CREA Journals (Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l’analisi dell’economia agraria)
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The maize rachis affects Aspergillus flavus spread during ear development
Get PDFAspergillus flavus that transgenically expressed the green fluorescent protein was used to follow infection in ears of maize hybrids resistant and susceptible to the fungus. Developing ears were needle-inoculated with GFP- transformed A. flavus 20 days after silk emergence, and GFP fluorescence in the pith was evaluated at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, and 20 days after inoculation. Fluorescence levels in the pith of susceptible lines were significantly higher (P < 0.0001) than in resistant lines at all time points. Pith sections apical to the inoculation point displayed higher fluorescence levels compared to other sections of the ear, suggesting fungal spread via the water/nutrient transport system. Fluorescence levels in resistant lines did not change significantly over time, implying spread of the fungus but not growth. Fluorescence in susceptible ears was highest at early time points, suggesting that conditions were more conducive to spread than at the later time points. These results suggest that the rachis could retard the spread and/or growth of the fungus inside the developing maize ear. Although fluorescence was observed in kernels from resistant ears, it occurred at a much higher frequency in those from susceptible hybrids. Together, these results suggest that the rachis is used by maize as a defense structure similar to other preformed types of resistance
Exploring forest infrastructures equipment through multivariate analysis: complementarities, gaps and overlaps in the Mediterranean basin
Get PDFThe countries of the Mediterranean basin face several challenges regarding the sustainability of forest ecosystems and the delivery of crucial goods and services that they provide in a context of rapid global changes. Advancing scientific knowledge and foresting innovation is essential to ensure the sustainable management of Mediterranean forests and maximize the potential role of their unique goods and services in building a knowledge-based bioeconomy in the region. In this context, the European project FORESTERRA ("Enhancing FOrest RESearch in the MediTERRAnean through improved coordination and integration”) aims at reinforcing the scientific cooperation on Mediterranean forests through an ambitious transnational framework in order to reduce the existing research fragmentation and maximize the effectiveness of forest research activities. Within the FORESTERRA project framework, this work analyzed the infrastructures equipment of the Mediterranean countries belonging to the project Consortium. According to the European Commission, research infrastructures are facilities, resources and services that are used by the scientific communities to conduct research and foster innovation. To the best of our knowledge, the equipment and availability of infrastructures, in terms of experimental sites, research facilities and databases, have only rarely been explored. The aim of this paper was hence to identify complementarities, gaps and overlaps among the different forest research institutes in order to create a scientific network, optimize the resources and trigger collaborations
Status and change of key ecosystem attributes monitored at the CONECOFOR plots, 1995 - 2005 - Achievements, problems, perspectives
Get PDFThe 1995-2005 time series obtained from the original set of 20 plots have been recently analysed in the framework of the Integrated and Combined (I&C) evaluation system of the programme. In this paper, results obtained, problems encountered and future perspectives are summarized
Soil solution chemistry at one mountain beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) CONECOFOR plot, 1999 to 2005
Get PDFSoil solution monitoring aims to understand various temporal scales of soil processes. The first eight years of observation in ABR1 Level II site have brought significant elements of understanding about the shorter temporal scales. It is suggested that certain solutes, regularly produced by forest floor microbial processes, are transferred to the highly mobile portion of the soil solution by a non linear process, producing irregular pulses and creating a strong high frequency component. Seasonal processes remain nonetheless detectable after simple and rough filtering. A multi-year trend of diminished nitrate mineralization and increased pH of forest floor solutions is possible. It is estimated that much more accurate analysis will be possible in a relatively short time span of further monitoring
The CONECOFOR programme from 1995 to 2005
