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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

RanchES Data & R code

Securing food production while safeguarding ecosystem stability and resilience remains a grand challenge in the Anthropocene. Sustainable agricultural intensification holds promise in achieving ecosystem service multifunctionality beyond food production, yet empirical evidence remains tenuous, especially regarding consequences for the metaecosystems (i.e., spatially coupled ecosystems connected by flows across ecosystem boundaries). Here we synthesized long-term datasets encompassing 53 physical, chemical, and biological indicators, comprising >11,000 field measurements, to understand effects of land-use intensification on multiple ecosystem services of spatially connected grasslands and wetlands. The management practices applied to grasslands were not directly imposed on wetlands, except for grazing intensity. Our results revealed that intensification promoted high-quality forage and livestock production in both grasslands and wetlands, but at the expense of water quality regulation, methane mitigation, non-native species invasion resistance, and biodiversity, and further weakened relationships among ecosystem services. Such intensification effects on grasslands cascaded to alter multifunctionality of embedded natural wetlands within the metaecosystems to a similar extent. Our results highlight the need to integrate holistic and systematic perspectives into land-use intensification strategies to achieve multifunctional agricultural landscapes.

Agricultural land management↗
DOE OSTI2021

Ahtna Tribal Energy Planning and Technical Assistance Project (Final Report)

Ahtna Intertribal Resource Commission (AITRC) provided technical assistance and capacity building activities for eight (8) tribal communities in the Ahtna region to: 1. reduce energy costs; 2. improve community wildfire readiness and biomass utilization; 3. provide local food security; and 4. reduce unemployment, poverty and outmigration in the Ahtna villages. AITRC provided community education on energy needs, conservation and efficiency, issues and options, assisted the tribes in identifying appropriate renewable energy systems, and increased their capacity to implement successful energy projects that employed local tribal members. AITRC also successfully assisted the member Tribes and Alaska Native Corporations in pursuing additional funding to advance their energy goals and projects, including Tribal Resiliency Planning, community biomass heating and wood resource assessment projects, and hydroelectric.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Viability and Financial Evaluation of Agrivoltaic Systems in Concord Grape Vineyards

Agrivoltaic systems, combining agriculture and solar photovoltaics (PV), present a forward- looking solution to global challenges in food security and the energy crisis. It can actualize co- located power generation and crop production, effectively mitigating land use conflicts between the solar industry and agriculture [1]. Presently, agrivoltaic research primarily focuses on conventional farmland. To promote the development of agrivoltaics, it’s essential to explore and study diverse application scenarios. Concord grape vineyards in New York consistently experience financial losses, prompting growers to seek additional revenue streams to preserve Concord grape industries [2]. This study presents the pioneering proposal for integrating solar PV into Concord vineyards. Through viability and financial assessment, this agrivoltaic system demonstrates the potential to alleviate grower losses and boost solar developers’ income, establishing a mutually beneficial scenario. Furthermore, it provides a conceptual approach for other vineyards facing similar challenges to mitigate losses and sustain local grape culture.

Williams, Henry J↗
DOE OSTI2021

Grand Challenges of Hydrologic Modeling for Food-Energy-Water Nexus Security in High Mountain Asia

