Super-intensive Systems Research Articles

Environmental performance of Penaeus vannamei shrimp production in intensive and super-intensive biofloc systems

Shrimp farms worldwide have been responsible for a series of social and environmental issues that affect their surrounding regions. Modern aquaculture seeks to achieve sustainable growth that offers a balance between environmental, economic, and social perspectives, and new aquaculture technologies have been developed and improved in recent decades. One such innovation is the biofloc technology (BFT) system, which is considered an alternative to conventional aquaculture because it allows for aquatic organism production with minimal water exchange, high stocking densities, and the possibility of high levels of productivity. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is one of the most common methodologies used to compare the environmental performance of different systems, considering resource consumption and the emission of pollutants during the productive life cycle. The present study uses LCA to compare the environmental performance of Penaeus vannamei shrimp production in two BFT systems, an intensive system in a pond and a super-intensive system in a greenhouse. The Functional Unit used was 1.0 ton of shrimp (animals with an average final weight of 12 g). The boundaries of the system were defined as from the cradle to the farm gate. Input data related to the use of natural resources, energy consumption, and environmental emissions were obtained over eight cycles of intensive and super-intensive production. The following results were obtained for intensive and super-intensive systems, respectively: global warming (GWP100a) 5691.12 and 5512.42 kg CO2 eq; acidification 59.57 and 59.05 kg SO2-eq; eutrophication 25.96 and 25.80 kg PO4 eq; ozone layer depletion (OLP) 0.000319 and 0.000311 kg CFC-11 eq; human toxicity 1165.98 and 1233.33 kg 1.4-DB-eq; aquatic ecotoxicity 1344.13 and 1925.96 kg 1.4-DB eq; marine ecotoxicity 1881,643.65 and 2070,517.23 kg 1.4-DB eq; terrestrial ecotoxicity 24.26 and 33.54 kg 1.4-DB eq; photochemical oxidation 2.10 and 2.03 kg C2H4 eq; abiotic depletion 0.006487 and 0.008359 kg Sb eq; abiotic depletion of fossil fuels 35,612.80 and 34,504.39 MJ. Among the eleven evaluated impact categories, the intensive system showed better results in five categories, while the super-intensive system showed better performance in six categories. Feed (reference diet) was the most significant factor in the environmental performance of the evaluated systems. Based on these results, we conclude that feed and electricity had the most environmental impact in both systems. In general, when comparing the use of production factors and productivity between the systems, it becomes more evident that the SS is more efficient than the SI.

The effect of using nano and microbubbles as aeration strategies on the nitrification process, microbial community composition, and growth of Penaeus vannamei in a super-intensive biofloc system

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of using nano and microbubbles as aeration strategies on the nitrification process, microbial community composition of water and biofilm, microbial flocs proximate composition, and growth of Penaeus vannamei in a pilot scale super-intensive system with biofloc technology. A grow-out (stocking density: 450 shrimp m−3) was carried out for 74 days in a greenhouse with nine 35 m3 tanks, using the following treatments: T1: nanobubbles, T2: microbubbles, T3: mixed (nano + microbubbles). The nanobubbles were generated by nozzle-type air injectors and the microbubbles were generated by microperforated hoses. Artificial substrates, with an area equivalent to 200% of the lateral surface, were used into the experimental units. Molasses was used as an organic carbon source at a carbon:nitrogen ratio of 15:1. The main morphotypes of bacteria in the water and in the biofilm were analyzed using direct counting and a profile of the bacterial composition of the water was performed using metagenomic analysis. Control of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) was better in treatments T2 and T3 than in T1. At the end of the experiment, treatment T3 showed a higher total abundance of bacteria in the water than T1 and T2. Bacillus abundance in the biofilm was higher in the T3 treatment than in T1 and T2. The relative abundance of nitrifying bacteria was <1% in all treatments. Treatment T1 had a higher relative abundance of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria than the others. However, the T3 treatment had a better distribution of nitrifying bacteria species. T3 treatment showed a higher diversity and evenness of operational taxonomic units. The microbial flocs in the T2 had a higher crude protein content than in the T1. These results indicate that the use of a mixed aeration system promotes a higher load of microorganisms, which has proven to improve water quality and can influence shrimp growth. The shrimp final weight was higher in T1 (12.57 g) and T3 (12.54 g) than in T2 (11.70 g), survival was higher in T3 (97.17%) than in T1 (80.33%), and yield was higher in T3 (4.61 Kg m−3) than in T1 (4.06 Kg m−3) and T2 (4.21 Kg m−3). The treatment that used nano and microbubble as aeration strategy (T3) proved to be the best as it provided better TAN control, higher abundance of bacillus bacteria in the biofilm, higher diversity and evenness of bacteria, and even higher shrimp growth and survival.

