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Sergio Saia

University of Pisa, Veterinary Sciences, Faculty Member

Consiglio per la Ricerca e Sperimentazione in Agricoltura, Centro di Ricerca per la Cerealicoltura (Cereal Research Centre), Post-Doc

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Institutional, research and personal webpages: https://linktr.ee/sergiosaia
Ph.D. - Doctor Europaeus, Associate professor. Dept. Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, IT

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Papers by Sergio Saia

Determination of minimum number of samples allowing to detect long term soil organic carbon changes in Mediterranean arable lands using paired-sites

Background Legacy data are unique occasions for estimating soil organic carbon (SOC) concentratio... more Background Legacy data are unique occasions for estimating soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration changes and spatial variability, but their use can pose limitations due to the sampling schemes adopted and improvements may be needed in the analysis methodologies. When SOC changes is estimated with legacy data, the use of soil samples collected in different plots (i.e., non-aligned data) may lead to biased results. In the present work, N=302 georeferenced soil samples were selected from a regional (Sicily, south of Italy) soil database. An operational sampling approach was developed to spot SOC concentration changes from 1994 to 2017 in the same plots at the 0-30 cm soil depth and tested. Results The measurements were conducted after computing the minimum number of samples needed to have a reliable estimate of SOC variation after 23 years. By applying an effect size based methodology, 30 out of 302 sites were resampled in 2017 to achieve a power of 80%, and an a=0.05. A Wilcoxon tes...

Editorial: Mechanisms and practices for the management of plant-soil biota interaction

Frontiers in plant science, Apr 9, 2024

The Life Cycle Assessment of Durum Wheat Yield in Contrasting Magagement Systems in Mediterranean Environment

Resistant Starch in Common Beans: concentration, characteristics, uses, and health effects. A systematic map and review of the studies from 1962 to 2023

International Journal of Food Science and Technology, Jun 3, 2023

Fatty acid composition of the seed lipids of<i>Chamaerops humilis</i>L. natural populations and its relation with the environment

Plant Biosystems, Jan 7, 2014

ABSTRACT doi: 10.1080/11263504.2013.870249

<i>Rhynchophorus ferrugineus</i> attack affects a group of compounds rather than rearranging <i>Phoenix canariensis</i> metabolic pathways

Journal of Integrative Plant Biology, Dec 9, 2015

The red palm weevil (RPW; Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) is spreading worldwide and severely harming ... more The red palm weevil (RPW; Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) is spreading worldwide and severely harming many palm species. However, most studies on RPW focused on insect biology, and little information is available about the plant response to the attack. In the present experiment, we used metabolomics to study the alteration of the leaf metabolome of Phoenix canariensis at initial (1(st) stage) or advanced (2(nd) stage) attack by RPW compared with healthy (unattacked) plants. The leaf metabolome significantly varied among treatments. At the 1(st) stage of attack, plants showed a reprogramming of carbohydrate and organic acid metabolism; in contrast, peptides and lipid metabolic pathways underwent more changes during 2(nd) then 1(st) stage of attack. Enrichment metabolomics analysis indicated that RPW attack mostly affected a particular group of compounds rather than rearranging plant metabolic pathways. Some compounds selectively affected during 1(st) rather than 2(nd) stage (e.g. phenylalanine; tryptophan; cellobiose; xylose; quinate; xylonite; idonate; and iso-threonate; cellobiotol and arbutine) are upstream events in the phenylpropanoid, terpenoid and alkaloid biosynthesis. These compounds could be designated as potential markers of initial RPW attack. However, further investigation is needed to determine efficient early screening methods of RPW attack based on the concentrations of these molecules.

Gemmorhizogenesis in poysean (Euphorbia×lomiRauh): the production of ‘likely-asexuate’ vivipary offsprings

Acta horticulturae, Oct 1, 2018

Poysean (Euphorbia × lomi Rauh) is a natural hybrid of E. milii Des Moulins × E. lophogona Lamarc... more Poysean (Euphorbia × lomi Rauh) is a natural hybrid of E. milii Des Moulins × E. lophogona Lamarck. This hybrid has a high tolerance to drought and high temperature and the ability to withstand long periods in the complete absence of water. In its native environment, Madagascar, it colonizes wide arid areas and this occurs both due to its stress tolerance and its ability to produce 'likely-asexuate' vivipary offsprings (aboveground LAVOs) from the aerial parts. These propagules show completely differentiated aboveground organs and root primordial or sometimes radicles when still standing on their mother plant. However, no information is available about the ability of this hybrid to produce such offsprings. In the present work, we studied the production of aboveground LAVOs of a cultivar of E. × lomi, namely the Thailand's cultivar 'Porn ying yai', in a 2-years pot experiment with 2 contrasting growing media (coconut fibre/perlite, CCP, or peat/perlite, PTP) under greenhouse conditions. In total, 24 mother plants per year per substrate were grown, propagules were counted, and length and weight measured and divided per class of quality, corresponding to a length class (1 st class below 5.0 cm, 2 nd class between 5.1 and 10.0 cm, and 3 rd class above 10.1 cm). Thus, propagules were planted to check for their vitality. Plants grown in PTP yielded 2.3-fold more propagules than CCP. However, such difference solely occurred for 1 st class propagules, whereas no differences were found for 2 nd and 3 rd class propagules between growth substrates. Since the pots were widely fertirrigated, and thus not limited by water or nutrient availability, this suggests that the chemical or other traits of the growing media mostly modulate the conditions for the above-ground LAVOs induction rather than their growth. Since this plant has low maintenance needs and can withstand water lack and high temperature, these results have implication in urban environments, where colonization of green areas could occur after planting without anthropic intervention.

