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In the recent decades, processing tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) yields have increased due to the introduction of new genotypes with improved morphological, physiological and resistance traits. However, in southern Europe, yield increment was not as high as that attributed to resistance to biotic stresses such as late blight and viruses, that represent the major threats for this fruiting vegetable crop. Such effect is likely due to climate change and future projections for the Mediterranean basin indicating an increase of warm and dry periods. Crop growth and development are very sensitive to climate change and variability. In this study, we aimed to understand the projected impact of climate change on processing tomato grown in the southern Italy. A generic tomato cultivar was calibrated and evaluated using data recorded in open field cropping 'Messapico' hybrid for two consecutive years. Plants were transplanted into twin rows (3.36 plants m-2). Drip irrigation scheduling system was based restoring 100% of Etc when 40% of total available water was depleted. Two nitrogen (N) treatments were investigated (N-150 and N-200 kg ha-1). N-150 treatment of the first trial-year, representing to the typical nitrogen supply in the investigated area, was adopted for the DSSAT v4.7 model calibration (biomass: RMSE = 1584 kg ha-1, D-index = 0.93). This N rate was evaluated on the N-200 (biomass: RMSE = 1648 kg ha-1, D-index = 0.91). Contrasting Global Climate Models were compared respect to the integrated 30-years of historical weather from NASA-AgMERRA data set. The climate change variability affected full flowering and harvest dates. Simulation of the soil water content and air temperature indicates, for some years, negative impacts on the optimal crop growth due to drought and nutrient stresses which negatively impacts on fruit yield. Hence, innovative agronomic and breeding strategies are advisable to overcome the negative effects of climate changes occurring in this production area of the processing tomato.

Plants are subjected to a wide range of stresses which reduces the productivity of agricultural crops. In the case of cereal cultivations, climate change impacts on their production mainly through abiotic and biotic stress due for example to heat and water stress but also to pathogens such as bacteria, fungi, nematodes and others. The area under cereal cultivation is increasing worldwide, but, due to these problems, the current rates of yield growth and overall production are not enough to satisfy future demand. For this motivation, there is the needs to monitor and to control the cultivations, also developing new technological solutions useful to better optimize the management strategies, increasing both the quality of products and the quantity of the annual cereal harvest. Infrared imaging is a well-known non-invasive and non-contact technique that represents an outstanding approach of analysis applied in many fields: engineering, medicine, veterinary, cultural heritage and others. In recent years it has been gaining great interest in agriculture as it is well suited to the emerging needs of the precision agriculture management strategies. In this work, we performed an in-field multispectral infrared monitoring of different cereal crops (durum wheat and common wheat) through the use of both LWIR and MWIR cameras. The monitoring carried out made it possible to identify, among the crops analyzed, those subject to higher stress levels and their response to the different spectral ranges used. The results obtained open to the possibility of identifying new figures of merit useful for an effective monitoring of cereal crops and measurable through remote instrumentation.

Antalis, Rgt Natur e Marco Aurelio hanno ottenuto indici di resa uguali o superiori a 100 in tutti i 6 areali. Produzioni superiori o uguali alle medie in 5 areali su 6 sono state registrate per la novità Federico II, caratterizzata anche da buon peso ettolitrico e tenore proteico, e per Claudio.

Soil erosion is one of the biggest environmental problems throughout European Union causing considerable soil losses. Vegetation cover provides an important soil protection against runoff and soil erosion. To this aim, unlike annual crops, perennial plants have the advantage of covering soil for a longer time and reducing soil erodibility thanks to SOM increase due to litter effect and to reduction of soil disturbance (no-tillage). Two experiments were carried out in marginal hilly areas (10% slope) of Southern Italy: i) long-term experiment in which it was evaluated the effect of two fertilization doses (N: 100 and 50 kg N ha−1 from urea) on Arundo donax L. biomass production as well as its effect on soil erosion; ii) three-year experiment to evaluate the soil cover capacity of the giant reed by analysing the plant leaf area index (LAI). Results of the two experiments showed a good soil protection of Arundo donax L. that reduced soil losses by 78% as compared to fallow and showed soil erosion reduction not different from permanent meadow thanks to the soil covering during the period with the highest rain erosivity and to the reduction in soil erodibility. The protective effect of Arundo donax L. from rain erosivity was also confirmed by LAI analysis that showed a good soil covering of giant reed in the above mentioned period, even during the initial yield increasing phase following crop transplant. According to biomass yield, from the fifteen year of cultivation in a low fertile inland hilly area of Southern Italy, giant reed was characterized by a yield-decreasing phase that resulted postponed as compared to more fertile environments thus ensuring a longstanding soil protection from soil erosion. In addition, the higher nitrogen fertilization dose (100 kg ha−1 of N) allowed interesting biomass yield as compared to the lower dose (50 kg N ha−1) and kept constant SOC along the year of experimentation due to an improved contribution of leaf fall, root exudates and root turnover to soil. o.

