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Volatile compounds from different fruit parts of two cultivars of Cydonia oblonga
Get PDFQuince is characterized as a fragrant fruit which, unlike other pomes (apple, pear), is not used for fresh consumption due to its astringency and compactness, but only in its processed form (jams, jelly, distillery products, and nutraceutical compounds). As a consequence, there is little knowledge currently available concerning the characteristics of the fruit, and in particular its aromatic and chemotaxonomic patterns. In this work, carpometric, chemometric and spectrophotometric measurements were performed on quince fruits. VOCs emitted by different tissues or parts of the fruit were studied to describe its aromatic profile. The study was carried out on the fruits of an old, well-known cultivar (‘Gigante di Wranja’, commonly called ‘Wranja’) and a new Tuscan accession. Intact, halved and solely pulp (cubed) samples were evaluated for each individual fruit. Data obtained from VOC analysis through Proton Transfer Reaction Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS) were evaluated by multivariate statistical analysis. The spectra obtained from the intact fruit samples showed a higher amount of masses corresponding to terpenes or terpenoid compounds, which fundamentally characterize the aroma of this type of fruit; these substances were found to be much less present in the VOCs emitted by the pulp, where high values of masses linked to the maturation processes were instead found
Phytochemical composition and insecticidal potentials of some plant aqueous extracts in suppressing Podagrica spp. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Infestation on Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench)
Get PDFFoliar application of 25% w/v crude aqueous extracts Calotrophus procera (Aiton) W.T. Aiton, Canarium schweinfurthii (Engl.) and Bryscocarpus coccineus (Schum. & Thonn.) were evaluated for their insecticidal activity in reducing Podagrica infestation on okra. Results showed that plants extracts significantly suppress Podagrica spp. infestation and protect okra plant from severe leaves defoliation, with C. schweinfurthii (21.67 and 20.14) and B. coccineus (23.07 and 24.55) showing promising insecticidal activity. The yield attributes from okra sprayed with Lambda cyhalothrin did not differ significantly compared to those sprayed with botanical insecticide despite having highest yield attributes. Qualitative phytochemical screening revealed the presence of Triterpenoids, Steroids, Flavonoids, Phlobatanins, Saponins, Tannins, Cardiac glycoside and Anthraquinones. Alkaloids and Anthraquinones were not detected in C. procera and C. schweinfurthii while Triterpenoids and Phlobatanins were absent C. schweinfurthii. The presence of these phytochemicals indicates that the plants possess insecticidal properties responsible for significant reduction in Podagrica spp. infestation, severity of leaves damaged and improved okra yields. Performance of the treatments is rated in the following order: Lambda cyhalothrin > B. coccineus > C. schweinfurthii > C. procera, with B. coccineus and C. schweinfurthii having similar treatment means in all the parameters evaluated. In light of the foregoing, crude extracts of B. coccineus and C. schweinfurthii could be utilized as suitable alternative to synthetic insecticide in sustainable okra productio
Effect of a novel hydrogel amendment and seedling plugs volume on the quality of ornamental/miniature tomato
Get PDFThe market for ornamental/miniature plants values aesthetic morphological characteristics, which give harmony to the potted plant. These traits depend on the growing media capacity to maintain quality and plant longevity. The use of hydrogels has increased recently in order to achieve visually attractive and long-lasting plants. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of a novel hydrogel (H) amendment and seedling plugs volume (SPV) on the quality of ornamental/miniature tomato. Seedlings of tomato cv. BRS Finestra were produced in 200 and 162 plugs plastic trays - with 18 cm³ trapezium-shaped plugs and 50 cm³ conically shaped plugs, respectively. 18 cm³ plugs and H amendment presented several significant responses for plant characters - height, soluble solids, number of leaves, stem diameter, shoot dry matter and fruits weight per plant; making evident the advantages of using a growing medium of smaller volume and this copolymer amendement. Although consistent results were obtained, a combination of both these factors in terms of an optimal aesthetic value and considering all the morphological traits could not be accomplished. Therefore it’s necessary to study other elements such as plant nutrition and the use of plant growth regulators to complement them, aiming to promote better quality
Onion crop response to different irrigation and N-fertilizer levels in dry Mediterranean region
Get PDFDue to the water scarcity in dry Mediterranean condition, determination of water and nitrogen (N) fertilizer needs is a major challenge for crop production and environment protection. Pot experiments under open field conditions were conducted for two consecutive years (2016 and 2017) to assess the effects of various levels of N-fertilizer and irrigation on onion crop, following a 4×3 factorial experiment arranged in a randomized block design with four N-fertilizer rates (0, 40, 80, and 120 kg N ha-1), and three irrigation levels (100, 80, and 60% of the seasonal water use), with three replications. Results indicated that the initial soil N-content (about 60 kg N ha-1) was sufficient to meet crop nitrogen requirements. However, results indicated that onion crop was sensitive to water stress, so that the highest total bulb yield (BY, 19.1 t ha-1), dry matter in bulbs (DM, 2.97 t ha-1), and water productivity (WP, 1.9 kg m-3) were found under full irrigation compared to the deficit conditions. BY, DM, and WP were predicted to be increased linearly with increasing levels of irrigation. The developed equations could be used for predicting onion crop yields under similar agro-pedo-climatic context, and as a tool for rational management of limited irrigation water
Postharvest control of Aspergillus niger in mangos by means of essential oils