Fine earth soil bulk density at 0.2 m depth from Land Use and Coverage Area Frame Survey (LUCAS) soil 2018

European Journal of Soil Science, Jul 1, 2023

Soil Bulk Density (BD) is an extremely important variable because it is an important site charact... more Soil Bulk Density (BD) is an extremely important variable because it is an important site characterization parameter, and it is highly relevant for policy development because it is mandatory for calculating soil nutrient stocks. BD can influence soil chemical properties, land‐use planning and agronomic management. The 2018 Land Use and Coverage Area Frame Survey (LUCAS) saw the unprecedented collection of BD core analysis in a subset of the locations in Europe and the United Kingdom where soil physical and chemical properties were analysed in the 2009 and the 2015 sampling campaigns. Here, we integrated the LUCAS 2018 BD sampling campaign with the mass fraction of coarse fragments previously determined in LUCAS 2009–2015 in order to provide a dataset of the volume fraction of coarse fragments and the BD of the fine earth and improve soil organic carbon (SOC) stock estimation accuracy for topsoil. BD data sampled at 0–10 and 10–20 cm were averaged to harmonize the BD with the mass fraction of coarse fragments measured in 2009, 2012 and 2015. Samples were from cropland, grassland and woodland soils, which accounted for 41%, 21% and 30%, respectively, of the total number of selected sites (n = 6059); ‘bareland’, and ‘shrubland’ accounted for 3% of the sites each, whereas ‘artificial land’ accounted for &lt;1%. Only six samples were classified as ‘wetland’. The dataset was produced assuming the mass density of the coarse fraction to be constant across all LUCAS soil samples. We also estimated the SOC stocks associated with LUCAS 2018 BD and SOC content measurements and showed that correcting the BD by the coarse mass fraction instead of the coarse volume fraction generates SOC stock underestimation. We found the highest deviations in woodlands and shrublands. We showed that, when SOC stock is computed with coarse mass fraction, the error compared with the computation by volume may vary depending on the SOC and coarse mass fraction. This may imply a SOC stock underestimation for European soils. This dataset fits into the big framework of LUCAS soil properties monitoring and contributes both to soil awareness and soil research and assessments, which are two important objectives of the Soil Strategy and the European Soil Observatory (EUSO).

Cistus crispus L.(Cistaceae)ミクロ増殖のための効率的プロトコル【JST・京大機械翻訳】

Metabolomic Analysis Of Durum Wheat Roots In Response to Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Inoculation in Field Conditions

Raptors bred in captivity: semen characteristics and assisted reproduction outcome in goshawk (<i>Accipiter gentilis</i>)

PeerJ, Mar 22, 2023

Three sexually mature goshawks reared in captivity and imprinted on humans to express reproductiv... more Three sexually mature goshawks reared in captivity and imprinted on humans to express reproductive behavior according to the cooperative method were studied for three consecutive breeding seasons to assess the quality of their sperm. The following parameters were analyzed: ejaculate volume and sperm concentration, motility, viability, and morphology. Ejaculate volume, sperm concentration and motility fluctuated along the reproductive season, revealing the greatest quality of the reproductive material at full springtime (i.e., April). Motility of the sperm collected in March strongly reduced with age, contrary to samples collected in April or May. Sperm viability was not influenced by either age or month of collection within each season. Ultrastructural investigations provided information on normal sperm morphology for the first time in this species. The morphological categories of sperm defects in fresh semen, present at low percentages, are also described. Functional analyses (perivitelline membrane assay and artificial inseminations) confirmed the good quality of the semen obtained using the cooperative method. The reported data provide the basis for further studies aimed at developing protocols to improve the outcome of artificial insemination and semen cryopreservation in the goshawk as well as other bird of prey species.

Soil Organic Carbon modeling in the Mediterranean Basin: an assessment of the existing international scientific research through a Systematic map

EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts, Apr 1, 2019

Molecular and agronomic responses to soil inoculation with plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizae in Triticum durum

Plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi contribute to p... more Plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi contribute to plant nutrient uptake by increasing the availability of nutrients and the root adsorbing surface. However, the molecular mechanisms of plant responses to these associations are still under-investigated. Gene expression analysis could lead to the identification of biomarkers usable to early select genotypes for an increased nutrient uptake efficiency. The main objective of this study was to determine the effects of these associations on plant total biomass and grain yield in durum wheat (cv. Anco Marzio). Secondly, we aimed to analyze the expression pattern of key genes involved in nutrient uptake. This experiment was carried out in a typical Mediterranean area (inner Sicily). Four types of biotic association in presence/absence of easily mineralizable organic nitrogen were considered: 1) not inoculated soil (control); 2) inoculated with a commercial mix of 8 AM fungal species; 3) inoculated with a commercial mix of 13 PGPR (Bacillus spp.); 4) inoculated of both AMF and PGPR mixes. Nitrogen content in aboveground biomass was determined at stem elongation stage. Quantitative RT-PCR assays were designed for nitrogen and phosphate transporter genes basing on sequence homologies with Triticum aestivum. Data showed an increase of total biomass when both PGPR and AM fungi were inoculated. In addition, PGPR inoculum determined a biomass increase when the organic fertilizer was supplied. These results can be explained by a synergistic effects of bacteria mineralization and AM nutrient uptake activities. Results of the ongoing gene expression analysis will be presented

Editorial: Insights in plant symbiotic interactions: 2021

Frontiers in Plant Science

Editorial on the Research Topic Insights in plant symbiotic interactions: 2021 This Research Topi... more Editorial on the Research Topic Insights in plant symbiotic interactions: 2021 This Research Topic was launched in late 2021 in the frame of a broad initiative covering most sections of Frontiers in Plant Science. The call for papers attracted 14 original research, method, review and mini review papers by 74 authors, largely delivering our goal to provide a transversal insight into the advances in the major symbiotic plant-microbe interactions. The contributions embrace molecular, cellular, applicative and ecological aspects of mycorrhizas, symbiotic nitrogen fixation and plant interactions with beneficial endophytes or plant growth-promoting bacteria.

