Mineral content and nutritive value of radichio (Cichorium intybus L. var. foliosum Hegi) between different fertilization treatments

Mineralni sastav povrća općenito predstavlja važan izvor minerala koji su uključeni u razne osnovne metaboličke procese u ljudskom tijelu. Ipak prilikom uzgoja povrća na alkalnim, karbonatnim tlima deficijencije P, Fe, Zn, Mn česta su pojava, zbog formiranja teško topivih spojeva i slabije dostupnosti navedenih minerala biljkama. S toga je cilj našeg istraživanja bio utvrditi utjecaj različitih gnojidbi na mineralni sastav i nutritivnu vrijednost radiča kao visoko vrijedne namirnice. Rezultati su pokazali da je primjena organskog gnojiva (s huminskom i fulvičnom kiselinom i dodatkom makro i mikoelementa) putem tla signifikantno povećala koncentraciju P, K i Mg u lišću radiča. Također, uočljiv je i relativni porast količine Fe pri primjeni navedenog organskog gnojiva putem tla u odnosu na ostale gnojidbene tretmane.Vegetable mineral content represents an important source of minerals that are involved in basic metabolic processes in human body. Nevertheless, growing vegetable on alkaline, calcareous soils may result with P, Zn, Mn and Fe plant deficiency since these elements are firmly bound in precipitates of low solubility and consequently their availability to plants is markedly decreased. Therefore, the aim of our experiment was to determine influence of different fertilization treatments on mineral and nutritional value of radicchio as valuable food. The results showed that soil application of organic fertilizer (with humic and fulvic acid + macro and microelements) significantly increased P, K and Mg radicchio leaf concentration. Furthermore, in comparison to the other treatments, relative increase of iron content within organic fertilizer soil application is noticeable

INSECT VECTORS OF PLANT DISEASES

Kukci iz reda Hemiptera i Thysanoptera vektori su brojnih patogenih virusa, bakterija, gljivica, fitoplazmi te spiroplazmi. Karakterizira ih brza reprodukcija te širok spektar biljaka domaćina na kojima čine direktne štete hranjenjem ili indirektne prijenosom patogenih organizama. Današnja istraživanja kukaca vektora biljnih bolesti usmjerena su na razumijevanje mehanizama kojima različiti patogeni utječu na vektore zbog unapređenja vlastitog prijenosa na prigodna domaćina, ali i na praćenje pojava novih vektora te identifikaciju uzročnika biljnih bolesti koje prenose. Lisne uši (Aphididae), štitasti moljci (Aleyroidae) i tripsi (Thripidae) vektori su mnogobrojnih biljnih virusa. Cikade vektori virusa pripadaju podporodicama Agallinae i Deltocephalinae dok su mnogobrojne ostale vrste unutar porodice Cicadellidae, Aphrophoridae i Cercopidae prijenosnici brojnih fitoplazmi i bakterija, uključujući i karantenske patogene poput bakterije Xylella fastidiosa. Istraživanja kukaca vektora uključuju proučavanja opsežnih interakcija unutar patosustava, istraživanja genskih predispozicija vektora za prijenos specifičnog patogena, sinergijske odnose virusa i endosimbiotskih bakterija u tijelu vektora, procjenjuju dinamične učinke patogena na biljke domaćine tijekom razvoja bolesti te molekularne mehanizme kojima patogeni direktno utječu na ponašanje i navike vektora. U ovom radu prikazane su biološke predispozicije različitih vektora za prijenos patogena, istaknuti su odnosi i mehanizmi utjecaja patogena na vektore te načini njihova prijenosa.Insects from the Hemiptera and Thysanoptera order are vectors of numerous pathogenic viruses, bacteria, fungi, phytoplasmas and spiroplasmas. They are characterized by fast reproduction and a broad plant-host spectre which they damage either directly by feeding or indirectly through transmittance of pathogenic organisms. Modern-day research of insect vectors is focused on investigating the mechanisms underlying the pathogen’s influence over its vector. It also aims to discover the molecular and metabolic components in plants, pathogens and their vectors which facilitate pathogen transmission and disease spread. Aphids (Aphididae), whiteflies (Aleyroidae) and thrips (Thripidae) are most important vectors of numerous plant viruses. Leafhoppers belonging only to Agallinae and Deltocephalinae subfamilies transmit viruses whereas numerous species within Cicadellidae, Aphrophoridae and Cercopidae family, transmit phytoplasmas, bacteria as well as quarantine pathogens such as the bacteria Xylella fastidiosa. All pathogens transmitted by insect vectors use complex strategies to enhance effectiveness of their transmission and spread. Most pathogens show high specificity towards their insect vectors since certain anatomical and genetic predispositions must be appeased in order to achieve successful transmission. Pathogens also devised intriguing ways to manipulate vector behaviour and change its feeding and reproductive habits. In this review, we present biological predispositions of different vector-insects for pathogen transmission, highlight mechanisms in plant-vector-pathogen interactions and point out distinct ways of pathogen transmission

