Instituto Mediterrâneo para a Agricultura Ambiente e Desenvolvimento

The increase in agricultural production and food quality has forced the growing use of plastics in various activities. The plastic wastes are partially recycled in or outside Portugal; nevertheless, the contaminated wastes are sent to landfill. It is crucial to consider new models for their valorization at a regional level and from a circular economy perspective. In the scope of the Placarvões project, a study was elaborated, which included the types and quantities of plastics used in the irrigation area of the Alqueva Dam, in southern Portugal. The crops that use the most plastic are intensive olive groves, almonds, and table grapes, which represent more than 91% of total plastic waste. The production of activated carbons (ACs) is a solution to avoid plastics landfill. ACs were produced from plastic used on food packaging (PB-Samples) and sheeting film (PS-Samples) by activation with K2CO3. ACs presented well-developed textural properties (PB-K2CO3-1:1–700 and PS-K2CO3-1:1–700 exhibited a volume of 0.32 and 0.25 cm3 g−1 and an apparent surface area of 723 and 623 m2 g−1, respectively). Both ACs performed very well concerning four pesticide removals from the liquid phase. This solution is very promising, such these ACs could be applied in effluent treatments on a large scale.

Etherification of limonene with methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, 1-butanol and 2-butanol to ethers were performed using a mesostructured silica with sulfonic groups, like MCM-41-SO3H, immobilized in chitosan (CHT), as composite catalyst (MCM-41-SO3H/CHT). The main product of limonene etherification in the present of MCM-41-SO3H/CHT composites was the α-terpinyl ether, which can be used in pharmaceutical and fine industry. Composite materials with different amounts of catalyst were prepared. These materials were used in methoxylation of limonene. It was observed that the catalytic activity of composite materials increased with the loading of MCM-41-SO3H dispersed in chitosan. The composite catalyst with highest activity was [MCM-41-SO3H]3/CHT. Composite material, [MCM-41-SO3H]3/CHT, can be recovered and reused in reaction of limonene with methanol. As [MCM-41-SO3H]3/CHT composite showed the highest catalytic activity in methoxylation of limonene, this material was applied in etherification of limonene with ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, 1-butanol and 2-butanol. An increased of activity with a decrease of the carbon number of alcohols was observed. A possible explanation is the presence of some internal limitations in channelling of composite catalyst. Selectivity of [MCM-41-SO3H]3/CHT to ethers was studied. When the carbon number of alcohol chain increase, a decrease of selectivity of composites is verified.

Almond (Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D. A. Webb) is a traditional culture in Portugal, which gained a renewed interest due to the installation of new orchards. Grafting remains the main method used for almond propagation. The successful establishment of a graft union between two parts (scion and rootstock) requires auxins, which are involved in wound response and vascular regeneration. This work aimed at the quantification and immunolocalization of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in almond micrografts before micrografting (T0) and 21 days after micrografting (T2). The results are a step forward to understand of how auxin is involved in graft compatibility in almond.

Limonene has generally been recuperated from orange peels. It is an essential oil with different applications. The limonene is a compound with high importance on biorefineries. Limonene's commercial value can be improved by different reactions, like alkoxylation, acetoxylation, and hydration reactions. The products of these reactions have high commercial value. Usually, these reactions are performed using inorganic acids, like sulfuric acid. However, these acids have some drawbacks, such as its reutilization and its separation from reaction mixture. To overcome these problems, solid materials (heterogeneous catalysts) have been developed to replace the mineral acids (homogeneous catalysts). Zeolites, heteropolyacids, acid resins and silica can be used as material for limonene valorization. This work is a revision about the valorization of limonene using heterogeneous materials.

In recent years, almond culture has increased in Portugal with the introduction of new orchards neglecting the traditional varieties. Micrografting, grafting in in vitro conditions, is a technique that has been established for commercial almond trees, but no studies have been described with Portuguese varieties. In this work, an efficient protocol for almond micrografting with traditional almond trees was established. The effect of plant growth regulators (BAP and IBA) and activated charcoal on culture medium were also evaluated during micrografting assays. Furthermore, the effect of auxin IBA on root induction was analysed during rooting assays.

