Agronomy and Crop Science Research Papers (original) (raw)

The strong dependence of the livestock sector on fossil fuel could be challenged in a matter of decades or sooner, either by rising fossil fuels prices of by the commitments foreseen under carbon emission reduction protocols. In this... more

The strong dependence of the livestock sector on fossil fuel could be challenged in a matter of decades or sooner, either by rising fossil fuels prices of by the commitments foreseen under carbon emission reduction protocols. In this context, it is relevant to assess the energy footprint of animal products and to identify potential strategies for the transition towards a greater reliance on renewable energy.

BACKGROUND: Glucobrassicin (GBS), a glucosinolate contained in many brassica vegetables, is the precursor of chemopreventive compounds such as indole-3-carbinol. Large amounts of GBS would be needed to perform studies aimed at elucidating... more

BACKGROUND: Glucobrassicin (GBS), a glucosinolate contained in many brassica vegetables, is the precursor of chemopreventive compounds such as indole-3-carbinol. Large amounts of GBS would be needed to perform studies aimed at elucidating its role in the diet. This study was mainly undertaken to evaluate the flower buds of Isatis canescens as a source for GBS purification. In order to investigate the health-promoting potential of this species, glucosinolate, phenol and flavonoid content as well as the whole antioxidant capacity were also determined. Flower bud samples were collected in four localities around Mount Etna in Sicily, Italy, where I. canescens is widespread, as they are locally traditionally eaten. RESULTS: I. canescens flower buds displayed high GBS concentrations, up to 60 mol g −1 dry weight. The purification method consisted of two chromatographic steps, which made it possible to obtain GBS with a purity of 92-95%, with a yield of 21 g kg −1. The total glucosinolates, phenols, flavonoids and antioxidant activity were considerable, with the southern locality showing the highest concentrations for all the phytochemicals. CONCLUSION: I. canescens flower buds represent a naturally rich source of GBS, at a level suitable for its purification. Furthermore, flower bud consumption could provide an intake of health-promoting compounds, with possible antioxidant and chemopreventive properties.

The present work was undertaken to study the physicochemical characteristics, fatty acid, phenolic and tocopherol compositions as well as the antioxidant activities of red pepper seed oils extracted using different methods (soxhlet,... more

The present work was undertaken to study the physicochemical characteristics, fatty acid, phenolic and tocopherol compositions as well as the antioxidant activities of red pepper seed oils extracted using different methods (soxhlet, cold-pressing, supercritical-CO 2 and microwave-assisted extraction process). The results showed that the red pepper seeds were (on a dry-weight basis): ash 3.05%, water 6.63%, oil 18.39%, protein 28.33%, and total carbohydrate 43.60%. In addition, the results revealed that the predominant fatty acids were linoleic, palmitic and oleic acids. The highest and lowest contents of linoleic acid (76.54%) were found in microwaveassisted (76.54%) and soxhlet (73.65%) extracted pepper seed oils, respectively. < Gamma >-tocopherol was the main tocopherol at 278.65 mg/100 g seed oil, followed by < alpha >-tocopherol and < delta >-tocopherol. Nevertheless, high content in total tocopherols was found in microwave extracted red pepper seed oils. The lowest and highest values of oxidative stability were 1.25 and 11.26 h for soxhlet and microwave-assisted extracted seed oils, respectively. Overall, the high antioxidant activities of microwave-assisted extracted seed oil suggest that it could be economically used as valuable natural products for industrial, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical utilizations.

Genotype × environment interactions (G×E) can reduce the genetic contribution to the phenotype and increase minimum detectable differences, which eventually reduce selection precision. This study was conducted to determine the magnitudes... more

Genotype × environment interactions (G×E) can reduce the genetic contribution to the phenotype and increase
minimum detectable differences, which eventually reduce selection precision. This study was conducted to
determine the magnitudes and trends of G×E variance components for sugarcane yield, quality and agronomic traits
in the coastal short cycle breeding programmes of South Africa. Data were collected on the plant, first and second
ratoon crops of five series of advanced variety trials arranged in a randomised complete block design, planted at
Empangeni and Gingindlovu in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Genotype (G) variance was significant (p < 0.05) and its
proportion of the total variance was larger than that of components of G×E, indicating higher precision of selecting
superior genotypes. The decreasing trend of G variance for yield and agronomic traits indicated reduced genetic
diversity on the later populations. Significant (p < 0.05) genotype × location and genotype × crop-year variance in
most traits indicated that genotypes adapted to specific locations and genotypes with different ratooning abilities
can be identified. Genotype variability for yield and agronomic traits was significantly (p < 0.05) influenced by
genotype × location × crop-year, suggesting that ratooning ability of some genotypes was location dependent. The
residual variance was highly significant (p < 0.001) and larger than G and G×E variances.

