1,721,106 research outputs found
An environmental-friendly approach for a productive olive orchard management
No full textThe productive performance of an olive orchard is strongly affected by the grower capacity
in choosing, combining, and properly performing the several agronomical practices. Such
expertise is taken into consideration by the recent agricultural European Union policy and at
worldwide level, in order to support and encourage the use of production technologies aimed
to preserve natural resources, to control environmental pollution, and to assure product
quality. Some practical suggestions for a sustainable soil management and a proper irrigation
and fertilization of olive orchards are presented in this paper taking into account the current
and urgent environmental emergencies and what are the production expectations of olive
growers
Can olive growing mitigate the greenhouse effect? A study of carbon cycle from atmosphere to olive tree products
No full textOlive tree is one of the most typical and economically important species belonging to the Mediterranean area but the role of olive orchards and the involvement of different cultivation techniques on atmospheric CO2 fixation is still not completely known.
Values of fixed atmospheric CO2 and CO2 accumulation rates were calculated by the increments of dry matter measured at the end of vegetative season in a young olive orchard during a period of seven years from the planting. The same measurements were done on a mature olive orchard, in order to find correlations between the rate of CO2 fixation and the age of plants.
In young orchard, fixed CO2 has been allotted mainly in wood, while the rest in leaves and fruits. Movements of fixed carbon in pruning material and senescent leaves, and their contribuition in soil organic carbon increase and in humus production were studied both in young and mature orchards. The number of plants per hectare and the use of appropriate agricultural practices (pruning, green manure, irrigation management), as well as local pedoclimatic characteristics, had a fundamental importance in trasforming a significant part of CO2 in humus and biomass.
The results obtained underline the important role of olive orchards in mitigating the damage caused by greenhouse effect and highlight the positive role of olive growing in the fixation of atmospheric CO2, in particular during the formation of the permanent structure of olive plants
Influenza dei fattori ambientali sul trasporto e accumulo di elementi minerali in foglie e frutti di piante di actinidia.
No full textIn this study, the effect of light availability on actinidia leaf and fruit N, P, K, Ca and Mg accumulation is reported. At fruit-set, exposed and shaded treatments were imposed. Fruit and leaf transpiration was measured using a portable gas exchanges analyser (ADC-LCA4). Sap flow was monitored on whole canes using the Dynagage Sap-Flow (heat balance method). Transpiration of exposed leaves was on average 66% higher than the one of shaded leaves. Sap flow of exposed canes was on average 53 g mE-2 per day; the shadow treatment determined a 60% decrease of sap flow. These differences affected the accumulation of those minerals, notably calcium, which are transported mainly via xylem. Fruit calcium content reached approximately 40 mg fruitE-1 in exposed fruits, while in the shaded ones it was 23 mg fruitE-1. Our results suggest that a greater light availability can promote calcium accumulation. Therefore, the accurate training system management, favouring light interception by canopy and fruits, could be a tool for fruit quality improvement
Soil microbial fertility in olive orchards managed by a set of sustainable agricultural practices
No full textn conventional olive growing, the frequent tillage has reduced soil organic matter content. Recently, soil conservation is
becoming a priority in management strategies of rural areas due to the awareness of the deterioration of this natural resource and of
the difficulty of its recovery in short periods (i.e. cross compliance concept in European Union). Therefore, the conventional agronomic
practices should evolve to a more sustainable olive management to improve soil quality and water saving. A better understanding of
soil ecology could lead to identify agricultural management practices that support and stimulate soil organisms for beneficial
purposes in agriculture. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of sustainable practices (grass cover and pruning residues
recycling) on soil quality in a Mediterranean olive orchard. The trials were carried out in a mature olive grove (Olea europaea L. – cv
Maiatica) located in Basilicata Region (Southern Italy) and managed according to two different soil management systems: the
sustainable treatment (ST) and the conventional treatment (CT). Soil microbiological quality in the two systems was monitored by
both microbiological cultural-dependent and molecular methods. In the ST olive orchard, soil microbiota showed a higher complexity
and metabolic diversity. The adoption of ‘innovative’, sustainable, agricultural practices had positive effects on soil microbiota and its
biodiversity which can influence soil fertility and plant growth by increasing nutrients availability and turnover. The results of this
study encourage the use of sustainable agricultural practices able to enhance soil fertility and promote good-quality fruit production
without detrimental effects on water and soil resources
Il contributo della olivicoltura alla mitigazione dell’effetto serra: uno studio del carbonio dall’atmosfera alla pianta di olivo.
No full textL’olivo rappresenta una delle specie coltivate più diffuse nel mondo (9,8 milioni di ha, per un totale di circa 1 miliardo e 200 milioni di alberi). Di recente il ritrovato interesse per l’olio d’oliva come alimento dall’elevato valore nutrizionale e salutistico ha determinato l’espansione della coltura anche in aree di non tipica coltivazione (Sud Africa, Nuova Zelanda, Australia, Cile).
A fronte di una così ampia diffusione non vi sono informazioni in merito al contributo di questa coltura alla mitigazione dell’effetto serra tramite il “sequestro”, all’interno della sua biomassa, della CO2 atmosferica.
La presente indagine ha avuto l’obiettivo di valutare il ruolo di “sink” di carbonio dell’oliveto. A tale scopo la CO2 atmosferica fissata ed il suo tasso di accumulo sono stati calcolati come incremento di sostanza secca misurato, a fine stagione vegetativa, in olivi in fase di allevamento. Misure analoghe sono state effettuate su olivi maturi al fine di correlare la quantità di CO2 fissata con l’età delle piante.
Nei giovani olivi la maggior parte della CO2 fissata viene accumulata nel legno e, dunque, è destinata a risiedere nell’ecosistema per molto tempo; la rimanente parte è allocata negli organi a vita breve quali foglie e frutti. Grande importanza assume la gestione del materiale di potatura soprattutto negli oliveti maturi. Questo, se trinciato in campo, può apportare al suolo (di concerto con le foglie senescenti cadute) notevoli quantità di carbonio organico che si fissa per lungo tempo in forma di sostanze umiche.
I risultati conseguiti sottolineano il ruolo di “carbon sink” dell’oliveto soprattutto nella fase giovanile del ciclo vitale della pianta quando essa forma le sue strutture permanenti. L’uso di tecniche colturali ecocompatibili (riduzione degli inputs esterni, rilascio in campo dei residui di potatura, uso di compost, inerbimento, fertirrigazione) potrebbe potenziare ulteriormente la capacità di “sequestro” della CO2 atmosferica del sistema oliveto nel suo complesso
Acque reflue urbane depurate per l’irrigazione dell’olivo
No full textPer migliorare la produzione dell' olivo l' irrigazione è indispensabile, ma per poterla praticare, in considerazione dell' inesorabile contrazione della risorsa acqua soprattutto negli areali dove la coltura è più diffusa, si impone l' utilizzo di risorse idriche non convenzionali, quali le acque reflue trattate che, tra l' altro, hanno una rilevanza agronomica per i nutritivi che apportano
Riduzione della tossicità di metalli pesanti nel suolo per effetto di sostanza organica di diversa origine
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