Crops In Europe Research Articles

Factors influencing business model change: a case study for the European crop protection industry

PurposeThis paper proposes a theoretical framework for the comprehensive study of business model (BM) change by taking different types of influencing factors and different levels of analysis into account (business, industry and macro-environment).Design/methodology/approachEvaluation of the added value of using the combination of three existing frameworks (the business model canvas (Osterwalder and Pigneur, 2010), Porter’s five forces framework (Porter, 1980) and PESTEL (Johnson et al., 2017)) based on semi-structured interviews with eight companies active in the European crop protection industry. The proposed theoretical framework was used to analyse several BM change situations as presented by the companies.FindingsOur findings reveal that the study of BM change is improved when a third type of influencing factors is considered besides drivers and facilitating/hindering factors. This third type includes factors that shape cohesion between BM components or between the BM and its environment. Second, the interaction of different types of influencing factors at different levels of analysis should be considered, as this generates a comprehensive view of the BM change situation.Originality/valueThis paper meets the demand for a theoretical handle that results in improved and more comprehensive analysis of BM change. The proposed theoretical framework combines different types of internal (business) and external (industry and macro-environment) factors that shape a BM change and considers their interaction.

Leveraging genomic prediction to surpass current yield gains in spring barley

Key messageGenetic gain in Nordic spring barley varieties was estimated to 1.07% per year. Additionally, genomic predictive ability for yield was 0.61 in a population of breeding lines.Barley is one of the most important crops in Europe and meeting the growing demand for food and feed requires continuous increase in yield. Genomic prediction (GP) has the potential to be a cost-efficient tool in breeding for complex traits; however, the rate of yield improvement in current barley varieties is unknown. This study therefore investigated historical and current genetic gains in spring barley and how accounting for row-type population stratification in a breeding population influences GP results. The genetic gain in yield was estimated using historical data from field trials from 2014 to 2022, with 22–60 market varieties grown yearly. The genetic gain was estimated to 1.07% per year for all varieties, serving as a reference point for future breeding progress. To analyse the potential of using GP in spring barley a population of 375 breeding lines of two-row and six-row barley were tested in multi-environment trials in 2019–2022. The genetic diversity of the row-types was examined and used as a factor in the predictions, and the potential to predict untested locations using yield data from other locations was explored. This resulted in an overall predictive ability of 0.61 for yield (kg/ha), with 0.57 and 0.19 for the separate two-row and the six-row breeding lines, respectively. Together this displays the potential of implementing GP in breeding programs and the genetic gain in spring barley market varieties developed through GP will help in quantifying the benefit of GP over conventional breeding in the future.

The Path of African Millets (Pennisetum glaucum and Sorghum bicolor) to Iberia

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is the most widely cultivated millet in Africa and India but has not yet been identified in Europe, while the earliest remains of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) are attested in Italy in the fifth century AD. This paper presents evidence that pearl millet was introduced to Iberia during the 11th–12th centuries AD. This is the first documented evidence for this African crop in Europe. Sorghum, on the other hand, appears as a later introduction (14th century AD) in Iberia. We present archaeobotanical data from eight Andalusi sites in Valencia and Andalucía (southern Iberia) where both crops have been found. We have also examined medieval textual data where references to pearl millet appeared to be absent, and we conclude that the word “dacsa”, currently used to refer to sorghum, should be understood as a reference to pearl millet. From the 16th century onwards, this term was given to maize, when the American cereal replaced the African millets.