Rapidly increased greenhouse gas emissions by Pacific white shrimp aquacultural intensification and potential solutions for mitigation in China

The Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) plays a crucial role in global aquaculture, contributing significantly to farmed shrimp production, with China being a major contributor. In the last two decades, China's production of farmed L. vannamei experienced substantial growth due to expanded aquaculture areas and intensification. These processes can lead to increases in greenhouse gas emissions. However, the magnitude of greenhouse gas emissions from L. vannamei aquaculture systems remains unclear. Therefore, in this study, we systematically quantified greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide) emissions in L. vannamei farming systems with different levels of intensification. Various emission sources were assessed, including infrastructure, energy use, feed production, and pond aquatic emissions. The estimates indicate that greenhouse gas emissions increased from 6159.35 ± 475.24 kg CO2e/t of L. vannamei in semi-intensive systems to 24,059.81 ± 3846.31 kg CO2e/t of L. vannamei in super-intensive systems. The increase in greenhouse gas emissions was primarily due to energy use (2395% increase) and infrastructure (15,939% increase). As a result, the greenhouse gas emissions from China's shrimp farming industry increased three-fold (from 5633.37 ± 177.40 to 19,730.68 ± 635.52 million kg CO2e) from 2003 to 2022, mainly contributed by coastal provinces. As the demand for high-quality aquatic products continues to increase, coupled with the urgent necessity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, there is a crucial requirement to lower the emissions associated with each unit of L. vannamei production. The results of this study suggest that reducing fossil fuel use, improving feed efficiency, promoting biofloc technology, and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture systems may help to build climate-resilient sustainable aquaculture.

Hedgerow Olive Orchards versus Traditional Olive Orchards: Impact on Selected Soil Chemical Properties

Olive orchards cover over 10 million hectares worldwide, with production techniques undergoing significant changes in the past three decades. The traditional rainfed approach, involving minimal inputs, has given way to irrigated super-intensive systems with higher planting density, increased productivity, a greater use of fertilizers and phytopharmaceuticals, and total mechanization. Its impact on soil chemical properties remains a topic of great debate, and no definitive consensus has been reached. Our main objective was to examine the different effects of traditional olive orchards and super-intensive orchards on soil chemistry over a decade. We collected and analyzed 1500 soil samples from an irrigation perimeter in southern Portugal in 2003 and 2013. Our findings indicate that, compared to traditional olive orchards, super-intensive ones show, in a decade, a significant decrease in soil organic matter (less 22.8%—p &lt; 0.001), namely due to the increase in mineralization caused by an increase in soil moisture content as a result of irrigation practice, and an increase in sodization (more 33.8% of Ext Na—p &lt; 0.001) highlighting the importance of monitoring this factor for soil fertility. In comparison to other irrigated crops in the region, super-intensive olive orchards promote a significant soil acidification (from 7.12 to 6.58), whereas the pH values of the other crops increase significantly (3.3%, 13.5%, and 3.0% more in corn, tomato, and cereals, respectively). Mainly because of the decrease in organic matter levels with soil acidification and soil sodization, we can underline that hedgerow olive orchards can affect soil characteristics negatively when compared with traditional ones, and it is necessary to adopt urgent measures to counter this fact, namely sustainable agriculture practices.

