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Promising strategies that could aid a shift from N-intensive agriculture to an eco-friendlier approach include the integrated use of plant-based biostimulants. To date, results about the accumulation of nitrate in green leafy vegetables due to biostimulant application are conflicting. Therefore, the current study aimed at assessing the effect of a new plant-based biostimulant, containing triacontanol (TRIA), that is claimed to reduce nitrate accumulation in leaves, based on the yield and leaf quality of lettuce grown in a plastic tunnel under different N conditions. The experimental design was a factorial combination of three nitrogen fertilization levels (N0, N30, and N60, corresponding to 0, 30, and 60 kg N ha−1) and two biostimulant applications (treated with ‘ILSASTIM+’ = YB and untreated control = NB). Nitrogen fertilization resulted in a 40% yield increase over N0. Biostimulant application increased the yield 21% over NB, and both improved all growth parameters. In addition, the biostimulant had a positive effect on color and Soil Plant Analysis development (SPAD) index, thus enhancing the qualitative aspect. Interestingly, biostimulant application boosted nitrogen use efficiency with a 23% increase over untreated plants. The use of biostimulant proved to be suitable to be applied in a sustainable strategy of production and quality improvement.
Lucia Ottaiano; Ida Di Mola; Eugenio Cozzolino; Christophe El-Nakhel; Youssef Rouphael; Mauro Mori. Biostimulant Application under Different Nitrogen Fertilization Levels: Assessment of Yield, Leaf Quality, and Nitrogen Metabolism of Tunnel-Grown Lettuce. Agronomy 2021, 11, 1613 .
AMA StyleLucia Ottaiano, Ida Di Mola, Eugenio Cozzolino, Christophe El-Nakhel, Youssef Rouphael, Mauro Mori. Biostimulant Application under Different Nitrogen Fertilization Levels: Assessment of Yield, Leaf Quality, and Nitrogen Metabolism of Tunnel-Grown Lettuce. Agronomy. 2021; 11 (8):1613.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLucia Ottaiano; Ida Di Mola; Eugenio Cozzolino; Christophe El-Nakhel; Youssef Rouphael; Mauro Mori. 2021. "Biostimulant Application under Different Nitrogen Fertilization Levels: Assessment of Yield, Leaf Quality, and Nitrogen Metabolism of Tunnel-Grown Lettuce." Agronomy 11, no. 8: 1613.
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.
Ida Mola; Lucia Ottaiano; Eugenio Cozzolino; Leo Sabatino; Maria Sifola; Pasquale Mormile; Christophe El-Nakhel; Youssef Rouphael; Mauro Mori. Optical Characteristics of Greenhouse Plastic Films Affect Yield and Some Quality Traits of Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) Subjected to Different Nitrogen Doses. Horticulturae 2021, 7, 200 .
AMA StyleIda Mola, Lucia Ottaiano, Eugenio Cozzolino, Leo Sabatino, Maria Sifola, Pasquale Mormile, Christophe El-Nakhel, Youssef Rouphael, Mauro Mori. Optical Characteristics of Greenhouse Plastic Films Affect Yield and Some Quality Traits of Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) Subjected to Different Nitrogen Doses. Horticulturae. 2021; 7 (7):200.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIda Mola; Lucia Ottaiano; Eugenio Cozzolino; Leo Sabatino; Maria Sifola; Pasquale Mormile; Christophe El-Nakhel; Youssef Rouphael; Mauro Mori. 2021. "Optical Characteristics of Greenhouse Plastic Films Affect Yield and Some Quality Traits of Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) Subjected to Different Nitrogen Doses." Horticulturae 7, no. 7: 200.