Get PDFClimate change, ozone effects on forests as well as the loss of biodiversity are nowadays the top priorities of environmental monitoring programmes in Europe. The first set of twenty Level II PMPs (Permanent Monitoring Plots) of the CONECOFOR programme was installed in 1995. At the moment, the intensive monitoring network includes 31 PMPs. All the plots were framed into the UN/ECE ICP-Forests; since 1998, 10 plots were also included into the UN/ECE ICP-IM as bio-monitoring sites. With the entering into force of EC Regulation Forest Focus, these new priorities found an EU legal basis for co-funding the related pilot projects, developed at trans-national level in the field of forest biodiversity monitoring: ForestBIOTA and BioSoil. In the frame of the EEA programme SEBI2010, a specific qualitative forest indicator has been developed by the Italian Forest Service. The Forest Status Indicator is based on sub-indicators identified and implemented at pan-European and National level, such as tree condition, forest structure, deadwood, plant species composition and naturalness, mostly available at European level and collected according to harmonized methods. In 2004, the Italian Forest Service (CONECOFOR Board) joined the Network of Excellence ALTER-Net. The participation to ALTER-Net gave the opportunity to Italy to become official member of the International Long Term Ecological Research Network (ILTER) in 2006: four LTER-Italy sites include forest environments and 10 research stations (plots) belong to CONECOFOR Level II network. At international level, CONECOFOR is the leader in FutDiv proposal (Future Forest Biodiversity Monitoring in Europe) and an associated beneficiary in the FutMon proposal (Further Development and Implementation of an EU-level Forest Monitoring System), already submitted under the EC Regulation LIFE+
Agronomic and digital phenotyping evaluation of sweet sorghum public varieties and F1 hybrids with potential for ethanol production in Spain
Get PDFSweet sorghum is receiving a lot of attention as a potential crop for bioethanol production in the Mediterranean area. Its advantages are a combination of high productivity and good response to abiotic stresses. There is a lack of information on adaptation of sweet sorghum cultivars to Mediterranean conditions. This investigation was undertaken to explore the adaptation and agronomic traits of a group of international varieties of sweet sorghum, to identify the best candidates to initiate a breeding program for this species in Spain. Sixteen varieties, chosen based on passport, evaluation and genetic data from the USDA GRIN database, were sown in 2011 in an irrigated field plot in Zaragoza, Spain. Several agronomic traits, like fresh weight were determined in the field. Juice samples were analyzed for Brix and POL score of the juice of the stalks. Some of the varieties, particularly Sugar Drip, MN2826, Smith, Ramada and Dale, offer good prospects to initiate a breeding program for Spanish conditions, due to a combination of good agronomics, high sugar content and spread of flowering dates. At the same time, these varieties were used as pollinators to produce hybrids in crosses with either sweet A-lines or grain sorghum populations. The potential to use F1 hybrids in this species was explored by analysing the growth of five of the most representative F1 hybrids (three F1 sweet sorghum hybrids and two crosses of grain sorghum by sweet sorghum) and their parents through a digital phenotyping analysis. Plant size was monitored on a daily basis. The sweet sorghum varieties apparently revealed different heterotic behaviour when crossed to sweet or grain female parents. Mid-parent heterosis for plant growth was detected, but suffered variations over time, which may be related to the experimental system
Aboveground dry matter and grain yield of summer maize under different varieties and densities in North China Plain
Get PDFTo increase summer maize grain yield in North China Plain, we conducted field experiments with three densities (3, 6, and 9 plants m-2) on two plant types (a flat type, LD981, and a compact type, LD818) during 2010 and 2011 summer maize growing seasons to study leaf area index (LAI), above ground dry matter accumulation, grain filling rate, and grain yield. The results indicated that with the density increased, the LAI in the both varieties enhanced; however, plant density at the rate of 9 plants m-2 significantly (LSD, P < 0.05) increased LAI in LD818. Increasing densities enhanced the above ground dry matter of LD818, but not of LD981. With the density increased, the grain filling rate in the both varieties declined, but during the later growing season, the grain filling rate in LD818 was higher than that in LD919. Irrespective of plant density at the rate of from 3 to 6 or 6 to 9 plants m-2, the grain No. per ear, 1,000-kernel weight, and ears No. per m2 in LD981 were all lower than those in LD818; this was the main reason why with the increased density, the population yield in LD981 was lower than that in LD818. These results indicate that in North China Plain, increasing plant density could enhance the grain yield of compact type summer maize
Yield and chemical composition of plant parts of silage maize (Zea mays L) hybrids and their interest for biogas production
