Na avicultura algumas integrações têm a prática de estocar as dietas por vários dias dentro da granja e muitas vezes, essas são submetidas a condições inadequadas de armazenamento. Os dados relacionados aos fatores ambientais, especialmente temperatura e umidade relativa do ambiente, tempo de estocagem e principalmente atividade de água (aw) do alimento, são fatores importantes que influenciam o crescimento fúngico e produção de micotoxinas no substrato, tornando-se importantes para o estabelecimento de um programa de prevenção e controle deste agente (ORRIS, 1999). Este trabalho objetivou analisar a atividade de água em dietas animais para verificar o potencial de crescimento fúngico e a forma de armazenamento do produto. Desta forma, foi estudada a atividade de água da dieta comercial de empresa de integração avícola no Rio Grande do Sul, antes da entrega ao criador e no último dia de armazenamento, nas diferentes estações do ano. Assim, buscou-se contribuir para a verificação das condições de conservação do alimento e dos possíveis riscos de contaminação, contribuindo para a prevenção de fungos e toxinas de importância avícola e com reflexos na saúde pública, avaliando o potencial de crescimento de microrganismos no alimento, com a possibilidade de se fornecer uma ferramenta de monitoramento das rações armazenadas, dentro de um programa com critérios fundamentados de prevenção e controle. Também foi determinada a umidade e a isoterma de adsorção destes alimentos, para auxiliar na compreensão sobre a forma de armazenamento. Pelos resultados encontrados ficou confirmado o aumento da atividade de água após o período de armazenamento da dieta, correspondendo ao valor de 0.681 de aw na fábrica e 0.693 de aw na granja. No entanto, os valores de atividade de água não estavam inseridos nos limites mínimos de crescimento fúngico (0.78 de aw) e produção de aflatoxinas (0.86 de aw). Houve correlação linear positiva entre atividade de água e umidade da ração, tanto na fábrica quanto na granja. A isoterma de adsorção apresentou aumento da umidade com o aumento da atividade de água. Não houve correlação entre atividade de água e ppb de aflatoxina encontrados nas dietas. | In some poultry industry, diets remain stored for days in the farm and, many times, it is subjected to inappropriate storage conditions. The information related to the environmental conditions, especially temperature and environment relative humidity, storage time and, mainly, food water activity (aw) are important agents that influence fungal growth and mycotoxins production on the substratum, becoming important to the establishment of a program to prevent and control this agent (ORRIS, 1999).This researchwork had as it principal objective to analyze the water activity to verify the potential of fungal growth and the way that the product is stored. In this way, it was studied the water activity of commercial diet in a company of the poultry integration in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, before the delivery at the farm and the last day of storage, in different seasons. For this reason, this assignment sought to verify the conditions of food preserving and possible risks of contaminations, serving as preservation of fungi and toxins of avian importance and with reflexes in public health. It was determined the humidity and the adsorption isotherm of this feed to assist in the compreension about the way this feed is stored. For the results it was confirmed the increase on water activity after the period of feed storage, corresponding at 0,681 aw before the delivery at the farm and 0,693 aw the last day of storage at the farm. However, the values of water activity were not inserted on the minimum limits of fungal growth (0,780 aw) and aflatoxins production (0,86 aw). There was a positive linear correlation between the water activity and the humidity of the diet, both at the fact view and at the farm. The adsorption isotherm presented an increase in humidity, with the increase in water activity. There wasn’t correlation between the water activity and ppb of aflatoxin meet in diets.

Latent heat of evaporation represents a large outgoing component of the energy balance established at a crop-stand surface. This explains why agriculture uses approximately 70% of all the freshwater withdrawn in the world. Increasing demand for water due to population growth, competition with industrial, domestic and environmental requirements, and the decreasing quality of water, limit the agricultural capacity for food production. The Water Resources, Development and Management Service (AGLW) of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is carrying out activities aimed at helping country members in supporting sustainable water management to securing food for a growing population. These activities cut across the various levels of the water domain, going from the (inter)national policy level down to local-level field applications. In this article, FAO's experiences in agricultural water management are used to provide lessons from the past and indicate directions for future challenges. (Résumé d'auteur)

"This book has been developed from the ADAPT Project, focusing on the development of regional adaptation strategies for water, food and the environment in river basins across the world. A generic methodology is presented and applied to seven case studies in contrasting geographical areas of the world. The book provides a unique contribution and will interest researchers in climatology, geography, ecology, agriculture, environmental studies and related disciplines."--Jacket.

Rosegrant Mark W., 'Water development for food production A global perspective', In R. Lawford, D. Fort, H. Harmann, and S. Eden , IFPRI, 2004 | Book chapter

Non-PR | IFPRI4 | EPTD

The economic, environmental and social benefits of more sensitive land use practices that protect or restore the natural functions of river catchments have been widely discussed. Changing land use has implications for a wide range of other biological communities. Some studies have already been undertaken on the benefits of sensitive farming at the catchment scale in England and Wales. However, there is a gap in these studies at the local scale, and particularly for upland farms from which headwaters arise. This article documents a case study relating to a successful partnership in Cumbria, UK, set within the wider context of catchment management. Whilst the case study is not highly detailed, and some costs have been described in outline only to protect confidentiality and commercial sensitivity, it provides some generic lessons and may therefore be useful in informing more sustainable policy-making. High Hullockhowe Farm near Haweswater, which was used a the case study highlighting changes in farm practise, costs and benefits, water resources and biodiversity. The authors relate the case study to wider policy implications.