A1-512 Efecto del laboreo mínimo sobre el rendimiento, la abundancia de la flora arvense y el balance energético y económico en una rotación de espelta, garbanzos y trigo en la Región Mediterránea

El laboreo mínimo en sistemas herbáceos extensivos ecológicos en Europa, se ha llevado a cabo sobre todo en climas templados. El equipo de investigación Ecología de los Sistemas Agrícolas de la Universidad de Barcelona estableció un experimento a largo plazo en 2011 que tiene el objetivo de evaluar la viabilidad del laboreo mínimo en cultivos herbáceos extensivos ecológicos en clima mediterráneo. Este trabajo analiza el efecto del tipo de laboreo y la fertilización con estiércol compostado sobre el rendimiento de los cultivos de cereales y leguminosas, la abundancia de la flora arvense y el balance económico y energético. El laboreo mínimo no afectó los rendimientos de los cultivos y la fertilización favoreció a los cultivos de cereales. Los balances económico y energético no mostraron diferencias significativas con el tipo de laboreo ni con la fertilización, con la excepción de una mayor cantidad de salida de energía en las parcelas fertilizadas en el cultivo de trigo

Securing the food system together: Innovation development with the farmer, for the farmer by the farmer

In recent years, the limitations of top-down approaches for development-oriented research have become apparent. Therefore, scientists have started to explore alternatives such as participatory research. By involving many stakeholders throughout the different stages of innovation development, participatory research helps tackling the multi-faceted challenges the global food system is facing today. Since almost a decade, the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) has been running a large program called “Farming Systems Comparison in the Tropics” (SysCom) in Bolivia, India and Kenya. Besides maintaining four Long-Term farming systems comparison Experiments (LTE), Participatory On-farm Research (POR) is a strong component of SysCom. In POR, we aim at fostering sustainable agriculture by developing locally adapted solutions for specific challenges of farmers. Researchers, extension agents, private sector and farmers work together from the stage of problem identification to the achievement of results, and finally scaling them. By taking into account local knowledge and available resources, significant achievements have been made in all of the three countries. In India, we developed a new kind of phosphorous fertilizer for use in organic farming with which farmers substantially increased the yields of their main rotation crops across different types of soils and farms. We also standardized the preparation of homemade organic pesticides from different plants. In addition, we developed a practicable guide for pest monitoring in the small scale farmers’ context. In Bolivia, we tested different cocoa varieties. Results showed that some local selections were not only among the most productive, but also presented the earliest maturation and some degree of resistance to the frosty pod rot disease (Moniliophthora roreri). In Kenya, we addressed the lack of organic materials for soil fertility management. By testing different local residues and manures, as well as composting techniques, we brought forward a productivity innovation for local small scale farmers. On a local level, the results were made available in the form of leaflets, brochures and video clips. These were used by farmers, extension workers and other stakeholders. Combining applied science (LTE) with participatory action research (POR) is a powerful approach which has proven successful in SysCom. The beauty of this approach lies in the fact that it allows for multiple perceptions. However, it also comes with its own challenges which mainly lie in the fact that it requires different mindsets than traditional research approaches, as the whole process is relatively less controlled by researchers. If we teach and assist farmers to carry out research on their own farms, it will be easier for them to appreciate the effects of novel technologies which, in turn, will enhance their adoption

The Gallecs trial, a mid-term experiment on reduced tillage, fertilisation and green manure in Mediterranean dryland arable cropping systems

Conservation agriculture and organic farming are two alternative strategies aimed at improving soil fertility in arable cropping systems through reducing tillage intensity, maintaining year-round soil cover and increasing nutrient recycling, using farmyard and green manures. However, the reduction of tillage intensity can increase weed infestation and decrease nutrient availability. The mid-term "Gallecs" trial (Catalonia) was established in autumn 2011 at Gallecs, a periurban agricultural area near Barcelona. The effects of tillage (mouldboard versus chisel ploughing), fertilisation by farmyard manure (without versus with) and green manure (without versus with) on soil fertility indicators, weed abundance and grain crop yields were studied in a 4-years cereal-legume rotation for human consumption under organic farming conditions in the Mediterranean region (Catalonia, Spain)

Can organic agriculture contribute to sustainable development in the tropics?

