Publications by authors named "Fernando Lidon"

Zinc enrichment of edible food products, through the soil and/or foliar application of fertilizers, is a strategy that can increase the contents of some nutrients, namely Zn. In this context, a workflow for agronomic enrichment with zinc was carried out on irrigated cv. Syrah, aiming to evaluate the mobilization of photoassimilates to the winegrapes and the consequences of this for winemaking.

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Increasing exposure to unfavorable temperatures and water deficit imposes major constraints on most crops worldwide. Despite several studies regarding coffee responses to abiotic stresses, transcriptome modulation due to simultaneous stresses remains poorly understood. This study unravels transcriptomic responses under the combined action of drought and temperature in leaves from the two most traded species: cv.

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Mushroom cultivation presents a viable solution for utilizing agro-industrial byproducts as substrates for growth. This process enables the transformation of low-economic-value waste into nutritional foods. Enhancing the yield and quality of preharvest edible mushrooms, along with effectively preserving postharvest mushrooms, stands as a significant challenge in advancing the industry.

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Climate changes boosted the frequency and severity of drought and heat events, with aggravated when these stresses occur simultaneously, turning crucial to unveil the plant response mechanisms to such harsh conditions. Therefore, plant responses/resilience to single and combined exposure to severe water deficit (SWD) and heat were assessed in two cultivars of the main coffee-producing species: cv. Icatu and cv.

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  • Rice is a vital cereal crop, and this study focused on using selenium (Se) foliar applications to enhance its nutritional value in two rice varieties, Ariete and Ceres.
  • The treatments involved spraying sodium selenate and sodium selenite at different developmental stages, which resulted in greater Se content and positive changes in nutrients like potassium (K) and phosphorus (P).
  • The findings indicated that while Se enriched the rice grain with selenium, it also affected other nutrients differently, increasing protein content in the Ariete variety but not in Ceres, thus improving the overall nutritional profile of the rice without compromising quality.
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In recent years, cocoa and dark chocolate have attracted the interest of consumers not only for their sensory characteristics but also for their nutritional properties and positive impact on health. The baobab is a fruit of African origin with a sour and slightly sweet flavour, widely consumed by local communities due to its unique nutritional features. The aim of this work was to evaluate the impact of the concentration of baobab flour in the development of functional dark chocolate, including physical, chemical, nutritional and sensory evaluations.

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One-third of the world's population is suffering from "hidden hunger" due to micronutrient deficiency. Zinc is acquired through diet, leading its deficiency to the development of disorders such as retarded growth, anorexia, infections, and hypogeusia. Accordingly, this study aimed to develop an agronomic workflow for Zn biofortification on two red winegrapes varieties (cv.

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  • Drought significantly hinders plant growth and productivity, with the situation worsening as water becomes less available.
  • This study evaluates how two coffee plant varieties (cv. CL153 and cv. Icatu) respond at the gene level to varying degrees of water stress and carbon dioxide levels, finding that severe drought leads to a drop in gene expression.
  • Elevated carbon dioxide levels help offset drought effects, particularly in the Icatu variety, as indicated by active genes related to stress response and ABA signaling pathways.
  • Additionally, the research suggests complex regulatory mechanisms at play that may explain differences between gene expression data and plant physiological responses.
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Inundation, excessive precipitation, or inadequate field drainage can cause waterlogging of cultivated land. It is anticipated that climate change will increase the frequency, intensity, and unpredictability of flooding events. This stress affects 10-15 million hectares of wheat every year, resulting in 20-50% yield losses.

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Bread wheat ( L.) is a major staple crop, and more adapted varieties are needed to ensure productivity under unpredictable stress scenarios resulting from climate changes. In the development of new genotypes, root system traits are essential since roots have a key function in water and nutrient uptake, and root architecture determines the plant's ability to spatially explore the soil resources.

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Climate changes with global warming associated with rising atmospheric [CO] can strongly impact crop performance, including coffee, which is one of the most world's traded agricultural commodities. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to understand the mechanisms of heat tolerance and the potential role of elevated air CO (eCO) in the coffee plant response, particularly regarding the antioxidant and other protective mechanisms, which are crucial for coffee plant acclimation. For that, plants of cv.

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  • There’s rising concern about micronutrient deficits in food, and biofortification, specifically with zinc (Zn), is a strategy to address this.
  • A workflow was developed for enriching the Fernão Pires grape variety with Zn, assessing how it affects grape quality and winemaking after applying various Zn compounds during the growing season.
  • Results showed a significant increase in Zn levels in the grapes compared to untreated ones, especially in the skins and seeds, but overall grape quality and composition remained largely unchanged.
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The baobab tree ( L.) is found widely in the forests and savannas of sub-Saharan Africa. The baobab fruit has a sour and slightly sweet taste and is widely consumed by the natives, thus containing a high nutritional value and providing a source of income for rural people.

