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The threats to agrobiodiversity ultimately affect our future food security. Countries bonded to national or international biodiversity conservation legislation should conserve and sustainably use their agrobiodiversity. Landraces are a key element of agrobiodiversity which is largely endangered due to lack of their systematic conservation, and partially due to obstacles in developing inventories which may be assigned to the difficulties in applying a standard landrace’ definition and to complications associated with nomenclature (synonyms/homonyms). Effective national conservation of landraces can be best achieved with a comprehensive inventory. In this paper, we developed a comprehensive inventory of food and other Portuguese agricultural landraces by surveying literature, local media, and farms. Farms were selected based on knowledge of experts and using an ecogeographic diversity approach based on Geographic Information Systems. We compiled 14,813 records of 7,492 different landraces. Grape vine (Vitis vinifera L.), common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), and maize (Zea mays L. subsp. mays) have the highest number of landraces in Portugal according with the gathered data. Bragança and Faro are the districts with more records of landraces. The landrace inventory for Portugal that we developed is a first iteration of such kind and should be updated systematically.

The lipid and fatty acid profiles of 14 marine macroalgal species from the Madeira Archipelago, including two green (Ulvales and Dasycladales), three red (Corallinales, Bonnemaisoniales, and Ceramiales) and nine brown (Fucales, Dictyotales, and Sphacelariales) species were characterised in order to determine their potential use for animal and human nutrition. The total lipid content of species analysed was generally low, varying from 0.2 to 5.2% of dry weight. All species presented an omega 6/omega 3 (n-6/n-3) ratio lower than 10, as recommended by the World Health Organization for proper human health. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), including linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid were exceptionally high in the green macroalga Ulva sp. Red macroalgae were rich in n-3 long-chain PUFA, particularly Asparagopsis taxiformis, which contained 6.6% of docosahexaenoic acid, and Halopithys incurva with 9.3% of eicosapentaenoic acid. Within Ochrophyta, Dictyota dichotoma is an interesting source of n-3 PUFA due to its high stearidonic acid proportion (8.0%). In addition, H. incurva contained a high proportion of both mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerols. According to their lipid profiles, most macroalgae analysed might be considered of particular interest for their potential exploitation for human nutrition and livestock and aquaculture production.

Agricultural intensification and associated loss of high‐quality habitats are key drivers of insect pollinator declines. With the aim of decreasing the environmental impact of agriculture, the 2014 EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) defined a set of habitat and landscape features (Ecological Focus Areas: EFAs) farmers could select from as a requirement to receive basic farm payments. To inform the post‐2020 CAP, we performed a European‐scale evaluation to determine how different EFA options vary in their potential to support insect pollinators under standard and pollinator‐friendly management, as well as the extent of farmer uptake.A structured Delphi elicitation process engaged 22 experts from 18 European countries to evaluate EFAs options. By considering life cycle requirements of key pollinating taxa (i.e. bumble bees, solitary bees and hoverflies), each option was evaluated for its potential to provide forage, bee nesting sites and hoverfly larval resources.EFA options varied substantially in the resources they were perceived to provide and their effectiveness varied geographically and temporally. For example, field margins provide relatively good forage throughout the season in Southern and Eastern Europe but lacked early‐season forage in Northern and Western Europe. Under standard management, no single EFA option achieved high scores across resource categories and a scarcity of late season forage was perceived.Experts identified substantial opportunities to improve habitat quality by adopting pollinator‐friendly management. Improving management alone was, however, unlikely to ensure that all pollinator resource requirements were met. Our analyses suggest that a combination of poor management, differences in the inherent pollinator habitat quality and uptake bias towards catch crops and nitrogen‐fixing crops severely limit the potential of EFAs to support pollinators in European agricultural landscapes. Policy Implications. To conserve pollinators and help protect pollination services, our expert elicitation highlights the need to create a variety of interconnected, well‐managed habitats that complement each other in the resources they offer. To achieve this the Common Agricultural Policy post‐2020 should take a holistic view to implementation that integrates the different delivery vehicles aimed at protecting biodiversity (e.g. enhanced conditionality, eco‐schemes and agri‐environment and climate measures). To improve habitat quality we recommend an effective monitoring framework with target‐orientated indicators and to facilitate the spatial targeting of options collaboration between land managers should be incentivised., To conserve pollinators and help protect pollination services, our expert elicitation highlights the need to create a variety of interconnected, well‐managed habitats that complement each other in the resources they offer. To achieve this the Common Agricultural Policy post‐2020 should take a holistic view to implementation that integrates the different delivery vehicles aimed at protecting biodiversity (e.g. enhanced conditionality, eco‐schemes and agri‐environment and climate measures). To improve habitat quality we recommend an effective monitoring framework with target‐orientated indicators and to facilitate the spatial targeting of options collaboration between land managers should be incentivised.