Assessing pesticide residue occurrence and risks in the environment across Europe and Argentina

The widespread and extensive use of pesticides in European crop production to reduce losses from weeds, diseases, and insects may have serious consequences on the ecosystem and human health. This study aimed to identify 20 active substances of high health risk, based on their detection frequency within and across the environmental matrices (soil, crop, water, and sediment) and to identify their associated hazardous effects. A sampling campaign was conducted across 10 case study sites in Europe and 1 in Argentina and included conventional and organic farming systems. In 31% of cases, the detected substances were found at a higher concentration in the soil than in the corresponding crops, 93% of the compounds were fungicides, and the remainder were insecticides. 43% of the substances, 57% of which were insecticides, were detected only in soil. There was a clear relationship between soils and crops in terms of contamination, but not between water and sediment. Portuguese soil (wine grapes) had the highest number of substances (12) with average concentrations (AC) varying between 1 and 162 μg/kg, followed by French (11 substances in wine grapes) (1≤AC≤64 μg/kg) and Spanish soils (9 substances in vegetables) (3≤AC≤59 μg/kg). The crops corresponding to these soils contained a relatively high number of detected substances and several in high average concentrations (AC). The risk quotient was consistently higher for conventional farms than for organic farms. For the soils from conventional farms, 5 active substances (chlorpyrifos, glyphosate, boscalid, difenoconazole, lambda-cyhalothrin, and one metabolite: AMPA) were considered high risk. For water samples, 2 substances (dieldrin and terbuthylazine) found were high risk, and for sediment, there were 3 substances (metalaxyl-M, spiroxamine, and lambda-cyhalothrin). There were 6 substances detected in crops that are suspected to cause human health effects. Uncontaminated soil is a prerequisite for the adoption of sustainable alternatives to pesticides. Efforts are needed to elucidate the unknown effects of mixtures, including biocides and banned compounds in addition to the substances used in agriculture.

Breeding wheat for organic farming: Can the high grain protein gene Gpc-B1 help to tackle challenges in view of end-use quality?

Organic farming contributes to sustain healthy ecosystems, but challenges such as lower crop yields and supply of the nitrogen needs of crops remain. Wheat is the most important organic arable crop in Europe and grain protein content is the main quality trait also for grading organic wheat despite that high baking quality can be also realized at lower protein contents. Hence, breeding of organic wheat varieties that realize a stable high grain protein content even at lower nitrogen availability is of utmost importance to guarantee income of organic wheat growers. A major QTL for high grain protein content was identified in wild emmer and transferred into bread wheat. We tested six different wheat genetic backgrounds varying for the presence/absence of the functional Gpc-B1 allele in multi-location trials in Central Europe for their performance under organic growing. The increase in grain protein content caused by the functional Gpc-B1 allele was present in almost all genetic backgrounds, however, was not consistent across all tested quality traits. None the less, the functional Gpc-B1 allele may play a major role to increase the stability of organic wheat to reach minimum requirements by traders and processors with respect to grain protein content.

Does biodiversity affect Olive fly populations? Evidence from different understorey treatments

The agricultural industry is intensifying production methods to increase crop yields. Olive cultivation, the prevalent permanent crop in Europe and the Mediterranean area, involves intense practices with heavy agrochemical use. This significantly impacts agroecosystem biodiversity and its ecosystem services. In this study, we explore how biodiversity influences the adult olive fly (Bactrocera oleae (Rossi)) population in Lesvos Island, Greece, under different understorey management practices in olive groves. Our findings show that increased plant and arthropod abundance and diversity negatively affect the olive fly. The results suggest that maintaining undisturbed plant cover enhances olive grove biodiversity, ecosystem services, and biological control of the olive fly. Moreover, this practice is in line with Integrated Pest Management principles and Conservation Biological Control approach.

