Mapping Landscapes: Integrating GIS and Social Science Methods to Model Human-Nature Relationships in Southern Cameroon

Participatory mapping and GIS are both necessary to model the interactions between humans and their environment. A case study from the forest margin in the Congo Basin demonstrates how data from participatory community mapping and other social science methods can be prepared for quantitative modelling. This approach bridged the gap between spatial modelling data and social decision-making in space by elaborating a geographically consistent social representation of the landscape and giving a geographical base to the connection between land use, its cultural representation, and its social management. This was achieved through an iterative process of GIS cartography, using feedback from village informants and field checking, to transpose the spatial references from participatory mapping sketches into reliable geographic locations. As well as demonstrating the utility of such data for modelling, this work clarified the distribution of land rights among the six main owner-clans spread through the eight hamlets in the watershed. The 'basin' of spatial resources and its relation to the rules of land use and natural resource management were defined for each clan. Land-use systems at the forest-agriculture interface in the study area proved to be complex, strongly driven by social rules and influenced by history and settlement strategies. These social and historical aspects established the framework within which communities make current decisions and interventions

Yeast biocontrol of fungal spoilage of pears stored at low temperature

To reduce the use of fungicides, biological control with yeasts has been proposed in postharvest pears. Most studies of antagonists selection have been carried out at room temperature. However, in regions like North Patagonia where fruits are stored at − 1/0 °C during 5–7 months the selection of potential antagonist agents must be carried out at low temperature. In this study, 75 yeast cultures were isolated from healthy pears from two Patagonian cold-storage packinghouses. Aureobasidium pullulans, Cryptococcus albidus, Cryptococcus difluens, Pichia membranifaciens, Pichia philogaea, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa and Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast species were identified. Additionally, 13 indigenous isolates of Penicillium expansum and 10 isolates of Botrytis cinerea were obtained from diseased pears, characterized by aggressiveness and tested for sensitivity to postharvest fungicides. The yeasts were pre-selected for their ability to grow at low temperature. In a first biocontrol assay using the most aggressive and the most sensitive isolate of each pathogen, two epiphytic isolates of A. pullulans and R. mucilaginosa were the most promising isolates to be used as biocontrol agents. They reduced the decay incidence by P. expansum to 33% and the lesion diameter in 88% after 60 days of incubation in cold. Foreign commercial yeast used as a reference in assays, only reduced 30% of lesion diameter in the same conditions. Yeasts were not able to reduce the incidence of B. cinerea decay. The control activity of the best two yeasts was compared with the control caused by the fungicides in a second bioassay, obtaining higher levels of protection against P. expansum by the yeasts. These two regional yeasts isolates could be promising tools for the future development of commercial products for biological control.Fil: Sosa, María Cristina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Lutz, María Cecilia. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentin

Yeast biocontrol of fungal spoilage of pears stored at low temperature

To reduce the use of fungicides, biological control with yeasts has been proposed in postharvest pears. Most studies of antagonists selection have been carried out at room temperature. However, in regions like North Patagonia where fruits are stored at − 1/0 °C during 5–7 months the selection of potential antagonist agents must be carried out at low temperature. In this study, 75 yeast cultures were isolated from healthy pears from two Patagonian cold-storage packinghouses. Aureobasidium pullulans, Cryptococcus albidus, Cryptococcus difluens, Pichia membranifaciens, Pichia philogaea, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa and Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast species were identified. Additionally, 13 indigenous isolates of Penicillium expansum and 10 isolates of Botrytis cinerea were obtained from diseased pears, characterized by aggressiveness and tested for sensitivity to postharvest fungicides. The yeasts were pre-selected for their ability to grow at low temperature. In a first biocontrol assay using the most aggressive and the most sensitive isolate of each pathogen, two epiphytic isolates of A. pullulans and R. mucilaginosa were the most promising isolates to be used as biocontrol agents. They reduced the decay incidence by P. expansum to 33% and the lesion diameter in 88% after 60 days of incubation in cold. Foreign commercial yeast used as a reference in assays, only reduced 30% of lesion diameter in the same conditions. Yeasts were not able to reduce the incidence of B. cinerea decay. The control activity of the best two yeasts was compared with the control caused by the fungicides in a second bioassay, obtaining higher levels of protection against P. expansum by the yeasts. These two regional yeasts isolates could be promising tools for the future development of commercial products for biological control.Fil: Sosa, María Cristina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Lutz, María Cecilia. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentin

Levaduras nativas : potenciales biocontroladoras de pobredumbres postcosecha en peras

En Argentina, así como en otros países del mundo, el control de las enfermedades en postcosecha se ha basado en la utilización de fungicidas de síntesis; sin embargo, en la actualidad, existen pocos principios activos eficientes y con registro en el país para su uso. En este sentido, el control incorporada en el sistema de producción orgánica e integrada. En la búsqueda de microorganismos capaces de controlar a los patógenos, se han seleccionado levaduras como Agentes de Control Biológico (ACB) de las enfermedades de poscosecha en citrus, frutos de pepita y frutillas. Sin embargo, sólo unos pocos ACB se formularon comercialmente, como ASPIRE (Candida oleophila I-182USA), YIELD PLUS (Cryptococcus albidus, Sud África), SHEMER (Metschnikowia fructicola Israel), BONIPROPECT (Aureobasidium pullulans, Alemania) y CANDIFRUIT (Candida sake, España). Estos productos carecen de registro en Argentina. El ambiente confinado y las condiciones ambientales controladas en la cámara frigorífica durante la poscosecha favorecen el éxito de la aplicación de microorganismos con capacidad de biocontrol. Esta aplicación puede hacerse directamente sobre la fruta en la línea de empaque como sprays o por inmersión. De esta manera se protege la superficie completa del fruto, con sus posibles heridas; estas últimas constituyen la principal vía de ingreso de los patógenos. Los ACBs aislados de frutos de las áreas geográficas donde deberán actuar presentan mejor adaptación y capacidad de biocontrol (antagonismo) que los ACBs de otros orígenes y se consideran más adecuados para el desarrollo de programas de control de patógenos de postcosecha en frío (Pimienta, 2009). Por lo tanto en este trabajo se planteó como objetivo: • Comparar la actividad antagónica de levaduras seleccionadas nativas de pera y de vino del Alto Valle de Río Negro y Neuquén con la levadura comercial Cryptococcus albidus (YIELDPLUS) frente a los principales patógenos de pera en poscosecha.Fil: Sosa, María Cristina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Lutz, María Cecilia. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentin

Pobredumbres de postcosechaen peras : búsqueda de posibles antagonistas biológicos

Las podredumbres más importantes de poscosecha en peras de la región de los valles de Río Negro y Neuquén, son el “moho azul” causado por Penicillium expansum y Penicillium spp. y el “moho gris” causado por Botrytis cinerea (Dobra et al. 2008). Las restricciones en el uso de principios activos de fungicidas de síntesis - falta de registro- y en los límites máximos de residuos permitidos, así como la pérdida de eficacia de algunos fungicidas, dada la presencia de cepas de Penicillium y Botrytis resistentes, evidencian la falta de estrategias alternativas más seguras, amigables con el ambiente y a la vez, eficientes en el control de estos patógenos En diferentes estudios, se ha demostrado que el control biológico de enfermedades de poscosecha mediante microorganismos epífitos (bacterias y levaduras) es una alternativa promisoria y factible de incor- porarse en sistemas de producción de fruta orgánica e integrada. En los últimos años, se han seleccionado levaduras como Agentes de Control Biológico (ACB) de patógenos de citrus, frutos de pepita y frutillas en poscosecha (Janisiewicz, 2010). Sin embargo, sólo unos pocos ACB se formularon comercialmente y no tienen registro en Argentina. En el año 2007 se inició una línea de investigación en UNCo para abordar la problemática del control de podredumbres en pera en la zona del Alto Valle de Río Negro y Neuquén, proponiendo como estrategia las leva- duras nativas como ACB.Fil: Sosa, María Cristina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Lutz, María Cecilia. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentin

Levaduras nativas : potenciales biocontroladoras de pobredumbres postcosecha en peras

