Browsing by Author "Pereira, Sofia"
Now showing 1 - 10 of 26
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Application of phytomanagement strategies in contaminated areas of the SUDOE spacePublication . Mench, Michel; Garbisu, Carlos; Epelde, Lur; Soussou, Souhir; Soto-Lopez, Manuel; Hernandez, Antonio; Dudoit, Laurent; Vilela, Juan; Castro, Paula; Moreira, Helena; Pereira, Sofia; Rodríguez-Garrido, Beatriz; Prieto-Fernandez, Angeles; Monterroso-Martínez, Carmen; Cardoso, Eduardo; Jouveau, Séverin; Burlett, Régis; Delzon, Sylvain; Albareda, Aroa; Sousa, Álvaro Nunes de; Becerril, Jose Maria; Segura, Raphael
- Assessment of culturable endophytic community of Canna flaccida plants growing in a constructed wetlandPublication . Calheiros, Cristina; Pereira, Sofia; Castro, Paula M. L.Sustainable water management urges for the treatment of wastewater in an efficient way. With the latter purpose, ecotechnologies arise as promising solutions for rural and mountain areas lacking a sewage network. Constructed wetlands (CW) coupled with preliminary/primary systems foresee enhancement of the water quality and its possible reuse. The challenge presented in this work reflects the application of a CW to domestic wastewater treatment coming from a tourism house, situated in a rural area. The use of different ornamental plants species to treat the wastewater was an important component of the system, increasing biodiversity and supporting the local ecosystem. Performance of the CW was assessed in terms of physic-chemical and microbial parameters. The endophytic culturable bacteria of a selected plant species, Canna flaccida, were evaluated.
- Bioinocula application in maize plants growing in a P-deficient agricultural soilPublication . Pereira, Sofia; Calheiros, Cristina; Castro, Paula M. L.According to the United Nations predictions, the human population will reach 9 billion people by 2050, being imperative an increase in food supply. Phosphorus (P) is a limiting factor in crop growth and, due to its low availability, P-deficiency in soils is widespread, and as such the successive application of P-fertilizers to maintain crop production has occurred (Sharma et al., 2013), leading to severe environmental problems. Microbial mediated P management appears as an eco-friendly tool for agricultural sustainable practices. The harnessing of Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria (PSB) seems to be of utmost importance towards the reverse of the current use of large amounts of P fertilizers, since they can stimulate plant growth in particular through the conversion of bound P in soil into bioavailable P forms (Pereira and Castro, 2014). This work aimed to evaluate the ability of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) to enhance Zea mays growth in an agricultural P-deficient soil. Strains were screened for their ability to solubilize P and to produce plant growth promoting (PGP) substances. The best P-solubilizing strains Rhodococcus sp EC35 (B1), Pseudomonas sp. EAV (B2) and Arthrobacter nicotinovorans EAPAA (B3) were inoculated in maize plants growing in P-deficient soils without P fertilization and amended with soluble (KH2PO4) and with tricalcium phosphate (TCP).
- Cuidar de idosos dependentes - a sobrecarga dos cuidadores familiaresPublication . Pereira, Sofia; Duque, EduardoEste estudo tem como objetivo avaliar a sobrecarga dos cuidadores familiares. Para tanto, analisa-se a relação entre o grau de dependência do idoso dependente e o nível de sobrecarga dos cuidadores. A metodologia usada apoia-se num questionário ao prestador de cuidados, na Escala de Sobrecarga do Cuidador, e no Índice de Barthel. Os resultados mostram que éna família que se encontra a primeira linha de apoio, cuja constante prestação de cuidados conduz ao aumento da sobrecarga, a qual depende do número de horas que o cuidador presta ao idoso dependente, bem como do apoio informal que ele próprio recebe.
- Degradation pathway of mono-fluorophenol by Pisolithus tinctorius: Influence on protein expressionPublication . Franco, Albina R.; Pereira, Sofia; Castro, Paula M. L.
