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Thirty-two expert stakeholder (e.g., consumer advice center, state parliament at regional level, European Network for Rural Development, university and research center, chamber of tourism, rural development association, and social cooperative enterprise) interviews were conducted to examine consumer attitudes, values and preferences in relation to short food supply chains. These stakeholders have expertise in policy, consumer behaviour, the tourism sector and regulation. The interviewees represented the views of consumers, producers, and other actors who work with or within short food supply in seven European countries (Belgium, Germany, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland). Consumers were generally perceived to be aware of the environmental impact of food production. In terms of preferences, consumers would like to shop for local food the way they shop at the supermarket: having variety of products, accessibility, and availability. The relative lack of convenience and high prices associated with short food supply chains products were seen as the major barriers to their purchase. Consumers were thought to buy the products because of health and environmental benefits, a desire to support their local community, and a preference for tradition. However, relatively few consumers purchase products regularly from SFSC. The main segments are people who believe in short food supply chains values, middle class families with young children and elderly people. More can be done to educate and engage consumers regarding these chains, and market research is needed to inform which strategy is likely to be most effective in specific contexts such as the regional level.

Aims: The aim of the present study was to analyse the impact of different water regimes on the physiological and agronomical behavior of an aromatic white grapevine (cv. Arvine) by means of various levels of irrigation. The consequences of the plant water status were evaluated by carrying out a chemical (aromatic precursors) and sensorial analysis of the resulting wines.Methods and results: Adult vines of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Arvine grafted onto 5BB were subjected to different water regimes (various levels of irrigation) during the growing season. Physiological indicators were used to monitor the plant water status [pre-dawn leaf (ΨPD) and stem (ΨSTEM) water potentials and carbon isotope composition (d13C) in the must]. Gas exchange (net photosynthesis AN and transpiration E), stomatal conductance (gs), yield parameters, berry composition at harvest, analysis of potential grape aromatic properties (glycosyl-glucose G-G, precursor 3-mercaptohexanol P 3-MH) and the sensorial quality of wines were analysed over a period of 8 consecutive years (2009-2016) in the Agroscope experimental vineyard in Leytron under the relatively dry conditions of the Rhône valley in Wallis, Switzerland.In the non-irrigated vines, the progressively increasing water deficit observed over the season reduced the leaf gas exchange (AN and E) and gs. The intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi, A/gs) increased over the season and was greater in the vines that had suffered water restriction than in the irrigated vines. The rise in WUEi was correlated with an increase in d13C in the must sugars at harvest. A decrease in plant vigor was observed in the water stressed vines over multiple years. Moderate to high water stress during fruit ripening lowered the contents of total and malic acidity in the musts and the content of yeast available nitrogen (YAN). On the other hand, contents in sugar and the aromatic precursor (P-3MH) in berries were not influenced by the vine water status. The G-G values for berries increased with rising water stress in the non-irrigated vines. The wines from the plants subjected to water stress and to yeast available nitrogen deficiency (non-irrigated vines during hot and dry seasons) had a less distinctive typicity, and developed a lower aromatic expression with a more bitter taste, than the wines from the non-stressed plants. Overall, and compared with the stressed vines, the organoleptic characteristics and quality of Arvine wines from vines which had not undergone restrictions in water and nitrogen during the growing season were appreciated more.Conclusions: The vine’s physiological behavior (leaf gas exchange, plant vigor) and agronomic parameters (yield, berry composition), together with the quality of white aromatic Arvine wines, were strongly influenced by vine water regimes during the growing season.Significance and impact of the study: Vine water status and must nitrogen contents are key factors in grape composition and in the sensorial quality of resulting aromatic white wines.

Introduction. The aim of this work was to study the effects of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) on fruit yield, fruit weight and fruit quality parameters, as well as soil-plant water relations, in apple orchards under high-frequency subsurface drip irrigation in a region with a continental climate. Materials and methods. Four irrigation treatments were applied in 2010 and 2011 to apple trees cv. ‘Gala’: T1, no irrigation; T2, optimal irrigation except during summer; T3, optimal irrigation except during summer when RDI with a threshold for irrigation at –1.2 MPa midday stem water potential (Ψ stem) was utilised; T4, optimal irrigation. The soil water status and plant water status were followed over two growing seasons. Results and discussion. The irrigation treatments had no significant impact on fruit yield. However, compared with optimal irrigation (T4) and RDI (T3), the absence of irrigation in summer (T1, T2) induced low Ψ stem ( The RDI treatment saved 47% water compared with optimal irrigation without negative impacts on yield and fruit quality. In the temperate conditions of Switzerland, Ψ stem, as well as Ψ soil, are well adapted for scheduling RDI in apple orchards.

Four different regulated deficit irrigation treatments were applied in 8-year-old apple trees in field conditions, in Switzerland. Soil water and plant water status were followed in the different treatments, during about 100 days, from 40 to 140 days after full bloom and are reported. Our results show that in spite of clear differences in water status, there were no important differences in yields.

BACKGROUND The raspberry, Rubus idaeus L., provides several plant parts (as buds) used for food supplements. The aim of this research was to establish a technique for chemical composition control of R. idaeus herbal preparations, using chromatographic methods. These methods allowed us to identify and quantify the main phytochemicals, obtaining a specific phytochemical fingerprint (phytocomplex). Combined with two different chemometric methods – clustering analysis and principal component analysis – the raspberry bud extracts of the different cultivars were efficiently characterized. RESULTS Rubus idaeus buds were identified as a rich source of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds: organic acids, vitamins and catechins were found to be the most discriminating variables by chemometric techniques to differentiate raspberry cultivars. In particular, catechins (13.25%) and flavonols (8.71%) were the most important polyphenolic classes, followed by cinnamic and benzoic acids. CONCLUSION This study developed a useful tool for R. idaeus extract phytochemical characterization that could be applied also for differentiation and composition control of other herbal preparations. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry

FTIR applications combined with chemometric methods can provide alternative techniques to conventional methods to determine quality traits of fruits or vegetables. In the present study, these techniques were used to predict the main traits involved in sensory quality of raspberry fruits (such as soluble solids content, total acid, pH, fructose, glucose and sucrose) and the main bioactive compounds implied in antioxidant capacities (vitamin C, phenolics and anthocyanins). Partial Least Squares regressions (PLS) were used to develop the prediction models. A leave-one-out procedure has been performed to determine the optimal number of latent variables and the wavenumber selection; and k-one-out procedure (2/3, 1/3) to calibrate and to cross-validate the models. Excellent predictions were achieved for quality traits (pH, TA, SSC) with R 2 -greater than 0.90, except for TA prediction in the second validation steps where R 2 -value decreased to 0.61. Predictions of reducing sugars and sucrose were also excellent with R 2 -values above 0.95 in both validation steps. Models aiming at to predict bioactive compounds presented lower performances than sugar models. They remain acceptable and promising for vitamin C and phenolics (R 2 ≥ 0.65; RMSECV ≤ 12%). Finally, the validation of anthocyanins prediction model did not give satisfactory results.

Individual sugars, organic acids, anthocyanins and vitamin C were quantified in strawberry fruits of four newly-bred cultivars grown at two production sites in Switzerland with different soil, climatic conditions and altitudes (1060 and 480 m above sea level). All the measured compounds were significantly influenced by genotype. Pelargonidin-3-glucoside was the main anthocyanin present in all cultivars, while the presence of other pelargonidin derivatives was genotype-dependent. Differences of about 2-fold were observed among the studied cultivars for their vitamin C content. In the mountain region, where plants produced a higher fruit yield over a shorter period, the concentration of both health and taste-related compounds was detrimentally affected. In particular, the vitamin C content in the fruits was negatively related to the average yield per day. However, the compositional variations of strawberry fruits in response to different production sites were genotype specific. Within the four cultivars studied, cv. Antea was most affected by the production site, showing generally lower contents of all analysed compounds when cultivated at higher altitudes, whereas cv. Clery seemed to have the more consistent chemical composition, regardless of production site. The results presented in this work corroborate the dominant role of strawberry genotype over environmental factors.

Artemisinin, a sesquiterpene lactone endoperoxide isolated from the herb Artemisia annua L. (Asteraceae), is a highly potent antimalarial compound, which is efficient against multidrug-resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum. The promotion of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) by the WHO during the past years lead to strong pressure on the world market of artemisinin. In order to assess the potential of this new culture in Argentina, the 'Artemis' cultivar was grown in 2007 and 2008 in four different locations. On one of the sites, 2 new hybrids were tested to assess their potential. The following parameters were recorded during the growing period: plant height, phenology, biomass production, percentage of dry leaves and artemisinin content. The results obtained with the cultivar 'Artemis' showed that the highest yield of biomass reached at the time of harvest was 2.5 t/ha dry leaves. At the harvesting stage, artemisinin contents ranged from 0.77% to 1.12% depending on the location. The two new hybrids tested showed a similar production of leaves, but a significantly higher level of artemisinin than those observed for 'Artemis'. Future trials are planned to optimise the cultivation of annual wormwood in Argentina.

The floral stems of genepi (Artemisia umbelliformis Lam.) are mainly used to produce liquors. Commercial cultures showed great variations in essential oil (aromatic compounds) and costunolide (bitter compound) contents. From 2001 to 2003, the incidence of the phenological stage on the quality of floral trusses of white genepi (Artemisia umbelliformis Lam.) was precisely defined. The ideal harvesting period for a maximal content of essential oil and costunolide, is the beginning of flowering. After this stage, the essential oil and costunolide contents dropped of about 50%. Nevertheless the chemical composition of the essential oil remained stable during the whole flowering period of white genepi.

