The cultivation of Castanea sativa (Mill.) in Europe, from its origin to its diffusion on a continental scale

The history of Castanea sativa (sweet chestnut) cultivation since medieval times has been well described on the basis of the very rich documentation available. Far fewer attempts have been made to give a historical synthesis of the events that led to the cultivation of sweet chestnut in much earlier times. In this article we attempt to reconstruct this part of the European history of chestnut cultivation and its early diffusion by use of different sources of information, such as pollen studies, archaeology, history and literature. Using this multidisciplinary approach, we have tried to identify the roles of the Greek and Roman civilizations in the dissemination of chestnut cultivation on a European scale. In particular, we show that use of the chestnut for food was not the primary driving force behind the introduction of the tree into Europe by the Romans. Apart from the Insubrian Region in the north of the Italian peninsula, no other centre of chestnut cultivation existed in Europe during the Roman period. The Romans may have introduced the idea of systematically cultivating and using chestnut. In certain cases they introduced the species itself; however no evidence of systematic planting of chestnut exists. The greatest interest in the management of chestnut for fruit production most probably developed after the Roman period and can be associated with the socio-economic structures of medieval times. It was then that self-sufficient cultures based on the cultivation of chestnut as a source of subsistence were forme

Tillering Potential and Stability of Winter Wheat Varieties Commonly Grown in Kansas

The tillering potential and stability of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) can be positive traits by conferring adaptation to distinct production environments. The literature demonstrates a high correlation between the tillering potential and many yield components. However, the actual impact of tillering potential on grain yield is not clear. Our goal was to quantify the tillering potential and stability of a range of winter wheat varieties. Field experiments were conducted in six locations in the state of Kansas during the 2021–2022 season. A complete factorial treatment structure of twenty-five winter wheat varieties by two seeding rates (400,000 seeds per acre and 1.2 million seeds per acre) was established in a randomized complete block design with three or four blocks. We measured the stand count (twenty days after sowing) and the number of stems at the growth stage Feekes 6 in 3 1⁄4 row-feet in each plot. Tillers per plant were modeled as a function of plants per square feet by replication within the environment using non-linear models. Overall, fall precipitation and temperature accumulation partially regulated tiller production, but the major determinant of tillers per plant was the number of plants per area. Different seeding rates led to large differences in population and tiller components, which in compensation only resulted in modest grain yield changes. With few exceptions, varieties tended to be stable in their ranking as a function of the environment; thus, varieties with high tillering potential can be an option to reduce seed costs

Chloride Fertilization’s Impacts on Kansas Winter Wheat Grain Yield During 2021-2022

Previous work suggests that wheat can respond to chloride fertility in Kansas and other regions, but this response depends on Cl availability and the wheat variety. In this study, we aimed to identify and quantify the effects of chloride fertilizer application in different areas and winter wheat varieties across Kansas. Sixteen field experiments were conducted during the 2021–2022 growing season. All experiments were conducted in a split-plot design with Cl fertility levels as whole plot (0 or 20 lb Cl/a) and wheat variety as subplots, with either three or four replicates. One protocol evaluated 24 winter wheat varieties in three locations, while the second protocol evaluated two winter wheat varieties in 13 locations. Chloride fertilization occurred using ammonium chloride and the remaining N rate was applied as urea so that it was not limiting for grain yield. Fertilizer applications occurred in the spring, at the end of the tillering stage (Feekes 4). At all experiments, two fungicide applications (Feekes 7 and 10.5) ensured that diseases were not a confounding factor. Across experiments and treatments, total available Cl ranged from 13 to 63 lb/a, and grain yield ranged from 35 to 92 bushels per acre. The results of these 16 experiments predominantly suggested that the wheat variety × location interaction determined wheat yield, only with trends of Cl fertilization effect (P\u3c0.08). Chloride available between soil supply and fertilizer applied was associated positively with chloride concentration in the wheat biomass tissue at anthesis, and had an exponential rise to maximum relationship with relative grain yield. These results are constrained to a single growing season, but showed a limited potential benefit of Cl fertilization under the studied soil and weather conditions. Expanding the study to locations with less available Cl at sowing, or greater precipitation amounts, could likely increase the chances of finding positive results for Cl fertilization

Ultrasound-guided percutaneous irrigation of calcific tendinopathy: Technical developments

Rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy (RCCT) is a common and painful shoulder disease character-ised by deposition of calcium into the rotator cuff’s tendond. Different therapeutic options have been proposed, but the ultrasound-guided percutaneous irrigation (US-PICT) is been proved as an effective and safe first-line treatment. It can be performed with a single-of a double-needle tecnique, using warm saline solution to improve the dissolution of the calcific deposit. The procedure is ended with an intrabursal injection of local anaesthetics and slow-release steroids to improve the pain relief and to prevent complications. US-PICT leads to significative improvement in the shoulder funtion and pain relief in the short and long term, with a low complications rate. (www.actabiomedica.it)

