The Fate of Herbicides in Soil

The prediction of the movement and fate of herbicides in soils represents an important startegy in limiting their environmental impact. The chemico-physical properties of herbicides affect thier behaviour in soil and regulate their interaction mechanisms with organic and inorganic soil phases. Among these, dissolved organic matter plays an important role bacause it influences the mobility of herbicides by complex interactions that can facilitate or reduce the movement of chemicals along the soil profile. The knowledge of soil phase characteristics and the mechanisms involved in herbicide transformation can help to understand the fate of herbicides in soil

Effect of the Growing Season, Trichoderma, and Clinoptilolite Application on Potentially Toxic Elements Uptake by Cucumis melo L

The extent to which different agricultural strategies may affect the uptake of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) by cropped plants is not entirely understood at a field scale. This study addresses the effect of seasonality, Trichoderma inoculation alone, or combined with different applications of commercial-grade clinoptilolite (i.e., foliar action, fertigation, and pellet) on the PTE content of early- and late-ripening cultivars of Cucumis melo L. Two similar field experiments were performed in spring and summer. For each cultivar/treatment combination, the input of PTEs [namely, chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), and lead (Pb)] into the soil-crop system through irrigation water, fertilizers, pesticides, and treatment products (i.e., Trichoderma and clinoptilolite products), as well as the PTE content of melon stem, leaves, and fruit, were measured through inductively coupled plasma-optic emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Neither Trichoderma alone nor with clinoptilolite had a visible effect on PTE uptake by plants, whereas early season cultivation was strongly associated with reduced uptake of Cu and Pb. The high correlation of Cu and Pb content with stem and leaf calcium (Ca) content (used as a proxy for different transpiration rates under different growing seasons) indicated a possible uptake of these metals through Ca nonselective cation channels as a defense against drought stress. Reduced Cu and Pb concentrations were found in early-ripening fruit cultivated in spring. Concerning Cu and Pb risk management, in case of significant contamination in Mediterranean calcareous soils, early-ripening Cucumis melo L. cultivars are suggested instead of lateripening ones

Potential Applications and Limitations of Electronic Nose Devices for Plant Disease Diagnosis

Electronic nose technology has recently been applied to the detection of several plant diseases and pests, with promising results. However, in spite of its numerous advantages, including operational simplicity, non-destructivity, and bulk sampling, drawbacks include a low sensitivity and specificity in comparison with microbiological and molecular methods. A critical review of the use of an electronic nose for plant disease diagnosis and pest detection is presented, describing the instrumental and procedural advances of sensorial analysis, for the improvement of discrimination between healthy and infected or infested plants. In conclusion, the use of electronic nose technology is suggested to assist, direct, and optimise traditionally adopted diagnostic technique

Dieci orti brevi. Storie di piante, uomini e altri animali

10 Orti Brevi. Storie di piante uomini e altri animali. Dieci racconti sulla storia di ortaggi, scritti nell'occasione dell'evento 10 orti brevi, nell'ambito dell’evento nazionale “Che Gusto” di Repubblica-Gusto, che si è svolto a Bologna nell’autunno del 2023

Monitoraggio di residui di pesticidi in ortofrutta in pre-raccolta (Serie storica 2007-2016) Focus sull’Emilia-Romagna

La valutazione del rischio ambientale e alimentare hanno rappresentato un ruolo centrale nel raggiungimento degli obiettivi stabiliti dalla strategia della Commissione Europea nel programma Europa 2020 e costituiscono uno dei capisaldi dell’attuale strategia Horizon Europe. La collaborazione fra enti pubblici, società scientifiche e privati rappresenta il core delle nuove strategie per raggiungere l’obiettivo della sicurezza ambientale e alimentare con un focus sulla salute, come anche indicato dalla FAO e dall’OMS. Accanto ai numerosi e stringenti controlli sulla qualità dei prodotti ortofrutticoli alla vendita, oltre 10000 campioni anno in Italia, esistono i controlli dei produttori e delle catene della grande distribuzione organizzata (GDO) che non sono mai pubblici. Questo report, edito dal Dipartimento di Scienze Tecnologie Agro-alimentari dell’Università di Bologna, presenta proprio questi dati, in gergo chiamati “grigi”. Questa trattazione rappresenta un primo passo, un unicum, grazie alla collaborazione tra una società scientifica, il GRIFA, e una società privata, Conserve Italia, che mette a disposizione milioni di dati residuali di prodotti fitosanitari in derrate alimentari in pre-raccolta per fare una valutazione statistica dell’andamento nazionale del loro utilizzo in un arco temporale molto ampio, che permetta di comprendere come l’agricoltura si sia adattata ai cambiamenti normativi, di costume e climatici. Un lavoro complesso che gli autori hanno affrontato con tenacia e dedizione, trovando la chiave scientifica per una corretta e oggettiva interpretazione

Long-Term Monitoring of a Surface Flow Constructed Wetland Treating Agricultural Drainage Water in Northern Italy

Agricultural drainage water that has seeped into tile drainage systems can cause nitrogen and phosphorus pollution of the surface water bodies. Constructed wetlands (CWs) can help mitigate the effects of agricultural non-point sources of pollution and remove different pollutants from tile drainage water. In this study, hydrological and water quality data of a Northern Italian CW that has been treating agricultural drainage water since 2000 were considered to assess its ability to mitigate nitrogen and phosphorus pollution. The effects of such long-term operation on the nutrients and heavy metals that eventually accumulate in CW plants and sediments were also analysed. Since 2003, the CW has received different inflows with different nutrient loads due to several operation modes. However, on average, the outflow load has been 50% lower than the inflow one; thus, it can be said that the system has proved itself to be a viable option for tile drainage water treatment. It was found that the concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus in the plant tissues varied, whereas the nitrogen content of the soil increased more than 2.5 times. Heavy metals were found accumulated in the plant root systems and uniformly distributed throughout a 60 cm soil profile at levels suitable for private and public green areas, according to the Italian la

