Yield-scaled mitigation of ammonia emission from N fertilization: the Spanish case

Online supplementary data available from stacks.iop.org/ERL/9/125005/mmedia[EN] Synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizer and field application of livestock manure are the major sources of ammonia (NH3) volatilization. This N loss may decrease crop productivity and subsequent deposition promotes environmental problems associated with soil acidification and eutrophication. Mitigation measures may have associated side effects such as decreased crop productivity (e.g. if N fertilizer application is reduced), or the release of other reactive N compounds (e.g. N2O emissions if manure is incorporated). Here, we present a novel methodology to provide an integrated assessment of the best strategies to abate NH3 from N applications to crops. Using scenario analyses, we assessed the potential of 11 mitigation measures to reduce NH3 volatilization while accounting for their side effects on crop productivity, N use efficiency (NUE) and N surplus (used as an indicator of potential N losses by denitrification/nitrification and NO3 − leaching/run-off). Spain, including its 48 provinces, was selected as a case study as it is the third major producer of agricultural goods in Europe, and also the European country with the highest increase in NH3 emissions from 1990 to 2011. Mitigation scenarios comprised of individual measures and combinations of strategies were evaluated at a country- and regional level. Compared to the reference situation of standard practices for the year 2008, implementation of the most effective region-specific mitigation strategy led to 63% NH3 mitigation at the country level. Implementation of a single strategy for all regions reduced NH3 by 57% at the highest. Strategies that involved combining mitigation measures produced the largest NH3 abatement in all cases, with an 80% reduction in some regions. Among the strategies analyzed, only suppression of urea application combined with manure incorporation and incorporation of N synthetic fertilizers other than urea showed a fully beneficial situation: yieldscaled NH3 emissions were reduced by 82%, N surplus was reduced by 9%, NUE was increased by 19% and yield was around 98% that of the reference situation. This study shows that the adoption of viable measures may provide an opportunity for countries like Spain to meet the international agreements on NH3 mitigation, while maintaining crop yields and increasing NUEThe authors are grateful to the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and the Autonomous Community of Madrid for their economic support through the NEREA project (AGL2012-37815- C05-01, AGL2012-37815-C05-04) and GASPORC (AGL2011-30023-C03) projects. We wish to thank the FIRE (Federation Ile de France de Recherche en Environment, CNRS and UPMC) as well as the Agrisost Project (S2009/AGR-1630). Eduardo Aguilera gratefully acknowledges funding by the 895-2011-1020 project (Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council). This paper has been produced within the context of the REMEDIA network (http://redremedia.wordpress.com).Sanz-Cobeña, A.; Lassaletta, L.; Estellés, F.; Del Prado, A.; Guardia Guardia, G.; Abalos, D.; Aguilera, E.... (2014). Yield-scaled mitigation of ammonia emission from N fertilization: the Spanish case. Environmental Research Letters. 9(12):1-12. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/9/12/125005S11291

Modelling the spray deposition and efficacy of two mineral oil-based products for the control of California red scale, Aonidiella aurantii (Maskell)

The pattern and quantity of pesticide deposition may affect the efficacy of pesticide treatments. In this study we evaluated under laboratory conditions the efficacy of two petroleum-derived spray oils (PDSO) (Laincoil ®, an nC21 oil with a content of 83% w/v, Oil A, and Sunspray Ultrafine ®, an nC21 with a content of 85% w/v, Oil B, both with an unsulfonated residue of 92%) applied at 1.5% concentration at five volumes (0.5, 1, 2, 3 and 4 ml) against different stages of Aonidiella aurantii Maskell (Homoptera: Diaspididae). In parallel, we characterized the deposition pattern of treatments resulting from these five volumes and two PDSOs. The objective was to model deposition characteristics and efficacy as a function of the deposited volume in order to determine the optimum volume per unit surface that should be applied to control this pest. Different models that depend on the developmental stage and relate to the efficacy of the treatment as a function of the deposited volume have been obtained for both PDSOs, thus providing a scientific basis for product efficacy comparison. Furthermore, our results are also relevant to find an adequate trade-off between sprayed pesticide volume and expected efficacy. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.This research was partially funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion de Espana (project AGL2007-66093-C04) and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER). C. Garcera was recipient of a grant from IVIA.Garcerá Figueroa, MDLC.; Moltó García, E.; Zarzo Castelló, M.; Chueca, P. (2012). Modelling the spray deposition and efficacy of two mineral oil-based products for the control of California red scale, Aonidiella aurantii (Maskell). Crop Protection. 31(1):78-84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2011.10.004S788431

