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La Natura può salvare l’apicoltura? L’importanza delle colonie selvagge e di un approccio più naturale in apicoltura
No full textBiological control of Plasmopara viticola: where are we now?
No full textGrapevine downy mildew, caused by Plasmopara viticola, is one of the most critical diseases on grapevine worldwide, causing relevant economic losses. Nowadays, the management of grapevine downy mildew relies mainly on the application of copper and synthetic fungicides. However, due to the occurrence of P. viticola populations resistant to fungicides and the impact of chemicals on humans and the environment, the development of eco-friendly plant protection products is highly requested. Biocontrol agents are effective in controlling P. viticola on grapevine and represent an important alternative to the use of synthetic fungicides and copper in viticulture. Several bacterial and fungal biocontrol agents have been evaluated for their ability to directly control P. viticola or by stimulating defense mechanisms in grapevine plants. In the future, the progressive reduction of the chemical input in viticulture and the current lack of commercial microbial biopesticides active against P. viticola will make the management of grapevine downy mildew a compelling challenge in the field of biological control of plant disease
Psychometric validity of the sum score of the Sniffin’ Sticks-Extended Test
No full textA common tool to measure olfactory function is the Sniffin' Sticks Test extended version (SSET). The SSET evaluates olfactory ability by summing the scores of three subtests: Threshold, Discrimination, and Identification. Recent meta-scientific literature revealed that many psychometric instruments currently in use have not been adequately validated, leading to a measurement crisis that raises concerns about the validity of the conclusions drawn with these instruments. Two examples of the measurement crisis are (i) the use of sum scores without testing their assumptions (e.g. unidimensionality and tau-equivalence), which indicate that all subtests have the same, stable relationship with their underlying construct, and (ii) the lack of assessment of measurement invariance across groups. Here, we aim to investigate the unidimensionality and tau-equivalence assumptions, internal consistency, and measurement invariance of sex and age groups of the SSET. We tested 988 (555 females, mean ± SD: 39.75 ± 18.60 years) participants with the Italian version of the SSET. The tau-equivalent model demonstrated excellent fit indices (CFI robust = 1, TLI robust = 1, RMSEA robust = 0, SRMR = 0.013), which best explain the data, indicating that all subtests are equally important in measuring olfactory function, but not necessarily equally precise. The results also revealed full measurement invariance across age groups and configural, partial metric, and scalar invariance across sexes, indicating that the use of latent means to compare sex groups should be chosen over raw scores. However, the SSET demonstrated moderate internal consistency. Future studies should clarify whether the reliability of the SSET can be increased
Prospects and constraints in the implementation of Drosophila suzukii classical biological control in Italy four years after the first release
No full textOver the past fifteen years, the spotted-wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) has become a major threat to soft-skinned fruit crops worldwide. Despite various control strategies, integrated pest management still relies heavily on insecticides, leading to significant economic and environmental concerns. As an alternative, biological control has been explored, with the introduction of Ganaspis kimorum (formerly G. brasiliensis strain G1), a parasitoid specific to D. suzukii (Stahl et al., 2024). Italy was the first country in Europe to adopt this approach, importing G. kimorum in 2020 for quarantine testing at the Edmund Mach Foundation (FEM) in Trentino. By 2021, the Italian Ministry of Ecological Transition authorized a national biological control plan, expanding its scope to multiple regions over the following years (Lisi et al., 2021). Despite significant challenges, the program represents a crucial step toward sustainable pest management. Key difficulties included genetic bottlenecks in G. kimorum populations, mass-rearing constraints, logistical hurdles in distribution and release, and regulatory delays. Genetic diversity loss due to inbreeding raised concerns about the parasitoid’s adaptability. Additionally, G. kimorum requires fresh D. suzukii-infested fruit for reproduction, making mass-rearing costly and complex. Mite infestations further complicated rearing efforts. Logistics also played a critical role, as transportation conditions affected parasitoid survival. Selection of release sites prioritized low-chemical environments to maximize establishment success. Extensive pre- and post-release monitoring assessed establishment rates and non-target impacts (Fellin et al., 2023). After four years of releases, G. kimorum has established itself in some northern regions, particularly in Trentino and Valle d'Aosta, though results vary by region. Southern areas faced challenges due to high temperatures and droughts, which reduced host availability. Despite limited immediate impacts on D. suzukii populations, parasitoid presence and spatial expansion have increased over time, suggesting long-term potential for biological control. The Italian biological control program has made notable progress in optimizing rearing techniques and refining release strategies. Continuous improvements in monitoring, technological advancements, and stronger collaboration between research institutions, regulatory bodies, and agricultural stakeholders will be essential to enhancing the program’s success. While challenges remain, the initiative represents a promising step toward reducing dependence on insecticides and promoting sustainable pest management
Multiparametric cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) fruit textural trait development for harvest and postharvest evaluation in representative cultivars