SIDALC - Servicio de Informacion y Documentacion Agropecuaria de las Americas.

Humankind currently consumes more resources than our planet is able to generate. In our web survey, we investigated insects and earthworms, as a possible future food source. We targeted the survey to university students, as the possible... more

Humankind currently consumes more resources than our planet is able to generate. In our web survey, we investigated insects and earthworms, as a possible future food source. We targeted the survey to university students, as the possible future consumers and trendsetters of new food. A total of 3556 university students (18–29 years old) completed it. The aims of this study were to evaluate participants’ food preferences and their willingness to taste foods containing terrestrial invertebrates. Data were processed using Cronbach’s alfa to assess the reliability of each constructs. The food preferences showed pizza-focaccia and pasta at the highest rankings, followed by fruit and vegetables. Males have a higher preference for any kind of animal protein source. Gender influenced food preference and willingness to eat food with insect or earthworm ingredients. The results indicated that students were prone to consider novel food into the Italian diet and to familiarize with them in the f...

As there are a myriad of micro organic pollutants that can affect the well-being of human and other organisms in the environment the need for an effective monitoring tool is eminent. Passive sampling techniques, which have been developed... more

As there are a myriad of micro organic pollutants that can affect the well-being of human and other organisms in the environment the need for an effective monitoring tool is eminent. Passive sampling techniques, which have been developed over the last decades, could provide several advantages to the conventional sampling methods including simpler sampling devices, more cost-effective sampling campaign, providing time-integrated load as well as representative average of concentrations of pollutants in the environment. Those techniques have been applied to monitor many pollutants caused by agricultural activities, i.e. residues of pesticides, veterinary drugs and so on. Several types of passive samplers are commercially available and their uses are widely accepted. However, not many applications of those techniques have been found in Japan, especially in the field of agricultural environment. This paper aims to introduce the field of passive sampling and then to describe some applications of passive sampling techniques in environmental monitoring studies related to the agriculture industry.

The work aimed at optimizing the extraction protocol of ʽGabsi' pomegranate peel (PP) and evaluating the total phenol content and profile, antioxidant activity and antimicrobial effect of the extracts obtained. Water and methanol as... more

The work aimed at optimizing the extraction protocol of ʽGabsi' pomegranate peel (PP) and evaluating the total phenol content and profile, antioxidant activity and antimicrobial effect of the extracts obtained. Water and methanol as solvents were compared at different peel/solvent ratios; three different temperatures were also compared for the water extraction. Methanol pomegranate peel extract (MPPE) and water extracts (WPPE) were analysed for their DPPH antioxidant activity and polyphenol profile and content by HPLC/DAD and HPLC/MS. Different concentrations of MPPE and WPPE (ranging from 0.061 to 0.304 and from 0.072 to 0.361 g dry extract/mL, respectively) were also tested in vitro against Penicillium digitatum, Pseudomonas putida and Saccharomyces cerevisiae to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The MPPE and WPPE had comparable antioxidant activity (4081.43 and 3497.02 mmol Trolox/g, respectively). Hydrolysable tannins represented the main polyphenols in pomegranate peel, with punicalagin as the major compound. In general, MPPE dilutions tested in well-diffusion assays were more effective against targeted microorganisms compared with WPPE; indeed, only the highest WPPE concentration, was able to inhibit the growth of targeted microrganisms. Viability tests in liquid medium confirmed the highest antimicrobial capacity of MPPE, although even the WPPE was able to reduce P. putida and S. cerevisiae populations by up to 3.15 and 2.52 log CFU/mL, respectively.