Papers by María Dolores Gómez López
Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Servicio de Documentación eBooks, 2014
En las situaciones de la vida real, a diferencia de los supuestos teóricos, no siempre se cuenta ... more En las situaciones de la vida real, a diferencia de los supuestos teóricos, no siempre se cuenta con toda la información que los modelos formales exigen Villa y Poblete La capacidad de aplicar a la práctica los conocimientos adquiridos es una competencia
Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena eBooks, 2019
Esta obra está bajo una licencia de Reconocimiento-NOcomercial-SinObraDerivada (by-nc-nd): no se ... more Esta obra está bajo una licencia de Reconocimiento-NOcomercial-SinObraDerivada (by-nc-nd): no se permite el uso comercial de la obra original ni la generación de obras derivadas.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Sep 1, 2022
alternatives for irrigated cereal-based production. Our findings highlight relevant strengths and... more alternatives for irrigated cereal-based production. Our findings highlight relevant strengths and drawbacks for the implementation of diversified cropping systems under low-input agricultural practices. An important strength is that the crop alternatives selected for the diversification are already cultivated as monocultures and are adapted to the local pedoclimatic conditions, while a major weakness is that few farmers are experts in crop diversification. These results can provide insights to support the planning of agricultural policies at different levels.
Frontiers in Environmental Science
Agricultural intensification negatively affects the environment through soil degradation, loss of... more Agricultural intensification negatively affects the environment through soil degradation, loss of agrobiodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, and nutrient leaching. Thus, the introduction of crop diversification strategies and alternative management practices is crucial to re-design agricultural intensification systems. To better understand the contribution of crop diversification to more sustainable agricultural systems, an accurate evaluation of synergies and trade-offs is needed. In this context, the 5-year Horizon 2020 DIVERFARMING project aims to define sustainable, diversified cropping systems with low-input farming practices, adopting a multi-disciplinary approach. The overall objective of this study was to improve the understanding of the stakeholders’ perceptions of barriers and opportunities for implementing farming practices and crop diversification strategies in intensive rainfed and irrigated cereal-based cropping systems in Italy. Fifty stakeholders, grouped in farmers...
The teamwork "Docencia Orientada a la Profesión" of the Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena has ... more The teamwork "Docencia Orientada a la Profesión" of the Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena has developed a document aimed to be used as a reference in the internships of the UPCT degrees. Since the Royal Decree RD 1791/2011 was approved, internships are considered as curricular and correspond to compulsory or optional credits. Furthermore, the RD establishes that internships require the development of an educational project. The mentioned document deals with the definition and assessment of skills.
Environmental Health Risk V, 2009
The objective of this manuscript was to assess the toxicity formation on biological treated waste... more The objective of this manuscript was to assess the toxicity formation on biological treated wastewater from a municipal wastewater treatment plant, after a chlorination-dechlorination disinfection process. Water was monitored by means of physicochemical and ecotoxicological parameters, with the use of Vibrio fischeri bioassay. Since a dechlorination process removed residual chlorine, the positive correlation between toxicity values and chlorine concentrations suggested the formation of toxic disinfection by-products (DBPs). Statistically significant differences could be observed for toxicity values according to total carbon, total inorganic carbon, total nitrogen, chlorine, and pH. However, total organic carbon, chemical oxygen demand, electrical conductivity and turbidity had no statistical significance on toxicity formation. Three second-order polynomial equations were fitted between with total carbon and total nitrogen concentrations as independent variables, and EC50 as a dependent one.