LEAF MINERAL CONCENTRATION OF FIVE OLIVE CULTIVARS GROWN ON CALCAREOUS SOIL

There are limited numbers of scientific publication regarding genotypic differences which exist among olive cultivars concerning nutrient uptake and translocation. For that purpose, the object of our study was to determine possible differences between leaf mineral content of five selected olive cultivars since leaf nutrient analysis is consider being the best method for diagnosing olive tree nutritional status. Plant material was obtained from an olive collection, grown on calcareous soil maintained at Institute of Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation, Split, Croatia. The study was conducted with two Croatian autochthonous olive cultivars (“Istarska bjelica”, “Lastovka”), two Italian cultivars (“Pendolino”, “Leccino”) and one Spanish cultivar (“Hojiblanca”). Completely randomized design was applied. This study has shown questionably low Mg concentration in all olive cultivars with exception for “Hojiblanca” cultivar. Also, only Croatian cultivars “Istarska bjelica” and “Lastovka” as well as Spanish cultivar “Hojiblanca” recorded sufficient levels of iron leaf mineral content. Regarding other elements studied (P, K, Ca, Zn, Mn, Cu) all cultivars were above literature cited thresholds for possible deficiencies. Selected olive cultivars in our experiment demonstrated different nutrient leaf concentration, which is of particular importance for fertilization requirements and fertilization practice in Croatian orchards grown on calcareous soil

Effect of Olive (Olea europaea L.) Variety on Leaf Biophenolic Profile

Olive leaves are rich in valuable biophenolic compounds, characterised by high antioxidant activity, antimicrobial properties and beneficial effects on human health. Leaf biophenols are essential for metabolic adaptation of olive to various abiotic or biotic stressors and maintenance of homeostasis. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of olive variety (‘Buža’, ‘Karbonaca’ and ‘Oblica’) on the leaf biophenols concentrations. The experiment was conducted as a completely randomised design in 3 replicates. Olive leaves were collected in three sampling periods, starting from harvest in October 2017 until pruning in March 2018. The variety ‘Buža’ differed significantly from the other cultivars with its highest content of oleuropein (5239.88 mg 100 g-1 DW) and total biophenols (5943.25 mg 100 g-1 DW). The highest levels of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (3.92 mg 100 g-1 DW), luteolin (48.17 mg 100 g-1 DW) and apigenin (7.55 mg 100 g-1 DW) were recorded in ‘Karbonaca’ samples. Tyrosol concentrations were not significantly different between ‘Karbonaca’ (4.79 mg 100 g-1 DW) and ‘Oblica’ (4.96 mg 100 g-1 DW) cultivars, however both differed from ‘Buža’ with the highest tyrosol concentration (6.67 mg 100 g-1 DW). The obtained results showed significant differences in the content of important biophenols between the selected olive varieties. Accordingly, the highest concentration of oleuropein, the most important secoiridoid in olive leaves, in cultivar ‘Buža’ could strongly determine their metabolic response to different stressors

