This paper focuses on studying the impact of institutional distance between home and host countries on the entry mode choice of multinational enterprises (MNEs). Based on theories of transaction costs and institutional theory, we predict the trend of choosing investment forms of wholly-owned enterprises (WOEs) and joint venture enterprises (JVEs) in the agricultural sector of Vietnam in the context of free trade agreement implementation. The data of 364 MNEs from 22 different nations that directly invested in the agricultural sector of Vietnam in the period 1996–2019 were extracted from Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI), which is provided by World Bank. An empirical investigation has employed logistic regression. The results show a positive relationship between institutional distance with regard to rule of law and regulatory quality and WOE choice. Furthermore, the entry mode choices of MNEs in Vietnam’s agricultural sector are also noticeably influenced by the implementation of freedom trade agreements (FTAs).

This article explores the application of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) framework in the context of integrating self-driving tractors into agricultural practices. With a focus on understanding the factors influencing the acceptance and adoption of this transformative technology, we delve into the implications for farmers, industry stakeholders, and the future of sustainable agriculture and rural tourism.

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) offer eco-friendly alternatives to chemical fertilizers, promoting sustainable agriculture by enhancing soil fertility, reducing pathogens, and aiding in stress resistance. In agriculture, they play a crucial role in plant growth promotion through the production of agroactive compounds and extracellular enzymes to promote plant health and protection against phytopathogens. In the rhizosphere, diverse microbial interactions, including those with bacteria and fungi, influence plant health by production of antimicrobial compounds. The antagonism displayed by rhizobacteria plays a crucial role in shaping microbial communities and has potential applications in developing a natural and environmentally friendly approach to pest control. The rhizospheric microbes showcase their ecological importance and potential for biotechnological applications in the context of plant-microbe interactions. The extracellular enzymes produced by rhizospheric microbes like amylases, chitinases, glucanases, cellulases, proteases, and ACC deaminase contribute to plant processes and stress response emphasizing their importance in sustainable agriculture. Moreover, this review highlights the new paradigm including artificial intelligence (AI) in sustainable horticulture and agriculture as a harmonious interaction between ecological networks for promoting soil health and microbial diversity that leads to a more robust and self-regulating agricultural system for protecting the environment in the future. Overall, this review emphasizes microbial interactions and the role of rhizospheric microbial extracellular enzymes which is crucial for developing eco-friendly approaches to enhance crop production and soil health.

The technology of vermicomposting containing their leachates, teas and other extracts such as vermiwash as a result of earthworm action is widely applied for safe management of agricultural, industrial, domestic and hospital wastes. Remediation of polluted soils, improving crop productivity and inducing the resistance against biotic and abiotic stresses are other advantages of vermicompost derived liquids when used in agriculture. Contrary to the fact that chemical fertilizers are still widely used in agriculture, societies gradually become aware of the negative effects of these fertilizers on their health. Therefore, vermicompost derived liquids contain high amount of valuable plant nutrients which has the potential to be used as liquid fertilizer. This paper reviews the potential of vermicompost derived liquids as as an efficient combination of nutrient source of vermicompost derived liquids contributing to plant growth and acting as a deterrent to biotic and abiotic stresses.

This study aims to explore the asymmetric impact of renewable energy on the sectoral output of the Indian economy by analyzing the time series data from 1971 to 2019. The nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag approach (NARDL) is employed to examine the short- and long-run relationships between the variables. Most studies focus on economic growth, ignoring sectoral dynamics. The result shows that the sectoral output shows a differential dynamism with respect to the type of energy source. For instance, agricultural output responds positively to the positive shock in renewable energy, whereas industry and service output behave otherwise. Since the latter sectors depend heavily on non-renewable energy sources, they behave positively towards them. Especially, electricity produced from non-renewable energy sources significantly influences service sector output. However, growing evidence across the world is portraying the strong relationship between the growth of renewable energy sources and economic growth. However sectoral dynamism is crucial to frame specific policies. In this regard, the present paper’s result indicates that policies related to promoting renewable energy sources will significantly influence sectoral output in the long run in India.