Mapping the variation of soil organic carbon (SOC) stock in time and space in Sicily, an extremely variable semi-arid Mediterranean region, highlighted that C was lost in area rich in organic C and gained in poor-C areas

EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts, Apr 1, 2017

Euphorbia×lomiproduced considerable amount of flower racemes after exposure to Mediterranean winter temperatures

Acta Horticulturae, 2018

Poysean (Euphorbia ×lomi Rauh, a spurge natural hybrid of E. milii Des Moulins × E. lophogona Lam... more Poysean (Euphorbia ×lomi Rauh, a spurge natural hybrid of E. milii Des Moulins × E. lophogona Lamarck) is widely grown in southeastern Asian countries, where winter minimum temperatures are above 20°C. Poysean was recently proposed for indoor uses in Mediterranean countries thanks to its great size inflorescences and long-lasting flowering. In addition, this spurge has a very high ability to withstand long water shortage, high summer temperature and can be easily propagated by cutting. However, little is known about its ability to withstand the minimum winter temperatures of the Mediterranean areas. An outdoor experiment was performed to evaluate poysean tolerance to the winter temperatures of the thermo-Mediterranean climate and its potential use as ornamental crop for outdoor stands and window box. Two genotypes of E. ×lomi ('Nguen Muang', NM; and 'Soi Budsarin', SB) were grown at 2 or 3 plants pot-1 in window boxes during 26 months. Number of flower racemes (cyathia) and leaves plant-1 , plant height, and pot ornamental value were measured monthly. No differences were observed in scores from the panel members. On average, NM showed 36% lower number of flower racemes, but 30% higher panel score than SB. During winter, NM showed a higher number of flower racemes plant-1 than SB. Few effects of plant density on flower racemes and panel test score were found and these were mostly in magnitude. The present data suggest that Euphorbia ×lomi is still able to survive and produce flower racemes during winter in the thermo Mediterranean climate and it is suitable as an ornamental plant for open-air stands and window box and likely for xeriscaping and green roofs.

Speciale Orzo. Produzioni record al sud. Il nord soffre la pioggia

Al centro-nord vince la pioggia, bene solo il Meridione

Review Resistant starch in common beans: Concentration, characteristics, uses and health effects. A systematic map and review of the studies from 1962 to 2023

by Eda Bozkır and Sergio Saia

International Journal of Food Science & Technology, 2023

Information on the resistant starch (RS) of the common bean seed, its concentration and health ef... more Information on the resistant starch (RS) of the common bean seed, its concentration and health effects are scarce. RS is a starch fraction partly resistant to the digestive enzymes, thus acting as a food fibre. Through a systematic map of the RS concentration in common bean on scopus and web of science databases, we found 1978 records, of which 108 papers reporting information on the Composition or Characterisation (seventy-four papers), Digestion/fermentation (thirty-two papers) and Health issues (twentythree papers) and sixty-two on the RS concentration of the crude common bean dry seed. We found that mean RS concentration in common bean is 16.4% (median = 12.2%) with a high-standard deviation (12.8%). Common bean was compared with the other legumes in thirty-four reports and to cereals in seventeen reports, and in three papers to either banana or potato. We found that reports on the industrial uses of bean RS and on the agronomic, environmental and genetic determinants of RS accumulation in common beans are very scarce. The ability to modulate RS concentration in beans can have different implications for countries with variable food calories or food fibre demand.

Genetic variability ofChamaerops humilis(Arecaceae) throughout its native range highlights two species movement pathways from its area of origin

Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society

The European fan palm (Chamaerops humilis, Arecaceae) is the only native palm in continental Euro... more The European fan palm (Chamaerops humilis, Arecaceae) is the only native palm in continental Europe, providing ecosystem services that are hard to obtain from other species. However, its populations are declining in some areas due to anthropogenic effects including climate change. Knowledge of genetic variability among natural populations is needed to establish conservation plans, to prevent genetic contamination of native stands by cultivated germplasm and to exploit it as an ornamental species. However, information on the genetic similarities among C. humilis populations is scarce. The aims of this work were to study genetic structure in C. humilis using a set of specifically designed genetic markers and to highlight genetic similarities and their relationships with geographical proximity. We sampled 301 specimens from 42 natural populations throughout the distribution area and analysed these with ten di-, tri- and tetra-nucleotide simple sequence repeats. Relationships between ge...