Impact of modified synthetic zeolite A and mycorrhizal fungi on olive leaf mineral content

Maslina se većinom uzgaja u manje pogodnim agroekološkim uvjetima, karakteriziranim između ostalog slabijom dostupnošću biljnih hraniva. Zbog navedenog, cilj ovog rada bio je utvrditi utjecaj primjene mješavine modificiranih sintetskih zeolita tipa A (ZA), u kojima su originalni Na+ioni zamijenjeni kationima Zn2+, Mn2+ i Fe2+ (Fe3+), i endomikoriznih gljiva (AMF) na mineralni sastav lista masline sorte Leccino uzgajane na alkalnom, karbonatnom tlu. Rezultati su pokazali pozitivno djelovanje Mn-ZA na količinu Mn u suhoj tvari lista masline, dok učinak primjene ostalih modificiranih zeolita (Zn-ZA i Fe-ZA) kao i arbuskularnih mikoriznih gljiva na mineralni sastav lista masline nije zabilježen.Olive growing is mainly associated with poor agroecologycal conditions, characterized mostly with lower nutrient availability. Thus, the objective of this experiment was to determine the influence of synthetic zeolite A mixture (ZA), in which the original Na+ ions were exchanged with Zn2+, Mn2+ and Fe2+ (Fe3+) ions from solutions, and endomycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on olive leaf mineral content of Leccino cultivar grown on alkaline, calcareous soil. Results have shown that zeolite fertilization significantly increased Mn content in olive leaf, while other modified zeolites application (Zn-ZA i Fe-ZA) as well as arbucular mycorrhize fungi application had no influence on olive leaf mineral content

Modeling water flow and phosphorus sorption in a soil amended with sewage sludge and olive pomace as compost or biochar

Organic amendments are often reported to improve soil properties, promote plant growth, and improve crop yield. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the biochar and compost produced from sewage sludge and olive pomace on soil hydraulic properties, water flow, and P transport (i.e., sorption) using numerical modeling (HYDRUS-1D) applied to two soil types (Terra Rosa and Rendzina). Evaporation and leaching experiments on soil cores and repacked soil columns were performed to determine the soil water retention, hydraulic conductivity, P leaching potential, and P sorption capacity of these mixtures. In the majority of treatments, the soil water retention showed a small increase compared to the control soil. A reliable fit with the modified van Genuchten model was found, which was also confirmed by water flow modeling of leaching experiments (R2 0.99). The results showed a high P sorption in all the treatments (Kd 21.24 to 53.68 cm3 g−1), and a high model reliability when the inverse modeling procedure was used (R2 0.93–0.99). Overall, adding sewage sludge or olive pomace as compost or biochar improved the Terra Rosa and Rendzina water retention and did not increase the P mobility in these soils, proving to be a sustainable source of carbon and P-rich materials

Odgovor industrijske rajčice na primjenu arbuskularnih mikoriznih gljiva u uvjetima konvencionalne proizvodnje

