Search Results (42)

Several Apulian (Southern Italy) vegetable landraces are considered at risk of genetic erosion, constituting an issue for the loss of important genetic traits. ‘Tiggiano’ and ‘Polignano’ carrots are two Apulian landraces, noteworthy for their historical, cultural, and agricultural significance. In this research, both the morphological traits and seed yield ability of these landraces were evaluated, aiming to potentially register them for seed commercialization as a tool of valorization. The data of morphological traits according to the ‘International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants’ guideline evidenced a clear distinction between the two landraces. However, the great variability observed in certain characters represents an obstacle to their registration in the national variety register, except for the Conservation Varieties one. ‘Polignano’ and ‘Tiggiano’ carrots showed an average seed yield of about 63 and 106 g/plant, equating to about 1258 and 2116 kg/ha. Average seed germination rates were 79.7 and 85.8%, respectively, for ‘Polignano’ and ‘Tiggiano’ carrots. In conclusion, registering these local varieties as Conservation Varieties could enhance their appreciation, encourage sustainable cultivation, and help mitigate genetic erosion while boosting their economic and cultural value. Full article

Industrial hemp is mainly cultivated for its fibers aimed at the production of textiles, paper, and cordage; the inflorescences for medicinal purposes; and the seeds are used by the food industry due to their high nutritional and functional matrix of protein, fiber, lipids, and microelements. Hemp seed oil (HsO) is a unique source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, with a phenomenal ω6:ω3 ratio of 2.5–3.0, significantly enhancing human health when consumed daily. HsO is mostly obtained through cold pressing due to minimal thermal treatment, and although of lower yield compared to solvent extraction, it presents higher quality lipid fractions and organoleptic characteristics such as color, taste, flavor, and density. Although HsO is a powerful source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants, and phytosterols, its production lacks standardized quality control parameters, except for THC, which is subject to EU legislation. Therefore, it is essential to build up a quality protocol system for standardizing seed conservation, oil extraction methods, and quality parameters. This review aims to display an overall nutritional framework of the HsO and encourage further research into its use in the food value chain. Full article

In Peru, overweight and obesity affect 20–38% of adults, increasing the risk of NCDs (type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, and others) that emphasize the need for healthy foods. Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) seeds contain high amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acid essentials (omega-3) (17–23%), antioxidants, proteins, and minerals that prevent NCDs. Chia grows in the regions of Arequipa and Puno–Peru, with 4098 tn of production in 2023. Chia mucilage is a soluble fiber with a high water-holding capacity that possesses the techno-functional properties that would improve the properties of gelification and emulsification of foods: jams, ice cream, yogurt, and others. Peru holds the N°1 position in the ranking of blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) exporters. This berry contains antioxidants and flavonoids. Cushuro (Nostoc sphaericum) is a gelatinous spherical blue-green alga; it grows over 3000 masl on the Peruvian highland, and it contains good protein and polysaccharide contents. The work aimed to develop a hydrogel-type jam with chia mucilage (0.05–1.00%), blueberries (36–40%), and fresh cushuro (54–60%), compared with a control sample containing pectin and sugar. The characterization of the hydrogel-type jam was moisture (79.53 ± 1.51%), ash (0.20 ± 0.01%), protein (1.02 ± 0.28%), total carbohydrates (19.05 ± 1.76%), fat (0.21 ± 0.03%), antioxidants (318.56 ± 61.5 µm Trolox/g), and phenolic content (2.43 ± 0.93 mg GAE/g). Then, after 30 days of storage, the °Brix (9.9 ± 0.3), viscosity (3921.62 ± 1373.19), pH (3.18 ± 0.02), and water activity (0.82 ± 0.5) values of the hydrogel type-jam complied with the Peruvian applicable legislation (NTP 203.047) and health law (No. 30021). The hydrogel’s functional properties could help reduce the percentage of NCD, promoting the food industry with healthy products. Full article