Reduction of Colorado potato beetle damage by various organic mulches

IntroductionThe Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) (CPB) is a major threat to potato crops in Europe, Asia, and America. In Europe, it is expected that climate change will cause the species to expand its range northwards and allow for an additional generation per year in regions where it is already established. The effectiveness of insecticides, a common method of control, is decreasing due to the emergence of resistance to several substances. Therefore, research into alternative measures is becoming increasingly necessary. One preventive measure that has already been shown to have great effects in past studies is the use of organic mulch. For organic mulching, conserved or freshly cut plant material is spread on the field usually when the potato emerges. Previous research has mainly used cereal straw for this purpose in plots that are relatively small compared to actual agricultural fields. Materials and methodsTo address the lack of large-scale field trials in the literature, a series of on-station and on-farm field trials were conducted in this study. Organic, legume-rich mulches were used primarily, which so far have not been extensively investigated. Over a period of four years and in a total of six field trials, CPB and larval infestations were assessed. Results and discussionOur results show effects on the initial infestation of young plants by adult CPB and on the emergence time of the first two larval stages. By the time of flowering, when the feeding effect of CPB on yield is known to be greatest, L3 and L4 larvae were reduced by about 30% in the on-station trials and by about 40% in the on-farm trials. In addition, when CPB larval stages were used to calculate a weighted daily leaf consumption per stage, total calculated leaf consumption was on average about 40% lower in the mulch treatments across all sampling dates and all trials. The recorded yields were equal or higher in the mulched treatments. In conclusion, organic mulching can effectively reduce CPB damage even on a large scale and can have a positive impact on yield. Further agronomic benefits of mulching, as well as drawbacks and putative mechanisms of action, are discussed.

Effect of olive grove’s understorey management on arthropod diversity

ABSTRACT The agricultural sector has been intensifying production systems to increase yields. Olive cultivation is the most widespread permanent crop in Europe and the Mediterranean region and in many cases, it is under intensive farming practices with heavy use of agrochemicals, greatly affecting olive grove biodiversity. In this study we investigate the impact of different understorey management practices (undisturbed, cleared with mechanical means) on plant cover, ground beetle and bee richness and abundance, and on the abundance of ground arthropods and flying insects in olive groves on Lesvos Island, North Aegean, Greece. We found that undisturbed understorey had a positive impact on plant richness and abundance, ground beetle and bee richness and abundance, as well as ground arthropod and flying insect abundance. The results suggest that maintaining the plant cover undisturbed significantly improves the biodiversity of the olive groves and by extension the ecosystem services, such as pollination, pest control and soil health.

PollinERA: Understanding pesticide-Pollinator interactions to support EU Environmental Risk Assessment and policy

PollinERA aims to reverse pollinator population declines and reduce the harmful impacts of pesticides. It addresses the call through four objectives: SO1 filling ecotoxicological data gaps to enable realistic prediction of the source and routes of exposure and impact of pesticides on pollinators and their sensitivity to individual pesticides and mixtures. SO2 developing and testing a co-monitoring scheme for pesticides and pollinators across European cropping systems and landscapes, developing risk indicators and mixture exposure information. SO3 developing models for predicting pesticide toxicological effects on pollinators for chemicals and organisms, environmental fate, toxicokinetic/ toxicodynamic, and population models. SO4 developing a population-level systems-based approach to risk and policy assessment considering multiple stressors and long-term spatiotemporal dynamics at the landscape scale and generating an open database for pollinator/pesticide data and tools. This will be achieved through developing knowledge and protocols for a broad range of toxicological testing, feeding to in silico models (QSARS, toxicokinetic/toxicodynamic, and population). Using a strong stakeholder co-development approach, these models will be combined in a One System framework taking a systems view on risk assessment and policy evaluation, including an international monitoring program. The One System framework is based on EFSA’s system ERA view, expanding on the tools used for bees to include butterflies, moths and hoverflies. The consortium partners are experts in the field needed for this development and are well-placed to facilitate the uptake of tools by European bodies to guarantee the project's future impact. Expected impacts target Destination impacts of better understanding and addressing drivers of biodiversity decline, interconnected biodiversity research using digital technologies, and understanding the biodiversity and health nexus at the ecosystem level.