The potential effect of pre-inoculation of processing tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on yield and fruit properties was investigated in conventional production. Tomato seeds were sown in seedling trays filled with a substrate non-inoculated (AMF-) or inoculated (AMF+) by selected mycorrhizal strains. Seedlings were transplanted in Terra rossa soil and grown in conditions with mineral fertilization and irrigation. Tomato fruits were sampled at harvest. Tomato plants under both treatments had high levels of mycorrhizal colonization, due to applied inoculum (AMF+) or indigenous (AMF-) inoculum present in the soil. Applied AMF+ treatment increased P and decreased K content in tomato fruits. Content of trace elements such as As and V significantly increased, while Pb content significantly decreased in the fruits of AMF+ when compared to the AMF- treatment. No significant effect of AMF+ treatment was observed on yield, fruit quality (soluble solids, pH, total acidity, fruit firmness), lycopene and antioxidant activity of tomato fruits. The overall results suggest that processing tomato is highly susceptible to the indigenous AMF, while seedlings inoculation with selected AMF improves only total phenolic and P fruit content. This means that AMF have a potential application in commercial processing tomato production, however a targeted adaptation of management decissions is required for more extensive results.Potencijalni utjecaj inokulacije presadnica industrijske rajčice (Solanum lycopersicum L.) selekcioniranim arbuskularnim mikoriznim gljivama (AMF), na prinos i svojstva ploda, istražen je u konvencionalnoj proizvodnji. Sjeme rajčice posijano je u polistirenske kontejnere s neinokuliranim (AMF-) ili mikorizama inokuliranim (AMF+) supstratom. Presadnice su posađene u crvenicu, u proizvodnim uvjetima s mineralnom gnojidbom i navodnjavanjem. Uzorkovanje plodova industrijske rajčice provedeno je u berbi. Kod oba tretmana utvrđen je visoki postotak kolonizacije selekcioniranim mikorizama (AMF+) i nativnim vrstama (AMF-) prisutnim u tlu. Plodovi rajčice s AMF+ biljaka imali su veći sadržaj P i manji sadržaj K u odnosu na AMF- tretman. Sadržaj As i V bio je signifikantno veći, dok je sadržaj Pb bio signifikantno manji u AMF+ u usporedbi s AMF- tretmanom. Signifikantan učinak tretmana AMF+ na prinos, kvalitetu ploda (suha tvar, pH, ukupna kiselost, čvrstoća ploda), likopen i antioksidacijsku aktivnost je izostao. Temeljem dobivenih rezultata možemo zaključiti da je industrijska rajčica podložna nativnim AMF, dok je ciljana inokulacija presadnica AMF značajno povećala ukupni sadržaj fenola i P. Dobiveni rezultati ukazuju na potencijalnu primjenu AMF u komercijalnoj proizvodnji industrijske rajčice, međutim prethodna prilagodba uzgojnih uvjeta je neophodna za postizanje značajnijih rezultata

Influence of synthetic zeolites fertilization on Leccino olive leaf mineral composition

Na alkalnim, karbonatnim tlima, zbog formiranja teško topivih spojeva, smanjena je dostupnost cinka (Zn), mangana (Mn), i željeza (Fe). Razlog tomu je pored visokog pH i visoka koncentracija aktivnog vapna u tlu koje blokira primanje navedenih hraniva. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je utvrditi utjecaj gnojidbe sintetskim zeolitima na mineralni sastav lišća masline Olea europaea L. sorte Leccino uzgajane na alkalnom, karbonatnom tlu. U tu svrhu provedeno je istraživanje, u vegetacijskoj komori, u trajanju od 200 dana. Gnojidba Zn, Mn i Fe obavljena je u obliku sintetskog zeolita A (ZA), u kojem su ionskom zamjenom Na ioni zamijenjeni kationima Zn2+, Mn2+ i Fe2+ (Fe3+). Temeljem rezultata istraživanja vidljivo je da je pri tretmanu zeolitima utvrđena statistički značajno veća koncentracija Mn u listu masline dok koncentracije Fe i Zn u listu masline nisu pokazale signifikantnu razliku između tretmana sa ili bez primjene zeolitaDue to the formation of precipitous compounds, availability of Zn, Mn, Fe is reduced in alkaline, calcareous soils. Beside high pH values, high active lime content is the reason for lower uptake of the above mentioned nutrients. Thus, the objective of this trial was to define the impact of synthetic zeolites fertilization on leaf mineral content of olive leaves (Olea europaea L. cv Leccino) grown in the alkaline, calcareous soil. For this purpose, an experiment was conducted in the vegetation chamber, in the period of 200 days. Fertilization with Zn, Mn, Fe was carried out in the form of synthetic zeolite A (ZA), in which the original Na+ ions from zeolite A were exchanged with Zn2+, Mn2+ and Fe2+ (Fe3+) ions from solutions. Results showed that zeolite fertilization significantly increased Mn content in olive leaf, while Fe and Zn leaf concentrations did not show any significant difference between zeolite treated and untreated olives.

