IMPACT OF AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT ON COMMUNITIES OF ORIBATIDA, GAMASINA AND COLLEMBOLA IN ITALIAN AND FRENCH VINEYARDS

Quantitative and qualitative analyses among the soil microarthropods can be used in biomonitoring as tools in multi-disciplinary approach to characterize soil quality. Three groups of microarthropods - Collembola and Oribatida as detrivores and Gamasina as predators - were selected to evaluate the impact of different management treatments adopted to recover degraded soil in organic. Differences in arthropod populations between French and Italian sites were registered. In Italy, after two years of recovering treatments, an increase of the abundances of all groups, particularly detritivores in degraded plots, was observed. The population of gamasids increased, in all sites, only in non degraded plots. Soil invertebrates of similar trophic groups, like collembolans and oribatids, seem to differently respond to treatments: the collembolans were more affected by some agronomic practices enhancing soil fertility

Kill rate as a tool in efficiency evaluation of Neoseiulus californicus (Acari: Phytoseiidae) mass reared on factitious food

The predatory mites of the Phytoseiidae family are crucial biological control agents widely utilized in biological pest management targeting phytophagous mites and insects. Key factors in these control strategies are that phytoseiids must be able to find their main target prey and to maintain high populations and efficacy. To reduce expenses and time-consuming production methods of mass rearing of phytoseiids, pollen and other factitious (i.e., non-natural/nontarget) hosts need to be present as an alternative food for predatory mite populations. The mass-rearing possibilities of these predators on alternative food sources, such as astigmatid mites (i.e., house and stored mites) and pollen, must be evaluated not only by the cost of rearing settings but on the basis of their efficiency maintenance in killing prey. The pest kill rate (km) is the average daily lifetime killing of the pest by the natural enemy under consideration and can represent a useful indicator for phytoseiids efficacy to rank them as BCAs on the basis of their effective killing/predation on target prey. In this study, we evidenced that 2 astigmatid mites, Glycyphagus domesticus (De Geer) and Lepidoglyphus destructor (Schrank), and Quercus ilex L. pollen can be successfully adopted as substitute food sources for mass rearing of the phytoseiid Neoseiulus californicus (MgGregor); then, we determined that these populations of BCAs maintained a consistent km at new/first impact on the main target pest, Tetranychus urticae Koch

Soil ecosystem functions in a high-density olive orchard managed by different soil conservation practices

The long-term effects of two different soil management practices, natural grass cover (NC) and conservation tillage (CT), on soil functions (carbon sequestration, habitat for organisms, and water movement and retention) were determined in a high-density, mature olive orchard (Olea europaea L. cv. Frantoio) growing in a sandy loam soil (Typic Haploxeralf) in a Mediterranean environment. Ten years after the beginning of the different soil management, soil samples were collected at 0–10 and 10–20 cm depth and at two distances from the trunk, underneath the olive canopy (UC) and in the inter-row (IR). There were no differences in fruit yield, oil yield, and yield efficiency between the two soil management systems during the 2011–2013 period. CT negatively affected soil organic carbon pools (total and humified), but only at the IR position. The distance from the plant did not significantly influence soil structure and hydrological properties, while NC treatment increased water movement and retention. Tillage reduced the microarthropod abundance, in particular Collembola and eu-edaphic forms, which were the most sensitive groups to soil perturbation. We conclude that natural grass cover was more effective than conservation tillage in maintaining or improving elements of soil functionality

