A peculiar solid olive mill waste called Pat & egrave; Olive Cake (POC), produced by decanters of latest generation, and its derivative solid extract from centrifugation called 'pellet' were evaluated as soil amendments on a pot cultivation of ryegrass in sub-acid and sub-alkaline soils. Characterization of POC and pellet was performed to determine their main chemical characteristics and phytochemical profile by conventional methods, NMR and HPLC to evaluate their suitability for agronomic applications. In both soils, POC and pellet were applied and contrasted to (i) half dose of POC and pellet added of mineral nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) to correct the C:N ratio and to balance the phyto-nutritive formula, (ii) commercial mineral and organo-mineral fertilizers and (iii) untreated soil (Control). During the ryegrass annual cycle, the vegetative responses and the N concentration were monitored in the epigeal biomass. At the end of the experiment, soil samples were taken from the pots to determine the main physicochemical characteristics and to carry out genomic and enzymatic investigations. Both soils treated with POC and pellet supplemented with N and P showed a significant increase in biomass productions compared to Control (+36.32%) and to commercial fertilizers (+14.34% and + 16.41%, respectively, to mineral and organo-mineral fertilizers). In all treatments, higher cumulative biomass productions were observed in the sub-acid soil (+7.02%). In both soils, abundance and structure of fungi and bacteria communities showed no difference compared with the Control. Furthermore, enzymatic analysis indicated that microbial activity was not adversely affected by POC and pellet treatments. Our results indicate that POC and pellet can be used as soil amendments, contributing to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and implementing circular economy and sustainability.

The current guidelines of waste management are aimed at the recovery and recycling of biowaste while respecting the protection of human health and the environment. The recent European legislation on fertilizers provides for the use of digestates derived from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW). The objectives of this study were to verify the fertilizing effect of three types of OFMSW digestates on the ryegrass culture comparing mineral fertilization and to evaluate the nitrogen lost to leaching in soil diversely fertilized following simulated rainfall. The ryegrass was grown in pots. The soil was fertilized with mineral fertilizer or OFMSW digestates. For each treatment, five mowing procedures were performed on the crop, and the ryegrass biomass production and nitrogen concentration were determined from the ryegrass samples. During the experiment, six rains were simulated, and the leached nitrogen was analyzed. The results showed that: (i) the fertilizing effect of OFMSW digestates on nitrogen nutrition of ryegrass was similar to ammonium sulphate fertilization, confirming the agronomic validity of these by-products to reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers; (ii) soil fertilization with OFMSW digestates had a positive effect limiting nitrogen loss due to leaching compared to mineral fertilization, highlighting the soil-improving properties of these by-products, in particular of the composted digestate.

Salt-affected soils, which include both saline and sodic soils, are indeed found in various regions around the world. They can be found on all continents and are present under a wide range of climatic conditions. [...]

Gender equality in Italian soil science is still far from being a reality although an in-depth investigation has never been carried out. In this work we analyse data on women soil scientists working in public research institutions and universities as well as on those affiliated with soil science societies, considering the changes in gender balance with time. We also recall three female pioneers in Italian soil science who played a key role in both research and scientific societies. An analysis of the impact of papers authored by Italian women is finally provided to gauge the contribution of Italian women to soil science in the last 20 years. The results show that the National Research Institutions reached a more equal balance between genders compared to universities. With regard to scientific societies, we observed a strong lack of female inclusion in the first years of the Italian Soil Science Society, founded in 1952, and the Italian Society of Pedology, even if it was founded much later in 1998. The Italian Society of Agricultural Chemistry was less discriminant, likely due to the presence of different sub-disciplines traditionally more open to women, although always far from real equality. With time, in all societies and research institutions we registered a positive trend with a better balance and a pro-active participation of women. However, we observed a persistent loss of highly qualified women resources from the training phase to the beginning of the career as well as under-representation of women in top roles and in the research centre leaderships. However, when we evaluated the scientific production, no statistical differences appear between women and men at all career levels, confirming the key contribution of women to soil science, despite facing major professional difficulties and disparities. These results show that, notwithstanding the marked progress in the number of women entering and working in Italian soil science, beyond the hard numbers, gender equality still remains a challenge and requires greater investments in resources and research toward structural and systemic interventions that may successfully lead to a more gender-balanced society.

