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Basin closure and water circularity: A pathway analysis from Oum Er Rbia river basin, Morocco
No full textThis water accounting study investigates the dynamics of basin closure in Morocco's Oum Er Rbia basin. It highlights how water and agricultural policies, including dam construction, conservation programmes, agricultural intensification and ever expanding supplies to cities and industry, led to wate scarcity. Reversing this trend requires curtailing demand and balancing economic development with ecosystem health. This explains why integrating water circularity principles (reduce, reuse/recycle, regenerate) at basin level is arduous. Local water circularity initiatives may even decrease return flows and increase water use. Water accounting is, therefore, essential to understand complex trade-offs for basins heading for closure
Reduction of tapping frequency associated with stimulation of two Hevea brasiliensis clones in Thai non-traditional rubber area. 1. Effect on production, biochemical composition and particle size of latex
Get PDFThis study (Part 1) is the first of a two-part series investigating how reduced tapping frequency, combined with hormonal stimulation, impacts latex yield, as well as biochemical composition and structure (particle size) of latex in two Hevea brasiliensis clones (RRIM600 and RRIT251) over 4 years of tapping. The trial was set in Udon Thani, Thailand, a non-traditional area for rubber cultivation. Results show that the S/2 d3 ET 2.5 % Pa 0.7 tapping system significantly increased latex yield per tapping without compromising cumulative production per tree compared to the conventional S/2 d2 system. As compared to RRIM600, clone RRIT251 exhibited superior yield potential, supported by higher biochemical indicators such as sucrose, inorganic phosphorus, and reduced thiols, reflecting robust metabolic activity and antioxidant capacity in latex cells. Biochemical characterization revealed clonal differences in latex composition: RRIM600 displayed larger rubber particles and higher neutral lipid content, while RRIT251 showed higher levels of phospholipids and proteins. Despite these differences, the tapping system had minimal impact on latex biochemical properties, highlighting the role of hormonal stimulation in maintaining rubber biosynthesis. These findings emphasize the importance of clone-specific strategies in optimizing yield and resource efficiency. Furthermore, this study provides a basis for the subsequent analysis of how tapping systems and clonal variations influence the properties of latex-derived materials, including latex films and technically specified rubber samples (TSR5 and TSR10), as detailed in Part 2 of this study (Liengprayoon et al.). This research contributes to developing sustainable latex tapping practices tailored to specific clones and tapping systems
Bioeconomic opportunities in restored tropical forests
No full textForest restoration faces financial constraints due to land opportunity costs and delayed returns from ecosystem services and timber production. A socially fair bioeconomy of non-timber products from native species is a promising pathway to overcome these challenges. We investigated the bioeconomic potential of native species in the reforested lands of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. A forest inventory across 46 plots (41 400 m2) in regenerating forests revealed 5181 individuals and 329 species. A review of 603 articles showed 167 species (59%) with bioeconomic potential. Medicinal (58%), cosmetic (12%), and food (5%) uses predominated. Leaves were the most used plant part. Of 2520 patents, we found 78 species patented in 61 countries (8% in Brazil). Only 13% of studies reached the final product stages. The palms (Syagrus romanzoffiana and Euterpe edulis) and the conifer (Araucaria angustifolia) highlight how native species synergistically improve the restoration's supply of resources to the biotech industry
Sécurité microbiologique : Un défi clé pour la durabilité du système alimentaire des fruits et légumes en Afrique de l'Ouest
Get PDFEn Afrique de l'Ouest (AO), le maraîchage reste l'une des principales activités pourvoyeuses d'emplois pour les femmes et les jeunes en zone urbaine et périurbaine. Il contribue considérablement à la sécurité alimentaire. De nos jours, la sécurité sanitaire des fruits et légumes devient de plus en plus une préoccupation majeure des consommateurs, surtout en zones urbaines et périurbaines. Souvent, la prise en compte de ces questionnements se limite aux produits manufacturés, ou exportés. La présente étude réalisée par le Cirad et ses partenaires dans le cadre du projet DeSIRA SafeVeg a exploré la qualité microbiologique de quelques légumes produits en zones urbaines et périurbaines en Afrique de l'Ouest. Toutes les analyses ont été faites en se référant aux normes ISO et normes Françaises. Les résultats ont révélé que l'innocuité des légumes n'est pas chaque fois garantie et les microorganismes pathogènes détectés y sont présents depuis le champ. Une série de mesures a été proposée pour améliorer la sécurité sanitaire et la qualité des légumes produits, transformés et commercialisés AO. Il serait important d'améliorer l'accès à des intrants de qualité et d'encourager les bonnes pratiques de compostage ; d'assurer l'hygiène de l'eau, du matériel, et des périmètres de production ; de former et de conseiller les acteurs à toutes les étapes : production, récolte, transformation, stockage, transport ; de mettre en place des normes et des systèmes de contrôle pour garantir la qualité sanitaire des légumes ; de créer des opportunités de commercialisation de légumes sains ; et de communiquer en langues locales sur les bonnes pratiques de production, de transport, de conservation, de manipulation, de transformation, de commercialisation et de cuisson des légumes
Impact of temperature-humidity index on heat stress behavior and welfare of battery-caged yellow-feathered native broilers during summertime in Hong Kong: An observational study
