An integrated sustainability assessment of mediterranean sheep farms with different degrees of intensification   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

R. Ripoll-Bosch  B. Díez-Unquera  R. Ruiz 《Agricultural Systems》2012,105(1):46-56

In the European Mediterranean basin, pasture-based sheep farming systems are mostly located in marginal/High Nature Value areas. These production systems are multifunctional, and their economic, environmental and social roles are equally important and recognised by policy makers and by society. However, the number of animals and holdings is decreasing, and there is great uncertainty regarding the reproducibility of these farming systems, which depends on many internal and external farm factors and their interactions. The aim of this paper was to perform a comprehensive assessment of sustainability in different sheep farming systems in north eastern Spain using the MESMIS framework. We followed a case-study approach to perform an in-depth investigation of 4 sheep meat and dairy farms with different intensities of reproduction management. Critical points of sustainability, including weaknesses and opportunities, were obtained using a participatory process with stakeholders (farmers and technical advisers) that resulted in the selection of 37 sustainability indicators that were classified according to the systemic attributes defined by MESMIS (productivity, stability, self-reliance, adaptability, equity) and according to the classical sustainability pillars (social, economic and environmental). Some underlying patterns could be observed when analysing sustainability pillars, attributes and indicators. A positive relationship between productivity and intensification level in meat farms was observed; however, economic sustainability was determined not only by on-farm but also by off-farm activities. The economic efficiency of farming (without considering subsidies) was mainly explained by the capture of added value in the dairy systems and the combination of high animal productivity as well as high forage and feed self-sufficiency in the meat systems. Social issues were also central to explaining sustainability at the farm level, including the prospects of generational turnover and the manner in which farmers perceive and rate their activity. A clear trade-off between economic and environmental indicators was observed, i.e., the higher the economic sustainability, the lower the environmental sustainability. Each farm scored differently for diverse attributes, pillars and individual indicators. The scores differed according to size, structure, resource availability and managerial skills, which implies that it would be difficult to apply a holistic sustainability analysis to farming systems instead of individual farms. A number of methodological questions arose during the evaluation process relative to the stakeholders perception of these indicators, their relevance and meaning, the reference values for comparison, or their validity to assess sustainability across spatial and temporal scales. These questions are discussed in the paper.  相似文献   

Tissue composition,blood biochemistry and histology of digestive organs in Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) juveniles fed diets containing different plant protein ingredients          下载免费PDF全文

A. Rodiles  M. Herrera  I. Hachero‐Cruzado  I. Ruiz‐Jarabo  J.M. Mancera  M.L. Cordero  S.P. Lall  F.J. Alarcón 《Aquaculture Nutrition》2015,21(6):767-779

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of diets with different plant protein ingredients on proximate composition, tissue metabolites and tissue fatty acid composition, as well as hepatic and intestinal histological modifications in Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis). Fish (21.5 ± 2.8 g body weight) were fed six isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets during 11 weeks. A control diet containing fish meal as the main protein source was compared with five experimental diets replacing 30% fish meal protein by different plant protein sources: soybean meal (SBM), soybean protein concentrate (SPC), soybean protein isolate (SPI), wheat gluten meal (WGM) or pea protein concentrate (PPC). The inclusion of different plant protein did not significantly affect growth and proximate composition of fish. The hepatosomatic index was not significantly different to the control group; however, utilization of WGM significantly increased hepatocyte size. Plasma protein values and muscle triglycerides were influenced by the inclusion of SBM and WGM in the diets respectively. Feeding fish on SBM, WGM and PPC diets significantly enhanced n‐6 fatty acid levels in muscle, particularly linoleic acid. None of the plant protein ingredient used in the diets decreased arachidonic, eicosapentaenoic as well as docosahexaenoic acid values in liver and muscle. Overall, histological studies did not reveal the existence of any intestinal alterations induced by the inclusion of different plant proteins. Despite moderate changes produced by SBM, SPC and WGM, inclusion of dietary plant protein ingredients has no major impact on growth, tissue and blood biochemistry, fatty acid profile and gut integrity of Senegalese sole juveniles.  相似文献   

