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Pietro Toscano is a senior technologist at the CREA - Research Centre for Engineering and Agri-Food Processing of Treviglio (Bergamo), Italy. He graduated in Agricultural Science at the University of Bari, Italy, in 1987. He was a full-time researcher from 1990 to 2015 at Research Centre of Olive-growing in Rende (Cosenza), Italy, with expertise in the mechanisation of cultural techniques, soil and orchard management, and the composting of olive mill by-products. Since 2015, a researcher and then a senior technologist, he works in agromechanics innovations, and has a work in progress PhD project on the innovative management of arable land.
In olive oil extraction processes, different operating methods used for the preparation of olive pastes significantly affect their rheological characteristics, as well as the extraction yields and qualitative characteristics of the oils. To enhance and improve the characteristics of high-quality EVOOs (Extra Virgin Olive Oils), milling technologies have implemented olive pitting in the preparation of olive pastes to be processed for olive oil extraction. Commonly used pitting machines employ the percussion and centrifugal projection of drupes, which often involve the heating of pastes, breaking of kernels, and emulsion of oils. Aiming to improve olive oil pitting processes, the CREA Research Centre for Engineering and Agri-food Processing in Treviglio, Italy, has conceived an alternative method, which is based on the low-speed constriction and mutual abrasion of drupes inside a rotative working chamber. This paper describes the process that led to the hypothesis of an innovative pitting method and to the validation of the hypothesis through the development of a lab-scale pitter prototype. The development steps and the assessment of the results of the prototype trials are reported.
Pietro Toscano; Maurizio Cutini; Luciana Di Giacinto; Maria Gabriella Di Serio; Carlo Bisaglia. Development of a Lab-Scale Prototype for Validating an Innovative Pitting Method of Oil Olives. AgriEngineering 2021, 3, 622 -632.
AMA StylePietro Toscano, Maurizio Cutini, Luciana Di Giacinto, Maria Gabriella Di Serio, Carlo Bisaglia. Development of a Lab-Scale Prototype for Validating an Innovative Pitting Method of Oil Olives. AgriEngineering. 2021; 3 (3):622-632.
Chicago/Turabian StylePietro Toscano; Maurizio Cutini; Luciana Di Giacinto; Maria Gabriella Di Serio; Carlo Bisaglia. 2021. "Development of a Lab-Scale Prototype for Validating an Innovative Pitting Method of Oil Olives." AgriEngineering 3, no. 3: 622-632.
At the CREA research facility of Treviglio (Bergamo, Italy), to provide farmers with valuable hints for the transition from conventional to precision agriculture, information on crop production dynamics (Maize and Triticale) has been obtained using real-time soil mapping (resistivity technique) and production quality and quantity monitoring with a commercial yield mapping apparatus. The geostatistical processing of data resulted in the same zoning for Triticale, meaning that the characteristics of soil influenced crop behavior more than the variability resulting from other factors, which suggests that improvements in product yields can be planned and achieved acting, for instance, on variable rate distribution of fertilizers. The importance of the acquired data can help farmers to manage factors that are external to their plots of land.
Massimo Brambilla; Elio Romano; Pietro Toscano; Maurizio Cutini; Marcello Biocca; Chiara Ferré; Roberto Comolli; Carlo Bisaglia. From Conventional to Precision Fertilization: A Case Study on the Transition for a Small-Medium Farm. AgriEngineering 2021, 3, 438 -446.
AMA StyleMassimo Brambilla, Elio Romano, Pietro Toscano, Maurizio Cutini, Marcello Biocca, Chiara Ferré, Roberto Comolli, Carlo Bisaglia. From Conventional to Precision Fertilization: A Case Study on the Transition for a Small-Medium Farm. AgriEngineering. 2021; 3 (2):438-446.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMassimo Brambilla; Elio Romano; Pietro Toscano; Maurizio Cutini; Marcello Biocca; Chiara Ferré; Roberto Comolli; Carlo Bisaglia. 2021. "From Conventional to Precision Fertilization: A Case Study on the Transition for a Small-Medium Farm." AgriEngineering 3, no. 2: 438-446.
