Papers by Giancarlo Barbieri
6° Congresso Italiano di Scienza e Tecnologia Alimentare, 2004
Consumer's interest in organic farming is increasing due to the high request of healthier and... more Consumer's interest in organic farming is increasing due to the high request of healthier and more nutritious foods in national and international markets. Seed of perilla ('Perilla frutescens' L. Britt.) is an important source of unsaturated lipids and tocopherols. During 2005 growing season, perilla plants were grown under conventional and organic farming in a typical Mediterranean area such as Southern Italy, aiming to evaluate the biomass production and partitioning, seed yield, tocopherol content and fatty acid composition. Organic farming caused a 27% seed yield reduction when compared to conventional farming. The seeds of perilla produced 37% oil on average. Irrespective of the farming systems, the C 18 family, in particular in a-linolenic acid (C 18:3), had the predominant fatty acid in seeds, representing 62% of the total fatty acids in the lipid fraction. No differences were recorded among treatments for the content of plamitic C16:0 (avg. 6.0%), stearic C18:0 (...
Acta Horticulturae, 1997
Salinity is a major abiotic stress that can adversely affect plant growth, yield, other physiolog... more Salinity is a major abiotic stress that can adversely affect plant growth, yield, other physiological parameters, and soil health. Salinity stress on biomass production of salt-sensitive crops, like snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), is a serious problem, and specifically in South Florida, USA, where saline soils can be found in major agricultural lands. Research studies focused on the 'snap bean-Rhizobium-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)' relationship under salinity stress are limited, and fewer studies have evaluated how this tripartite symbiosis affects glomalin production (GRSP), a glycoprotein released by AMF. A shade house experiment was conducted to elucidate the effects of three microbial inoculations (IC = inoculation control; IT1 = AMF and IT2 = AMF + Rhizobium) on three salinity treatments (SC = salinity control 0.6 dS m −1 , S1 = 1.0 dS m −1 , and S2 = 2.0 dS m −1) on snap bean growth and yield. Our results indicate that S2 reduced 20% bean biomass production, 11% plant height, 13% root weight, and 23% AMF root colonization. However, microbial inoculations increased 26% bean yield over different salinity treatments. Maximum salinity stress (S2) increased 6% and 18% GRSP production than S1 and SC, respectively, indicating the relative advantage of abiotic stress on AMF's role in soil. Dual inoculation (IT2) demonstrated a beneficial role on all physiological parameters, biomass production, and GRSP synthesis compared to single inoculation (IT1) treatment with all three salinity levels.
Acta Horticulturae, 2003
In order to evaluate the response of two Gerbera cultivars to EC level of nutrient solution, a gr... more In order to evaluate the response of two Gerbera cultivars to EC level of nutrient solution, a greenhouse experiment was carried out in Naples from April to November 2002, on 1-year plants fertigated with two EC values, 1.6 dS m-1 and 2.4 dS m-1 , at pH 6.0. Plants of Brittani and Golden Serena cultivars were grown in pot, on 7:3 mixture (v/v) of peat and perlite. Water and fertilizers were supplied by a drip-system and the number of pulses was 1 per day from April to June and from September to October, 2 per day in July and August, and 3 per week in November. 400 ml of nutrient solution was applied per pulse, whit about 20% of leaching. Gas exchanges were unaffected by EC level of nutrient solution and Gerbera cultivars and higher net photosynthesis (15.02 µ µ µ µmol CO 2 m-2 sec-1) was recorded in spring months, with the maximum transpiration rate in may (11.18 mmol m-2 s-1). During the 8-month period, daily water uptake was higher in plants fertigated with 2.4 dS m-1 compared with 1.6 dS m-1 (471 vs 423 ml per plant), according with the difference in leaf area (65.8 vs 60.4 dm 2) and yield (34.3 vs 29.9 flowers). Higher EC level increased the content of N (3.89 vs 3.36% DM), N-NO 3 (0.56 vs 0.39%), P (0.14 vs 0.10%) and K (4.30 vs 2.89%) in young leaves. No difference was found between the cultivars in water uptake and nutrient composition of leaves. Brittani yielded higher number of flowers (35.2 vs 29.1 per plant).
