35 results on '"Squire, Geoff"'
Search Results
2. Genetic structure among arable populations of Capsella bursa-pastoris is linked to functional traits and in-field conditions
- Author
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Begg, Graham S., Wishart, Jane, Young, Mark W., Squire, Geoff R., and Iannetta, Pietro P. M.
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Co-adaptation of seed dormancy and flowering time in the arable weed Capsella bursa-pastoris (shepherd's purse)
- Author
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Toorop, Peter E., Cuerva, Rafael Campos, Begg, Graham S., Locardi, Bruna, Squire, Geoff R., and Iannetta, Pietro P. M.
- Published
- 2012
4. Sustainable introduction of GM crops into european agriculture: a summary report of the FP6 SIGMEA research project
- Author
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Messéan Antoine, Squire Geoff, Perry Joe, Angevin Frédérique, Gomez Manuel, Townend Peter, Sausse Christophe, Breckling Broder, Langrell Stephen, Dzeroski Saso, and Sweet Jeremy
- Subjects
GMOs ,gene flow ,coexistence ,modelling ,decision-making ,ecological impacts ,maize ,oilseed rape ,Oils, fats, and waxes ,TP670-699 - Abstract
In 2003, the European Commission established the principle of coexistence which refers to “the ability of farmers to make a practical choice between conventional, organic and GM-crop production, in compliance with the legal obligations for labelling and/or purity standards” and laid down guidelines defining the context of this coexistence1. In order to determine what is needed for the sustainable introduction of GM crops in Europe, the cross-disciplinary SIGMEA Research Project was set up to create a science-based framework to inform decision-makers. SIGMEA has (i) collated and analysed European data on gene flow and the environmental impacts of the major crop species which are likely to be transgenic in the future (maize, rapeseed, sugar beet, rice, and wheat), (ii) designed predictive models of gene flow at the landscape level, (iii) analysed the technical feasibility and economic impacts of coexistence in the principal farming regions of Europe, (iv) developed novel GMO detection methods, (v) addressed legal issues related to coexistence, and (vi) proposed public and farm scale decisionmaking tools, as well as guidelines regarding management and governance. This publishable version of the final activity report of the FP6 SIGMEA research project, covers the fourteen major issues under investigation.
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. Effects on Weed and Invertebrate Abundance and Diversity of Herbicide Management in Genetically Modified Herbicide-Tolerant Winter-Sown Oilseed Rape
- Author
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Bohan, David A., Boffey, Caroline W. H., Brooks, David R., Clark, Suzanne J., Dewar, Alan M., Firbank, Les G., Haughton, Alison J., Hawes, Cathy, Heard, Matthew S., May, Mike J., Osborne, Juliet L., Perry, Joe N., Rothery, Peter, Roy, David B., Scott, Rod J., Squire, Geoff R., Woiwod, Ian P., and Champion, Gillian T.
- Published
- 2005
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. Preface: Perspectives on stabilizing processes in mixed plant communities
- Author
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Squire, Geoff, Marshall, Bruce, and Incoll, Lynton
- Published
- 1999
7. Heterogeneity in the distribution of genetically modified and conventional oilseed rape within fields and seed lots
- Author
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Begg, Graham S., Elliott, Martin J., Cullen, Danny W., Iannetta, Pietro P. M., and Squire, Geoff R.
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
8. Sources of uncertainty in the quantification of genetically modified oilseed rape contamination in seed lots
- Author
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Begg, Graham S., Cullen, Danny W., Iannetta, Pietro P. M., and Squire, Geoff R.
- Published
- 2007
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
9. Decision Support Models for the Evaluation of Legume-Based Systems: Environment, Economy and Socio-policy
- Author
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Debeljak, Marko, Dergan, Tanja, Squire, Geoff, Centofanti, Tiziana, Williams, Michael, Saget, Sophie, Styles, David, Costa, Marcela, Shailesh Shrestha, Toma, Luiza, Faical Akaichi, Balázs, Bálint, Kelemen, Eszter, Bienkowski, Damian, Hawes, Cathy, Iannetta, Pietro, and Trajanov, Aneta
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Value chain ,Food system ,Multi attribute ,Decision support ,Legume - Abstract
The series of decision models produced in this Deliverable (D8.2) will be integrated into a model for the assessment of overall sustainability of legume systems, with respect to the identification of key legume-based system indicators for the three pillars of sustainability. The decision model will be then used for evaluation of the relative sustainability of transition pathways to more effective scenarios. 
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
10. Application of Delphi for governance contexts which favour legume-supported value chains
- Author
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Balázs, Bálint, Kelemen, Eszter, Centofanti, Tiziana, Vasconcelos, Marta, Maaß, Henrik, Kolmans, Alicia, Squire, Geoff, Tran, Fanny, Bienkowski, Damian, and Iannetta, Pete
- Subjects
Governance ,Policy ,Food Security ,Legumes ,Delphi - Abstract
This Deliverable presents the result from the application of a policy Delphi and highlights how experts assess the potential of governance contexts that may favour therealisation of legume-supportedvalue chains.
