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Nowadays, the remotely provided information is urgently needed for various decision makers and remote sensing is widely used for different purposes. An evaluation and standardization of the remote sensing techniques is becoming a necessity after the increase of the sensors number and way of data acquisition. The use of remotely sensed information is of crucial importance for agricultural sector as the monitoring of agricultural activities faces special problems related to the spatial and temporal variability, physical landscape, as well as climatic driving variables and agricultural management practices. Requests for objective information will increase in the future, because of the expected modernization of agricultural sector and needs for a more efficient use of resources. This research aims to provide a comparison of two remote sensing techniques (satellite and ground-based) as tools describing the variations of crop stress related indices under different water regimes (case of durum wheat). The experimental layout was established in Policoro (Matera) located in Southern Italy about 3 km far from the Ionian coast. The growing season was from February to June 2015 with three distinguished water management practices (rain-fed, 50% and 100% of irrigation requirements). The Landsat 8 images and ground-based sensing data were acquired regularly in April, May and June together with plant physiological parameters. The overall results indicated no significant differences in terms of both biomass and yield among the irrigation regimes because of the abundant precipitation (355 mm) which limited the irrigation supply. Moderate correlations appear to be evident for satellite and groundbased derived LAI, NDVI and SAVI regressions, with R² values close or higher than 0.5. The best performance was obtained for the WDI with (R²=0.81). Nevertheless, the satellite data could provide reasonable indications about the crop status if applied with higher resolution.

The Mediterranean water resources are almost fully exploited in many areas and the impacts on water scarcity are projected to multiply under climate change. The most effective mean to save water appear to be through the adoption of carefully managed irrigation strategies. Plant indicators enable the grower to use the plant directly for clues as to when irrigate. These indicators could be obtained through the use of remote sensing that is widely involved in numerous disciplines such as agriculture. Remote sensing is one of the solutions that can significantly contribute to providing a timely and accurate imagery of the agricultural sector. The main objective of this study is to compare satellite and ground-based sensing techniques as tools describing the variations of crop stress related indices under different water regimes (case of durum wheat). The experimental layout was established in Policoro (Matera) located in Southern Italy about 3 km far from the Ionian coast. The growing season was from February to June 2015 with three distinguished water management practices (rain-fed, 50% and 100% of irrigation requirements). The Landsat 8 images and ground-based sensing data were acquired regularly in April, May and June together with plant physiological parameters. The overall results indicated no significant differences of both biomass and yield among the irrigation regimes. This could be explained by the abundant precipitation (205 mm) which limited the needs for irrigation. Correlated to the leaf gas exchange parameters, Water Index (WI), CWSI_Jackson and CWSI_Alves and Pereira performed better than CWSI_Idso. Water Deficit Index (WDI) was found strongly related to plant water status, than Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI) with average R² of 0.96 in respect to 0.57 (CWSI_Idso). High correlation appear to be evident for satellite and ground-based derived WDI regressions (R²=0.81). Nevertheless, the satellite data could provide reasonable indications about the crop status when other means of measurement are missing.