Pesticide use in crops is a severe problem in some countries. Each country has its legislation for use, but they differ in the degree of tolerance for these broadly toxic products. Several synthetic pesticides can cause air, soil, and water pollution, contaminating the human food chain and other living beings. In addition, some of them can accumulate in the environment for an indeterminate amount of time. The agriculture sector must guarantee healthy food with sustainable production using environmentally friendly methods. In this context, biological biopesticides from microbes and plants are a growing green solution for this segment. Several pests attack crops worldwide, including weeds, insects, nematodes, and microorganisms such as fungi, bacteria, and viruses, causing diseases and economic losses. The use of bioproducts from microorganisms, such as microbial biopesticides (MBPs) or microorganisms alone, is a practice and is growing due to the intense research in the world. Mainly, bacteria, fungi, and baculoviruses have been used as sources of biomolecules and secondary metabolites for biopesticide use. Different methods, such as direct soil application, spraying techniques with microorganisms, endotherapy, and seed treatment, are used. Adjuvants like surfactants, protective agents, and carriers improve the system in different formulations. In addition, microorganisms are a tool for the bioremediation of pesticides in the environment. This review summarizes these topics, focusing on the biopesticides of microbial origin. Full article

In light of the growing plastic waste problem worldwide, including in agriculture, this study focuses on the usefulness of both conventional, non-degradable plastics and environmentally friendly bioplastics in the agricultural sector. Although conventional plastic products are still essential in modern, even ecological agriculture, the increasing contamination by these materials, especially in a fragmented form, highlights the urgent need to search for alternative, easily biodegradable materials that could replace the non-degradable ones. According to the literature, polymers are widely used in agriculture for the preparation of agrochemicals (mostly fertilizers) with prolonged release. They also play a role as functional polymers against pests, serve as very useful super absorbents of water to improve crop health under drought conditions, and are commonly used as mulching films, membranes, mats, non-woven fabrics, protective nets, seed coatings, agrochemical packaging, or greenhouse coverings. This widespread application leads to the uncontrolled contamination of soil with disintegrated polymeric materials. Therefore, this study highlights the possible applications of bio-based materials as alternatives to conventional polyolefins or other environmentally persistent polymers. Bio-based polymers align with the strategy of innovative agricultural advancements, leading to more productive farming by reducing plastic contamination and adverse ecotoxicological impacts on aquatic and terrestrial organisms. On the other hand, advanced polymer membranes act as catching agents for agrochemicals, protecting against environmental intoxication. The global versatility of polymer applications in agriculture will not permit the elimination of already existing technologies involving polymers in the near future. However, in line with ecological trends in modern agriculture, more “green” polymers should be employed in this sector. Moreover, we highlight that more comprehensive legislative work on these aspects should be undertaken at the European Union level to guarantee environmental and climate protection. From the EU legislation point of view, the implementation of a unified, legally binding system on applications of bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable plastics should be a priority to be addressed. In this respect, the EU already demonstrates an initial action plan. Unfortunately, these are still projected directions for future EU policy, which require in-depth analysis. Full article

In 1998, the European Union aimed to make the official Common European Catalogue of Plant Varieties more flexible and to mitigate the decline of agricultural biodiversity in European rural areas by introducing the Conservation Varieties Regime (CVR): a set of rules pertaining to local and/or traditional varieties cultivated in specific regions that are at risk of genetic erosion. This initiative was intended to permit the sale of those varieties that do not fully meet the distinctness, uniformity and stability (DUS) criteria required for the registration of standard varieties in the Common European Catalogue. In this review, we examine the impact of establishing the CVR 25 years after its first definition. As of the date of data collection, 191 conservation varieties were registered throughout Europe, representing only 0.88% of the total number of varieties included in the Common Catalogue. The most important countries are Spain, Italy and Croatia, which have, respectively, 57, 43 and 26 conservation varieties. The case study from Italy highlights that the CVR is poorly structured and is characterised by the initiatives of individual entities that take it upon themselves to protect and/or promote specific vegetable varieties. In this review, we discuss such data in relation to the protection and commercialisation of vegetable landraces in Europe. Overall, the CVR has failed to promote and enforce a dedicated market for all those varieties excluded from registration in the Common Catalogue due to DUS requirements. Full article

The cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao L.) has seeds that after processing become a valuable agricultural commodity in the world. In Brazil, the state of Pará located in the Eastern Amazon is the main producer, accounting for more than 53% of the national production. Although the region is the largest producer, no studies are found in the literature containing data on the sensory quality of the beans. Thus, the purpose of this study is to establish the sensory profile of Amazonian cocoa from the main cocoa-producing regions of the Eastern Amazon (Lower Tocantins River, Northeast, West, Southeast and Trans-Amazon). The sensory profile was established from the Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA), in addition to using an affective test to verify consumer preference for the chocolates produced. Physical, physicochemical and bioactive compound evaluations were carried out. Beans from different regions had a similar sensory profile; however, it was possible to observe some differences in certain descriptor terms. In the physical evaluation, the samples presented an acceptable commercial standard, and the humidity was within the values established by the legislation. It was found that the post-harvest and/or processing parameters had no influence on the quality attributes of cocoa beans. Full article

In the quality monitoring of 18 sunflower oil samples from the EU market, 14 were refined and 4 were cold-pressed. They demonstrated high quality of technological processing with low values of trans-unsaturated fatty acids, acid value, and peroxide value and also met the limits set by legislation in the content of process contaminants 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) esters and glycidyl esters. Measurements of oxidative stability showed a difference in utility value. The average induction period of the oils from the traditional varieties was 2.6 h, predisposing them to cold cooking or short-term frying, while the 11.8 h of the four high oleic sunflower oils (HOSO) indicates the possibility of long-term heat stress. The nutritional benefit is the average vitamin E content of 663 mg/kg oil. The overall sensory quality of the samples was evaluated by a 12-member panel of trained assessors. On the seven-point category scale, the oils were of good to exceptional quality. The cold-pressed oils (CPOs) differed in having, on average, lower trans-unsaturated fatty acid content, process contaminants at unmeasurable levels, and, on average, higher vitamin E concentrations. The specific organoleptic properties of the CPOs were characterized by a pleasant nutty and sunflower seed flavor. Full article

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa) is used in various industries, such as food, animal feed, paper, textile, biofuel, etc. Hemp seeds intended for food production should not contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) level above 0.3%, according to Serbian legislation. Hemp seeds and their processed products, such as oil and flour, have high nutritional quality in terms of lipids, proteins, fiber, minerals, and plant secondary metabolites. The interest of society in healthy eating is rising constantly. Advice on the selection of foods which promote health includes functional food, such as sprouted seeds. Since hemp seed is rich in phytochemicals, it is assumed that their sprouts will be more nutrient-dense. Although sprouted seeds of many crops, such as legumes, cereals, pseudo-cereals, oilseeds, and vegetables are included in a healthy diet, hemp seed sprouting is barely studied. Therefore, the aim of this research was to determine the fatty acid profile of hemp sprouts harvested after seven days of germination which are ready for consumption. The majority of fatty acids in sprouts are polyunsaturated fatty acids (67.7%) comprising linoleic and α-linolenic acids. Sprouts are less abundant in oleic acid, monounsaturated fatty acid (10.5%), followed by saturated fatty acids (21.8%), with the highest content in palmitic acid. As it was expected, the fatty acid composition of seeds and sprouts is similar. Full article

