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To develop sustainable City/Region Food Systems (CRFS), a shift toward more ecofriendly and efficient production systems is needed. On its side, aquaponics systems rely on the equilibrium and interaction between fish, plants, and bacteria and are part of the so-called integrated production systems. Compared to other production techniques, it offers several advantages thanks to its management and operating costs feasibility. Recirculating Aquaponics Systems (RAS) provides the opportunity to finely close the nutrients loop inside an ecosystem and catch the best it can offer. Here we aim to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of RAS systems. In addition, we present as a case study the RAS prototype at the Department of Agricultural Sciences of University of Naples Federico II started in November 2020 to grow leafy vegetables and tilapia fish. Results provide helpful scientific and practical information for small and/or large-scale commercial growers as well as amateurs. Furthermore, our results highlight the suitability of these systems to be embedded in urban areas from rooftop and vertical farms to other controlled environment agricultural (CEA) systems and the opportunity they can offer for abandoned urban spaces.

Deficit irrigation occurrence while maintaining acceptable yield represents a useful tool for vegetables production wherever irrigation water is limited. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) 'Corsica' was grown in the field from May to July in order (1) to investigate the daily and seasonal evapotranspiration (ETc) of lettuce using drainage lysimeter, (2) to determine the crop coefficients (Kc) values, and (3) to study the effects of deficit irrigation on growth, marketable and water use efficiency (WUE). Treatments were: well-watered treatment receiving 100% of ETc (C), water-stressed treatment receiving 80% of ETc (WS1), water-stressed treatment receiving 60% of ETc (WS2), water-stressed treatment receiving 40% of ETc (WS3). Lysimeter measured crop evapotranspiration (ETc) totaled 422 mm, for total irrigation period of 81 days. Seasonal evapotranspiration (ET) of lettuce treatments, varied from 351 mm in the WS1 treatment to 305 mm in the WS2 treatment and 259 mm in the WS3 treatment, while in the control ET totaled 397 mm. The highest yield was recorded in C and WS1, with no significant differences between treatments followed by WS2, while the lowest value was recorded under the severe water stress treatment. A yield response factor (ky) value of 1.17 was determined, and lettuce was found to be sensitive to water stress. The highest values of water use efficiency (WUE), was recorded on WS1 (18.8 kg m-3), followed by the C (17.8), WS2 (16.3) and finally WS3 (15.5) treatment. Applying 80% of ETc resulted in water saving, with the least yield reduction, making more water available to irrigate other crops, and thereby considered optimal strategies for drip-irrigated lettuce in the semi-arid climate.

Climate change and abiotic stress challenges in crops are threatening world food production. Among others, salinity affects the agricultural sector by significantly impacting yield losses. Plant biostimulants have received increasing attention in the agricultural industry due to their ability to improve health and resilience in crops. The main driving force of these products lies in their ability to modulate plant metabolic processes involved in the stress response. This study’s purpose was to investigate the effect of two biostimulant products, including a protein hydrolysate (Clever HX®) and a seaweed extract with high amino acids content (Ascovip®), and their combination, on the metabolomics profile of tomato crops grown under salt stress (150 mM NaCl). Several stress indicators (leaf relative water content, membrane stability index, and photosynthesis activity) and leaf mineral composition after salinity stress exposure were assessed to evaluate stress mitigation, together with growth parameters (shoot and root biomasses). After that, an untargeted metabolomics approach was used to investigate the mechanism of action of the biostimulants and their link with the increased resilience to stress. The application of the biostimulants used reduced the detrimental effect of salinity. In saline conditions, protein hydrolysate improved shoot dry weight while seaweed extracts improved root dry weight. Regarding stress indicators, the application of the protein hydrolysate was found to alleviate the membrane damage caused by salinity stress compared to untreated plants. Surprisingly, photosynthetic activity significantly improved after treatment with seaweed extracts, suggesting a close correlation between root development, root water assimilation capacity and photosynthetic activity. Considering the metabolic reprogramming after plant biostimulants application, protein hydrolysates and their combination with seaweed extracts reported a distinctive metabolic profile modulation, mainly in secondary metabolite, lipids and fatty acids, and phytohormones biosynthetic pathways. However, treatment with seaweed extract reported a similar metabolic reprogramming trend compared to salinity stress. Our findings indicate a different mechanism of action modulated by protein hydrolysate and seaweed extract, suggesting stronger activity as a stress mitigator of protein hydrolysate in tomato crops under salinity stress.

