Search results for "forest"

Implementing a cyber-physical system to monitor soil water status and environmental variables for irrigation scheduling

2018

The most advanced research on irrigation at farm scale, following the paradigm “more crop per drop”, has been aimed at the definition of strategies of precision irrigation, in order to optimize crop water productivity and to maximize the economic benefits without affecting environmental quality.Water saving management strategies, such as regulated deficit irrigation (RDI), can be effectively applied if supported by the real time control of soil/plant water status allowing the identification of appropriate irrigation scheduling parameters (irrigation timing and doses). This challenge can be achieved by integrating sensing technologies, internet of things and cloud computing supported with co…

First assessment of natural regeneration and seed dispersal of Persian walnut (Juglans regia L.) in Mediterranean agroecosystems

2020

Persian walnut (Juglans regia L.), which is native to Central Asia, has been widely cultivated throughout Europe over millennia as a multipurpose tree. However, only recently the naturalization process outside cultivation has been studied, mostly in temperate Europe, with no information regarding the Mediterranean region. Here we provide the first field investigations about the natural regeneration of walnut in two traditional Mediterranean agroecosystems: an irrigated mixed orchard in suburban areas and a non-irrigated prickly pear (Opuntia ficusindica [L.] Mill.) orchard. The natural regeneration densities were statistically different in the two agroecosystems, ranging from 75 individuals…

Confronto tra evapotraspirazione effettiva e potenziale idrico fogliare da dati telerilevati e micrometeorologici

2012

The role of loquat to maintain entomological diversity in the Conca d'Oro orchards

2014

The loquat [Eriobotryo japonica (Thumb.) Lindl.] is an allochthonous species long cultivated in Sicily. In some parts of Sicily such as the Siracusa province, the loquat is cultivated in mono-specific orchards. In other sites, like Conca d'Oro and other places near the town of Palermo, loquat is intercropped with other tree species such as citrus, apricot, peach, mulberry, walnut, Mediterranean hackberry. The loquat plays an important role in order to increase biodiversity within these orchards. The old or dead loquat trees host a variety of xylophagous insects and more in particular Coleoptera: Cerambycidae beetles Dynastidae, and Cetoniidae. Longhorn beetles, rhinoceros beetles and flower…

From the old agroforestry systems of the modern high-density olive groves: which Carbon sequestration?

2019

Olive tree (Olea europaea L) represents one of the most important evergreen tree species. In Sicily agroforestry systems based on the olive tree, named traditional olive orchard, are common and often are grown together to other tree crops, such as vineyards, or with cereals or forages. This last are usually grown in the interspace between rows and particularly in olive groves were planting density is rather low (less than 200 trees/ha). To increase crop efficiency and to reduce costs of harvesting, by using proper machines, in the last 20 years in the olive industry have been developed new planting systems: Intensive (up to 400 trees/ha), and the Superintensive (up to 2000 trees/ha). Within…

Esperienze di monitoraggio a Salaparuta e nella R.N.O. “Grotta di Santa Ninfa” (TP, Sicilia Occidentale): effetto di pratiche di agricoltura sostenib…

2007

Dispositivo per il monitoraggio di superfici vegetali

2017

La presente invenzione si riferisce al settore della diagnostica ambientale poiché fornisce un dispositivo che consente il monitoraggio dello stato fisiologico dei tappeti erbosi e di altre tipologie di coperture naturali che può essere anche impiegato per una accurata caratterizzazione e gestione delle coperture vegetali quali ad esempio campi sportivi, aree verdi naturali o artificiali e il relativo metodo.

Evaluating the performance of reference evapotranspiration equations with scintillometer measurements under Mediterranean climate and effects on oliv…

2014

The concept of reference potranspiration is widely used to support water resource management in agriculture and for irrigation scheduling, especially under arid and semi-arid conditions. The Penman-Monteith standardized formulations, as suggested by ASCE and FAO-56 papers, are generally applied for accurate estimations of ETo, at hourly and daily scale. When detailed meteorological information are not available, several alternative and simplified equations, using a limited number of variables, have been proposed (Blaney-Criddle, HargreavesSamani, Turc, Makkinen and Pristley-Taylor). In this paper, scintillometer measurements collected for six month in 2005, on an experimental plot under “re…

Micrometeorological and sap flow measurement of energy and mass exchanges of woody crops in a Mediterranean environment

2011

Identifying the threshold of soil water content for the precise irrigation scheduling of a Citrus orchard under subsurface drip irrigation

2019

Proper irrigation scheduling requires the knowledge of the soil-plant-atmosphere system, including the relationships existing between its various components. During the last decade, the monitoring of soil water content (SWC) has been considered a standard way to determine when crops need to be irrigated. However, under drip irrigation systems in which laterals are laid on the soil surface or buried at a certain depth, the gradients of soil water content are rather high and therefore the threshold of SWC below which crop water stress occurs should account for the position of the sensors; the threshold, in fact, depends on the specific crop system, as well as on the relative position of the m…