Evapotranspiration simulated by CRITERIA and AquaCrop models in stony soils

The performance of a water balance model is also based on the ability to correctly perform simulations in heterogeneous soils. The objective of this paper is to test CRITERIA and AquaCrop models in order to evaluate their suitability in estimating evapotranspiration at the field scale in two types of soil in the Mediterranean region: non-stony and stony soil. The first step of the work was to calibrate both models under the non-stony conditions. The models were calibrated by using observations on wheat crop (leaf area index or canopy cover, and phenological stages as a function of degree days) and pedo-climatic measurements. The second step consisted in the analysing the impact of the soil type on the models performances by comparing simulated and measured values. The outputs retained in the analysis were soil water content (at the daily scale) and crop evapotranspiration (at two time scales: daily and crop season). The model performances were evaluated through four statistical tests: normalised difference (D%) at the seasonal time scale; and relative root mean square error (RRMSE), efficiency index (EF), coefficient of determination (r2) at the daily scale. At the seasonal scale, values of D% were less than 15% in stony and on-stony soils, indicating a good performance attained by both models. At the daily scale, the RRMSE values (2) indicate the inadequacy of AquaCrop to simulate correctly daily evapotranspiration. The higher performance of CRITERIA model to simulate daily evapotranspiration in stony soils, is due to the soil submodel, which requires the percentage skeleton as an input, while AquaCrop model takes into account the presence of skeleton by reducing the soil volume

Bioenergy productivity of sugar beet irrigated with reclaimed wastewaters

The use of treated wastewater to irrigate the sugar beet (Beta Vulgaris L. var. saccharifera) for bioethanol could play a strategic role to contrast the use of natural water resources and increase the productivity of the crop. The 2-year experiment (2013-2014) was performed on sugar beet irrigated with fresh water and wastewater at different steps of the reclamation process (secondary and tertiary treatments). The data obtained showed that the root sugar beet yield and ethanol production under fresh water treatment (52.2 Mg ha–1 and 5446 L ha–1) were lower respect to that obtained from the secondary and tertiary wastewater treatments (66.7 Mg ha–1 and 6785 L ha–1, and 58.7 Mg h–1 and 6164 L ha–1, respectively), with the same irrigation volumes. These results can depend on the higher quantity of nutrient uptake when wastewater is used for irrigation. In particular, the average N applied (as nitrate and ammonium) with irrigation during the growing seasons (2013 and 2014) was corresponding to the supply of 4, 28 and 20 kg ha–1, for the fresh water, secondary, and tertiary wastewater treatments, respectively

evapotranspiration of tomato simulated with the criteria model

The CRITERIA model simulates crop development and water dynamics in agricultural soils at different spatial scales. The objective of this paper was to test CRITERIA in order to evaluate the suitability of the model as a tool for scheduling irrigation at field scale. The first step of the work was to validate this hypothesis, by means of calibration and validation of CRITERIA on processing tomato in two experimental sites in Southern Italy (Rutigliano and Foggia) for the years 2007 and 2008 under different irrigation regimes. The irrigation treatments were: i) absence of plant water stress (the control treatments set up for both years and sites), ii) moderately stressed (applied in Rutigliano for 2007), and iii) severely stressed (applied in Foggia for 2008). The second step consisted in the evaluation of the expected impact of different irrigation regimes on daily actual evapotranspiration. For model calibration, the 2007 data of the control treatment was used, whereas in the validation process of actual evapotranspiration, the other part of the dataset was used. The observed data were crop evapotranspiration, agrometeorological data, leaf area index, physical-chemical and hydrological characteristics of soil, phenological stages and irrigation management. In order to evaluate model performance we used three statistical indicators to compare simulated and measured values of actual evapotranspiration: the normalized differences of seasonal values are less than 10% for all treatments; the model efficiency index on the typical period between two irrigations (4 days) was positive for all treatments, with the best values in the Foggia site, for both the irrigated and the severely stressed experiments; the relative root mean square error (RRMSE) was smaller than 20% in both the control treatments, but higher than 30% for the stressed treatments. The increase in RRMSE for the stressed experiments is due to CRITERIA simulating a crop in good soil water conditions and, as a consequence, with a larger evapotranspiration demand with respect to water stressed crop. Therefore, we can consider CRITERIA as a suitable tool to manage irrigations of processed tomato, especially for the full irrigation regime; an improvement can be reached by simulating the impact of water stress conditions on the eco-physiological parameters of the crop, in order to use the model also under deficit irrigation regimes