Ocimum basilicum L. is an aromatic plant rich in bioactive metabolites beneficial to human health. The agronomic biofortification of basil with Zn could provide a practical and sustainable solution to address Zn deficiency in humans. Our research appraised the effects of biofortification implemented through nutrient solutions of different Zn concentration (12.5, 25.0, 37.5, and 50 µM) on the yield, physiological indices (net CO2 assimilation rate, transpiration, stomatal conductance, and chlorophyll fluorescence), quality, and Zn concentration of basil cultivars ‘Aroma 2’ and ‘Eleonora’ grown in a floating raft system. The ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP antioxidant activities were determined by UV-VIS spectrophotometry, the concentrations of phenolic acids by mass spectrometry using a Q Extractive Orbitrap LC-MS/MS, and tissue Zn concentration by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Although increasing the concentration of Zn in the nutrient solution significantly reduced the yield, this reduction was less evident in ‘Aroma 2’. However, regardless of cultivar, the use of the maximum dose of Zn (50 µM) increased the concentration of carotenoids, polyphenols, and antioxidant activity on average by 19.76, 14.57, and 33.72%, respectively, compared to the Control. The significant positive correlation between Zn in the nutrient solution and Zn in plant tissues underscores the suitability of basil for soilless biofortification programs.

Increased soil salinity is one of the main concerns in agriculture and food production, and it negatively affects plant growth and crop productivity. In order to mitigate the adverse effects of salinity stress, plant biostimulants (PBs) have been indicated as a promising approach. Indeed, these products have a beneficial effect on plants by acting on primary and secondary metabolism and by inducing the accumulation of protective molecules against oxidative stress. In this context, the present work is aimed at comparatively investigating the effects of microbial (i.e., Azospirillum brasilense) and plant-derived biostimulants in alleviating salt stress in tomato plants by adopting a multidisciplinary approach. To do so, the morphological and biochemical effects were assessed by analyzing the biomass accumulation and root characteristics, the activity of antioxidant enzymes and osmotic stress protection. Furthermore, modifications in the metabolomic profiles of both leaves and root exudates were also investigated by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC/QTOF-MS). According to the results, biomass accumulation decreased under high salinity. However, the treatment with A. brasilense considerably improved root architecture and increased root biomass by 156% and 118% in non-saline and saline conditions, respectively. The antioxidant enzymes and proline production were enhanced in salinity stress at different levels according to the biostimulant applied. Moreover, the metabolomic analyses pointed out a wide set of processes being affected by salinity and biostimulant interactions. Crucial compounds belonging to secondary metabolism (phenylpropanoids, alkaloids and other N-containing metabolites, and membrane lipids) and phytohormones (brassinosteroids, cytokinins and methylsalicylate) showed the most pronounced modulation. Overall, our results suggest a better performance of A. brasilense in alleviating high salinity than the vegetal-derived protein hydrolysates herein evaluated.

Combining health-promoting nutrition with gastronomic novelty is a major trend currently driving the agri-food sector. Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is a genetically diverse aromatic vegetable crop that combines rich phytochemical composition and enticing sensory profile. The current review examines how genetic variation underlies the phytochemical composition, nutrient composition, and volatile aromatic compounds of basil. It further provides a critical assessment of preharvest factors that configure product quality, including nutrient modulation, controlled stress, biofortification, biostimulant and light management applications. Appropriate genotype selection may facilitate sustainable production of improved quality, whereas targeted preharvest applications combined with optimized light intensity and spectral quality may effectively increase the content of essential phytochemicals and micronutrients, while suppressing the accumulation of anti-nutritive agents. The application of biostimulants may further underpin the sustainability factor in basil production, especially under growth-limiting conditions. The current review constitutes a critical synopsis of all available scientific literature investigating key factors configuring the composition of basil in minerals, bioactive secondary metabolites, micronutrients and volatile aromatic compounds from 1996 to 2022. Topics warranting further research are highlighted, with emphasis placed in identifying optimal combinations within the genotype-environment-management interaction nexus that tap the physiological and molecular mechanisms responsible for improving plant performance and functional-sensory quality in basil.

