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Leaf water potential (LWP) is widely used to assess plant water status and it is commonly used by growers to make immediate crop and water management decisions. However, LWP measurement via direct method presents challenges as it is labour, time intensive and represents leaf-level conditions for sampling of small vineyard block. An alternative approach is using pigment concentration as a proxy for the canopy’s water status. Spectral data methods have been applied to monitor and evaluate crops’ biophysical variables. In this study, a model to predict LWP using via UAS equipped with a VIS-NIR multispectral camera and trained machine learning algorithm, is developed and tested. The model was tested on three dates in 2020 in a commercial vineyard in the Tufo Wine Region. Three modelling approaches (partial least square regression PLSR, support vector machine SVM, artificial neural network ANN) and two input datasets (combining spectral data and spectral vegetation indices) were used to estimate LWP. All approaches predicted LWP-based on spectral data classified from high to low; the results were consistent in direct proportion to the laboratory results and performed the best results. This research shows the potential for estimating LWP at a vineyard scale based on UAS information, represents a good and relatively cheap solution to assess plant status spatial distribution and therefore it could provide a direct way to achieve precise agricultural vineyard.

Climate change affects the agricultural sector and, in particular, viticulture where water is a key factor for fruit development and quality. A scarcity of water determines a reduction in biomass production, and for some plants, as in the case of grapevine, it can endorse fruit quality.The monitoring and management of plant water stress in the vineyard is critical as well as the knowledge of how each specific cultivar reacts to it. This study reports the preliminary results of the Italian National project “Influence of agro-climatic conditions on the microbiome and genetic expression of grapevines for the production of red wines: a multidisciplinary approach (ADAPT)”. A multidisciplinary study was carried out to compare the Cabernet Sauvignon and Aglianico, both black grapevine cultivars, responses to different pedoclimatic conditions of southern Italy. The research was conducted in Campania, Molise, and Sicilia regions, three areas devoted to high-quality wine production. In each site, the environmental characterization was designated, and the soils were characterized through a pedological survey. During 2020-2021, soil water content and the principal weather variables (e.g., temperature, rainfall, solar radiation, etc.) have been monitored by means of in situ stations, while plant responses were collected by means of field campaigns (LAI, LWP, grapes composition). The agro-hydrological model SWAP was used to solve the soil water balance in each site to determine the Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI) from April to October in the years 2020 and 2021. The obtained CWSI index was compared with data collected on plant status (e.g., LWP) and correlated to grapes quality (e.g., sugar content, acidity). Finally, the comparison between the calculated current CWSI (2020-2021) and the potential one obtained from the analysis of local reference climate has shown a significant agreement. This data underlines the appropriateness of the different pedo-climatic conditions chosen to evaluate the influence of agro-climatic conditions on the microbiome and genetic expression of wine grapevines.

In a vineyard, plant water status variability is strongly dependent on soil spatial variability, whose physical characteristics drive the processes involved in the soil water balance. The more the soil and its characteristics vary in space (horizontally and vertically), the less homogeneous the productive and qualitative response within the vineyard will be. In this context, the proximal sensing of apparent soil Electrical Conductivity (ECa) and its monitoring during the growing season can help understanding the nature of spatial variability of vineyard, supporting both viticultural microzoning (identifying Homogeneous and functional Homogeneous Zones, HZs and fHZs) and field experiments. In this contribution, the importance of use of ECa spatial monitoring during the grapevine growing season will be showed, highlighting its importance in the evaluation of the vineyard response and identification of FHZs.In this direction, a predictive model of soil ECa is proposed. It consists of the spatial prediction of ECa starting from punctual measurements obtained by a network of TDR probes able to measure ECA. In order to realise this model, a machine learning method based on Random Forests was used. It was trained to derive the spatial relationships between the apparent value of ECa measured with geophysical instrument and the ECa measured with the ACCLIMA TDR probes. In this way, a spatial prediction of the ECa values of the surveyed area is possible.The study was realized in a vineyard of southern Italy on Greco (white) grapevine, where detailed and precise records on soil and atmosphere systems, in-vivo plant monitoring of eco-physiological parameters have been conducted in 2020 and 2021, and spatial variability of plant status in vineyard monitored by means of UAV multispectral images. Apparent soil ECa was measured five timesduring the growing season 2021 by using the PROFILER EMP 400 electromagnetometer both in vertical and horizontal dipole mode. This instrument allows to simultaneously work with three frequencies (5000, 10000 and 15000 Hz) and explore different depth volumes of sub-soil. The predictive model results were processed in MATLAB and Python software and validated on plant responses obtained from vegetational indexes calculated from UAV multispectral images. The obtained results have shown how the ECa can be estimated by the predictive model carrying out important information to support vineyard monitoring.

β-Thalassemia (β-thal) trait is a heterogeneous group of genetic defects leading to decreased β-globin production, ineffective erythropoiesis, and oxidative stress. The aim is to evaluate the cytoprotective response, at transcriptional and systemic levels, of the variations of global redox balance in β-thal trait patients. Sixty-six subjects (40 healthy and 26 with β-thal trait) were analyzed at the Universidad Nacional de Tucuman, Tucuman, Argentina, between 2016 and 2017. The following parameters were evaluated: complete blood count, iron status, hemoglobin (Hb) electrophoresis, Hb A2, thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS), serum catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, FOXO3a, NRF2, SOD, PRDX2, CAT, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) gene expression. The β-thal trait group showed a decrease in Hb levels, MCV, and MCH with higher TBARS levels. The SOD activity was significantly increased by 32.0% in β-thal trait patients respect to the control group. Relative expression of NRF2 was 4.7-fold higher in β-thal trait than in the control group, while FOXO3a expression was similar in both groups. The SOD, PRDX2, and proinflammatory cytokines transcriptional expression was significantly upregulated in β-thal trait patients. This is the first study on the genetic regulation of redox balance in β-thal trait patients in which interesting modifications were observed in the transcript levels of some redox regulators that could be associated with changes in the erythrocyte proteome in this disorder. A better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms present in these heterozygous patients would allow adequate therapy in situations such as growth, pregnancy, or high performance sports, favoring a personalized treatment.

Currently, the main goal of agriculture is to promote the resilience of agricultural systems in a sustainable way through the improvement of use efficiency of farm resources, increasing crop yield and quality, under climate change conditions. This last is expected to drastically modify plant growth, with possible negative effects especially in arid and semi-arid regions of Europe on the viticultural sector. In this context, the monitoring of spatial behavior of grapevine during the growing season represents an opportunity to improve the plant management, winegrowers’ incomes, and to preserve the environmental health, but it has additional costs for the farmer. Nowadays UAS equipped with a VIS-NIR multispectral camera (blue, green, red, red-edge, and NIR) represents a good and relatively cheap solution to assess plant status spatial information (by means of a limited set of spectral vegetation indices), representing important support in precision agriculture management during the growing season. While differences between UAS-based multispectral imagery and point-based spectroscopy are well discussed in the literature, their impact on plant status estimation by vegetation indices is not completely investigated in depth. The aim of this study was to assess the performance level of UAS-based multispectral (5 bands across 450-800nm spectral region with a spatial resolution of 5cm) imagery, reconstructed high-resolution satellite (Sentinel-2A) multispectral imagery (13 bands across 400-2500 nm with a spatial resolution of Keywords: precision agriculture, vineyard monitoring, spectral measurements, CNN applied to viticulture, UAS.

Currently, the main goal of agriculture is to promote the resilience of agricultural systems in a sustainable way through the improvement of use efficiency of farm resources, increasing crop yield and quality, under climate change conditions. Climate change is one of the major challenges for high incomes crops, as the vineyards for high-quality wines, since it is expected to drastically modify plant growth, with possible negative effects especially in arid and semi-arid regions of Europe. In this context, the reduction of negative environmental impacts of intensive agriculture (e.g. soil degradation), can be realized by means of high spatial and temporal resolution of field crop monitoring, aiming to manage the local spatial variability.The monitoring of spatial behaviour of plants during the growing season represents an opportunity to improve the plant management, the farmer incomes and to preserve the environmental health, but it represents an additional cost for the farmer.The UAS-based imagery might provide detailed and accurate information across visible and near infrared spectral regions to support monitoring (crucial for precision agriculture) with limitation in bands and then on spectral vegetation indices (Vis) provided. VIs are a well-known and widely used method for crop state estimation. The ability to monitor crop state by such indices is an important tool for agricultural management. While differences in imagery and point-based spectroscopy are obvious, their impact on crop state estimation by VIs is not well-studied. The aim of this study was to assess the performance level of the selected VIs calculated from reconstructed high-resolution satellite (Sentinel-2A) multispectral imagery (13 bands across 400-2500nm with spatial resolution of The test site is a portion of vineyard placed in southern Italy cultivated on Greco cultivar, in which the soil-plant and atmosphere system has been monitored during the 2020 vintage also through ecophysiological analyses. The data analysis will follow the methodology presented in a recently published paper (Polinova et al., 2018).The study will connect the method and scale of spectral data collection with in vivo plant monitoring and prove that it has a significant impact on the vegetation state estimation results. It should be noted that each spectral data source has its advantages and drawbacks. The plant parameter of interest should determine not only the VIs type suitable for analysis but also the method of data collection.The contribution has been realized within the CNR BIO-ECO project.

The quantitation of BCR-ABL1 mRNA is mandatory for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients, and RT-qPCR is the most extensively used method in testing laboratories worldwide. Nevertheless, substantial variation in RT-qPCR results makes inter-laboratory comparability hard. To facilitate inter-laboratory comparative assessment, an international scale (IS) for BCR-ABL1 was proposed.The laboratory-specific conversion factor (CF) to the IS can be derived from the World Health Organization (WHO) genetic reference panel; however, this material is limited to the manufacturers to produce and calibrate secondary reference reagents. Therefore, we developed secondary reference calibrators, as lyophilized cellular material, aligned to the IS. Our purpose was both to re-evaluate the CF in 18 previously harmonized laboratories and to propagate the IS to new laboratories.Results Our field trial including 30 laboratories across Latin America showed that, after correction of raw BCR-ABL1/ABL1 ratios using CF, the relative mean bias was significantly reduced. We also performed a follow-up of participating laboratories by annually revalidating the process; our results support the need for continuous revalidation of CFs. All participating laboratories also received a calibrator to determine the limit of quantification (LOQ); 90% of them could reproducibly detect BCR-ABL1, indicating that these laboratories can report a consistent deep molecular response. In addition, aiming to investigate the variability of BCR-ABL1 measurements across different RNA inputs, we calculated PCR efficiency for each individual assay by using different amounts of RNA.Conclusions In conclusion, for the first time in Latin America, we have successfully organized a harmonization platform for BCR-ABL1 measurement that could be of immediate clinical benefit for monitoring the molecular response of patients in low-resource regions. Fil: Ruiz, María Sol. Fundación Cáncer. Centro de Investigaciones Oncológicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Sánchez, María Belén. Fundación Cáncer. Centro de Investigaciones Oncológicas; Argentina Fil: Vera Contreras, Yuly Masiel. Fundación Cáncer. Centro de Investigaciones Oncológicas; Argentina Fil: Agrielo, Evangelina. Laboratorio Especialidades Bioquímicas; Argentina Fil: Alonso, Marta. Hospital Nacional Profesor Alejandro Posadas; Argentina Fil: Altuna, María Eugenia. Clinica Roberto Raña; Argentina Fil: Anchordoqui, María Sol. Argenomics; Argentina Fil: Asinari, Mariana. Hospital Privado Centro Médico de Córdoba; Argentina Fil: Bonetto, María Elisa. Hospital Rawson San Juan; Argentina Fil: Camargo, Mauricio. Laboratorio Medellin; Colombia Fil: Giere, Isabel. Fundación Para Combatir la Leucemia; Argentina Fil: González, Javier. Meyer Lab; Paraguay Fil: Granda Alacote, Ana Cecilia. Laboratorios Medicos Lima; Perú Fil: Guerra, Javier. Nanopharmacia Diagnóstica Mexico; México Fil: Gutiérrez, Marina. Stamboulian; Argentina Fil: Maldonado, Cecilia. Manlab; Argentina Fil: Makiya, Ricard. No especifíca; Fil: Manrique, Gonzalo. Asociacion Española de Montevideo; Uruguay Fil: Monaco, María Eugenia. Laboratorio Tucuman; Argentina Fil: Rozo, Juan Carlos. Unidad de Diagnóstico Hemato Oncológico; Colombia Fil: Santamaría Martín, Carlos Jose. Hospital de Niños San Jose de Costa Rica; Costa Rica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Seravalle, Analía. Civic Rosario; Argentina Fil: Zea, Olga. Laboratorio Medellin Colombia; Colombia Fil: Zubillaga, María Noel. Asociación Española de Socorros Mutuos; Uruguay Fil: Mordoh, José. Fundación Cáncer. Centro de Investigaciones Oncológicas; Argentina Fil: Larripa, Irene Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Medicina Experimental. Academia Nacional de Medicina de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Medicina Experimental; Argentina Fil: Bianchini, Michele. Fundación Cáncer. Centro de Investigaciones Oncológicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina

In the Mediterranean area, the expected increase in temperature coupled with the decrease in rainfall, as well as the increase in the frequency of extreme events (heatwaves and drought, IPCC, 2019), will severely affect the survival of current vineyard areas. Cultivar thermal requirement and soil water availability could be not satisfied, leading to a limitation in yield and berry quality also due to constraints in the achievement of optimal grape maturity.In this context, the understanding of how the spatial viticultural suitability will change under climate change is of primary interest in order to identify the best adaptation strategies to guarantee the resilience of current viticultural areas. Moreover, the improvement of knowledge of climate, soil, and their interaction for each specific cultivar will be fundamental because the terroir system is based on this interaction able to influence the plant status (e.g., water).In this study, different pedo-climatic conditions (past, present, and future) in three Italian sites at different latitudes (from center to southern), were compared for two red varieties of grapevine: Aglianico (indigenous cv) and Cabernet Sauvignon (international cv).Grapevine adaptation to future climate in each experimental farm in Campania, Molise, and Sicily Italian regions has been realized through the use of bioclimatic indexes (e.g., Amerine & Winkler for Aglianico 2110 GDD). The climatic evaluation was performed using Regional Climate Model COSMO-CLM at high-resolution (8km x 8km) climate projections RCP4.5 and RCP 8.5 (2010-2100) and Reference Climate (RC, 1971-2005).Results have shown how climate change will affect the cultivation of Aglianico and Cabernet Sauvignon, considering both the climate and bioclimatic needs of cultivars themselves in the current viticultural areas.Finally, coupled with the climatic evaluation, a pedological survey to characterize the soils, and the analysis of satellite images (Sentinel2 ) coupled with stemwood anatomical analysis has been performed to reconstruct the past eco-physiological behavior.

The current study aims at evaluating the effect of the oral administration of Lactobacillus casei CERELA (CRL) 431 on parameters implicated in inflammation-coagulation interaction using a model of acute inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in mice. Six-week-old Balb/c mice were treated with L. casei for 5 consecutive days. Then treated and untreated mice received an LPS injection (L. caseiRLPS and LPS groups, respectively). Liver and kidney were removed, blood samples were obtained, and hemostatic and inflammatory parameters were evaluated at different times post LPS injection. Preventive L. casei administration induced a significant decrease in proinflammatory TNF-A and IL-6 cytokines by decreasing tissue factor expression in liver and kidney. Moreover, the lower expression of tissue factor in the L. caseiRLPS group led to a lower activation of the coagulation system, which was observed by the fast systemic restoration of factors VII and V coagulation factors and antithrombin levels. This study highlights the capacity of L. casei to modulate the hemostatic unbalance in an acute endotoxemia model. Our findings showed the ability of L. casei CRL 431 to regulate the immuno-coagulative response. This fact could be helpful to propose new adjunctive strategies addressed to the restoration of physiological anticoagulant mechanisms in sepsis patients. Fil: Haro, Ana Cecilia. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Biotecnología Farmacéutica y Alimentaria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Biotecnología Farmacéutica y Alimentaria; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Bioquímica Aplicada; Argentina Fil: Monaco, Maria Eugenia. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Biología; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Bioquímica Aplicada; Argentina Fil: Medina, Marcela Susana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Microbiología; Argentina

In the context of climate change strategies are needed towards sustainable agricultural production. The aim of this study is to identify crop adaptation options to face the expected changes in water availability by exploiting the existing intra-specific biodiversity of the tomato crop and accounting for irrigation management and the hydrological properties of soils. The biophysical dimension of crop adaptation is therefore addressed. A study is presented examining an irrigated district in southern Italy. Using as a climatic reference the period 1961e90 and as a future climate the period 2021e2050, a soil water availability indicator was determined by a soil water balance model, at optimal irrigation and at different deficit irrigation strategies, in 23 soil units. For five tomato cultivars, hydrological requirements were determined by means of yield response functions to soil water availability. Cultivar-specific hydrological requirements were evaluated against the soil water availability indicator to determine probabilities of adaptation of each cultivar. These cultivars are not currently being grown in the study area so their potential spatial distribution in the study area was estimated. For instance, with 60% of optimal irrigation, two cultivars were assessed as having probabilities of crop adaptation larger than 0.89, in 90% and 62% of the area. In the future climate, with limited water resources, a proper choice and combination of cultivars, irrigation strategies and soils would allow to maintain the current production system in a large part of the study area.

