<p>During the last decades, investigation is being focused for environmental reasons on the search of alternatives to herbicides and plastics of petrochemical origin to control weeds, both in herbaceous and woody crops and especially in organic farming. With this purpose, more environmentally-friendly materials are being used worldwide, including biopolymers and papers, mainly in annual herbaceous crops due to their shorter useful live. For this reason, various research groups are investigating on the manufacturing of hydromulches of different composition and characteristics as harmless mulch materials which exert properly their functions. In this framework, in the current study we evaluated the effect of three hydromulches on soil temperature in an intensive almond crop planted in the open field. The hydromulches were based on by-products derived from the agricultural sector (barley straw, rice husk, rests from mushroom production), mixed with gypsum as a binder and recycled paper paste and applied liquidly on the ground with subsequent solidification. Additionally, two unmulched treatments were considered as control (manual weeding and a no-weeding treatments). Soil temperature was measured at 5 cm depth, and the variables considered, expressed as &#186;C, were maximum (T<sub>max</sub>), minimum (T<sub>min</sub>) and mean temperature (T<sub>mean</sub>), cumulative soil heat (C<sub>heat</sub>) and soil temperature amplitude (TA). C<sub>heat</sub> was calculated as the sum of the daily T<sub>mean</sub> and TA as the average of (daily max &#8211; daily min soil temperature).</p> <p>As general results, T<sub>mean</sub> was higher in the unmulched controls than in the hydromulches mainly for increasing T<sub>max</sub>, resulting T<sub>min</sub> practically no affected by the cover. Consequently, TA and C<sub>heat</sub> were higher in the controls, which shows the damping effect of the hydromulches mainly for reducing the highest temperatures, which could be positive for the crops in the current global warming context.</p> <p><strong>Keywords</strong>: hydromulches, soil temperature, global warming, organic farming.</p> <p><strong>Acknowledgements</strong>: Project RTA2015-00047-C05-03 - INIA (Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness).</p>
<p>The interest in developing sustainable agriculture is becoming increasingly relevant in recent times, seeking alternatives to synthetic chemical fertilizers and the revaluation of wastes through more environmentally friendly alternatives. During the last decade, the cultivated area of pistachio in Spain is growing very significantly, especially in Castilla-La Mancha (FAO, 2018). During the harvesting and processing of the fruit, residues such as shell and peel of the fruit are generated, remains of vegetables and water from the cleaning process, which have a marked phytotoxic character due to their high content of polyphenols. Therefore, the generation of pistachio wastes, which can reach 40% of the harvest, could be an environmental problem. For this reason, various research groups have used this waste to obtain different products such as active carbon, mulches, biofuels, etc. In the present study, we evaluate the effect of two bioproducts generated from the pistachio harvest residue and determine which of them has a greater agricultural interest (P1: product with less polyphenols, extracted by a thermal process, and P2: product with an additional Steam Explosion process). The bioproducts were evaluated in a pepper crop field with a randomized complete-block design, considering an unfertilized treatment as a control (T0 = Control, T1 = 50% of N needed with P1, T2 = 100% of N needed with P2, T3 = 50% of N needed with P2, and T4 = 100% of N needed with P2). The parameters controlled were: ETc calculated with the FAO methodology (ETc = ETo x Kc), irrigation water (NO<sub>3</sub>), soil (NO<sub>2</sub>, NO<sub>3</sub>, P, K, pH and texture), drainage water (NH<sub>4</sub>, NO<sub>3</sub>, P, K, Ca, Mg and pH), crop growth control (LAI and LAD) and dry matter composition of leaf, stem and fruit (N Kjeldahl, P and K). As preliminary results of the first experimental trial, no significant differences in the growth parameters measured between the control and the treatments have been found, although analytical results are still in progress and further research experiments will be stablished in the next years.</p> <p><strong>Keywords</strong>: By-products, organic wastes, global warming, circular economy.</p> <p><strong>Acknowledgements</strong>: Project INIA-2019-0007 (Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness).</p>
<p>Therapeutic horticulture is a discipline which belongs to both society and health sciences that has its own identity, which differentiates it from others. It arises as a result of the complementary fusion of two disciplines: horticulture and therapy or rehabilitation. In the therapeutic field, it incorporates some knowledges about physical, cognitive and sensory disabilities, different pathologies, psychosocial problems and special needs. Around horticulture, it allows us to develop knowledge about agriculture, gardening, landscaping, environment and others. It has been used, for educational and socialization purposes, for more than half a century, since then with great implantation and recognition in many countries.</p><p>The implementation of an organic garden with pedagogical purposes for students of Agroecology in the School of Agricultural Engineering of the University of Extremadura (Spain), has been the scene for the realization of a collaborative project of integrative - teaching - learning strategy between the University and the &#8220;Sorap&#225;n de Rieros&#8221; Foundation. This project has allowed the use of the ecological orchard created for pedagogical purposes based on the needs of students with mental disorders of different nature with whom the Foundation works, connecting then different points of view.</p><p>The specialized training in Permaculture, Organic Agriculture and Agroecology, the tutoring work with specific methodologies developed by the expert staff of the Foundation in Psychology and Psychiatry, as well as the coexistence with the University students has been an enriching experience, with enormously satisfactory results in the improvement of mental and physical health, as well as the labor integration of the Foundation students.</p><p><strong>Keywords</strong>: Therapeutic horticulture, inclusive horticulture, mental health, organic farming, permaculture.</p>
<p>Understanding the dynamics of plant populations and their relationship with the characteristics of the terrain (slope, texture, etc.) and with particular phenomena (erosion, pollution, environmental constrains, etc.) that could affect them is crucial in order to manage regeneration and rehabilitation projects in degraded lands. In recent years, the emphasis has been placed on the observation and assessment of microtopographic drivers as they lead to large-scale phenomena. All the ecological variables that affect a given area are interconnected and the success in unraveling the ecological patterns of operation relies on making a good characterization of all the parameters involved.</p><p>It is especially interesting to study the natural colonization processes that take place in Mediterranean areas with a high degree of seasonality, to whose climatic restrictions, the presence of pollutants and various anthropic actions, can be added. Over these degraded areas, we propose using a new tool, what we have come to call "<strong>pictorial transects</strong>", that is, one-dimensional artificial transects built from low-scale photographs (2 m<sup>2</sup>) taken along a line of work (transect) where you can see the points where ecological resources are generated, stored and lost, and their fluctuation throughout time. A derivative of these would be the "<strong>green transects</strong>" in which the green color has been discriminated using the open software Image I. It is an inexpensive, fast and straightforward pictorial method that can be used to research and monitor the spatial and temporal fluctuation of the potential input of resources (organic matter, water, fine particles, etc.) to the ecosystem.</p><p>The information obtained from pictorial transects not only refers to the measurement of the photosynthetic potential per unit area or the location of the critical points (generate, storage or sink of resources) but also makes it possible to monitor the specific composition of the plant cover. For an appropriate use of this methodology, the criteria to determine the direction and length of the different transects must be previously and carefully established according to the objectives proposed in the study. For example: a radial transect in a salty pond will give us information on the changes in the plant cover as we move away from the center and the salinity decreases. In the same pond, a transect parallel to the shore will give us information on those changes that occur in the vegetation that do not depend on the degree of salinity. There are some cases in which this method could be very useful, as in the natural colonization of a degraded mine site or to assess the progression area affected by allochthonous species or weeds in extensive crops.</p>
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