Light and nitrogen are the main factors commanding horticulture production. Therefore, this study aims at evaluating the effects of two different greenhouse cover films (clear-Film A and diffuse light-Film B) on yield and nutritive value of a ready-to-eat salad lamb’s lettuce (Valerianella locusta L.), grown under several nitrogen regimes (no nitrogen [N0], sub-optimal [N25] and optimal N fertilization [N50] corresponding to 0, 25 and 50 kg ha-1 , respectively). The combination N50 and Film B boosted SPAD index by 10.3% and yield by 91.9% compared to N0 × Film A. Concerning antioxidant activity and bioactive compounds, only total ascorbic acid was positively affected by Film B (9.4%), while there was no effect of this cover film on carotenoids and chlorophyllous pigments, which increased along the increment of nitrogen rates. Nitrate content in leaves was influenced by both factors and it showed increasing values, when nitrogen doses increased, reaching the highest value under N50-Film B conditions (3312.3 mg kg-1 fw). Our study showed that in the Mediterranean area, the use of greenhouse diffuse light film improved lamb’s lettuce yield, but on the other hand incurred significant increase in nitrate level, nonetheless remaining constantly under the legal threshold imposed by the commission regulation (EU). Secondary metabolites, such as total phenols and carotenoids, showed similar values under both films, instead the diffuse light film improved total ascorbic acid content.

Nell’ambito dell’orticoltura, così come in generale in tutte le produzioni agrarie, la propagazione riveste un ruolo prioritario. Il suo scopo, infatti, è quello di fornire materiale vegetale per l’impianto delle colture: semi; piantine da seme (semenzali); organi sotterranei (tuberi, rizomi, bulbi); piante autoradicate (moltiplicazione per talea, margotta, propaggine); piante innestate; piante micro-propagate (da colture in vitro). Nel capitolo vengono approfondite tutte queste modalità di propagazione con approfondimenti su alcuni casi studio (carciofo, fragola, patata)

Consumer interest in the quality of vegetable products has increased in recent years especially for the beneficial effects of vegetables on human health. Vegetable quality is a broad term and includes physical properties, flavor, and health–related compounds. The purpose of this paper is to review the recent literature of the main pre-harvest factors that can improve the quality of vegetables and consequently their beneficial role in human diet. The importance of genotype and grafted plants selection, the optimization of the environmental conditions (light and temperature) and the advantages and disadvantages of greenhouse in comparison to open field cultivation concerning product quality will be outlined first; followed by the optimization of agricultural practices in particular, water quantity and quality, mineral nutrition, salinity and growing system (e.g. soilless). The review will conclude by identifying several prospects for future research such as modeling of the nutritional value of vegetable crops.

Field experiments were conducted in 2008 and 2009 to determine the effects of deficit irrigation on yield and water use of field grown eggplants. A total of 8 irrigation treatments (four each year), which received different amounts of irrigation water, were evaluated. In 2008, deficit irrigation was applied at full vegetative growth (WS-V), pre-flowering (WS-F) and fruit ripening (WS-R), while in 2009 deficit irrigation was applied during the whole growing season at 80 (WS-80), 60 (WS-60) and 40% (WS-40) of field capacity. Deficit-irrigated treatments were in both years compared to a well irrigated control. Regular readings of soil water content (SWC) in 2008 and 2009 showed that average soil water deficit (SWD) in the control was around 30% of total available water (TAW) while in deficit-irrigated treatments it varied between 50 and 75% of TAW. In 2008, deficit irrigation reduced fruit fresh yield by 35, 25 and 33% in WS-V, WS-F and WS-R treatments, respectively, when compared to the control (33.0 t ha-1). However, the reduction in fresh yield in response to deficit irrigation was compensated by an increase in fruit mean weight. Results obtained in 2009 showed that fruit fresh yield in the control was 33.7 t ha-1, while it was 12, 39 and 60% less in WS-80, WS-60 and WS-40 treatments, respectively. On the other hand, fruit dry matter content and water productivity were found to increase significantly in both years in deficit-irrigated treatments. Applying deficit irrigation for 2 weeks prior to flowering (WS-F) resulted in water saving of the same magnitude of the WS-80 treatment, with the least yield reduction, making more water available to irrigate other crops, and thereby considered optimal strategies for drip-irrigated eggplants in the semi-arid climate of the central Bekaa Valley of Lebanon.