Mercury in the Diatoms of Various Ecological Formations     

Magdalena Bełdowska  Aleksandra Zgrundo  Justyna Kobos 《Water, air, and soil pollution》2018,229(5):168

Mercury is a neurotoxin, its main source in the human organism being fish and seafood. The first level in the marine food web is formed of planktonic and benthic photosynthetic microorganisms, which form a biofilm on the surface of the hard bottom (epilithon) or plants (epiphyton). They are carriers of nutritional as well as toxic substances and pass these on to subsequent levels of the trophic web. Their biomass is often dominated by diatoms. This was the basis for the presented study into Hg accumulation in epilithic, epiphytic and planktonic diatoms, which was carried out in 2012–2013 in the coastal zone of the Puck Lagoon and the Gulf of Gdańsk (southern Baltic). In this coastal area, both micro- and macroorganisms develop particularly intensively. The collected results indicate an increase in Hg concentration in the biofilm during the warm season which, with the lengthening of the vegetative period due to global warming in recent years, is of great significance. As a consequence, the annual mercury load entering the trophic web is larger in comparison with a year in which there is a long, cold winter. An important parameter influencing the accumulation of Hg was the function of those organisms from the biofilm-forming communities. In this case, the highest concentrations of Hg were measured in organisms forming high-profile guilds.  相似文献   

Effect of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Silene vulgaris</Emphasis> and Heavy Metal Pollution on Soil Microbial Diversity in Long-Term Contaminated Soil     

Magdalena Pacwa-Płociniczak  Tomasz Płociniczak  Dan Yu  Jukka M. Kurola  Aki Sinkkonen  Zofia Piotrowska-Seget  Martin Romantschuk 《Water, air, and soil pollution》2018,229(1):13

In this study, we analysed the impact of heavy metals and plant rhizodeposition on the structure of indigenous microbial communities in rhizosphere and bulk soil that had been exposed to heavy metals for more than 150 years. Samples of the rhizosphere of Silene vulgaris and non-rhizosphere soils 250 and 450 m from the source of emission that had different metal concentrations were collected for analyses. The results showed that soils were collected 250 m from the smelter had a higher number of Cd-resistant CFU compared with the samples that were collected from 450 m, but no significant differences were observed in the number of total and oligotrophic CFU or the equivalent cell numbers between rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils that were taken 250 and 450 m from the emitter. Unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) cluster analysis of the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profiles, as well as a cluster analysis that was generated on the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles, showed that the bacterial community structure of rhizosphere soils depended more on the plant than on the distance and metal concentrations. The sequencing of the 16S rDNA fragments that were excised from the DGGE gel revealed representatives of the phyla Bacteroidetes, Acidobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, Actinobacteria and Betaproteobacteria in the analysed soil with a predominance of the first three groups. The obtained results demonstrated that the presence of S. vulgaris did not affect the number of CFUs, except for those of Cd-resistant bacteria. However, the presence of S. vulgaris altered the soil bacterial community structure, regardless of the sampling site, which supported the thesis that plants have a higher impact on soil microbial community than metal contamination.  相似文献   

Induced Degradation of Anthraquinone-Based Dye by Laccase Produced from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pycnoporus sanguineus</Emphasis> (CS43)     

Michelle Salazar-López  Magdalena de J. Rostro-Alanis  Carlos Castillo-Zacarías  Ana L. Parra-Guardado  Carlos Hernández-Luna  Hafiz M. N. Iqbal  Roberto Parra-Saldivar 《Water, air, and soil pollution》2017,228(12):469