The presence of insoluble calcium oxalate druse crystals (CaOx) in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) can negatively affect its nutritional quality. Photosynthesis, starch, and protein composition are linked with oxalate synthesis and tuber quality under water scarcity. Our main objective was the oxalate quantitation of sweet potato tubers and shoots and also to assess how drought changes their nutritional value. Eight sweet potato accessions from Madeira, the Canaries and Guinea-Bissau were analyzed for their response to drought stress. Tubers and shoots were analyzed for total (T-Ox), soluble (S-Ox) and insoluble (CaOx) oxalates, protein, chlorophyll content index (CCI), soluble starch, starch swelling power, and starch solubility in water.The S-Ox and CaOx content was higher in shoots. Six accessions were above maximum CaOx levels for raw consumption. Accessions with more favorable responses to drought had decreased CaOx with S-Ox increase content for osmoregulation. They also presented slightly decreased CCI and protein contents. These accessions also had an increased shoot starch content, for further tuber storage starch hydrolysis, and maintained the quality and functional properties of the tuber starch grain. Those with a less favorable response to drought had a higher T-Ox and CaOx content in both organs, hindering water absorption. They also had decreased protein and CCI, with a slight increase in tuber starch hydrolysis.Oxalate content was significantly related to carbohydrate metabolism, CCI, and protein synthesis. This study significantly contributed to the screening of the sweet potato stress response to drought, to adapt this crop to climatic change through breeding programs. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Tamus edulis Lowe is an endemic perennial plant belonging to Dioscoreaceae family. The plant has long climbing stems, ovate leaves, flowers in spikes, fleshy red berries and long tuberous roots. Young shoots and tuberous roots of T. edulis were used traditionally for nourishment and as a herbal medicine. Leaves and roots analyzed in the present study were collected in the northwest of Madeira island. The GC–MS analysis allowed to detect several steroids in free forms in diethyl ether extracts; and diosgenin with its isomer, yamogenin, in hydrolyzates from methanolic extracts.The obtained results reveal that Tamus edulis has some features common with other Dioscorea species, e.g., the presence of steroidal saponins with diosgenin and yamogenin as aglycones, or the phytosterol composition with predominating sitosterol. However, some other traits, like the relatively high content of free steroids (more than 1 mg/g d.w.) and their profile rich in cholesterol derivatives, can distinguish Tamus edulis from other Dioscorea species studied previously for their steroid and triterpenoid profile.

Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. commonly known as sweet potato, is an important staple food worldwide, mainly due to its high nutritional value and yield. However, vegetative reproduction of sweet potato makes it more susceptible to viral infections, which threatens its productivity, quality, and difficult long-term preservation in germplasm banks. Also, it can act as a virus reservoir infecting the rest of the plant accessions in the bank collections. Hence, this work aimed to screen Begomovirus, Potyvirus, and Carlavirus infections in 16 traditional sweet potato cultivars from the germplasm collection of the ISOPlexis Germplasm Bank, Madeira, Portugal. The infection prevalence by these viruses among cultivars was 81.25%, 25.00%, and 6.25%, respectively; being ISOP1011 the only accession coinfected by Potyvirus and Carlavirus. The accessions ISOP1006, ISOP1010, and ISOP1047 were also coinfected by Begomovirus and Potyvirus, highlighting their vulnerability to viral infections. The ISOP1005 and ISOP1027 accessions were the only ones not infected by any of these viruses. The analysis of the partial sequence obtained from the Carlavirus detected in the accession ISOP1011, revealed the existence of an ORF that encodes for 93 amino acids of the catalytic domain of an RNA-directed RNA polymerase related to the Tymovirus protein family, as could be confirmed by comparison with proteins stored in UniProtKB. Multiple sequence alignment with these proteins showed that Motifs A and B of the catalytic domain were conserved. The search for sequence similarity with sequences deposited in GenBank reported a high sequence identity with Sweet potato yellow mottle virus (SPYMV) and Sweet potato chlorotic fleck virus (SPCFV). However, the 9-11% discrepancy in nucleotide sequence identity and a phylogenetic analysis carried out using the maximum probability method suggests the virus isolated from ISOP1011 is a new divergent strain of the SPCFV species.

Twenty-two native Crop Wild Relatives (CWR) occur in specific dry environments of Madeira Archipelago, like Desembarcadouro islet in Ponta de São Lourenço and Chão islet in Desertas Islands. Nine of them share the same gene pool with crop species included in Annex I of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Amongst them, Beta patula Aiton, an IUCN Critically Endangered species, has been studied in detail for in situ and ex situ conservation. The present paper summarises the information recorded during the Beta patula population assessment. Valuable information on plant communities associated with this species was obtained. The data provides information of a vegetation census spanning 7 years, from 2014 to 2020, in two uninhabited islets where Beta patula occurs, Desembarcadouro and Chão islets. The collected dataset consists of 1,786 vegetation descriptions, where 31 species were recorded. All generated data have been published and will be used towards the implementation of conservation actions and to establish a middle term management protocol for Beta patula and other CWR in situ conservation in the framework of a genetic reserve. This work is part of a EU LIFE Project, LIFE RECOVER NATURA and was conducted by members of the ISOPlexis Center, University of Madeira.

Background Twenty-two native Crop Wild Relatives (CWR) occur in specific dry environments of Madeira Archipelago, like Desembarcadouro islet in Ponta de São Lourenço and Chão islet in Desertas Islands. Nine of them share the same gene pool with crop species included in Annex I of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Amongst them, Beta patula Aiton, an IUCN Critically Endangered species, has been studied in detail for in situ and ex situ conservation. The present paper summarises the information recorded during the Beta patula population assessment. Valuable information on plant communities associated with this species was obtained. New information The data provides information of a vegetation census spanning 7 years, from 2014 to 2020, in two uninhabited islets where Beta patula occurs, Desembarcadouro and Chão islets. The collected dataset consists of 1,786 vegetation descriptions, where 31 species were recorded. All generated data have been published and will be used towards the implementation of conservation actions and to establish a middle term management protocol for Beta patula and other CWR in situ conservation in the framework of a genetic reserve. This work is part of a EU LIFE Project, LIFE RECOVER NATURA and was conducted by members of the ISOPlexis Center, University of Madeira.

Taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) is a staple food and represents an important food security role in most tropical regions. It is, unfortunately, susceptible to prolonged drought conditions. Abscisic acid (ABA) is a well-documented stress-induced phytohormone that tolerant crops usually accumulate in leaves to induce stomatal closure, preventing water loss through inhibition of transpiration. Hitherto, exists very scarce information regarding the ABA role in taro response to drought. Here, we determined the ABA content in the shoots and corms of taro subjected to seven months of water scarcity and linked ABA to other drought resilience traits, including carbon isotopic discrimination (Δ13C), oxalic acid (OA), chlorophyll content index (CCI), water use efficiency (WUE), and biomass (B). The Δ13C-shoot content showed partially open stomata in all accessions, and significant correlation with Δ13C-corm, CCI, and WUE. The osmotically active OA-shoot decrease seemed not to interfere with the stomatal aperture. The tolerant accessions subjected to drought stress had higher B-corm, ABA-shoot, Δ13C-shoot, CCI, OA, and WUE. However, the observed under drought conditions increase of ABA in the shoots, and its decrease in the corms were not significantly correlated, nor with other traits, suggesting that ABA was not the main regulator of taro physiological processes under stress. The information gained should be considered in breeding programs to predict taro's response to climate change.

Seaweed beach-casts are a seasonal phenomenon that regularly deposits tons of algae biomass on beaches, which are usually disposed of in landfills. The present work aimed to contribute to the valorization of this biomass by studying bioactivities that reveal its potential in the pharmaceutical and/or cosmeceutical industries. Methanol and ethanol extracts and fractions from 15 beach-casts biomass were tested for a range of bioactivities. Eight of the most active samples exhibit IC50 values between 11.38 &micro, g/mL and 19.28 &micro, g/mL and selectivity indexes higher than 3.8, against NCI-H1299 (lung cancer) and T47D (breast cancer). Concerning antiaging potential, all the extracts tested presented UV protection, with SPF values above 30, like the standard sunscreen. Regarding aging-related enzymes, 24 samples were tyrosinase inhibitors exhibiting IC50 values from 9.01 &micro, g/mL to 200.09 &micro, g/mL. Eight extracts inhibited collagenase (IC50 &lt, 248.76 &micro, g/mL), two of them more actively than positive control EDTA (IC50 = 59.26 &micro, g/mL). In addition to UV protection, the cumulative effect of antityrosinase and anticollagenase activities shown by the samples suggest that they may play a significant role in preventing skin photoaging. The results obtained demonstrate the high potential of beach-cast seaweed biomass as sources of cosmetic bioproducts with antiaging effects, and of selective cytotoxic metabolites.

Fifteen attached macroalgae from the Madeira Archipelago, comprising three green, three red and nine brown algal species, as well as two beach-cast macroalgal samples, collected along the north shore of Gran Canaria, were assessed for their biochemical properties. The analysis included the determination of total minerals, total carbohydrates, protein, lipids, chlorophyll a, total carotenoids, total phenolic content, fucoxanthin and phycobilins (allophycocyanin, phycocyanin and phycoerythrin). The results showed a high variability of biochemical composition, allowing for the targetting of specific bioresources for particular purposes, including functional foods. This work provides the foundation for a biorefinery strategy implementation plan, for which specific macroalgae may be targeted for valuable and beneficial compounds. This work was supported financially by ARDITI [Regional Agency for the Development of Research Technology and Innovation (M14-20-09-5369-FSE-000001-Doctorate in Business)], DemoBlueAlgae PROCiencia 2020 (M1420-01-0247-FEDER000002), MACBIOBLUE (MAC/1.1b/086), and Interreg MAC 2014-2020. We also acknowledge DRCT (Azores Regional Government) for co-financing the research. The Portuguese National Funds through FCT, and FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement by funding the cE3c centre (UID/BIA/00329/2013) and the Azorean Biodiversity Group are thanked for their contributions. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

This is the first comprehensive investigation of the patterns of genetic diversity of Patellifolia species. The main objective of our research work is to determine Most Appropriate crop Wild relative Populations (MAWP) suited to conserve in situ wild relatives of the sugar beet. Individual plant samples of P. patellaris were collected at 26 and of P. procumbens/P. webbiana at seven sites and analysed with 24 and 22 microsatellite markers, respectively. On average 15 alleles per locus were found within the set of 581 P. patellaris and an average of 12 alleles per locus in the set of 172 P. procumbens/P. webbiana individuals. The factorial analysis showed diversity patterns which agree well with the geographic origin of the samples. The genetic data suggest that P. patellaris reproduces mainly by self-fertilisation while P. procumbens/P. webbiana have the signature of out-breeders. The measure Δ was used to calculate the genetic distance of each occurrence to the pooled remaining occurrences, the complement. Occurrences with either the lowest or the highest genetic distance to the complement are particularly suited to conserve the genetic diversity of the species. Eight occurrences of P. patellaris, two of P. procumbens and one for P. webbiana were determined according to this scheme, proposed as MAWP and recommended for the establishment of genetic reserves.

Ana C. Pereira acknowledges Agencia Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investigacao Tecnologia e Inovacao (ARDITI) for financial support through her grant, M1420-09-5369-FSE- 000001.

Taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) is a substantial staple food in most of the tropical regions. Prolonged exposure to drought impairs crop production worldwide. Tolerant crops have the best capability to cope and avoid drought, through phenotypic flexibility mechanisms. The water use efficiency (WUE) is well known in taro crops, but very scarce information is available relating to their nutrient efficiency (NER) in drought conditions. Our work provided pertinent information about the physiological variation of seven taro accessions subjected to seven months of drought, by recording the differences for nutrient allocation, chlorophyll canopy, biomass loss, and stress intensity. Significant relationships between control and drought treatments on WUE (+85%), total plant biomass (TPB, -26.8%), chlorophyll content index (CCI, +1.8%), and nutrient harvest index (NHI, +0.2%) were detected. Drought led to a generalized loss of TPB as drought avoidance strategy, although distinct phenotypic flexibility was observed through the root:shoot ratio (R:S) and stress index (SI) from the corm and shoot organs. The nutrient allocation from the corms to shoots, with NER increase registered in drought conditions, can be a valuable tool to complement the TPB and WUE productivity traits, to be used in taro breeding programs.

A cultura da vinha possuiu uma elevada importância na produção de vinhos de qualidade na Ilha da Madeira. No entanto para que a produção da cultura venha a produzir de maneira mais satisfatória é extremamente necessário o conhecimento dos locais mais propícios para o desenvolvimento da cultura. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi realizar um Zoneamento Agroclimático para a cultura da videira na Ilha da Madeira, visando fornecer dados para a tomada de decisão de produtores e técnicos na seleção de novos locais para implementação da cultura. Para tanto, foram utilizados dados de 11 estações meteorológicas convencionais localizadas em toda a Ilha da Madeira com períodos de observação de 1961 a 1990. A obtenção do deficit hídrico foi obtida por meio do balanço hídrico proposto por Thornthwaite & Mather. Para o cultivo da videira na Ilha da Madeira, todo litoral Sul da Ilha, assim como boa parte do Norte, são áreas propicias para o desenvolvimento da cultura; no entanto no litoral sul, irrigação complementar é necessária para satisfazer as necessidades hídricas da cultura. Já no litoral Norte é necessário ter alguns cuidados com possível aparecimento de doenças fúngicas, devido aos grandes volumes de precipitação presentes na área.

Taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) and sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) are important food crops worldwide, whose productivity is threatened by climatic constraints, namely drought. Data calibration, validation, and model development of high-precision near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) involving multivariate analyses are needed for the fast prediction of the quality of tubers and shoots impacted by drought stress. The main objective of this study was to generate accurate NIRS models for quality assessment of taro and sweet potato accessions (acc.) subjected to water scarcity conditions. Seven taro and eight sweet potato acc. from diverse geographical origins were evaluated for nitrogen (N), protein (Pt), starch (St), total mineral (M), calcium oxalate (CaOx), carbon isotope discrimination (∆13C), and nitrogen isotopic composition (&delta, 15N). Models were developed separately for both crops underground and aboveground organs. N, Pt, St, and M models could be used as quality control constituents, with a determination coefficient of prediction (r2pred) between 0.856 and 0.995. &delta, 13C, &delta, 15N, and CaOx, with r2pred between 0.178 and 0.788, could be used as an informative germplasm screening tool. The approach used in the present study demonstrates NIRS&rsquo, s potential for further research on crop quality under drought.

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.), typically cultivated in temperate climates under low inputs, is one of the most important crops worldwide. Abscisic acid (ABA) is an important plant stress-induced phytohormone. Hitherto, few works analyzed the ABA function in sweet potato tissue growth. Very scarce information is available concerning the ABA role in sweet potato response to water scarcity conditions. Here, we show the ABA content variation in shoots and tubers of eight sweet potato accessions subjected to drought stress. ABA was also related to other resistance traits, such as chlorophyll content index (CCI), carbon isotopic discrimination (Δ13 C), oxalic acid (OA) and water use efficiency (WUE), to assess stress response mechanisms to water deficit between their organs. The most resilient drought-stressed sweet potato plants accumulated ABA-shoot, and significantly decreased the ABA-tuber content. ABA signaling was related to Δ13 C and CCI decrease and WUE increment, as an attempt to cope with water stress by partially closing the stomata. The partial closure of stomata could be in part due to the presence of OA-shoots, known to affect the intensity of the ABA-shoot signal in stomatal closure. Higher CCI content and minimal Δ13 C-shoot differences indicated good carboxylation fractionation, with higher Δ13 C-tuber content as an indicator of efficient tuber 13 C fixation and growth. Our work demonstrated that ABA could be used in conjunction with the other traits studied for the assessment of sweet potato whole-plant responses to environmental stresses, and thus aid the selection of the best drought tolerant genotypes for breeding programs.

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is an important crop in the world, cultivated in temperate climates under low inputs. Drought changes the plant biomass allocation, together with the carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition (δ

Overexploitation of resources makes the reutilization of waste a focal topic of modern society, and the question of the kind of wastes that can be used is continuously raised. Sewage sludge (SS) is derived from the wastewater treatment plants, considered important underused biomass, and can be used as a biofertilizer when properly stabilized due to the high content of inorganic matter, nitrate, and phosphorus. However, a wide range of pollutants can be present in these biosolids, limiting or prohibiting their use as biofertilizer, depending on the type and origin of industrial waste and household products. Long-term applications of these biosolids could substantially increase the concentration of contaminants, causing detrimental effects on the environment and induce hyperaccumulation or phytotoxicity in the produced crops. In this work, some critical parameters for soils and SS agronomic use, such as organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium (NPK), and heavy metals concentration have been reviewed. Several cases of food crop production and the accumulation of heavy metals after SS application are also discussed. SS production, usage, and legislation in EU are assessed to determine the possibility of sustainable management of this bioresource. Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) guidelines are addressed. The opportunity to produce bioenergy crops, employing sewage sludge to enhance degraded land, is also considered, due to energy security. Although there are numerous advantages of sewage sludge, proper screening for heavy metals in all the variants (biosolids, soil, food products) is a must. SS application requires appropriate strict guidelines with appropriate regulatory oversight to control contamination of agricultural soils.