Plants of Lactuca sativa L. var. acephala cv ‘Green Salad Bowl’ were grown in a in floating system during spring and summer season to investigate the influence of macro-anion (NO3 -, H2PO4 -, and SO4 2- ) and macro-cation (K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+) proportions in the nutrient solut ion on yield and leaf qual i ty. Marketable yield, shoot biomass and leaf area index were unaffected by nutrient solution composition. A high proportion of calcium in the nutrient solution increased the quality attributes in particular calcium, chlorophyll, and carbohydrate concentrations. Plants grown in the spring season exhibited a lower yield, growth (total dry biomass and leaf area index), leaf mineral content (N, K, and Mg), total carotenoids and water use efficiency than those grown in the summer season but influenced positively some quality parameters (higher content of carbohydrate and lower nitrate content).

The effects of soil and closed soilless systems (cocofibre, perlite and pumice culture) on precocity, productivity, water use, plant mineral composition and fruit quality were studied on zucchini plants (Cucurbita pepo L.Afrodite' grown in a greenhouse at Viterbo, central Italy. The plants grown in a soilless system exhibited higher yield (total, marketable and fruit number), harvest index, and water-use efficiency compared with those grown in soil. Among soilless treatments, pumice had the lowest water requirement and hence the highest water use efficiency. Use of cocofibre led to the earliest yield compared with the other substrates due probably to the higher minimal temperatures recorded on the organic substrate. Plants grown in soilless culture had a higher uptake of N, Mg, Na, Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn than those grown in soil. After 73 d of solution recycling in soilless treatments, N-NO3, K, P, Fe and Mn were depleted by 26, 16, 40, 92, and 25 % respectively, while Ca, Mg, Na, Cu and Zn increased by 6, 69, 113, 360, and 981 % respectively. Carbohydrate concentration (glucose, fructose, sucrose and starch) increased in soilless over soil culture. No significant differences were observed in dry matter or total protein content. Nitrate concentration of fruits was lower in soil than in soilless treatments. The results demonstrated that the growers may improve water and nutrient control, yield and fruit quality by switching from soil to closed soilless culture.

Aquaponics is a highly efficient production system that relies on the fish food as the only energy system’s input for growing both fish and vegetables, without chemicals. In Mediterranean climates, during winter, due to the combined effects of low solar radiation and low-temperature levels, plant metabolic activity, growth rate, and nutrient uptake decrease, which may, in turn, cause harmful accumulation of nitrogen compounds for fish in the water. Growers renew the water periodically by discharging nutrients enriched water with severe environmental and economic costs. In winter, aquaponics cultivation cycles can be integrated with supplemental light to guarantee a constant daily light integral (DLI) that could promote plant growth and nutrient uptake. The aim of the study was to evaluate the morpho-physiological response of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), escarole endive (Cichorium endivia var. latifolia), and curly endive (Cichorium endivia var. crispum) grown in a floating raft, in combination with tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.) in a recirculating aquaponics system (RAS). Plant were grown under natural light (NL) or natural light integrated with 16 h of supplemental white LED lighting (IL, PPFD: 173 µmol m-2 s-1, DLI, 10 mol m-2 d-1). The results showed species-specific morpho-physiological responses, with higher productivity in the endives than lettuce, under both light regimes. Compared to NL, plant biomass and leaf area were promoted under IL, accounting for higher plant photosynthetic rates. IL boosted endive growth, while lettuce leaf expansion and biomass allocation into the canopy were increased. Both lettuce and endives performed well in the adopted RAS system. It appears recommendable to provide a fixed DLI during the winter months to shorten the crop cycle by improving plant growth and nutrient uptake. However, further studies are needed to optimize the lighting application protocols and reduce energy costs too.