Unraveling the Role of Red:Blue LED Lights on Resource Use Efficiency and Nutritional Properties of Indoor Grown Sweet Basil

Indoor plant cultivation can result in significantly improved resource use efficiency (surface, water, and nutrients) as compared to traditional growing systems, but illumination costs are still high. LEDs (light emitting diodes) are gaining attention for indoor cultivation because of their ability to provide light of different spectra. In the light spectrum, red and blue regions are often considered the major plants’ energy sources for photosynthetic CO2 assimilation. This study aims at identifying the role played by red:blue (R:B) ratio on the resource use efficiency of indoor basil cultivation, linking the physiological response to light to changes in yield and nutritional properties. Basil plants were cultivated in growth chambers under five LED light regimens characterized by different R:B ratios ranging from 0.5 to 4 (respectively, RB0.5, RB1, RB2, RB3, and RB4), using fluorescent lamps as control (CK1). A photosynthetic photon flux density of 215 μmol m−2 s−1 was provided for 16 h per day. The greatest biomass production was associated with LED lighting as compared with fluorescent lamp. Despite a reduction in both stomatal conductance and PSII quantum efficiency, adoption of RB3 resulted in higher yield and chlorophyll content, leading to improved use efficiency for water and energy. Antioxidant activity followed a spectral-response function, with optimum associated with RB3. A low RB ratio (0.5) reduced the relative content of several volatiles, as compared to CK1 and RB ≥ 2. Moreover, mineral leaf concentration (g g−1 DW) and total content in plant (g plant−1) were influences by light quality, resulting in greater N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and Fe accumulation in plants cultivated with RB3. Contrarily, nutrient use efficiency was increased in RB ≤ 1. From this study it can be concluded that a RB ratio of 3 provides optimal growing conditions for indoor cultivation of basil, fostering improved performances in terms of growth, physiological and metabolic functions, and resources use efficiency

IL CONTRIBUTO DELLA CHIMICA AGRARIA ALLE PROBLEMATICHE DELL’INQUINAMENTO AMBIENTALE

Soil is a complex heterogeneous system whose physical, chemical and biological properties regulate interactions with the chemical species which reach its surface. Soil chemistry is an essential tool for understanding and predicting these interactions. Soil is able to immobilize and transform organic and inorganic molecules by different mechanisms, such as complexing and redox reactions. This behaviour gives soil detoxifying capacities towards pollutants which accumulate in the environment. Pollution by heavy metals is regulated by their solubility in soil solution which in turn depends on soil pH and redox properties and metal speciation. Organic and inorganic colloidal soil fractions can promote the immobilisation, degradation, and diffusion of organic molecules such as agrochemicals, solvents, hydrocarbons and other chemicals which reach the soil by anthropic activities. Predicting the fate of xenobiotics in soil, water, air, and plant ecosystems, the recycling of biomass and the decontamination of polluted soils are of major concern to soil chemistry.Le sol est un milieu complexe et hétérogène dont les propriétés physiques, chimiques et biologiques règlent les interactions avec les espèces chimiques qui arrivent sur sa surface. La chimie agricole est un instrument indispensable pour comprendre et prédire ces interactions. Le sol peut immobiliser et dégrader les molécules organiques et inorganiques au moyen de mécanismes différents comme les réactions d’oxydo-réduction ou de complexation; cette capacité permet au sol de se détoxifier des polluants qui s’accumulent dans l’environnement. La pollution dûe aux métaux lourds est réglée par leur solubilité dans la solution du sol qui à son tour dépend du pH et des propriétés redox du sol et de la spéciation des métaux. Les fractions colloïdales du sol (organiques et inorganiques) peuvent favoriser l’immobilisation, la dégradation et la diffusion des molécules organiques provenant de l’activité anthropique comme les produits agrochimiques, les solvants, les hydrocarbures et les autres produits liés aux activités anthropiques qui arrivent sur le sol. La prédiction du destin des xenobiotiques dans les divers compartiments de l’envirroment comme le sol, l’eau, l’air et le règne végétal, le recyclage des biomasses et la décontamination des sols pollués sont parmi les problèmes majeurs auxquels la chimie agricole s’intéresse.Il suolo è un sistema complesso ed eterogeneo le cui proprietà fisiche, chimiche e biologiche regolano le interazioni con le specie chimiche che pervengono sulla sua superficie. Lo studio della chimica del suolo è uno strumento essenziale per comprendere e predire queste interazioni. Il suolo è in grado di immobilizzare e trasformare le molecole organiche ed inorganiche mediante meccanismi differenti come le reazioni di complessazione e di ossido-riduzione. Questa capacità rende il suolo un mezzo con proprietà autodepuranti nei confronti degli inquinanti che si accumulano nell’ambiente. L’inquinamento da metalli pesanti è regolato dalla loro solubilità nella soluzione di suolo che a sua volta dipende dal pH del suolo, dalle sue proprietà redox e dalla speciazione dei metalli. Le frazioni colloidali del suolo di natura organica ed inorganica possono promuovere l’immobilizzazione, la degradazione e la diffusione delle molecole organiche provenienti dalle attività antropiche come gli agrofarmaci, i solventi, gli idrocarburi e le altre specie chimiche che raggiungono il suolo. Predire il destino degli xenobiotici nei vari comparti ambientali come il suolo, le acque, l’aria ed il regno vegetale, il riciclo delle biomasse e la decontaminazione dei suoli inquinati sono oggi tra i temi di maggiore interesse della chimica agraria