- Effect of microbial and biochar application on sunflower growth and metal accumulationPublication . Godinho, Mariana; Moreira, Helena; Henriques, Isabel; Castro, Paula; Pereira, Sofia
- Effect of microbial and biochar application on sunflower growth and metal accumulationPublication . Godinho, Mariana; Moreira, Helena; Henriques, Isabel; Castro, Paula; Pereira, Sofia
- Effect of the inoculation of plant growth promoting bacteria on maize plants to improve their growth under drought stressPublication . Abreu, Daniela; Pereira, Sofia; Moreira, Helena; Vega, Alberto; Castro, PaulaBackground: According to the United Nations, by 2050 the world population will reach approximately 9.6 billion people, which implies a major challenge for the agricultural sector to improve crop production and to ensure food availability in the near future. However, global warming and bad agricultural practices are impairing food productivity. Drought is one of the major limiting factors for plant growth, causing dehydration and nutrient deficiency. Therefore, the application of sustainable practices in agriculture is essential to maintain soil fertility and to increase crop productivity. It has been demonstrated that plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) have positive effects on plants growing under drought conditions. The aim of this work is to evaluate the effect of two PGPB inocula size on maize growth and nutrient content under different water regimes (80, 60 and 40% of soil water holding capacity (WHC)). Method: Thirteen PGPB were screened in vitro for osmotic tolerance and indole acetic acid (IAA) production under different osmotic potentials. Strains Pseudomonas fluorescens S3X and Ralstonia eutropha 1C2 were inoculated in maize under greenhouse conditions. Different bacterial treatments and two inocula sizes (2.5 x 10 6 and 3.3 x 10 3 cell. g -1 dry weight) were applied on plants growing at 80, 60 and 40% of soil WHC. Plants were harvested after 13 weeks. Dry biomass and the accumulation of N and P on roots and shoots were determined. The activity of soil enzymes, such as catalase, and the fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolysis were also evaluated. Results & Conclusions: Maize growth was affected by the water regimes applied, especially at 40% of WHC. Bacterial inoculation enhanced some biometric parameters at 80 and 60% of WHC, however, the effects observed were similar for both inocula size applied. It was observed a severe reduction of FDA activity at 40% WHC, which indicates that the microbial activity was negatively affected by low soil moisture.
- Environmental footprint of emerging technologies, regulatory and legislative issuesPublication . Castro, Sónia M.; Inácio, Rita S.; Alexandre, Elisabete M. C.; Fidalgo, Liliana G.; Pereira, Sofia; Quaresma, Patrícia; Freitas, Paulo; Teixeira, Paula; Pintado, Maria Manuela; Gomes, Ana M.; Tonello, Carole; Saraiva, Jorge A.Consumers are more demanding, better educated in terms of food quality and nutritional aspects, and forcing producers along with regulatory agencies to search for alternative processing technologies. Some of these technologies like high pressure, pulsed electrical fields, supercritical CO2, ultrasound, ozone, or plasma treatment are at industrially use, pilot scale, or even at the edge of application, but the most successful ones at the moment, with already a wide variety of commercial products, are high hydrostatic pressure and pulsed electrical fields. These technologies offer better products, both “natural” in terms of fresh-like flavor and ingredients and safe with extended shelf-life. This tendency leads to the need for a global regulation system that ensures quality of food regardless of country of origin and, at the same time, without compromising safety. In addition to this system, there should be governing bodies that regulate and monitor the enforcement of these food-processing regulations, to avoid regulations that often only apply to countries belonging to specific organizations. Together with food legislation concerns, sustainable food manufacturing and related efficient energy use have also became priorities of the food industries. While conventional preservation processes (e.g., canning, freezing, drying) mainly use thermal energy, more complex processes use mechanical, electromagnetic, electrical, and other forms of energy, which can reduce the energy consumption. Indeed the efficient use of resources in food industry is a critical element for the future generations for sustainable food processing, but the impact of energy requirements in emerging technologies has not been a matter of intense discussion. The objective of this chapter is to provide a concise overview of environmental footprint of emerging technologies, namely high-pressure processing and pulsed electric fields, and their current related food legislation status in various countries.
- Floating wetland islands as a water treatment technologyPublication . Pereira, Sofia; Calheiros, CristinaFloating wetland islands (FWIs) are innovative nature-based solutions designed to enhance water quality in various aquatic environments, including lakes, ponds, and reservoirs, while restoring their ecological functions. In recent years, FWIs have gained popularity due to their effectiveness, low cost, and low maintenance needs. These systems provide a range of valuable ecosystem services, such as boosting biodiversity, enhancing aesthetic appeal, and improving water quality through phytoremediation. The plants on FWIs absorb excess nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, mitigating nutrient pollution, reducing eutrophication, and preventing water body degradation. Additionally, the microorganisms associated with plant roots and floating mats decompose organic matter, while the plants facilitate oxygen transfer into the water. Moreover, FWIs provide essential habitats for wildlife such as birds and insects, thereby enriching local biodiversity. This study aimed to showcase the implementation of an FWI composed of a polyculture of Iris germanica, Acorus gramineus, Caltha palustris, and Typha latifolia, established on a cork agglomerate platform in a freshwater pond. The FWI was installed in 2018, with ongoing monitoring to evaluate improvements in local biodiversity and to assess the long-term effectiveness of the buoyancy in supporting plant growth.
- «
- 1 (current)
- 2
- 3
- »