Acta Horticulturae, 2016
In the last two decades, increased interest in sustainable agricultural practices has seen the gr... more In the last two decades, increased interest in sustainable agricultural practices has seen the growing development and use of commercial microbial inoculants for increasing crop productivity and resource use efficiency. Microbial inoculants mainly include free-living bacteria, fungi and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). The aim of the current experiment was to assess the effect of two commercial inoculants containing AMF alone or AMF in combination with plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPR) on yield components and quality of artichoke (Cynara cardunculus subsp. scolymus (L.) Hegi). The micropropagated plants of Romanesco globe artichoke cultivar 'C3' were inoculated at transplanting with a commercial inoculum containing 700 spores g-1 of Rhizophagus intraradices and 700 spores g-1 of Funneliformis mossae at a dose of 2 kg ha-1 , whereas another part of the plants was inoculated with a commercial inoculum containing 132 spores g −1 of Rhizophagus intraradices and 2×109 CFU g-1 of beneficial bacteria (Azospirillum brasilense, Azotobacter chroococcum, Bacillus megaterium, and Pseudomonas fluorescens). The highest yield was recorded in both inoculation treatments, whereas the highest number of buds per plant and fresh weight of globe artichoke were recorded in plants inoculated with AMF and AMF+PGPR, respectively. The P concentration in artichoke head was higher by 17.4% in both inoculation treatments compared to the control. When averaged over the microbial inoculants, higher lipophilic antioxidant activity and total phenolic content were observed in the internal than in the external bracts. The highest nitrate concentration was recorded in plants treated with AMF (774 mg kg-1). Both microbial inoculants did not affect the hydrophilic antioxidant activity (0.63 mmol ascorbic ac. eq. 100 g-1 f.w.) and total phenolic content (626.2 mg gallic acid eq. 100 g-1 d.w.). Overall, inoculation of AMF or dual inoculation AMF and PGPR could be considered an effective and sustainable tool to improve yield components with less pronounced positive effects on quality of artichoke.
Acta Horticulturae, 2001
A one-year greenhouse experiment was carried out in Naples (40° 51' N) on orchid plants grown i n... more A one-year greenhouse experiment was carried out in Naples (40° 51' N) on orchid plants grown i n a soilless system. Water consumption and nutrients uptake were investigated on three hybrids of Cymbidium: Floripink (pink), Pendragon Irene (white) and Traceredway (yellow). Plants (6 years-old) were grown in pot on a mixture (v/v) of 48% of ureumformaldehyde, 48% of polyurethane and 4% of polystyrene. pH and EC of the nutrient solution were kept at 6.0 and below 0.6 dS m-1. The mean water consumption was higher in cv Traceredway, (1.6 L per plant per day) and in Floripink (1.4 L), compared to Pendragon Irene (0.6 L) and it was related to plant leaf area (190, 125 and 51 dm 2 respectively). The mean total uptake of macro elements decreased from the first (Traceredway) to the last cultivar analysed (Pendragon Irene) with N uptake of 8.0, 7.2 and 3.1 g per plant per year. Leachate volume was 40% of the supplied nutrient solution in Floripink and Traceredway, while it was less and more variable in Pendragon Irene (18%), with a mean concentration of 1.68 mmol of NO 3-, 0.055 of PO 4 3and 0.24 of K + per liter of leachate. Analysis of leaves, stems, flowers and roots water content revealed no differences among the cultivars. Mean nitrogen contents were 1.41 g 100 g-1 dry weight, 1.53, 1.79 and 1.76 in leaves, stems, flowers and roots respectively. Net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance and the chlorophyll a/b ratio of leaves of the three Cymbidium hybrids analysed were higher than those obtained for the same species by other researchers and may indicate that those hybrids are more suitable for the Mediterranean environmental conditions. 1.
Plant Biology, 2013
Higher plants play a key role in Bioregenerative Life-Support Systems (BLSS) for long-term missio... more Higher plants play a key role in Bioregenerative Life-Support Systems (BLSS) for long-term missions in space, by regenerating air through photosynthetic CO2 absorption and O2 emission, recovering water through transpiration and recycling waste products through mineral nutrition. In addition, plants could provide fresh food to integrate into the crew diet and help to preserve astronauts' wellbeing. The ESA programme Micro-Ecological Life-Support System Alternative (MELiSSA) aims to conceive an artificial bioregenerative ecosystem for resources regeneration, based on both microorganisms and higher plants. Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is one of the four candidate species studied for soilless (hydroponic) cultivation in MELiSSA, because of the high nutritional value of the seeds. Within the MELiSSA programme - Food characterisation Phase I, the aim of the research carried out on soybean at the University of Naples was to select the most suitable European cultivars for cultivation in BLSS. In this context, a concise review on the state-of-the-art of soybean cultivation in space-oriented experiments and a summary of research activity for the preliminary theoretical selection and subsequent agronomical evaluation of four cultivars will be presented in this paper.