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- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
11. Towards a general theory of biodiversity
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Pachepsky, Elizaveta, Crawford, John W., Bown, James L., and Squire, Geoff
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Environmental issues ,Science and technology ,Zoology and wildlife conservation - Abstract
Author(s): Elizaveta Pachepsky [1, 2]; John W. Crawford (corresponding author) [2]; James L. Bown [2]; Geoff Squire [1] The study of patterns in living diversity is driven by the desire [...]
- Published
- 2001
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
12. Report on Co-design of Policy Analysis. Deliverable 7.1 for the EU-H2020 funded project, ‘TRansition paths to sUstainable legume-based systems in Europe’ (TRUE)
- Author
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Balázs, Bálint, Kelemen, Eszter, Debeljak, Marko, Hamann, Karen, Kolmans, Alicia, Maaß, Henrik, Vasconcelos, Marta W., Williams, Michael, Squire, Geoff, and Iannetta, Pietro P M
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
13. TRUE Annual Activity Plan – Year 1
- Author
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Iannetta, Pietro P M, Davies, Chantel, Squire, Geoff R., Young, Mark, Kolmans, Alicia, Gerster-Bentaya, Maria, Pircher, Thomas, Bálint, Balázs, Kelemen, Eszter, Styles, David, Savvas, Dimitrios, Ntatsi, Georgia, Hamann, Karen, Toma, Luiza, Shailesh Shrestha, Vasconcelos, Marta W., and Williams, Michael
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
14. Food production and nature conservation : Conflicts and solutions
- Author
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Gordon, Iain J., Squire, Geoff R., and Prins, Herbert H.T.
- Subjects
Wildlife Ecology and Conservation ,PE&RC - Abstract
Feeding the world's growing human population is increasingly challenging, especially as more people adopt a western diet and lifestyle. Doing so without causing damage to nature poses an even greater challenge. This book argues that in order to create a sustainable food supply whilst conserving nature, agriculture and nature must be reconnected and approached together. The authors demonstrate that while the links between nature and food production have, to some extent, already been recognized, until now the focus has been to protect one from the impacts of the other. Instead, it is argued that nature and agriculture can, and should, work together and ultimately benefit from one another. Chapters describe efforts to protect nature through globally connected protected area systems and illustrate how farming methods are being shaped to protect nature within agricultural systems. The authors also point to many ways in which nature benefits agriculture through the ecosystem services it provides. Overall, the book shows that nature conservation and food production must be considered as equally important components of future solutions to meet the global demand for food in a manner that is sustainable for both the human population and the planet as a whole.
- Published
- 2016
15. Conclusion : Re-engaging agriculture with nature
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Gordon, Iain J., Squire, Geoff R., and Prins, Herbert H.T.
- Subjects
Wildlife Ecology and Conservation ,Life Science ,PE&RC - Published
- 2016
16. Introduction - Food production and nature conservation : Conflicts and solutions - Part 1: Food is Disconnected from Nature
- Author
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Gordon, Iain J., Squire, Geoff R., and Prins, Herbert H.T.
- Subjects
Wildlife Ecology and Conservation ,Life Science ,PE&RC - Published
- 2016
17. Regulating services
- Author
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Smith, Pete, Ashmore, Mike, Black, Helaina, Burgess, Paul, Evans, Chris, Hails, Rosemary, Potts, Simon, Quine, Timothy, Thomson, Amanda, Biesmeijer, Koos, Breeze, Tom, Broadmeadow, Mark, Ferrier, Robert, Freer, Jim, Hansom, Jim, Haygarth, Phil, Hesketh, Helen, Hicks, Kevin, Johnson, Andrew, Kay, David, Kunin, William, Lilly, Alan, May, Linda, Memmott, Jane, Orr, Harriet, Pickup, Roger, Purse, Beth, and Squire, Geoff
- Subjects
ComputingMilieux_GENERAL ,ComputingMilieux_LEGALASPECTSOFCOMPUTING ,GeneralLiterature_REFERENCE(e.g.,dictionaries,encyclopedias,glossaries) - Published
- 2011
18. Guidance on the environmental risk assessment of genetically modified plants:EFSA Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)
- Author
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Bartsch, Detlef, Chueca, Cristina, De-Schrijver, Adinda, Gathmann, Achim, Hails, Rosie, Messéan, Antoine, Perry, Joe, Roda, Lucia, Sessitsch, Angela, Squire, Geoff, Sweet, Jeremy, Arpaia, Salvatore, Delos, Marc, Kiss, Jozsef, Krogh, Paul Henning, Manachini, Barbara, Zwahlen, Claudia, Acutis, Marco, van-der-Voet, Hilko, Devos, Yann, Lheureux, Karine, Mestdagh, Sylvie, and Paoletti, Claudia
- Subjects
environmental safety ,cultivation ,GMO ,fungi ,GM plant ,import ,environmental risk assessment ,guidance document ,processing ,Directive 2001/18/EC ,Regulation (EC) No. 1829/2003 - Abstract
This document provides guidance for the environmental risk assessment (ERA) of genetically modified (GM) plants submitted within the framework of Regulation (EC) No. 1829/2003 on GM food and feed or under Directive 2001/18/EC on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). This document provides guidance for assessing potential effects of GM plants on the environment and the rationales for the data requirements for a comprehensive ERA of GM plants. The ERA should be carried out on a case-by-case basis, following a step-by-step assessment approach. This document describes the six steps for the ERA of GM plants, as indicated in Directive 2001/18/EC, starting with (1) problem formulation including hazard identification; (2) hazard characterisation; (3) exposure characterisation; (4) risk characterisation; (5) risk management strategies; and (6) an overall risk evaluation. The scientific Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms (of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA GMO Panel) considers seven specific areas of concern to be addressed by applicants and risk assessors during the ERA (1) persistence and invasiveness of the GM plant , or its compatible relatives, including plant-to-plant gene transfer ; (2) plant-to-micro-organism gene transfer; (3) interaction of the GM plant with target organisms and (4) interaction of the GM plant with non-target organisms, including criteria for selection of appropriate species and relevant functional groups for risk assessment; (5) impact of the specific cultivation, management and harvesting techniques; including consideration of the production systems and the receiving environment(s); (6) effects on biogeochemical processes; and (7) effects on human and animal health. Each specific area of concern is considered in a structured and systematic way following the above-mentioned steps (1 to 6). In addition, the guidance document is supplemented with several general cross-cutting considerations (e.g. choice of comparator, receiving environment(s), general statistical principles, long-term effects) that need to be considered in the ERA.