Soil functionality assessment in degraded plots of vineyards

Land transformation to adapt fields to mechanization in perennial crop farming is a common practice which includes land levelling, deep ploughing, stone-breakage and clearing, application of fertilizers and amendments. Manipulation of the natural soil profile along its entire depth can severely disturb the naturally existing chemical physical,biological and hydrological equilibrium (Costantini and Barbetti, 2008; Costantini et al., 2013). The most common effects of the land transformation are mixing of soil horizons and soil truncation, which result in reduction of soil depth and available water, organic matter depletion, enrichment of calcium carbonate content in the topsoil,imbalance of some element ratio, and decline in the activity and diversity of soil biological communities involved in nutrient cycles. A decline in the capacity of soil to accommodate the soil-dwelling organisms causes a strong impact on several ecosystem services, in particular, the growth of the vine, the quality and quantity of the grapes,the production costs and the risk of erosion. These negative effects of a pre-planting mismanagement can occur simultaneously and interact to decrease soil fertility and grapevine performance (Lanyon et al., 2004; Tagliavini and Rombolà, 2001; Martínez-Casasnovas and Ramos, 2009).Since soil spatial variability is usually high, soil manipulations frequently result into reduced soil functionality and decline of soil ecosystem services in defined plots of the vineyards. Sometimes soil degradation in these areas is very high and compromises not only vine performance and crop yield, but also disease resistance of plants to diseases and their survival. The impact of improper soil manipulations in vineyards may be of particular concern, because vineyards are frequently located on marginal hillsides, which are sensitive to soil erosion and characterized by shallow soil depth (Ramos, 2006). This paper wants to show the assessment of soil functionality in degraded areas within two farms in Tuscany. This work reports the results of the first activities in Italian sites of the ReSolVe Core-organic+ project, aimed at restoring optimal Soil functionality in degraded areas within organic European vineyards

Assessment of soil ecosystem in degraded areas of vineyards after organic treatments

In Italian vineyards, it is quite common to have areas characterized by problems in vine health, grape production and quality, often caused by improper land preparation before vine plantation and/or management. Causes for soil malfunctioning can include reduced contribution of the soil fauna to the ecosystem services such as nutrient cycles and organic matter turnover. ReSolVe is a transnational and interdisciplinary project, supported by Core-Organic+ program, aimed at testing the effects of selective agronomic strategies for restoring optimal soil functionality in degraded areas within organic vineyard. For this purpose, the evaluation and biomonitoring of the abundance of soil mesofauna, nematodes and microarthropods, represents an efficient tool to characterize the effects of crop management on soil quality. Assessing enzyme activities involved in the main biogeochemical cycling of C, N, P and S can also provide indication of soil functions and health status. Italian experimental plots are situated in two commercial farms in Tuscany: i) Fontodi, Panzano in Chianti (FI), which has been managed organically for more than 20 years and ii) San Disdagio, Roccastrada (GR), under organic farming since 2014. In each farm, three plots (250 m2 each) in the degraded areas and three relative control plots in the non-degraded areas were selected. The different restoring strategies implemented in each area were: i) compost, produced on farm by manure + pruning residue + grass, ii) faba bean and winter barley green manure, iii) dry mulching after sowing with Trifolium squarrosum L. Each treated and control plot has been studied for soil nematodes, microarthropods, enzymatic activity, and organic matter turnover using tea-bag index, as well as total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN). Soil sampling was carried out to 0-30 cm depth for TOC, TN, enzymes and nematodes and to 10 cm for microarthropods. Tea-bag index was determined following the Keuskamp et al. method (2013), in order to gather data on decomposition rate and litter stabilisation by using commercially available tea bags as standardised test kits. The extraction of nematodes and microarthropods were performed by the Bermann method and the Berlese- Tullgren selector, respectively. The biological soil quality was evaluated by the Maturity Index of nematodes (MI) and Biological Soil Quality index of microarthropods (QBSar). The results from soil sampling before restoring showed significantly lower values of SOC and TN in degraded areas, but no significant differences between degraded and non-degraded areas for enzymes, QBSar, nematode abundance and MI. Fontodi farm, under organic management since many years, showed significantly higher abundance of microarthropods, nematodes and enzymes than San Disdagio farm. The application of restoration techniques in 2016 showed a significant increase of TOC and TN only under compost addition treatment. As regards microarthropod communities, all the treatments showed a sensible increase in abundance and the conservation of high QBSar values. All the treatments increased the fungal feeder activity of nematodes and decreased the number of plant parasitic nematodes taxa. The major pest of grapes, the virus-vector Xiphinema index (Longidoridae), disappeared in the treated plots, whereas it remained in the control plots

