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Plants are able to acclimate to environmental constraints through functional modifications that may also occur in tissues that are not directly exposed to stress. This process is termed “systemic acquired acclimation.” The present study aims to evaluate the involvement of PolyADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) protein in the acclimation process to high light (HL) stress in Phaseolus vulgaris plants. For this purpose, some leaves located at the top of the plant, in the apical position, were directly exposed to HL (“inducing” leaves), while others on the same plant, distal from the top, continued to be exposed to growth light (“receiving” leaves) to verify the hypothesis that an “alert” message may be transferred from injured tissues to distal ones. Biochemical and eco-physiological analyses, namely PARP activity, H2O2 and water- and fat-soluble antioxidants (i.e., ascorbic acid, tocopherol, glutathione (GSH), phenols, carotenoids, etc.) content, and chlorophyll fluorescence measurements were performed on both “inducing” and “receiving” leaves. Even if no change in PARP expression was found, its activity increased in “receiving” unstressed leaves in response to the light stress duration experimented by “inducing” leaves, while antioxidant capacity declined. When the “receiving” leaves were exposed to HL, the PARP activity returned to the control value, while antioxidant capacity photosynthetic electron transport rate (Jf) decreased and increased, respectively, compared to Control. Our results seem to show an acclimation pathway triggered in remote tissues not yet subjected to stress, likely involving a reactive oxygen species wave activating the PARP enzyme in a mechanism still to be clarified. In addition, the increased tolerance of plants directly exposed to HL could implicate a boosted synthesis of soluble antioxidants accompanied by a reduction of PARP activity to reduce excessive consumption of NAD(P).

Der folgende Beitrag beleuchtet die Gaming- und E-Sport-Branche aus Sicht des Personalmanagements. Er zeigt, welche Potenziale in dieser Branche stecken und wie sie sich für das Employer Branding, die Talent Acquisition und das Recruiting nutzbar machen lässt. Das Credo des Verfassers dieses Beitrages lautet: Gamer sind eine spannende Zielgruppe für die Personaler im Hinblick auf die Gestaltung der digitalen und kulturellen Transformation eines Unternehmens. Gian Luca Vitale ist Unternehmensberater und beschäftigt sich mit den Themen strategisches Marketing, Customer Experience und Ecosystem Business Development. In seiner Funktion als Berater hilft er Unternehmen von der Strategie bis zur Umsetzung, einen authentischen und geeigneten Weg in das Gaming und E-Sports-Ökosystem zu finden. Er ist seit seiner Kindheit ein leidenschaftlicher und aktiver Gamer und E-Sports-Athlet und hat mehrfach E-Sport-Teams und Organisationen gegründet und geleitet. Als Speaker und Experte tritt er regelmäßig auf internationalen E-Sports-Konferenzen, Web- und Podcasts auf. Zusätzlich verfasst Gian Luca Vitale als Leitautor regelmäßig Studien und Fachbeiträge zum Thema Gaming und E-Sports.

In this work, the effects of light quality and beneficial microbes (biofertilizer) supply on structural and ecophysiological traits of spinach were investigated. Plants were grown under four light quality regimens: white light (WL), red-blue (RB), red-green (RG), and red (R) light, with or without the addition of biofertilizer. RG and R plants without biofertilizer showed morphological traits typical of shaded plants as wide leaf lamina and high photosynthetic pigment content. These plants also exhibited a higher photosynthetic capacity compared to WL and RB plants. The improved photosynthesis in RG plants was due to both morphological and physiological adjustments allowing a better utilisation of light energy, whereas in R plants it has been attributed to a reduced photorespiration rate. Biofertilizer application under WL improved plant performance enhancing photosynthesis. The high carbon gain compensates the costs of symbiosis. Biofertilizer application under R light favouring too much the microbial root colonisation, removed the benefits of symbiosis. The interaction of light quality and biofertilization significantly affects the root-microbe relationship.