Determination of minimum number of samples allowing to detect long term soil organic carbon changes in Mediterranean arable lands using paired-sites

Background Legacy data are unique occasions for estimating soil organic carbon (SOC) concentratio... more Background Legacy data are unique occasions for estimating soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration changes and spatial variability, but their use can pose limitations due to the sampling schemes adopted and improvements may be needed in the analysis methodologies. When SOC changes is estimated with legacy data, the use of soil samples collected in different plots (i.e., non-aligned data) may lead to biased results. In the present work, N=302 georeferenced soil samples were selected from a regional (Sicily, south of Italy) soil database. An operational sampling approach was developed to spot SOC concentration changes from 1994 to 2017 in the same plots at the 0-30 cm soil depth and tested. Results The measurements were conducted after computing the minimum number of samples needed to have a reliable estimate of SOC variation after 23 years. By applying an effect size based methodology, 30 out of 302 sites were resampled in 2017 to achieve a power of 80%, and an a=0.05. A Wilcoxon tes...

Editorial: Mechanisms and practices for the management of plant-soil biota interaction

Frontiers in plant science, Apr 9, 2024

The Life Cycle Assessment of Durum Wheat Yield in Contrasting Magagement Systems in Mediterranean Environment

Resistant Starch in Common Beans: concentration, characteristics, uses, and health effects. A systematic map and review of the studies from 1962 to 2023

International Journal of Food Science and Technology, Jun 3, 2023

Fatty acid composition of the seed lipids of<i>Chamaerops humilis</i>L. natural populations and its relation with the environment

Plant Biosystems, Jan 7, 2014

ABSTRACT doi: 10.1080/11263504.2013.870249

<i>Rhynchophorus ferrugineus</i> attack affects a group of compounds rather than rearranging <i>Phoenix canariensis</i> metabolic pathways

Journal of Integrative Plant Biology, Dec 9, 2015

The red palm weevil (RPW; Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) is spreading worldwide and severely harming ... more The red palm weevil (RPW; Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) is spreading worldwide and severely harming many palm species. However, most studies on RPW focused on insect biology, and little information is available about the plant response to the attack. In the present experiment, we used metabolomics to study the alteration of the leaf metabolome of Phoenix canariensis at initial (1(st) stage) or advanced (2(nd) stage) attack by RPW compared with healthy (unattacked) plants. The leaf metabolome significantly varied among treatments. At the 1(st) stage of attack, plants showed a reprogramming of carbohydrate and organic acid metabolism; in contrast, peptides and lipid metabolic pathways underwent more changes during 2(nd) then 1(st) stage of attack. Enrichment metabolomics analysis indicated that RPW attack mostly affected a particular group of compounds rather than rearranging plant metabolic pathways. Some compounds selectively affected during 1(st) rather than 2(nd) stage (e.g. phenylalanine; tryptophan; cellobiose; xylose; quinate; xylonite; idonate; and iso-threonate; cellobiotol and arbutine) are upstream events in the phenylpropanoid, terpenoid and alkaloid biosynthesis. These compounds could be designated as potential markers of initial RPW attack. However, further investigation is needed to determine efficient early screening methods of RPW attack based on the concentrations of these molecules.

Gemmorhizogenesis in poysean (Euphorbia×lomiRauh): the production of ‘likely-asexuate’ vivipary offsprings

Acta horticulturae, Oct 1, 2018

Poysean (Euphorbia × lomi Rauh) is a natural hybrid of E. milii Des Moulins × E. lophogona Lamarc... more Poysean (Euphorbia × lomi Rauh) is a natural hybrid of E. milii Des Moulins × E. lophogona Lamarck. This hybrid has a high tolerance to drought and high temperature and the ability to withstand long periods in the complete absence of water. In its native environment, Madagascar, it colonizes wide arid areas and this occurs both due to its stress tolerance and its ability to produce 'likely-asexuate' vivipary offsprings (aboveground LAVOs) from the aerial parts. These propagules show completely differentiated aboveground organs and root primordial or sometimes radicles when still standing on their mother plant. However, no information is available about the ability of this hybrid to produce such offsprings. In the present work, we studied the production of aboveground LAVOs of a cultivar of E. × lomi, namely the Thailand's cultivar 'Porn ying yai', in a 2-years pot experiment with 2 contrasting growing media (coconut fibre/perlite, CCP, or peat/perlite, PTP) under greenhouse conditions. In total, 24 mother plants per year per substrate were grown, propagules were counted, and length and weight measured and divided per class of quality, corresponding to a length class (1 st class below 5.0 cm, 2 nd class between 5.1 and 10.0 cm, and 3 rd class above 10.1 cm). Thus, propagules were planted to check for their vitality. Plants grown in PTP yielded 2.3-fold more propagules than CCP. However, such difference solely occurred for 1 st class propagules, whereas no differences were found for 2 nd and 3 rd class propagules between growth substrates. Since the pots were widely fertirrigated, and thus not limited by water or nutrient availability, this suggests that the chemical or other traits of the growing media mostly modulate the conditions for the above-ground LAVOs induction rather than their growth. Since this plant has low maintenance needs and can withstand water lack and high temperature, these results have implication in urban environments, where colonization of green areas could occur after planting without anthropic intervention.

