Browsing by Author "Kourmpetli, Sofia"
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Item Open Access Ecosystem service delivery by urban agriculture and green infrastructure – a systematic review(Elsevier, 2022-02-11) Evans, Daniel L.; Falagán Sama, Natalia; Hardman, C. A.; Kourmpetli, Sofia; Liu, L.; Mead, B. R.; Davies, J. A. C.The ability for urban ecosystems to deliver provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services is vital for the health, sustainability, and resilience of urban environments. The increasing pressures being placed on urban environments by global climate change and the need to create sustainable food systems contributes to rising interest in green infrastructure and urban agriculture solutions. Yet, few studies have systematically assessed the ecosystem service provision of urban agriculture and green infrastructure in parallel. In this systematic review of 157 peer-reviewed journal articles, we synthesize the benefits and disbenefits of implementing various forms of urban agriculture and green infrastructure for the delivery of ecosystem services in urban areas. While both provide a diverse variety of ecosystem services, our review suggests that some services are provided more prevalently when green infrastructure is solely adopted (e.g., Local Climate and Air Quality Regulation), while other services are best delivered when green infrastructure is combined with urban agriculture (e.g., Biological Control and Maintenance of Genetic Diversity). Our data also show that ecosystem service delivery is partly modulated by the spaces in which urban growing takes place. Community Gardens, Green Spaces, Allotments, and Parks are found to be most conducive for diverse service provision, although it is also clear that some growing spaces have not been studied as frequently in urban ecosystem service research. We conclude by highlighting some key research gaps and priorities for urban ecosystem service research, including a stronger focus on under-represented services and growing spaces, the need for more systematic data collection, and the value of incorporating ecosystem service assessments into wider suitability and cost-benefit analyses.Item Open Access Growing your own in times of crisis: the role of home food growing in perceived food insecurity and well-being during the early COVID-19 lockdown(Emerald, 2021-05-04) Mead, Bethan R.; Davies, Jessica A. C.; Falagán Sama, Natalia; Kourmpetli, Sofia; Liu, Lingxuan; Hardman, Charlotte A.Household food insecurity and poor well-being have increased during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and resulting lockdown measures. Home food growing has been associated with improved food access and well-being, but it is unknown what role it plays during food supply crises and lockdown. It is also unclear how home food growing and social restrictions may affect opinions about growing food in urban areas (i.e., urban agriculture [UA]). A cross-sectional online survey was conducted during the UK national lockdown in March-April 2020 to measure home food growing, perceived food insecurity, well-being, and opinions of UA. The participants were 477 UK-based adults (369 female, mean age 39.57 years ± 13.36); 152 participants were engaged in home food growing prior to the pandemic. Responses were compared to data collected from a separate sample of participants before the pandemic (N = 583) to explore potential shifts in opinions about UA. Participants who engaged in home food growing had lower levels of food insecurity (U = 19894.50, z = -3.649, p<.001, r = -.167) and higher well-being (U = 19566.50, z = -3.666, p<.001, r = -.168) than those not engaged in home food growing. Perceived food insecurity partially mediated the relationship between home food growing and well-being; home food growing was associated with less food insecurity, which in turn was associated with better well-being. There were no differences in opinions of UA compared to the sample of participants from before the pandemic. Home food growing may have had a protective effect over perceived food security and well-being in the early stages the pandemic. Opinions of UA were positive and unchanged compared to data collected pre-pandemic. Policies that support home food growing and access to suitable growing spaces and resources may be beneficial for food system resilience and well-being.Item Open Access How much food can we grow in urban areas? Food production and crop yields of urban agriculture: a meta-analysis(American Geophysical Union (AGU) - Wiley, 2022-08-23) Payen, Florian Thomas; Evans, Daniel L.; Falagán, Natalia; Hardman, Charlotte A.; Kourmpetli, Sofia; Liu, Lingxuan; Marshall, Rachel; Mead, Bethan R.; Davies, Jessica A. C.Urban agriculture can contribute to food security, food system resilience and sustainability at the city level. Whilst studies have examined urban agricultural productivity, we lack systemic knowledge of how agricultural productivity of urban systems compares to conventional agriculture and how productivity varies for