Identifying the main sources of Silicate in coastal waters of the southern Gulf of Valencia (Western Mediterranean Sea)

[EN] Silicon is a major nutrient for siliceous primary producers, which can become a potential limiting nutrient in oligotrophic areas. Most of the silicon inputs to the marine environment come from continental discharges, from both superficial and ground waters. This study analyses the main sources of silicon and their dynamics along the southernmost 43 km of shoreline in the Gulf of Valencia (Western Mediterranean Sea). The salinity and silicate concentration in the different compartments (springs, freshwater wells, beach groundwater, surf zone and coastal waters) in this coastal area were determined. In addition, chlorophyll a and phytoplankton community were analyzed in the surf zone and coastal waters. Silicate concentrations in freshwater wells ranged between 130 and 150 mu M, whereas concentrations of this nutrient declined to 49 mu M in freshwater-seawater mixture transects. At the same time, there was a positive gradient in silicate for both freshwater and coastal waters southward. An amount of 18.7 t of dissolved silicate was estimated in the nearest first kilometre nearest to the coastline, 6 t of this silicate belonged to the background sea level. On the other hand, the sum of the main rivers in the area supplies 1.6 t of dissolved silicate per day. This implies that a large amount of the remaining 11.1 t must derive from submarine groundwater discharges, which would thus represent 59% of the coastal dissolved silicate budget. Overall, it is suggested that a subterranean transport pathway must contribute considerably to silicate concentrations throughout this zone, which is characterized as permeable. (c) 2017 Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Production and hosting by Elsevier Sp. z o.o.The authors acknowledge the financial support for this study from the CNPq (Brazil - Grant 303672/2013-7). We are very grateful for the valuable comments of anonymous reviewers on previous versions of the manuscript.Sospedra, J.; Niencheski, LFH.; Falco, S.; Andrade, C.; Attisano, K.; Rodilla, M. (2018). Identifying the main sources of Silicate in coastal waters of the southern Gulf of Valencia (Western Mediterranean Sea). Oceanologia. 60(1):52-64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceano.2017.07.004S526460

Harvest of Red-legged Partridge in Central Spain

A basic rule to attain sustainable use of harvested resources is to adjust take to availability. Populations of red-legged partridges in Spain have decreased in recent decades, and releases of farm-bred partridges to improve short-term availability are increasingly common. We used questionnaires and bird surveys to assess whether harvest was related to availability of wild partridges or intensity of farm-bred partridge releases. We studied 50 hunting estates, including 6 administratively labeled as intensive (with few numerical and temporal restrictions to releases). In addition, we considered hunting pressure (number of hunters × hunting days/km2) and habitat as explanatory variables in the analyses. In intensive estates, annual harvest was exclusively related to release intensity, indicating that in these estates hunting is detached from natural resources and approaches an industrial activity based on external inputs. In non-intensive estates, harvest was affected by wild stock availability, walked-up shooting pressure, and habitat (greater harvest in estates with more Mediterranean shrubland). In these estates, releases did not increase annual harvest, and can be considered an inefficient practice. Additionally, the relationship between abundance estimates and harvest disappeared in estates with low partridge abundance estimates, suggesting possibilities for overharvesting in a large proportion of estates. Increasing the abundance of wild red-legged partridge through techniques like habitat management, and improving the adjustment of harvest to availability, may be a good strategy to increase long-term harvest in non-intensive estates. Additionally, Government and managers must create ways to segregate and label the estates where only wild red-legged partridges are managed from those where releases are used, to reduce ecological costs of management decisions.This work was supported by the European Commission under the 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development through project HUNT (212160, FP7-ENV-2007-1) and the Consejería de Agricultura of Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM).Peer reviewe

Life cycle assessment applied to different citrus farming systems in Spain and Italy

[EN] The increasing environmental awareness of the actors of agrofood supply chains has led to the implementation of new tools to analyze the impacts generated during agricultural practices. The impacts depend not only on the production system but also on the farmer¿s management choices, in terms of input allocation, and on the production site, in terms of soil and climate conditions. In order to assess the environmental impact of conventional and organic farming systems on citrus growing in Italy and Spain, a life cycle assessment method has been implemented. The results show the organic system to be more sustainable than conventional and they could be useful indicators for correcting and modifying agricultural practices.Nicolò, BF.; De Salvo, MC.; Ramírez-Sanz, C.; Estruch-Guitart, V.; Sanjuán Pellicer, MN.; Falcone, G.; Strano, A. (2018). Life cycle assessment applied to different citrus farming systems in Spain and Italy. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems. 42(10):1092-1105. https://doi.org/10.1080/21683565.2018.1490942S10921105421