Fine earth soil bulk density at 0.2 m depth from Land Use and Coverage Area Frame Survey (LUCAS) soil 2018

European Journal of Soil Science, Jul 1, 2023

Soil Bulk Density (BD) is an extremely important variable because it is an important site charact... more Soil Bulk Density (BD) is an extremely important variable because it is an important site characterization parameter, and it is highly relevant for policy development because it is mandatory for calculating soil nutrient stocks. BD can influence soil chemical properties, land‐use planning and agronomic management. The 2018 Land Use and Coverage Area Frame Survey (LUCAS) saw the unprecedented collection of BD core analysis in a subset of the locations in Europe and the United Kingdom where soil physical and chemical properties were analysed in the 2009 and the 2015 sampling campaigns. Here, we integrated the LUCAS 2018 BD sampling campaign with the mass fraction of coarse fragments previously determined in LUCAS 2009–2015 in order to provide a dataset of the volume fraction of coarse fragments and the BD of the fine earth and improve soil organic carbon (SOC) stock estimation accuracy for topsoil. BD data sampled at 0–10 and 10–20 cm were averaged to harmonize the BD with the mass fraction of coarse fragments measured in 2009, 2012 and 2015. Samples were from cropland, grassland and woodland soils, which accounted for 41%, 21% and 30%, respectively, of the total number of selected sites (n = 6059); ‘bareland’, and ‘shrubland’ accounted for 3% of the sites each, whereas ‘artificial land’ accounted for &lt;1%. Only six samples were classified as ‘wetland’. The dataset was produced assuming the mass density of the coarse fraction to be constant across all LUCAS soil samples. We also estimated the SOC stocks associated with LUCAS 2018 BD and SOC content measurements and showed that correcting the BD by the coarse mass fraction instead of the coarse volume fraction generates SOC stock underestimation. We found the highest deviations in woodlands and shrublands. We showed that, when SOC stock is computed with coarse mass fraction, the error compared with the computation by volume may vary depending on the SOC and coarse mass fraction. This may imply a SOC stock underestimation for European soils. This dataset fits into the big framework of LUCAS soil properties monitoring and contributes both to soil awareness and soil research and assessments, which are two important objectives of the Soil Strategy and the European Soil Observatory (EUSO).

Cistus crispus L.(Cistaceae)ミクロ増殖のための効率的プロトコル【JST・京大機械翻訳】

Metabolomic Analysis Of Durum Wheat Roots In Response to Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Inoculation in Field Conditions

Raptors bred in captivity: semen characteristics and assisted reproduction outcome in goshawk (<i>Accipiter gentilis</i>)

PeerJ, Mar 22, 2023

Three sexually mature goshawks reared in captivity and imprinted on humans to express reproductiv... more Three sexually mature goshawks reared in captivity and imprinted on humans to express reproductive behavior according to the cooperative method were studied for three consecutive breeding seasons to assess the quality of their sperm. The following parameters were analyzed: ejaculate volume and sperm concentration, motility, viability, and morphology. Ejaculate volume, sperm concentration and motility fluctuated along the reproductive season, revealing the greatest quality of the reproductive material at full springtime (i.e., April). Motility of the sperm collected in March strongly reduced with age, contrary to samples collected in April or May. Sperm viability was not influenced by either age or month of collection within each season. Ultrastructural investigations provided information on normal sperm morphology for the first time in this species. The morphological categories of sperm defects in fresh semen, present at low percentages, are also described. Functional analyses (perivitelline membrane assay and artificial inseminations) confirmed the good quality of the semen obtained using the cooperative method. The reported data provide the basis for further studies aimed at developing protocols to improve the outcome of artificial insemination and semen cryopreservation in the goshawk as well as other bird of prey species.

Soil Organic Carbon modeling in the Mediterranean Basin: an assessment of the existing international scientific research through a Systematic map

EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts, Apr 1, 2019

Molecular and agronomic responses to soil inoculation with plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizae in Triticum durum

Plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi contribute to p... more Plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi contribute to plant nutrient uptake by increasing the availability of nutrients and the root adsorbing surface. However, the molecular mechanisms of plant responses to these associations are still under-investigated. Gene expression analysis could lead to the identification of biomarkers usable to early select genotypes for an increased nutrient uptake efficiency. The main objective of this study was to determine the effects of these associations on plant total biomass and grain yield in durum wheat (cv. Anco Marzio). Secondly, we aimed to analyze the expression pattern of key genes involved in nutrient uptake. This experiment was carried out in a typical Mediterranean area (inner Sicily). Four types of biotic association in presence/absence of easily mineralizable organic nitrogen were considered: 1) not inoculated soil (control); 2) inoculated with a commercial mix of 8 AM fungal species; 3) inoculated with a commercial mix of 13 PGPR (Bacillus spp.); 4) inoculated of both AMF and PGPR mixes. Nitrogen content in aboveground biomass was determined at stem elongation stage. Quantitative RT-PCR assays were designed for nitrogen and phosphate transporter genes basing on sequence homologies with Triticum aestivum. Data showed an increase of total biomass when both PGPR and AM fungi were inoculated. In addition, PGPR inoculum determined a biomass increase when the organic fertilizer was supplied. These results can be explained by a synergistic effects of bacteria mineralization and AM nutrient uptake activities. Results of the ongoing gene expression analysis will be presented

Editorial: Insights in plant symbiotic interactions: 2021

Frontiers in Plant Science

Editorial on the Research Topic Insights in plant symbiotic interactions: 2021 This Research Topi... more Editorial on the Research Topic Insights in plant symbiotic interactions: 2021 This Research Topic was launched in late 2021 in the frame of a broad initiative covering most sections of Frontiers in Plant Science. The call for papers attracted 14 original research, method, review and mini review papers by 74 authors, largely delivering our goal to provide a transversal insight into the advances in the major symbiotic plant-microbe interactions. The contributions embrace molecular, cellular, applicative and ecological aspects of mycorrhizas, symbiotic nitrogen fixation and plant interactions with beneficial endophytes or plant growth-promoting bacteria.

