Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research
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A further look of the genetic origin and singularity of the Torbiscal Iberian pig line
No full textAlthough the Torbiscal line of Iberian pigs has been largely studied, some aspects of its history are not well known. In this paper, we used pedigree-based methods on a complete genealogy of 4,077 entries in order to get a comprehensive analysis of its four founder strains and to evaluate the expected genetic contribution of each ancestral strain to the successive generations of the composite Torbiscal line. Between-strain differences and specific heterotic effects on piglet weight at 50 days of age were estimated from records of 9,052 piglets born in 1,571 litters of a complete diallel cross among the four strains. Moreover, we assessed the genetic singularity of the current Torbiscal pigs by other three studies, based on whole genome SNP genotypes, focused on the measure of its genetic diversity and differentiation with respect to other domestic and wild pig populations. The STRUCTURE algorithm detected two uppermost levels of the whole population structure, corresponding to European and Asian ancestries. These results confirmed the exclusive European origin of the Torbiscal and other Iberian pigs and the admixed origin of the Duroc breed. Finally, the comparison of Torbiscal with a representative pool of Iberian pigs showed a maximum genetic differentiation in regions of chromosomes three and seven, including some genes related to the regulation of muscle development
Blueberry consumption and healthy lifestyles in an emerging market
No full textAim of study: This study focuses on the preference for and consumption habits of blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) in an emerging market. The objective is to analyze the determinants of blueberry consumption in Chile and evaluate to what extent traditional factors, such as income and price, are more determinant than other attitudinal factors and lifestyles.Area of study: The Biobío Region (Chillán City), the second most important region in Chile.Material and methods: A face-to-face survey is applied to a random stratified sample. The survey collected information on adoption of healthy lifestyles, knowledge of blueberries as a natural functional food, some sociodemographic characteristics, and traditional economic factors. A Heckman model is estimated by the Maximum Likelihood.Main results: Results suggest that higher blueberry consumption is positively associated with the adoption of healthy lifestyles, a higher self-perception of healthy habits, and the recognition of blueberries as a natural functional food. The nutritional status reflected that people with a lower body mass index consume fewer blueberries. Finally, traditional factors, such as income and price, are showed to be more influential on blueberry consumption than attitudinal and lifestyle factors.Research highlights: Chilean consumers perceive blueberries as a healthy product, which can contribute to adopt healthier lifestyles. Domestic markets should be supplied with higher quality product taking into account that the demand is price inelastic. Branding and packaging with functional claims could be an efficient strategy to increase domestic consumption
The influence of family ownership in the profitability of vertically integrated companies. Evidence from the Spanish agri-food industry
No full textThe aim of this paper is to analyse whether the family control exerts a significant influence on profitability in agri-food companies that have been vertically integrated. This assumption is based on the idea that family-owned firms better overcome the internal conflict that arises in a company by reducing transaction costs. We have analysed the determinants of the profitability and its annual increase, considering the kind of company and its sector. Our results show that family firms tend to perform better, both from an economic and a financial perspective, than their counterparts, obtaining higher levels of efficiency with lower levels of debt. These factors lead to a higher profitability of family firms mainly attributable to the reductions of costs and financial expenses. Even though efficiency and size tend to grow if the family business is also vertically integrated, its levels of financial risk and commercial credit also increase and its sales margin decreases, which cause a trend to decrease in its profitability. These trends are independent of the year and the subsector
Assessing the effect of oxidative enzymes and stem anatomy on adventitious rooting of Olea europaea (L.) leafy cuttings
