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- Application of a PGP bacterial bioinoculant in a vineyard: impact on soil biochemical properties and must compositionPublication . Prieto-Fernández, Ángeles; Pereira, Sofia; Sousa, Ana Sofia; Rodríguez-Garrido, Beatriz; González-Prieto, Serafin; Castro, Paula; Trasar-Cepeda, CarmenThe ReCROP project, funded by the PRIMA-Med programme, focuses on the development of sustainable agricultural production systems through the combined use of biotechnological tools and environmentally friendly agronomic practices to enhance soil functions and health. As part of this project, a PGP bacterial strain was used as a bioinoculant in a vineyard of the Mencía variety, located within the DO Ribeiro region (Galicia, NW Spain). This study presents the results of bioinoculation performed over two consecutive cropping seasons, 2023 and 2024. At the harvest, soil and grape samples were collected from both non-inoculated and inoculated vines. Soil analysis included general characterization, determination of labile C compounds, C and N mineralization, and the measurement of several enzymatic activities. Must was analyzed for pH, sugar content, and organic acids. The bioinoculation led to an increase in labile C compounds, enhanced N mineralization, and stimulated several enzymatic activities. Additionally, preliminary results indicate that the must composition was altered by the bioinoculant, which modified the profile of organic acids.
- Application of a PGP bacterial bioinoculant in a vineyard: impact on soil biochemical properties and must compositionPublication . Prieto-Fernández, Ángeles; Pereira, Sofia; Sousa, Ana Sofia; Rodríguez-Garrido, Beatriz; González-Prieto, Serafin; Castro, Paula; Trasar-Cepeda, CarmenIntroduction: Sustainable agriculture increasingly relies on the use of environmentally friendly practices and biotechnological tools to maintain soil health and productivity. The ReCROP project, funded by the PRIMA-Med programme, aims to enhance soil functions and resilience through integrated cropping systems. As part of this initiative, we evaluated the effects of a plant growth-promoting (PGP) bacterial bioinoculant applied in a vineyard of the Mencía grape variety located in the Ribeiro Denomination of Origin (Galicia, NW Spain). This study explores the bioinoculant's influence on soil biochemical properties and must composition over two growing seasons. Experimental field site: The field trial was conducted in a vineyard located in the Denomination of Origin (D.O.) Ribeiro area, specifically in A Gandarela – Esposende, within the municipality of Ribadavia (Galicia, NW Spain). The vineyard is situated at GPS coordinates 42.2959, -8.1327 and is registered in the SIGPAC system under code 32 70 00 44 148. The site is representative of typical Ribeiro vineyards, characterized by a temperate Atlantic climate. The experimental area covered approximately 0.03 ha and consisted of three plots, each with an approximate area of 100 m². Material and methods: The study was conducted over two consecutive cropping seasons (2023 and 2024) in the described experimental vineyard. A plant growth-promoting (PGP) bacterial strain, Arthrobacter nicotinovorans EAPAA, was used as a bioinoculant. The selected PGP strain presents beneficial traits such as phosphorus solubilization and nitrogen fixation. The strain was cultured in Tryptic Soy Broth (TSB) and the inoculum consisted of 500 mL of a bacterial suspension with an optical density of 1.0, applied at the base of each grapevine stock in early spring. In each plot, four grapevines were inoculated and four were treated with 1/3 diluted TSB as controls. At harvest, soil and grape samples were collected from both non-inoculated and inoculated vines. Soil samples were taken at the base of each vine and pooled to obtain one composite sample for the inoculated and one for the non-inoculated treatments per plot. Conclusions: The bioinoculation with the PGP strain Arthrobacter nicotinovorans EAPAA in a Mencía vineyard led to several soil beneficial effects: Improved availability of labile C and labile P; Enhanced soil biological and biochemical activity, particularly of the N and P cycles. The bioinoculation also appears to induce modifications of must composition, which should be further studied to analyse their impact in the vinification process. These findings suggest that the bioinoculant can contribute to improving soil functionality and may influence grape quality, offering a promising strategy for sustainable vineyard management.