In the current scenario of increasing urbanization and food consumption, aquaponic systems are generally regarded as sustainable food production systems. However, its environmental burdens (energy consumption, materials, etc.) were not deeply investigated yet. To assess aquaponics' environmental performance systematically, it is important to take the whole life cycle into account. The aim of this study was to identify and to evaluate the environmental impact of a recirculating aquaponics system (RAS) prototype, using a life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. Leafy vegetables (i.e., lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), curly endive (Cichorium endivia var. crispum) and escarole endive (Chicorium endivia var. latifolia)) were grown on floating rafts in combination with tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.) at two different lighting regimes (i.e., natural sunlight and natural sunlight integrated with LED supplemental light). Our LCA analysis included four different steps: 1) definition of the goal and scope of the study; 2) life cycle inventory (data collection); 3) life cycle impact assessment (data translation into environmental indicators); 4) interpretation and analysis of the results. Our preliminary results suggest that electricity was the main contributing factor to environmental impact, especially with supplemental light. This LCA study can be useful for providing the groundwork to reduce the potential environmental impact of aquaponics systems.

A closed hydroponic system (Porous Tube Plant Nutrient Delivery System) combined with a horizontal uniaxial clinostat has been designed and built-up to grown leafy vegetables under simulated microgravity conditions. Two research activities were carried out to investigate the effects of clinorotation on growth, yield, and quality of rocket seedlings (Eruca saliva Mill.) and lettuce plants (Lactuca saliva L.), which may constitute a source of health), fresh food for the astronauts during space missions. The percentage of germination of rocket was affected by clinorotation with the highest value observed in the control treatment. The seedling fresh weight of the control treatment, was 19 % higher compared to that of the clinorotation treatment while the opposite trend was observed for chlorophyll a/b ratio. Clinorotation did not influence the quality (total carbohydrates, triglycerides, carotenoids and vitamin C) of the rocket seedlings. Shoot fresh and dry weight, leaf area, specific leaf dry weight, root dry weight and shoot:root ratio were lower in the clinorotated lettuce plants than those grown in the control treatment. Quality parameters (chlorophyll, total carbohydrates and vitamin C) of lettuce plants were negatively affected by clinorotation. Lettuce genotype comparison under simulated microgravity showed that 'Mortadella di primavera' should be adopted for space experiments due to the better growth and productivity.

In a semi-arid environment, the main challenge for crop production is water limitation in space and in time. Considered as appropriate tools, models are used to evaluate the effects of water deficit on crop productivity for better irrigation planning and sustainable yield. The AquaCrop model was tested using data collected during a 4-year experiment on soybean (Glycine max L. Merril) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon. The model was found to accurately simulate final crop biomass, yield and cumulative evapotranspiration: in fact the Wilmot index of agreement (IoA) values were 0.97, 0.96 and 0.96, respectively, for soybean and 0.93, 0.95 and 0.93, respectively, for sunflower, while the relative RMSE was 0.04, 0.05 and 0.02, respectively, for soybean and 0.04, 0.06 and 0.04, respectively, for sunflower. The analysis of irrigation scenarios showed that the early planting of sunflower could demonstrate a greater efficiency than late sowing. In addition, applying three irrigations, of 100 mm each, prior to flowering, at mid flowering stage and at the beginning of seed formation could lead to highest yields (ranging between 4.51 and 2.34 t ha-1) and crop water productivity (CWP) (ranging between 1.5 and 0.78 kg m-3). Sunflower yields were low (0.42 t ha-1 to 0.37 t ha-1) and unreliable when one single irrigation was performed only at the beginning of seed formation, while highest values (ranging between 1.97 and 1.74 t ha-1) were obtained when it was done prior to flowering. The highest yields and crop water productivity for soybean were obtained when the crop was sown in April and by applying three irrigations, of 100 mm each, at full bloom, at seed enlargement and at mature seeds. Soybean yield values ranged between 3.16 and 2.01 t ha-1, while CWP values varied from 1.05 to 0.67 kg m-3. However, irrigating at seed enlargement and mature seeds, as well as applying only one irrigation of 100 mm at any growth stage, could lead to very low yields and CWP.

