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Prof. Dr. Francesco Orsini
University of Bologna

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0 Urban Agriculture
0 Salt stress
0 plant physiology and ecophysiology
0 vegetable crops
0 vertical farming

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Urban Agriculture
Salt stress
Rooftop agriculture
plant physiology and ecophysiology
vegetable crops
vertical farming

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Journal article
Published: 28 July 2021 in Journal of Food Composition and Analysis
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Nowadays, literature is still limited on the effects that LEDs may trigger during postharvest. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of continuous monochromatic Yellow or Green light on total and individual phenolic and glucosinolate content of 9-day broccoli sprouts stored up to 15 days at 5 °C as a ready-to-eat product. In addition, a broad-spectrum White LED light, a Fluorescent light and storage in Darkness were used as treatments. An improvement in the total phenolic content (TPC) of 15 % and 13 % was observed under Yellow and White LED lighting, respectively, throughout the shelf-life as compared to Darkness. While Green LEDs did not affect the TPC, an increase of 34.5 % on the total glucosinolate content (TGC) was associated to this treatment on day 4. The highest increase of the TGC was observed under Yellow lighting (77 %, compared to Darkness). In contrast, Fluorescent and Darkness did not affect the TPC, but reduced the TGC (69 and 62 % compared to values at harvest, respectively). Our study demonstrates that a postharvest Yellow LED lighting stimulates the TPC and the TGC accumulation, opening the way for its further applications along the shelf life of other horticultural commodities.

ACS Style

Noelia Castillejo; Lorena Martínez-Zamora; Perla A. Gómez; Giuseppina Pennisi; Andrea Crepaldi; Juan A. Fernández; Francesco Orsini; Francisco Artés-Hernández. Postharvest yellow LED lighting affects phenolics and glucosinolates biosynthesis in broccoli sprouts. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 2021, 103, 104101 .

AMA Style

Noelia Castillejo, Lorena Martínez-Zamora, Perla A. Gómez, Giuseppina Pennisi, Andrea Crepaldi, Juan A. Fernández, Francesco Orsini, Francisco Artés-Hernández. Postharvest yellow LED lighting affects phenolics and glucosinolates biosynthesis in broccoli sprouts. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. 2021; 103 ():104101.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Noelia Castillejo; Lorena Martínez-Zamora; Perla A. Gómez; Giuseppina Pennisi; Andrea Crepaldi; Juan A. Fernández; Francesco Orsini; Francisco Artés-Hernández. 2021. "Postharvest yellow LED lighting affects phenolics and glucosinolates biosynthesis in broccoli sprouts." Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 103, no. : 104101.

Journal article
Published: 03 July 2021 in Horticulturae
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The present work aims to explore the potential to improve quality of purslane microgreens by combining water salinity and LED lighting during their cultivation. Purslane plants were grown in a growth chamber with light insulated compartments, under different lighting sources on a 16 h d−1 photoperiod—fluorescent lamps (FL) and two LED treatments, including a red and blue (RB)) spectrum and a red, blue and far red (RB+IR) LED lights spectrum—while providing all of them a light intensity of 150 µmol m−2 s−1. Plants were exposed to two salinity treatments, by adding 0 or 80 mM NaCl. Biomass, cation and anions, total phenolics (TPC) and flavonoids content (TFC), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total chlorophylls (Chl) and carotenoids content (Car) and fatty acids were determined. The results showed that yield was increased by 21% both in RB and RB+FR lights compared to FL and in salinity compared to non-salinity conditions. The nitrate content was reduced by 81% and 91% when microgreens were grown under RB and RB+FR, respectively, as compared to FL light, and by 9.5% under saline conditions as compared with non-salinity conditions. The lowest oxalate contents were obtained with the combinations of RB or RB+FR lighting and salinity. The content of Cl and Na in the leaves were also reduced when microgreens were grown under RB and RB+FR lights under saline conditions. Microgreens grown under RB light reached the highest TPC, while salinity reduced TFC, Chl and Car. Finally, the fatty acid content was not affected by light or salinity, but these factors slightly influenced their composition. It is concluded that the use of RB and RB+FR lights in saline conditions is of potential use in purslane microgreens production, since it improves the yield and quality of the product, reducing the content of anti-nutritional compounds.

ACS Style

Almudena Giménez; María Martínez-Ballesta; Catalina Egea-Gilabert; Perla Gómez; Francisco Artés-Hernández; Giuseppina Pennisi; Francesco Orsini; Andrea Crepaldi; Juan Fernández. Combined Effect of Salinity and LED Lights on the Yield and Quality of Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) Microgreens. Horticulturae 2021, 7, 180 .

AMA Style

Almudena Giménez, María Martínez-Ballesta, Catalina Egea-Gilabert, Perla Gómez, Francisco Artés-Hernández, Giuseppina Pennisi, Francesco Orsini, Andrea Crepaldi, Juan Fernández. Combined Effect of Salinity and LED Lights on the Yield and Quality of Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) Microgreens. Horticulturae. 2021; 7 (7):180.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Almudena Giménez; María Martínez-Ballesta; Catalina Egea-Gilabert; Perla Gómez; Francisco Artés-Hernández; Giuseppina Pennisi; Francesco Orsini; Andrea Crepaldi; Juan Fernández. 2021. "Combined Effect of Salinity and LED Lights on the Yield and Quality of Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) Microgreens." Horticulturae 7, no. 7: 180.

News and views
Published: 18 June 2021 in Nature Food
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Efficient use of light can improve crop yields and qualitative performance for controlled-environment agriculture. A spectral-shifting, unidirectional light-extracting photonic thin film has the potential to boost photosynthesis to improve greenhouse lettuce yield.

ACS Style

Giuseppina Pennisi; Francesco Orsini. Improving light management in lettuce crops. Nature Food 2021, 2, 394 -395.

AMA Style

Giuseppina Pennisi, Francesco Orsini. Improving light management in lettuce crops. Nature Food. 2021; 2 (6):394-395.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Giuseppina Pennisi; Francesco Orsini. 2021. "Improving light management in lettuce crops." Nature Food 2, no. 6: 394-395.