Climate-influenced changes in hydrology affect water-food-energy security that may impact up to two billion people downstream of the High Mountain Asia (HMA) region. Changes in water supply affect energy, industry, transportation, and ecosystems (agriculture, fisheries) and as a result, also affect the region's social, environmental, and economic fabrics. Sustaining the highly interconnected food-energy-water nexus (FEWN) will be a fundamental and increasing challenge under a changing climate regime. High variability in topography and distribution of glaciated and snow-covered areas in the HMA region, and scarcity of high resolution (in-situ) data make it difficult to model and project climate change impacts on individual watersheds. We lack basic understanding of the spatial and temporal variations in climate, surface impurities in snow and ice such as black carbon and dust that alter surface albedo, and glacier mass balance and dynamics. These knowledge gaps create challenges in predicting where and when the impact of changes in river flow will be the most significant economically and ecologically. In response to these challenges, the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) established the High Mountain Asia Team (HiMAT) in 2016 to conduct research to address knowledge gaps. This paper summarizes some of the advances HiMAT made over the past 5 years, highlights the scientific challenges in improving our understanding of the hydrology of the HMA region, and introduces an integrated assessment framework to assess the impacts of climate changes on the FEWN for the HMA region. The framework, developed under a NASA HMA project, links climate models, hydrology, hydropower, fish biology, and economic analysis. The framework could be applied to develop scientific understanding of spatio-temporal variability in water availability and the resultant downstream impacts on the FEWN to support water resource management under a changing climate regime.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Climate and Environmental Security Efforts at LANL

This report focuses on climate and environmental security efforts at LANL. Climate and environmental security is defined as, "Components of national security where climate and/or environmental conditions may present challenges and/or opportunities within national security priorities." Food, water, and energy security, economic development, infections disease, land use, and geoengineering are some of the themes covered in this topic.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Potential impacts of Fukushima nuclear wastewater discharge on nutrient supply and greenhouse gas emissions of food systems

Seafood plays a critical role in promoting a nutritious and climate-friendly food system but faces challenges from marine contamination that pose food safety risks. Here, to address these challenges, we developed a Marine Pollution-induced Food System Risk Assessment and Response (MP-FSRAR) model to assess the impact of consumer perceptions of marine pollution risk events on nutrient supply and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Applying this model to the proposed Fukushima Nuclear Wastewater Discharge (FNWD) into the Pacific Ocean, we identified the potential variation in nutrient supply and GHG emissions resulting from changes in Chinese consumers' willingness to consume seafood under 12 scenarios. Our analysis revealed nutrient supply gaps in daily protein, minerals, vitamins, and fatty acids, ranging from 1.5 to 2.7 g/person, 2.5–4.5 mg/person, 5.6–10.3 mcg/person, and 0.08–0.14 g/person, respectively. Closing the protein gap in China would require an additional 3.2–15.8 billion kg yr -1 protein-rich foods, including aquatic, livestock, dairy, and pulses. Additional food supply would increase extra GHG emissions by 1–79 billion kg CO 2 e yr -1 , resulting in potential GHG emissions being transmitted to other countries through the trade chain. Furthermore, we found that the livestock-based food substitution pathway had 40 times higher GHG emissions than the plant-based one. Our MP-FSRAR model provides global stakeholders with new perspectives on the potential consequences of consumer perceptions of marine pollution risks and offers valuable insights for developing countermeasures to build a more resilient and low-carbon food system.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2020

Plot-level rapid screening for photosynthetic parameters using proximal hyperspectral imaging

Abstract Photosynthesis is currently measured using time-laborious and/or destructive methods which slows research and breeding efforts to identify crop germplasm with higher photosynthetic capacities. We present a plot-level screening tool for quantification of photosynthetic parameters and pigment contents that utilizes hyperspectral reflectance from sunlit leaf pixels collected from a plot (~2 m×2 m) in <1 min. Using field-grown Nicotiana tabacum with genetically altered photosynthetic pathways over two growing seasons (2017 and 2018), we built predictive models for eight photosynthetic parameters and pigment traits. Using partial least squares regression (PLSR) analysis of plot-level sunlit vegetative reflectance pixels from a single visible near infra-red (VNIR) (400–900 nm) hyperspectral camera, we predict maximum carboxylation rate of Rubisco (Vc,max, R2=0.79) maximum electron transport rate in given conditions (J1800, R2=0.59), maximal light-saturated photosynthesis (Pmax, R2=0.54), chlorophyll content (R2=0.87), the Chl a/b ratio (R2=0.63), carbon content (R2=0.47), and nitrogen content (R2=0.49). Model predictions did not improve when using two cameras spanning 400–1800 nm, suggesting a robust, widely applicable and more ‘cost-effective’ pipeline requiring only a single VNIR camera. The analysis pipeline and methods can be used in any cropping system with modified species-specific PLSR analysis to offer a high-throughput field phenotyping screening for germplasm with improved photosynthetic performance in field trials.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Can improved canopy light transmission ameliorate loss of photosynthetic efficiency in the shade? An investigation of natural variation in Sorghum bicolor