Compatibility of fungicides and arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi in the open-field tomato production

Arbuskularne mikorizne gljive (AMG) su korisni mikroorganizmi tla koji žive u obliku simbioze s korijenjem velikog broja biljnih vrsta, uključujući i većinu ekonomski važnih poljoprivrednih kultura, u koje se za područje Hrvatske ubraja i rajčica. Rajčica ima visoki stupanj prirodne sposobnosti vezivanja s AMG, čije su prednosti najvećim dijelom povezane s boljom kondicijom biljaka i otpornosti na različite biotske i abiotske čimbenike. Primjena AMG je ograničena proizvodnim uvjetima, između ostalih primjenom fungicida koja se redovito provodi u proizvodnji rajčice za suzbijanje gljivičnih bolesti. Iako se fungicidi u proizvodnji rajčice uglavnom primjenjuju folijarno, značajne količine primijenjene djelatne tvari mogu indirektno dospjeti u gornji sloj tla i negativno utjecati na razvoj AMG. Cilj ovog preglednog rada je, temeljem dostupnih literaturnih podataka i dosadašnjih istraživanja, prikazati kompatibilnost AMG i fungicida dozvoljenih u Hrvatskoj za primjenu u proizvodnji rajčice na otvorenome.Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are beneficial soil microorganisms that persist on roots of a significant number of plant species through symbiosis, including most of the economically important agricultural crops, where tomato takes a significant place for the Croatian area. Tomato has a high natural ability to interact with AMF, the benefits of which are significantly related to improved plant condition and resistance to different biotic and abiotic factors. Implementation of AMF is limited by production conditions, such as by application of fungicides that is regularly conduced in tomato production for fungal disease management. Although in tomato production mainly foliar fungicides are applied, significant quantity of applied active ingredient may indirectly reach the upper soil layer and negatively affect AMF development. The aim of this paper was to, based on available literature and research findings, describe the compatibility of AMF with fungicides allowed for application in open-field tomato production

Influence of synthetic zeolites fertilization on Leccino olive leaf mineral composition

Na alkalnim, karbonatnim tlima, zbog formiranja teško topivih spojeva, smanjena je dostupnost cinka (Zn), mangana (Mn), i željeza (Fe). Razlog tomu je pored visokog pH i visoka koncentracija aktivnog vapna u tlu koje blokira primanje navedenih hraniva. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je utvrditi utjecaj gnojidbe sintetskim zeolitima na mineralni sastav lišća masline Olea europaea L. sorte Leccino uzgajane na alkalnom, karbonatnom tlu. U tu svrhu provedeno je istraživanje, u vegetacijskoj komori, u trajanju od 200 dana. Gnojidba Zn, Mn i Fe obavljena je u obliku sintetskog zeolita A (ZA), u kojem su ionskom zamjenom Na ioni zamijenjeni kationima Zn2+, Mn2+ i Fe2+ (Fe3+). Temeljem rezultata istraživanja vidljivo je da je pri tretmanu zeolitima utvrđena statistički značajno veća koncentracija Mn u listu masline dok koncentracije Fe i Zn u listu masline nisu pokazale signifikantnu razliku između tretmana sa ili bez primjene zeolitaDue to the formation of precipitous compounds, availability of Zn, Mn, Fe is reduced in alkaline, calcareous soils. Beside high pH values, high active lime content is the reason for lower uptake of the above mentioned nutrients. Thus, the objective of this trial was to define the impact of synthetic zeolites fertilization on leaf mineral content of olive leaves (Olea europaea L. cv Leccino) grown in the alkaline, calcareous soil. For this purpose, an experiment was conducted in the vegetation chamber, in the period of 200 days. Fertilization with Zn, Mn, Fe was carried out in the form of synthetic zeolite A (ZA), in which the original Na+ ions from zeolite A were exchanged with Zn2+, Mn2+ and Fe2+ (Fe3+) ions from solutions. Results showed that zeolite fertilization significantly increased Mn content in olive leaf, while Fe and Zn leaf concentrations did not show any significant difference between zeolite treated and untreated olives.