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The study aimed to evaluate, in a marginal semi-arid Mediterranean agro-ecosystem (Sicily-Italy), the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation and raw olive mill wastewater (OMW) (40 and 80 m3 ha−1) on forage (durum wheat-snail medick intercropping) yield, and grain production of broad bean and chickpea. AMF inoculation significantly increased (+13.6%) forage dry biomass and durum wheat nitrogen (+22.8%) and phosphorus (+32.5%) uptake. AMF inoculation, significantly promoted broad bean phosphorus uptake (+11.5%) and root nodule number (+13.9%) in the absence of OMW. OMW spreading reduced weeds in the forage (−31.3%), root nodule number (−29.7%) and dry weight (−22.7%) in broad bean. OMW also significantly increased snail medick dry biomass (+19.3%) as compared to control treatments (0, 40 and 80 m3 H2O ha−1, average production 361 g m−2), and broad bean grain yield with a production of 2.46 ± 0.12 and 1.94 ± 0.09 Mg ha−1 with and without OMW, respectively. During the experiment AMF colonization was not affected by OMW volumes. The results obtained showed that in a marginal Mediterranean agro-ecosystem: 1) OMW, notwithstanding spreading volumes, is a valuable amendment to maximize legume yield while 2) AMF inoculation is a valuable practice to improve biomass production and N and P uptake in wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Constructed wetlands (CWs) could play a strategic role in wastewater reclamation and reuse in arid and semiarid regions, such as the Mediterranean area. The aim of this study was to analyse the phytoremoval effectiveness of Phragmites australis and spontaneous plant species (SPS) in two CW systems: a horizontal (H-SSF) and a vertical (V-SSF) subsurface flow. P. australis showed a higher biomass growth than SPS and always covered 100% of the bed''s surface. The H-SSF system was more suitable for enhancing biomass growth of P. australis (4701 gm −2 as compared to 3088 gm −2 detected in the V-SSF CWs) whereas V-SSF of SPS (1700 gm −2 and 100% total cover as compared to 240 gm −2 and 40% total cover observed in H-SSF). SPS included species belonging to different botanical families in relation to the system adopted. Some of these species (i.e. Phalaris spp. and Chrysantemum segetum) were dominant in aboveground floral composition. Beds with SPS showed the same efficiency of the Phragmites ones in TSS, COD and pathogen removal. Phragmites was more effective than SPS in removing BOD5 (in horizontal system), total phosphorus and nitrates. V-SSF systemwas more effective than H-SSF in removing total nitrogen. SPS presence did not decrease the efficiency of unplanted beds. Irrespective of the different plant species covering the beds, CWs were overall efficient in removing pollutants confirming their potential as an economic alternative to traditional urban wastewater treatments in small and medium-sized communities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Plant specialized metabolites (SMs) play an important role in the interaction with the environment and are part of the plant defense response. These natural products are volatile, semi-volatile and non-volatile compounds produced from common building blocks deriving from primary metabolic pathways and rapidly evolved to allow a better adaptation of plants to environmental cues. Specialized metabolites include terpenes, flavonoids, alkaloids, glucosinolates, tannins, resins, etc. that can be used as phytochemicals, food additives, flavoring agents and pharmaceutical compounds. This review will be focused on Mediterranean crop plants as a source of SMs, with a special attention on the strategies that can be used to modulate their production, including abiotic stresses, interaction with beneficial soil microorganisms and novel genetic approaches.