Durum wheat is often cultivated in marginal areas with great management difficulties. Organic fertilization is a sustainable agricultural practice that allows preserving the environment, but its limit can be the reduction of yield and quality of crops, also in cereals. The aim of research was to evaluate the effects of the organic fertilization on yield and quality of Simeto, a variety of durum wheat, cultivated for two years in three different sites of the internal hill of Campania Region (San Giorgio la Molara, SGM; Ariano Irpino, AI; Sant’Angelo dei Lombardi, SAL). SGM was a sandy-clay-loam soil, with high fertility, while AI and SAL were clay soil. The organic fertilization (ORG), based on roasted leather, was compared to mineral fertilization (MIN) and the not fertilized treatment (N0). In SGM, crop growth rate (CGR) and leaf area index (LAI) were significantly higher than AI and SAL until the flowering (about 2- and 4-fold more, respectively). MIN and ORG significantly boosted CGR compared to N0, while for LAI, ORG was never different from N0. The two-years value of yield was 3.0 t ha–1; in SGM, it reached 4.2 t ha–1, and it was 54.6% more than the mean value of AI and SAL, while N0 was not different from MIN of AI and SAL. ORG yield was lower and not different from NO in AI, where the lowest values of 1000 kernels weight, and hectolitre weight were also recorded. MIN and ORG increased the number of spikes per square meter: 27.0%, and 12.8% over N0, respectively, but ORG showed an 11.2% decrease compared to MIN. The 1000 kernels weight reached the highest values in SAL, without differences between N0, MIN, and ORG. The values of protein and gluten percentage were highest in AI and SGM (about 13.5%, and 11.7%, respectively), but without differences between ORG and MIN in the 3 sites for protein percentage. The worst value of the vitreousness was recorded in SAL (52.3%), six-fold more than that of AI (8.2%), probably due to the high rainfall. NUE reached the highest value in SGM in the first year, when it was significantly different from AI and SAL (0.036 vs 0.030 t kg–1). Overall, the effect of nitrogen fertilization type results sitespecific; indeed, organic fertilization had the same performance of mineral in the site with better soil (low clay content, high nitrogen, and organic matter content) and climate conditions. Highlights - Organic fertilization based on roasted leather was compared to mineral fertilization in three marginal environments for two years. - Effect of organic fertilization on wheat yield, grain quality and nitrogen use efficiency was site-specific. - Yield of plants organically fertilized was lower than mineral fertilization in the two environments less fertile and with a high clay content. - Nitrogen use efficiency of organic fertilization was lower than mineral in the two environments less fertile and with high content of clay.- Grain protein and gluten percentage were lower in the site with higher rainfall.
Ida Di Mola; Lucia Ottaiano; Adriana Sacco; Mauro Senatore; Mauro Mori. Organic versus mineral fertilization: Assessing of yield and quality of durum wheat in marginal lands. Italian Journal of Agronomy 2021, 16, 1 .
AMA StyleIda Di Mola, Lucia Ottaiano, Adriana Sacco, Mauro Senatore, Mauro Mori. Organic versus mineral fertilization: Assessing of yield and quality of durum wheat in marginal lands. Italian Journal of Agronomy. 2021; 16 (2):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIda Di Mola; Lucia Ottaiano; Adriana Sacco; Mauro Senatore; Mauro Mori. 2021. "Organic versus mineral fertilization: Assessing of yield and quality of durum wheat in marginal lands." Italian Journal of Agronomy 16, no. 2: 1.
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.
Ida Di Mola; Stefano Conti; Eugenio Cozzolino; Giuseppe Melchionna; Lucia Ottaiano; Antonino Testa; Leo Sabatino; Youssef Rouphael; Mauro Mori. Plant-Based Protein Hydrolysate Improves Salinity Tolerance in Hemp: Agronomical and Physiological Aspects. Agronomy 2021, 11, 342 .
AMA StyleIda Di Mola, Stefano Conti, Eugenio Cozzolino, Giuseppe Melchionna, Lucia Ottaiano, Antonino Testa, Leo Sabatino, Youssef Rouphael, Mauro Mori. Plant-Based Protein Hydrolysate Improves Salinity Tolerance in Hemp: Agronomical and Physiological Aspects. Agronomy. 2021; 11 (2):342.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIda Di Mola; Stefano Conti; Eugenio Cozzolino; Giuseppe Melchionna; Lucia Ottaiano; Antonino Testa; Leo Sabatino; Youssef Rouphael; Mauro Mori. 2021. "Plant-Based Protein Hydrolysate Improves Salinity Tolerance in Hemp: Agronomical and Physiological Aspects." Agronomy 11, no. 2: 342.
