Lysis of soil microbial cells by CO2 or N2 high pressurization compared with chloroform fumigation

The classical chloroform fumigation-incubation (CFI) and fumigation-extraction (CFE) methods are nowadays among the most used for determining soil microbial biomass, although the chloroform lysing of microbial cells is not always complete. Here, we have tested a physical method, used for sterilizing foods but never in soil, based on N-2 or CO2 high pressurization (N2HP or CO2HP, respectively) to cause microbial cell lysis. The N2HP and CO2HP were tested on two soils differing for their organic matter content, one agricultural (AGR) and one forest (FOR), and firstly were compared with the CFI. The CO2 extra-flush from both soils during 10-d incubation by N2HP was lower than that by CFI method, whereas that by CO2HP was greater. Then, the lysis by CO2HP was compared with that by the CFE method by varying CO2 pressure and duration. The CO2HP, at proper conditions, was more efficient than CFE method to cause the lysis of soil microbial cells. Moreover, both CO2 pressure value and duration were important in increasing the extractable organic C compared to the CFE. The most successful combination of high CO2 pressure and duration was 4.13 MPa and 32 h. However, we cannot exclude that CO2HP might have caused the release of soil organic C not ascribable to living organic matter. Further studies using C-13 and/or N-15-labeled microbial cells should assess the release of abiotic organic C

Azoto

1. Introduzione p. 282 2. Determinazione dell\u2019azoto totale con analizzatore elementare p. 284 3. Determinazione dell\u2019azoto totale con metodo semi-micro-Kjeldahl p. 284 4. Determinazione dell\u2019azoto totale con metodo semi-micro-Kjeldahl modificato p. 287 5. Determinazione dell\u2019azoto totale estraibile con soluzione salina con metodo micro-Kjeldahl p. 291 6. Determinazione dell\u2019azoto totale estraibile con soluzione salina con metodo micro-Kjeldahl modificato p.294 7. Determinazione colorimetrica degli ioni ammonio estraibili p. 296 8. Determinazione colorimetrica degli ioni nitrato estraibili p. 298 9. Estrazione dell\u2019azoto totale idrolizzabile con acido cloridrico p. 300 10.Determinazione dell\u2019azoto totale idrolizzabile con acido cloridrico secondo il metodo micro-Kjeldahl p. 30

Enzymatic activity of anthropogenic proto-organic soils in soilless farming

In soilless agriculture and horticulture coir is the more used substratum to grow plants because it is widely available and more environmentally friendly than sphagnum or peat. In Italy, soilless agriculture concerns an area of about 1,000 hectares, particularly concentrated in Sicily. The southern coastal belt of this region is the area interested by the most significant experiences in the application of techniques of soilless cultivation that, recently, has been used also for growing table grapes. Starting from the above consideration we suppose that the features of the coconut fiber underlay an evident transformation and that even after few years of table grape cultivation, such organic material undergone to a transformation that allows for the formation of a proto-organic soil (a proto-Histosol, we supposed). If this is true, we believe that, in this case, to speak about soilless cultivation is for sure misleading for the common people, as we should define this cultivation \u201con anthropogenic soils\u201d instead. To fit the aims of this survey we used a big greenhouse devoted to soilless cultivation of table grape in a farm in the Southern SicilyWe have considered the enzymatic activity that characterized the coconut fiber after 3 cycles of cultivation of table grapes. We used as a control the coconut fiber that the farmer used to prepare pots for soilless cultivation and coconut fiber of: 6 pots at the end of the first productive cycle 6 pots at the end of the second cycle and 3 pots at the end of the third cycle. On these organic samples we investigated three enzymes, belonging to oxydoreductase (catalase and dehydrogenase) and hydrolase (urease) classes. Statistical analysis of the investigated enzymes was developed using IBM Statistic SPSS v20 by ANOVA, Tukey test HSD for p 0.01 and Multivariate Statistical Analysis. Results have shown significant differences in enzymes content and quality among coir tests. The use of the coco fiber, as nutritive substratum under fertigation, has positively influenced the growing and proliferation of soil microbes and thus enzymatic activity. In merely 3 productive cycles the stage of decomposition of the organic residues changed highlighting a substantial evolution of such organic material

Effetti degli oli essenziali di agrumi applicati in post-emergenza sul controllo delle infestanti e sulla comunit\ue0 microbica del suolo

