Impacts of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on nutrient uptake, N2 fixation, N transfer, and growth in a wheat/faba bean intercropping system

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can play a key role in natural and agricultural ecosystems affecting plant nutrition, soil biological activity and modifying the availability of nutrients by plants. This research aimed at expanding the knowledge of the role played by AMF in the uptake of macro- and micronutrients and N transfer (using a 15 N stem-labelling method) in a faba bean/wheat intercropping system. It also investigates the role of AMF in biological N fixation (using the natural isotopic abundance method) in faba bean grown in pure stand and in mixture. Finally, it examines the role of AMF in driving competition and facilitation between faba bean and wheat. Durum wheat and faba bean were grown in pots (five pots per treatment) as sole crops or in mixture in the presence or absence of AMF. Root colonisation by AMF was greater in faba bean than in wheat and increased when species were mixed compared to pure stand (particularly for faba bean). Mycorrhizal symbiosis positively influenced root biomass, specific root length, and root density and increased the uptake of P, Fe, and Zn in wheat (both in pure stand and in mixture) but not in faba bean. Furthermore, AMF symbiosis increased the percentage of N derived from the atmosphere in the total N biomass of faba bean grown in mixture (+20%) but not in pure stand. Nitrogen transfer from faba bean to wheat was low (2.5–3.0 mg pot -1 ); inoculation with AMF increased N transfer by 20%. Overall, in terms of above- and belowground growth and uptake of nutrients, mycorrhization favoured the stronger competitor in the mixture (wheat) without negatively affecting the companion species (faba bean). Results of this study confirm the role of AMF in driving biological interactions among neighbouring plants. and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Effects of harvesting methods on seed yield and quality of Scorpiurs muricatus L..

Scorpiurus muricatus L. is an annual legume, widely distributed in Mediterranean pastures, that is appreciated by farmers for its productivity, forage quality, and palatability. It is characterised by long flowering and ripening periods and by pod shedding. These characteristics cause high seed losses, which could reduce its seed harvest efficiency in terms of seed yield and quality. In this study, we investigated the effects on seed yield and quality of different harvesting methods (windrowing at different times with subsequent combining was compared with direct combining). Our results show that direct combining when the pods were fully ripened reduced pod losses compared with swathing methods, producing the highest yield of seed actually harvested. However, in this study, the unique climatic conditions during the pod development stage (extremely high temperatures) accelerated the ripening process, presumably limiting pod shedding

Wheat yield and grain quality as affected by tillage, sowing time and nitrogen fertilization under rainfed Mediterranean conditions

The research was carried out in 9 sites (5 in 1999-00 and 4 in 2000-01) of inner area of Sicily different for soil type, slope, exposure and preceding crop. The following treatments were studied: (i) conventional tillage and sowing at conventional time (CT); (ii) no tillage and sowing at conventional time (NTc); and (iii) no tillage and early sowing (NTe). In 2000-01 the effect of three nitrogen fertilization treatment (single application at planting, P, and split dressing at two different rates, S and S+) were also evaluated. No tillage systems (NTc and NTe) significantly increased grain yield compared to CT treatment; no differences were observed between the two sowing dates. The productive benefits of no tillage were associated with a decrease of grain protein content that was heavier with early sowing. Regarding N fertilization treatments, S compared with P allowed a significant yield increase; no interaction with tillage technique was found. At the lowest fertilizer rates, split fertilization allowed a significant increase of grain protein content only in NTe

Scorpiurus muricatus L.: an interesting legume species for Mediterranean forage systems

Scorpiurus muricatus L. (prickly scorpion’s tail) is a legume species widely distributed as a spontaneous plant in Mediterranean pastures. In Sicily, farmers ascribe to this species a very high palatability and galactogogue effect, so that its abundance increases the value of the pasture. However, despite its worthy traits, the use of S. muricatus as a forage within cropping systems has not been well investigated. A field experiment was performed during two growing seasons in a semiarid Mediterranean environment to acquire information on the productivity of S. muricatus in comparison with other forage species grown in Mediterranean areas (e.g. berseem clover, burr medic, subterranean clover) and on its response to different cutting managements (cuts made in different phenological stages). Results showed that S. muricatus can provide biomass yield similar to, and in some cases higher than, that of the other forage legumes evaluated, differing from these species in its temporal distribution of the biomass accumulation. The findings contribute to define the role that S. muricatus could play in improving the productivity sustainability of the Mediterranean forage systems

Energy use efficiency of livestock farms in a mountain area of Sicily

The research aimed to evaluate the performance (in terms of energy) of livestock farms located in a Mediterranean mountain area and characterized by different stocking rates. Farm data were collected from in-person interviews of farmers of 58 farms representative of the livestock farms of the Madonie and Nebrodi mountains area (Sicily, Italy), including several parameters related to farm characteristics, animal, crop and pasture management. The farm parameters were used to calculate input and output energy values from which agroecosystem performance indicators were derived. Increasing stocking rate corresponded to a more than proportional increase in total inputs per unit area because of a greater farm dependence on external energy sources derived from agriculture (mainly for concentrate feed) and to a lower energy use efficiency. The indicator of dependence on non-renewable energy sources was, on average, very low irrespective of stocking rate. As stocking rate increased the farm autonomy indicator fell and the immediate removal indicator increased. Overall, the best agroecosystem performance in terms of energy was found on farms with lower stocking rates, higher proportions of permanent pastures to total farm area, and longer periods of exclusive grazing

Analysis of Body Perception, Preworkout Meal Habits and Bone Resorption in Child Gymnasts

The beneficial effects of physical activity on body image perception and bone are debated among artistic gymnasts. Gymnasts seem to be at greater risk of developing body dissatisfaction, eating disorders and osteoporosis due to inadequate nutrition and attention to the appearance of the body. The objective of this work was to investigate the association between the artistic gymnast and a more favorable body image compared to their sedentary peers and if a preworkout high-carbohydrate meal (HCM; 300 kcal, 88% carbohydrates, 9% protein, 3% fat) or high-protein meal (HPM; 300 kcal, 55% carbohydrates, 31% protein, 13% fat) is able to attenuate bone resorption in young rhythmic gymnasts. Twenty-eight preadolescent female gymnasts were examined. Self-esteem tests were used to analyze body image perception. Preworkout eating habits were examined by short food frequency questions (FFQ) validated for children. The biomarker of the bone resorption C-terminal telopeptide region of collagen type 1 (CTX) was measured in the urine (fasting, postmeal and postworkout). Gymnasts reported higher satisfaction with their body appearance compared to sedentary peers. Of the gymnasts, 30% did not have a preworkout meal regularly, and the timing of the consumption was variable. Bone resorption was decreased by the HCM, consumed 90 min before the training, with respect to the HPM. The study suggests that playing artistic gymnastics is associated with a positive body self-perception in a child. The variability in preworkout meal frequency and timing need attention to prevent inadequate eating habits in light of the ability of the HCM to reduce acute bone resorption