Mapping the variation of soil organic carbon (SOC) stock in time and space in Sicily, an extremely variable semi-arid Mediterranean region, highlighted that C was lost in area rich in organic C and gained in poor-C areas

EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts, Apr 1, 2017

Euphorbia×lomiproduced considerable amount of flower racemes after exposure to Mediterranean winter temperatures

Acta Horticulturae, 2018

Poysean (Euphorbia ×lomi Rauh, a spurge natural hybrid of E. milii Des Moulins × E. lophogona Lam... more Poysean (Euphorbia ×lomi Rauh, a spurge natural hybrid of E. milii Des Moulins × E. lophogona Lamarck) is widely grown in southeastern Asian countries, where winter minimum temperatures are above 20°C. Poysean was recently proposed for indoor uses in Mediterranean countries thanks to its great size inflorescences and long-lasting flowering. In addition, this spurge has a very high ability to withstand long water shortage, high summer temperature and can be easily propagated by cutting. However, little is known about its ability to withstand the minimum winter temperatures of the Mediterranean areas. An outdoor experiment was performed to evaluate poysean tolerance to the winter temperatures of the thermo-Mediterranean climate and its potential use as ornamental crop for outdoor stands and window box. Two genotypes of E. ×lomi ('Nguen Muang', NM; and 'Soi Budsarin', SB) were grown at 2 or 3 plants pot-1 in window boxes during 26 months. Number of flower racemes (cyathia) and leaves plant-1 , plant height, and pot ornamental value were measured monthly. No differences were observed in scores from the panel members. On average, NM showed 36% lower number of flower racemes, but 30% higher panel score than SB. During winter, NM showed a higher number of flower racemes plant-1 than SB. Few effects of plant density on flower racemes and panel test score were found and these were mostly in magnitude. The present data suggest that Euphorbia ×lomi is still able to survive and produce flower racemes during winter in the thermo Mediterranean climate and it is suitable as an ornamental plant for open-air stands and window box and likely for xeriscaping and green roofs.

Speciale Orzo. Produzioni record al sud. Il nord soffre la pioggia

Al centro-nord vince la pioggia, bene solo il Meridione

Review Resistant starch in common beans: Concentration, characteristics, uses and health effects. A systematic map and review of the studies from 1962 to 2023

by Eda Bozkır and Sergio Saia

International Journal of Food Science & Technology, 2023

Information on the resistant starch (RS) of the common bean seed, its concentration and health ef... more Information on the resistant starch (RS) of the common bean seed, its concentration and health effects are scarce. RS is a starch fraction partly resistant to the digestive enzymes, thus acting as a food fibre. Through a systematic map of the RS concentration in common bean on scopus and web of science databases, we found 1978 records, of which 108 papers reporting information on the Composition or Characterisation (seventy-four papers), Digestion/fermentation (thirty-two papers) and Health issues (twentythree papers) and sixty-two on the RS concentration of the crude common bean dry seed. We found that mean RS concentration in common bean is 16.4% (median = 12.2%) with a high-standard deviation (12.8%). Common bean was compared with the other legumes in thirty-four reports and to cereals in seventeen reports, and in three papers to either banana or potato. We found that reports on the industrial uses of bean RS and on the agronomic, environmental and genetic determinants of RS accumulation in common beans are very scarce. The ability to modulate RS concentration in beans can have different implications for countries with variable food calories or food fibre demand.

Genetic variability ofChamaerops humilis(Arecaceae) throughout its native range highlights two species movement pathways from its area of origin

Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society

The European fan palm (Chamaerops humilis, Arecaceae) is the only native palm in continental Euro... more The European fan palm (Chamaerops humilis, Arecaceae) is the only native palm in continental Europe, providing ecosystem services that are hard to obtain from other species. However, its populations are declining in some areas due to anthropogenic effects including climate change. Knowledge of genetic variability among natural populations is needed to establish conservation plans, to prevent genetic contamination of native stands by cultivated germplasm and to exploit it as an ornamental species. However, information on the genetic similarities among C. humilis populations is scarce. The aims of this work were to study genetic structure in C. humilis using a set of specifically designed genetic markers and to highlight genetic similarities and their relationships with geographical proximity. We sampled 301 specimens from 42 natural populations throughout the distribution area and analysed these with ten di-, tri- and tetra-nucleotide simple sequence repeats. Relationships between ge...

vEGU21 - Soil organic and inorganic carbon stocks and dynamics in agro-ecosystems: mechanisms, measurements and modelling strategies [EGU-SSS9.3/BG3.44/GM3.10]

EGU-SSS9.3/BG3.44/GM3.10, 2021

Consider Submitting an abstract to the ONLINE session EGU-SSS9.3/BG3.44/GM3.10: Soil organic and ... more Consider Submitting an abstract to the ONLINE session EGU-SSS9.3/BG3.44/GM3.10: Soil organic and inorganic carbon stocks and dynamics in agro-ecosystems: mechanisms, measurements and modelling strategies]:

Session link: https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU21/session/39197 [Deadline 20th Jan 2021]

Information on fee and waivers for early career scientists and researchers from various nations here: https://egu21.eu/about/vegu21_faqs.html#fees

RG project here: https://www.researchgate.net/project/Session-EGU-SSS93-BG344-GM310-Soil-organic-and-inorganic-carbon-stocks-and-dynamics-in-agro-ecosystems-mechanisms-measurements-and-modelling-strategies

Conveners: Calogero Schillaci, Laura Quijano, Viktoriia Hetmanenko
Jorge Álvaro-Fuentes, Sergio Saia

Soil is the largest carbon (C) reservoir in terrestrial ecosystems with twice the amount of atmospheric C and three times the amount in terrestrial vegetation. Carbon related ecosystem services include retention of water and nutrients, promoting soil fertility and productivity and soil resistance to erosion. In addition, changes in the soil C can have strong implications for greenhouse gas emissions from soil with implications in environmental health.

