"Si la tierra tiene sazón..." El conocimiento tradicional campesino como movilizador de procesos de transición agroecológica

Peasant traditional knowledge remains on the basis of agroecological research, considering that within it we can find features of the ecological racionality for natural resource management that peasant societies have developed along the History. Recovery and updating of this knowledge is, in the current context of global ecological crisis, more necessary than never. Peasant traditional knowledge can play as well an aditional role in Agroecological Transition processes at local society level, linking both symbolic and material components of social change. Activating its materiality -traditional seeds and tools or knowledge- we can boost subjective processes of change in the collective imaginarium, necessary to activate dynamics of endogenous, social change to sustainability.To assess the potential of peasant traditional knowledge as mobylizer of Agroecological Transition we have developed a case-study in a peri-urban town in central Spain, with an ancient agrarian tradition but very affected by de-agrarization processes. In this study we have made diverse activities for the recovery of traditional knowledge, and then we have used this information as feed-back for debate with local population in open events which we have called agroecological analyzer-mobylizer. In this paper we try to assess the potential of these actions for activate Agroecological Transition.El conocimiento tradicional campesino se encuentra en la base de la investigación agroecológica, ya que en él podemos encontrar rasgos de la racionalidad ecológica en el manejo de los recursos naturales que las sociedades campesinas han desarrollado a lo largo de la historia. La recuperación y actualización de este conocimiento es, en el contexto actual de crisis ecológica global, más necesario que nunca. El conocimiento tradicional campesino puede además jugar un papel adicional en los procesos de Transición Agroecológica a nivel de sociedad local, ya que éstos deben articular las componentes material y simbólica en los procesos de cambio social. A través de la puesta en acción de su materialidad -las semillas, las herramientas o el saber para transformar el medio físico- podemos activar procesos subjetivos de cambio en el imaginario colectivo, necesarios para activar dinámicas endógenas de cambio social hacia la sustentabilidad.Para evaluar el potencial del conocimiento tradicional campesino como movilizador del potencial agroecológico hemos desarrollado un estudio de caso en un municipio periurbano del centro del Estado Español, con profunda tradición agraria pero muy afectado por los procesos de desagrarización, en el que se han articulado diversas metodologías participativas y etnográficas. En primer lugar, se han realizado diversas actividades de recuperación de conocimiento tradicional campesino. En segundo lugar, el conocimiento y los materiales recuperados se han devuelto a la población local en distintos eventos que hemos denominado analizadores-movilizadores agroecológicos. En el presente artículo tratamos de analizar la potencialidad de estas acciones para dinamizar los procesos de Transición Agroecológica

Politizando el consumo alimentario: estrategias para avanzar en la transición agroecológica/ Politicizing Food Consumption: Strategies for Advancing in Agroecological Transition

The starting point of this paper is the unfeasibility situation of the industrialized agriculture model and the dominant agro-food regime. Building a sustainable alternative is urgently needed. In the last decades, a great number of agroecological experiences have emerged which constitute, by their innovative character, the vanguard of an alternative agro-alimentary system. However, these experiences are not enough to produce a change to upper scales of social organization and even for their own survival as such experiences. The main challenge that Agroecology has raised is to upscaling the agroecological experiences. In this paper we propose a change of focus in the agroecological practice itself, betting on the formation of agro-ecological local food systems that, when winning on a scale, impose a favorable institutional framework. This will only be possible through a social mobilization not only focused on agricultural production or distribution, but on food, weaving social alliances with capacity for change. This can be done by politicizing food consumption.En este artículo se parte de la situación de inviabilidad del modelo de agricultura industrializada y del régimen agroalimentario dominante y de la necesidad de construir alternativas sustentables que reviertan la crisis. En las últimas décadas han aparecido gran cantidad de experiencias que constituyen, por su carácter innovador, la vanguardia de un sistema agroalimentario alternativo. Sin embargo, estas experiencias no son suficientes para producir un cambio a escalas superiores de organización social e incluso para su propia supervivencia como tales experiencias. El reto principal que la Agroecología tiene planteado es el de ampliar la escala de las experiencias agroecológicas. En este artículo proponemos un cambio de enfoque en la propia práctica agroecológica, apostando por la conformación de sistemas agroalimentarios locales de base agroecológica que al ganar en escala impongan un nuevo arreglo institucional favorable. Ello sólo será posible mediante una movilización social no sólo centrada en la producción agraria o en la distribución, sino en la alimentación, tejiendo alianzas sociales con capacidad de cambio. Ello se puede hacer politizando el consumo alimentario

