Nitrogen-containing organic compounds (NOCs), encompassing a complex suite of oxidized and reduced organic nitrogen species, exert significant impacts on atmospheric light absorption, oxidation capacity, and global nitrogen cycling. Despite the growing recognition of NOCs as key components of atmospheric organic matter, their formation through aqueous-phase processes and potential environmental impacts have long been underestimated. This review begins by summarizing the major classes of NOC molecules, then synthesizes observational evidence on their formation in the aqueous-phase, particularly highlighting its critical role in generating nitroaromatic and N-heterocyclic compounds. Built on the observational evidence, we further discuss the related evaluation of the multi-faceted environmental impacts arising from the aqueous-phase NOC formation. The evidence demonstrates that aqueous-phase NOC chemistry exerts significant influence on atmospheric compositions, contributes up to 90% of brown carbon's radiative effects, enhances oxidative capacity and secondary organic aerosol production, and influences nitrogen speciation in wet deposition. However, most current model assessments exhibit considerable limitations in quantifying these effects, stemming primarily from oversimplified parameterizations of aqueous-phase chemistry that fail to adequately represent the full complexity of atmospheric multiphase systems. Furthermore, existing observational data sets remain insufficient, severely constraining efforts to optimize model parameters and validate simulation outputs. To address these critical knowledge gaps, we propose an integrated research framework that combines long-term monitoring of key NOC and various precursors and advanced simulations of aqueous-phase chemistry at the micrometer-scale reaction environments, which would constrain the parameterization of future models for the aqueous-phase chemistry and impacts of NOCs.

The ionotropic γ-aminobutyric acid receptor (GABAR) is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter receptor in the insect central nervous system and a proven target for multiple classes of insecticides. The recent discovery of the NAM binding site located at the transmembrane subunit interface has revitalized interest in this classic target, leading to the development of two novel classes of insecticides-isoxazolines and meta-diamides-that offer potent efficacy and lack cross-resistance with conventional agents. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the molecular basis of insect GABARs, including subunit composition, gating mechanisms, and the structural pharmacology of distinct binding sites, with an emphasis on the NAM site. We highlight key advances in understanding the mode of action, resistance mechanisms, and structure-activity relationships of NAM inhibitors, and critically evaluate their future potential. A central challenge for this class of insecticides remains their generally high toxicity to honeybee pollinators, which we argue is an inherent consequence of the high sequence conservation of the RDL subunit between pests and beneficial insects. Strategies for mitigating bee toxicity while retaining insecticidal potency are discussed. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Abstract A series of fluorine-containing pyrazole benzamide derivatives were designed and synthesized. Compound Z1 exhibited significantly higher activity against P. xylostella (LC50 = 0.203 mg/L) than that of ethiprole (LC50 = 2.88 mg/L). Compounds Z1, Z8, and Z20 showed over 13-fold higher activity against S. frugiperda (LC50 = 3.38, 2.72, and 2.18 mg/L) than ethiprole (LC50 = 53.6 mg/L). Furthermore, compounds Z1, Z4, and Z20 exhibited good activity against O. furnacalis (LC50 = 4.21, 3.20, and 3.30 mg/L, respectively), with over 7-fold higher potency than ethiprole (LC50 = 30.8 mg/L). SAR analysis indicated that smaller substituents favored the insecticidal activity. MD simulations and ELISA confirmed that Z1 and tigolaner both target GABA receptors. Transcriptomic analysis further revealed that Z1 treatment disrupted motor protein and neuroactive ligand–receptor interaction pathways, upregulated ELOVL7 and SCD to remodel membrane lipids, and activated GST-mediated detoxification. These multipathway perturbations collectively underpin the insecticidal mechanism of Z1.