Assessment and restoring soil functionality in degraded areas of organic vineyards. The preliminary results of the ReSolVe project in Italy

In both conventional and organic Italian vineyards, it is quite common to have areas characterized by problems in vine health, grape production and quality, often caused by improper land preparation before vine plantation and/or management. Causes for soil malfunctioning can include: reduced contribution of the soil fauna to the ecosystem services (i.e. nutrient cycles), poor organic matter content, imbalance of some element ratio, altered pH, water deficiency, soil compaction and/or scarce oxygenation. ReSolVe is a transnational and interdisciplinary 3-years research project aimed at testing the effects of selected organic strategies for restoring optimal soil functionality in degraded areas within vineyard. The different restoring strategies implemented in each plot will be: i) compost produced on farm by manure + pruning residue + grass, ii) faba bean and barley green manure, iii) sowing and dry mulching with Trifolium squarrosum L. During two years of such treatments, the trend of the soil features and the grapevine status will be monitored in detail, to reveal the positive and negative effects of such treatments. The project involves 8 research groups in 6 different EU countries (Italy, France, Spain, Sweden, Slovenia, and Turkey), with experts from several disciplines, including soil science, ecology, microbiology, grapevine physiology, viticulture, and biometry. The experimental vineyards are situated in Italy (Chianti hills and Maremma plain, Tuscany), France (Bordeaux and Languedoc), Spain (La Rioja) and Slovenia (Primorska) for winegrape, and in Turkey (Adana and Mersin) for table grape. Soil features before implementing restoring strategies showed lower content of soil organic matter and enzyme activities, and higher carbonates in degraded areas than in the non-degraded areas. The Biological Soil Quality values of microarthropods were always high, in comparison with data registered in similarly managed vineyards or stable ecosystems, and the data showed homogeneous patterns within the experimental plots. Nematode abundance, taxa richness and maturity (MI) and plant parasitic (PPI) indices were higher in nondegraded than degraded areas, but differences were not significant. Grapevines in degraded areas of both farms showed less vegetative vigour and significantly lower values in the SPAD colour index. The yield and the weight of the grape bunches and berries were greater in the not degraded. The grapes of degraded areas at harvest had instead a sugar content significantly higher (on average +2.5�Brix). The restoration techniques and the monitoring methodologies developed and tested during the ReSolVe project will be described in specific final guidelines. The restoration techniques will be accessible for all the European farmers and will be low cost and environmental-friendly. A protocol of analyses and measurements between the all partners will allow an effective and comparable monitoring of vineyard ecosystemic functioning in European countries

Effects of reduced soil functionality in European vineyards

Improper or excessive land preparation methods in vineyards before planting can have a considerable impact on soil functionality. They include excessive levelling and deep ploughing leading to disturbances of the natural contour of slopes and destruction, truncation and burial of soil horizons. Manipulations may significantly modify chemical, physical, biological and hydrological balance of soils. Problems that may arise from these interventions relate to the reduction of organic substances, enrichment of calcium carbonate and soluble salts, impacting development and health of grapevines. Reduced water retention capacity can lead to increased water stress during dry season, decreased water permeability and circulation of oxygen in the soil, increased runoff volume, surface erosion and landslide risk, reduced biodiversity and limitation of biochemical processes (organic matter mineralization, bioavailability of nutrients, etc.). Soil degradations can lead to the loss of soil functionality even after the planting as a result of accelerated erosion, compaction by agricultural vehicles, excessive loss of organic matter and nutrients, and the accumulation of heavy metals such as copper. In both conventional and organic vineyards, it is quite common to have areas with reduced soil functionality that have negative impact on vine health and grape production and quality. In the framework of the Core organic RESOLVE project, a study was conducted in organic vineyards showing areas with reduced and good soil functionality. Degraded soils resulted in significantly lower amounts of grapes. The chlorophyll index (SPAD) of the grapevine during veraison was significantly lower in areas of degraded soils compared with the situation in areas of the same vineyard with non-degraded soils. In general, causes of soil malfunctioning were related to a lower fertility, including reduced organic carbon, total nitrogen and cation exchange capacity, higher concentrations of carbonates, and increased stoniness in the topsoil. Degraded soils showed lower structure quality and rooting depth limited by shallow saprolite or horizon features such as compaction, scarce fertility and high content of carbonates. The soils in the non-degraded areas showed significant higher content of total nitrogen and higher carbon/nitrogen ratios, thus a better stability of organic matter. On the other hand, biological diversity and activity, monitored by different proxies (microarthropods, nematodes, enzymes, organic matter turnover by Tea bag index) in some vineyards, all managed organically, did not show any clear and significant differences between degraded and not degraded areas. Similarly, no clear difference in overall microbial diversity indices (Shannon, Simpson) and diversity evenness (Pielou) were observed between non-degraded and degraded areas. All indices were relatively high and indicative for rich occurrence of abundant and rare microbial species, high diversity and low abundance of individual species and high species evenness

