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Microbiological hazards associated with the use of water in the post-harvest handling and processing operations of fresh and frozen fruits, vegetables and herbs (ffFVH). Part 5 (Frozen FVH process water management plan)
Get PDFWater used in post-harvest handling and processing operations is an important risk factor for microbiological cross-contamination of fruits, vegetables and herbs (FVH). Industrial data indicated that the frozen FVH sector is characterised by operational cycles between 8 and 120 h, variable product volumes and no control of the temperature of process water. Intervention strategies were limited to the use of water disinfection treatments such as peroxyacetic acid and hydrogen peroxide. Chlorine-based disinfectants were not used, and water replenishment was not observed within studied industries. The industrial data, which included 13 scenarios, were used to develop a guidance for a water management plan (WMP) for the frozen FVH sector. A WMP aims to maintain the fit-for-purpose microbiological quality of the process water and consists of: (a) identification of microbial hazards and hazardous events linked to process water; (b) establishment of the relationship between microbiological and physico-chemical parameters; (c) description of preventive measures; (d) description of intervention measures, including their validation, operational monitoring and verification; and (e) record keeping and trend analysis. A predictive model was used to simulate water management outcomes, highlighting the need for water disinfection treatments to maintain the microbiological quality of the process water and the added value of water replenishment. Relying solely on water replenishment (at realistic feasible rates) does not avoid microbial accumulation in the water. Operational monitoring of the physico-chemical parameters ensures that the disinfection systems are operating effectively. Verification includes microbiological analysis of the process water linked to the operational monitoring outcomes of physico-chemical parameters. Food business operators should set up and validate a tailored WMP to identify physico-chemical parameters, as well as microbial indicators and their threshold levels as performance standards for maintaining the fit-for-purpose microbiological quality of the process water during post-harvest handling and processing operations.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Tuber melanosporum Vittad. abundance and specific soil parameters predict soil enzymatic activity in wild and managed truffle producing systems
Get PDFSoil microorganisms are able to produce extracellular enzymes and are crucial for ecosystem processes like decomposition and nutrient cycling. The black truffle (Tuber melanosporum Vittad.) is a highly valued ectomycorrhizal edible fungus. It exerts a strong allelopathic effect, creating a burnt area around the host tree that impacts soil biotic and abiotic properties, and likely affects soil functioning as well. This study investigated the influence of black truffle abundance on soil functions, at different seasons and truffle-producing systems. A regional field design was set up in black truffle productive plantations and forests across the natural distribution area of this fungus in Spain. Physico-chemical soil properties, potential soil enzymatic activities related with carbon, phosphorus and nitrogen cycling, and soil fungal richness and abundance were determined. Black truffle-producing forests generally exhibited lower enzymatic activity compared to plantations, except for chitinase. Besides greater soil enzymatic activity —mainly related with rapid carbon and nitrogen turnover— was observed in late spring than autumn, independently of the type of truffle producing system. Our findings revealed a significant negative impact of black truffle abundance on soil enzymatic activities, and particularly on those involved in carbon and nitrogen mobilisation. Besides the strong local site effect, other biotic and abiotic factors differently impacted soil functioning in truffle forests (Mg) and plantations (Ascomycetes richness, CaCO3, Na). These results offer insights into the ecology and functionality of host-truffle-soil interactions and provide valuable information for optimising management practices in black truffle plantations.The work was supported by the projects TUBERSYSTEMS (RTI2018-093907-B-C21/22) and TUBERLINKS (PID2022-1364780B-C31) founded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and University (MCIU). This research is part of the thesis of the first author, V. Barou, who is enrolled in the program of Plant Biology and Biotechnology of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and holds a pre-doctoral fellowship awarded by MCIU (PRE2019-091338).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
A taxonomic review of Poblicia Stål, 1866 (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoridae), with special reference to species north of Mexico
