4 results on '"Copani, Venera"'
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2. Saccharum spontaneum L. ssp. aegyptiacum (Willd.) Hack. a potential perennial grass for biomass production in marginal land in semi-arid Mediterranean environment
- Author
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Cosentino, Salvatore, Copani, Venera, Testa, Giorgio, Scordia, D., and Scordia, Danilo
- Subjects
Marginal land ,biology ,Saccharum spontaneum ,Mediterranean environment ,Biomass yield ,Water use efficiency ,Biomass ,biology.organism_classification ,Saccharum, Mediterranean environment, Marginal land, Perennial grass, Biomass yield, Water use efficiency, Crop physiology, Biomass quality ,Saccharum ,Crop physiology ,Field capacity ,Horticulture ,Agronomy ,Biomass quality ,Soil water ,Perennial grass ,Environmental science ,Water-use efficiency ,Agronomy and Crop Science ,Water content ,Water use ,Transpiration - Abstract
Research is needed to look for plants or lines that can thrive on soils affected by water deficit or other constraints. The present work investigated the potentiality of Saccharum spontaneum L. spp. aegyptiacum (Willd.) Hack., a lignocellulosic, perennial, rhizomatous, no-food crop in semi-arid Mediterranean area. A 3-year field trial was carried out with the aim to evaluate its physiology, biomass yield, water use efficiency, and biomass quality under different soil water availability. During 2011/2012, 2012/2013, and 2013/2014 growing seasons (hereinafter referred as 2011, 2012, and 2013, respectively), three levels of maximum evapotranspiration restitution (ETm) were compared: I 100 (100% ETm restitution), I 50 (50% ETm restitution), and I 0 (rainfed condition). Net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate were strictly related to the available soil water content (ASWC), with maximum gas exchange at field capacity. However, gas exchange between plants and atmosphere was also measured when ASWC was close to wilting point. Biomass dry matter (DM) yield and main morpho-biometric traits (e.g., stem height and basal stem diameter) were significantly affected by ASWC. A non-linear model showed that maximum DM yield, 37.86 Mg ha −1 , can be achieved when 1150 mm of water were used by the crop. Water use efficiency (WUE) was always highest in rainfed condition ( I 0 ), however, only in 2013 I 0 was significantly higher than I 50 and I 100 (5.89 g L −1 vs 4.26 and 3.33 g L −1 ). Within the variables employed, a linear model showed that WUE was negatively related to crop water use (CWU). The fiber content was not affected by the irrigation treatments. In the average, hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin accounted for 23.9 (% w/w), 35.0 (% w/w), and 19.9 (% w/w), respectively. On the other hand, moisture and ash content, bulk density, low heating value, and ash melting point resulted significantly affected by the treatment. Present results suggested that S. spontaneum spp. aegyptiacum possesses a range of agronomically desirable traits of biomass crop: C4 plant, high biomass yield, active assimilation rates during drought–stress periods, able to use water efficiently, and satisfactory biomass quality.
- Published
- 2015
3. Soil water effect on crop growth, leaf gas exchange, water and radiation use efficiency of Saccharum spontaneum L. ssp. aegyptiacum (Willd.) Hackel in semi-arid Mediterranean environment.
- Author
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Scordia, Danilo, Testa, Giorgio, Cosentino, Salvatore L., Copani, Venera, and Patanè, Cristina
- Subjects
EFFECT of soil moisture on plants ,SACCHARUM spontaneum ,PLANT-water relationships - Abstract
Great effort has been placed to identify the most suited bioenergy crop under different environments and management practices, however, there is still need to find new genetic resources for constrained areas. For instance, South Mediterranean area is strongly affected by prolonged drought, high vapour pressure deficit (VPD) and extremely high temperatures during summertime. In the present work we investigated the soil water effect on crop growth and leaf gas exchange of Saccharum spontaneum L. ssp. aegyptiacum (Willd.) Hackel, a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous grass. Furthermore, the net increase of biomass production per unit light intercepted [radiation use efficiency (RUE)] and per unit water transpired [water use efficiency (WUE)] was also studied. To this end a field trial was carried out imposing three levels of soil water availability (I
100 , I50 and I0 , corresponding to 100%, 50% and 0% of ETm restutition) under a semi-arid Mediterranean environment. Leaf area index (LAI), stem height, biomass dry matter yield, CO2 assimilation rate, and transpiration rate resulted significantly affected by measurement time and irrigation treatment, with the highest values in I100 and the lowest in I0 . RUE was the highest in I100 followed by I50 and I0 ; on the other hand, WUE was higher in I0 than I50 and I100 . At LAI values greater than 2.0, 85% photosynthetically active radiation was intercepted by the Saccharum stand, irrespective of the irrigation treatment. Saccharum spontaneum spp. aegyptiacum is a potential species for biomass production in environment characterized by drought stress, high temperatures and high VPD, as those of Southern Europe and similar semi-arid areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
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4. Up-scaling agamic propagation of giant reed (Arundo donax L.) by means of single-node stem cuttings.
- Author
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Cavallaro, Valeria, Scordia, Danilo, Cosentino, Salvatore Luciano, and Copani, Venera
- Subjects
- *
GIANT reed , *PLANT nutrients , *ROOTING of plant cuttings , *PLANT stems , *LIGNOCELLULOSE - Abstract
Highlights • Propagation by single-node stem cutting of giant reed (Arundo donax) was attempted. • Nutrients availability on the node plays a key role in rooting development. • In open field, the best period for node excision is July followed by May. • Nodes whose diameter exceed 2 cm showed higher rooting and plantlets development. • IBA resulted effective in promoting rooting in the worst excision dates. Abstract Giant reed (Arundo donax L.) is a warm-season, fast growing lignocellulosic crop suitable to Mediterranean and semi-arid environments. However, its sterility limits a cost-effective propagation along with environmental impacts associated with rhizome processing. In the present study, the effects of intrinsic (node size and node chemical composition) and extrinsic factors (node pretreatment with growth regulators) on root and shoot development were investigated under different excision time of node-cuttings in a controlled and open field conditions. Results indicated that nutrients availability of the propagation material plays a key role in rooting development. To enhance the success of giant reed propagation by single node stem-cuttings, the best period for node excision is July in open field trial, followed by the late spring (May). Nodes whose diameter exceed 2 cm resulted in higher rooting and plantlets development even in the less favorable excision dates. However, when big nodes are adopted in controlled environments even winter periods are eligible, being particularly useful for spring open field transplants of rooted plantlets. Among the growth regulators used in the present study, indole-3-butyric acid - IBA (in controlled environment) resulted effective in promoting rooting particularly in the worse excision date (April); in open field, IBA significantly improved rooting in the excision dates of February and May in the big nodes, and only in February in the small ones. NAA (1-naphthaleneacetic acid) was almost ineffective in enhancing rooting as compared to the control. The present study might open a new perspective to overcome one of the most significant drawbacks to establish giant reed, namely its agamic propagation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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