- Published
- 2010
19. Managing Wilderness Regions Ian Flintoff Sally Cohen
- Author
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Squire, Geoff
- Published
- 1999
20. Population, Resources and Development Jane Chrispin Francis Jegede
- Author
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Squire, Geoff
- Published
- 1997
21. Effect of organic crop rotations on long-term development of the weed seedbank
- Author
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Younie, David, Taylor, Dick, Coutts, Michael, Matheson, Stella, Wright, G, Squire, Geoff, and Jane, Powell
- Subjects
food and beverages ,Weed management - Abstract
Changes in the weed seedbank were monitored between 1991 and 1998 in two experiments that were established to compare organic crop rotations at two sites in NE Scotland. Two rotations, replicated twice at each site, were compared and all courses of both rotations were present every year. There were relatively minor changes in weed species diversity over time, but major changes in seedbank abundance. Weed seed numbers were relatively low in rotations with a high proportion of grass/clover ley. Differences in level of seedbank across the rotation were relatively predictable at Tulloch but much less so at Woodside where factors such as the effect of the grass/clover ley seemed to play a lesser role. Other factors, such as weather and its influence on the effectiveness of weed control operations, and higher populations of ground-living arthropods, may be affecting the Woodside seedbanks.
- Published
- 2002
22. Improving intercropping: a synthesis of research in agronomy, plant physiology and ecology.
- Author
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Brooker, Rob W., Bennett, Alison E., Cong, Wen‐Feng, Daniell, Tim J., George, Timothy S., Hallett, Paul D., Hawes, Cathy, Iannetta, Pietro P. M., Jones, Hamlyn G., Karley, Alison J., Li, Long, McKenzie, Blair M., Pakeman, Robin J., Paterson, Eric, Schöb, Christian, Shen, Jianbo, Squire, Geoff, Watson, Christine A., Zhang, Chaochun, and Zhang, Fusuo
- Subjects
INTERCROPPING ,AGRONOMY ,PLANT physiology ,PLANT ecology ,AGRICULTURAL engineering - Abstract
Intercropping is a farming practice involving two or more crop species, or genotypes, growing together and coexisting for a time. On the fringes of modern intensive agriculture, intercropping is important in many subsistence or low-input/resource-limited agricultural systems. By allowing genuine yield gains without increased inputs, or greater stability of yield with decreased inputs, intercropping could be one route to delivering 'sustainable intensification'. We discuss how recent knowledge from agronomy, plant physiology and ecology can be combined with the aim of improving intercropping systems. Recent advances in agronomy and plant physiology include better understanding of the mechanisms of interactions between crop genotypes and species - for example, enhanced resource availability through niche complementarity. Ecological advances include better understanding of the context-dependency of interactions, the mechanisms behind disease and pest avoidance, the links between above- and below-ground systems, and the role of microtopographic variation in coexistence. This improved understanding can guide approaches for improving intercropping systems, including breeding crops for intercropping. Although such advances can help to improve intercropping systems, we suggest that other topics also need addressing. These include better assessment of the wider benefits of intercropping in terms of multiple ecosystem services, collaboration with agricultural engineering, and more effective interdisciplinary research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