An analysis methodology was optimised and validated for the quantification of opium alkaloids (OAs) in ground poppy seeds. This involved ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and solid-phase extraction (SPE) purification before analysis using a high-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry detector (HPLC-MS/MS). UAE was optimised through the design of experiments with three factors and a three-level full factorial design. For SPE optimisation, a commercial material was compared with a previously synthesised material of SBA-15 silica functionalised with sulfonic groups (SBA-15-SO₃⁻). The synthesised material demonstrated superior efficiency with only 25 mg and proved to be reusable for up to four cycles. The methodology was properly validated in terms of linearity, limits of detection and quantification, and selectivity. Matrix effects were negligible; adequate recovery values (85–100%) and inter-day and intra-day precision (≤15%) were obtained. The greenness of the method was evaluated with the AGREEprep metric scale, being more environmentally friendly compared to OA analysis methods. Finally, the method was applied to different samples of ground poppy seeds and revealed a concentration of 140 mg/kg of morphine equivalents in one of the samples, surpassing the legislatively established limits by sevenfold. This highlights the need to analyse these types of samples to mitigate potential public health issues. Full article

The trend in protein consumption is towards plant-based foods, for this reason a powdered beverage with a balanced profile of essential amino acids was developed, combining two different sources of protein, cushuro (Nostoc commune) and quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa). The cushuro is an ancient Andean cyanobacteria that grows over 3000 and 4000 m above sea level, and quinoa is an important Andean seed, and they are part of the basic diet of the Andean Peruvian population. The cushuro obtained from the region of Ancash-Peru was dried (60 °C, 18 h) and the flour was dissolved in 0.1 N HCl at 90 °C for 20 min to obtain a protein concentrate with 6.79% moisture, 0.16% fat, 71.03% protein, and good balance of essential amino acids. Quinoa flour presented 8.52% moisture, 4.84% fat, 12.90% protein, and essential amino acids such as phenylalanine, and lysine. Quinoa flour (65.45%), cushuro concentrated protein (4.76%), cocoa (17.85%), panela (11.90%), and stevia (0.05%), were mixed to obtain the powdered beverage. The results showed that powdered beverage presented an adequate balance of amino acids according to FAO/WHO, with 14.36% proteins, 72.53% carbohydrate, 5.19% fat, 716.6 mg/kg potassium, 319.8 mg/kg phosphorus, 139.2 mg/kg magnesium, 82.69 mg/100 g vitamin C, 1.49 µg/100 g vitamin B12, heavy metals below the detection evel (<0.050 mg/kg). The powdered beverage complied with the Peruvian legislation of the Healthy Law No. 30021 and with the microbiological requirements. Full article

Plant breeders develop competitive, high-yielding, resistant crop varieties that can cope with the challenges of biotic stresses and tolerate abiotic stresses, resulting in nutritious food for consumers worldwide. To achieve this, plant breeders need continuous and easy access to plant genetic resources (PGR) for trait screening, to generate new diversity that can be built into newly improved varieties. International agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) and the Nagoya Protocol recognised the sovereign rights of countries over their genetic resources. Under the CBD/Nagoya Protocol, countries are free to establish specific national legislations regulating germplasm access and benefit-sharing to be negotiated bilaterally. Consequently, access to PGR became increasingly restricted and cumbersome, resulting in a decrease in germplasm exchange. The ITPGRFA attempted to ease this situation by establishing a globally harmonised multilateral system (MLS). Unfortunately, the MLS is (still) restricted to a limited number of food and forage crops, with very few vegetable crops. Easy and continuous access to genetic diversity combined with equitable and fair sharing of derived benefits is a prerequisite to breeding new varieties. Facilitated access contributes to sustainable crop production and food and nutrition security; therefore, access to and, consequently, use of PGRFA needs to be improved. Thus, the authors recommend, among others, expanding the scope of the ITPGRFA to include all PGRFA and making them and all related information accessible under a Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA) combined, if necessary, with a subscription system or a seed sales tax. Such a transparent, functional and efficient system would erase legal uncertainties and minimise transaction costs for conservers, curators and users of genetic resources, thus aiding plant breeders to fulfil their mission. Full article

