http://hdl.handle.net/10174/42 Sat, 19 Sep 2026 18:41:16 GMT 2026-09-19T18:41:16Z http://hdl.handle.net/10174/42577 Title: Esteya spp. reduce Bursaphelenchus xylophilus reproduction in Pinus pinaster seedlings without consistent improvements in disease outcomes Authors: Pires, David; Vicente, Cláudia S.L.; Mota, Manuel; Inácio, Maria L. Abstract: BACKGROUND Pine wilt disease, caused by Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, threatens pine forests worldwide, yet sustainable biological control strategies remain limited. We evaluated the effects of pre-emptive inoculation with Esteya vermicola and E. floridanum on nematode reproduction and disease outcomes in Pinus pinaster seedlings under greenhouse conditions. RESULTS Seedlings inoculated with E. vermicola or E. floridanum remained free of visible symptoms during the 5-week pre-challenge period. Fungi were subsequently re-isolated from stem tissues at the experimental endpoint, and both treatments significantly reduced nematode reproduction relative to the inoculated control. However, reductions in nematode reproduction were not consistently accompanied by improvements across disease assessment endpoints, including symptom severity, disease progression, and survival. Symptom expression in nematode-free controls indicated that environmental stress contributed to disease assessment endpoints, limiting interpretation of symptom-based measures. Exploratory correlation and permutation analyses suggested treatment-specific differences in the association between nematode reproduction and symptom severity; however, the endpoint design and restricted range of reproduction values following fungal treatment do not distinguish this interpretation from alternative explanations. CONCLUSION Esteya spp. significantly reduced pinewood nematode reproduction in P. pinaster seedlings, but improvements in disease outcomes were inconsistent under the conditions tested. These findings highlight that pathogen reproduction and disease assessment endpoints should both be evaluated when assessing biological control strategies for pine wilt disease. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry. Sat, 08 Aug 2026 23:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10174/42577 2026-08-08T23:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10174/42558 Title: SOLVO - Soluções baseadas em cobertura com mulch e biochar para reverter processos de desertificação nos olivais do Mediterrâneo Authors: Gomes Vicente Canedo, João Nuno; Novado, Rui; Prats, Sergio Editors: Munõz Rojas, José Abstract: O projeto SOLVO teve como objetivo desenvolver e validar soluções baseadas na natureza para a recuperação de solos degradados em olivais mediterrânicos, recorrendo à aplicação de mulch e biochar produzidos a partir de resíduos agrícolas e florestais. Para esse efeito, foram caracterizados diferentes tipos de biochar, avaliando-se a sua adequação para utilização agrícola. Em laboratório (simulações de chuva), foram testadas diferentes combinações de biochar e mulch, assim como distintos modos de aplicação destes materiais, com vista à seleção das soluções com maior potencial para o restauro do solo. As soluções foram apresentadas em um workshop participativo, aberto, aos diversos atores sociais (gestores agrícolas e cientistas), os quais escolheram as medidas mais promissoras para avaliação em ensaios de campo realizados em olivais mediterrânicos. Em um olival integrado de regadio e um olival ecológico em sequeiro foram analisados os seus efeitos em vários serviços do ecossistema do solo: no controlo da erosão hídrica, no armazenamento de água, no aumento dos stocks de carbono orgânico, na melhoria da fertilidade e qualidade biológica do solo. Os resultados mostram que a combinação de mulch e biochar constitui uma estratégia eficaz para reduzir as perdas de solo por erosão, aumentar a retenção hídrica e promover o armazenamento de carbono, contribuindo para reforçar a resiliência dos sistemas agrícolas mediterrânicos face às alterações climáticas. Verificou-se ainda que a origem da biomassa utilizada na produção de biochar influencia significativamente o seu desempenho e segurança ambiental. Complementarmente, o projeto integrou ferramentas de modelação eco-hidrológica e avaliação do processo participativo com stakeholders, promovendo a transferência de conhecimento e a adoção de práticas de gestão mais sustentáveis. Os resultados obtidos reforçam o potencial da valorização de resíduos agroflorestais no contexto da economia circular e da restauração dos solos mediterrânicos. Thu, 03 Sep 2026 23:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10174/42558 2026-09-03T23:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10174/42536 Title: Sheep Grazing Dynamics in Montado Ecosystem: Holistic