Diel vibrational activity of Halyomorpha halys and its implications for enhancing bimodal traps

AbstractThe brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is an invasive insect pest that has caused significant economic losses in a myriad of agricultural crops in Europe and the USA. The communication as well as the control of this pest largely rely on semiochemicals (e.g., pheromones) and semiophysicals (e.g., substrate‐borne vibrations). Nevertheless, the nocturnal activity of H. halys is still largely unknown. In the present study, the diel vibrational communication of H. halys was investigated in controlled laboratory and semi‐field conditions. Moreover, the relevance of this ecological trait for integrated pest management (IPM) strategies was assessed by extending playback periods of bimodal (i.e., pheromones + vibrational playbacks) traps to 24 h, and comparing it to the current trap model (solar panel, about 12 h of playback) and a control (no playback, only pheromone). We found that H. halys did not exhibit discernible differences of vibrational activity between photophase and scotophase, with the exception of signal type 2 that in laboratory conditions was predominately emitted within nocturnal and morning hours (i.e., 20:00–12:00). Additionally, the calling activity was negatively affected by warmer (>32 °C) and windier (>7 m s−1) conditions in semi‐field settings. Bimodal traps that were power‐supplied for 24 h captured significantly more males than the other groups, and more females than the control group. Results suggest that the nocturnal vibrational activity of H. halys should be accounted for within IPM strategies by activating the bimodal traps also during the scotophase.

Viticulture and the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP): Historical overview, current situation and future perspective

AbstractThe grapevine is one of the most important perennial fruit crops worldwide. The historical stability of winegrowing methods has spanned almost 3000 years since the introduction of viticulture in Europe. However, in the last 70 years, the wine sector in the Europe has experienced substantial transformations. These changes are attributed to the widespread adoption of mechanisation and industralisation in the 1950s and the establishment of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The growing concern for the environment and climate change in the European Union (EU) has significantly influenced the successive reforms of the CAP. These reforms have resulted in the acquisition of new commitments to protect the environment, mitigate climate change and reduce biodiversity loss over the years. In this work, we carried out a critical analysis of the most relevant aspects of the new CAP and address the regulatory framework of organic agriculture in the EU as a tool for improving the sustainability of vineyards. Currently, Spain is the country with the largest vineyard area in the world, reaching 964,000 hectares. This represents 13% of the world's vineyards and 30% in the EU, which demonstrates the importance of this crop in Europe. Due to its relevance, we focused our critical analyses of the new CAP on Spain as a case study. The latest reform of the CAP, applicable for the period 2023‐2027, is the most ambitious in environmental terms and includes instruments such as reinforced conditionality, eco‐schemes and payments for agri‐environment–climate commitments. Finally, we propose that by integrating concepts and management strategies from current organic and regenerative viticulture together with historical strategies derived from treatises and classic authors across a wide range of societies and cultures, the goals of the new CAP can be successfully met. This will contribute to reuniting the past, the present and the future of viticulture for a more nature‐based winemaking.

Sugar beet PMT5a and STP13 carriers suitable for proton-driven plasma membrane sucrose and glucose import in taproots.

Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) is the major sugar-producing crop in Europe and Northern America, as the taproot stores sucrose at a concentration of around 20%. Genome sequence analysis together with biochemical and electrophysiological approaches led to the identification and characterization of the TST sucrose transporter driving vacuolar sugar accumulation in the taproot. However, the sugar transporters mediating sucrose uptake across the plasma membrane of taproot parenchyma cells remained unknown. As with glucose, sucrose stimulation of taproot parenchyma cells caused inward proton fluxes and plasma membrane depolarization, indicating a sugar/proton symport mechanism. To decipher the nature of the corresponding proton-driven sugar transporters, we performed taproot transcriptomic profiling and identified the cold-induced PMT5a and STP13 transporters. When expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, BvPMT5a was characterized as a voltage- and H+-driven low-affinity glucose transporter, which does not transport sucrose. In contrast, BvSTP13 operated as a high-affinity H+/sugar symporter, transporting glucose better than sucrose, and being more cold-tolerant than BvPMT5a. Modeling of the BvSTP13 structure with bound mono- and disaccharides suggests plasticity of the binding cleft to accommodate the different saccharides. The identification of BvPMT5a and BvSTP13 as taproot sugar transporters could improve breeding of sugar beet to provide a sustainable energy crop.