In the past decade, sustainable supply chain management has received much attention from practitioners and academics due to the heightened emphasis on environmental, economic, and social sustainability by customers, for-profit and non-profit institutions, community organizations, legislation, and government oversight. Evaluating and selecting a suitable supplier is considered a critical choice, crucial in supply chain management. Social sustainability in the supplier selection process is an important factor that has not received sufficient attention from academicians. Social and societal challenges are increasingly impacting supply chains. To tackle this challenge in the agricultural section of nations with emerging economies, this study proposed a new methodology using Grey FUCOM (Full Consistency Method) and Gray PROMTHEE (Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation) methods for evaluating the social sustainability of wheat and barley seed production companies. This study assists seed users in identifying the most significant supplier selection criteria and one of the most effective suppliers for ecological sustainability throughout the supply chain while maintaining market competitiveness. The results demonstrated a consistent and dependable rating behavior about the weight coefficients of the criteria. Improving the procedures used to evaluate wheat and barley seed suppliers results in a healthier society. So, the proposed model can efficiently evaluate a critical component of the food supply chain in the early stages. Full article

Pythium species are saprophytic or facultative plant pathogens that cause a variety of diseases. Usually, chemical anti-fungal seed dressing is applied in the conventional pre-harvest for seed protection. Nevertheless, recent legislative rules have created a ban on certain agrochemicals. Therefore, alternative eco-friendly methods have to be identified to ensure healthy field emergence and seedling development. In this study, a proof-of-concept was performed on the inactivation of Pythium ultimum Trow mycelia grown on potato dextrose broth agar (PBA) by plasma-processed air (PPA). Different plasma process parameters were applied using variation in gas flow of air through the microwave plasma generator and PPA exposure time. The PPA treatment was compared to the untreated and gas treated controls. The results showed a complete inactivation of P. ultimum mycelia after the PPA treatment. Inactivation efficiency was independent of the gas flow parameter and even shorter exposure times resulted in complete inactivation. To fully evaluate the potential of PPA as a possible seed hygiene measure, tests regarding the inactivation of P. ultimum after artificial inoculation onto seeds and/or studies using naturally infected seeds should be performed. This may be accompanied by monitoring the disease severity after the PPA treatment on a field scale. Full article

The large production of wine and almonds leads to the generation of sub-products, such as winery wastewater (WW) and almond skin. WW is characterized by its high content of recalcitrant organic matter (biodegradability index < 0.30). Therefore, the aim of this work was to (1) apply the coagulation–flocculation–decantation (CFD) process with an organic coagulant based on almond skin extract (ASE), (2) treat the organic recalcitrant matter through sulfate radical advanced oxidation processes (SR-AOPs) and (3) evaluate the efficiency of combined CFD with UV-A, UV-C and ultrasound (US) reactors. The CFD process was applied with variation in the ASE concentration vs. pH, with results showing a chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of 61.2% (0.5 g/L ASE, pH = 3.0). After CFD, the germination index (GI) of cucumber and corn seeds was ≥80%; thus, the sludge can be recycled as fertilizer. The SR-AOP initial conditions were achieved by the application of a Box–Behnken response surface methodology, which described the relationship between three independent variables (peroxymonosulfate (PMS) concentration, cobalt (Co²⁺) concentration and UV-A radiation intensity). Afterwards, the SR-AOPs were optimized by varying the pH, temperature, catalyst type and reagent addition manner. With the application of CFD as a pre-treatment followed by SR-AOP under optimal conditions (pH = 6.0, [PMS] = 5.88 mM, [Co²⁺] = 5 mM, T = 343 K, reaction time 240 min), the COD removal increased to 85.9, 82.6 and 80.2%, respectively, for UV-A, UV-C and US reactors. All treated wastewater met the Portuguese legislation for discharge in a municipal sewage network (COD ≤ 1000 mg O₂/L). As a final remark, the combination of CFD with SR-AOPs is a sustainable, safe and clean strategy for WW treatment and subproduct valorization. Full article