Organic amendments (OAs) are recognized as a promising strategy for enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in agroecosystems. However, the effects of different OAs combined with chemical fertilizers (CF) on carbon (C) mineralization and how microorganisms mediate this process remain poorly understood. Here, to examine the effects of different fertilization management practices on SOC mineralization, an 85-day incubation experiment was conducted using farmland soil from the Lhasa Valley, Tibetan Plateau. Six treatments were established: no-fertilizer control (CK), pure urea treatment (U), and four OAs replacing 40% of urea, namely compost (CP), yak dung (YD), Qingke straw (QS), and Tibetan sheep dung (SD). We further explored relationships between SOC mineralization and soil physicochemical properties, enzyme stoichiometry, C-cycling functional genes, and microbial community composition. Results indicated that cumulative CO2 emissions were significantly higher under all fertilization treatments than in the CK. Among the fertilization treatments, the highest cumulative CO2 emissions were observed in the QS treatment at 763.77 mg/kg, while the lowest were in the CP and U treatments at 192.36 and 166.46 mg/kg, respectively. Moreover, significant positive correlations were observed between CO2 emissions and soil labile organic C (LOC), extracted organic C (EOC), dissolved organic C (DOC), and microbial biomass C (MBC). Fertilization alleviated soil microbial C limitation but exacerbated phosphorus (P) limitation while increasing C-cycling gene abundance, particularly for cbhI in the QS treatment. OAs significantly altered microbial community structure, promoting high C-preferring taxa such as Proteobacteria. Bacterial networks were more complex, stable, and sensitive to nutrient availability than fungal networks in driving SOC mineralization. Key predictors of cumulative CO2 emissions included C source availability (e.g., MBC, DOC, and LOC), C-cycling functional genes (e.g., cbhI), total P, and alkaline phosphatase activities. Under equivalent N input, CP most effectively mitigated soil CO2 emissions and maintained relative soil C stability, whereas QS showed greater potential to promote the turnover of labile C. Accordingly, we recommend prioritizing compost application in farmlands of the Lhasa Valley, supplementing OAs with P to alleviate nutrient limitations, and avoiding excessive application of untreated straw to minimize short-term carbon loss. These locally tailored, microbe- and soil-aligned strategies support sustainable SOC enhancement and high-altitude agricultural.

Conventional pesticide formulations often suffer from excessive organic solvents usage, inefficient foliar deposition, and a lack of real-time monitoring capabilities. To overcome these limitations, we present a carrier-free mono-component insecticide constructed through rational molecular design, name it DPA-B. This molecule spontaneously self-assembly into stable nanomicelles via hydrophobic interaction and hydrogen bond interaction, eliminating the need for exogenous carriers. The resulting DPA-B nanomicelles (DPA-B NMs) exhibit superior foliar deposition on Brassica pekinensis (Lour.) Rupr and Oryza sativa L. leaves and reduced surface tension. Crucially, the compact micellar core restricts intramolecular motion, minimizing non-radiative energy dissipation through decay channels and thereby amplifying aggregation-induced emission (AIE). This leads to an 11-fold increase in fluorescence intensity, along with an elevation in the quantum yield and fluorescence lifetime to solid-state levels, enabling effective fluorescence tracing in both in the P. xylostella and Brassica leaves. Furthermore, DPA-B demonstrate potent insecticidal activity (LC50 = 2.22 mu g/mL against P. xylostella) and exceptionally low bee toxicity (LC50 1/4 37.80 mu g/bee in Apis mellifera ligustica Spinola), representing a 114-fold reduction. This work provides a sustainable strategy and traceable platform for precision agriculture, combining enhanced efficacy with eco-friendly performance.

Enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) and aggregate stability is pivotal for maintaining soil health and ensuring agricultural sustainability. However, conventional organic amendments often exhibit suboptimal efficiency in achieving these goals. Hydrochar, synthesized via hydrothermal carbonization (HTC), offers a promising solution by integrating labile and recalcitrant carbon fractions to synergistically address these challenges. However, its mechanisms of action remain not fully understood. In the present study, a microcosmic incubation experiment was conducted to evaluate the short-term impacts of hydrochar on SOC sequestration and soil aggregation in comparison with biochar and straw in a purple soil (Entisol). Hydrochars derived from maize straw (SH), pig manure (PH), and Zanthoxylum stalks (HH) were also compared to assess feedstock-driven variability. The results demonstrated the superior performance of hydrochars, particularly those derived from Zanthoxylum stalks, which significantly increased the mean weight diameter (MWD) by 70–100

Broflanilide, a widely used meta-diamide insecticide, poses severe environmental risks to honeybees (Apis mellifera L.), yet its toxic mechanisms remain unclear. Here we demonstrate that broflanilide functions as a pro-insecticide in honeybees, requiring metabolic activation to exert its potent toxicity. Its N-demethylated metabolite (II-03) exhibits 24,000-fold stronger inhibition of the honeybee GABA receptor RDL and 10-fold higher acute toxicity than the parent compound, suggesting that metabolic activation is a critical step underlying honeybee poisoning. Further mechanistic studies reveal that this potent toxicity arises from the synergistic interaction between the meta-diamide scaffold and the polyfluorinated moiety. The polyfluorinated moiety forms a stable halogen-bond network with two critical residues in the RDL binding pocket—Gln258 and Gly320—thereby enhancing the binding affinity and inhibitory potency of II-03 toward the receptor. Multi-omics analyses revealed molecular changes associated with broflanilide exposure, including a dual-hit process of enhanced membrane degradation and blocked synthesis, along with membrane disruption, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neurotransmitter signaling disorder. These findings suggest a possible cascade that may lead to immunosuppression. Field-relevant exposure experiments confirm that due to this rapid and efficient metabolic activation, the environmental hazard of broflanilide to honeybees has been underestimated. Based on these mechanistic insights, we propose a pollinator-safety design strategy: replace the halogen-rich moiety and avoid molecular interactions with the Gln258 and Gly320 residues of the RDL receptor. This study elucidates the toxic mechanism and environmental risk of broflanilide to honeybees, providing guidance for developing safer next-generation insecticides to ensure sustainable pollinator protection.

The sulfonamide moiety (-SO2NH-) is a structurally versatile motif in agrochemical discovery. It can engage in hydrogen bonding, modulate molecular polarity and acidity, and act as a bioisostere or linking fragment in ligand design. Inspired by the mechanism of sulfonamide antibiotics, researchers have developed a range of agrochemicals active against plant pathogens and weeds. However, the development of sulfonamide-based agrochemicals has been unbalanced: commercial products are mainly concentrated in herbicides and some fungicides, whereas research on insecticides, antiviral and plant-growth regulators remains largely at the greenhouse trial stage. In fungicide research, chesulfamide derivatives, triazole sulfonamide and sulfonamide-bearing succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor candidates exhibit diverse molecular optimization strategies. Acetolactate synthase and protoporphyrinogen IX oxidase inhibitors clearly demonstrate that structural modification can modulate the weed control spectrum and crop selectivity; nevertheless, single-target herbicides are constantly confronted with the challenge of weed resistance. In the insecticidal and antiviral fields, the sulfonamide group is commonly used as an activity-modulating linker or recognition motif. Multiple studies have reported sulfonamide compounds targeting vacuolar-type H+-ATPase, viral coat protein or plant defense pathways. Sulfonamide abscisic acid (ABA) analogs further validate the utility of this motif in plant-growth regulation and stress response research. This article systematically reviews sulfonamide compounds for their herbicidal, fungicidal, bactericidal, insecticidal and antiviral activities, and summarizes their roles as ABA functional analogs over the past 20 years. Particular attention is given to representative scaffolds, structure-activity relationship and proposed targets or mechanisms. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