International audience; Understanding the coupling of terrestrial ecosystem evapotranspiration (ET) and photosynthesis (gross primary productivity, GPP) is limited by inherent difficulties to provide accurate approximations of transpiration (T) and leaf-to-air vapor pressure difference (D) that is a key variable needed to define the stomata behaviors in generic methods. To address the issues and better characterize the ET-GPP relationship, we developed a novel remote sensing (RS)-driven approach (RCEEP) based on the underlying water use efficiency (uWUE) method (termed uWUE-Model). RCEEP partitions T from ET using the RS-derived fraction (rsFt) of T in ET and then links T and GPP via RS-derived canopy conductance (rsGc) instead of D. RCEEP, the original uWUE-Model, and two other uWUE-based versions (RT or RG) that only incorporate rsFt or rsGc were adjusted using the calibration data, and then inter-compared in terms of their performances (Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency, NSE) in estimating GPP from ET on a daily and monthly scale for both calibration and validation datasets ? two subsets of data from 177 flux sites covering 11 biome types over the globe. Results revealed better performances of RT and RG as compared to uWUE-Model over most biomes, implying remarkable contributions of rsFt and rsGc to a more meaningful relationship between ET and GPP. RCEEP yielded the best performances over all biome types except for evergreen forest with reasonable mean NSE values of 0.67 ? 0.68 (0.75) on a daily (monthly) scale. Further comparisons between RCEEP and two existing approaches concerning estimating GPP from ET revealed consistently better performances of RCEEP and thus, positive implications of introducing rsFt and rsGc in bridging ecosystem ET and GPP. Besides, rsFt should be used combined with rsGc to avoid degraded effectiveness for specific biome types (Savannah and Woody Savannah). These results are promising in view of improving or developing algorithms on coupled estimates of ecosystem ET and GPP and understanding the GPP dynamics concerning ET on a global scale.

Anthropization often leads to land use transformation, causing deep changes to soil properties and its quality. Land use change could be an environmental and socioeconomic problem, as it impacts soil quality and ecosystem services. There is an urgent need to understand the pressures affecting soil quality. The aim of the work is to quantify the impact of different land uses on soil abiotic and biotic properties and on its quality. To achieve the aims, soils from different land uses (forest, urban and agricultural) were collected in the surroundings of Naples and analyzed for pH, water content, contents of C and N, C/N ratio and total and available concentrations of Cu, Ni and Pb, microbial and fungal biomasses, basal respiration and metabolic quotient. Then, a soil quality index (SQI) was calculated for each land use. The results showed that soil abiotic and biotic properties of the agricultural sites differed from those of forest and urban sites. At agricultural sites, microbial abundances decreased due to low amount of C and N and to high amount of Cu and Pb. This caused low use efficiency of energetic substrates and a reduced soil quality of agricultural sites as compared to forest and urban sites.

Climate change is increasing the frequency of high temperature shocks and water shortage, pointing to the need for developing novel tolerant varieties and to understand the mechanisms engaged to withstand combined abiotic stresses. Two tomato genotypes, a heat-tolerant S. lycopersicum accession (LA3120) and a novel genotype (E42), previously selected as a stable yielding genotype under high temperatures, were exposed to single and combined water and heat stress. Plant functional traits, pollen viability and physiological (leaf gas exchanges and chlorophyll a fluorescence emission measurements), and biochemical (antioxidants contents and antioxidant enzymes activity) measurements were carried out. A Reduced Representation Sequencing (RRS) approach allowed to explore the genetic variability of both genotypes to identify candidate genes that could regulate stress responses. Both abiotic stresses had a severe impact on plant growth parameters and on the reproductive phase of development. Growth parameters and leaf gas exchange measurements revealed that the two genotypes used different physiological strategies to overcome individual and combined stresses, with E42 having a more efficient capability to utilise the limiting water resources. Activation of antioxidant defence mechanisms seemed to be critical for both genotypes to counteract combined abiotic stresses. Candidate genes were identified that could explain the different physiological response to stress observed in E42 compared with LA3120. Results here obtained have shown how new tomato genetic resources can be a valuable source of traits for adaptation to combined abiotic stresses and should be used in breeding programs to improve stress tolerance in commercial varieties.

