Profit Analysis of Papaya Crops under Greenhouses as an Alternative to Traditional Intensive Horticulture in Southeast Spain

The high-yield agricultural model in Almería is based on eight different crops. Having led fruit and vegetable exports in Spain for more than 50 years, a decrease in melon and watermelon growing areas in Almería caused a change in supply that affected the model’s profit. Papaya cultivation could reactivate the profit of the agricultural model in Almería and also improve the available product range. The papaya crop needs greenhouse infrastructures high enough to contain the growth and size of the plants during a cycle crop, which is possible in most of the greenhouses of the Horticultural production model of Almería. The papaya harvests obtained in the region meet the quality requirements demanded by European markets. Furthermore, yields obtained are equal or higher than yields obtained by other producing countries. This crop improves profit compared with the profit obtained from the rotation of other horticultural crops that have been traditionally grown in the region

Sistema electrónico para cuantificar poblaciones de insectos voladores y evaluar atrayentes y repelentes

Número de publicación: ES2235575 A1 (01.07.2005) También publicado como: ES2235575 B1 (01.11.2006) Número de Solicitud: Consulta de Expedientes OEPM (C.E.O.) P200202622 (07.11.2002)Esta invención se refiere a un sistema electrónico que permite hacer una evaluación cuantitativa de la cantidad de insectos voladores que intentan atravesar una determina zona del espacio. La zona en donde se realiza el seguimiento de los insectos que intentan atravesarla es una superficie preferentemente plana, donde se ha situado una serie de electrodos conductores, conectados a una fuente de alto voltaje. La finalidad del sistema es proporcionar, un pulso eléctrico cada vez que sea electrocutado un insecto y este pulso eléctrico tiene unas características que permiten que pueda ser aprovechado y procesado por otros sistemas electrónicos, tales como contadores, autómatas programables, microcontroladores, o ser acoplado a los buses de entrada de un ordenador.Universidad de Almerí

Influence of the application of Jasmonic Acid and Benzoic Acid on Watermelon fruit quality.

In watermelon crops in Southeastern Spain, important thermal differences appear during the first stages of plant development that can affect them. This work shows the effect of applying jasmonic acid and benzoic acid (JA+BA), inductors of systemic acquired resistance (SAR) and induced systemic resistance (ISR), respectively, on fruit quality parameters from a crop in a greenhouse in Southeastern Spain, where crops face a remarkable abiotic stress. We assessed two treatments of JA+BA, T1 (500+500 ppm), T2 (2000+2000 ppm) and a control test using an experimental design of randomized blocks with four replications. The results obtained for the parameters assessed (ºBrix, flesh firmness, rind thickness, polar and equatorial diameter) did not show statistically significant differences. The results showed that there was no metabolic cost in the plants when applying the assessed treatments of JA+BA

Effect of the application of jasmonic acid and benzoic acid on grafted watermelons yield under greenhouse conditions in the southeast of Spain for mitigation of stress

One of the main problems of watermelon crops in Sou theast Spain is the thermal difference because of c limatic conditions that appear during the first stages of the crop. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of inducing the systemic acq uired resistance (SAR) and the induced systemic resistance (ISR) through the application of jasmonic ac id (JA) and benzoic acid (BA), respectively, to counter the abiotic stress. We assessed two treatments of JA and BA, T1 (500 mg·kg-1 + 500 mg·kg -1 ) and T 2 (2000 mg·kg -1 + 2000 mg·kg -1), as well as a control test using an experimental design of randomized blocks with four replications. The results obtained for kg·m -2, fruits/m², kg/plant and fruits/plant did not show statistically significant differences. However, we obtained statistically sig nificant differences in the average fruit weight co mpared with the control test in the two experiments carried out in 2009 and 2010. The results showed that there was no metabolic cost in the plants when applying the assessed treatments of JA and BA

Management of agricultural waste biomass as raw material for the construction sector: an analysis of sustainable and circular alternatives

The agricultural and construction sectors demand enormous amounts of natural resources and generate environmental impacts that negatively affect ecosystems. One of the main problems is the generation and inadequate management of waste. For this reason, under the approaches of the new sustainable and circular models, waste valorization has been prioritised as a strategy for advancing towards the sustainability of production systems. This research aims to carry out a general analysis of Agricultural Waste Biomass (AWB) in the production of bio-based products for the construction sector. Bibliometric techniques were applied for the general analysis of the scientific production obtained from Scopus. A systematic review identified the main research approaches. In addition, European projects were reviewed to assess the practical application. This study is novel and provides relevant contributions to new trends in the valorisation of AWB in the building sector and the sustainability benefits. For policymakers, it is a source of information on the contribution of new policies to scientific advances and the aspects that need to be strengthened to improve sustainable and circular practices in both sectors

Analysis of the Circular Economic Production Models and Their Approach in Agriculture and Agricultural Waste Biomass Management

As of now, circular economic production models of the circular economy (CEPMs), which include circular economy, bioeconomy, and circular bioeconomy, are among the main tools characterizing development policies in different countries. During the last five years, policies and strategies regarding CEPMs have promoted and contributed to the development of research on this topic. The evolution and most relevant aspects of the three CEPMs previously mentioned have been analyzed from a sample of 2190 scientific publications obtained from the Scopus database. Bibliometric analysis has been used to evaluate the approach of these models in agriculture and to introduce the ways in which they address the management of agricultural waste biomass (AWB). Results show that the circular economy is the most studied and prioritized model in China and most European countries, with the UK leading the way. Germany leads in topics related to the bioeconomy. The management policies and strategies of the circular bioeconomy are key to promoting research focused on AWB valorization since bioenergy and/or biofuel production continue to be a priority

Impact of environmental policies on the profitability of greenhouse agriculture in southeastern Spain

Sustainable development has become an essential criterion for structural policies ofthe European Union, and these policies have extended its environmental dimensions.The EU has decided that circular economy will be framed within the principles of sus-tainable development. Thus, the changes brought forth will affect activities like agri-culture, where environmental policy can undermine the stability of agriculturalsystems by reducing their profitability. The objective of this study was to evaluatehow the implementation of these techniques impacted the southeastern peninsula ofSpain, a farming region that supports the sovereignty and food security of theEuropean Union in terms of fruit and vegetable products. The production techniquesevaluated can increase production costs by up to 5.5%, although there are no signifi-cant differences in crop profitability. It is necessary to guarantee that all producerscan access the incentive system to reduce their economic pressure, due in manycases to financial losses. In this regard, it is necessary to establish a specific greenarchitecture for this subsector that factors in the effects of inflation to balance thetriple aspect of sustainabilit

The Management of Agriculture Plastic Waste in the Framework of Circular Economy. Case of the Almeria Greenhouse (Spain)

In recent decades, ecosystems have suffered diverse environmental impacts caused by anthropogenic activities, including the dumping of plastic waste. This situation has prompted the European Union to introduce a new policy based on the circular economy. In this study, the present state and future perspectives on the generation and treatment of plastic waste in the intensive agriculture of Almeria (Spain) are analyzed. This activity generates 1503.6 kg·ha−1·year−1, on average, of plastic waste with an approximate treatment cost of 0.25 €/kg. The present study shows that the volume of plastic waste from intensive agriculture in Almeria is constantly increasing (48,948.2 tons in 2020/21) and it is suggested that the current management system does not meet the needs of the sector. Although it presents great opportunities for improvement under the framework of the circular economy. Furthermore, this work reports a direct relationship between the price of the raw materials needed for the production of plastic and the volume of recycled plastics. For this reason, it would be advisable for the administration to consider the implementation of a tax rebate system for the sector and specifically when the petroleum derivatives used to manufacture plastic are less expensive, and the recycling option is not so attractive

Assessment of the sustainability of the European agri-food sector in the context of the circular economy

Quantifying the sustainability of the agriculture, livestock, and agri-food industry under a homogeneous criterion is essential to strategize the implementation of sustainable development in the agri-food sector and increase the commitment of stakeholders using aids to reduce the socio-economic impact of the expansion of sustainability. In order to homogenize the quantification methodology in the European context, a composite indicator was developed from a system of indices of the European agri-food system. Results unveiled a moderate level of sustainability in the food production and processing in the European Union. The French agri-food system (0.46) had the highest overall sustainability according to the composite indicator of this study, followed by Austria (0.44), Italy (0.43), Estonia (0.43), Germany (0.42), Belgium (0.40), Finland (0.40), Denmark (0.40), Spain (0.40), Latvia (0.39), Czech Republic (0.39), Sweden (0.38), Greece (0.38), Netherlands (0.38) and Slovakia (0.38), all of them above the EU-27 average (0.37). The more significant economic and social progress of agricultural activity was associated with a lower quality of environmental indicators. Overall agri-food system sustainability can be predicted from ten indicators. The results suggest the necessity of implementing a policy that prioritizes the development of Local Productive Systems based on the framework of the circular economy to favor territorial balance