Drivers controlling C pools and its dynamics are multiple (e.g. land use/vegetation cover, climate, texture and bedrock, topography, soil microbial community, soil erosion rates, soil and other environment management practices, etc. ) and some of them are mutually interacting. Also, rate of net soil C loss can be high in some environments due to both climatic constrains or management. Thus, investigation of C dynamics should be addressed with regards to the climate change and climatic extreme events to provide a better understanding of carbon stabilization processes and thus support decision making in soil management and climate adaptation strategies.

The present session highlights the importance of soil C changes, and the interaction among the mechanisms affecting C concentration and stocks in soil. Discussion about the proxies to measure and model C stocks, with special emphasis to cropping systems and natural/semi-natural areas, is encouraged. These proxies should be approached at varying the availability of soil and environment information, including, e.g., soil texture, rainfall, temperature, bulk density, land use and land management, or proximal and remote sensing properties. Studies presented in this session can aim to a wealth of aims, including soil fertility, provision of ecosystem services, and their changes, and the implication for economy, policy, and decision making.

Types of contribution appreciated include, but are not limited to, definitive and intermediate results; project outcomes; proposal of methods or sampling and modelling strategies, and the assessment of their effectiveness; projection of previous results at the light of climate change and climatic extremes; literature surveys, reviews, and meta-analysis. These works will be evaluated at the light of the organisation of a special issue in an impacted journal

3.1 = Chamaerops humilis L.: Italian distribution and characterisation

by Gianmaria Bonari and Sergio Saia

The number of natural populations of European fan palm (Chamaerops humilis) in Italy is continuou... more The number of natural populations of European fan palm (Chamaerops humilis) in Italy is continuously declining due to anthropic disturbance. Nonetheless, this species is pivotal in the thermo Mediterranean vegetation belt, where it plays an important ecological role and this induced the Italian government to envisage for its protection within Special Areas of Conservation, where genetic contaminations from cultivated plants is reduced. However, the information about the actual distribution and size of C. humilis natural populations in Italy and the genetic and morphological variability of this species, which are crucial to structure efficient strategies for its conservation, are still insufficient. Aim of the present work was collecting natural populations of European fan palm from Italy, outline its distribution and study its genetic and morphological variability, and its relation with climatic traits basing on a fine scale study performed in Sicily (1). The relations between the p...

Can arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi enhance plant nitrogen capture from organic matter added to soil?

The importance of bioclimatic, pedology and land cover on mapping SOC stock with geostatistical approaches: the case study of the flat terrains in Po valley plain (Lombardy) agroecosystems

Estimating soil organic carbon (SOC) stock, its distribution and turnover is acquiring increasing... more Estimating soil organic carbon (SOC) stock, its distribution and turnover is acquiring increasing interest in the last decades due its role on the variation in the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The estimation of SOC stock is crucial to evaluate the efficiency in carbon sequestration of agricultural systems. In the present work, we studied the contribution of some environmental variables including mean yearly temperature and rainfall, soil texture and land use to the estimation of SOC stock in the Po valley plain (Lombardy, Italy). Such an aim was achieved by using the ordinary kriging (OK) and Co-kriging (CK) method, which is a local spatial geostatistical approach. The SOC stock dataset used (Lombardy soil sampling database) was provided by Lombardy agriculture and forestry development organization (ERSAF).
In particular, climatic, data drawn from a world-based reference (Worldclim); soil texture; and Land cover information were used as predictors of the spatial distribution of the SOC stock. On average, 87% of the data predicted in the present study showed a low deviation (from -34% to +100%) from the measured data. This suggest that the present method is mostly suitable for mapping rather than prediction purposes.

Compilate il questionario su "LA SOSTENIBILITÀ IN AGRICOLTURA"

LA #SOSTENIBILITÀ IN #AGRICOLTURA: http://tiny.cc/i46dkz Ciao, vi chiedo di #compilare e #condiv... more LA #SOSTENIBILITÀ IN #AGRICOLTURA: http://tiny.cc/i46dkz

Ciao, vi chiedo di #compilare e #condividere il seguente questionario sulla #sostenibilità in #agricoltura.
Non servono competenze nel settore per la sua compilazione. Chiunque può compilarlo.

Il questionario è in #italiano e fa riferimento alla situazione italiana, sebbene gli aspetti trattati sono validi in ogni ambiente
Vi ringrazio.
Sergio.
(nella prima pagina del questionario trovate i miei riferimenti)

Soil organic and inorganic carbon stocks and dynamics in agro- ecosystems: mechanisms, measurements and modelling strategies [SSS9.7/BG1.16] https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2020/session/35093 Conveners E-mail Twitter

