REALISING DYNAMIC VALUE CHAINS FOR UNDERUTILISED CROPS

Acorns are the most abundant fruit in temperate regions of the northern Hemisphere, though its consumption by humans is residual. Oaks are keystone species, with huge ecological influence on its natural environment. In Portugal, evergreen Holm oaks and Cork oaks, create the agro-forestry system of Montado, representing vast areas high value habitats. To consider Acorns as a resource for direct human consumption would add value to these trees, and the native forest itself. Moreover, acorn’s could contribute to food sovereignty based on a sustainable and super nutritious fruit. In Freixo do Meio two Orchards plots of Successional Agroforest were implemented, with Holm-Oak as a main species and companion species such as Tagasaste, a nitrogen- fixing perennial plant, Mastic and Strawberry-tree, as native habitat belonging species. Agroecological practices implemented in the orchards were: i) minimal soil mobilization, ii) adding organic compost and iii) mulching with wood-ships, wooden logs and straw. The orchards shall develop as a semi-natural systems where fruit production is one in many functions and services being generated. Furthermore,10 Spanish Holm oaks of especially sweet and productive varieties (grafted clones purchased from a tree nursery). 5 Freixo do Meio sweet and productive varieties (grafted clones on a small-scale experiment). Results are: 1) Good survival of all specimens, except plants grafted with individuals of Freixo do Meio. 2) Mulching, being the only component added to the soil, helped considerably to sustain soil fertility in adequate levels in both plots. While macro-elements maintained acceptable levels, micro-nutrients would need to be tunned when a bigger fruit production is aimed;
The increase of soil microbiology is more notable in the initially poorer plot of Buraco than in Olival, but both sites evolve considerably. All indicators express a consistently increase on microorganisms' activity meaning a healthy tendency of soil evolution.

As bolotas são o fruto mais abundante nas regiões temperadas do hemisfério norte, embora o seu uso para consumo humano seja residual. Os carvalhos são espécies-chave, com enorme influência ecológica no seu ambiente natural. Em Portugal, azinheiras e sobreiros, formam o sistema agro-florestal de Montado, representando vastas áreas de habitats de elevado valor ecológico. Considerar as bolotas como um recurso para consumo humano direto acrescentaria valor a essas árvores e à própria floresta nativa. Além disso, a bolota pode contribuir para a soberania alimentar sendo um fruto sustentável e super nutritivo. No Freixo do Meio foram implantadas 2 parcelas de Pomares de Agrofloresta de Sucessão, tendo a Azinheira como espécie principal, e espécies companheiras como o Tagasaste, uma planta perene fixadora de azoto, a Areoeira e o Medronheiro, como espécies nativas pertencentes ao habitat. As práticas agroecológicas implementadas nos pomares foram: i) mobilização mínima do solo, ii) adição de composto orgânico e iii) cobertura de solo com estilha, troncos de madeira e palha. Os pomares desenvolver-se-ão como sistemas seminaturais onde a produção de fruta é uma das muitas funções e serviços gerados. Além disso foram também plantadas 10 azinheiras de variedades espanholas especialmente doces e produtivas (clones enxertados comprados de um viveiro) e 5 variedades doces e produtivas de Freixo do Meio (clones enxertados em experimento em pequena escala). Os resultados são: 1) Boa sobrevivência de todos os espécimes, exceto as plantas enxertadas com indivíduos de Freixo do Meio. 2) Mulching, sendo o único componente adicionado ao solo, ajudou consideravelmente a manter a fertilidade do solo em níveis adequados em ambas as parcelas. Enquanto os macroelementos mantêm níveis aceitáveis, os micronutrientes necessitam de ser ajustados quando se pretende uma maior produção de fruta; O aumento da microbiologia do solo é mais notável na parcela inicialmente mais pobre do Buraco do que no Olival, mas ambos os locais evoluem consideravelmente. Todos os indicadores expressam um aumento consistente da atividade dos microrganismos, o que significa uma tendência saudável da evolução do solo.

Purslane has gained attention for its nutritional and medicinal value, as well as its resilience and sustainability potential. However, optimal cultivation techniques for modern farming remain underexplored. This study investigates fertigation strategies for hydroponic purslane to reduce antinutritional factors, like nitrate accumulation, while maintaining yield. The plants were cultivated under two distinct nitrogen (N) levels. Plants that grown under adequate N conditions were supplied with an NS where NH4-N levels representing either 7% (Control) or 14% (High NH4-N) of total N content. In deficit N conditions, plants were either supplied with a NS where 30% of NO3-N inputs were compensated with Cl (Mild-N stress), or a NS where 50% of NO3-N inputs were compensated by elevating Cl and S by 30% and 20% (Severe N stress). Under adequate N supply, high NH4-N:Total-N ratio recorded the most detrimental effects on plant growth. Specifically, the plants experienced yield restriction by 24%, a response that is mainly ascribed to the restricted N assimilation rate. Furthermore, high NH4-N rates resulted in excessive N losses in gaseous form without reducing nitrate accumulation in the fresh leaves of purslane. While beneficial effects were reported in plant biochemical properties, these benefits cannot outweigh the yield losses and the environmental burden to extensive N release to atmosphere. Substitution of NO3-N with Cl by 30% revealed to be the most efficient N fertilization management, as plants recorded enhanced product quality, elevated biochemical properties and nitrates levels, without suffering growth restrictions. Further limitations in N application rates compromise yield without benefiting the overall product quality.

Η γλιστρίδα έχει προσελκύσει το ενδιαφέρον λόγω της διατροφικής και φαρμακευτικής της αξίας, καθώς και της ανθεκτικότητας της σε αβιοτικού παράγοντες καταπόνησης. Ωστόσο, οι βέλτιστες τεχνικές καλλιέργειας για την μετάβαση της σε σύγχρονα γεωργικά συστήματα παραμένουν ανεξερεύνητες. Η παρούσα μελέτη εξετάζει πρακτικές θρέψης για την υδροπονική καλλιέργεια γλιστρίδας, με στόχο τη μείωση των μη θρεπτικών παραγόντων, όπως η συσσώρευση νιτρικών, διατηρώντας ταυτόχρονα ικανοποιητικές αποδόσεις. Τα φυτά καλλιεργήθηκαν υπό δύο διαφορετικά επίπεδα αζώτου (Ν). Σε συνθήκες επαρκούς Ν, τα φυτά τροφοδοτήθηκαν με θρεπτικό διάλυμα (NS) όπου το NH4-N αντιστοιχούσε είτε στο 7% (Μάρτυρας) είτε στο 14% (Υψηλό NH4-N) του συνολικού Ν. Σε συνθήκες ελλειμματικής παροχής Ν, τα φυτά τροφοδοτήθηκαν είτε με NS όπου το 30% των NO3-N αντικαταστάθηκε από Cl (70% Ν), είτε με NS όπου το 50% των NO3-N αντικαταστάθηκε με αύξηση του Cl και του S κατά 30% και 20% αντίστοιχα (50% Ν). Σε επαρκή παροχή Ν, η υψηλή αναλογία NH4-N είχε τις πιο αρνητικές επιπτώσεις στην ανάπτυξη, προκαλώντας μείωση της απόδοσης κατά 24%, κυρίως λόγω περιορισμένης αφομοίωσης του Ν. Επιπλέον, τα αυξημένα επίπεδα NH4-N οδήγησαν σε υπερβολικές απώλειες αζώτου σε αέρια μορφή χωρίς, ωστόσο, να μειώσουν τη συσσώρευση νιτρικών στα φρέσκα φύλλα. Παρόλο που παρατηρήθηκαν θετικές επιδράσεις σε βιοχημικές παραμέτρους των φυτών, αυτές δεν αντιστάθμισαν τις απώλειες στην απόδοση και την περιβαλλοντική επιβάρυνση από την απελευθέρωση Ν στην ατμόσφαιρα. Η αντικατάσταση του 30% των NO3-N με Cl αποδείχθηκε η πιο αποδοτική στρατηγική λίπανσης με άζωτο, καθώς βελτιώθηκε η ποιότητα του προϊόντος και οι βιοχημικές ιδιότητες, χωρίς να παρατηρηθούν περιορισμοί στην ανάπτυξη. Περαιτέρω περιορισμοί στην εφαρμογή Ν μειώνουν την απόδοση χωρίς να προσφέρουν επιπλέον οφέλη στην ποιότητα του τελικού προϊόντος.

Intercropping (IC) has been recognized to provide several agroecosystem services, as well as to support yield stability through the exploitation of ecological mechanisms. However, an integrated and tailor-made approach is needed when breeding for mixtures.
An example to breed varieties adapted to mixed crops is to combine experimental evolution, genomics technologies for DNA sequencing and participatory plant breeding. To do so, ad-hoc experimental populations should be developed. Maximizing genetic diversity in starting plant materials will allow natural and man-made selection to act, resulting in the selection of co-adaprive variants and most adapted genotypes to mixed environment.
Two different experimental population types can be exploited: variety mixtures and composite crosses. Varietal mixtures are obtained by physically mixing seeds of different genetic materials, both at intra- and inter-specific level. Components of the mixture can be any type of material (pure lines, landraces, breeding materials). Composite crosses are populations built up by targeted crosses of several parents (which could be derived from any type of genetic material as well). These populations are grown and harvested as a bulk population over years, letting evolution to act. In addition, participatory breeding and selection (including farmers and other stakeholders) for target traits can be performed, such as yield, disease resistance, grain quality and the performance of stay in the mixture environment. Moreover, natural population such as landraces are a perfect example of evolutionary and farmers selection across a long period of time and subjected to local adaptation, for this they can be exploited for this purpose.

La consociazione è una pratica che fornisce diversi servizi agroecosistemici e supporta la stabilità delle rese attraverso l'azione di meccanismi ecologici. Tuttavia, per il miglioramento genetico di varietà adatte alla consociazione è necessario un approccio integrato e su misura.
Un esempio efficace per questo scopo consiste nel combinare evoluzione sperimentale, tecnologie genomiche per il sequenziamento del DNA e miglioramento genetico partecipativo. Per fare ciò, è necessario sviluppare popolazioni sperimentali ad hoc. Massimizzare la diversità genetica nei materiali di partenza consente alla selezione naturale e artificiale di agire, portando alla selezione di varianti co-adattive e di genotipi più adatti all'ambiente consociato.
Si possono utilizzare due tipi di popolazioni sperimentali: miscugli varietali e incroci compositi. Le miscele varietali si ottengono mescolando fisicamente semi di materiali genetici diversi, sia a livello intra- che interspecifico. I componenti della miscela possono includere linee pure, varietà locali o materiali di miglioramento genetico. Gli incroci compositi, invece, sono popolazioni create attraverso incroci mirati tra più genitori derivanti da qualunque materiale genetico. Queste popolazioni vengono coltivate e raccolte come popolazioni in massa per anni, lasciando agire i processi evolutivi. Oltre a ciò, si può effettuare effettuare breeding e selezione in maniera partecipativa (includendo agricoltori e altri stakeholders) per tratti specifici, come resa, resistenza alle malattie, qualità del grano e prestazioni nell’ambiente consociato. Inoltre, popolazioni naturali come le varietà locali, già soggette ad adattamento locale e miglioramento ad opera degli agricoltori, rappresentano un esempio ideale per questo scopo.

Sourdough is an important modern fermentation of cereal flours and water based upon an earlier spontaneous process. The sourdough microflora is dominated by lactic acid bacteria and, along with yeast, they play a key role in the fermentation of bread dough. The sourdough fermentation has a number of beneficial effects that include prolonged shelf life, accelerated volume gain, delayed staling, improved bread flavor, and good nutritional value. Sourdough also improves sensory characteristics such as loaf volume, evenness of baking, colour, aroma, taste, and texture of breads. Sourdough has been reported to contribute to extended shelf life by inhibiting spoilage bacteria and mold growth. Deploying traditional baking techniques, such as sourdough-based methods combined with slow baking principles, aims to preserving the techno-functional properties of the bioactive compounds contained in different nutritionally favourable fractions of underutilised crops in the recipes. The focus of the baked goods in recent developments is on creating innovative recipes, using the protein-rich fractions of legumes, such as faba beans, lupins, lentils but also barley, using wholegrain flours of minor cereals (spelt, rye) as bulk components in the recipes. The recipes should be created based on sourdough technology principles, following the dough-making steps of traditional, artisan handcraft baking. The generated products then usually undergo consumer tasting sessions, where health-conscious consumers are offerred portions of sourdough-based baked products and are being asked for their feedback using simplified product characterisation sheets, which focus on non-expert sensory experience. Based on this feedback, coupled with physico-chemical analysis of the products, the recipes may be adjusted, and ultimately validated by trained expert sensory panels.

Sauerteig ist eine bedeutende moderne Fermentation von Getreidemehlen und Wasser, die auf einem früheren spontanen Prozess basiert. Die Mikroflora des Sauerteigs wird von Milchsäurebakterien dominiert, die zusammen mit Hefen eine zentrale Rolle bei der Fermentation des Brotteigs spielen. Die Sauerteigfermentation bietet eine Reihe von Vorteilen, darunter eine verlängerte Haltbarkeit, ein beschleunigtes Volumenwachstum, verzögerte Alterung, verbesserten Brotgeschmack und einen hohen Nährwert. Zudem verbessert Sauerteig sensorische Eigenschaften wie Brotvolumen, Gleichmäßigkeit des Backvorgangs, Farbe, Aroma, Geschmack und Textur.

Es wurde berichtet, dass Sauerteig zur Verlängerung der Haltbarkeit beiträgt, indem er das Wachstum von Verderbnisbakterien und Schimmel hemmt. Die Anwendung traditioneller Backtechniken, wie sauerteigbasierte Methoden in Kombination mit langsamen Backprozessen, zielt darauf ab, die techno-funktionalen Eigenschaften bioaktiver Verbindungen in verschiedenen ernährungsphysiologisch wertvollen Fraktionen untergenutzter Kulturen in Rezepturen zu bewahren.

Der Fokus neuer Entwicklungen im Bereich Backwaren liegt auf der Kreation innovativer Rezepte unter Verwendung proteinreicher Fraktionen von Hülsenfrüchten wie Ackerbohnen, Lupinen und Linsen sowie Gerste, ergänzt durch Vollkornmehle von Urgetreidesorten wie Dinkel und Roggen als Hauptbestandteile der Rezepturen. Die Rezeptentwicklung sollte auf den Prinzipien der Sauerteigtechnologie basieren und die Teigzubereitungsschritte traditioneller, handwerklicher Backkunst befolgen.

Die daraus resultierenden Produkte werden in der Regel Verkostungssitzungen mit gesundheitsbewussten Verbrauchern unterzogen. Diese erhalten Portionsproben der sauerteigbasierten Backwaren und geben ihr Feedback anhand vereinfachter Produktbewertungsbögen, die sich auf die sensorische Wahrnehmung von Nicht-Experten konzentrieren. Basierend auf diesem Feedback, kombiniert mit physikochemischen Analysen der Produkte, können die Rezepturen angepasst und schließlich von geschulten Experten-Sensorikpanels validiert werden.

Recent advancements in food processing technologies are opening new possibilities for creating products with improved nutritional properties. Methods like pulsed electric fields (PEF), triboelectric separation, and extrusion can help retain important nutrients, extract valuable components, and reduce losses during processing. These technologies are particularly useful for producing high-quality, functional foods that meet growing consumer demand for healthier and more sustainable options.
The inclusion of underutilised crops in these processes adds further benefits, such as increasing agrobiodiversity and creating ingredients rich in proteins, fibres, and bioactive compounds. These crops can be processed using novel technologies to develop innovative products that contribute to both sustainability and nutrition.
By reducing waste, making better use of raw materials, and turning by-products into valuable resources, these technologies support more sustainable and efficient food systems. This study explores how novel technologies can be used to develop and improve food products with enhanced nutritional properties while supporting sustainability goals.

Jüngste Fortschritte in der Lebensmittelverarbeitung eröffnen neue Möglichkeiten zur Herstellung von Produkten mit verbesserten Ernährungseigenschaften. Verfahren wie gepulste elektrische Felder (PEF), triboelektrische Trennung und Extrusion können dazu beitragen, wichtige Nährstoffe zu erhalten, wertvolle Bestandteile zu extrahieren und Verluste während der Verarbeitung zu verringern. Diese Technologien sind besonders nützlich für die Herstellung hochwertiger, funktioneller Lebensmittel, die der wachsenden Nachfrage der Verbraucher nach gesünderen und nachhaltigeren Optionen entsprechen.
Die Einbeziehung wenig genutzter Nutzpflanzen in diese Prozesse bringt weitere Vorteile mit sich, wie die Erhöhung der Agrobiodiversität und die Herstellung von Zutaten, die reich an Proteinen, Fasern und bioaktiven Verbindungen sind. Diese Pflanzen können mit neuen Technologien verarbeitet werden, um innovative Produkte zu entwickeln, die sowohl zur Nachhaltigkeit als auch zur Ernährung beitragen.
Durch die Reduzierung von Abfällen, die bessere Nutzung von Rohstoffen und die Umwandlung von Nebenprodukten in wertvolle Ressourcen unterstützen diese Technologien nachhaltigere und effizientere Lebensmittelsysteme. In dieser Studie wird untersucht, wie neuartige Technologien zur Entwicklung und Verbesserung von Lebensmitteln mit verbesserten ernährungsphysiologischen Eigenschaften bei gleichzeitiger Unterstützung von Nachhaltigkeitszielen eingesetzt werden können.

A digital environment connects all supply chain actors, producers, processors, distributors, retailers, and consumers by sharing data through an advanced traceability system. The system facilitates real-time updates and exchange of production, distribution, and product quality information, ensuring complete transparency from the producer to the consumer. The outcome is increased trust, faster issue detection, and the assurance of the highest quality and safety of products.
Benefits for Short Food Supply Chains and Small-Scale Producers
Short food supply chains (SFSC) can benefit from this system. With direct communication and fewer intermediaries, SFSC can lower costs, deliver faster and fresher products, and gain added value through the ability to track origin and quality. Small-scale producers, who often cultivate special and underutilized crops, can use this solution to monitor their products, diversify production, and explore new market niches, strengthening their competitiveness and ensuring sustainable operations.
Lessons learned
Our lessons learned have underscored the importance of involving all actors, from small farmers to consumers, from the beginning. Early and continuous engagement helps identify challenges and builds a strong sense of joint ownership over the solution. For all SFSCs, it is important to actively participate in data exchange, invest in advanced traceability systems, and tailor digital tools to specific operational needs. This collaborative approach leads to greater efficiency, cost reduction, and long-term sustainability across the SFSC.

