Search results for " Agricultural science"
showing 10 items of 80 documents
Phenology study of Myrtus communis accessions selected from wild populations of Sicily: preliminary results
2017
Myrtus communis is a Mediterranean shrub widely diffused in Sicily. To promote the cultivation of myrtle, seven wild populations were collected from different areas of Sicily, with the aim to select new candidate cultivars in the frame of a selection program. Considering the berries value in the food industry, many efforts need to be done to cultivate myrtle as alternative to harvest from wild plants. To promote cultivation few important phenologic traits have been recorded in candidate cultivar selections from wild populations in Sicily. This study was performed in a repository field under homogeneous environmental conditions. The vegetation activity of the selected accessions begins in Ja…
Habitat quality is more important than matrix quality for bird communities in protected areas
2018
Protected areas are meant to preserve native local communities within their boundaries, but they are not independent from their surroundings. Impoverished habitat quality in the matrix might influence the species composition within the protected areas through biotic homogenization. The aim of this study was to determine the impacts of matrix quality on species richness and trait composition of bird communities from the Finnish reserve area network and whether the communities are being subject of biotic homogenization due to the lowered quality of the landscape matrix. We used joint species distribution modeling to study how characteristics of the Finnish forest reserves and the quality of t…
Postharvest quality and sensory attributes of Ficus carica L
2017
The aim of this research was to evaluate the relationship between some physical and chemical characteristics and sensory descriptors of fig fruits ‘Dottato’ and ‘Melanzana’, belonging to the national germplasm bank of fig trees and cultivated in Southern Italy. The sensory principal descriptors used are external appearance, skin color, pulp color, odor, sweetness, stickiness, bitterness, juiciness, firmness, tannic taste and presence of achenes. Fresh weight, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), TSS:TA, firmness, and sensory properties changed with cultivar. SSC was more correlated with sensory attributes than TA, but other factors may also be important in controlling this r…
Effects of Modified Atmosphere Packaging and Chitosan Treatment on Quality and Sensorial Parameters of Minimally Processed cv. ‘Italia’ Table Grapes
2021
Table grape is a non-climacteric fruit, very sensitive to water loss and gray mold during postharvest handling and storage. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of modified atmosphere packaging and chitosan treatment on quality and sensorial parameters of minimally processed cv. ‘Italia’ table grape during cold storage (14 days at 5 °C) and shelf-life (7 and 14 days of cold storage plus 5 days at 20 °C), reproducing a retail sales condition. Our data showed a significant effect of high CO2-modified atmosphere in combination with chitosan and alone on preserving quality, sensorial parameters, and delaying decay of minimally processed table grape. The most effective treatment in t…
Pulsed Electric Field Processing of Fruit Juices
2018
Abstract Fruit juices and other liquid foods constitute an important source of bioactive compounds. However, the techniques used for their processing may cause alterations in their contents, and consequently they do not provide the benefits expected by the consumer. This fact has led to the increasing use of nonthermal processing technologies, such as pulsed electric field (PEF), which have been developed over recent decades as alternative technologies to thermal pasteurization of liquid foods. Researchers have previously studied the effects of PEF on the main compounds affecting the quality and the health-related properties. The reported results show that PEF could be used to pasteurize fr…
Transferability of PCR-based diagnostic protocols: An international collaborative case study assessing protocols targeting the quarantine pine pathog…
2019
Producción Científica
Cultivation trials of hop (Humulus lupulus L.) in semi-arid environments
2020
Abstract The recent developments in the market and craft beer industry in Italy have led to an increasing demand for local raw materials, such as barley malt and hops. Few works have been addressed to evaluate suitability and productivity of hop in semi-arid Italian environments. With this purpose, two experiments were carried out in 2018 and 2019, testing the suitability to cultivation of three commonly used hop varieties (Cascade, Chinook and Nuggett) in two typical semi-arid environments in Sicily. Phenological stages were also evaluated, and GDDs accumulated in vegetative and reproductive stages were calculated according to 9 different methods, dealing with three Tbase temperatures (0 °…
Native Vineyard Non-Saccharomyces Yeasts Used for Biological Control of Botrytis cinerea in Stored Table Grape
2021
Postharvest spoilage fungi, such as Botrytis cinerea, are considered the main cause of losses of fresh fruit quality and vegetables during storage, distribution, and consumption. The current control strategy is the use of SO2 generator pads whose application is now largely under observation. A high quantity of SO2 can be deleterious for fresh fruits and vegetables and it is not allowed in organic agriculture. For this reason, great attention has been recently focused on identifying Biological Control Agents (BCA) to implement biological approaches devoid of chemicals. In this direction, we carried out our study in isolating five different non-Saccharomyces yeast strains from local vineyards…
Review: Effect of Some Components of Milk- and Soy-Based Infant Formulas on Mineral Bioavailability
2001
Infants' high nutritional needs are fulfilled by mother's milk or infant formulas to provide all the necessary nutrients, among them minerals. Minerals uptake depends not only on mineral content but also on their bioavailability which, in turn, is affected by the different components of the infant formulas. An understanding of these effects would help to improve mineral bioavailability. This work reviews the influence of endogenous (proteins and phytates) and added (ascorbic and citric acid) components in infant formulas on the bioavailability of nutritionally important mineral elements (calcium, zinc, iron and copper) and their interactions. Special attention is given to the influence of p…
Use of starter cultures ofLactobacillusto induce malolactic fermentation in wine
2017
Background and Aims Oenococcus oeni is the lactic acid bacteria species that best adapts to harsh wine conditions. This species is currently the main component of the malolactic starter cultures used in winemaking. Other species of lactic acid bacteria, however, such as Lactobacillus, can also conduct the malolactic fermentation, especially in low acidity wines. This study aimed to identify suitable Lactobacillus strains and inoculation methods to undertake the malolactic fermentation in wines with pH > 3.5. Methods and Results Six Lactobacillus strains of species L. mali (E4634), L. paracasei (E4539, E4541), L. plantarum (E4538, E4608) and L. satsumensis (E4555) were selected for their goo…