Search results for "RBAC"

Microbial biomass carbon dynamics in a long-term tillage and crop rotation experiment under semiarid Mediterranean conditions

2015

Microbial biomass carbon (MBC) of soil is an important ecological indicator of nutrient cycling and soil fertility. In addition, it responds to the changes of soil fertility more rapidly than soil organic matter. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the effect of a long-term implementation of a conservative soil management strategy (No Tillage [NT]) compared to the inversion tillage (conventional tillage [CT]) on the soil MBC in a range of crops - continuous durum wheat (WW), wheat after fababean (FW) and faba bean after wheat (WF). MBC of NT plots was higher than CT. In addition, the content of MBC varied with sampling time during the growing season; this variation did not show a co…

Effect of cropping system and irrigation on the bio-agronomic and quality response of industrial tomato (Licopersicon esculentum Mill.)

2010

Treatment of Combined Dairy and Domestic Wastewater with Constructed Wetland System in Sicily (Italy). Pollutant Removal Efficiency and Effect of Veg…

2021

Dairy wastewater (DWW) contains large amounts of mineral and organic compounds, which can accumulate in soil and water causing serious environmental pollution. A constructed wetland (CW) is a sustainable technology for the treatment of DWW in small-medium sized farms. This paper reports a two-year study on the performance of a pilot-scale horizontal subsurface flow system for DWW treatment in Sicily (Italy). The CW system covered a total surface area of 100 m2 and treated approximately 6 m3 per day of wastewater produced by a small dairy farm, subsequent to biological treatment. Removal efficiency (RE) of the system was calculated. The biomass production of two emergent macrophytes was dete…

Durum wheat root and foot rot complex in Sicily

2009

Analysis of disturbances in soil carbon storage and dynamics.

2011

Spine and test skeletal matrices of the Mediterranean sea urchinArbacia lixula- a comparative characterization of their sugar signature

2015

15 pages; International audience; Calcified structures of sea urchins are biocomposite materials that comprise a minor fraction of organic macromolecules, such as proteins, glycoproteins and polysaccharides. These macromolecules are thought to collectively regulate mineral deposition during the process of calcification. When occluded, they modify the properties of the mineral. In the present study, the organic matrices (both soluble and insoluble in acetic acid) of spines and tests from the Mediterranean black sea urchin Arbacia lixula were extracted and characterized, in order to determine whether they exhibit similar biochemical signatures. Bulk characterizations were performed by mono-di…

Agricoltura e ambiente: le piante erbacee nell’Ecosistema urbano

2010

Il presente lavoro illustra l’attuale contesto in cui agricoltura e ambiente interagiscono tra loro, con riferimento sia alle problematiche del mondo agricolosia alle potenzialità che lo stesso comparto può esercitare positivamente nei riguardi della sostenibilità dello sviluppo e della corretta fruizione dell’ambiente. Si analizza quindi l’ambiente urbano con una chiave di lettura ecologica. È così possibile esaminare le diverse componenti biotiche e abiotiche,nonché le loro reciproche interazioni, che costituiscono l’ecosistema urbano. In tale contesto, si evidenzia poi il ruolo fondamentale della componente vegetale, capace di svolgere diverse funzioni con ricadute positive in diversi se…

The scent of Mare Nostrum: medicinal and aromatic plants in Mediterranean soils

2012

In the Mediterranean area, the simultaneous occurrence of pedological, climatic and economic constraints often sets a limit on the profitability of agriculture, and farmers are forced to grow a reduced number of species, dealing with a secure – albeit low – market income. The introduction of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) inside the current farming systems could represent a useful means to meet the multifunctional role of agriculture: producing safe food, in respect of the environment, and contributing to the development of rural areas. The study of the relationships between MAPs and the soils in which they may be grown may have two approaches: (1) the evaluation of yield and qualitat…

Response to salinity stress of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae strains in the presence of different legume host plants

2011

We investigated the effect of residual salts from the previous summer’s irrigation on two non-irrigated cover crops—broad bean and common vetch—and on their rhizobial symbiontics. Before sowing, seeds were inoculated with a salt-tolerant strain and a salt-sensitive strain of Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar viciae. An increase in the electrical conductivity of the saturated-soil extract from 2.0 dS m−1 to 6.0 dS m−1 caused a severe reduction of broad bean biomass, while growth of common vetch was almost unaffected by the salinity level. Our results clearly indicate that common vetch as a cover crop may increase the availability of nitrogen in soil more than broad bean also in saline environme…

Peripheral motor action of glucagon-like peptide-1 through enteric neuronal receptors

2010

Background  Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a proglucagon-derived peptide expressed in the enteroendocrine-L cells of small and large intestine and released in response to meal ingestion. Glucagon-like peptide-1 exerts inhibitory effects on gastrointestinal motility through vagal afferents and central nervous mechanisms; however, no data is available about a direct influence on the gastrointestinal wall. Our aim was to investigate the effects of GLP-1 on the spontaneous and evoked mechanical activity of mouse duodenum and colon and to identify the presence and distribution of GLP-1 receptors (GLP-1R) in the muscle coat. Methods  Organ bath recording technique and immunohistochemistry wer…