Research was conducted at the University of Tuscia (central Italy) to validate the propagation system for globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus) described in a previous paper for a 1-year production cycle. The resulting globe artichoke plants were used in a 2-year field trial to investigate the field response of plantlets obtained with our propagation technique in comparison with plantlets produced by in vitro propagation and by offshoots harvested in commercial fields. The total number of artichoke plantlets obtained with our propagation system was 62.7 plantlets/m2 per year. In the first year, the globe artichoke production (bud number and fresh bud weight) was higher in plants obtained with our propagation system and by micropropagation than in those obtained from offshoots harvested in commercial fields. The production cost of plantlets obtained with our propagation technique was 52% lower than those of the micropropagated plantlets. This could lead to a significant reduction of production costs for artichoke growers, while preserving the advantages of in vitro propagation (disease-free plants and plant uniformity).

L’obiettivo della ricerca è stato quello di studiare la possibilità di mitigare attraverso l’innesto lo stress salino causato da soluzioni equimolari contenenti diversi tipi di sale in cetriolo (Cucumis sativus L. cv. ‘Ekron’). La prova sperimentale è stata condotta in serra nel periodo primaverile-estivo 2012 utilizzando uno schema sperimentale a parcella suddivisa in cui nelle parcelle principali sono state confrontate quattro soluzioni nutritive (standard, standard addizionata di 20 mM CaCl2, standard addizionata di 30 mM NaCl e standard addizionata di 10 mM CaCl2 e 15 mM NaCl) e nelle parcelle secondarie sono state poste le tre combinazioni d’innesto [‘Ekron’ non innestato; ‘Ekron’ innestato su ‘Affyne’ (Cucumis sativus L.) ed ‘Ekron’ innestato su ‘P360’ (Cucurbita maxima Duch. × Cucurbita moschata Duch.)]. La salinità ha ridotto significativamente la produzione di peponidi e di biomassa epigea con un effetto più marcato impiegando una soluzione salina contenente 20 mM CaCl2. I tre tipi di sale hanno migliorato la qualità dei frutti di tutte le combinazioni d’innesto con particolare riferimento al contenuto di solidi solubili. Le soluzioni saline contenenti NaCl e soprattutto CaCl2 hanno inibito la sintesi di pigmenti fogliari e la funzionalità delle membrane cellulari. Inoltre, le piante innestate su 'P360’ e soprattutto ‘Affyne’ hanno manifestato una minor riduzione di produzione e biomassa epigea al crescere della salinità rispetto alle piante non innestate (controllo). Piante di cetriolo innestate irrigate con soluzioni saline hanno presentato un indice SPAD più elevato, un miglior stato nutrizionale (elevato contenuto di N, K, Ca e basso di Na) delle foglie ed una maggior funzionalità delle membrane cellulari delle foglie. La maggior tolleranza alla salinità da NaCl riscontrata nelle piante di cetriolo innestate su ‘Affyne’ è stata attribuita alla capacità del portainnesto di ridurre l’accumulo di Na nella parte epigea ed in minor misura del Cl.

