The scientist’s duty to reveal findings to the public - El deber del científico es revelar los descubrimientos al público

This a good point to be spread, understood and practiced by all scientists involved in FRUITS and VEGETABLES research 

Photo from www.inta.gob.ar

We believe that this piece published by the neurologist Rosario Sorrentino in Il Corriere della Sera on 14/02/2015 deserves to be passed on to our researchers. We consider it a useful concept that should be disseminated to those we encourage to work with our publication.  

 

... I believe scientists should sacrifice a bit of the precious time they dedicate to research, shifting their focus also to the dissemination of scientific knowledge with the determination to do so enthusiastically and as simply and clearly as possible...

Popular science should become a new cultural paradigm, a "parallel culture" that enables modern scientists to better pursue both knowledge acquired and their own way of expressing themselves so as to make it as interesting as possible.

Science can aspire to becoming the primary seat for information and training in society, but this change must begin in universities by preparing future scientists, when they turn to others, to speak with absolute clarity. Only in this way will people follow us in our work, support us, and perhaps will value us more…” 

So let us train our brains to what I consider to be the quality that cannot be disregarded by those wishing to communicate effectively,  as I think the true dialectic is not the art of persuading or convincing others but rather  the ability to convey sometimes cryptic and incomprehensible concepts in the simplest possible way.

Source: http://www.georgofili.world

Fuerte aumento de las exportaciones de PIMIENTO piquillo desde Perú - Strong increase of piquillo PEPPER exports from Peru

Con cifras positivas inició el año el pimiento piquillo, producto cuyas exportaciones alcanzaron US$4.7 millones en enero, lo que se traduce en un incremento de 174.8% respecto al mismo periodo del año pasado.

Pimiento piquillo fresco / Fotgrafía gentileza ADEX

De acuerdo al Sistema de Inteligencia Comercial ADEX Data Trade, esta hortaliza -que se despacha principalmente en conserva-, presentó una tendencia positiva no sólo en monto FOB, sino también en volumen, que ascendió a 2.210 toneladas, 182.6% más en comparación a enero del año pasado. La Gerencia de Agro de la Asociación de Exportadores de Perú (ADEX) informó que lo anterior es gracias a una mayor demanda de España, principal destino del pimiento piquillo con US$4.1 millones (+207.9%) y una concentración de 87.9%.

“Esta hortaliza es considerada como un producto gourmet y es uno de los acompañamientos más demandados por la gastronomía en ese país y en otros de la Unión Europea”, manifestó ADEX. De igual forma, el organismo gremial detalló que en el país ibérico este producto es demandado por distribuidores y posteriormente derivado a supermercados. En ocasiones, también es enviado de forma directa a supermercados, restaurantes, tiendas gourmet y hoteles, entre otros.

Agregó que esta alta demanda responde además a la fuerte corriente en ese país, y en Europa en general, de consumir alimentos saludables, naturales y orgánicos. Otros mercados para el producto -en orden de importancia- fueron EE.UU (+136.1%) y Francia (39.8%), que representaron el 5.5% y 3.3% respectivamente de las exportaciones totales. Más atrás se ubicaron Australia, Canadá (que retomó sus pedidos), Dinamarca, Reino Unido, Países Bajos, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Brasil y Chile.

Cabe señalar que las condiciones climáticas en Perú permiten el cultivo de pimiento piquillo durante todo el año, abasteciendo a diversos mercados incluso en periodos en que otros productores mundiales no lo producen. Actualmente, el cultivo del producto se concentra principalmente en el norte del país (Lambayeque, La Libertad y Piura), Lima y en el sur (Ica). A su vez, la habilitación de zonas productivas en Majes (Arequipa) se presenta como una gran oportunidad para su desarrollo.

Fuente:  http://www.portalfruticola.com

Recent discovery of chili PEPPERS’ analgesic role - Reciente descubrimiento del rol analgésico de los AJÍES picantes

The health effects of hot chili peppers in our diet have been debated for some time and numerous biomedical studies have been carried out regarding this topic. Many results are favorable even if there are some contraindications that have often been questioned by the majority of experts.      

