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Durum wheat is one of the main crops in the Mediterranean region, which is characterized as the hotspot of climate change, with large year-to-year weather fluctuations. Although chemical input reduction in agriculture is strongly demanded, as well as healthy food, there is still a lack of stable and high-yielding crop varieties specifically adapted for organic conditions. This study evaluates the performance of fifteen durum wheat varieties in terms of suitability for organic farming in central Italy and assesses the impact of the genotype–environment interaction (GEI) on productive and quality traits. Variety performance was evaluated in field experiments over four successive seasons. In addition, a genotypic diversity analysis of 38 microsatellites associated with traits important for organic farming was performed. The AMMI (additive main effects and multiplicative interaction) stability analysis revealed that the best and most stable genotype regarding quality traits, such as thousand-kernel weight, protein content, and test weight was the ancient variety, Senatore Cappelli. The most stable and high yield was determined for the Fuego, Iride, and Mv-Pelsodur genotypes. Moreover, SSR markers that could be used for plant breeding, targeting organic farming systems based on molecular markers and GEI results, were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of consumer preferences and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for sustainable foods produced using new agri-food technologies is required to enhance the uptake of innovations that accelerate the transition towards sustainable food systems. Consumers' willingness to buy new food products, with no or limited consumption experience, mainly depends on their food choice motivational orientations (promotion- vs prevention-orientation). The objective of this study was to elicit consumers' WTP for foods that are produced with microbial applications during the plant production phase with the aim to reduce the use of synthetic chemicals in crop farming, as well as to understand the associations of food choice motives, personal and socio-demographic factors with the WTP. We used contingent valuation to elicit consumers' WTP for three food products (wheat bread, consumer potatoes and tomato sauce) through online surveys. Data were collected from 291 consumers, primarily from Italy, Germany and the Netherlands. Descriptive statistics, latent variable modelling and logistic regression were used to analysis data. Results show that more than two-third of the respondents are willing to pay premiums of at least 0.11 euro per kg of food products for reductions in synthetic chemical use by at least 50% due to microbial applications. The amount of WTP increases with the level of reductions in synthetic chemical use. The majority of the respondents are promotion-oriented consumers in relation to their food involvement, and are more likely to pay premiums for the sustainably produced food products. Environmentally concerned consumers are also more likely to pay premiums, whereas health concerned consumers are not. This study contributes to understanding of consumers' attitude and perceived health risks towards foods obtained using microbial applications, and the heterogeneity of their preferences. Results provide insights for identifying potential buyers of foods produced using microbial applications, and to set prices according to the levels of consumers' WTP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five arsenic-resistant bacterial strains designated MT1, MT2, MT3, V1 and V2 were isolated from sediments of the Oliveri-Tindari Lagoon (Italy), which comprises six small lakes whose sediments contain low arsenic concentrations. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences assigned them to the genus Bacillus. Bacillus sp. strain MT3 showed higher tolerance to As(III) and As(V), as indicated by minimum inhibitory concentrations of 14 and 135 mmol-1, respectively. Bacillus sp. strain V1 showed growth inhibition at 14 mmol-1 in the presence of As(III) and at 68 mmol-1 in the presence of As(V), whereas the arsenic resistance of Bacillus sp. strain MT1 was 10 and 27 mmol-1 for As(III) and As(V), respectively. The strains Bacillus spp. MT2 and V2 showed low levels of As(III) and As(V) resistance, as it was unable to grow at concentrations>7 and 14 mmol-1, respectively. The isolated arsenic-resistant Bacillus spp. strains were able to reduce As(V) to As(III), especially Bacillus spp. strain MT3. This study suggests that the isolated bacterial strains play a role in the arsenic biogeochemical cycle of arsenic-poor sediments in the Oliveri-Tindari Lagoon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The native microbial community of a contaminated sediment from Brentella Canal (Venice Lagoon, Italy) was enriched in slurry microcosms consisting of sterile sediment suspended in sterile site water in the presence of 3,3′,4,4′-tetrachlorobiphenyl, 3,3′,4,4′,5- and 2,3′,4,4′,5-pentachlorobiphenyls, 3,3′,4,4′,5,5′- and 2,3,3′,4,4′,5-hexachlorobiphenyls. The enrichment cultures were characterized at each subculturing step by 16S rRNA gene Terminal-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (T-RFLP) and Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis. About 90% of spiked polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were stoichiometrically converted into di- and tri-chlorinated congeners by each enriched culture via dechlorination of flanked para chlorines and ortho-flanked meta chlorines. A 2-fold increase in PCB-dechlorination rate, the disappearance of lag phase, as well as a remarkable increase of sulfate consumption and a decline of methanogenic activity, were observed throughout subculturing. A reduction of complexity of the archaeal community, which was composed by Methanomicrobiales and Methanosarcinales, was also observed as a result of culture enrichment. The bacterial community included members of the Alpha, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon divisions of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Chloroflexi. Two sequence phylotypes related to the genus Sulforovum and the species Desulfococcus multivorans and two Chloroflexi enriched throughout subculturing, thus suggesting that these bacteria were involved in PCB dechlorination in the marine sediments of Brentella canal. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this study, the Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone (LOICZ) budgeting procedure was used to evaluate the main nutrient pathways and ecosystem functions within Cabras Lagoon (Central-Western Sardinia, Italy) in 2004. The results of a simple one-box and one-layer model showed that nutrient accumulation prevailed over mobilisation for both dissolved inorganic phosphorus (annual mean of 675.69 mol d-1) and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (mean of 6120.05 mol d-1). Net ecosystem metabolism (NEM) was always positive, implying that production predominated over respiration throughout the year (mean of 3.3 mmol C m-2d-1). Estimates obtained from the model also highlighted the fact that nitrogen fixation prevailed over denitrification (mean of 0.14 mmol m-2d-1). Finally, extended water-residence times (mean of 192 days) were observed in the lagoon, particularly in the summer. An approach based on the improvement of water exchange with the sea would provide a relatively simple and short-term interim strategy, until more comprehensive actions aimed at reducing the anthropogenic nutrient loads in the watershed can be implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Twelve strains of endophytic fungi, isolated from various plants (i.e. Eugenia hallii, Schinus molle, Crataegus monogyna, Juniperus communis and Sambucus nigra) sampled in Amazonian forest and in Italy, were screened for their reduction activity with a cocktail of ketones 1–4. The four most active strains [i.e. Phomopsis (FE86 and FE290), Pestalotia and Epicoccum] were chosen for the reduction of 5-hexen-2-one 1, acetophenone 2, cis-bicyclo[3.2.0]hept-2-en-6-one 3, 2-methylcyclohexanone 4, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one 5, 2-furyl methyl ketone 6, 1-indanone 7, and 2,4,4-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one 8 and in all cases the S-alcohols were obtained with variable yields and enantiomeric excesses depending on the strains. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The performance of a constructed surface flow wetland in reducing diffuse N pollution coming from croplands is being investigated in an ongoing experiment, begun in 1998 in NE Italy. The 0.32 ha wetland is vegetated with Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. and Typha latifolia (L.). It receives drainage water from 6 ha of land managed for an experiment on drainage systems, where maize, sugarbeet, winter wheat and soybean are cultivated. During the period 1998–2002, the wetland received from 4698 to 8412 mm of water per year (on average, about 9 times the environmental rainfall); its water regimen was discontinuous and flooding occurred on a variable number of days per year (from 13 to 126). Nitric nitrogen was the most important form of element load. Its concentration in the inflow water over time was rather discontinuous, with median values ranging from 0.2 (in 2001) to 4.5 (in 2000) mg L−1. Inflow nitric N concentrations were occasionally in the 5–15 mg L−1 range. Concentrations reduced passing through the wetland, with a more evident effect in the last year. Over 5 years, the wetland received slightly more than 2000 kg ha−1 of nitrogen, 87% in nitric form mostly from farmland drainage. The remaining 13% of N was applied as organic slurry directly onto the wetland, with 5 distributions during 1998 to assess wetland performance in treating occasional organic loads. Field drainage loads had a discontinuous time pattern and occurred mostly during autumn–winter, with the exception of the 2001–2002 season which was a very dry. The wetland discharged 206 kg ha−1 of N, over the 5-year period, with an apparent removal efficiency of about 90%. The disappearance was mostly due to plant uptake (1110 kg ha−1) and soil accumulation (570 kg ha−1), with the contribution of denitrification being estimated at around 7%. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]