Journal article
Published: 28 May 2021 in Agronomy
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In indoor vertical farms, energy consumption represents a bottleneck for both a system’s affordability and environmental footprint. Although switching frequency (sf) represents a crucial factor in determining the efficacy of light emitting diodes (LED) lighting systems in converting electricity into light, the impact of sf is still underexplored. The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of LEDs sf on the productive and qualitative responses of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), also considering the resource use efficiency. Plants were grown for 14 days under red and blue LEDs (215 μmol m−2 s−1 and 16/8 h light/dark, with a red:blue ratio of 3) characterized by two different sf for the blue diode, namely high sf (850 kHz) and low sf (293 kHz). A fluorescent light (same light intensity and photoperiod) was included. LED sf did not alter plant morphological parameters, including fresh or dry biomass, leaf number, leaf area, or water use efficiency. A low sf increased the energy use efficiency (EUE) by 40% as compared to high sf. The latter enhanced the leaf antioxidant capacity, as a consequence of increased concentrations of caftaric and chicoric acids, isoquercetin, and luteolin, consistent with the upregulation of a few genes related to the biosynthetic pathway of phenolic compounds (4C3H and DFR). The study highlights that different sf may significantly affect the EUE as well as crop nutritional properties.

ACS Style

Laura Carotti; Giulia Potente; Giuseppina Pennisi; Karina Ruiz; Stefania Biondi; Andrea Crepaldi; Francesco Orsini; Giorgio Gianquinto; Fabiana Antognoni. Pulsed LED Light: Exploring the Balance between Energy Use and Nutraceutical Properties in Indoor-Grown Lettuce. Agronomy 2021, 11, 1106 .

AMA Style

Laura Carotti, Giulia Potente, Giuseppina Pennisi, Karina Ruiz, Stefania Biondi, Andrea Crepaldi, Francesco Orsini, Giorgio Gianquinto, Fabiana Antognoni. Pulsed LED Light: Exploring the Balance between Energy Use and Nutraceutical Properties in Indoor-Grown Lettuce. Agronomy. 2021; 11 (6):1106.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Laura Carotti; Giulia Potente; Giuseppina Pennisi; Karina Ruiz; Stefania Biondi; Andrea Crepaldi; Francesco Orsini; Giorgio Gianquinto; Fabiana Antognoni. 2021. "Pulsed LED Light: Exploring the Balance between Energy Use and Nutraceutical Properties in Indoor-Grown Lettuce." Agronomy 11, no. 6: 1106.

Systematic review
Published: 29 April 2021 in Frontiers in Plant Science
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Intensive growing systems used for greenhouse tomato production, together with light interception by cladding materials or other devices, may induce intracanopy mutual shading and create suboptimal environmental conditions for plant growth. There are a large number of published peer-reviewed studies assessing the effects of supplemental light-emitting diode (LED) lighting on improving light distribution in plant canopies, increasing crop yields and producing qualitative traits. However, the research results are often contradictory, as the lighting parameters (e.g., photoperiod, intensity, and quality) and environmental conditions vary among conducted experiments. This research presents a global overview of supplemental LED lighting applications for greenhouse tomato production deepened by a meta-analysis aimed at answering the following research question: does supplemental LED lighting enhance the yield and qualitative traits of greenhouse truss tomato production? The meta-analysis was based on the differences among independent groups by comparing a control value (featuring either background solar light or solar + HPS light) with a treatment value (solar + supplemental LED light or solar + HPS + supplemental LED light, respectively) and included 31 published papers and 100 total observations. The meta-analysis results revealed the statistically significant positive effects (p-value < 0.001) of supplemental LED lighting on enhancing the yield (+40%), soluble solid (+6%) and ascorbic acid (+11%) contents, leaf chlorophyll content (+31%), photosynthetic capacity (+50%), and leaf area (+9%) compared to the control conditions. In contrast, supplemental LED lighting did not show a statistically significant effect on the leaf stomatal conductance (p-value = 0.171). In conclusion, in addition to some partial inconsistencies among the considered studies, the present research enables us to assert that supplemental LED lighting ameliorates the quantitative and qualitative aspects of greenhouse tomato production.

ACS Style

Elisa Appolloni; Francesco Orsini; Giuseppina Pennisi; Xavier Gabarrell Durany; Ivan Paucek; Giorgio Gianquinto. Supplemental LED Lighting Effectively Enhances the Yield and Quality of Greenhouse Truss Tomato Production: Results of a Meta-Analysis. Frontiers in Plant Science 2021, 12, 1 .

AMA Style

Elisa Appolloni, Francesco Orsini, Giuseppina Pennisi, Xavier Gabarrell Durany, Ivan Paucek, Giorgio Gianquinto. Supplemental LED Lighting Effectively Enhances the Yield and Quality of Greenhouse Truss Tomato Production: Results of a Meta-Analysis. Frontiers in Plant Science. 2021; 12 ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Elisa Appolloni; Francesco Orsini; Giuseppina Pennisi; Xavier Gabarrell Durany; Ivan Paucek; Giorgio Gianquinto. 2021. "Supplemental LED Lighting Effectively Enhances the Yield and Quality of Greenhouse Truss Tomato Production: Results of a Meta-Analysis." Frontiers in Plant Science 12, no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 26 March 2021 in Horticulturae
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The growing population of tropical countries has led to a new awareness of the importance of vegetables as a source of essential foods and nutrients. The success of vegetable cultivation depends to a large extent on high-quality seedlings. This work aimed at evaluating the effects of different substrates and different nutrient solution concentrations on the development of lettuce and Chinese cabbage seedlings in a semi-arid tropical area. Three independent experiments were conducted at the Soil and Water Research Station at Yezin Agriculture University, Myanmar (Myanmar, 19.83° N; 96.27° E). In all experiments a randomized block design was implemented with four treatments and three repetitions. In the first experiment the adaptability of lettuce seedling to two substrates (namely a Hulls Manure mix composed by 50% of mature cattle manure and 50% of carbonized rice husk and a soil based substrate constituted by 70% local soil, 20% burned rice husk, and 10% fresh cattle manure) and two nutrient solutions with different electrical conductivities (ECs) (W0.1, stored rainwater with EC = 0.13 dS m−1 and NS1.2, nutrient solution with EC = 1.20 dS m−1) were tested. In the second and third experiments, two species (lettuce and Chinese cabbage) were assessed for their response to nutrient solution concentrations. In both crops, 4 fertigation treatments (W0.1; NS0.6; NS1.2; and NS1.8) were supplied, by modulating the concentration of a compound mineral fertilizer (15:15:15) in the following ranges: W0.1: 0 g L−1, electrical conductivity (EC) 0.13 dS m−1, NS0.6: 0.3 g L−1, EC of 0.60 dS m−1; NS1.2: 0.6 g L−1, 1.2 dS m−1 EC, and NS1.8: 0.9 g L−1, 1.8 dS m−1 EC. Adopting different substrates and applying different nutrient solutions significantly affected growth (fresh weight and leaf morphology) and some physiological parameters (stomatal conductance, leaf temperature, and leaf chlorophyll content) of lettuce and Chinese cabbage seedling. From the first experiment, the combination of the soil based substrate and NS1.2 treatments allowed us to improve the seedlings’ growth. In the second experiment, highest growth of lettuce and Chinese cabbage seedlings was associated with NS1.2 and NS1.8, respectively. The presented results allow for the optimization of both growing media and nutrient solution management when lettuce and Chinese cabbage seedling are produced in the Central Dry Zone of Myanmar.

