Gender in agricultural mechanization: Key guiding questions

This tool describes case studies of gender implications in mechanization in RTB crops, illustrating both positive and negative outcomes. GENNOVATE research has shown that the beneficiaries of mechanization tend to be the wealthier rather than the poorer farmers and more often men than women. However, results also reveal that women have strong interest in mechanization as a way to improve their own circumstances

Quantity and functionality of protein fractions in chicken breast fillets affected by white striping

Recently, white striations parallel to muscle fibers direction have been observed on the surface of chicken breast, which could be ascribed to intensive growth selection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of white striping on chemical composition with special emphasis on myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic protein fractions that are relevant to the processing features of chicken breast meat. During this study, a total of 12 pectoralis major muscles from both normal and white striped fillets were used to evaluate chemical composition, protein solubility (sarcoplasmic, myofibrillar, and total protein solubility), protein quantity (sarcoplasmic, myofibrillar, and stromal proteins), water holding capacity, and protein profile by SDS-PAGE analysis. White-striped fillets exhibited a higher percentage of moisture (75.4 vs. 73.8%; P < 0.01), intramuscular fat (2.15 vs. 0.98%; P < 0.01), and collagen (1.36 vs. 1.22%; P < 0.01), and lower content of protein (18.7 vs. 22.8%; P < 0.01) and ash (1.14 vs. 1.34%; P < 0.01), in comparison with normal fillets. There was a great decline in myofibrillar (14.0 vs. 8.7%; P < 0.01) and sarcoplasmic (3.2 vs. 2.6%; P < 0.01) content and solubility as well as an increase in cooking loss (33.7 vs. 27.4%; P < 0.05) due to white striping defects. Moreover, gel electrophoresis showed that the concentration of 3 myofibrillar proteins corresponding to actin (42 kDa); LC1, slow-twitch light chain myosin (27.5 kDa); and LC3, fast-twitch light chain myosin (16 kDa), and almost all sarcoplasmic proteins were lower than normal. In conclusion, the findings of this study revealed that chicken breast meat with white striping defect had different chemical composition (more fat and less protein) and protein quality and quantity (low content of myofibrillar proteins and high content of stromal proteins) with respect to normal meat. Furthermore, white striped fillets had lower protein functionality (higher cooking loss). All the former changes indicate that white striping has great impact on quality characteristics of chicken breast meat

Innovación agrícola pro-pobre para la seguridad y soberanía alimentaria en la región andina: el caso IssAndes en Ecuador.

El proyecto "Innovación para la seguridad y la soberanía alimentaria en la región andina"- IssAndes, se inició en marzo del 2011 y culminó en marzo del 2015. El proyecto fue ejecutado en Bolivia, Ecuador, Perú y Colombia, con socios de agricultura, salud y educación en cada país. Fue coordinado por el Centro Internacional de la Papa (CIP) y financiado por la Unión Europea a través del Fondo Internacional de Desarrollo Agrícola (FIDA). El objetivo de IssAndes fue fortalecer la innovación para la seguridad alimentaria a diferentes niveles territoriales (local, nacional y regional) en la región andina, en respuesta a las necesidades de los grupos rurales vulnerables y así contribuir a la reducción de la desnutrición de niño/as menores de tres años mediante mejoras en la alimentación y nutrición de las familias. En el Ecuador, el proyecto se implementó en las provincias de Chimborazo, Tungurahua y Cotopaxi, en un total de 10 cantones y 17 parroquias, llegando a 44 comunidades con 1135 familias vinculadas al rubro papa. El proyecto tuvo un total de siete socios a nivel nacional (Instituto Nacional Autónomo de Investigaciones Agropecuarias - INIAP, Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo - ESPOCH, Visión Mundial, Estrategia Acción Nutrición - EAN, Oficina para Estudios del Agro - OfiAgro, Centro Latinoamericano para el Desarrollo Rural-RIMISP y la Fundación Minga para la Acción Rural y la Cooperación - MARCO) y dos socios a nivel regional (CIP y el Instituto de Investigación Nutricional - IIN). IssAndes estructuró sus acciones de investigación y desarrollo en cuatro componentes: i) Contribución de la papa a la nutrición y salud; ii) Mejoras en los sistemas de producción basados en papa; iii) Educación nutricional para el cambio de comportamiento; e iv) Incidencia pública y política

