Hyperspectral imaging is an appropriate method to thoroughly investigate the microscopic structure of internally heterogeneous agro-food products. By using hyperspectral technology, identifying stress symptoms associated with salinity, before a human observer, is possible, and has obvious benefits. The objective of this paper was to prove the suitability of this technique for the analysis of Triticale seeds subjected to both magneto-priming and drought and salt stress conditions, in terms of image differences obtained among treatments. It is known that, on the one hand, drought and salt stress treatments have negative effects on seeds of almost all species, and on the other hand, magneto-priming enhances seed germination parameters. Thus, this study aimed to relate hyperspectral imaging values—neither positive nor negative in themselves—to the effects mentioned above. Two main conclusions were reached: Firstly, the hyperspectral application is a feasible method for exploring the Triticale structure and for making distinctions under different drought and salt stress treatments, in line with the data variability obtained. Secondly, the lower spectral reflectance in some treatments—in the 400–1000 nm segment—is the result of a great number of chemical compounds in the seed that could be related to magneto-priming.

Since the accidental discovery in the late 1800s of the benefits of injecting water into oil reservoirs to improve recovery, water has been the injection fluid preferred by the oil industry for use in recovery processes. Traditionally, waterflooding is considered an effective secondary recovery method for light and medium oil reservoirs. However, as production rates in these conventional reservoirs continue their decline, waterflooding is being considered, and used, more and more for the exploitation of more challenging heavy oil resources. Despite the unfavorable mobility ratio between injected water and more viscous heavy oils, many waterflood projects have been undertaken in heavy oil reservoirs around the world. However, the literature on heavy oil waterflooding is sparse. Those papers that have been published present a wide range of recovery factors for projects, and offer conflicting information on the theory and mechanisms involved in heavy oil waterfloods. The good news is that there is a long history in western Canada with waterfloods in heavy oil reservoirs, spanning more than 50 years. A vast amount of data and anecdotal information has been generated from these waterfloods. This could provide a key to raising the limits, in terms of reservoir conditions, under which waterflooding would be viable. In this paper we will discuss lessons learned after 50 years of waterflooding in heavy oil reservoirs, identify gaps in the application of the process, and speculate about what the future may hold as this technology evolves. Introduction Waterflooding is the most common IOR technology used to recover oil. Its contribution to oil production and reserves around the world is significant. Traditionally, waterflooding processes have been performed mainly in light and light-medium oil reservoirs. The advantages of waterflooding in these types of reservoirs include the availability of water, a favorable mobility ratio, good sweep efficiency, a high recovery factor, a long breakthrough time, and low costs associated with handling produced water. In spite of traditional wisdom, waterflooding is gaining popularity around the world as a potential technology for recovering heavy oil. This is driven in part by the decline in light oil reserves. There is a long history in western Canada with heavy oil waterfloods, spanning more than 50 years. Here, waterfloods have long been regarded as a viable successor/alternative to primary recovery in some heavy oil reservoirs. Vast amounts of data and anecdotal information have been generated from these waterfloods. Some of the results are as expected: mobility ratios tend to be highly unfavourable; breakthrough times tend to be quite short; sweep efficiency is poor; and, severe water channelling is endemic. It appears that breakthrough occurs more rapidly in reservoirs with a high initial water saturation. However, other observations have been quite surprising: extended periods of oil production at very high water cuts; more than half of cumulative oil production generated at water cuts higher than 90%; much higher recovery factors than could be predicted from conventional waterflood theory; and, reported recovery factors of up to 30% even for heavy oils with a viscosity of around 2,000 mPa?s. Experience has shown that the waterflooding process in heavy oil reservoirs may be improved by maximizing water injection and minimizing well spacing. Currently, the limit for heavy oil waterfloods in terms of oil viscosity is believed to be in the range of 1,000 - 2,000 mPa?s (dead oil viscosity at reservoir temperature). These results, observations and experiences suggest that the relative importance of some recovery mechanisms may be different in heavy oil waterfloods than in conventional waterfloods.

