The State of Organic Seed in Europe

This booklet will present the information collected through research of the LIVESEED project in order to shed light on the actual situation of organic seed use in Europe. In particular, it will focus on the following questions: 1. How does the farmer know what varieties are available as organic seed? How do organic seed databases work in different EU countries and how could they be improved? 2. How much non-organic seed or planting material is used in EU organic farming? How many derogations are granted in different EU Member States and Switzerland? 3. Which are the factors encouraging or discouraging farmers to use organic seed? Which farm and farmer characteristics influence adoption of organic seed? How can organic plant breeding contribute to 100% organic seed use? 4. How has the organic seed market developed in the last years? According to seed suppliers` perspective, what factors hamper the further development of the organic seed sector? To answer these questions, researchers in the LIVESEED project applied integrated research tools and methodologies: a comparative review of the different databases on organic seed in 28 EU countries; an integrated analysis of national derogation reports to measure the current use of nonorganic seed in Europe; a survey among farmers, to understand their perspective on the use of organic seed; and finally a survey among seed suppliers to evaluate trends in the offer of organic seed on the market. A quantitative model was used to estimate the potential demand for organic seed in Europe on the basis of the data collected

Evaluation of soil management effect on crop productivity and vegetation indices accuracy in mediterranean cereal-based cropping systems

none3noMostly, precision agriculture applications include the acquisition and elaboration of images, and it is fundamental to understand how farmers’ practices, such as soil management, affect those images and relate to the vegetation index. We investigated how long-term conservation agriculture practices, in comparison with conventional practices, can affect the yield components and the accuracy of five vegetation indexes. The experimental site is a part of a long-term experiment established in 1994 and is still ongoing that consists of a rainfed 2-year rotation with durum wheat and maize, where two unfertilized soil managements were repeated in the same plots every year. This study shows the superiority of no tillage over conventional tillage for both nutritional and productive aspects on durum wheat. The soil management affects the vegetation indexes’ accuracy, which is related to the nitrogen nutrition status. No-tillage management, which is characterized by a higher content of soil organic matter and nitrogen availability into the soil, allows obtaining a higher accuracy than the conventional tillage. So, the users of multispectral cameras for precision agriculture applications must take into account the soil management, organic matter, and nitrogen content.openOrsini R.; Fiorentini M.; Zenobi S.Orsini, R.; Fiorentini, M.; Zenobi, S

Labour Use on Organic Farms: A Review of Research since 2000

Organic farming is frequently associated with claims of more labour requirements than conventional. However, there is a fragmented knowledge about labour use on organic farms in terms of workload, nature and quality of employment provided. In the context of a growing organic demand and a need for more farmers to convert to reach policy targets set by many EU governments, it seems crucial to understand labour trends on organic farms and to what extent labour requirements may hinder the adoption of the organic methods. This paper presents a review of mainly European literature published since 2000. Studies presenting results by farm type usually indicate higher labour use per hectare on organic than conventional arable farms, whereas similar or lower labour use is reported on organic livestock farms, and the results are mixed for other farm types. We have identified in the existing literature two broad dimensions directly related with labour use, which need to be considered in comparative studies, namely farm structure (including farm type, but also farm size and diversification activities), and technical efficiency. These two broad dimensions give us insights into some more specific factors affecting labour use, and how labour is related with productivity and technical efficiency. Overall it appears that claims that labour requirements represent a concrete obstacle to the adoption of the organic methods need to be treated with caution, and more research is needed to understand the role of labour in farmers’ decision to convert to organic farming. The review of the nature and quality of employment indicates positive health effects related to higher satisfaction and lower exposure to pesticides in organic agriculture as the most important advantages for farm workers. Overall, there is limited research on whether the organic sector provides better opportunities in terms of job prospects, wages and employment of women

Stress-induced reduction of dorsal striatal D2 dopamine receptors prevents retention of a newly acquired adaptive coping strategy

The inability to learn an adaptive coping strategy in a novel stressful condition leads to dysfunctional stress coping, a marker of mental disturbances. This study tested the involvement of dorsal striatal dopamine receptors in the dysfunctional coping with the Forced Swim test fostered by a previous experience of reduced food availability. Adult male mice were submitted to a temporary (12 days) reduction of food availability [food-restricted (FR)] or continuously free-fed (FF). Different groups of FF and FR mice were used to evaluate: (1) dorsal striatal mRNA levels of the two isoforms of the dopamine D2 receptor (D2S, D2L). (2) Forced Swim-induced c-fos expression in the dorsal striatum; (3) acquisition and 24 h retention of passive coping with Forced Swim. Additional groups of FF mice were tested for 24 h retention of passive coping acquired during a first experience with Forced Swim immediately followed by intra-striatal infusion of vehicle or two doses of the dopamine D2/D3 receptors antagonist sulpiride or the D1/D5 receptors antagonist SCH23390. Previous restricted feeding selectively reduced mRNA levels of both D2 isoforms and abolished Forced Swim-induced c-fos expression in the left Dorsolateral Striatum and selectively prevented 24 h retention of the coping strategy acquired in a first experience of Forced Swim. Finally, temporary blockade of left Dorsolateral Striatum D2/D3 receptors immediately following the first Forced Swim experience selectively reproduced the behavioral effect of restricted feeding in FF mice. In conclusion, the present results demonstrate that mice previously exposed to a temporary reduction of food availability show low striatal D2 receptors, a known marker of addiction-associated aberrant neuroplasticity, as well as liability to relapse into maladaptive stress coping strategies. Moreover, they offer strong support to a causal relationship between reduction of D2 receptors in the left Dorsolateral Striatum and impaired consolidation of newly acquired adaptive coping

