Scientific Journals of INIA (Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria)
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Identification of seed-related QTL in Brassica rapa
Get PDFTo reveal the genetic variation, and loci involved, for a range of seed-related traits, a new F2 mapping population was developed by crossing Brassica rapa ssp. parachinensis L58 (CaiXin) with B. rapa ssp. trilocularis R-o-18 (spring oil seed), both rapid flowering and self-compatible. A linkage map was constructed using 97 AFLPs and 21 SSRs, covering a map distance of 757 cM with an average resolution of 6.4 cM, and 13 quantitative trait loci (QTL) were detected for nine traits. A strong seed colour QTL (LOD 26) co-localized with QTL for seed size (LOD 7), seed weight (LOD 4.6), seed oil content (LOD 6.6), number of siliques (LOD 3) and number of seeds per silique (LOD 3). There was only a significant positive correlation between seed colour and seed oil content in the yellow coloured classes. Seed coat colour and seed size were controlled by the maternal plant genotype. Plants with more siliques tended to have more, but smaller, seeds and higher seed oil content. Seed colour and seed oil content appeared to be controlled by two closely linked loci in repulsion phase. Thus, it may not always be advantageous to select for yellow-seededness when breeding for high seed oil content in Brassicas
Quality characteristics of Huacaya alpaca fibre produced in the Peruvian Andean Plateau region of Huancavelica
Get PDFThe quality of Huacaya alpaca fibre produced in the region of Huancavelica (Peru) is described based on a sample of 203 animals belonging to eight herding communities located between 4,100 and 4,750 m above sea level. The mean fibre diameter, 22.7 μm (SE 0.2), was lower than values reported for Huacaya alpacas from other areas and varied with sex, age, and community origin (P<0.01). In contrast with results from other studies, males had finer fibre than females, but this may be because they represent selected breeding stock brought from Puno and Cusco. No linear relationship was found between fibre diameter and staple length. Further research is needed to better characterise fibre production traits and quantify their economic values prior to establishing a breeding program to improve fibre production in the region. Although conducting this type of research in the Peruvian Andean Plateau might seem difficult, the active participation of alpaca owners and development promoters made it feasible
Organic food product purchase behaviour: a pilot study for urban consumers in the South of Italy
Get PDFThe aim of this paper is to explain factors that influence organic food purchases of urban consumers in the South of Italy. To achieve this goal, a multivariate limited dependent variable model has been specified to simultaneously analyse consumers’ organic food purchases, the intention to purchase organic food products and the level of organic knowledge. This study uses survey data gathered from 200 consumers in Naples in 2003. Results indicate that consumers who are more willing to buy organic food products are more likely to buy a larger amount of those products. The intention to purchase depends on attitudes and organic product knowledge. Moreover, consumers’ attitudes towards health and environmental benefits provided by organic foods are the most important factors explaining, both, the intention to purchase and the final decision. Finally, income and organic knowledge positively influences the final decision to buy organic food product
The effect of water availability on plastic responses and biomass allocation in early growth traits of Pinus radiata D. Don
Get PDFAim of study: The aim of the study was to assess the effect of water availability on plastic responses and biomass allocation in early growth traits of Pinus radiata D. Don.Area of study: Seedlings of 69 families of P. radiata belonging to five different sites in Central Chile, ranging from coastal range to fothills of the Andes, were grown in controlled conditions to evaluate differences in response to watering.Material and methods: The seedlings were subjected to two watering regimes: well-watered treatment, in which seedlings were watered daily, and water stress treatment in which seedlings were subjected to three cyclic water deficits by watering to container capacity on 12 days cycles each. After twenty-eight weeks root collar diameter, height, shoot dry weight (stem + needles), root dry weight, total dry weight, height/diameter ratio and root/shoot ratio were recorded. Patterns and amounts of phenotypic changes, including changes in biomass allocation, were analyzed.Main results: Families from coastal sites presented high divergence for phenotypic changes, allocating more biomass to shoots, and those families from interior sites presented low phenotypic plasticity, allocating more biomass to roots at the expense of shoots. These changes are interpreted as a plastic response and leads to the conclusion that the local landrace of P. radiata in Chile originating from contrasting environments possess distinct morphological responses to water deficit which in turn leads to phenotypic plasticity.Research highlights: Families belonging to sandy soil sites must be considered for tree breeding in dry areas, selecting those with high root: shoot ratio.Key words: early testing; environmental interaction; ontogeny; plasticity index; water stress
