Dieci orti brevi. Storie di piante, uomini e altri animali

10 Orti Brevi. Storie di piante uomini e altri animali. Dieci racconti sulla storia di ortaggi, scritti nell'occasione dell'evento 10 orti brevi, nell'ambito dell’evento nazionale “Che Gusto” di Repubblica-Gusto, che si è svolto a Bologna nell’autunno del 2023

Winter Greenhouse Tomato Cultivation: Matching Leaf Pruning and Supplementary Lighting for Improved Yield and Precocity

Solar radiation entering a high-wire tomato greenhouse is mostly intercepted by the top of the crop canopy, while the role of lower leaves diminishes with age, turning them into sink organs rather than sources. Accordingly, the defoliation of basal leaves is a widely applied agronomic practice in high-wire greenhouse cultivation management. However, the recent increase in the application of supplemental light emitting diode (LED) lighting for high-density tomato production may affect the role of basal leaves, promoting their source role for fruit development and growth. The present research aims to explore the application of supplementary LED lighting on Solanum lycopersicum cv. Siranzo in the Mediterranean area during the cold season in combination with two regimes of basal defoliation. The defoliation factors consisted of the early removal of the leaves (R) right under the developing truss before the fruit turning stage and a non-removal (NR) during the entire cultivation cycle. The lighting factors consisted of an artificial LED lighting treatment with red and blue diodes for 16 h d−1 (h 8-00) with an intensity of 180 µmol s−1 m−2 (RB) and a control cultivated under natural light only (CK). The results demonstrated a great effect of the supplemental LED light, which increased the total yield (+118%), favoring fruit setting (+46%) and faster ripening (+60%) regardless of defoliation regimes, although the increased energy prices hinder the economic viability of the technology. Concerning fruit quality, defoliation significantly reduced the soluble solid content, while it increased the acidity when combined with natural light

Winter Greenhouse Tomato Cultivation : Matching Leaf Pruning and Supplementary Lighting for Improved Yield and Precocity

Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-MSolar radiation entering a high-wire tomato greenhouse is mostly intercepted by the top of the crop canopy, while the role of lower leaves diminishes with age, turning them into sink organs rather than sources. Accordingly, the defoliation of basal leaves is a widely applied agronomic practice in high-wire greenhouse cultivation management. However, the recent increase in the application of supplemental light emitting diode (LED) lighting for high-density tomato production may affect the role of basal leaves, promoting their source role for fruit development and growth. The present research aims to explore the application of supplementary LED lighting on Solanum lycopersicum cv. Siranzo in the Mediterranean area during the cold season in combination with two regimes of basal defoliation. The defoliation factors consisted of the early removal of the leaves (R) right under the developing truss before the fruit turning stage and a non-removal (NR) during the entire cultivation cycle. The lighting factors consisted of an artificial LED lighting treatment with red and blue diodes for 16 h d−1 (h 8-00) with an intensity of 180 µmol s−1 m−2 (RB) and a control cultivated under natural light only (CK). The results demonstrated a great effect of the supplemental LED light, which increased the total yield (+118%), favoring fruit setting (+46%) and faster ripening (+60%) regardless of defoliation regimes, although the increased energy prices hinder the economic viability of the technology. Concerning fruit quality, defoliation significantly reduced the soluble solid content, while it increased the acidity when combined with natural light

Farming on Top: Rooftop Agriculture for Healthy Cities

The world is facing many problems nowadays, including a growing number of people living in cities, many of whom often do not have easy access to fresh food. To solve this problem, it is necessary to develop a new kind of agriculture that provides city residents with food security while also protecting the environment. Rooftop agriculture could be a solution. Rooftop agriculture is a type of urban agriculture, in which food is grown on the tops of buildings. Rooftop agriculture can have many benefits. For example, it can reduce the extreme heat in the city during summer, it can help to decrease urban poverty, and it can help people to socialize more. In addition, rooftop agriculture can even benefit the buildings themselves. Rooftop agriculture is becoming more popular across the world, thanks to these benefits. We hope it will become an important part of the sustainable cities of the future