Abstract Previous studies have found that maximum quantum yield of CO2 assimilation (Φ CO2,max,app) declines in lower canopies of maize and miscanthus, a maladaptive response to self-shading. These observations were limited to single genotypes, leaving it unclear whether the maladaptive shade response is a general property of this C4 grass tribe, the Andropogoneae. We explored the generality of this maladaptation by testing the hypothesis that erect leaf forms (erectophiles), which allow more light into the lower canopy, suffer less of a decline in photosynthetic efficiency than drooping leaf (planophile) forms. On average, Φ CO2,max,app declined 27% in lower canopy leaves across 35 accessions, but the decline was over twice as great in planophiles than in erectophiles. The loss of photosynthetic efficiency involved a decoupling between electron transport and assimilation. This was not associated with increased bundle sheath leakage, based on 13C measurements. In both planophiles and erectophiles, shaded leaves had greater leaf absorptivity and lower activities of key C4 enzymes than sun leaves. The erectophile form is considered more productive because it allows a more effective distribution of light through the canopy to support photosynthesis. We show that in sorghum, it provides a second benefit, maintenance of higher Φ CO2,max,app to support efficient use of that light resource.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Engineering Crassulacean Acid Metabolism in C 3 and C 4 Plants

Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is a major greenhouse gas contributing to changing climatic conditions, which is a grand challenge affecting the security of food, energy, and environment. Photosynthesis plays the central role in plant-based CO 2 reduction. Additionally, plants performing CAM (crassulacean acid metabolism) photosynthesis have a much higher water use efficiency than those performing C 3 or C 4 photosynthesis. Therefore, there is a great potential for engineering CAM in C 3 or C 4 crops to enhance food/biomass production and carbon sequestration on arid, semiarid, abandoned, or marginal lands. Recent progresses in CAM plant genomics and evolution research, along with new advances in plant biotechnology, have provided a solid foundation for bioengineering to convert C 3 /C 4 plants into CAM plants. Here, we first discuss the potential strategies for CAM engineering based on our current understanding of CAM evolution. Then we describe the technical approaches for engineering CAM in C 3 and C 4 plants, with a focus on an iterative four-step pipeline: (1) designing gene modules, (2) building the gene modules and transforming them into target plants, (3) testing the engineered plants through an integration of molecular biology, biochemistry, metabolism, and physiological approaches, and (4) learning to inform the next round of CAM engineering. Finally, we discuss the challenges and future opportunities for fully realizing the potential of CAM engineering.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Systemic effects of rising atmospheric vapor pressure deficit on plant physiology and productivity

Abstract Earth is currently undergoing a global increase in atmospheric vapor pressure deficit (VPD), a trend which is expected to continue as climate warms. This phenomenon has been associated with productivity decreases in ecosystems and yield penalties in crops, with these losses attributed to photosynthetic limitations arising from decreased stomatal conductance. Such VPD increases, however, have occurred over decades, which raises the possibility that stomatal acclimation to VPD plays an important role in determining plant productivity under high VPD. Furthermore, evidence points to more far‐ranging and complex effects of elevated VPD on plant physiology, extending to the anatomical, biochemical, and developmental levels, which could vary substantially across species. Because these complex effects are typically not considered in modeling frameworks, we conducted a quantitative literature review documenting temperature‐independent VPD effects on 112 species and 59 traits and physiological variables, in order to develop an integrated and mechanistic physiological framework. We found that VPD increase reduced yield and primary productivity, an effect that was partially mediated by stomatal acclimation, and also linked with changes in leaf anatomy, nutrient, and hormonal status. The productivity decrease was also associated with negative effects on reproductive development, and changes in architecture and growth rates that could decrease the evaporative surface or minimize embolism risk. Cross‐species quantitative relationships were found between levels of VPD increase and trait responses, and we found differences across plant groups, indicating that future VPD impacts will depend on community assembly and crop functional diversity. Our analysis confirms predictions arising from the hydraulic corollary to Darcy's law, outlines a systemic physiological framework of plant responses to rising VPD, and provides recommendations for future research to better understand and mitigate VPD‐mediated climate change effects on ecosystems and agro‐systems.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Multi-objective optimization of root phenotypes for nutrient capture using evolutionary algorithms

