Search results for "Fertilizer"

Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of polyphenolic extracts from Lactuca sativa (var. Maravilla de Verano) under different farming methods

2015

BACKGROUND: Besides their nutritional value, vegetables are a source of health-promoting compounds, such as polyphenols, and their content can be influenced by the particular farming method. In this study polyphenolic extracts from Lactuca sativa (var. Maravilla de verano) plants cultivated with different farming methods were chemically characterised and tested in vitro and ex vivo inflammation models.RESULTS: The tested extacts (250-2.5 µg mL(-1) ) were able to reduce both the inflammatory and oxidative stress in LPS-stimulated J774A.1 murine monocyte macrophage cells, by lowering the release of nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) and promoting nuclear translocation of nucl…

Estimation of the environmental hazard of organochlorines in pulp mill biosludge used as soil fertilizer

1993

Abstract Contents of total organic chlorine and polychlorinated phenols, guaiacols, catechols, benzenes, cymenes, cymenenes, naphthalenes, toxic dibenzodioxins, toxic dibenzofurans, toxic PCB congener 77, alkylated dibenzofurans, alkylated bibenzyls and alkylated phenanthrenes in spent biosludges from activated sludge treatment plants of chlorobleaching kraft pulp mills are reported. Some estimations of hazard caused by these organochlorines to humans and wildlife from the use of biosludge as soil fertilizer are constructed and discussed.

The role of Plant Growth Promoting (PGP) bacteria in the growth of Mediterranean diet plants producing high-value compounds

2023

Loss of fertility, together with drought and aridity, results in soil unproductivity and eventually desertification. Unsustainable agricultural practices are currently stressing the soil: an undervalued resource that, in addition to food, provides a multitude of invaluable services such as regulating the microclimate, reducing contaminants, and capturing CO2. Hence, there is an increasing need to resort to sustainable approaches toward agricultural systems. Although Sicily is one of those regions most affected by water shortages, it is at the same time a reservoir of drought-resistant Mediterranean plants with high nutritional value and a rich microbiota. This project aims to promote agricu…

The organic carbon derived from sewage sludge as a key parameter determining the fate of trace metals.

2007

8 pages; International audience; In a sandy agricultural soil of south-west of France, continuously cultivated with maize and amended with sewage-sludge over 20 years, the behavior of three trace metals (Cu, Pb, and Zn) was studied during the sludge applications (1974-1993) and after its cessation (1993-1998). Using the delta13C analysis, the dynamics of different sources of organic matter were followed in order to elucidate the influence of the sludge-derived organic matter on the fate of trace metals in the soil and its particle size fractions. This study revealed that sludge-derived organic matter contributed to the formation of macroaggregates through the binding of preexisting microagg…

Vineyard Compost Supplemented with Trichoderma Harzianum T78 Improve Saline Soil Quality

2016

Managing soil nitrate with cover crops and buffer strips in Sicilian vineyards

2013

When soil nitrate levels are low, plants suffer nitrogen (N) deficiency but when the levels are excessive, soil nitrates can pollute surface and subsurface waters. Strategies to reduce the nitrate pollution are necessary to reach a sustainable use of resources such as soil, water and plant. Buffer strips and cover crops can contribute to the management of soil nitrates, but little is known of their effectiveness in semiarid vineyards plantations. The research was carried out in the south coast of Sicily (Italy) to evaluate nitrate trends in a vineyard managed both conventionally and using two different cover crops (Triticum durum and Vicia sativa cover crop). A 10 m-wide buffer strip was se…

Effects of sewage sludge addition to Norway spruce seedlings on nitrogen availability and soil fauna in clear-cut areas

2012

Anaerobically digested and composted sewage sludge (CSS) has been suggested to be a slow-release fertilizer in forestry and an alternative to quick-release inorganic fertilizers. The effects of CSS with or without added carbohydrate on inorganic nitrogen availability and on soil animals were tested in two Norway spruce plantations. Half of the seedlings were individually fertilized with CSS, and the rest were left as controls. Solid sucrose was added to half of the fertilized and untreated seedlings. Soil samples were taken in the autumn in the first and the second year after the treatments. CSS increased soil NH4-N (2100%), the proportion of soil NO3-N, and the N concentration of spruce ne…

Development of a High Irradiance LED Configuration for Small Field of View Motion Estimation of Fertilizer Particles

2015

International audience; Better characterization of the fertilizer spreading process, especially the fertilizer pattern distribution on the ground, requires an accurate measurement of individual particle properties and dynamics. Both 2D and 3D high speed imaging techniques have been developed for this purpose. To maximize the accuracy of the predictions, a specific illumination level is required. This paper describes the development of a high irradiance LED system for high speed motion estimation of fertilizer particles. A spectral sensitivity factor was used to select the optimal LED in relation to the used camera from a range of commercially available high power LEDs. A multiple objective …

High Speed Stereovision Setup for Position and Motion Estimation of Fertilizer Particles Leaving a Centrifugal Spreader

2014

EA SPE GEAPSI; International audience; A 3D imaging technique using a high speed binocular stereovision system was developed in combination with corresponding image processing algorithms for accurate determination of the parameters of particles leaving the spinning disks of centrifugal fertilizer spreaders. Validation of the stereo-matching algorithm using a virtual 3D stereovision simulator indicated an error of less than 2 pixels for 90% of the particles. The setup was validated using the cylindrical spread pattern of an experimental spreader. A 2D correlation coefficient of 90% and a Relative Error of 27% was found between the experimental results and the (simulated) spread pattern obtai…

Research focusing on plant performance in constructed wetlands and agronomic application of treated wastewater – A set of experimental studies in Sic…

2019

Constructed wetlands are sustainable technologies for the treatment of wastewater. These biological systems have been widely studied throughout the world for more than 30 years; however, most studies have focused on the effects of design and engineering on pollutant removal from wastewater. Undoubtedly, agro-technical aspects have been given too little consideration by research. This paper reports the main results of a set of experiments carried out on two pilot horizontal subsurface flow systems in Sicily (Italy). Festuca, Lolium and Pennisetum spp. in combination and three emergent macrophytes-Arundo donax L., Cyperus alternifolius L. and Typha latifolia L.-alone, were assessed. The aim o…