In this work, basil plants were fertilized with 0, 2.5 mM and 10 mM nitrogen (with different NO3−/NH4+ ratios), and then monitored using a low-power technique based on an optical leaf meter and a low-cost RGB sensor interfaced with an Arduino UNO board. The study aimed to investigate possible relationships between the concentration of some plant compounds (i.e., leaf chlorophyll and flavonoids content) and the nitrogen balance index, with the output data of a low-cost RGB sensor to indicate its capability in discriminating among different levels of nutrition. The data obtained underwent univariate and multivariate analysis. The univariate data analysis showed that the low-cost RGB sensor readings followed the development of the plants according to the varying applications of nitrogen. The multivariate analysis of the data showed that the indices related to plant metabolic efficiency and leaf colour were those most affected by the nitrogen levels of the solutions used. The comparison of the discrimination powers of the systems showed that both systems achieved comparable discrimination performances (85.0% and 89.4%) for plants supplied with 0 mM nitrogen solution. However, at increasing levels of nitrogen, the RGB sensor performed worse than the optical leaf meter (− 15.8% and − 8.6% for the 2.5 and 10 mM N treatments). The effect of the NO3−/NH4+ ratio could hardly be distinguished (except for the total chlorophyll resulting from the optical leaf meter readings). More data is, however, necessary to create a more robust model for future implementation of the application of such a sensor.
Massimo Brambilla; Elio Romano; Marina Buccheri; Maurizio Cutini; Pietro Toscano; Sonia Cacini; Daniele Massa; Serena Ferri; Danilo Monarca; Marco Fedrizzi; Gianluca Burchi; Carlo Bisaglia. Application of a low-cost RGB sensor to detect basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) nutritional status at pilot scale level. Precision Agriculture 2020, 22, 734 -753.
AMA StyleMassimo Brambilla, Elio Romano, Marina Buccheri, Maurizio Cutini, Pietro Toscano, Sonia Cacini, Daniele Massa, Serena Ferri, Danilo Monarca, Marco Fedrizzi, Gianluca Burchi, Carlo Bisaglia. Application of a low-cost RGB sensor to detect basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) nutritional status at pilot scale level. Precision Agriculture. 2020; 22 (3):734-753.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMassimo Brambilla; Elio Romano; Marina Buccheri; Maurizio Cutini; Pietro Toscano; Sonia Cacini; Daniele Massa; Serena Ferri; Danilo Monarca; Marco Fedrizzi; Gianluca Burchi; Carlo Bisaglia. 2020. "Application of a low-cost RGB sensor to detect basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) nutritional status at pilot scale level." Precision Agriculture 22, no. 3: 734-753.
Irrigation with wastewater can strongly contribute to the reduction of water abstraction in agriculture with an especial interest in arid and semiarid areas. However, its use can have drawbacks to both soil and micro-irrigation systems, especially when the total solids in the wastewater are high, such as in digestate liquid fractions (DLF) from plant material. The aim of this study was thus to evaluate the performances of a serpentine shaped micro-emitter injected with a hydrocyclone filtered DLF (HF-DLF) from corn + barley biomass and evaluate the traits of the liquid released within a 8-h irrigation cycle. HF-DLF was injected at 10%, 25%, and 50% dilution compared to tap water (at pH = 7.84) and the system performances were measured. No clogging was found, which likely depended on both the shape of the emitter and the high-pressure head (200 kPa). HF-DLF dilution at 10%, 25%, and 50% consisted in +1.9%, +3.5, and −4.9% amount of liquid released compared to the control. Fluid temperature during irrigation (from 9:00 to 17:00) did not explain the difference in the released amounts of liquid. In 10% HF-DLF % and 25% HF-DLF, a pH difference of + 0.321 ± 0.014 pH units compared to the control was found, and such difference was constant for both dilutions and at increasing the time. In contrast, 50% HF-DLF increased pH by around a half point and such difference increased with time. Similar differences among treatments were found for the total solids in the liquid. These results indicate that 50% HF-DLF was accumulating materials in the serpentine. These results suggest that a low diluted HF-DLF could directly be injected in irrigation systems with few drawbacks for the irrigation system and contribute to water conservation since such wastewater are available from the late spring to the early fall, when water requirements are high.
Simone Bergonzoli; Massimo Brambilla; Elio Romano; Sergio Saia; Paola Cetera; Maurizio Cutini; Pietro Toscano; Carlo Bisaglia; Luigi Pari. Feeding Emitters for Microirrigation with a Digestate Liquid Fraction up to 25% Dilution Did Not Reduce Their Performance. Agronomy 2020, 10, 1150 .
