In response to the urgent need for the sustainable development of the marine environment, the Chinese government initiated Blue Bay Remediation Action (BBRA) in 2016, piloting efforts in 16 bay cities. Recognizing that these areas function as integrated ecosystems, it is clear that solely addressing issues within the bays will not completely resolve the ecological challenges. Guided by the principles of comprehensive treatment and sustainable development inherent in the BBRA policy, this paper incorporates the ecological indicators of bays and the surrounding sea into a sustainable development framework for 52 bay cities. To identify a balanced approach for the development of the economy, ecology, and society, a three-component evaluation system with 39 indicators is established to assess the sustainable development levels of bay cities from 2015 to 2019 in China. According to the results of the principal component and coupling coordination degree analyses, they indicate that after BBRA, the change in the sustainable development levels of the pilot bay cities is not obvious. Significant disparities exist in the levels of sustainable development among the majority of the pilot cities, with imbalances observed across economic, ecological, and social dimensions. Consequently, in researching the balanced sustainable development of bay cities, it is essential to consider the unique development characteristics of each city during the implementation process of the BBRA.

Farmer professional cooperatives are the focus objects of agricultural carbon emission reduction; with the use of the advantages of scale economy and technology, one can promote the development of low-carbon agriculture. In order to study the influencing factors of agricultural carbon emission reduction on farmer professional cooperatives, we explore the interaction effects of carbon emission reduction behavior between farmer professional cooperatives and farmers under government interventions. This paper introduces a carbon transaction mechanism as well as reward and punishment polices into a tripartite evolutionary game model between farmer professional cooperatives, governments, and farmers. Based on the model, we identify a stable evolution strategy and perform simulation analysis. The results indicate that the carbon transaction mechanism can effectively suppress the negative effect of increased costs through higher revenues of the carbon transaction, and carbon prices above 60 CNY/ton enable cooperatives to reduce regional emissions. Higher revenues can promote positive carbon emission reduction behaviors of farmer professional cooperatives and farmers. The sharing ratio increases from 20% to 80%, and farmers gain additional benefits by cooperating in the farmer professional cooperative practices to reduce emissions. Rational regulation of carbon transaction price and quota can promote the participation of farmer professional cooperatives in carbon emission reduction practices and promote the farmers’ inclusion into farmer professional cooperatives.

This article aims to investigate the mechanisms of farmer professional cooperative (FPC) operations and to understand their role in promoting low-carbon production among small-scale farmers in China. Agricultural carbon emissions account for 17% of the total carbon emission in China; therefore, reducing agricultural carbon emissions is important for China to achieve carbon neutrality. Small-scale farmers face many obstacles in achieving the low-carbon transition of agriculture, which therefore makes them a priority target for the implementation of low-carbon production systems in China. Participating in FPCs is an effective support mechanism for them to conduct low-carbon production. In this paper, a system dynamics model is used to simulate the methods of how FPCs assist small-scale farmers to adopt low-carbon production practices within the framework of China’s carbon trading system, through the year 2030. After attending the carbon transaction system, the agricultural carbon emissions are anticipated to decline by 10.21%, and FPCs’ net income could increase by 11.85%. In a scenario where the price of their agricultural products increases, the reduction of carbon emissions and the increase of FPCs’ net income will be beneficial. Under the operation of FPCs, the greatest profits will be generated from trading, and these will be distributed to small-scale farmers, thereby creating a positive feedback loop between carbon transactions and FPC operations. This article seeks determine the potential outcomes that can serve as a basis for informed decision-making within relevant policy-making agencies regarding agricultural carbon transactions by simulating the potential benefits to both small-scale farmers and FPCs from the integration of a carbon trading system.

Maize (Zea mays L.), a critical global food crop, suffers severe yield losses from drought and salt stresses. Xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolases (XTHs) are cell wall-modifying enzymes regulating plant growth and abiotic stress responses, but the role of -ZmXTH23 in drought and salt tolerance remains unclear. Here, we heterologously expressed ZmXTH23 in Nicotiana benthamiana (N. benthamiana) and confirmed its extracellular localization. ZmXTH23-overexpressing (OE) lines showed significantly increased plant height, root length, and shoot fresh weight under normal conditions. Under 350 mM NaCl or drought stress, the OE lines exhibited enhanced tolerance, with less leaf wilting, higher biomass, and larger leaf area. Physiologically, the OE lines had higher peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and relative water content (RWC), but lower malondialdehyde (MDA) content. Additionally, OE seeds maintained ≥50% germination under 120 mM NaCl (WT: 0%) and nearly 100% under 200 mM mannitol. ZmXTH23 improves drought and salt tolerance in N. benthamiana by upregulating antioxidant enzymes and enhancing water retention, making it a promising candidate for maize stress-resistance breeding.