- 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.
- Assessment of trombidiidae (acari) as biondicators for wastewater treatment in a constructed wetlandPublication . Magalhães, João Pedro Correia de Sousa; Pereira, Sofia; Leong, Chi Man; Xu, John Hongxi; Calheiros, Cristina S. C.Introduction and aim: The family Trombidiidae (superorder Acariformes), with common names such as red velvet mites, exhibits dietary habit shifts throughout their development. Larvae are parasitic, while nymphs and adults transition to a free-living, soil-dwelling predator stage (Durkin et al., 2021). Predation by these mites is usually done in rocks, tree stumps, plants, leaf litter, and moss, with other arthropods and their eggs being their prey. These hunting environments fit the habitat created by constructed wetlands (CWs) biological wastewater treatment systems, mimicking the processes and conditions that occur in natural wetlands. A macrofauna assessment was performed in a CW located in a tourism house in the north of Portugal, near Ponte de Lima, to understand its performance after 15 years of operation, with Trombidiidae mites being found. Method: This work involved seasonal sampling of macrofauna at multiple collection spots within and around the CW, with pitfall trapping being complemented by substrate core sampling to assess both belowground and aboveground communities. This occurred across the Autumn of 2022 to the Summer of 2023. The collected specimens were sorted by taxonomic group, identified further, when possible, photographed and quantified, with statistical analysis currently underway. Results and discussion: The presence of Trombidiidae was confirmed in all seasons in the 15-year-old CW, implying that this CW maintains favorable environmental conditions year-round. This tracks with the hypothesis of the environment created by the CW mimicking the natural habitats in which these predators hunt. The simultaneous occurrence of spiders, preferred hosts for the larval stage of these mites, within the same system indicates that their life cycle is likely sustained within this system. The fact that these spiders are numerous might also imply a robustness in their population, with their numbers not being heavily affected by the parasitism. As both parasites and predators of the biodiversity presented in the CW, Trombidiidae may contribute to a deeper understanding of the food web within these systems, providing proof as bioindicators of the ecological and habitat benefits CWs can provide. Conclusion: Preliminary results indicate a robust and well-structured ecosystem, with the consistent presence of Trombidiidae across all seasons, suggesting a stable population, with hosts for the larval stage, ensuring their cycle of life.
- Bioinocula application in maize plants growing in a P-deficient agricultural soilPublication . Pereira, Sofia; Calheiros, Cristina; Castro, Paula M. L.Introduction: 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). Methods: The ability of bacterial isolates to solubilize phosphate was performed in liquid culture using National Botanical Research Institute's phosphate growth medium (NBRIP) supplemented with 5 g l-1 of TCP. Strains were sampled at different time intervals (0, 1, 2, 3, 6, 8 and 10 days) for determining soluble phosphate, pH and acid phosphatase. Bacterial strains, Rhodococcus sp. EC35; Pseudomonas sp. EAV and A. nicotinovorans EAPAA, were used for exploring their potential to improve Z. mays growth in P-deficient soils. Greenhouse experiment consisted of a factorial design with three phosphate treatments: control – without P fertilization, soluble P (KH2PO4) and TCP (sparingly soluble P) and 5 types of inoculation: no bacteria – B0 (uninoculated control), B1 (Rhodococcus sp. EC35), B2 (Pseudomonas sp. EAV), B3 (A. nicotinovorans EAPAA) and BM – (mixture of B1, B2 and B3). After 90 days plants root elongation, shoot height and plant dry biomass were determined. Total P in the roots and shoots and available P in rhizosphere soils were determined at the end of experiment. The persistence of inoculated strains in soils was evaluated by Denaturing Gel Gradient Electrophoresis (DGGE). Results and discussion: The PSB decreased pH of the growth medium and simultaneously increased soluble P when grown in liquid culture. The negative relationship observed suggested that acidification of the medium could facilitate P solubilization. In soils amended with TCP, the bacterial strain that better performed was A. nicotinovorans EAPAA (B3) which increased root biomass by 81% and root P concentration by 8.6%. Mixed inoculation (BM), also promoted root biomass production by 83% and P uptake by 2.6%. These results clearly indicated that inoculation with strains B3 and with BM is closely related to a better absorption of P from soil. Bacterial inoculation also improved Z. mays biomass and P root and shoot accumulation in soils without P fertilization, despite the initial low levels of available P in soils. The results obtained by DGGE showed that rhizobacteria were able to colonize rhizosphere soils of the Z. mays plants and were detectable after 45 days in all treatments. Taking into consideration that maize need a higher P supply in the initial stages of development, the persistence of bacterial strains in rhizosphere soils at least up to 45 days (half the life cycle of the plant) showed that these PSB can be used as bioinoculants and significantly promote growth of Z. mays in P-deficient soils, especially in early stages of maize growth. Conclusions: Inoculation of Z. mays plants with selected rhizobacteria significantly enhanced plant growth and nutrition in P-deficient soils. Strains Rhodococcus sp. EC34, Pseudomonas sp. EAV and A. nicotinovorans EAPAA may be used as biofertilizers in order to improve maize growth in P-deficient soils, constituting an interesting alternative to the application of P fertilizers, reducing costs and improving crop yields.