different urban spaces (e.g., allotments vs. rooftops vs. indoor farming) and growing systems (e.g., hydroponics vs. soil-based agriculture). Here, we present a global meta-analysis that seeks to quantify crop yields of urban agriculture for a broad range of crops and explore differences in yields for distinct urban spaces and growing systems. We found 200 studies reporting urban crop yields, from which 2,062 observations were extracted. ‘Lettuces and chicories’ were the most studied urban grown crops. We observed high agronomic suitability of urban areas, with urban agricultural yields on par with or greater than global average conventional agricultural yields. ‘Cucumbers and gherkins’ were the category of crops for which differences in yields between urban and conventional agriculture were the greatest (17 kg m-2 cycle-1 vs. 3.8 kg m-2 cycle-1). Some urban spaces and growing systems also had a significant effect on specific crop yields (e.g., tomato yields in hydroponic systems were significantly greater than tomato yields in soil-based systems). This analysis provides a more robust, globally-relevant evidence base on the productivity of urban agriculture that can be used in future research and practice relating to urban agriculture, especially in scaling-up studies aiming to estimate the self-sufficiency of cities and towns and their potential to meet local food demand.Item Open Access Identification of volatile organic compounds (vocs) as biomarkers of potato rots during cold storage and ecophysiological study of the pathogens involved.(Cranfield University, 2021-03) Gutierrez-Pozo, Maria; Medina-Vayá, Ángel; Kourmpetli, Sofia; Terry, Leon A.Potato tubers are stored for up to ten months. Therefore, controlling the conditions (temperature and relative humidity) in the storage environment is essential to reduce the risk of appearance of potato diseases. Fluctuations in the environmental conditions appear throughout the storage room, allowing the development of potato rots. This work aimed to identify Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) biomarkers of potato diseases to achieve an early identification of potato rots under commercial storage conditions. Furthermore, to achieve a deep understanding of the ecophysiology of the fungal and bacterial pathogens involved. Some of the objectives of this study were the isolation of fungal pathogens from potato tubers, the study of the mycotoxin production in the presence of dry rot, the development of a methodology for the VOC sampling and identification, and the study of the effect of storage time on the potato susceptibility to dry rot and soft rot. A method for the untargeted detection and identification of VOCs produced by potatoes during storage was developed using Thermal Desorption-Gas Chromatography-Time of Flight- Mass Spectrometry. A range of different TD (Thermal desorption) tubes were evaluated, and the most suitable for the adsorption of VOCs under the study conditions were selected. An in vitro study of the pathogens responsible for gangrene and dry rot was carried out using Natural Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) and three different temperatures (5,10 and 15ᴼC) and water activities (aw) (0.97, 0.98, 0.99). Higher temperature and aw resulted in higher growth rate and lag time of both pathogens, Fusarium spp. and Boeremia foveata. Furthermore, mycotoxins, such as T-2, HT- 2, diacetoxyscirpenol, beauvericin and neosolaniol, were detected in potato tubers infected with dry rot. An in vivo study of dry rot and soft rot was carried out at 8.5ᴼC, using two cultivars with different susceptibility to these diseases (cvs. Record and Casablanca). The internal and external lesions resulting from the infection were assessed over time and the VOC fingerprint of each cultivar at each time point was determined. The effect of storage time on the disease severity was also evaluated, demonstrating that at 8.5ᴼC, only dry rot’s severity was affected by the longer storage time, while no effect was observed in soft rot. Several VOCs were detected in higher abundance in presence of the pathogen in the in vivo and in vitro studies. They were selected as potential biomarkers of dry rot, soft rot and gangrene. Ethanol, acetone, ethyl acetate and acetic acid were detected in vitro as potential indicators of the presence of a fungal or bacterial disease. Furthermore, 2-methylpropan-1-ol was selected as a potential indicator of the presence of a fungal pathogen, such as Fusarium spp., responsible for dry rot in potato tubers. In vivo, 1-methoxy-3-methylbutane, 2- butanone, dimethyl disulfide and hydrogen cyanide were detected as potential biomarkers of dry rot or soft rot in potato tubers. Lastly, based on the findings that have been achieved in this work, future research should be focused on the study of the growth and VOC production of Pectobacterium carotovorum spp. in vitro and the study of the disease severity and VOC production of gangrene in vivo. Furthermore, a validation of the VOC results achieved in this work under