In Puglia, lungo i muretti a secco delimitanti i campi coltivati e nelle aree boschive a macchia mediterranea, è molto diffuso l'asparago selvatico apprezzato per le sue caratteristiche organolettiche e nutrizionali. Osservando attentamente un mazzetto di asparagi selvatici, si può notare una elevata variabilità delle caratteristiche cromatiche e del grado di 'tenerezza' dei turioni; ciò è determinato prevalentemente dal microambiente in cui ciascun turione si è accresciuto e, in modo particolare, dalla prevalenza della radiazione solare diretta o diffusa. In pratica, i turioni raccolti nelle zone più assolate sono di colore dal verde scuro al violaceo e si presentano coriacei, mentre quelli raccolti nel sottobosco sono di colore verde chiaro e più teneri. L'elevata richiesta di mercato dell'asparago e la carenza di aree naturali in cui raccogliere quello selvatico, ha dato una forte spinta alla coltivazione di quest'orticola che attualmente vede la Puglia tra le prime tre regioni produttrici a livello nazionale. In considerazione dell'idea comune che i prodotti selvatici presentano una migliore qualità rispetto a quelli coltivati, è stato realizzato uno studio comparativo di valutazione di alcune caratteristiche qualitative di quattro ibridi ('Early California', 'Grande', 'Vegalim' e 'Purple passion') di asparago coltivato (Asparagus officinalis L.) e dell'asparago selvatico (A. acutifolius L.) raccolto nel sottobosco e in aree assolate di una querceta della Puglia meridionale. In particolare, sono stati valutati: la percentuale di sostanza secca (DM), il contenuto di clorofilla (Chl), carotenoidi (Ca), fenoli totali (TF) e l'attività antiossidante (TAA). Per l'asparago selvatico, tutti i caratteri esaminati si sono differenziati in relazione al luogo di raccolta. I turioni raccolti nelle zone assolate presentavano valori di DM, Chl, Ca, TF e TAA, riferiti al peso fresco (FM), più elevati rispettivamente del 16, 30, 53, 64 e 62%, rispetto a quelli raccolti nel sottobosco. Tra le cultivar di asparago coltivato, non sono state osservate variazioni di DM, Chl e Ca (in media 7,4 g 100 g-1, 5,4 mg 100 g-1 FM e 1,3 mg 100 g-1 FM, rispettivamente), mentre TF e TAA sono variati rispettivamente da 123,2 mg CAE 100 g-1 FM ('Early California') a 89 mg CAE 100 g-1 FM ('Purple passion') e da 69,1 mg Trolox 100 g-1 FM ('Early California') a 52,4 mg Trolox 100 g-1 FM ('Grande' e 'Vegalim'). L'asparago coltivato, rispetto all'asparago selvatico, ha presentato in media valori di DM, Chl, Ca, TF e TAA, riferiti a FM, più bassi di circa il 40, 5, 17, 43 e 53%, rispettivamente. In conclusione possiamo affermare che l'asparago selvatico, soprattutto se raccolto nelle zone con maggiore insolazione, presenta, limitatamente ai parametri considerati, caratteristiche qualitative più elevate rispetto all'asparago coltivato.

This report contains a description of the activities carried out by CNR-ISPA (P4) in the framework of WP6 - Specialized research actions, Deliverable 6.4.3 and 6.4.5 - Experiments regarding sensors evaluation for greenhouses - Research report regarding the use of sensors for irrigation management. The activities focused on testing sensors for growing substrate parameters measurement (moisture and electrical conductivity), and sensor-based irrigation management strategies in greenhouse, with the aim to provide tools for irrigation decision and plant water requirements study. We implemented both laboratory and on-field activities, focusing on important greenhouse vegetable crops (namely tomato and lettuce) in Mediterranean environment. We also developed a pre-commercial prototype for the automatic sensor-based irrigation in greenhouse. Beside an introductive examination of the state of the art and of the concepts at the base of the carried out activities, a description of the experiments and of the results is included in this report. We outline that the full dataset from the experiments is at the moment under use or consideration for publication in scientific international journals, with the aim to present the outcomes of the IRMA project to the wide scientific community. Therefore, in order to be compliant with the universal requirement for scientific publication (the material should not have been previously published elsewhere, except in a preliminary form) we will not include in this report the full set of data; however, we will give anyway an exhaustive overview of the findings of the project activities.

SCHEDA N. 4 - IRRIGAZIONE E QUALITÀ DELLA PRODUZIONE AGRARIA La risposta qualitativa alla disponibilità idrica si contrappone alla risposta produttiva. Infatti, il regime idrico ottimale ai fini produttivi quasi mai coincide con l'optimum in termini di qualità della produzione (Fig. 1). Pertanto, per una programmazione irrigua sostenibile è necessario conciliare il livello produttivo con la qualità desiderata. La differente disponibilità idrica può agire a livello biochimico, fisiologico e morfologico, influenzando diversi attributi qualitativi in relazione alla specie e alla tipologia di prodotto (es.: granella, frutti, foglie). In generale, l'eccesso idrico favorisce il deterioramento qualitativo di molti frutti che presentano un minore contenuto di sostanza secca e di solidi solubili, il peggioramento delle caratteristiche organolettiche e una riduzione della shelf-life. Condizioni di limitato rifornimento idrico, invece, spesso migliorano diversi attributi qualitativi (Tab. 1), in relazione alla specie e alla fase fenologica in cui la limitazione idrica si verifica. Per il pomodoro, per esempio, si può osservare una riduzione lineare del contenuto di solidi solubili totali delle bacche in funzione della fase del ciclo colturale in cui viene interrotta l'irrigazione (Fig. 1). La gestione irrigua effettuata con i principi dello stress idrico controllato, pertanto, oltre a contribuire a ridurre il consumo di acqua e ad aumentare la sostenibilità ambientale della pratica irrigua, può rappresentare un valido strumento per ottenere prodotti di qualità, così come normalmente avviene nella produzione di uva da vino, delle olive da olio e per la frutta da consumo fresco (Sansavini et al., 2012).