The aim of our study was to verify the effect on plant growth and biomass production of a new olive mill by-products named "Pate Olive Cake" (POC) generated by a multi-phase decanter (MPD) technology. POC is an olive mill by-product consisting of olive pulp, olive skin and vegetative water. The POC was treated with Eco-sustainable Separation and Extraction Technologies according to the methods developed and standardized by the ENEA Casaccia Research Center. In CREA Research Center for Agriculture and Environment (CREA-AA), methodologies and measurement protocols were applied both for the evaluation of different fractions of POC through biological laboratory assays to highlight their nutritional, biostimulant and toxic properties and trough experimental pot tests for the evaluation for agronomic use, from the perspective of the circular economy. Several studies have been carried out on the effects of oil mill products on the biological fertility of the soil but not on the POC. In the present work the first results obtained are reported and discussed for the adoption of protocols for the evaluation of different POC fractions through laboratory bioassays. This study was conducted within the Lazio Innova ABASA project, CUP B81G18000770002 (Agricultural By-products into valuable Assets for Sustainable Agriculture).

According to European Landscape Convention, the term Landscape means an area whose character is the result of the action and interaction of natural and human factors. The equilibrium between these forces is mandatory to preserve this heritage implementing a good land protection and conservation policy that implies many professional figures like agronomists and soil scientists. Italian territory includes different physiographic regions in which many human activities, especially agriculture, differently operated through the time...

Olive oil production generates high amounts of liquid and solid wastes. For a long time, such complex matrices were considered only as an environmental issue, due to their polluting properties. On the other hand, olive mill wastes (OMWs) exert a positive effect on plant growth when applied to soil due to the high content of organic matter and mineral nutrients. Moreover, OMWs also exhibit antimicrobial activity and protective properties against plant pathogens possibly due to the presence of bioactive molecules including phenols and polysaccharides. This review covers the recent advances made in the identification, isolation, and characterization of OMW-derived bioactive molecules able to influence important plant processes such as plant growth and defend against pathogens. Such studies are relevant from different points of view. First, basic research in plant biology may benefit from the isolation and characterization of new biomolecules to be potentially applied in crop growth and protection against diseases. Moreover, the valorization of waste materials is necessary for the development of a circular economy, which is foreseen to drive the future development of a more sustainable agriculture.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) identify the need to restore degraded soils in order to improve productivity and the provision of ecosystem services. The aim is to support food production, store and supply clean water, conserve biodiversity, sequester carbon, and improve soil resilience in a context of climate change. Within this framework, in order to achieve the SDGs and to correct land management in the long-term, soil management is considered mandatory. The reduction of land degradation should be based on various sustainable soil management practices that improve and maintain soil organic matter levels, increase water infiltration, and improve soil water management. This technical review - a policy paper - summarizes the sustainable and territorial impact of soil degradation, including soil water erosion, from the global level to the European and National levels. Furthermore, with the aim of sharing ongoing soil and water management actions, instruments, and initiatives, we provide information on soil and water conservation activities and prospects in Italy. Highlights - Sustainable soil management practices should be implemented to address soil degradation. - Impact of erosion on crop production reduces global crop yields by 0.4% per year. - Improving the physical and chemical characteristics of soils can contribute to store and supply water to plants. - Soil protection is a very important topic in the European Commission’s proposal for the CAP 2021-2027.

In literature, it remains little explored the soil-plant relationships within Capsicum agroecosystem. We studied how chili peppers plants contribute to influence microbial diversity. Across the bulk and rhizosphere soils of three genotypes of Capsicum annuum, the structure, the diversity and the abundance of bacteria was evaluated by means of DNA-based culture-independent approach. Furthermore, 515 bacterial strains isolated from the bulk and rhizosphere soil, were used to investigate the effect of C. annuum on four plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) abilities. Our results indicated that the three genotypes influence differently the physical-chemical and microbial properties of soil around the roots. Bacterial abundance resulted in increasing with different trend rhizospheres to bulk soil ratio; however, bacterial diversity was significantly higher only in the rhizosphere of one genotype. Only the indolic compounds production was stimulated in the rhizosphere of the three cultivars. Inhibition of Fusarium oxysporum was stimulated just with one genotype, where 53 of rhizosphere isolates showed more than 10% of inhibition. 165 of isolates produced siderophores and the major part belonged to the high production level. Interactions between PGPB features revealed that anti-phytopathogenic activity was not associated with the others characteristics; however, phosphate solubilization was associated with both siderophores and indolic compounds productions.