Agricultural sites contribute extensively to atmospheric emissions of climate-altering gases such as nitrous oxide. Several strategies have been considered to mitigate the impact of agriculture on climate, among these the utilization of fertilizers added with nitrification inhibitors such as DMPP (3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate) may represent a suitable solution. DMPP inhibits the growth and activity of ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms, particularly the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, which are involved in N2O production. At present, little information is available on the effects of DMPP on the catabolic diversity of soil microbial community. In this study, the N2O emission by soil was performed by using the static chamber technique. The biological determinations of the microbial biomass carbon and the catabolic profile were assessed by measuring the substrate-induced respiration during the entire growing season of a potato crop under two nitrogen treatments: fertilization with and without DMPP. Our results did not show a clear mitigation of N2O emission by DMPP, even if a tendency to lower N2O fluxes in DMPP plots occurred when soil temperatures were lower than 20 °C. Conversely, DMPP deeply affected the microbial biomass and the catabolism of soil microorganisms, exerting a negative effect when it accumulated in excessive doses in the soil, limiting the growth and the capacity of soil microorganism communities to use different substrates.
Anna Tedeschi; Anna De Marco; Franca Polimeno; Paul Di Tommasi; Giuseppe Maglione; Lucia Ottaiano; Carmen Arena; Vincenzo Magliulo; Luca Vitale. Effects of the Fertilizer Added with DMPP on Soil Nitrous Oxide Emissions and Microbial Functional Diversity. Agriculture 2020, 11, 12 .
AMA StyleAnna Tedeschi, Anna De Marco, Franca Polimeno, Paul Di Tommasi, Giuseppe Maglione, Lucia Ottaiano, Carmen Arena, Vincenzo Magliulo, Luca Vitale. Effects of the Fertilizer Added with DMPP on Soil Nitrous Oxide Emissions and Microbial Functional Diversity. Agriculture. 2020; 11 (1):12.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAnna Tedeschi; Anna De Marco; Franca Polimeno; Paul Di Tommasi; Giuseppe Maglione; Lucia Ottaiano; Carmen Arena; Vincenzo Magliulo; Luca Vitale. 2020. "Effects of the Fertilizer Added with DMPP on Soil Nitrous Oxide Emissions and Microbial Functional Diversity." Agriculture 11, no. 1: 12.
Crop management and soil properties affect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from cropping systems. Irrigation is one of the agronomical management practices that deeply affects soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. Careful management of irrigation, also concerning to soil type, might mitigate the emissions of this powerful GHG from agricultural soils. In the Mediterranean area, despite the relevance of the agricultural sector to the overall economy and sustainable development, the topic of N2O emissions does not have the same importance as N2O fluxes in temperate agricultural areas. Only some research has discussed N2O emissions from Mediterranean cropping systems. Therefore, in this study, N2O emissions from different soil types (sandy-loam and clay soils) were analyzed in relation to the irrigation of a maize crop grown in two contrasting seasons (2009–2010). The irrigation was done using a center pivot irrigation system about twice a week. The N2O emissions were monitored throughout the two-years of maize crop growth. The emissions were measured with the accumulation technique using eight static chambers (four chambers per site). Nitrogen fertilizer was applied in the form of ammonium sulphate and urea with 3,4 dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) nitrification inhibitors. In 2009, the N2O emissions and crop biomass measured in both soil types were lower than those measured in 2010. This situation was a lower amount of water and nitrogen (N) available to the crop. In 2010, the N2O fluxes were higher in the clay site than those in the sandy-loam site after the first fertilization, whereas an opposite trend was found after the second fertilization. The soil temperature, N content, and soil humidity were the main drivers for N2O emission during 2009, whereas during 2010, only the N content and soil humidity affected the nitrous oxide emissions. The research has demonstrated that crop water management deeply affects soil N2O emissions, acting differently for denitrification and nitrification. The soil properties affect N2O emission by influencing the microclimate conditions in the root zone, conditioning the N2O production.