Sebbene gli erbicidi sintetici ad oggi siano il mezzo pi\uf9 utilizzato per il controllo delle erbe infestanti, \ue8 ampiamente dimostrato che essi hanno un impatto negativo sul suolo, sull'ambiente e, inoltre, iniziano a manifestarsi fenomeni di resistenza. Pertanto, \ue8 importante sviluppare mezzi alternativi che siano al contempo efficaci e rispettosi dell\u2019ambiente. Gli olii essenziali estratti dalle piante sono stati da sempre utilizzati per molteplici usi come agenti battericidi, virucidi, fungicidi, insetticidi, medicinali e cosmetici. Diversi studi hanno dimostrato tali attivit\ue0 degli oli essenziali estratti dagli agrumi, ma scarsi sono gli studi che hanno investigato il loro potenziale uso come erbicidi. Inoltre, anche se diversi studi hanno dimostrato un effetto antimicrobico, tali studi sono stati condotti prevalentemente in vitro e non in vivo. Obiettivo del presente lavoro \ue8 stato quello di valutare la potenzialit\ue0 degli oli essenziali estratti dalle bucce di limone e arancia i) per limitare lo sviluppo delle erbe infestanti e ii) il loro effetto sulla comunit\ue0 microbica del suolo. Gli oli essenziali testati sono stati estratti per idrodistillazione e con pressa a freddo: LI e AI, olio essenziale di limone e arancio, rispettivamente, estratti con pressa a freddo; LU e AU, olio essenziale di limone e arancio, rispettivamente, estratti tramite idrodistillazione. Ai fini del presente lavoro, il suolo utilizzato \ue8 stato prelevato presso un campo sperimentale dell'Universit\ue0 degli Studi di Palermo. Dopo il prelievo, il suolo \ue8 stato essiccato all'aria e setacciato con setaccio con fori del diametro di un centimetro. Successivamente, 500 grammi di suolo sono stati posti in 20 vaschette di alluminio (10 7 20 cm) ed incubati in condizioni naturali. Durante l\u2019incubazione il suolo \ue8 stato mantenuto al 50% della sua capacit\ue0 idrica di campo (WHC). Dopo l\u2019emergenza delle piantine, ovvero alla comparsa della terza foglia (ventesimo giorno dall\u2019inizio dell\u2019incubazione), ciascun olio essenziale \ue8 stato applicato nebulizzandolo sulle piantine, a giorni alterni per una settimana (tre applicazioni in totale). Per ogni vaso e per ogni trattamento, sono stati applicati 5 mL di una soluzione contenente 1 L di acqua, 10 mL di olio essenziale e 1 mL di emulsionante. Nel suolo di controllo la soluzione applicata alle piantine non conteneva olio essenziale. Dopo 15 giorni dall\u2019ultima applicazione dei trattamenti, i suoli sono stati campionati in modo totale, setacciati ed analizzati per la determinazione del carbonio della biomassa microbica (metodo fumigazione-estrazione), respirazione basale (emissione di CO2) e struttura della comunit\ue0 microbica (analisi degli acidi grassi dei fosfolipidi). Inoltre, per ogni trattamento sono stati determinati alcuni parametri delle piante come peso secco e fresco totale, numero di specie e numero di piante per specie. In questo lavoro vengono riportati e discussi i principali risultati

Application of Precision Agriculture for the Sustainable Management of Fertilization in Olive Groves

Olive tree growing (Olea europaea L.) has considerably increased in the last decades, as has the consumption of extra virgin olive oil in the world. Precision agriculture is increasingly being applied in olive orchards as a new method to manage agronomic variability with the aim of providing individual plants with the right input amount, limiting waste or excess. The objective of this study was to develop a methodology on a GIS platform using GEOBIA algorithms in order to build prescription maps for variable rate (VRT) nitrogen fertilizers application in an olive orchard. The fertilization plan was determined for each tree by applying its own nitrogen balance, taking into account the variability of nitrogen in soil, leaf, production, and actual biometric and spectral conditions. Each olive tree was georeferenced using the S7-G Stonex instrument with real-time kinematic RTK positioning correction and the trunk cross section area (TCSA) was measured. Soil and leaves were sampled to study nutrient variability. Soil and plant samples were analyzed for all major physical and chemical properties. Spectral data were obtained using a multispectral camera (DJI multispectral) carried by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform (DJI Phantom4). The biometric characteristics of the plants were extracted from the achieved normalized vegetation index (NDVI) map. The obtained prescription map can be used for variable rate fertilization with a tractor and fertilizer spreader connected via the ISOBUS system. Using the proposed methodology, the variable rate application of nitrogen fertilizer resulted in a 31% reduction in the amount to be applied in the olive orchard compared to the standard dose

Secondary metabolites and eco-friendly techniques for agricultural weed/pest management

In agro-ecosystems, pests (insects, weeds, and other plant’s parasites) compete with crops for edaphic resources, negatively affecting quality and crop yields [1]. Nowadays, synthetic pesticides, easy to apply and accessible to farmers, are the most common and effective methods for pest management [2]. Nevertheless, the negative impact of these chemicals on the environment, human health, and the development of herbicides/pesticides-resistance are shifting the attention to alternative pest control technologies based on natural compounds [3–6]. Therefore, new eco-friendly agronomic techniques and the use of natural or natural-like molecules might represent a valid alternative strategy for pest control in the framework of sustainable agriculture [7–9]. The Special Issue “Secondary metabolites and eco-friendly techniques for agricultural weed/pest management” is timely and could offer interesting contributions to readers on the most recent aspects related to this pivotal topic. It includes 12 research papers (11 original articles and a scientific review) in which different aspects of pest management, from basic research to potential practical approaches, have been investigated through the latest and innovative technologies

The influence of solid retention time on IFAS-MBR systems: Assessment of nitrous oxide emission

The aim of the present study was to investigate the nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from a moving bed based Integrated Fixed Film Activated Sludge (IFAS) - membrane bioreactor (MBR) pilot plant, designed according to the University of Cape Town (UCT) layout. The experimental campaign had a duration of 110 days and was characterized by three different sludge retention time (SRT) values (\ue2\u88\u9e, 30 d and 15 d). Results highlighted that N2O concentrations decreased when the biofilm concentrations increased within the aerobic reactor. Results have shown an increase of N2O with the decrease of SRT. Specifically, an increase of N2O-N emission factor occurred with the decrease of the SRT (0.13%, 0.21% and 0.76% of influent nitrogen for SRT = \ue2\u88\u9e, SRT = 30 d and SRT = 15 d, respectively). Moreover, the MBR tank resulted the key emission source (up to 70% of the total N2O emission during SRT = \ue2\u88\u9e period) whereas the highest N2O production occurred in the anoxic reactor. Moreover, N2O concentrations measured in the permeate flow were not negligible, thus highlighting its potential detrimental contribution for the receiving water body. The role of each plant reactor as N2O-N producer/consumer varies with the SRT variation, indeed the aerobic reactor was a N2O consumer at SRT = \ue2\u88\u9e and a producer at SRT = 30 d