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  • This study investigates how two coffee plant varieties react to drought under different carbon dioxide levels.
  • It explores the expression of proteins related to stress defense, energy metabolism, and lipid processes in response to mild and severe water deficits.
  • Findings suggest that higher CO2 levels can enhance drought tolerance, particularly in the C. arabica variety, indicating potential benefits for coffee cultivation amidst climate change.
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As the productivity and quality of tomato fruits are responsive to Mg applications, without surpassing the threshold of toxicity, the assessment of potential levels of Mg accumulation in tissues, as well as the interactions with Ca and physicochemical properties, prompt this study. An agronomic workflow for Mg enrichment, consisting of six foliar applications of MgSO with four concentrations (0%, 0.25%, 1% and 4%), equivalent to 0, 43.

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Calcium is essential for plants, yet as its mobility is limited, the understanding of the rate of Ca accumulation and deposition in tissues of tubers, as well as the interactions with other critical nutrients prompted this study. To assess the interactions and differential accumulation of micro and macronutrients in the tissues of tubers, L. varieties Agria and Rossi were cultivated and, after the beginning of tuberization, four foliar sprayings (at 8-10 day intervals) with CaCl (3 and 6 kg ha) or Ca(NO) (2 and 4 kg ha) solutions were performed.

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This study evaluated the elemental composition of 25 herbal tea plants commonly used in infusions by Portuguese consumers and the contribution to the elemental daily intake of some essential elements. (L.), (L.

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  • The mineral composition of grapes and wine can be affected by soil minerals, farming practices, and the environment, with zinc (Zn) being particularly important for human health.
  • Experiments using foliar fertilizers containing zinc revealed that both Moscatel and Castelão grape varieties experienced decreased photosynthesis and stomatal conductance, indicating potential toxicity from zinc without visible symptoms.
  • Zinc content significantly increased in Castelão grapes after treatment, but less so in Moscatel, and both varieties showed enhanced zinc levels post-winemaking, emphasizing the potential for nutrient enrichment in wine production.
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Bread wheat () is a major crop worldwide, and it is highly susceptible to heat. In this work, grain production and composition were evaluated in Portuguese germplasm (landraces and commercial varieties), which was subjected to heat after anthesis (grain filling stage). Heat increased the test weight (TW) in Nabão, Grécia and Restauração, indicating an improved flour-yield potential.

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Colour is one of the most relevant organoleptic attributes that directly affects consumers' acceptance and food selection. However, as food colouring pigments are generally unstable and become modified during processing, in order to maintain or restore product colour uniformity, colourants are added to food products around the world. In this context, although they are still widely used, synthetic food colorants, due to their potential hazards, are being replaced by those obtained from natural origins.

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The aim of this study is to evaluate the elemental composition of fifteen algae-based supplements commonly sold in the Portuguese market, by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence. Despite the fact that the majority of Kelp samples were a good source of iodine, the levels observed might well contribute to an excess in the human body, which can cause dysfunction of the thyroid gland. Furthermore, the presence of lead in Sea spaghetti, Arame, Hijiki and Wakame caused a considerable risk to public health vis a vis possible ingestion of a high daily dose.

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  • Climate change is threatening coffee crops globally, prompting research on how different coffee genotypes respond to elevated CO2 and varying drought conditions.
  • Two coffee genotypes, cv. Conilon Clone 153 and cv. Icatu, were tested under normal and elevated CO2 levels combined with varying water availability conditions.
  • The study found that Conilon Clone 153 had increased metabolite levels under drought at normal CO2 but decreased under elevated CO2, while Icatu had minor changes but showed some benefits under severe drought with elevated CO2.
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Metamitron (MET) is a fruitlet thinning compound for apple trees, needing better understanding of its action on leaf energy metabolism, depending on nighttime temperature. A trial under environmental controlled conditions was set with 'Golden Reinders' potted trees, under 25/7.5 and 25/15 °C (diurnal/nighttime temperature), with (MET, 247.

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The contamination of abandoned mining areas is a problem worldwide that needs urgent attention. Phytoremediation emerges as a successful method to extract different contaminants from the soil. In this context, plants growing in soils artificial contaminated with arsenic (As) were used to access its phytoremediation capabilities.

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Understanding the effect of extreme temperatures and elevated air (CO) is crucial for mitigating the impacts of the coffee industry. In this work, leaf transcriptomic changes were evaluated in the diploid and its polyploid , grown at 25 °C and at two supra-optimal temperatures (37 °C, 42 °C), under ambient (aCO) or elevated air CO (eCO). Both species expressed fewer genes as temperature rose, although a high number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were observed, especially at 42 °C.

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