ACS Style

Nicola Michelon; Giuseppina Pennisi; Nang Myint; Francesco Orsini; Giorgio Gianquinto. Optimization of Substrate and Nutrient Solution Strength for Lettuce and Chinese Cabbage Seedling Production in the Semi-Arid Environment of Central Myanmar. Horticulturae 2021, 7, 64 .

AMA Style

Nicola Michelon, Giuseppina Pennisi, Nang Myint, Francesco Orsini, Giorgio Gianquinto. Optimization of Substrate and Nutrient Solution Strength for Lettuce and Chinese Cabbage Seedling Production in the Semi-Arid Environment of Central Myanmar. Horticulturae. 2021; 7 (4):64.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nicola Michelon; Giuseppina Pennisi; Nang Myint; Francesco Orsini; Giorgio Gianquinto. 2021. "Optimization of Substrate and Nutrient Solution Strength for Lettuce and Chinese Cabbage Seedling Production in the Semi-Arid Environment of Central Myanmar." Horticulturae 7, no. 4: 64.

Review
Published: 28 February 2021 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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Rooftop agriculture (RA) is a building-based form of urban agriculture that includes both protected and nonprotected farming practices, such as rooftop greenhouses as well as open-air rooftop gardens and farms. The use of underexploited urban spaces on buildings for farming purposes is considered a useful strategy for targeting global concerns (e.g., the limitations in food security and land access, impacts of climate change or social exclusion). While previous studies have addressed selected RA cases and the general worldwide dissemination of RA, a systematic evaluation integrating the constantly evolving sector and its diversity (both commercial and noncommercial) is currently lacking. Here, we provide an overview of the current status of RA based on a metadata analysis of 185 publicly accessible cases. This paper summarizes the global trends and spatial distribution of RA cases and presents their main features. The results present the global distribution of different RA types over time, their diverging farming purposes and further characteristics (such as farm sizes, building typologies, growing systems, products and reported yields, activities, implementation of resource-efficient practices, or economic and social activities). The results indicate an emphasis on RA cases in North America (44% of the analyzed cases) and show that RA practices are mainly represented by open-air farms and gardens (84%), as the growing sector of rooftop greenhouses is still relatively small. Similarly, commercial cases are scarce, with the majority of RA cases targeting social-educational goals or the improvement of urban living quality. This tendency suggests a range of currently untapped business opportunities that, if developed, may contribute to the evolution of more sustainable and resilient city food systems providing fresh crops from the inner urban fabric. In conclusion, the research showed a rising global interest in RA, although stronger policy intervention is crucial to upscale RA practices to reach decisive environmental, economic and social benefits at the city level.

ACS Style

Elisa Appolloni; Francesco Orsini; Kathrin Specht; Susanne Thomaier; Esther Sanyé-Mengual; Giuseppina Pennisi; Giorgio Gianquinto. The global rise of urban rooftop agriculture: A review of worldwide cases. Journal of Cleaner Production 2021, 296, 126556 .

AMA Style

Elisa Appolloni, Francesco Orsini, Kathrin Specht, Susanne Thomaier, Esther Sanyé-Mengual, Giuseppina Pennisi, Giorgio Gianquinto. The global rise of urban rooftop agriculture: A review of worldwide cases. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2021; 296 ():126556.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Elisa Appolloni; Francesco Orsini; Kathrin Specht; Susanne Thomaier; Esther Sanyé-Mengual; Giuseppina Pennisi; Giorgio Gianquinto. 2021. "The global rise of urban rooftop agriculture: A review of worldwide cases." Journal of Cleaner Production 296, no. : 126556.

Journal article
Published: 15 February 2021 in Postharvest Biology and Technology
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The main objective of this study was to evaluate the physiological and quality changes of fresh-cut red chard (Beta vulgaris) and rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) leaves illuminated during storage with monochromatic light emitting diode (LED) lamps, featuring different spectral component (red, green, yellow, white, blue and far-red) and same light intensity (35 μmol m−2 s-1). As control, storage in darkness was assayed. Biomass, colorimetric and microbiological changes were determined up to 10 d of storage at 5 °C. In addition, total antioxidant activity and bioactive compounds changes along the shelf-life were also monitored. Microbial counts were reduced by yellow and blue light in red chard, and by yellow and green light in rocket. Green and white light enabled to preserve colorimetric indexes and chlorophylls content mostly in rocket and, eventually, increasing carotenoids in red chard. Total antioxidant capacity and total phenols content were stimulated in response to red or blue light application for both species. On the other hand, LED light supply increased weight losses during storage as compared to darkness, although more limitedly in response to yellow and far red light. The study provides solid ground for further exploration on how LED lighting treatment during storage of red chard and rocket may foster product qualitative properties, suggesting that different spectral wavebands may alternatively enhance antioxidant properties and reduce microbiological risks.

ACS Style

Giuseppina Pennisi; Francesco Orsini; Noelia Castillejo; Perla A. Gómez; Andrea Crepaldi; Juan A. Fernández; Catalina Egea-Gilabert; Francisco Artés-Hernández; Giorgio Gianquinto. Spectral composition from led lighting during storage affects nutraceuticals and safety attributes of fresh-cut red chard (Beta vulgaris) and rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) leaves. Postharvest Biology and Technology 2021, 175, 111500 .

