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Guzmán GI, Aguilera E, Carranza-Gallego G, Alonso AM, Pontijas B. Joint analysis of land, carbon and nitrogen reveals diverging trends in the sustainability of organic crops in Spain. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 949:174859. [PMID: 39053548 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
The world's top ten Organic Farming (OF) countries by converted area include several Mediterranean countries, including Spain. Despite this, little is known about the consequences of OF on crop production and environmental sustainability in this country. In this article, we conduct an agronomic analysis of Spanish considerable conversion rate to OF, which tends to concentrate in certain provinces and crops. Indeed, in the case of various crops and in several provinces, the organic share of total agricultural land exceeds 20-30 %. This concentration makes it possible to compare information obtained from farmers through interviews and provincial statistical information. The study data consisted of information collected from interviews of a representative sample of organic farmers conducted in 2004 and 2020 as well as official statistical information. The results showed that no yield gap between OF and conventional farming was found for vegetables and fruit trees, while it showed an increasing trend in arable crops. Presumably, the reason is that fruit trees and vegetables generate and incorporate high levels of carbon (C) flows into the soil and have a low land cost per unit of incorporated nitrogen (N) (or can be paid for), allowing to meet crop needs and to increase soil organic matter (SOM). Conversely, in the case of rainfed arable crops, the soil C and N inputs are deficient due to the low crop residues and the high land cost of N. Consequently, SOM destruction and N deficit progressively broaden the yield gap, undermining the agroecosystem sustainability. To reverse the situation, among other measures, it is necessary to implement agricultural policies designed to make rotations with high legume ratios viable and to plant varieties presenting higher production of residues and roots, such as traditional varieties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria I Guzmán
- Agro-Ecosystems History Laboratory, Pablo de Olavide University, Carretera de Utrera, km 1, 41013 Sevilla, Spain; ALIMENTTA, Think tank for the food transition, Spain.
| | - Eduardo Aguilera
- ALIMENTTA, Think tank for the food transition, Spain; Institute of Economics, Geography and Demography, Spanish National Research Council, C/Albasanz 26-28, E28037 Madrid, Spain
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Arcenillas-Hernández I, Ruiz de Ybáñez MR, Tizzani P, Pérez-Cutillas P, Martínez-Carrasco C. Influence of environmental factors on the occurrence of gastrointestinal and cardiopulmonary nematodes in the red fox in the semi-arid Mediterranean areas of the Iberian Peninsula. Res Vet Sci 2024; 171:105199. [PMID: 38458043 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2024.105199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
Human-induced ecosystem fragmentation is one of the drivers causing wildlife migration from their natural habitats to urban areas, among other reasons. The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is the most abundant wild canid in the semi-arid Mediterranean areas of the Iberian Peninsula. Water scarcity may result in areas shared by synanthropic fox populations and domestic animals becoming hotspots for parasite transmission. This study describes the gastrointestinal and cardiopulmonary nematode species affecting fox populations in these semi-arid areas and the influence of environmental variables on parasite abundance. A total of 167 foxes collected from 2015 to 2021 in the Region of Murcia (SE Spain) were analysed. Parasite abundance and spatial distribution were evaluated using environmental variables and host characteristics with a Generalised Linear Model and the Moran index. Eleven species (seven from the gastrointestinal tract and four from the cardiopulmonary tract) were described. The influence of biotic and abiotic variables was studied for Angiostrongylus vasorum, Crenosoma vulpis, Uncinaria stenocephala, Toxocara canis and Toxascaris leonina. Temperature, humidity and areas of forest or agricultural land influenced the abundance of these parasites, providing optimal conditions for free-living stages of the direct life cycle nematodes and intermediate hosts. Absolute abundance distribution maps showed defined locations for C. vulpis, T. canis and T. leonina. The results for U. stenocephala, T. canis and T. leonina were particularly important as their higher abundance levels were found close to anthropized areas, which need to be carefully evaluated to prevent transmission of these nematodes between domestic and wild canids and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Arcenillas-Hernández
- Dpto. de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Murcia, Campus Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - M R Ruiz de Ybáñez
- Dpto. de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Murcia, Campus Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
| | - P Tizzani
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini, 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Torino, Italy
| | - P Pérez-Cutillas
- Departamento de Geografía, Facultad de Letras, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de La Merced, 30001 Murcia, Spain
| | - C Martínez-Carrasco
- Dpto. de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Murcia, Campus Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain
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Khalid MF, Iqbal Khan R, Jawaid MZ, Shafqat W, Hussain S, Ahmed T, Rizwan M, Ercisli S, Pop OL, Alina Marc R. Nanoparticles: The Plant Saviour under Abiotic Stresses. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:nano12213915. [PMID: 36364690 PMCID: PMC9658632 DOI: 10.3390/nano12213915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Climate change significantly affects plant growth and productivity by causing different biotic and abiotic stresses to plants. Among the different abiotic stresses, at the top of the list are salinity, drought, temperature extremes, heavy metals and nutrient imbalances, which contribute to large yield losses of crops in various parts of the world, thereby leading to food insecurity issues. In the quest to improve plants' abiotic stress tolerance, many promising techniques are being investigated. These include the use of nanoparticles, which have been shown to have a positive effect on plant performance under stress conditions. Nanoparticles can be used to deliver nutrients to plants, overcome plant diseases and pathogens, and sense and monitor trace elements that are present in soil by absorbing their signals. A better understanding of the mechanisms of nanoparticles that assist plants to cope with abiotic stresses will help towards the development of more long-term strategies against these stresses. However, the intensity of the challenge also warrants more immediate approaches to mitigate these stresses and enhance crop production in the short term. Therefore, this review provides an update of the responses (physiological, biochemical and molecular) of plants affected by nanoparticles under abiotic stress, and potentially effective strategies to enhance production. Taking into consideration all aspects, this review is intended to help researchers from different fields, such as plant science and nanoscience, to better understand possible innovative approaches to deal with abiotic stresses in agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Fasih Khalid
- Environmental Science Centre, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar
- Southwest Florida Research and Education Center, Horticultural Sciences Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Science, University of Florida, Immokalee, FL 34142, USA
| | - Rashid Iqbal Khan
- Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan
| | | | - Waqar Shafqat
- Department of Forestry, College of Forest Resources, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MI 39759, USA
| | - Sajjad Hussain
- Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agricultural Science & Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
| | - Talaat Ahmed
- Environmental Science Centre, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar
| | - Muhammad Rizwan
- Office of Academic Research, Office of VP for Research and Graduate Studies, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar
- Correspondence: (M.R.); (O.L.P.); (R.A.M.)