Z deljenjem podatkov preko naprednega sistema sledljivosti se vzpostavlja digitalno okolje, ki povezuje vse deležnike dobavne verige, pridelovalce, predelovalce, distributerje in trgovce, pa tudi porabnike. Sistem omogoča sprotno posodabljanje in izmenjavo informacij o proizvodnji, distribuciji in kakovosti izdelkov, kar zagotavlja popolno preglednost toka od pridelovalca do končnega porabnika. Rezultat je večje zaupanje, hitrejše odkrivanje težav in zagotavljanje najvišje kakovosti ter varnosti pridelkov.

Prednosti za kratke dobavne verige in manjše pridelovalce
Kratke dobavne verige (KOV), kjer neposredna komunikacija in manj posrednikov vodijo k nižjim stroškom, hitrejši dostavi in večji svežini izdelkov, pridobijo dodano vrednost s sledenjem izvora in kakovosti. Manjši pridelovalci, ki pogoso gojijo posebne in zapostavljene kulture, lahko s to rešitvijo spremljajo svoje proizvode, diverzificirajo pridelavo in raziskujejo nove tržne niše, s čimer krepijo konkurenčnost in trajnost poslovanja.

Izkušnje pri implementaciji
Iz izkušenj pri implementaciji smo ugotovili, da je ključno, da se vsi akterji od malih kmetov do končnih porabnikov, vključijo že v začetni fazi, saj pravočasno vključevanje omogoča prepoznavanje ključnih izzivov in spodbuja skupno lastništvo rešitve. Za vse KOV je pomembno, da aktivno sodelujejo pri izmenjavi podatkov, investirajo v napredne sisteme sledljivosti in prilagodijo digitalna orodja specifičnim operativnim potrebam. Tak pristop bo prinesel večjo učinkovitost, zmanjšanje stroškov in povečanje konkurenčnosti, kar dolgoročno prispeva k trajnostnemu razvoju celotne KOV.

The spade test is a simple yet effective visual analysis of soil quality that can be conducted directly in the field using basic tools. It requires no specialized expertise and can be performed by anyone. By examining a soil sample extracted with a spade, we can assess whether agronomic techniques support soil fertility. Compared to laboratory analyses, the spade test provides immediate insights into soil health, including structure, aeration, root penetration, water availability, and crop residue decomposition. The test can be conducted anytime, preferably when the soil is neither too dry nor too wet, as extreme moisture conditions may affect accuracy. For a comprehensive assessment, it should be repeated at different times of the year and across various crop phenological stages. To obtain a representative evaluation, samples should be collected from multiple field points, typically at least five, including areas with healthy crops, stressed crops, bare patches, and weed-dominated zones. Observations focus on surface conditions, soil resistance to the spade, clod shape and distribution, moisture levels, root development, organic matter decomposition, presence of soil life, and soil odor. These observations, along with details on crops, manure application, cover crops, pesticide use, and fertilizers, can be recorded in a structured format and assigned a rating: HIGH (1), MEDIUM (2), LOW (3). When performed regularly, the spade test serves as a valuable tool for monitoring soil health over time.

Il test della vanga è un'analisi visiva semplice ed efficace della qualità del suolo, eseguibile direttamente in campo con strumenti di base. Non richiede competenze specialistiche ed è accessibile a chiunque. Esaminando un campione di suolo estratto con una vanga, è possibile valutare se le tecniche agronomiche adottate supportano la fertilità del suolo. Rispetto alle analisi di laboratorio, fornisce informazioni immediate sulla salute del suolo, inclusa la sua struttura, aerazione, penetrazione radicale, disponibilità idrica per le piante e grado di decomposizione dei residui colturali. Per eseguire il test, si preleva una sezione di suolo di circa 30 cm di profondità e 10 cm di spessore. Il test può essere effettuato in qualsiasi momento, ma idealmente quando il suolo non è né troppo secco né troppo umido, per garantire osservazioni accurate. Per una valutazione rappresentativa, è importante raccogliere campioni da più punti del campo, generalmente almeno cinque, includendo aree con crescita rigogliosa, colture sofferenti, zone spoglie o dominate da infestanti. Durante l'analisi si osservano condizioni superficiali come crepe, croste o vegetazione indesiderata, la resistenza del suolo alla vanga, la forma e la distribuzione delle zolle, il livello di umidità, lo sviluppo radicale, la decomposizione della sostanza organica, la presenza di vita nel suolo e il suo odore. Le osservazioni, inclusi dettagli su colture, concimazione, colture di copertura, pesticidi e fertilizzanti, vengono registrate in un formato strutturato e valutate con punteggi da alto a basso. Se eseguito regolarmente, il test della vanga è uno strumento utile per monitorare la salute del suolo nel tempo.

Agri-food systems are under increasing pressure from climate change, market volatility and sustainability requirements. Many farmers, SMEs and agri-food innovators are struggling to develop scalable and sustainable business models that can adapt to these challenges. This structured approach provides a framework for understanding and developing resilient agrifood businesses, with a focus on underutilized crops (UCs), which offer sustainability benefits but face barriers to commercialization.
How does the methodology work?
The approach guides users to structure, refine and validate their business models in an iterative, multi-tiered process. It starts with the Lean Canvas approach, which defines the value proposition, market strategy and cost structure. These elements are then deepened in a business brief that integrates financial, operational and sustainability planning. Finally, expert validation strengthens feasibility, scalability and market conditions.
What are the benefits for farmers and agrifood businesses?
This structured approach supports farmers and companies working with UCs overcome obstacles such as market fragmentation, production constraints and policy challenges. By integrating sustainability assessments and expert validation, users can reduce risks, optimize resource use and make informed decisions. The approach ensures that business models can be adapted to changing market requirements, regulations and environmental conditions.
This methodology is particularly valuable for farmers, SMEs and agri-food stakeholders looking to commercialize UCs, improve value chain efficiency and increase long-term resilience.

Agroživilski sistemi so pod vse večjim pritiskom podnebnih sprememb, tržnih nihanj in zahtev po trajnostnem razvoju. Mnogi kmetje, mala in srednja podjetja ter inovatorji v agroživilstvu se soočajo s težavami pri razvoju skalabilnih in trajnostnih poslovnih modelov, ki bi se lahko prilagajali tem izzivom. Razvita metodologija ponuja postopen in sistematičen okvir za vzpostavitev odpornih agroživilskih podjetij, pri čemer se osredotoča na premalo izkoriščene poljščine (UC), ki imajo trajnostne prednosti, vendar se soočajo z ovirami pri komercializaciji.
Kako deluje metodologija?
Metodologija uporabnikom pomaga strukturirati, izpopolniti in potrditi poslovne modele skozi iterativen, večstopenjski proces. Začne se z uporabo Lean Canvas pristopa, ki opredeli vrednostno ponudbo, tržno strategijo in stroškovno strukturo. Te elemente se nato poglobi v poslovnem povzetku, ki vključuje finančno, operativno in trajnostno načrtovanje. Končna faza vključuje strokovno validacijo, ki izboljša izvedljivost, skalabilnost in skladnost z zahtevami trga.
Kakšne so koristi za kmete in agroživilska podjetja?
Ta strukturirana metodologija pomaga kmetom in podjetjem, ki delujejo z zanemarjenimi poljščinami, premagati ovire, kot so razdrobljenost trga, proizvodne omejitve in politični izzivi. Z vključevanjem trajnostnih ocen in strokovne validacije lahko uporabniki zmanjšajo tveganja, optimizirajo rabo virov in sprejemajo informirane odločitve. Metodologija zagotavlja, da so poslovni modeli prilagodljivi na spreminjajoče se tržne zahteve, regulativne okvire in okoljske pogoje.
Ta strukturiran pristop je še posebej dragocen za kmete, mala in srednja podjetja ter deležnike v agroživilstvu, ki želijo komercializirati zanemarjene poljščine, izboljšati učinkovitost vrednostne verige in povečati dolgoročno odpornost svojih poslovnih modelov.

The Potential of Tomato Landraces for Sustainable Farming: Researchers and breeders consider underutilised landraces an rich source of genetic diversity. Such diversity reflects on tolerance to biotic or abiotic stressors, as underutilised landraces often display interesting stress-related traits that were lost in modern élite cultivars. However, such traits most often cannot quite compensate for otherwise low agronomic performance in optimal environments, and meet the yield or quality demands from producers and customers. Low performances could be enhanced by some cultural practices such as bio-stimulant use. Strigolactones are now acknowledged as plant hormones with multifaceted functions in various aspects of plant growth and development, as well as a positive effect on performance under low-input conditions. GR24 is a synthetic strigolactone analogue that can influence the response of plants to abiotic stress conditions in several ways, as documented in Arabidopsis first, and then in crops. During the first year, three underutilised tomato landraces (selected as resilient to water plus low nutrients stress during previous EU projects) were tested for their response to water deficit stress after mock treatment or treatment with GR24, to: confirm their good performances under sub-optimal field conditions; see whether such performances would be strigolactone-responsive; possibly move one step further in the integration of strigolactone-related tools into agronomic practices. During the second year, six more tomato varieties were evaluated, without GR24 treatment, for their field performances under sub-optimal field conditions. The study provides insights into the effects of exogenous strigolactones in enhancing the resilience of tomato landraces under abiotic stress conditions. Our field trial on 3 landraces (Fig. 1) highlights genotype-dependent features of responses to strigolactones, with T271 being most responsive under drought. This substantiates once more that GR24 treatment can reduce the consequences of drought in the field (including loss of stomatal conductance and transpiration rates, not shown). Additionally, we validated comparable performances under drought vs optimal water regime for several underutilised landraces grown under commercial conditions (Fig. 2). Such landraces, notably T12, T41 and T45, can provide valuable breeding material for stress-resilient élite varieties.

I ricercatori e i breeder considerano le varietà locali sottoutilizzate una ricca fonte di diversità genetica. Tale diversità si riflette nella tolleranza agli stress biotici o abiotici, poiché le varietà locali sottoutilizzate spesso presentano caratteristiche interessanti legate allo stress che sono andate perse nelle cultivar élite moderne. Tuttavia, tali caratteristiche nella maggior parte dei casi non riescono a compensare del tutto le basse prestazioni agronomiche in ambienti ottimali, né a soddisfare le esigenze di produttori e consumatori in termini di resa o qualità. Le basse prestazioni potrebbero essere migliorate attraverso alcune pratiche colturali, come l’uso di bio-stimolanti. Gli strigolattoni sono oggi riconosciuti come ormoni vegetali con funzioni multifunzionali in vari aspetti della crescita e dello sviluppo delle piante, oltre ad avere un effetto positivo sulle prestazioni in condizioni di basso input. Il GR24 è un analogo sintetico degli strigolattoni che può influenzare in diversi modi la risposta delle piante alle condizioni di stress abiotico, come inizialmente documentato in Arabidopsis e successivamente nelle colture. Durante il primo anno, tre varietà locali di pomodoro sottoutilizzate (selezionate come resilienti allo stress idrico e da carenza di nutrienti in precedenti progetti europei) sono state testate per la loro risposta allo stress da deficit idrico dopo un trattamento di controllo o un trattamento con GR24, al fine di:
confermare le loro buone prestazioni in condizioni di campo subottimali; verificare se tali prestazioni fossero influenzate dagli strigolattoni; compiere un ulteriore passo avanti nell’integrazione di strumenti basati sugli strigolattoni nelle pratiche agronomiche. Durante il secondo anno, sei ulteriori varietà di pomodoro sono state valutate, senza trattamento con GR24, per le loro prestazioni in campo in condizioni subottimali. Lo studio fornisce approfondimenti sugli effetti degli strigolattoni esogeni nel migliorare la resilienza delle varietà locali di pomodoro agli stress abiotici. La nostra prova in campo su tre varietà locali (Fig. 1) evidenzia caratteristiche di risposta agli strigolattoni dipendenti dal genotipo, con la varietà T271 che si è mostrata la più reattiva in condizioni di siccità. Ciò conferma ancora una volta che il trattamento con GR24 può ridurre le conseguenze della siccità in campo (inclusa la perdita di conduttanza stomatica e dei tassi di traspirazione, non mostrati). Inoltre, abbiamo validato prestazioni comparabili in condizioni di siccità rispetto al regime idrico ottimale per diverse varietà locali sottoutilizzate coltivate in condizioni commerciali (Fig. 2). Tali varietà locali, in particolare T12, T41 e T45, possono fornire un prezioso materiale di breeding per cultivar élite più resilienti agli stress.

CropBASE is a free online platform designed to help farmers explore and cultivate underutilised crops in the EU. It serves as a comprehensive knowledge hub, providing valuable information on a wide range of these crops, including their growing requirements, nutritional value, and potential uses. With tools like SelectCrop, farmers can easily identify which underutilised crops are suitable for their specific location based on soil, climate, and other local conditions.

By using CropBASE, farmers can diversify their crops, reduce dependency on traditional staples, and open up new market opportunities. This diversification can increase resilience to climate change, improve soil health, and potentially lead to higher incomes through niche markets. The platform also includes AssessCrop, offering nutritional profiles and product ideas for these crops, assisting farmers and food producers in developing new, nutritious products.

To make the most of CropBASE, farmers can:

Use SelectCrop to find underutilised crops that match their land's conditions.
Access detailed cultivation information to successfully grow these crops.
Explore market potentials and develop value-added products using AssessCrop.
Adopting underutilised crops can help farmers innovate their practices, enhance sustainability, and meet growing consumer demands for diverse and nutritious foods. CropBASE provides the necessary knowledge and decision-making support, all accessible online at no cost, empowering farmers to take advantage of these opportunities.

CropBASE is a free online platform designed to help farmers explore and cultivate underutilised crops in the EU. It serves as a comprehensive knowledge hub, providing valuable information on a wide range of these crops, including their growing requirements, nutritional value, and potential uses. With tools like SelectCrop, farmers can easily identify which underutilised crops are suitable for their specific location based on soil, climate, and other local conditions.

By using CropBASE, farmers can diversify their crops, reduce dependency on traditional staples, and open up new market opportunities. This diversification can increase resilience to climate change, improve soil health, and potentially lead to higher incomes through niche markets. The platform also includes AssessCrop, offering nutritional profiles and product ideas for these crops, assisting farmers and food producers in developing new, nutritious products.

To make the most of CropBASE, farmers can:

Use SelectCrop to find underutilised crops that match their land's conditions.
Access detailed cultivation information to successfully grow these crops.
Explore market potentials and develop value-added products using AssessCrop.
Adopting underutilised crops can help farmers innovate their practices, enhance sustainability, and meet growing consumer demands for diverse and nutritious foods. CropBASE provides the necessary knowledge and decision-making support, all accessible online at no cost, empowering farmers to take advantage of these opportunities.

Our research aimed to investigate the feasibility of incorporating underutilised crops into UK agricultural systems. We have conducted three years of field trials with foxtail millet in the UK, evaluating 300 genotypes from 43 countries. 250 genotypes successfully produced seeds, and 22 exhibited early flowering, completing their life cycle within 2.5-3 months. We have resequencing data from all these genotypes, which will allow us to explorer better the genomes of these genotypes in order to find genes, or genomic regions, which might be involved in key traits related to adaptation to UK weather conditions. Furthermore, we are studying Bambara groundnut, an African drought-tolerant legume. We are assessing the impact of long photoperiods on its growth and yield, as this is crucial for its successful cultivation in Southern Europe. RNA-sequencing data will be used to identify genetic mechanisms underlying photoperiod sensitivity, enabling us to develop varieties better suited to European environments. These studies on underutilised crops, such as foxtail millet and Bambara groundnut, have the potential to diversify food production systems and enhance food security in the face of climate change. They can be cultivated in challenging environments where conventional crops may struggle to thrive.

Serum is a by-product of HiWeiss's protein extraction process from yellow peas, demonstrating promising results as a biostimulant. The pilot study demonstrated the efficacy of a negative pressure evaporative process in achieving a high concentration factor (up to 10-15X) while preserving the quality of the concentrated serum product. To further optimize the concentration process, we are exploring reverse osmosis (RO) as a potentially energy-efficient alternative. The goal is to maximize the Volumetric Concentration Factor (VCF) for serum, which typically contains about 1% dry matter and has a density similar to water. Initial trials using an AFC99 tubular polymer membrane by PCIMembranes achieved VCFs of 5.1 and 4.7, though a safe operational recommendation by the manufacturer is to remain at a VCF of 3-3.5. Implementing RO could offer a lower-cost and efficient approach to concentrate serum. Additionally, the permeate, separated during RO, has reuse potential within production as water, subject to its chemical composition analysis currently underway.

Il siero è un sottoprodotto del processo di estrazione delle proteine dai piselli gialli di HiWeiss, che ha dato risultati promettenti come biostimolante. Lo studio pilota ha confermato l’efficacia del processo evaporativo a pressione negativa per la concentrazione del siero (fattore di concentrazione fino a 10-15X) mantenendo l’integrità del prodotto. Stiamo ora valutando l’uso dell’osmosi inversa (RO) come opzione a basso costo energetico. L’obiettivo principale è stato massimizzare il Fattore di Concentrazione Volumetrica (VCF) per il siero che allo stato originale è caratterizzato da un residuo secco dell’1% e densità simile all’acqua. Le prove con la membrana polimerica tubolare AFC99 di PCIMembranes hanno ottenuto VCF di 5,1 e 4,7, con una raccomandazione del costruttore di rimanere tra 3-3,5. L’utilizzo dell’RO potrebbe rappresentare un approccio più efficiente e a basso costo per la concentrazione del siero, Inoltre, il permeato separato durante l’RO potrebbe essere riutilizzato come acqua nei processi, previa verifica dei parametri chimici che è in corso.

Pea is a legume that is well adapted to the crop rotation of specific European agricultural areas. In the Radiant project, HiWeiss researched, selected and field tested several varieties of the lesser-known yellow pea using regenerative conservation agriculture techniques. The decision to shift the focus to the yellow pea, a minor crop but one with important agronomic and environmental value, was due to the fact that, in the food industry, the yellow pea is more in demand than the green pea for its organoleptic properties and neutral coloring. HiWeiss is an innovative company that has researched and developed with its own patent a method for the extraction of proteins from pea, soybean and other raw materials, so gentle as to allow the preservation of the technological properties naturally found within the seed and, therefore. The resulting protein product therefore enhances agricultural production, in supply chain and specific, with a high value-added finished product that also enhances the regenerative conservation agriculture techniques used. In the three years of field trials, some of the few commercially available yellow pea varieties were tested in conservation agriculture.