Water deficit limiting yields is one of the negative aspects of climate change. However, this applies particularly when emphasis is on biomass production (e.g. for field crops), but not necessarily for plants where quality, not quantity is most relevant. For grapevine development, mild water stress occurring during specific phenological phases is an important factor when producing good quality wines. It induces the production of anthocyanins and aroma precursors and then could offer an opportunity to increase winegrower's income. A multidisciplinary study was carried out in Campania region (Southern Italy), an area well known for high quality wine production. Growth of Aglianico grapevine cultivar, with a standard clone population on 1103 Paulsen rootstocks, was studied on two different types of soil: Calcisols and Cambisols occurring along a slope of 90 m length with 11% gradient. The agro-hydrological model SWAP was calibrated and applied to estimate soil-plant water status during three consecutive seasons (2011–2013). Crop water stress index (CWSI), as estimated by the model, was related to leaf water potential, sugar content of grape bunches and wine quality (e.g. content of tannins). For both soils, the correlations between quality measurements and CWSI were high (e.g. − 0.97** with sugar; 0.895* with anthocyanins in the grape skins). The model was also applied to explore effects of future climate conditions (2021–2051) obtained from statistical downscaling of Global Circulation Models (AOGCM) and to estimate the effect of the climate on CWSI and hence on grape quality. Effects of climate change on grape quality indicate: (i) a resilient behavior of Calcisol to produce high quality wine, (ii) a good potentiality for improving the quality wine in Cambisol. The present study represents an example of multidisciplinary approach in which soil scientists, hydro-pedologists, crop modellers, plant physiologists and oenologists have integrated their knowledge and skills in order to deal with the complex interactions among different components of an agricultural system.

The sustainable management of water resources is one of the most important topics to face future climate change and food security. Many countries facing a serious water crisis, due to both natural and artificial causes. The efficient use of water in agriculture is one of the most significant agricultural challenges that modern technologies. These last are considered powerful management instruments able to help farmers achieve the best efficiency in irrigation water use and to increase their incomes by obtaining the highest possible crop yield. In this context, within the project “An advanced low cost system for farm irrigation support—LCIS” (a joint Italian Israeli R&D project), a fully transferable Decision Support Systems (DSS) for irrigation support, based on three different methodologies representative of the state of the art in irrigation management tools (W-Tens, in situ soil sensor; IRRISAT®, remote sensing; W-Mod, simulation modelling of water balance in the soil-plant and atmosphere system), has been developed. These three LCIS-DSS tools have been evaluated, in terms of their ability to support the farmer in irrigation management, in a real applicative case study in Italy and Israel. The main challenge of a new DSS for irrigation is attributed to the uncertain factors during the growing season such as weather uncertainty, and crop monitoring platform. For encounter this challenge, we developed during two years the LCIS, a web-based real-time DSS for irrigation scheduling using low-cost imaging spectroscopy for state estimation of the agriculture system and probabilistic short- and medium-term climate forecasts. While the majority of the existing DSS models are incorporated directly into the optimization framework, we propose to integrate continuous feedback from the field (e.g., soil moisture, crop water-stress, plant stage, LAI, and biomass) estimated based on remote sensing information. These field data will be collected by the point-based spectrometer and hyperspectral imaging system. Then a low-cost camera will be designed for specific spectral/spatial parameters (bound to the required feedbacks). The main objectives were: developing real-time Decision Support System (DSS) for optimal irrigation scheduling at farm scale for crop yield improvement, reducing irrigation cost, and water saving; developing a low-cost imaging spectroscopy framework to support the irrigation scheduling DSS above and facilitates its use in countries/places where expensive imaging spectroscopy is not available; examining the developed framework in real-life application, the framework will be calibrated evaluated using high resolution devices and tested using a low-cost system in Israel and Italy farms.

In the Mediterranean area Climate change (CC) is expected to modify water cycle through increases in temperature and by changing seasonal and temporal precipitation patterns, leading to a marked effect on crop soil water availability. In addition to CC, population growth and land use change have significantly increased pressure on global freshwater resources, creating a competition with agricultural systems demand. In this context, the optimization of water use efficiency in agricultural systems represents the major challenge to face the CC and food security issues. Moreover, irrigation efficiency has a direct impact on the farming communities' resilience. Irrigation efficiency can be improved through the use of irrigation support systems (eg Irrigation Advisory Services-IAS and Decision Supporting Systems-DSS) based on proximal sensors, remote sensing and simulation modelling approach of soil-plant ...

The efficient use of water in agriculture is one of the most significant agricultural challenges that modern technologies are helping to cope with through Irrigation Advisory Services (IAS) and Decision Support Systems (DSS). These last are considered powerful management instruments able to help farmers achieve the best efficiency in irrigation water use and to increase their incomes through obtaining the highest possible crop yield. In this context, within the project "An advanced low cost system for farm irrigation support - LCIS" (a joint Italian-Israeli R&D project), a fully transferable DSS for irrigation support, based on three different methodologies representative of the state of the art in irrigation management tools (W-Tens, in situ soil sensor; IRRISAT®, remote sensing; W-Mod, simulation modelling of water balance in the soil-plant and atmosphere system), has been developed. These three LCIS-DSS tools have been evaluated, in terms of their ability to support the farmer in irrigation management, in a real applicative case study on maize grown on Andosols in a private farm in southern Italy in the 2018 season. The evaluation considered the predictive performance of the tools and also the pros and cons of their application, due their different spatial scale applicability, costs and complexity of use. The results have shown that all three approaches are able to realise the maximum obtainable maize production. However, the method based on in situ soil sensor (W-Tens) supplied 40% more water compared to the other two methods, whereas the IRRISAT® and W-Mod approaches represent the best solution in terms of irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE). Moreover, IRRISAT® has the advantage of being able to work without soil spatial information, although unlike W-Tens both the latter methods need a high level of user expertise and consequently support of external service providers. Integration between different tools represents an opportunity for improved water use efficiency in agriculture (e.g., field sensors and remote sensing).

L'adattamento al cambiamento climatico è una delle maggiori sfide che il settore agricolo deve affrontare. Il lavoro illustra e applica una metodologia per identificare le opzioni di adattamento alla futura scarsità idrica dei principali sistemi colturali italiani, sia irrigui che in asciutto. La valutazione dell'adattabilità è basata sulla descrizione, con parametri quantitativi, della biodiversità delle cultivar esistenti e sull'identificazione di quelle in grado di produrre a livelli ottimali nelle condizioni climatiche attese, in particolare in presenza di scarsità idrica. Lo scopo è di azzerare, o almeno ridurre, la vulnerabilità degli attuali sistemi colturali, permettendo la loro permanenza nelle attuali aree di coltivazione, preservando il loro valore economico e paesaggistico. L'adattabilità è valutata con un approccio in tre fasi: 1) determinazione di indicatori delle condizioni idrologiche attese, in una determinata area, per un sistema colturale; 2) determinazione, per le cultivar esaminate, dei requisiti idrologici quantitativi per la produzione ottimale; 3) identificazione, come opzioni di adattamento, delle cultivar per le quali le condizioni idrologiche attese sono compatibili con i requisiti (Menenti et al. 2008, 2015). Gli indicatori idrologici sono calcolati con un modello meccanicistico del flusso idrico nel sistema suolo-pianta-atmosfera, per tutti i tipi di suolo presenti nell'area di studio. I requisiti idrologici cultivar-specifici sono determinati da funzioni empiriche di risposta della resa alla disponibilità idrica. Per due periodi climatici, di riferimento (1961-1990) e futuro (2021-2050), sono stati analizzati due casi-studio in sistemi colturali rappresentativi dell'agricoltura italiana: un sistema in asciutto tipico delle aree collinari del Centro e Sud Italia (olivo, vite, grano duro) e un sistema colturale irriguo (mais, pomodoro) in una pianura dell'Italia meridionale. I dati climatici futuri sono stati generati da scenari a bassa risoluzione spaziale prodotti con modelli globali di circolazione. Nelle aree di studio i dati climatici sono stati regionalizzati con tecniche di downscaling statistico (Tomozeiu et al. 2007), ottenendo dati giornalieri di temperatura e precipitazione su una griglia con risoluzione spaziale di 35 km. Per ogni cultivar (ad esempio per 11 cv. di olivo) sono state calcolate le probabilità di adattamento al clima futuro, cioè le probabilità che essa ottenga la produzione ottimale, ed è stata determinata la distribuzione spaziale potenziale delle cultivar nelle aree di studio. Per le colture irrigue è stata determinata l'adattabilità con gestione irrigua ottimale e in deficit, e le probabilità di adattamento sono state calcolate per combinazioni di cultivar, suolo e tipo di gestione irrigua. Ad esempio, due cultivar di pomodoro e tre ibridi di mais sono stati identificati come opzioni di adattamento in condizioni di scarsità idrica (irrigazione in deficit). In base ai risultati, sono presentate alcune proposte di ulteriore sviluppo della metodologia per aumentarne il potenziale applicativo.

Cereals production is becoming a challenge in the Agriculture of the Bekaa valley in Lebanon. Lack of water is the driving force of agricultural research which is mainly focused on introduction of drought resistant cultivars, application of conservation tillage and supplemental irrigation. In this context, within of ACLIMAS demonstration project within the Sustainable Water Integrated Management Program (SWIM) of the European Commission, a field experiment on barley and durum wheat crop responses to different treatments (conservative and conservation soil tillage and supplemental irrigation) was realized. Forty-eight experimental plots were laid out for three years in a statistical split plot design. The statistical analyses showed that aboveground biomass and yield were significantly affected by supplemental irrigation for barley but not for the yield of durum wheat. A soil survey indicated that the implicit assumption of soil homogeneity of the agronomic design was correct for soil surface soil but that two different soil types (Cambisols and Fluvisols) had to be distinguished considering subsoil conditions and corresponding rooting patterns. Then, a simulation modelling analysis on crop responses under climate change, considering the soil spatial heterogeneity was done. This last by means the use of the simulation model SWAP, validated for local conditions using measurements of soil water contents, aboveground biomass and yield of wheat. The validated model was applied to estimate yields focusing on the application of supplemental irrigation. Yields for "Mikii3" a durum wheat cultivar are expected to increase by 14% in both soils due to climate change. More importantly, only 3 supplemental irrigations would be needed for the deep soil requiring 5% more water as compared with current climate trend, while the shallow soil needs 35% more water.

Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2) is an ambitious goal that combines the problems of hunger, food security and sustainable agriculture. Under the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) framework this fell under a broader goal: eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. Soil science, as a land-related discipline, has important links to several of the SDGs, and in particular on SDG2, which are demonstrated through the functions of soils and the ecosystem services that are linked to those functions (eg crop production). The fundamental concept of SDG2 is to achieve double the agricultural productivity by 2030 with a sustainable agriculture. The achievement of SDG2 goal can be evaluated at different spatial scales taking into account the effect of climate change on crop production by means the use of agro-hydrological simulation models. However, the farm scale is the scale where the crop yields are realized, and ...

Climate change may lead to differences in the distribution of precipitation and to reduced water availability, with constraints on the cultivation of some crops. An analysis of vulnerability and of opportunities for adaptation is required for crops in areas where they are currently cultivated. The intra-specific biodiversity of crops is a significant resource for the adaptation of agriculture, but requires better knowledge of the responses of cultivars to environmental stressors. Simulation models of water flow in the soil-plant-atmosphere system can be coupled with future climate scenarios to describe the soil water regime, taking into account different irrigation scheduling options. The adaptive capacity of maize hybrids is evaluated in an irrigated district in Southern Italy. Two climate cases were studied: “reference” (1961–1990) and “future” (2021–2050). The model SWAP was run to determine the soil water balance for different irrigation levels. For each level the effectiveness of irrigation was evaluated by means of a performance indicator (IE). The Relative Evapotranspiration Deficit (RETD) was used as an indicator of water availability. The yield response to water availability of several maize hybrids was determined; their hydrologic requirements were thus defined and compared with the simulated values of RETD in response to climate and irrigation. Soil moisture regime and irrigation performance were also analysed. The adaptability of hybrids to the future water regime was assessed for different irrigation levels. The study indicated how, in the future climate case, the intra-specific crop biodiversity, in combination with cropping patterns better adapted to soil characteristics, may allow the current production system to be maintained.

The study illustrates and applies a framework to evaluate options for adaptation in relevant Italian crop systems. Adaptation assessment relies on the identification of cultivars optimally adapted to expected climatic conditions, building on existing crop intra-specific biodiversity. The approach uses a process-based simulation model of water flow in the soil-plantatmosphere system to calculate expected hydrological indicators. Empirical functions of cultivars yield responses to water availability are used to determine cultivar-specific hydrological requirements. In a future climate (2021-2050) case studies are analyzed on rain-fed crops (olive, wine grapes, durum wheat) in a hilly area of southern Italy and on irrigated field and horticultural crops (maize and tomato) in a plain of southern Italy. We have identified cultivars adapted to the future climate; for irrigated crops options for adaptations have been identified as a combination of cultivars and irrigation schedules

Food production is already being negatively affected by climate change and climate trends are determining water shortages in many parts of the world, including southern Europe. Agriculture is heavily dependent on irrigation and water resources which are, in turn, tightly coupled to climate variability. In Mediterranean environments a significant determinant of the sensitivity of a production system is crop response to water stress. Sensitivity can be reduced by interventions on crops, and intra-specific differences in yield response to water availability need to be investigated to identify options for adaptation to projected climatic conditions. The intra-specific biodiversity of agricultural crops, in fact, is very significant (Elia et al., 2013) and can provide a major opportunity to cope with the effects of the changing climate on crop systems. In irrigated agriculture sensitivity can be reduced through changes in irrigation management; however, in face of the predicted changes in water resources availability and in agricultural water demand, irrigation strategies need to be optimized. The study therefore addresses the biophysical dimension of crop adaptation. An approach (Menenti et al. 2008, 2015) is applied to evaluate options for adaptation by identifying cultivars optimally adapted to expected climatic conditions, building on existing crop intra-specific biodiversity. The aim is to remove or at least reduce the vulnerability of current production systems without altering the pattern of current species and cultivation systems.

Maintaining cereal production in the Bekaa valley in Lebanon presents a serious challenge. Lack of water is the driving force of agricultural research which is mainly focused on introduction of drought resistant cultivars, application of conservation tillage and supplemental irrigation. In this context forty-eight experimental plots were laid out for three years in a statistical split plot design. The statistical analyses showed that aboveground biomass and yield were significantly affected by irrigation for barley but not for the yield of durum wheat. Effects of soil tillage practices and introduction of new cultivares were not significant. A soil survey indicated that the implicit assumption of soil homogeneity of the agronomic design was correct for surface soil but that two different soil types (Cambisols and Fluvisols) had to be distinguished considering subsoil conditions and corresponding rooting patterns. Therefore, the main objective of this paper was to determine the effects of different soil types on crop response and, in addition, to assess how physically-based modeling can predict future effects of climate change on crops and soils. Simulation model SWAP was validated for local conditions using measurements of soil water contents, aboveground biomass and yield of wheat. Considering two rather than one soil type for the experimental area resulted in different conclusions for both crops as to the effectivity of both conservation tillage and irrigation, demonstrating that a distinction of only one soil type results in misleading results. The validated model was applied to estimate yields considering climate change, focusing on the application of supplemental irrigation. Yields for “Mikii3” a durum wheat cultivar are expected to increase by appr. 14% in both soils due to climate change. More importantly, only 3 supplemental irrigations would be needed for the deep soil requiring 5% more water as compared with current climate trend, while the shallow soil needs 13 irrigations, corresponding with a need for 35% more water. This is highly significant from an economic point of view and supports the relevance of distinguishing two soil types. It was demonstrated the synergy of joint research by the agronomic and soil science community and the need for executing a soil survey in future when planning agronomic experiments, including a hydrological soil characterisation.

The main hereditary hemoglobin (Hb) disorder in Argentina is b-thalassemia (b-thal). Molecular studies performed in the center of the country exhibited a marked prevalence of the codon 39 (C4T) and IVS-I-110 (G4A) mutations. The northwest region of Argentina has a different demographic history characterized by an important Spanish influx. Seventy-one b-thal carriers attending the Instituto de Bioquı´mica Aplicada, Tucuma´n, Argentina, were investigated for b-globin gene mutations by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). To examine the genotype-phenotype relationship, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular Hb (MCH) and Hb A2 were measured. In order to recognize b-thal, Mentzer Index, Shine & Lal and Red Cell Distribution Width Index (RDWI), were calculated. The ethnic background of subjects revealed that 82.0% of the population was of Italian, Spanish and Arab origin. Seven mutations were detected: codon 39 (45.0%), IVS-I-1 (G4A) (22.5%), IVS-I-110 (16.3%), IVS-II-1 (G4A) (4.1%), IVS-I-1 (G4T) (2.0%), IVS-I-6 (T4C) (2.0%) and IVS-II-745 (G4C) (2.0%). In three families (6.1%), b-thal mutations were not determined. These results differed from other Argentinian studies because at present codon 39 and IVS-I-1 are the most prevalent; MCV, MCH and Hb A2 did not correlate with the type of mutation (b0/b+). Values of MCV (67.0 fL) and Hb A2 (4.85%) were unable to discriminate between them. Significant differences (p50.05) in MCV, MCH and Shine & Lal were observed between the undetermined group and the three most common mutations. These data show different patterns of b-thal mutations in the center and northwest regions of Argentina. Differences might represent the influence of Spanish immigration. Fil: Lazarte, Sandra Stella. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Bioquímica Aplicada; Argentina Fil: Mónaco, María Elvira. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Biología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán; Argentina Fil: Haro, Ana Cecilia. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Bioquímica Aplicada; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán; Argentina Fil: Jimenez, Cecilia Lorena. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Bioquímica Aplicada; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán; Argentina Fil: Ledesma, Miryam Emilse. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Bioquímica Aplicada; Argentina Fil: Isse, Blanca Alicia de Los Angeles G.. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Bioquímica Aplicada; Argentina

The perspective of climate change requires an analysis of adaptation options for species currently cultivated. The relevant intra-specific biodiversity of crops may be a powerful tool for adaptation. Therefore the knowledge, for different crop cultivars, of the responses to different environmental conditions (e.g. cultivar-specific yield response functions to water regime) can allow identifying adaptation options to future climate and responsivity to supplemental irrigation. Models of crop response to environmental forcing might be used for this purpose, but their use is severely constrained by the very scarce knowledge on cultivar-specific values of model parameters, thus limiting the potential exploitation of intra-specific biodiversity towards adaptation. We have developed an approach to identify adaptation options that relies on three complementary elements: o a database on climatic requirements of durum wheat cultivars: the yield response functions to water availability were determined both from scientific literature and field experiments. Cultivar-specific climatic requirements were thus determined with respect to soil water availability; o simulations performed with the agro-hydrological model SWAP to determine the soil water regime, accounting for soils hydrological properties and climate forcing. The hydrological indicator Relative EvapoTranspiration Deficit was calculated for a reference and a future climate case and for each soil type within the study area; o comparison of hydrological indicators with cultivar-specific requirements for all combinations of climate, cultivar and soil types to identify options for adaptation. The selected study area is a hilly region of about 40,000 ha in Southern Italy (Fortore Beneventano, Campania Region). In this area three soils types were identified and deemed representative of the whole area. Two climate cases were studied: "reference" (1961-1990) and "future" (2021-2050), produced within the Italian National Project AGROSCENARI. The reference climate case was generated from climatic statistics on observed variables while the future climate case was obtained from statistical downscaling of general circulation models (AOGCM). Climatic data consist of daily time series of maximum and minimum temperature and daily rainfall on a regular grid with a spatial resolution of 35 x 35 km. The downscaled climate case includes 50 realizations of daily data. By means of the SWAP model the soil water regime was described in the three soil types using the Relative EvapoTranspiration Deficit (RETD). Cultivars hydrologic requirements were compared with the simulated values of RETD and the comparison was performed for each soil type, cultivar and climate realization to assess adaptability. In the future climate case, during the cropping season (December-June), a significant reduction (about 80 mm) of rainfall is foreseen, in particular during Spring. According to the soils hydrological indicators values and to the cultivar-specific requirements, the adaptability of several durum wheat cultivars (Waha, Haurani, Cham 5, Cham 1, Balcali 85, Cappelli, Creso, Simeto and Claudio) was assessed. The results indicate different adaptability among cultivars, soil types and climate cases. The different physical properties of the three soil types and the difference in the rainfall regime, occurring between the two climate cases, strongly affected the adaptability of the cultivars. The case study shows how, in the future climate scenario, the intra-specific biodiversity would allow maintaining current crop production system. Moreover, in the future climate, the reduction of precipitation could require supplemental irrigation as another tool to cope with climate change.

Il progetto SEGIS ha dimostrato che molto può essere ancora fatto nella gestione irrigua per ottimizzare l'uso dell'acqua ed il momento in cui intervenire. I risultati ottenuti indicano la possibilità di programmare, per le tipologie di suolo allo studio, l'avvio e l'arresto dell'irrigazione rispettivamente al 20% e al 28% di contenuto idrico volumetrico del suolo corrispondenti rispettivamente ad un potenziale idrico di -1000 e -400 cm di acqua rispettivamente . La verifica eseguita a valle di tutti i monitoraggi fatti tra la gestione usuale dell'azienda e la gestione a mezzo di SEGIS ha mostrato una riduzione di consumo idrico del 22% applicando SEGIS rispetto alla gestione aziendale. A fronte di questa riduzione la perdita di prodotto è stata sdi circa l'8%. Questa riduzione ha portato ad un prodotto con una migliore shelf-life che per la IV gamma è una caratteristica essenziale, oltre che ad una migliore efficienza dell'uso dell'acqua applicata.

Climate change is likely to have a major impact on agricultural production in Mediterranean regions, due to higher temperatures and lower water availability for irrigation. A Hybrid Land Evaluation System (HLES) is proposed allowing a comparison between plant demands on the one hand and estimated future temperatures and soil water regimes on the other. A storyline is followed for each plant species hybrid and each soil mapping unit in the area to be studied, starting with step 1: evaluation of thermal conditions, followed by step 2: a traditional empirical land evaluation procedure identifying limiting features that are not covered by crop simulation models (such as flooding, surface stones, salt). Step 3 applies the quantitative Soil–Water–Atmosphere–Plant (SWAP) model and calculates soil water regimes and associated productions, at 100%, 80%, and 60% hypothetical irrigation water availability. HLES was applied in the Destra Sele area in Italy, comparing two climates: “reference” (1961–1990) and “future” (2021–2050), studying 11 maize hybrids and showing that in future, 6 hybrids suffered severely at 80% water availability and 7 could not meet requirements at 60%. HLES allows a proactive approach to future water allocation issues and provides data for genetic modification studies in terms of defining hydrological conditions for sites of native plants and for areas where new hybrids are to be introduced. HLES presents options, to be explored in close interaction with users, rather than one-way judgments.

Most common microcytic hypochromic anemias are iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and β-thalassemia trait (BTT), in which oxidative stress (OxS) has an essential role. Catalase causes detoxification of H2O2 in cells, and it is an indispensable antioxidant enzyme. The study was designed to measure erythrocyte catalase activity (ECAT) in patients with IDA (10) or BTT (21), to relate it with thalassemia mutation type (β0 or β+) and to compare it with normal subjects (67). Ninety-eight individuals were analyzed since September 2013 to June 2014 in Tucumán, Argentina. Total blood count, hemoglobin electrophoresis at alkaline pH, HbA2, catalase, and iron status were performed. β-thalassemic mutations were determined by real-time PCR. Normal range for ECAT was 70,0-130,0 MU/L. ECAT was increased in 14% (3/21) of BTT subjects and decreased in 40% (4/10) of those with IDA. No significant difference (p=0,245) was shown between normal and BTT groups, while between IDA and normal groups the difference was proved to be significant (p=0,000). In β0 and β+ groups, no significant difference (p=0,359) was observed. An altered ECAT was detected in IDA and BTT. These results will help to clarify how the catalase activity works in these anemia types. Fil: Lazarte, Sandra Stella. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Bioquímica Aplicada; Argentina Fil: Monaco, Maria Eugenia. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Bioquímica Aplicada; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Biología; Argentina Fil: Jimenez, Cecilia Laura. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Bioquímica Aplicada; Argentina Fil: Ledesma, Miryam Emilse. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Bioquímica Aplicada; Argentina Fil: Teran, Magdalena María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Bioquímica Aplicada; Argentina Fil: Isse, Blanca Alicia de Los Angeles G.. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Bioquímica Aplicada; Argentina

The perspective of climate change requires an analysis of the adaptation possibilities of species currently cultivated. A powerful tool for adaptation is the relevant intra-specific biodiversity of crops. The knowledge, for different cultivars, of the responses to environmental conditions (e.g. yield response functions to water regime) can be a tool to identify options for adaptation to future climate. Models of crop response to environmental forcing might be used for this purpose, but this approach is severely constrained by the scarce knowledge on variety-specific values of model parameters, thus limiting the evaluation of intra-specific biodiversity towards adaptation. We have developed an approach towards this objective that relies on two complementary elements. A database on climatic requirements of durum wheat varieties: the yield response functions to water availability were determined from scientific literature. These functions were applied to describe the behaviour of the cultivars with respect to the soil water availability; the simulations performed by the agro-hydrological model SWAP (soil-water-plant and atmosphere), to describe the future soil water regime at landscape scale. The case-study presented here shows how the yield response of durum wheat cultivars to soil water availability can be defined by means of variety-specific threshold values of evapotranspiration deficit. The soil water regime calculated by the model is compared with the threshold values to identify varieties compatible with expected climate. The operation is repeated for a set of realizations of each climate scenario. This analysis is performed for three soils. The selected study area is a hilly region of about 40,000 ha in Southern Italy (Fortore Beneventano, Campania Region). Future climate scenarios in the area were generated within the Italian National Project AGROSCENARI. Climate scenarios at low spatial resolution generated with general circulation models (AOGCM) were downscaled by means of a statistical model. The downscaled climate scenario includes 50 realizations of daily minimum, maximum temperature and precipitation data, on a regular grid with a spatial resolution of 35 km, for the 2021-2050 period. The downscaled climate scenario was further refined by using the hydrological model which describes the soil water regime in three soils. Soil water content and evapotranspiration deficit was determined for the 50 realizations of the daily time series, taking into account the three soils, and was compared with threshold values to evaluate cultivar' adaptability to the predicted future climate. The case study shows how, in the future climate scenario, the intra-specific variability will allow to maintain the current crop production system.

It is a common irrigation practice of fruit growers to fine-tune timing and amount of water gifts to achieve higher productivity and better quality of Peach cultivars. This requires different irrigation strategies during different phenological stages. Moreover, irrigation management should be adapted to different cultivars, besides weather and climate. Finally, after harvest, water gifts may be reduced to the minimum level required for plant survival. Adaptation to climate change adds an additional dimension to the challenge of designing and applying optimal irrigation scheduling. This challenge can be met by a combination of experiments and modelling on the water balance of the soil plant atmosphere system. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the magnitude and significance of differences in the modelled soil water deficit and in the resulting irrigation water gifts (as a function of time) when taking into account the specific phenological cycle of each cultivar versus a generic assessment for each species. We present the results of a case study on Peach cultivars in an area of the Po Valley where fruit crops are intensively grown. We evaluated for three Peach cultivars the soil water deficit and the irrigation requirement taking into account the shifting in phenological phases in response to air temperature. This analysis is performed taking into account the variability of soils. A reference (1961-90) and future (2021-2050) climate were considered. The reference climate data set has been produced applying a spatial statistic approach on ground observations. The future climate data set has been generated from statistical downscaling of predictions by general circulation models (AOGCM). The data sets consist of daily time series of maximum and minimum temperature, and daily rainfall on a 35 km × 35 km grid. The grid node located near Ravenna is the most representative of the local climate within the study area. The phenological development in the reference and future climate is modelled using phase - specific thermal times and specific thermal requirements for each peach cultivar. These requirements were estimated using phenological observations over several years in the Emilia Romagna region and scientific literature. We calculated the dates of start and end of rest completion, flowering, fruit development and ripening stages, from late autumn through late summer. Then, a mechanistic model of water flow in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum was used to describe the hydrological conditions in each phenological phase in response to climate and irrigation. Species-specific input data and model parameters were estimated on the basis of local experiments and of scientific literature and assumed to be generically representative of the species. Soils' hydrological properties of the study area were determined from soil texture using the HYPRES pedo-transfer functions. Upper boundary conditions were derived from the two climate scenarios. Despite the high evaporative demand and summer water shortage predicted for future climate scenario the impact on peach cultivars is positive since phenological stages from flowering to ripening are placed in rainy periods. Inter-cultivars differences have been assessed for future climate scenario concerning the required irrigation volumes in both optimal and in Regulated Deficit Irrigation managements.

We have assessed the impacts of climate change and evaluated options to adapt irrigation management in the face of predicted changes of agricultural water demand. We have evaluated irrigation scheduling and its effectiveness (versus crop transpiration), and cultivars' adaptability. The spatial and temporal variations of effectiveness and adaptability were studied in an irrigated district of Southern Italy. Two climate scenarios were considered: reference (1961-90) and future (2021-2050) climate, the former from climatic statistics, and the latter from statistical downscaling of general circulation models (AOGCM). Climatic data consist of daily time series of maximum and minimum temperature, and daily rainfall on a grid with a spatial resolution of 35 km. The work was carried out in the Destra Sele irrigation scheme (18.000 ha. Twenty-five soil units were identified and their hydrological properties were determined (measured or estimated from texture through pedo-transfer functions). A tomato crop, in a rotation typical of the area, was considered. A mechanistic model of water flow in the soil-plant-atmosphere system (SWAP) was used to study crop water requirements and water consumption. The model was calibrated and validated in the same area for many different crops. Tomato crop input data and model parameters were estimated on the basis of scientific literature and assumed to be generically representative of the species. Simulations were performed for reference and future climate, and for different irrigation scheduling options. In all soil units, six levels of irrigation volumes were applied: full irrigation (100%), deficit irrigation (80%, 60%, 40%, 20%), no irrigation. From simulation runs, indicators of soil water availability were calculated, moreover the marginal increases of transpiration per unit of irrigation volume, i.e. the effectiveness of irrigation (T/I), were computed, in both climate scenarios. Indicators and marginal increases were used to evaluate the tomato crop adaptability to future climate. To this purpose, for several tomato cultivars, threshold values of their yield responses to soil water availability were determined (data from scientific literature). Cultivars' threshold values were evaluated, in all soil units, against the indicators' values, for irrigation levels with different T/I. Less water intensive cultivars and irrigation volumes that optimize transpiration (and yield) could thus be identified in both climate scenarios, and irrigation management scenarios were determined taking into account soils' hydrological properties, crop biodiversity, and efficient use of water resource. The work was carried out within the Italian national project AGROSCENARI funded by the Ministry forAgricultural, Food and Forest Policies (MIPAAF, D.M. 8608/7303/2008)