Faba bean and spring barley in sequence with catch crops: Grain yields and nitrate leaching

Context/ProblemImporting protein into Europe is causing sustainability challenges, which has resulted in an increasing European interest in locally growing faba bean as a protein source. There is, however, a concern that this may result in higher nitrate leaching compared with conventional cereal-based systems. Objective/Research questionWe investigated the risk of nitrate leaching and its mitigation strategy after growing faba bean with catch crops within a conventional European cropping system that also includes catch crops in spring barley. MethodsWe conducted a field experiment with faba bean (Vicia faba L.) and three catch crops (chicory (Cichorium intybus L.), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and winter rye (Secale cereale L.)) grown in sequence with spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and replicated in time over a period of three years. Continuous spring barley with catch crops (perennial ryegrass and fodder radish (Raphanus sativus L.)) were used as a reference. Measurements included grain yield and grain nitrogen (N) of the main crops, aboveground biomass and N yield of the catch crops, and nitrate leaching. ResultsGrain yield and grain N of faba bean grown with undersown catch crops were not statistically different than without catch crop and post-harvest sown catch crops. Catch crops with faba bean had lower aboveground biomass and N yield than with spring barley. Faba bean as pre-crop compensated for the reduced amount of fertilizer input and also increased the grain yield and grain N of the subsequent spring barley. In 2020–21, nitrate leaching from both spring barley and faba bean without catch crops was not statistically different, with an average of 64 kg NO3-N ha−1. In contrast, in 2021–22, nitrate leaching after faba bean without catch crops was higher with 104 kg NO3-N ha−1, compared with spring barley with 68 kg NO3-N ha−1. Catch crops significantly reduced nitrate leaching on average by up to 55 kg NO3-N ha−1 from faba bean and 62 kg NO3-N ha−1 from spring barley fields. ConclusionsThe study reveals that growing faba bean can reduce N fertilizer input without compromising the grain yield and grain N of following spring barley. Variable nitrate leaching between years from faba bean requires more research on diverse pedo-climatic and agronomic conditions to better assess nitrate leaching risks and reduction strategies. Implications or significanceThese results will aid in designing cropping systems including faba bean and catch crops combinations to reduce N fertilizer input and nitrate leaching risks and improve protein sufficiency.

First report of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris causing black rot on oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) in France.