Leaf area (LA) is an important parameter in many plant modelling studies. There is a need for a simple, accurate and non-destructive model to predict LA in physiological experiments in which destructive LA sampling is not allowed (e.g., rare plants or genetically segregating populations). In this study, a model for LA estimation was developed for Plumeria rubraL. using simple linear measurements of leaf length (L) and maximum width (W). Two experiments were carried out, one in 2012 (on seven commercial genotypes: 'California Sunset', 'Christina', 'Elsie', 'Gina', 'J.J. Mini White', 'Panittas Red', and 'Pixie Dust') and one in 2013 (on one genotype 'Divine') under greenhouse conditions, to test whether a model could be developed to estimate LAs of P. rubraacross genotypes. Regression analysis of LA vs. L and/or W revealed several models that could be used to estimate the area of individual Plumerialeaves. To develop a model to estimate individual LA values accurately for all genotypes of P. rubra, measurements of both L and W should be included. The proposed linear model [LA = 4.15 0.66 (L W)] was adopted for its accuracy, highest R 2 value (> 0.96), smallest mean square error (MSE), and smallest predicted residual error in the sum of squares (PRESS), and whose PRESS value was close to the sum of squares for error (SSE). Validation of the model using L W measurements of leaves was carried out on an independent dataset derived from another genotype (‘Divine’) in 2013. Correlation coefficients showed that there were strong relationships between predicted LAs and observed LAs, with an over-estimation of 4.0% in the prediction. This model can therefore be adopted reliably to estimate LAs in P. rubra, non-destructively.

In view of exploring the unveiled potential of vegetable grafting technology, the research activities in this area at the Department DAFNE, Tuscia University, Viterbo started in 1997 with special emphasis on improvement of abiotic stress tolerance in cucurbits (melon, watermelon, and cucumber). Many of the research activities have been done in collaboration with other Italian and International research groups. At the beginning, the abiotic stresses taken into consideration in vegetable grafting researches were salinity, drought and alkalinity. The major activities have been going on here covers the screening and selection of tolerant rootstocks and revealing the mechanisms involved in grafted plants tolerance, including agronomical, and physiological aspects against these stresses. Recently, a research project has been conducted with the aim to improve nitrogen use efficiency in watermelon and melon through the selection of suitable Cucurbita rootstocks. In several experimental trials, interactions of scion and rootstock have been also considered in terms of fruit quality with particular emphasis on nutraceutical value of the product (eg. antioxidant compounds). The researches on integrated approach by involving suitable AM fungi for increasing performance of grafted plants against abiotic stresses have also been considered. Our present research aims at alleviating metals toxicity, including heavy metals in cucurbitaceous and solanaceous crops. Our aim is to alleviate plant tolerance to Al toxicity in cucumber while Cd and Ni toxicity in tomato, besides to reduce the heavy metals (Cd and Ni) concentrations in the edible fruits of tomato. We are also trying to find suitable and compatible AM fungi and bacterial strains for further improvement of plant tolerance against such stresses.

The aim of this study was to assess whether seed coating with microbial consortium based on the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus Glomus intraradices BEG72, Glomus mossae, and Trichoderma atroviride MUCL 45632 could improve seedling establishment, yield and grain quality (protein content and mineral composition) of wheat (Triticum durum Desf.). As a first step, a laboratory experiment was conducted in a growth chamber to verify the capability of seed coating with endophytic fungi to promote emergence and plant growth of wheat seedlings. Two additional experiments were carried out under open field conditions, to evaluate the effects of coating with beneficial fungi on SPAD index, chlorophyll fluorescence, yield, grain quality and mineral composition of winter wheat. In the growth chamber experiment, 17 days after sowing, the SPAD index, the number of leaves, shoot and root dry biomass of seedlings were significantly higher by 10.0%, 28.6%, 23.1%, and 64.2%, in coated as compared to uncoated wheat seeds. In the open field trials, use of the uncoated seeds led to a significant reduction in grain yield by 24.3% and 7.7%, during the first and second growing season, respectively, compared to the coated seeds. Grain quality of wheat, in particular protein content, K, P, Fe and Zn concentrations were improved by AM fungi and Trichoderma inoculation. Uncoated wheat plants exhibited a strong variation of yield between the two growing cycles (2.8 and 3.6 t ha-1 for 2011-12 and 2012-13, respectively) in comparison to coated seeds (3.7 and 3.9 t ha-1 for 2011-12 and 2012-13, respectively). The increase in grain yield and yield stability with coating seed treatment was associated with an increased level of macro and micronutrient uptake, higher SPAD index and photochemical activity of PSII. The application of coated seeds containing Glomus and Trichoderma can improve the crop performance of wheat in a sustainable way.