Growth performance and survival rate of vannamei shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) post-larva stages in a super intensive cultivation system with varied densities

Vannamei shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) holds significant economic importance in Shrimponesia as a prominent shrimp commodity. The post-larval stage often encounters challenges, primarily due to the shrimp's limited ability to adapt and survive in a new environment. Stocking density is a crucial factor influencing the growth and production performance of vannamei shrimp culture. This study aims to assess the optimal stocking density for achieving optimal growth and survival in L. vannamei. A 40-day maintenance trial was conducted at UD Mina Rahayu Kalianda to investigate the impact of different stocking densities on water quality in the maintenance media. The study utilized containers with varying stocking densities: treatment A (1 shrimp/L), treatment B (1.5 shrimp/L), and treatment C (2 shrimp/L), each with three replications. The findings revealed survival rates (SR) of 83.33% for treatment A, 62.78% for treatment B, and 58.33% for treatment C. Mean Body Weight (MBW) values were recorded as 1.2592 g/shrimp for treatment A, 1.1216 g/shrimp for treatment B, and 0.7728 g/shrimp for treatment C. Average Daily Growth (ADG) results showed 0.0313 g/shrimp for treatment A, 0.0279 g/shrimp for treatment B, and 0.0192 g/shrimp for treatment C. Based on the study, the recommended stocking density for white vannamei shrimp is 40 shrimp/L, demonstrating improved growth and survival rates for this species.

Organic Walnut Cultivation in Intensive and Super-Intensive System—Sustainable Investment. Case Study: Gorj County, Romania

The interest of the countries with traditions of walnut cultivation to increase the quantity and quality of walnut production is due to the fact that the organic cultivation of walnut is a sustainable business, with an ecological, economic and social impact. The walnut plant (Juglans regia) is a resource for food, dermatocosmetic and phytotherapeutic products, is raw material in the wood industry and a source of biomass. It is a species suitable for organic farming, with no chemical factors input (in line with the EU program to reduce pesticide use and fuel consumption by 35% in the context of the current energy crisis), and has properties of atmosphere purification and air-conditioning. Due to the creation of varieties with high production potential, suitable for cultivation in intensive and super-intensive plantations and also due to the government financial support, walnut plantations can contribute to the development of new valorization directions for the obtained production, by processing fruits and other vegetative organs (green nuts, green and dried shells, foliage, timber) with significant profits. In order to establish and capitalize on a walnut plantation in the pedological and climatic conditions of Romania, pedological studies, worthiness and pedoclimatic studies were carried out in the depression area of Gorj County and show the stages of cultivation technology in intensive and super-intensive systems. The sustainability and economic efficiency of setting up organic walnut cultivation has been highlighted in view of the costs for agrotechnical works, labor and material expenses. According to the analysis of the efficiency indicators, it has been shown that the establishment of an ecological walnut orchard, on an area of 1 ha, in Gorj County, Romania, is a sustainable, appropriate and opportune investment, in terms of capitalizing on the agricultural potential of the land, environmental protection and with social and economic impact.

Assessing the environmental sustainability of Portuguese olive growing practices from a life cycle assessment perspective