Lucia Ottaiano; Ida Di Mola; Paul Di Tommasi; Mauro Mori; Vincenzo Magliulo; Luca Vitale. Effects of Irrigation on N2O Emissions in a Maize Crop Grown on Different Soil Types in Two Contrasting Seasons. Agriculture 2020, 10, 623 .
AMA StyleLucia Ottaiano, Ida Di Mola, Paul Di Tommasi, Mauro Mori, Vincenzo Magliulo, Luca Vitale. Effects of Irrigation on N2O Emissions in a Maize Crop Grown on Different Soil Types in Two Contrasting Seasons. Agriculture. 2020; 10 (12):623.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLucia Ottaiano; Ida Di Mola; Paul Di Tommasi; Mauro Mori; Vincenzo Magliulo; Luca Vitale. 2020. "Effects of Irrigation on N2O Emissions in a Maize Crop Grown on Different Soil Types in Two Contrasting Seasons." Agriculture 10, no. 12: 623.
The global increasing demand of lettuce is pushing farmers to boost their production through several technical means, including mulching and nitrogen fertilization. However, from an environmental protection perspective, the role of scientific research is to limit the excessive use of some chemical approaches. This research aims to evaluate the possible effects of two mulching films (black polyethylene, PE, and brown photoselective film, BF) and two treatments with a plant growth-promoting product, containing Trichoderma spp., (non-treated, - Control and treated with RYZO PEP UP, - TR), on the productive and qualitative traits of lettuce grown under four regimes of nitrogen (0, 30, 60 and 90 kg ha−1, N0, N30, N60, and N90, respectively). The marketable yield increased at higher nitrogen levels, but without differences between the N60 and N90 doses. The photoselective film elicited marketable yield, with an 8% increase over PE. N fertilization also improved photochemical efficiency (higher Soil Plant Analysis Development and chlorophyllous pigments biosynthesis), as well as antioxidant activities (lipophilic—LAA and hydrophilic—HAA) and bioactive compounds (phenols and total ascorbic acid—TAA). Interestingly, Trichoderma spp. had a positive effect on these qualitative parameters, especially when combined with mulching films, where the increase generated by PE-TR treatment over the all other treatments was 16.3% and 16.8% for LAA and HHA, respectively. In all treatments, the nitrate leaves content was consistently always within the legal limit imposed by the European community. Overall, although Trichoderma spp. did not engender a marked effect on yield, probably due to the short crop cycle, its positive effect on some quality traits is an interesting starting point for further research.
Ida Di Mola; Lucia Ottaiano; Eugenio Cozzolino; Mauro Senatore; Adriana Sacco; Christophe El-Nakhel; Youssef Rouphael; Mauro Mori. Trichoderma spp. and Mulching Films Differentially Boost Qualitative and Quantitative Aspects of Greenhouse Lettuce under Diverse N Conditions. Horticulturae 2020, 6, 55 .
AMA StyleIda Di Mola, Lucia Ottaiano, Eugenio Cozzolino, Mauro Senatore, Adriana Sacco, Christophe El-Nakhel, Youssef Rouphael, Mauro Mori. Trichoderma spp. and Mulching Films Differentially Boost Qualitative and Quantitative Aspects of Greenhouse Lettuce under Diverse N Conditions. Horticulturae. 2020; 6 (3):55.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIda Di Mola; Lucia Ottaiano; Eugenio Cozzolino; Mauro Senatore; Adriana Sacco; Christophe El-Nakhel; Youssef Rouphael; Mauro Mori. 2020. "Trichoderma spp. and Mulching Films Differentially Boost Qualitative and Quantitative Aspects of Greenhouse Lettuce under Diverse N Conditions." Horticulturae 6, no. 3: 55.