- Constructed wetland: multi-functional benefits of an ecological engineered systemPublication . Ojediran, Adetunji; Pereira, Sofia; Rosa-Santos, Paulo; Rodrigues, Ana; Calheiros, Cristina S. C.Introduction and aim: Constructed wetlands (CWs) are engineered systems inspired by natural wetlands and commonly used for decentralized wastewater treatment. Although their efficiency in pollutant removal is well recognized, other ecosystem services they provide are often overlooked. This work highlights these broader multifunctional benefits through a real-scale horizontal subsurface flow CW (HSSF-CW) operating at a tourism facility in northern Portugal. Results and discussion: System has shown stable long-term operation, providing a reliable basis to explore additional ecosystem services beyond conventional wastewater treatment. Carbon sequestration is being assessed through biomass accumulation and carbon retention in the substrate. Energy recovery is under evaluation using microbial fuel cell integration Harvested plant biomass is being tested for composting and soil amendment, supporting nutrient recycling within the system. The treated effluent demonstrates potential for safe water reuse in irrigation, promoting circular water use on site. Treatment performance is being enhanced using photocatalytic and nanostructured filter modules. Future research would be advanced system optimization and modeling. Conclusion: Recognizing other broader functions of CWs is essential to repositioning them as more than just wastewater treatment technology but rather as multifunctional ecosystem systems that they are.
- 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 a soil biofertilizer in the functional profile of the soil microbial community through the biolog assayPublication . Lima, Sonny; Pacheco, João; Ganilho, Catarina; Crespo, Rute; Andreani, Tatiana; Godinho, Mariana; Pereira, Sofia; Pereira, RuthBackground & Aim: The dependency on crops of products with chemical compounds, whether fertilizers or pesticides, for saving the development and yield has been a challenge to the environment, and new alternatives are being sought to change this reality. The excessive use of chemicals affects human health and soil quality. There is a significant need to produce green compounds that are environmentally sustainable, improving or restoring microbial activity in the soil. Biofertilizers are compounds that contain biological substances and may be capable of stimulating plant development, by providing nutrients and other plant-growth promoting compounds and by increasing soil microbial activity, and reducing the impacts generated by mineral fertilizers. The objective was to verify the effects of applying a biofertilizer, Vitasoil™, which contains rhizospheric microorganisms that positively interact with plants, on the functional profile of the soil microbial community. Methods: The first evaluation was conducted one month after the application of the compound, using Biolog EcoPlates. Results: Its composition includes two types of bacteria: Azotobacter sp. and Azospirillum sp. We chose kale (Brassica oleracea) for the tests, with direct application of the compound diluted in the proper proportion to the plant's root, so that we could compare the inoculated soils with the non- inoculated ones. Conclusions: This method was able to show the effects of the inoculant application on the soil with and without B. oleracea plants and inferring about the positive/negative effects on the non-target bulk soil microbial community.