AMA StyleSimone Bergonzoli, Massimo Brambilla, Elio Romano, Sergio Saia, Paola Cetera, Maurizio Cutini, Pietro Toscano, Carlo Bisaglia, Luigi Pari. Feeding Emitters for Microirrigation with a Digestate Liquid Fraction up to 25% Dilution Did Not Reduce Their Performance. Agronomy. 2020; 10 (8):1150.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSimone Bergonzoli; Massimo Brambilla; Elio Romano; Sergio Saia; Paola Cetera; Maurizio Cutini; Pietro Toscano; Carlo Bisaglia; Luigi Pari. 2020. "Feeding Emitters for Microirrigation with a Digestate Liquid Fraction up to 25% Dilution Did Not Reduce Their Performance." Agronomy 10, no. 8: 1150.
The precise monitoring of the inner microclimate of a greenhouse implies an increase of the production costs following the expensive needed sensor arrays. Currently, there is availability of low-cost sensors and cards for data storage and processing, but their application in real scale facilities is still under study. This research aimed to find a solution to manage and implement the outcome of various information (i.e. luminosity as well as air humidity and temperature) on the internal environment of a tunnel greenhouse to point out the most critical dynamics occurring during the growth cycle of basil plants in summer. Placing low-cost sensors inside a tunnel greenhouse made it possible to acquire data with an adequate rate (0.1 min−1) and spatiotemporal distribution throughout the facility. Data storage and processing took place thanks to an on purpose created weather station based on Arduino Yun Rev2 board. The highest variability of air temperature and moisture inside the greenhouse occurred when the solar radiation begins to heat the cover of the greenhouse (between 6.00 and 7.00 AM) and few hours after the maximum peak of solar radiation (843.4 ± 133.3 W/m2). Low-cost sensors combined with spatial fitting of the data provided insights about the effective microenvironmental conditions occurring on daily basis. This, implemented with IoT technologies, will be the base for the realization of economic monitoring systems.
Elio Romano; Massimo Brambilla; Pietro Toscano; Carlo Bisaglia. A Method to Implement a Monitoring System Based on Low-Cost Sensors for Micro-environmental Conditions Monitoring in Greenhouses. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering 2020, 775 -782.
AMA StyleElio Romano, Massimo Brambilla, Pietro Toscano, Carlo Bisaglia. A Method to Implement a Monitoring System Based on Low-Cost Sensors for Micro-environmental Conditions Monitoring in Greenhouses. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering. 2020; ():775-782.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElio Romano; Massimo Brambilla; Pietro Toscano; Carlo Bisaglia. 2020. "A Method to Implement a Monitoring System Based on Low-Cost Sensors for Micro-environmental Conditions Monitoring in Greenhouses." Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering , no. : 775-782.
Driving on ice is still a risky activity. Research has investigated the factors contributing to the friction mechanism and has reported experimental studies of pneumatic tyres on ice in order to develop models that predict tractive and braking performance on ice/snow. Therefore, developing testing methods to obtain relevant experimental data for the validation of models is equally important. There are agricultural and industrial vehicles which are also designed for pulling but there are no specific studies reporting experimental tests on traction force of such machines in snowy conditions. However, this issue is very topical, as demonstrated by the appearance on the market of winter tyres for such vehicles. This study presents a method for testing winter tyres in outdoor test facilities with a focus on traction performance. The conclusions will serve in future investigations as a concise knowledge source to develop improved testing facilities and tyre–ice interaction models, aiding the development of better tyre designs and improved vehicle safety systems. The functional tests hereafter described have been carried out with the aim of evaluating the possibility of measuring the influences of different technique solutions on the performance of certain 17.5 R25 sized industrial tyres.
Maurizio Cutini; Massimo Brambilla; Pietro Toscano; Carlo Bisaglia; Gianluca Abbati; Gianluca Meloro. Evaluation of drawbar performance of winter tyres for special purpose vehicles. Journal of Terramechanics 2020, 87, 29 -36.