Effects of fertilization practices, mineral (M) and organo-mineral (OM), on molecular composition of Nero di Troia cultivar grape berries was studied using conventional chemical analysis, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and 1H NMR spectroscopy on intact berries and extracts, respectively, and through analysis of yeast species developed on grape skins. Plants vegetative status did not differ between the two fertilization practices, whereas some grape juice chemical characteristics differed in fertilized grapes. MRI provided information on grape berries morphology through weighted images depending on spin-spin (T2) and spin-lattice (T1) relaxation times. T1 values were the highest in OM grape berries. 1H NMR metabolic profile, combined with chemometric analysis, evidenced significant differences for some metabolites (valine, leucine, isoleucine, proline, and malic acid). Furthermore, higher frequency of yeasts genus Starmella sp., isolated from OM grape berries contributed to reinforcing the found results on the physiological response of wine grape Nero di Troia to fertilization.

Urban expansion and socioeconomic transformations of metropolitan regions may negatively impact environmental quality and functions of peri-urban landscapes. In the present study, the role of continuous and discontinuous urban expansion as a driver of high-quality soil consumption has been investigated in 66 southern European metropolitan regions. Landscape metrics and socioeconomic indicators were considered together in a multivariate exploratory analysis with the aim to assess the intensity of recent urban expansion (2000−2010) and the consequent depletion of different soil types in Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian and Greek cities. Overall, urban expansion involved preferentially high-quality soils in the study area. A Principal Component Analysis identified diverging city profiles as far as spatial patterns of soil consumption are concerned. Per-capita declared income, income growth rate, population density and landscape diversity were highest in metropolitan regions where urban expansion consumed soils with lower quality than non-urban soils. Urban expansion consumed high-quality soils in metropolitan regions with low per-capita built-up area, low soil quality index and peri-urban landscapes dominated by forests. Results of our study inform policies for urban containment. Design of effective measures mitigating loss of high-quality peri-urban soils requires a comprehensive understanding of multiple impacts of local socioeconomic contexts on land consumption processes.

Soil abiotic properties represent important framing conditions of ecosystems and soil microbiological biomass and microbial activity are the biological driving forces that respond sensitive to environmental impacts. In environmental research and monitoring programmes, approaches for spatial classification were elaborated poorly. Therefore, soil abiotic and microbiological indicators were clustered for a 2965 km(2) region in northern Italy with the aim to identify the key spatial characteristics. Forty one sampling points for 30 cm soil depth were selected at the European Grid of the Land Use Cover Area frame Statistical survey (LUCAS). Soil abiotic indicators included physical (clay content and soil bulk density) and chemical (Cd, Pb and Hg content, organic carbon and total nitrogen) properties. The values varied between 3-47 g clay 100 g(-1) soil, 1.27-1.62 Mg m(-3), 0.69-3.47 g organic C 100 g(-1) soil and 0.07-0.31 g total N 100 g(-1) soil. Our cluster analysis with the abiotic characteristics separated two core classes derived from four clusters. In contrast, soil microbiological indicators including microbial carbon, respiration values and microbial energetic quotients, separated three well-defined core classes derived from five clusters. The microbial properties values ranged between 24-431 mu g microbial C g(-1) soil and 0.08-1.82 mu g CO2-C g(-1) soil h(-1) and corresponded to those in other European agricultural soils. The three soil microbiological classes separated low, typical and high ranges for soil microbial biomass (values < 120, 50-250 and > 320 mu g microbial C g(-1) soil), for soil respiration rates (values < 0.4, 0.4-0.7, and > 1.4 mu g CO2-C g(-1) soil h(-1)) for metabolic quotient (values < 3.5, 3.5-5.0, > 5.0, mg CO2-C g(-1) C-mic h(-1)) and for microbial C to organic C ratio (values < 0.7, 0.5-1.7 and > 1.0%). The soil microbiological indicators responded more evidently to land cover and soil management practices while soil abiotic indicators that referred mainly to the framing conditions such as geology and climatic conditions.