Il pisello è una leguminosa che ben si adatta alla rotazione colturale di specifiche zone agricole europee. Nel progetto Radiant, HiWeiss ha cercato, selezionato e testato in campo diverse varietà del meno noto pisello giallo utilizzando tecniche di agricoltura conservativa rigenerativa. La decisione di spostare l’attenzione sul pisello giallo, coltura minore ma dal valore agronomico e ambientale importante, è dovuta al fatto che, nell’industria alimentare, il pisello giallo è più richiesto, rispetto a quello verde, per le sue proprietà organolettiche e per la colorazione neutra. HiWeiss è una società innovativa che ha studiato e messo a punto con proprio brevetto un metodo per l’estrazione delle proteine da pisello, soia e altre materie prime, così gentile da permettere la conservazione delle proprietà tecnologiche che naturalmente si trovano all’interno del seme e, pertanto. Il prodotto proteico ottenuto valorizza pertanto la produzione agricola, in filiera e specifica, con un prodotto finito alto valore aggiunto, che esalta anche le tecniche di agricoltura conservativa rigenerativa utilizzate. Nei tre anni di prove di campo sono state testate in agricoltura conservativa alcune tra le poche varietà di pisello giallo disponibili in commercio. La produzione in agricoltura conservativa è risultata più che soddisfacente e ha a la coltura a seguire. Sono state riscontrate alcune diversità non significative dal punto di vista varietale quanto a caratteristiche qualitative richieste per il processo di trasformazione, in particolar modo contenuto in proteine. Il contenuto proteico, rispetto a specie concorrenziali quanto a processo industriale come la soia, non è mai elevato e si attesta intorno al 20-25% sul peso secco e la produzione è stata estremamente variabile di anno in anno, da un massimo di 4.5 T/Ha ad un minimo di 1.6 T/Ha. Pertanto, al fine di considerare il pisello giallo una valida alternativa alla soia, sarebbe importante disporre di varietà commerciali che garantiscano un maggior contenuto proteico e una stabilità di produzione, caratteristiche ottenibili attraverso il miglioramento genetico.

Suppose we want to make sure that RADIANT project will generate an impact, namely contributing to the transition towards a more agrobiodiverse paradigm by showcasing that the transition is wise, possible, and worth it (economically, environmentally, nutritionally and socially). In that case, we need to ensure that at least some of the RADIANT's results will be used by the actors of the relevant value chains after the end of the project.
RADIANT’s main results go from new UCs, such as Henry Taylor’s Scottish Bean, to new legume protein compounds and surrogates, from a traceability system based on blockchain to guidelines for the application of a new labelling system for UCs, passing through the generation of a dataset of selected UCs.

To ensure the use of these results, we must identify the problems these novel solutions are addressing, who are the ones who feel this problem the most (the users and/or your “customers”), the unique value proposition (what makes the novel solution much better than current ones) and to identify how we are planning to reach them out (business model and distribution channels). Task 7.5 will define a business model and plan which provide an answer to the above-mentioned issues. The final exploitation plan, incorporating all these models and plans, will be shared with all RADIANT partners.

To these results are utilized after the project ends, it is necessary to engage with the owners of the results (some of RADIANT’s partners) and obtain their willingness/involvement in working together, following the guidelines provided in the exploitation plan. This will ensure that the work carried out in RADIANT can lead to long-term beneficial changes and contribute to increasing biodiversity in the European agri-food sector.

Feneos is located in the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece. The basin has an average altitude of 700 m, and is surrounded almost completely by mountains, the tallest peak reaching 2100 m. In the past, the basin floor was occupied by Paleo-lake Feneos, allowing for lake sediments to accumulate. No lake exists at this location today, and the floor of the basin is covered by farmland, which is distinguished for its unique microclimate and affords both fecund soil and great fertility. It is an ideal environment for the cultivation of legumes, which have also great nutritional value. Despite the appropriate conditions and the high number of local farmers, the production of specific legume varieties, such as lentils and chickpeas is, currently, very limited in terms of quantity since the efforts made in the past for extensive cultivation, led to products that lacked in quality. Main results: In this context, Dikotylon, through the piloting activities of Aurora farm #18, and with the collaboration of Agricultural University of Athens adopts innovative farming practices and techniques for increased yield and product quality of lentils, by designing and implementing field experiments encompassing rotation schemes. The activities have initiated with the collection of soil samples from three different parts of Feneos farms, each with specific characteristics. The pilot cultivation of lentils - “Samos” variety- in these areas during three different periods of time -March 2022, April 2023 and April 2024- provided us with interesting results. Specifically, the analysis of lentils from the locations Livadia and Gefyria of Feneos shows overall good nutrient profiles with some variations. Gefyria has higher levels of phosphorus, magnesium, iron, and calcium, which may support stronger plants and better root development, while Livadia lentils have slightly shorter cooking times. Both areas show adequate levels of potassium, sodium, and essential micronutrients like zinc and manganese. Seed size and density are consistent between the two areas, indicating uniform growth conditions. Overall, the rotation activities appear successful in supporting healthy lentil cultivation, with no significant nutrient deficiencies. Practical recommendations for practitioners: Boost Phosphorus in Livadia: Add phosphorus-rich fertilizers to improve root development.

Monitor Sodium in Gefyria:

Address higher sodium levels with practices like crop rotation or organic matter addition.
Market Livadia's Cooking Advantage: Highlight the faster cooking time of Livadia-grown lentils in marketing.
Maintain Uniform Growth: Continue current cultivation practices for consistent seed size and density.
Optimize Fertilization: Tailor fertilization strategies based on nutrient profiles, reducing unnecessary inputs.
These steps will help improve yield, soil health, and marketability of lentils in both areas.

Εισαγωγή: Ο Φενεός βρίσκεται στην Πελοπόννησο, στη νότια Ελλάδα. Η λεκάνη έχει μέσο υψόμετρο 700 μέτρα και περιβάλλεται σχεδόν πλήρως από βουνά, με την υψηλότερη κορυφή να φτάνει τα 2100 μέτρα. Στο παρελθόν, το έδαφος της λεκάνης καλυπτόταν από την Παλαιο-λίμνη Φενεού, επιτρέποντας τη συσσώρευση λιμναίων ιζημάτων. Σήμερα, δεν υπάρχει λίμνη στην περιοχή αυτή, και ο πυθμένας της λεκάνης καλύπτεται από γεωργικές εκτάσεις, που ξεχωρίζουν για το μοναδικό τους μικροκλίμα και την εύφορη γη. Πρόκειται για ένα ιδανικό περιβάλλον για την καλλιέργεια οσπρίων, τα οποία έχουν υψηλή θρεπτική αξία. Παρά τις κατάλληλες συνθήκες και τον υψηλό αριθμό τοπικών αγροτών, η παραγωγή συγκεκριμένων ποικιλιών οσπρίων, όπως οι φακές και τα ρεβίθια, είναι σήμερα πολύ περιορισμένη σε ποσότητα, καθώς οι προσπάθειες που έγιναν στο παρελθόν για εκτεταμένη καλλιέργεια οδήγησαν σε προϊόντα χαμηλής ποιότητας.
Κύρια αποτελέσματα:
Σε αυτό το πλαίσιο, η εταιρεία «Δικότυλον» μέσω των πιλοτικών δραστηριοτήτων της, και σε συνεργασία με το Γεωπονικό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών, υιοθετεί καινοτόμες πρακτικές και τεχνικές καλλιέργειας για την αύξηση της απόδοσης και της ποιότητας των φακών, σχεδιάζοντας και υλοποιώντας πειράματα πεδίου που περιλαμβάνουν σχήματα εναλλαγής καλλιεργειών. Οι δραστηριότητες ξεκίνησαν με τη συλλογή δειγμάτων εδάφους από τρία διαφορετικά σημεία των αγροκτημάτων του Φενεού, το καθένα με συγκεκριμένα χαρακτηριστικά. Η πιλοτική καλλιέργεια φακής - ποικιλία “Σάμος”- σε αυτές τις περιοχές κατά τη διάρκεια τριών διαφορετικών χρονικών περιόδων - Μάρτιος 2022, Απρίλιος 2023 και Απρίλιος 2024 - μας παρείχε ενδιαφέροντα αποτελέσματα. Συγκεκριμένα, η ανάλυση των οσπρίων από τις τοποθεσίες Λιβάδια και Γεφύρια του Φενεού δείχνει συνολικά καλό θρεπτικό προφίλ με ορισμένες διακυμάνσεις. Η περιοχή Γεφύρια έχει υψηλότερα επίπεδα φωσφόρου, μαγνησίου, σιδήρου και ασβεστίου, που μπορεί να υποστηρίζουν ισχυρότερη ανάπτυξη φυτών και καλύτερη ανάπτυξη ριζών, ενώ οι φακές από την τοποθεσία Λιβάδια έχουν ελαφρώς μικρότερο χρόνο μαγειρέματος. Και οι δύο περιοχές παρουσιάζουν επαρκή επίπεδα καλίου, νατρίου και βασικών ιχνοστοιχείων όπως ο ψευδάργυρος και το μαγγάνιο. Το μέγεθος και η πυκνότητα των σπόρων είναι συνεπή μεταξύ των δύο περιοχών, υποδεικνύοντας ομοιόμορφες συνθήκες ανάπτυξης. Συνολικά, το σχήμα εναλλαγής καλλιεργειών φαίνεται επιτυχές στην υποστήριξη υγιούς καλλιέργειας φακής, χωρίς σημαντικές ελλείψεις θρεπτικών συστατικών.
Πρακτικές συστάσεις για γεωργούς:
•    Ενίσχυση του φωσφόρου στα Λιβάδια: Προσθέστε λιπάσματα πλούσια σε φώσφορο για τη βελτίωση της ανάπτυξης ριζών.
•    Παρακολούθηση του νατρίου στα Γεφύρια: Αντιμετωπίστε τα υψηλότερα επίπεδα νατρίου με πρακτικές όπως η εναλλαγή καλλιεργειών ή η προσθήκη οργανικής ύλης.
•    Αξιοποίηση του πλεονεκτήματος στο μαγείρεμα της τοποθεσίας Λιβάδια: Προβάλετε τον ταχύτερο χρόνο μαγειρέματος των φακών στην αγορά.
•    Διατήρηση της ομοιομορφίας στην ανάπτυξη: Συνεχίστε τις τρέχουσες καλλιεργητικές πρακτικές για συνεπές μέγεθος και πυκνότητα σπόρων.
•    Βελτιστοποίηση της λίπανσης: Προσαρμόστε τις στρατηγικές λίπανσης με βάση τα θρεπτικά προφίλ, μειώνοντας τις περιττές εισροές.
Αυτά τα βήματα θα συμβάλουν στη βελτίωση της απόδοσης, της υγείας του εδάφους και της εμπορευσιμότητας της φακής και στις δύο περιοχές.

We have collected genetic resources and cultural information of 119 accessions of pear, apple, cherry, plum, apricot, peach and fig tree. We talk about accessions, not varieties, because it hasn’t been possible to carry out a complete agronomic or genetic characterization of all of them as yet. So maybe some of these accessions end up to be the same variety as the investigation progresses and more tests can be carried out.

Here below we present the methodology that we follow for traditional fruit tree varieties prospection:

Define the study area: choose an area with various population centres that are connected by their territorial continuity or historical sociocultural vinculation.
Desk research to characterise the climate, geomorphology and agricultural history of the area.
Identify a gatekeeper for each population: someone born or established in that population, young or middle-aged, who can sympathise with our project and help us make contact with key informants.
Identify key informants: people who can provide us with relevant information on local varieties due to their connection to traditional agriculture. Generally older than 70 years.
Semi-structured interview with key informants (preferably in group): Identification and ethnographic characterisation of local varieties following prospection guide.
Prepare a preliminary list of varieties with the most relevant information to differentiate them: harvest season and fruit morphology. This will serve as a guide for field prospecting.
Field prospecting of mother trees: locate and characterise the trees that may still remain in each area of each variety. To be carried out during the harvest seasons described for each variety, to be able to observe the fruit.

Hemos recogido recursos genéticos e información cultural de 119 accesiones de peral, manzano, cerezo, ciruelo, albaricoquero, melocotonero e higuera. Hablamos de accesiones, no de variedades, porque aún no ha sido posible realizar una caracterización agronómica o genética completa de todas ellas, por lo que puede que algunas de estas accesiones acaben siendo la misma variedad a medida que avance la investigación y se puedan realizar más ensayos.

A continuación presentamos la metodología que seguimos para la prospección de variedades de frutales tradicionales:

Definir zona de estudio: escoger una zona con diversos núcleos de población que estén conectados por su continuidad territorial o vinculación sociocultural histórica.
Investigación bibliogràfica para caracterizar el clima, la geomorfología i la historia agrícola de la zona.
Identificar un Portero/a de cada población: habitante de esa población, joven o de mediana edad, que pueda simpatizar con nuestro proyecto y nos ayude a hacer contacto con informantes clave.
Identificar informantes clave: personas que puedan aportar información relevante sobre las variedades locales por su vinculación a la agricultura.
Entrevista semiestructurada a informantes clave (mejor en grupo): Identificación y caracterización etnográfica de las variedades locales.
Elaborar listado preliminar de variedades con la información más relevante para diferenciarlas: época de cosecha y morfología del fruto. Nos servirá como guía para la prospección de campo.
Prospección de campo de árboles madre: localizar y catalogar los árboles que aún puedan quedar en cada zona de cada variedad. Realizar durante las épocas de cosecha descrita para cada variedad, para poder observar el fruto.

The Hungarian Farmer-Miller-Baker network, an informal network of seed producers, breeders, farmers, millers, bakers and research organizations, has been successfully operating since 2018. It supports its members in producing healthy bakery products using high-quality ingredients and heritage cereals. By reconnecting the historically broken supply chain of bakery products, it provides market for diversified cereal production, support the accessibility of adequate processing facilities, increases the predictability and availability of good quality ingredients such as flour, allows fair pricing based on the needs of the value chain actors and provides a stronger position in the market dominated by industrial actors. The operation of the network is organized around workshops, discussions and personal meetings. The main added value of the network is sharing knowledge and experiences providing feedback to each other and personal contacts along the value chain. The network's focus on the health of the value chain (value-chain approach) makes practitioners feel more connected and part of a larger mission, enabling them to produce healthy and high quality bakery products in a sustainable way, which are competitive in the bakery industry against industrial goods.

A magyar gazda-molnár-pék hálózat, vagyis vetőmagtermelők, nemesítők, gazdálkodók, molnárok, pékek és kutatószervezetek informális hálózata immár 2018 óta működik sikeresen. A hálózat tagjait támogatja abban, hogy kiváló minőségű alapanyagokból és ősgabonákból egészséges pékárukat állítsanak elő. A pékáruk történelmileg széttöredezett ellátási láncának helyreállításával piacot biztosít a változatos gabonafélék számára, elősegíti a megfelelő feldolgozó berendezések elérhetőségét, növeli a jó minőségű alapanyagok, például a liszt kiszámíthatóságát és elérhetőségét, lehetővé teszi az értéklánc szereplőinek igényein alapuló tisztességes árképzést, és erősebb pozíciót biztosít az ipari szereplők által uralt piacon. A hálózat működése műhelymunkák, megbeszélések és személyes találkozók köré szerveződik. A hálózat fő hozzáadott értéke a tudás és a tapasztalatok megosztása, valamint az egymásnak nyújtott visszajelzések és a személyes kapcsolatok az értéklánc mentén. Azáltal, hogy a hálózat az értéklánc egészségére összpontosít (értéklánc-alapú megközelítés alapján), a szakemberek jobban összekapcsolódhatnak egymással egy nagyobb küldetés résztvevőjeként. Ez lehetővé teszi számukra, hogy fenntartható módon egészséges és jó minőségű pékárukat állítsanak elő, amelyek versenyképesek a sütőiparban az ipari termékekkel szemben

Farmers play a crucially important role in cultivating the plants that feed the world, including underutilised crops (UCs). It is farmers who have managed these crops for centuries and without their continued involvement and commitment, UCs risk remaining as such, resulting in further reduction of the diversity of plants upon which humans rely for food and nutrition. In Europe, farmers have been incentivized to continue to grow and harvest these important opportunity crops by demonstrating their multiple advantages, e.g. economic benefits, increasing market demand, nutritional value and climate resilience.

Farmers cultivating UCs often use traditional knowledge passed on to them by elders. This is also true in the unexpected uses of the UCs. The videos and brochures developed also highlight different uses, both the traditional and the new/innovative. Each brochure also includes an easy recipe. To share this information and raise awareness about the multiple benefits of UCs for farmers and for consumers, it is important to create engaging communication material.
The primary objective of these communication/informational products is to raise awareness about the value, benefit, and importance of growing and consuming UCs, and to showcase the important role of farmers and traditional knowledge in cultivating these crops.

In keeping with the mandate, under WP3 of the RADIANT project, a shortlist of AURORA farms was created in various parts of the EU, focusing on various UCs. Four AURORA farms were identified to feature in videos and brochures, keeping in mind environmental and regional representation, variety of UCs, harvesting times and availability of interviewees and visually engaging material. Four videos and brochures have been produced featuring each of the four identified AURORA farms participating in RADIANT.
The four videos and brochures produced, thus far, have been very well-received. With additional resources, it would be useful to create a longer video featuring all four of the featured farms and their Ucs. Both the individual videos produced and the longer video being suggested could be more widely shared with the addition of subtitles in various European languages. Additionally, one or more additional videos could be developed to feature more Ucs in different parts of Europe. The International Treaty is also available to provide training in the use of DOIs and the Easy-SMTA to support global benefit-sharing of PGRFA.

Farmers play a crucially important role in cultivating the plants that feed the world, including underutilised crops (UCs). It is farmers who have managed these crops for centuries and without their continued involvement and commitment, UCs risk remaining as such, resulting in further reduction of the diversity of plants upon which humans rely for food and nutrition. In Europe, farmers have been incentivized to continue to grow and harvest these important opportunity crops by demonstrating their multiple advantages, e.g. economic benefits, increasing market demand, nutritional value and climate resilience.

