CENTRO DE RECURSOS NATURALES RENOVABLES DE LA ZONA SEMIÁRIDA

CONICET - UNS

Technological Offer

AGRICULTURAL AND AGRI-FOOD PRODUCTION: consultancy related to intensive and extensive agricultural and livestock production, productive innovation and the management of agricultural companies.

  • Comprehensive analysis of soils, water and the quality of agricultural and livestock inputs.

  • Chemical and physical analysis of soils, water, plant material, sedimentary rocks and various other materials (amendments, fertilisers, guanos, etc.) related to fertility problems and soil management for crop and pasture production.

  • Anaerobic bio-digestion and by-product management: diagnostics, process reviews, adjustments and monitoring to optimise biogas production and industrial waste management in an efficient and sustainable way.

  • Mushroom production: intensive theoretical and practical courses on the cultivation of different types of mushrooms, aimed at amateurs and entrepreneurs.

  • Agricultural experiments at different scales (laboratory, greenhouse, field plots).

  • Assessment of soil fertility, quality and health by monitoring physical, chemical, biological and crop variables.

  • Evaluation of herbicide resistance and dose-response tests on weeds or crop species.

  • Assessment and assistance to improve crop pollination services, entomophilous pest control assessments and biodiversity measurements to optimise agricultural production and ecosystem health.

  • Phytotoxicity of herbicides in arable crops.

  • Promotion of mushroom cultivation in the framework of regional actions as a non-traditional complementary activity in the region.

 

INDUSTRIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY: optimisation, substitution and industrial innovation through the use of environmentally friendly technologies based on biological organisms or materials.

  • Analysis of transformed biomass for applications as a source of enzymes, biodegradation of toxins, improved feed and organic soil amendment.

  • Biotransformation of agro-industrial wastes: use of microorganisms as biotransformers for the production of biomaterials, enzymes, bioactives and molecules of interest.

  • Assessment of fungal contamination in samples of industrial or construction origin.

  • Use of mycelium as a biobinder for the sustainable production of panels and green chemistry products.

 

GENETIC RESOURCES AND IMPROVEMENT: work related to the genetic diversity of agricultural and wild species to improve production.

  • Analysis of the total carotenoid pigment content of wheat (Triticum spp.) flours.

  • Phylogeographic and genetic diversity analysis of molluscs and helminth parasites of humans, livestock and wildlife, applicable to other groups.

  • Bioinformatics consultancy and services.

  • Phenotype-genotype association.

  • Characterisation of organisms and determination of genetic variability: DNA extraction, primer design and amplification, and analysis of band and/or sequence profiles to establish genetic relationships.

  • Oligonucleotide primer design, amplification and cloning of sequences for analysis.

  • Strain evaluation and substrate selection: we establish protocols to optimise genetic resources by determining the appropriate conditions for the production of gourmet and/or medicinal mushrooms.

  • Evaluation of genetic resources for extensive crop improvement.

  • High flow DNA extraction and genotyping for marker-assisted selection.

  • Identification of molecular markers associated with traits of agronomic interest using genetic mapping techniques.

  • Introgression of genes of agronomic interest in wheat and barley by backcrossing and marker-assisted selection using KASP technology. Field or greenhouse sowing, crosses and assisted selection.

  • DNA marker post-processing. Phylogenetic analysis, diversity and population structure in plants.

  • Molecular marker-assisted selection and genomic services.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND CLIMATE CHANGE: consultancy on environmental impact assessments, environmental baselines, biodiversity inventories, ecosystem restoration and recovery, and climate change impact assessment and adaptation.

  • Analysis of essential elements and toxic/heavy metals at ppt levels to detect changes to sub-lethal levels indicative of remediation studies.

  • Analysis and description of arachnids with report on their hazard, safety and/or sting prevention measures and health promotion activities.

  • Consultancy on the microbiology of soils, compost, digestate, sediments and plant material, from sample design to data interpretation and management recommendations to reduce or mitigate the environmental impact of human activities.

  • Consultancy and implementation of restoration plans in coastal and terrestrial ecosystems.

  • Consultancy on adapting to and measuring the effects of climate change.

  • Consultancy and monitoring related to construction, installation and management of green roofs in semi-arid regions, including the selection of appropriate substrate, native ornamental vegetation, irrigation management and fertilisation of the system.

  • Scorpion and spider awareness training, including identification of species of sanitary interest, accident prevention and risk mitigation.

  • Determination of total organic carbon and heavy metals in soils, sedimentary rocks and sediments.

  • Environmental impact studies for the release of varieties with new GMO or non-GMO events.

  • Environmental impact and pre-feasibility studies (environmental baselines) in coastal and terrestrial environments.

  • Assessment of fungal contamination in samples from various sources.

  • Environmental assessment maps at local and regional level.

  • Promoting mushroom cultivation through regional actions. Establish extension and transfer agreements with private, civil and/or governmental actors to promote sustainable production practices and the development of green jobs.