The olive value chain represents one of the most important bioeconomic sectors for Portugal, having this country the opportunity to emerge as the third-largest worldwide olive oil producer in the upcoming decade due to the modernization of its olive groves. Traditional rainfed production systems have been replaced by new intensive olive systems, with high-density, irrigated and mechanically harvested, which are leading to significant changes in the Portuguese olive sector. A very limited number of studies are available aiming at a deeper understanding of the consequences of these modifications, especially focused on the environmental dimension. Considering this gap of knowledge, this work aims the comparative analysis of the environmental impacts caused by three different Portuguese olive production systems: traditional rainfed (T), intensive (I) and super-intensive (SI) systems, during their entire life cycle in a reference period of 50 years, using a life cycle assessment methodology. The different agricultural practices used in the systems were grouped in six categories such as fertilization, harvesting, irrigation, phytosanitary control, pruning and soil management. Biomass valorization (resulting from pruning and plant removal) to produce electricity was assessed. Two strategies for dealing with multifunctionality in olive groves were analyzed: i) allocation based on economic criteria (market prices) and ii) substitution (“avoided burden approach”) of biomass valorization. Seven impact categories were selected and 1 hectare (ha) of cultivated olive growing area was adopted as functional unit. Super-intensive production systems resulted in higher environmental impacts for all categories (from 2.1 to 135.6 times higher when comparing with traditional rainfed systems and 1.2 to 2.8 times higher when comparing with intensive systems) and fertilization was the agricultural practice with the highest contributions for the environmental impacts in most of the categories, in the three systems under study. The multifunctionality approaches adopted significantly influenced the results, minimizing the environmental impacts of the olive production systems. This work highlights the importance of optimize agricultural practices during the entire life cycle of an olive grove, proposing measures to overcome and minimize environmental impacts, and suggesting the valorization of traditional varieties (namely ‘Galega vulgar’) in intensive systems, as a way of combining better productivity with less environmental impacts.

Dissolved oxygen, organic matter and nutrients in fish systems combined with bio-addition of friendly microorganisms

Effluents from conventional intensive aquaculture, based on high water exchange, may strongly contribute to the acceleration of eutrophication processes, due to the significant nutrient load present in unconsumed foods and excreted waste. On the other hand, there are intensive and super-intensive systems for the cultivation of aquatic organisms that use water exchange associated with strong aeration and biological transformation of macronutrients. Such sustainable systems use the bio-addition of friendly microorganisms to increase the rate of degradation of macronutrients and maintain water quality. A mathematical adjustment was used in this study to verify the dynamics of organic matter, nitrogen and phosphate during the experiment period. A pulse dynamic at regular times occurred indistinctly for all indicators evaluated in this study, although the intensity of the pulses showed particularities among the different indicators of water quality. Although the behavior of regular pulses of the indicators occurred, this condition did not affect the growth of fish subjected to a simulated system of intensive production associated with the bio-addition of friendly microorganisms.

Intensification of Penaeid Shrimp Culture: An Applied Review of Advances in Production Systems, Nutrition and Breeding.

Simple SummaryThe shrimp sector has been one of the fastest-growing agri-food systems in the last 10 years. To overcome the increasing market demand, the transition to the intensification of shrimp farming is a reality in many countries. In addition, the desire to mitigate the risks posed by pathogens has driven many farmers to preference more controlled intensive systems with higher biosecurity. Shrimp nutrition and breeding are other areas that have directly enabled and improved intensification and will continue to be critical to ongoing growth in this sector. From this perspective, the aim of this review is to provide an update of the current production systems and strategies and explore the advances and key contributions that nutrition, breeding, and pathogen surveillance are having towards intensification and super-intensive shrimp culture.Intensification of the shrimp sector, also referred to as vertical expansion, has been predominately driven by consecutive incidences of global disease outbreaks, which have caused enormous economic loss for the main producer countries. A growing segment of the shrimp farming industry has opted to use production systems with higher density, biosecurity, and operating control to mitigate the risks posed by disease. However, successful super-intensive shrimp production is reliant on an advanced understanding of many important biological and economic parameters in the farming system, coupled with effective monitoring, to maintain optimal production. Compared to traditional extensive or semi-intensive systems, super-intensive systems require higher inputs of feed, energy, labor, and supplements. These systems are highly sensitive to the interactions between these different inputs and require that the biological and economical parameters of farming are carefully balanced to ensure success. Advancing nutritional knowledge and tools to support consistent and efficient production of shrimp in these high-cost super-intensive systems is also necessary. Breeding programs developing breeding-lines selected for these challenging super-intensive environments are critical. Understanding synergies between the key areas of production systems, nutrition, and breeding are crucial for super-intensive farming as all three areas coalesce to influence the health of shrimp and commercial farming success. This article reviews current strategies and innovations being used for Litopenaeus vannamei in production systems, nutrition, and breeding, and discusses the synergies across these areas that can support the production of healthy and high-quality shrimp in super-intensive systems. Finally, we briefly discuss some key issues of social license pertinent to the super-intensive shrimp farming industry.