Get PDFSilage maize (Zea mays L) hybrids bred in Martonvásár were tested for morphological traits, yield and chemical composition of the whole plant and the plant parts in three years (2010-2012). Biogas production of the hybrids was investigated in 2009 and 2010. The dry matter, protein, starch, water soluble carbohydrates, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, lignin and in vitro digestible organic matter contents were measured by NIR spectroscopy. The ratio of ear attachment height to plant height was smaller, the leaf number above the ear and the proportion of the leaves in the total plant dry matter was greater for leafy hybrids. It was concluded that the differences in the chemical composition of the parts of the same genotype were greater than between the same parts of different genotypes. The leaves had the greatest protein content. The starch and WSC content in the ear was significantly higher than in the other plant parts. The ear had the lowest lignin content and the highest IVDOM content compared to other plant parts. NDF and ADF contents were greatest in the stalk below the ear. Significant differences were found for WSC content of the plant parts of leafy and non-leafy hybrids. Digestible dry matter yield (DDMY) was calculated from individual dry matter production, plant number per hectare and digestible organic matter content. The highest DDMY value was recorded for Siloking (19.18 t ha-1). Biogas yield was highest for Mv Massil (659 l kg-1 DM) with 61.38% methane concentration. Leafy hybrids produced significantly more biogas than conventional hybrids. Biogas yield proved to have significant positive correlations with starch and WSC content, and negative correlations with protein and lignin content
Different mutations in the ZmCAD2 gene underlie the maize brown-midrib1 (bm1) phenotype with similar effects on lignin characteristics and have potential interest for bioenergy production
Get PDFThe maize ZmCAD2 gene has been fully sequenced in several normal and bm1 maize lines, highlighting a large diversity of mutations underlying the bm1 phenotype. Mutations in three bm1 lines (F2bm1, A619bm1, and 511Jbm1) were found corresponding to short InDels inducing premature stop codons and truncated proteins. In two lines (511Kbm1 and 5803Cbm1), mutations were limited to an only SNP or to a few SNP, modifying the catalytic sites, and likely inactivating the proteins. Results also established that the 5803Ibm7 mutant was in fact a bm1 mutant, with a sequence fully identical to the 5803Cbm1 sequence. The two new F7803bm1 (natural mutant) and Ev2210bm1 (transposon tagging Mutator investigations) both had a transposon insertion in the ZmCAD2 DNA, resulting in a truncated protein, even if the mRNA was produced. The biochemical characteristics of the Ev2210bm1 lignins corroborated the signature of CAD2 deficiency in plants, with the presence of aldehydes and atypical compounds and linkages. Considering lignin structure and content, CAD2 is likely a good target for the improvement of energy production based on maize and grass lignocellulosic biomass, including a greater susceptibility to environmentally friendly pretreatments, as it was shown in bmr sorghum. The interest in maize bm1 hybrids for cattle feeding also should be considered because there seem to be little or limited negative effects of CAD2 mutations on other agronomical traits
Effects of different intercropping on walnut growth and stem quality in a plantation close to Pesaro (Marche Region)
Get PDFThe experimental plantation, about 3.0 hectares, was set up in 1999 in a floodplain near Pesaro (Marche Region) on a fertile crop land. Eight theses were compared: 1 thesis: pure walnut, 2: walnut intercropped with autumn olive (50% and 75%), and 5 theses: walnut intercropped with different nurse trees (elm, field maple, white willow, italian alder and plane). Each plot/ thesis was 3,500 m2 wide. Since 2000, the plantation has been monitored: dbh, tree height and stem quality of walnut trees have been measured. The estimate of biomass production has been undertaken for the 3 more competitive species (at the age of 6 for willow and elm and at the age of 7 for plane). Twelve years after planting, biomass production of all the intercropped nurse trees was estimated a second time. This dataset allowed a comparison among walnut trees grown according to different mixtures and in monoculture. In 2012 walnut grown in mixture with 75% of autumn olive tree (N-fixing shrub) showed the best dbh performance reaching on average dbh of 25.8 cm, the same parameter being conversely 14.1cm in monoculture and 12.2 cm in combination with the most competitive spp. (i.e. elm). No strict relationship between walnut growth and stem quality was found. The best stem quality was attained in mixture with plane, while elm confirmed to be an unsuitable nurse tree for walnut. The same nurse trees showed to be interesting for biomass production, too. Especially plane resulted to be an interesting species able to nurse profitably walnut and to have an interesting biomass production around 12.2 t ha-1 in the first rotation and 29.6 t ha-1 in the following one