1,720,980 research outputs found
Agronomical effects and response of growers in the application of the GesCoN DSS at the commercial farm scale
No full textThe results of the application of the GesCoN decision support system (DSS) during the 2018 growing season on six commercial farms for assisting growers in the management of fertigation of the processing tomato crop are reported. The farms were selected within the Capitanata area (Foggia province, Italy) and to have a representative coverage of all the area, which is a quite large flat territory where processing tomato cultivation covers about 20,000 ha. To evaluate the agronomical effects of the application of the DSS, two main plots were created on each farm with two managements of fertigation: i) management following to the daily indications provided by the DSS, and ii) management according to the empirical farmer procedures of each farm. The input of meteorological data into the DSS was carried out automatically and all the communications between the DSS and the growers were performed through daily smartphone notifications. The results indicate that the use of the DSS allowed an average reduction of 24% for the seasonal irrigation water volume and 7% for the N fertilizer application. Despite these savings in water and N, the total and marketable yield was not affected by the fertigation management methods. Besides, no significant effects were detected on some qualitative parameters of tomato fruits (dry matter, solid soluble and titratable acidity content). During the growing season, farmers managed the crop fertigation without experiencing difficulties using the DSS and in the end, they found the whole system very easy-to-use and useful in managing fertigation, while they suggested improving the information provided by the DSS by adding further inputs on the type and the quantity of N fertilizer to use. After its first calibration and validation on processing tomato and these preliminary large scale tests, the GesCoN DSS is currently functioning as a service on the platform www.ecofert.it for managing fertigation in processing tomato crop
Morpho-biometrical, nutritional and phytochemical characterization of carrot landraces from Puglia region (southern Italy)
Full text linkThe explorations as a part of the regional BiodiverSO Programme of vegetable genetic resource rescue revealed that in the arenili (sandy shores) of “Salterns of Margherita di Savoia” (SMS), a coastal landscape area of Puglia region (southern Italy), along the commercial genotypes of small rooting species, landraces are still cultivated. The morpho-biometrical, nutritional and phytochemical properties of two carrot landraces (“Carota a punta lunga” and “Carota a punta tonda”) and a commercial carrot hybrid (“Presto”) collected from the SMS area are examined. The study highlighted that the pedological conditions of the arenili of the SMS area are the main driving force in controlling the nutritional and nutraceutical characteristics of carrot, conferring to genotypes grown in this area a high profile in comparison with literature data. In the site of cultivation of arenili, a large variability in the morpho-qualitative traits emerged among carrot genotypes. “Carota a punta tonda” stands for a promising genotype being very rich in phenols (209.8 mg kg-1 fw) (mainly di-caffeic acid derivative and chlorogenic acid), Β-carotene (21,512 μg 100 g-1 fw), and high antioxidative proprieties. “Carota a punta tonda” could be considered as a healthy product for consumers and also amenable to selection for breeding purpose. Increasing the knowledge about nutritional and nutraceutical properties of local landraces may push the preference of consumers beyond the local community and, at the same time, farmers can be stimulated to continue their cultivation. Thus, the promotion of their on-farm/in situ conservation (cultivation) could represent an efficient strategy for agro-biodiversity preservation
Post-harvest performance of ready-to-eat wild rocket salad as affected by growing period, soilless cultivation system and genotype
No full textThe present study focuses on the effect of growing period (autumn-winter and winter-spring), soilless cultivation system (floating system and ebb and flow system) and genotype (‘Naturelle’ and ‘Nature’) on the post-harvest performance of wild rocket salad. Changes in bio-physical characteristics (weight losses, main colour indices, the concentration of dry matter and chlorophylls), physiological characteristics (relative water content, osmotic potential, electrolytic leakage), antioxidant compounds (vitamin C, phenolic compounds, carotenoids), glucosinulates, and activity of antioxidant enzymes (CAT-catalase; APX-ascorbate peroxidase; SOD-superoxide dismutase; GR-glutathione reductase) were evaluated in wild rocket salad after 7 days of cold storage. Wild rocket salad grown under winter spring conditions and in a floating system was more prone to post-harvest quality decay as highlighted by higher electrolyte leakage and osmotic potential, and lower relative