Production Performance of Super Intensive Vannamei Shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei at PT. Sumbawa Sukses Lestari Aquaculture, West Nusa Tenggara

Vannamei shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) is one of the leading fishery commodities that have high economic value. If the process is implemented properly, shrimp production with a super intensive system becomes a profitable future of the aquaculture orientation. This study aims to examine the production process and product performance of super- intensive system vannamei shrimp on an industrial scale. This research method is a case study that includes observation, interviews, and directly follows the production process of shrimp on an industrial scale, without experimental design. The production process includes ponds preparation, media preparation, seed selection and stocking, management of feed and water quality, monitoring of pests and disease, monitoring of growth, and harvest. The treatment given was the application of Bacillus sp. as probiotics on rearing media to optimize shrimp growth. This study showed after 100 days of rearing resulted in SR 71%; biomass 8.96 tons; harvest size 45 – 32; ABW 22 g/tail; ADG 0.4 g/day; and FCR 1.6. Water quality was still in the optimal ranges to support of shrimp growth, includes: temperatures 27 – 31oC; brightness 14 – 120 cm; pH 7.4 – 8.6; salinity 33 – 34 mg/L; dissolved oxygen 3.8 – 5.5 mg/L; alkalinity 100 – 360 mg/L; TOM 40 – 103 mg/L; and nitrite 0.05 – 27.5 mg/L. The production process of vannamei shrimp on an industrial scale with a super intensive system that is applied by PT. Sumbawa Sukses Lestari Aquaculture, West Nusa Tenggara shows optimal growth and yields.

Planting Systems for Modern Olive Growing: Strengths and Weaknesses

The objective of fully mechanizing olive harvesting has been pursued since the 1970s to cope with labor shortages and increasing production costs. Only in the last twenty years, after adopting super-intensive planting systems and developing appropriate straddle machines, a solution seems to have been found. The spread of super-intensive plantings, however, raises serious environmental and social concerns, mainly because of the small number of cultivars that are currently used (basically 2), compared to over 100 cultivars today cultivated on a large scale across the world. Olive growing, indeed, insists on over 11 million hectares. Despite its being located mostly in the Mediterranean countries, the numerous olive growing districts are characterized by deep differences in climate and soil and in the frequency and nature of environmental stress. To date, the olive has coped with biotic and abiotic stress thanks to the great cultivar diversity. Pending that new technologies supporting plant breeding will provide a wider number of cultivars suitable for super-intensive systems, in the short term, new growing models must be developed. New olive orchards will need to exploit cultivars currently present in various olive-growing areas and favor increasing productions that are environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable. As in fruit growing, we should focus on “pedestrian olive orchards”, based on trees with small canopies and whose top can be easily reached by people from the ground and by machines (from the side of the top) that can carry out, in a targeted way, pesticide treatments, pruning and harvesting.

Formas de condução em amendoeiras das cvs. ‘Soleta’ e ‘Lauranne’ em sistema superintensivo : Training systems for 'Soleta' and 'Lauranne' almond trees in super high density model

In recent years there has been a transformation in the almond tree cultivation influenced by the increase in the almond consumption, the novel self-fertile cultivars and the introduction of irrigation. Despite the fact that the Alentejo region has no tradition in the almonds production, irrigation has led to invest in the culture intensification with different training systems. However, the challenge is great given the lack of experience and the high structural costs associated with the superintensive model. In this perspective, the objective of this work is to compare the development of almond cultivars 'Soleta' and 'Lauranne' grafted onto the 'Rootpac 20' rootstock and planted at superintensive system (5´1,5 m), when trained in a vertical axis, three-axis palmette and hedge systems. The trunk section area, the amount of wood suppressed with pruning and the orchard's productivity were evaluated, as well as the quality of the almond obtained. Although the results are preliminary, the 'Lauranne' trees in axis training system grew more and larger amount of wood pruning has been removed. The 'Soleta' plants tend to be more productive in axis than in hedge system, while 'Lauranne' trees yielded more in the palmette system. The training system did not affect the commercial quality of the almond produced. The results suggest that the training system affects the productive behavior of the almond trees under superintensive model, which varies with the cultivar.

