De pulvere pro lupis occidendis: wolf poisoning in Southern Italy during the XIII century

In this study, we present some documents showing the official knowledgement of the role of luparius in Southern Italy during the XIII century. Luparii were professional wolf-killers, prevalently coming from three regions of the Kingdom of Naples: Abruzzo, Terra di Lavoro, Apulia, but active throughout the kingdom. Different techniques were adopted by luparii, but one of the most widespread was the so called pulvis, a powder probably obtained from an unknown poisonous plant. Dioscorides and Galen reported that a plant named akoniton was used in the Mediterranean world to poison wild animals, and according to the XVI century physician Pietro Andrea Mattioli, luparii used the Aconitum to kill wolves. Historical sources show that the problems related to the identification of Aconitum was harshly debated among the botanists contemporary to Mattioli, and that Doronicum pardalianches L. and Aconitum napellus L. were the species most frequently proposed. However, in Southern Italy both plants are scarcely present, whereas cognate species are diffused, as Doronicum columnae Ten. and two subspecies of Aconitum lycoctonum, A. lycoctonum L. subsp. neapolitanum (Ten.) Nyman or A. lycoctonum L. subsp. vulparia (Rchb. ex Spreng.) Nyman

Molluscs of the “Real Orto Botanico di Napoli”

The results of two years of research on the molluscs present in the Botanical Garden of Naples are reported and compared with the sole similar study published in 1875 and with other reports in the literature, the last of which published in 1930 by Boettger. As a general result, a noticeable decrease in the number of species present in the site was recorded. However, some species not reported before have also been observed, and namely Vallonia costata (O.F. Müller, 1774), Orcula dolium (Draparnaud, 1801) and Planorbarius corneus (Linnaeus, 1758), all recorded for the first time in Campania, and in addition Carychium minimum O.F. Müller, 1774, which appears to be well settled in the studied enclave; for this latter species the only previous indication was found in the bibliography for Campania (Bellini 1898). Finally, some limacid slugs, previously found and recorded only by Boettger (1930), have been found

The vertical and horizontal distribution of Mesocriconema xenoplax (Raski, 1952) in Trentino vineyards (Northern Italy)

Spatial distribution of Mesocriconema xenoplax (Raski, 1952) was investigated in vineyards in the Trentino region (Northern Italy). Horizontal distribution showed characteristic aggregate pattern for nematodes, correlated to the symptomatology of the localized spots of infestations. The vertical distribution, in compact texture soils, revealed maximum population levels of the nematode in the top layers depending on the root occurrence that, in such conditions, is lower at the deeper levels. Higher nematode number was found at greater depths in loose soils, where roots easier penetrate. The knowledge gained from the spatial distribution of this species is fundamental to investigate the effectiveness of different sampling patterns in order to improve efficacy of control strategies

Effectiveness of soil solarization combined with a plant-derived formulation for the control of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid et White) Chitw. in greenhouse tomato

The effectiveness of soil solarization, alone or in combination with oxamyl or a plant-derived formulation (a mixture of aqueous extracts of Quillaja saponaria Molina , Yucca schidigera Roezl and Tagetes spp., 80, 10 and 10%, respectively), for the control of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid et White) Chitw. was assessed in a greenhouse trial on tomato at Battipaglia (province of Salerno), Southern Italy. The combination of soil solarization with the plant-derived formulation resulted in a greater nematode suppression than application of single treatments. Combining soil solarization with the plant-derived formulation resulted in tomato yield and fruit size similar to that of the combination of soil solarization with oxamyl. Therefore the combination of soil solarization with plant-derived formulations may represent a sustainable nematode control strategy, as safe for human health and environment

Effectiveness of plant-derived formulations against the rootknot nematode Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid et White) Chitw. in a protected tomato crop

The effectiveness of two plant-derived formulations for the control of the root-knot Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid et White) Chitw. was evaluated in a protected tomato crop in Southern Italy. A neem oil-based formulation and a commercial mixture of aqueous extracts of Quillaja saponaria Molina (80%), Yucca schidigera Roezl (10%) and Tagetes spp. (10%) were tested in comparison with the standard chemical oxamyl and an untreated control. All tested formulations significantly decreased soil nematode population and average root galling compared to the untreated control. However, nematode infestation was found significantly lower in plots treated with oxamyl or neem formulation than in those treated with quillay-based product. Tomato yield did not significantly differ among treatments. Satisfactory yield obtained by quillay-based product appears to be caused by the biostimulating effect of quillay extract on tomato plants

Titolo dell'Unità Operativa: LA MESOFAUNA EDAFICA QUALE MEZZO DIAGNOSTICO DELLA QUALITÀ DEI SUOLI. Titolo Nazionale: Modificazioni della composizione della micro- e mesofauna in terreni naturali ed agrari per la valutazione della fertilità.

La fauna del suolo ha un ruolo chiave nei processi di decomposizione e mineralizzazione, fondamentali per la funzionalità dell'ecosistema e per la fertilità vegetale. Le alterazioni del suolo, come quelle causate da pratiche agricole intensive, influenzano sensibilmente e in tempi brevi le zoocenosi edafiche; queste possono pertanto essere utilizzate come bioindicatori di variazioni ambientali. Uno degli obiettivi di questo lavoro è valutare la qualità e la funzionalità dei suoli tramite lo studio delle zoocenosi edafiche. Lo studio prevede la raccolta stagionale di campioni di terreno in differenti suoli con varie condizioni di impatto antropico, da ambienti naturali poco alterati(boschi) a sistemi agricoli specializzati (quali le monoculture). Ogni Unità Operativa (U.O.) affronterà determinate componenti delle zoocenosi del suolo, tra i quali particolarmente importanti sono Nematoda per la microfauna, Acari e Collembola per la mesofauna. Uno scambio continuo di dati tra le Unità Operative sarà fondamentale per investigare in maniera organica i diversi ambienti di studio. Sarà effettuato un ciclo annuale di campionamenti per seguire l'evoluzione delle biocenosi in relazione all'andamento delle stagioni. Si indagheranno le correlazioni tra la fauna del suolo e le fitocenosi in vari ambienti naturali ed agrari, nonché gli effetti del grado di antropizzazione sulle biocenosi edafiche. Al fine di investigare la funzionalità dei diversi suoli, i taxa campionati ed identificati verranno ordinati anche in base al ruolo trofico. Per delineare eventuali risvolti pratico-applicativi per il biomonitoraggio, si trarrà spunto dagli indici biotici del suolo già in uso, nonché da consolidati metodi di bioindicazione delle acque dolci. Il progetto, di durata biennale, seguirà il seguente programma: indagini preliminari ed acquisizione dei dati propedeutici allo svolgimento della ricerca; campionamenti e analisi fisico-chimiche; estrazione, separazione e determinazione tassonomica degli organismi; scambio dei dati tra le U.O.; elaborazione dei risultati di ciascuna U.O. e successiva integrazione; individuazione di eventuali bioindicatori e indici di funzionalità e/o qualità dei suoli; indicazioni di carattere agronomico per il miglioramento della fertilità. Saranno inoltre poste le basi per la redazione di un atlante multimediale della fauna edafica italiana