water content, greater weight losses due to respiration activity, and a rapid breakdown of colour to yellowness. A higher shelf-life of the product grown under less photo-thermal stressing condition (autumn-winter cycle) was attributable to less physiologically stressed raw material and to a rise in non-enzymatic antioxidant compounds, namely carotenoids, phenols, and vitamin C (ascorbic acid), all effective at contrasting oxidative stress during storage. The higher shelf-life of the product grown in an ebb and flow system (lower losses of mass and lower visual decay) and of ‘Nature’ (a higher retention of the green colour) under autumn-winter conditions, seems to be imputable both to a higher efficiency of antioxidant enzyme activity (APX and CAT) and to a greater content of antioxidant compounds, mainly carotenoids. The role of individual glucosinolates in delaying senescence was only observed as a genotype-specific response of ‘Nature’ to the root oxygen limitation occurring with the floating system
Validation of the new modeling for soil water relations and N soil dynamics of the GesCoN DSS: A new release
No full textFrom its first release in 2015, the GesCoN DSS, for managing fertigation in open field-grown vegetable crops, has been tested under several processing tomato commercial field situations. Among the simulation approaches of the DSS, the modeling used for water relations and N dynamics in the soil was benchmarked during the 2016 and 2017 seasons against direct measurements of soil water content, crop growth and N uptake. To assess the accuracy of the DSS in soil moisture predictions, a series of capacitance multiple depths sensors were used to provide near-continuous measurements within the soil profile most interested by the plant roots, along with some gravimetric direct measurements of soil water content throughout the crop cycle. N plant uptake through the crop cycle was also used to assess the DSS accuracy in the prediction of the available N soil content. Following the comparison tests between measured and simulated data, a new approach has been developed for modeling water that also affects plant growth and N uptake. The paper describes this approach along with the 2018 season results of the in-soil/on-crop direct measurements as performed in 2016-2017 seasons, which confirm the good performance of the DSS in predicting both soil water content and N soil availability in processing tomato crop. A new release of the GesCoN DSS has been developed that is now functioning as a service on the platform www.ecofert.it
Nutritional, Biophysical and Physiological Characteristics of Wild Rocket Genotypes As Affected by Soilless Cultivation System, Salinity Level of Nutrient Solution and Growing Period
Full text linkWith the aim of defining the best management of nutrient solution (NS) in a soilless system for obtaining high quality baby-leaf rocket, the present study focuses on two wild rocket genotypes (“Nature” and “Naturelle”), grown in a greenhouse under two Southern Italy growing conditions—autumn-winter (AW) and winter-spring (WS)—using two soilless cultivation systems (SCS)—at two electrical conductivity values (EC) of NS. The SCSs used were the Floating System (FS) and Ebb and Flow System (EFS) and the EC values were 2.5 and 3.5 dS m−1 (EC2.5; EC3.5) for the AW cycle and 3.5 and 4.5 dS m−1 (EC3.5; EC4.5) for the WS cycle. The yield, bio-physical, physiological and nutritional characteristics were evaluated. Higher fresh (FY) (2.25 vs. 1.50 kg m−2) and dry (DY) (230.6 vs. 106.1 g m−2) weight yield, leaf firmness (dry matter, 104.3 vs. 83.2 g kg−1 FW; specific leaf area, 34.8 vs. 24.2 g cm−2) and antioxidant compounds (vitamin C, 239.0 vs. 152.7 mg kg−1 FW; total phenols, 997 vs. 450 mg GAE mg kg−1 FW; total glucosinulates-GLSs, 1,078.8 vs. 405.7 mg kg−1 DW; total antioxidant capacity-TAC, 11,534 vs. 8,637 μmol eq trolox kg−1 FW) and lower nitrates (1,470 vs. 3,460 mg kg−1 FW) were obtained under WS conditions. The seasonal differences were evident on the GLS profile: some aliphatic GLSs (gluconapoleiferin, glucobrassicanapin) and indolic 4-OH-glucobrassicin were only expressed in WS conditions, while indolic glucobrassicin was only detected in the AW period. Compared with EFS, FS improved leaf firmness, visual quality, antioxidant content (TAC, +11.6%) and reduced nitrate leaf accumulation (−37%). “Naturelle” performed better than “Nature” in terms of yield, visual quality and nutritional profile, with differences more evident under less favorable climatic conditions and when the cultivars were grown in FS. Compared to EC2.5, the EC3.5 treatment did not affect DY while enhancing firmness, visual quality, and antioxidant compounds (TAC, +8%), and reducing the nitrate content (−47%). The EC4.5 treatment reduced FY and DY and the antioxidant content. Despite seasonal climatic condition variability, FS and the moderate salinity level of NS (3.5 dS m−1) can be suggested as optimum
Harvest and Post-Harvest Performance of Autumn-Winter Butterhead Lettuce as Affected by Nitrogen and Azoxystrobin Application