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) is an important staple food in several regions of the world. Water scarcity is the most devastating abiotic stress, with a great impact on crop productivity, food security, and subsistence. Drought restricts the nutrient intake and transport into the plant. Tolerant crops have morphological mechanisms of drought avoidance and/or phenotypic flexibility, showing also good water and nutrient efficiency. However, that information is scarce for sweet potato, which is usually based on physiological traits of plant productivity. Here, we show the physiological responses of eight sweet potato accessions subjected to a 3 months’ drought period, by recording their differences for nutrient and leaf chlorophyll content, biomass and stress level. Our results showed that the differences in water use efficiency (WUE, +68.1%), chlorophyll content index (CCI, -5.3%), total plant biomass (TPB, -55.4%), nutrient efficiency (NER, +38.1%) and nutrient harvest index (NHI, +2.9%) where significantly correlated with the water regime. The water shortage led to a drought avoidance response, with TPB loss in all accessions. Distinct phenotypic flexibility responses were also recorded and explained by the root:shoot ratio (R:S) and stress index (SI) variation of the storage root and shoot growth. This information could be relevant for the development of sweet potato breeding programs, adapting this crop to climate change. ********* In press - Online First. Article has been peer reviewed, accepted for publication and published online without pagination. It will receive pagination when the issue will be ready for publishing as a complete number (Volume 47, Issue 4, 2019). The article is searchable and citable by Digital Object Identifier (DOI). DOI link will become active after the article will be included in the complete issue. *********

Taro (Colocasia esculenta L. Schott) is an important staple food crop in tropical and developing countries, having high water requirements. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition (δ13C and δ15N) as a physiological indicator of taro response to drought, and elucidation of the relationship between the water use efficiency (WUE) under drought conditions and carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C). As an alternative to WUE determination, obtained by measuring plant growth and water loss during an entire vegetative cycle, we have used Δ13C to determine the tolerance of C3 taro plants to drought. Seven taro accessions from Madeira, Canary Islands and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (Fiji) collections were grown under greenhouse conditions and subjected to different watering regimes during a one-year cycle. Total plant biomass (TPB), WUE and δ15N were determined at the whole-plant level (WP). Corms and shoots were evaluated separately for nitrogen content (N), δ13C, Δ13C and δ15N. WUE showed positive correlation with TPB (r = 0.4) and negative with Δ13C (r = −0.3); Corm δ15N showed positive correlations with WP δ15N (r = 0.6) and corm N (r = 0.3). Accordingly, the taro plants with enhanced WUE exhibited low Δ13C and δ15N values as a physiological response to drought stress. The approach used in the present study has developed new tools that could be used in further research on taro response to environmental stresses.

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is an important crop in the world, cultivated in temperate climates under low inputs. Drought changes the plant biomass allocation, together with the carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition (δ13C and δ15N), whose changes are faintly known in sweet potato crops. Here, we show the biomass allocation of eight sweet potato accessions submitted to drought during 3 months, using the δ13C, δ15N, carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C), total carbon (TC) and water use efficiency (WUE) traits. The tolerant accessions had improved WUE, with higher TPB and TC. Storage roots and shoots had a heavier δ13C content under drought stress, with greater 13C fixation in roots. The Δ13C did not show a significant association with WUE. The δ15N values indicated a generalised N reallocation between whole-plant organs under drought, as a physiological integrator of response to environmental stress. This information can aid the selection of traits to be used in sweet potato breeding programs, to adapt this crop to climate change.

Two wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Madeiran landraces were subjected to 100 μM and 200 μM of aluminium (Al) in hydroponic culture, assessing the organic acid exudation role in plant’s responses to this metal. Samples of initial landrace populations (F0), F3 and haplodiploid lines (DH) were evaluated using standard tests: eriochrome cyanine R staining, root elongation and callose accumulation in roots. Root exudates were obtained to determine if the accumulation of malic and citric acids in hydroponic medium was a response to Al exposure. Additionally, the presence of ALMT1 gene was determined using five microsatellite markers. Standard tests confirmed that ISOP 76 was Al tolerant and ISOP 239, Al susceptible. ISOP 76, in the presence of 100 μM Al, exuded substantially more malic acid (12.87 to 43.33 mg/L), than ISOP 239 (3.65 to 7.72 mg/L). The levels of both organic acid exudation were substantially lower in ISOP 239 than in the ISOP 76. In the presence of 200 μM Al, ISOP 76 F0 shows a higher root elongation ratio (better tolerates Al), but the DH line was the one that exuded higher content of malic acid. Different gene alleles and promoters were detected in both landraces. Molecular differences could explain the observed dissimilarity in organic acid exudation response to Al stress.

Goodyera macrophylla, considered a rare endemic, and Gennaria diphylla are two native terrestrial Orchidaceae species that can be found mainly in Madeiran Laurisilva. The volatile compounds contributing to the floral scent of these two Madeiran orchids were analysed and compared for the first time. The volatiles, isolated by distillation-extraction in a Likens-Nickerson-type apparatus, and those extracted by headspace sorption, were analysed by GC and GC-MS. The main volatile components isolated by distillation-extraction were γ-terpinene (13%) and n-nonanal (11%) in G. macrophylla and n-octacosane (19%) and n-heptacosane (13%) in G. diphylla. The main volatile components isolated by headspace sorption were p-cymene (21%), α-pinene (15%) and linalool (14%) in G. macrophylla and cis-arbusculone (28%) and lilac alcohol (26%) in G. diphylla. The importance of the volatiles in the pollination of these orchids is discussed.

