Effects of some chemical treatments on standard germination, field emergence and vigour in hybrid maize seeds

The main aim of this experiment was to investigate the possible effects of some active ingredients and their combinations, commonly adopted for maize seed treatment in Italian agriculture, on seed germination, vigour (cold test) and field emergence. Among the seed treatments, fludioxonil + metalaxyl-M (non-systemic fungicides) with the insecticide mixture tefluthrin (belonging to the pyrethroids class) and methiocarb (belonging to the carbamates), negatively affected field emergence of hybrid maize seeds under favourable and restricted temperature conditions, and the cold test results. The two insecticides showed a significant synergistic detrimental action compared with the effects of each active ingredient. These results confirm the need for precaution when using new formulations with an insecticide mixture. The cold test was confirmed as an excellent test able to highlight a possible loss of seed vigour, which usually is not evident with a standard germination test, and to estimate seed performance in the field, especially under cold temperatures, as often happens when adopting modern crop management techniques like sod seeding and early sowing at the end of winter

Yield and Quality of Essential Oils in Hemp Varieties in Different Environments

Due to its possible utilization in cosmetics, medicine and crop protection, as a valuable alternative to petrochemical-derived products, hemp essential oil is now considered a product with high value added and a promising marketing potential. This experiment was conducted with the aim of evaluating the effect of four different locations of Northern Italy during two years (four environments) and three hemp monoecious varieties on the production and quality of essential oils (EOs) obtained by inflorescences harvested at full flowering of female flowers. The highest inflorescence yield was obtained at Maiano 2017, where a superficial groundwater layer (1.5 m) was present, with values that ranged from 1.69 of Fedora to 2.06 t ha 121 of Futura. EOs production ranged between 3.4 and 4.9 L ha 121 , affected mainly by the variety effect. The terpene in EOs, very similar between varieties and environments, was mainly composed of sesquiterpenes (caryophillene and humulene, as the most abundant) rather than monoterpenes (\u3b1-pinene, \u3b2-myrcene and trans-\u3b2-ocimene, in particular). Phytocannabinoids, and in particular cannabidiol (CBD), were not removed from tissues by the steam during hydrodistillation, and if this is confirmed by further experiments, the residual biomass, now considered as waste, could assume significant importance as a source for further utilization

Bleaching techniques impact on some quality parameters in two different cold-pressed oils obtained at farm scale

The consumption of cold-pressed oil, such as linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) and hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) oil has increased recently. In these oils obtained on the farm, a large number of components able to affect oil quality (mainly chlorophylls) are present. Given this, an experiment was conducted with the following aims: (1) to compare different bleaching methods by applying ultrasound waves and earths in cold-pressed hempseed and linseed oils and (2) to evaluate the effect of different types (acid-activated and natural) and amount (2% and 4%) of earths with different processing temperatures (60 and 80°C) in hempseed oil, utilizing a bleaching method with earths alone. Regarding the linseed oil, any bleaching methodologies adopted must not include ultrasound treatment, as the high temperatures reached determine high levels of oxidation to the detriment of the oil. Concerning the hemp oil, the natural earths, especially at farm level, should be preferred, because in addition to removing chlorophyll satisfactorily, when used at 4% even at the lowest temperature (60°C), an improvement of the stability and nutritional value (Vit. E) of the oil was observed

The Performance and Potentiality of Monoecious Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Cultivars as a Multipurpose Crop

Given the growing interest in multipurpose hemp crop, eight monoecious cultivars were compared in a two-year trial for quantitative and qualitative yield in a Mediterranean environment characterized by a temperate and humid climate with hot summers. All hemp cultivars were evaluated for yield potential of (i) seed plus stem at seed maturity, and (ii) essential oil yield from inflorescences harvested at full flowering. The second goal was set to test the ability of cultivars to supply new seeds after the removal of inflorescence at full flowering. Among the cultivars, Fedora obtained the best results for seed (0.79 and 0.52 t ha1) and vegetable oil yield (0.17 and 0.09 t ha1) normally and with inflorescence removed plants, respectively. Futura, conversely, showed the best results for inflorescence (3.0 t ha1), essential oil (9 L ha1), and stem yield at seed maturity (8.34 t ha1), as means across the two years. The cultivars studied generally reached the grain-filling stage during a period that was drier and warmer than the average of the same multi-year period, and this negatively affected seed quality. The oil fatty acid composition was mainly composed of polyunsaturated fatty acids (75% on average) and not affected by the cultivar. In conclusion, although the hemp grower should always clearly know the main production objective of the crop, the monoecious cultivars available today allow a multipurpose use of hemp crop, improving the sustainability of the cultivation activity

Inheritance of the high oleic trait and environmental effects on seed fatty acid composition in High Oleic Sunflower(Helianthus annuus L.).

