Scientific Journals of INIA (Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria)
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Assessing knowledge and engagement on sustainable development goals: exploratory research in the agri-food departments of Ibero-American universities
Full text linkAim of study: To offer an overview of current knowledge and civic engagement in the implementation of sustainable development goals (SDGs) applied to agriculture sector.Area of study: Members of university communities from agri-food field departments at universities from three Ibero-American countries (Spain, Colombia and Brazil).Material and methods: 631 on line surveys from different Ibero-American faculties of the area. Descriptive, quantitative and qualitative analysis was performed. The level of knowledge and engagement of SDGs related to agriculture sector as Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) and 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) were investigated.Main results: The level of knowledge about the SDG Agenda, the priority rating for the implementation of each goal and the level of engagement varied significantly between countries. While Spain obtained the highest values in most of the variables relating to knowledge of the SDGs, followed by Brazil, Colombia showed the highest levels of engagement and willingness to apply specific actions in the agri-food sector to promote the implementation of the SDGs.Research highlights: The knowledge and engagement must be improved if we are to achieve the SDGs, and education and research play a vital role in bridging the SDG implementation gap in agri-food field. In the area the best-known SDG strategies are those related to sustainable farming systems and the least-known are the concept of 'degrowth' as a possible efficient strategy, 'permaculture' and 'local production and consumption'. Big differences exist between countries in terms of public knowledge and engagement with SDGs
Managerial capabilities and generic business strategies in the wineries of the 'Cava' protected designation of origin
Full text linkAim of study: Cava is Spain’s largest wine exporter. However, in the last 20 years, the growth of exports from Cava protected designation of origin (PDO) wineries has been lower than that of other Spanish PDO wines, and Cava’s domestic market share has fallen. From the point of view of strategic management, it could be said that it seems that the wineries of the Cava PDO are losing their competitive advantage. It is therefore fundamental to perform an analysis of the wineries that maintain a better performance to understand the elements that give them a competitive advantage. In this article, to analyse competitive advantage, both management capabilities and Robinson and Pearce’s generic business strategies are studied. The objective is twofold; on the one hand, we pursue the level of the managerial capabilities in the wineries of Cava PDO, while on the other hand, we seek to know the influence of the managerial capabilities and the strategies as reflected in their business performance.Area of study: Spanish wineries of the Cava PDO.Material and methods: Sixty-six wineries were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U Test and Bayesian regression to determine the relationship between the managerial capabilities, strategy, and business performance.Main results: The results show a lower level of managerial capabilities in Cava PDO wineries as compared with Rioja PDO wineries, a strong relationship between management capabilities and performance.Research highlights: These results are highly applicable since they show what resources and what strategies should be promoted to achieve a competitive advantage
Covid-19 lockdown and wine consumption frequency in Portugal and Spain
Full text linkAim of study: This study aims to analyse how psychological factors related to the Covid-19 lockdown affected the frequency of wine consumption among Iberian consumers.Area of study: To achieve this goal, we used data collected from an online survey in Europe comprising 4489 observations from Portuguese and Spanish samples.Material and methods: Using an ordered probit model, we analysed the wine consumption frequency as a function of a set of explanatory variables related to psychological factors, sociodemographic variables, consumption characterisation and channels of trade variables.Main results: The identification of the hedonic nature of wine consumption explains the increase in frequency, while the negative feelings associated with the lockdown and health concerns are not relevant, which implies a different effect on consumption than in the case of other disasters. Consumer loyalty before the lockdown and the role that technology has played in explaining the frequency of consumption in the form of apps, online purchasing and digital drinks opens up a new horizon in the study of consumer behaviour.Research highlights: Although econometrically different, the impact of the Covid-19 crisis tend to be felt similarly among the Iberian countries. The effects of psychological impacts related to feelings of Covid-19 of the lockdown does not show impact in wine consumption behaviour. The consumer background and behavioural attitude towards wine explain most changes in consumption pattern
Technologies used at advanced dairy farms for optimizing the performance of dairy animals: A review
Full text linkSuperior germplasm, better nutrition strategies, health care facilities and improved dairy husbandry practices have boosted milk yield and its quality with a rapid rate. Per cow productivity has risen up sharply with considerable increase in the population of dairy animals. Recent era has witnessed the extension of large dairy farms around the world. Demand for high quality and increased quantity of milk is of the prime concern for all the dairy farms. With an increase in the size of animals in a farm, the labour requirement also rises up. Availability of skilled labour at low wage rate is becoming difficult. In last couple of decades, the cost of microprocessors has been reduced to an affordable level. The economic availability of engineered processors, artificial intelligence, improved data statistics combined with expert suggestions has created a revolution in livestock farming. Advanced engineered devices have become alternative to reduce high labour cost. This review focuses on latest knowledge and emerging developments in animal’s welfare focused biomarker activities and activity-based welfare assessment like oestrus, lameness and others. Use of enhanced sensors and data technologies with expert based solutions is anticipated to bring out a substantial improvement in existing dairy farming practices
Classification of hazelnut varieties by using artificial neural network and discriminant analysis
Full text linkAim of study: This study was conducted to classify hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) varieties by using artificial neural network and discriminant analysis.
Area of study: Samsun Province, Turkey.
Material and methods: The physical, mechanical and optical properties of 11 hazelnut varieties were determined for three major axes. The parameters of physical, mechanical and optical properties were included as independent variables, while hazelnut varieties were included as dependent variables. Models were created for each of the three axes to classify hazelnut varieties.
Main results: Classification success rates with Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and Discriminant Analysis (DA) were found as 89.1% and 92.7% for X axis, as 92.7% and 92.7% for Y axis and as 86.8% and 88.7% for Z axis, respectively. The classification results of ANN and DA models were found to be very close to each other. Both models can be used in the classification of hazelnut varieties.
