CREA Journals (Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l’analisi dell’economia agraria)
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Analysis of on farm conservation of sweet corn in a diversity microcenter of Zea mays L. in Southern Brazil
Full text linkCorn has a great diversity of types and races, being cultivated all around the world. In Brazil, corn is one of themain commodities, being produced practically by every rural family. In the Far West region of the Santa Catarinastate, Southern Brazil, corn has several purposes that vary according to the type of grain. In the case of sweetcorn, the grains are basically used for the family's own consumption. This study aimed at identifying the diversityof sweet corn in the region and analyzing the diversity indicators and the factors associated with in situ on farmconservation and genetic erosion. Therefore, a Diversity Diagnosis was performed through semi-structured interviewswith 31 maintainers of corn previously indicated as sweeter. Thirty-one varieties were identified, amongwhich twenty-one were classified as sweet corn of wrinkled kernels and ten as sweet corn of dent kernels. The varietieshave been conserved on average for 8.8 years, and the main reason for conservation was self consumptionof the grains as fresh corn. The main reasons for seed loss, according to the farmers, were the occurrence ofdrought and the non-multiplication of seeds by the family. The diversity microcenter of Zea mays L. in SouthernBrazil hosts local sweet varieties of wrinkled and dent kernels under in situ on farm conservation, with agronomic,adaptive and market potential for in natura or canned consumption. However, such diversity is at risk of geneticerosion, and therefore strategies are presented to mitigate the impacts on this local germplasm
The use of cork in the thermoregulation of the hive: an innovation attempt to enhance non-wood products and beekeeping in Mediterranean forests
Full text linkHive thermoregulation is fundamental for the normal development of bee colonies and, consequently, hive productivity and honey bee health. External conditions mainly affect the walls of the hive. Therefore, hive construction materials and thermal conductivity features can influence its thermoregulation efficiency. The present trial made a comparison of experimental hives (modified Dadant-Blatt of 10 frames) made with cork as thermal insulator and conventional hives made entirely with firwood to evaluate their effects on thermoregulation of Apis mellifera ligustica colonies in Northwerstern Sardinia (Italy). The cork-modified beehives consisted of common conventional beehives modified by replacing the wooden walls with cork walls (pressed cork), whereas the control beehives (wooden hives) consisted of standard Dadant Blatt beehives entirely made of firwood. Environmental (especially nest internal temperature) parameters were assessed periodically. The daily temperature pattern of cork-modified beehives was more regular than that of control beehives. In addition, bees had a more efficient winter thermoregulation in cork-modified beehives compared with control hives
Feasibility of Late Transplanted Summer Pearl Millet for Prolonged rabi Season With Integrated Nitrogen Management Under Indian Coastal Region
Full text linkExperiments were conducted in coastal South Gujarat region of India to evaluate the feasibility of late transplanted summer pearl millet under prolonged rabi season with integrated nitrogen management (INM) during 2014, 2015 and 2016. INM treatments were consisted of four combinations of biocompost and inorganic nitrogen fertilizers. Two planting methods were evaluated, namely drilling and transplanting. Premature heading in transplanted pearl millet was observed up to 8-10% population during all the three experimental years, the possible causes for this are slow nitrogen availability, weather conditions, the thickness of the seedlings, root pruning and seedling age at transplanting. Application of 100% Recommended Dose of Fertilizer (RDF) + 5 t biocompost had significantly increased growth, yield (3862 kg ha-1), benefit-cost ratio (B:C ratio) (3.52) and quality of parameters of pearl millet followed by 75% Recommended Dose of Nitrogen (RDN) + 25% RDN through biocompost. Late transplanted summer pearl millet was little feasible to grow over timely drilled pearl millet as it had reduced pearl millet grain yield by 6.07% and also reduced the net profit by 72.46 US $ ha-1. However, overall, it was feasible to grow late transplanted pearl millet and gave yield up to 3150 kg ha-1 in prolonged rabi season condition for brining summer season well in time
Sprouting suppression and mushroom production after inoculation of Juglans x intermedia stumps with edible fungi species
Full text linkRemoval of stumps and suppression of sprouts after harvesting by conventional methods, such as using heavy machinery or herbicides, alters the physico-chemical characteristics of soil, may cause environmental damage and can be very costly. In this study, the performance of inoculation with edible fungi as a biological alternative for stump degradation, has been examined in walnut plantations of five Spanish provinces. Stumps were inoculated with two species of edible fungi: Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq. Ex Fr.) P. Kumm and Lentinula edodes (Berk) Pené. Compared with untreated controls, the two biological treatments resulted in a significant and evident reduction of the sprouting probability, which was stronger than the result obtained with chemical treatments. Inoculated stumps also produced edible sporocarps, averaging 15.58 g per stump during the first year. This article constitutes the basis for the development of a sustainable, environmentally friendly and cost-effective product, which is a bioeconomy-based solution for stump degradation in intensive plantations
Agronomic Performance and Grain Yield of Mexican Purple Corn Populations from Ixtenco, Tlaxcala
Full text linkCorn is a crop with an enormous potential for the extraction of anthocyanins which, given their bioactive propertiesand their ability to act as a natural dye, nowadays are a secondary metabolite of wide interest. In Mexico,several variants of corn that accumulate this flavonoid have been found among corn landraces of blue, red, pink,purple or black kernels. Its grain yield potential and agronomic traits have not been widely documented. SinceSan Juan Ixtenco, Tlaxcala, preserves the "maíces morados" variant (purple corn) and other variants of coloredkernels, in this research the grain yield and agronomic performance of 53 corn populations (landraces and some ofthem at an early stage of breeding) were evaluated at three locations in order to assess quantitatively those traits.Most populations were of pigmented kernels and yielded between 4494 to 882 kg ha-1, they had a late-maleflowering period (105 to 90 days to anthesis) and were of intermediate height (plant height from 254 to 176 cm).When purple corn landraces from Ixtenco were produced under environmental conditions different from those oftheir place of origin, they suffered maladaptation, complications for the establishment and incidence of ear rot,which reduced their grain yield potential. Despite this situation, 10 purple corn landraces from Ixtenco identifiedas 38, 8, 34, 39, 13, 3, 4, 1, 9 and 18 were outstanding by their grain yield, agronomic traits and their remarkablecapacity to accumulate anthocyanins into the kernel and/or the corncob