JAZ2 controls stomata dynamics during bacterial invasion

Coronatine (COR) facilitates entry of bacteria into the plant apoplast by stimulating stomata opening. COR-induced signaling events at stomata remain unclear. We found that the COR and jasmonate isoleucine (JA-Ile) co-receptor JAZ2 is constitutively expressed in guard cells and modulates stomatal dynamics during bacterial invasion. We analyzed tissue expression patterns of AtJAZ genes and measured stomata opening and pathogen resistance in loss- and gain-of-function mutants. Arabidopsis jaz2 mutants are partially impaired in pathogen-induced stomatal closing and more susceptible to Pseudomonas. Gain-of-function mutations in JAZ2 prevent stomatal reopening by COR and are highly resistant to bacterial penetration. The JAZ2 targets MYC2, MYC3 and MYC4 directly regulate the expression of ANAC19, ANAC55 and ANAC72 to modulate stomata aperture. Due to the antagonistic interactions between the salicylic acid (SA) and JA defense pathways, efforts to increase resistance to biotrophs result in enhanced susceptibility to necrotrophs, and vice versa. Remarkably, dominant jaz2Δjas mutants are resistant to Pseudomonas syringae but retain unaltered resistance against necrotrophs. Our results demonstrate the existence of a COI1-JAZ2-MYC2,3,4-ANAC19,55,72 module responsible for the regulation of stomatal aperture that is hijacked by bacterial COR to promote infection. They also provide novel strategies for crop protection against biotrophs without compromising resistance to necrotrophs

CUL3BPM E3 ubiquitin ligases regulate MYC2, MYC3, and MYC4 stability and JA responses

The jasmonate (JA)-pathway regulators MYC2, MYC3, and MYC4 are central nodes in plant signaling networks integrating environmental and developmental signals to fine-tune JA defenses and plant growth. Continuous activation of MYC activity is potentially lethal. Hence, MYCs need to be tightly regulated in order to optimize plant fitness. Among the increasing number of mechanisms regulating MYC activity, protein stability is arising as a major player. However, how the levels of MYC proteins are modulated is still poorly understood. Here, we report that MYC2, MYC3, and MYC4 are targets of BPM (BTB/POZ-MATH) proteins, which act as substrate adaptors of CUL3-based E3 ubiquitin ligases. Reduction of function of CUL3BPM in amiR-bpm lines, bpm235 triple mutants, and cul3ab double mutants enhances MYC2 and MYC3 stability and accumulation and potentiates plant responses to JA such as root-growth inhibition and MYC-regulated gene expression. Moreover, MYC3 polyubiquitination levels are reduced in amiR-bpm lines. BPM3 protein is stabilized by JA, suggesting a negative feedback regulatory mechanism to control MYC activity, avoiding harmful runaway responses. Our results uncover a layer for JA-pathway regulation by CUL3BPM-mediated degradation of MYC transcription factors.This work was funded by Spanish Ministry for Science and Innovation Grants BIO2016-77216-R (Ministerio de Economia [MINECO]/Fondos Europeos de Desarrollo Regional [FEDER]) (to R.S.) and BIO2016-80551-R (MINECO/FEDER) (to V.R.). E.C. was the recipient of a Formación de Personal Investigador grant from MINECO (Reference BES-2017-081147). The mass spectrometry instrumentation was funded by the University of Strasbourg (IdEx “Equipement mi-Lourd” 2015) and by “Laboratoires d’Excellence” Grant ANR-10-LABX-0036 (NETRNA)