Get PDFFruit texture is a priority trait that guarantees the long-term economic sustainability of the cranberry industry through value-added products such as sweetened dried cranberries (SDCs). To develop a standard methodology to measure texture, we conducted a comparative analysis of 22 textural traits using five different methods under both harvest and postharvest conditions in 10 representative cranberry cultivars. A set of textural traits from the 10%-strain compression and puncture methods were identified that differentiate between cultivars primarily based on hardness/stiffness and elasticity properties. The complementary use of both methodologies allowed for a detailed evaluation by capturing the effect of key texture-determining factors such as structure, flesh, and skin. Furthermore, the high effectiveness of this approach in different conditions and its ability to capture high phenotypic variation in cultivars highlights its great potential for applicability in various areas of the value chain and research. Therefore, this study provides an informed reference for unifying future efforts to enhance cranberry fruit texture and qualit
Global patterns and environmental drivers of forest functional composition
Get PDFAim To determine the relationships between the functional trait composition of forest communities and environmental gradients across scales and biomes and the role of species relative abundances in these relationships. Location Global. Time period Recent. Major taxa studied Trees. Methods We integrated species abundance records from worldwide forest inventories and associated functional traits (wood density, specific leaf area and seed mass) to obtain a data set of 99,953 to 149,285 plots (depending on the trait) spanning all forested continents. We computed community-weighted and unweighted means of trait values for each plot and related them to three broad environmental gradients and their interactions (energy availability, precipitation and soil properties) at two scales (global and biomes). Results Our models explained up to 60% of the variance in trait distribution. At global scale, the energy gradient had the strongest influence on traits. However, within-biome models revealed different relationships among biomes. Notably, the functional composition of tropical forests was more influenced by precipitation and soil properties than energy availability, whereas temperate forests showed the opposite pattern. Depending on the trait studied, response to gradients was more variable and proportionally weaker in boreal forests. Community unweighted means were better predicted than weighted means for almost all models. Main conclusions Worldwide, trees require a large amount of energy (following latitude) to produce dense wood and seeds, while leaves with large surface to weight ratios are concentrated in temperate forests. However, patterns of functional composition within-biome differ from global patterns due to biome specificities such as the presence of conifers or unique combinations of climatic and soil properties. We recommend assessing the sensitivity of tree functional traits to environmental changes in their geographic context. Furthermore, at a given site, the distribution of tree functional traits appears to be driven more by species presence than species abundance
Climatic effects on the synchrony and stability of temperate headwater invertebrates over four decades
Get PDFImportant clues about the ecological effects of climate change can arise from understanding the influence of other Earth-system processes on ecosystem dynamics but few studies span the inter-decadal timescales required. We, therefore, examined how variation in annual weather patterns associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) over four decades was linked to synchrony and stability in a metacommunity of stream invertebrates across multiple, contrasting headwaters in central Wales (UK). Prolonged warmer and wetter conditions during positive NAO winters appeared to synchronize variations in population and community composition among and within streams thereby reducing stability across levels of ecological organization. This climatically mediated synchronization occurred in all streams irrespective of acid-base status and land use, but was weaker where invertebrate communities were more functionally diverse. Wavelet linear models indicated that variation in the NAO explained up to 50% of overall synchrony in species abundances at a timescale of 4-6 years. The NAO appeared to affect ecological dynamics through local variations in temperature, precipitation and discharge, but increasing hydrochemical variability within sites during wetter winters might have contributed. Our findings illustrate how large-scale climatic fluctuations generated over the North Atlantic can affect population persistence and dynamics in inland freshwater ecosystems in ways that transcend local catchment character. Protecting and restoring functional diversity in stream communities might increase their stability against warmer, wetter conditions that are analogues of ongoing climate change. Catchment management could also dampen impacts and provide options for climate change adaptatio
Metagenomics untangles potential adaptations of Antarctic endolithic bacteria at the fringe of habitability
Get PDFSurvival and growth strategies of Antarctic endolithic microbes residing in Earth's driest and coldest desert remain virtually unknown. From 109 endolithic microbiomes, 4539 metagenome-assembled genomes were generated, 49.3 % of which were novel candidate bacterial species. We present evidence that trace gas oxidation and atmospheric chemosynthesis may be the prevalent strategies supporting metabolic activity and persistence of these ecosystems at the fringe of life and the limits of habitabilit
Plant protection and biotremology: fundamental and applied aspects
No full textThere is overwhelming evidence that synthetic pesticides have a negative impact on the environment and human health, emphasizing the need for novel and sustainable methods for plant protection. A growing body of literature reports that plants interact through substrate-borne vibrations with arthropod pests and mutualistic arthropods that provide biological control and pollination services. Here, we propose a new theoretical framework that integrates insights from biological control, the ecology of fear, and plant-borne vibrations, to address plant–insect interactions and explore new, sustainable opportunities to improve plant health and productivit