Genetic diversity and changes in phenolic contents and antiradical activity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vaccinium myrtillus</Emphasis> berries from its southernmost growing area in Italy

In this study, we evaluated by the RAPD technique the genetic diversity of 42 individual Vaccinium myrtillus L. plant samples, collected from different locations of Tuscan Apennines (Italy), which represent the southernmost growing latitude of this plant. Total polyphenols, total anthocyanins and radical scavenging activity were also determined in two successive harvesting years on bilberry samples obtained from the same individuals characterized by molecular analysis. The RAPD analysis indicated a highly prevalent gamic propagation of bilberry in the investigated area, and, in accordance with genetic findings elsewhere reported for populations of Central and Northern Europe, suggested the presence, from North-to-South Europe, of a clonal-to-gamic genetic gradient of the propagation strategy. In the context of a quite homogeneous panorama of biochemical data, significant variations were occasionally evidenced by comparing closely-located individuals. We tentatively attributed such variations mainly to genetics, due to the very close location of biomes exhibiting different biochemical attributes. However, molecular clustering by RAPD did not show any relationship with biochemical diversity. Strong variations of climatic conditions were probable responsible of the remarkable variability of the investigated biochemical parameters in the two harvesting years.     

Application of laminarin and calcium oxide for the control of grape powdery mildew on Vitis vinifera cv. Moscato

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Erysiphe necator is favourably influenced by the increase in temperatures and remains the main pathogen threatening grape in Northern Italy. In the...     

Leaching behaviour of a sandy soil amended with natural and NH4+ and K+ saturated clinoptilolite and chabazite

Using saturated or enriched zeolites as slow release fertilizers (SRFs) is considered as an environmental-friendly strategy to enhance use of macronutrients in sandy soils. In this paper, two natural zeolites, clinoptilolite (CLI) and chabazite (CHA) were used as mineral precursors to prepare NH₄⁺/K⁺ saturated clinoptilolite (NH₄⁺/K⁺-CLI) and chabazite (NH₄⁺/K⁺-CHA) as zeolitic nutrient sources (ZNSs). Comparison between the nutrient retention capabilities of these ZNSs was one of the main objectives of this study. The NH₄⁺/K⁺-CLI and NH₄⁺/K⁺-CHA were prepared by soaking the zeolites in NH₄Cl and KCl solutions, respectively. Leaching tests were performed on a sandy soil amended with chemical fertilizers (CFs), NH₄⁺/K⁺-CLI and NH₄⁺/K⁺-CHA to evaluate the leaching properties of them. The results indicated that approximately 84% and 88% of the NH₄⁺ and K⁺ of soils fertilized with CFs were lost during the experiment, respectively. While, the NH₄⁺ and K⁺ losses from soils amended with NH₄⁺/K⁺-CLI and NH₄⁺/K⁺-CHA were 29%, 23%, and 14%, 24%, respectively. Despite of drastic changes in leaching behavior of CFs, nutrient losses from ZNSs were more uniform during the experiments. No significant difference was found between the two studied zeolites on reduction of K⁺ loss. However, CHA was more effective in preventing NH₄⁺ loss during leaching.     

DNA-based diversity of tea plants grown in Italy

The only tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze] cultivation in Italy is located in Lucca (a city in Tuscany region). The major part of the plants of this cultivation derive from the seeds of a common mother plant, still present at the Lucca Botanical Garden, of unknown origin. A specimen imported from Kyoto, Japan, has generated, through cuttings, other plants that form a separate plot. In this study, 66 tea cultivars belonging to the germplasm collection of the China National Germplasm Tea Repository in the TRICAAS located at Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, and 17 accessions from the Italian cultivation were studied by means of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The aim of the study was to determine the genetic relatedness between these accessions, in order to find the possible origin of the Italian tea. In total 83 tea accessions were analysed using 63 SSRs selected from 15 different linkage groups of the tea plant. The results revealed a close correlation between the 16 accessions from seeds and the Chinese tea cultivars belonging to the sinensis variety. In particular, these samples showed a close genetic relationship to the cultivars of the Zhejiang Provinces. The specimen imported from Kyoto, on the other hand, probably belongs to the assamica variety.