Light and nitrogen are the main factors commanding horticulture production. Therefore, this study aims at evaluating the effects of two different greenhouse cover films (clear-Film A and diffuse light-Film B) on yield and nutritive value of a ready-to-eat salad lamb’s lettuce (Valerianella locusta L.), grown under several nitrogen regimes (no nitrogen [N0], sub-optimal [N25] and optimal N fertilization [N50] corresponding to 0, 25 and 50 kg ha-1 , respectively). The combination N50 and Film B boosted SPAD index by 10.3% and yield by 91.9% compared to N0 × Film A. Concerning antioxidant activity and bioactive compounds, only total ascorbic acid was positively affected by Film B (9.4%), while there was no effect of this cover film on carotenoids and chlorophyllous pigments, which increased along the increment of nitrogen rates. Nitrate content in leaves was influenced by both factors and it showed increasing values, when nitrogen doses increased, reaching the highest value under N50-Film B conditions (3312.3 mg kg-1 fw). Our study showed that in the Mediterranean area, the use of greenhouse diffuse light film improved lamb’s lettuce yield, but on the other hand incurred significant increase in nitrate level, nonetheless remaining constantly under the legal threshold imposed by the commission regulation (EU). Secondary metabolites, such as total phenols and carotenoids, showed similar values under both films, instead the diffuse light film improved total ascorbic acid content.

Per valorizzare la filiera del grano duro italiano non va trascurata la formulazione e il continuo aggiornamento di liste di orientamento varietale attraverso la Rete nazionale di confronto varietale. I potenziali ampi margini di crescita per il settore primario nazionale, al servizio e al traino delle grandi performance industriali e commerciali delle imprese della trasformazione, sono possibili se si ottimizzano stabilmente i parametri qualitativi e igienico-sanitari delle produzioni e si lavora ad una maggiore concentrazione dell’offerta. La Rete nazionale di confronto varietale del grano duro, realizzata mediante prove svolte con protocolli comuni in ambienti rappresentativi delle diverse regioni, permette di acquisire e divulgare in maniera tempestiva le caratteristiche produttive, qualitative e di sensibilità alle principali fitopatie di numerose cultivar, per valutare il loro adattamento nei diversi areali anche al variare dell’andamento climatico negli anni. Ciò assicura un’informazione indipendente e su scala nazionale utile agli agricoltori nella scelta della cultivar più idonea, di supporto al ricambio varietale e in grado di assecondare le richieste di produttori e trasformatori e quindi, alla fine, dei consumatori. Nell'articolo vengono riportati i dati quanti-qualitativi relativi all’annata agraria 2018-19 durante la quale sono stati realizzati 31 campi di confronto tra varietà di frumento duro in regime convenzionale, dislocati in 14 regioni, e 7 campi in coltura biologica, localizzati in 5 regioni del Centro-Sud. Le varietà complessivamente saggiate sono state complessivamente 38 in convenzionale e 17 in biologico.

potentially toxic elements (PTEs) to assess the relationship between spontaneous vegetation and pollution levels, the potential risks for biological communities and ecosystems, and the potential of native plant species for phytoremediation. PTE concentrations had negative effects on plant biodiversity, as determined through changes in the Shannon index, Pielou evenness index and species richness. Poaceae and Asteraceae were moderately affected by soil contamination, while PTE levels had a negative effect on the other species groups. Cadmium had the greatest effect on plant species diversity, followed by zinc and then lead. The ecological risk index showed a mean value of 4924, corresponding to a very high risk in most plants. Target PTEs for phytoremediation were Cd (3813 on average) followed by Pb (937 on average) contributing to the ecological risk index, respectively from 42 to 81% and from 11 to 24%, in spite of the much higher concentrations of Pb. The most frequent species were Holcus lanatus subsp. lanatus and Silene latifolia that showed good adaptability to contamination, growing in very high-risk areas. S. latifolia reported high concentrations of Tl both in shoot and in roots, at levels typical of hyperaccumulator species. High values of bioaccumulation (BACS, BACR) and translocation factors (TF) confirmed that this species may be considered a hyperaccumulator of Tl. Holcus lanatus and Silene latifolia proved the most suitable species respectively for Cd and Pb phytostabilization and can be used in association for soil cover during the summer when soil resuspension is generally more intense and for protecting groundwater from pollutant leaching.