In October 2022, v-shaped necrotic lesions were observed on the leaf margins of field-grown winter oilseed rape (WOSR), Brassica napus L., in western France (Ille-et-Vilaine (35) and Maine-et-Loire (49) departments). Disease incidence on volunteers and cultivated WOSR was generally low (5-10 %) but occasionally up to 80% on some fields. Leaf sections sampled from the margin of necrotic leaf tissue were dilacerated in sterile deionized water and the extract was spread onto tryptone soya agar (TSA) with cycloheximide (100 mg.L-1) and Polyflor (Syngenta, France) (2ml.L-1, containing 5 mg.L-1 propiconazole) then incubated at 28°C for 2 days. Colonies were yellow-pigmented, mucoid, and convex, which are morphological characteristics of Xanthomonas spp. colonies. The partial fyuA and gyrB gene sequences were amplified for eight isolated strains (CFBP 9155, CFBP 9156, CFBP 9157, CFBP 9158, CFBP 9159, CFBP 9161, CFBP 9162, and CFBP 9163) using primers of Fargier et al. (2011), and sequenced (Genoscreen, France). The sequences were deposited under numbers OR232891 to OR232898 for fyuA and OR634932 to OR634939 for gyrB. BLASTN analysis of the sequenced fyuA amplicon showed 100% identity and query coverage with the fyuA fragment of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) CFBP 6865R (Bellenot et al., 2022). BLASTN analysis of the sequenced gyrB amplicon showed two allelic forms: one showed 100% identity and query coverage with the gyrB fragment of Xcc strain CFBP 6865R (Bellenot et al., 2022), the other one showed 100% identity and query coverage with the type strain Xcc CFBP 5241 (ATCC33913) (Vorhölter et al., 2003). Moreover, two qPCR tools were used to identify the strains successfully as Xcc (Köhl et al., 2011; Rezki et al., 2016) which target the same gene encoding a hypothetical protein and whose primers overlap. The pathogenicity of the eight isolated strains was validated using a bacterial suspension (108 CFU.ml-1) for i) leaf spraying until runoff onto the leaf surfaces of WOSR plants previously maintained at saturated humidity for 48 hours, ii) wound-leaf inoculation of the two youngest true leaves with scissors that had been dipped into the bacterial suspension. Both tests were performed on 3-week-old WOSR plants of the Aviso (INRAE) genotype. Deionized water was used as negative control. Strains CFBP 5241 and the strain CFBP 4954 (Fargier et al., 2007) were used as positive controls for disease expression. Tested plants (seven for spray inoculation and four for wound-leaf inoculation per strain and control condition) were incubated in a greenhouse at 20°C/24°C (night/day). Isolated strains and the strain CFBP 4954 caused yellow lesions with both inoculation methods that necrotized starting about 10 days post inoculation (dpi). The spots coalesced within 14 dpi to form necrotic areas. The type strain CFBP 5241 caused mild symptoms, with only yellow lesions that did not coalesce. Plants inoculated with water remained symptomless. To complete Koch's postulate, re-isolations were achieved. Re-isolated strains on TSA showed the same colony morphology as described above. All re-isolated strains were identified as Xcc based on partial gyrB sequencing and Xcc specific qPCR test (Rezki et al., 2016). This first report in France and the recent identification in Serbia (Popović et al., 2013) may illustrate the emergence of the disease on this crop in Europe. The prevalence and consequences of this disease should be evaluated over a wider geographic area.

Semi-automated sequence curation for reliable reference datasets in ITS2 vascular plant DNA (meta-)barcoding

One of the most critical steps for accurate taxonomic identification in DNA (meta)-barcoding is to have an accurate DNA reference sequence dataset for the marker of choice. Therefore, developing such a dataset has been a long-term ambition, especially in the Viridiplantae kingdom. Typically, reference datasets are constructed with sequences downloaded from general public databases, which can carry taxonomic and other relevant errors. Herein, we constructed a curated (i) global dataset, (ii) European crop dataset, and (iii) 27 datasets for the EU countries for the ITS2 barcoding marker of vascular plants. To that end, we first developed a pipeline script that entails (i) an automated curation stage comprising five filters, (ii) manual taxonomic correction for misclassified taxa, and (iii) manual addition of newly sequenced species. The pipeline allows easy updating of the curated datasets. With this approach, 13% of the sequences, corresponding to 7% of species originally imported from GenBank, were discarded. Further, 259 sequences were manually added to the curated global dataset, which now comprises 307,977 sequences of 111,382 plant species.

On the definition of pesticide-free crop production systems

Pesticide-free but non-organic production systems have been recently introduced in public and private programs in Europe. However, a key challenge is to define what ‘pesticide-free’ comprises and means. This paper aims to give insights in and critical reflections on the definition and regulation of pesticide-free crop production systems in real-world programs. To this end, we review four examples of public and private pesticide-free production programs in European crop production (i.e. from France, Germany and Switzerland). Our analysis reveals several semantic and regulatory inconsistencies and potential confusion that exists around the term pesticide-free crop production, i.e. we find that it is far from clear-cut what pesticide-free production systems are. For example, programs differ with respect to which part of the crop management cycle is regulated. Moreover, all programs offer various exceptions for pesticide use. Definitions and regulations differ widely across case studies. For example, to participate in governmental programs on pesticide-free production farmers in one country have different requirements than in another. Moreover, governmental regulations not match with those in private programs and vice versa. Pesticide-free production programs can be a useful and viable addition to European agricultural and food systems. However, based on the here presented insights, we formulate eight recommendations for policy and industry how to clarify, align and harmonize pesticide-free crop production.

