La figura del Sant Rector d'Ars en el magisteri pontifici

En el marc de l’Any Sacerdotal (2010), convocat pel papa Benet XVI amb motiu del 150è aniversari de la mort de sant Joan Maria Vianney, rememorem la figura del rector d’Ars en el Magisteri dels papes, molt especialment de Joan XXIII, que li dedicà l’encíclica «Sacerdotii nostri Primordia» (1959). Els seus antecessors Pius X, Pius XI i Pius XII havien evocat ja l’exemple del sant rector d’Ars en diversos documents sobre el sacerdoci, el comú denominador dels quals és la unitat entre ministeri sacerdotal i la santedat personal de vida dels ministres. En aquest mig segle, que va de l’encíclica de Joan XXIII a la convocatòria d’un Any Sacerdotal pel papa Benet XVI, la doctrina de l’Església sobre el ministeri sacerdotal ha estat especialment rica: el Concili Vaticà II amb els seus diversos documents relatius al ministeri ordenat, el Magisteri dels papes Pau VI (v. gr. la carta apostòlica «Summa Dei Verbum» del 1963 i l’encíclica «Sacerdotalis coelibatus» del 1967); i Joan Pau II (Les cartes del Dijous Sant i l’exhortació post-sinodal «Pastores dabo vobis» (1992) entre altres). Joan XXIII i Benet XVI recorden ambdós aquelles paraules del sant rector d’Ars: «El sacerdoci és l’amor del cor de Jesús».Within the context of the Year of the Priest (2009/2010) announced by Pope Benedict XVI, which was motivated by the 150th anniversary of the death of St. John Mary Vianney, Curé of Ars, we remember the role of the holy parish priest of Ars in the Magisterium of the Popes, more especially that of John XXIII to whom he dedicated his encyclical "Sacerdotii nostri Primordia" (1959). His predecessors Pius X, Pius XI and Pius XII had already called upon the example of the holy Curé of Ars in various documents concerning priesthood, the common denominator of which is the unity between the priestly ministry the personal holiness in the lives of the ministers. In the half century from the encyclical of Pope John XXIII up to the announcement of the Year of the Priest by Pope Benedict XVI, the doctrine of the Church regarding the priestly ministry has been especially rich: Vatican Council II with its various documents relating to the ordained ministry; the Teaching of Popes Paul VI (e.g. The apostolic letter "Summa Dei Verbum", 1963; and the encyclical "Sacerdotalis coelibatus", 1967) and John Paul II (e.g. The letters of Holy Thursday and the call of the post-synod letter "Pastores dabo vobis", 1992, among others). Both John XXIII and Benedict XVI bring to mind these words on the Saintly Curé d'Ars: "The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus"

Performance of the Two-Source Energy Balance (TSEB) Model as a Tool for Monitoring the Response of Durum Wheat to Drought by High-Throughput Field Phenotyping

The current lack of efficient methods for high throughput field phenotyping is a constraint on the goal of increasing durum wheat yields. This study illustrates a comprehensive methodology for phenotyping this crop's water use through the use of the two-source energy balance (TSEB) model employing very high resolution imagery. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with multispectral and thermal cameras was used to phenotype 19 durum wheat cultivars grown under three contrasting irrigation treatments matching crop evapotranspiration levels (ETc): 100%ETc treatment meeting all crop water requirements (450 mm), 50%ETc treatment meeting half of them (285 mm), and a rainfed treatment (122 mm). Yield reductions of 18.3 and 48.0% were recorded in the 50%ETc and rainfed treatments, respectively, in comparison with the 100%ETc treatment. UAV flights were carried out during jointing (April 4th), anthesis (April 30th), and grain-filling (May 22nd). Remotely-sensed data were used to estimate: (1) plant height from a digital surface model (H, R2 = 0.95, RMSE = 0.18m), (2) leaf area index from multispectral vegetation indices (LAI, R2 = 0.78, RMSE = 0.63), and (3) actual evapotranspiration (ETa) and transpiration (T) through the TSEB model (R2 = 0.50, RMSE = 0.24 mm/h). Compared with ground measurements, the four traits estimated at grain-filling provided a good prediction of days from sowing to heading (DH, r = 0.58–0.86), to anthesis (DA, r = 0.59–0.85) and to maturity (r = 0.67–0.95), grain-filling duration (GFD, r = 0.54–0.74), plant height (r = 0.62–0.69), number of grains per spike (NGS, r = 0.41–0.64), and thousand kernel weight (TKW, r = 0.37–0.42). The best trait to estimate yield, DH, DA, and GFD was ETa at anthesis or during grain filling. Better forecasts for yield-related traits were recorded in the irrigated treatments than in the rainfed one. These results show a promising perspective in the use of energy balance models for the phenotyping of large numbers of durum wheat genotypes under Mediterranean conditions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