En Argentina, así como en otros países del mundo, el control de las enfermedades en postcosecha se ha basado en la utilización de fungicidas de síntesis; sin embargo, en la actualidad, existen pocos principios activos eficientes y con registro en el país para su uso. En este sentido, el control incorporada en el sistema de producción orgánica e integrada. En la búsqueda de microorganismos capaces de controlar a los patógenos, se han seleccionado levaduras como Agentes de Control Biológico (ACB) de las enfermedades de poscosecha en citrus, frutos de pepita y frutillas. Sin embargo, sólo unos pocos ACB se formularon comercialmente, como ASPIRE (Candida oleophila I-182USA), YIELD PLUS (Cryptococcus albidus, Sud África), SHEMER (Metschnikowia fructicola Israel), BONIPROPECT (Aureobasidium pullulans, Alemania) y CANDIFRUIT (Candida sake, España). Estos productos carecen de registro en Argentina. El ambiente confinado y las condiciones ambientales controladas en la cámara frigorífica durante la poscosecha favorecen el éxito de la aplicación de microorganismos con capacidad de biocontrol. Esta aplicación puede hacerse directamente sobre la fruta en la línea de empaque como sprays o por inmersión. De esta manera se protege la superficie completa del fruto, con sus posibles heridas; estas últimas constituyen la principal vía de ingreso de los patógenos. Los ACBs aislados de frutos de las áreas geográficas donde deberán actuar presentan mejor adaptación y capacidad de biocontrol (antagonismo) que los ACBs de otros orígenes y se consideran más adecuados para el desarrollo de programas de control de patógenos de postcosecha en frío (Pimienta, 2009). Por lo tanto en este trabajo se planteó como objetivo: • Comparar la actividad antagónica de levaduras seleccionadas nativas de pera y de vino del Alto Valle de Río Negro y Neuquén con la levadura comercial Cryptococcus albidus (YIELDPLUS) frente a los principales patógenos de pera en poscosecha.Fil: Sosa, María Cristina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Lutz, María Cecilia. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentin

Transformation of coffee-growing across Latin America

Background: In Latin America, the cultivation of Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) plays a critical role in rural livelihoods, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development. Over the last 20 years, coffee farms and landscapes across the region have undergone rapid and profound biophysical changes in response to low coffee prices, changing climatic conditions, severe plant pathogen outbreaks, and other drivers. Although these biophysical transformations are pervasive and affect millions of rural livelihoods, there is limited information on the types, location, and extent of landscape changes and their socioeconomic and ecological consequences. Objectives: We review the state of knowledge on the ongoing biophysical changes in coffee-growing regions, explore the potential socioeconomic and ecological impacts of these changes, and highlight key research gaps. Methods: This review integrates expert knowledge harvested in a 4-day international workshop at International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and a literature review. Results: We identify seven major land-use trends which are affecting the sustainability of coffee-growing regions across Latin America in different ways: (1) the widespread shift to disease-resistant cultivars, (2) the conventional intensification of coffee management with greater planting densities, greater use of agrochemicals and less shade, (3) the conversion of coffee to other agricultural land uses, (4) the introduction of Robusta coffee (Coffea canephora) into areas not previously cultivated with coffee, (5) the expansion of coffee into forested areas, (6) the urbanization of coffee landscapes, and (7) the increase in the area of coffee produced under voluntary sustainability standards. Discussion: Our review highlights the incomplete and scattered information on the drivers, patterns, and outcomes of biophysical changes in coffee landscapes, and lays out a detailed research agenda to address these research gaps and elucidate the effects of different landscape trajectories on rural livelihoods, biodiversity conservation, and other aspects of sustainable development. Conclusion: A better understanding of the drivers, patterns, and consequences of changes in coffee landscapes is vital for informing the design of policies, programs, and incentives for sustainable coffee production

How do cardiologists select patients for dual antiplatelet therapy continuation beyond 1 year after a myocardial infarction? Insights from the EYESHOT Post-MI Study

Background: Current guidelines suggest to consider dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) continuation for longer than 12 months in selected patients with myocardial infarction (MI). Hypothesis: We sought to assess the criteria used by cardiologists in daily practice to select patients with a history of MI eligible for DAPT continuation beyond 1 year. Methods: We analyzed data from the EYESHOT Post-MI, a prospective, observational, nationwide study aimed to evaluate the management of patients presenting to cardiologists 1 to 3 years from the last MI event. Results: Out of the 1633 post-MI patients enrolled in the study between March and December 2017, 557 (34.1%) were on DAPT at the time of enrolment, and 450 (27.6%) were prescribed DAPT after cardiologist assessment. At multivariate analyses, a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with multiple stents and the presence of peripheral artery disease (PAD) resulted as independent predictors of DAPT continuation, while atrial fibrillation was the only independent predictor of DAPT interruption for patients both at the second and the third year from MI at enrolment and the time of discharge/end of the visit. Conclusions: Risk scores recommended by current guidelines for guiding decisions on DAPT duration are underused and misused in clinical practice. A PCI with multiple stents and a history of PAD resulted as the clinical variables more frequently associated with DAPT continuation beyond 1 year from the index MI