A Theory of Sampling for Continuous-time Metric Temporal Logic

This paper revisits the classical notion of sampling in the setting of real-time temporal logics for the modeling and analysis of systems. The relationship between the satisfiability of Metric Temporal Logic (MTL) formulas over continuous-time models and over discrete-time models is studied. It is shown to what extent discrete-time sequences obtained by sampling continuous-time signals capture the semantics of MTL formulas over the two time domains. The main results apply to "flat" formulas that do not nest temporal operators and can be applied to the problem of reducing the verification problem for MTL over continuous-time models to the same problem over discrete-time, resulting in an automated partial practically-efficient discretization technique.Comment: Revised version, 43 pages

Nitrogen and Phosphorus Rates’ Impact on Different Varieties of Alfalfa in Central Kansas

The United States is the largest producer of alfalfa (Medicago sativaL.) in the world, with a vast area grown under rainfed conditions. Under these conditions, and especially in a transition state such as Kansas, the alfalfa crop often suffers from water deficit stress. Environments under water-limited conditions promote a decrease in crop yield when inadequate water leads to an nitrogen deficiency and reduces crop biomass. This research aimed to investigate the production of different alfalfa varieties under different nitrogen and phosphorus rates in a rainfed environment. Three nitrogen application rates (0 lb/a; 200 lb/a; 400 lb/a) and three phosphorus application rates (0 lb/a; 100 lb/a; and 200 lb/a) provided nine combinations of application rates to four alfalfa varieties (54HVX41, Pioneer 54VR10, LOL 356HQRR, and DKA43-22RR). Five harvests were executed at 10% of flowering, and the whole plant biomass was collected to determine the dry matter in ton/a. Despite the statistically significant results of treatment interaction, there was no pattern in the average values of alfalfa production among different treatments and seasons. The collected weather data provided empirical evidence to support that precipitation and evapotranspiration (specifically under water stress) influenced alfalfa yield. The four genotypes used in this field study tended to be stable in their yield in response to fertilization

A novel scytalidium species : understand the cellulolytic system for biomass saccharification

In order to overcome the bottlenecks related to lignocellulosic-derived sugars, the search for more efficient enzymatic cocktails, containing a broad-spectrum of specific activities, relies on an important feature. This paper describes new enzyme activities derived from the novel strain of the Scytalidium genus isolated from the Amazonas rainforest. The production of the enzymatic cocktail was induced by delignifiedhydrothermal bagasse (DHB), and yeast extract was used to improve secretion activities, resulting in a positive influence on total cellulase activity. The enzymatic cocktail produced by this novel strain contains specific activities for biomass degradation, including FPAse, xylanase and β-glucosidase. Moreover, it is capable of hydrolyzing 62% of the alkaline pretreated bagasse, surpassing in 14% the hydrolytic capability achieved by the commercial cocktail Celluclast. To this extent, the strain described here emerges as a reliable alternative to other available enzymes and, consequently, amplification of available specific substrate activities3618597FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP2010/51309-

Does Winter Wheat Yield Response to Fungicide Application Depend on Nitrogen Management?

Nitrogen and fungicide are among the more important management tools to increase wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain yield in Kansas. However, there is limited information on whether hard red winter wheat grain yield is impacted by the interaction of nitrogen rates and foliar fungicide application. Thus, our objective was to evaluate the effects of different N rates with or without a fungicide application at Feekes 10.5 on grain yield of two winter wheat genotypes with contrasting disease resistances to leaf and stripe rust. Eleven field experiments were established across Kansas using a factorial structure of two fungicide management options (either no fungicide or 13 fl oz of Nexicor per acre), five N rates (0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 pounds of N per acre), and two genotypes (Larry and Zenda) in a split-split plot design during the 2021–2022 growing season. There was a significant interaction between genotype and environment where Larry out-yielded Zenda in anywhere from 3.1 to 15 bu/a. There was a significant interaction between N rate and environment, likely due to the initial soil NO3-N and yield potential, as grain yield ranged from less than 34 to more than 81 bu/a. Increases in fractions of canopy cover in response to N fertilization and fungicide application explained about 29% and 15% of the increases in grain yield, respectively. There was a slightly greater crop yield response to foliar fungicide application as the N supply increased, from a nearly null difference at low N supply to as much as 5.9% for total N supply greater than 160.7 lb of N/a. In dry conditions with minimal disease incidence, winter wheat response to N availability differed in each environment, but there was only a marginal response to foliar fungicide