Andalusian Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries Research and Training

Flatfish metamorphosis is an abrupt post-embryonic transformation driven by thyroid hormones (THs), in which a bilaterally symmetric pelagic larvae becomes an asymmetric benthic juvenile. While the craniofacial changes associated with eye migration during metamorphosis are well documented, the role of THs in central nervous system (CNS) remodelling remains poorly understood. Here we investigated the role of THs on CNS remodelling during metamorphosis of the flatfish, Solea senegalensis, by integrating high-throughput transcriptomic analysis with experimental manipulation of TH availability using an inhibitor of hormone synthesis, methimazole (MMI) or exogenous T4. Transcriptome profiling revealed 567 differentially expressed gene transcripts associated with TH-levels involved in CNS development, neuronal and glial differentiation, migration, myelination and metabolism. Key CNS-related factors such as klf9, sox9, mbp, and plp were strongly down-regulated in MMI-treated larvae. Cell proliferation assays further demonstrated increased interocular neural proliferation under hypothyroidism, consistent with impaired differentiation. Region-specific analyses of the head and body uncovered distinct patterns of TH signalling involving dio2, dio3, thra, thrb, and mct8, underscoring the spatial complexity of endocrine regulation. These results highlight that THs are crucial for both morphological remodelling and CNS plasticity during flatfish metamorphosis, underscoring their conserved role in vertebrate brain development.

Soil processes get very little attention in early education environments, in spite of the fact that soil is very important in food, water control, biodiversity, and climate change. Soil Guardians aims to fill that gap and assist in understanding soil processes in such a way that it can develop and launch a digital game that teaches soil processes in an easy-to-grasp manner for children.The game is structured around short scenarios that illustrate what may be considered typical circumstances in which soil may be expected to improve or deteriorate. Interaction between players and the game is achieved through specific actions represented by icons, and the players can immediately see what happens in the scenario. In this case, development is expected to be device independent and suited for environments in multilingual or low-resource educational environments.Currently, the project is refining its conceptual and visual language and its first level of interactive features. Priorities of development include the translation of soil functionality into engaging gameplay that is suitable for the classroom and other environments. Later on, as the game develops, it will be shaped by feedback from teaching and research professionals in terms of which scenarios and practices are reflected in real-world soil situations and teaching directions.AcknowledgementThe project is funded through the EGU Special Activity Fund 2026.

By carefully balancing the use of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilisers with crop demands, a nutrient management plan (NMP) aims to enhance crop production while reducing environmental harm due to over fertilisation. As several tools with different complexities can assist farmers in their fertiliser decisions, the characteristics of 14 of the most widely used NMP tools across Europe, China, and New Zealand were compared. All NMP tools considered the field spatial scale, seasonal time scale, and utilised a mass balance approach. To evaluate the tools, matrices of presence/absence of 24 characteristics for their practical use, 22 nutrient cycle processes and 38 required input data were compiled, and cumulative scores were calculated. In addition, two case studies were performed to compare the outputs of NMP tools. Decision support systems such as grano.net® and TUdi tool were highly adaptable and comprehensively described nutrient processes while considering many inputs. By considering only the most important nutrient processes and requiring fewer inputs, software such as PLANET_MANNER and spreadsheets such as Fert_Office were moderately adaptable. Conversely, reference tables tools such as MEM-NAK and Bulgarian tool considered only essential nutrient processes and few inputs and demonstrated limited adaptability. Fertiliser recommendations varied considerably, mainly due to differences in calculating crop nutrient uptake. For a broader application of the NMP tools, differences in the algorithms used to estimate each process, in soil and climate conditions, and in national regulations must be considered. Furthermore, interoperability should be improved in next-generation NMPs to enable data exchange between platforms

Invertebrate iridescent viruses (IIVs, family Iridoviridae) are icosahedral double-stranded DNA viruses that infect a wide range of invertebrates, particularly in humid and aquatic environments. During field trials in Chiapas, southern Mexico, larvae of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), displayed an unexpected lavender iridescence, leading to the discovery of novel IIV isolates from this major agricultural pest. Restriction endonuclease analysis revealed evident diversity among isolates from individual infected larvae. Although one field experiment yielded inconclusive results, a second experiment revealed a positive association between IIV disease and SfMNPV infection, compared to a negative association with the prevalence of parasitoids, and no association with entomopathogenic nematodes (probably Hexamermis sp.). These findings require further investigation to determine the distinct ecological routes through which the virus may transmit across host species. IIV infection of S. frugiperda was also identified in Veracruz State, Mexico, and northern Argentina, revealing a previously unrecognized geographic and host range for these viruses. The genomic and evolutionary features of the three isolates from S. frugiperda were compared with those of two other lepidopteran isolates from Helicoverpa zea (IIV30C obtained from CSIRO) and Anticarsia gemmatalis (AgIIV). Genome sizes ranged between 196.1 and 205.4 kbp (~28% GC content), with several large inversions, and were rich in tandem repeats. The average amino acid identity of the complete genomes and phylogenetic analyses of 26 core gene sequences placed all five isolates within the genus Chloriridovirus, closely related to IIV22 and IV22a isolated from blackflies (Diptera) in Wales and a previously sequenced isolate of IIV30 from the USA. We conclude that these lepidopterans are all infected by closely related strains of the virus species Chloriridovirus simulium1 across their native geographical range. These findings highlight the unexpected ecological breadth and evolutionary adaptability of IIVs.