Sustainability Assessment of White Shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) Production in Super-Intensive System in the Municipality of San Blas, Nayarit, Mexico

The super-intensive white shrimp system is more productive (t ha−1) than traditional systems. However, it implies greater investment in infrastructure and machinery, a continuous supply of electricity, and a specialized workforce. Therefore, the sustainability of a shrimp farm model operating in a super-intensive system in Nayarit (Mexico) was evaluated using financial analysis and life cycle assessment. The investment is important, but the fixed costs (16%) are much lower than variable costs (84%). The super-intensive farm is economically viable, with an overall profitability (29%) that is higher than that of other agri-food activities in Mexico. It is also an activity that generates a lot of employment, in relative terms, as well as economic movement in the area. The potential environmental impacts are higher than those registered in semi-intensive shrimp systems but slightly lower than those registered in intensive systems. The estimated global warming value per kg of shrimp is 5.08 kg CO2-eq, an intermediate value. Also, as the shrimp production is much higher than in traditional systems, it could have a great and positive impact on the maintenance and regeneration of the mangrove ecosystem.

The state of cage culture in Lake Victoria: A focus on sustainability, rural economic empowerment, and food security

Abstract Capture fisheries and aquaculture have remained important sources of food, nutrition, income and livelihoods to millions globally, with annual per capita consumption of fish in developing countries having increased from 5.2 kg in 1961 to 18.8 kg in 2013. On the contrary, low income food-deficit countries annual fish per capita consumption rose from 3.5 to 7.6 kg against 26.8 kg among industrialized countries. Increased demand for animal protein and declining capture fisheries has seen aquaculture grow rapidly than any other food production sector over the past three decades. Rapid global aquaculture growth is directly related to levels of technological advancement, adoption and adaption prompting aquaculture transition from semi-intensive to intensive and super intensive production systems among developing and developed countries. In light of the aquatic environment economic potential, cage culture in Lake Victoria is fast gaining prominence in aquaculture production contribution. This began with trials by Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute and Uganda’s National Fisheries Resource Research Institute and later by private investors at Dunga and Obenge beaches of Kenya, Source of the Nile in Uganda and Bulamba Beach Management Units in Bunda District of Tanzania. However, only Kenya has so far documented cage culture development recording 3,696 cages across the five riparian counties with an estimated production capacity of 3,180 MT valued at Kshs 955.4 Million (9.6 million USD), created over 500 jobs directly and indirectly created income opportunities for over 4,000 people. The sub-sector’s value chain, its supportive value chains and associated enterprises are rapidly expanding thus creating jobs, enhancing incomes and ensuring food security in rural and urban areas. As cage culture commercialization takes root, there is urgent need to address issues such as introduction of alien species, diseases, marine parks and maximum carrying capacity among other aspects. This will require trans-boundary policy to ensure sustainable utilization of the lake as a common resource.

Advances in the use of photoheterotrophic, mixotrophic and multi-trophic systems in marine shrimp farming