The effect of climate evolution on the sustainability of irrigated agricultural systems will be site-specific depending on: (i) resource availability, (ii) crops' water requirements, (iii) soil hydrological behavior and (iv) irrigation management strategies. In an irrigated district of Southern Italy, for two field crops (maize and tomato), we have evaluated various irrigation scheduling options in different climate scenarios, and we have assessed the adaptability of many cultivars. We have first estimated the yield response to water of several maize and tomato cultivars. Next, to identify options for adaptation, we have evaluated the compatibility of such responses with indicators of soil water availability, with different irrigation strategies, for a reference (current) and future climate. This compatibility assessment was done for each soil unit within the study area. The derived spatial and temporal variations of soil water regime and adaptability were studied. Two climate scenarios were considered: reference (1961-90) and future (2021-2050) climate, the former from climatic statistics, and the latter from statistical downscaling of general circulation models (AOGCM). Climatic data consist of daily time series of maximum and minimum temperature, and daily rainfall on a grid with a spatial resolution of 35 km. The work was carried out in the Destra Sele irrigation scheme (22.000 ha). Twenty-five soil units were identified and their hydrological properties were determined (measured or estimated from HYPRES pedo-transfer functions). Upper boundary conditions were derived from the two climate scenarios. Maize and tomato crops (in the rotations typical of the area) were considered. A mechanistic model of water flow in the soil-plant-atmosphere system (SWAP) was used to describe the hydrological conditions in response to climate and irrigation. The model was calibrated and validated in the same area for many different crops. Cropspecific input data and model parameters were estimated on the basis of local experiments and of scientific literature and assumed to be generically representative of the species. Simulations were performed for reference and future climate, and for different irrigation scheduling options. In all soil units, a set of irrigation scheduling volumes was applied: from full to no irrigation, through different levels of deficit irrigation. From simulation runs, indicators of soil water availability were calculated; moreover the marginal increases of transpiration per unit of irrigation volume (?T/I) were computed, in both climate scenarios. Indicators and marginal increases were used to evaluate crops' adaptability to future climate. To this purpose, for several maize hybrids and tomato cultivars, yield response functions to soil water availability were determined (data from scientific literature and experiments). Cultivars' response functions were evaluated, in all soil units, against the indicators' values, for irrigation levels with different ?T/I. Less water intensive cultivars and irrigation volumes that optimize transpiration (and yield) could thus be identified in both climate scenarios, and irrigation management scenarios were determined taking into account soils' hydrological properties, crop biodiversity, and efficient use of water resource. The results have shown the spatial patterns of soil water regime, that were strongly influenced by soils' characteristics. Moreover the case study has shown how, in the future climate scenario, with limited water resources, the intra-specific biodiversity will allow to maintain current crop production system.

Limited impacts of climate change on agricultural yields are unlikely to induce any significant changes in current landscapes. Larger impacts, unacceptable on economic or social ground, are likely to trigger interventions towards adaptation of agricultural production systems by reducing or removing vulnerabilities to climate variability and change. Such interventions may require a transition to a different production system, i.e. complete substitution of current crops, or displacement of current crops at their current location towards other locations, e.g. at higher elevations within the landscape. We have assessed the impacts of climate change and evaluated options for adaptation of a valley in Southern Italy, dominated by vine and olive orchards with a significant presence of wheat. We have first estimated the climatic requirements of several varieties for each dominant species. Next, to identify options for adaptation we have evaluated the compatibility of such requirements with indicators of a reference (current) climate and of future climate. This climate - compatibility assessment was done for each soil unit within the valley, leading to maps of locations where each crop is expected to be compatible with climate. This leads to identify both potential crop substitutions within the entire valley and crop displacements from one location to another within the valley. Two climate scenarios were considered: reference (1961-90) and future (2021-2050) climate, the former from climatic statistics, and the latter from statistical downscaling of general circulation models (AOGCM). Climatic data consists of daily time series of maximum and minimum temperature, and daily rainfall on a grid with a spatial resolution of 35 km. We evaluated the adaptive capacity of the "Valle Telesina" (Campania Region, Southern Italy). A mechanistic model of water flow in the soil-plant-atmosphere system (SWAP) was used to describe the hydrological conditions in response to climate for each soil unit. Crop-specific input data and model parameters were estimated on the basis of local experiments and of scientific literature and assumed to be generically representative of the species. Time series of MODIS TIR data were used to downscale gridded climate data on air temperature for both the reference and the future climate. The results indicate that no complete crop substitution will be required within this time frame, i.e. the Valle Telesina will preserve its typical landscape features of a vine - olive orchards dominated production system, typical of many regions in Mediterranean Europe. On the other hand very significant crop displacements will be necessary to grow each variety under optimal hydrothermal conditions, from the point of view of both quantity and quality of yield. The work was carried out within the Italian national project AGROSCENARI funded by the Ministry for Agricultural, Food and Forest Policies (MIPAAF, D.M. 8608/7303/2008)

The quality of grape and wine is variety-specific and depends significantly on the pedoclimatic conditions, thus from the terroir characteristics. In viticulture the concept of terroir is known to be very complex. At present some changes are occurring in the studies of terroir. Their spatial analysis is improving by means of studies that account for the spatial distribution of solar radiation and of bioclimatic indexes. Moreover, simulation models are used to study the water flow in the soil-plant-atmosphere system in order to determine the water balance of vines as a function of i) soil physical properties, ii) climatic regime and iii) agro-ecosystems characteristics. The future climate evolution may endanger not only yield production (IPCC, 2007), but also its quality. The effects on quality may be relevant for grape production, since they can affect the sustainability of the cultivation of grape varieties in the areas where they are currently grown. This study addresses this question by evaluating the adaptive capacity of grape's cultivars in a 20000 ha viticultural area in the "Valle Telesina" (Campania Region, Southern Italy). This area has a long tradition in the production of high quality wines (DOC and DOCG) and it is characterized by a complex geomorphology with a large variability of soils and micro-climate. Two climate scenarios were considered: "past" (1961-1990) and "future" (2021-2050), the latter constructed applying statistical downscaling to GCMs scenarios. For each climate scenario the moisture regime of the soils of the study area was calculated by means of a simulation model of the soil-water-atmosphere system (SWAP). The hydrological model SWAP was applied to the representative soils of the entire area (47 soil units); the soil hydraulic properties were estimated (by means of pedo-transfer function HYPRES) and measured. Upper boundary conditions were derived from the climate scenarios. Unit gradient in soil water potential was set as lower boundary condition. Crop-specific input data and model parameters were estimated on the basis of scientific literature and assumed to be generically representative of the species. Synthetic indicators of the regimes (e.g. crop evapotranspiration deficit - CWSI, available soil water content, soil temperature) were calculated and compared with thermal and water requirements of a set of grape varieties, including the ones currently cultivated in the area. As a result of the comparison, most varieties resulted adaptable to the future climate. For some cultivars (i.e. Catalanesca) a significant increase of suitable area is foreseen; in other cases (i.e. Aglianico and Falanghina) a slight reduction will occur. Moreover for the most important varieties actually cultivated (e.g. Aglianico, Falanghina, etc.) an analysis on the expected spatial migration due to the climate change was performed. Finally, an analysis of CWSI during different crop phenological stages was performed for both climate periods. The time course of the moisture regime in different soils was thus described; this analysis allowed to identify the soils where the water regime can positively affect grape (and wine) quality. The work was carried out within the Italian national project AGROSCENARI funded by the Ministry for Agricultural, Food and Forest Policies (MIPAAF, D.M. 8608/7303/2008).

Cell proliferation arrest at 37 degrees C (restrictive temperature) of the cell division cycle (cdc) mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cdc28, cdc35, cdc19, cdc21, and cdc17 was correlated with carbon and energy uncoupling. At 37 degrees C, cdc mutants diverted to biomass synthesis only 3 to 4% and 8 to 24% of the fluxes of carbon consumed and ATP obtained by catabolism, respectively, compared with 48 and 34% in the wild-type strain A364A. At the permissive temperature (25 degrees C), the wild type showed similar carbon and energy coupling indexes as at 37 degrees C. However, carbon and energy coupling indexes were two- to sevenfold higher at 25 degrees than at 37 degrees C in cdc mutants; e.g., at 25 degrees C two- to sevenfold higher amounts of carbon and ATP were directed to biomass production than at 37 degrees C. The wild-type strain exhibited a purely oxidative glucose catabolism at 37 degrees C (RQ approximately 1.0), while the cell proliferation arrest of cdc mutants at the same temperature was characterized by fermentative metabolism. At 37 degrees C, cdc mutants directed 50 to 60% of the carbon to ethanol production; 3 to 12% of the carbon was recovered as glycerol in cdc mutants as well as in the wild type. The proliferation arrest of the cell division cycle mutant cdc28 correlated with a significant decrease in the incorporation of radioactive precursors into DNA, RNA, and proteins. In the presence of 8-hydroxyquinoline, the wild-type strain underwent cell proliferation arrest and also exhibited metabolic uncoupling with bioenergetic and catabolic behavior similar to that of the cdc mutants at 37 degrees C. Experimental evidence obtained with cdc19, whose defective gene product is pyruvate kinase, suggests that the primary defect of cdc mutants correlates with a metabolically, highly uncoupled yeast cell. The results presented point to the existence of strong carbon and energy uncoupling together with cell division arrest exhibited by cdc mutants at the restrictive temperature. The degree of uncoupling appears to be tuned, at least in part, by the increase in flux of sugar catabolism through the ethanol fermentative pathway.