Root phenotypes are avenues to the development of crop cultivars with improved nutrient capture, which is an important goal for global agriculture. The fitness landscape of root phenotypes is highly complex and multidimensional. It is difficult to predict which combinations of traits (phene states) will create the best performing integrated phenotypes in various environments. Brute force methods to map the fitness landscape by simulating millions of phenotypes in multiple environments are computationally challenging. Evolutionary optimization algorithms may provide more efficient avenues to explore high dimensional domains such as the root phenotypic space. We coupled the three-dimensional functional–structural plant model, SimRoot, to the Borg Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithm (MOEA) and the evolutionary search over several generations facilitated the identification of optimal root phenotypes balancing trade-offs across nutrient uptake, biomass accumulation, and root carbon costs in environments varying in nutrient availability. Our results show that several combinations of root phenes generate optimal integrated phenotypes where performance in one objective comes at the cost of reduced performance in one or more of the remaining objectives, and such combinations differed for mobile and non-mobile nutrients and for maize (a monocot) and bean (a dicot). Functional–structural plant models can be used with multi-objective optimization to identify optimal root phenotypes under various environments, including future climate scenarios, which will be useful in developing the more resilient, efficient crops urgently needed in global agriculture.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Benefits and Critical Knowledge Gaps in Determining the Role of Floating Photovoltaics in the Energy-Water-Food Nexus

Floating solar photovoltaic (FPV) systems have become an increasingly attractive application of photovoltaics (PV) because of land-use constraints, the cost of land and site preparation, and the perceived energy and environmental co-benefits. Despite the increasing interest in FPV systems, a robust validation of their suggested co-benefits and impacts on the nexus of energy, water, and food (EWF) systems is lacking. This information gap makes it challenging for decision makers to justify its adoption—potentially suppressing FPV deployment. To address this gap and to help de-risk this PV deployment opportunity, we (1) review the suggested co-benefits of FPV systems with a focus on the impacts that could alleviate pressures on EWF systems and (2) identify areas where further research is needed to reduce uncertainty around FPV system performance. Our review reveals that EWF nexus-relevant co-benefits, such as improved panel efficiency and reduced land usage, are corroborated in the literature, whereas others, such as water quality impacts, lack empirical evidence. Our findings indicate that further research is needed to quantify the water-related and broader economic, environmental, social, sustainability, justice, and resilience co-benefits and impacts of FPV systems.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Engineering Crassulacean Acid Metabolism in C3 and C4 Plants

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a major greenhouse gas contributing to changing climatic conditions, which is a grand challenge affecting the security of food, energy, and environment. Photosynthesis plays the central role in plant-based CO2 reduction. Plants performing CAM (crassulacean acid metabolism) photosynthesis have a much higher water use efficiency than those performing C3 or C4 photosynthesis. Therefore, there is a great potential for engineering CAM in C3 or C4 crops to enhance food/biomass production and carbon sequestration on arid, semiarid, abandoned, or marginal lands. Recent progresses in CAM plant genomics and evolution research, along with new advances in plant biotechnology, have provided a solid foundation for bioengineering to convert C3/C4 plants into CAM plants. Here, we first discuss the potential strategies for CAM engineering based on our current understanding of CAM evolution. Then we describe the technical approaches for engineering CAM in C3 and C4 plants, with a focus on an iterative four-step pipeline: (1) designing gene modules, (2) building the gene modules and transforming them into target plants, (3) testing the engineered plants through an integration of molecular biology, biochemistry, metabolism, and physiological approaches, and (4) learning to inform the next round of CAM engineering. Finally, we discuss the challenges and future opportunities for fully realizing the potential of CAM engineering.