In this study, in-house isolated laccase isoforms, i.e., Lac-I and Lac-II of the basidiomycete Pycnoporus sanguineus (CS43), were evaluated in relation to their Remazol Brilliant Blue R (RBBR) dye degradation capacity. A modified Dhouib medium additionally supplemented with 3% ethanol as a secondary inducer was used to propagate P. sanguineus CS43 for enhanced production of laccase under liquid state fermentation. The crude laccase extract was purified by passing through ion exchange diethylaminoethanol (DEAE)-Sepharose and gel filtration-based Sephadex G-200 column chromatography. The purified laccase fractions were subjected to the electrophoresis, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis revealed two laccase isoforms Lac-I and Lac-II with 66 and 68 kDa, respectively. To explore the industrial applicability, for RBBR dye, degradation efficiencies ranged from 82 to 88% after 3 h of incubation for both; Lac-I and Lac-II at both concentrations were recorded. However, with 8 U/mL, the degradation ranged between 70 to 80% during the first 5 min of incubation. Enhanced degradation of RBBR dye was obtained in the presence of violuric acid and N-hydroxypthalamide as laccase mediators. Finally, using RBBR as a substrate kinetic characterization of both Lac-I and Lac-II isoforms was performed that revealed K _m (0.243 and 0.117 mM for Lac-I and Lac-II) and V _max (1.233 and 1.012 mM/Sec for Lac-I and Lac-II) values, respectively.  相似文献   

Development of a bioacoustic sensor for the early detection of Red Palm Weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier)     

Abelardo Gutiérrez  Vicente Ruiz  Enrique Moltó  Gervasio Tapia  Maria del Mar Téllez 《Crop Protection》2010

The Red Palm Weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier) is one of the worst pests for palms, since it can completely destroy the plant. Its early detection is very difficult and when the action of the pest is discovered, normally it is too late for recovering the plant. Bioacoustic sensors provide a good alternative for early detection of this pest because larvae activity is audible while they excavate tunnels to feed. This work describes the different stages for the development of an original electronic device based on acoustic sensors for early detection of Red Palm Weevil larvae in the interior of palms. This device is based on characteristic frequencies possibly related to their feeding activity. The performed tests have demonstrated that is possible to detect two week old larvae activity studying the sound intensity around 2250 Hz in palms infested only with 5 individuals under controlled environmental conditions. The activity of other insects artificially situated in the interior of palms did not affect the response of the device, possibly because they produce different frequencies (in the range 5–7 kHz). Future work will be aimed at assessing the infestation levels.  相似文献   

Reproductive partitioning in sea level quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) cultivars     

H.D. Bertero  R.A. Ruiz 《Field Crops Research》2010

The proportion of growth allocated to reproductive organs can be an important determinant of yield variation between cultivars and environments. The main aim of this paper was to evaluate the adequacy of a model assuming constancy in partitioning coefficients (PC, the slope of organ weight to total weight relationship) within periods whose limits are associated with phenological phases to describe variation in reproductive growth (including seeds when present) in the Andean seed crop quinoa. A second objective was to analyze the dynamics of panicle and stem growth to advance our understanding of factors determining yield in this species. To do this, we used data from two experiments conducted in 2 years under field conditions in the Argentinean pampas, using four cultivars belonging to the Sea Level Type and adapted to temperate environments, under three densities. Reproductive partitioning followed a bi-phasic pattern; panicle biomass increased gradually until reaching a total biomass value, and then there was an increase in the slope of panicle vs. total aerial biomass relationship. Partitioning coefficients for the initial stage varied between some cultivars and densities in the first year, but not in the second. No significant differences were detected when PCs for the second stage were considered. The start of panicle growth was associated with thermal time to first anthesis (R² = 0.62) while thermal time to change in partitioning from low to high PC and that to end of flowering were strongly related (R² = 0.93). Combining data across cultivars, years and densities gave a PC of 0.15 for the initial stage and 0.90 for the second stage. Using these relationships and parameters dynamics of panicle biomass accumulation was predicted satisfactorily in an independent data set for a different environment, confirming the usefulness of a single model approach to describe partitioning across cvs. and environments in this crop. Besides, crop yield estimations improved when compared to those obtained by a seed number estimation model, predictions were only 7.25% lower than observed values compared to −24.5% using a seed number approach. There is a trade-off between final partitioning to reproductive structures (higher in short-cycle cvs.) and total crop biomass, one of the factors contributing to this trade-off being a negative association between the panicle–stem relationship at harvest and duration in thermal time units of stem growth; so, selection for high partitioning rate should be targeted at long duration cvs. within this germplasm.  相似文献   