AMA Style

Giuseppina Pennisi, Francesco Orsini, Noelia Castillejo, Perla A. Gómez, Andrea Crepaldi, Juan A. Fernández, Catalina Egea-Gilabert, Francisco Artés-Hernández, Giorgio Gianquinto. Spectral composition from led lighting during storage affects nutraceuticals and safety attributes of fresh-cut red chard (Beta vulgaris) and rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) leaves. Postharvest Biology and Technology. 2021; 175 ():111500.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Giuseppina Pennisi; Francesco Orsini; Noelia Castillejo; Perla A. Gómez; Andrea Crepaldi; Juan A. Fernández; Catalina Egea-Gilabert; Francisco Artés-Hernández; Giorgio Gianquinto. 2021. "Spectral composition from led lighting during storage affects nutraceuticals and safety attributes of fresh-cut red chard (Beta vulgaris) and rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) leaves." Postharvest Biology and Technology 175, no. : 111500.

Journal article
Published: 14 December 2020 in Sustainability
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Within the scholarly debate, Urban Agriculture (UA) has been widely acknowledged to provide diverse environmental and socio-cultural ecosystem services (ESs) for cities. However, the question of whether these potential benefits are also recognized as such by the involved societal groups on the ground has not yet been investigated. This paper aims at (1) assessing the perceived ESs of UA, comparing the views of different societal groups in the city of Bologna, Italy (namely: UA project leaders, stakeholders and the general public) and (2) to identify differences in the evaluation of specific UA types (indoor farming, high-tech greenhouses, peri-urban farms, community-supported agriculture, community rooftop garden and urban co-op). In total, 406 individuals evaluated 25 ESs via a standardized Likert-scale survey. The study unveiled similarities and divergences of perceptions among the different societal groups. The statistical analysis indicated that the general public and UA stakeholders agree on the high relevance of socio-cultural ESs, while provisioning ESs was considered as less significant. UA types focusing on social innovation were expected to provide higher socio-cultural ESs whereas peri-urban activities were more closely linked to habitat ESs. We assume that involvement and knowledge of UA are determining factors for valuing the provision of ESs through UA, which needs to be considered for ES valuation, particularly in a policymaking context.

ACS Style

Esther Sanyé-Mengual; Kathrin Specht; Jan Vávra; Martina Artmann; Francesco Orsini; Giorgio Gianquinto. Ecosystem Services of Urban Agriculture: Perceptions of Project Leaders, Stakeholders and the General Public. Sustainability 2020, 12, 10446 .

AMA Style

Esther Sanyé-Mengual, Kathrin Specht, Jan Vávra, Martina Artmann, Francesco Orsini, Giorgio Gianquinto. Ecosystem Services of Urban Agriculture: Perceptions of Project Leaders, Stakeholders and the General Public. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (24):10446.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Esther Sanyé-Mengual; Kathrin Specht; Jan Vávra; Martina Artmann; Francesco Orsini; Giorgio Gianquinto. 2020. "Ecosystem Services of Urban Agriculture: Perceptions of Project Leaders, Stakeholders and the General Public." Sustainability 12, no. 24: 10446.

Review
Published: 16 November 2020 in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
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In recent years, urban agriculture (UA) projects have bloomed throughout the world, finding large applications also in the developed economies of the so-called Global North. As compared to projects in developing countries, where research has mainly targeted the contribution to food security, UA in the Global North has a stronger multifunctional connotation, and results in multiple combinations of farming purposes and business models pursued. The present review paper explores the contribution and role that UA plays in cities from the Global North, defining its functionalities toward ecosystem services (ES) provisioning and analyzing the factors that hinders and promote its regional diffusion and uptake. The manuscript integrates a description of UA growing systems, as well opportunities for crop diversification in the urban environment, and a comprehensive classification of UA business models. The distinctive features in terms of business models, farming purposes and farm size are then applied over an inventory of 470 UA projects in the Global North, allowing for a characterization and comparative analysis of distribution frequency of the different project typologies.

ACS Style

Francesco Orsini; Giuseppina Pennisi; Nicola Michelon; Alberto Minelli; Giovanni Bazzocchi; Esther Sanyé-Mengual; Giorgio Gianquinto. Features and Functions of Multifunctional Urban Agriculture in the Global North: A Review. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 2020, 4, 1 .

AMA Style

Francesco Orsini, Giuseppina Pennisi, Nicola Michelon, Alberto Minelli, Giovanni Bazzocchi, Esther Sanyé-Mengual, Giorgio Gianquinto. Features and Functions of Multifunctional Urban Agriculture in the Global North: A Review. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. 2020; 4 ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesco Orsini; Giuseppina Pennisi; Nicola Michelon; Alberto Minelli; Giovanni Bazzocchi; Esther Sanyé-Mengual; Giorgio Gianquinto. 2020. "Features and Functions of Multifunctional Urban Agriculture in the Global North: A Review." Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 4, no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 20 September 2020 in Agronomy
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The study evaluated the feasibility of simplified hydroponics for the growth of rooted cuttings of geranium (Pelargonium zonale) for commercial purposes in local farms in Northern Italy. Tested systems included a control where soilless system on substrate (peat) (T-1), usually adopted by local farmers, was compared against an open-cycle drip system on substrate (peat) (T-2), and a Nutrient Film Technique system (T-3). For commercial features, assessed parameters included flowering degree (flowering timing, numbers of inflorescences plant−1, and number of flowers inflorescence−1), numbers of leaves plant−1, number of branches plant−1, final height of plant, and the aesthetic-commercial assessment index. Assessed parameters also included fresh and dry weight, SPAD Index, the water consumption, and the water use efficiency (WUE). The soilless systems typology significantly affected rooted cuttings growth, commercial features, and WUE. The adoption of an open-cycle drip system (T-2) resulted in a significant improvement of all the crop commercial characteristics as compared with other treatments, making plants more attractive for the market. The water consumption was higher in T-2 as compared with T-1 and T-3, but it allowed for the highest fresh weight, and therefore also the highest WUE. The results indicate that the typology of soilless system significantly enhances the commercial characteristics of geranium.

ACS Style

Luca Brentari; Nicola Michelon; Giorgio Gianquinto; Francesco Orsini; Federico Zamboni; Duilio Porro. Comparative Study of Three Low-Tech Soilless Systems for the Cultivation of Geranium (Pelargonium zonale): A Commercial Quality Assessment. Agronomy 2020, 10, 1430 .

AMA Style

Luca Brentari, Nicola Michelon, Giorgio Gianquinto, Francesco Orsini, Federico Zamboni, Duilio Porro. Comparative Study of Three Low-Tech Soilless Systems for the Cultivation of Geranium (Pelargonium zonale): A Commercial Quality Assessment. Agronomy. 2020; 10 (9):1430.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Brentari; Nicola Michelon; Giorgio Gianquinto; Francesco Orsini; Federico Zamboni; Duilio Porro. 2020. "Comparative Study of Three Low-Tech Soilless Systems for the Cultivation of Geranium (Pelargonium zonale): A Commercial Quality Assessment." Agronomy 10, no. 9: 1430.