No full textAim of study: To assess the role of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD) and indole-3-acetic acid oxidase (IAAox) during adventitious rooting (Ar) in semi-hardwood cuttings of the easy-to-root olive cv. ‘Arbequina’ and the difficult-to-root cv. ‘Kalamata’. Simultaneously, a histological study was carried out in both cultivars to investigate the tissue related with Ar development.Area of study: The rooting experiments were carried out in ‘Kostelenos’ nurseries (Troizinia, Greece) and in Agricultural University of Athens.Material and methods: Plant material to set up the experiment was collected from current year shoots from 15-year-old mother plants of ‘Arbequina’ and ‘Kalamata’ at three different seasons (summer, autumn and spring). The auxin indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) at 2000 mg L-1 was used as rooting inducer.Main results: Analysis revealed that ‘Kalamata’ had significantly higher enzymatic activities before experiment onset and during Ar compared to ‘Arbequina’. Control cuttings of both cultivars exhibited increased enzymatic activities compared to IBA treated ones. IAAox was on average three times higher in ‘Kalamata’ than in ‘Arbequina’ and exhibited significant peaks during Ar. Similar peaks of POD and PPO activities were also detected. Histological analyses in ‘Kalamata’ revealed a continuous sheath of sclerenchyma ring and increased cortex thickness. Significant cell proliferation occurred in the phloem region in ‘Arbequina’ 15 days after planting and afterwards the root initials started developing in the secondary phloem from cambial cells.Research highlights: The differences in enzymatic activities as well as in stem anatomy could partly justify the different rooting ability of both cultivars
Effect of slaughter age and finishing diet on sensory evaluation and consumers’ preference of foal meat
No full textAim of study: This study focused on the sensory evaluation and consumer preferences of foal meat depending on the animal slaughter age (13 and 26 months) and finishing diet (standard and linseed concentrate).Area of study: It was developed in two localities in the north of Spain: Orense and Pamplona.Material and methods: The sensory study was conducted by a 10-member trained and a 474-consumer panel.Main results: The trained panel described meat from both, 13 and 26-months old foals similar between each other. On the contrary, consumers considered meat from the younger group to be juicier and tenderer, being juiciness and tenderness (p<0.05), the most important clues for their global acceptance. No differences were found in either the trained or the consumer panel due to the finishing diet. The consumers test was carried out in two Spanish cities (Pamplona and Orense. Two scenarios were considered: without and with supplementary information about the foal meat production. The additional information disclosed about foal meat had a positive effect on Pamplona consumers’ assessments.Research highlights: City and information level are essential factors to introduce foal meat in the market. The lack of knowledge about foal meat and its low presence in meat markets make it necessary to develop further sensory studies; to obtain foal meat description patterns, and to get to know consumers’ likings
Assessing localization impact on land values: a spatial hedonic study
No full textAim of study: To obtain spatial land valuing models using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), which collect spatial autocorrelation and improve the conventional models estimated by OLS (Ordinary Least Squares) to determine and quantify the factors explaining these values.Area of study: The Spanish Autonomous Community of Aragón, Spain.Material and methods: The mean land values per municipality and the land uses published by the Aragonese Statistics Institute were used, as well as the geographic, agricultural, demographic, economic and orographic characteristics of these municipalities. The Spatial Lag Model and the Spatial Error Model were compared with OLS in general terms and for uses.Main results: The statistics (R2, log likelihood, Akaike’s information criterion, Schwarz’s criterion) demonstrated that spatial models always outperformed conventional models. The tests based on the Lagrange Multiplier and Likelihood Ratio tests were significant at 99%. The importance of both agricultural and non-agricultural factors for determining the arable land value was confirmed. The land value increased with irrigation availability (by a mean of 2.2-fold for the set of all land uses), plot size (by 5.7% for each 1 ha increase), population size, income and location in nature reserves (11.02-12.89%).Research highlights: Results indicate the need to develop spatial models when modeling land prices by implementing GIS
Morphological and chemical markers associated with Acyrthosiphon pisum tolerance in hybrid pea lines
No full textAim of study: Determining morphological and chemical markers in hybrid lines of winter forage pea (Pisum sativum subsp. arvense L.) associated with Acyrthosiphon pisum tolerance for breeding programs.Area of study: The experimental field of the Institute of Forage Crops, Pleven, Bulgaria, during the 2016-2018 period.Material and methods: Six hybrid lines of winter forage pea were studied for tolerance to A. pisum. The field trial was conducted using a long-plot design and a natural background of soil (leached chernozem) supplied with major nutrients. An entomological net for sweeping was used once a week for aphid number recording. Stem height and leaf number were recorded and chemical composition was determined at the flowering stage. The coefficient of variation concerning aphid density was calculated and the stability and adaptability of lines was evaluated.Main results: Hybrid lines 6 and 12A were stable, widely adapted to the changing environmental conditions and the aphid density was statistically the lowest (31.1 and 36.8 individuals/m2, respectively). A significant positive interaction was found between aphid density and plant height, leaf area, protein, and phosphorus content. Lines 6 and 12A had lower stems (74.7 and 82.5 cm), smaller leaf areas (571.13 and 657.39 cm2/plant), lower protein and P contents, and these markers defined them as aphid tolerant.Research highlights: Incorporation of plant markers of pea lines, less preferred by aphids, is an efficient tool for improving breeding programs for aphid resistance