 

Not only has the antibacterial role of hot chili peppers been ascertained but also its high vitamin-C content antioxidant power, and positive digestive effect—to mention just some of its properties. In early 2015, the use of hot chili peppers as a painkiller was authoritatively confirmed. As is well-known, hot chili peppers owe this effect to the presence in their fruit -unique in the vegetable world - of an alkaloid called capsaicin, a substance that “cheats” the TRPV1 receptor by making us feel a high temperature and therefore a strong burning sensation.

   

In February 2015, Science Signaling*, a scientific journal of the American Society for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), published an article on how this alkaloid works reporting the results of a carefully researched study carried out by a group of scientists from the Rutgers University Medical School (New Jersey). This substance has numerous properties often beneficial to human health. Specifically, capsaicin’s pain-relief action was analyzed, which takes place by inactivating the mechanosensitive channels found in the neuronal membranes.

 

For a long time, it had been observed that, as a topical pain medication, capsaicin caused numbness in the tissue. However, researchers had never been able to understand how that effect was obtained. Now we know that the initial attenuation of pain is the consequence of capsaicin activating a vanilloid receptor’s (TRPV1) ion channels in the sensory neurons. It is interesting to observe that the term “vanilloid” derives from the sensitivity of those receptors reacting to all substances having a vanillic functional group (vanillin is the one that gives vanilla its characteristic smell) which is also precisely that of capsaicin, closely correlated structurally to vanillin.

 

The final result is that prolonged stimulus with capsaicin desensitizes these neurons. The importance of this research carried out by the New Jersey group lies in having discovered the link between capsaicin’s heat-stimulating function (which everyone experiences when eating a hot chili pepper) and its ability to relieve neuralgic, neuropathic and muscle pain.

 

Essentially, the activation of the TRPV1 receptor involves, in its turn, the (almost 100%) inhibition of other ion channels in the neuronal membrane, causing the attenuation of the above-mentioned conditions. What is unique in this study is how the biochemical processes that take place in one kind of channel regulate the activity of a different kind of ion channel. In other words, it is a cross-talk, i.e., an unusual “molecular dialogue”, between ion channels, mediated by specific molecules, phospholipids, which this same study also identified. 

 

Despite using terms unfamiliar to most people, I hope it can be understood how the studies being carried out on hot chili peppers are able to give us increasingly more scientific explanations on this special vegetable’s various positive roles for our well-being.

*"Borbiro I. et al., Activation of TRPV1 channels inhibits mechanosensitive Piezo channel activity by depleting membrane phosphoinositides. Science Signalling, doi:10.1126/scisignal.2005667,2015

Source: Amedeo Alpi (http://www.georgofili.world)

Consumer demand for parsnips on the rise - La demanda de chirivía en aumento

Consumers are enjoying parsnips (Pastinaca sativa) for their health benefits and versatility as they can be cooked and eaten in many different ways. Food Network is claiming parsnips to be a new superfood on the rise. Typically a winter vegetable, parsnips are now available year-round in supermarkets and farmer’s markets throughout the US.

 

“We are seeing a steady increase in sales of parsnip seeds”, says Kraig Kuykendall with Tozer Seeds America, the pioneer of the first F1 parsnip hybrid that was developed in the UK over three decades ago. Hybrid parsnips are a lot stronger and much more uniform than the non-hybrid varieties. “Parsnips are a difficult root vegetable to grow,” said Kuykendall. “They are a weak and slowly growing product with different root sizes.” Development of hybrid varieties has resulted in a more vigorous product that is uniform in shape and size. Tozer sells different hybrid varieties that all have their individual characteristics. Gladiator, the world’s first commercial F1 hybrid parsnip, matures quicker. The Javelin variety on the other hand is resistant to root canker and is the highest yielding variety while the Albion variety is preferred by some customers for its white color.

“North American growing regions for parsnips are at the same northern latitude as the UK,” said Kuykendall. “As a result, Michigan, New York, Oregon and Washington are the largest parsnip growing states in the US.” In Canada, parsnips are grown in Quebec and Ontario. 

Source: http://www.freshplaza.com

Methyl Bromide and STRAWBERRIES .. Shock .. Horror .. Oh, Wait a Minute - Bromuro de metilo en FRESA (FRUTILLA) .... Shock .... Horror ... Oh, un momento por favor.