The effects of salinity (water irrigation and soil) vary with crop pheno-phase and survival in germination is essential for crop growth and yield. Therefore the aim of this research was to evaluate the germination rate of wheat seeds treated with different methods of seed-priming under saline and non-saline conditions. The experiment has made at Portici during winter 2007, under a rainout-shelter and using 0.39 m2 pots. The first test was a factorial comparison between: 1) irrigation (fresh water and saline water: 12.5 dS m-1) and 2) 6 times of soaking with distilled water (hydro-priming) with sowing on non-saline soil. The second test was a factorial comparison between: 1) irrigation (fresh water and saline water: 12.5 dS m-1), 2) pre-seeding soaking with three saline solutions (halo-priming), 3) soil at four salinity levels: non-saline (NS): 0.56 mS cm-1; low (LSS): 1.12 mS cm-1; middle (MSS): 2.09 mS cm-1; high (HSS): 4.10 mS cm-1. For the hydropriming experiment, the interaction between irrigation and times of soaking was significant: with fresh water irrigation all the times of soaking determined an increase of germination rate, while with saline irrigation, only the highest times (8, 16 and 24 h) determined a significant increase of germination. Instead, halopriming did not determined favourable effects on germination. Therefore, only hydropriming has allowed to compensate the effects of reduced germination due to saline irrigations.

Light and nitrogen strongly affect the growth, yield, and quality of food crops, with greater importance in green leafy vegetables for their tendency to accumulate nitrate in leaves. The purpose of this research was to explore the effect of two greenhouse films (Film A and B) on yield, and quality of spinach grown under different nitrogen regimes (not fertilized—N0%, sub-optimal N dose—N50%, optimal N dose—N100%). Film A and Film B were used as clear and diffused light films, with 75% and 87% thermicity, and 85% and 90% total transmittivity, respectively, where only Film B had a UV-B window. Film B elicited an increase in yield (22%) and soil–plant analysis development (SPAD) index (4.6%) compared to the clear film, but did not affect chlorophyll a, b, and total chlorophyll content. In addition, the diffuse film significantly decreased ascorbic acid in the crop but had no effect on lipophilic antioxidant activity and phenols content, but decreased ascorbic acid content. Finally, nitrate content was strongly increased both by nitrogen dose (about 50-fold more than N0%) and greenhouse films (about six-fold higher under diffuse light film), but within the legal limit fixed by European Commission. Therefore, irrespective of N levels, the use of diffuse-light film in winter boosts spinach yield without depressing quality.

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a multipurpose plant attracting increasing interest as a source for the production of natural fibers, paper, bio-building material and food. In this research we studied the agronomical performance of Cannabis sativa cv. Eletta Campana irrigated with saline water. Under those conditions, we tested the effect of protein hydrolysate (PH) biostimulant application in overcoming and/or balancing deleterious salinity effects. The results of the diverse treatments were also investigated at the physiological level, focusing on photosynthesis by means of a chlorophyll a fluorescence technique, which give an insight into the plant primary photochemical reactions. Four salinity levels of the irrigation solution (fresh water–EC0, and NaCl solutions at EC 2.0, 4.0 or 6.0 dS m−1, EC2, EC4 and EC6, respectively) were combined with 2 biostimulant treatments (untreated (control) or treated with a commercial legume-derived protein hydrolysate (LDPH)). The increasing salinity affected plant photochemistry resulting in lower plant growth and seed production, while the LDPH biostimulant showed a protective effect, which improved crop performance both in control and in salinity conditions. The LDPH treatment improved seeds yield (+38.6% on average of all treated plants respect to untreated plants), as well as residual biomass, relevant in fiber production.