The growth of aquaculture can cause different environmental impacts, from the use of large amounts of water to the excessive release of effluent. Shrimp farming can be done in different systems: extensive, semi-intensive, intensive and super-intensive. Extensive systems with low productivity (&lt;500 kg ha-1 year-1), exhibit low technological levels and less control of environmental conditions. The semi-intensive system requires food supplementation, reasonable natural productivity, biomas yield of 3,000 - 5,000 kg ha-1 year-1) and water change (5 to 10 % day-1). To increase production, different culture systems are used, such as photoheterotrophic, heterotrophic and mixotrophic, with minimal water exchange (0.5 to 3 % day-1), providing greater biomass yield (intensive 10 to 20 ton ha-1 cycle-1 and super-intensive 20 up to 40 ton ha-1 cycle-1). These can be developed in nursery or grow-out tanks, but with high operating costs, high technological levels, disease control and better control of environmental conditions. However, intensive and super-intensive systems accumulate nitrogen, phosphorus and solid waste that can be transformed into biomass in multi-trophic aquaculture systems. In this review, we will discuss the effects of these systems on water quality and productivity of marine shrimp. The photoheterotrophic, mixotrophic and multi-trophic systems are interesting alternatives to the photoautotrophic systems in shrimp production, demonstrated by the higher zootechnical performance, as well as the environmental quality, since these models promote the minimum exchange of water and the transformation of nutrient residues in biomass.

Evaluation of the environmental sustainability in the olive growing systems in Tunisia

Olive cultivation for oil production in Tunisia covers from traditional to innovate cropping systems. The aim of the study was to assess the environmental footprint of the most representative olive growing systems of the actual production of olive fruit in Tunisia, from the planting phase to the full production phase, during a reference period of the life cycle of the olive growth of 50 years. Six traditional systems, two intensive systems and one super-intensive system were compared and the differences of type of production (conventional or organic), irrigation management and fertilization management were selected. The impacts associated to olive production were calculated and evaluated by the Life Cycle Assessment methodology and the results of this study were referred to two functional units: 1 ton of olives and 1 ha of cultivated olive growing area. Field agricultural practices of olive systems were soil management, fertilizers, pesticides, pruning and harvesting. The impact categories selected for the environmental analysis were climate change, acidification, freshwater eutrophication and freshwater ecotoxicity. The most innovative olive production systems (intensive and super-intensive) resulted in less environmental impacts for all categories with respect to the rest of systems from the productive perspective but produced higher impacts per hectare of cultivated area. Fertilizers and soil management were the field agricultural practices that presented the highest contributions in most of the categories evaluated. The implementation of an integrated crop management, as well as good practice guides and training programs for farmers, should be considered a priority.

Análise comparativa da eficiência econômica e competitividade dos cultivos de camarão marinho no sistema semi-intensivo (tradicional) e superintensivo (com reuso de água e uso de bioflocos – BFT) utilizados no Brasil

A carcinicultura marinha (cultivo de camarões marinhos) tem uma enorme importância socioeconômica no Nordeste brasileiro, pois é nesta região que se concentram 98% da produção de camarão cultivado no Brasil. Porém, esta atividade vem sofrendo com baixa produtividade e perda de competitividade dos atuais sistemas de cultivo. Este artigo teve como objetivo realizar uma análise comparativa entre a eficiência econômica e a competitividade dos cultivos de camarão marinho no sistema semi-intensivo (tradicional) e no sistema superintensivo (reuso de água e uso de bioflocos - BFT) utilizados no Brasil. Foi feita uma comparação entre os indicadores de eficiência econômica e competitividade em cada um dos sistemas de cultivo de camarões marinhos estudados. Os dados necessários para realizar esta análise comparativa foram coletados por meio de levantamentos bibliográficos junto às fontes secundárias. Os resultados obtidos demonstram que o cultivo de camarões marinhos no sistema com reuso de água e BFT é, no que se refere aos parâmetros econômicos, mais eficiente e competitivo do que o cultivo no sistema semi-intensivo (tradicional). As conclusões deste trabalho nos permitem aprofundar as discussões a respeito da modernização da carcinicultura brasileira por meio da intensificação destes cultivos. É necessário que os estudos tragam à tona a adoção de inovações tecnológicas que proporcionem uma melhoria na eficiência, na competitividade da aquicultura brasileira e que sejam incentivados. A originalidade deste trabalho reside neste fundamento.

