Anti-transpirant effects on vine physiology, berry and wine composition of cv. Aglianico (Vitis vinifera L.) Grown in South Italy

In viticulture, global warming requires reconsideration of current production models. At the base of this need there are some emerging phenomena: modification of phenological phases; acceleration of the maturation process of grapes, with significant increases in the concentration of sugar musts; decoupling between technological grape maturity and phenolic maturity. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of a natural anti-transpirant on grapevine physiology, berry, and wine composition of Aglianico cultivar. For two years, Aglianico vines were treated at veraison with the anti-transpirant Vapor Gard and compared with a control sprayed with only water. A bunch thinning was also applied to both treatments. The effectiveness of Vapor Gard were assessed through measurements of net photosynthesis and transpiration and analyzing the vegetative, productive and qualitative parameters. The results demonstrate that the application of antitranspirant reduced assimilation and transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, berry sugar accumulation, and wine alcohol content. No significant differences between treatments were observed for other berry and wine compositional parameters. This method may be a useful tool to reduce berry sugar content and to produce wines with a lower alcohol content

Slow-release fertilization and Trichoderma harzianum-based biostimulant for the nursery production of young olive trees (Olea Europaea L.)

Received: May 8th, 2021 ; Accepted: July 30th, 2021 ; Published: October 5th, 2021 ; Corresponding author: [email protected], [email protected] of local olive cultivars is a key factor for the medium-term development strategy of the Italian olive agroindustry. This involves enhancements in both, cultural practices and nursery techniques. The aim of this research was the evaluation in nursery, on vegetative growth and root development of young olive plants, of two different treatments: substrate enrichment with Osmocote®, a slow-release fertilizer, and Trianum-P a Trichoderma harzianum based biostimulant applied as foliar spray. The trial was carried out on Rotondella and Salella, two autochthonous olive cultivars from the Campania region (southern Italy). Central axis height, number and length of lateral shoots, leaf number and trunk base diameter were monitored during the experiment. Eight months later, all plants were uprooted, and further parameters were measured: total leaf area, trunk cross sectional area (TCSA), fresh and dry weight of the leaves, shoots, trunk, roots, and total dry matter. The canopy/root ratio (C/R) was also determined. Overall, the Osmocote® treatment caused a significant increase in the vegetative growth parameters for both cultivars, with a more evident effect on the development of the canopy organs. The observation reported in the present work can represent a convenient piece of information particularly in relation to stress resilience in nursery production

Variations of peel essential oils during fruit ripening in four lemon (Citrus limon (L.) Burm. F.) cultivars

Lemon processing procedures yield a significant amount of waste as peels, which are 57% of processed lemons and represent a possible source of bioactive compounds (essential oils, EOs). EOs were extracted from lemon fruits belonging to four cultivars harvested at four different sampling times (25 October, 23 November, 20 December, 1 February), characterized, and quantified through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Endophytic Fungi and Ecological Fitness of Chestnuts

Chestnuts (Castanea spp.) are plants of relevant economic interest in the agro-sylvicultural contexts of mountain regions throughout the temperate zone, particularly in the northern hemisphere. In recent years, several biological adversities have repeatedly endangered species belonging to this genus, calling for coordinated actions addressed to contrast their decline. These actions have mainly focused on the control of key pests/pathogens and the improvement of resistance/tolerance by the plant host, while the role of microorganisms as mediators of interactions between plants and the noxious agents has been less considered, essentially by reason of a limited knowledge on their ecological impact. In line with the increasing awareness of the basic importance of microbial symbionts in regulating plant fitness in both natural and crop contexts, this paper offers an overview on the occurrence and effects of endophytic fungi of chestnuts

High temperature and humidity affect pollen viability and longevity in Olea europaea L.

Olea europaea L. is a crop typical of the Mediterranean area that has an important role in economy, society, and culture of this region. Climate change is expected to have significant impact on this crop, which is typically adapted to certain pedo-climatic characteristics of restricted geographic areas. In this scenario, the aim of this study was to evaluate the time-course response of pollen viability to different combinations of temperature and humidity. The study was performed comparing flowering time and pollen functionality of O. europaea from twelve cultivars growing at the same site belonging to the Campania olive collection in Italy. Pollen was incubated at 12◦C, 22◦C, and 36◦C in combination with 50% RH or 100% RH treatments for 5 days. The results highlighted that a drastic loss of pollen viability occurs when pollen is subjected to a combination of high humidity and high temperature, whereas 50% RH had less impact on pollen thermotolerance, because most cultivars preserved a high pollen viability over time. In the ongoing climate change scenario, it is critical to assess the effect of increasing temperatures on sensitive reproductive traits such as pollen viability to predict possible reduction in crop yield. Moreover, the results highlighted that the effect of temperature increase on pollen thermotolerance should be evaluated in combination with other environmental factors such as humidity conditions. The screening of olive cultivars based on pollen thermotolerance is critical in the ongoing climate change scenario, especially considering that the economic value of this species relies on successful fertilization and embryo development, and also that production cycle of Olea europaea can be longer than a hundred years

Investigation on rooting ability of twenty olive cultivars from Southern Italy

The effects of two different types of auxins (660 ppm alpha-naph-thaleneacetic acid - NAA - in liquid solution or 750 ppm alpha-naphthaleneac- etamide - NAD - dispersed in a talcum powder) and cuttings from three differ- ent portions of the shoots (basal, middle and apical) on the rooting ability of twenty autochthonous olive cultivars were investigated in two growing seasons (spring and autumn). The results showed that the autochthonous olive cultivars of the Campania Region are characterized by a wide variability in the potential rhizogenic ability. The two periods of cutting collection (March and September) significantly affected the rooting aptitude of the cultivars, indicating that in some cultivars the cuttings collected in autumn had a higher rooting rate than those collected in spring. The effects of NAA and NAD on rooting strongly depended on interaction with the cultivar, time of collection (autumn or spring) and type of cuttings (basal, medium or apical). Among the twenty cultivars tested, we found only eight cultivars with a satisfactory rooting ability after hor- monal applications (Ortolana, Racioppella, Tenacella, Tonda, Biancolilla, Carpellese, Cornia and Pisciottana). In general, the apical and the median portions of the shoots gave the best rooting results.