Farmers cultivating UCs often use traditional knowledge passed on to them by elders. This is also true in the unexpected uses of the UCs. The videos and brochures developed also highlight different uses, both the traditional and the new/innovative. Each brochure also includes an easy recipe. To share this information and raise awareness about the multiple benefits of UCs for farmers and for consumers, it is important to create engaging communication material.
The primary objective of these communication/informational products is to raise awareness about the value, benefit, and importance of growing and consuming UCs, and to showcase the important role of farmers and traditional knowledge in cultivating these crops.

In keeping with the mandate, under WP3 of the RADIANT project, a shortlist of AURORA farms was created in various parts of the EU, focusing on various UCs. Four AURORA farms were identified to feature in videos and brochures, keeping in mind environmental and regional representation, variety of UCs, harvesting times and availability of interviewees and visually engaging material. Four videos and brochures have been produced featuring each of the four identified AURORA farms participating in RADIANT.
The four videos and brochures produced, thus far, have been very well-received. With additional resources, it would be useful to create a longer video featuring all four of the featured farms and their Ucs. Both the individual videos produced and the longer video being suggested could be more widely shared with the addition of subtitles in various European languages. Additionally, one or more additional videos could be developed to feature more Ucs in different parts of Europe. The International Treaty is also available to provide training in the use of DOIs and the Easy-SMTA to support global benefit-sharing of PGRFA.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is used to calculate the environmental intensity (aka “environmental footprint”) of products and services. It is increasingly used for food products, yet does not capture critical aspects of food value chain (VC) sustainability and resilience – inter alia, soil quality, biodiversity, diversity of (farm) income streams, revenue distribution along VCs, food losses and waste. In work package 4 of RADIANT, University of Galway has led collaborative development of a framework that includes pertinent metrics from LCA, from ecosystem services assessment and from economic assessment, to provide a more holistic evaluation of sustainability and resilience, without require excessive amounts of data of expertise. Through workshops, data-sharing and discussion, the RADIANT-Metrics framework has been conceptualized and is being applied to case studies within RADIANT. Development of the framework has focused on the following principles: (i) representing critical aspects of sustainability & resilience; (ii) being parsimonious with data and expertise required to implement the assessments (e.g. avoiding overlap across indicators from the different disciplines, opting for simpler metrics where available); (iii) allowing for flexibility in terms of scale of analysis, allowing for farm and/or value chain application depending on data availability and intended use. RADIANT-Metrics integrates pertinent indicators to provide holistic assessment of sustainability and resil-ience, with parsimonious use of data. It could inform farm management, value chain procurement and policy decisions.

"Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a method to quantify the environmental impact of a product/service along its stages, going from the extraction of raw materials to processing, transport, packaging, consumption, and disposal. Common impact categories used in LCAs are climate change, acidification, eutrophication, fossil fuels use, water scarcity, etc. LCA is useful to benchmark food products and to understand where the biggest environmental burdens lay along a value chain (VC) for implementing impact mitigation actions.
We performed a LCA of the agroecological production of under-utilised leafy greens in the Azores. We modelled a theoretical VC where the resulting salad mix would be delivered to the UK and compared it with conventional, conventional with desalinated water, and hydroponics systems in Spain and/or the UK delivered to the UK.
- Agroecological production benefits could partly be highlighted with a LCA: this salad had comparatively significantly smaller environmental burdens across 7 of 16 categories studied
- High nitrogen application rates significantly increases environmental burdens: a high N application from compost in the agroecological system resulted in a comparatively higher marine eutrophication burden.
- Seasonal and local production here is the best option: conventional lettuce production in the UK during summer had the lowest impact overall.
- Inefficient distribution may cancel the environmental benefits achieved through relative efficiency: a different transport route for salad supply to the UK from Portugal significantly increased all environmental burdens
- A more complete set of metrics need to be developed to better compare underutilised crops VCs with conventional ones (RADIANT Metrics)."

"Underutilized crop (UC) farms interviewed are often organic, processing and selling directly with stable prices and little debt. Farmers’ goals differ from usual (e.g. do a meaningful job, contribute to the economy and food autonomy of the place and knowledge-sharing, increase local food diversity, provide an alternative to supermarkets, find pleasure at work, live close to nature, make a decent living from a small farm, be autonomous). Their strategies are: diversifying (e.g. varieties, selling points), seeking autonomy (e.g. no bank loans, seed saving), collaborating with colleagues, adapting to local conditions, keeping a moderate size for flexibility, selling locally to reduce market uncertainty, communicating to society, improving nature (e.g. soil), reducing inputs to reduce costs. Farmers fear mostly production (e.g. climate change) and second, human risks (e.g. burnout), but have a high perceived resilience. UCs are adaptable and resistant with little input. They fit farms striving for autonomy, adaptability, impacting positively nature, and collaborating with other local actors. To support farms interested in this type of farming and spread UC cultivation, we recommend supporting:
(1) knowledge-sharing and seed-sharing activities between farmers to spread UC cultivation and seed production knowledge together with UCs among the producers, (2) cooperation between farmers for producing (e.g. material sharing) and selling (e.g. mutualized deliveries, shared producer shops, CSA systems, short value chains with local businesses), (3) the development of markets and infrastructures for local production systems (e.g. open markets, producers' shops) and social events for communicating to society (e.g. fairs, farms’ open-door days)."

Boerderijen met vergeten gewassen zijn vaak biologisch, verwerken en verkopen rechtstreeks, en hebben stabiele prijzen en weinig schulden. De doelen van de boeren zijn niet gebruikelijk (bv. zinvol werk doen, bijdragen aan de lokale economie, voedselautonomie en voedseldiversiteit, kennis delen, een alternatief bieden voor supermarkten, plezier in het werk vinden, dicht bij de natuur leven, en autonoom zijn). Hun strategieën zijn: diversifiëren (bv. variëteiten, verkooppunten), autonomie nastreven (bv. geen bankleningen), samenwerken met collega's, aanpassen aan lokale omstandigheden, een bescheiden omvang houden voor flexibiliteit, lokaal verkopen, communiceren met de samenleving, de natuur verbeteren, en inputs beperken. Boeren zijn vooral bang voor productierisico’s (bv. klimaatverandering) en in de tweede plaats voor menselijke risico's (bv. burn-out), maar hebben een hoge veerkracht. Vergeten gewassen zijn aanpasbaar en resistent met weinig input, ze passen vooral bij boerderijen die streven naar autonomie, aanpassingsvermogen, een positieve impact op de natuur en samenwerking met andere lokale actoren. Om geïnteresseerde bedrijven te stimuleren, raden we aan om het volgende te ondersteunen: (1) het delen van kennis en zaden tussen boeren om de kennis over het telen van vergeten gewassen en de zaadproductie te verspreiden onder de producenten, (2) samenwerkingen tussen boeren voor productie (bv. delen van materiaal) en verkoop (bv. gedeelde producentenwinkels, CSA-systemen, of korte ketens), (3) de ontwikkeling van markten en infrastructuren voor lokale productiesystemen (bv. open markten, producentenwinkels) en sociale evenementen voor communicatie met de samenleving (bv. beurzen, opendeurdagen).

"Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is a versatile legume cultivated all over the world. It is rich in proteins, starch, dietary fibres and a good source of dietary minerals and trace elements. From harvesting to consumption different by-products occur. The harvest residues constitute about 50% (w/w) of the aboveground biomass, while the empty pods and husks account for about 11% and 6% (w/w) on average, respectively. On the basis of a literature research, various valorisation options (food, feed and non-food) could be identified:
Harvest residues - leaves, straw
The most common use of harvest residues is reincorporation into the soil to increase or maintain soil quality. A number of applications has been suggested, such as combustion, composting, anerobic digestion or the production of paper. Owing to the high fibre content, the metabolizable energy content and the digestibility are low and use for animal feed should not be the preferred option. The use for human consumption is not particularly widespread but the leaves were suggested as unconventional vegetable.
Processing residues - pods
The pods are only produced when the beans are harvested in the fresh state. As they are rich in nutrients, they might be used as a new vegetable for human consumption or included in animal feeding. They were also investigated as a source for the extraction of value-added compounds, such as cellulose or bioactive substances.
Processing residues - husks
The husks contain high contents of antinutrients und should thus only be included in human and animal diets in small concentrations in order to enrich products with antioxidants or fibres. Husks have successfully been used as low-cost sorption agents to remove e.g. heavy metals or synthetic dyes from wastewater."

"Die Ackerbohne (Vicia faba L.) ist eine vielseitige Hülsenfrucht, die auf der ganzen Welt angebaut wird. Sie ist reich an Proteinen, Stärke, Ballaststoffen und eine gute Quelle für Mineralien und Spurenelemente. Von der Ernte bis zum Verzehr fallen verschiedene Nebenprodukte an. Die Ernterückstände machen etwa 50 % (w/w) der oberirdischen Biomasse aus, die leeren Schoten und Schalen im Schnitt 11 % bzw. 6 % (w/w). Auf der Grundlage einer Literaturrecherche konnten verschiedene Verwertungsmöglichkeiten (Lebensmittel, Futtermittel und Non-Food) identifiziert werden:
Ernterückstände - Blätter, Stroh
Die häufigste Verwendung von Ernterückständen ist die Wiedereinbringung in den Boden zur Verbesserung oder Erhaltung der Bodenqualität. Es wurden verschiedene Anwendungen vorgeschlagen, wie z. B. Verbrennung, Kopostierung, Biogasproduktion oder die Herstellung von Papier. Aufgrund des hohen Fasergehalts sind der metabolische Energiegehalt und die Verdaulichkeit gering, so dass die Verwendung als Tierfutter nicht präferiert sein sollte. Die Verwendung für den menschlichen Verzehr ist nicht besonders verbreitet, aber die Blätter wurden als unkonventionelles Gemüse vorgeschlagen.
Verarbeitungsrückstände - Schoten
Die Schoten fallen nur an, wenn die Bohnen im frischen Zustand geerntet werden. Da sie reich an Nährstoffen sind, könnten sie als Gemüse für den menschlichen Verzehr oder als Bestandteil der Tierfütterung verwendet werden. Sie wurden auch als Quelle für die Gewinnung von wertvollen Verbindungen wie Zellulose oder bioaktiven Substanzen untersucht.
Verarbeitungsrückstände - Schalen
Die Schalen enthalten hohe Gehalte an Antinährstoffen und sollten daher nur in geringen Konzentrationen in die menschliche und tierische Ernährung integriert werden, um Produkte mit Antioxidantien oder Fasern anzureichern. Schalen wurden erfolgreich als kostengünstige Sorptionsmittel eingesetzt, um z.B. Schwermetalle oder synthetische Farbstoffe aus Abwässern zu entfernen."

"RADIANT (ReAlising DynamIc vAlue chaiNs for underuTilised crops) project proposes a set of strategic and fully inclusive multi-actor driven solutions, supported by practical tools and multi-actor engagement methods, to realize Dynamic Value Chains (DVCs) for underutilized crops (UCs).
Plovdiv event of the RADIANT project aimed to focus on how traditional tomato crops can be brought to farmers’ fields and consumers’ tables – what are the possibilities and challenges posed by this endeavour – as an adaptive response to the climatic and socioeconomic crisis that Mediterranean agriculture is facing. The diverse range of stakeholders related to the crops’ value chain got together to discuss the opportunities and obstacles in the adoption of traditional horticultural crops from the point of view of producers, traders and consumers.
The program of the event included a series of lectures/presentations by different stakeholders. These included the Project Coordinator, Bulgarian partnership coordinator, and representatives from the AURORA farm, Agricultural University of Plovdiv , Maritza Vegetable Crop Research Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and the CEO of the Bulgarian Association for Modern Trade.
Fruitful discussions followed on the program. These included the tasting exercise for consumers during the first day, which was combined with a survey of their perception of the local tomato varieties as UCs. On day 2 a separate tasting exercise was organized with the producers which could both further familiarize themselves with one particular underutilized variety and take part in discussions before and after that (through a 2-step survey) on their perception of what would help to expand the use of this UC."

Събитието в Пловдив на проекта RADIANT имаше за цел да се съсредоточи върху това как традиционните сортове домати могат да достигнат до нивите на фермерите и до трапезите на потребителите – какви са възможностите и предизвикателствата, породени от това начинание – като адаптивен отговор на климатичната и социално-икономическа криза, пред която е изправено средиземноморското земеделие. На събитието се събра разнообразен набор от заинтересовани страни, свързани с веригата на стойността на културите, за да обсъди възможностите и пречките при възприемането на традиционни зеленчукови култури от гледна точка на производители, търговци и потребители. Програмата на събитието включваше серия от лекции/презентации на различни заинтересовани страни. Сред тях бяха координаторът на проекта, българският координатор на партньорството и представители на ферма АВРОРА, Аграрен университет – Пловдив, Институт по зеленчукови култури „Марица“, Българска академия на науките и изпълнителният директор на Българската асоциация за модерна търговия. Последваха ползотворни дискусии по програмата. Те включваха дегустация за потребителите през първия ден, която беше съчетана с проучване на тяхното възприемане на местните сортове домати като недостатъчно разпространени. На втория ден беше организирана отделна дегустация с производителите, които можеха както да се запознаят допълнително с един конкретен недостатъчно използван сорт, така и да участват в дискусии преди и след това (чрез проучване в две стъпки) относно тяхното възприятие за това какво би помогнало за разширяване употребата на слабо използваните сортове.

"The use of Atriplex hortensis Red in the organic production of mixed salads at BIOFONTINHAS as part of the RADIANT project promises interesting results for farmers looking for sustainable and nutritious alternatives. promises exciting outcomes for farmers seeking sustainable and nutritious alternatives. Through rigorous experimentation for over 20 years, we anticipate revealing the crop's adaptability to greenhouse or open field cultivation. Its deep roots provide us with the ability to crop it at various stages of the plant's growth. Also, its nutritional richness offering a valuable addition to mixed salads.
Practical recommendations stemming from our research include:
1) Enhanced Nutritional Value - incorporating Atriplex hortensis Red elevates the nutritional profile of mixed salads, enriching them with essential micronutrients, antioxidants and smart molecules as anthocyanins. This enhances the salad with its colour and could attract health-conscious consumers and potentially command premium prices in the market. 2) Ecological Benefits - by cultivating Atriplex hortensis Red, farmer can improve the crop rotational plan by adding another chenopodiaceae to the system, suppress weeds, and improve water use efficiency due to its deep roots. Also, it is very easy to save seeds from this reliable plant. These ecological advantages not only reduce input costs but also contribute to long-term sustainability. 3)Diversity and Resilience - integrating underutilised crops like Atriplex Hortensis Red into farming systems enhances biodiversity and resilience against climate variability. This diversification strategy can mitigate risks and ensure stable yields even in challenging conditions.
Thus, the incorporation of Atriplex Hortensis Red into organic mixed salad production offers tangible benefits for farmers, including improved profitability (29 Euros/Kg), environmental stewardship, and enhanced market competitiveness. Embracing this sustainable practice aligns with both economic and ecological imperatives, empowering practitioners to thrive in a changing agricultural landscape."

"A utilização da Atriplex hortensis Red na produção biológica de saladas mistas na BIOFONTINHAS no âmbito do projeto RADIANT promete resultados interessantes para os agricultores que procuram alternativas sustentáveis e nutritivas. Através de experimentação rigorosa ao longo de mais de 20 anos, antecipamos revelar a adaptabilidade da cultura ao cultivo em estufa ou a céu aberto. As suas raízes profundas proporcionam-nos a capacidade de colher em várias fases do crescimento da planta. Além disso, a sua riqueza nutricional oferece uma valiosa adição às saladas mistas.
As recomendações práticas resultantes da nossa pesquisa incluem:
1) Valor Nutricional Aprimorado - a incorporação de Atriplex hortensis Red eleva o perfil nutricional das saladas mistas, enriquecendo-as com micronutrientes essenciais, antioxidantes e moléculas inteligentes como as antocianinas. Realça a salada com sua cor e pode atrair consumidores conscientes do seu valor para a saúde e potencialmente conseguir preços premium no mercado.
2) Benefícios Ecológicos - ao cultivar Atriplex hortensis Red, o agricultor pode melhorar o plano de rotação de culturas, adicionando outra chenopodiaceae ao sistema, suprimindo ervas daninhas e melhorando a eficiência no uso da água devido às suas raízes profundas. Além disso, é muito fácil guardar sementes desta planta fiável. Estas vantagens ecológicas não só reduzem os custos de produção, mas também contribuem para a sustentabilidade a longo prazo.3) Diversificação e Resiliência - a integração de culturas subutilizadas como Atriplex Hortensis Red nos sistemas agrícolas aumenta a biodiversidade e a resiliência contra a variabilidade climática. Esta estratégia de diversificação pode mitigar riscos e garantir rendimentos estáveis mesmo em condições desafiadoras.
Assim, a incorporação de Atriplex hortensis Red na produção biológica de saladas mistas oferece benefícios tangíveis para os agricultores, incluindo melhor rentabilidade, gestão ambiental e maior competitividade no mercado. A adoção desta prática sustentável está alinhada com imperativos económicos e ecológicos, capacitando os praticantes a prosperar num cenário agrícola em mudança."

This study focuses on the practical aspect of enhancing plant performance, specifically in the face of soil salinity stress. Soil salinity is a significant constraint on crop production. To address this, functionalized nanoparticles (NPs) such as chitosan-melatonin nanoparticles (CTS-Mel NPs) and chitosan-salicylic acid nanoparticles (CTS-SA NPs) were investigated as seed priming by coatings treatment. Chitosan (CTS), melatonin (Mel), and salicylic acid (SA) are recognized for their positive effects on plant growth, especially under stress conditions. Testing these nano-form conjugations on Valerianella locusta seeds revealed promising results. Mel and CTS-Mel NP treatments effectively alleviated the adverse effects of salt stress, showcasing enhanced morphological traits, increased proline levels, improved antioxidant enzymatic activities, and alterations in polyphenolic compound profiles. Notably, CTS-Mel NPs outperformed solo Mel treatments in combating stress effects. This study pioneers the application of engineered CTS-Mel NPs as innovative protective agents for mitigating salinity stress in crop plants through seed priming. The findings suggest that seed priming with CTS-Mel NPs and CTS-SA NPs holds potential for enhancing plant resilience and productivity under challenging environmental conditions. These functionalized nanoparticles introduce a practical and novel approach to improving crop performance.

