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

Relationship among soil management, organic matter content and root development along the explorable soil profile in the vineyard

In the most ancient wine area of the Controlled Denomination of Origin (DOC) “Oltrepò Pavese” in North-West Italy, foothills of the Apennine mountains, the soils of 14 representative vineyards managed for about 10 years with tillage (T) or natural grass-cover (G) or the alternation of the two methods between the rows (GT), were compared for their contents of organic matter, main soil parameters and extent of root development, in the first meter of depth. The soils are fine textured, sometimes calcareous, with low levels of organic matter. G and GT soil treatments showed higher organic matter content (on average 1.4%) than T (0.88%). Better root development (number and area) was observed in G and GT, in comparison with T; the number and size of roots showed a positive correlation with the soil organic matter

REDESIGNING AGNOECOSYSTEMS FOR A SUSTAINABLE CROP PRODUCTION INTENSIFICATION

L’intensificazione sostenibile delle pratiche agricole rappresenta un paradigma per il passaggio da sistemi agricoli tradizionali all’applicazione di tecnologie e tecniche moderne per la produzione agricola. A livello globale si è diffuso l’interesse verso il modello di Agricoltura Sostenibile (AS), in vista di alcuni problemi che possono minacciare la sicurezza alimentare mondiale: crescita della popolazione mondiale, cambiamenti nella domanda delle produzioni agricole, percentuale elevata di persone sottonutrite, cambiamenti climatici, diminuzione delle risorse naturali. Il progetto “Produzione di cibo appropriato: sufficiente, sicuro, sostenibile”, ancora in corso, lavora per raggiungere alcuni scopi: (1) rilevare e valutare la disponibilità quantitativa e qualitativa degli alimenti destinati al consumo umano, (2) proporre nuovi sistemi di produzione agro-zootecnica, (3) sviluppare tecniche appropriate per processare e conservare gli alimenti, al fine di ottenere uno stato di sicurezza alimentare e sostenibilità ambientale ed economica. L’obiettivo generale di questo lavoro è quello di mostrare quali sono le possibili alternative ai sistemi agricoli tradizionali, sia nei Paesi Sviluppati sia in quelli in Via di Sviluppo, al fine di aumentarne l’efficienza e diminuirne gli impatti sull’ambiente, aumentando lo stato globale di sicurezza alimentare. Per i Paesi in Via di Sviluppo l’attenzione si concentra sulle pratiche di sviluppo rurale integrato, al fine di implementare quantitativamente la produzione alimentare e, conseguentemente, la sicurezza alimentare, preservando nel contempo l'ambiente. Per i Paesi Sviluppati, in cui i rendimenti agricoli sono già potenzialmente molto elevati, l’attenzione viene focalizzata sul migliorare la produttività del suolo, riducendo gli input esterni e le emissioni di gas ad effetto serra, attraverso l’adozione di sistemi agricoli conservativi.Sustainable intensification of agricultural practices represents a paradigm shift from traditional farming systems to the application of modern technologies and techniques to crop production. At global level it has been widespread interest towards Sustainable Agriculture (SA) model, in view of some issues that will may threaten the world food security: growing world population, changes in agricultural product’s demand, high prevalence of undernourishment, climate changes, decreasing of natural resources. The project “Production of proper food: sufficient, safe, sustainable" is still working to achieve some purposes: (1) to detect the availability quantity and quality of food for human consumption, (2) to propose new agro-livestock production systems, (3) to develop appropriate techniques for processing and storage of foodstuffs, in order to achieve food security, environmental and economic sustainability. The objective of this work is to show what are the possible alternatives ways at traditional agricultural systems, both in Developed and Developing Countries, in order to increase the efficiency and to decrease the impacts on the environment, raising a global condition of food security. For Developing Countries the attention is focused on integrated rural development practices in order to implement food production and the state of food security, while preserving the environment. For Developed Countries, in which yields are already potentially higher, the attention is focused on enhance soil productivity while reducing external farming input and greenhouse gases emission by the adoption of conservation agricultural systems