Assessing drought tolerance using PEG- 6000 and molecular screening by SSR markers in maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids
No full textMaize is a versatile crop, widely grown across the world but its yield potential is severely affected by droughtstress due to frequent monsoon failure. Identification of tolerant maize hybrids at seedling stage itself could bea better option than evaluation at maturity stage. Hence, experiments were conducted to screen maize hybridsunder induced PEG stress and also with molecular marker analysis. A laboratory experiment was conducted withtwenty one hybrids and the experiment was laid out under completely randomized design (CRD) with two replications.PEG-6000 treatment was applied in three concentrations (0, 10 and 20%) which induced osmotic stresslevels of 0, -3 and -6 bars respectively. The experimental results revealed that there was significant reduction inseedling characteristics viz., germination percentage, shoot length, seminal root length, fresh weight, dry weight,seed vigour index I and seed vigour index II with increase in PEG concentration. The per se performance revealedthat the hybrids AUK-30 and AUMH-8855 were drought tolerant. Promptness index and germination stresstolerance index were found as reliable indicators to screen drought tolerant hybrids at seedling stage. Fourteendrought linked SSR markers were used to characterize the hybrids of which the primer umc1962 was highly informativein identifying tolerant hybrids as it formed distinct bands. The earlier identified tolerant hybrids showedhighest genetic identity values in Nei’s matrix. Hence, the hybrids AUK-30 and AUMH-8855 resulted droughttolerant both phenotypically and genotypicall
Thinning in black pine (Pinus nigra J.F.Arnold) forests: the economic sustainability of the wood-energy supply chain in a case study in Italy
Full text linkIn Italy, black pine has been largely used in reforestation projects in the past. Most of these reforestations are characterized by a high instability, vulnerability, and a limited resistance to atmospheric agents. In this situation, it is crucial to define silvicultural interventions able to increase the ecological stability of black pine stands and at the same time to guarantee the economic sustainability of the wood products obtained. Thinning in black pine forests can provide wood material for energy use. The main aim of the present study was to investigate the economic sustainability of a local wood-energy supply chain applying three different forest management options. The case study was Monte Morello forest, a degraded black pine forest located in Central Italy. The results show that the long-term economic sustainability of the wood-energy supply chain is ensured only when the use of bio-fuel is characterized by high energy efficiency. In addition, the results show that public contributions are fundamental to ensure that silvicultural interventions are realized with a positive economic balance and that to surmount this situation many loggings companies are organizing. Finally, the results highlighted the importance of the quantities of thermal energy sold to ensure the economic and environmental efficiency of the wood-energy supply chain
The Open Data Kit suite, Mobile Data Collection technology as an opportunity for forest mensuration practices
Full text linkThis paper examines the potential for using Mobile Data Collection (MDC) as an effective database supported technology to substantially improve forest mensuration practices. Open source Open Data Kit (ODK) procedures and tools were used during a survey campaign that initiated a local forest monitoring process in the Marganai forest (Sardinia). The ODK suite is practical to use and its procedures allow authoring and use of digital survey forms without users needing software development expertise. Form design enables a high degree of customization to be achieved by means of specifying a wide range of data flow control mechanisms. ODK has proved to be a valid tool for data coherence and completeness improvements. As forestry’s contribution to regional Gross Domestic Product has dramatically decreased, forest mensuration practices have been reduced. Meeting the increased need to monitor environmental assets such as forests requires these practices to be re-evaluated. If regional public institutions took an active part in the process of enhancing forest mensuration, by contributing with open database systems acting as repositories and knowledge engines, support for MDC tools like ODK would potentially be a great opportunity to disseminate the use of the system and boost its development
Influence of image pixel resolution on canopy cover estimation in poplar plantations from field, aerial and satellite optical imagery
Full text linkAccurate estimates of canopy cover (CC) are central for a wide range of forestry studies. As direct measurements are impractical, indirect optical methods have often been used to estimate CC from the complement of gap fraction measurements obtained with restricted-view sensors. In this short note we evaluated the influence of the image pixel resolution (ground sampling distance; GSD) on CC estimation in poplar plantations obtained from field (cover photography; GSD < 1 cm), unmanned aerial (UAV; GSD <10 cm) and satellite (Sentinel-2; GSD = 10 m) imagery. The trial was conducted in poplar tree plantations in Northern Italy, with varying age and canopy cover. Results indicated that the coarser resolution available from satellite data is suitable to obtain estimates of canopy cover, as compared with field measurements obtained from cover photography; therefore, S2 isrecommended for larger scale monitoring and routine assessment of canopy cover in poplar plantations. The higher resolution of UAV compared with Sentinel-2 allows finer assessment of canopy structure, which could also be used for calibrating metrics obtained from coarser-scale remote sensing products, avoiding the need of ground measurements