The resurgence of Cannabis sativa L. (industrial hemp) has great potential to support the robust circular economy systems suitable for sustainable agriculture development. Traditionally, industrial hemp has been largely produced for industrial and medicinal purposes. However, the crop suffered an unfair blanket ban during the greater part of the 20th century after it was classified as a drug crop. While it is true that some varieties are psychoactive, there exist other varieties with low tetrahydrocannabinol concentration ( less than 1%). Hemp exhibits several characteristics that support circularity. Of note are its biological characteristics, versatility and effective resource utilization. This review focuses on the role of industrial hemp in a circular economy. The crop has the potential for whole-plant utilization, high efficiency in utilization of production resources and environmental sustainability. It is a good source of biodegradable polymers, thus offering a crucial source of renewable energy alternatives to petroleum-based fuel, minimizing greenhouse gas emissions, pollution and unsustainable dependence on fossil resources. The crop requires less water, fertilizers and is highly adaptable to diverse environments, thus making it a crop perfectly suitable for climate-smart agriculture. It has considerable carbon sequestration potential, making it a good candidate crop for phytoremediation of contaminated soils. Hemp can contribute to rural development through employment creation and crop diversification. However, despite these benefits, several bottlenecks for its adoption persist including difficult licensing frameworks, inappropriate processing infrastructure and low consumer awareness that retard market uptake. Overall, there is still great potential of sustainable economic transformation.
Banana (Musa sp.) is one of the most important horticultural crops in Ethiopia, contributing significantly to household nutrition, income generation and rural livelihoods. Despite its increasing importance, banana production remains constrained by interacting biotic, abiotic, socioeconomic and institutional factors, including pests and diseases, limited access to improved planting materials and cultivars, decline in soil fertility, weak value chains and increasing climate-related risks. This review synthesizes evidence on banana production systems, major production constraints, value-chain dynamics, opportunities and climate change in Ethiopia. The evidence indicates that banana production is predominantly smallholder-based, characterized by low input use, limited access to quality planting materials and inadequate agronomic management. Climate change and variability further exacerbate these challenges through rising temperatures, rainfall variability and extreme weather events, with implications for yield stability and pest and disease pressure. Nevertheless, Ethiopia’s diverse agroecological conditions provide opportunities for banana expansion under both rain-fed and irrigated systems. Improved cultivars, quality planting-material technologies, irrigation, climate-smart practices, strengthened research-extension systems and value addition offer important pathways to enhance productivity and resilience. The review highlights the need for coordinated investment in improved genetic resources, sustainable production technologies, climate adaptation, disease management and efficient value chains. An integrated, science-based approach linking research, extension, producers, markets and policy support is essential for developing a more productive, resilient and sustainable banana subsector in Ethiopia.
The availability and cost of feed ingredients are major constraints to aquaculture development in Northeast-India. The region possesses diverse agricultural, horticultural and biological resources, including plant materials, insects and agricultural and animal-processing by-products, with potential as alternative aquafeed resources. However, their nutritional value, antinutritional factors (ANF), processing requirements and feeding evidence vary considerably. Relevant literature on alternative feed resources available in Northeast-India was reviewed using scientific databases and government and institutional sources. Information on nutritional-composition, ANF, processing, availability and fish feeding-trials was compiled and critically evaluated. A wide range of plant, animal and insect-based resources were identified. Their nutritional-composition varied among resources, while fibre and ANF may limit direct use in fish diets. Processing methods such as boiling, drying, fermentation and detoxification can improve their suitability. Although feeding-trials have demonstrated the potential of several resources, most studies were conducted outside Northeast-India. Many regionally available resources therefore remain insufficiently validated through controlled fish feeding-trials using locally sourced materials.
Rice-based crop rotation systems represent a promising approach to enhancing agroecosystem sustainability through integrated management of weed control and nutrient dynamics. This study examines the mechanisms by which diversified rice rotations, particularly those incorporating legumes and cover crops, contribute to sustainable agricultural practices. Research evidence demonstrates that rice-based rotations reduce weed pressure by 33-65% through multiple ecological pathways, including crop sequencing, intercropping, residue management and seed bank depletion. Nutrient cycling is enhanced through legume nitrogen fixation, improved soil organic matter and integrated nutrient management strategies that reduce synthetic fertilizer dependence by up to 50% while maintaining productivity. Meta-analytical evidence indicates that crop rotations increase rice yield and water productivity by 13% and 12%, respectively, under optimized management conditions. However, transition challenges include initial yield variability and socioeconomic barriers to adoption. The integration of conservation tillage, residue retention and biological pest management in rice rotations offers pathways to climate-resilient agriculture that balances productivity with environmental stewardship.
The cultivation of temperate fruit species in tropical and subtropical regions is fundamentally limited by insufficient natural chilling accumulation, which disrupts dormancy release and results in irregular bud break, asynchronous flowering and reduced yield stability. Traditional approaches have primarily focused on developing low-chill cultivars; however, the potential of rootstocks to modulate scion dormancy dynamics has been comparatively underexplored. This review synthesizes current knowledge on how low-chill or non-dormant rootstocks can facilitate the successful cultivation of high-chill scion cultivars under low-chill environments, integrating physiological, molecular and ecological perspectives. Rootstock effects are mediated through multiple interacting mechanisms, including root-derived hormonal signaling (particularly the ABA/GA balance), water relations and hydraulic conductivity, carbohydrate metabolism and energy allocation and molecular and epigenetic regulation involving mobile RNAs and DNA methylation. Evidence from diverse fruit species demonstrates that the integration of appropriate rootstock selection with dormancy-avoidance strategies-such as artificial defoliation, pruning and chemical induction of bud break-can significantly improve production performance under low-chill conditions. Rootstocks influence scion phenology through two primary mechanisms: (i) true modulation of chilling requirement via alteration of endodormancy depth and (ii) phenological shifts that modify the timing of bud break and flowering without altering intrinsic chilling requirements. While these mechanisms often produce similar phenotypic outcomes, their physiological bases differ and require controlled experimental approaches to differentiate accurately. Furthermore, rootstocks contribute to phenological flexibility, buffering the effects of interannual climatic variability, particularly in subtropical systems. Future research should focus on identifying mobile signaling molecules involved in rootstock–scion communication, clarifying the stability of epigenetic modifications and optimizing rootstock-scion combinations for climate-resilient production. Overall, rootstocks represent a strategic biological tool for enhancing adaptation and sustainability in temperate fruit production under changing environmental conditions.