An optimized nitrogen (N) fertilization may have a positive effect on leafy vegetables by increasing growth, yield and nutrient content of plants. Nevertheless, crop performance must be coupled with an increase in Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) in order to limit external N inputs and to avoid N surpluses associated with environmental and health problems. The aim of the current study was to assess the effects of a legume-derived plant hydrolysates (LDPH; Trainer®) and N fertilization levels (0, 2.25 and 4.5 g N m−2 for spinach and 0, 2.5 and 5.0 g N m−2 for lamb’s lettuce; N0%, N50%, N100%, respectively) on agronomical, biochemical, qualitative responses and NUE of these two important greenhouse leafy vegetables. Spinach and lamb’s lettuce were sprayed four times during the growing period (at a concentration of 4 mL L−1 of LDPH). In baby spinach, the LDPH application elicited a significant increase at the three levels of N fertilization: +16.8%, +14.2%, and 39.4% at 0, 2.25 and 4.5 g N m−2, respectively. Interestingly, in lamb’s lettuce, the N50% plants treated with LDPH reached similar values of marketable yield in comparison to treated and non-treated plants under N100% conditions. The presumed mechanism involved in the enhancement of yield response in the two leafy greens could be associated to a better activity of the photosystem II (higher SPAD index), biochemical (higher content of chlorophyll a, b and total) and leaf nitrate status. The foliar application of LDPH produced a major fortification in lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidant activities (+11.6 and 6.3% for spinach and lamb’s lettuce, respectively). The biostimulant application also improved N-use efficiency and N-uptake efficiency compared to untreated plants: +17.8% and +18.8%, and +50% and +73.3%, for spinach and lamb’s lettuce, respectively.
Ida Di Mola; Eugenio Cozzolino; Lucia Ottaiano; Sabrina Nocerino; Youssef Rouphael; Giuseppe Colla; Christophe El-Nakhel; Mauro Mori. Nitrogen Use and Uptake Efficiency and Crop Performance of Baby Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) and Lamb’s Lettuce (Valerianella locusta L.) Grown under Variable Sub-Optimal N Regimes Combined with Plant-Based Biostimulant Application. Agronomy 2020, 10, 278 .
AMA StyleIda Di Mola, Eugenio Cozzolino, Lucia Ottaiano, Sabrina Nocerino, Youssef Rouphael, Giuseppe Colla, Christophe El-Nakhel, Mauro Mori. Nitrogen Use and Uptake Efficiency and Crop Performance of Baby Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) and Lamb’s Lettuce (Valerianella locusta L.) Grown under Variable Sub-Optimal N Regimes Combined with Plant-Based Biostimulant Application. Agronomy. 2020; 10 (2):278.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIda Di Mola; Eugenio Cozzolino; Lucia Ottaiano; Sabrina Nocerino; Youssef Rouphael; Giuseppe Colla; Christophe El-Nakhel; Mauro Mori. 2020. "Nitrogen Use and Uptake Efficiency and Crop Performance of Baby Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) and Lamb’s Lettuce (Valerianella locusta L.) Grown under Variable Sub-Optimal N Regimes Combined with Plant-Based Biostimulant Application." Agronomy 10, no. 2: 278.
Nitrogen is the primary technical means responsible for food production increase, but on the other hand, wise management is needed because its excessive use can have a negative impact on the environment and on green leafy vegetable quality, such as that rocket. Rocket has the characteristics of accumulating nitrate in leaves with possible impacts on human health. In order to overcome this issue, researchers are focusing their attention on the use of alternative means, such as plant biostimulant application. The scope of this study was to assess the effect of legume-derived protein hydrolysate(LDPH) and tropical plant extract(TPE), combined with various doses of nitrogen (0 kg ha−1 non-fertilized; N0); 60 kg ha−1 (sub-optimal; N1); 80 kg ha−1 (optimal; N2); and 100 kg ha−1 (supra-optimal; N3)), in order to reduce nitrogen use, boost yield, and enhance the chemical and nutritional value of leaves without significantly accumulating nitrate. Both vegetal-based plant biostimulants enhanced plant growth, boosted the marketable yield (especially at N0 and N1 levels, by 38.2% and 28.2%, respectively, compared to the non-treated control), and increased the SPAD (Soil Plant Analysis Development) index and leaf pigments content, such as chlorophyll and carotenoids, especially in treated-LDPH rocket. The plant-based biostimulants also produced a major amplification in lipophilic antioxidant activity (+ 48%) and total ascorbic acid content (average + 95.6%), especially at low nitrogen fertilization levels, and maintained nitrate content under the legal European Comission limits.
