Bactrocera oleae (Gmelin) control in organic olive farming.

In the Mediterranean area the olive fly control, difficult to realise in conventional farming, becomes even more arduous in organic farming, owing to the restrictions laid down by Regulation. The EC Reg. 2092/91 which implements organic farming and its updates provide standards allowing only the use of natural origin substances for crop protection contained in annex IIB, forbidding the chemical pesticides use. The present study has been performed in Calabria (Southern Italy) in two different pedoclimatic olive areas (Mirto-Crosia and Terranova da Sibari) and in two observation years (2005-2006) in order to assess the efficacy of substances listed in the annex IIB as copper (antibacterial substance) and biopesticides azadiracthin and rotenone and the efficacy of kaolin and the antibacterial substance propolis. These substances were compared among them and with theses used as control (treated only with water) and in Mirto-Crosia field with conventional product dimethoate. The present research confirms the need to restrain the Bactrocera oleae (Gmelin) infestation in olive areas of the Southern Italy. The results obtained in the two different investigated areas in both years indicated that kaolin has great potential for the control of B. oleae infestation. The use of copper and propolis showed a good efficacy both on adult and preimago population. Rotenone application confirms its known efficacy in Terranova da Sibari area while it does not appear very efficacious in Mirto-Crosia area. Azadiracthin turned out to be not so efficacious for olive fly control in both olive areas and years. On the basis of the results of the most recent studies, a revision of the Regulation is needed

The impact of some compounds utilised in organic olive groves on the non-target arthropod fauna: canopy and soil levels

An increasing literature body is devoted to the study of efficacy and risks concerning compounds allowed in organic farming and new compounds considered harmless for environmental and human health. The great biodiversity inhabiting olive agroecosystem lead to a biotic control of many pest species. The only widespread pest causing economic damages is the olive fly, Bactrocera oleae. The side effects of compounds allowed against the olive fly in open field are still little known as well as the agronomical methods for mitigating them. The aims of this research were to evaluate the impact of compounds allowed in organic olive farming and searching for more ecocompatible farming strategies. The research was carried out in Southern Italy. Experimental olive groves were untilled, and the grass cover was periodically managed. Six theses composed by 200 plants were randomly chosen and sprayed with rotenone, kaolin, a mixture of copper oxychloride and propolis, and dimethoate. Due to different actions of active agents involved in this research, arthropods were sampled at canopy and soil levels. The same compound showed different consequences on arthropods at canopy and soil levels. The sprayed compounds showed few negative effects in respect to previous studies. This fact could be attributed to the grass cover which probably reduced the effects of active agents with short term efficacy. In definitive, the grass cover could play an important role in minimising the impact of sprayed compounds on non target arthropods providing a shelter against the direct contact with active agents

Efficacy of products allowed in organic olive farming against Bactrocera oleae (Gmel.)

In organic olive farming one of the most problems is how to control the olive fly. The present study has been performed in two different Calabrian olive areas in order to test some active molecules allowed by regulation concerning organic farming. The tested compounds were Rotenone, Azadiractin, Copper, Kaolin and Propolis. The results showed that, at harvesting time (end of October), the lowest infestation has been registered on the trees treated with Propolis and Kaolin in both investigated fields. The obtained results display that the restraining of the active infestation of Bactrocera oleae within limits of 20%, compatible with a quality production, turns to be possible also in Southern olive areas

Susceptibility of olive cultivars to the Camarosporium dalmaticum (Thum) infections

The C.R.A. Experimental Institute for Olive Growing has been performing for many years the study of olive germplasm in order to identify genetic resistance sources to the olive parasites. Some pathogens are particularly noxious for olive table production because they attack and disfigure the outward appearance of the fruits. Camarosporium dalmaticum (Thum) is a pathogen widespread in Southern Italy determining the olive fruit rot in many genotypes particularly susceptible to its infection. The object of the present study is an investigation carried out in Calabria in an experimental field, analysing 25 cvs cultivated under the same environmental and growing conditions. The observations were performed on olive fruit samples (200 per thesis) and the infection percentage was determined. The obtained data were submitted to statistical test by analysis of variance. The results displayed a different susceptibility of the investigated cultivars. “Ascolana tenera”, “Nostrana di Brisighella”, “Gordal sevillana” and “Ogliarola del Vulture” showed an high susceptibility to the pathogen while “Frantoio”, “Tonda di Strongoli” and “Ogliarola garganica” turned to be less susceptible. The remaining cultivars showed intermediate values of infection percentage