Research article
Published: 19 September 2020 in Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
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BACKGROUND The main objective of this study was to evaluate physiological and quality changes of minimally processed broccoli sprouts illuminated during postharvest storage under Blue, Red, and Far‐Red LED lighting as compared to Darkness or illumination with Fluorescent light, as control treatments. RESULTS Morphological and microbiological changes were determined during 15 d at 5 °C. In addition, total antioxidant activity and bioactive compounds changes throughout the shelf‐life were also monitored. Results showed that Far‐Red LED lighting increased hypocotyl and sprout length, decreased the microbial growth and improved the total antioxidant and scavenging activities, compared to Darkness and Fluorescent lighting treatments. However, it did not stimulate the biosynthesis of phenolic acids. In contrast, Blue LED light reduced by 50% the total antioxidant capacity of broccoli sprouts compared to Far‐Red treatment, as well as its morphological development. In addition, total scavenging activity was increased under Far‐Red LEDs regarding the remaining treatments in 12–10% (Darkness and Fluorescence) and 33–31% (Blue and Red LEDs). CONCLUSION Our results suggest that minimally processed sprouts may benefit from LED lighting during shelf life in terms of quality although further experiments should be conducted to optimize a proper exposure cycle and intensity aimed to be used in the distribution chain. It also opens the way for further development towards the integration of this technology in the food distribution chain. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

ACS Style

Noelia Castillejo; Lorena Martínez‐Zamora; Perla A. Gómez; Giuseppina Pennisi; Andrea Crepaldi; Juan A. Fernández; Francesco Orsini; Francisco Artés‐Hernández. Postharvest LED lighting: effect of r ed, b lue and f ar r ed on quality of minimally processed broccoli sprouts. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 2020, 101, 1 .

AMA Style

Noelia Castillejo, Lorena Martínez‐Zamora, Perla A. Gómez, Giuseppina Pennisi, Andrea Crepaldi, Juan A. Fernández, Francesco Orsini, Francisco Artés‐Hernández. Postharvest LED lighting: effect of r ed, b lue and f ar r ed on quality of minimally processed broccoli sprouts. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 2020; 101 (1):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Noelia Castillejo; Lorena Martínez‐Zamora; Perla A. Gómez; Giuseppina Pennisi; Andrea Crepaldi; Juan A. Fernández; Francesco Orsini; Francisco Artés‐Hernández. 2020. "Postharvest LED lighting: effect of r ed, b lue and f ar r ed on quality of minimally processed broccoli sprouts." Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 101, no. 1: 1.

Journal article
Published: 12 September 2020 in Agronomy
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Simplified soilless cultivation (SSC) systems have globally spread as growing solutions for low fertility soil regions, low availability of water irrigation, small areas and polluted environments. In the present study, four independent experiments were conducted for assessing the applicability of SSC in the northeast of Brazil (NE-Brazil) and the central dry zone of Myanmar (CDZ-Myanmar). In the first two experiments, the potentiality for lettuce crop production and water use efficiency (WUE) in an SSC system compared to traditional on-soil cultivation was addressed. Then, the definition of how main crop features (cultivar, nutrient solution concentration, system orientation and crop position) within the SSC system affect productivity was evidenced. The adoption of SSC improved yield (+35% and +72%, in NE-Brazil and CDZ-Myanmar) and WUE (7.7 and 2.7 times higher, in NE-Brazil and CDZ-Myanmar) as compared to traditional on-soil cultivation. In NE-Brazil, an eastern orientation of the system enabled achievement of higher yield for some selected lettuce cultivars. Furthermore, in both the considered contexts, a lower concentration of the nutrient solution (1.2 vs. 1.8 dS m−1) and an upper plant position within the SSC system enabled achievement of higher yield and WUE. The experiments validate the applicability of SSC technologies for lettuce cultivation in tropical areas.

ACS Style

Nicola Michelon; Giuseppina Pennisi; Nang Ohn Myint; Giacomo Dall’Olio; Lucrecia Pacheco Batista; Adeodato Ari Cavalcante Salviano; Nazim S. Gruda; Francesco Orsini; Giorgio Gianquinto. Strategies for Improved Yield and Water Use Efficiency of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) through Simplified Soilless Cultivation under Semi-Arid Climate. Agronomy 2020, 10, 1379 .

AMA Style

Nicola Michelon, Giuseppina Pennisi, Nang Ohn Myint, Giacomo Dall’Olio, Lucrecia Pacheco Batista, Adeodato Ari Cavalcante Salviano, Nazim S. Gruda, Francesco Orsini, Giorgio Gianquinto. Strategies for Improved Yield and Water Use Efficiency of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) through Simplified Soilless Cultivation under Semi-Arid Climate. Agronomy. 2020; 10 (9):1379.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nicola Michelon; Giuseppina Pennisi; Nang Ohn Myint; Giacomo Dall’Olio; Lucrecia Pacheco Batista; Adeodato Ari Cavalcante Salviano; Nazim S. Gruda; Francesco Orsini; Giorgio Gianquinto. 2020. "Strategies for Improved Yield and Water Use Efficiency of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) through Simplified Soilless Cultivation under Semi-Arid Climate." Agronomy 10, no. 9: 1379.

Review
Published: 11 September 2020 in Sustainability
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In recent years, research on light emitting diodes (LEDs) has highlighted their great potential as a lighting system for plant growth, development and metabolism control. The suitability of LED devices for plant cultivation has turned the technology into a main component in controlled or closed plant-growing environments, experiencing an extremely fast development of horticulture LED metrics. In this context, the present study aims to provide an insight into the current global horticulture LED industry and the present features and potentialities for LEDs’ applications. An updated review of this industry has been integrated through a database compilation of 301 manufacturers and 1473 LED lighting systems for plant growth. The research identifies Europe (40%) and North America (29%) as the main regions for production. Additionally, the current LED luminaires’ lifespans show 10 and 30% losses of light output after 45,000 and 60,000 working hours on average, respectively, while the vast majority of worldwide LED lighting systems present efficacy values ranging from 2 to 3 μmol J−1 (70%). Thus, an update on the status of the horticultural LED sector, LEDs’ applications and metrics, and the intense innovation are described and discussed.