BACKGROUND:Plant viruses such as tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) pose a serious threat to global crop production, making the development of highly effective antiviral agents an urgent task in agricultural plant protection. RESULTS:Three series of pyrazoleamide-piperidine derivatives were designed and synthesized, and their antiviral activities against TMV were evaluated. Compounds H9 and X18 exhibited protective half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) values of 69.52 mg L-1 and 82.27 mg L-1, respectively, while the EC50 for commercial antiviral agent ningnanmycin is 81.73 mg L-1. TMV-GFP imaging revealed that compound H9 pretreatment more effectively delayed systemic TMV infection. The mechanism of action study indicated that compounds H9 and X18 enhanced the activity of defense enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL). Additionally, they mitigated chlorophyll degradation and promoted chlorophyll production. Treatment with compound H9 up-regulated genes such as PR1, activating systemic acquired resistance in plants and enhancing TMV resistance. Concurrently, treatment with compound X18 up-regulated genes including CYP73A, CYP98A, and PAL, activating the phenylpropanoid pathway to promote lignin synthesis and enhance the cell barrier, thereby inhibiting TMV infection. These reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) results were consistent with transcriptomic data. CONCLUSION:Compounds H9 and X18 enhanced TMV resistance through distinct mechanisms, informing the development of novel green antiviral agents. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

The escalating problem of pest resistance drives the critical need for insecticides with novel modes of action and chemical structures. Owing to low cross-resistance and novel action mode, isoxazoline derivatives have been a leading focus in current insecticide development. Given that most existing derivatives retain the “1-amide-2-methyl” motif, we therefore embarked on a strategy to replace this core substructure with a novel “1-pyrazole-2-cyano” unit, leading to the design and synthesis of a new series of compounds. Bioassay results revealed that several synthesized compounds exhibited promising insecticidal activity. The representative compound A18 exhibited potent activity against Plutella xylostella (LC50 = 1.06 μg/mL) and Spodoptera exigua (LC50 = 2.41 μg/mL), with LC50 values approximately 13- and 21-fold lower than those of ethiprole (13.67 and 51.11 μg/mL, respectively). Structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis established that the steric bulk of the R-group is a critical determinant of insecticidal potency. This was mechanistically corroborated by two-electrode voltage clamp (TEVC) experiments, which revealed that a phenyl substituent at the R position sterically impeded the compound's binding to the PxRDL target, thereby diminishing inhibitory activity. Additionally, compound A18 showed reduced bee oral-toxicity than ethiprole or fluxametamide. Beyond the structural modification itself, the present work provides a rare integration of SAR, TEVC electrophysiology, and molecular dynamics simulations, allowing direct correlation between steric effects at the R-position and PxRDL inhibition.

BACKGROUND:Plant virus causes severe yield losses in cash crops such as pepper and tomatoes, and efficient antiviral agents remain an urgent demand in agricultural pest control. RESULTS:Two series of pyrazoline acylhydrazone derivatives (A-1 ~ A-18 and morpholine-containing T-1 ~ T-27) were synthesized and evaluated for their anti-tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) activity. Promisingly, the introduction of a morpholine ring in the T-series increased curative activity by 10-78%, and protective activity by 6-72%. DFT calculations indicated that compound T-8, which contains a morpholine structure, exhibited significant spatial separation between its HOMO and LUMO distributions compared to morpholine-free compound A-13. This spatial separation favors the establishment of an intramolecular charge-transfer channel, thus enhancing electron transfer efficiency during target binding. T-19 demonstrated significantly curative and inactivation activities of 80.9 and 90.5%, respectively, which is superior or similar to that of commercialized Ningnanmycin (67.2 and 89.6%, respectively). The results of molecular docking, dynamic simulation, qRT-PCR, microscale thermophoresis and transmission electron microscope revealed that T-19 showed a strong affinity with TMV coat protein, resulting in a direct disruption of viral particles and inhibiting viral replication and systematic movement in host plant. CONCLUSION:T-series with morpholine ring led to a substantial enhancement in antiviral potency compared to A-series, and the discovery of T-19 provides an innovative design strategy for antiviral candidate. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) converts agricultural residues into hydrochar for soil amendment, yet its phytotoxicity limits agricultural application. This study investigates hydrochar-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM) to unravel phytotoxicity mechanisms and proposes co-HTC as a mitigation strategy. Untargeted metabolomics identified low molecular weight organic compounds (LMWOCs) in hydrochar extracts from lignocellulosic biomass (ZB), swine manure (SM), and their 1:1 mixture. Seed germination assays revealed phytotoxicity (germination index [GI] reduction by 18.6-96.0 %) linked to phenolic derivatives, PAHs and furans, which increased with HTC temperature and lignocellulosic content. Co-HTC of ZB with SM reduced phytotoxic LMWOCs by 63.9-90.7 % through feedstock interactions, while enriching growth-promoting indoles and amino acids. Random forest modeling identified 4-methylcatechol, tyrosol and 5-HMF (r = -0.81 to -0.88) as dominant phytotoxins, validated via dose-response assays. Response surface optimization demonstrated non-toxic hydrochar (GI >70 %) production at 200 °C with 40-60 % ZB, balancing waste valorization and crop safety. This work elucidates the chemical basis of hydrochar phytotoxicity and establishes co-HTC as a sustainable strategy for safe agricultural reuse.

