Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a grain of great nutritional interest that gained international importance during the last decade. Before its consumption, this grain goes through many processes that can alter its nutritional value. Here we report the effect of processing (polishing and milling) and cooking (boiling and steaming) on the saponin content, mineral profile of 14 elements using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), protein content, and total phenolic compound. The polishing caused an average drop in the saponin content from 1.7% to 0.46% but induced important losses in mineral content (K, Mg, Ca, Zn, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Ni), and phenolic compounds. However, the greatest nutritional degradation happened after milling due to the elimination of seed teguments and embryos, where over 50% of many minerals, 60% of protein content, and almost the totality of phenolic compounds, were lost. Cooking effect was less important than processing, but some significant losses were attested. Boiling caused a loss of up to 40% for some minerals like K, B, and Mo because of their hydrosolubility, and 88% of the polyphenols, while steaming allowed a better retention of those nutrients. Consuming polished quinoa instead of semolina and using steaming instead of boiling are trade-offs consumer needs to make to get optimal benefits from quinoa virtues.

Reforestation of degraded drylands calls for the selection of species with the capacity to withstand water scarcity. In this current study we have assessed, the physiological responses of three field-grown species (Ceratonia siliqua, Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Moringa oleifera) to water deficits in semi-arid regions in order to suggest a potential species for rehabilitation programs. The physiological behavior of the given species was studied in three irrigation schemes: subsurface drip irrigation (applied weekly), tank irrigation (applied monthly), and unirrigated plants. In a stressed state, an assessment of relative water content (RWC), water potential (pre-dawn water potential PWP and midday water potential MWP) and stomatal conductance revealed three contrasting physiological responses. First, C. siliqua stomata remained open with a high RWC at low water potentials. Consequently, this species tolerated water deficits by decreasing its leaf water potential, primarily associated with osmotic adjustment. On the other hand, E. camaldulensis was found to be a drought-avoider species, mutated to a water-saving strategy by complete stomatal closure. Finally, for the extreme case, M. oleifera showed leaf shedding under water deficit conditions. These different physiological responses allowed these species to survive water deficits, and consequently, could be considered suitable candidates for rehabilitating degraded semi-arid areas.

As the human population grows, the amount of household-generated waste is projected to grow. However, data on the amounts of household-generated waste are lacking in many regions. Uncertainties in the amounts and fractions of biowaste make it challenging to manage actions that reduce its environmental impacts and generate value. The current observational study sought to quantify and characterize the household waste generated in the green city of Benguerir. To achieve this objective, we surveyed waste generation rates in 68 randomly selected households. The results showed that, on average, 0.69 kg of waste was generated per person per day. An average of 80% of the household-generated waste was biowaste, which, if managed appropriately, represents a valuable source of plant nutrients. We estimated that shifting from the current landfill disposal of biowaste to its utilization for compost and biogas production will result in up to an 88% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. These findings suggest that managing household waste will be vital for reducing city-wide carbon emissions and simultaneously creating employment in the waste management sector.

Reliable determination of macro- and micronutrients in cereal plant tissues is essential for agronomic management, environmental monitoring, and interlaboratory data comparability. However, most existing plant certified reference materials (CRMs) are derived from temperate-region matrices and do not adequately represent cereals cultivated under semi-arid conditions, where differences in mineral composition may lead to matrix-related analytical bias. In this study, a new multi-element plant reference material, Cereal Plant Powder 2023 (CPP-23), was developed from composite wheat (Triticum aestivum and T. durum) samples collected across major Moroccan agro-ecological zones. The material was processed, homogenized, and evaluated for homogeneity and stability in accordance with ISO 33405:2024, with no significant short- or long-term variability observed. Elemental characterization was performed using microwave-assisted acid digestion followed by ICP-OES for major and trace elements, while total nitrogen was determined using the Kjeldahl method. Method validation demonstrated satisfactory linearity (R² > 0.995), precision, and trueness against established reference materials. Certified values were assigned through an interlaboratory comparison involving eight ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratories using robust statistical estimators (ISO 13528:2022). Expanded uncertainties (k = 2) were below 15% for all analytes. While these results indicate acceptable internal consistency, the relatively limited number of participating laboratories and the absence of independent analytical validation techniques represent important constraints. CPP-23 provides a matrix-representative material suitable for quality control and method validation in semi-arid agricultural systems. Nevertheless, its ability to reduce analytical bias relative to existing CRMs and its applicability to specific use cases require further experimental validation.