Research highlights: The results obtained for the identification and classification of hazelnut varieties show the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed models
Growth differential related to wood structure and function of Eucalyptus spp. clones adapted to seasonal drought stress
Full text linkAim of the study: To evaluate the growth performance, wood density and anatomical features of four drought-tolerant Eucalyptus spp. clones, at 4 years, and to examine the relationships between these characteristics and some functional parameters.
Area of study: The analyzed trees were from a clonal test installed in a region characterized by seasonal drought stress in central-western Brazil.
Methods: Trees were felled, followed by obtaining dendrometric parameters and wood disk sampling to determine wood bulk density by x-ray densitometry, and morphometric parameters of fibers and vessels in order to evaluate the xylem hydraulic architecture. Lumen fraction (F), vessel composition (S) and hydraulic conductivity (Ks) were estimated.
Results: Clone D (E. urophylla x E grandis) presented the highest growth rates, which was related to anatomical characteristics such as low relative frequency of wide vessels. High theoretical Ks does not necessarily imply higher growth rates and were related to lower wood densities. It is possible to infer that the better xylem adjustability of Eucalyptus trees in response to drought stress conditions is associated with increased vessel composition to the detriment of higher hydraulic conductivity.
Research highlights: Vessel composition showed a greater variation among Eucalyptus genotypes and was positively associated with growth performance.
Keywords: wood anatomy; dendrometry; X-ray densitometry; water stress; hydraulic conductivity.
Abbreviations used: F: lumen fraction; S: vessel composition; Ks: theoretical xylem-specific hydraulic conductivity
Effects of fan volute structure on airflow characteristics in rice combine harvesters
Full text linkAim of study: Selecting a proper fan for the rice combine harvesters to get a good cleaning performance when harvesting high yield rice. Area of study: Jiangsu Province, China.Material and methods: Three potential multi-duct fans were designed, and the computational fluid dynamics and hot wire anemometer technology were utilized to learn the airflow and pressure variation inside the fan with perforated plates at the outlet ducts as cleaning loads. Then, the fan with the best performance was selected and a multi-duct cleaning test-bed was developed. The variation of the corresponding airflow velocity in the cleaning system was analyzed and the ideal airflow velocity in different section of the sieve was clarified. Finally, a field experiment was carried out.Main results: For a rice combine harvester with a feed rate of 7 kg/s (material other than grain + grain), the requested airflow rates inside the cleaning shoe was about 3.0 m3/s. The ideal airflow velocity in different section of the cleaning shoe was 8-9 m/s at upper duct, 4-6 m/s at the middle section, and 3-4 m/s at the tail section; large improvement in cleaning performance was achieved with the designed fan.Research highlights: The airflow velocity decreased as the cleaning loads at the duct increased. The fan with the averaged airflow velocity ≥7 m/s at the upper duct under different cleaning loads, and the airflow velocity at the lowest duct ≥ 9 m/s, is favorable for forming a blowing airflow in the tail sieve and is good for grain stratification
Monitoring and bioremediation of organochlorine pesticides in surface water with Enterobacter asburiae
Full text linkAim of study: One of the safest techniques regarding the remediation of contaminated water is biological remediation. This study aimed to: (i) monitoring of a collection of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in three agricultural drainages (Nashart, no. 9, and El-shoka), located in Kafr El-Sheikh governorate, Egypt; and ii) investigate the biodegradation potential of different bacterial isolates regarding organochlorine pesticides.Material and methods: Analysis of OCPs was carried out by gas chromatography, Enrichment cultures were used for isolation of the bacterial strains capable of OCPs biodegradation and the most efficient isolate was identified based on morphological, biochemical ad molecular characteristics.Main results: The determination of OCPs in water samples by gas chromatography showed varying values of OCPs ranging from 0.0 mg/L (below detection limit) to 0.0385 mg/L. A total of four morphologically different bacterial isolates were obtained, which showed a remarkable capability of OCPs biodegradation detected in mineral salt medium containing 17 OCPs active ingredients by two approaches including the analysis of the OCP residues at the end of the incubation period and measuring the bacterial growth in terms of total viable count and optical density. The bacterial isolate N2 showed the highest degradation capability when the screening process was carried out to select the most efficient isolates, which was identified according to the morphological, biochemical and molecular characterization as Enterobacter asburiae.Research highlights: The biodegradation of OCPs using E. asburiae was proved to be a promising approach for the detoxification and removal of OCPs residues in aqueous systems
Modelling global solar radiation to optimise agricultural production
Full text linkAim of study: To present a complete global radiation model that includes direct, diffuse sky and ground-reflected radiation, and compare the values with those obtained by the pyranometers.Area of study: The data were analyzed at the meteorological station network in Extremadura, Spain, to validate the results calculated by the model.Material and methods: The method uses the maps from meteorological station data are based on a single piece of daily solar radiation data for an area of 8,000 to 9,000 ha, whereas the maps created by the models are obtained using the spatial resolution of the digital elevation model, in this case 25 × 25m.Main results: The analytical model used in the study obtained global radiation values with a difference of 1.44% relative to the values captured by the meteorological stations in Extremadura. Analysis of the data indicates that on days with a specific type of fog or very diffuse cloud, the global radiation captured by sensors is greater than it would be on clear-sky days in the same area. The method was suitable for calculating global solar radiation on any type of terrain with its corresponding diversity of crop types.Research highlights: The research highlights the importance of understanding and modelling solar radiation for efficient use of water resources in agriculture. Adding these global radiation models to a GIS would provide a very valuable tool for developing regions