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

Potential application of pre-harvest LED interlighting to improve tomato quality and storability

Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-MGrowing conditions and agronomical inputs play a key role in determining fruit qualitative and nutraceutical traits at harvest and post-harvest. The hereby presented research investigated the effects of pre-harvest supplemental LED interlighting on post-harvest quality of hydroponically grown tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum "Siranzo"). Three LED treatments, applied for 16 h d-1 (h 8.00-00.00), were added to natural sunlight and consisted of Red and Blue (RB), Red and Blue + Far-Red (FR), and Red and Blue + Far-Red at the end-of-day for 30 min (EOD), with an intensity of 180 µmol m-2 s-1 for Red and Blue, plus 44 µmol m-2 s-1 for Far-Red. A control treatment (CK), where plants were grown only with sunlight, was also considered. Fruits at red stage were selected and placed in a storage room at 13 °C in darkness. Fruit quality assessment was performed at harvest time and after one week of storage. RB and FR increased fruit firmness compared to CK, opening possible benefits toward reducing fruit losses during post-harvest handling. RB treated fruits also maintained a higher content of lycopene and β-carotene after the first week of storage. The study demonstrates that supplementary LED interlighting during greenhouse tomato cultivation may enhance storability and help preserve fruit nutritional properties during post-harvest

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