Ficodindia, la qualità del prodotto siciliano nasce dal territorio e dalle tecniche di coltivazione

Studio della qualità dei frutti e della risposta fotosintetica di tre cultivar di Mango (Mangifera indica L.) coltivate in serra in Sicilia

La coltivazione del mango all’interno di una serra in Sicilia sottopone le piante a temperature estremamente elevate, fino a 50 °C, mentre le temperature minime registrate in serra durante la notte nel corso dell’anno non differiscono da quelle registrate all’aperto. Nonostante le alte temperature estive, l’attività fotosintetica delle piante ha mostrato valori elevati (fino a 20μmol (CO2)/s), ovvero uno dei più alti per il mango sulla base di quanto finora riportato in letteratura. I frutti ottenuti erano di alta qualità, non presentavano imperfezioni derivanti da danni di natura biotica o abiotica. Avevano, inoltre, un elevato contenuto zuccherino e sono stati pienamente apprezzati dai gi…

Influenza della densità di impianto sul bilancio del carbonio in agumicoltura.

Green coffee, bioactive compounds’ analysis of experimental cultivation in Sicily: a new frontier in the Sicilian food sector

Recently, climate change represents a new possibility for tropical cultivars fruit in Mediterranean areas. The focus of this work is the evaluation of the real possibility of coffee cultivation in Sicily, like coffee plants grown in tropical and subtropical regions. The objective was to evaluate plant adaptation to our climate and to study the chemical qualities of green coffee pulps and seeds: total phenolic content, antiradical capacity, fatty acids, amino acids, alkaloids, vitamins, proximate composition, polyphenolic profile and other bioactive compounds of cosmetic, pharmaceutical and agrary interest. Temperature, light and vegetative growth of Coffea arabica L. cv. “Caturra” plants we…

Aloe-Based Edible Coating to Maintain Quality of Fresh-Cut Italian Pears (Pyrus communis L.) during Cold Storage

Pear fruits are known for their antioxidant and nutritional characteristics. However, they are very susceptible to rapid decay. Edible coating (EC) represents a good strategy to maintain postharvest quality. The effects of two EC in slowing down the senescence processes in fresh-cut ‘Coscia’ pears were investigated: EC1 (A. vera gel, hydroxypropyl-methylcellulose and pomegranate seeds oil (PSO), EC2 (A. vera gel and hydroxypropyl-methylcellulose). Weight loss, firmness and colour decrease more slowly in both EC-treated than in untreated (CTR) slices; soluble solid content increases faster in CTR, indicating a faster ripening process. The specific investigation of undesired microorganisms di…

Phenology and Fruit Growth Dynamics of Mango (Mangifera indica L.) in Greenhouse and Open Air in Mediterranean Climate

AbstractPhenological evolution of shoots and fruit growth of three mango varieties—Keitt, Osteen and Tommy Atkins—were monitored during two reproductive seasons, from full flowering to fruit harvest on trees cultivated in the open air and inside a greenhouse, in the island of Sicily—Italy. The aim of the study was to assess the behavior of mango trees subjected to summer high temperatures under a permanent plastic cover in the Mediterranean climate. Differences between open air and greenhouse emerged in the dates of first record of major phenological stages and in their duration, and in the fruit growth rates. Greenhouse cultivated trees showed a significant anticipation of flowering and ri…

Shading Net and Partial Covering Plastic Film Do Not Affect Phenology, Photosynthetic Activity or Fruit Quality Traits of Kensington Pride Mango

Mango cultivation in a protected environment is becoming widespread in the Mediterranean basin where the species has to face unfavorable weather conditions which do not occur in its native cultivation areas. Besides open-air cultivation, greenhouses—and other protection systems such as shading nets and partial covering of plastic films—have been tested recently. In this study, we focused on assessing the effect of a shading net, and a partially covering plastic film, on the development of “Kensington Pride” mango fruit skin-color, its final quality, and the plants’ photosynthetic activity. A new method of measuring mango skin-color on different sides of the fru…

Ecophysiology and fruit production of cultivated cacti

Cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill.) is cultivated in wide range of environments with the consequence of large differences in crop potential, orchard system and management. These differences may be related to temperature and rainfall range (water availability) but also to the day/night length and, of course, to soil characteristics. Cactus pear can be utilized in the subsistence and in the market oriented agricultural systems of semi-arid areas. It is able to supply fruit, forage, folder and vegetables in specialized plantations or in multipurpose ones. Fruits can be harvested from July to November in the Northern hemisphere-Mediterranean Basin, California and Mexico-and from January…

Design, Building up and First Results of Three Monitored Green Coverings Over a University Department Building

Abstract A viable solution to reducing the buildings’ energy demand is the implementation of green coverings that have been demonstrated to improve the envelope performance, especially in summer season. Anyway, to apply computer models analyzing the energy performance of buildings equipped with such components, the knowledge of specific parameters is needed. Among these, the fractional vegetation coverage and leaf area index are of great importance. By means of an experimental facility, first results of the evaluation of these foliage-related parameters for five types of vegetation are presented.

Intensive olive growing: the case of FS-17 grown in Sicily and trained to "Monocono"

Impact of Super-High Density Olive Orchard Management System on Soil Free-Living and Plant-Parasitic Nematodes in Central and South Italy

The soil nematode community plays an important role in ecosystem services. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of Super-high density (SHD) olive orchards on the nematode community in five sites with different soils, climates, and cultivars. At each site, the SHD management system was compared to the adjacent olive orchard traditional (TRAD) system, in which the same soil management and phytosanitary measures were applied. Soil management was assessed by total organic carbon content (TOC), while the soil nematode community was evaluated using the nematode taxa abundances and soil nematode indicators. TOC was significantly decreased in the SHD olive orchard system compared to…