Firenze University Press: E-Journals
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Relationship between chlorosis, photosynthesis and the nutrient content of plane trees in the presence of chemical and organic fertilizers
Get PDFChlorosis disorder is a major problem affecting the growth and physiological processes of many trees including plane trees (Platanus orientalis L.). This experiment was conducted to study the relationship between leaf chlorosis disorder and the nutritional status and some important physiological characteristics of plane trees. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with six replications and four treatments including control, manure (M), manure + fertilizer (20-5-10) (MF), and manure + fertilizer + mycorrhizal fungi (MFA) (Glomus intraradices + G. mosseae). The results showed that although all treatments significantly improved the nutrients content, soluble carbohydrates content, photosynthesis rate and chlorophyll content in the leaves, they mostly reached their peak in the mycorrhizal inoculated plants. Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and zinc (Zn) were increased in the AMF amended trees compared to the control plants. The photosynthesis rate was enhanced by all the mixtures at least by 60% compared to the control. The most Chlorosis (17.5%) to the leaves recorded on the control plants, while leaf damage dropped to less than 2.9% at mycorrhizal treatment leading to the improved nutritional balance in the plane trees. The results proved the effectiveness of including mycorrhizal inoculation to the common fertilization practices to prevent leaf chlorosis in the plane trees
A Female Odyssey of Romantic Illusion: Abject Women in Edna O’Brien’s Five Love Stories
Get PDFThe essay proposes to study a recurring theme of love and loss in Edna O’Brien’s love stories in which women in a state of abjection become obsessive and hysterical in pursuit of a love which is ultimately unattainable within the sexually colonised cultural environment in which the stories are set. The study analyses the factors underlying the apparent emotional desolation of the heroines in five stories by Edna O’Brien – “The Love Object” (1967), “Paradise” (1968), “Number 10” (1976), “Mrs. Reinhardt” (1978) and “The Doll” (1979). Women’s despair in these stories is manifested symptomatically through hysterical responses such as vomiting, insomnia, or sleepwalking and the ultimately self-destructive consequences of these symptoms. O’Brien tends to intertwine religious symbolism and metaphors with issues of sensuality and sexuality which have traditionally been taboo within a conservative traditional Irish context, in the process creating dark and twisted tales appearing to parody the biblical “paradise lost”. O’Brien’s heroines are often tragically attracted to a doomed love or gain a kind of gratification from the obsessive reliving of their personal afflictions. Rarely presenting any rosy fairy-tale prospect for women in her love stories as outcome of romantic encounters, Edna O’Brien seeks to demonstrate how women’s ongoing struggle and difficulties are manifested through physical neurosis and unrest within a culture in which women are colonised
Tobacco dust waste as an alternative medium to grow geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum) plants
Get PDFTobacco dust (TD) waste is the typical lignocellosic agricultural residue of cigarette processing. In the region of Peloponnese, cigarette production is carried out by the leading company of Karelias S.A. The production of TD waste of approx. 2-3 tons/month is a major problem for the company. Plant growth media containing peat (P) + 0, 5, 10, 25 or 50% TD were prepared and tested on geranium plant growth and development. The use of TD increased EC and pH of the final medium. Plants of the cvs “ML Diego” and “ML Sailing ‘12” grown in P+5% or in P+10% TD had similar height, number of leaves, number of flowers, photosynthetic activity and transpiration rates to the P alone (control) indicating that solid agro-industrial waste of tobacco could be used to partially substitute peat in growing medium for floricultural crop production
Impact of light quality on the physiological characteristics of Capsicum chinense seeds
Get PDFThe objective of this work was to evaluate the physiological quality of Capsicum chinense seeds submitted to different light spectral qualities. It was used a completely randomized design, in a 4x5 factorial scheme, with four pepper cultivars [BRS moema biquinho yellow (Biq. Yellow), Airetama biquinho red (Biq. Red), Boyra Habanero red (Boyra Hab. Red), BRS Seriema tupã bode red (Tupã Bode Red)] and five light spectral qualities, being blue LEDs (B-LEDs); red LEDs (R-LEDs); blue+red LEDs (BR-LEDs); white LEDs (W-LEDs) and fluorescent lamp (FL) carried out germination and vigor analysis, with four replicates of 50 seeds. For this, the seeds were conditioned inside gerbox® boxes and kept in a growth room. The Biq. Yellow and Boyra Hab. Red peppers showed the highest potential of germination and vigor, respectively, indicating high physiological quality. In general, the light spectral qualities provide differentiated responses in the initial development of the pepper cultivars, being the reduction of the percentage of dead seeds favored by the spectrum BR-LEDs and W-LEDs. The root fresh mass is increased by all lights, except R-LEDs. The fresh mass of the aerial part presents positive results in the FL lamps. Shoot length is favored by the R-LEDs
First insight into Araucaria araucana (Molina) K. Koch under its southernmost European growing condition: a proposed descriptor list for morphological characterization
Get PDFAraucaria araucana is a south American endemic Conifer of conservation concern. After its introduction to Europe, this species has been often planted for ornamental purposes in parks and gardens, where its unusual appearance was admired. After the mid-1970s this tree received increasing attention from the nursery growers of Pistoia (Tuscany) and became of considerable economic importance. However, being one of the iconic threatened trees listed in CITES Appendix I, the international trade of these species is rigorously regulated. This study was aimed at developing a first morphological descriptor list for further phenotyping of in loco produced plant material. A first step of the research focused on the description and a better understanding of A. araucana phenological phases inferred from Mediterranean climate conditions. The second phase regarded the analysis of observed or measured morphological characteristics of the tree, branches, scales, inflorescences, fruits and seeds observed on a subset of 4 selected putative populations over a 3-year period of vegetative growth. The results allowed to select 39 most discriminant descriptors, which are presented together with their range of variability and classes. The achieved descriptor list represents a suitable tool for the selection of genotypes and for the breeding of A. araucana
The systemic approach in sustainable environmental planning: references to the ecology of living systems
Get PDFThe article investigates the possibility of adopting indicators and analytical methods characteristic of the living systems ecology to understand different territorial metabolism phenomena. In addition to explore and orient deep sustainability processes in the transformation of the urban fabric, supporting a circular and self-sustaining economic model. The interpretation of the horizontal / vertical theme is twofold: on one hand, the material substrate of the design process is observed by a high level, such as enabling to grasp systemic connections necessary to eco-environmental scale; on the other hand, the construction of interactive networks promotes the emergence of new configurations in decision-making processes. The in-depth analysis of the analytical tools applied to natural metabolic processes combines the choice of horizontal or vertical physical configuration to achieve the following objective: maximizing the work obtainable (ie. the service provided to live, feed and move) with the same solar energy used. This constitutes the main law that regulates the evolution of natural terrestrial ecosystems (Odum, 1996) and represents the fundamental criterion for defining profound sustainability in the planning / design production processes of the built environment (Daly, 2008)
What Are the Issues of Focusing on Irreducible Uncertainties in Professional Work? A Historical Outline of “Prudential Professionalism”
Get PDFThis article brings into view “prudential professionalism”, a particular type of professionalism needed in situations of irreducible uncertainties, presents the philosophical concept of prudentiality on which this is based, and seeks to clarify both the theoretical and practical issues associated with this professionalism. A discussion with Abbott’s book, The System of Professions, is used to argue that revisiting the theme of professionalism is needed. Then a historical outline of prudential professionalism brings some empirical material to support the theoretical arguments. This historical outline sheds new light on the current difficulties of professionals faced by demands from new public management they cannot meet and by the values of organisational professionalism. Finally, a method to rethink the social conditions of professional work is proposed