Grotta dell\u2019Acqua Mintina a peculiar geosite with the smell of sulfur

Riassunto La grotta dell\u2019Acqua Mintina (comune di Butera, Caltanissetta, Sicilia) si estende per una lunghezza totale di 140 m nel Calcare di Base di et\ue0 messiniana (Miocene superiore) ed \ue8 caratterizzata dalla spettacolare presenza di concrezioni e cristalli di zolfo nativo e gesso secondario. Lo zolfo si \ue8 formato sulle pareti e sul soffitto della grotto in cristalli fino a 1 cm di lunghezza e in concrezioni microcristalline di forma botroidale, a nuvola, a popcorn e a \u201cmensola\u201d. Il gesso \ue8 presente in aggregati cristallini aciculari, prismatici e fibrosi con cristalli fino a 3 cm di lunghezza. La grotta mostra morfologie non compatibili con i consueti fenomeni carsici ma legate ad attacco acido su calcare. L\u2019acido solforico \ue8 stato generato in corrispondenza della falda acquifera per miscelazione di acque ricche di H2S risalite dai sedimenti sottostanti con acque ricche in ossigeno infiltrate dalla superficie. Il gesso si \ue8 formato attraverso il fenomeno della condensazione-corrosione di acido solforico sulle pareti calcaree della grotta, mentre lo zolfo si \ue8 formato per degassamento di H2S e CO2 al di sotto della superficie dell\u2019acqua, con parziale ossidazione dell\u2019acido solfidrico. L\u2019acido solfidrico \ue8 stato a sua volta generato dalla degradazione dei sedimenti ricchi in materia organica del Tripoli che si trovano immediatamente al di sotto del Calcare di Base e/o per riduzione batterica del gesso primario della Formazione di Pasquasia affiorante al di sopra. La grotta, per la presenza di spettacolari concrezioni di zolfo e gesso, rappresenta un geosito di interesse nazionale da tutelare e conservare attivamente.The Acqua Mintina cave (Butera, Caltanissetta, Sicily) cuts for a total length of 140 m the Messinian Calcare di base unit and is characterized by the spectacular, and fortunately still poorly degraded, presence of native sulfur and secondary gypsum. The sulfur occurs on the walls and ceiling in crystals up to 1 cm in length and centimeter-thick microcrystalline botroydal, cloud, popcorn, and folia concretions. Gypsum is present in acicular, prismatic and fibrous crystal aggregates consisting of crystals of up to 3 cm in length. The cave shows karst morphologies due to acid attack on limestone and not the usual dissolution by water flow. The organic-rich Tripoli sediments below the Calcare di Base unit and/or the bacterial reduction of gypsum from the Upper Gypsum unit probably provided the original H2S. Sulfuric acid was generated when H2S-rich water encountered oxygen-rich water at or near the water table. Gypsum formed by condensation-corrosion of sulfuric acid on the cave walls, while the sulfur concretion probably formed where H2S and CO2 were outgassing below the water surface, with the H2S partially oxidizing to sulfur. The cave for its widespread presence of spectacular crusts of sulfur and gypsum crystals represents a rare and valuable geosite to be actively protected and preserved

Go beyond financial and performance information to reach donors: Designing‐effective online disclosure in the perception of European Community foundations

Building perceptions of trustworthiness that encourage donors to give is critical for no.nprofit organizations that depend on charitable giving. Several studies focused on the disclosure of financial and performance information to foster public trust and help donors to make giving decisions. Drawing from stewardship theory, this study explores how additional content dimensions of a more relational nature—including appreciation for the support received and willingness to dialog with donors—might be combined with financial and performance dimensions to design effective online disclosure in the view of nonprofits. By focusing on the viewpoint of European community foundations and using the configurational approach of qualitative comparative analysis, we found that information about fundraising campaigns is deemed must-have content to discharge online. However, this information alone is not considered to be enough; to retain current donors or attract new ones, it must be combined properly with disclosures demonstrating gratitude to and engagement with donors alongside organizational finances and performance