The role of the agrifood industry is key to mitigating the impact of climate change, as it is one of the industrial sectors with the highest energy consumption. The optimisation of photovoltaic systems in agroindustries faces problems such as the fluctuation of energy prices or the evident seasonal nature of some producers. This paper provides a global view of the profitability and optimal sizing of photovoltaic (PV) systems in the new energy context. For this purpose, almost 4 million cases were analysed, including different consumption patterns, energy prices, etc. Some general conclusions can be drawn from the results. First, the adaptation to the new context requires adjustments in the sizing of PV systems in all industries analysed, which is also associated with changes in the return on investment. Second, seasonality strongly conditions the optimal size of PV installations, the return on the investment and the potential savings. Finally, in the face of future energy price variations, the ratio “Savings/payback” seems to be an appropriate reference for sizing, combining savings and profitability. In addition, they may justify special subsidies to seasonal industries. The conclusions of this paper should be considered to optimise the design of PVs.

The increase in remote work and study modalities in recent years has changed our indoor physical spaces. Key variables such as air quality, temperature, or well-being in general have acquired special relevance when designing workspaces. In this context, plants can play an active role in moderating these variables and providing well-being to the people who live in these spaces. UNESCO, when framing its 2030 agenda, highlighted the importance of promoting environmental awareness at the educational level (Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4, and 11). The scientific literature shows that the potential of plants is not sufficiently well addressed in educational contexts. Therefore, this review explores activities in which plants are used as a deliberate object of attention in learning contexts. The results show what learning activities have been carried out, what kind of plants have been used in the activities, and what technologies have supported those activities. The results provide a clear vision of the potential of plants to naturalize indoor learning spaces and to promote environmental awareness. This work aims to provide cues for further research on green education towards a sustainable society.

Crop plant varieties exhibit diverse reactions when subjected to wastewater irrigation in terms of seed germination, seedling development, and overall productivity. Magneto-priming, which involves treating seeds with an appropriate magnetic field, is gaining popularity as the preferred technique due to its effectiveness and environmentally friendly characteristics for improving seed vigour, growth, and plant yield. In this study, magneto-primed and non-primed broccoli seeds were irrigated with distilled or wastewater and kept under observation for a 10-day period to record seedling growth. A laboratory study was conducted to evaluate the impact of magneto-priming on broccoli seeds with a homogeneous stationary magnetic-field strength of 5.9 mT for 1 h. They were irrigated with two types of water: distilled and wastewater. Another test was performed to evaluate the effect of 1-h and 2-h magneto-priming on seed germination when seeds were irrigated with wastewater. From the results, the broccoli seedlings irrigated with distilled water grew higher and heavier than the ones irrigated with wastewater, probably due to the significant amounts of salts in organic wastewater. Nonetheless, the saline effect of wastewater was ameliorated when seeds were previously magneto-primed. All the germination parameters of broccoli seeds irrigated with wastewater were significantly reduced when seeds were magneto-primed for both periods.

The spectroscopy technique of Micro-Raman is an appropriate method to investigate the microscopic structure of internally heterogeneous (i.e., composed of multiple layers) agro-food products. The effects of applying magnetic fields (magneto-priming technique) and imbibition on the chemical makeup of Triticale seed were studied, particularly in its pericarp, germ and endosperm parts, with the help of Micro-Raman. In light of the results obtained, the magneto-primed seeds soaked in water presented a greater number of chemical compounds than the control seeds, although those treatments were not as effective as the ones with only magneto-priming. The effects of the magneto-priming treatment were especially noticeable in the endosperm due to the large number of chemical compounds identified. The seed composition differences among treatments showed that the use of Micro-Raman jointly with magneto-priming is an appropriate method to obtain and analyse information of the key components of Triticale seeds, notably regarding their pericarp and endosperm.