Get PDFThe use of essential oil as an alternative mean to synthetic fungicides has been considered in the past years for management of the postharvest decay of fruits in order to ensure more safe and long storage life of these perishable commodities. Aspergillus niger is one of the most dangerous fungal pathogen which can cause postharvest diseases in fresh mangos. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of essential oil from four aromatic plants (Thymus vulgaris, Salvia mirzayanii, Artemisa persica, and Rosmarinus officinalis) in comparison to fungicide ‘Mancozeb’ against A. niger under in vitro and in vivo conditions. After inoculation of mango fruits with an isolate of A. niger followed by curative treatments with essential oil, the main physical and chemical attributes of mangoes were determined under postharvest condition. The in vitro results showed that colonies of A. niger were totally inhibited by application of essential oil of T. vulgaris (at all the tested concentrations) and A. persica (1500 μl/l). While, S. mirzayanii showed the lowest effect at 1000 μl/l if compared with the other essential oils. The results of the in vivo experiments showed that treatments with T. vulgaris and S. mirzayanii essential oil had significant (P<0.05) effects in preventing fruit decay at 1000 μl/l after 10 days of storage, while, R. officinalis essential oil significantly (P<0.05) reduced deterioration of mango fruits at 500 μl/l, followed by A. persica. Rosemary also showed the highest fruit firmness in comparison with other treatments. Also, the essential oils maintained higher chlorophyll content. The results of this work showed that application of essential oil on mangos assurance both a significant preservation on their quality attributes by controlling, at the same time, decaying caused by A. niger during the postharvest phase
Migrants to rural areas as a social movement: insights from Italy
Get PDFMigrants in Italy often form the majority of the labour force in the primary sector; their residential and work conditions are generally of low quality, and their entrepreneurship is limited. How are the presence and action of migrants in Italian rural areas to be interpreted? The question is tackled with a framework based on the social movements literature. The mobilisation of migrants is seen as a way to enter the political arena when traditional channels are closed. Even heterodox participation is considered a sign of integration in a country. Cases of mobilisation are presented in order to show the robustness of the research perspective. The results are that migrants ‘collective action’ is rare and weak, especially in the primary sector because of gangmaster action, temporary and dispersed jobs, obtuseness of employers. Moreover, the advocacy coalition supporting migrants is unable to overcome the logic of emergency. The paper ends by wondering whether the sporadic mobilisation of migrants will lead to a moral economy of the agrifood value chain
Immigrant workforce and labour productivity in Italian agriculture: a farm-level analysis
Get PDFThe objective of this paper is to detect stylized facts and put forward testable hypotheses on the presence and role of immigrant workforce in Italian agriculture. This research focuses on professional agriculture as represented by the Italian FADN over the period 2008-2015. Descriptive statistics show that immigrants are an important component of the workforce employed in professional agriculture over this period, even with wide disparities between regions, sectors and classes of economic size. Immigrants are concentrated in larger and more productive farms and their presence is positively correlated with farm’s labour productivity (LP). To understand whether they are more productive, or they are just occupied by more productive farms, the relationship between LP and their contribution to agricultural production, in terms of Annual Working Units (AWU), is modelled at the farm level, by assuming alternative model specifications. Results emphasize that, in many cases, statistically significant relationships between the contribution of immigrants and farm-level LP can result from model misspecifications. Accounting for farms’ heterogeneity can greatly influence the dimension of this link. Moreover, when assuming persistence of LP with a dynamic specification, this relationship disappears
Workshop on “Advanced laser sensing of gases” – Galileo’s Briefings
Get PDFA workshop on “Advanced laser sensing of gases” at the CNR-INO headquarters on the Arcetri hill started the new series of seminars called “Galileo’s briefings: Looking beyond”. Three experts in the field were invited to discuss about laser sensing techniques and some of their most exciting applications with researchers from INO and other institutes.A workshop on “Advanced laser sensing of gases” at the CNR-INO headquarters on the Arcetri hill started the new series of seminars called “Galileo’s briefings: Looking beyond”. Three experts in the field were invited to discuss about laser sensing techniques and some of their most exciting applications with researchers from INO and other institutes
Visione notturna: dal cinema muto all’astronomia contemporanea
Get PDFVisione notturna è uno spettacolo che coniuga cinema, teatro e seminario accademico in un inedito esperimento di comunicazione scientifica. Dopo il debutto al “teatro del cielo” di Arcetri nel 2013, lo spettacolo è stato presentato in osservatori, planetari e festival scientifici in tutta Italia, e recentemente anche al cinema La Compagnia di Firenze.Visione notturna (Night Vision) is a show that mixes movies, drama and academic talks together into an original science communication experiment. After its debut at the “teatro del cielo” (“sky theatre”) in Arcetri in 2013, the show has been invited to many planetariums, observatories and science festivals in Italy, and recently also to the La Compagnia theatre in Florence
Il Codex Purpureus Rossanensis: status quaestionis e problemi aperti
Get PDFEver since its rediscovery in 1831 and the first report issued on it in 1846, the CodexpurpureusRossanensishas attracted the attention of scholars, chiefly on account of its decorative and textual characteristics. Far less commonplace are studies specifically dedicated to the analysis of the codex’s material and graphic aspects. The present contribution stems from the opportunity―generously provided to the authors―to study the original codex, and also from a desire to closely re-examine its codicological and palaegraphical features, with the aim of producing an updated statusquaestionisenhanced with some new critical insights