Αυτή η μελέτη εστιάζει στην πρακτική πτυχή της βελτίωσης της απόδοσης των φυτών, ειδικά ενόψει της καταπόνησης της αλατότητας του εδάφους. Η αλατότητα του εδάφους αποτελεί σημαντικό περιορισμό στη φυτική παραγωγή. Για να αντιμετωπιστεί αυτό, τα λειτουργικά νανοσωματίδια (NPs) όπως τα νανοσωματίδια χιτοζάνης-μελατονίνης (CTS-Mel NPs) και τα νανοσωματίδια χιτοζάνης-σαλικυλικού οξέος (CTS-SA NPs) διερευνήθηκαν ως αστάρωμα σπόρων με επεξεργασία επικαλύψεων. Η χιτοζάνη (CTS), η μελατονίνη (Mel) και το σαλικυλικό οξύ (SA) αναγνωρίζονται για τις θετικές τους επιδράσεις στην ανάπτυξη των φυτών, ειδικά σε συνθήκες στρες. Η δοκιμή αυτών των συζεύξεων νανομορφής σε σπόρους Valerianella locusta αποκάλυψε πολλά υποσχόμενα αποτελέσματα. Οι θεραπείες Mel και CTS-Mel NP μετριάζουν αποτελεσματικά τις αρνητικές επιπτώσεις του στρες από αλάτι, δείχνοντας ενισχυμένα μορφολογικά χαρακτηριστικά, αυξημένα επίπεδα προλίνης, βελτιωμένες αντιοξειδωτικές ενζυματικές δραστηριότητες και αλλαγές στα προφίλ πολυφαινολικών ενώσεων. Συγκεκριμένα, τα CTS-Mel NPs ξεπέρασαν τις σόλο θεραπείες Mel στην καταπολέμηση των επιπτώσεων του στρες. Αυτή η μελέτη πρωτοπορεί στην εφαρμογή των μηχανικών CTS-Mel NPs ως καινοτόμων προστατευτικών παραγόντων για τον μετριασμό του στρες αλατότητας σε φυτά καλλιεργειών μέσω του ασταρώματος των σπόρων. Τα ευρήματα υποδεικνύουν ότι η εκκίνηση των σπόρων με NPs CTS-Mel και CTS-SA NPs έχει δυνατότητες για την ενίσχυση της ανθεκτικότητας και της παραγωγικότητας των φυτών υπό δύσκολες περιβαλλοντικές συνθήκες.

"""Desert hyacinths"" refer to a group of root parasitic plants belonging to the genus Cistanche, typically found in deserts or coastal dunes where they parasitize the roots of shrubs. Certain Cistanche species have long been used in traditional herbal medicine and food in China. The product derived from these plants is known as ""Herba cistanche"" and is traded as dried stems, either wild-harvested or cultivated by growing the host shrubs. In China, C. deserticola and C. tubulosa are cultivated with an annual harvest of approximately 6000 tons.
Cistanche phelypaea is prevalent in coastal and desert areas of the Iberian Peninsula, parasitizing shrubs of the Chenopodiacea species. Our study explores the potential for expanding the cultivation of C. phelypaea by planting inoculated host plants. This initiative, in addition to meeting the demand for Herba cistanche, could serve as a stabilizing force through the establishment of 'shelter forests' composed of drought-tolerant shrubs, contributing to the mitigation of desertification.
Two approaches are being pursued to enhance the production of Cistanche phelypaea on the desert shrub Salsola genistoides. The first approach involves ensuring a high incidence of Cistanche infection on existing wild Salsola shrubs on the farm by harvesting and strategically ""planting"" Cistanche seeds in the vicinity of Salsola roots. The second approach entails establishing new Salsola plantations for subsequent inoculation."

"""Jacintos del desierto"" se refiere a un grupo de plantas parásitas de raíces pertenecientes al género Cistanche, que suelen encontrarse en desiertos o dunas costeras, parasitando las raíces de arbustos. Algunas especies de Cistanche han sido durante mucho tiempo una fuente de medicina herbal tradicional y alimentos en China. El producto derivado de estas plantas se conoce como ""Herba cistanche"" y se comercializa en forma de tallos secos, ya sea recolectados de manera silvestre o cultivados al cultivar los arbustos huéspedes. En China, C. deserticola y C. tubulosa se cultivan con una cosecha anual de aproximadamente 6000 toneladas.
Cistanche phelypaea es común en áreas costeras y desérticas de la Península Ibérica, parasitando arbustos de la especie Chenopodiacea. Nuestro estudio explora la posibilidad de ampliar el cultivo de C. phelypaea mediante la siembra de plantas huéspedes inoculadas. Esto, además de cubrir la demanda de Herba cistanche, ayudaría al establecimiento de una cubierta vegetal de arbustos tolerantes a la sequía, contribuyendo a aliviar la desertificación.
Se están siguiendo dos enfoques para mejorar la producción de Cistanche phelypaea en el arbusto del desierto Salsola genistoides. El primer enfoque consiste en asegurar una alta infecciónde infección de Cistanche en arbustos silvestres preexistentes en la finca, mediante la cosecha y ""siembra"" de semillas de Cistanche en las cercanías de las raíces de Salsola. El segundo enfoque consiste en establecer nuevas plantaciones de Salsola para ser inoculadas y después cosechar anualmente los brotes de Cistanche."

"Sesame, an ancient crop historically grown primarily in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and Asia, has various culinary applications, providing high-quality oil and products like tahini (100% sesame seed paste) or seeds added to bread and other foods.
Current yields are low, with a global average of 500 kg/ha, and most landraces and varieties are unsuitable for mechanical harvest, requiring significant manual labour. This likely contributed to the abandonment of sesame cultivation in Spain by the 1980s, and its cultivation remains negligible in Europe, despite the wide acceptance of sesame products by European consumers.
Efforts are required to develop improved cultivars, focusing on traits that enable mechanical harvest while maintaining quality and resilience. IAS-CSIC maintains a comprehensive germplasm collection of sesame landraces and varieties from around the world, characterized by considerable diversity in phenology, branching, plant stature, pod shattering, and seed quality traits. This diversity provides opportunities for selective breeding, utilizing the extensive genetic variation for both the direct use of desired types and the development of new cultivars."

"El sésamo es un cultivo antiguo cultivado históricamente principalmente en áreas tropicales y subtropicales de África y Asia. Las semillas de sésamo tienen muchas aplicaciones culinarias además de proporcionar un aceite considerado de alta calidad y productos como el tahini (pasta de semillas de sésamo al 100%) o semillas añadidas al pan u otros productos alimenticios.
Los rendimientos actuales son bajos (un promedio mundial de 500 kg/ha) y la mayoría de las razas y variedades no son adecuadas para la cosecha mecánica, lo que requiere una alta mano de obra. Probablemente debido a esto, el cultivo fue abandonado en España en la década de 1980 y su cultivo sigue siendo insignificante en Europa a pesar de la amplia aceptación de los productos de sésamo por parte de los consumidores europeos.
Se necesitan esfuerzos para desarrollar cultivares mejorados, con un enfoque en rasgos que permitan la cosecha mecánica, manteniendo la calidad y la resistencia.
En el IAS-CSIC se mantiene y caracteriza una amplia colección de germoplasma de razas y variedades de sésamo de origen mundial. El cultivo parece ser muy adecuado para la siembra de primavera y se desempeña muy bien bajo los cálidos veranos de Córdoba. Existe una gran diversidad en fenología, ramificación, estatura de la planta, desprendimiento de vainas y rasgos de calidad de las semillas, abriendo la puerta para la selección y cría. Hay una gran variación genética disponible que permite tanto el uso directo de los tipos deseados como la explotación en la cría de nuevos cultivares."

"There are three main types of peas, each with distinct cultivation practices, making them essentially different crops despite belonging to the same botanical species (Pisum sativum L.). These types are dry peas, vegetable peas and forage peas.
Dry peas, also known as field peas, encompass yellow, green, and orange cotyledon varieties. They are used in dehulled/split form for human consumption and as whole seeds for animal feed. The starch, protein, and fibre fractions of these peas are gaining significance as food ingredients. These are considered low-input crops with a relatively modest average yield of 1500-2000 kg/ha globally.
Vegetable peas are classified into: shelling peas, edible pod peas, and pea shoots/sprouts. Shelling peas are harvested for their physiologically immature seeds, which can be consumed fresh, frozen, or canned after being shelled. Edible pod peas are picked when the pods are young and tender. This category further includes Chinese or snow peas and snap peas. Another type involves peas cultivated for fresh leaves, commonly used in salads or soups. Vegetable peas are often grown as cash crops, yielding up to 8,000 kg/ha.
Forage peas, utilized for the entire plant in silage or grazing, are ideally grown in intercrops.
A diverse germplasm collection of pea landraces and varieties is maintained and characterized at IAS-CSIC, covering all potential market classes. This extensive genetic variation facilitates both the direct utilization of desired pea types and their incorporation into breeding programs to develop new cultivars."

"Hay tres tipos de guisantes, cada uno con prácticas de cultivo distintas, lo que los convierte esencialmente en cultivos diferentes a pesar de pertenecer a la misma especie botánica (Pisum sativum L.). Estos tipos son guisantes secos, guisantes verdes o hortícola y guisantes forrajeros.
Los guisantes secos, incluyen variedades de cotiledones amarillos, verdes y naranjas. Se utilizan en forma dehullada para consumo humano y como semillas enteras para la alimentación animal. Las fracciones de almidón, proteínas y fibras de estos guisantes están ganando importancia como ingredientes alimentarios. Se consideran cultivos con bajos insumos y rendimiento bajo (1500-2000 kg/ha, a nivel global).
Los guisantes verdes se clasifican en: el grano fresco, las vainas inmaduras y tallos/brotes de guisantes. Los guisantes de grano se cosechan por sus semillas inmaduras, que se consumen frescas, congeladas o enlatadas después de ser desgranadas. Los guisantes de vaina, o tirabeques, se consechan cuando estas son jóvenes y turgentes. Un tipo adicional de guisante es el que se cultiva para el consume de sus hojas frescas, en ensaladas o sopas. Los guisantes verdes suelen ser cultibos intensivos, con rendimiento en grano de hasta 8,000 kg/ha.
Los guisantes forrajeros, utilizados para toda la planta en ensilaje o pastoreo, se cultivan idealmente en cultivos intercalados.
Una diversa colección de germoplasma de variedades y razas de guisantes se mantiene y caracteriza en IAS-CSIC, abarcando todas las posibles clases de mercado. Esta extensa variación genética facilita tanto la utilización directa de los tipos de guisantes deseados como su incorporación en programas de mejora para desarrollar nuevas variedades."

"UNISG employs a systematic methodology to evaluate agroecological practices.
This method encompasses: identifying the objective and the adequate indicators to assess the outcome of the treatments; developing the trial design (including at least 3 replications per treatment); choosing na uniform área for the location of the field plots; implementing the project and collecting data, keeping records throughout the season according to the chosen indicators; and, finally, analysing the data to draw conclusions.
The field experiment done within RADIANT tested intercropping of clover with barley, with the following trial design: i) intercropping of barley and clover sown in autumn (TA); ii) intercropping of barley with clover sown in spring (TS); iii) barley sown after manure laying (L); iv) barley without any treatment (T).
The barley chosen was Tea variety and had been sown in autumn (200 Kg/Ha); the clover was Trifolium incarnatum and had been broadcast sown in September 2022 and February 2023 (30 Kg/Ha); the manure was laid in September 2022 (250 q/Ha).
The chosen field was the one in which barley had been sown previously, always in a conventional way.
Data was collected on the soil structure, with the spade test twice (in March and in June), on the height of the barley and on the presence of weeds twice (March and May). Samples of barley were collected to compare treatments.
Results show an improvement of soil fertility (physical, chemical and biological), increase in yield, and cost reduction because of the reduction of external inputs."

"UNISG impiega una metodologia sistematica per testare le pratiche agroecologiche.
Questo metodo comprende: l'identificazione dell'obiettivo e degli indicatori adeguati per valutare il risultato dei trattamenti; lo sviluppo del disegno sperimentale (che comprende almeno 3 repliche per trattamento); la scelta di un'area uniforme per l'ubicazione delle parcelle; l'attuazione del progetto e la raccolta dei dati, la registrazione di dati per tutta la stagione in base agli indicatori scelti; infine, l'analisi dei dati per trarre conclusioni.
L'esperimento di campo condotto nell'ambito di RADIANT ha testato la consociazione del trifoglio con l'orzo, con il seguente disegno sperimentale: i) consociazione di orzo e trifoglio seminata in autunno (TA); ii) consociazione di orzo e trifoglio seminata in primavera (TS); iii) orzo seminato dopo la posa di letame (L); iv) orzo senza alcun trattamento (T).
L'orzo scelto era della varietà Tea ed era stato seminato in autunno (200 Kg/Ha); il trifoglio scelto è Trifolium incarnatum ed era stato seminato a spaglio nel settembre 2022 e nel febbraio 2023 (30 Kg/Ha); il letame era stato deposto nel settembre 2022 (250 q/Ha).
Il campo scelto era quello in cui l’orzo era stato seminato in precedenza, sempre in modo convenzionale.
Sono stati raccolti dati sulla struttura del suolo, con la prova della vanga due volte (a marzo e a giugno), sull'altezza dell'orzo e sulla presenza di erbe infestanti due volte (marzo e maggio). Sono stati raccolti campioni di orzo per confrontare i trattamenti.
I risultati mostrano un miglioramento della fertilità del suolo (fisica, chimica e biologica), un aumento della resa e una riduzione dei costi grazie alla riduzione degli input esterni."

"Foxtail millet has been grown under UK field conditions in two different years (second year currently entering flowering stage) at the University of Nottingham experimental fields. From an Association Genetics Panel of 300 different genotypes from 43 different countries, 250 showed de ability to produce seed under UK conditions and in presence of drought, meanwhile, a subset of 22 genotypes have shown an early production of flowers, and thus, shorter cycle from seed-to-seed ranging from two and a half to three months from sowing.
In the case of Bambara groundnut, an African drought tolerant legume, UoN have assessed the availability of some of our genotypes to adapt to longer photoperiods (above 12 h), which is key to introducing this crop to Southern Europe (warmer climate), as this crop generally produces a significantly lower yield at higher photoperiods. We are assessing the genetic mechanisms involved in these responses to photoperiod by using RNA sequencing, which we aim to find key genetic components that could be implemented in breeding programs to introduce photoperiod insensitivity as a key trait in Bambara varieties for Europe. We have performed same type of studies to find key genetic components for drought resistance.
In the case of Winged bean, the nutritional factors of this crop show to be high value, being able to compete with Soybean for protein content.
The three case crops mentioned above are of importance to diversify food options, with the possibility of growing them in harsh conditions where conventional crops might not be able to grow well on this changing climate."

In recent years there has been a growing interest in short value chains as a means to promote sustainable and locally focused food systems. These short chains try to connect the producer with the consumer, which benefits both. One area where these chains are particularly beneficial, is in the production of fresh and minimally processed foods, especially regarding highly perishable foods, where longer chains result in significant losses of products or nutrients. With the development of modular systems of novel technologies (such as the FOX system), it is possible to process smaller volumes of raw materials, while keeping most of their nutritional profile intact. The way this container works is that the fruit (in this case tomatoes) is manually fed into an elevator where they are washed and transported directly to the funnel of a Multicut unit. Here they are crushed in the presence of nitrogen (to reduce the contact with oxygen). The mash is then transported through a spiral filter press where the juice is extracted under vacuum conditions. Via this pump, this is then transported to a product buffer tank. Afterwards, the juice is pre-heated in a Liquid Handling System (LHS) until it reaches an appropriate temperature to be PEF treated, being pumped to the PEF system afterwards. Immediately after the PEF preservation step, the juice is cooled down (usually below 10 °C) to reduce the thermal load and prevent the loss of thermally sensitive compounds. The cooled juice goes to a second buffer tank where it is pumped to a filling unit, suitable for two options: (1) BAGinBOX or (2) glass bottles. Using these novel technologies help producers to engage with consumers more closely and harvest directly the economic benefits.

Die kurzen nachhaltigen Lebensmittelketten können den Erzeuger mit dem Verbraucher verbinden und beiden zusätzlichen Mehrwert bieten. Sie sind von besonderem Interesse für leicht verderbliche Lebensmittelketten, um signifikante Verluste von Produkten und Nährstoffen zu vermeiden. Mit der Entwicklung modularer Systeme neuer Technologien (wie dem FOX-System) ist es möglich, kleinere Mengen von Rohstoffen zu verarbeiten und den größten Teil ihrer Nährstoffe zu erhalten. Die Funktionsweise des FOX-Systems ist wie folgt: Die Früchte werden manuell in einen Aufzug gegeben, wo sie gewaschen und direkt in den Trichter einer Multicut-Einheit befördert werden. Hier werden sie in Gegenwart von Stickstoff zerkleinert (um den Kontakt mit Sauerstoff zu verringern) und dann durch eine Spiralfilterpresse transportiert, wo der Saft unter Vakuumbedingungen extrahiert wird. Die Pumpe befördert die Flüssigkeit in den Puffertank. Anschließend wird der Saft in einem Liquid Handling System (LHS) vorgewärmt und mit PEF behandelt. Unmittelbar nach dem PEF-Konservierungsschritt wird der Saft abgekühlt (in der Regel unter 10°C), um die thermische Belastung zu verringern und den Verlust von hitzeempfindlichen Verbindungen zu verhindern. Der gekühlte Saft gelangt in einen zweiten Puffertank, von wo aus er zu einer Abfüllanlage gepumpt wird, um entweder (1) BAGinBOX oder (2) Glasflaschen zu füllen. Die Verwendung dieser innovativen Technologien hilft den Produzenten, direkt mit den Verbrauchern in Kontakt zu treten und die wirtschaftlichen Vorteile zu nutzen.

"Peas are a globally significant crop, valued for their nutritional content and versatility. The production indexes for peas vary by region, influenced by factors such as climate, demand, agricultural practices, and economic conditions. Typically, major pea-producing countries include China, India, Russia, Canada, France, the United Kingdom and Germany.
A diverse collection of 325 pea accessions (provided by the RADIANT partner CSIC) was cultivated across three distinct locations in Spain and three different growing seasons. The primary objective of this study was to unravel how different genotypes of peas respond to varying environmental conditions across multiple locations and seasons. Pea seeds, being a vital source of protein for both human consumption and animal feed, presented an ideal subject to investigate G x E interaction due to their nutritional importance. The 325 accessions selected for this study represented a broad genetic diversity, encompassing a range of traits that might influence protein content, including growth habits, pod types, and flowering patterns.
The finding suggests that the G x E interaction did not exert a significant influence on the protein content of the seeds.
As agriculture faces the challenges posed by changing climates and evolving genetic resources, understanding G x E interaction becomes increasingly important for ensuring stable crop production and enhanced nutritional quality."