A Mediterranean silent spring? The effects of olive farming intensification on breeding bird communities

Combining biodiversity conservation with the agricultural production needed to meet the rising world food demand is a global challenge. This is a case in point for olive farming in the Mediterranean region, where high-yielding intensive and super-intensive orchards are fast expanding, often replacing biodiversity-rich but low-yielding traditional orchards. Here we test the hypothesis that production intensification reduces bird diversity within olive orchards, and that bird responses to such intensification are largely mediated by species traits. Breeding birds were counted in southern Portugal (2014–2016) at 78 orchards covering the entire intensification gradient. Using hierarchical joint species distribution modelling, we found that the intensification-level explained a large proportion of bird community variation (35%), while accounting for the significant contributions of orchard features (16%) and landscape context (16%). Species richness declined from traditional (29 species), through intensive (25), to super-intensive (20) orchards. The occurrence probability of many species also declined significantly from traditional to intensive (7 species; 22% of all species considered) and to super-intensive (14 species; 44%) orchards, while prevalence in more intensive orchards increased only for linnet and goldfinch (6%). Cavity-nester insectivores were the most affected functional group, declining steeply along the intensification gradient. Our results suggest that production intensification, and particularly the shift towards super-intensive systems, is reshaping and greatly simplifying breeding bird communities associated with olive orchards, which may become dominated by generalist granivores. This is a warning signal of widespread negative impacts on bird diversity that may be occurring due to olive farming intensification in the Mediterranean. Efforts are needed to reduce such impacts, which in the case of birds would require actions targeted primarily at cavity-nester insectivores.

Virus Detection of Pacific White Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) at Fish Quarantine Center, Quality Control, and Security of Fishery Product in Surabaya I

Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) is one of the leading fisheries commodities that have important economic value and are in great demand by consumers in the market. Pacific white shrimp has several advantages, namely rapid growth, able to adapt to a high range of salinity, and can be cultured with a super intensive system, but in recent years the total shrimp production in Indonesia has decreased. In 2012 the total shrimp production decreased from 1.900 tons to 1.025 tons, the virus is thought to be a pathogen that triggers disease in shrimp and causes high mortality. The type of virus that causes disease in pacific white shrimp cultivation is Taura Syndrome Virus (TSV), Infectious Myonecrosis Virus (IMNV), and White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV). The purpose of this study is to detect viruses that infected and determine the prevalence of viruses that attack pacific white shrimp. The research was conducted in December 2018 to January 2019 at Fish Quarantine Center, Quality Control and Security of Fishery Product Surabaya I. The material used in the study was 37 post larval samples. Samples extracted using Silica Extraction Kit, then detected molecularly using PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction). This research was observational, then the data obtained were analyzed descriptively. The results showed that there were 3 positive samples of IMNV and 2 positive samples of WSSV with prevalence values of 8.10% and 5.40%. High and low prevalence values are influenced by the level of virus spread and inappropriate environmental conditions. Keywords : Pacific white shrimp, PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction), prevalence, virus.

THE CURRENT STATE AND THE PERSPECTIVESOF FRUIT-GROWING ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT REGION OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

Currently,the role and importance of SMEs in the development of the national economy are characterized by such features as: the direct contribution to the formation of the GDP in every country is, as a rule, between 55-95%; new jobs creation; boosting competition; increasing exports; innovations and technologies fostering. The effectiveness of entrepreneurial activity in fruit growing is characterized by the application of new fruit production technologies, such as intensive and super intensive system. The purpose of the research was to analyze fruit growing entrepreneurship in the Northern Development Region of the Republic of Moldova based on the data of „Domultera”LLC in Floresti district. The objective of the research was to analyze fruit-growing entrepreneurship in the Northern Development Region of the Republic of Moldova by describing the realities and perspectives in the field. It has been foundout that applying superintensive and intensive technology to fruit growing is efficient. This fact can be explained by the reduction in production costs and the increase in global fruit production, sales revenue from the obtained production and gain profit, which have influenced the increased profitability level of up to 127.76% in 2017 and 86.15% in 2018 in the case of apple cultivation by applying the superintensive system. Apples and plums cultivation by applying intensive technology also increases the economic efficiency when trees begin to bear fruits.