AMA StyleMaurizio Cutini, Massimo Brambilla, Pietro Toscano, Carlo Bisaglia, Gianluca Abbati, Gianluca Meloro. Evaluation of drawbar performance of winter tyres for special purpose vehicles. Journal of Terramechanics. 2020; 87 ():29-36.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaurizio Cutini; Massimo Brambilla; Pietro Toscano; Carlo Bisaglia; Gianluca Abbati; Gianluca Meloro. 2020. "Evaluation of drawbar performance of winter tyres for special purpose vehicles." Journal of Terramechanics 87, no. : 29-36.
Caterina Briccoli; Elena Santilli; Ilaria Guagliardi; Pietro Toscano. Cultivation Techniques. Olive Germplasm - The Olive Cultivation, Table Olive and Olive Oil Industry in Italy 2012, 1 .
AMA StyleCaterina Briccoli, Elena Santilli, Ilaria Guagliardi, Pietro Toscano. Cultivation Techniques. Olive Germplasm - The Olive Cultivation, Table Olive and Olive Oil Industry in Italy. 2012; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCaterina Briccoli; Elena Santilli; Ilaria Guagliardi; Pietro Toscano. 2012. "Cultivation Techniques." Olive Germplasm - The Olive Cultivation, Table Olive and Olive Oil Industry in Italy , no. : 1.
Pietro Toscano; Francesco Montemurro. Olive Mill By-Products Management. Olive Germplasm - The Olive Cultivation, Table Olive and Olive Oil Industry in Italy 2012, 1 .
AMA StylePietro Toscano, Francesco Montemurro. Olive Mill By-Products Management. Olive Germplasm - The Olive Cultivation, Table Olive and Olive Oil Industry in Italy. 2012; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StylePietro Toscano; Francesco Montemurro. 2012. "Olive Mill By-Products Management." Olive Germplasm - The Olive Cultivation, Table Olive and Olive Oil Industry in Italy , no. : 1.
The addition of organic matter in the form of compost improves overall physical, chemical and biological properties of soils but, to be really sustainable, the composting process should be carried out using the by-products available in situ. Two different soils of a Mediterranean olive orchard, one managed traditionally (NAS) and the other amended with compost (AS), were investigated in a two-year experiment. Increases in total organic matter, total nitrogen and pH, were detected in AS if compared to NAS. Significant increases in total and specific microbial counts were observed in AS, with a clear amelioration of microbiological soil quality. The results demonstrated that soil amendment using compost deriving from olive mill by-products can be an important agricultural practice for supporting and stimulating soil microorganisms and, at the same time, for re-using these byproducts, so avoiding their negative environmental impact.
Teresa Casacchia; Adriano Sofo; Samanta Zelasco; Enzo Perri; Pietro Toscano. In situ olive mill residual co-composting for soil organic fertility restoration and by-product sustainable reuse. Italian Journal of Agronomy 2012, 7, 23 .
AMA StyleTeresa Casacchia, Adriano Sofo, Samanta Zelasco, Enzo Perri, Pietro Toscano. In situ olive mill residual co-composting for soil organic fertility restoration and by-product sustainable reuse. Italian Journal of Agronomy. 2012; 7 (2):23.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTeresa Casacchia; Adriano Sofo; Samanta Zelasco; Enzo Perri; Pietro Toscano. 2012. "In situ olive mill residual co-composting for soil organic fertility restoration and by-product sustainable reuse." Italian Journal of Agronomy 7, no. 2: 23.
Different mixtures of olive pomace (OP), olive mill wastewater (OMWW) and olive pruning residues (OPR) were aerobically co-composted under natural conditions. Compost temperature showed a sharp increase in the first 40-60 days, followed by a stabilization at 60°C and a decline after 150 days, whereas compost water content ranged from 50-55% to 25-30%. Total and selec-tive microbial counts were followed throughout the experiment by means of innovative (IMT) and conventional (CMT) microbiological techniques. Pseudomonas spp., anaerobic bacteria, actino-mycetes, and fungi reached levels of 8, 7, 5 and 6 log CFU g–1 compost, respectively, with a slight depression after 30-80 days. Total and fecal coliforms strongly decreased during the com-posting process. The use of IMT allowed to de-tect a higher and more stable growth of micro-organisms if compared to CMT. IMT was dem-onstrated to be an appropriate and reliable method for monitoring the microbial pools dur-ing the co-composting process.