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This work aims at improving the estimation of artichoke evapotranspiration in Mediterranean climates through the modelling of crop coefficients (Kc) and duration of phenological phases of a seed propagated artichoke. A two years trial was carried out at the experimental station "E. Pantanelli" of University Aldo Moro (Bari), located in the countryside of Policoro (MT), southern Italy. The seed propagated artichoke cv. 044 was grown in two weighing lysimeters placed in a large field and watered regularly. The irrigation was applied when 40% of total available water in the soil layer occupied by roots was consumed which corresponded to the crop evapotranspiration (ETc) between 25 and 40 mm. Irrigation was applied in such a way to replenished completely the depletion of water in the root zone. The reference evapotranspiration (ETo) was computed daily, by using Penman-Monteith equation from the weather data collected at the agro-meteorological station near the experimental field. The growing season started in mid of July and ended in the second part of May. The artichoke crop cycle was 310 and 313 days in the 1st and 2nd year, respectively. Average seasonal ETc measured at two lysimeters was slightly higher in the 1st year (967 mm) than in the 2nd one (911 mm). Water use obtained in this trial was 85% higher than usually reported in the literature for vegetatively propagated crops in the same area and with similar crop length. Most likely this was due to taller crops (1.7 in respect to 0.8 m) and higher biomass production in seed propagated crop. Crop coefficients (Kc), calculated daily as the ratio between ETc and ETo, revealed that five phenological stages could be considered in ETc estimate: i) the seedling establishment of about 30 days; ii) the initial development phase of approximately 60 days; iii) winter vegetative stagnation of approximately 90 days; iv) spring recovery of about 90 days, and v) full development stage of about 45 days. The Kc values during the seedling establishment were between 0.3 and 0.4 and increased up to 0.8-0.9 at the end of initial development period. The Kc values were reduced gradually to 0.4 at the end of winter vegetative stagnation and then increased up to 1.1 during the full development period. The presented results differ from those available in the literature since they refer to a seed propagated artichoke which is taller and more vigorous than vegetatively propagated crop. In the last years, the former crop tends to substitute the later one in many Mediterranean areas and a proper crop evapotranspiration estimate and irrigation management are of crucial importance for a more efficient water use in the region. Further efforts could focus on the introduction of the growing degree days concept and substitution of sum of days with thermal sums as well as on the link between Kc and leaf area index (LAI).

The results of a study on Brassica carinata A. Braun, genotypes CT 204, in semi-marginal areas of southern Italy are shown in this paper. The research was carried out in three sites of Apulia region, Alberobello -Murgia of Bari (S1), Troia - Sub Apennine Dauno, Foggia (S2), Monteroni - Area of Salento, Lecce (S3) and one site of Basilicata region, Matera - Hill Materana (S4). The B. carinata in all trial areas was submitted to different doses of nitrogen fertilization, no nitrogen supply, low doses of 50 and 60 kg N ha-1 and high doses of 100 and 120 kg N ha-1. The S2 and S4 sites were subjected to minimum and conventional tillage and in the S3 site, two sowing densities of 50 and 100 plant m2 were used. The site with the highest seed yield was S4 site (3.2 t ha-1) under conventional tillage in interaction with organic fertilizer and with or without mineral nitrogen addition. In the S1 site with the application of 100 kg N ha-1, although the marginality of the site due to shallow soil layer, seed yield was 1.8 t ha-1 and there was the highest percentage of oil content (41%). In the S1 site, the effects of nitrogen fertilization were more noticeable which determined increases in seed yield and oil content proportional to the increases in N doses. The response of B. carinata to the two soil tillage methods was different in the two sites, minimum tillage increased seed yield in S2 while conventional tillage determined an increase in seed yield in S3., Proceedings of the 20th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 18-22 June 2012, Milan, Italy, pp. 639-646

Il carciofo è una specie in grado di completare il ciclo colturale sfruttando le sole acque meteoriche nella maggior parte degli areali di coltivazione italiani. Tuttavia, per fornire elevate produzioni di buona qualità, secondo un calendario di raccolta ben programmato, necessita di apporti idrici supplementari, poiché le precipitazioni non sempre sono sufficienti a soddisfare i fabbisogni idrici della coltura. La frequenza degli interventi irrigui e i volumi di adacquamento dovrebbero essere tali da garantire un accrescimento regolare della coltura, evitando l'insorgere di fenomeni di stress idrico che si ripercuotono negativamente sulla precocità e sulla pezzatura dei primi capolini. Inoltre, stress idrici durante il ciclo colturale potrebbero causare effetti negativi anche sulla formazione delle gemme dei rizomi, con ripercussioni deleterie sulla coltura dell'anno seguente.