Anti-transpirant effects on vine physiology, berry and wine composition of cv. Aglianico (Vitis vinifera L.) Grown in South Italy

In viticulture, global warming requires reconsideration of current production models. At the base of this need there are some emerging phenomena: modification of phenological phases; acceleration of the maturation process of grapes, with significant increases in the concentration of sugar musts; decoupling between technological grape maturity and phenolic maturity. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of a natural anti-transpirant on grapevine physiology, berry, and wine composition of Aglianico cultivar. For two years, Aglianico vines were treated at veraison with the anti-transpirant Vapor Gard and compared with a control sprayed with only water. A bunch thinning was also applied to both treatments. The effectiveness of Vapor Gard were assessed through measurements of net photosynthesis and transpiration and analyzing the vegetative, productive and qualitative parameters. The results demonstrate that the application of antitranspirant reduced assimilation and transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, berry sugar accumulation, and wine alcohol content. No significant differences between treatments were observed for other berry and wine compositional parameters. This method may be a useful tool to reduce berry sugar content and to produce wines with a lower alcohol content

Variations of peel essential oils during fruit ripening in four lemon (Citrus limon (L.) Burm. F.) cultivars

Lemon processing procedures yield a significant amount of waste as peels, which are 57% of processed lemons and represent a possible source of bioactive compounds (essential oils, EOs). EOs were extracted from lemon fruits belonging to four cultivars harvested at four different sampling times (25 October, 23 November, 20 December, 1 February), characterized, and quantified through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Effects of cold storage on quality parameters and nutraceutical compounds of pomegranate fruits (cv. Acco)

Punica granatum L. contains several bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity that have a positive effect on human health. This study aims to investigate the changes in the chemical­physical and qualitative parameters of pomegranate fruits cv. Acco from harvest up to +90 days of cold storage (+4°C and 95% RH). Morphological parameters, juice yield, weight loss, total soluble solids content (TSS), pH, titratable acidity, the color of the epicarp (L*, a*, b*), content of polyphenols, anthocyanins, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity were analyzed. The results showed an increase (about 29%) in the juice content (%) at +60 days of cold storage. Cold storage has also shown positive effects on some bioactive compounds. Flavonoids and anthocyanins content increased from 287.98 mg CE/100 ml of juice to 389.23 mg of CE/100 ml of juice and from 8.32 to mg/100 ml of juice to 11.13 mg/100 ml of juice at + 90 days of cold storage, respectively. On the basis of our results that confirmed the litera-ture data, the pomegranate fruit is rich in bioactive compounds that exert beneficial actions on human health, and it has also been demonstrated that such nutraceutical compounds increased during cold storage, allowing the fruit to be preserved a long term

Slow-release fertilization and Trichoderma harzianum-based biostimulant for the nursery production of young olive trees (Olea Europaea L.)

Received: May 8th, 2021 ; Accepted: July 30th, 2021 ; Published: October 5th, 2021 ; Corresponding author: [email protected], [email protected] of local olive cultivars is a key factor for the medium-term development strategy of the Italian olive agroindustry. This involves enhancements in both, cultural practices and nursery techniques. The aim of this research was the evaluation in nursery, on vegetative growth and root development of young olive plants, of two different treatments: substrate enrichment with Osmocote®, a slow-release fertilizer, and Trianum-P a Trichoderma harzianum based biostimulant applied as foliar spray. The trial was carried out on Rotondella and Salella, two autochthonous olive cultivars from the Campania region (southern Italy). Central axis height, number and length of lateral shoots, leaf number and trunk base diameter were monitored during the experiment. Eight months later, all plants were uprooted, and further parameters were measured: total leaf area, trunk cross sectional area (TCSA), fresh and dry weight of the leaves, shoots, trunk, roots, and total dry matter. The canopy/root ratio (C/R) was also determined. Overall, the Osmocote® treatment caused a significant increase in the vegetative growth parameters for both cultivars, with a more evident effect on the development of the canopy organs. The observation reported in the present work can represent a convenient piece of information particularly in relation to stress resilience in nursery production

Endophytic Fungi and Ecological Fitness of Chestnuts

Chestnuts (Castanea spp.) are plants of relevant economic interest in the agro-sylvicultural contexts of mountain regions throughout the temperate zone, particularly in the northern hemisphere. In recent years, several biological adversities have repeatedly endangered species belonging to this genus, calling for coordinated actions addressed to contrast their decline. These actions have mainly focused on the control of key pests/pathogens and the improvement of resistance/tolerance by the plant host, while the role of microorganisms as mediators of interactions between plants and the noxious agents has been less considered, essentially by reason of a limited knowledge on their ecological impact. In line with the increasing awareness of the basic importance of microbial symbionts in regulating plant fitness in both natural and crop contexts, this paper offers an overview on the occurrence and effects of endophytic fungi of chestnuts

High temperature and humidity affect pollen viability and longevity in Olea europaea L.

Olea europaea L. is a crop typical of the Mediterranean area that has an important role in economy, society, and culture of this region. Climate change is expected to have significant impact on this crop, which is typically adapted to certain pedo-climatic characteristics of restricted geographic areas. In this scenario, the aim of this study was to evaluate the time-course response of pollen viability to different combinations of temperature and humidity. The study was performed comparing flowering time and pollen functionality of O. europaea from twelve cultivars growing at the same site belonging to the Campania olive collection in Italy. Pollen was incubated at 12◦C, 22◦C, and 36◦C in combination with 50% RH or 100% RH treatments for 5 days. The results highlighted that a drastic loss of pollen viability occurs when pollen is subjected to a combination of high humidity and high temperature, whereas 50% RH had less impact on pollen thermotolerance, because most cultivars preserved a high pollen viability over time. In the ongoing climate change scenario, it is critical to assess the effect of increasing temperatures on sensitive reproductive traits such as pollen viability to predict possible reduction in crop yield. Moreover, the results highlighted that the effect of temperature increase on pollen thermotolerance should be evaluated in combination with other environmental factors such as humidity conditions. The screening of olive cultivars based on pollen thermotolerance is critical in the ongoing climate change scenario, especially considering that the economic value of this species relies on successful fertilization and embryo development, and also that production cycle of Olea europaea can be longer than a hundred years

Investigation on rooting ability of twenty olive cultivars from Southern Italy

The effects of two different types of auxins (660 ppm alpha-naph-thaleneacetic acid - NAA - in liquid solution or 750 ppm alpha-naphthaleneac- etamide - NAD - dispersed in a talcum powder) and cuttings from three differ- ent portions of the shoots (basal, middle and apical) on the rooting ability of twenty autochthonous olive cultivars were investigated in two growing seasons (spring and autumn). The results showed that the autochthonous olive cultivars of the Campania Region are characterized by a wide variability in the potential rhizogenic ability. The two periods of cutting collection (March and September) significantly affected the rooting aptitude of the cultivars, indicating that in some cultivars the cuttings collected in autumn had a higher rooting rate than those collected in spring. The effects of NAA and NAD on rooting strongly depended on interaction with the cultivar, time of collection (autumn or spring) and type of cuttings (basal, medium or apical). Among the twenty cultivars tested, we found only eight cultivars with a satisfactory rooting ability after hor- monal applications (Ortolana, Racioppella, Tenacella, Tonda, Biancolilla, Carpellese, Cornia and Pisciottana). In general, the apical and the median portions of the shoots gave the best rooting results.

Optimizing Apricot Yield and Quality with Biostimulant Interventions: A Comprehensive Analysis

Biostimulant products are recognized for their ability to improve the agronomic parameters of plants and the qualitative and nutraceutical parameters of fruits and confer greater resistance to plants under abiotic and biotic stress conditions. In our study, we tested three different biostimulants on cultivar “Lady Cot” apricot plants: animal-derived protein hydrolysate, plant-derived protein hydrolysate, and one based on algae to evaluate their effects on improving the agronomic parameters of plants and fruit quality. The product that stood out for providing positive effects was the protein hydrolysate-based product, which increased plant production by 53.80% and yield efficiency by 56.38%. At the same time, it also increased the fruit’s diameter growth by approximately 8.3%, showing positive effects on fruit weight as well. The animal-derived protein hydrolysate also reduced acidity by 13.8% and showed a significant increase compared to the control in terms of total polyphenols. Additional research is scheduled to validate these results and ascertain which categories of biostimulant products are most effective in enhancing the agronomic, qualitative, and sensory characteristics of other apricot cultivars

Flowering and pollen resilience to high temperature of apricot cultivars

Prunus armeniaca L. is widely cultivated in the Mediterranean area including Southern Italy where local cultivars are recognized for their excellent quality. Gradual warming and abrupt variations of seasonal temperatures are expected to significantly impact the Mediterranean area with potential implications on many crops including apricot. In this scenario, the identification of physiological processes involved in heat-stress responses and the selection of genotypes resilient/tolerant to high temperatures and heat waves are necessary. The aim of this study was to investigate possible differences in flowering phenology and the effect of different temperatures on pollen functionality of 13 apricot cultivars traditionally cultivated in the Campania region (Southern Italy). According to phenological data collected in the field, the studied cultivars were grouped in early, intermediate, and late flowering cultivars. Single flower anthesis was on average 4.9 days in early and intermediate flowering cultivars, whereas late flowering cultivars showed a shorter duration (4.0 days). Pollen of flowers at balloon stage showed a uniformly high viability among all cultivars. To investigate on possible effects of temperature during the effective pollination period (EPP), pollen from the different cultivars was pre-incubated at 5 °C, 15 °C, and 25 °C for 48-h and germinability was then assessed after further 24 h in-vitro germination at the same temperature treatments. The first two temperature values correspond respectively to the minimum and maximum average temperatures of the local area; whereas 25 °C simulated the heat waves recently recorded in the farm during apricot flowering periods. As regard pollen germinability, 15 °C revealed to be the most suitable temperature for apricot pollen to germinate within the EPP. Conversely, 5 °C and 25 °C significantly reduced pollen germination in most cultivars and particularly in intermediate flowering cultivars. Noticeably, a few cultivars showed no difference in pollen germination under the different temperature treatments, preserving high pollen germinability (>70%) even at high temperatures. Overall, our findings highlighted that pollen germination is extremely sensitive to temperature with significant variations among apricot genotypes. Results confirmed that reproductive traits such as pollen germinability represent an important parameter to consider for monitoring fruit production, in the processes of cultivar selection for new orchard plantations and in breeding projects. Moreover, traditional apricot cultivars as those of the Campania region confirmed to be a precious source of genetic diversity possessing a significant pollen resilience to temperature changes