Including land management in a European carbon model with lateral transfer to the oceans

The use of cover crops (CCs) is a promising cropland management practice with multiple benefits, notably in reducing soil erosion and increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) storage. However, the current ability to represent these factors in land surface models remains limited to small scales or simplified and lumped approaches due to the lack of a sediment-carbon erosion displacement scheme. This precludes a thorough understanding of the consequences of introducing a CC into agricultural systems. In this work, this problem was addressed in two steps with the spatially distributed CE-DYNAM model. First, the historical effect of soil erosion, transport, and deposition on the soil carbon budget at a continental scale in Europe was characterized since the early industrial era, using reconstructed climate and land use forcings. Then, the impact of two distinct policy-oriented scenarios for the introduction of CCs were evaluated, covering the European cropping systems where surface erosion rates or nitrate susceptibility are critical. The evaluation focused on the increase in SOC storage and the export of particulate organic carbon (POC) to the oceans, compiling a continental-scale carbon budget. The results indicated that Europe exported 1.95 TgC/year of POC to the oceans in the last decade, and that CCs can contribute to reducing this amount while increasing SOC storage. Compared to the simulation without CCs, the additional rate of SOC storage induced by CCs peaked after 10 years of their adoption, followed by a decrease, and the cumulative POC export reduction stabilized after around 13 years. The findings indicate that the impacts of CCs on SOC and reduced POC export are persistent regardless of their spatial allocation adopted in the scenarios. Together, the results highlight the importance of taking the temporal aspect of CC adoption into account and indicate that CCs alone are not sufficient to meet the targets of the 4‰ initiative. Despite some known model limitations, which include the lack of feedback of erosion on the net primary productivity and the representation of carbon fluxes with an emulator, the current work constitutes the first approach to successfully couple a distributed routing scheme of eroded carbon to a land carbon model emulator at a reasonably high resolution and continental scale. Short abstractA spatially distributed model coupling erosion, transport, and deposition to the carbon cycle was developed. Then, it was used to simulate the impact of cover crops on both erosion and carbon, to show that cover crops can simultaneously increase organic carbon storage and reduce particulate organic carbon export to the oceans. The results seemed persistent regardless of the spatial distribution of cover crops.

The Molecular Resistance Mechanisms of European Earwigs from Apple Orchards Subjected to Different Management Strategies.

To date, apple orchards are among the most treated crops in Europe with up to 35 chemical treatments per year. Combining control methods that reduce the number of pesticide treatments is essential for agriculture and more respectful of the environment, and the use of predatory insects such as earwigs may be valuable to achieve this goal. European earwigs, Forficula auricularia (Dermaptera: Forficulidae) are considered beneficial insects in apple orchards where they can feed on many pests like aphids. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential impact of orchards' insecticide treatments on resistance-associated molecular processes in natural populations of earwigs. Because very few molecular data are presently available on earwigs, our first goal was to identify earwig resistance-associated genes and potential mutations. Using earwigs from organic, integrated pest management or conventional orchards, we identified mutations in acetylcholinesterase 2, α1 and β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. In addition, the expression level of these targets and of some essential detoxification genes were monitored using RT-qPCR. Unexpectedly, earwigs collected in organic orchards showed the highest expression for acetylcholinesterase 2. Four cytochromes P450, one esterase and one glutathione S-transferases were over-expressed in earwigs exposed to various management strategies in orchards. This first study on resistance-associated genes in Forficula auricularia paves the way for future experimental studies aimed at better understanding the potential competition between natural enemies in apple orchards in order to optimize the efficiency of biocontrol.