23. The carbon footprints of food crop production.
- Author
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Hillier, Jonathan, Hawes, Cathy, Squire, Geoff, Hilton, Alex, Wale, Stuart, and Smith, Pete
- Subjects
ECOLOGICAL impact ,EMISSIONS (Air pollution) ,AIR pollution ,GREENHOUSE gases ,AGRICULTURE & the environment ,NITROGEN fertilizers - Abstract
The agriculture sector contributes significantly to global carbon emissions from diverse sources such as product and machinery manufacture, transport of materials and direct and indirect soil greenhouse gas emissions. In this article, we use farm survey data from the east of Scotland combined with published estimates of emissions for individual farm operations to quantify the relative contribution of a range of farming operations and determine the carbon footprint of different crops (e.g. legumes, winter and spring cereals, oilseed rape, potato) and farming practices (conventional, integrated and organic). Over all crops and farm types, 75% of the total emissions result from nitrogen fertilizer use (both organic and inorganic) - from production, application, and direct nitrous oxide emissions from the soil resulting from application. Once nitrogen is accounted for, there are no major differences between organic, integrated or conventional farming practices. These data highlight opportunities for carbon mitigation and will be of value for inclusion in full life cycle analyses of arable production systems and in calculations of greenhouse gas balance associated with land-use change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
24. Relations between the oilseed rape volunteer seedbank, and soil factors, weed functional groups and geographical location in the UK
- Author
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Debeljak, Marko, Squire, Geoff R., Demšar, Damjan, Young, Mark W., and Džeroski, Sašo
- Subjects
- *
OILSEEDS , *DATA mining , *SOIL seed banks , *TRANSGENIC plants , *GEOCHEMICAL modeling - Abstract
Abstract: Data mining techniques were applied to model the presence and abundance of volunteer oilseed rape (OSR) (Brasica napus L.) in the seedbank at 257 arable fields used for baseline sampling in the UK''s Farm Scale Evaluations of genetically modified herbicide tolerant (GMHT) crops. Constructed models were supported by statistical tests. Volunteer OSR was most likely present if a previous OSR crop had been grown in the same field, but it was also present at sites where it had not been grown in the previous 8 years (24% of all fields). In 136 fields where it was found, it showed a slow decline in abundance since the last crop. However, data mining indicated previously unfound correlations between oilseed rape abundance, total seedbank and several other factors, notably percent of nitrogen and percent of carbon in the soil, all of which were smallest in the centre of arable production in southern England and greatest in the surrounding south-west, west and north. In a separate analysis, its abundance was also associated with particular plant life history groups, which include broadleaf weeds such as Capsella and Matricaria species, having a similar phenology to oilseed rape, between rapidly developing annuals and the biennials and perennials. The findings are a reference point in the evolution of oilseed rape as a weed and potential GM impurity. Data mining approaches provide models that may be used to assess the status of volunteer OSR in other countries or at a later time in the UK. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
25. Population and Development in the Third World. (Introductions to Development) Allan Findlay Anne Findlay
- Author
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Squire, Geoff
- Published
- 1988
26. The Geography of the European Community John Cole Francis Cole
- Author
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Squire, Geoff
- Published
- 1994
27. Geography in the National Curriculum: A Viewpoint from The Geographical Association Working Group of The Geographical Association Richard Daugherty
- Author
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Squire, Geoff
- Published
- 1989
28. The industrialisation of agri-food systems and the demise of home-grown legumes in Europe
- Author
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Iannetta, Pietro, Balázs, Balint, Begg, Graham, Debeljak, Marko, Hamann, Karen, Howard, Becky, Kelemen, Eszter, Kolmans, Alicia, Maaß, Henrik, Ntatsi, Georgia, Quesada, Nora, Tran, Fanny, Trajanov, Aneta, Savvas, Dimitrios, Shrestha, Shailesh, Styles, David, Toma, Luiza, Vasconcelos, Marta, Vickers, Roger, Williams, Michael, and Squire, Geoff
- Subjects
2. Zero hunger ,13. Climate action ,value chain ,industrialisation ,15. Life on land ,food system ,legumes, protein ,sustainability ,12. Responsible consumption - Abstract
The industrialisation of agri-food systems and the demise of home-grown legumes in Europe P.P.M. Iannetta1,*, ±, B. Balázs2, G. Begg1, M. Debeljak3, K.T. Hamann4, B. Howard5, E. Kelemen2, A. Kolmans6, H. Maaß6, G. Ntatsi7,8, N. Quesada1, F. Tran1, A. Trajanov3, D. Savvas7, S. Shrestha9, D. Styles10, L. Toma9, M.W. Vasconcelos11, R. Vickers5, M. Williams12 and G.R. Squire1 1 Ecological Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Dundee, Scotland, UK 2 Environmental Social Science Research Group, Budapest, Hungary 3 Department of Knowledge Technologies, The Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia 4 Institute for Food Studies & Agroindustrial Development, Hoersholm, Denmark 5 PGRO, The Research Station, Great North Road, Thornhaugh, Peterborough, England, UK 6 Research Centre Global Food Security and Ecosystems, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany 7 Agricultural University of Athens, Department of Crop Science, Athens, Greece 8 Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources, ELGO-DEMETER, Thermi, Thessaloniki, Greece 9 SRUC, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH93JG, Scotland, UK 10 SNS, Bangor University, Bangor, Wales, UK 11 Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Porto, Portugal 12 Department of Botany, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland ∗ Speaker ± Corresponding author: pete.iannetta@hutton.ac.uk 1 Introduction The multiple benefits of well-managed legume-supported agri-food systems are known and include provision of: nutritious feed and food; natural nitrogen cycling; improved soil qualities; lowered greenhouse gas emissions; protection of biodiversity; and good-food culture and literacy. Yet, these benefits are all-but forfeited since the vast majority of the legume grains used in Europe are not home-grown, and only rarely (knowingly), consumed directly by humans. Legume grains are mainly imported in the form of soybean for use as animal feed. Consequently, European farmed systems are characterised by specialised and intensive approaches using crops dependent on synthetic nitrogen fertiliser and pesticide inputs - again mainly routed to meat production. Harmonising of ‘The Three Pillars of Sustainability’ (‘social’, ‘environmental’ and ‘economic’: Passet, 1979), demands that greater functional understanding (Figure 1) is applied and with respect to legumes. Figure 1.