ACS Style

Ivan Paucek; Elisa Appolloni; Giuseppina Pennisi; Stefania Quaini; Giorgio Gianquinto; Francesco Orsini. LED Lighting Systems for Horticulture: Business Growth and Global Distribution. Sustainability 2020, 12, 7516 .

AMA Style

Ivan Paucek, Elisa Appolloni, Giuseppina Pennisi, Stefania Quaini, Giorgio Gianquinto, Francesco Orsini. LED Lighting Systems for Horticulture: Business Growth and Global Distribution. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (18):7516.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ivan Paucek; Elisa Appolloni; Giuseppina Pennisi; Stefania Quaini; Giorgio Gianquinto; Francesco Orsini. 2020. "LED Lighting Systems for Horticulture: Business Growth and Global Distribution." Sustainability 12, no. 18: 7516.

Journal article
Published: 02 September 2020 in Agronomy
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Saffron is traditionally cultivated in soil as a semi-perennial crop, although the feasibility of crop production is today constrained in Europe due to both agronomic and socioeconomic factors. Accordingly, interest has been increasing concerning its possible cultivation within protected environments through adoption of soilless cultivation technologies. The aim of the present study was to optimize nutrient solution features in the soilless cultivation of saffron corms. The trial was conducted in a greenhouse at Almeria University. Saffron was grown in 15-L pots filled with perlite. Three fertigation treatments were used, obtained by a linear increase of all nutrients of one standard in order to reach an electrical conductivity (EC) of 2.0 (control, EC2.0), 2.5 (EC2.5) and 3.0 (EC3.0) dS m−1. Measurements included determinations of shoot length, corm yield, as well as nutrient uptake from the nutrient solution and concentrations within plant tissues. The nutrient solution with the highest EC (EC3.0) allowed obtaining three to five times more corms above 25-mm diameter. The increasing EC had a significant effect on the increase of macronutrient uptake, except for NO3− and NH4+ and resulted in a general increase of nutrient concentrations in tissues, such as corms and roots. Both macronutrient uptake and accumulation in plant tissues were highest under EC3.0. Nutrient uptake was significantly correlated with production of larger corms due to higher horizontal diameter.

ACS Style

María Del Carmen Salas; José Luis Montero; José Gregorio Diaz; Francesca Berti; María F. Quintero; Miguel Guzmán; Francesco Orsini. Defining Optimal Strength of the Nutrient Solution for Soilless Cultivation of Saffron in the Mediterranean. Agronomy 2020, 10, 1311 .

AMA Style

María Del Carmen Salas, José Luis Montero, José Gregorio Diaz, Francesca Berti, María F. Quintero, Miguel Guzmán, Francesco Orsini. Defining Optimal Strength of the Nutrient Solution for Soilless Cultivation of Saffron in the Mediterranean. Agronomy. 2020; 10 (9):1311.

Chicago/Turabian Style

María Del Carmen Salas; José Luis Montero; José Gregorio Diaz; Francesca Berti; María F. Quintero; Miguel Guzmán; Francesco Orsini. 2020. "Defining Optimal Strength of the Nutrient Solution for Soilless Cultivation of Saffron in the Mediterranean." Agronomy 10, no. 9: 1311.

Journal article
Published: 12 July 2020 in Agronomy
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In Northern Europe, the use of light–emitting diodes (LEDs) is widely adopted in protected horticulture, enabling to enhance plant growth by ensuring needed radiative fluxes throughout seasons. Contrarily, the use of artificial lighting in Mediterranean greenhouse still finds limited applications. In this study, the effects of supplemental LED interlighting on vegetative development, fruit growth, yield, and fruit quality of high-wire tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. ‘Siranzo’) during spring and summer season were addressed in a hydroponic greenhouse in Italy. Plants were either grown under natural solar radiation (control), or by adding supplemental LED interlighting. LED treatment featured red (R) and blue (B) light (RB ratio of 3) and a photosynthetic photon flux density of 170 µmol m−2 s−1 for 16 h d−1. Supplemental LED interlighting enhanced yield as a result of increased fruit weight and dimension. While no effects on soluble solids content and fruit color at harvesting were observed, supplemental LED interlighting accelerated ripening by one week in spring and two weeks in summer and this also resulted in increased cumulated productivity (+16%) as compared to control treatment. Overall, supplemental LED interlighting can represent a feasible technology for tomato greenhouse production also in the Mediterranean region.

ACS Style

Ivan Paucek; Giuseppina Pennisi; Alessandro Pistillo; Elisa Appolloni; Andrea Crepaldi; Barbara Calegari; Francesco Spinelli; Antonio Cellini; Xavier Gabarrell; Francesco Orsini; Giorgio Gianquinto. Supplementary LED Interlighting Improves Yield and Precocity of Greenhouse Tomatoes in the Mediterranean. Agronomy 2020, 10, 1002 .

AMA Style

Ivan Paucek, Giuseppina Pennisi, Alessandro Pistillo, Elisa Appolloni, Andrea Crepaldi, Barbara Calegari, Francesco Spinelli, Antonio Cellini, Xavier Gabarrell, Francesco Orsini, Giorgio Gianquinto. Supplementary LED Interlighting Improves Yield and Precocity of Greenhouse Tomatoes in the Mediterranean. Agronomy. 2020; 10 (7):1002.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ivan Paucek; Giuseppina Pennisi; Alessandro Pistillo; Elisa Appolloni; Andrea Crepaldi; Barbara Calegari; Francesco Spinelli; Antonio Cellini; Xavier Gabarrell; Francesco Orsini; Giorgio Gianquinto. 2020. "Supplementary LED Interlighting Improves Yield and Precocity of Greenhouse Tomatoes in the Mediterranean." Agronomy 10, no. 7: 1002.

