Information access, governance support and operational flexibility are needed to drive adaptation of European forests to global change

Many forest owners and professionals recognize global change and increasing forest disturbances as pressing challenges but have yet to implement adaptation options to counteract the impacts on their forests. The ecological effectiveness of these options is context-dependent, influenced by site conditions and the quality of implementation. In addition, the socio-economic context can support or impede the implementation of adaptation options. To assess the relevance of implementation barriers and how they are perceived, we surveyed over 800 forest owners and professionals across Europe. Adaptation options that were perceived as effective were also more likely to be applied. Owing to its low evidence of effectiveness and conflicts with other management objectives, non-management was largely regarded as a non-viable adaptation option. Overall, respondents rated the importance of most implementation barriers as low to moderate. However, for certain adaptation options, specific barriers were perceived as particularly relevant. Forest owners and professionals with experience in practicing forest adaptation regarded potential barriers as less constraining than other groups of participants. More timber production-oriented owners and professionals identified economic issues as particularly constraining. To facilitate implementation of adaptation, participants suggested improved communication, more education, more flexible legislation and simpler access to financial support. Different specific site and management contexts complicate the development of general recommendations. Therefore, local science-practice collaborations and platforms to share experiences regarding adaptation options could promote the adaptive capacity of forest owners and professionals

Complex Coacervation for Encapsulation of Bioactive Compounds, Nutrients, and Probiotics

Coacervation is one of the earliest microencapsulation techniques, which has been commercially used since the 1950s. Complex coacervation involves the interaction of oppositely charged polymers in aqueous form. Gelatin-Arabic gum coacervates have been successfully produced and used in many applications, especially as vehicles for lipophilic molecules. Recently, successful strategies to encapsulate hydrophilic molecules by complex coacervation were investigated, including the production of double emulsions as a previous step before the coacervation. This technique also encapsulated particles and probiotics based on their previous immobilization in high melting point vegetable fats. Concerning polymeric materials, novel proposals based on plant proteins are growing due to flexitarianism. Also, food by-products are sources of polysaccharides, such as pectins and gums, which are sustainable polyelectrolytes to produce complexes. Complementary studies of release mechanisms are relevant to avoid the premature expulsion of bioactive compounds after incorporation in food matrixes and in vitro digestion. The scalability of complex coacervation in the food industry still needs to be explored, but combining a physical method, such as spray-nozzle, could enhance their feasibility. Thus, it is unquestionable that complex coacervation is a multifaceted microencapsulation technique, and the advances in colloid technology reflect their potentiality for the protection of bioactive compounds for food incorporation, besides many other functionalities. This protocol intends to guide the reader along the key steps to complex coacervation encapsulation, including the selection of polymers, operational conditions, the techniques for coacervate evaluation, as well as give an overview of the most critical influencing factors (e.g., concentration and proportion of biopolymers, pH, the concentration of bioactive compound, homogenization conditions, and temperature). It provides tips on how to deal with some troubleshooting, such as culturing probiotic cells before the microencapsulation, procedures for disrupting coacervates, and poor stability over shelf-life or under environmental/processing conditions

Semi-dynamic in vitro digestion of honey chlorella vulgaris reveals biochemical and structural insights during gastro-intestinal transit

Peer-reviewedConcerns about current food systems have prompted increased exploration of sustainable alternative protein sources, such as microalgae. This study investigated honey Chlorella vulgaris, a chlorophyll-deficient mutant, distinguished by its consumer-friendly honey colour, milder flavour and improved texture. To facilitate the nutritional transition towards this source, a standardised in vitro semi-dynamic INFOGEST digestion model was employed to analyse the digestive behaviour of C. vulgaris, focusing on the biochemical and structural changes during in vitro digestion. Gastric digestion was conducted over 67.5 min with dynamic fluid addition and gastric emptying. Results indicated slow gastric digestion of C. vulgaris due to the initially low pepsin activity and low protein solubility. Significant protein breakdown commenced when the pH dropped to 3.5. By the end of the gastric phase, 11.8 % of the protein and 3.0 % of free amine groups were released, generating new peptides of 0.3–1 kDa. Followed by 2 h static intestinal digestion, some cell structures remained intact, indicating a barrier to nutrient release. Pancreatic enzymes caused substantial protein hydrolysis, generating a higher fraction of 0.1–0.3 kDa peptides, with a notable release of essential amino acids as well as phenolic compounds. This study highlighted that protein insolubility and the cell wall structure of C. vulgaris may impede enzyme effectiveness, leading to a reduced protein breakdown. Furthermore, introduction of processing steps may enhance bioaccessibility in microalgae-derived foods, thereby contributing to the development of nutritional and sustainable food productions

Understanding the barriers and enablers to agroforestry adoption in Ireland through an innovation systems approach