No full textThe species of Poblicia Stål, 1866, here given the appellation speckled lanternflies, are reviewed with particular attention to species found north of Mexico. The genus Poblicia at this time consists of four species: the type species P. misella (Stål, 1863) (from Mexico), P. fuliginosa (Olivier, 1791) (from eastern USA), and two species removed from synonymy—P. thanatophana Kirkaldy, 1907 (western USA) and P. cribrata Gerstaecker, 1860 (locality uncertain). Amended diagnosis are provided for these Poblicia species. Life history and molecular sequence data (28S, ITS2 and CO1) are discussed to support the designation of P. fuliginosa and P. thanatophana as separate species. Poblicia texana is established as the type species for the new genus Angulapteryx gen. nov. as Angulapteryx texana comb. nov.Support for this project is USDA SCRI (award number 2019-51181-30014 Biology, Management and Reducing the Impact of the Spotted Lanternfly on Specialty Crops in the Eastern USA); Farm bill project ‘Development of biological control methods for the management of spotted lanternflies’; from Hatch project DEL00854 (Promoting global health and sustainable food systems through integrative research in entomology and wildlife ecology); Mark Hoddle provided support and assistance for field work in Arizona, funded by the California Department of Agriculture Office of Environmental Farming aand Innovation’s Proactive Integrated Pest Management Solutions Grant Program, award number 18-0632-000-SG.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Organic Farming Practices Facilitate Soil Carbon Stabilisation Following Massive Application of Ramial Chipped Wood: A Case Study of Sweet Potato Cultivation
No full textImproving soil organic matter contents in semi-arid zones reduces the risk of soil degradation and improves climatic resilience.As a technique for the recarbonisation of abandoned or degraded soils, applications of massive amounts of exogenous biomass(EB) such as wood chips have not been widely tested, and agronomic integration is still lacking. While it has been shown thatsweet potato (Ipomea batatas) may be able to overcome nitrogen (N) limitations provoked by massive applications of EB, theexact mechanism is not clear. In a field experiment in Valencia (Mediterranean, semi-arid climate), we mixed in the soil profile(0–30 cm) an equivalent of 150 t ha−1 ramial chipped wood (RCW) before sweet potato cultivation, set up in two adjacent fieldswith long-term management histories (15 years) of abandonment versus organic farming. RCW incorporation in plots led toincreased concentrations of soil organic carbon (SOC) in the fine earth fraction, which was greater in organically managedplots; whereas average SOC increased from 13.3 to 17.2 g kg−1 in the abandoned plot, it increased from 16.0 to 27.4 g kg−1 in theorganically managed plot. Furthermore, despite greater initial SOC contents in organically managed plots, soil stabilisation of C(and N) was greater in relative terms as well, with an average SOC increase of 68%, as compared to only 29% in abandoned plots.Sweet potato leaf N content was not associated with measured soil N species; however, management history was relevant, sinceN nutrition was improved in the organic field by 0.44%–0.73% (w/w) over the growing season, and those plants in the abandonedfield contained about 20% more N derived from the atmosphere (Ndfa). Sweet potato leaf δ15 N also changed dramatically overthe sampling period, indicating a change in N source. The results show a potential for rapid soil recarbonisation with massiveapplication of lignocellulosic biomass in soils, but which is dependent on management. Also, we observed a particular capacityof sweet potato for accessing soil-bound organic N sources under conditions of high demandThis work was supported by Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (TED2021-130783B-C21, PID2023-146650OB-I00, CEX2021-001234-M), Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Paraguay (BECAL 183/2021) and Generalitat de Catalunya (56 30126 2021 P4).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Prolificidad y problemas reproductivos en granjas porcinas españolas
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Efectes en la microbiologia del sòl de l'aplicació de fems en rotacions de cultius per a gra en producció ecològica
No full textEn el projecte MICROBI-SÒL-ECO s’han mesurat les fraccions granulodensimètriques de la matèria orgànica en forma de partícules (POM), la biodiversitat microbiana i la diversitat funcional dels microorganismes en sòls agrícoles dedicats als cultius extensius per gra en producció ecològica a Catalunya. S’han obtingut noves dades sobre l’efecte de diferents aplicacions de fems sobre la qualitat biològica dels sòls que han permès elaborar unes recomanacions per millorar l’eficiència de la fertilització en les parcel·les ecològiques de Catalunya mitjançant una millor cura dels microorganismes que tenen un paper clau en la regulació de la disponibilitat de nutrients per les plantes.
Dels diferents tractaments de fertilització orgànica de l’assaig, els adobats amb fems de vaca o gallinassa són els que presenten una biodiversitat major i els microorganismes que s’hi troben són capaços de degradar de forma més eficaç una major quantitat de molècules orgàniques freqüents en el sòl.