"As ervilhas são uma cultura com um valor global significativo, valorizada pelo seu conteúdo nutricional e versatilidade. Os índices de produção de ervilhas variam consoante a região, influenciados por factores como o clima, a procura, as práticas agrícolas e as condições económicas. Normalmente, os principais países produtores de ervilhas incluem a China, a Índia, a Rússia, o Canadá, a França, o Reino Unido e a Alemanha.
Uma coleção diversa de 325 acessos de ervilha (fornecida pelo parceiro RADIANT CSIC) foi cultivada em três locais distintos em Espanha e em três épocas de crescimento diferentes. O principal objetivo deste estudo foi analisar como diferentes genótipos de ervilhas respondem a condições ambientais variáveis em vários locais e estações. As sementes de ervilha, sendo uma fonte vital de proteínas tanto para o consumo humano como para a alimentação animal, constituíram uma cultura ideal para investigar a interação G x E devido à sua importância nutricional. Os 325 acessos selecionados para este estudo representam uma ampla diversidade genética, abrangendo uma série de características que podem influenciar o teor de proteínas, incluindo hábitos de crescimento, tipos de vagens e padrões de floração.
Os resultados sugerem que a interação G x E não exerceu uma influência significativa no teor proteico das sementes.
À medida que a agricultura enfrenta os desafios colocados pelas alterações climáticas e pela evolução dos recursos genéticos, a compreensão da interação G x E torna-se cada vez mais importante para garantir uma produção agrícola estável e uma melhor qualidade nutricional."

"In the context of climate change, current agricultural challenges require more sustainable practices. Recently, the stabilizing effect of crop diversity in the field (as reached with intercropping practice) has been recognized as able to cope with the destabilizing effect of variability in precipitation and temperature. Intercropping (IC) is known to support yield stability through the exploitation of ecological mechanisms, as mechanical support, complementarity for nutrients uptake, root architecture complementarity, overyielding.
Within RADIANT, we combine experimental evolution, genomics technologies for DNA sequencing and participatory plant breeding, involving farmers in different environments across Italy and Spain, to select for intercropping ability between crops in maize/common bean and maize/runner bean intercropping systems. In RADIANT, 17 different field experiments have been carried out in two years (spring 2022, 2023), exploiting the network of farmers (n=4) and research institutes (n=3) created to support the project outcomes and using both landraces and experimental populations.
Every year in each trial, researchers and farmers select the seeds of maize and bean to be resown in the following year according to local adaptation to the farmers’ environment, to the adaptation to the IC environment, as well as to the farmers’ preferences.
At the end of the project, a genome-wide comparison will be performed between the starting and final populations to identify genes linked to adaptation to CI and associate them with key traits. Additionally, the farmers become completely owners of the selected seeds, being able to continue the experimental procedures after years."

"A causa dell'attuale cambiamento climatico, le sfide che l'agricoltura si trova ad affrontare richiedono pratiche più sostenibili. Recentemente, la diversità colturale in campo (come per esempio nella consociazione) è stata riconosciuta come un fattore di stabilità in grado di compensare l’effetto dell’instabilità causato dalla variazione di precipitazioni e temperature. Dalla letteratura scientifica, sappiamo che la consociazione stabilizza le rese grazie a meccanismi ecologici come la facilitazione, complementarità e fenomeno di overyielding (aumento della resa totale dato dalla somma delle rese delle due colture nella stessa superficie).
All’interno di RADIANT, combiniamo evoluzione sperimentale, tecnologie genomiche per il sequenziamento del DNA e miglioramento genetico partecipativo, coinvolgendo agricoltori in diversi ambienti in Italia e Spagna, per selezionare semi adatti alla consociazione in sistemi di mais/fagioli. Sono stati svolti 17 esperimenti di campo in due anni (2022, 2023), sfruttando la rete di agricoltori (n=4) e istituti di ricerca (n=3) creata per supportare le finalità del progetto e usando sia varietà locali che popolazioni sperimentali.
Ogni anno, agricoltori e ricercatori selezionano i semi di mais e fagiolo da riseminare l’anno successivo per: adattamento all’ambiente, alla pratica della consociazione e preferenze dell’agricoltore.
Alla fine del progetto, le popolazioni iniziali e finali verranno confrontate a livello genomico per scoprire i geni coinvolti nell’adattamento alla consociazione e per associarli con caratteri fenotipici.
Comunque, gli agricoltori, diventando proprietari della semente selezionata, potranno continuare l’esperimento finche’ vorranno."

"Chip budding is a grafting technique very versatile and simple to learn and master. Just one bud is needed to propagate a variety.
This technique can be successfully used to graft multiple kinds of trees. We have used it to propagate a great diversity of varieties of pear, apple, cherry, plum,apricot and peach trees, obtaining a grafting success ratio around 80% to 90%, depending on the species and the rootstock.
This technique can be used during a wide period of time, from early spring to late summer, or early autumn in Mediterranean climates. Depending on sap flow, the bud may not begin growing until the following spring.
A thin chip of wood containing a bud is cut out of a shoot from the mother tree. This shoot has to be, ideally, thicker than a pencil and no older than a year. The chip that we obtain should measure 3 to 5 cm long and 2 to 3 mm thick.
How to proceed: Make a first cut 1 to 2 cm below the selected bud, inserting the blade about 5mm deep at an angle of 45 degrees. Make a second cut about 2 to 3 cm above the bud, moving the knife almost in parallel to the shoot to meet the first cut, obtaining a thin layer of wood. A similarly shaped chip is cut out of the rootstock about 15 to 20 cm above the ground, and then we place the chip we previously obtained in the cut, in such a way that the both green external layers match. If it's not possible that all the sides of the chip match with the rootstock cut, we make sure that they match at least on the lower part and on one of the sides.
The new bud is fixed in place using grafting tape, taking care that the chip it's fully wrapped to avoid desiccation or infection due to tissue exposure. On the other hand, bud apex must stay uncovered if we foresee that it can sprout before next spring. For bud fixation we recommend to use paraffin tape to do so."

"El injerto de chip o astilla es muy versátil y sencillo de aprender. Sólo se necesita una yema para propagar una variedad.
Nosotros utilizamos esta técnica para propagar númerosas variedades de peral, manzano, cerezo, ciruelo, albaricoquero y melocotonero, obteniendo un porcentaje de éxito del injerto de entre el 80% y el 90%.
Esta técnica puede utilizarse durante un amplio periodo de tiempo, desde principios de primavera hasta finales de verano, o principios de otoño. Dependiendo del flujo de savia, la yema puede no brotar hasta la primavera siguiente.
Se corta una astilla de madera que contiene una yema de un brote del árbol madre. Este brote tiene que ser, más grueso que un lápiz y no tener más de un año. La astilla que obtengamos debe medir de 3 a 5 cm de largo y de 2 a 3 mm de grosor.
Se hace un primer corte de 1 a 2 cm por debajo de la yema seleccionada, introduciendo la cuchilla a unos 5 mm de profundidad en un ángulo de 45 grados. Hacer un segundo corte a unos 2 ó 3 cm por encima de la yema, moviendo la cuchilla casi en paralelo al brote hasta llegar al primer corte. Se pratica el mismo corte en el portainjerto a 20 cm del suelo, y luego colocamos la astilla que obtuvimos anteriormente en el corte, de forma que coincidan las capas verdes externas. Si no es posible que todos los lados de la astilla coincidan con el corte del patrón, nos aseguramos de que coincidan al menos en la parte inferior y en uno de los lados.
La nueva yema se fija con cinta de injertar. La astilla debe queda totalmente envuelta para evitar la desecación o la infección debida a la exposición de los tejidos. Por otro lado, el ápice de la yema debe quedar al descubierto si prevemos que pueda brotar antes de la próxima primavera. Para la fijación de las yemas recomendamos utilizar cinta de parafina."

"Millets are small-seeded grasses that serve as important food and feed sources.
They are versatile ingredients used to prepare traditional dishes like flatbreads, porridge, and couscous. As a food crop, millets offer exceptional nutritional value, containing dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Millets are also utilized in baked goods, snacks, and breakfast cereals. Additionally, millets are a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to conventional animal feed, contributing to the production of healthy and sustainable livestock, being commonly used as feed for poultry, cattle, and pigs.
Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum, 5 genotypes) and Foxtail millet (Setaria italica, 40 genotypes) were germinated and grown in controlled environmental conditions and evaluated for their protein and mineral content. Although there was some degree of inter- and intraspecific variability in the protein content and mineral concentration of Proso and Foxtail millets, on average they showed: 14 % of protein, 277 mg/100g of phosphorus, 316 mg/100g of potassium, 24 mg/100g of calcium, 117 mg/100g of magnesium, 1 mg/100g of sodium, 4 mg/100g of zinc and 3 mg/100g of iron. In general, calcium and zinc concentrations were statistically higher in foxtail millet.
In comparison to major staple crops, millets offer higher levels of protein, potassium, and zinc, while being low in sodium. They are also rich in phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, and iron, making them valuable contributors to food security and effective in addressing mineral deficiencies."

"O milho painço faz parte da família das gramíneas, de sementes pequenas que servem como importantes fontes de alimentação humana e animal.
São ingredientes versáteis utilizados na preparação de pratos tradicionais como pães achatados, papas de aveia e cuscuz. Como cultura alimentar, o milho painço oferece um valor nutricional excecional, contendo fibras alimentares, vitaminas, minerais e antioxidantes. Este também é utilizado em produtos de pastelaria, snacks e cereais de pequeno-almoço. Além disso, consiste numa alternativa sustentável e económica à alimentação animal convenciona, sendo comummente utilizados em dietas para aves, bovinos e suínos.
Cinco genótipos de milho painço 'Proso' (Panicum miliaceum) e 40 de 'Foxtail' (Setaria italica) foram cultivados em condições ambientais controladas e avaliados quanto ao seu teor de proteínas e minerais. Embora tenha havido algum grau de variabilidade inter e intra-específica no teor de proteínas e na concentração de minerais dos painços Proso e Foxtail, em média apresentaram 14 % de proteína, 277 mg/100g de fósforo, 316 mg/100g de potássio, 24 mg/100g de cálcio, 117 mg/100g de magnésio, 1 mg/100g de sódio, 4 mg/100g de zinco e 3 mg/100g de ferro. De um modo geral, as concentrações de cálcio e zinco foram estatisticamente mais elevadas no milho painço 'Foxtail'.
Em comparação com outros cereais, o milho painço oferece níveis mais elevados de proteínas, potássio e zinco, contento teor reduzido de sódio. São também ricos em fósforo, cálcio, magnésio e ferro, o que os torna valiosos na segurança alimentar e eficazes no combate às deficiências de minerais."

"Kombucha is a popular fermented beverage made from sweetened tea. It is prepared through fermentation with a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY), allowing individuals to adjust the fermentation period according to their preferred flavour. Kombuchas are enjoyed for their tangy flavour and effervescence and contain beneficial bacteria and probiotics, that support gut health and digestion. By providing essential nutrients, antioxidants and antimicrobial compounds, it can be a lower- sugar option to replenish thirst and boost immune support.
Plants of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) were grown until pod filing. Leaves and pods were collected, dried at 50 ºC for 5 days and used for kombucha formulation.
The obtained beverages were analysed for phytochemical compounds and minerals. Kombuchas made from fermented leaves and pods of common beans and cowpeas present a sustainable method to valorise plant biomass while offering a flavourful beverage rich in minerals and phytochemicals. Leaves appear to result in more nutritious kombuchas when compared to pods, with cowpea kombuchas demonstrating higher levels of protein, magnesium, and manganese compared to those made with common beans."

"A Kombucha é uma bebida fermentada popular feita a partir de chá adoçado. É preparada através da fermentação com uma cultura simbiótica de bactérias e leveduras (SCOBY), permitindo aos indivíduos ajustar o período de fermentação de acordo com o seu sabor preferido. As Kombuchas são apreciadas pelo seu sabor picante e efervescência e contêm bactérias benéficas e probióticos, que apoiam a saúde intestinal e a digestão. Ao fornecer nutrientes essenciais, antioxidantes e compostos antimicrobianos, pode ser uma opção com baixo teor de açúcar para repor a sede e reforçar o sistema imunitário.
As plantas de feijão comum (Phaseolus vulgaris) e feijão-frade (Vigna unguiculata) foram cultivadas até ao enchimento das vagens. As folhas e as vagens foram recolhidas, secas a 50 ºC durante 5 dias e utilizadas para a formulação da kombucha.
As bebidas obtidas foram analisadas quanto a compostos fitoquímicos e minerais. As kombuchas feitas a partir de folhas e vagens fermentadas de feijão comum e feijão-frade apresentam um método sustentável para valorizar a biomassa vegetal, oferecendo uma bebida saborosa rica em minerais e fitoquímicos. As folhas parecem resultar em kombuchas mais nutritivas quando comparadas com as vagens, com as kombuchas de feijão-frade a demonstrarem níveis mais elevados de proteínas, magnésio e manganês em comparação com as feitas com feijão comum."

"The Earth's climate is undergoing significant changes, and a primary concern is the continuous rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, projected to reach 550 parts per million (ppm) by 2050. Consequently, it becomes imperative to comprehend the effects of elevated CO2 concentrations (eCO2) on legumes, which play a pivotal role in providing essential nutrients for human health, including iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn). This is crucial for addressing potential shifts in nutrient availability and ensuring the nutritional well-being of human populations, under future climatic conditions.
This work, relied on free air CO2 enriched (FACE) experiments, a unique platform in Julich (Germany). Two genotypes of common bean (‘G1378’ and ‘Logan’) were grown in ambient CO2 (control, 400 ppm, aCO2) or eCO2 (600 pm), to unravel the effects underlying eCO2 on plant biomass and nutritional parameters. Exposure to eCO2 resulted in a significant increase of shoot biomass in the genotype ‘G1378’ (by 1.6-fold) and of full-pod biomass in both genotypes (up to 2.5-fold). In ‘G1378’, eCO2 increased Mn and Fe concentrations in leaves (up to 1.4-fold) and of Mg in mature pods (by 1.2-fold). Contrastingly, in ‘Logan’, eCO2 negatively affected Zn concentration in both leaves and pods (up to 0.6-fold) and of Fe in pods (by 0.6-fold).
Exposure to eCO2 resulted in increased shoot biomass and full-pod biomass in both genotypes, but mineral impairments were distinct between them, highlighting the intraspecific variability in common bean responses to eCO2. "

"O clima da Terra está a sofrer alterações significativas e uma das principais preocupações é o aumento contínuo dos níveis atmosféricos de dióxido de carbono (CO2), que se prevê que atinjam 550 partes por milhão (ppm) até 2050. Consequentemente, torna-se imperativo compreender os efeitos das concentrações elevadas de CO2 (eCO2) nas leguminosas, que desempenham um papel fundamental no fornecimento de nutrientes essenciais para a saúde humana, incluindo o ferro (Fe) e o zinco (Zn). Isto é crucial para lidar com potenciais mudanças na disponibilidade de nutrientes e garantir o bem-estar nutricional das populações humanas, em condições climáticas futuras.
Este trabalho baseou-se em experiências de ar livre enriquecido com CO2 (FACE), uma plataforma única em Julich (Alemanha). Dois genótipos de feijão comum ('G1378' e 'Logan') foram cultivados em CO2 ambiente (controlo, 400 ppm, aCO2) ou eCO2 (600 pm), para analisar os efeitos do eCO2 na biomassa das plantas e em parâmetros nutricionais. A exposição ao eCO2 resultou num aumento significativo da biomassa da parte aérea no genótipo 'G1378' (1,6 vezes) e da biomassa de vagens inteiras em ambos os genótipos (até 2,5 vezes). Em 'G1378', o eCO2 aumentou as concentrações de Mn e Fe nas folhas (até 1,4 vezes) e de Mg nas vagens maduras (1,2 vezes). Em contraste, em 'Logan', o eCO2 afetou negativamente a concentração de Zn nas folhas e nas vagens (até 0,6 vezes) e de Fe nas vagens (0,6 vezes).
A exposição ao eCO2 resultou num aumento da biomassa da parte aérea e da biomassa total das vagens em ambos os genótipos, mas o impacto na concentração dos minerais foi distinto entre eles, realçando a variabilidade intra-específica nas respostas do feijão ao eCO2."

Two types of chickpea genotypes were studied to assess their response to limited water supply: a white chickpea (kabuli) used in commercial settings, and a traditional variety of black chickpea (desi). The plants were cultivated under four different levels of water supply: 90%, 75%, 50%, and 25% of the soil's capacity to hold water.
At plant maturity, measures of growth (root, shoot, pods, and seeds), indicators of plant health (water content and oxidative stress), and the nutritional composition of the seeds (protein and mineral concentrations) were analysed. The results showed that the desi/black chickpea had a higher number of pods and seeds per plant. These findings suggest that this genotype displays greater resilience and nutritional quality when subjected to challenging soil water conditions.
Understanding the specific mechanisms that enable desi genotypes to better tolerate limited water availability is vital for developing strategies that enhance crop resilience and support human nutrition in difficult environmental conditions. This study highlights the potential of underutilised crops under future climate scenarios. Drought, a major environmental factor that adversely affects agricultural production, has a negative impact on food production in multiple countries. This research contributes to the effort of identifying effective tools and obtaining practical outcomes to address the challenges posed by drought.