El uso de la teledetección de alta resolución como herramienta para realizar un manejo eficiente del riego en viñedos

The use of plant-based indicators for irrigation management has been widely studied. However, the high number of measurements necessary to identify spatial variability in orchards makes this system difficult to be carried out in large commercial areas. The alternative may be the use of remote sensing. Development of high resolution airborne sensors during the last years brings about new possibilities for detecting plant water status remotely in large areas, and therefore to conduct a more efficient irrigation management for water use. The aim of this PhD thesis is the development of a tool for vineyard spatial variability management, by using high resolution remote sensing imagery. To achieve it, two methodologies to re-design irrigation sectors were firstly compared, with the goal of reducing yield variability. Methods were based on using structural vegetative indices such as Plant Cell Density (PCD) obtained from multispectral images, and leaf water potential measurements (ΨL). It is also presented the development of Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI) for the four grapevine varieties Pinot-noir, Chardonnay, Syrah and Tempranillo, as a tool for quantify vine water status with remote sensing thermal imagery. CWSI was empirically developed with infrared temperature sensors to subsequently generate CWSI maps by acquiring high resolution thermal images. CWSI was developed and validated with ΨL measurements at different phenological stages. Effectiveness aspects to consider such as the optimal moment of the day to detect vine water status with aerial thermal images, the minimum spatial resolution required, or the most appropriated aerial platform, were also studied in this PhD thesis. The implementation of this technology in viticulture will permit to make a more efficient irrigation management taking into account vineyard spatial variability.El uso de indicadores del estado hídrico de los cultivos para la optimización del riego en cultivos leñosos ha sido ampliamente estudiado. Sin embargo, el elevado número de puntos de medidas necesarios para caracterizar la variabilidad espacial de una parcela, hace que sea un sistema de difícil aplicación en grandes extensiones comerciales. La alternativa se basa en el uso de la teledetección. Con el desarrollo en los últimos años de sensores aerotransportados de alta resolución, se abren nuevas posibilidades para detectar el estado hídrico de los cultivos en grandes extensiones y poder realizar un manejo del riego más eficiente. Esta tesis doctoral tiene como principal objetivo desarrollar una herramienta que permita manejar la variabilidad espacial de los viñedos, mediante la utilización de la teledetección de alta resolución. Para tal fin, en primer lugar se han comparado dos metodologías para re-definir los sectores de riego, con el objetivo de disminuir la variabilidad productiva. Los métodos se basaron en el uso de índices estructurales de vegetación, tales como el Plant Cell Density (PCD) obtenidos a partir de imágenes multiespectrales, y con medidas del potencial hídrico de hoja (ΨL). Se presenta también el desarrollo del Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI) en las cuatro variedades de viña Pinot-noir, Chardonnay, Syrah y Tempranillo, como herramienta para cuantificar el estado hídrico mediante la teledetección térmica. El CWSI se desarrolló empíricamente con sensores de temperatura infrarrojo para posteriormente poder generar mapas de CWSI mediante la adquisición de imágenes aéreas térmicas de alta resolución. El CWSI se desarrolló y validó con medidas de ΨL en las distintas fases fenológicas. Aspectos de operatividad, tales como el momento idóneo del día para detectar el estado hídrico mediante imágenes aéreas térmicas, la resolución espacial mínima requerida, o la plataforma aérea más adecuada, también han sido estudiados en esta tesis. La implementación de esta tecnología en la viticultura permitirá realizar un manejo del riego más eficiente teniendo en cuenta la variabilidad espacial del estado hídrico en un viñedo

A Remote Sensing Approach for Assessing Daily Cumulative Evapotranspiration Integral in Wheat Genotype Screening for Drought Adaptation