Substrate and soil temperatures were analyzed throughout 14 representative fruit–vegetable crop cycles and treatments grown in low-cost Mediterranean greenhouses, mostly around the cold winter period. The mean daily temperatures of most common substrates (perlite and coconut-coir bags) were lower (between 0.9 and 3.0 °C) and more variable than root zone temperatures of the most common soil (enarenado soil) throughout all crop cycles and treatments studied, particularly during the cold period. The mean daily temperature of the perlite and coconut-coir bags was low (around 15 °C) during most of the cold periods, and the minimum daily temperature was very low (around 12 °C) during some crop periods. These low temperatures are generally considered suboptimal for greenhouse production. The seasonal dynamics of the minimum and mean daily temperature of the substrate bags were similar to those observed for the mean daily greenhouse air temperature. The minimum daily temperature of substrate bags was close to the mean daily greenhouse air temperature for all the studied crop cycles. A simple and practical relationship was found for predicting mean daily temperatures of substrate bags from mean daily greenhouse air temperatures (MAE = 0.87 °C; RMSE = 1.15 °C). A substantial spatial and temporal variation in the hourly temperature was found in the cross-section of the coconut-coir bag, but not for the mean daily temperature. No differences were found for the mean daily temperature along the longitudinal section of the bag. In general, representative measurements of the coconut-coir bag can be taken by installing the sensors horizontally and especially vertically around the middle part of the bag.

Agricultural diversification represents an important strategy for promoting sustainability and resilience in rural regions. Goji berries (Lycium barbarum) have emerged as a promising alternative crop due to their high nutritional and functional potential. In this sense, the search for new crops to diversify the production in southwestern Spain is of main interest for farmers to adapt their productions to consumers claims and to climate change, having alternatives to the classical crops (olives, grapes for wine, etc.). This study evaluated several quality related parameters of three goji berry varieties cultivated in the southwest of Spain. Texture profile analysis (TPA) and puncture tests revealed varietal differences in firmness, cohesiveness, and springiness, influenced by genotype and harvesting time. Other morphological and quality parameters such as moisture, total soluble solids, titratable acidity and color were also affected. Significant differences in antioxidant capacity (ABTS and DPPH assays) were found among the varieties and harvesting times, with NQ7 exhibiting the highest values. Phenolic compounds were identified and quantified by LC–HRMS/MS, detecting 33 compounds, with most belonging to the hydroxycinnamic acids, flavonols and flavanones families. NQ7 presented the highest total phenolic content (74.787 mg/100 g DW), with rutin, coumaric acid derivatives, and naringenin as major contributors. The correlation analysis confirmed a strong relationship between total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. Overall, the results indicated that goji berries grown in southwestern Spain exhibited favorable quality and bioactive profiles, supporting their suitability for sustainable production and commercialization, including further applications as functional food ingredients.

Abstract Studies analysing land managers’ stated preferences for participation in environmental policy initiatives have largely overlooked the issue of hypothetical bias (HB). In this study, a discrete choice experiment focusing on farmers’ willingness to accept (WTA) to participate in agri-environmental schemes is used to examine an HB mitigation measure. The ex post HB mitigation measure is based on perceived consequentiality, grounded in the notion that greater survey consequentiality implies greater survey credibility, prompting land managers to provide more realistic responses. The results show that such a measure can help to reduce HB, which can lead to WTA being overestimated by 35%, in line with recent meta-analyses focusing on WTA settings for private goods. The results also indicate that perceived consequentiality exhibits a kind of “knife-edge” effect, like that reported for WTP settings with public goods. Overall, the results support the value of accounting for and enhancing perceived consequentiality. While this study opens up different avenues for further research, it should help future valuations of this kind to provide more accurate estimates, enabling more precise policy-making support for land and resource managers.