Embodied energy in agricultural inputs. Incorporating a historical perspective

Este documento de trabajo analiza la energía asociada a los inputs agrarios en perspectiva histórica. El estudio se basa en una amplia revisión bibliográfica, que se ha complementado con estimaciones propias para crear una base de datos coherente que incluye toda la energía directa e indirecta asociada a los principales insumos agrícolas con el máximo nivel de desagregación posible. Estos insumos incluyen mano de obra, vectores energéticos como combustibles y electricidad, materiales, maquinaria, fertilizantes y pesticidas de síntesis, insumos orgánicos, material de propagación, insumos asociados al regadío, edificaciones, invernaderos, transporte y servicios no materiales. Para cada insumo se describe su evolución histórica desde la perspectiva energética, las metodologías más comúnmente empleadas en la literatura para el cálculo de su energía asociada, y se proporcionan series temporales sobre la evolución de esta energía. Las series temporales incluyen todo el siglo XX y la primera década del siglo XXI, y están expresadas en cortes decenales. Los valores ofrecidos son promedios globales o referidos a las principales regiones productoras. Los resultados muestran los grandes cambios que han ocurrido en la eficiencia energética de la producción de insumos agrícolas, subrayando la necesidad de emplear coeficientes dinámicos en el análisis energético de la evolución histórica de los sistemas agrícolas.This working paper analyzes the energy embodied in agricultural inputs from a historical perspective. The study is based on a wide literature review, which has been complemented with own estimations in order to create a coherent database including all direct and indirect energy associated to the main agricultural inputs with the maximum possible level of disaggregation. The inputs studied include human labour, energy carriers such as fuels and electricity, materials, machinery, synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, organic inputs, propagation material, irrigation inputs, buildings, greenhouses, transport and non-material services. For each input we describe its historical evolution from an energetic perspective, the most common methods used for the calculation of its embodied energy published in the literature and temporal data series on the historical evolution of this energy. The temporal data series are expressed in 10-year time-steps and, in the majority of cases, they cover the whole 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century. The values provided are global averages or covering the main producing regions. The results show the large changes that have occurred in the energy efficiency of the production of agricultural inputs, underlining the need for the use of dynamic coefficients in historical energy analyses of agricultural systems

Histological and ultrastructural comparison of cauterization and thrombosis stroke models in immune-deficient mice

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Stroke models are essential tools in experimental stroke. Although several models of stroke have been developed in a variety of animals, with the development of transgenic mice there is the need to develop a reliable and reproducible stroke model in mice, which mimics as close as possible human stroke.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>BALB/Ca-RAG2^-/-γc^-/-mice were subjected to cauterization or thrombosis stroke model and sacrificed at different time points (48hr, 1wk, 2wk and 4wk) after stroke. Mice received BrdU to estimate activation of cell proliferation in the SVZ. Brains were processed for immunohistochemical and EM.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In both stroke models, after inflammation the same glial scar formation process and damage evolution takes place. After stroke, necrotic tissue is progressively removed, and healthy tissue is preserved from injury through the glial scar formation. Cauterization stroke model produced unspecific damage, was less efficient and the infarct was less homogeneous compared to thrombosis infarct. Finally, thrombosis stroke model produces activation of SVZ proliferation.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results provide an exhaustive analysis of the histopathological changes (inflammation, necrosis, tissue remodeling, scarring...) that occur after stroke in the ischemic boundary zone, which are of key importance for the final stroke outcome. This analysis would allow evaluating how different therapies would affect wound and regeneration. Moreover, this stroke model in RAG 2^-/-γC ^-/-allows cell transplant from different species, even human, to be analyzed.</p