(see slide 21) An illustrative model (opposite) which aims to help re-define ‘The Three Pillars of Sustainability’, in functional- or relational-terms, Each www.true-project.eu Work Package (WP) will define indicators of new sub-pillar components. WP8 Transition Design (not shown), is developing a Decision Support System to identify indicators of sustainable function for each pillar individually, and collectively. 2 Materials and methods New insight was gained from knowledge sources, including: 1, the multi-stakeholder European Legume Innovation Network (LIN) workshops (www.true-project.eu/lin-workshops/); 2, the ECs report on, “Market developments and policy evaluation aspects of the plant protein sector in the EU” (https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/food-farming-fisheries/plants_and_plant_products/documents/plant-proteins-study-report_en.pdf); 3, abstracts and outputs made during the European Plant Protein Plan launch (https://ec.europa.eu/info/events/development-plant-proteins-europe-opportunities-and-challenges-2018-nov-22_en); 4, recent articles such as Eyhorn et al., (2019); and 5, the public Deliverable, ‘Coproduction of policy assessment’ (https://www.true-project.eu/publications-resources/deliverables/), published by the EU H2020 funded project TRUE. 3 Results Modern day agri-food systems in Europe are characterised by high input dependency and a low level of environmental and societal safeguarding. However, the rejection of legume-based cropping systems preceded the global trade in grain legumes and the introduction of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers by several decades. This coincided with a period of increasing specialisation and intensification of production units to serve high-throughput processing units which demanded the highest possible yields - which could not be provided by grain legumes. These local market challenges have been exacerbated by current day global trade trends whereby political decisions permit the importation of soya and other legume-based protein products to the EU. These imports are allowed at low rates in exchange for low export-tariff rates on cereals and oilseeds. If sustainable agri-food systems are to be enabled in Europe, effective policies and capacities must recognise these historical, and forfeited socio-ecological contexts. 4 Discussion and Conclusions Consumers are no longer passive recipients in a global protein market and wish to realise more-sustainable consumption. They question the nature of their food, such as its nutritional value, environmental impact of production plus authenticity and provenance. Demitarianism is increasing and specific types of carbohydrate are sought to help offset obesity and diabetes. The diversification of cropping systems and good agronomy will not by themselves realise more-sustainable legume supported food- and feed-chains. Greater cooperation among all supply chain actors is essential to establish a more-effective policy environment to help realise consumers’ desires for access to the most-nutritious of food, affordably, and which is produced in a manner that ensures protection of the environment and biodiversity. Acknowledgments This research is supported by the European Union Horizon-2020 project ‘TRansition paths to sUstainable legume-based systems in Europe’ (TRUE, www.true-project.eu), Grant Agreement 727973; and the Scottish Government’s Strategic Research Programme. The James Hutton Institute (www.hutton.ac.uk) is supported by the Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services (RESAS), a division of the Scottish Government. References Eyhorn et al., (2019). Sustainability in global agriculture driven by organic farming. Nature Sustainability, 253. Passet, R. (1979).L'économique et le vivant[The economic and the living] 23, Payot.  
29. The industrialisation of agri-food systems and the demise of home-grown legumes in Europe
- Author
-
Iannetta, Pietro, Balázs, Balint, Begg, Graham, Debeljak, Marko, Hamann, Karen, Howard, Becky, Kelemen, Eszter, Kolmans, Alicia, Maaß, Henrik, Ntatsi, Georgia, Quesada, Nora, Tran, Fanny, Trajanov, Aneta, Savvas, Dimitrios, Shrestha, Shailesh, Styles, David, Toma, Luiza, Vasconcelos, Marta, Vickers, Roger, Williams, Michael, and Squire, Geoff
- Subjects
2. Zero hunger ,13. Climate action ,value chain ,industrialisation ,15. Life on land ,food system ,legumes, protein ,sustainability ,12. Responsible consumption - Abstract
The industrialisation of agri-food systems and the demise of home-grown legumes in Europe P.P.M. Iannetta1,*, ±, B. Balázs2, G. Begg1, M. Debeljak3, K.T. Hamann4, B. Howard5, E. Kelemen2, A. Kolmans6, H. Maaß6, G. Ntatsi7,8, N. Quesada1, F. Tran1, A. Trajanov3, D. Savvas7, S. Shrestha9, D. Styles10, L. Toma9, M.W. Vasconcelos11, R. Vickers5, M. Williams12 and G.R. Squire1 1 Ecological Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Dundee, Scotland, UK 2 Environmental Social Science Research Group, Budapest, Hungary 3 Department of Knowledge Technologies, The Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia 4 Institute for Food Studies & Agroindustrial Development, Hoersholm, Denmark 5 PGRO, The Research Station, Great North Road, Thornhaugh, Peterborough, England, UK 6 Research Centre Global Food Security and Ecosystems, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany 7 Agricultural University of Athens, Department of Crop Science, Athens, Greece 8 Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources, ELGO-DEMETER, Thermi, Thessaloniki, Greece 9 SRUC, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH93JG, Scotland, UK 10 SNS, Bangor University, Bangor, Wales, UK 11 Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Porto, Portugal 12 Department of Botany, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland ∗ Speaker ± Corresponding author: pete.iannetta@hutton.ac.uk 1 Introduction The multiple benefits of well-managed legume-supported agri-food systems are known and include provision of: nutritious feed and food; natural nitrogen cycling; improved soil qualities; lowered greenhouse gas emissions; protection of biodiversity; and good-food culture and literacy. Yet, these benefits are all-but forfeited since the vast majority of the legume grains used in Europe are not home-grown, and only rarely (knowingly), consumed directly by humans. Legume grains are mainly imported in the form of soybean for use as animal feed. Consequently, European farmed systems are characterised by specialised and intensive approaches using crops dependent on synthetic nitrogen fertiliser and pesticide inputs - again mainly routed to meat production. Harmonising of ‘The Three Pillars of Sustainability’ (‘social’, ‘environmental’ and ‘economic’: Passet, 1979), demands that greater functional understanding (Figure 1) is applied and with respect to legumes. Figure 1. (see slide 21) An illustrative model (opposite) which aims to help re-define ‘The Three Pillars of Sustainability’, in functional- or relational-terms, Each www.true-project.eu Work Package (WP) will define indicators of new sub-pillar components. WP8 Transition Design (not shown), is developing a Decision Support System to identify indicators of sustainable function for each pillar individually, and collectively. 2 Materials and methods New insight was gained from knowledge sources, including: 1, the multi-stakeholder European Legume Innovation Network (LIN) workshops (www.true-project.eu/lin-workshops/); 2, the ECs report on, “Market developments and policy evaluation aspects of the plant protein sector in the EU” (https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/food-farming-fisheries/plants_and_plant_products/documents/plant-proteins-study-report_en.pdf); 3, abstracts and outputs made during the European Plant Protein Plan launch (https://ec.europa.eu/info/events/development-plant-proteins-europe-opportunities-and-challenges-2018-nov-22_en); 4, recent articles such as Eyhorn et al., (2019); and 5, the public Deliverable, ‘Coproduction of policy assessment’ (https://www.true-project.eu/publications-resources/deliverables/), published by the EU H2020 funded project TRUE. 3 Results Modern day agri-food systems in Europe are characterised by high input dependency and a low level of environmental and societal safeguarding. However, the rejection of legume-based cropping systems preceded the global trade in grain legumes and the introduction of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers by several decades. This coincided with a period of increasing specialisation and intensification of production units to serve high-throughput processing units which demanded the highest possible yields - which could not be provided by grain legumes. These local market challenges have been exacerbated by current day global trade trends whereby political decisions permit the importation of soya and other legume-based protein products to the EU. These imports are allowed at low rates in exchange for low export-tariff rates on cereals and oilseeds. If sustainable agri-food systems are to be enabled in Europe, effective policies and capacities must recognise these historical, and forfeited socio-ecological contexts. 4 Discussion and Conclusions Consumers are no longer passive recipients in a global protein market and wish to realise more-sustainable consumption. They question the nature of their food, such as its nutritional value, environmental impact of production plus authenticity and provenance. Demitarianism is increasing and specific types of carbohydrate are sought to help offset obesity and diabetes. The diversification of cropping systems and good agronomy will not by themselves realise more-sustainable legume supported food- and feed-chains. Greater cooperation among all supply chain actors is essential to establish a more-effective policy environment to help realise consumers’ desires for access to the most-nutritious of food, affordably, and which is produced in a manner that ensures protection of the environment and biodiversity. Acknowledgments This research is supported by the European Union Horizon-2020 project ‘TRansition paths to sUstainable legume-based systems in Europe’ (TRUE, www.true-project.eu), Grant Agreement 727973; and the Scottish Government’s Strategic Research Programme. The James Hutton Institute (www.hutton.ac.uk) is supported by the Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services (RESAS), a division of the Scottish Government. References Eyhorn et al., (2019). Sustainability in global agriculture driven by organic farming. Nature Sustainability, 253. Passet, R. (1979). L'économique et le vivant [The economic and the living] 23, Payot., For Figure 1 see slide (page) 21
30. Feral oilseed rape populations within a Scottish landscape : implications for GM coexistence and environmental risk assessment
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Banks, Gillian, Hawes, Cathy, and Squire, Geoff
- Subjects
633.8 - Abstract
In many regions of the world, the crop, oilseed rape (Brassica napus), is giving rise to populations of volunteer weeds in fields and feral plants outside fields, both of which can retain crop genes and hybridize with compatible wild relatives. Feral oilseed rape has received global attention as a means by which genetically modified (GM) traits may persist in the environment. There are still major uncertainties, however, over the long term environmental and economic consequences of its persistence and invasiveness, particularly in relation to GM coexistence and environmental risk assessment. This thesis presents a demographic study of feral oilseed rape over an 11 year period from 1993 to 2004 within a 500 km2 area of Tayside (Scotland). The number of feral oilseed rape populations increased almost five-fold during a period when the number of fields and total area cropped with oilseed rape decreased. Ferals did not usually remain at the same location for more than one or two years, and did not spread by gradual movement out from the sites of initial colonization. They persisted and spread in the region by occurring at different places each year, most likely through long range dispersal. Transport corridors hosted higher densities than farmland, in which ferals were more prevalent in areas having a high density of oilseed rape crops. The insect communities associated with