commercial storage conditions should be carried out. These studies will confirm and enhance the findings achieved in this work.Item Open Access Improving the tea withering process using ethylene or UV-C(Cranfield University, 2021-12-13 11:24) del carmen Alamar Gavidia, Maria; Terry, Leon; Collings, Emma; Thompson, Andrew; Mohareb, Fady; Kourmpetli, Sofia; Kevei, Zoltan; Bogaerts Marquez, MariaThe data set contains objective colour, respiration rate, water loss data, as well as individual catechin and theobromine concentrations of Camellia sinensis shoots subjected to UV-C radiation and ethylene supplementation during simulated withering.Item Open Access Improving the tea withering process using ethylene or UV-C(American Chemical Society, 2021-11-05) Collings, Emma R.; Alamar, M. Carmen; Bogaerts Márquez, Maria; Kourmpetli, Sofia; Kevei, Zoltan; Thompson, Andrew J.; Mohareb, Fady; Terry, Leon A.Using a combination of biochemical, transcriptomic, and physiological analyses, we elucidated the mechanisms of physical and chemical withering of tea shoots subjected to UV-C and ethylene treatments. UV-C irradiation (15 kJ m–2) initiated oxidation of catechins into theaflavins, increasing theaflavin-3-monogallate and theaflavin digallate by 5- and 13.2–4.4-fold, respectively, at the end of withering. Concomitantly, a rapid change to brown/red, an increase in electrolyte leakage, and the upregulation of peroxidases (viz. Px2, Px4, and Px6) and polyphenol oxidases (PPO-1) occurred. Exogenous ethylene significantly increased the metabolic rate (40%) and moisture loss (30%) compared to control during simulated withering (12 h at 25 °C) and upregulated transcripts associated with responses to dehydration and abiotic stress, such as those in the ethylene signaling pathway (viz. EIN4-like, EIN3-FBox1, and ERFs). Incorporating ethylene during withering could shorten the tea manufacturing process, while UV-C could enhance the accumulation of flavor-related compounds.Item Open Access Is urban growing of fruit and vegetables associated with better diet quality and what mediates this relationship? Evidence from a cross-sectional survey(Elsevier, 2021-03-18) Mead, Bethan R.; Christiansen, Paul; Davies, Jessica A. C.; Falagán, Natalia; Kourmpetli, Sofia; Liu, Lingxuan; Walsh, Lael; Hardman, Charlotte A.Urban agriculture (UA), the growing of fruits and vegetables in urban and peri-urban areas, may improve food security and access, public health and dietary quality on both a broad and personal scale. However, there is little research on the relationship between UA and diet, and potential mediating factors are also unclear. This study aimed to investigate if proximity to and engagement with UA is associated with better diet quality, and what accounts for this relationship. UK-based adults (N = 583, 69% Female) completed measures of proximity to and engagement with UA, perceived access to fruits and vegetables, health and ethical food choice motivations, connection with nature, psychological distress and dietary quality in an online survey. Participants were recruited from UA-related groups and the general public. Proposed relationships were analysed using a structural equation model. Greater proximity to and engagement with UA was associated with greater perceived access to fruits and vegetables, more health-related food choice motivations, more ethical-related food choice, feeling more connected with nature, and, surprisingly greater psychological distress. Furthermore, proximity to and engagement with UA was indirectly associated with better diet quality via health-, and ethical-related, food choice motivations. While the direct pathway between proximity to and engagement with UA and diet quality was not significant, UA is associated with better diet quality, partly via healthier and ethical food choice motivations. Upscaling UA may have benefits for dietary quality via these factors, and more research is needed to test causal relationships and understand these complex interactions.Item Open Access Non-destructive methods for mango ripening prediction: Visible and near-infrared spectroscopy (visNIRS) and laser Doppler vibrometry (LDV)(Elsevier, 2024-03-16) O’Brien, C.; Falagán, Natalia; Kourmpetli, Sofia; Landahl, Sandra; Terry, Leon A.; Alamar, M. CarmenWith up to 19% of mango fruit being lost during ripening, the need for non-destructive technologies to predict internal physiochemical traits is paramount. This study compared two non-destructive technologies, visible and near-infrared spectroscopy (visNIRS) and laser Doppler vibrometry (LDV), for predicting the ripeness of mango fruit in two cultivars, ‘Kent’ and ‘Keitt’. An internal quality index (IQI) in ‘Kent’ was predicted using visNIRS (RP2 = 0.729, RMSEP = 0.532) using partial least squares regression, which gave a single measure for ripeness incorporating firmness, sweetness, and pulp colour. This model was improved by using the sum of the individual sugar contents (glucose, sucrose, and fructose) over the conventional total soluble solids (TSS) measure. LDV provided