Chilean journal of agricultural research, 2019
The excessive use of agrochemicals to increase yield and fruit quality can result in soil, freshw... more The excessive use of agrochemicals to increase yield and fruit quality can result in soil, freshwater, and groundwater contamination. Designing and using new products based on microorganisms, such as rhizosphere bacteria, could reduce intensive agrochemical application and subsequent potential contamination. Therefore, the effect of a biocontroller (Pseudomonas fluorescens) on the nutrient balance and yield quality of melon (Cucumis melo L.) was evaluated under field conditions. Control and treatment plots without and with a biocontroller applied with an irrigation system were assayed. Soils were monitored by physicochemical and biochemical analysis and plants by nutrient and yield quality analysis during crop development. Pseudomonas fluorescens application significantly promoted salt solubility (416 and 1128 μS cm-1), available Cu concentration (3.8 and 4.3 mg kg-1), P availability (104 and 123 mg kg-1), and microbial C biomass (56 and 93 mg C kg-1) for control and treatment plots, respectively. In addition, biocontroller application did not significantly increase soil total N and exchangeable Na, Mg, and K concentrations. Pseudomonas fluorescens also promoted Mn, N, Zn, and P absorption, which causes competition among nutrients, limiting Cu, Na, Ca, and K absorption by melon plants. The β-glucosidase activity was also responsible for releasing Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, P, and N in the soil. Finally, P. fluorescens application increased fruit size and weight (3.0 to 3.8 and 3.3 to 4.3 kg for control and biocontroller treatments, respectively); therefore, biofertilization with this bacterium is a sustainable alternative to increase yield and fruit quality without increasing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Applied Sciences
The organic fraction of municipal waste, OFMW, management is one of the main concerns for urban w... more The organic fraction of municipal waste, OFMW, management is one of the main concerns for urban waste managers in developed countries. Composting this biodegradable urban waste and using the compost in agricultural activities is a quickly growing method and is a viable option to manage urban waste in both the developed and the developing world. This research presents the example of the management proposal for Cartagena city in Spain, in which the technical and environment feasibility has been studied. This work aimed to evaluate the composting of a mixture of different residues, namely organic waste, pruning, and Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile, which was collected from the beaches of the municipality while cleaning. Mixtures 1, M1 (composed of 20% OFMW and 40% pruning and seaweed) and 3, M3 (composed of 30% OFMW and 70% pruning) proved to be the best to reach the ideal compost (1.23-0.08-1.28 NPK and 2.22-0.33-3.45 NPK, respectively). An extreme mixture, M2, was evaluated (50% PO; 5...
Biochar used as a soil amendment to improve soil quality and fertility and increase soil carbon s... more Biochar used as a soil amendment to improve soil quality and fertility and increase soil carbon sequestration has been the focus of much research in the recent past. Unlike most conventional soil organic materials, which are readily decomposed, the recalcitrant nature of biochar increases its potential value as a soil amending material for the longer term. However, many biochars can be hydrophobic, and added to soil can aggravate water availability in areas where water scarcity is a major limiting factor for agriculture or forestry. It has been shown that biochar characteristics are influenced by production variables, especially feedstock, pyrolysis temperature and time of pyrolysis. Although there have been different studies characterizing biochars prepared from different sources, there are few studies comparing different types of biochar produced from domestic residues, manures or crop residues pyrolysis; there are, in addition, fewer studies dealing with the hydrophobic propertie...
Agronomy, 2020
The intensification of pig production is considered a risky activity for the environment when the... more The intensification of pig production is considered a risky activity for the environment when the generated pig slurry is not adequately treated. In addition, intensive agriculture practices where pig slurry is applied to the cropland could cause nitrate leaching, salinization, and soil pollution (heavy metals and pathogens), thus the development of an eco-friendly system for pig slurry treatment is essential to avoid undesirable environmental impacts. The main objective of this study was to assess the efficiency of an integrated purification system (IPS) for treating pig slurry. The system included a pretreatment module (raw pig slurry tank, phase separator, aeration tank, and settlement tank), constructed wetlands (CWs) that included an unplanted cell and a planted cell, and a storage pond (SP). Pig slurry samples from the pretreatment modules, CWs, and SP were collected in triplicate and physic-chemical and microbial analyses were performed. Results showed that the pretreatment m...
Agronomy, 2022
There are many enclaves in the Mediterranean basin with soils contaminated with heavy metal(loid)... more There are many enclaves in the Mediterranean basin with soils contaminated with heavy metal(loid)s, most of these in natural areas of great beauty that have suffered the consequences of industrial and mining activity for years. These soils pose a risk to human and animal health due to the transfer of metal(loid)s condemning these areas to isolation. The rehabilitation by means of phytoremediation is one of the most used techniques, but phytoremediation must be part of a comprehensive strategy of steps that guide owners and administrations in the recovery of ecosystem services. An easily replicable decision-making methodology is defined, considering the initial conditions, the preferences of the decision makers or typologies from among six possibilities and the different models of use, typified in 13 categories. As a result, a landscape is obtained that integrates phytostabilization and areas with recreational and/or educational uses. Two case studies from the southeast of Spain are ...