feral oilseed rape and a related ruderal plant charlock were compared to gauge the potential ecological impact of ferality. Ferals did not appear to compete with charlock but provided an additional host for those invertebrate species already living on charlock. They also had the potential to function as a bridge for crop pests between growing seasons. At current levels of feral oilseed rape there are unlikely to be any issues related to coexistence (i.e. ferals will bring a negligible contaminant to crops), but feral oilseed rape can persist and flower outside the range of cropped oilseed rape plants. It has become part of the native weed and wildflower community, but to date has had no major ecological impact. The long term demographic changes in feral oilseed rape that were found in the 11 year study could not have been predicted from the initial early years when there were few populations or from prior estimates of risk carried out at small spatial scales. A long term approach is therefore needed at realistic scales for successful ecological risk assessment. The Tayside study could provide a baseline and model for assessing the ecological impact of new GM traits such as cold tolerance or insect resistance.
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- 2014
31. Rainfall and temperature impacts on barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) yield and malting quality in Scotland.
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Cammarano, Davide, Hawes, Cathy, Squire, Geoff, Holland, Jonathan, Rivington, Mike, Murgia, Teresa, Roggero, Pier Paolo, Fontana, Fabiola, Casa, Raffaele, and Ronga, Domenico
- Subjects
- *
BARLEY , *RAINFALL , *BARLEY farming , *DECISION support systems , *ATMOSPHERIC temperature , *WATER levels , *NITROGEN in water - Abstract
• Rainfall is the dominant driver of spring barley yield in Scotland. • Grain quality for distilling is not affected by rainfall. • Maximum crop growth expansion is in May and this is becoming drier. Barley is one of the most important cereals worldwide and is a key crop for Scotland's agriculture due to its use in distilleries to produce whisky. Climatic variability, especially significant changes in rainfall patterns are a present challenge for barley production. Thus, the objectives of this study were: i) to evaluate the performance of a crop model to simulate water and N stresses in spring barley in the east of Scotland; ii) to quantify the impacts of rainfall and temperature on barley grain yield and quality; and iii) to understand how grain nitrogen concentration varies in relation to climate variability. Three field experiments were undertaken at the James Hutton Institute near Dundee, UK. The 2018 experiment consisted of two levels of N (0 N and 120 N) and two levels of water (rainfed and irrigated). Data from two experiments were used as additional evaluation. The Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT v4.7) model was used to evaluate the crop performance. The evaluation of the crop model using the different years, locations and water by nitrogen stress levels, using the same cultivar (Concerto), showed that the cultivar parameters were well calibrated. There was a weak negative and non-significant (p = 0.14) relationship between air temperature and simulated yield, but a strong (p < 0.05) positive relationship between growing season rainfall and simulated yield. During the spring barley growing season (Apr-Aug), the last two decades were drier than the long-term average, with May (time of expansive growth) having about 25 mm less rainfall than the long-term average. The results of this study highlight how rainfall is more important than the temperature for the production of spring barley in Scotland. Our simulated results showed that the premium grain for distilling is reached 41 out of 45 years investigated in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
32. Consequences of intraspecific variation for the structure and function of ecological communities Part 2: Linking diversity and function
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Pachepsky, Elizaveta, Bown, James L., Eberst, Alistair, Bausenwein, Ursula, Millard, Peter, Squire, Geoff R., and Crawford, John W.
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- *
PREDICTION models , *COMPUTER simulation , *POPULATION genetics -- Mathematical models , *BIODIVERSITY , *SPECIES diversity , *GENOTYPE-environment interaction , *PHENOTYPIC plasticity , *STATISTICAL methods in population biology - Abstract
A central aim in ecology is to understand the relation between organism diversity and ecosystem functioning. We investigate this relation using a generic individual-based modelling framework described in part 1, in which individuals within a community are characterised by physiological traits and interact within a spatially structured environment. We explore the effect of intraspecific variation among individuals on community-scale productivity in a range of homogeneous and heterogeneous environments. We show that diversity among individuals has a significant, and in most but not all cases positive, impact on community productivity. At low levels of resource the persisting plants giving highest productivity have slowest uptake rates and longest times to reproduction. In contrast, at high levels of resource the persisting plants giving highest productivity have highest uptake levels and shortest time to reproduction. Thus, the individuals’ trait distributions defining community functioning emerge, after many iterations of the model, from the surviving individuals. We, therefore, show that different mechanisms, as evidenced in the surviving individuals’ traits, increase community productivity in different environmental contexts, and so demonstrate the importance of accounting for diversity at the scale of the individual. Consequently, progress may be made in linking diversity and function by considering small, manageable systems and making physiological measurements on individuals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
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- 2007
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33. Consequences of intraspecific variation for the structure and function of ecological communities: Part 1. Model development and predicted patterns of diversity
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Bown, James L., Pachepsky, Elizaveta, Eberst, Alistair, Bausenwein, Ursula, Millard, Peter, Squire, Geoff R., and Crawford, John W.