No full textAn autumn-winter trial was carried out in Southern Italy in open-field conditions on butterhead lettuce to investigate the effect of the nitrogen (N) fertilizer rate (0, 50, and 100 kg ha−1, N0, N50, N100) and the application of the azoxystrobin, sprayed twice in an earlier vs. a later application scheme, specifically at 65/85 or 65/100 days after transplantation. An untreated control was also included. The evaluation of the product quality was conducted on fresh and stored shredded leaves. The N50 was a suitable rate for autumn-winter butterhead lettuce, but it does not guarantee the color appearance of the fresh leaves (lowest h°, highest L*). Concerning post-harvest changes, the N50- and N100-product were less suitable for storage, accounting for higher decay of visual quality (h°) and physiological senescence (EL) indices. Irrespective of N rate and application time, azoxystrobin improved growth and yield (+16%), visual (lower L*, higher h°, and chlorophylls), and nutritional (higher carotenoids and antioxidant capacity) quality of the fresh leaves. The application of azoxystrobin improved the shelf-life of butterhead lettuce leaves, by keeping higher turgidity (RWC), lower color decay (CHLs, h°), and higher nutritional value (carotenoids), and by limiting the browning spreading in shredded leaves
Soilless Cultivation System, Electrical Conductivity of Nutrient Solution, and Growing Season on Yield and Quality of Baby-Leaf Oak-Leaf Lettuce
No full textThe floating system (FL) is a common soilless method for baby-leaf production, whereas the ebb and flow system (EF) has been proposed as an alternative. Both of them allow managing plant saline stress while preventing reduction in plant growth and yield and increasing product quality. The oak-leaf lettuce response to the growing conditions (hydroponics, salinity) in interaction with climate and genotype has been little studied. Two experiments were carried out with two oak-leaf cultivars (green- and red-colored type) grown in FL and EF systems at two levels of nutrient solution (NS) electrical conductivity (EC) (EC = 2.5 and 3.5 dS m−1; EC2.5, EC3.5, respectively) under autumn and late-spring conditions. The EF system caused an increase in salinity in the substrate where roots mainly develop, so it overcomes the effect of the EC3.5 treatment. In the autumn cycle, irrespective of the EC, EF-grown plants had improved leaf thickness (specific leaf area), color, and antioxidative (total phenol and carotenoid contents) properties; however, a reduction in yield was observed in the most productive cultivar (green type). In late spring, higher yield and product quality (processability, nitrate content) were obtained at the expense of color, with the FL showing the best productivity in the green type cultivar. The red type cultivar had higher dry mass, phenol, and carotenoid concentrations
Effectiveness of biological and chemical trade products used in nursery to control telluric pathogens of melon crops
No full textEvaluation of Garlic Landraces from Foggia Province (Puglia Region; Italy)
Full text linkInterest in local landraces has unfortunately decreased over, the last decades, in which they have been continuously subjected to a high genetic erosion in favour of new modern varieties. Within the Puglia region (S-E Italy), Foggia province was found to be the richest in vegetable landraces. In the present study, six garlic landraces collected from this area have been assessed for their chemical composition (minerals, organic acids, free sugars, volatile, and phenolic compounds) along with their main morpho-biometrical traits. A commercial genotype was also considered as a reference standard. The landraces show a large variability, but in general high morphological standards, high levels of cations and phenols, and low levels of volatile-(S)-compounds in comparison with the commercial genotype and the literature values. 'Aglio di Peschici' and 'Aglio Rosso di Monteleone di Puglia' are very rich in minerals and phenols (mainly ferulic acid and iso-rhamnetin). This increase in knowledge on the chemical properties of these garlic landraces could represent a tool for encouraging the consumption of a food product. At the same time, the consumption of these landraces would stimulate their cultivation and could highly contribute to protection against the risk of erosion of agro-biodiversity by their in situ/on-farm conservation
PHYLOGENY AND MORPHOLOGY OF DIPLODIA SPECIES ON OLIVES IN SOUTHERN ITALY AND DESCRIPTION OF DIPLODIA OLIVARUM SP. NOV.
No full textDuring a recent study of Botryosphaeria and Neofusicoccum species on olives, a number of Diplodia species were
isolated. Most of these were Diplodia seriata while others resembled Diplodia mutila in their hyaline, aseptate, thickwalled
conidia. These latter isolates were morphologically (conidial dimensions) and phylogenetically (ITS and EF1-α
sequences) distinct from other Diplodia species and are described here as Diplodia olivarum sp. nov
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