Productivity of energy sorghum irrigated with reclaimed wastewaters

The sustainability of biomass sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor L. Moench.) in the Mediterranean environment is linked to the possibility of increasing crop productivity by using conventional clean water and wastewater irrigation. An experimental setup was arranged in Southern Italy during 2012 and 2013 seasons to determine the potential productivity of biomass sorghum irrigated with conventional water at different irrigation regimes (100 and 50% of calculated evapotranspiration) and different types of municipal wastewater. During the sorghum growing season, the crop development (biomass and leaf are index) and the soil water content were monitored for all irrigation treatments. The data obtained showed that the dry biomass of sorghum irrigated with the deficit treatment (17 t ha –1 ) was lower compared with conventionally irrigated sorghum. For both seasons and under full irrigated conditions, sorghum irrigated with wastewater produced on average more dry biomass (23 t ha –1 ) than the crop irrigated with conventional water (20.5 t ha –1 ), using the same irrigation volumes

Salt-affected soils: field-scale strategies for prevention, mitigation, and adaptation to salt accumulation

The area of salt-affected soils is increasing globally, mainly due to land use and management malpractices, which can threaten soil health and the sustainability of farms. Climate change is likely to increase the prevalence of salt-affected soils in many agricultural areas due to increased aridity and, in coastal areas, due to the increase in sea water level. The causes and processes that develop salt-affected soils are diverse and can result in soil salinity, sodicity, alkalinity, or a combination of these conditions. There is a need to continuously update strategies to tackle salt-affected soils, finding solutions tailored at different scales. This work presents a review of the current knowledge related to salt-affected soils and identifies specific strategies and related case studies for the prevention, mitigation, and adaptation to salt accumulation in soils at the field scale while addressing their limitations, advantages, research needs, and innovation potential. The presented case studies show that adequate irrigation management and drainage can be used as a preventive measure to counter salt accumulation in soils. Phyto and bioremediation can be effective practices for the mitigation of soil sodicity. Leaching and drainage can be effective measures for mitigation of soil salinity. Crop rotation and management of soil organic matter can be used as adaptative measures that improve plant tolerance to salt-affected soils, while a newer approach, microbial management, shows innovation potential as an adaptative measure

Development and Implementation of the AIDA International Registry for Patients With Still's Disease

Objective: Aim of this paper is to present the design, construction, and modalities of dissemination of the AutoInflammatory Disease Alliance (AIDA) International Registry for patients with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) and adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD), which are the pediatric and adult forms of the same autoinflammatory disorder. Methods: This Registry is a clinical, physician-driven, population- and electronic-based instrument implemented for the retrospective and prospective collection of real-world data. The collection of data is based on the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) tool and is intended to obtain evidence drawn from routine patients' management. The collection of standardized data is thought to bring knowledge about real-life clinical research and potentially communicate with other existing and future Registries dedicated to Still's disease. Moreover, it has been conceived to be flexible enough to easily change according to future scientific acquisitions. Results: Starting from June 30th to February 7th, 2022, 110 Centers from 23 Countries in 4 continents have been involved. Fifty-four of these have already obtained the approval from their local Ethics Committees. Currently, the platform counts 290 users (111 Principal Investigators, 175 Site Investigators, 2 Lead Investigators, and 2 data managers). The Registry collects baseline and follow-up data using 4449 fields organized into 14 instruments, including patient's demographics, history, clinical manifestations and symptoms, trigger/risk factors, therapies and healthcare access. Conclusions: This international Registry for patients with Still's disease will allow a robust clinical research through collection of standardized data, international consultation, dissemination of knowledge, and implementation of observational studies based on wide cohorts of patients followed-up for very long periods. Solid evidence drawn from "real-life " data represents the ultimate goal of this Registry, which has been implemented to significantly improve the overall management of patients with Still's disease. NCT 05200715 available at

Artemisia annua L.: agro-techniques for semi-arid environments

Artemisia annua L. is an aromatic annual plant native in Asia, probably in China, and is widespread in all temperate regions. Aerial parts contain aromatic volatile oils and non-volatile sesquiterpenes used in pharmacopoeia. The most important sesquiterpene is artemisinin and its derivatives, which are used as a remedy against malaria. In the Mediterranean region, interest in cultivating Artemisia resulted in emerging industrial activities demanding local biomass with high content of artemisinin to start new production chains. The goal of this paper was to find out appropriate agro-techniques for semi-arid climate regions to be followed by local growers in order to get convenient yield in terms of biomass and artemisinin content. The specific research objectives were to test germplasm and to develop a pilot model for A. annua, including the main agro-techniques (plant density, nitrogen supply and irrigation requirements). Results were obtained after a two-year field study carried out in an area of Salento region. The effects of the season and of the tested cultivars were not significant. The highest biomass production (36 t ha-1 of dry biomass), associated with a high percentage of artemisinin (0.97 % on dry weight), was achieved by using 7.3 plant m-2, and by supplying 60 Kg N ha-1 and 150 mm of irrigation water