This study considers critical aspects of water management and crop productivity in wheat cultivation, specifically examining the daily cumulative actual evapotranspiration (ETa). Traditionally, ETa surface energy balance models have provided estimates at discrete time points, lacking a holistic integrated approach. Field trials were conducted with 22 distinct wheat varieties, grown under both irrigated and rainfed conditions over a two-year span. Leaf area index prediction was enhanced through a robust multiple regression model, incorporating data acquired from an unmanned aerial vehicle using an RGB sensor, and resulting in a predictive model with an R2 value of 0.85. For estimation of the daily cumulative ETa integral, an integrated approach involving remote sensing and energy balance models was adopted. An examination of the relationships between crop yield and evapotranspiration (ETa), while considering factors like year, irrigation methods, and wheat cultivars, unveiled a pronounced positive asymptotic pattern. This suggests the presence of a threshold beyond which additional water application does not significantly enhance crop yield. However, a genetic analysis of the 22 wheat varieties showed no correlation between ETa and yield. This implies opportunities for selecting resource-efficient wheat varieties while minimizing water use. Significantly, substantial disparities in water productivity among the tested wheat varieties indicate the possibility of intentionally choosing lines that can optimize grain production while minimizing water usage within breeding programs. The results of this research lay the foundation for the development of resource-efficient agricultural practices and the cultivation of crop varieties finely attuned to water-scarce regions.This study is supported by the INVITE project (agreement No. 817970), funded by the Horizon 2020 Framework Program of the European Union. This study received support from a Consolidated Research Group grant awarded to the Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA) under grant number 2021 SGR 01429 (Technologies and crop solutions for drought mitigation—AGRI DROUGHT HUB).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Disaggregation of SMAP Soil Moisture at 20 m Resolution: Validation and Sub-Field Scale Analysis

This paper introduces a modified version of the DisPATCh (Disaggregation based on Physical And Theoretical scale Change) algorithm to disaggregate an SMAP surface soil moisture (SSM) product at a 20 m spatial resolution, through the use of sharpened Sentinel-3 land surface temperature (LST) data. Using sharpened LST as a high resolution proxy of SSM is a novel approach that needs to be validated and can be employed in a variety of applications that currently lack in a product with a similar high spatio-temporal resolution. The proposed high resolution SSM product was validated against available in situ data for two different fields, and it was also compared with two coarser DisPATCh products produced, disaggregating SMAP through the use of an LST at 1 km from Sentinel-3 and MODIS. From the correlation between in situ data and disaggregated SSM products, a general improvement was found in terms of Pearson’s correlation coefficient (R) for the proposed high resolution product with respect to the two products at 1 km. For the first field analyzed, R was equal to 0.47 when considering the 20 m product, an improvement compared to the 0.28 and 0.39 for the 1 km products. The improvement was especially noticeable during the summer season, in which it was only possible to successfully capture field-specific irrigation practices at the 20 m resolution. For the second field, R was 0.31 for the 20 m product, also an improvement compared to the 0.21 and 0.23 for the 1 km product. Additionally, the new product was able to depict SSM spatial variability at a sub-field scale and a validation analysis is also proposed at this scale. The main advantage of the proposed product is its very high spatio-temporal resolution, which opens up new opportunities to apply remotely sensed SSM data in disciplines that require fine spatial scales, such as agriculture and water management.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Optimizing precision irrigation of a vineyard to improve water use efficiency and profitability by using a decision-oriented vine water consumption model

While the agronomic and economic benefits of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategies have long been established in red wine grape varieties, spatial variability in water requirements across a vineyard limits their practical application. This study aims to evaluate the performance of an integrated methodology—based on a vine water consumption model and remote sensing data—to optimize the precision irrigation (PI) of a 100-ha commercial vineyard during two consecutive growing seasons. In addition, a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) was conducted of the tested strategy. Using an NDVI generated map, a vineyard with 52 irrigation sectors and the varieties Tempranillo, Cabernet and Syrah was classified in three categories (Low, Medium and High). The proposed methodology allowed viticulturists to adopt a precise RDI strategy, and, despite differences in water requirement between irrigation sectors, pre-defined stem water potential thresholds were not exceeded. In both years, the difference between maximum and minimum water applied in the different irrigation sectors varied by as much as 25.6%. Annual transpiration simulations showed ranges of 240.1–340.8 mm for 2016 and 298.6–366.9 mm for 2017. According to the CBA, total savings of 7090.00 € (2016) and 9960.00 € (2017) were obtained in the 100-ha vineyard with the PI strategy compared to not PI. After factoring in PI technology and labor costs of 5090 €, the net benefit was 20.0 € ha−1 in 2016 and 48.7 € ha−1 in 2017. The water consumption model adopted here to optimize PI is shown to enhance vineyard profitability, water use efficiency and yield.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Post-Harvest Regulated Deficit Irrigation in Chardonnay Did Not Reduce Yield but at Long-Term, It Could Affect Berry Composition

Future increases in temperatures are expected to advance grapevine phenology and shift ripening to warmer months, leaving a longer post-harvest period with warmer temperatures. Accumulation of carbohydrates occurs during post-harvest, and has an influence on vegetative growth and yield in the following growing season. This study addressed the possibility of adopting regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) during post-harvest in Chardonnay. Four irrigation treatments during post-harvest were applied over three consecutive seasons: (i) control (C), with full irrigation; (ii) low regulated deficit irrigation for sparkling base wine production (RDIL SP), from harvest date of sparkling base wine, irrigation when stem water potential (Ψstem) was less than −0.9 MPa; (iii) mild regulated deficit irrigation for sparkling base wine production (RDIM SP), from harvest date of sparkling base wine, irrigation when Ψstem was less than −1.25 MPa; (iv) mild regulated deficit irrigation for wine production (RDIM W), from harvest data of wine, irrigation when Ψstem was less than −1.25 MPa. Root starch concentration in full irrigation was higher than under RDI. Yield parameters did not differ between treatments, but differences in berry composition were detected. Considering that the desirable berry composition attributes of white varieties are high in titratable acidity, it would seem inappropriate to adopt RDI strategy during post-harvest. However, in a scenario of water restriction, it may be considered because there was less impact on yield and berry composition than if RDI had been adopted during pre-harvest.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Feasibility of Using the Two-Source Energy Balance Model (TSEB) with Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 Images to Analyze the Spatio-Temporal Variability of Vine Water Status in a Vineyard

In viticulture, detailed spatial information about actual evapotranspiration (ETa) and vine water status within a vineyard may be of particular utility when applying site-specific, precision irrigation management. Over recent decades, extensive research has been carried out in the use of remote sensing energy balance models to estimate and monitor ETa at the field level. However, one of the major limitations remains the coarse spatial resolution in the thermal infrared (TIR) domain. In this context, the recent advent of the Sentinel missions of the European Space Agency (ESA) has greatly improved the possibility of monitoring crop parameters and estimating ETa at higher temporal and spatial resolutions. In order to bridge the gap between the coarse-resolution Sentinel-3 thermal and the fine-resolution Sentinel-2 shortwave data, sharpening techniques have been used to downscale the Sentinel-3 land surface temperature (LST) from 1 km to 20 m. However, the accurate estimates of high-resolution LST through sharpening techniques are still unclear, particularly when intended to be used for detecting crop water stress. The goal of this study was to assess the feasibility of the two-source energy balance model (TSEB) using sharpened LST images from Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 (TSEB-PTS2+3) to estimate the spatio-temporal variability of actual transpiration (T) and water stress in a vineyard. T and crop water stress index (CWSI) estimates were evaluated against a vine water consumption model and regressed with in situ stem water potential (Ψstem). Two different TSEB approaches, using very high-resolution airborne thermal imagery, were also included in the analysis as benchmarks for TSEB-PTS2+3. One of them uses aggregated TIR data at the vine+inter-row level (TSEB-PTairb), while the other is based on a contextual method that directly, although separately, retrieves soil and canopy temperatures (TSEB-2T). The results obtained demonstrated that when comparing airborne Trad and sharpened S2+3 LST, the latter tend to be underestimated. This complicates the use of TSEB-PTS2+3 to detect crop water stress. TSEB-2T appeared to outperform all the other methods. This was shown by a higher R2 and slightly lower RMSD when compared with modelled T. In addition, regressions between T and CWSI-2T with Ψstem also produced the highest R2.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio