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Doped calcite (Fe-EDDHSA/CaCO3) was experimentally produced. The hypothesis of the present experiment is that, when roots get in contact with Fe-EDDHSA/CaCO3, the extrusion of H+ decreases the pH and dissolves calcite with subsequent release of Fe that becomes available for roots. The aim of the experiment was to determine whether doped calcite might represent a slow-release Fe source for in-vitro grown kiwifruit plantlets. The root elongation media used in the experiment had pH 8.0 and differed from each other for Fe supply as follow: Control medium that contained complete Murashige and Skoog salt mixture, including FeSO4 and Na2EDTA; calcite medium enriched with Fe-EDDHSA/CaCO3 as the only Fe source; −Fe medium without Fe. The absence of FeSO4 in the medium caused a reduction of plantlet growth. The final pH was higher with calcite medium than in control and −Fe. The addition of Fe-EDDHSA/CaCO3 increased Fe shoot concentration when compared with the −Fe medium. The data of the present experiment show the potential Fe slow release ability of Fe-EDDHSA/CaCO3; however, further investigation on Fe containing fertilizers should be conducted on potted plants to validate our results.

In organic farming winter cereals, as cover crops, provide nutrients, when they return to soil as crop residues. The fate of N deriving from two decomposing [sup.15]N-labelled winter cereals, with or without the supply of an organic N fertiliser, was studied in a field experiment. The stabilisation of residues N in soil aggregates and the portion lost from the system were also evaluated. Barley or triticale residues were incubated alone or with hydrolysed leather (L) in mesocosms over one year. The residues derived N was measured in soil and in soil aggregate size fractions >250 µm (macroaggregates, macro); 53-250 µm (microaggregates, micro); Additional keywords: [sup.15]N-labelled crop residues; N release; N losses; Organic N fertilizer; Soil aggregate fractions., Introduction Organic farming systems rely on ecologically based practices and the fundamental components and natural processes of ecosystems. Soil organism activities, nutrient cycling and species distribution and competition are used [...]

SPAID (Psychiatric Instrument for the Intellectually Disabled Adult) is the first Italian tool-package for carrying out psychiatric diagnosis in adults with Intellectual Disabilities (ID). It includes the "G" form, for general diagnostic orientation, and specific checklists for all groups of syndromes stated by the available classification systems. SPAID was established to provide an easy and quick tool for daily practice of the personnel working with ID. The present study was aimed at evaluating psychometric and psychodiagnostic characteristics of the SPAID-G and at supplying new data on the prevalence rate of psychiatric disorders in a multicentric Italian sample of people with ID living in different settings. The SPAID-G was randomly applied to 304 participants with ID attending residential facilities or assessment services across Italy. A part of the sample was also consecutively assessed through the use of DASH, PDD-MRS and by the clinical application of the DSM-IV TR criteria. The correlation between SPAID-G scores and those provided by other evaluation tools was over 60%. Additionally, the internal consistency and inter-rater reliability resulted to be good. Psychopathological symptoms were detected in approximately 40% of the sample. Respectively, autistic spectrum disorders, impulse control disorders, mood disorders, and dramatic personality disorders were the diagnostic orientations providing the most prevalent over-threshold scores. SPAID-G seems to be a valid diagnostic tool, quick and easy to use in psychiatric disorders assessment within the Italian population with ID. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)