TiO2 in the form of nanoparticles is characterized by high photocatalytic activity and high resistance to oxidation, making it an excellent candidate to realize coatings for improving the corrosion resistance of aluminium surfaces. Different coating technologies have been proposed over the years, which often involve the use of toxic compounds and very high temperatures. In this work, an alternative and novel one-step method for the coating of aluminium alloy surfaces with titania nanoparticles is presented. The method is based on the combination of aerosol flame synthesis and direct thermophoretic deposition and allows to produce nanostructured thin coating layers of titania with different features. Specifically, 3.5 nm anatase nanoparticles were synthesized and deposited onto aluminium alloy AA2024 samples. The thickness of the coating was changed by modifying the total deposition time. A thermal annealing treatment was developed to improve the adhesion of nano-titania on the substrates, and the morphology and structures of the coatings were characterized using (ultra violet) UV-vis absorption, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The corrosion resistance behavior of the coatings was evaluated by means of electrochemical polarization measurements, coupled with a numerical analysis using COMSOL software. Both the experimental and numerical electrochemical polarization curves showed a significant increase in the corrosion potential of coated substrates with respect to the bare aluminium and a decrease in the current density. The coatings obtained with higher deposition time and greater thickness showed the best performances in terms of the resistance of the aluminium surfaces to corrosion.

TiO2 in the form of nanoparticles is characterized by high photocatalytic activity and high resistance to oxidation, making it an excellent candidate to realize coatings for improving the corrosion resistance of aluminium surfaces. Different coating technologies have been proposed over the years, which often involve the use of toxic compounds and very high temperatures. In this work, an alternative and novel one-step method for the coating of aluminium alloy surfaces with titania nanoparticles is presented. The method is based on the combination of aerosol flame synthesis and direct thermophoretic deposition and allows to produce nanostructured thin coating layers of titania with different features. Specifically, 3.5 nm anatase nanoparticles were synthesized and deposited onto aluminium alloy AA2024 samples. The thickness of the coating was changed by modifying the total deposition time. A thermal annealing treatment was developed to improve the adhesion of nano-titania on the substrates, and the morphology and structures of the coatings were characterized using (ultra violet) UV-vis absorption, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The corrosion resistance behavior of the coatings was evaluated by means of electrochemical polarization measurements, coupled with a numerical analysis using COMSOL software. Both the experimental and numerical electrochemical polarization curves showed a significant increase in the corrosion potential of coated substrates with respect to the bare aluminium and a decrease in the current density. The coatings obtained with higher deposition time and greater thickness showed the best performances in terms of the resistance of the aluminium surfaces to corrosion.

International audience; Climate change will affect the growing season and increase the occurrence of extreme stressful events, thus altering crop phenological phases and the associated emission of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC). BVOC exchange has been poorly investigated in field crops, especially in the Mediterranean area. In this study we report continuous measurements of BVOC fluxes and CO2 net ecosystem exchange (NEE), together with environmental variables, green area index (GAI) and aboveground biomass (AGB) during a whole growing season in a grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor x Sorghum sudangrass., cv. Nicol, Pioneer) plantation located in Southern Europe. Results of this intensive field campaign showed that, while the bare soil of our site was a sink of BVOC, the sorghum plantation became a source of oxygenated BVOC, mainly methanol and acetaldehyde, which were emitted over the season at an average rate of 0.137 ± 0.013 and 0.070 ± 0.004 nmol m−2 s−1, respectively. In addition, the application of the advanced data mining method of Self-Organizing Maps (SOM) revealed distinctive patterns of BVOC fluxes correlating with sorghum growth stages (GS): in the first stage (GS1), developing plantlets emitted a mixture of BVOC uniquely characterized by monoterpenes; in GS2, adult plants forming an homogeneous dense canopy emitted the most abundant fluxes of a mixture of oxygenated BVOC comprising methanol, acetaldehyde, formic acid, acetone, acetic acid and n-pentenol; once plants entered the flowering stage (in GS3), only a few BVOC continued to be emitted at the highest rates (i.e. formic acid, acetone, acetic acid, n-pentenol). Moreover, the application of SOM to a sub-set of BVOC fluxes highlighted the possibility to qualitatively differentiate stressful events of plant lodging and harvest cutting. In fact, enhanced emission of acetaldehyde distinguished the BVOC mixture emitted from lodged rather than from cut and harvested sorghum plants in the field.