Effects of the crisis in the resin sector on the demography of rural municipalities in Spain
Get PDFAim of study: The aim of this work is to test the positive effect of a substantially developed resin sector on rural demographic evolution. This work shows how in the period between 1970 and 2010 the demographic decline in the interior regions of Spain was more pronounced in areas characterized by the importance of resin-producing forest stands compared to other nearby rural municipalities where this natural resource is not present.Area of study: The study area consists of a set of rural municipalities in Central Spain, both resin and non-resin producing, in the provinces of Segovia, Avila, Valladolid, Burgos, Soria, Cuenca and Guadalajara.Material and methods: The relationship between resin production and population in resin and non-resin producing municipalities was modeled by means of linear regression analysis.Main results: Generally speaking, between 1950 and 1970 the production of resin halted demographic decline in the regions where this activity was substantially developed. However, when the resin sector entered into crisis in the 1970s, and the economic repercussions of this activity gradually ceased to be felt, the demographic decline in the regions which had been involved in resin production was much more acute than in other non-resin-producing rural areas.Research highlights: This work shows the relationship between resin extraction activity and population evolution in rural municipalities. Sustainable resin exploitation can contribute to the maintenance and development of rural communities, and should be used as a tool for generating employment in rural areas.Key words: demography; economic crisis; resin sector; rural development
The usefulness of Decision Support Systems in participatory forest planning: a comparison between Finland and Italy
Get PDFAim of study: Participation of stakeholders is considered an essential element in producing, at different spatial and temporal scales, forest plans accepted by local community and fulfilling the requirements of Sustainable Forest Management. Increasingly, computer-based decision support systems (DSS) and tools are being introduced to assist stakeholders and decision-makers in coping with the complexities inherent in participatory forest planning. The study aimed to investigate how useful the users and researchers see DSS tools and which opportunities they perceive DSS might carry for enhancing participatory forest planning in their field of activity.Area of study: 15 Italian and Finnish researchers and practitioners were interviewed.Material and Methods: Face-to-face structured interviews were used to collect opinions and experiences. Quantitative and qualitative information were analyzed to investigate differences between Italian and Finnish respondents as well as between researchers and practitionersMain results: Results showed that in Italy there has been more focus on forest-level and medium-term problems and the intelligence phase, while in Finland there has been more attention to region-level and long-term problems and equally intelligence, design, and choice phases of decision-making. Deviations probably reflect different planning contexts and culture, variability in experiences and expertise in DSS and in availability of suitable DSS.Research highlights: The study suggests to pay attention to evaluating the success criteria of participatory planning when preparing for the use of DSS and related tools in practical forest planning processes. Experience sharing is a key to reaching more successful use of DSS.Keywords: computer-based decision support; participatory processes; spatial scale; success criteria; temporal scale; users' perception
Review. A brief overview of forest management decision support systems (FMDSS) listed in the FORSYS wiki
Get PDFAim of study. The aim of the study was to overview forest management decision support systems (FMDSS) listed in the FORSYS wiki in terms of software design and architecture.Area of study. A total of 62 FMDSS from 23 countries were included into the study.Material and methods. First, all FMDSS listed in the FORSYS wiki were described in terms of functionalities, typologies and elements of architecture. Thereafter, the findings were compared with the desired architectural features of FMDSS to identify success or potential gaps. Finally, some measures were suggested to improve knowledge transfer and smooth integration of system components.Main results. Most of the systems listed in the FORSYS wiki originate from research projects and are either knowledge- or model-driven. There are only few compound systems or tools that can be used as sub-components in integrated systems.Research highlights. There is a lack of generic platforms or DSS generators that would facilitate construction of integrated systems. Further efforts are needed to study the potential of cloud services. Keywords: forest management; decision support systems; software architecture; typologies