"Foram estudados dois genótipos de grão-de-bico para avaliar a sua resposta a um abastecimento limitado de água: um grão-de-bico branco (kabuli) comercial e uma variedade tradicional de grão-de-bico preto (desi). As plantas foram cultivadas em quatro níveis diferentes de água: 90%, 75%, 50% e 25% da capacidade de retenção de água do solo.
Na maturidade das plantas, foram analisadas medidas de crescimento (parte superior e inferior, vagens e sementes), indicadores de saúde das plantas (teor de água e stress oxidativo) e a composição nutricional das sementes (concentração de proteína e minerais). Os resultados mostraram que o grão-de-bico desi/preto obteve um maior número de vagens e sementes por planta. Estes resultados sugerem que este genótipo apresenta uma maior resiliência e qualidade nutricional quando sujeito a condições hídricas adversas.
A compreensão dos mecanismos específicos que permitem que os genótipos desi tolerem melhor a limitação de água é vital para o desenvolvimento de estratégias que aumentem a resiliência das culturas e apoiem a nutrição humana em condições ambientais adversas. Este estudo destaca o potencial das culturas tradicionais em cenários climáticos futuros. A seca, um importante fator ambiental que afeta negativamente a produção agrícola, tem um impacto negativo na produção alimentar em vários países. Esta investigação contribui para o esforço de identificar ferramentas eficazes e obter resultados práticos para enfrentar os desafios colocados pela seca."

"To gain insights into Porto's local food system, two questionnaires were administered to different groups: consumers (via an online questionnaire) and vendors in local markets within the district. The vendor questionnaire aimed to assess their perception of traditional crop varieties and the impact of tourism on trends. 20 vendors from four markets participated, primarily relying on four main suppliers, with 15% exclusively sourcing Portuguese products. Seasonal availability and price were key challenges in achieving a 100% Portuguese supply.
Regarding consumers, 1032 responses were collected, with 60.4% using both supermarkets and local markets for food procurement. Nutritional quality and sustainability were significant factors influencing their choice of local varieties. 13% expressed interest in exploring local gastronomy while traveling.
Implementing knowledge from the questionnaires can benefit practitioners in several ways: focusing on quality and sustainability, tapping into the tourist market, providing diverse seasonal products, establishing partnerships with local suppliers, adapting to consumer preferences, and considering cost and pricing strategies.
Overall, by addressing these aspects, farmers and vendors can better cater to consumer needs, promote the local food economy, and create a thriving market in Porto."

"Para obter informações sobre o sistema alimentar local do Porto, foram aplicados dois questionários a diferentes grupos: consumidores (através de um questionário online) e vendedores nos mercados locais do distrito. O questionário dos vendedores tinha como objetivo avaliar a sua perceção das variedades de culturas tradicionais e o impacto do turismo nas tendências. Participaram 20 vendedores de quatro mercados, que dependem maioritariamente de quatro fornecedores principais, com 15% a abastecerem-se exclusivamente de produtos portugueses. A disponibilidade sazonal e o preço foram os principais desafios para conseguir um abastecimento 100% português.
Relativamente aos consumidores, foram recolhidas 1032 respostas, sendo que 60,4% utilizam tanto os supermercados como os mercados locais para a aquisição de alimentos. A qualidade nutricional e a sustentabilidade foram factores significativos que influenciaram a sua escolha de variedades locais. 13% manifestaram interesse em explorar a gastronomia local quando viajam.
A aplicação dos conhecimentos adquiridos através dos questionários pode beneficiar os profissionais de várias formas: centrando-se na qualidade e na sustentabilidade, explorando o mercado turístico, fornecendo produtos sazonais diversificados, estabelecendo parcerias com fornecedores locais, adaptando-se às preferências dos consumidores e considerando estratégias de custos e preços.
De um modo geral, ao abordar estes aspectos, os agricultores e vendedores podem responder melhor às necessidades dos consumidores, promover a economia alimentar local e criar um mercado próspero no Porto."

Spiny chicory (Cichorium spinosum L.), is one of those wild edible plants that has been gaining attention in the Mediterranean basin, due to its unique taste and richness in health-promoting compounds. In Greece, ‘stamnagathi’ is mainly grown in Crete, where different ecotypes have been introduced to commercial cultivation, both in soil and soilless culture systems. In this work was assessed the interaction of different EC levels (2.4 vs. 3.6 dS/m)) and K:Ca:Mg (40:50:10 vs. 50:40:10) ratios on the growth and nutritional value of Cichorium spinosum L. cultivated in a hydroponic floating-raft system. According to the main findings, the different EC levels and K:Ca:Mg ratios did not affect biomass characteristics of spiny chicory. Furthermore, the low EC level (2.4 ds/m) decreased K and NO3-N content by 10% & 23%, respectively. Although, both EC levels produced a plant with safe for consumption nitrate levels. On the other hand, greater Mn & Zn concentrations were observed in high EC treated plants. Concerning the different macronutrient ratios, the higher K/Ca ratio decreased the Ca concentration in plant biomass by 28%. Concluding, the different nutrient solutions supplied to the plants affected mainly the nutrient profile of spiny chicory rather than its growth rate. However, irrespective the different applied treatments, the total yield of the plants was relatively low. Therefore, we believe that there are still parameters that need to be considered to optimize the growth process of C. spinosum L. and help integrate it into highly productive commercial systems.

Το σταμναγκάθι αποτελεί ένα από τα αυτοφυή φυλλώδη λαχανικά που έχει κεντρίσει το ενδιαφέρον στην Μεσόγειο, λόγω της ιδιαίτερης γεύσης του και της υψηλής θρεπτικής του αξίας. Στην Ελλάδα, το σταμναγκάθι απαντάται κυρίως στην Κρήτη, όπου διαφορετικοί οικότυποι καλλιεργούνται σε εμπορική κλίμακα σε συστήματα εντός και εκτός εδάφους. Σε αυτήν την προσδιορίζεται η επίδραση των διαφορετικών επιπέδων ηλεκτρικής αγωγιμότητας (2,4 vs. 3,6 ds/m) και των διαφορετικών αναλογιών K:Ca:Mg (40:50:10 vs. 50:40:10) στην ανάπτυξη και την θρεπτική αξία του σταμναγκαθιού σε σύστημα επίπλευσης. Η ανάπτυξη του σταμναγκαθιού δεν επηρεάστηκε από κανέναν από τους 2 υπό μελέτη παράγοντες. Επιπλέον, τα χαμηλά επίπεδα αγωγιμότητας (2,4 ds/m) μείωσαν τα επίπεδα των K και NO3-N κατά 10% και 23%. Ωστόσο, τα νιτρικά στον φυλλικό ιστό κυμάνθηκαν σε ασφαλή για κατανάλωση επίπεδα και στις 2 διαφορετικές αγωγιμότητες. Αντίθετα, υψηλότερες συγκεντρώσεις Μn & Zn εντοπίσθηκαν στα φυτά που αναπτύχθηκαν κάτω από υψηλή αγωγιμότητα. Σχετικά με τις K:Ca:Mg διαφορετικές αναλογίες, υψηλότερός K/Ca λόγος μείωσε σημαντικά τα επίπεδα του Ca στον ξηρό φυτικό ιστό του σταμναγκαθιού κατά 28%. Συμπερασματικά, η χορήγηση θρεπτικών διαλυμάτων διαφορετικής σύστασης επηρέασε κυρίως την θρεπτική αξία παρά την παραγωγή του σταμναγκαθιού. Ωστόσο, ανεξάρτητα από τις διαφορετικές μεταχειρίσεις, η παραγωγή κυμάνθηκε σε σχετικά χαμηλά επίπεδα. Επομένως, υπάρχουν ακόμα παράγοντες που πρέπει να ληφθούν υπόψιν για την ανάδειξη εμπορικών συστημάτων καλλιέργειας σταμναγκαθιού υψηλών αποδόσεων.

Valerianella locusta L. is a leafy vegetable commonly used nowadays in fresh-cut salads and salad mixes due to its leaves’ mild and delicate taste, and overall dietary characteristics and rich bioactive compound content. Floating irrigation system (FL) has been widely applied for the cultivation of leafy vegetables that allows for high sanitary quality and harvesting of clean materials for vegetables that are cultivated for fresh-cut-salads. In addition, in FL systems the nitrate content can be manipulated to a certain degree through the nutrient solution and be kept under certain thresholds. Besides, NaCl and CaCl2 interfere in the NO3 uptake mechanisms through Cl, and could therefore be utilized as measures to reduce the nitrate content in leaf tissues. This study focused on the effects of four salinity treatments differing in the osmotic potential level (−0.097 and −0.195 MPa at 20 °C, referred to as low and high salinity level) and the salinity source (NaCl vs CaCl2) on growth and mineral composition of hydroponically grown Valerianella locusta cv “Elixir”. NaCl had a less severe effect on the agronomical characteristics of corn salad compared to the calcium chloride, suggesting that the type of salt had a significant effect over the osmotic potential. Nitrate concentration was also reduced more under CaCl2 eustress, which was attributed to the antagonistic relations of nitrate and chloride. Leaf sodium, calcium and chloride content appeared increased in relation to their concentration in the treatment’s NSs. Concluding, low water quality, containing up to 20mM NaCl, could be utilized for the hydroponic cultivation of corn salad and when eustress is considered, NaCl should be the salt of choice rather than CaCl2.

Η βαλεριανέλλα (Valerianella locusta L.) είναι ένα φυλλώδες λαχανικό που χρησιμοποιείται ευρέως σε σαλάτες και μίγματα αυτών λόγω της ιδιαίτερης γεύσης και της υψηλής της διατροφικής αξίας. Το σύστημα επίπλευσης χρησιμοποιείται ευρέως για την υδροκαλλιέργεια φυλλωδών λαχανικών καθώς επιτρέπει την υψηλή ποιότητα υγιεινής και την παραγωγή καθαρού προϊόντος. Επιπλέον, σε αυτό το σύστημα είναι δυνατός ο έλεγχος, έως έναν βαθμό, των επιθυμητών επίπεδων των νιτρικών στο παραγόμενο προϊόν. Εξάλλου, τα NaCl και CaCl2 παρεμβαίνουν στην πρόσληψη των νιτρικών από τα φυτά, και επομένως μπορούν να χρησιμοποιηθούν ως ένα μέτρο για τον περιορισμό των επιπέδων των νιτρικών στα φυλλώδη. Το αντικείμενο της μελέτης είναι η επίδραση 4 επιπέδων αλατότητα που διαφέρουν ως προς το ωσμωτικό δυναμικό τους (−0.097 και −0.195 MPa στους 20 °C, χαμηλή και υψηλή αλατότητα, αντίστοιχα) και την πηγή της αλατότητας (NaCl vs CaCl2) στην ανάπτυξη και θρεπτική σύσταση της βαλεριανέλλας (“Elixir”) σε σύστημα επίπλευσης. Το NaCl είχε λιγότερης έντασης αρνητική επίδραση στην ανάπτυξη του φυτού σε σχέση με το CaCl2, υποδηλώνοντας πως ο το πηγή άλατος είχε υψηλότερη επίδραση από ότι το ωσμοτικό δυναμικό. Παράλληλα, τα επίπεδα των νιτρικών μειώθηκαν σημαντικά στα χαμηλά επίπεδα CaCl2, ενώ η συγκέντρωση των Na, Ca και Cl αυξανόταν αναλογικά με την αύξηση της των αντίστοιχων αλάτων στο θρεπτικό διάλυμα. Συμπερασματικά, νερό άρδευσης χαμηλής ποιότητας που δεν ξεπερνά τα 20 mmol NaCl, μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί για την υδροκαλλιέργεια βαλεριανέλλας, ενώ για την επιτηδευμένη αύξηση της αλατότητας στοχεύοντας στην μείωση των νιτρικών στο παραγόμενο προϊόν προτείνεται το Nacl έναντι του CaCl2.

"The primary protein forage crop in Italy is alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), crucial for cattle feeding. However, current commercial varieties are not suitable for hilly/mountainous conditions. To enhance forage self-sufficiency, it is essential to identify local alfalfa ecotypes that adapt better to these regions.
The use of grain legumes, like Pisum sativum L., for feed in the Apennine area is limited due to low yields, harvesting challenges, and the required treatments. Air-dried whole plant legumes could be a viable option to improve forage self-sufficiency on mountain farms, especially when intercropped with other forage grasses. This intercropping enhances protein production and quality, providing multiple benefits. However, before introducing it, testing within a typical PR mountain crop rotation is necessary.
In the Apennine area, RADIANT aims to compare 12 alfalfa ecotypes sown under dry conditions and shallow soil to identify those best suited to the region. Additionally, a trial involving wheat (Triticum aestivum L sub. aestivum) and Pisum sativum arvense L. was sowed in a hilly area of Reggio Emilia province (561 m a.s.l) with tilled and no-tilled soils. The products were treated as forage and air-dried after harvest. Field measurements suggest that the ""no-tilled field"" exhibits higher canopy cover (30.3%) compared to conventional tillage (7.58%). Further field measurements are currently underway."

"La principale coltura foraggera proteica in Italia è l'erba medica (Medicago sativa L.), fondamentale per l'alimentazione dei bovini. Tuttavia, le attuali varietà commerciali non sono adatte alle condizioni collinari e montane. Per migliorare l'autosufficienza foraggera, è essenziale identificare ecotipi locali di erba medica che si adattino meglio a queste regioni.
L'uso di legumi da granella, come il Pisum sativum L., per l'alimentazione nell'area appenninica è limitato a causa delle basse rese, delle difficoltà di raccolta e dei trattamenti necessari. I legumi interi essiccati all'aria potrebbero essere un'opzione valida per migliorare l'autosufficienza foraggera delle aziende agricole di montagna, soprattutto se consociati con altre erbe da foraggio. Questa consociazione aumenta la produzione e la qualità delle proteine, offrendo molteplici benefici. Tuttavia, prima di introdurla, è necessario testarla all'interno di una tipica rotazione delle colture di montagna.
Nell'area appenninica, RADIANT intende confrontare 12 ecotipi di erba medica seminati in condizioni di siccità e suoli poco profondi per identificare quelli più adatti alla regione. Inoltre, in un'area collinare della provincia di Reggio Emilia (561 m s.l.m.) è stata condotta una prova su grano (Triticum aestivum L sub. aestivum) e Pisum sativum arvense L. con terreni lavorati e non lavorati. I prodotti sono stati trattati come foraggio ed essiccati all'aria dopo la raccolta. Le misurazioni sul campo indicano che il ""campo non lavorato"" presenta una maggiore copertura della chioma (30,3%) rispetto alla lavorazione convenzionale (7,58%). Ulteriori misurazioni sul campo sono attualmente in corso."

"The CRPA's Edible Park serves as a model for a versatile farm designed for peri-urban areas. It combines agroforestry and crop production for direct sale, aiming to integrate farming activity into the local socio-economic context. This innovative concept focuses on sustainable agroforestry systems to produce high-quality food products for local consumers while promoting societal engagement in farming and minimizing environmental impact.
The park embraces biodiversity through the cultivation of local and ancient crop varieties. It was established on a 1-hectare plot owned by the Reggio Emilia municipality, which can be replicated in other peri-urban areas. The park features 80 mulberry trees of five certified species/varieties, recreating the traditional rural landscape of the region. Additionally, horticultural crops are grown between the trees to supply fresh vegetables to the nearby town of Reggio Emilia.
To assess the possibility of establishing a short supply chain, the park developed vegetable soups and mulberry preserves, seeking feedback from consumers to gauge their acceptability.
Overall, the Edible Park meets the increasing demand from consumers for local, healthy, and environmentally friendly products. Moreover, by cultivating peri-urban agricultural land with valuable crops, the project addresses the issue of semi-abandoned areas and contributes to landscape improvement."

"L'Edible Park del CRPA è un modello di azienda agricola versatile progettato per le aree periurbane. Combina l'agroforestazione e la produzione di colture per la vendita diretta, con l'obiettivo di integrare l'attività agricola nel contesto socio-economico locale. Questo concetto innovativo si concentra su sistemi agroforestali sostenibili per produrre prodotti alimentari di alta qualità per i consumatori locali, promuovendo al contempo l'impegno della società nell'agricoltura e riducendo al minimo l'impatto ambientale.
Il parco abbraccia la biodiversità attraverso la coltivazione di varietà di colture locali e antiche. È stato realizzato su un terreno di 1 ettaro di proprietà del Comune di Reggio Emilia, che può essere replicato in altre aree periurbane. Il parco ospita 80 gelsi di cinque specie/varietà certificate, ricreando il paesaggio rurale tradizionale della regione. Inoltre, tra gli alberi vengono coltivate colture orticole per fornire ortaggi freschi alla vicina città di Reggio Emilia.
Per valutare la possibilità di creare una filiera corta, il parco ha sviluppato zuppe di verdure e conserve di gelso, cercando di ottenere un feedback dai consumatori per valutarne l'accettabilità.
Nel complesso, il Parco commestibile risponde alla crescente domanda dei consumatori di prodotti locali, sani e rispettosi dell'ambiente. Inoltre, coltivando terreni agricoli periurbani con colture pregiate, il progetto affronta il problema delle aree semi-abbandonate e contribuisce al miglioramento del paesaggio."

"Food supply chains are dealing with increasing food fraud challenges and consumer trust and their interest in knowing more about the food they eat. Traceability can ensure a product's follow-up through each stage of its life cycle and provides consumers more visibility and guarantees on the items they buy. Blockchain (BC) is a digital distributed ledger where data is saved into blocks linked together with cryptographic technologies.
In BC technology, transactions can be written to BC to create permanent and immutable records, protected against subsequent manipulations. Each supply chain actor writes relevant data about the products in the chain of blocks. The producer receives a digital identity and enters the farm and field production data. Processing actors provide information about their entity, equipment, processing methods, and batch number. The distribution actor provides shipping details, storage conditions, and time in transit. As the producer or processing actor prepares the digital delivery docs, the retailer accepts the product by scanning the QR code, which signs the transaction and directly transfers the data to the store business management system. At the final stage, the mobile device enables the consumer to scan the product QR code and review the food traceability record on a screen.
Interfaces and user interaction
The User interface is designed with a focus on end-users (farmers) and consumers who all mainly use mobile phones, but there is also a management part mainly used on desktop devices by store employees.
Conclusion
Blockchain can provide an efficient solution to the urgent need for improved food traceability and increase safety and transparency. "

"Dobavne verige za oskrbo s hrano se soočajo z vse večjimi izzivi kot so goljufije z živili, zaupanje potrošnikov in njihovim povečanim zanimanjem za informacije o zaužiti hrani. S sledljivostjo zagotovimo spremljanje izdelka skozi vse faze njegovega življenjskega cikla, kar potrošnikom zagotavlja večjo prepoznavnost in jamstvo za izdelke. Blockchain (BC) je digitalna distribuirana veriga, kjer se podatki shranijo v bloke, povezane s kriptografsko tehnologijo.
S tehnologijo BC se transakcije zapišejo v trajne in nesprejemljive zapise, ki so zaščiteni pred morebitnimi manipulacijami. Vsak akter dobavne verige vpiše ustrezne podatke o izdelkih v verigo blokov. Proizvajalec prejme digitalno identiteto in vnese podatke o proizvodnji na kmetiji. Predelovalci zagotavljajo informacije o svojem subjektu, opremi, načinih obdelave in številki serije. Distributor zagotavlja podrobnosti o prevozu, pogojih shranjevanja in čas v tranzitu. Ker proizvajalec ali predelovalec pripravita digitalne spremne dokumente, trgovec izdelek sprejme s skeniranjem QR kode, ki podpiše transakcijo in neposredno prenese podatke v sistem upravljanja poslovanja. V končni fazi mobilna naprava potrošniku omogoča skeniranje QR kode izdelka in pregled zapisa sledljivosti živila na zaslonu.
Vmesniki in interakcija uporabnikov
Uporabniški vmesnik je zasnovan s poudarkom na končnih uporabnikih (kmetih) in potrošnikih, ki vsi večinoma uporabljajo mobilne telefone, obstaja pa tudi upravljalni del, ki ga zaposleni v trgovini uporabljajo predvsem na namiznih napravah.
Sklep
Tehnologija veriženja blokov zagotavlja učinkovito rešitev za nujno potrebo po izboljšani sledljivosti hrane ter večji varnosti in preglednosti."