Els resultats d’aquest estudi permeten recomanar l’aportació de dejeccions orgàniques en forma de fems frescos, ja que han mostrat tenir una capacitat de millora de la salut microbiològica del sòl a llarg termini. També es recomanen altres pràctiques com ara la incorporació de la palla o limitar les aportacions de nitrogen amb la finalitat de mantenir una relació C/N adequada en el sòl. Aquestes pràctiques faciliten l’acumulació de matèria orgànica a llarg termini, que es considera clau per mantenir o augmentar la qualitat del sòl agrícola.El projecte ha estat finançat pel Departament d’Agricultura, Ramaderia, Pesca i Alimentació de la Generalitat de Catalunya a través de l’ajut per incentivar la recerca aplicada en matèria de producció agroalimentària ecològicainfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Long-term neurocognitive outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a hamster model
No full textPost-COVID-19 condition (PCC) is a long-lasting, multisystemic syndrome affecting approximately 30% of individuals after acute COVID-19, with neurological symptoms among the most prevalent and debilitating. Despite its substantial global health impact, the biological mechanisms underlying PCC remain poorly understood, underscoring the need for validated animal models.The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research and/or publication of this article. This project was funded through the European Commission EPIVINF (HORIZON-HLTH-2021-DISEASE-04, no. 101057548) and CaixaHealth EPIVIRCO (HR22-00681) projects.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Las explicaciones son sencillas, hallarlas, no tanto
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Del paper als sensors: el futur de la monitorització porcina
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Performance of ‘Honeycrisp’ Apple Trees on Several Size-Controlling Rootstocks in the 2014 NC-140 Rootstock Trial after Ten Years
No full textIn 2014, a multi-year orchard experiment of apple Malus x domestica (Borkh) was established at 13 locations in Canada, Mexico, and the United States using ‘Honeycrisp’ as the scion. Seventeen dwarf and semi-dwarf rootstock genotypes were tested, specifically: Budagovsky.10 (B.10), the Cornell-Geneva rootstocks G.11, G.202, G.214, G.30, G.41, G.890, G.935, G.969, the Malling rootstocks M.7, MM.106, and the Vineland rootstocks V.1, V.5, V.6, and V.7. The industry standard Malling rootstocks M.26 EMLA and M.9-T337 were included for comparison purposes. Tree mortality, trunk cross-sectional area, tree canopy size, amount of rootstock suckering, yield, and fruit number were measured annually. All measured parameters were influenced by location and rootstock, and the interaction of these two factors was significant. Overall, after 10 years and averaged over all locations, rootstock vigor separated into three distinct rootstock classes: those similar to M.9-T337 (G.11), those similar to M.26 EMLA (G.935, G.41, B.10, G.214, G.969), and those more vigorous than M.26 EMLA (V.1, G.30, M.7, V.7, MM.106, V.6, G.890, V.5). G.202 performance was unusual and therefore was omitted from data analysis. Cumulative yields were generally greater on trees with the highest vigor. Averaged over all locations, all Geneva, Vineland, and Budagovsky rootstocks had cumulative yields higher than the industry standards M.9-T337 and M.26 EMLA. The newer rootstocks B.10, V.5, V.6, V.7 and all the Geneva rootstocks, had good to excellent cumulative yields. G.890 stood out as having exceptional cumulative yield among all the rootstock genotypes evaluated. Averaged over all locations, cumulative yield efficiency was greatest for M.9-T337 and all the Geneva rootstocks, as well as B.10. Overall, the strong rootstock by location interaction on cumulative yield observed in this trial illustrates the importance of testing rootstocks at a regional level. These results are reflective of orchard vigor and yields after 10 years and provide apple producers with performance indicators to make more informed decisions concerning rootstock selection for their orchard training systems and planting locations using a weak scion cultivar.The authors wish to acknowledge the technical assistance of Cathy Bakker with data management and statistical analyses and the International Fruit Tree Association (IFTA) for the significant support provided for the establishment and coordination of this trial. The study reported here was supported by the Multi-State USDA NIFA Project NC-140: Improving Economic and Environmental Sustainability in Tree Fruit Production Through Changes in Rootstock US, through the state agricultural experiment stations, as well as the University of Guelph.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio