INTRODUCING CONSERVATION AGRO-ECOSYSTEMS TO ENHANCE SOIL QUALITY AND SUSTAIN FOOD PRODUCTION

L’introduzione di agro-ecosistemi conservativi viene indicata come strategia per aumentare il sequestro del carbonio organico nel suolo (SOC) e migliorarne la fertilità. La continua applicazione di concimi organici, come il compost e il sovescio, favorisce il sequestro di SOC (+ 1.3 ÷ 2.5 Mg C ha-1 anno-1) e l'accumulo di azoto totale del suolo (STN) (+ ~ 1 Mg N ha-1 anno-1). Tuttavia, quando le fertilizzazioni organiche vengono interrotte, il SOC diminuisce rapidamente. Negli agro-ecosistemi intensivi, il no till (NT) garantisce rese comparabili a quelle dei sistemi convenzionali (CT) immediatamente dopo la transizione. Il NT aumenta la sostanza organica (SOM) e il STN principalmente nei primi 5 cm di terreno, sebbene la cover crop di segale assicuri l'accumulo di SOM fino a 30 cm di profondità (+ 30% rispetto alla CT). Il NT e la minima lavorazione (MT) portano ad un aumento del SOC e del STN nei primi 30 cm di suolo, rispetto al CT. Gran parte di tale aumento è dovuto ai macroaggregati, all'interno dei quali, i pool di C e N associati ai microaggregati (mM) rappresentano tra il 41 e il 65% del contenuto totale di C e N nei sistemi NT e MT.The introduction of conservation agro-ecosystems has been suggested for increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration and enhancing soil fertility. Continuous organic fertilization such as compost distribution and cover crops incorporation promotes SOC sequestration (+1.3÷2.5 Mg C ha-1 yr-1) and soil total nitrogen (STN) accumulation (+~1 Mg N ha-1 yr-1). However, when the organic fertilization is stopped, SOC rapidly decreases. In intensive agro-ecosystems, no till (NT) can ensure yields comparable to conventional tillage (CT) immediately after transition. The major contribution of NT to soil organic matter (SOM) and STN increase is detected in the top 5 cm of soil, although the cultivation of rye as cover crop ensures SOM accumulation down to 30 cm depth (+30% than CT). No till and minimum tillage (MT) may increase SOC and STN levels in the 0-30 cm soil layer, both as concentration and as mass, compared with CT. Most of such a SOC and STN increase is due to C- and N-rich macroaggregates. Within macroaggregates, microaggregates (mM) are of primary importance for soil organic matter stabilization since C and N pools associated to mM account for between 41 and 65% of total C and N content in the NT and MT systems

Root and shoot growth of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) are differently affected by increasing subsoil biopore density when grown under different subsoil moisture

A column experiment with five different pore densities (0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 pores column−1) and two varying moisture regimes (comparatively dry and comparatively moist regime) in the subsoil part of the columns was established. In each pore, Lumbricus terrestris was introduced for 28 days before sowing wheat plants. After 40 days of plant growth, watering was stopped to induce progressive topsoil drying. Parameters describing the shoot hydration, mineral uptake, and aboveground biomass were quantified. Root biomass and root length densities (RLD) were measured separately for six soil layers. Under dry subsoil conditions, plants grown under increasing biopore density showed an increase of the RLD and an improved shoot hydration but the aboveground biomass was unaffected. Since RLD but not root biomass was enhanced, it is assumed that roots were able to explore a larger volume of soil with the same amount of root biomass. Thereby, subsoil water likely was used more efficiently leading to an improved hydration. Under moist subsoil conditions, plants grown with increasing biopore density revealed enhanced shoot biomasses and nutrient uptake while the belowground biomass was unaffected. The improved nutrient uptake can be ascribed to, first, the higher subsoil water availability favoring mass flow driven nutrient uptake, and second, to direct and indirect effects of earthworms on the availability of soil nutrients. It is concluded that high biopore abundancies have the potential to improve not only the belowground but also the aboveground biomass. This, however, largely depends on subsoil moisture.Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100010571Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (1034)Peer Reviewe

Reducing Nitrate Accumulation and Fertilizer Use in Lettuce with Modified Intermittent Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) System

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is a leading greenhouse-grown vegetable. However, nitrate (NO3) accumulation in leaves remains a major issue. The aims of this research were: (i) to test the modified intermittent Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) in the cultivation of soilless lettuce in which plants are grown on peat blocks in trays and supplied with an intermittent flow of nutrient solution, and (ii) to calibrate the fertilization scheme to increase yield performance, while keeping NO3 concentration under control. Two greenhouse trials were performed between autumn 2013 and spring 2014. Results showed that a 30-day cycle is the optimum duration in terms of fresh biomass yield, both for autumn and spring cultivation. Reducing N fertilization in the last cropping days never aected NO3 concentration in leaves during autumn trial, due to unfavourable growing conditions. Conversely, suspension of fertilization 2 days before harvest had a consistent eect during the spring trial, when NO3 concentration in leaves was highly reduced (from 20 to 36%) without yield penalties. Thus, suspending fertilization 2\u20134 days before harvesting in intermittent NFT may reduce, on average, NO3 accumulation by 29\u201358% and the fertilization rate by 7\u201316%, respectively. Yet, growing conditions are crucial to make this system eective

Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles (MISEV2023): From basic to advanced approaches

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), through their complex cargo, can reflect the state of their cell of origin and change the functions and phenotypes of other cells. These features indicate strong biomarker and therapeutic potential and have generated broad interest, as evidenced by the steady year-on-year increase in the numbers of scientific publications about EVs. Important advances have been made in EV metrology and in understanding and applying EV biology. However, hurdles remain to realising the potential of EVs in domains ranging from basic biology to clinical applications due to challenges in EV nomenclature, separation from non-vesicular extracellular particles, characterisation and functional studies. To address the challenges and opportunities in this rapidly evolving field, the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) updates its 'Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles', which was first published in 2014 and then in 2018 as MISEV2014 and MISEV2018, respectively. The goal of the current document, MISEV2023, is to provide researchers with an updated snapshot of available approaches and their advantages and limitations for production, separation and characterisation of EVs from multiple sources, including cell culture, body fluids and solid tissues. In addition to presenting the latest state of the art in basic principles of EV research, this document also covers advanced techniques and approaches that are currently expanding the boundaries of the field. MISEV2023 also includes new sections on EV release and uptake and a brief discussion of in vivo approaches to study EVs. Compiling feedback from ISEV expert task forces and more than 1000 researchers, this document conveys the current state of EV research to facilitate robust scientific discoveries and move the field forward even more rapidly

Gli attori della produzione e della trasformazione

Il capitolo esemplifica i motivi del successo del pomodoro da industria nel territorio piacentino attraverso 7 casi-studio, identificandone un denominatore comune nella capacit\ue0 innovativa dei protagonisti. Da questa breve analisi condotta sulle esperienze personali degli imprenditori, nasce facilmente la necessit\ue0 di puntare proprio sull'innovazione tecnica per rilanciare il pomodoro piacentino, nel rispetto della sostenibilit\ue0.The chapter exemplifies the reasons for the success of processing tomato in the province of Piacenza, through 7 study-cases, identifying the innovation ability of the protagonists as a common denominator. From this brief analysis of entrepreneurs' personal experiences, it is easy to see that focusing on technical innovations is necessary to revive tomato production system in Piacenza, while respecting sustainability

Effects of no-till on root architecture and root-soil interactions in a three-year crop rotation

No-till (NT) has repeatedly been reported to result in several environmental advantages, including the reduction of soil erosion, sequestration of carbon from the atmosphere and increase of water retention in soils. However, experimental evidences to date show negative effects of NT on soil physical parameters (i.e., increasing penetration resistance and soil bulk density) and root development of plants, thus reducing crop yield. A three-year field study (2014–2016) was conducted to assess the effects of NT vs conventional tillage (CT) on root growth in maize, soybean, and winter wheat, on a silty clay soil in the Northern Italy. Root length density (RLD), diameter class length (DCL), root dry weight (RDW) and roots composition (C and N) in the top 60 cm of soil were measured. The total amount of root C (TRC) was calculated by multiplying RDW by root C content. Relationships among root traits, soil bulk density (BD) and penetration resistance (PR) were investigated using the non-parametric Spearman rank coefficient. RLD was significantly increased under NT compared to CT in the topsoil (0–5 cm) in maize (6.37 vs. 2.03 mg cm−3) and winter wheat (5.38 vs. 2.90 cm cm−3), while it was lower in NT than in CT in the deeper soil (5–15 cm) only in maize (3.19 vs. 4.53 cm cm−3). RDW was increased under NT compared to CT in the 0–5 cm layer in maize (3.86 vs.0.50 mg cm−3), soybean (4.33 vs. 0.43 mg cm−3), and winter wheat (0.96 vs. 0.38 mg cm−3). NT significantly reduced root C:N ratio of maize (-9%), increased C:N ratio of soybean (+14%), and did not affect C:N ratio of winter wheat. This was mainly related to the effect of NT on coarse roots, which decreased average roots N content. A negative correlation between root traits (RLD, RDW) and soil physical parameters (BD, PR) was found in this study under NT while no correlation occurred for CT. This corroborates the hypothesis that when tillage is abandoned roots are major drivers and detectors of soil physical conditions, which in turn affects roots growth again. Moreover, these results showed that BD did not always represent the main factor affecting root development and the increase of soil strength and particle density under NT did not reduce downwards root growth, which suggests that stability of continuous biopores as induced by NT in well-structured soils is probably much more relevant than the total amount of pores to affect root traits

Impact of Different Stoppers on the Composition of Red and Rosé Lagrein, Schiava (Vernatsch) and Merlot Wines Stored in Bottle

Different technical cork stoppers (blend of natural cork microgranules, one-piece natural cork, agglomerated natural cork, technical cork 1+1) were compared to evaluate the effects on the phenolic, volatile profiles and dissolved oxygen in three red (Merlot, Lagrein red, St. Magdalener) and one rosé (Lagrein rosé) wines, which were stored in bottles for 12 months. Gallic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, trans-resveratrol, glutahionyl caftaric acid and protocatechuic acid did not vary remarkably during the first three months, whereas at six months a net increase was reported, followed by a clear decrease at 12 months. The same trend was observed in Lagrein rosé, but only for gallic acid. The total anthocyanins content decreased during the storage period in the four wines. Isopentyl acetate, 1-hexanol, ethyl hexanoate, 2-phenylethyl alcohol, diethyl succinate, ethyl octanoate and ethyl decanoate were the main volatile compounds. The sum of alcohols decreased in all four of the wines. The esters decreased in Merlot; however, they increased in Lagrein rosé, Lagrein red and St. Magdalener during the storage. Univariate and multivariate statistics and a sensory discriminant triangle test displayed similar influences of the different stoppers on the phenolic and volatile compounds during the whole storage duration. The changes detected in the phenolic and volatile concentrations were presumably due to the non-oxygen-mediated reactions occurring during 12 months of storage in bottle

Multiparametric tunable lidar system based on IR OPO laser sources

The present paper is devoted to the description of two distinct multiparametric lidar system presently under development. The first system is based on a Nd:YAG laser pumping a dye laser equipped with a dual wavelength device. The second lidar system is based on two optical parametric oscillator (OPO) lasers pumped by a Nd:YAG laser operating at a pulse repetition rate of 100 Hz. OPO lasers represent a new design for coherent radiation sources continuously tunable in the UV -- near IR range (up to 2 micrometer). This allows us to perform differential absorption lidar (DIAL) measurements in a spectral region where most of atmospheric pollutants display absorption lines. The selection of the wavelengths to be used for DIAL measurements is a non trivial task. In particular, a method to select the optimal (lambda) ON and (lambda) OFF has been developed and applied to several molecular gases. Both systems have been designed to carry out simultaneous measurements of atmospheric aerosols, water vapor profiles, temperature and density profiles, atmospheric transmissivity, and atmospheric pollutants concentration

Orobanche nel pomodoro: strategie di contenimento

livello nazionale, la diffusione delle infestazioni di orobanche sta interessando un numero sempre maggiore di areali agricoli, vocati storicamente alla coltivazione del pomodoro da industria. Questa rapida espansione viene senz\u2019altro favorita dalla facilit\ue0 di diffusione dei semi, di piccolissime dimensioni (inferiori a 0,5 mm), prodotti in notevolissima quantit\ue0 (da 5.000 fi no a 500.000 per pianta). La prova condotta in provincia di Parma nel 2014 ha evidenziato che la Solfonilurea SS2452 (sostanza attiva ancora in fase di registrazione) ha garantito un controllo pressoch\ue9 completo di Phelipanche ramosa, limitando fortemente il numero dei turioni per metro quadro (sempre inferiore a 10). Il glifosate ha mostrato un discreto controllo dell\u2019infestazione (50-100 turioni/m2) ma ha ridotto drasticamente la produzione. Tutte le altre tesi di trattamento, invece, hanno fatto segnalare un leggero controllo, ma non si sono discostate significativamente dalla classe d\u2019infestazione media delle parcelle testimone

High resolution mass approach to characterize refrigerated black truffles stored under different storage atmospheres

Freshly harvested Tuber melanosporum samples were packed and stored at 4 °C under reduced atmospheric pressure or modified atmosphere for four weeks. Multivariate analysis was employed to correlate the antioxidant power of the ethanolic extracts of the samples with the chemical composition determined by high resolution mass spectrometry. High performance liquid chromatography coupled with a coularray detector was applied to select the chemical species associated with the antioxidant power. Four classes of chemical compounds were investigated in more detail by a targeted approach: derivatives of glutathione, adenine (such as S-adenosylhomocysteine), oxidized linoleic acid and ergosterol. Adducts containing glutathione and adenine with oxidized linoleic acid were observed in TM for the first time and can be considered markers of freshness of the product. Sadenosyl- homocysteine, the acetyl-carnitine adduct with cysteinyl-glycine and several oxidized linoleic acid derivatives were among the markers of degradation