Remote Sensing Evaluation Drone Herbicide Application Effectiveness for Controlling Echinochloa spp. in Rice Crop in Valencia (Spain).

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a staple cereal in the diet of more than half of the world's population. Within the European Union, Spain is a leader in rice production due to its climate and tradition, accounting for 26% of total EU production in 2020. The Valencian rice area covers around 15,000 hectares and is strongly influenced by biotic and abiotic factors. An important biotic factor affecting rice production is weeds, which compete with rice for sunlight, water and nutrients. The dominant weed in Spain is Echinochloa spp., although wild rice is becoming increasingly important. Rice cultivation in Valencia takes place in the area of L'Albufera de Valencia, which is a natural park, i.e., a special protection area. In this natural area, the use of phytosanitary products is limited, so it is necessary to use the minimum amount possible. Therefore, the objective of this work is to evaluate the possibility of using remote sensing effectively to determine the effectiveness of the application of the herbicide cyhalofop-butyl by drone for the control of Echinochloa spp. in rice crops in Valencia. The results will be compared with those obtained by using sterilisation machines (electric backpack sprayers) to apply the herbicide. To evaluate the effectiveness of the application, the reflectance obtained by the satellite sensors in the red and near infrared (NIR) wavelengths, as well as the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), were used. The remote sensing results were analysed and complemented by the number of rice plants and weeds per area, plant dry weight, leaf area, BBCH phenological state, SPAD index values, chlorophyll content and relative growth rate. Remote sensing is validated as an effective tool for determining the efficacy of an herbicide in controlling weeds applied by both the drone and the electric backpack sprayer. The weeds slowed down their development after the treatment. Depending on the phenological state of the crop and the active ingredient of the herbicide, these results are applicable to other areas with different climatic and environmental conditions.

How geographical factors and decision-makers' perceptions influence the prioritization of ecosystem services: Analysis in the Spanish rice field areas in RAMSAR Mediterranean wetlands.

Mediterranean wetlands provide many ecosystem services to humans and other organisms. However, these services are being increasingly damaged. The prioritization of ecosystem services is essential to start a decision-making process focused on environmental policies, highlighting the necessity of equilibrium between sustainability and human well-being. This study analyzes the similarities and differences among the ecosystem services provided by the Spanish RAMSAR Mediterranean wetlands, where rice production is the main economic activity. These areas are the Ebro Delta, the Albufera Natural Park and the Guadalquivir Marshes (Doñana Biosphere Reserve). Despite being different areas, environmental and agricultural policies sometimes treat their characteristics without distinction since they are conceptually englobed in the same category. This analysis aims to study whether geographical and sociocultural factors could influence the prioritization of ecosystem services. The prioritization of the three study areas was conducted using the Analytic Network Process (ANP), a multi-criteria decision-making method which allows decision-makers to manage the ecosystem's complexity. The results are helpful for future policies and in understanding the complex network of interconnections among ecosystem services. Additionally, results show that there are statistically significant differences in priorities among the three study areas due to geographical and cultural reasons. Moreover, results have also shown that decision-makers' judgements influenced the priorities depending on their background and personal or professional preferences. It emphasizes the necessity of implementing environmental policies from a theoretical and global scale to a participatory and local one, considering a broader range of stakeholders' perceptions to reflect the complexity of the ecosystem services network.