Mobility of trace elements in a coastal contaminated site under groundwater salinization dynamics.

Water pollution is a significant issue resulting from past long-term actions. The remediation projects carried out under law constraints for industrial plants, which have been the major contributors to environmental and water pollution, are currently providing a significant amount of data about contaminated soil, surface waters, and groundwater. Most of such plants worldwide are in coastal zones.

Isotopic study for evaluating complex groundwater circulation patterns, hydrogeological zoning, and water-rock interaction in a Mediterranean coastal karst environment.

In this study groundwater provenance, circulation, and rock interaction processes have been assessed by cross processing the spatial distribution of chemical and isotopic signatures in freshwater with the hydrogeological features of the coastal karst carbonate aquifer of Murgia, located in the southeastern end of Italy, along the Adriatic Sea. Thanks to widespread groundwater quality monitoring (major, minor, and trace-element analyses) and multi-isotopic measures of O, H, Sr, and B, some assumptions about complex groundwater circulation patterns, hydrogeological zoning, and water-rock interaction have been drawn. Three sectors have been distinguished into the Adriatic side of the Murgia aquifer all fed by two main recharge areas located on the most elevated, inner side of the aquifer.

Nitrogen fate during agricultural managed aquifer recharge: Linking plant response, hydrologic, and geochemical processes.

Agricultural managed aquifer recharge (Ag-MAR, on-farm recharge), where farmland is flooded with excess surface water to intentionally recharge groundwater, has received increasing attention by policy makers and researchers in recent years. However, there remain concerns about the potential for Ag-MAR to exacerbate nitrate (NO) contamination of groundwater, and additional risks, such as greenhouse gas emissions and crop tolerance to prolonged flooding. Here, we conducted a large-scale, replicated winter groundwater recharge experiment to quantify the effect of Ag-MAR on soil N biogeochemical transformations, potential NO leaching to groundwater, soil physico-chemical conditions, and crop yield.

Analyzing spatial and temporal evolution of groundwater salinization through Multivariate Statistical Analysis and Hydrogeochemical Facies Evolution-Diagram.

The growing groundwater withdrawal rates in coastal aquifers in arid/semi-arid regions exacerbate seawater intrusion and saltwater upconing by causing groundwater salinization and potential adverse and cascading effects to related groundwater-depending systems. This study aims to highlight the dynamics of groundwater salinization in time and space by comparing the efficacy of statistical (hierarchical cluster and factor analyses) and hydrogeochemical (hydrogeochemical facies evolution) methods. Multi-temporal groundwater samples collected from the monitoring well network in the study area (Salento Aquifer, Puglia region, Southern Italy) have been considered to recognize such dynamics.

Jasmonic Acid Activates the Fruit-Pedicel Abscission Zone of 'Thompson Seedless' Grapes, Especially with Co-Application of 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic Acid.

Two studies were conducted to determine how methyl jasmonate (MeJA), jasmonic acid (JA), and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) affect grape berry abscission in the initial days after treatment. The overarching goal was to determine whether JA, with or without ACC, may hold the potential to sufficiently reduce fruit detachment force (FDF) and increase the proportion of berries with dry stem scars while minimizing preharvest abscission, effects that could be useful in the production of stemless table grapes. On Thompson Seedless grapes, JA was at least as effective as MeJA for stimulating berry abscission based on reduced fruit detachment force (FDF) and yielding detached berries with dry stem scars.

Precipitation before Flowering Determined Effectiveness of Leaf Removal Timing and Irrigation on Wine Composition of Merlot Grapevine.

Grapevine productivity, and berry and wine flavonoid concentration, depend on the interactions of cultivar, environment, and applied cultural practices. We characterized the effects that mechanical leaf removal and irrigation treatments had on the flavonoid concentration of 'Merlot' (, L.) grape berries and wines in a hot climate over two growing seasons with contrasting precipitation patterns.

Exogenous Abscisic Acid Promotes Anthocyanin Biosynthesis and Increased Expression of Flavonoid Synthesis Genes in × Table Grapes in a Subtropical Region.

Hybrid ( ×) table grape cultivars grown in the subtropics often fail to accumulate sufficient anthocyanins to achieve good uniform berry color. Growers of table grapes in temperate regions generally use ethephon and, more recently, ()--abscisic acid (-ABA) to overcome this problem. The objective of this study was to determine if -ABA applications at different timings and concentrations have an effect on anthocyanin regulatory and biosynthetic genes, pigment accumulation, and berry color of the Selection 21 cultivar, a new × hybrid seedless grape that presents lack of red color when grown in subtropical areas.

Characterization of Aspergillus section Nigri species populations in vineyard soil using droplet digital PCR.

Unlabelled: Identification of populations of Aspergillus section Nigri species in environmental samples using traditional methods is laborious and impractical for large numbers of samples. We developed species-specific primers and probes for quantitative droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) to improve sample throughput and simultaneously detect multiple species in each sample. The ddPCR method was used to distinguish Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus welwitschiae, Aspergillus tubingensis and Aspergillus carbonarius in mixed samples of total DNA.

Ethephon As a Potential Abscission Agent for Table Grapes: Effects on Pre-Harvest Abscission, Fruit Quality, and Residue.

Some plant growth regulators, including ethephon, can stimulate abscission of mature grape berries. The stimulation of grape berry abscission reduces fruit detachment force (FDF) and promotes the development of a dry stem scar, both of which could facilitate the production of high quality stemless fresh-cut table grapes. The objective of this research was to determine how two potential abscission treatments, 1445 and 2890 mg/L ethephon, affected FDF, pre-harvest abscission, fruit quality, and ethephon residue of Thompson Seedless and Crimson Seedless grapes.