Journal article
Published: 05 July 2020 in Agronomy
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Soil salinization due to climate change and intensive use of water and soil is increasing exponentially. Cucurbitaceae species are cultivated worldwide and the identification of salinity tolerant genotypes to be used as rootstock or scion for securing yield stability in salt affected agricultural areas is a research priority. In the present greenhouse study, we assessed the response to salinity (0 mM a non-salt control and 150 mM NaCl dissolved in the nutrient solution) in the seedlings of 30 genotypes of cucurbits grown in a floating hydroponic system. The species tested included 16 genotypes of Cucumis melo L. (CM1-16), 6 Citrullus vulgaris Schrad. (CV1-6), 2 interspecific hybrids of Cucurbita maxima Duch. × Cucurbita moschata Duch. (CMM-R1 and 2), 4 bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl. (LS1-4)), 1 Cucurbita moschata Duch. (CMO51-17), and 1 luffa (Luffa cylindrica Mill. (LC1)) species. Results highlighted different morphological and physiological traits between the species and genotypes and a different response to salt stress. We identified C. maxima × C.moscata interspecific hybrid CMM-R2, melon genotypes CM6, CM7, CM10, and CM16 together with watermelon genotypes CV2 and CV6 and bottle gourd LS4 as salt tolerant genotypes and possible candidates as salt resistant rootstock to be introduced in grafting programs.

ACS Style

Giuseppe Carlo Modarelli; Youssef Rouphael; Stefania De Pascale; Gölgen Bahar Öztekin; Yüksel Tüzel; Francesco Orsini; Giorgio Gianquinto. Appraisal of Salt Tolerance under Greenhouse Conditions of a Cucurbitaceae Genetic Repository of Potential Rootstocks and Scions. Agronomy 2020, 10, 967 .

AMA Style

Giuseppe Carlo Modarelli, Youssef Rouphael, Stefania De Pascale, Gölgen Bahar Öztekin, Yüksel Tüzel, Francesco Orsini, Giorgio Gianquinto. Appraisal of Salt Tolerance under Greenhouse Conditions of a Cucurbitaceae Genetic Repository of Potential Rootstocks and Scions. Agronomy. 2020; 10 (7):967.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Giuseppe Carlo Modarelli; Youssef Rouphael; Stefania De Pascale; Gölgen Bahar Öztekin; Yüksel Tüzel; Francesco Orsini; Giorgio Gianquinto. 2020. "Appraisal of Salt Tolerance under Greenhouse Conditions of a Cucurbitaceae Genetic Repository of Potential Rootstocks and Scions." Agronomy 10, no. 7: 967.

Editorial
Published: 29 June 2020 in Journal of Consumer Protection and Food Safety
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UA projects also bring innovation in available plant cultivation systems and technologies. As agriculture moves into cities, constraints arise, mainly associated with land accessibility, access to water, legal and policy frameworks and food safety (Gasperi et al. 2016). As a consequence, agricultural technology has evolved, particularly with reference to the so-called systems for building-integrated agriculture, which is also referred to as Zero-Acreage Farming (or Z-Farming). The achievement of agricultural integration within an existing urban built environment provides several advantages that not only might include a nexus to consumers and image/aesthetic functionalities, but might also contribute to circularity and overall urban metabolism. This is especially true for instance when (1) reclaimed wastewater or harvested rainwater is used for irrigation, (2) when organic waste is composted and used for plant nutrition, or (3) even when thermal energy and air flows are established between environments devoted to crop production and both residential and commercial buildings. Among building-integrated agriculture systems, the most promising and innovative ones are those of rooftop agriculture and vertical farming. Rooftop farming, which may take the form of open-air rooftop systems or rooftop greenhouses, allows the recovery and productive transition of vacant rooftop spaces. Whereas open-air systems are often associated with leisure and recre-ational functions in the global North, they may assume a crucial role for food security in developing countries, where they often host simplified hydroponic systems for veg-etable production. Alternatively, rooftop greenhouses (mainly found in North America, but growing in number also in Asia and Europe), are often equipped with highly technological systems and integrate the production of quality fruits and vegetables, with services such as workshops, catering, and events. Vertical farming systems (often referred to as Plant Factories with Artificial Lighting) are also growing in number across the globe, because of their resilience to external climatic conditions and their elevation of resource-use efficiency (especially in terms of land and water use, e.g. through use of closed loop hydroponics and recovery of atmospheric humidity and reuse for irrigation). The advances in LED lighting technologies have opened up a number of research fields that have previously mainly considered light implications for food nutritional quality and for food safety and the productivity and sustainability potential of indoor farming. In recent years, several research groups have addressed the quantification of the economic, social and environmental sustainability of UA, including that within a framework of international projects. Environmental performances have been identified for a range of UA systems, from allotment gardens (Sanyé-Mengual et al. 2018) to rooftop agriculture projects (Sanyé-Mengual et al. 2015) and vertical farming systems (Pennisi et al. 2019). However, each study builds on the peculiarities and uniqueness of each project case, therefore the possibilities of driving general conclusions and of implementing widely applicable policy tools haves to date been limited (Sanyé-Mengual et al. 2019). A main issue that hinders the growth of commercial UA is the absence or scarcity of adequate laws and regulations framing the sector. Whereas policies exist for the promotion of green spaces in the city for ecological-environmental, aesthetic-recreational, and social-educational purposes, the same cannot be said for UA oriented towards food production. As a consequence, the incorporation of UA within the food system is generally slow, because of the lack of national and local policies and strategic frameworks. Thus, a legislation is needed to ease the establishment and management of small-scale and citizen-driven UA initiatives, overarching the economic, environmental and social functions involved in achieving sustainable food systems. From a food safety perspective, the potential risks associated with environmental pollution should be addressed when agricultural products are cultivated within the urban environment. Contamination in cities may assume the form not only of heavy metals or metalloids, but also of organic compounds including hydrocarbons and dioxins. Moreover, limited skills and lack of coherent regulation may also result in potential contamination because of inappropriate crop management (e.g. with reference to pesticide use). Nonetheless, strategies for counterbalancing or avoiding pollutions have been developed specifically for urban agriculture, e.g. through the adoption of soilless systems whenever soils are not suitable for crop production (Pennisi et al. 2016). Another crucial innovative element associated with UA involves its economic dimension and the forms that it takes. Urban farmers benefit from the proximity to their con-sumers by exploring creative new business forms and relationships, and often progress beyond the potential cost-reduction offered by the possible short supply chains (e.g. solidarity buying groups and farmers markets). In the so-called Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) schemes, the boundary between consumers and producers fades out, merging these categories within the so-called prosumers. Diversification schemes emerge (as for social cooperatives engaging in farming and catering), while UA projects that build their success on the differentiation of production towards niche food typologies also appear. Moreover, the strongly innovative connotations of UA projects (e.g. mushrooms grown on exhausted coffee grounds or potted basil plants prepared by using the aquaponics technique), contribute to a growth of experiences that feature research and development as a main core. Finally, some UA projects concentrate their business on providing cooking, slaughtering or farming workshops, rather than...