| | - Sezai Ercisli
- Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Ataturk University, 25240 Erzurum, Turkey
| | - Oana Lelia Pop
- Department of Food Science, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, University of Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Correspondence: (M.R.); (O.L.P.); (R.A.M.)
| | - Romina Alina Marc
- Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Correspondence: (M.R.); (O.L.P.); (R.A.M.)
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Mohammed S, Nassrullah H, Aburabie J, Hashaikeh R. Fabrication of Thin Film Composite Membranes on Nanozeolite Modified Support Layer for Tailored Nanofiltration Performance. MEMBRANES 2022; 12:940. [PMID: 36295699 PMCID: PMC9610575 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12100940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Thin-film composite (TFC) structure has been widely employed in polymeric membrane fabrication to achieve superior performance for desalination and water treatment. In particular, TFC membranes with a thin active polyamide (PA) selective layer are proven to offer improved permeability without compromising salt rejection. Several modifications to TFCs have been proposed over the years to enhance their performance by altering the selective, intermediate, or support layer. This study proposes the modification of the membrane support using nanozeolites prepared by a unique ball milling technique for tailoring the nanofiltration performance. TFC membranes were fabricated by the interfacial polymerization of Piperazine (PIP) and 1,3,5-Benzenetricarbonyl trichloride (TMC) on Polysulfone (PSf) supports modified with nanozeolites. The nanozeolite concentration in the casting solution varied from 0 to 0.2%. Supports prepared with different nanozeolite concentrations resulted in varied hydrophilicity, porosity, and permeability. Results showed that optimum membrane performance was obtained for supports modified with 0.1% nanozeolites where pure water permeance of 17.1 ± 2.1 Lm-2 h-1 bar-1 was observed with a salt rejection of 11.47%, 33.84%, 94%, and 95.1% for NaCl, MgCl2, MgSO4, and Na2SO4 respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shabin Mohammed
- NYUAD Water Research Center, Department of Engineering, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 129188, United Arab Emirates
| | - Haya Nassrullah
- NYUAD Water Research Center, Department of Engineering, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 129188, United Arab Emirates
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Division, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York, NY 11201, USA
| | - Jamaliah Aburabie
- NYUAD Water Research Center, Department of Engineering, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 129188, United Arab Emirates
| | - Raed Hashaikeh
- NYUAD Water Research Center, Department of Engineering, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 129188, United Arab Emirates
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Application of Multi-Criteria Analytic Methods in the Assessment of the Technical Conditions of Small Hydraulic Structures. BUILDINGS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/buildings12020115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Increasing water demand, combined with unfavourable climate change, creates a need for well-thought-out water management. Such goals are realised thanks to appropriate hydrotechnical infrastructure, the efficiency and functionality of which depend on its technical condition. In the literature, there is no method for the assessment of the technical condition of small damming structures, including sluice gates. The aim of this article was to present the possibility of using the multi-criteria AHP decision support method to assess the technical condition of small damming structures. The assessment included both concrete elements (spillways, abutments, and apron) and steel elements (gates and hoisting equipment). The analyses considered the effects of growing vegetation, the condition of concrete surfaces (e.g., cracks, cavities, exposed rebar) and steel elements (corrosion, deterioration). A hybrid method was used to study the assessment of the technical condition of water structures. It consisted of a modified Zawadzki’s method and weights which were determined by different groups of respondents with industry backgrounds (university students and experts) using the AHP method. The obtained results show that the factors related to the holes and corrosion of the gate elements had the highest value of the matrix solution vector. The last level of the tree structure indicated that the condition of the spillway and gate is the most important factor in the technical condition assessment. As the assessment considers commonly available parameters, the proposed method is universal and can be used in the assessment of other structures of this type in different regions of the world, which is important in terms of their functioning, planned repairs, and optimal use in water resource management.
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