Soils are crucial for crop production and for the major ecosystem services. They preserve and sustain life. Salinity is one of the main soil threats that reduce soil fertility and affect the crop production. In recent times, a great attention has been paid to the general shortage of arable land, and to the increasing demand for ecological restoration of areas affected by secondary salinization processes. Microorganisms in these habitats may share a strategy, may have developed multiple adaptations for maintaining populations, and cope eventually to extreme conditions by altruistic or cooperative behavior for maintaining their population active. The understanding and the knowledge of the composition and distribution of microorganisms in natural habitats can be interesting for ecological reasons and it is important to develop new restoration strategy of salt-affected soils.

Soil quality is mainly studied from the chemical and physical point of view, whereas soil biochemical and microbiological parameters are relatively more scarcely explored to assess the effect of management practices. This study aimed to evaluate soil organic carbon (SOC) and its pools; soil microbial activity parameters; and the Biological Fertility Index (BFI), in six land uses characteristics of the Mediterranean basin in north-eastern Sardinia. These land uses differed in management intensity and consisted of: tilled vineyard (TV), no tilled grassed vineyard (GV), former vineyards (FV), hay crop and pasture (HC and PA), cork oak forest (CO). Significant differences among ecosystems were found in most cases in (SOC), the related pools (total extractable carbon, humic and fulvic acids, not humified, not extractable), humification parameters (degree, rate and index of humification), and soil microbial activity (microbial carbon, respiration, metabolic quotient, and mineralization quotient). Pasture and cork oak forest showed in average a better soil quality for most biochemical and microbial parameters in comparison with the other ecosystems. The index of soil biological fertility (BFI) was higher under cork oak forest which is supposed to be the most sustainable ecosystem in the long term in this environment, able to maintain soil biological fertility and microbial diversity.

The soil Biological Fertility Index (BFI) is an indicator system recently proposed to monitoring soil fertility in Italy by composing 6 biological variables derived from field sampling and standard laboratory analysis. Large-scale validation of the BFI is still lacking. By using parametric/non-parametric correlations and multivariate statistical analysis, this study compares the statistical distribution of the BFI over 1079 soil samples representative of various environmental contexts in Italy with 8 alternative indicators formulated according to different aggregation rules and weighting techniques of the 6 variables composing the BFI. Our results demonstrate that the BFI is stable to changes in the composing variables, aggregation rules and weighting techniques, confirming its appropriateness as a multi-domain indicator of biological fertility specifically designed for assessment of Italian soils.

Soil microbial activity is recognized as an important factor affecting nitrogen (N) release from slow-release fertilizers. However, studies on the effect of size and activity of soil microflora on fertilizer degradation have provided contrasting results. To date, no clear relationships exist between soil microbial activity and the release of N from slow-release fertilizers. Hence, the aim of this study was to better understand such relationships by determining the release of N from three slow-release fertilizers in soils with different microbial activities. Soils were amended with urea-formaldehyde (UF), isobutylidene diurea (IBDU), and crotonylidene diurea (CDU). Urea, a soluble fertilizer, was used as the control. Fertilized soil samples were placed in a leaching system, and the release of N was determined by measuring ammonium-N and nitrate-N concentrations in leachates during 90 d of incubation. Non-linear regression was used to fit N leaching rate to a first-order model. In all the treated soils, N was released in the order: urea (89%–100%) > IBDU (59%–94%) > UF (46%–73%) > CDU (44%–56%). At the end of incubation, N released from CDU did not differ (P > 0.05) among soils. On the contrary, UF and IBDU released significantly lower (P < 0.05) amounts of N in the soil with higher microbial activity and lower pH. The rate constant (K0) for UF was lower (P < 0.05) in the soil with lower pH. Taken together, our results indicated that soil microbial size and microbial activity had a marginal effect on fertilizer mineralization.