This study evaluated if specific light quality (LQ) regimes (white fluorescent, FL, full-spectrum, FS, red-blue, RB) during plant growth modified morphological and photosynthetic traits of Solanum lycopersicum L. ‘Microtom’ plants irradiated at the dry seed stage with 25 Gy 48Ca ions (IR). The irradiation reduced plant size while it increased leaf dry matter content (LDMC) and relative water content (RWC) compared to the control. FS and RB light regimes determined a decrease of plant height and a rise of RWC compared to FL plants. The irradiation under FS and RB regimes favoured the development of dwarf plants and improved the leaf water status. Under the FL regime, irradiated plants showed reduced photosynthesis and stomatal conductance. The opposite behavior was observed in RB irradiated plants in which gas exchanges were significantly stimulated. RB regime enhanced Rubisco expression in irradiated plants also inducing anatomical and functional adjustments (i.e., increase of leaf thickness and incidence of intercellular spaces). Finally, 48Ca ions did not prevent fruit ripening and the achievement of the ‘seed-to seed’ cycle, irrespective of the LQ regime. Overall, the present study evidenced that RB light regime was the most effective in optimising growth and photosynthetic efficiency of ‘Microtom’ irradiated plants. These outcomes may help to develop proper cultivation protocols for the growth of dwarf tomato in Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems (CELSS).

Manure management is the main strategy for mitigating gas emissions from livestock farming. In this study, a laboratory-scale experiment was set up to identify suitable conditions to be applied in a farm-scale experiment. The liquid fraction (LF) of slurry was aerobically treated and greenhouse gas emissions from soil were evaluated. Furthermore, the value of treated LF as a fertilizer on spinach plants was also tested. The aeration of LF determined an increase in mean alkalinity due to ammonia loss. The mass fraction of heavy metals also decreased, likely due to the reduction in solubility. After being applied on soil, aerated LF determined lower CO2 and N2O emissions compared to untreated LF due to a reduced nitrogen load. Spinach plants fertilized with treated LF showed a lush growth and exhibited a lower heavy metal mass fraction as well as a higher content of antioxidants compared to plants fertilized with untreated slurry. Our results show that aeration might be an effective alternative for slurry management as it is able to produce an eco-friendly final product with a high fertilizing value.

Agricultural sites contribute extensively to atmospheric emissions of climate-altering gases such as nitrous oxide. Several strategies have been considered to mitigate the impact of agriculture on climate, among these the utilization of fertilizers added with nitrification inhibitors such as DMPP (3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate) may represent a suitable solution. DMPP inhibits the growth and activity of ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms, particularly the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, which are involved in N2O production. At present, little information is available on the effects of DMPP on the catabolic diversity of soil microbial community. In this study, the N2O emission by soil was performed by using the static chamber technique. The biological determinations of the microbial biomass carbon and the catabolic profile were assessed by measuring the substrate-induced respiration during the entire growing season of a potato crop under two nitrogen treatments: fertilization with and without DMPP. Our results did not show a clear mitigation of N2O emission by DMPP, even if a tendency to lower N2O fluxes in DMPP plots occurred when soil temperatures were lower than 20 &deg, C. Conversely, DMPP deeply affected the microbial biomass and the catabolism of soil microorganisms, exerting a negative effect when it accumulated in excessive doses in the soil, limiting the growth and the capacity of soil microorganism communities to use different substrates.

Current analyses and predictions of spatially explicit patterns and processes in ecology most often rely on climate data interpolated from standardized weather stations. This interpolated climate data represents long-term average thermal conditions at coarse spatial resolutions only. Hence, many climate-forcing factors that operate at fine spatiotemporal resolutions are overlooked. This is particularly important in relation to effects of observation height (e.g. vegetation, snow and soil characteristics) and in habitats varying in their exposure to radiation, moisture and wind (e.g. topography, radiative forcing or cold-air pooling). Since organisms living close to the ground relate more strongly to these microclimatic conditions than to free-air temperatures, microclimatic ground and near-surface data are needed to provide realistic forecasts of the fate of such organisms under anthropogenic climate change, as well as of the functioning of the ecosystems they live in. To fill this critical gap, we highlight a call for temperature time series submissions to SoilTemp, a geospatial database initiative compiling soil and near-surface temperature data from all over the world. Currently, this database contains time series from 7,538 temperature sensors from 51 countries across all key biomes. The database will pave the way toward an improved global understanding of microclimate and bridge the gap between the available climate data and the climate at fine spatiotemporal resolutions relevant to most organisms and ecosystem processes. ispartof: GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY vol:26 issue:11 pages:6616-6629 ispartof: location:England status: published

Multipurpose production of hemp has led to renewed interest for this crop cultivation, especially for human nutrition. To date, no information about the influence of nitrogen source on hemp seed quality is available. Hemp is also used for food and beverages due to its nutritional characteristics. This further use of hemp has led to an increase in hemp-grown areas. Therefore, it is important to get more information on the role of nitrogen on the quality production as well as to evaluate the environmental impact of the cultivation technique. In this work, we evaluate the influence of nitrogen source (i.e., NH4NO3 and urea) on the seed fatty acid composition of an edible hemp as well as on the environment in terms of soil N2O emission. Nitrogen source modified seed quality very little. Even if characterized by a lower acidic profile, seed from plants grown under urea and NH4NO3 had a w-3/w-6 ratio (0.3) within the optimal range from the nutritional standpoint, being considered as the optimal proportion for human metabolism and health. Urea fertilization reduced soil N2O emission. Our findings suggest that nitrogen source seems not to influence seed quality and that urea fertilizer might be more climate-friendly than NH4NO3 in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, in an extensive cultivation of hemp for industrial use.

The current approaches have known limitations to understanding the coupling of terrestrial ecosystem evapotranspiration (ET) and photosynthesis (referred to as gross primary productivity, GPP). To ...

In this chapter, examples of application of “green nanotechnology,” the necessary evolution of nanotechnology, as required by the constrains of the sustainable development, are presented. Different fields, such as environmental monitoring and remediation, renewable energies, substitution of toxic materials, and chemicals synthesis, have been selected. Specific attention was addressed to (i) preparation of nanoparticles, (ii) visible light-driven heterogeneous photocatalysis, applied not only to the traditional area of wastewater treatment, but also to the synthesis of chemicals by selective oxidation reactions, (iii) green synthesis by enzymatic catalysis, (iv) energy storage, (v) life cycle analysis of nanomaterials with reference to risk assessment and management, and (iv) applications in agriculture.

Multifunctional 3D-printed holey structures made of composite polymers loaded with nanocarbon were designed to serve simultaneously as GHz-radiation absorbing layers and heat conductors. The geometry of the structures was devised to allow heat to be easily transferred through, with special attention paid to thermal conductivity. Numerical calculations and a simple homogenization theory were conducted in parallel to address this property. Different structures have been considered and compared. The electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of the produced holey structures was measured in the microwave range.

Plant development and physiology are strongly influenced by the environmental light spectrum that triggers and controls several functional and structural response in plants. However, few studies investigated the effect of monochromatic light during plant photomorphogenesis from seed imbibition up to seedling development. The present research aimed to assess the mechanisms engaged by plants to optimize light harvesting and utilization of different wavelengths during the early photomorphogenesis in tomato, a high-value crop cultivated worldwide. Seeds were germinated in a growth chamber under four light treatments (100 % red light, R; 100 % blue light, B; 60 % red 40 % blue light, RB; white light, W) and seedlings were grown up to sixteen days. Hypocotyl and cotyledon development were measured during the early stages of growth. Chlorophyll fluorescence measurements, D1 and Rubisco protein expression, as well as chlorophyll and carotenoids content, were determined on the first true leaves to assess in the early growth stage the efficiency of photosynthetic apparatus. Tomato early photomorphogenesis was strongly influenced by light quality. The seedling growth under red-blue and white light determined comparable responses, enhancing both photosynthesis and biomass production compared to monochromatic treatments. The pure R light stimulated hypocotyl elongation, cotyledon expansion, plant height, and leaf area, but produced seedlings with reduced photosynthetic capacity as indicated by the lowest Rubisco content and photochemical efficiency, and the highest thermal dissipation. Monochromatic blue light induced in seedlings the highest Rubisco amount, more compact size and reduced biomass, but similar level of pigments and photochemical efficiency compared to other light treatments. Our data indicate that the lack of blue or red light negatively affects early tomato development, in term of morphology and physiology. However, blue wavelengths resulted more critical than red ones for the functionality of the photosynthetic apparatus.

Crop management and soil properties affect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from cropping systems. Irrigation is one of the agronomical management practices that deeply affects soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. Careful management of irrigation, also concerning to soil type, might mitigate the emissions of this powerful GHG from agricultural soils. In the Mediterranean area, despite the relevance of the agricultural sector to the overall economy and sustainable development, the topic of N2O emissions does not have the same importance as N2O fluxes in temperate agricultural areas. Only some research has discussed N2O emissions from Mediterranean cropping systems. Therefore, in this study, N2O emissions from different soil types (sandy-loam and clay soils) were analyzed in relation to the irrigation of a maize crop grown in two contrasting seasons (2009&ndash, 2010). The irrigation was done using a center pivot irrigation system about twice a week. The N2O emissions were monitored throughout the two-years of maize crop growth. The emissions were measured with the accumulation technique using eight static chambers (four chambers per site). Nitrogen fertilizer was applied in the form of ammonium sulphate and urea with 3,4 dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) nitrification inhibitors. In 2009, the N2O emissions and crop biomass measured in both soil types were lower than those measured in 2010. This situation was a lower amount of water and nitrogen (N) available to the crop. In 2010, the N2O fluxes were higher in the clay site than those in the sandy-loam site after the first fertilization, whereas an opposite trend was found after the second fertilization. The soil temperature, N content, and soil humidity were the main drivers for N2O emission during 2009, whereas during 2010, only the N content and soil humidity affected the nitrous oxide emissions. The research has demonstrated that crop water management deeply affects soil N2O emissions, acting differently for denitrification and nitrification. The soil properties affect N2O emission by influencing the microclimate conditions in the root zone, conditioning the N2O production.

This work aimed to evaluate if chilling stress may be mitigated by elevated CO2 (EC) in Beta vulgaris L. plants. Photosynthetic rate was measured at 21% and 2% O2 after a short-term exposure of 5 h at four different treatments: 360 μmol(CO2) mol–1/25°C (AC); 360 μmol(CO2) mol–1/4°C (AC+LT); 700 μmol(CO2) mol–1/25°C (EC); 700 μmol(CO2) mol–1/4°C (EC+LT). Compared to AC+LT, EC+LT plants showed higher values of CO2 fixation, photochemical activity, and Rubisco amount. These latter invest a higher portion of photosynthetic electron flow to O2, differently from AC+LT plants that promote the regulated thermal dissipation processes. In EC+LT plants, the photosynthetic electron flow to O2 acts as a safety mechanism against the excess of absorbed light, upon return to prechilling conditions, allowing photosynthetic apparatus to maintain its efficiency. In AC+LT plants, the increase of thermal dissipation processes was not adequate to guarantee the PSII photoprotection and the photosynthetic recovery after chilling.

Plant-based products comprise the vast majority of human and animal nutrition, and metal concentration and accumulation inside food can affect human health. Recently, agricultural soils are often located in close proximity of urban fabrics and factories, so that risk of contamination is high. A field study, carried out in summer 2014, aimed to: i) evaluate the chemical, biological and ecotoxicological characteristics of an agricultural soil in the neighbourhood of the city of Naples (Southern Italy); ii) detect Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb concentrations and accumulations in roots of sunflower and sorghum; iii) distinguish the potential main pathway (by roots or leaves) of metal uptake in the two crop species. Metal concentrations were measured in soil, roots, stems, leaves and seeds. Besides, the metal bioaccumulation and translocation factors were also calculated. Soils resulted slightly contaminated by Cu and Pb, deriving by both agricultural practices and urban inputs, but did not differ in biological and ecotoxicological characteristics. Cu was the most abundant metal and roots appeared the main path of metal uptake for both the crop species. In sunflower, roots apparently limit the absorption of Pb as well Cu and Cd uptake by leaves from the atmosphere cannot be excluded. Sunflower, likely for the higher biomass and faster growth rate as compared to sorghum, showed an overall higher metal accumulation, particularly high for Cd and Cu in the seeds. Capsule Sorghum and sunflower, grown in an agricultural field inside an urban fabric, showed a different metal compartmentalization and accumulation in biomass portions used in human dietary