Taro (Colocasia esculenta L. Schott) is an important staple food crop in tropical and developing countries, having high water requirements. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition (δ

International audience; Taro [Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott] is a root crop which is an important staple food in many regions of the world, producing 10.5 million tonnes on 1.4 million hectares a year. The crop is cultivated in wet (rain fed) or irrigated conditions, requiring on average 2,500 mm water per year, and in many countries it is cultivated in flooded plots. It is estimated that taro production could decrease by 40% as a result of the increase in drought and other severe events. In this work, thirty three accessions, including local cultivars, selected and hybrid lines were submitted to long duration drought stress and screened for tolerance. Twelve physiological, morphological and agronomic traits were measured at harvest, and subject to multivariate analysis. Stress indices, Water Use Efficiency and Factorial Analysis were useful for discriminating accessions regarding drought tolerance and yield stability, and drought tolerant and susceptible cultivars were identified. Our results confirm that different taro cultivars have different drought avoidance and tolerance strategies to cope with water scarcity. Better yield performers minimised biomass and canopy loss, while tolerance was observed in cultivars that presented low potential yield, but efficiently transferred resources to enhance corm formation. Among the 33 accessions, two local cultivars showed high yield stability and could be considered as suitable parents for breeding programs, while two others are well adapted to drought, but with overall low yield potential.

Oxalate (calcium oxalate) accumulation in taro plants (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) impacts their nutritional quality, producing acridity, causing lips, mouth and throat tissues swelling if consumed fresh. The oxalate content is related to photosynthesis, through the glycolate–glyoxylate oxidation pathway. The plant's photosynthetic rate usually increases in non-stressed conditions. Differences in photosynthetic rate are indirectly related to the chlorophyll content index. Protein accumulation and starch variation are also important traits to understand the taro oxalate synthesis caused by drought and how they affect corm quality. The purpose of this study was to quantitate oxalates in taro corms and shoots submitted to drought conditions and to evaluate how stress response can affect the nutritional quality of taro whole-plant. Seven taro genotypes from Madeira, Canaries and Pacific Community (SPC) collections were grown in greenhouse conditions and submitted to different watering regimes for drought tolerance screening. Corms and shoots were harvested and evaluated for oxalates (soluble, insoluble and total), chlorophyll content index (CCI), crude protein, starch, starch solubility in water and starch swelling power. All accessions had very high calcium oxalate content. Drought-tolerant genotypes showed good osmotic response by oxalate precipitation and mobilization through shoot to corm tissues, photosynthesis adaptation by increase of CCI, protein accumulation, and very low starch hydrolysis. Sensitive-drought genotypes showed less mobilization of calcium oxalate, decreased photosynthetic rate and protein synthesis, and slight increase of starch hydrolysis. Variation in taro oxalate content is consistent and significantly correlated with the photosynthetic rate, carbohydrate metabolism and protein synthesis.

Background: It is well known that metabolic risk factors of cardiovascular diseases are correlated, but the background of this clustering in children is more poorly known than in adults. Thus, we studied the contribution of genetic and environmental factors to the clustering of metabolic traits in childhood and adolescence. Data and Methods: Nine metabolic traits were measured in 214 complete twin pairs aged 3-18 years in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, Portugal, in 2007 and 2008. The variation of and covariations between the traits were decomposed into genetic and environmental components by using classical genetic twin modeling. Results: A model, including additive genetic and environmental factors unique for each twin individual, explained the variation of metabolic factors well. Under this model, the heritability estimates varied from 0.47 (systolic blood pressure in children under 12 years of age) to 0.91 (high-density lipoprotein [HDL] cholesterol in adolescents 12 years of age or older). The most systematic correlations were found between adiposity (body mass index and waist circumference) and blood lipids (HDL cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides), as well as blood pressure. These correlations were mainly explained by common genetic factors. Conclusions: Our results suggest that obesity, in particular, is behind the clustering of metabolic factors in children and adolescents. Both general and abdominal obesity partly share the same genetic background as blood lipids and blood pressure. Obesity prevention early in childhood is important in reducing the risk of metabolic diseases in adulthood.

The Phaseolus vulgaris L. is one of the traditional and most important leguminous crops in the Island of Madeira. The island’s bioclimatic tiers, agro-ecological environment and traditional farming practices had a great influence on the evolution of regional bean landraces. The variability of the nutritional and mineral seeds composition of 59 accessions of the Madeiran landraces, standard and commercial varieties was evaluated. Wide ranges of variability in biochemical parameters were reported among the Madeiran landraces, being the best sources of protein and mineral nutrition, according to the statistical results and literature comparative evaluation. Specifically, the content (g per 100 g DW) of ash ranged from 3.64-5.67, lipids from 0.57-2.86, protein from 18.55-29.69, starch from 23.40-52.65, soluble sugars from 2.97-6.84, while content of dry matter was from 83.35-93.55. The seeds also contained (per 100 g DW) between 2.55-4.83 g N, 0.30-7.50 g P, 1.30-2.49 g K, 0.10-0.18 g Mg, 4.10-10.00 mg Fe, 50.0-1.40 mg Cu, 2.20-5.00 mg Zn, 0.90-3.80 μg Mn and 0.20-2.40 μg B. This variability implies that the screened germplasm could serve as a source for breeding new varieties with improved biochemical and nutritional traits or could be highly recommended to meet specific dietary requirements. The cultivar Vaginha Grossa (ISOP 713) revealed low carbohydrate content that could be a good food choice for diabetics, while cultivar Vermelho (ISOP 724) bean should be offered as a valuable alternative source of protein and minerals in the local diet.

