Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina (CBQF)
Permanent URI for this community
Browse
Browsing Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina (CBQF) by Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) "02:Erradicar a Fome"
Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Enhancing agroecological practices in vineyards: evaluating biotechnological tools for soil health and grapevine performance in the Douro regionPublication . Sousa, Ana S. S.; Godinho, Mariana; Oliveira, Manuel; Castro, Paula; Soares, Rui; Pereira, Sofia I. A.
- Enhancing agroecological practices in vineyards: evaluating biotechnological tools for soil health and grapevine performance in the Douro regionPublication . Sousa, Ana S. S.; Godinho, Mariana; Oliveira, Manuel; Castro, Paula; Soares, Rui; Pereira, Sofia I. A.
- Enhancing maize growth and reducing irrigation needs with extracellular polymeric substances and microbial inoculantsPublication . Overall, Alexandra; Moreira, Helena; Sousa, Ana S. S.; Wilfert, Philipp; Loosdrecht, Mark van; Castro, Paula M. L.; Pereira, Sofia I. A.Soil amendments and microbial inoculants can affect plant growth, water retention, and crop resilience. This study investigated the effects of two amendments, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and biochar, with and without bacterial inoculation, on maize (Zea mays) growth, irrigation needs, and physiological responses. Maize was cultivated in soil with 2.5 % and 5 % (w/w) of wet EPS (Kaumera®) or biochar and inoculated with a bacterial consortium consisting of Arthrobacter nicotinovorans EAPPA and Rhodococcus sp. EC35. EPS-treated plants exhibited significantly higher shoot biomass, larger stem thickness, while soil plant analysis development (SPAD) values suggest improved nutrient availability and photosynthetic efficiency. In non-inoculated plants, EPS supplementation increased shoot dry biomass by 78 % and stem thickness by 9 % compared to control plants grown without amendments. This enhancement strongly correlated with nutrient uptake, especially in plants supplemented with 5 % of EPS. Particularly, Mg and Ca concentrations increased by 195 % and 73 %, respectively, compared to non-amended controls. Inoculation further amplified these benefits, underscoring its key role in plant development and resilience. In contrast, biochar-treated plants exhibited reduced growth, suggesting stress effects at the tested addition doses. Electrolyte leakage, a key indicator of plant stress, was significantly lower in soils amended with EPS, suggesting that EPS provides a protective effect to the plants. EPS also demonstrated remarkable water retention benefits, reducing irrigation requirements by 30 % with 5 % of EPS application, compared to 9 % reduction with biochar. The use of EPS, combined with microbial inoculants, represents a sustainable agricultural strategy for optimizing maize production in water-limited environments.
- Insect-based dinner products for meat substitution in ordinary diets: developing the quality criteria and experimental products for consumer interventionsPublication . Maya, C.; Flore, R.; Sun, Y.; Costa, A. I. A.; Cunha, L. M.; Rocha, C.; Monteiro, M. J. P.; Osimani, A.; Aquilanti, L.; Borght, M. Van Der; Vandeweyer, D.; Chiriac, I. E.; Peters, M.; Rukov, J.; Roos, N.The growing environmental impact of livestock farming has emphasised the need for more sustainable diets with lower meat consumption, identifying insects as a potential alternative protein source. The Sustainable Insect Chain (SUSINCHAIN) project aimed to incorporate six new insect protein products into regular dinner meals, aiming to replace 20% of meat protein through a six-week dietary intervention in Denmark and Portugal, namely a randomised controlled study targeting families with children and young and childless couples respectively. This paper presents the process undertaken by project partners to develop the specifications and establish the quality criteria for the six study products. Quality criteria focused on the immediate appeal and sensory properties of edible insects as food ingredients, particularly taste, texture, and appearance to promote acceptability. Initial sensory evaluations of product prototypes provided essential feedback for improvement. The development of insect-based food products, including those mimicking traditional meat products, highlighted the significance of sensory quality and consumer perception in product acceptance. Non-meat mimicking items had high sensory appeal, but were not perceived as meat replacements, typically being later added as side dishes or supplements by intervention participants. Balancing insect protein content with sensory appeal presented challenges, highlighting the need to consider portion sizes and presentation. Overall, animal meat protein replacement in dinner meals using insect-based foods requires an integrated approach that combines innovative product development, ongoing quality assessments, and a deep understanding of consumer preferences, crucial for market acceptance and adoption.
- Promoting sustainability in Mediterranean agriculture: insights from the Portuguese vine and wine sectorPublication . Oliveira, Manuel João; Santos, Cátia; Barbosa, Catarina; Gonçalves, Igor; Soares, Rui; Pereira, Sofia; Castro, PaulaAgroecology is an integrated approach that simultaneously applies ecological and social concepts and principles to redesign and manage food and agricultural systems, promoting agroecosystems with the necessary biological, socio-economic, and institutional diversity and alignment to support greater efficiency. The present study aimed at characterising the socio-economic factors that lead farmers to accept and adopt more sustainable practices. Herein, we have addressed technical and economic aspects, in an integrated manner, in order to demonstrate the benefits of sustainable agroecosystems focused on Mediterranean crops. To achieve this, a survey was conducted to map and characterise viticultural practices in Portuguese vineyards, as well as winegrowers’ perception regarding the acceptance and implementation of alternative agricultural practices. The questionnaire also identified some barriers and opportunities for the application and adoption of alternative agricultural practices toward sustainable agriculture, considering technical and socio-economic aspects, vineyard characteristics, agricultural practices, and farmers' educational level. Winegrowers identified climate change adaptation and biodiversity preservation as the most important benefits of implementing alternative practices. Additionally, they demonstrated awareness of the importance of adopting alternative viticultural practices, especially for environmental improvement (biodiversity and natural resources conservation), as well as for increased sustainability of their operations/vineyards and greater profitability (e.g., through wine tourism). It was also possible to perceive that most respondents had a very clear and objective perception of what alternative practices are, even though showing some difficulty in changing habits and work techniques, loss of profitability, and increased production costs. Altogether, our study highlights that Portuguese winegrowers are aware of the importance of agroecological practices, such as sexual confusion, no-till farming, ecological corridors, and the preservation of biodiversity (e.g. insect shelters), reinforcing their position in adopting these approaches for the expansion of agroecology in the context of the ongoing reforms of European Agricultural Policy.
- Sustainable solutions for mediterranean agroecosystems through enhanced soil microbial diversityPublication . Epelde, L.; Anitua, A.; Lavín, J.L.; Garbisu, C.; Prieto-Fernández, Á.; Monterroso Martínez, M. C.; Rodríguez-Garrido, B.; Cepeda, C. Trasar; González-Prieto, S.; Cortet, J.; Delcourt, N.; Kadiri, N.; Vergnes, A.; Roussel, S.; Blayac, T.; Lavaine, E.; Boularbah, A; Benidire, L.; Balghiti, F. Z. El; Allani, M.; Soufi, S.; T., Bettaieb; Sahli, A.; Semida, W. M.; Abd El-Mageed, T. A.; Abdulfattah, M.A.; Alves, R.; Oliveira, M.; Santos, C.; Tassi, E.; Bretzel, F.; D'Acqui, L. P.; Pini, R.; di Lonardo, S.; Cortez, J.; Cardoso, E; Moreira, H.; Pereira, S.I.A.; Castro, P. M. L.