The extensive application of plastic-film mulching (PFM) has brought a series of environmental pollution due to the lack of awareness of plastic-film rational use and absence of plastic residues recycling in China. In addition, the use of degradable film instead of common polyethylene plastic film (PE film) can effectively alleviate this situation. The substitution of PE film with biodegradable film in the agricultural production of processed tomato in Xinjiang region was investigated in this study. Using bare soil as the control, we compared the effects of PE film and biodegradable film mulching on crop growth, yield, and economic benefits in processed tomato. The results indicated that: (1) Biodegradable film with a thickness of about 8 μm can meet the mechanical operation requirements, and the effect of biodegradable film mulching was completely consistent with that of PE film; (2) Four kinds of biodegradable film can meet the requirements of processed tomato growth and development, although slightly different from PE film in increasing temperature and water retention; (3) Plastic-film planting can ensure a net profit of 1.14–1.64 ten thousand CNY per hectare under the current production conditions and mode of Xinjiang region, and biodegradable film planting was observed to be essentially equal to those of PE film; (4) Nearly 50%–70% of the biodegradable film was ruptured and degraded during processed tomato harvesting, which avoided the occurrence of the winch of the plastic-film winding harvester and improves the efficiency and commodity rate of the processed tomato harvest operation. As the biodegradable film mulching causes no residual pollution, it is accepted to be an alternative to plastic-film mulching for agricultural applications and supports the sustainable development of agroecosystems in Xinjiang region.

Vegetable waste causes resource waste and environmental pollution, giving rise to the spread of harmful organisms and causing disease in normal vegetable cultivation. Random distribution of vegetable waste can increase the risk of non-point agricultural pollution and explore the feasibility of its resource utilization. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of different doses of exogenous microbial agents on soil microbial communities after in situ composting of cucumber straw on plots with biodegradable mulch films. The cucumber straw and chicken manure were used as the base materials, and the next generation sequencing was used to analyze changes in the microbiome following composting. The results demonstrate that the addition of exogenous microbial agents had prolonged the high-temperature duration, reduced the total organic carbon (TOC) content, and accelerated the decline in the C/N ratio, ensuring compost maturity and effectively shortening the composting time. The predominant bacterial phyla of the four treatment groups were Proteobacteria and Firmicutes; while among fungal phyla, these treatments decreased the relative abundance of Ascomycota. The treatment of 300 t/ha microbial agents significantly increased the richness and diversity of both the bacterial and fungal communities. Redundancy analysis suggested that soil total nitrogen (TN) content had a significant effect on the bacterial community, while TN content, pH, and temperature influenced the fungal community in these samples. Collectively, the treatment of 300 t/ha exogenous microbial agents improved the quality of composting and promoted microbiome diversity.

Agricultural production is a crucial and fundamental aspect of a stable society in China that depends heavily on the climate situation. With the desire to achieve future sustainable development, China’s government is taking actions to adapt to climate change and to ensure food self-sufficiency. This paper assesses the scientific literature from both domestic and international journals, and the review policies released by the Chinese government, in order to investigate the adaptive actions being taken in China at the scale of the central government, and at the local administration and individual farmer level. The results demonstrate that China’s government has undertaken a multitude of adaptation programs in order to cope with vulnerability in the agricultural sector, and these include the release of stimulus policies, the support of new technological research, and investments in field facilities to strengthen the building of adaptive capacity. At the farmer household level, we found that people are spontaneously adapting to climate change on their own accord by changing the timing of cultivations, and through the selection of other crop species and cultivars. People are also securing non-land-related jobs when confronted with climate disasters. A summary is presented of the various agricultural adaptation policies and technologies. Although China has made great progress in terms of adapting to climate change, there is still more work that needs to be done. This work entails not just agricultural policy stimulation but also non-structural components, such as raising public awareness and providing adaptive skill training, etc. It can be concluded that agriculture sector could seek advantages and avoid disadvantages from adaptation activities by multiple stakeholders from different perspectives, and reduce the adverse effects of climate change. Climate adaptation strategies and actions are important and indispensable components for agricultural development in China, and more advanced technologies and ideologies are needed for a secure future.

Through soil incubation experiments, the effects of aged PBAT + PLA (polybutylene adipate terephthalate + polylactic acid) film fragments were analyzed. Surface characteristics and chemical structures of the films changed significantly after one (T2) and two years (T1) of aging compared to new films (T3). Both new and aged fragments reduced soil pH, altered enzyme activities, and influenced dissolved organic matter (DOM) fluorescence. Alkaline phosphatase activity declined by 33.2%, 23.8%, and 11.6% for T1, T2, and T3, respectively, while urease and sucrase activities increased in a time-dependent manner. The degree of soil humification rose by 66.4%, 60.4%, 49.3%, and 88.6% for T1, T2, T3, and T4, respectively, compared to the control (CK). Aged films exhibited stronger DOM fluorescence intensity than new films. Tessier extraction analysis revealed a decrease in exchangeable Cd by 22.9%, 13.1%, and 10.2% for T1, T2, and T3, respectively, while organically bound Cu increased. Correlation analysis indicated a significant positive relationship between soil humification and heavy metal bioavailability. These findings provide insight into the ecological effects of biodegradable agricultural films, offering a theoretical foundation for assessing their environmental risks and safety.

Rice, a crucial staple in China, is cultivated through various techniques, including seedling transplanting, dry direct seeding, and film mulching. Despite its significance, rice production is a considerable environmental burden. Using a life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, this study aimed to evaluate the environmental impacts of four rice cultivation methods (transplanting rice, dry direct-seeding rice, dry direct-seeding rice with polyethylene film (PE), and dry direct-seeding rice with biodegradable film) in Northeast China. The results indicate that the magnitude of environmental impacts among treatments was consistent across years. The potential values of all environmental impacts of the four different cultivation methods of rice in the 2021 field trial were smaller than the results of the same cultivation method of rice system in the 2022 field trial. Among the four rice cultivation methods, the consumption of energy showed inconsistency over the two years, with the highest energy consumption in the first year being for dry seeding with PE film and in the second year for dry seeding without film. Additionally, transplanting exhibited the highest impact on water resource consumption and climate change. Dry direct-seeding rice displayed the highest eutrophication and ecotoxicity. Dry direct-seeding rice with a biodegradable film had the least impact in terms of acidification. Moreover, dry direct-seeding rice with a biodegradable film minimized water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions without compromising yield.