252 research outputs found
Use of Solid Digestate as Growing Media for the Production of Horticultural Crops.
No full textPeat is the principal component used for growing media of horticultural crops due to its agronomic characteristics. On the other hand, is a nonrenewable material (Herrera et al., 2008). Previous researches indicated the compatibility of some renewable composted organic wastes in mixture with peat-based media (Herrera et al., 2008; Ronga et al., 2016). However, the composting process might increase the GHGs emissions (Lim et al., 2016). Thus, the aim of this work was to evaluate the use of anuntreated solid digestate as a component in the formulation of growing media for the seedling production of two crop reference species: tomato and basil
Optimizing N Fertilization to Improve Yield, Technological and Nutritional Quality of Tomato Grown in High Fertility Soil Conditions
Get PDFProcessing tomato is the second most important worldwide cash crop, generally produced in high-input systems. However, fruit yield and quality are affected by agronomic management, particularly nitrogen (N) fertilization, whose application to indeterminate growth genotypes for canning has yet to be investigated in depth. Hence, the objective of this work was to assess the effects of different N rates (0, 50, 125, 200, 275, and 350 kg ha−1) on fruit yield and quality characteristics of processing tomato ‘San Marzano’ landrace. The results of our study showed that 125 and 200 kg of N ha−1 are the most appropriate rates in soil with high fertility, ensuring the highest values of marketable yield and brix yield. However, plants fertilized with 125 kg of N ha−1 attained higher values of N efficiency and fruit K and P concentrations than plants fertilized with 200 kg of N ha−1. Our results suggest that overdoses of N supplies negatively affected fruit yield and quality of San Marzano landrace grown in high soil fertility conditions, also reducing the agricultural sustainability. Hence, specific agronomic protocol and extension services are required to optimally manage tomato crop systems
Grafting and Plant Density Influence Tomato Production in Organic Farming System
No full textThe tomato is a key crop cultivated worldwide for the fresh and processing markets. Only a small percentage of the tomatoes processed by industries were produced following the guidelines of the organic farming system. Potential reasons for the limited share of organic tomato production are probably related to the lower yield obtained in organic farming in comparison with conventional farming. In this study, the use of the cherry tomato genotype ‘Tomito’ as a rootstock and two different plant densities (2.5 and 1.25 plant m−2) were evaluated in order to improve the agronomic performances of the commercial processing tomato genotype ‘H3402′ cultivated in the organic farming system. Agronomic and quality parameters were assessed at harvest time. The plant density influenced the plant biometric parameters, mass and marketable yield, and fruit health and quality. The use of a rootstock improved the marketable yield per plant (more than 59%), with the quality of the fruit decreasing the number of sunburnt fruits (−27.7%). The use of the ‘Tomito’ as a rootstock and a plant density of 2.5 plant m−2 are the better choices to achieve good performances in optimal environmental conditions. However, further studies are required to validate these results both in other environments and using different scions
Rappresentanza degli interessi e modello legislativo negoziale: dinamiche e tentativi di regolazione
No full textComposted Solid Digestate and Vineyard Winter Prunings Partially Replace Peat in Growing Substrates for Micropropagated Highbush Blueberry in the Nursery
Get PDFThe “soilless” cultivation of blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) in containers with peat as substrate allows overcoming the problem of unsuitable soils, thus enhancing the spread of this crop in new areas. Since the use of peat presents several critical environmental and economic sustainability issues, the evaluation of alternative solutions is required. The effectiveness of compost produced with solid digestate and residues from the vine-wine chain to replace part of the peat was therefore tested. Micropropagated plants of cultivar Duke grown in three substrates consisting of a mixture of commercial peat with three compost fractions (10, 20, 40%) were compared with plants grown in 100% unfertilized or fertilized peat (0.3 g of Osmocote per pot). Plant height did not significantly differ between the five theses at the end of the trial, whereas the total number of nodes per plant was higher than in the control theses, due to a greater development of secondary shoots. The nutritional status of the plants, monitored with Dualex, during the growing season, was generally not significantly different in the innovative substrates compared to peat alone. In mid-summer the plants grown in substrates with compost showed the best nitrogen balance index (NBI values). Plants cultivated with medium-high percentages of compost (20–40%) showed a lower degree of defoliation at the end of the trial, dependent on a slower decline of vegetative activity. The final destructive measures of fresh and dry weight of biomass and of its partitioning between roots and shoots highlight that the use of compost did not negatively affect the production of biomass, but rather, in the theses with the highest percentages of compost (20–40%), root development was stimulated
Suitability of On-Farm Green Compost for the Production of Baby Leaf Species
No full textThis study evaluated, for the first time, the suitability of on-farm green compost (GC) from the fourth range sector for the production, in a controlled environment, of six baby leaf species (radish, lettuce, rocket, chard, sorrel and dill), characterized by short cultivation cycles. The pH and electrical conductivity of potting soil-compost mixtures were affected by the different amounts of GC added to the potting soil. Germination tests on Lactuca sativa seeds indicated no phytotoxic effects when GC was used to prepare aqueous extracts diluted at 50% and 25% (v/v). In the pot experiment, GC was used at four different dosages in the growing medium, inducing different impacts on growth parameters, depending on the species and applied dose. The greatest plant growth responses were determined by using less than 3.5 g of GC in 100 g of potting soil. Significant positive correlations between the dry weights of root and shoot (r = 0.77 **), seedling height (r = 0.51 **) and the number of true leaves number (r = 0.56 **) confirmed the close relationship between the root system biomass and the growth parameters of aboveground organs. The study highlights that on-farm green compost, used as partial growing substrate, provides a good opportunity to obtain baby leaf species with well-developed root systems
Varietà di tondo-squadrato e lungo per l’industria al Sud
No full textLe prove hanno
riguardato
le caratteristiche
produttive
e qualitative di sei
varietà appartenenti
alle tipologie tondo-
squadrato
e lungo; i materiali
testati hanno
espresso buone
produzioni
commerciali
confermandosi
su valori tipici
dell’areale
di produzione
e hanno fornito buoni
valori di pH
e indice Bri
Soil-biodegradable mulching films improve yield, water productivity, and profitability in organic processing tomato
No full textIdentification of the Volatile Components of Galium verum L. and Cruciata leavipes Opiz from the Western Italian Alps
No full textThe chemical composition of the volatile fraction from Galium verum L. (leaves and
flowers) and Cruciata laevipes Opiz (whole plant), Rubiaceae, was investigated. Samples from these
two plant species were collected at full bloom in Val di Susa (Western Alps, Turin, Italy), distilled
in a Clevenger-type apparatus, and analyzed by GC/FID and GC/MS. A total of more than 70
compounds were identified, making up 92%–98% of the total oil. Chemical investigation of their
essential oils indicated a quite different composition between G. verum and C. laevipes, both in terms
of the major constituents and the dominant chemical classes of the specialized metabolites. The most
abundant compounds identified in the essential oils from G. verum were 2-methylbenzaldheyde
(26.27%, corresponding to 11.59 μg/g of fresh plant material) in the leaves and germacrene D
(27.70%; 61.63 μg/g) in the flowers. C. laevipes essential oils were instead characterized by two
sesquiterpenes, namely β-caryophyllene (19.90%; 15.68 μg/g) and trans-muurola-4(15),5-diene
(7.60%; 5.99 μg/g); two phenylpropanoids, benzyl alcohol (8.30%; 6.71 μg/g), and
phenylacetaldehyde (7.74%; 6.26 μg/g); and the green-leaf alcohol cis-3-hexen-1-ol (9.69%; 7.84
μg/g). The ecological significance of the presence of such compounds is discussed
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