Legumes are bee-pollinated, but to a different extent. The importance of the plant–pollinator interplay (PPI), in flowering crops such as legumes lies in a combination of the importance of pollination for the production service and breeding strategies, plus the increasing urgency in mitigating the decline of pollinators through the development and implementation of conservation measures. To realize the full potential of the PPI, a multidisciplinary approach is required. This article assembles an international team of genebank managers, geneticists, plant breeders, experts on environmental governance and agro-ecology, and comprises several sections. The contributions in these sections outline both the state of the art of knowledge in the field and the novel aspects under development, and encompass a range of reviews, opinions and perspectives. The first three sections explore the role of PPI in legume breeding strategies. PPI based approaches to crop improvement can make it possible to adapt and re-design breeding strategies to meet both goals of: (1) optimal productivity, based on an efficient use of pollinators, and (2) biodiversity conservation. The next section deals with entomological aspects and focuses on the protection of the “pest control service” and pollinators in legume crops. The final section addresses general approaches to encourage the synergy between food production and pollination services at farmer field level. Two basic approaches are proposed: (a) Farming with Alternative Pollinators and (b) Crop Design System., MJS gratefully acknowledge the EU-FP7-KBBE-2009-3 project SOLIBAM (Strategies for Organic and Low-input Integrated Breeding and Management) and the H2020-SFS-2014-2 project DIVERSIFOOD (Embedding crop diversity and networking for local high quality food systems- GA number: 633571) for financial support. MJS, PB, MC, and RT wish to acknowledge the support from the COST Action FA1307 Super-B (www.superb-project.eu), supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). SC wishes to acknowledge the support from BMUB, funding the pilot research in Uzbekistan within the International Climate Change Initiative.

Submitted by António Freitas (amsf@uma.pt) on 2021-03-12T10:34:20Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Genetic variability of high molecular weight glutenin subunits in bread wheat from continental Portugal.pdf: 531099 bytes, checksum: e63fbac0be6a1bbbbbab472c4154a7ad (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2021-03-12T10:34:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Genetic variability of high molecular weight glutenin subunits in bread wheat from continental Portugal.pdf: 531099 bytes, checksum: e63fbac0be6a1bbbbbab472c4154a7ad (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 This research was supported by the European Community through the project AGRICOMAC and GERMOBANCO INTERREG III-B. We thank to Bank of Germplasm INIA (CRF, Alcala´ de Henares, Spain), to Maria Teresa Carvalho e Vasconcelos from Instituto Superior de Agronomia (Lisbon) and the National Small Grain Collection (Aberdeen, USA) for supplying the wheat accessions. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

The objective of this work was to determine the geographic origin of the Madeiran common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) gene pool. Phaseolin patterns of 50 accessions representing the diversity of common bean collected in Madeira, Portugal, and conserved in the ISOPlexis Germplasm Bank, were analysed using the Experion automated electrophoresis system, based on lab-on-a-chip technology. Five common bean standard varieties with typical phaseolin patterns were used to determine the phytogeographical origin of the Madeiran common bean accessions. Ninety two percent of the accessions exhibited a phaseolin pattern consistent with the one of common bean types belonging to the Andean gene pool, while the origin of the remaining 8% of the accessions was indistinguishable. The application of a similarity coefficient of 85%, based on Pearson correlations, increases the number of accessions with uncertain pattern. The analytical approach used permitted the determination of the origin of the common bean gene pool, which is Andean in 98% of the cases, and clustering of the observed variability among the Madeiran common beans.O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a origem geográfica do "pool" genético do feijoeiro-comum (Phaseolus vulgaris) da ilha da Madeira, Portugal. Os perfis de faseolinas de 50 acessos que representam a diversidade do feijoeiro-comum coletados na ilha da Madeira, conservados no banco de germoplasma ISOPlexis, foram analisados por meio do sistema de eletroforese automática Experion, baseado na tecnologia "lab-on-a-chip". Cinco variedades padrão de feijoeiro, com perfis típicos de faseolina, foram usadas para determinar a origem fitogeográfica dos acessos de feijoeiro-comum da ilha da Madeira. Noventa e dois por cento dos acessos exibiram um perfil consistente com o dos tipos pertencentes ao "pool" genético Andino, enquanto não foi possível determinar a origem de 8% dos acessos restantes. A aplicação de um coeficiente de similaridade de 85%, com base em correlações de Pearson, aumentou o número de acessos com perfil incerto. A abordagem analítica utilizada permitiu determinar a origem andina do "pool" genético em 98% dos casos, e o agrupamento da variabilidade observada entre os feijões da Madeira.