Replant problems in South Tyrol: role of fungal pathogens and microbial populations in conventional and organic apple orchards

South Tyrol, the main Italian apple growing area, is characterised by an highly intensive soil cultivation. Previous investigations shows the existence of replant disorders although it has not been evaluated which are the main causes. A survey has been carried out in this area with two main aims I) to evaluate the role of soil borne pathogens in apple replant disease and II) to evaluate the effect of soil management toward soil borne pathogens causing replant diseases. The experimental sites were chosen in order to obtain three couples of contiguous conventional and organic apple orchards. Soil sickness test with young apple plants gave a significant growth reduction in all soil samples if compared to a peat control. Among all root colonising fungi (Fusarium oxysporum, F. solani, Aphanomyces sp., Cy/incrocarpon sp., Rhizoctonia sp. and Pythium sp.) some Rhizoctonia solani strains and all Pythium spp. were the most pathogenic. In all cases organic management seems to reduce the soil sickness severity caused by root rot fungal pathogens

Histology, composition, and quality traits of chicken Pectoralis major muscle affected by wooden breast abnormality

Only a few years ago, the poultry industry began to face a recent abnormality in breast meat, known as wooden breast, which frequently overlaps with white striping. This study aimed to assess the impact of wooden breast abnormality on quality traits of meat. For this purpose, 32 normal (NRM), 32 wooden (WB), and 32 wooden and white-striped (WB/WS) Pectoralis major muscles were selected from the same flock of heavy broilers (males, Ross 708, weighing around 3.7 kg) in the deboning area of a commercial processing plant at 3 h postmortem and used to assess histology, proximate (moisture, protein, fat, ash, and collagen) and mineral composition (Mg, K, P, Na and Ca), sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar protein patterns, and technological traits of breast meat. Compared to the normal group, WB/WS fillets showed more severe histological lesions characterized by fiber degeneration, fibrosis, and lipidosis, coupled with a significantly harder texture. With regard to proximate and mineral composition, abnormal samples exhibited significantly (P < 0.001) higher moisture, fat, and collagen contents coupled with lower (P < 0.001) amounts of protein and ash. Furthermore, increased calcium (131 vs. 84 mg kg(-1); P < 0.05) and sodium (741 vs. 393 mg kg(-1); P < 0.001) levels were found in WB/WS meat samples. The SDS-PAGE analysis revealed a significantly lower amount of calcium-ATPase (SERCA, 114 kDa), responsible for the translocation of Ca ions across the membrane, in normal breasts compared to abnormal ones. As for meat quality traits, fillets affected by wooden abnormality exhibited significantly (P < 0.001) higher ultimate pH and lower water-holding/water-binding capacity. In particular, compared to normal, abnormal samples showed reduced marinade uptake coupled with increased drip loss and cooking losses as well. In conclusion, this study revealed that meat affected by wooden breast or both wooden breast and white striping abnormalities exhibit poorer nutritional value, harder texture, and impaired water-holding capacity

Pasta consumption and connected dietary habits: Associations with glucose control, adiposity measures, and cardiovascular risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes—TOSCA.IT study

Background: Pasta is a refined carbohydrate with a low glycemic index. Whether pasta shares the metabolic advantages of other low glycemic index foods has not really been investigated. The aim of this study is to document, in people with type-2 diabetes, the consumption of pasta, the connected dietary habits, and the association with glucose control, measures of adiposity, and major cardiovascular risk factors. Methods: We studied 2562 participants. The dietary habits were assessed with the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) questionnaire. Sex-specific quartiles of pasta consumption were created in order to explore the study aims. Results: A higher pasta consumption was associated with a lower intake of proteins, total and saturated fat, cholesterol, added sugar, and fiber. Glucose control, body mass index, prevalence of obesity, and visceral obesity were not significantly different across the quartiles of pasta intake. No relation was found with LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, but there was an inverse relation with HDL-cholesterol. Systolic blood pressure increased with pasta consumption; but this relation was not confirmed after correction for confounders. Conclusions: In people with type-2 diabetes, the consumption of pasta, within the limits recommended for total carbohydrates intake, is not associated with worsening of glucose control, measures of adiposity, and major cardiovascular risk factors