Departamento de Ecologia e Agricultura Sustentável (DEAS)
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- A cultura do Figo (Ficus carica L.): uma proposta de itinerários técnicosPublication . Gonçalves, Adriana Miranda; Costa, Cristina Amaro da; Wessel, Dulcineia FerreiraA figueira (Ficus carica L.) é cultivada em Portugal desde a Antiguidade e apresenta especificidades botânicas marcantes: o figo é uma infrutescência, designada por sicónio, que contém o verdadeiro fruto - aquénios - que se encontram fechados no seu interior, e que só podem ser polinizados por um inseto específico, o ‘Blastophaga psenes’. Este estudo caracterizou os itinerários técnicos da cultura do figo, a partir de inquéritos semiestruturados, realizados a cinco produtores, que abrangeram operações culturais, custos de instalação/manutenção, formas de financiamento e canais de escoamento. Os resultados revelam potencial de rentabilidade, dependente da gestão hídrica, da escolha varietal (tipos Comum vs. Smyrna) e do acesso a mercados de alto valor (figo fresco premium ou figo seco). O cultivo em estufa, que tem o potencial de aumentar o rendimento e estender o período de colheita, em comparação com o cultivo ao ar livre, necessita de mais estudos para identificar os fatores que podem elevar sua produtividade. As práticas agrícolas observadas são maioritariamente sustentáveis, com predomínio do controlo biológico de pragas e uso reduzido de produtos químicos. Embora os custos de instalação e manutenção sejam elevados, a valorização do produto e a diversificação de mercados indicam potencial de rentabilidade, em função das variedades. O estudo foi desenvolvido em parceira com a Inovfarmer.MED.
- Analysing the different interrelationships of soil organic carbon using machine learning approaches: Assessing the specific case of PortugalPublication . Pereira Domingues Martinho, Vítor João; Ramos, Tiago Brito; Castanheira, Nádia; Cunha, Carlos; Ferreira, António José Dinis; Pereira, José Luís da Silva; Sánchez-Carreira, Maria del CarmenGiven the importance of soil organic carbon (SOC) for sustainability, policymakers and researchers are particularly concerned with identifying the conditions that promote carbon storage in the soil. These assessments provide relevant support for the design of policy instruments aimed at increasing soil quality and its carbon sequestration capacity. The new technologies associated with the digital transition can bring relevant added value, namely through artificial intelligence methodologies, where machine learning approaches are important. In this context, this research aims to analyse the several interrelationships of SOC in the specific Portuguese context, with a focus on highlighting its main predictors and providing proposals for stakeholders (including policymakers). To achieve these objectives, statistics from the INFOSOLO database were considered and evaluated using machine learning algorithms to select the most important SOC predictors and identify accurate models. These interrelationships were quantified with cross sectional regressions and optimisation models. The results obtained provide relevant information for the design of adjusted policy measures that promote sustainable practices and increase soil quality. Generally, Portuguese soils have low organic carbon content due to soil features, climate circumstances and land management. Adjusted management of agroforestry activities is possibly the easiest part to deal with in this context.