by Sergio Saia and Виктория Гетманенко

Soil is the largest carbon (C) reservoir in terrestrial ecosystems with twice the amount of atmos... more Soil is the largest carbon (C) reservoir in terrestrial ecosystems with twice the amount of atmospheric C and three times the amount in terrestrial vegetation. Carbon related ecosystem services include retention of water and nutrients, promoting soil fertility and productivity and soil resistance to erosion. In addition, changes in the soil C can have strong implications for greenhouse gas emissions from soil with implications in environmental health. The present session highlights the importance of soil C changes, and the interaction among the mechanisms affecting C concentration and stocks in soil. Discussion about the proxies to measure and model C stocks, with special emphasis to cropping systems and natural/semi-natural areas, is encouraged. These proxies should be approached at varying the availability of soil and environment information, including, e.g., soil texture, rainfall, temperature, bulk density, land use and land management, or proximal and remote sensing properties. Studies presented in this session can aim to a wealth of aims, including soil fertility, provision of ecosystem services, and their changes, and the implication for economy, policy, and decision making. Types of contribution appreciated include, but are not limited to, definitive and intermediate results; project outcomes; proposal of methods or sampling and modelling strategies, and the assessment of their effectiveness; projection of previous results at the light of climate change and climatic extremes; literature surveys, reviews, and meta-analysis. These works will be evaluated at the light of the organization of a special issue in an impacted journal Deadlines 15 Jan 2020 for abstract submission EGU2020, 3-8 May, Vienna

Phytotherapy products: what we do (not) know about them? Original title (ITA): Fitoterapici: quanto (non) ne sappiamo?

Dall'alba dei tempi, la cura dei malesseri dell'uomo è stata basata sull'impiego di essenze natur... more Dall'alba dei tempi, la cura dei malesseri dell'uomo è stata basata sull'impiego di essenze naturali quali piante, funghi o animali o loro estratti dei quali era nota una qualche associazione tra uso ed effetto. La figura medioevale dello speziale, che preparava i 'medicamenti', si è evoluta fino al moderno farmacista. Quest'ultimo prende piede con l'avvento della chimica farmaceutica intorno agli anni '30 del secolo scorso "imitando" i composti di origine naturale. I 'medicamenti' hanno caratteristiche peculiari, tra cui una composizione non stabile 1 . Inoltre, tale composizione (chiamata "fitocomplesso") è molto complessa, cioè include moltissimi composti (anche qualche centinaio), i quali presentano un'attività diversificata in termini di target ed esigenze minime di concentrazione dovute a sinergismo dove la compresenza di più composti provoca talvolta effetti maggiori, minori o diversi rispetto alla somma degli effetti dei composti somministrati singolarmente. Il fitocomplesso è frequentemente costituito da composti utili (per i nostri scopi) ai quali si accompagnano composti inutili o dannosi. L'interazione tra questi, le loro concentrazioni, la forma in cui vengono somministrate e lo stato della persona che li riceve determinano l'effetto finale, che, va da se, è molto variabile. Una delle esigenze della medicina moderna è però quello di relazionare in maniera più stretta possibile l'applicazione di un farmaco, qualunque sia la sua natura, con l'esito per cui è stato utilizzato. E minimizzarne eventuali effetti collaterali.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Nutrient Cycling in Cropping Systems

Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling in Soil, 2020

Soil nutrient cycling in the soil-plant system of crops relies on the effects of the agronomical ... more Soil nutrient cycling in the soil-plant system of crops relies on the effects of the agronomical practices on soil conditions, especially soil microbial population mediating soil carbon transformation (either mineralization or stabilization), nitrogen cycle including soil nitrogen transformation, uptake and return from plants, and nitrogen losses, and the fate of other elements mediating these trade-offs, including phosphorous.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are widespread, soil-borne microbes living in an obligate symbiotic status with most of the land plants. Such symbiosis can bring considerable benefits to plant growth, uptake of nutrients, and soil conditions. However, such benefits are not frequently seen in the field since the agronomical practices, especially tillage and use of fungicides, impair its development, which can partly be overcome by inoculation. Also, the increase of CO2 concentration with climate change and nitrogen fertilization could negatively affect the AM benefit for the plant in the short term and increase the carbon cost for the plant when aggressive AMF are used. For such a reason, there is a need for long-term studies from the agronomical point of view on the role of field inoculation with AMF on both plant yield and soil conditions. Soil could be improved by the AMF inoculation in terms of redistribution of nutrients, augmented aggregation status, increase unstable soil organic carbon content, and reduction in carbon and nitrogen losses. In the present chapter, we will show the main agronomical benefit of inoculating AMF in cropped soils, along with results from field experiment and hints on the functioning of the plant-AMF symbiosis under field conditions. Perspectives of the use of and research on the arbuscular mycorrhizal technology under field conditions are also given.

Sostenibilità Agricoltura PDF

Sostenibilità in Agricoltura, 2020

La #SOSTENIBILITÀ in #AGRICOLTURA #Compila e #condividi il seguente questionario #anonimo sulla s... more La #SOSTENIBILITÀ in #AGRICOLTURA #Compila e #condividi il seguente questionario #anonimo sulla sostenibilità in agricoltura http://tiny.cc/i46dkz

e #iscriviti al canale #telegram: https://t.me/Sostenib_Agricoltura.

1) Non servono competenze nel settore per la sua compilazione. Chiunque può compilarlo. 2) Sentitevi liberi di inoltrarlo nei vostri gruppi FB o Whatsapp o altri social network.

Il questionario è in #italiano. Il canale è #divulgativo, chiunque può iscriversi, non sono necessarie competenze nel settore per seguirlo. Nel canale inserirò #documenti e #risultati di #ricerche e tratterò anche temi relazionati alla sostenibilità degli #allevamenti animali, ai rapporti tra agricoltura e #animali (#allevati, da #compagnia e #naturali), ad aspetti della sostenibilità in #post-#raccolta e le implicazioni per l'alimentazione. Per i documenti e ricerche verrà data una breve descrizione e le implicazioni (in italiano).

Grazie. Sergio. (nella prima pagina del questionario i miei riferimenti) https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157632961601865