Teresa Casacchia; Pietro Toscano; Adriano Sofo; Enzo Perri. Assessment of microbial pools by an innovative microbiological technique during the co-composting of olive mill by-products. Agricultural Sciences 2011, 02, 104 -110.
AMA StyleTeresa Casacchia, Pietro Toscano, Adriano Sofo, Enzo Perri. Assessment of microbial pools by an innovative microbiological technique during the co-composting of olive mill by-products. Agricultural Sciences. 2011; 02 (02):104-110.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTeresa Casacchia; Pietro Toscano; Adriano Sofo; Enzo Perri. 2011. "Assessment of microbial pools by an innovative microbiological technique during the co-composting of olive mill by-products." Agricultural Sciences 02, no. 02: 104-110.
The aims of this work are to assess the persistence of rotenone in oil and drupes of olive plants of cultivars Nocellara del Belice (NB) and Cassanese (CA), and to compare the quality of oils from rotenone-treated and untreated plants. Samples of drupes and oil were analyzed at 2, 12, 22 and 30 days after treatment. Rotenone levels in drupes of treated plants declined by about 50% after 22 days from treatment (0.037 mg kg−1 in NB and 0.039 mg kg−1 in CA), whereas the respective values in the oil were higher (0.209 mg kg−1 in NB and 0.229 mg kg−1 in CA) and had a lower decay half-life (4.02 days in NB and 4.71 days in CA). For both cultivars, no significant differences in oil physicochemical and nutritional parameters were found between the two treatments. The panel test of oils extracted after 22 days did not reveal significant differences in unpleasant aromatic notes nor defects between the two treatments. Our results confirm that serious doubts remain about the safety and healthiness of oils extracted from drupes treated with rotenone. This information could assess the real risk in the use of this product for plant protection in olive growing.
Teresa Casacchia; Adriano Sofo; Pietro Toscano; Luca Sebastianelli; Enzo Perri. Persistence and effects of rotenone on oil quality in two Italian olive cultivars. Food and Chemical Toxicology 2009, 47, 214 -219.
AMA StyleTeresa Casacchia, Adriano Sofo, Pietro Toscano, Luca Sebastianelli, Enzo Perri. Persistence and effects of rotenone on oil quality in two Italian olive cultivars. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2009; 47 (1):214-219.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTeresa Casacchia; Adriano Sofo; Pietro Toscano; Luca Sebastianelli; Enzo Perri. 2009. "Persistence and effects of rotenone on oil quality in two Italian olive cultivars." Food and Chemical Toxicology 47, no. 1: 214-219.
Pietro Toscano; G. Godino; T. Belfiore; C. Bricolli-Bati. FOLIAR FERTILIZATION: A VALID ALTERNATIVE FOR OLIVE CULTIVAR. Acta Horticulturae 2002, 191 -195.
AMA StylePietro Toscano, G. Godino, T. Belfiore, C. Bricolli-Bati. FOLIAR FERTILIZATION: A VALID ALTERNATIVE FOR OLIVE CULTIVAR. Acta Horticulturae. 2002; (594):191-195.
Chicago/Turabian StylePietro Toscano; G. Godino; T. Belfiore; C. Bricolli-Bati. 2002. "FOLIAR FERTILIZATION: A VALID ALTERNATIVE FOR OLIVE CULTIVAR." Acta Horticulturae , no. 594: 191-195.
Pietro Toscano; C. Briccoli Bati; T. Trombino. GRASS-COVER EFFECTS ON THE VEGETATIVE AND PRODUCTIVE STATE OF A YOUNG HILLY OLIVE-GROVE. Acta Horticulturae 1999, 181 -184.
AMA StylePietro Toscano, C. Briccoli Bati, T. Trombino. GRASS-COVER EFFECTS ON THE VEGETATIVE AND PRODUCTIVE STATE OF A YOUNG HILLY OLIVE-GROVE. Acta Horticulturae. 1999; (474):181-184.
Chicago/Turabian StylePietro Toscano; C. Briccoli Bati; T. Trombino. 1999. "GRASS-COVER EFFECTS ON THE VEGETATIVE AND PRODUCTIVE STATE OF A YOUNG HILLY OLIVE-GROVE." Acta Horticulturae , no. 474: 181-184.