The innovation of agroforestry is relatively new in Ireland, with uptake lagging behind targets. This study aimed to identify the reasoning behind this and identify the main barriers to the uptake of agroforestry. The Innovation Systems Approach was used as the analytical framework to the study whereby a structural-functional analysis was used to identify the main barriers/blocking mechanisms. Thirty-three interviews across all four domains of the innovation system (research, intermediary, enterprise and influencing) were undertaken with actors from the wider agricultural and forestry sectors networks. The results demonstrate the following key failures of the current Irish Agroforestry Innovation system: a low level of knowledge of agroforestry; a lack of research undertaken and capacity; a lack of interaction between actors; policy issues; and a lack of goals within actor organisations in supporting and promoting agroforestry. The paper provides a number of recommendations aimed at reducing the identified failures laid out as a set of goals

Observational study: effect of varying transport durations and feed withdrawal on the physiological status and health of dairy calves

Abstract Long-distance transport and associated fasting of unweaned calves have the potential to compromise the animals’ welfare. This observational study aimed to determine how transport and fasting durations impacted the physiology and health of 115 transported calves in three transport groups; IRE (n = 20, mean age 29.8d; short road transport (~ 29 h incl. resting time) and short feed deprivation (~ 11 h)), INT (n = 65, mean age 24.9d; long road/ferry transport (~ 79 h incl. resting times) and long feed deprivation (~ 28 h and 25 h)), and NLD (n = 30, mean age 17.7d; short road transport (~ 28 h incl. resting time) and long feed deprivation (> 18 h)). All calves travelled through an assembly centre. Each calf was blood sampled (arrival at destination farm, 1-week and 3-weeks post-arrival), health scored (arrival, 1, 3, 7, 8, 20d post-arrival) and weighed (farm/mart of origin [IRE and INT only], arrival, and 3-weeks post-arrival). (Generalised) linear mixed models were used to analyse differences in blood variables, weight, and health scores on arrival and during recovery (all other timepoints). Despite differing transport durations, both INT and NLD calves exhibited glucose, beta-hydroxy-butyrate, non-esterified-fatty-acids and sodium levels outside reference limits upon arrival, which were different from values observed in IRE calves (p < 0.05). Lactate and potassium were above reference range for INT calves on arrival, and higher than in IRE and NLD groups (p < 0.05). One- and three-weeks post arrival, most variables returned to within reference ranges, and differences between groups were minimal and not clearly associated with either transport duration or fasting during transport. Health scores did not differ between transport groups at arrival, and differences were minimal during the three-week recovery period. INT calves lost more weight during the journey than IRE calves (p < 0.01), while INT and NLD calves gained similar weight in the 3-weeks post-arrival, but less than IRE calves (both p < 0.01). Overall, changes in the physiological status of calves post transport appeared to relate more to the duration of feed deprivation than to the duration of transport, except for potassium and lactate (muscle fatigue), which were impacted more for INT calves. Most variables showed clear signs of recovery to within reference levels for all groups within three weeks. Minimizing the duration of feed deprivation during transport should be a key consideration for the dairy industry to reduce the impact of transport on calf welfare

Development and characterisation of brown seaweed hydrolysates and fermentates with potential to reduce enteric methane

Peer-reviewedSeaweeds are a valuable source of bioactive molecules widely discussed as having potential to reduce enteric methane (CH4) emissions from livestock. The brown seaweeds, Ascophyllum nodosum (Linnaeus) Le Jolis and Himanthalia elongata (Linnaeus) S. F. Gray are rich in polyphenols, specifically phlorotannins, with known antimicrobial and astringent bioactivities. Brown seaweeds can find use as animal feed additives if issues concerning their palatability and digestibility as well as the impact on protein absorption by the animal are overcome. Fermentation and hydrolysis are traditional processes used for preservation of biomass, but which may beneficially improve palatability and digestibility of feeds. The aim of this work was to assess the potential of fermented and hydrolysed brown seaweeds as agents for CH4 abatement. Ascophyllum nodosum and Himanthalia elongata of Irish origin were fermented and hydrolysed independently with commercially available lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and xylanase enzyme. Molecular weight cut off (MWCO) fractions generated from treated seaweed biomasses were assessed for their antimicrobial activities against the methanogens Methanococcus maripaludis and Methanobrevibacter ruminantium using 96-well plate and well diffusion assays. Batch experiments were carried out using anaerobic conditions at 37 °C for a period of 11 days. The A. nodosum fermentate and H. elongata hydrolysate were characterised for their polyphenol, phlorotannin, peptide, fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) and volatile compound contents using different mass spectrometry methods including GC-MS and LC-MS. Inhibition of M. maripaludis and M. ruminantium was observed in the presence of MWCO extracts generated from the treated seaweeds using the 96-well microtiter plate and well diffusion assays at concentrations of 1 mg/mL. The most antimicrobial A. nodosum MWCO fractions included the polyphenol fractions ≤ 100-kDa & 50-kDa in size, the A. nodosum phlorotannin extract ≤ 100-kDa in size and the H. elongata tannin fraction ≤ 100-kDa in size. 147 and 82 novel peptide sequences were identified in the 3 kDa MWCO fractions generated independently from the A. nodosum fermentate and H. elongata xylanase hydrolysate. Fifty volatile compounds were identified in the A. nodosum fermentate. The H. elongata hydrolysate and A. nodosum fermentate contained significant levels of palmitic acid -1536.37 µg fatty acid/g and 1139.37 µg fatty acid/g lipid, respectively

