persimilis and C. carnea, for controlling major pests in green bean fields, and to compare their performance with conventional pesticide treatments. Therefore, this study's findings will be of great value to farmers and agricultural practitioners seeking to implement safe sustainable and effective pest management strategies. MaterialsSources of bioagentsLarvae of the predatory C. carnea were obtained from the Center of Bio-Services (CBAS) in Aswan, Egypt. In this study, eggs of the angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella (Oliver), were used, as prey, for C. carnea larvae. The cocoons of C. carnea were collected daily and transferred to a plastic jar. The adults were placed in a 2-l transparent plastic jar covered with black muslin cloth fixed with rubber bands, for egg laying. The predatory adults were fed on artificial diet containing yeast, honey, pollen and water (1:1:1:1) and pasted on horizontal plastic strips placed in an adult rearing cage. Wet-soaked cotton was placed inside the jar to provide moisture. The rearing was carried out under the controlled conditions of 25 ± 2 °C, 60% R. H. and 16:8 photoperiods (L/D). The rearing was continued throughout the experimental period to ensure that second instar larvae of C. carnea were readily available for release in the field. The formulation of M. anisopliae (Bio-Magic®) which was used against T. urticae and B. tabaci was manufactured by for Import and Export, Egypt. It was available as a Powder package containing spores and mycelial fragments (1 × 109 CFU's/gm). PesticidesThe pesticides used were the synthetic neonicotinoid Mospilan 25% SP and the acaricide-insecticide Vertimec 1. 8% EC. Experimental designThe study was conducted at two farms located in the Giza and El-Menoufia governorates of Egypt.

Output: corroborate


Input: Claim: Cryptocurrencies will completely replace traditional currencies in the near future. [SEP] Text: Money is undoubtedly the basic payment element in the economy. Therefore, the history of money is also a picture of changes in financial markets. We are currently witnessing technological changes in making payments in the economy. Therefore, we observe the importance and benefits of the possibility of introducing a new means of economic exchange. Cryptocurrencies may become one of the means of payment in the history of the world. There will certainly be changes in financial markets, with more possible payment methods. However, the form in which this will take place is currently being clarified, among other things, by the need to determine the legal standards that will apply to this development of financial resources. And financial phenomena are crucial in today's global market. Because ITC technology and the rules of financial flows are the most important changes in the modern global economy. Therefore, many current topics concern cryptocurrencies, which are extremely important and require constant discovery and determination of the principles of operation. This is related to the risks of introducing new forms of payment and the desire to highlight all the benefits that will support this innovative form of transaction in the economy. The development prospects of cryptocurrencies are undoubtedly the next milestone among forms of money, which has huge implications for the world's economies. Thanks to the use of modern technology, cryptocurrencies are a kind of financial innovation (another milestone in the history of money) that has a chance to influence the global financial system. Cryptocurrencies are already recognized as an innovative payment method. Currently, they are only complementary to official currencies. They do not generally have the legal status of a means of payment, but the number of transactions using them is growing. The number of service and commercial points accepting cryptocurrencies as a payment method is also increasing. The adaptation of commercial establishments to payments in cryptocurrencies is constantly growing. Therefore, this technology, with certain legal regulations, will undoubtedly have a huge impact on changes in the functioning of financial markets in global economies. + Ireneusz Miciuła* Department of Institute of Economics and Finance, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland *Address all correspondence to: irekmic@wp. pl 1. IntroductionMoney is undoubtedly the basic payment element in the economy. Therefore, the history of money is also a picture of changes in financial markets [1]. We are currently witnessing technological changes in making payments in the economy. Therefore, we observe the importance and benefits of the possibility of introducing a new means of economic exchange.

Output: contrast