 There was an article on the ABC site this morning which gave us this alarming headline “Pesticide banned worldwide still used to grow 70pc of Australian strawberries”. Shocking! Except, well, there were a few teeny tiny but important details missing. Like the fact that the rest of the world is still using the “banned” pesticide too.    

Image source: http://www.news.uwa.edu.au

Methyl Bromide (the substance involved) has been withdrawn worldwide under the Montreal protocol as it is a potent greenhouse gas (not because of toxicity, as many people have assumed from the headlines). However, world wide, there are exemptions for the use of methyl bromide as a fumigant for quarantine and production purposes (QPS) and some special (critical use) exemptions, it’s not just us. In 2005 Australia, stopped the use of methyl bromide for all but the exempt QPS uses, and for a few uses for which there was no suitable alternative to methyl bromide.
In 2012 around 12,000 metric tonnes of methyl bromide were used around the world for various QPS and critical exemption purposes, Australia’s agricultural use was 32 tonnes at this time (Japan’s was 216 metric tonnes and the US 923 metric tonnes for comparison). Critical use exemptions, the ones that allow the strawberry farmers to fumigate their soil, must be applied for each year.
Like everyone else in the world, Australia developed plans to phase out the remaining methyl bromide use. Since 2005, when methyl bromide use in general was phased out, Australia has been replacing methyl bromide in the critical use exemption and (to a more limited extent) QPS categories with alternatives, dropping from 112 metric tonnes in 2005 to 32 metric tonnes in 2015.
Methyl bromide is an important pesticide fumigant, and is used to kill pathogens and pests in imported produce and some produce for export. Finding alternatives is not straight forward, for example, phosphine, one of the alternative fumigants, is highly flammable, so new handing procedures are needed to combat the risk of fire.
While reducing the amount of methyl bromide entering the atmosphere is important, the significant risk to the Australian biota and agricultural production from invasive pests and pathogens has to be weighted against the fact that human produced brominated compounds represent less than 0.03% of the total halogens released into the atmosphere, and that unlike CFC’s, which last in the atmosphere for decades, methyl bromide’s half life in the atmosphere is less than a year.
Given the relatively small impact of methyl bromide, and the continuing reduction of methyl bromide (see here for a comparison of the progress and the contribution of the US vs the rest of the world), Shock! Horror! headlines about Australia’s use for strawberries are unwarranted.
In the strawberry growing industry, methyl bromide is used to destroy pathogens and pests in the soil the strawberry runners are planted in. In Queensland and Tasmania, methyl bromide has been replaced. However, for the soils in the Victorian strawberry growing areas, the alternative fumigants aren’t as effective.
Other fumigants are being researched, but it takes time to find something that is reasonably safe, reasonably cheap and effective. One of the potential replacements, methyl iodide, has been withdrawn from the market, so the hunt is still on for a viable replacement. It may be that we have to grow our strawberries under soil-less conditions to stop disease and pest losses.
So, like all other countries, Australia has phased out methyl bromide, except for quarantine and other critical uses for which there is no effective alternative (again, just like other countries). Since 2005 we have systematically reduced the amount of methyl bromide for these uses, and are undertaking research to reduce the amount even further.
Oh, and in case you are worried that methyl bromide contaminates the strawberries, methyl bromide breaks down in the soil, and the strawberries that grow much later do not come into contact with it. There is no toxicity issue here at all.
Sources: http://theconversation.com/, www.freshplaza.com

La raza R4T del mal de Panamá pone en alerta a los países latinoamericanos productores de BANANO - Latin American BANANA producer countries are on alert by the risk of R4T race of Panama disease

Una nueva raza de la enfermedad conocida como Mal de Panamá preocupa a los países productores y exportadores de banano de Latinoamérica. Esta nueva raza del hongo todavía no ha aparecido en la región, que provee del 90% de la musácea que se consume en el mundo, según datos de la FAO.

 

Esta preocupación fue expresada este martes 31 de marzo, durante el Encuentro Interministerial de Agricultura, que reunió en Guayaquil desde la mañana a viceministros y titulares de entidades agropecuarias estatales de un grupo de países latinoamericanos que cultivan la musácea. El hongo en su raza R1 ya afectó en el pasado a las plantaciones latinoamericanas. Según Agrocalidad, en el país dañó unas 17 000 hectáreas (ha), y dejó pérdidas para la industria por alrededor de USD 2 300 millones.