The topic of research presented in this thesis is the evaluation of environmental and maternal effects on oleic acid content and its inheritability in High Oleic Sunflower. The environmental effects have been studied by using two sowing dates in different years. The effects of temperature are considered. Maternal effects have been studied by using reciprocal crosses and backcrosses between two High Oleic inbred lines. Finally, inheritance of high oleic acid content has been studied by analyzing parents, their F1, F2 and partially F3. The main goal of this thesis is to determine that factors affect oleic acid content in HO genotypes and, consequently, to give some indications for HO sunflower breeding procedures

Seed processing and oil quality of Jatropha curcas L. on farm scale: A comparison with other energy crops

There are many examples of small-scale initiatives, based on exploitation of the jatropha-crude oil chain, to provide energy at local level, especially in the rural areas of a developing country, where mechanical pressing is currently themostwidely used process to extract oil fromseed. This study is a comparative analysis of the extraction performance parameters and the quality of the cold pressed oil obtained utilizing a commercial single screw extruder at the farm level for the extraction of Jatropha curcas, sunflower and rapeseed oil. In the case of J. curcas, the best operating results were obtained at a seed feed rate of 25.7 kg/h yielding about 8 kg/h of oil. This result, although satisfactory, was much lower than that of the rape and sunflower seeds. The levels of the main mineral contents (phosphorus, calcium and magnesium) in the jatropha oil, are significantly higher than those specified in the DIN V 51605 standard. Moreover jatropha oil showed high K and Na content (N2 ppm), the elements that promote deposit formations in engines, while these were not detectable in rapeseed and sunflower oil. Preventive measures (optimizing harvest and storage condition) and avoiding an excessive rise in oil temperature (b50 \ub0C) during the extraction process are necessary to improve the quality of the jatropha crude oil. In order to meet the quality standards of the new DIN 51506, in order to reduce the mineral elements content in the jatropha oil (especially P, Ca + Mg) inert additives may be mixed with the oil during the seed processing, but these additives can lower the oxidation stability of the oil, so a stabilizer also needs to be added. Moreover these steps complicate the technological process and lower the commercial value of the oil, clearly demonstrating the advantage of producing oil with low concentration of P, Ca + Mg and K + Na in the first plac

Maternal effect on seed fatty acid composition in a reciprocal cross of high oleic sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

Received: 19 September 2014 / Accepted: 27 January 2015 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015 Abstract The high oleic (HO) trait in sun\ufb02ower has rarely been studied in reciprocal crosses and in most of these cases maternal effects on the content of unsaturated fatty acids have not been identi\ufb01ed. Two high oleic inbred lines with different origins and their reciprocal crosses were evaluated. Field trials were conducted in 2011 at the experimental \ufb01elds of the University of Udine using a completely randomized scheme with two sowing dates. The two inbred lines responded differently to the same environmental conditions. Reciprocal hybrids and backcrosses showed a different oleic acid content in the \ufb01rst sowing date. Difference in reciprocal generation was due to recombinant types with a midoleic phenotype. Temperature seems to modify segregation ratio or, in other words, the phenotypic expression of some genes. Reciprocal hybrids and backcrosses were equal in the second sowing date. HO phenotype depends on three genetic factors: Pervenets allele, a second major gene (designated as Ols) and a combination of minor modi\ufb01ers. Their phenotypic effect seems to be in\ufb02uenced by cytoplasm and temperature. Results from reciprocal segregating and backcrosses populations suggest that oleic acid percentage was affected bycytoplasm or by cytoplasm 9 nucleus interaction. The importance was determined of female parental line choices in breeding to obtain hybrids insensitive to environmental conditions and with a stable oleic acid content over 90 %. Cytoplasmic effects could be used in breeding programs to select hybrids with an OAC insensitive to environment

Variability of seed fatty acid composition to growing degree-days in high oleic acid sunflower genotypes

High temperature enhances the oleic acid content in the oil of normal cultivars but conflicting results are reported on temperature effects on oleic acid content in HO cultivars: either no effect or an increase in oleic acid content with temperature. To investigate the effects of temperature on HO genotypes under natural field conditions, a three-year field trial was conducted using two sowing dates and three HO genotypes (two inbred lines and one hybrid). To compare our results with previous works, growing degree-days (GDD) were computed (base temperature \ubc6\ub0C). GDD accumulated during the \u201cflowering \u2013 25 days after flowering\u201d period influenced fatty acid composition of seed. Oleic and linoleic acid contents were affected by accumulated GDD in two HO genotypes (one inbred line and the hybrid). There was an increase of about 3% in oleic acid content as response to more high GDD accumulated. Their content was not modified by GDD in the other inbred line. There was a genotype environment interaction that we suppose depending on modifier genes. These genetic factors affected oleic acid content. This indicated the importance of breeding targeted to select hybrids with a stable oleic acid content and higher than 90%. Saturated fatty acids (palmitic and stearic) were also influenced by temperature, and there was genetic variability among genotypes

Rapid and selective screening for toxic phorbol esters in Jatropha curcas seed oil using high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry

Jatropha curcas L. is an inedible plant whose seed oil is an interesting source for biodiesel production. Seed cake, the main byproduct remaining (about 70% w/w) after the oil extraction process, has a high nutritional value but the presence in Jatropha curcas seed of phorbol esters (PEs), a family of toxic compounds with a tigliane skeleton, prevents application of seed cake and other byproducts (e.g. glycerin) in animal feed without an efficient detoxification. Considering the high toxicity of PEs, it is important to have a sensitive analytical method to evaluate the presence of these compounds in Jatropha curcas derivatives. In this paper we present the study of the ESI-MS/MS fragmentation pattern of the [M+Na]+ ion at m/z 733.5 of the six known PEs, namely Jatropha factors (JFs) C1-C6, which allowed to identify a series of characteristic and specific fragment ions useful to reveal the presence of JFs in Jatropha curcas seed oil, distinguish them from each other, and identify new PEs (J1-J4). Moreover, the substitution of the usual acetonitrile/water as mobile phase with a mixture of methanol/water (85:15, v/v) allowed to increase the signal of the sodium adduct of about 50-fold during the HPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis