Publication
Towards a new efficiency paradigm for drip irrigation? Changes in water allocation and management in irrigation and wetland systems
(Elsevier, 2024-04) Sanchis Ibor, Carlos Abelardo; Manzano Juarez, Juan; García Molla, Marta; Departamento de Economía y Ciencias Sociales; Departamento de Ingeniería Hidráulica y Medio Ambiente; Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica y del Medio Natural; Centro Valenciano de Estudios sobre el Riego; Facultad de Administración y Dirección de Empresas; Agencia Estatal de Investigación; European Regional Development Fund; UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE VALENCIA
[EN] CONTEXT: During the last thirty years, many farmers and collective irrigation institutions have replaced their
traditional gravity irrigation systems with modern drip irrigation systems, as a result of a water-saving policy
promoted by numerous states and international organisations. The scientific-technical paradigm that associated
water-savings with this process of technological change has collapsed in the last two decades and has led to a
change in the position of international organisations.
OBJECTIVE: In this research, we focus on the process of drip irrigation adoption in the Acequia Real del Júcar
(Val`encia, Spain). We analyse how the estimation and allocation of the expected water savings have changed in
the different water planning instruments, and how it has been perceived by the different actors involved in this
process. The research has also focused on the co-design and assessment of different measures to correct the
impacts of this technological change, locally and on the Albufera wetland, located immediately downstream of
the abovementioned irrigable area.
METHOD: The research is based on a documentary review and a participatory action research.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The results show how the emerging concept of the rebound effect is permeating
too slowly from academia to institutions and users, and that there is a need to stimulate innovative decisionmaking to achieve a more rigorous allocation of water and to adapt water and environmental planning.
Publication
Ultrasonic monitoring of softening in solid foods during in-vitro gastric digestion
(Elsevier, 2024-08) Giacomozzi, Anabella Soledad; Benedito Fort, José Javier; Quiles Chuliá, María Desamparados; García Pérez, José Vicente; Dalmau-Estelrich, Maria Esperanza; Grupo de Análisis y Simulación de Procesos Agroalimentarios; Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica y del Medio Natural; Instituto Universitario de Ingeniería de Alimentos (FoodUPV); Departamento de Tecnología de Alimentos; Grupo de Microestructura y Química de Alimentos; European Commission; Generalitat Valenciana; Universitat Politècnica de València
[EN] This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of using non-destructive ultrasound to monitor textural softening in potato and cheese during in vitro gastric digestion. Textural measurements were taken after different digestion times (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min) at 37 ¿ C, while in vitro digestion was non-destructively monitored using ultrasound in through-transmission mode. The textural softening resulted in a substantially greater variation in hardness, ranging from 0.418 to 1.241 N for potato and from 0.200 to 0.534 N for cheese. Meanwhile, the ultrasonic velocity increased during gastric digestion from 745 ± 106.6 m/s to 1342.9 ± 131.5 m/s in potato and from 1377.4 ± 3.8 m/s to 1502.8 ± 4.6 m/s in cheese. Both the softening and velocity increase were attributable to the compositional variation occurring within the food structure due to gastric fluid diffusion into the food matrix. The Weibull model kinetic parameter ¿k¿ indicated that potato exhibited a higher softening rate than cheese, due to a faster gastric fluid migration. This was also evidenced by the effective diffusivity of gastric fluid (D eff evolution of the ultrasonic velocity during digestion (D eff, potat¿ o 2.5 D eff, cheese ) obtained by modeling the ). A noticeable relationship was found between the softening of both food matrices and the change in the ultrasonic wave velocity. Additionally, it should be highlighted that the measurement of the ultrasonic velocity by ultrasound presented a lower degree of variability than instrumental texture assessment. Therefore, ultrasound proves to be an accurate technique for the on-line monitoring of textural changes in foods during in vitro digestion. This non-destructive approach provides a powerful instrumental tool in the design of new products with enhanced nutritional properties by better monitoring how in vitro digestion affects their mechanical properties.