Concentrations of potentially toxic elements and soil environmental quality evaluation of a typical Prosecco vineyard of the Veneto region (NE Italy)

Purpose The aim of this work was to assess the concentrations of potentially toxic elements and to evaluate the soil quality of a typical Prosecco Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin vineyard of the Veneto region, NE Italy. Materials and methods Soil samples and leaves of Taraxacum officinale and Vitis vinifera were collected during spring–summer 2014. Element determination (Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, P, Pb, V, and Zn) were performed with ICP-OES after microwave digestion of samples. Soil quality was assessed via the biological soil quality (BSQ-ar) index. Lipid peroxidation test was performed to evaluate the vegetation oxidative stress, based on malondialdehyde (MDA) content via spectrophotometer. Results and discussion High concentrations of Al,Mg, and P were identified in soil, while high contents of Al, Cu, Fe, and Zn were found in V. vinifera leaves. The high concentrations in soil are probably due to agricultural activities, whereas those in leaves are probably due to atmospheric deposition and repeated use of foliar sprays in viticulture. The bioconcentration factor showed an effective transport of Cu, P, and Zn, from soil to leaf. The BSQ-ar values registered were similar to those obtained in preserved soils; hence, the biological class (VI) of these soils is high. The MDA content in T. officinale and V. vinifera leaves was below the reference value for T. officinale (2.9 ± 0.2 μM), suggesting that the metal content did not stress the vegetation in the investigated site. Conclusions The MDA value for V. vinifera (1.1 ± 0.7 μM) could be adopted as another control value for soil quality, which in our case is of Bgood quality.^ Moreover, our results suggest that high concentrations of elements detected in the analyzed samples do not influence negatively the quality of soil, but a better agronomic management could improve soil quality in the studied area

Acid washing effect on elemental and isotopic composition of whole beach arthropods: implications for food web studies using stables isotopes

Inorganic carbon removal through acidification is a common practice prior to isotopic analysis of macroinvertebrate samples. We have experimentally tested the effect of acidification on the elemental and isotopic composition of a range of beach arthropod species. Acidification resulted in a significant depletion of 7.7 % and 1.2 % in average for carbon and nitrogen, respectively. This highlights that acid washing affects other body compounds apart from carbonates. With a few exceptions, 13C and 15N showed no changes following the 1N HCl attack. Our results strongly suggest that samples with a presumable high CaCO3 content, result impoverished in 13C as a consequence of acidification, while those suspected to be carbonate-free are not significantly affected. Regarding 15N values, it seemed that only high carbonate species may be 15N impoverished when treated with HCl. It is recommended to acidify only carbonate-rich samples prior 13C analyses as a standard protocol.This study has been supported partially by funds of a bilateral programme between the CNR (Italy) and the CSIC (Spain), and partially by the EU-INCO project WADI (CT2005-15226)Peer reviewe