Wormwoods (Artemisia species) from the genepi group are, along with Edelweiss, iconic plants of the Alpine region and true symbols of inaccessibility because of their rarity and their habitat, largely limited to moraines of glaciers and rock crevices. Infusions and liqueurs prepared from genepis have always enjoyed a panacea status in folk medicine, especially as thermogenic agents and remedies for fatigue, dyspepsia, and airway infections. In the wake of the successful cultivation of white genepi (Artemisia umbelliformis Lam.) and the expansion of its supply chain, modern studies have evidenced the occurrence of unique constituents, whose chemistry, biological profile, and sensory properties are reviewed along with the ethnopharmacology, botany, cultivation and conservation strategies of their plant sources.

The raspberry, Rubus idaeus L., provides several plant parts (as buds) used for food supplements. The aim of this research was to establish a technique for chemical composition control of R. idaeus herbal preparations, using chromatographic methods. These methods allowed us to identify and quantify the main phytochemicals, obtaining a specific phytochemical fingerprint (phytocomplex). Combined with two different chemometric methods - clustering analysis and principal component analysis - the raspberry bud extracts of the different cultivars were efficiently characterized.Rubus idaeus buds were identified as a rich source of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds: organic acids, vitamins and catechins were found to be the most discriminating variables by chemometric techniques to differentiate raspberry cultivars. In particular, catechins (13.25%) and flavonols (8.71%) were the most important polyphenolic classes, followed by cinnamic and benzoic acids.This study developed a useful tool for R. idaeus extract phytochemical characterization that could be applied also for differentiation and composition control of other herbal preparations. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

With the increasing demand for plant based products, cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants becomes more and more important. Breeding is one of the key technologies for the progress of the supply of high quality medicinal and aromatic plants. To react more rapidly to the requirements of the stakeholders, further improvement of breeding efficiency requires an intensification of (1) the characterisation of individual plants from accessions and conservation of well-defined genotypes, (2) the co-operation between genetic resource experts and breeders to use efficiently the available genetic potential, (3) the investigation on the reproduction biology of traditional and new medicinal plants to choose appropriate breeding strategies, (4) the exploration of molecular markers of important traits and (5) the development of tools to accelerate the breeding procedure.

L'objectif de cet article est d'analyser le role de la biodiversite et les mecanismes fondamentaux dans la gestion de prairies ; sont egalement presentes de nouveaux resultats dans ce domaine et les effets negatifs des methodes agricoles modernes sur la richesse des especes vegetales, leur impact sur l'environnement et le paysage. Il y a un fort desir de promouvoir la biodiversite, de rendre des paysages attractifs ainsi que de maintenir les communautes rurales. La preservation de la biodiversite est surtout une volonte regionale et non celle d'exploitants. La gestion de prairies pour atteindre cet objectif exigera donc des compromis. En effet, la conduite agricole influe sur la structure verticale et horizontale du couvert vegetal a l'echelle spatiale et temporelle. L'evaluation de ces effets a divers niveaux est importante pour comprendre les mecanismes responsables des changements intervenant dans la composition botanique et la productivite des prairies. Deux etudes de cas : l'une avec Trifolium repens L. (trefle blanc), l'autre avec Festuca pratensis Huds (fetuque des pres), sont presentees afin d'identifier les processus impliques dans le changement de rendement des especes. La structure du couvert vegetal et la forme de croissance du trefle blanc determinent sa recherche de lumiere. La faible aptitude de competitivite de la fetuque des pres est due a une densite insuffisante de la surface foliaire dans la couche superieure du couvert. Des experiences a long terme montrent que la conduite agricole provoque aussi des microevolutions rapides pour differentes especes. En conclusion, la gestion pour l'heterogeneite de l'habitat a toutes les echelles conservera la majeure partie de la diversite biotique d'un site.

Small agricultural firms have to cope with increasing economic, legal and environmental difficulties. The purpose of the paper is to identify whether there are available research outputs to these challenges, focusing on the Swiss traditional fruit sector. Identification of firms’ needs using face-to-face interviews and a focus group allowed us to prioritize innovations. Knowledge and innovation transfer gaps were identified thanks to bibliometric analysis, providing hints for research program orientations. The main sectoral needs were related to varieties like increasing pest and disease resistance, weather sensitivity, and ripening behavior. Knowledge produced by research institutions was partly related to the firms’ needs. The study demonstrated a need for better coordination between agricultural stakeholders and researchers. Knowledge must be transferred and shared in the network with greater efficiency by extending interactions and involving stakeholders earlier in the innovation process. However, the search for scientific outputs should include more specificities of the local environment.JEL Codes: O31, O32