Transcriptome profiling of lentil in response to Ascochyta lentis infection
No full textAim of study: The purpose was to identify some general and genotypic-specific defense responses, in order to obtain a set of candidate genes presumably involved in the resistance.Area of study: The experiment was carried out in León, Spain.Material and methods: We have analyzed the response of three lentil genotypes to Ascochyta lentis (isolate AL 84) at transcriptomic level using the Massive Analysis of cDNA Ends (MACE) technique: the susceptible cultivar 'Lupa', the moderately resistant 'ILL5588' and the resistant wild accession 'BG 16880' (L. culinaris subsp. orientalis).Main results: MACE results yielded a total of 50,935 contigs. The average number of detected contigs in each of the six samples was approximately of 40,000. In response to Ascochyta infection, the jasmonic acid pathway and the lignin biosynthesis were up-regulated in resistant genotypes, while they were down-regulated in the susceptible one. The response to chitin, the salicylic pathway and the auxin response were activated only in the resistant L. c. culinaris genotype, while the giberellin synthesis was only induced in the susceptible L. c. culinaris cv. 'Lupa'. A set of 18 lentil gene sequences putatively involved in the response to the pathogen were validated by RT-qPCR.Research highlights: It can be concluded that in response to the infection by Ascochyta, the lignin biosynthesis and the JA pathway were critical for the resistance, while the giberellin synthesis seems to be related with susceptibility to the pathogen
The rhizosphere microbiome and biological control of weeds: A review
No full textThe productivity of important grain crops wheat, rice and maize is adversely affected by various biotic and abiotic stresses. Weeds and phytopathogens are the major biotic stresses involved in biomass reduction and yield losses of these cereal crops. Various weeds compete with crop plants for natural resources viz. light, moisture, nutrients and space, and cause yield losses to agricultural produce. Weeds also increase harvesting costs and reduce quality of the farm produce. Weed management strategies include crop rotation, mechanical weeding or treatment with different herbicides. Although, sprays of different herbicides control various destructive weeds but their excessive use is environmentally unsafe and uneconomic. Indiscriminate use of these agrochemicals for weed control has resulted into considerable pollution of soil, groundwater and atmosphere. Therefore, effective biological weed management is an attractive approach for achieving the increased crop production to meet the food demands of the escalating global population. Many bacteria and fungi have been identified from the plant rhizospheres, which suppress the growth of weeds. The production of indole acetic acid, aminolevulinic acid, toxins and hydrogen cyanide has been correlated with the growth suppression of various weeds. Interestingly, inoculation with bioherbicides results in creation of biased rhizosphere leading to resource partitioning of nutrients towards growth stimulation of crop plants. Thus, inoculation of plants with bioherbicides has been found to increase germination percentage, seedling vigor, root and shoot growth, seed weight and increased grain, fodder and fruit yields. These environment-friendly biocontrol strategies for management of weeds are highly compatible with the sustainable agriculture
An artificial neural network model to predict the effective work time of different agricultural field shapes
No full textThe aim of this study was to find a model able to extract the net time per unit of net worked area from different agricultural field basic shapes (square, circle, rectangle and triangle) considering the following variables: field gross area, working speed, number of turnings (these depending on the effective working width), side length parallel and orthogonal to working direction, and working direction type. Being this a non-linear problem, an approach based on artificial neural networks is proposed. The model was trained using an artificial dataset calculated for the various shapes (internal test) and then tested on 47 different agricultural operations extracted by a real field dataset for the estimation of the net time (external test). The net time records obtained from both, the trained model and the external test, were correlated and the performance parameter r was extracted. Both regression coefficients (r), for the training and internal test, appear to be excellent being equal to 0.98 with respect to traditional linear approach (0.13). The variable “number of turnings” scored the highest impact, with a value equal to 44.34% for the net time estimation. Finally, the r correlation parameter for the external test resulted to be very high (0.80). This information is very valuable of the use of information management system for precision agriculture