The variability of 43 open-pollinated populations of maize (Zea mays L.), representing a wide range of ecological conditions on the Archipelago of Madeira, was evaluated based on the morphological and reproductive traits. Individual data of 41 traits related to earliness, plant and tassel structure and the shape of the ear and grain were analysed using multivariate analysis. The populations belonging to two major maize varieties were grouped into four groups by their degree of dissimilarity, based on discriminant analysis. The dissimilarity of these groups was confirmed by the values of the Tukey test. The racial rank of these groups was proposed and a brief description of the maize landraces was presented. This work represents the first morphological characterization and analysis of diversity of maize germplasm for the Archipelago of Madeira where the traditional agricultural practices are still keeping this Portuguese region free from corn hybrids. The description of the Madeiran corn landraces allows us to preserve the existing corn biodiversity and could be used for their registration as conservation landraces or for conservation and breeding proposes worldwide. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10722-007-9230-9

In general, the absence of detailed knowledge of world biodiversity prevents the application of the methodological tools that could successfully assist in biodiversity conservation. Inventories are seen as a first step to assessing the biodiversity with respect to its richness and distribution patterns and to monitor its changes. Nevertheless, currently no comprehensive global inventory of species diversity exists. Our knowledge of biodiversity encompasses only 20 % of the total estimated number of species. Similar gaps could also be identified in the current understanding of crop diversity with a particular emphasis on the intraspecific diversity where a wide and comprehensive inventory is urgently required. Surveys are pivotal for the accumulation of knowledge required to populate agrobiodiversity inventories that are essential tools for creating effective mechanisms to monitor changes in the crop diversity and to estimate genetic erosion of predominantly threatened components of diversity, i.e., landraces. Our work aims to review the current state of agrobiodiversity inventories with particular emphasis on crop species and their intraspecific diversity. The complexity of crop diversity and the limitations of our knowledge with that respect are discussed. The need of inventorying and surveying at the species and below-species levels is reviewed. The ambiguity of landraces definition, which is a major component of intraspecific crop diversity, along with the distinct needs to design and execute their inventory strategies is debated. Crop diversity has a prospective use for agriculture and food production sustainability, crop improvement or crop adaptation to climatic changes, and therefore needs to be inventoried and protected against erosion and extinction. Finally, we present some inceptive attempts to advance ex situ and in situ landrace inventories.

The present study attempts to review the systematics of Semele (Ruscaceae) in Madeira, based on phenotypic diversity. The variation in some vegetative (climbing shoot, second-order branches or ‘phylloclades’) and sexual (inflorescence and flowers) characters was analysed in 115 plant specimens from 30 field populations, herbaria of the Costa collection and Madeira Botanical Garden (MADJ) and certain gardens. Thirty-one quantitative and qualitative characters have been utilized in the analysis. Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) analysis indicates adequate sampling. Principal component analysis (PCA) reveals that the spatial distribution of individuals has a discontinuous behaviour. Principal coordinate analysis (PCO) utilizing the Gower coefficient on standardized data revealed a significantly discontinuous distribution of individuals, such that two different clusters can be defined. The Student's t-test and Tukey test on separate characters, when individuals were classified according to the Costa classification, confirms the significant differences between grouping accessions. This leads to the recognition of two species within the genus in Madeira. Literature and herbarium studies show that these two taxa are conspecific with Semele androgyna (L.) Kunth sensu stricto (s.s.) and Semele menezesi Costa sensu lato (s.l.). A separated statistical analysis of the S. androgyna cluster shows the possible existence of additional subgroups. Based on field population distribution, ecological behaviour and variation in features, we propose the recognition of two species, S. androgyna (L.) Kunth and S. menezesi (Costa) Pinheiro de Carvalho, and two subspecies S. androgyna (L.) Kunth androgyna Pinheiro de Carvalho and S. androgyna (L.) Kunth pterygophora Pinheiro de Carvalho. © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2004, 146, 483–497.

Acute hepatitis results from oxidative stress triggered by hepatotoxic drugs causing liver injury and the activation of caspases cascade. The glutathione antioxidant system protects against reactive oxygen species and mitigates development of these processes. The effectiveness of silymarin, a polyphenolic flavonoid, essenthiale, composed of phosphatidyl choline, and melaxen, a melatonin-correcting drug, as hepatoprotectors has been investigated. The variation of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s), resulting from the biotransformation of melatonin, and GSH has been measured. The activities of caspase-1 and caspase-3, glutathione antioxidant system, and NADPH-generating enzymes were determined. The aMT6s decreases in patients with drug hepatitis and recovers with administration of mexalen. GSH increased in the presence of the studied hepatoprotectors. Pathologically activated caspase-1 and caspase-3 decreased their activities in the presence of hepatoprotectors with melaxen showing the highest effect. The positive effect of melatonin appears to be related to the suppression of decompensation of the glutathione antioxidant system functions, recovery of liver redox status, and the attenuation of inhibition of the NADPH supply.

Geographic variations in the diversity and prevalence of helminth parasites of fish call provide important clues as to the relatedness of fish populations. In the present work, the stomachs of 64 conger eels, Conger conger, collected during 1999 and 2000, were examined for the presence of parasites. Four fish were infected with L3 stages of the nematode Anisakis simplex s.l. (Anisakidae), 1 with the nematode Cristitectus congeri (Cystidicolidae), 1 with the acanthocephalan Rhadinorhynchus pristis, 17 with postlarvae of Sphyriocephalus tergestinus (Eucestoda: Trypanorhyncha), and 55 with Lecithochirium spp. (Digenea: Hemiuridae). The hemiurids were the most abundant parasites, with a total of 385 individuals recovered. Strong aggregated distributions were found for both the digeneans, Lecithochirium musculus and Lecithochirium fusiforme, with variance-to-mean ratios (s(2)/x) and index of discrepancy (D) 13.98 and 0.672 (for L. musculus) and 8.08 and 0.90 for L. fusiforme, respectively. Intensity of L. musculus, L. fusforme, and S. tergestinus showed significant relationships with depth of capture. Differences in number of species and prevalence were found between Madeira and the Atlantic coasts of the Iberian Peninsula.