RTK GPS mapping of transplanted row crops   总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2  

H. Sun  M. Pérez Ruiz  S.K. Upadhyaya 《Computers and Electronics in Agriculture》2010,71(1):32-37

This study demonstrated the feasibility of using a real-time kinematic (RTK) global positioning system (GPS) to automatically map the location of transplanted row crops. A positive-placement vegetable crop transplanter retrofitted with an RTK GPS receiver, plant, inclination, and odometry sensors, and an on-board real-time data logger were used for transplant mapping in the field during planting. Sensing the location where each plant was placed in the soil using an absolute shaft encoder mounted on the planting wheel proved to be more robust and accurate than using an infrared light beam sensor to detect the stem location of each plant immediately after planting. Field test results showed that the mean error between the plant map locations predicted by the planting data and the surveyed locations after planting was 2 cm, with 95% of the predicted plant locations being within 5.1 cm of their actual locations. Along-track errors were greater than transverse-track errors indicating that some improvement in plant map accuracy might be obtained by characterization of dynamic planting effects on final plant location. Overall, the system was capable of automatically producing a centimeter-level accuracy plant map suitable for use in precision plant care tasks such as intra-row weed control.  相似文献   

Dendrometric and dasometric analysis of the bushy biomass in Mediterranean forests     

B. Velázquez-Martí  E. Fernández-González  J. Estornell  L.A. Ruiz 《Forest Ecology and Management》2010

The aim of this study was to define the dendrometric and dasometric parameters of five Mediterranean bushy plant species, to make their environmental assessment and to determine correlations with LIDAR data. The species studied were: Quercus coccifera, Rosmarinus officinalis, Ulex parviflorus, Cistus albidus, and Erica multiflora. We calculated the global form factor for each species so as to be able to determine the volume of the plants by measuring their base diameter and length. The model volume closest to the real volume was the cylinder, which had form factor values of between 0.8 and 2.33. We also studied the evolution of the moisture content of the vegetation after cutting. The initial values were from 20 to 30%, with a dry density of 1 t/m³. We defined an occupation factor to determine the relationship between the real volume occupied by the plants in an area and a model volume (hemisphere, paraboloid, cone, and cylinder). The occupation factor was similar for the five species studied in dm³ of material per m³ of (model) apparent volume: 3.5 dm³/m³ for the cylinder; 12.5 dm³/m³ for the cone; 8.5 dm³/m³ for the paraboloid; and 14.5 dm³/m³ for the hemisphere. These factors enabled us to calculate the biomass contained in an apparent volume of bushes (including materials and hollows) by density. The prediction models tested in this study will thus serve to determine the biomass of a bushy forest area when the Canopy Height Model (CHM) is calculated from LIDAR data.  相似文献   

Fungal communities in organically grown winter wheat affected by plant organ and development stage     

Magdalena Grudzinska-Sterno  Jonathan Yuen  Jan Stenlid  Annika Djurle 《European journal of plant pathology / European Foundation for Plant Pathology》2016,146(2):401-417

The fungal community on the roots, stem bases, stems and grains of organically grown winter wheat was analysed using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) combined with cloning and sequencing of the ITS region. The changes in the composition of fungi in different plant parts and over time as well as interactions between fungi were also investigated. Among 58 fungal taxa found the most common were Davidiella macrospora, Cladosporium spp., Tetracladium maxilliforme, Didymella exitialis, Microdochium nivale and an unidentified species within Ascomycetes. Several potential wheat pathogens were found: Fusarium spp. including F. poae and G. avenacea (F. avenaceum), Microdochium nivale, Oculimacula yallundae, Parastagonospora nodorum and Zymoseptoria tritici and most of them were present on all plant parts. Plant part affected the most the fungal colonization of wheat as was shown both by multivariate analysis of the whole fungal community as well as the analysis based on the identified species. The composition of fungal communities in different parts changed during the growing season but no pattern common for the whole crop could be observed. The most dynamic and significant changes were found among yeasts. Both positive and negative significant interactions between pairwise combinations of pathogens were observed. Positive significant associations were also found between pathogens and other fungi.  相似文献