Physiologia Plantarum, 2010
Plants have evolved complex mechanisms to perceive environmental cues and develop appropriate and... more Plants have evolved complex mechanisms to perceive environmental cues and develop appropriate and coordinated responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. Considerable progress has been made towards a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of plant response to a single stress. However, the existence of cross-tolerance to different stressors has proved to have great relevance in the control and regulation of organismal adaptation. Evidence for the involvement of the signal peptide systemin and jasmonic acid in wound-induced salt stress adaptation in tomato has been provided. To further unravel the functional link between plant responses to salt stress and mechanical damage, transgenic tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) plants constitutively expressing the prosystemin cDNA have been exposed to a moderate salt stress. Prosystemin over-expression caused a reduction in stomatal conductance. However, in response to salt stress, prosystemin transgenic plants maintained a higher stomatal conductance compared with the wild-type control. Leaf concentrations of abscissic acid (ABA) and proline were lower in stressed transgenic plants compared with their wild-type control, implying that either the former perceived a less stressful environment or they adapted more efficiently to it. Consistently, under salt stress, transgenic plants produced a higher biomass, indicating that a constitutive activation of wound responses is advantageous in saline environment. Comparative gene expression profiling of stress-induced genes suggested that the partial stomatal closure was not mediated by ABA and/or components of the ABA signal transduction pathway. Possible cross-talks between genes involved in wounding and osmotic stress adaptation pathways in tomato are discussed.
Rivista di Agronomia, 1992
... Abstract (Italian), Durante lo stadio di pieno sviluppo fogliare (massimo LAI), su due coltur... more ... Abstract (Italian), Durante lo stadio di pieno sviluppo fogliare (massimo LAI), su due colture di mais allevate in due differenti condizioni idriche, sono stati studiati i profili verticali e l'andamento nel corso dell'intera giornata di alcuni parametri fisiologici. ...
Advances in horticultural science, 1994
Постановка проблеми. Останнім часом визначення балансу між економічним розвитком та економічною б... more Постановка проблеми. Останнім часом визначення балансу між економічним розвитком та економічною безпекою є найбільш важливою глобальною проблемою. У зв'язку з тим, що за останнє десятиріччя значно підвищився рівень та змінилася структура глобальних загроз, виникає необхідність розглядати процеси, масштаби й динаміку кризових явищ з урахуванням чинника природних загроз. Аналіз останніх досліджень і публікацій. Задоволення потреби в безпеці в різні історичні епохи визначалося рівнем загального економічного та політичного розвитку держав, а в умовах глобалізації безпека набуває нових форм і стає пріоритетом., що підтверджує аксіому,
Nelle missioni spaziali, obiettivo di primaria importanza e la creazione ed il mantenimento delle... more Nelle missioni spaziali, obiettivo di primaria importanza e la creazione ed il mantenimento delle migliori condizioni di vita dell’equipaggio, con particolare riferimento alla nutrizione degli astronauti. Allo stato attuale, il cibo necessario durante una missione proviene interamente dalla Terra e consiste di alimenti e bevande opportunamente trasformati e confezionati. Tuttavia, tale soluzione risulta insufficiente, sia in termini di composizione della dieta alimentare che di quantita trasportabili nelle missioni di lunga durata, ad esempio su Marte. In tale ottica, una possibile alternativa e rappresentata dallo sviluppo di sistemi per la produzione di alimenti vegetali freschi. La soia (Glycine max L.) e considerata una specie idonea alla coltivazione per tale scopo, per l’ottima qualita nutrizionale dei semi, grazie al contenuto relativamente elevato di proteine e di grassi. Tuttavia, trattandosi di una coltura tradizionalmente allevata in pieno campo, poche informazioni sono d...
Uploads
Papers by Giancarlo Barbieri