Agricultural intensification over last decades has resulted in a great increase of crop yields, but it also had a detrimental impact on biodiversity. The dramatic decline of arable weed diversity is a matter of great concern because weeds have an important ecological function as a key component of the food web of agroecosystems. Weeds are suitable indicators of management effects on wildlife diversity in arable crops because they have high sensitivity to cultivation measures and have a strong relation to other organism groups. Nevertheless, the effect of farming management on weed abundance and diversity will be more reliable on weed seed bank rather than on aboveground weed community because it is the result of processes that have occurred in the past and consequently, it could better reflect the effect of the agricultural practices over the years

Franchisors' disclosure duty: market transparency and franchisee protection

The franchisee is usually the most vulnerable part of the franchise relationship, and should therefore receive greater protection from the legal framework. In this regard, the franchisor's pre-contractual disclosure duty has evolved in its legal status. Whereas its original purpose was to ensure transparency in the market, it now serves to protect the franchisee. In this paper, we compare the franchisor's obligations established by the legal framework in Spain with those set out in the Model Law drawn up by The International Institute for the Unification of Private Law.Lapiedra-Alcami, R.; Reig Fabado, I.; Rueda Armengot, C. (2014). Franchisors' disclosure duty: market transparency and franchisee protection. Service Industries Journal. 34(9-10):788-795. doi:10.1080/02642069.2014.905917S788795349-10Chaudey, M., & Fadairo, M. (2010). Contractual design and networks performance: empirical evidence from franchising. Applied Economics, 42(4), 529-533. doi:10.1080/00036840701704428Collins, H. (2008). Principles, Definitions and Model Rules of European Private Law: Draft Common Frame of Reference (DCFR) Interim Outline Edition, prepared by the Study Group on a European Civil Code and the Research group on EC Private Law (Acquis group) by Christian von Bar, Eric Clive, Hans Schulte-Nöcke (eds). Modern Law Review, 71(5), 840-844. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2230.2008.00718.xPeris-Ortiz, M., Peris Bonet, F. J., & Rueda-Armengot, C. (2011). Vertical integration in production and services: development in transaction cost economics. Service Business, 5(1), 87-97. doi:10.1007/s11628-011-0103-0Perryman, A. A., & Combs, J. G. (2011). Who should own it? An agency-based explanation for multi-outlet ownership and co-location in plural form franchising. Strategic Management Journal, 33(4), 368-386. doi:10.1002/smj.1947Rondan-Cataluña, F. J., Navarro-Garcia, A., Diez-De Castro, E. C., & Rodriguez-Rad, C. J. (2012). Reasons for the expansion in franchising: is it all said? The Service Industries Journal, 32(6), 861-882. doi:10.1080/02642069.2010.550041Shane, S. (2001). Organizational Incentives and Organizational Mortality. Organization Science, 12(2), 136-160. doi:10.1287/orsc.12.2.136.10108Vázquez, L. (2008). Complementarities between franchise contract duration and multi-unit propensity in franchise systems. The Service Industries Journal, 28(8), 1093-1105. doi:10.1080/0264206080218794

Auxin-regulated reversible inhibition of TMK1 signaling by MAKR2 modulates the dynamics of root gravitropism

Plants are able to orient their growth according to gravity, which ultimately controls both shoot and root architecture.1 Gravitropism is a dynamic process whereby gravistimulation induces the asymmetric distribution of the plant hormone auxin, leading to asymmetric growth, organ bending, and subsequent reset of auxin distribution back to the original pre-gravistimulation situation.1, 2, 3 Differential auxin accumulation during the gravitropic response depends on the activity of polarly localized PIN-FORMED (PIN) auxin-efflux carriers.1, 2, 3, 4 In particular, the timing of this dynamic response is regulated by PIN2,5,6 but the underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we show that MEMBRANE ASSOCIATED KINASE REGULATOR2 (MAKR2) controls the pace of the root gravitropic response. We found that MAKR2 is required for the PIN2 asymmetry during gravitropism by acting as a negative regulator of the cell-surface signaling mediated by the receptor-like kinase TRANSMEMBRANE KINASE1 (TMK1).2,7, 8, 9, 10 Furthermore, we show that the MAKR2 inhibitory effect on TMK1 signaling is antagonized by auxin itself, which triggers rapid MAKR2 membrane dissociation in a TMK1-dependent manner. Our findings suggest that the timing of the root gravitropic response is orchestrated by the reversible inhibition of the TMK1 signaling pathway at the cell surface