La enfermedad de Panamá, fusariosis del banano o mal de Panamá es una enfermedad provocada por el hongo Fusarium oxysporum que ataca las raíces de algunas variedades de banano. La resistencia del hongo a los fungicidas ha hecho de esta enfermedad la mayor plaga de la historia del cultivo del banano, exterminando por completo algunos cultivares particularmente susceptibles.

La raza R4T (Raza 4 Tropical), la que causa preocupación a los productores, está diseminada en plantaciones de países de África, Asia y en zonas de Australia, pero no en Latinoamérica. En el mundo se cultivan un poco más de 4 millones de toneladas de banano, de las que 3,6 millones provienen de cultivos de los países latinoamericanos. Según Agrocalidad, la variante del Mal de Panamá provoca la pudrición generaliza de la planta.
La cita interministerial de Guayaquil es la consecución de un taller técnico previo, también realizado en el Puerto Principal, con especialistas de los países cultivadores de la región. En ese taller ya se conformó un grupo de trabajo y se revisaron los planes de contingencia para evitar el ingreso de esta variante del hongo. Eduardo Ledesma, director ejecutivo de la Asociación Ecuatoriana de Exportadores de Banano, esbozó con cifras la necesidad de proteger al banano ecuatoriano contra esta y otras enfermedad que lo pongan en riesgo. “El banano representa el 23% de las exportaciones no petroleras del país, y el 26% del PIB agrícola.” Recordó que el grueso de las plantaciones está en manos de pequeños productores. “El 70% de los productores de banano del país no tiene más de 20 ha de cultivo”.

Ecuador prevé cerrar el 2015 con un estimado de 300 millones de cajas exportadas. En el 2014 el sector exportó 298 millones de cajas de la fruta. Las medidas de prevención se basan sobre todo en la cuarentena de poblaciones infectadas, restringiendo la exportación de rizomas, retoños y tierra. El uso de plantines micropropagados es una de las principales posibilidades para la difusión de cultivares, sin poner en riesgo de contagio a las zonas aún no afectadas, especialmente América.

Fuente: Washington Paspuel (http://www.elcomercio.com) and http://es.wikipedia.org

Biocontrol in greenhouses is State policy in Canada - El control biológico en invernaderos es política de Estado en Canadá

The Canadian government announced an investment that will enable the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre to deliver effective new and existing biocontrol products such as biopesticide treatments, demonstrate efficient spraying and trapping techniques, and develop a framework for growers to adopt more biological pest management practices.

 

 

Member of Parliament Dean Allison, on behalf of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, announced an investment of $143,260 to the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre to conduct research into improving the use of biological controls for pest and disease management for the Canadian greenhouse sector.

The goal is to enhance the sustainability of the Canadian greenhouse industry, delivering economic benefits and growth opportunities along the value chain while enabling the development of more effective and cost-efficient biocontrol products and practices.

 

• The Vineland Research and Innovation Centre Inc. (Vineland) is a not-for-profit organization incorporated by the province of Ontario in 2007 for the purpose of advancing horticultural research and innovation to support the production of healthy foods in an environmentally sustainable way.
• Canada has 23 million square metres of production greenhouses which supply both domestic and export markets, employ thousands and are a significant contributor to the Canadian economy.
• This investment is being made through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's AgriInnovation Program, a five-year, up to $698 million initiative under Growing Forward 2.

"Vineland Research & Innovation Center exemplifies one of the great stories of hard-work and dedication, that the Niagara region has to offer. The Horticultural & Agricultural Industries are growing and is a major economic contributor to our riding of Niagara West-Glanbrook and to Canada. With over 100 years of excellence in research and the development of new technologies, our Government is proud to work with the exceptional individuals at Vineland Research & Innovation Center to help cultivate a competitive, modern and world-class agricultural sector for the future." - Member of Parliament Dean Allison.

"The Canadian greenhouse industry is a world leader in the use of biological control, which now underpins most pest and disease management strategies. Today's investment will allow researchers to further address key plant protection and production efficiency priorities identified by the greenhouse sector." - Dr. Michael Brownbridge, Research Director, Horticultural Production Systems.

Source: www.hortdaily.com