Yang, Xiaohan↗
DOE OSTI2024

Neurospora intermedia from a traditional fermented food enables waste-to-food conversion

AbstractFungal fermentation of food and agricultural by-products holds promise for improving food sustainability and security. However, the molecular basis of fungal waste-to-food upcycling remains poorly understood. Here we use a multi-omics approach to characterize oncom, a fermented food traditionally produced from soymilk by-products in Java, Indonesia. Metagenomic sequencing of samples from small-scale producers in Western Java indicated that the fungus Neurospora intermedia dominates oncom. Further transcriptomic, metabolomic and phylogenomic analysis revealed that oncom-derived N. intermedia utilizes pectin and cellulose degradation during fermentation and belongs to a genetically distinct subpopulation associated with human-generated by-products. Finally, we found that N. intermedia grew on diverse by-products such as fruit and vegetable pomace and plant-based milk waste, did not encode mycotoxins, and could create foods that were positively perceived by consumers outside Indonesia. These results showcase the traditional significance and future potential of fungal fermentation for creating delicious and nutritious foods from readily available by-products.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Policy Brief: Integrated Nexus Policies for Sustainable and Resilient Energy, Water, and Food Systems

Population growth, climate change, and resource depletion put food and water security and energy supply at risk. Sustainable and resilient water, food, and energy systems are crucial to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and increase resilience to global health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This policy brief describes the challenges and presents proposals regarding synergies in the land, water, and energy nexus to maximize net environmental, health, and social benefits. First, this brief focuses on water desalination, where the nexus approach helps to balance the full cost, including externalities, of desalinated water, and its socio-economic benefits. Second, this policy brief highlights nutrition-sensitive food policies that improve health and contribute to the preservation of natural resources. Finally, this brief presents challenges and opportunities for developing renewable energy.

energy↗
DOE OSTI2026

Electrochemically recovered struvite matches conventional fertilizers in soil nutrient supply

Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient for agriculture, yet global reliance on finite phosphorite reserves raises concerns about long-term food and nutrient security. Struvite (MgNH 4 PO 4 ·6H 2 O), a mineral recovered from municipal wastewater, represents a sustainable and circular source of P, but uncertainty remains regarding its nutrient availability relative to conventional fertilizers. This study evaluated the fertilizer value and environmental safety of electrochemically recovered struvite (RecoP) in comparison with diammonium phosphate (DAP), triple superphosphate (TSP), and rock phosphate (RockP). Nutrient availability, potential contaminant concentrations, and soil P and nitrogen (N) dynamics were assessed using standardized chemical analyses and an 8-week incubation experiment across three soils with contrasting soil types. RecoP contained 14.7% citrate-soluble P, significantly greater than RockP and comparable to DAP and TSP. Across all soils, RecoP increased both readily available and moderately labile P pools (p < 0.01), matching the performance of conventional fast-release fertilizers. Despite containing approximately half the total of DAP, RecoP stimulated nitrification rates that were 2.2 times greater than the control and exceeded those of TSP, suggesting that fertilizer-derived N bioavailability, rather than total N loading, governed microbial N transformation responses. Concentrations of potentially toxic elements in RecoP were consistently well below US Environmental Protection Agency regulatory limits thresholds. Collectively, these results indicate that RecoP functions as a readily available source of both P and N, comparable to widely used conventional fertilizers, while meeting environmental safety standards. RecoP therefore represents a viable component of sustainable nutrient management strategies that support P recycling and agricultural productivity.

Kharal, Sudarshan [Ohio Univ., Athens, OH (United ↗