- Biopreparados agroecológicos como solução biológicaPublication . Simões, Joana; de Vasconcelos Teixeira Aguiar da Costa, Daniela; Costa, Cristina Amaro daNa sociedade atual, a sustentabilidade ambiental e social é uma preocupação crescente, em particular na produção de alimentos que se traduz na crescente procura por produtos seguros para os ecossistemas e para o consumidor final. A utilização de biopreparados, com base na (re)utilização de recursos naturais existentes na exploração, é uma parte integrante de sistemas produção agroecológicos. Estudaram se sete biopreparados agroecológicos no projeto RESTORE - biopReparados Em SisTemas prOdução agRoEcológicos [projeto UIDB/00681/2020] – vinagre de figo-da-índia, vinagre de beldroega, sumo fermentado de laranja, extrato de alho, infusão de urtiga, decocção de cavalinha e biopreparado de alho e malagueta. O trabalho consistiu em: aplicação de inquérito aos agricultores sobre biopreparados utilizados; seleção e produção, análise físico-química e microbiológica e avaliação de efeitos in vivo de biopreparados. Foram realizados 17 inquéritos a produtores, na região Centro. Os biopreparados foram selecionados a partir da informação dos agricultores. Em laboratório, procedeu-se à quantificação de compostos fenólicos totais, análise da capacidade antioxidante e a da inibição de atividade microbiana, em bactérias e fungos, em três momentos temporais diferentes e com base no tipo de conservação estabelecida: logo após a preparação do biopreparado; três e seis meses após a conservação em fresco e seis meses após conservação por congelação. Os ensaios de campo foram realizados em viveiros de alface, em estufa, desde a sementeira até à transplantação. O sumo fermentado de laranja e os vinagres apresentam os melhores resultados em composição fenólica e capacidade antioxidante. Em termos de inibição de atividade microbiológica, o biopreparado de alho e malagueta é o que demonstra uma inibição mais consistente. A decocção de cavalinha demonstra apresentar melhores resultados enquanto bioestimulante no cultivo de alface. É essencial dar continuidade a estudos de avaliação dos efeitos dos biopreparados para melhorar o conhecimento sobre os mesmos e os seus efeitos, bem como para fundamentar uma tomada de decisão mais adequada.
- Five models and ten predictors for energy costs on farms in the European UnionPublication . Pereira Domingues Martinho, Vítor JoãoEnergy costs are the main concerns of the agricultural stakeholders, because of their economic, environmental, and social impacts on the farms and the development of interrelated activities. In fact, it is important to save costs with the energy use to improve the profitability of the farms, but the level of these costs is often interlinked with the options to manage the energy consumption and the respective implications on sustainability. This framework highlights the importance of good management and planning for energy utilisation in the farming sector, namely to promote a balanced and integrated rural development. Considering these perspectives, this research intends to identify which factor, and how, impacted the energy costs in the European Union farms over the last decades. To achieve these objectives data from the Farm Accountancy Data Network database were considered for the European Union agricultural regions and the period 2013–2021. This statistical information was analysed through machine learning approaches following the procedures proposed by the software IBM SPSS Modeler. The linear support vector machine, regression, random forest, random trees, and the classification and regression tree are the most accurate models. On the contrary, the level of production, the size of farms, the economic and financial structure, and policy measures are the most important predictors. The findings here may be important insights for the European Union farming stakeholders, specifically to allow the design of policies for a more adjusted energy resources management.
- From Household to Public Sphere: Women Farmers, Gender Inequality, and Collective Mobilisation.Publication . Gomes, Diana; Bandeira, Cristina; Costa, Cristina Amaro daThe MAIs Project – Women Farmers in Inland Territories – aimed to empower and promote the civic and associative participation of women farmers in S. Pedro do Sul and Sabugal, contributing to the advancement of gender equality in these regions. Using a participatory approach grounded in the principles of community development, activities were structured along three axes of intervention: personal/social, technical, and collective. This article analyses gender inequality in civic participation and highlights popular education as a key tool for strengthening collective action. When considering community mobilisation in rural contexts, it is essential to recognise the role of trust-based networks and the coordination between public policies and local actors. Women farmers face structural barriers that limit their engagement in the public sphere, including the burden of domestic and agricultural labour and persistent patriarchal norms. Thus, the centrality of labour and the gendered division of responsibilities emerged as key factors in understanding patterns of political participation and the development of collective action.