Abstract Objective quantification of effort and distress during endurance rides through biomarkers could help manage competitions more effectively and monitor horse welfare through an evidence-based approach. This study aimed to determine if salivary cortisol (SC) and ocular temperature measured by infrared thermography (IRT OT ) are related to the outcome in endurance competitions. Saliva was collected and IRT OT measured from 61 and 14 horses, respectively, competing at qualifier 40km and 80km rides at Pre-Inspection (PI) and Vet Gates (VG). The variation of the baseline SC at the PI (median±IQR=0.27ng/dl±0.36) into VG1 was abrupt (93-256% rise) and in the next VGs either decreased or rose at a very modest level. Less experienced horses in the 40km ride showed a significantly (p<0.05) higher IRT OT (median±IQR=35.7ºC±1.4) at the PI, than their counterparts in the 80Km ride (median±IQR=35. ºC ±1.5). Horses classifying in the Top5, in the 40 km ride category had significantly (p=0.05) higher SC levels (median±IQR=0.90ng/ml ±0.61) at the PI, than horses positioned from 10th position on (median±IQR = 0.16ng/ml ±0.40). A lower IRT OT in the PI was correlated with a better placement (p>0.05) and those in the Top5 (median±IQR = 33.9ºC ±0.0) had a higher variation (+10.65%) into the last VG. A 62% predictive value for elimination (80% sensibility and 82% specificity) where SC is higher than 0.23ng/ml is advanced. SC and IRT OT can be potentially used in association to characterise physical effort and emotional stress in endurance competitions, but its significance to performance has to be put in context with the competition level.

Humans occupy the space in different ways. The practices through which they deal with local biophysical potential to pursue their goals shape the space forming the "land". We consider the land as the spatial entity whose character is defined by these human and natural interactions at a given time. "Land changes" occur when at least one of the following land components is modified : the shape of this spatial entity, its cover/use, the practices operated on it, its tenure or its accessibility. Taken together several partial or individual changes may show common dynamics than can be named " land change transitions" (LCT). International (i.e., planned) and uninternational changes coexist in the real world eventually driving these transitions according tu local and global dynamics. Rethinking LCT is a way to address drastic and subtle land changes to understanding and steering them. Indeed, this is a twofold challenge for research. On the one hand, research has to bridge the gap with the complex array of actions taking place on land, on the other hand understanding LCT requires to work across disciplinary boundaries. For that, our communication aims at conceptualizing LCT stressing out the "territory" as a relevant inter- and trans- disciplinary perspective. In this context territory is meant as the level of ogranisation for local actions in response to wider global drivers. We focus on rural territoiries - placed in-between the more permanent urban and natural areas - the spaces on Earth where probably the most important LCT are taking place. Changes of land cover (e.g., from agriculture to urban), so as of the land system strucutre (e.g., the increasing mix of urban and agricultural areas) or of the practices (e.g., the conversion to organic farming of producers located in peri-urban areas or their coordination with consumers' assocations) occur unevenly in space and over time, eventually making the land character evolving more rapidly than in the past and more deeply than in urban or natural areas. Undesired side-effects for these lands are widely documented in literature, suche as the loss of the cultural charater or the threatening of natural resources. We will discuss the relevance of a territorial approach to articulate local et global land change transitions, and to make explicit how the relations between different land users and managers with the local biophysical potential shape and can be used to design different land system architecture.

Em Portugal, a região do Oeste é responsável pela produção de cerca de 100 000 toneladas de tomate por ano em estufa. A importância da cultura para a região é inegável e a aposta no setor é fundamental, com os sistemas sem solo a ganhar ênfase, numa cultura que é ainda predominantemente conduzida em solo. De modo a avaliar a possível vantagem da alteração do sistema produtivo para os produtores da região, foi conduzido um estudo comparativo da qualidade dos frutos associada a dois sistemas de produção: sem solo (A) e em solo (S) em estufas na região do Oeste. A maioria dos parâmetros analisados não apresentou diferenças significativas entre modos de produção, no entanto foram detetadas algumas diferenças importantes, nomeadamente nos sólidos solúveis totais e índice de maturação, que se revelaram mais elevados em A, enquanto os frutos da estufa S apresentaram coordenadas de cor que revelam maior luminosidade, tonalidades mais amareladas e cor mais forte e brilhante.