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- *
POPULATION genetics , *BIODIVERSITY , *GENOTYPE-environment interaction , *SPECIES diversity , *PHENOTYPES , *POPULATION biology , *PREDICTION models , *COMPUTER simulation - Abstract
Biodiversity is generally accepted to include both within species and between species variation. Consequently, the contribution to the functioning of ecosystems of variation among individuals should be accounted for. However, very little is known about patterns of diversity below the species level, and less still about the patterns of individual diversity and their relation to ecosystem context and community function. We present a model for the dynamics of individuals that is physiologically based and spatially explicit. Individuals are defined in terms of measurable parameters that relate environmental context to phenotype and in this sense define the genotype. Estimates for the variation in the parameter values are obtained from experiments conducted on the species Rumex acetosa. Simulations are performed to predict the form of the relative abundance distribution, and the dependence of the predicted number of coexisting genotypes on patch area (the genotype–area curve). We find that the predicted forms of the abundance distribution and genotype–area curve are indistinguishable from those measured at the species level. Furthermore, we identify the importance of physiological trade-offs at the individual level in promoting diversity and the sensitivity of genotype richness to the degree of similarity of individuals in the community. The extension of the model to include inter-species variation is discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
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- 2007
- Full Text
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34. New Insight into Wild Red Raspberry Populations using Simple Sequence Repeat Markers.
- Author
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Graham, Julie, Woodhead, Mary, Smith, Kay, Russell, Joanne, Marshall, Bruce, Ramsay, Gavin, and Squire, Geoff
- Subjects
- *
RED raspberry , *PLANT genetics , *PLANT populations , *FRUIT varieties , *PLANT ecology - Abstract
Scottish wild red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) plants at 12 sites were re-examined 10 years after initial studies had been carried out to examine the decline in population size and to address an earlier finding that demonstrated significant population differentiation over a small scale. Ten simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci were screened on the plants and a total of 80 alleles were detected, half of which were unique to a particular population, with all populations containing unique SSR alleles. Only 18 of the 80 alleles present in the wild were found in cultivated raspberries, highlighting the genetic diversity available for future breeding. This finding makes the decline in population number observed a concern, as this unique diversity is being eroded, primarily due to human impact. An additional 17 unique alleles were identified in the cultivars that were not present in the wild individuals studied. Gene flow into one lowland site was identified by the gain of one new allele into progeny at the site, but three alleles were also lost from parents to progeny. SSR markers were used to estimate the levels of outcrossing in wild red raspberry for the first time, and confirmed that the populations studied were outcrossing, intermating populations. The nonsignificant global FIS value indicates that red raspberry is an outbreeder (global FIS = -0.117), but significant population differentiation was observed [global FST = 0.348 (P < 0.001)]. Diversity in this crop's wild relative and the population differentiation observed may have use in the future for breeding aimed at addressing climate change scenarios, and consideration should be given to means of conserving the diversity revealed by these studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2009
- Full Text
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35. How should land be used?: bioenergy and responsible innovation in agricultural systems
- Author
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Mohr, Alison, Shortall, Orla, Helliwell, Richard, Raman, Sujatha, Gordon, Iain, Squire, Geoff, and Prins, Herbert
- Abstract
Bioenergy has been proposed as both a problem and a solution for land use conflicts arising at the nexus between food security and environmental conservation. But such assessments need to be considered in light of differences in the way people value the use of land and the facts that are considered or excluded in making such judgements. While technical and policy appraisals of food security favour a target-based approach that considers land as a global resource to be managed in accordance with universal targets and technological innovation for food production and nature conservation, social researchers highlight the need for a context-based approach where considerations of the role of land in people’s everyday lives and its historical and cultural attachments ought to shape interventions. This Chapter highlights the assumptions and value judgements that underpin different visions of how land should be used by opening up conflicting judgements that arise when we position bioenergy in the context of current and future agricultural systems. We develop a ‘responsible innovation’ framework to highlight the fact that there are multiple pathways for any technological intervention. Drawing on research undertaken in the UK, we apply this framework to valuations of land use and biomass in agricultural systems. We identify a number of, often conflicting, value dimensions related to different uses of land (for food, fuel or fodder), to land quality (should marginal land be used for fuel production) and to different uses of biomass (including competition for the use of straw, the use of biomass for on-farm energy generation as opposed to national energy targets, and biomass for large-scale biorefining to meet multiple objectives at the food/fuel/environment nexus). By opening up to scrutiny the assumptions that reinforce particular innovation pathways we were able to look beyond technical innovation in agricultural systems and land use choices to consideration of social innovations that draw attention to alternative visions of land use in agricultural futures.
- Published
- 2016
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