Effetto dell’innesto e della micorrizazione sulle caratteristiche produttive e qualitative di mini anguria.

Numerose ricerche hanno dimostrato gli effetti positivi della simbiosi micorrizica tra le specie ortive ed i funghi arbuscolari sui parametri vegeto-produttivi e sulle caratteristiche qualitative del prodotto, come conseguenza soprattutto di una maggiore capacità di assorbimento dei nutrienti da parte delle piante micorrizate. Tra le ortive che si avvantaggiano dell’innesto ci sono alcune solanacee e cucurbitacee e tra queste ultime particolare successo ha avuto l’impiego dell’innesto nell’anguria. Lo scopo della ricerca è stato quello di valutare l’effetto della combinazione tra innesto e micorrizazione sull’accrescimento delle piante, la produzione e la qualità dei frutti di mini anguria.…

EFFECT OF HOT AIR TREATMENT ON MINIMALLY PROCESSED CAULIFLOWER

The request of minimally processed vegetable is continuously increasing, and there is a growing interest for new fresh cut products. Cauliflower, as other cabbages, is highly appreciated for its nutritional value due to the good content of vitamins, antioxidants and anti-carcinogenic compounds. It is suitable to be used as a minimally processed vegetable, but harvesting and the following processing can cause a severe stress determining the appearance of accelerated senescence symptoms. The aim of the present work was to investigate the effect of hot air treatment and cold storage on minimally processed green cauliflower. Fresh-cut cauliflower florets put in sealed PE bags were treated at 48…

Cloni di carciofo "Romanesco" in coltura annuale in Sicilia

Valutation of “Romanesco” artichoke clones in Sicily The artichoke is one of the most important vegetables cultivated in Sicily, especially for small and medium sized farms. The artichoke in Sicily is represented mostly by local ecotypes and varieties that go into production in autumn, which is most appreciated by consumers in the south. But they have lower production and are less homogeneous than spring varieties. In recent years, agricultural techniques for propagation, fertilization and disease control for the autumn artichokes have improbe considerably, but less for the selection of different cultivars, in particular with the spring varieties. The introduction of the spring cultivars wo…

Effect of Hot Air Treatment on Quality and Shelf Life of Minimally Processed Cauliflower.

Cauliflower, as other cabbages, has a high nutritional value due to its content of vitamins, antioxidants and anti-carcinogenic compounds. Cauliflower inflorescences are harvested when they are still totally immature. The request of minimally processed vegetable is continuously increasing, and there is a growing interest for new fresh cut products. Cauliflower is suitable to be used as a minimally processed vegetable, but harvesting and the following processing can cause a severe stress determining the appearance of accelerated senescence symptoms. The effect of hot air treatment on minimally processed cauliflower was investigated. Florets were put in PE sealed bags before treating at 48°C …

Yield and Quality of Mini-Watermelon as Affected by Grafting and Mycorrhizal Inoculum

Grafting and mycorrhizal fungi have gained interest for the positive effects they can have on vegetable crops. The aim of this work was to study the combined effect of grafting with Vesicular-Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation on fruit yield and quality of mini-watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (thumb.) Matsum and Nakai]. Ungrafted plants or grafted onto rootstock RS 841 F1 (Cucurbita maxima × C. moschata) were transplanted to the field. During cultivation half of the plants were inoculated with a suspension of AMF. Plant growth, fruit yield and quality were evaluated. The inoculation of AMF determined a significant increase of root colonisation both for grafted and ungrafted plants…

Effetti del portinnesto sulla produttività della mini anguria

Quality and shelf-life of minimally processed cauliflower

Il cavolfiore è stato descritto come un ortaggio con un alto valore nutrizionale grazie al suo alto contenuto di vitamine, antiossidanti e composti anti-cancerogeni. Le infiorescenze di cavolfiore vengono raccolte mentre sono totalmente immature, il che implica gravi cambiamenti nello stato dei nutrienti, dell'acqua e degli ormoni. La raccolta e la successiva lavorazione possono causare gravi stress determinando la comparsa di sintomi di senescenza accelerata. Sono stati studiati gli effetti della lavorazione e della conservazione a freddo del cavolfiore trasformato minimamente. Gli ornamenti sono stati trattati con antiossidanti prima della conservazione in sacchi di PE a 4 ° C per 21 gior…

Effect of a Brassica Juncea Cover Crop on a Mono-Succession of Melon

The ban of methyl bromide and the need for low environmental impact of agriculture has recently increased the interest in the biofumigant effects of Brassica species on soil-borne pathogens. Many researches have tested the toxic effects of Brassica green manures on several soil-borne pathogens in vitro, but field studies have not assessed definitely the efficiency of biofumigation at the field scale and the effect on crop development and production quality. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of a winter-spring cover crop of Brassica juncea compared to bare soil on a mono-succession of melon. The biomass of the B. juncea plants or of the weeds eventually developed in bare so…

COLLARD GREEN (BRASSICA OLERACEA VAR. ACEPHALA) CULTIVATION IN SICILY

Collard greens (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) are a group of plants cultivated for its thick, slightly bitter, edible leaves. As other Brassicaceae, have a good nutritional value as they are a good sources of vitamin C and soluble fiber, and contain various compounds with potent anticancer properties. In order to enhance collard cultivation in Sicily, different planting dates were tested. The research was carried out during 2009-2010 in the experimental field of SAgA Department – University of Palermo. Plants of a Sicilian local cultivar, with high vigor, good emission of side shoots, large and moderately curly leaves and long and strong petiole, were planted in three different periods: …

Influenza della pacciamatura sulla qualità e la conservabilità dei frutti di Cucumis melo L var. Inodorus

La scelta della varietà e della tecnica agronomica giocano un ruolo di fondamentale importanza sulla qualità dei frutti di melone d’inverno (Cucumis melo L var. Inodorus) alla raccolta e sulle variazioni della stessa in post-raccolta. La pacciamatura e l’irrigazione, ad esempio, influenzano positivamente l’accrescimento delle piante e lo sviluppo, la maturazione e la serbevolezza dei frutti. Le cultivar di melone sono caratterizzate da ampia variabilità per quanto riguarda la colorazione dell’epicarpo e del mesocarpo, la cavità placentare, la consistenza della polpa, il contenuto in solidi solubili e in acidi e la fisiologia durante la maturazione e dopo la raccolta. Nell’ambito delle tipol…

Effetto della posizione degli ovoli sulla produttività del carciofo spinoso di sicilia

In Sicily, the Spinoso di Sicilia artichoke is appreciated at regional level for its organoleptic characteristics, but in recent years, its cultivation area has been subject to a progressive reduction because of its susceptibility at the atrophy of head, low earliness, low productivity, and lack of uniformity of the productions. These problems are due to genetic variability, diseases and disforme propagation material (ovoli). This study was conducted to evaluate the influence of the ovoli position (apical, median and basal) in the rhizome of mother plants on morpho-phisiological and productive aspects of the artichokes. The results showed that basal ovoli gave faster growth, better plant co…