No full textThis observational study investigated the effects of the temperature-humidity index (THI) on heat stress behavior, hormonal response, and body temperature of battery-caged yellow-feathered broilers on a Hong Kong poultry farm equipped with ventilation fans and foggers from August to September 2023. Twenty-six units distributed in the sidewall and inner zones of the chicken house were randomly selected for real-time THI measurement using data loggers. Each unit comprised six cages with three birds each. All chickens in the selected cages were scored for heat stress behaviors (n = 468). The body temperature and live weight of one randomly selected chicken per cage were measured on days 72 and 90 of age (n = 156). Two broilers per unit were randomly selected for blood corticosterone (n = 52). Although the sidewall zones were more exposed to sunlight than the inner zones, the data loggers showed no difference in the THI between these zones. Forty-five out of 468 chickens (9.6 %, 95 % CI 44.97–45.03) exhibited high heat stress behavior under high THI conditions. The THI and the zones showed no statistically significant associations with our observations of heat stress behavior and body weight change. The serum corticosterone levels of individual broilers measured in the afternoon were consistently lower than those measured in the morning; however, no significant difference was detected between the different zones of the house. In conclusion, the relatively small proportion of birds exhibiting heat stress behavior suggests that the native yellow-feathered broilers had considerable adaptive capacity to tolerate the hot and humid climate during summer in Hong Kong
Étude de la dynamique forestière : Cas des parcelles permanentes de la forêt de Mare Longue à La Réunion
Get PDFLa dynamique forestière permet d'analyser la dynamique temporelle des forêts à travers des éléments clés comme la régénération, la croissance, la mortalité, la composition et la structure des communautés végétales. Cette approche repose sur des dispositifs de surveillance à long terme de réseaux de placettes permanentes. Toutefois, il existe une inégalité dans la répartition de ces suivis, les forêts tropicales insulaires étant largement sous-représentées par rapport aux écosystèmes continentaux. À La Réunion, la forêt de Mare-Longue constitue un des derniers vestiges de forêt tropicale hygrophile de basse altitude. Depuis 1990, un réseau de placettes permanentes de trois hectares y est suivi tous les cinq ans par l'Université de La Réunion. Cette étude vise à explorer différentes dimensions de la dynamique écologique de cette forêt insulaire. Les objectifs sont de caractériser (1) la dynamique des communautés par des analyses de composition et de diversité, (2) la dynamique de population par l'analyse de la mortalité, du recrutement et de la survie, et (3) la croissance des individus. Pour cela, les données temporelles issues du suivi ont été nettoyées, structurées et compilées en plusieurs jeux de données opérationnels, et les analyses ont été déclinées par objectifs. Les principaux résultats montrent (1) des changements temporels importants dans la diversité et la composition en espèces, avec une grande variabilité entre sites, notamment une singularité de MALO 3 par rapport aux deux autres sites, (2) une tendance générale à la diminution de la probabilité de survie dans le temps et un effet positif de la taille des arbres, malgré des variations importantes entre espèces et sites, et (3) une croissance très faible des arbres sur tous les sites, avec des taux de croissance particulièrement importants pour MALO 3. Cette étude met en lumière la complexité et la richesse de la dynamique forestière à Mare-Longue, tout en soulignant la nécessité de mieux documenter les forêts insulaires, trop souvent négligées. Ce stage a permis de compiler une base de données historique précieuse, qui sera valorisée en data paper
Analyzing the miraculin content of Beninese Sisrè berries (Synsepalum dulcificum Schumach. & Thonn.) and exploring its thermal behavior
Get PDFThe pulp of the miracle fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum) has the ability to change the acidic taste of ingested foods into a sweet taste. This functionality is due to miraculin, a glycoprotein presents in the pulp of the fruit. Miraculin is low in calories and can be used for the development of stabilized natural sweetener for food. This study aimed to extract and quantify the miraculin level in the pulp of Sisrè (Synsepalum dulcificum) collected from various localities of Benin and explore its thermal behavior. The aim was to generate preliminary quantitative data on the termosensitivity of miraculin. The beninese miracle fruits were characterized by an average mass value of 0.9 g, a length of 1.66 cm and a thickness of 0.84 cm. In dry basis, the pulp represented 12.8 % of the fruit while the seed was preponderant representing 73.8 % of the fruit. Overall, the miracle fruits studied exhibited size and average mass 35 % lower than values reported in literature. Likewise, the pulp content is 33 % lower than those obtained in the literature. However, the miraculin concentration in the pulp was higher than those reported by other authors amounting to 4.8 g‧kg−1 DB. Heat treatments led to significant losses of miraculin. In the raw pulp (aw = 0.97), 70.5 % and 71.9 % of miraculin were lost after isothermal treatments for 5 min at 70 °C and 80 °C respectively. The intensity of degradation was slightly lower when the pulp was lyophilized up to a 0.31 aw with 66.8 % lost recorded at 70 °C (5 min). The findings highlight the potential of Beninese Sisrè as a natural sweetener, while also providing valuable insights for developing stabilization processes to obtain high-quality functional products
More-than-human synchronizations expose the fractures of the agrarian commodity frontier in the Bolivian Chiquitanía
Get PDFDeforestation at the agrarian commodity frontier in Bolivia produces deep territorial fractures, by making Indigenous livelihoods increasingly subject to agrarian extractivism. However, looking at frontiers beyond their fixed spatial representations can unveil spaces of more-than-human agency emerging at the fractures of agrarian extractivism. In this study, we focus on the relations between people, bees, forests and plants, to show how their multiple trajectories synchronize across forests, crops, and villages. Through assessing the synchronizations that underpin honey-economies, we suggest that research can notice unexpected reactions to the social and ecological devastation