"Acorn is the fruit of the oaks, and the most used for consumption in Alentejo (Portugal) is the one from the native holm oak (Quercus rotundifolia), which is the sweetest.
Until the 20th century, acorn was an important part of the human diet in Portugal, but due to changes in rural population lifestyle and growing urbanisation, acorns consumption dropped abruptly. Since then, it has been used mostly for feed.
This product is slowly being re- introduced as niche activity by some agri-food companies. The products made with acorn represent a way to keep tradition alive and support sustainable systems.
Acorns nutritional composition depends on many factors, such as genetic variability, climatic conditions or soil composition. Nonetheless, it is known that, generally, they have high content in phytochemical compounds, which are responsible for their antioxidant, anticarcinogenic and cardioprotective properties. They are mainly composed by carbohydrates, especially starch, with significant amounts of lipids and low protein content. When compared to cereals, they are richer in fibre, fat and complex carbohydrates. The fact that they are gluten-free, makes them an excellent option for celiac people.
Aiming at the economic development of the sweet acorn, Freixo do Meio will: identify and map at local and regional level, sweet acorns trees; select sweet acorns to multiply with a Matrix of Acceptability Criteria (interviewing regional and local actors); promote vegetative reproduction of the selected trees; implement an Agroecological Orchard on the farm; and monitor, adapt and improve the associated agroecological practices."

"A bolota é o fruto dos carvalhos, e a mais utilizada para consumo no Alentejo (Portugal) é a da azinheira autóctone (Quercus rotundifolia), que é a mais doce. Até ao século XX, a bolota era uma parte importante da dieta humana em Portugal, mas devido às alterações no estilo de vida e à crescente urbanização, o seu consumo diminuiu abruptamente. Desde então, tem sido utilizada maioritariamente para alimentação animal. Ela está a ser lentamente reintroduzida por algumas empresas agro-alimentares, e os produtos fabricados com bolota representam uma forma de manter viva a tradição e apoiar sistemas sustentáveis. A composição nutricional da bolota depende de muitos fatores, como variabilidade genética, condições climáticas ou composição do solo. No entanto, sabe-se que, de um modo geral, estas têm um elevado teor de compostos fitoquímicos, responsáveis pelas suas propriedades antioxidantes, anticarcinogénicas e cardioprotectoras. São compostas principalmente por hidratos de carbono, especialmente amido, com quantidades significativas de lípidos e baixo teor de proteínas. Quando comparados com os cereais, são mais ricos em fibras, gorduras e hidratos de carbono complexos. O facto de não conterem glúten, torna-os uma excelente opção para as pessoas celíacas.
Visando o desenvolvimento económico da bolota doce, Freixo do Meio irá: identificar e mapear, a nível local e regional, as árvores de bolota; selecionar bolotas doces para multiplicar com uma Matriz de Critérios de Aceitabilidade (entrevistando actores regionais e locais); promover a reprodução vegetativa das árvores selecionadas; implementar um Pomar Agroecológico na exploração agrícola; e monitorizar, adaptar e melhorar as práticas agroecológicas associadas."

"Jujube, from the species Ziziphus jujuba has high nutritional and biological value, revealing potential to be included in different food formulations to improve nutritional quality. Various parts of the plant have been used, not only as food but also as Chinese traditional medicine. The fruit (peel and pulp) is the main source of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti- obesity, anticancer, hepato- protective, antidiabetic, anti-microbial and cardioprotective effects. When compared with the apple, the most similar fruit, it has more carbohydrates and more protein.
In the context of the RADIANT project, Freixo do Meio recognises the opportunity to trial, improve and promote, the diversification of underutilized fruit tree crops in the farm. Through the principles of agroecology and aiming an economic development for the jujube, we aim at the: identification and selection of the most suitable varieties of jujube trees to be cultivated; implementation of an Agroecological Orchard in the farm; adaptation and improvement of the agroecological practices. Through the usual commercial channels, on the summer of 2021, Freixo do Meio started to sell small quantities of fresh Jubuje fruits. The product was sold at 7 €/kg.
Freixo do Meio has several areas of orchards for production of fruits as citrus and olives. The two orchards of jubuje tree at the farm have different ages, origins (neighbours and tree nursery) and, probably, varieties. Both produce yearly an interesting amount of fruit requiring therefore non-agricultural treatment at all."

"O fruto da jujubeira, da espécie Ziziphus jujuba, tem um elevado valor nutricional e biológico, revelando potencial para ser incluído em diferentes formulações alimentares para melhorar a sua qualidade nutricional. Várias partes da planta têm sido utilizadas, não só como alimento, mas também como medicina tradicional chinesa. O fruto (casca e polpa) tem efeitos antioxidantes, anti-inflamatórios, anti-obesidade, anticancerígenos, hepatoprotectores, antidiabéticos, antimicrobianos e cardioprotectores. Quando comparada com a maçã, o fruto mais semelhante, tem mais hidratos de carbono e mais proteínas.
No contexto do RADIANT, o Freixo do Meio reconhece a oportunidade de experimentar, melhorar e promover a diversificação de culturas de árvores de fruto tradicionais na exploração agrícola. Através dos princípios da agroecologia e visando um desenvolvimento económico para a jujuba, é pretendido: identificar e selecionar as variedades mais adequadas de jujubeiras a cultivar; implementar um Pomar Agroecológico na exploração; adaptar e melhorar as práticas agroecológicas. Através dos canais comerciais habituais, no verão de 2021, Freixo do Meio começou a vender pequenas quantidades de frutos frescos de Jubuje. O produto foi vendido a 7 €/kg.
O Freixo do Meio tem várias áreas de pomares para produção de frutos como citrinos e azeitonas. Os dois pomares de jubujeira existentes na quinta têm idades, origens (vizinhos e viveiro) e, provavelmente, variedades diferentes. Ambos produzem anualmente uma quantidade interessante de frutos, pelo que não necessitam de qualquer tratamento agrícola."

Tomato is the world’s largest vegetable crop (>130 Mt and growing). The EU is among the biggest producers, with a major contribution by southern countries. EU citizens consume 20 kg of fruits per capita and year, both as fresh and processed products. Tomatoes are rich in carotenoids, and contribute to our antioxidant intake. However, extensive inbreeding during early domestication limited the genetic variation of modern cultivars below 5%. This domestication syndrome makes the most commonly cultivated tomato varieties highly vulnerable to drought stress, becoming a major concern for growers. It also increases the tomato crop environmental footprint. The research group at UNITO is dedicated to identifying and characterizing Mediterranean crop accessions that exhibit resilience to environmental stresses, including drought. However, resilience is not necessarily matched by standard fruit characteristics and field performances, which may hinder acceptance by both farmers and consumers. To promote the adoption of resilient tomato landraces, UNITO is assisting farmers in cultivating these landraces under reduced resource input and developing campaigns to inform consumers and highlight the health benefits of incorporating a diversified diet.

Il pomodoro è la più grande coltura vegetale del mondo (>130 Mt e in crescita). L'UE è tra i maggiori produttori, con un contributo importante da parte dei Paesi del Sud. I cittadini dell'UE consumano 20 kg di frutta pro capite all'anno, sia come prodotti freschi che trasformati. I pomodori sono ricchi di carotenoidi e contribuiscono al nostro apporto di antiossidanti. Tuttavia, l'ampia consanguineità durante la prima domesticazione ha limitato la variazione genetica delle cultivar moderne al di sotto del 5%. Questa sindrome da addomesticamento rende le varietà di pomodoro più comunemente coltivate altamente vulnerabili allo stress da siccità, diventando una delle principali preoccupazioni per i coltivatori. Inoltre, aumenta l'impronta ambientale della coltura del pomodoro. Il gruppo di ricerca dell'UNITO si dedica all'identificazione e alla caratterizzazione di accessioni di colture mediterranee che mostrano resilienza agli stress ambientali, compresa la siccità. Tuttavia, alla resilienza non corrispondono necessariamente caratteristiche standard dei frutti e prestazioni in campo, il che può ostacolare l'accettazione da parte di agricoltori e consumatori. Per promuovere l'adozione di ecotipi di pomodoro resilienti, l'UNITO assiste gli agricoltori nella coltivazione di questi ecotipi con un input ridotto di risorse e sviluppa campagne per informare i consumatori e sottolineare i benefici per la salute derivanti dall'integrazione di una dieta diversificata.

Chickpea, the second major pulse crop after dry beans, has garnered considerable attention due to its significance in global food consumption. This versatile legume comes in two primary varieties: Kabuli, distinguished by its large, beige-colored seeds, and Desi, known for its small, rough, and black or brown coated seeds. However, black chickpea faces a risk of genetic erosion. To tap into its potential, RADIANT is collaborating with local Portuguese farmer Luís Batista to bolster research, innovation, and agricultural production of this underutilised legume. The farmer is actively multiplying seeds and increasing local production in Portugal, with the aim of establishing a dynamic value chain for black chickpeas. To support this, a dual approach to black chickpea valorization was adopted. Firstly, the mineral profile, nitrogen and protein content, and various phytochemical analyses of both raw and cooked chickpea (white and black seeds) were studied. The findings revealed significantly higher protein content, antioxidant capacity, and carotenoids concentration in raw black chickpeas compared to their white counterparts. Secondly, a hummus made with black chickpeas was evaluated by a panel of 43 voluntary participants. The overall "Global appreciation" for the black chickpea hummus was similar to that of the white chickpea version. However, it received lower scores in "Smell" and "Color," both of which are heavily influenced by visual perceptions. In conclusion, the potential of black chickpeas in food innovation and its significance in promoting healthy and sustainable diets cannot be overstated and actions of collaborative work between science and the primary sector should be promoted to tackle current agri-food challenges.

O grão-de-bico, a segunda cultura de leguminosas mais produzida depois do feijão seco, tem atraído mais atenção devido à sua importância no consumo alimentar mundial. Esta leguminosa versátil apresenta-se em duas variedades principais: Kabuli, que se distingue pelas suas sementes grandes e de cor bege, e Desi, conhecida pelas suas sementes pequenas, rugosas e revestidas de preto ou castanho. No entanto, o grão-de-bico preto corre o risco de erosão genética. Para explorar o seu potencial, o RADIANT está a colaborar com um agricultor português, Luís Batista, que está a multiplicar as sementes e a aumentar a produção local em Portugal, com o objetivo de estabelecer uma cadeia de valor dinâmica para o grão-de-bico preto. Para apoiar esta iniciativa, foram estudados o perfil mineral, o teor de azoto e de proteínas e várias análises fitoquímicas do grão-de-bico cru e cozinhado (sementes brancas e pretas). Os resultados revelaram um teor significativamente mais elevado de proteínas, capacidade antioxidante e concentração de carotenóides no grão-de-bico preto cru, em comparação com o branco. Preparou-se também um hummus com grão-de-bico preto, que foi avaliado por um painel de 43 voluntários. A "Apreciação Global" do húmus de grão-de-bico preto foi semelhante à da versão de grão-de-bico branco. No entanto, recebeu pontuações mais baixas em "Cheiro" e "Cor", ambos fortemente influenciados pelas percepções visuais. Em conclusão, o potencial do grão-de-bico preto na inovação alimentar e a sua importância na promoção de dietas saudáveis e sustentáveis não podem ser subestimados e devem ser promovidas ações colaborativas entre a ciência e o sector primário para enfrentar os atuais desafios agro-alimentares.

REALISING DYNAMIC VALUE CHAINS FOR UNDERUTILISED CROPS

CRIAÇÃO DE CADEIAS DE VALOR DINÂMICAS PARA VARIEDADES TRADICIONAIS

Kontext

Objectives

Objectives

Activities

Activities

Additional information

Project details

EUR 5,999,715.00

Total budget

Project keyword

Ressourcen

Audiovisual materials

48 Practice Abstracts

Contacts

Project coordinator

Universidade Católica Portuguesa

Sections

REALISING DYNAMIC VALUE CHAINS FOR UNDERUTILISED CROPS CRIAÇÃO DE CADEIAS DE VALOR DINÂMICAS PARA VARIEDADES TRADICIONAIS

Kontext

Objectives

Objectives

Activities

Activities

Additional information

Project details

EUR 5,999,715.00

Total budget

Project keyword

Ressourcen

Audiovisual materials

48 Practice Abstracts

Agroecological Production of Acorns

Produção Agroecólogica da Bolota

Nitrogen managements for enhanced quality of hydroponic purslane

Διαχείριση του Ν για τη βελτίωση της ποιότητας και απόδοσης υδροπονικής γλιστρίδας

Development of experimental populations for evolutionary and participatory plant breeding: experiences from breeding for mixed crops

Sviluppo di popolazioni sperimentali per il miglioramento genetico evolutivo e partecipativo

Sourdough technology for enhanced consumer acceptance of baked goods

Sauerteigtechnologie für eine bessere Verbraucherakzeptanz von Backwaren

Novel technologies for the development of novel products with enhanced nutritional properties

Neuartige Technologien für die Entwicklung neuartiger Produkte mit verbesserten Ernährungseigenschaften

Cooperation and Digital Transparency with a Traceability System

Sodelovanje in digitalna transparentnost s sistemom sledljivosti

Spade test

Test della Vanga

A structured approach to developing resilient business models in agrifood systems

Strukturan pristop k razvoju odpornih poslovnih modelov v agroživilskih sistemih

Assessing the Effects of Strigolactone on the Drought Tolerance of Underutilised Tomato Landraces in Farm Conditions

Valutazione degli effetti dello strigolattone sulla tolleranza alla siccità di varietà di pomodoro sottoutilizzate in condizioni di coltivazione.

CropBASE: An Online Knowledge Hub and Decision Tools for Farmers to Grow Underutilised Crops in the EU

CropBASE: An Online Knowledge Hub and Decision Tools for Farmers to Grow Underutilised Crops in the EU

Adapting new underutilised crops to Europe using physiology and genetics to bring alternatives to farmers, markets, and consumers.

Adapting new underutilised crops to Europe using physiology and genetics to bring alternatives to farmers, markets, and consumers.

Optimization of Yellow Pea Serum Concentration: Validation of Reverse Osmosis for an Efficient and Cost-Effective Process

Ottimizzazione della concentrazione di siero di pisello giallo: Validazione dell'osmosi inversa per un processo efficiente e conveniente

Protein content of Yellow Pea commercial varieties in crop rotation

Contenuto proteico delle varietà commerciali di pisello giallo in rotazione colturale

How to Maximise Impact

How to Maximise Impact

Enabling the production of lentils in the area of Feneos, Greece

Διευκολύνοντας την παραγωγή της φακής στην περιοχή του Φενεού στην Ελλάδα

Traditional fruit tree varieties prospection

Prospección de Variedades Frutales Tradicionales

Farmer-Miller-Baker network to enhance the use of heritage cereals

Gazda-molnár-pék hálózat az ősgabonák használatáért

Raising Awareness about Underutilised Crops (UCs)

Raising Awareness about Underutilised Crops (UCs)

Metrics for sustainability & resilience

Metrics for sustainability & resilience

Use of Life Cycle Assessment in categorising sustainability of cropping systems; salad production in the Azores

Use of Life Cycle Assessment in categorising sustainability of cropping systems; salad production in the Azores

European UC farm management

Vergeten gewassen teelt in Europa

Valorisation of faba bean residues

Verwertung von Ackerbohnennebenprodukten

AURORA WORKSHOP – Tomato Plovdiv Event

РАБОТИЛНИЦА АВРОРА – Събитие за доматите в Пловдив

Underutilised (UC) Atriplex Hortensis: A Sustainable Boost for Organic Salad Farms

Subutilizado (UC) Atriplex Hortensis: Um Impulso Sustentável para Quintas de Saladas Biológicas

Smart Nanocomposite Seed Priming Boosts Salinity Resilience in Corn Salad (Valerianella locusta)

Έξυπνο νανοσύνθετο αστάρωμα σπόρων ενισχύει την ανθεκτικότητα στην αλατότητα στο Valerianella locusta

Cistanche as a novel desert crop

Cistanche como nuevo cultivo para zonas aridas

Re-valorisation of sesame crop

Puesta en valor del cultivo del sésamo en Europa

Not just a single pea crop

Guisante, para cada uso una variedad

How to organise an experimental field trial for testing agroecological practices

Come organizzare una prova sperimentale in campo per testare le pratiche agroecologiche

Adapting underutilised crops to Europe using physiology and genetics to bring alternatives to farmers, markets, and consumers

Adapting underutilised crops to Europe using physiology and genetics to bring alternatives to farmers, markets, and consumers

Short Value chains for the development of novel products with enhanced nutritional properties

Kurze Wertschöpfungsketten für die Entwicklung neuartiger Produkte mit verbesserten Ernährungseigenschaften

Genotype x Environment interaction on pea protein content

Interação genótipo x ambiente no teor de proteínas da ervilha

Food legumes breeding for intercropping

REALISING DYNAMIC VALUE CHAINS FOR UNDERUTILISED CROPS

CRIAÇÃO DE CADEIAS DE VALOR DINÂMICAS PARA VARIEDADES TRADICIONAIS