Sensors
Water scarcity in arid and semiarid regions poses problems for agricultural systems, awakening sp... more Water scarcity in arid and semiarid regions poses problems for agricultural systems, awakening special interest in the development of deficit irrigation strategies to improve water conservation. Toward this purpose, farmers and technicians must monitor soil water and soluble nutrient contents in real time using simple, rapid and economical techniques through time and space. Thus, this study aimed to achieve the following: (i) create a model that predicts water and soluble nutrient contents in soil profiles using electrical resistivity tomography (ERT); and (ii) apply the model to different woody crops under different irrigation regimes (full irrigation and regulated deficit irrigation (RDI)) to assess the efficiency of the model. Simple nonlinear regression analysis was carried out on water content and on different ion contents using electrical resistivity data as the dependent variable. A predictive model for soil water content was calibrated and validated with the datasets based o...
Agronomy, 2021
This study identifies, through consultation with relevant stakeholders, low-input farming practic... more This study identifies, through consultation with relevant stakeholders, low-input farming practices that can help to minimize the most pressing agronomic and environmental problems in some of the most relevant Mediterranean woody crops in Spain (almond, citrus, and olive) and enhance their sustainability. The results illustrate stakeholders’ perception regarding how each cropping system could be oriented towards a more sustainable production. Despite each case study’s particularities, there is consensus in the need for a shift towards the use of organic fertilizers, the maintenance of vegetation in the edges of plots and the use of integrated pest control strategies. On the contrary, stakeholders have selected different tillage and soil cover practices that are consistent with the characteristics and problems of each cropping system. This study also identifies relevant strengths and drawbacks for the implementation of low-input agricultural practices in each crop and study area. Whi...
La presente invención se refiere a una composición para la rehabilitación de suelos que comprende... more La presente invención se refiere a una composición para la rehabilitación de suelos que comprende, polvo de roca calcárea y/o marmórea y purines compostados, al procedimiento de preparación de dicha composición y al uso de dicha composición como enmienda organoalcalina. Fecha de realización del informe 13.03.2014
Agronomy, 2020
Constructed wetlands (CWs) can remove a high amount of pollutants from wastewater, and therefore ... more Constructed wetlands (CWs) can remove a high amount of pollutants from wastewater, and therefore play an important role in water purification. In this study, a pilot system to improve the traditional treatment of industrial wastewater from the tannery industry was tested. The main objective of this research was to remove nitrogen , phosphorus , boron , and chromium from a tannery’s industrial wastewater using a horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland (HSSFCW) formed from three cells, planted with Phragmites australis and operated in batch mode as an ecofriendly system. P. australis was selected due to its ability to adapt to climatic conditions, its wetland and management characteristics, and its high capacity for pollutant absorption. The concentrations of total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total phosphorus (TP), boron (B), and chromium (Cr) were analyzed in both wastewater and purified water, and the removal efficiencies were calculated. In addition, both the absorption capacit...
Agricultural Systems, 2020
A meta-analysis specially based on tree crops was conducted to evaluate the changes in soil organ... more A meta-analysis specially based on tree crops was conducted to evaluate the changes in soil organic carbon (SOC), soil N and P, and crop yield in a Mediterranean climate, which are affected by: (i) management practices (crop diversification, tillage, fertilization); (ii) environmental characteristics, such as soil clay and climatic variables; and (iii) study length. The aim of this study was to assess the benefits of crop diversification, conservation tillage (minimum tillage/no-tillage) and organic fertilization as alternatives to intensive conventional mono-cropping in field studies. All the diversified systems and conservation tillage systems and the use of organic fertilizers induced positive effects on SOC. The highest response in SOC was achieved by the growth of permanent crops in the alleys. Soil N showed a similar trend to that of SOC, but the effect of no-tillage was not significant compared to conventional tillage. No significant effect was observed in soil P except for the cultivation of permanent crops in the alleys, which had a negative effect. No effect was observed in tree crop yield due to the growth of alley crops, conservation tillage or organic fertilization. However, the response of crop yield was related to the specific climatic conditions of each region, with possible negative effects in warm and dry areas. Overall, the use of intercropping, conservation tillage and organic fertilization led to improvements in soil quality and fertility and maintenance of a ground cover that can protect soil. However, to avoid possible negative effects on soil P and N availability, the growth of annual alley crops with minimum tillage is suggested instead of permanent crops with no-tillage, especially in dry and warm areas. Our results also suggested that the soil properties evaluated were not the main drivers of long-term yield variability.
Congreso Ibérico de Agroingeniería, 2019
Congreso Ibérico de Agroingeniería, 2019
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Papers by María Dolores Gómez López