Isoxazoline pesticides, such as fluxametamide, while effective against parasites and pests, pose a severe environmental threat due to their high toxicity to honeybees - critical pollinators essential for ecosystem health and food security. Existing predictive platforms fail to accurately assess this risk for isoxazolines due to critical data gaps. To address this issue, we developed BeeSafe 2.0, an innovative deep learning model uniquely integrating graph neural networks (GGHT) and residual networks (ResNet) architecture, further enhanced by new training set. BeeSafe 2.0 demonstrates superior predictive performance, specifically overcoming previous limitations for isoxazolines, and provides an accessible online server (www.beesafe.top) for chemical bee toxicity assessment. Crucially, leveraging BeeSafe 2.0, we discovered WT-02, a novel isoxazoline insecticide exhibiting potent efficacy against diverse pests while displaying dramatically reduced bee toxicity (only 1/18 of that for fluxametamide). This work presents a transformative "new architecture-new data-application" approach, offering a powerful tool for environmental risk management of pesticides and enabling the discovery of truly bee-safe, greener alternatives to safeguard pollinator health and promote sustainable agriculture.

Pyrrole is a heterocycle with four carbon atoms and a nitrogen atom, which is extensively used in the pesticide and pharmaceutical industries. In addition, it has a series of analogs such as pyrrolidine, pyrroline, and pyrrolidone. Pesticides containing pyrrole and its analogs have been formally marketed as fungicides, including fenpiclonil, fludioxonil, the insecticide chlorfenapyr, and the herbicide fluorochloridone. In this paper, we analyze the structure and biological activities (SARs) of pesticides containing these structures. We summarize the characteristics possessed by the most highly active pyrrole and its analogs and provide an overview of research on pyrrole compounds with insecticidal, antimicrobial, herbicidal, and antiviral properties in the past 20 years. It is hoped to provide ideas for the development and design of this type compounds in pesticides and to assist researchers in this area.

Excessive reliance on chemical fertilizers (CFs) for crop production poses detrimental impacts on soil and plants. Bio-organic fertilizers (BOFs), with nutrient-providing capacities similar to those of CFs, are expected to enhance crop yields while improving soil conditions. However, the effects of BOF application on crop yield, soil organic carbon (SOC), and soil biological properties remain unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis of 61 peer-reviewed articles from 56 sites, to quantify the impacts of BOF applications on crop yield and soil properties across three major grain crops in China’s agricultural systems. BOF application significantly increased microbial biomass carbon (MBC) by 26.97

Cyclopropane, being the simplest cycloalkyl compound with the lowest molecular weight, has been extensively utilized in research and assessment of novel agrochemicals, owing to its unique structure and potent efficacy. Many newly discovered agrochemicals, such as afidopyropen and cyproflanilide, contain the cyclopropane fragment. Due to its valuable characteristics, this article comprehensively overviews the structure-activity relationships (SARs) of compounds containing cyclopropane fragments. The efficient applications of compounds with biological characteristics (insecticidal, fungicidal, herbicidal, antiviral and plant growth regulation properties) in the field of pesticides are also shown in this article. Through analysis of the structures of cyclopropane analogs and their bio-activities, readers can learn how to reasonably introduce the cyclopropane fragment into agrochemicals and find molecules with good bioactivities, providing constructive experience in related molecule design.