and Technological Approach Based on Pasture Monitoring Authors: Serrano, João; Moral, F.; Shahidian, S.; Pinto, H.; Paniagua, L.; Carreira, E.; Charneca, R.; Pereira, A. Editors: Gentili, Rodolfo Abstract: Extensive livestock farming is characteristic of the landscape of the Mediterranean regions of Southern Iberian Peninsula. These production systems based on dryland pastures provide a wide range of services and contribute to maintaining environmental balance when compared with intensive agricultural or other livestock production systems. The Portuguese Montado is a habitat of Community importance and is protected under the European Natura 2000 network. This makes any research aimed at preserving, maintaining, or restoring this ecosystem particularly important to ensure its sustainable management. The main objectives of this study were to evaluate: (i) the impact of dolomitic limestone application on soil pH; (ii) the relation between multiple soil parameters; (iii) the impact of grazing preferences and livestock stocking rates on topsoil compaction; (iv) temporal and spatial sheep grazing patterns and sward productivity, quality and floristic composition throughout the growing vegetative season. This study was carried out during the vegetative cycle of 2023/2024 on a 4-ha pasture field located at Mitra farm (Southern Portugal). The experimental design included four treatments resulting from the combination of limestone application (with and without) and stocking rate (traditional: 7 sheep ha−1 ; high: 18 sheep ha−1 ). Sheep grazing preferences, soil compaction and fertility, sward productivity, quality and floristic composition were monitored at 48 sampling areas. The results confirm that improving soil pH through the application of dolomitic limestone is an effective, although slow and gradual process. When combined with grazing management through increased stocking rates, several important outcomes were observed: (i) preferential grazing areas did not exhibit significant differences in soil trampling; (ii) higher stocking rates resulted in less selective grazing; (iii) soil amendment and higher livestock stocking rates contributed to greater pasture crude protein content; and (iv) the influence of pasture quality on grazing preferences depended on the phase of the pasture-grazing cycle. Overall, these findings are promising indicators of sustainability for extensive animal production in Mediterranean dryland silvopastoral systems. However, with regard to the sward, as this study only monitored a single growing season, will need to be validated in future studies. Fri, 31 Jul 2026 23:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10174/42536 2026-07-31T23:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10174/42535 Title: Sensor-Based Pasture Quality Monitoring: Supporting Grazing Management and Preventing Nutritional and Metabolic Disorders in Ruminants Authors: Pinto, Henrique; Santos, Ricardo; Defalque, Guilherme; Moral, Francisco; Serrano, João Editors: Liu, Yufei Abstract: Pasture quality monitoring is essential for optimizing grazing management and reducing the incidence of nutritional and metabolic disorders in ruminants, yet conventional field-based measurements remain labor-intensive and limited in spatial coverage. This review examines how remote sensing (RS) technologies can support pasture-based livestock systems by providing timely, scalable assessments of biomass, botanical composition, and nutritive attributes. Data from multispectral, hyperspectral, radio detection and ranging (RADAR), and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors, acquired via satellite, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and proximal platforms, are combined with machine learning (ML) methods and radiative transfer models to derive pasture biophysical and quality indicators. The reviewed evidence shows that RS reliably estimates pasture biomass and structural traits, while advances in spectral unmixing, data fusion, and artificial intelligence (AI) improve the characterization of heterogeneous swards and support emerging indicators related to forage quality. Integrating these remotely sensed metrics into grassland decision-support frameworks can enhance grazing allocation, inform fertilization and irrigation decisions, and help detect conditions associated with nutritional imbalances. Overall, the synthesis demonstrates that RS, particularly when combined with advanced modelling and cloud-based processing, offers a robust pathway for improving pasture monitoring and strengthening the nutritional management of ruminants, thereby supporting more sustainable and animal welfare-focused grazing systems. Fri, 31 Jul 2026 23:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10174/42535 2026-07-31T23:00:00Z