- Integrated Soil Management: Food Supply, Environmental Impacts, and Socioeconomic FunctionsPublication . Pereira, José Luís da Silva; Pereira Domingues Martinho, Vítor JoãoThis Editorial refers to the Special Issue “Integrated Soil Management: Food Supply, Environmental Impacts, and Socioeconomic Functions”. The Special Issue highlights bringing a broader perspective on soil management, namely in its relationship with food supply, environmental dimensions, and socioeconomic activities. From a total of twenty-six manuscripts submitted for consideration and peer review, fourteen were accepted for publication and inclusion in this Special Issue (two reviews and twelve articles). The published contributions are listed below followed by a description review to encourage the reader to explore them.
- The integration of immigrant women farmers in Portugal: Reconnecting with nature through agriculturePublication . Delplancq, Véronique; Costa, Cristina Amaro da; Araújo, Pedro; Costa Lopes, Ana Maria; Fidalgo, Susana; Figueiredo, Diogo; Pereira, José Manuel de Almeida; European Journal of Sustainable Development ResearchMigrants play a vital role in revitalizing rural regions, contributing to demographic renewal, economic diversification, and cultural enrichment. Their involvement is particularly significant in sectors such as agriculture, where labour shortages and aging populations pose ongoing challenges. By bringing new skills, perspectives, and initiatives, migrants help sustain local economies and foster innovation. This study explores the experiences of five foreign women who have relocated to the Centre of Portugal, establishing new lives centred on agriculture and aims to understand the motivations behind migration, lifestyles, and the dynamics of integration. Through in-depth interviews and photographic and video documentation, the study highlights the women’s pursuit of a more sustainable, nature-connected existence, emphasizes the significance of the welcoming process and underlines the role of agriculture as a pathway to improved quality of life and social integration. It was clear that the integration process requires social inclusion, access to services, cultural exchange, and community engagement. Keywords: foreign women farmers, region of Viseu, integration, sustainability, eco-friendly
- Suggestions for promoting SOC storage within the carbon farming framework: Analyzing the INFOSOLO databasePublication . Cunha, Carlos; Castanheira, Nádia Luísa; Ramos, Tiago Brito; Martinho, Vítor João Pereira Domingues; Ferreira, António José Dinis; Pereira, José Luís da Silva; Sánchez-Carreira, Maria del CarmenThe new world challenges under climate change call for eco-friendly practices that make agriculture’s economic and social dimensions compatible with environmental preservation and ecosystem resilience. Carbon farming has emerged as an interesting alternative for dealing with these new frameworks, as it promotes conservation agriculture with practices that increase carbon sequestration in soils and plants. Considering these motivations, this research intends to bring more insights into the levels of soil organic carbon (SOC) in the Portuguese context, and this variable is interrelated with land use, land attributes, and soil characteristics. Statistical information from the INFOSOLO legacy database was analyzed through statistical methodologies and machine-learning approaches. The findings provide interesting support for the stakeholders about the influence of land use and soil types on the levels of SOC.
- Suggestions for resin research under the COST Action EU-PoTaRChPublication . Pereira Domingues Martinho, Vítor João; Brózdowski, JakubForest management and planning are often challenging, specifically because of the irregular income flow available to landowners. In timber production, for example, producers must wait several years before receiving returns on their investments in forested land. As a result, such economic uncertainty can make forest activities less attractive to investors and discourage effective management strategies. The forest by-products appear as an opportunity to increase the profitability of the forest lands and motivate the landowners for more effective planning. This is crucial, namely in countries where, for example, forest fires are real problems for economic activity, populations and the environment. In this context, this study, developed within the scope of the COST Action EUPoTaRCh, intends to bring more insights and suggestions for the scientific research about resin. To give suggestions, a search was performed in the Scopus database (article title, abstracts and keywords), on 02 November 2024, for the following topics: “natural resin” or “plant resin”. In the search, 4127 documents were obtained and assessed through bibliometric analysis. The results obtained show that scientific research has focused mainly on biological and chemical aspects, while social, economic, cultural, and policy dimensions remain unexplored. The study suggests promoting transdisciplinary and international collaboration, principally in countries with limited research on resin, to support more comprehensive and inclusive policies and strategies on forest byproduct.