The Soil and Field Crop Production

Agriculture, being the primary sector of human activities, has the technical role of providing food for a continuously growing world population. The pursuit of this onerous mission bestows agriculture with specific ethical duties, as on one hand it must guarantee humanity’s survival,on the other hand it must safeguard the environment for future genergenerations. In other words, rendering food available for humanity does not have a single quantitative dimension, but three: agricultural production must ensure the provision of sufficient, safe and sustainable food (Bertoni, 2015). The production of field crops, including forage crops, has a primary role in succeeding in the abovementioned mission, both in developed and developing countries. In recent decades, the emergence of severely critical agronomic, environmental, economic and social situations has brought to light an ever-stronger realization that all the agrosystems must undergo a profound structural revision. Among the management systems that are alternatives to conventional agriculture, Sustainable Agriculture represents the most advanced system, being able to be defined as a system that protects water and agricultural soil by integrating agronomic, environmental and economic aspects. SA conserves and improves agricultural yields while also significantly reducing the extent of physical, chemical and biological degradation of the land, as well as alleviating erosion, reintegrating the losses caused by mineralization of organic carbon, limiting the emission of greenhouse gases from the agricultural sector (with consequential mitigating effects on global warming) and promoting a better use of water. In developed countries, SA studies and applies modern techniques for soil management, irrigation, and weed and pest control, with the specific target of preserving high production levels and conserving the environment. In developing countries, on the other hand, traditional agriculture (often characterized as being subsistence agriculture) is revised, and innovative techniques are inserted. These innovative techniques have to be compatible with the environmental sustainability, but also, and above all, with the acceptance by the rural people and the social- economic system. In both developed and developing countries the starting point of any revision in the agricultural practices must be the care of the soil, that beyond its apparent solidity and immobility is an extremely fragile agricultural resource, and it is essentially non-renewable. The pedological organic matter has a fundamental role in ensuring the agronomic fertility of the soil, and thus its aptitude to produce. For this reason, in the revision – or revolution – of the agroecosystems, here proposed, the role of the organic matter (which is brown coloured, hence the term ‘Brown Revolution’) in conserving and promoting the fertility of the agricultural soils is greatly emphasized as a fertile soil in turn promotes a prosperous agricultural and zootechnical production. The availability of fertile soils will therefore be fundamental if agriculture is to succeed in providing food for a growing world population while also tackling land-use conflicts, for urban use or for the production of bioenergy and biofuels. It seems that it is time for agriculture to be seen once again as a strategic primary sector and for environmental protection to stop being seen as a pointless and hateful obstruction to progress; it should instead be seen as a framework within which to revise the agrosystems so as to drive agriculture towards sustainable intensification

Relationship among soil management, organic matter content and root development along the explorable soil profile in the vineyard

In the most ancient wine area of the Controlled Denomination of Origin (DOC) “Oltrepò Pavese” in North-West Italy, foothills of the Apennine mountains, the soils of 14 representative vineyards managed for about 10 years with tillage (T) or natural grass-cover (G) or the alternation of the two methods between the rows (GT), were compared for their contents of organic matter, main soil parameters and extent of root development, in the first meter of depth. The soils are fine textured, sometimes calcareous, with low levels of organic matter. G and GT soil treatments showed higher organic matter content (on average 1.4%) than T (0.88%). Better root development (number and area) was observed in G and GT, in comparison with T; the number and size of roots showed a positive correlation with the soil organic matter

Investigation of endophytic fungi associated to Abutilon theophrasti root

Alternaria alternata and Fusarium sp. are frequently associated to Abutilon seeds and may have endophytic behavior helping the plant to survive under stressed ecological condition

Microhabitat degli artropodi del suolo in vigneti dell’Oltrepò pavese a diversa conduzione agronomica dell’interfila

L’Oltrepò Pavese è un’area vocata tradizionalmente alla viticoltura soprattutto nella sua estensione collinare e rappresenta una delle più importanti aree per la produzione di vini di qualità nel Nord Italia. Nell’ambito del progetto “Oltrepò BioDiverso”, finanziato dalla Fondazione Cariplo, la diversa gestione dell’interfila dei vigneti (cv Croatina, Pinot noir, Barbera, Riesling italico, Merlot) è stata valutata con approccio multidisciplinare per determinare:a) biodiversità dei microartropodi valutando le loro abbondanze, indici ecologici come Shannon, Simpson, Margalef, QBSar, acari oribatidi/altri acari; b) composizione delle comunità di funghi e batteri del suolo a due diverse profondità (0-30 e 30-60 cm); c) caratteristiche fisiche (tessitura, porosità), chimiche (come TOC, TN, S) e idrologiche del suolo (CSC, contenuto idrico, ecc.). La ricerca è stata condotta ponendo a confronto 3 vigneti con interfilare lavorato solo superficialmente fino a 20 cm (Conservative Tillage - CT) e 3 vigneti con copertura vegetale naturale senza lavorazione (No Tillage - NT). Nel 2017 sono stati prelevati 3 campioni di terreno nell’interfila di ognuno dei 6 siti. Le comunità dei microartropodi raccolte sono state caratterizzate sulla base del loro adattamento morfologico alla vita nel suolo (forme biologiche). Il DNA totale dei batteri e dei funghi è stato estratto da campioni provenienti dalle due diverse profondità (0-30, 30-60 cm). L'assenza di lavorazione del terreno si ripercuote in una migliore conducibilità idraulica superficiale, con maggiori macroporosità e quantità di materia organica. In tale microhabitat edafico (NT), gli indici di biodiversità degli artropodi presentano valori più alti rispetto ai suoli lavorati (CT), mentre i valori medi di QBSar sono elevati (>140) in entrambi i casi. Le abbondanze totali presentano una distribuzione variabile in base alla località (F5,17= 9,25 p<0,001) probabilmente risentendo anche di altri fattori come l’età del vigneto o l’uso di erbicidi. Il rapporto oribatidi/altri acari è maggiore in NT (O/aA=0,87), denotando una complessità di nicchie ecologiche fruibili per questi acari dall’importante ruolo nel ciclo della materia organica. Un fattore di regolazione della comunità microbica è rappresentato dal contenuto idrico del suolo: gli Actinobacteria sono particolarmente abbondanti in NT, i Firmicutes e i Bacteroidetes in CT. La comunità fungina è composta principalmente da Ascomycota, Mortierellomycota e Basidiomycota. La componente biologica descritta assieme al contesto microambientale è in grado di fornire importanti informazioni, da considerare nell’adozione di pratiche efficaci di gestione dei vigneti per preservare la funzionalità del suolo e la biodiversità