The ageing process in living organisms is characterised by the accumulation of several deleterious changes occurring in cells and tissues. The increase of reactive oxygen species with the advancement of age is responsible for the oxidative damage to proteins, lipids and DNA, enhancing the risk of diseases. The antioxidant response and the activation of the poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation process represent the first defences activated by organisms at all life stages to counteract damage to cell structures and genomic material. The regulation of poly(ADP ribosyl)ation with age is little known in plants, especially in combination with antioxidant defences modulation. In this study, the relationships between poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activity and enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant pool have been studied together with the photosynthetic apparatus efficiency in the Mediterranean species Cistus incanus L., examining leaves at different developmental stages: young, mature and senescent. The photosynthetic performance was evaluated by chlorophyll a fluorescence measurement, the total soluble and fat-soluble antioxidant capacity, as well as the activities of enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST), were determined by spectrophotometer, PARP activity was assessed by radioactive labelling. The highest photochemical activity was observed in young leaves, together with the highest GST activity. With the progress of the ageing process, the non-enzymatic antioxidant pool (namely ascorbic acid, &alpha, tocopherol) declined, reaching the lowest value in senescent leaves, whereas PARP activity rose significantly. The overall results indicate that the decline of photosynthetic apparatus efficiency during senescence is due to the reduction of specific defences against oxidative damages, which increase the damages to DNA, as demonstrated by PARP activity rise.

Si riporta un nuovomodello di sviluppo nel settore agricolo delle aree interne della Regione campania dopo che dal 2010 è stato abolito il contributo alla coltivazione di tabacco che ha ridotto notevolmente i redditi agricoli. Sono proposti nuovi ordinamenti colturali a basso impatto ambientale con l'introduzione di nuove colture come la canapa per uso alimentare, il sorgo bianco, i legumi ed i grani antichi. Sono state proposte anche nuove colture per la prima volta in Italia come al quinoa. Il modello di sviluppo prevede che oltre al settore alimentare con la canapa si possa avviare anche quello della bioedilizia dall'utilizzazione del canapulo per abbassare notevolmente le emissioni nel settore dell'edilizia civile. Nell'ambito dei borghi in rete si può sostenere il reddito anche con l'introduzione del bioartigianato derivante dall'utilizzo di scarti agricoli. La possibilità di avviare nuove attività economiche è necessaria evitare lo spopolamento di queste aree che hanno perso negli ultimi 10 anni il 30% della popolazione per lo piu giovanile. L'introduzione di queste nuove colture dovrebbe garantire un reddito più elevato rispetto a quelle classiche dell' area basate soprattutto sui cereali.

To assess the land atmosphere exchanges linked to agricultural management activities, we conducted two field campaigns over the ICOS-candidate ecosystem site of Borgo Cioffi, a rotation cropland in Southern Italy, measuring fluxes of CH 4 and CO 2 as well as N 2 O, obtaining the temporal evolution of the exchange dynamics for the prevailing GHG. The interested crops were Lolium italicum and Sorghum bicolor, two fodder crops very common in the region. The results showed that the tilled field acted as a source for all GHGs in both cases.

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) might affect air quality and regional climate and their emissions strongly depend from plants. BVOCs exchanges are related to plant species and environmental factors, as temperature, radiation and water availability. Since Sorghum bicolor L. is becoming an increasingly valid alternative to maize in Southern Europe as well as in any non-irrigated region with limited precipitation, is important understand its potential BVOCs exchanges pattern. Up to now, only few studies have focused on BVOCs exchanges at ecosystem scale over an entire growing season, and no one investigated sorghum or other crops in the Mediterranean area. For the first time in this paper, BVOCs fluxes in a sorghum field at ecosystem scale over a whole growing season in Southern Italy are presented. Using online PTR-TOF BVOCs detection and eddy covariance technique, we continuously followed BVOCs exchanges for about 3 months. Methanol was the main emitted compound with a total average emission of 0.1 nmol m-2 s-1, followed by acetaldehyde, with a total average emission of 0.04 nmol m-2 s-1. Their fluxes were correlated with developing and cutting, following the plant growth and the escaping routes from intracellular storage. Other oxygenated compounds (OVOCs) like formaldehyde acetone, acetic acid, formic acid, MVK/MAC, were also exchanged. Monoterpenes were mainly taken up, with a total average uptake of -0.015 nmol m-2 s-1. Net emissions of green leaves volatiles (GLVs) during the stages where lodging and cutting occurred, are related to mechanical stress. These results show variable dynamics for the investigated BVOCs. The exchanges match with those observed on other croplands (mainly maize) for some compounds, meanwhile for other compounds they seem to be different, revealing a variability related to species and world region. Finally, is to be considered that not only weather and seasonality determine BVOCs exchanges patterns, but also phenology, crop management and stress. Therefore, BVOCs can be used to predict changes in phenology or the onset of stress, helping to determine the health state of crops in a climate changes scenarios.