Pyrazole amide compounds exhibit a wide range of biological activities, which enables them to hold an important position in the field of pesticide research. The pyrazole ring has characteristics such as multiple substitution sites, a wide optimization space, a unique mechanism of action, and no cross-resistance; the amide moiety represents a highly prevalent structural motif. It is frequently chosen as a pivotal pharmacophore and incorporated into the molecular architecture of compounds to enhance the relevant biological activities. Analyzing the concise structure-activity relationships (SAR) of pyrazole amide fragments featuring high-efficiency activity and summarizing their characteristics constitute pivotal steps in the development of novel pesticides. This article aims to introduce readers to pyrazole amide compounds with insecticidal, nematicidal, fungicidal, bactericidal, herbicidal, and antiviral properties. It categorizes these compounds to aid in rapid comprehension and offers references for the development of novel pyrazole amide compounds.

The land application of livestock manure has been widely acknowledged as a beneficial approach for nutrient recycling and environmental protection. However, the impact of residual antibiotics, a common contaminant of manure, on the degradation of organic compounds and nutrient release in Eutric Regosol is not well understood. Here, we studied, how oxytetracycline (OTC) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) affect the decomposition, microbial community structure, extracellular enzyme activities and nutrient release from cattle and pig manure using litterbag incubation experiments. Results showed that OTC and CIP greatly inhibited livestock manure decomposition, causing a decreased rate of carbon (28%-87%), nitrogen (15%-44%) and phosphorus (26%-43%) release. The relative abundance of gram-negative (G-) bacteria was reduced by 4.0%-13% while fungi increased by 7.0%-71% during a 28-day incubation period. Co-occurrence network analysis showed that antibiotic exposure disrupted microbial interactions, particularly among G- bacteria, G+ bacteria, and actinomycetes. These changes in microbial community structure and function resulted in decreased activity of urease, β-1,4-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, alkaline protease, chitinase, and catalase, causing reduced decomposition and nutrient release in cattle and pig manures. These findings advance our understanding of decomposition and nutrient recycling from manure-contaminated antibiotics, which will help facilitate sustainable agricultural production and soil carbon sequestration.

Piperidine is a crucial pharmacophore and a special scaffold in the realm of drug discovery. Its flexibility increases the molecule's capability to bind to the receptor. The piperidine-containing compounds are distinguished by their remarkable activity, and are increasingly becoming a vital category of pesticides. In this review, the research progress of piperidines in the discovery of pesticides was updated according to their active characteristics. The structure-activity relationships (SARs), and mechanisms of action of piperidine-containing compounds were also discussed. This article is meant to enable readers to quickly understand piperidines, while providing ideas for creating piperidines with novel structures and unique mechanisms of action.

The design, synthesis, and testing of acetamide derivatives containing indole structures (C) were carried out to determine their potential for regulating plant growth. The root growth of Arabidopsis thaliana was strongly inhibited by certain compounds, with compounds C2, C4, C6, and C7 achieving a 100 % inhibitory rate at a concentration of 100 mu M. The growth of lateral roots in A. thaliana was significantly promoted by compounds C2 and C6 at a concentration of 50 mu M. Additionally, these compounds have been found to increase the expression of genes associated with lateral root development, including IAA14, LAX3, AXR3, GH3.1, GH3.3, and BRU6. These genes are involved in the auxin signaling pathway and IAA-amino synthase-related genes. In brief, these target compounds may be promising lead compounds for developing agents that can regulate plant growth.