Detection of resistance in Phytophthora infestans to the carboxylic acid amide (CAA) fungicides using digital droplet PCR

BACKGROUND Potato late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans remains the greatest biotic threat to potato production globally. In northern Europe to prevent the disease and associated yield losses fungicides are heavily relied upon, with multiple applications required during the potato growing season. Unfortunately, such intensive fungicide usage has the potential to compromise control efficacy as it puts in place immense selective pressure for the emergence and spread of fungicide resistant strains of P. infestans. In recent years this scenario has been realized, with the emergence of strains resistant to the carboxylic acid amide (CAA) fungicides. As resistance to the CAA fungicides in P. infestans has been confirmed to result from changes in the pathogen's cellulose synthase A3 gene (CesA3), specifically at amino acid position 1105, it opens the possibility to develop molecular tools to rapidly monitor populations of the pathogen for the resistance allele. RESULTS Using the Stilla naica® 3-colour system a droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) was successfully developed to simultaneously detect the P. infestans CesA3 gene irrespective of its CAA sensitivity status, and either the CAA wild-type sequence for position 1105 or that conferring the resistant allele G1105S. Using a ‘drop-off’ in ratio of positive droplets for either the wild-type or G1105S alleles relative to those positive for the general P. infestans CesA3 it was also possible to demonstrate that using the assay other potential alterations known to confer resistance that may occur at this position (e.g. G1105V) can be detected. The assay was validated using DNA extracted from P. infestans cultures or infected leaves preserved on FTA cards. CONCLUSIONS The assay developed will allow for the accurate and sensitive detection of CAA resistance conferred by alterations at amino acid position 1105 in the CesA3 gene in P. infestans. The capacity to use the assay with multiple DNA sources and potential to adapt the ‘drop-off’ approach to different ddPCR platforms will ensure its applicability to the wider P. infestans community in monitoring the continued use of CAA-based fungicides for P. infestans management. © 2025 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry

Tailored bioprocessing of brewers’ spent grain for the development of upcycled plant-based spoonable snacks

Reintegration of brewers' spent grain (BSG) into the food system remains a challenge. In this study, BSG underwent enzyme hydrolysis with Ondea Pro, followed by fermentation with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum POM1 or Pediococcus claussenii DSM 14800. Both bacterial strains exhausted C6 sugars and lowered the pH to below 4. This bioprocessing approach increased the total polyphenol, antioxidant capacity, and free amino acid content in a strain-dependent manner. Enzyme hydrolysis contributed to an increase in low molecular weight dietary fibre content, while fermentation reduced the abundance of volatile organic compounds with off-flavours such as malty, grassy and pungent, and increased fruity, citrus, sour and sweet aroma compounds. Unprocessed (control) and bioprocessed BSG were then used as ingredients for semi-solid -spoonable snack prototypes with or without strawberry purée. A consumer sensory study involving 119 untrained participants showed higher liking for unprocessed samples, likely due to the bitter taste of the bioprocessed samples. However, adding purée increased the liking in all cases, while only fermentation could enhance the presumably desired aroma notes and reduce the presumably undesired cereal aroma and flavour. These findings suggested that tailored bioprocessing, informed by sensory data, could support the development of functional upcycled food with a cleaner ingredients label

Adapting to Change: A guide for forest owners facing climate challenges. Forestry & Energy Review 15(1): 14-17

Climate change is disrupting European forests and their markets, making adaptation through building resilience via diversification and finding new uses for a changing mix of wood species essential for the future. Gesche Schifferdecker, Annechien Hoeben, Jonathan Spazzi and Ian Short explain more

Temporal trends in biosecurity in Irish pig herds using a standardized scoring system

Abstract Background Biosecurity measures are crucial to the introduction and spread of pathogens both within and between farms. External biosecurity focuses on preventing pathogens from entering or leaving the farm, while internal biosecurity aims to limit or stop the spread of pathogens within the farm. Implementing biosecurity measures not only protects animals from disease but also has positive effects on productivity, welfare and farm profitability. By reducing the need for antimicrobials, biosecurity measures also contribute to combating antimicrobial resistance. To assess and improve biosecurity, tools like Biocheck.UGent have been developed. In Ireland, the Biocheck.UGent tool has been widely used in pig farms since 2018. The aims of this study were firstly to assess temporal trends on biosecurity scores in Irish pig farms from 2018 to 2023 using the Biocheck.UGent tool and secondly to identify areas for improvement. Results There was an increase in the number of annual assessments over the study period, with the majority of farms being assessed multiple times. Overall, external biosecurity scores were higher than internal scores. Improvements in the scores were observed over time for most of the subcategories for external and internal biosecurity and across the different farm types. Analysis of the subcategories within the scoring system revealed areas with lower scores, including disease management, cleaning and disinfection, and measures between compartments. Weaner-to-finisher farms tended to have lower scores compared to other farm types. Conclusions While external biosecurity in Irish pig farms is generally high, there is room for improvement in internal biosecurity. This study highlights the importance of continuous efforts to improve biosecurity. The data obtained will aid in estimating the cost–benefit of implementing biosecurity measures, crucial for decision-making and better returns on investments