Multiyear impacts of partial throughfall exclusion on Buxus sempervirens in a Mediterranean forest
Get PDFAim of study: We examined the impact of sustained partial throughfall exclusion on the functional performance of Buxus sempervirens L. in the understory of a Mediterranean evergreen forest. We further considered whether any impacts of throughfall exclusion were affected by light availability.Area of study: The study was conducted in the south of France.Material and methods: Several leaf physiological and branch structural traits were measured along a light gradient after seven years from the onset of a throughfall exclusion experiment (TEE). The results were analysed along with annual growth and survival data.Main results: Plant mortality was nil in both the throughfall exclusion and control treatments. Stem diameter growth was reduced by 39% in plants subjected to throughfall exclusion, but this difference was only significant at the p = 0.10 significance level. Leaf physiology remained unaffected by the TEE, but small changes were evident in branch structural traits in high light microsites following throughfall exclusion; branches had lower wood density in the TEE plot, and more biomass was partitioned to leaves relative to stems.Research highlights: These changes do not seem to reflect an acclimatory response that would enhance drought tolerance. Instead, we suggest that these drought effects might exacerbate vulnerability to xylem cavitation in the more open microsites. Reduced growth and increased vulnerability to drought may indicate an incipient decline in plant vitality following TEE. The extension of observations to the whole-plant level and longer periods will elucidate the consequences of these observations for plant fitness, and permit verification of the positive effect of shade on Buxus sempervirens under increased drought.Key words: common box; drought susceptibility; shade; rainfall manipulation; abiotic stress; long-term study
Above-ground biomass equations for Pinus radiata D. Don in Asturias
Get PDFAim of the study: The aim of this study was to develop a model for above-ground biomass estimation for Pinus radiata D. Don in Asturias.Area of study: Asturias (NE of Spain).Material and methods: Different models were fitted for the different above-ground components and weighted regression was used to correct heteroscedasticity. Finally, all the models were refitted simultaneously by use of Nonlinear Seemingly Unrelated Regressions (NSUR) to ensure the additivity of biomass equations.Research highlights: A system of four biomass equations (wood, bark, crown and total biomass) was develop, such that the sum of the estimations of the three biomass components is equal to the estimate of total biomass. Total and stem biomass equations explained more than 92% of observed variability, while crown and bark biomass equations explained 77% and 89% respectively.Keywords: radiata pine; plantations; biomass
Sustainable Forest Management in a Mediterranean region: Social preferences
Get PDFAim of study: There is a lack of empirical research that deals with sustainable forest management in Mediterranean regions, among the most vulnerable ecosystems. The main purpose of this work is to define the strategic criteria and objectives for sustainable forest management and aggregate the preferences of stakeholders in a Mediterranean region, using AHP and Goal Programming.Area of study: Valencian Community (Spain).Material and Methods: Firstly, we identified forest stakeholders and structured a decision hierarchy. Then a workshop was carried out to test and validate the proposed criteria and objectives, as well as a survey to determine social preferences. Secondly, another survey was conducted amongst experts to prioritize action plans.Main results: Stakeholders’ preferences gave the greatest importance to the environmental criteria (hydrological regulation and erosion, climate change mitigation and biodiversity) with an average weight of 40%. Social criteria (employment, recreational activities and landscape) had a weight of 38% and 22% the economic criteria case (wood, hunting and fishing, livestock, renewable energies, rural tourism and mining). The results showed that new products and services such as tourism, renewable energies, landscape, hydrological regulation and erosion control, biodiversity or climate change mitigation are very relevant objectives. We also prioritized action plans comparing them with the distribution of the administration budget.Research highlights: The environmental and social criteria are much more important than the economic ones in the regional planning of the Mediterranean forest, regardless of the method used to aggregate the social preferences and if the forest is public or private.Key words: Multiple Criteria Decision Making; Goal Programming; Analytic Hierarchy Process; Preferences Aggregation