Ida Di Mola; Lucia Ottaiano; Eugenio Cozzolino; Mauro Senatore; Maria Giordano; Christophe El-Nakhel; Adriana Sacco; Youssef Rouphael; Giuseppe Colla; Mauro Mori. Plant-Based Biostimulants Influence the Agronomical, Physiological, and Qualitative Responses of Baby Rocket Leaves under Diverse Nitrogen Conditions. Plants 2019, 8, 522 .
AMA StyleIda Di Mola, Lucia Ottaiano, Eugenio Cozzolino, Mauro Senatore, Maria Giordano, Christophe El-Nakhel, Adriana Sacco, Youssef Rouphael, Giuseppe Colla, Mauro Mori. Plant-Based Biostimulants Influence the Agronomical, Physiological, and Qualitative Responses of Baby Rocket Leaves under Diverse Nitrogen Conditions. Plants. 2019; 8 (11):522.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIda Di Mola; Lucia Ottaiano; Eugenio Cozzolino; Mauro Senatore; Maria Giordano; Christophe El-Nakhel; Adriana Sacco; Youssef Rouphael; Giuseppe Colla; Mauro Mori. 2019. "Plant-Based Biostimulants Influence the Agronomical, Physiological, and Qualitative Responses of Baby Rocket Leaves under Diverse Nitrogen Conditions." Plants 8, no. 11: 522.
Nitrogen (N) fertilizers play a crucial role in agriculture, representing a powerful tool for farmers for increasing yields throughout the seasons under both optimal and suboptimal conditions. At the same time, their synthetic/chemical nature could have several influences on ecosystems and human health. For this reason, there is an urgent need to find new and more sustainable means of production to increase plant productivity and optimize nitrogen use. An experiment was conducted in a plastic tunnel to assess the response of baby lettuce crop to the foliar application of three plant biostimulants (PBs): Legume-derived protein hydrolysate (LDPH) ‘Trainer®’, tropical plant extract (TPE) ‘Auxym®’ and seaweed extract (SwE) from Ecklonia maxima ‘Kelpak®’ under different N rates of 0, 10, 20 and 30 kg N·ha−1. The responses of baby lettuce plants were assessed in terms of yield, growth parameters and physicochemical composition of the leaves. The fresh yield of baby lettuce in both biostimulant-treated and untreated plants was positively affected by increasing N rates from 0 to 20 kg N·ha−1, reaching a plateau thereafter indicating luxury N conditions at 30 kg N·ha−1. However, high N fertilizer application (20 and especially 30 kg N·ha−1) resulted in undesirable decreases in antioxidant activities and total ascorbic acid (TAA). Under non-fertilized regimens, foliar PBs application boost growth and yield of baby lettuce in comparison to non-treated plants. Foliar spray with LDPH and especially SwE elicited significant increases in marketable fresh yield (averaging 14%, 6% and 7% at 10, 20 and 30 kg N·ha−1, respectively) compared to TPE and untreated plants. Improved agronomical performance of baby lettuce under optimal (10 kg N ha−1) and especially suboptimal N regimens (0 kg N ha−1) was associated with increasing photochemical efficiency and a better activity of photosystem II (higher Soil Plant Analysis Development-SPAD index and chlorophyllous pigments biosynthesis). The application of LDPH enhanced antioxidant capacity and TAA in baby lettuce leaf and did not increased nitrate content as recorded in SwE and TPE treatments. Overall, plant biostimulants may be considered as a sustainable tool of production to increase leafy vegetable productivity in low fertility soils.