In this work we carried out ultrastructural, autoradiographic and biochemical analyses of the follicular epithelium during C. cranwelli previtellogenesis. This study revealed that the follicular epithelium in early previtellogenesis is constituted of a single layer of squamous homogeneous cells. During midprevitellogenesis two types of cells develop: dark cells and clear cells. The follicular dark cells are actively involved in the synthesis of RNA, which is transferred to the oocyte through the interface. In late previtellogenesis the dark cells show apoptotic characteristics such as chromatin condensation, DNA fragmentation and cytoplasm shrinkage. This process forms apoptotic bodies that seem to be engulfed by the oocyte. Our results show evidence that, during mid- and late C. cranwelli previtellogenesis, the follicular epithelium undergoes remodelling processes interacting with the oocyte. Fil: Villecco, E.I.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas; Argentina Fil: Monaco, Maria Eugenia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas; Argentina Fil: Sanchez, Sara Serafina del V.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas; Argentina

The aim of the present study was to investigate the physiological role and the expression pattern of heterologous gap junctions during Xenopus laevis vitellogenesis. Dye transfer experiments showed that there are functional gap junctions at the oocyte/follicle cell interface during the vitellogenic process and that octanol uncouples this intercellular communication. The incubation of vitellogenic oocytes in the presence of biotinylated bovine serum albumin (b-BSA) or fluorescein dextran (FDX), showed that oocytes develop stratum of newly formed yolk platelets. In octanol-treated follicles no sign of nascent yolk sphere formation was observed. Thus, experiments in which gap junctions were downregulated with octanol showed that coupled gap junctions are required for endocytic activity. RT-PCR analysis showed that the expression of connexin 43 (Cx43) was first evident at stage II of oogenesis and increased during the subsequent vitellogenic stages (III, IV and V), which would indicate that this Cx is related to the process that regulates yolk uptake. No expression changes were detected for Cx31 and Cx38 during vitellogenesis. Based on our results, we propose that direct gap junctional communication is a requirement for endocytic activity, as without the appropriate signal from surrounding epithelial cells X. laevis oocytes were unable to endocytose VTG. Fil: Monaco, Maria Eugenia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas; Argentina Fil: Villecco, E.I.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas; Argentina Fil: Sanchez, Sara Serafina del V.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas; Argentina

The temperature-sensitive cell division cycle (cdc) G1 mutants cdc28 and cdc35 show decreased mitochondrial volumes with respect to the wild type strain A364A (WT) at the restrictive temperature. Of the three criteria of mitochondrial biogenesis studied, that is, number of mitochondria per cell, relative area of the cell occupied by mitochondria, or relative area of mitochondria occupied by inner membranes, only the second indicator was significantly lower in cdc mutants than in the WT. The mitochondrial inner membranes development did not compensate for the decrease in the organelles volume. Apparently, the reduced mitochondrial biogenesis was not due to the temperature shift because the relative area of the cell occupied by mitochondria was already significantly lower at 25 degrees C in cdc mutants. The specific fluxes of oxygen consumption confirmed that the respiratory capacity of cdc mutants is largely impaired in respect to the WT. Cdc28 and cdc35 mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae had been previously shown to exhibit high respiratory quotients (from 3 to 7) in respect to the WT (RQ approximately 1.0), which correlated with carbon and energy uncoupling probably the result of glucose-induced catabolite repression [Aon MA, Mónaco ME, Cortassa S (1995) Exp Cell Res 217, 42-51; Mónaco ME, Valdecantos PA, Aon MA (1995) Exp Cell Res 217, 52-56].

Several cell division cycle (cdc) mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (cdc28, cdc35, cdc19, cdc21, and cdc17) at the restrictive temperature (37 degrees C) in the presence of 1% glucose and defined medium divert most of the carbon (approximately 50%) to ethanol production with low biomass growth yields (Yglc) that correlate with carbon and energy uncoupling and arrest of cell proliferation. The cdc mutants studied are shown to be glucose-repressed, while this was not the case for the wild-type A364A (WT). At 37 degrees C, in the presence of 1% glycerol, derepressed cdc28 mutant cells did not show arrest of cell division and carbon and energy uncoupling since the Yglc levels measured were similar to those of the WT strain. These results suggest that the increased fermentative ability and carbon and energy uncoupling exhibited in the presence of glucose by cdc mutants with respect to those exhibited by the WT may be due to catabolite repression.

There are two IL-15 isoforms and eight isoforms for the IL-15Ralpha chain whose biological role is poorly understood. Here, we have analysed the intracellular trafficking of IL-15 and IL-15Ralpha and tried to shed some light on their function(s). In IL-15/GFP CHO transfectants both IL-15 isoforms show nuclear localization. Two melanoma cell lines (MELP and MELREO) spontaneously expressing the IL-15 isoforms, display different intracellular trafficking of the IL-15/IL-15Ralpha complex. In MELP cells only IL-15Ralpha is detected inside the nucleus, whereas IL-15 and IL-15Ralpha assemble at the cell surface and are internalized. Moreover, the transducing molecule TRAF2 co-immunoprecipitates with IL-15Ralpha and may be deflected to TNFRI using anti-IL-15 blocking mAbs and TNF-alpha. By contrast, MELREO cells display IL-15Ralpha and IL-15 nuclear localization but only a partial co-localization of these molecules on the cell surface. In these cells, TRAF2 is strongly associated with IL-15Ralpha and cannot be deflected by any treatment. Since TRAF2 activates the transcription factor NF-kappaB, IL-15 through IL-15Ralpha, could have a role in the control of this pathway. Indeed, anti-IL-15 MaB inhibit the constitutive nuclear localization of NFkappaB and the phosphorylation of its inhibitor Ikappa-Balpha. Thus, IL-15Ralpha controls NF-kappaB activation, however differences in the intracellular trafficking of the IL-15 and/or IL-15Ralpha suggest a different biological role for this complex in MELP versus MELREO cells.

The study addresses the biophysical dimension of adaptation. It illustrates and applies a framework to evaluate options for adaptation by identifying cultivars optimally adapted to expected climate conditions, building on existing crops intra-specific biodiversity. The aim is to reduce the vulnerability of current production systems without altering the pattern of current species and cultivation systems. Adaptability is assessed through a three-step approach that involves: 1) evaluation of indicators of expected thermal and hydrological conditions within the specific landscape and production system; 2) determination, for a set of cultivars, of cultivar- specific thermal and hydrological requirements to attain the desirable yield; 3) identification, as options for adaptation, of the cultivars for which expected climate conditions match the climatic requirements. The approach relies on a process-based simulation model of water flow in the soil-plant-atmosphere system for the calculation of hydrological indicators. Thermal indicators are derived by means of phenological models. Empirical functions of cultivars yield response to water availability are used to determine cultivar-specific hydrological requirements, whereas cultivars thermal requirements are estimated through phenological observations. In a future climate case (2021-2050) three case-studies are analyzed: 1) a system dominated by rain-fed crops (olive, winegrapes, durum wheat) in a hilly area of southern Italy; 2) irrigated fruit crops (peach, pear) in the Po Valley; 3) maize and tomato crop in an irrigated plain of southern Italy. Cultivars adapted to the future climate have been identified for rain-fed crops (e.g. 5 olive cvs). For irrigated crops we have evaluated adaptability for optimal and deficit irrigation schedules, accounting for site-specific soils hydrological properties. Options for adaptations have been identified as a combination of cultivars, soils and irrigation schedules (e.g 2 tomato cvs and 3 maize hybrids have been identified as options for adaptation at scarce water availability). Moreover, in the case of fruit crops, accounting for phenological changes highlighted the impact on irrigation water requirements of the interaction between phenology and the intra-annual distribution of precipitation.