ACS Style

Francesco Orsini. Innovation and sustainability in urban agriculture: the path forward. Journal of Consumer Protection and Food Safety 2020, 15, 1 -2.

AMA Style

Francesco Orsini. Innovation and sustainability in urban agriculture: the path forward. Journal of Consumer Protection and Food Safety. 2020; 15 (3):1-2.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesco Orsini. 2020. "Innovation and sustainability in urban agriculture: the path forward." Journal of Consumer Protection and Food Safety 15, no. 3: 1-2.

Journal article
Published: 09 June 2020 in Scientia Horticulturae
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Indoor plant cultivation systems are gaining increasing popularity because of their ability to meet the needs of producing food in unfavourable climatic contexts and in urban environments, allowing high yield, high quality, and great efficiency in the use of resources such as water and nutrients. While light is one of the most important environmental factors affecting plant development and morphology, electricity costs can limit the widespread adoption of indoor plant cultivation systems at a commercial scale. LED lighting technologies for plant cultivation are also rapidly evolving, and lamps for indoor cultivation are often designed to optimize their light emissions in the photosynthetically active spectrum (i.e. red and blue), in order to reduce energetic requirements for satisfactory yield. Under these light regimens, however, little information is available in literature about minimum photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) for indoor production of leafy vegetables and herbs, while existing literature often adopts light intensities from 100 to 300 μmol m-2 s-1. This study aims at defining the optimal PPFD for indoor cultivation of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), by linking resource use efficiency to physiological responses and biomass production under different light intensities. Basil and lettuce plants were cultivated at 24 °C and 450 μmol mol-1 CO2 under red and blue light (with red:blue ratio of 3) and a photoperiod of 16 h d-1 of light in growth chambers using five PPFD (100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 μmol m-2 s-1, resulting in daily light integrals, DLI, of 5.8, 8.6, 11.5, 14.4 and 17.3 mol m-2 d-1, respectively). A progressive increase of biomass production for both lettuce and basil up to a PPFD of 250 μmol m-2 s-1 was observed, whereas no further yield increases were associated with higher PPFD (300 μmol m-2 s-1). Despite the highest stomatal conductance associated to a PPFD of 250 μmol m-2 s-1 in lettuce and to a PPFD ≥ 200 μmol m-2 s-1 in basil, water use efficiency was maximized under a PPFD ≥ 200 μmol m-2 s-1 in lettuce and PPFD ≥ 250 μmol m-2 s-1 in basil. Energy and light use efficiencies were increased under a PPFD of 200 and 250 μmol m-2 s-1 in lettuce and under a PPFD of 250 μmol m-2 s-1 in basil. Furthermore, in lettuce grown under 250 μmol m-2 s-1 antioxidant capacity, phenolics and flavonoids were higher as compared with plants supplied with PPFD ≤ 150 μmol m-2 s-1. Accordingly, a PPFD of 250 μmol m-2 s-1 seems suitable for optimizing yield and resource use efficiency in red and blue LED lighting for indoor cultivation of lettuce and basil under the prevailing conditions of the used indoor farming set-up.

ACS Style

Giuseppina Pennisi; Alessandro Pistillo; Francesco Orsini; Antonio Cellini; Francesco Spinelli; Silvana Nicola; Juan A. Fernández; Andrea Crepaldi; Giorgio Gianquinto; Leo F.M. Marcelis. Optimal light intensity for sustainable water and energy use in indoor cultivation of lettuce and basil under red and blue LEDs. Scientia Horticulturae 2020, 272, 109508 .

AMA Style

Giuseppina Pennisi, Alessandro Pistillo, Francesco Orsini, Antonio Cellini, Francesco Spinelli, Silvana Nicola, Juan A. Fernández, Andrea Crepaldi, Giorgio Gianquinto, Leo F.M. Marcelis. Optimal light intensity for sustainable water and energy use in indoor cultivation of lettuce and basil under red and blue LEDs. Scientia Horticulturae. 2020; 272 ():109508.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Giuseppina Pennisi; Alessandro Pistillo; Francesco Orsini; Antonio Cellini; Francesco Spinelli; Silvana Nicola; Juan A. Fernández; Andrea Crepaldi; Giorgio Gianquinto; Leo F.M. Marcelis. 2020. "Optimal light intensity for sustainable water and energy use in indoor cultivation of lettuce and basil under red and blue LEDs." Scientia Horticulturae 272, no. : 109508.

Journal article
Published: 09 May 2020 in Agronomy
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Water use efficiency is a main research target in agriculture, which consumes 70% of global freshwater. This study aimed at identifying sustainable water management strategies for the lettuce crop in a semi-arid climate. Three independent experiments were carried out on a commercial variety of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) by applying different irrigation levels based on crop evapotranspiration (ETc), estimated through both the Hargreaves–Samani and Penman–Monteith equations. In the first experiment, one treatment was also guided by soil moisture sensors. In the second and third experiments, a factorial combination was used, combining the different irrigation levels with two soil mulching treatments, namely soil without mulch, and soil mulched with dried rice straw residues. The application of different irrigation levels significantly affected plant growth, yield, and physiology. Both the adoption of sensors for guiding irrigation and the application of mulching with straw promoted higher yield. As the irrigation water level was reduced, the WUE (water use efficiency) increased. WUE was also increased by covering the soil with mulch. The experiments point out that accurate management of irrigation water using a drip irrigation system associated with soil mulching increases yield and improves the WUE of lettuce crops in the Central Dry Zone, Myanmar.

ACS Style

Nicola Michelon; Giuseppina Pennisi; Nang Ohn Myint; Francesco Orsini; Giorgio Gianquinto. Strategies for Improved Water Use Efficiency (WUE) of Field-Grown Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) under a Semi-Arid Climate. Agronomy 2020, 10, 668 .

AMA Style

Nicola Michelon, Giuseppina Pennisi, Nang Ohn Myint, Francesco Orsini, Giorgio Gianquinto. Strategies for Improved Water Use Efficiency (WUE) of Field-Grown Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) under a Semi-Arid Climate. Agronomy. 2020; 10 (5):668.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nicola Michelon; Giuseppina Pennisi; Nang Ohn Myint; Francesco Orsini; Giorgio Gianquinto. 2020. "Strategies for Improved Water Use Efficiency (WUE) of Field-Grown Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) under a Semi-Arid Climate." Agronomy 10, no. 5: 668.