Ida Di Mola; Eugenio Cozzolino; Lucia Ottaiano; Maria Giordano; Youssef Rouphael; Giuseppe Colla; Mauro Mori. Effect of Vegetal- and Seaweed Extract-Based Biostimulants on Agronomical and Leaf Quality Traits of Plastic Tunnel-Grown Baby Lettuce under Four Regimes of Nitrogen Fertilization. Agronomy 2019, 9, 571 .
AMA StyleIda Di Mola, Eugenio Cozzolino, Lucia Ottaiano, Maria Giordano, Youssef Rouphael, Giuseppe Colla, Mauro Mori. Effect of Vegetal- and Seaweed Extract-Based Biostimulants on Agronomical and Leaf Quality Traits of Plastic Tunnel-Grown Baby Lettuce under Four Regimes of Nitrogen Fertilization. Agronomy. 2019; 9 (10):571.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIda Di Mola; Eugenio Cozzolino; Lucia Ottaiano; Maria Giordano; Youssef Rouphael; Giuseppe Colla; Mauro Mori. 2019. "Effect of Vegetal- and Seaweed Extract-Based Biostimulants on Agronomical and Leaf Quality Traits of Plastic Tunnel-Grown Baby Lettuce under Four Regimes of Nitrogen Fertilization." Agronomy 9, no. 10: 571.
Cardoon is a crop well adapted to Mediterranean climatic conditions, that is able to grow also in marginal lands thus reducing competition for land with food crops. It is considered a key crop for bio-refinery since it allows to produce different interesting molecules for industrial application. From stems it is possible to obtain large amounts of cellulose, grains are a good source of oil and proteins and roots can be a source of inulin. The aim of this research has been to evaluate the productive levels of different genotypes of cardoon in two different climatic conditions of Mediterranean cropland (a site in the Vesuvius plain and a site in the internal hilly cropland). In both the sites, during 3 years (from 2012-2013 to 2014-2015), three genotypes (Altilis, Gigante e Trinaseed) were cultivated with 2 planting densities (4 and 8 plants per m2). A low input cropping system was adopted (no irrigation and 150 kg ha-1 of N supplied as ammonium nitrate). In plainy site (NA-Ac.), lignocellulosic biomass yield was 19 t ha-1 d.m. and grain yield 2.7 t ha-1 on the average of the 3 years period. In the hilly site, biomass yield was similar (20 t ha-1 d.m.) while grain yield was higher (3.9 t ha-1 on the average) as compared to the plainy site. As regards biomass composition, an increase of hemicellulose and a decrease of cellulose content was measured in the plainy site, maybe as a response of plant to the higher drought stress.
Lucia Ottaiano; Ida Di Mola; Adriana Impagliazzo; Eugenio Cozzolino; Felicia Masucci; Mauro Mori; Massimo Fagnano. Yields and quality of biomasses and grain in Cynara cardunculus L. grown in southern Italy, as affected by genotype and environmental conditions. Italian Journal of Agronomy 2017, 11, 1 .
AMA StyleLucia Ottaiano, Ida Di Mola, Adriana Impagliazzo, Eugenio Cozzolino, Felicia Masucci, Mauro Mori, Massimo Fagnano. Yields and quality of biomasses and grain in Cynara cardunculus L. grown in southern Italy, as affected by genotype and environmental conditions. Italian Journal of Agronomy. 2017; 11 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLucia Ottaiano; Ida Di Mola; Adriana Impagliazzo; Eugenio Cozzolino; Felicia Masucci; Mauro Mori; Massimo Fagnano. 2017. "Yields and quality of biomasses and grain in Cynara cardunculus L. grown in southern Italy, as affected by genotype and environmental conditions." Italian Journal of Agronomy 11, no. : 1.