Vertical integration in production and services: development in transaction cost economics

In this paper, we first establish the core, fundamental concepts of Williamson's TCE, examining the different governance structures or the institutional alternatives that TCE theory proposes. We go on to describe some critical considerations and theoretical proposals that correspond fundamentally to Williamson's heuristic model, the integration of incentives in organizational forms, idiosyncratic demand, and how the concept of transaction is conceived in general.Peris-Ortiz, M.; Bonet, F.; Rueda Armengot, C. (2011). Vertical integration in production and services: development in transaction cost economics. Service Business. 5(1):87-97. doi:10.1007/s11628-011-0103-0S879751Alchian A (1965) The basic of some recent advances in the theory of management of the firm. J Ind Econ 14:30–41Alchian A (1969) Corporate management and property rights. In: Manne GH (ed) Economic Policy and Regulation of Corporate Securities. 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X-linked primary ciliary dyskinesia due to mutations in the cytoplasmic axonemal dynein assembly factor PIH1D3

By moving essential body fluids and molecules, motile cilia and flagella govern respiratory mucociliary clearance, laterality determination and the transport of gametes and cerebrospinal fluid. Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is an autosomal recessive disorder frequently caused by non-assembly of dynein arm motors into cilia and flagella axonemes. Before their import into cilia and flagella, multi-subunit axonemal dynein arms are thought to be stabilized and pre-assembled in the cytoplasm through a DNAAF2–DNAAF4–HSP90 complex akin to the HSP90 co-chaperone R2TP complex. Here, we demonstrate that large genomic deletions as well as point mutations involving PIH1D3 are responsible for an X-linked form of PCD causing disruption of early axonemal dynein assembly. We propose that PIH1D3, a protein that emerges as a new player of the cytoplasmic pre-assembly pathway, is part of a complementary conserved R2TP-like HSP90 co-chaperone complex, the loss of which affects assembly of a subset of inner arm dyneins

An ecological future for weed science to sustain crop production and the environment. A review

Sustainable strategies for managing weeds are critical to meeting agriculture's potential to feed the world's population while conserving the ecosystems and biodiversity on which we depend. The dominant paradigm of weed management in developed countries is currently founded on the two principal tools of herbicides and tillage to remove weeds. However, evidence of negative environmental impacts from both tools is growing, and herbicide resistance is increasingly prevalent. These challenges emerge from a lack of attention to how weeds interact with and are regulated by the agroecosystem as a whole. Novel technological tools proposed for weed control, such as new herbicides, gene editing, and seed destructors, do not address these systemic challenges and thus are unlikely to provide truly sustainable solutions. Combining multiple tools and techniques in an Integrated Weed Management strategy is a step forward, but many integrated strategies still remain overly reliant on too few tools. In contrast, advances in weed ecology are revealing a wealth of options to manage weedsat the agroecosystem levelthat, rather than aiming to eradicate weeds, act to regulate populations to limit their negative impacts while conserving diversity. Here, we review the current state of knowledge in weed ecology and identify how this can be translated into practical weed management. The major points are the following: (1) the diversity and type of crops, management actions and limiting resources can be manipulated to limit weed competitiveness while promoting weed diversity; (2) in contrast to technological tools, ecological approaches to weed management tend to be synergistic with other agroecosystem functions; and (3) there are many existing practices compatible with this approach that could be integrated into current systems, alongside new options to explore. Overall, this review demonstrates that integrating systems-level ecological thinking into agronomic decision-making offers the best route to achieving sustainable weed management