poor predictions of firmness (R2 < 0.5) in both ‘Kent’ and ‘Keitt’ using least squares regression line. The resonant frequency, as measured by LDV, decreased linearly with time, while firmness quantified destructively (quasi-static) showed an exponential decrease, suggesting the vibrational and destructive firmness measure distinct characteristics, which would contribute to poor model performance. These results showed that LDV is not suitable for assessing mango ripening. While visNIRS models have been successful at predicting quality traits, our results suggested that using individual sugar content in place of TSS can improve the prediction of ripening. This understanding of the strengths and limitations of both visNIRS and LDV, and how they relate to destructive quality measurements, can be used to improve postharvest management practices whilst reducing commercial losses in the mango industry.Item Open Access Non-destructive methods for mango ripening prediction: Visible and near[1]infrared spectroscopy (visNIRS) and laser Doppler vibrometry (LDV): Data(Cranfield University, 2024-03-12 09:10) del carmen Alamar Gavidia, Maria; O'Brien, Ciara; Falagan Sama, Natalia; Landahl, Sandra; Terry, Leon; Kourmpetli, SofiaThis data set includes reference measurements (firmness, colour [lightness, chroma and hue angle], total soluble solids [TSS], individual sugar concentrations [glucose, fructose, sucrose]), as well as visible and near-infrared spectroscopic (vis-NIRS) data (nm) and resonant frequency measured by laser Doppler vibroemetry (LDV) on 'Keitt' and 'Kent' mango fruit.Item Open Access Potential of urban green spaces for supporting horticultural production: a national scale analysis(IOP, 2022-01-14) Walsh, Lael E.; Mead, Bethan R.; Hardman, Charlotte A.; Evans, Daniel L.; Liu, Lingxuan; Falagán Sama, Natalia; Kourmpetli, Sofia; Davies, JessAs urban areas and land-use constraints grow, there is increasing interest in utilizing urban spaces for food production. Several studies have uncovered significant potential for urban growing to supplement production of fruit and vegetables, focusing on one or two cities as case studies, whilst others have assessed the global scale potential. Here, we provide a national-scale analysis of the horticultural production potential of urban green spaces, which is a relevant scale for agri-food and urban development policy making using Great Britain (GB) as a case study. Urban green spaces available for horticultural production across GB are identified and potential yields quantified based on three production options. The distribution of urban green spaces within 26 urban towns and cities across GB are then examined to understand the productive potential compared to their total extent and populations. Urban green spaces in GB, at their upper limit, have the capacity to support production that is 8× greater than current domestic production of fruit and vegetables. This amounts to 38% of current domestic production and imports combined, or >400% if exotic fruits and vegetables less suited to GB growing conditions are excluded. Most urban green spaces nationally are found to fall within a small number of categories, with private residential gardens and amenity spaces making up the majority of space. By examining towns and cities across GB in further detail, we find that the area of green space does not vary greatly between urban conurbations of different sizes, and all are found to have substantial potential to meet the dietary needs of the local urban population. This study highlights that national policies can be suitably developed to support urban agriculture and that making use of urban green spaces for food production could help to enhance the resilience of the national-scale food system to shocks in import pathways, or disruptions to domestic production and distribution.Item Open Access Scaling-up urban agriculture for a healthy, sustainable and resilient food system: the postharvest benefits, challenges and key research gaps(Inderscience, 2022-03-29) Kourmpetli, Sofia; Falagán, Natalia; Hardman, Charlotte; Liu, Lingxuan; Mead, Bethan; Walsh, Lael; Davies, JessSustainably ensuring food security and safety for the urban population is a major challenge. In this perspective, we present the concept of rurbanisation (the ruralisation of urban areas through increased urban agriculture) as a holistic strategy to provide a resilient food system. In particular, we focus on the postharvest benefits of urban agriculture for environmentally sustainable food supply chains, enhanced nutritional content of fresh produce and access to fresh, local and seasonal food. However, upscaling current urban agricultural systems requires improvement in current technologies and local infrastructure as well as the transfer of knowledge and skills to new urban farmers. This perspective summarises the main challenges that urban agriculture is currently facing from a postharvest quality and safety point of view, and highlights the research gaps and opportunities for improvements in that area.