Nutritionally Important Pro-Health Active Ingredients and Antioxidant Properties of Fruits and Fruit Juice of Selected Biennial Fruiting Rubus idaeus L. Cultivars.

Raspberry fruits are an important source of many biologically active chemical compounds exerting nutritional and pro-health effects. The study presents a comparative analysis of nutritionally important bioactive chemical compounds-polyphenols; flavonoids, including anthocyanins; vitamin C; amino acids; fatty acids; and primary metabolites-contained in the fruits of three biennial fruiting cultivars, R. idaeus 'Glen Ample', 'Laszka', and 'Radziejowa', i.e., common cultivars in Poland and Europe. The antioxidant activity of fresh fruits and juice was determined with five methods. The analyses revealed the strong free radical scavenging potential of the fruits and juice, confirmed by the high concentration of nutrients, e.g., polyphenols, anthocyanins, vitamin C, amino acids, and fatty acids. The antioxidant activity of the juice determined with the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and OH radical methods was from 2.5 to 4.0 times higher than that of the fruits. The following orders of total polyphenol contents were established in the analyzed cultivars: 'Glen Ample' < 'Laszka' < 'Radziejowa' in the fruits and 'Glen Ample' < 'Radziejowa' < 'Laszka' in the juice. The highest antioxidant activity was exhibited by the 'Radziejowa' fruits. Given their high content of dietary fiber, the fruits of the analyzed raspberry cultivars can be consumed by dieting subjects. The concentrations of vitamin C (28-34 mg/100 g) and anthocyanins (20-34 mg/100 g) indicate the biological and pharmacological activity of these fruits. The main unsaturated fatty acids in the fruits were gamma-linoleic acid (C18:2n6c) and alpha-linolenic acid (C18:3n3), which neutralize excess free radicals. The amino acids nutritionally essential to humans were dominated by leucine, arginine, and phenylalanine. This is the first comparative analysis of the antioxidant activity of fruits and juice and the contents of selected active compounds in the fruits of biennial fruiting cultivars of R. idaeus, i.e., a highly commercialized crop in Europe.

Intercropping on French farms: Reducing pesticide and N fertiliser use while maintaining gross margins

Experimental studies to date have demonstrated the agronomic and environmental benefits of intercropping, making it a key diversification method for reducing chemical inputs in agriculture. However, intercropping is still a niche practice in European cropping systems, particularly for arable crops. Few studies have focused on farmers’ perspectives or used farm data to assess the on-farm performances of intercropping. Here, we present an analysis of data collected from farms of the DEPHY network, a demonstration farm network that aims to show that pesticide use can be reduced through changes in farming practices. We focused our study on four main species in France: winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), winter barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), pea (Pisum sativum L.) and rapeseed (Brassica napus L.). We carried out paired comparison tests between sole crops and intercrops for each species (16 pairs for winter wheat, 12 for winter barley, 15 for peas and 31 for rapeseed) to compare the use of pesticides (herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and all pesticides combined), mineral nitrogen fertiliser and the gross margin. We showed that pesticide use was reduced on average by 40–50% in the case of wheat- and barley-based intercrops compared with sole wheat and barley crops, respectively. Pesticide use for peas was reduced by 72% on average. Nitrogen fertiliser use was also reduced by up to 38% for wheat. On the other hand, in the case of rapeseed, which is mainly intercropped with unharvested companion plants, we found no significant differences in pesticide or fertiliser use between the sole crops and intercrops. This suggests that farmers must choose companion plants carefully depending on their objectives and desired services. Finally, our findings show that intercropping negatively affects gross margins for wheat, but gross margins are maintained for barley-, pea- and rapeseed-based intercrops compared to sole crops.