The nutrient and nutraceutical quality of greenhouse wild rocket is strongly influenced by the light environment and nitrogen fertilization. We investigated the effects of two cover materials, a diffuse light film (Film1) and a traditional clear film (Film2), and three nitrogen regimes, no N supply (N0) and sub-optimal (N1) and optimal (N2) doses, also in combination with a biostimulant (Stimolo Mo), on the mineral composition, antioxidant properties and chlorophyll and carotenoid content of rocket plants grown in the autumn–spring cycle. The leaf concentration of most of the minerals was higher under Film1 compared to Film2. In general, K, Ca, Mg and Na were higher, and S was lower in the presence of N supply, and the addition of the biostimulant promoted the mineral uptake. Under Film1, the hydrophilic antioxidant activity (HAA) was higher in some harvests, and the ABTS antioxidant activity (ABTS AA) in the first one, while always lower afterward, than under Film2. Nitrogen fertilization did not affect the antioxidant activity, while it reduced the content of total phenols and ascorbic acid. The biostimulant application increased ABTS AA at the optimal N dose and reduced total phenols in unfertilized plants. Both the diffuse light and the N supply inhibited the synthesis of ascorbic acid, while N fertilization and the biostimulant promoted the synthesis of chlorophylls. The experimental treatments exerted variable effects over time and significant interactions with the harvest period were found for many of the investigated parameters.

Featured Application: The results of the present work provide useful insights into the response of Diplotaxis tenuifolia L. plants to salinity stress and biostimulant application under successive crop cycles. Considering the complex effects of biostimulants on vegetable crops, providing new information regarding the positive effects of this agronomic practice under salinity stress and variable growing conditions will be useful for farmers and crop production stakeholders in their efforts to address the increasing soil salinization and degradation of the quality of irrigation water. The availability of irrigation water of good quality is decreasing due to soil salinization and the deterioration of aquifers. Moreover, ongoing climate change severely affects crop production and necessitates the intensification of cropping systems in order to ensure food security at a global scale. For this purpose, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the mitigating effects of two natural biostimulants on Diplotaxis tenuifolia L. plants cultivated at different salinity levels (EC of 0 dS m−1, 2 dS m−1, 4 dS m−1, and 6 dS m−1) and harvested at six consecutive cropping cycles. The tested factors showed a varied combinatorial effect on the tested parameters. These findings indicate the importance of considering growing conditions and cropping periods when applying biostimulants in D. tenuifolia plants under salinity stress. Antioxidant activity and bioactive compounds, such as total phenols, carotenoids, and total ascorbic acid, were variably affected by salinity, biostimulant application, and harvesting time, while mineral profile was also affected by the tested factors depending on the combination of factors. Finally, nitrate content showed decreasing trends with increasing salinity, while biostimulant application resulted in the higher accumulation of nitrates compared to the untreated plants. Although biostimulant application seems to alleviate the negative effects of salinity stress, the effect of growing conditions, as indicated by successive crop cycles, is also important for the response of D. tenuifolia plants to saline conditions and biostimulant application.

Irrigated agricultural lands are prone to salinity problems which may imperil horticultural crops by reducing growth, yield and even qualitative traits. Eco-friendly approaches such as biostimulant application and in particular protein hydrolysates from vegetal origin are implemented to mitigate salinity stress effects on crops. For this reason, a greenhouse experiment on spinach irrigated with increasing concentrations of saline water (EC = 3 dS m−1 (EC3), 6 dS m−1 (EC6) and 9 dS m−1 (EC9), in addition to non-saline treatment (EC0)) was organized, while plants were subjected to foliar applications of a protein hydrolysate from vegetal origin on a weekly basis. The application of this biostimulant helped mitigate the adverse effects of saline stress, by increasing the SPAD index and total chlorophylls of spinach plants. Yield was significantly boosted under biostimulant treatment in saline conditions and reached the value obtained in control treatment (no biostimulants added) × EC0 in the case of EC 3 and 6 dS m−1. In addition, the number of leaves and plants m−1 was increased under biostimulant treatment, and most importantly the hydrophilic antioxidant activity of spinach, thus a qualitative aspect of great importance was also increased. Such results increase the knowledge on the effects of protein hydrolysates application on an important leafy vegetable and may help growers mitigate saline conditions and maintain high crop yield and high quality of the final product when no other source of irrigation water is available.