Dimensioning the Irrigation Variables for Table Grape Vineyards in Litho-soils

The pedo-climatic and farm characteristics of Bari’s hinterland have allowed for the diffusion of prestigious table viticulture. The typical “tendone” vineyard structure is set up after managing the surface of the soil. The karstic nature of the region and the thermo-rainfall trend during the vegetative season impede the vineyard from producing adequately without irrigation. Given the importance of water contributions to table grapes, it is necessary to correctly measure the water variables for economic and environmental reasons. Farmers often irrigate according to “fixed” turns and volumes, against the rules of “good irrigation practice” which consider monitoring the water status of the soil or plant as a prerequisite of irrigation scheduling. During this experiment, two methods of irrigation management were compared: “fixed-turn” and “on demand”. For “on demand” irrigation, the irrigation volume is calculated on the basis of the soil water status (estimated according to the “water balance” method described in the “Paper n. 56 FAO”) and the irrigation is scheduled on the basis of the experimental relationship between “pre-dawn” leaf water potential and the water available in the soil. For this comparison, data from a 2-year “on farm” experimentation, in an area typical of table grape cultivation in Southern Italy, have been used. The results obtained show that, in respect to the “fixed-turn” management, the “on demand” management allows for a 20% reduction in water volumes, without compromising production. The water balance method proved to be a promising criterion for irrigation scheduling in these shallow soils, rich in stones (litho-soils). This only held true when the depth of the soil layer explored by the root system was defined by the “equivalent depth” and not by the actual soil’s depth

Agronomic performance for biodiesel production potential of Brassica carinata A. Braun in Mediterranean marginal areas

Brassicaceae are promising oil feedstock for cultivation in centralsouthern Italy. Therefore, a two-year investigation on Brassica carinata A. Braun (cv. CT 204) was carried out in three sites of Apulia region [Site 1, Alberobello - Murgia foreland; Site 2, Troia (Foggia) - Daunian sub-Apennines; Site 3, Monteroni (Lecce) - Area of Salento], and in one site of Basilicata region (Site 4, Hill of Matera). The aim was to identify site-specific management practices [by comparing minimum vs conventional tillage, low sowing density vs high sowing density; different levels of nitrogen (N) supply and organic fertilisers] in the four different marginal areas, to achieve optimum yield performance for biodiesel prospective production. The crop showed a good adaptability in the study sites, and the highest N level positively influenced the yield performance in Sites 1, 2 and 3. Moreover, the reduction of mechanical operations (minimum tillage) did not negatively influence crop production and seed oil content. The highest density of sowing tested determined the best crop performance in Site 3, particularly showing the maximum seed oil content with the lowest N supply. Finally, in Site 4 the compost mixed with mineral N fertiliser as well as the sewage sludge from urban wastewater determined productive results comparable to those obtained with mineral fertiliser, evidencing that organic fertilisers could (partially or completely) substitute the mineral one for this crop in the study site. On the whole, seed yield and oil content showed a potential for biodiesel production of Brassica carinata cultivated with site-specific agronomic techniques in four different marginal areas of Southern Italy, suggesting it can be likely achieved the crop environmental adaptation

Posidonia residues can be used as organic mulch and soil amendment for lettuce and tomato production

International audienceThere is a need for sustainable fertilizers because common mineral fertilizers are increasingly costly and often induce water and air pollution. For instance, seagrass compost could be used as fertilizer in the coastal areas of the Mediterranean, thus also solving the issue of beached residues. Here, we studied organic fertilization by application of seagrass-based compost in a tomato and lettuce crop succession. Composts were made of posidonia and yard wastes at 1/4 w/w fresh weight ratio. Compost was applied at two concentrations: 10 and 20 Mg ha−1 fresh weight. Fresh leaves of posidonia were also tested directly as organic mulch in plots treated with conventional fertilizers. A control treatment involved mineral fertilization without mulching soil. Herbicide applications were performed in non-mulched plots immediately before transplanting of tomato and lettuce for controlling the weeds, while mulched treatments did not receive any herbicide application. Results show that 20 Mg ha−1 of posidonia-based compost is equivalent to the inorganic fertilization because the nutritional status and yield of tomato and lettuce were statistically similar. No phytotoxicity symptoms were observed in any of the tomato and lettuce plants mulched with posidonia. The same growth rate was observed for tomato and lettuce growing under conventional management practices: mineral fertilizer and herbicide applications. Overall, our findings show that seagrass-based compost is a promising, sustainable fertilizer for tomato and lettuce