Search results for "Mediterranean environment"
showing 10 items of 52 documents
Cultivation of Dill (Anethum graveolens L.) with Different Row Arrangements
2011
Dill (Anethum graveolens L.) is an annual plant from the Umbelliferae. Although in cookery also sprouts and tender leaves are used, the drug from dill is represented by the scented fruits (“seeds”), largely used for flavouring conserved foods and liqueurs, but also by the herbal and cosmetic industry. In this work, we present the results of a trial performed in Sicily, putting under comparison four different row arrangements: CR30 (continuous rows 30 cm apart), CR60 (continuous rows 60 cm apart), CR90 (continuous rows 90 cm apart) and TR (twin rows with a distance of 30 cm inside and 60 cm between twin rows). The plant population on the row (12 plants m-1) was constant and according the row…
Pesticide occurrence in the waters of Júcar River, Spain from different farming landscapes.
2017
A combined methodology to identify and quantify farming chemicals in the entire Júcar River basin has been developed. The procedure consisted of the application of environmental forensic criteria associating laboratory analytical samples, cartographic analysis using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and synthetic statistical analysis. Sampling involved the collection of 15 samples in surface waters distributed alongside the Júcar River and its two main tributaries (Cabriel and Magro Rivers). The analytical procedure involves generic sample extraction and selective determination of up to 50 target pesticides by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Geogra…
Cultivation Trials of Dill (Anethum graveolens L.) with Different Row Arrangements
2010
Dill (Anethum graveolens L.) is an annual plant from Umbelliferae. Although in cookery also sprouts and tender leaves are used, the drug from Dill is represented by the scented fruits (“seeds”), largely used for flavouring conserved foods and liqueurs, but also by herbal and cosmetic industry. In this work, we present the results of a trial performed in Sicily, putting under comparison four different row arrangements: CR30 (continuous rows 30 cm apart); CR60 (continuous rows 60 cm apart), CR90 (continuous rows 90 cm apart) and TR (twin rows with a distance of 30 cm inside and 60 cm between twin rows). The plant population on the row (12 plants m-1) was constant and according the row distanc…
Phenological and agronomical evaluation of chamomile in Mediterranean environments
2008
Chamomile (Chamomilla recutita (L.) Rausch.) is an annual crop, known worldwide as one of the major medicinal herbs. Its flower heads are reported in the official Pharmacopoeia of 26 countries. In order to evaluate the suitability of chamomile to a low-input field cropping management into a semiarid Mediterranean environment, a long-term research activity has been carried out in the experimental farm “Sparacia” (Cammarata – AG – Sicily); hereby we report the results obtained on plants grown in self-seeded experimental plots in 2007/08. Plants development was observed from November 2007 up to (visually assessed) flowers appearance. Blooming started in middle February, and in middle April (af…
Studies on sedum taxa found in Sicily (Italy) for mediterranean extensive green roofs
2018
One type of green roof whose function is ecological and environmental rather than aesthetic is the extensive green roof. Many studies have shown that Sedum performs very well compared to other hardy species in substrates of less than 10 cm. It seems that Sedum species are able to survive in very thin substrates; they tolerate extreme temperatures and sudden variations in temperatures, high levels of solar radiation, strong winds, poor substrate fertility and extreme drought. In particular, this paper looks at the potential of a number of species from the Sicilian taxa of the genus Sedum (Crassulaceae), which are considered to be those xerophytes most suited for use in extensive green roof s…
First evaluation of the simultaneous SMOS and ELBARA-II observations in the Mediterranean region
2012
Abstract The SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) mission was launched on November 2, 2009. Over the land surfaces, simultaneous retrievals of surface soil moisture (SM) and vegetation characteristics made from the multi-angular and dual polarization SMOS observations are now available from Level-2 (L2) products delivered by the European Space Agency (ESA). Therefore, first analyses evaluating the SMOS observations in terms of Brightness Temperatures (TB) and L2 products (SM and vegetation optical depth TAU) can be carried out over several calibration/validation (cal/val) sites selected by ESA over all continents. This study is based on SMOS observations and in situ measurements carried …
Conservation tillage in a semiarid Mediterranean environment: results of 20 years of research
2014
Conservation tillage techniques are becoming increasingly popular worldwide as they have the potential to generate environmental, agronomic, and economic benefits. In Mediterranean areas, studies performed on the effects of conservation tillage [in comparison with the conventional tillage technique (CT)] on grain yield of cereal crops have reported contradictory results as well as considerable year-to-year variation, demonstrating how the impact of different soil tillage techniques on crop productivity is strongly site-specific. The present paper summarises the main results from a set of experiments carried out in Sicily during the last 20 years in which we compared no tillage (NT) to CT in…
Pheno-morphological, agronomic and genetic diversity among natural populations of sulla (Hedysarum coronarium L.) collected in Sicily, Italy
2010
Sulla (Hedysarum coronarium L.) is a short-lived perennial forage legume that plays a key role in cereal-based systems in semi-arid Mediterranean regions, particularly in organic production and low-input oriented agriculture. In Sicily, the species is widespread both as a wild and cultivated plant. The present study assessed the phenotypic and genetic variation among natural populations of sulla collected from different environments throughout Sicily and analysed how the patterns of phenotypic diversity varied according to the environmental parameters of each collection site. Two commercial varieties and two Sicilian agro-ecotypes were also included in the study as controls. Principal compo…
Variation in pheno-morphological and agronomic traits among burr medic (Medicago polymorpha L.) populations collected in Sicily, Italy
2010
The present study assessed the diversity of pheno-morphological and agronomic traits among 31 natural populations of burr medic (Medicago polymorpha L.) from different environments throughout Sicily, and analysed the patterns of phenotypic diversity in relation to the environmental parameters of each collection site. Three commercial cultivars (Cavalier, Santiago, and Anglona) were also included in the study as check cultivars. Two field experiments were performed in 2005–06 in a hilly area of the Sicilian inland. Principal components analysis (PCA) was performed on the sites using geographic, climatic, and pedological data to assess the differences in types of collection sites. PCA was al…
Scale effects on plot runoff and soil erosion in a mediterranean environment
2017
Explaining scale effects for runoff and erosion improves our understanding of hydrological and erosion processes. In this investigation, plot-scale effects on event runoff per unit area, Qe, sediment concentration, Ce, and soil loss per unit area, SLe, were checked at the Sparacia (Italy) site. Similar information on the scale effects was obtained with different dependent variables, i.e., individual values of Qe, Ce, and SLe for each plot or the mean of their replicated values, and scale indicators, i.e., plot length, l, or plot area, A. The most common result, occurring for 57 to 62% of the events depending on the considered variable, was the lack of any scale effect. When scale effects we…