Obesity and Dysmetabolic Factors among Deceased COVID-19 Adults under 65 Years of Age in Italy: A Retrospective Case-Control Study

Background: Italy has witnessed high levels of COVID-19 deaths, mainly at the elderly age. We assessed the comorbidity and the biochemical profiles of consecutive patients ≤65 years of age to identify a potential risk profile for death. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed clinical data from consecutive hospitalized-for-COVID-19 patients ≤65 years, who were died (593 patients) or discharged (912 patients) during February–December 2020. Multivariate logistic regression identified the mortality risk factors. Results: Overweight (adjusted odds ratio (adjOR) 5.53, 95% CI 2.07–14.76), obesity (adjOR 8.58, CI 3.30–22.29), dyslipidemia (adjOR 10.02, 95% CI 1.06–94.22), heart disease (adjOR 17.68, 95% CI 3.80–82.18), cancer (adjOR 13.28, 95% CI 4.25–41.51) and male sex (adjOR 5.24, 95% CI 2.30–11.94) were associated with death risk in the youngest population. In the older population (46-65 years of age), the overweight and obesity were also associated with the death risk, however at a lower extent: the adjORs varyied from 1.49 to 2.36 for overweight patients and from 3.00 to 4.07 for obese patients. Diabetes was independently associated with death only in these older patients. Conclusion: Overweight, obesity and dyslipidemia had a pivotal role in increasing young individuals’ death risk. Their presence should be carefully evaluated for prevention and/or prompt management of SARS-CoV2 infection in such high-risk patients to avoid the worst outcomes

Nédemax mese (Leucoselect, Lymphaselect, Bromelain) in the treatment of chronic venous disease: a multicenter , obbservational study

BACKGROUND: Chronic venous disease (CVD)is major health concern; however,there remains a need to improve treatment approaches.Nédemax Mese , a nutritional supplementation consisting of Leucoselect 300 mg,Lymphaselect 100 mg and Bromelain 100 mg, is a patented formulation thah may have a role in the treatment of CVD. In this prospective , multicenter study conducted at 54 Italian centers, we investigated the effectiveness of Nédemax Mese in a large sample of CVD patients

Nédemax® Mese (Leucoselect®, Lymphaselect®, Bromelain) in the treatment of chronic venous disease: a multicenter, observational study

BACKGROUND: Chronic venous disease (CVD)is major health concern; however,there remains a need to improve treatment approaches.Nédemax Mese , a nutritional supplementation consisting of Leucoselect 300 mg,Lymphaselect 100 mg and Bromelain 100 mg, is a patented formulation thah may have a role in the treatment of CVD. In this prospective , multicenter study conducted at 54 Italian centers, we investigated the effectiveness of Nédemax Mese in a large sample of CVD patients

Microbiologically confirmed infections and antibiotic-resistance in a national surveillance study of hospitalised patients who died with COVID-19, Italy 2020-2021

Background: Patients hospitalised for COVID-19 may present with or acquire bacterial or fungal infections that can affect the course of the disease. The aim of this study was to describe the microbiological characteristics of laboratory-confirmed infections in hospitalised patients with severe COVID-19. Methods: We reviewed the hospital charts of a sample of patients deceased with COVID-19 from the Italian National COVID-19 Surveillance, who had laboratory-confirmed bacterial or fungal bloodstream infections (BSI) or lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI), evaluating the pathogens responsible for the infections and their antimicrobial susceptibility. Results: Among 157 patients with infections hospitalised from February 2020 to April 2021, 28 (17.8%) had co-infections (≤ 48 h from admission) and 138 (87.9%) had secondary infections (> 48 h). Most infections were bacterial; LRTI were more frequent than BSI. The most common co-infection was pneumococcal LRTI. In secondary infections, Enterococci were the most frequently recovered pathogens in BSI (21.7% of patients), followed by Enterobacterales, mainly K. pneumoniae, while LRTI were mostly associated with Gram-negative bacteria, firstly Enterobacterales (27.4% of patients, K. pneumoniae 15.3%), followed by A. baumannii (19.1%). Fungal infections, both BSI and LRTI, were mostly due to C. albicans. Antibiotic resistance rates were extremely high in Gram-negative bacteria, with almost all A. baumannii isolates resistant to carbapenems (95.5%), and K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa showing carbapenem resistance rates of 59.5% and 34.6%, respectively. Conclusions: In hospitalised patients with severe COVID-19, secondary infections are considerably more common than co-infections, and are mostly due to Gram-negative bacterial pathogens showing a very high rate of antibiotic resistance