Olive Mill Wastes: A Source of Bioactive Molecules for Plant Growth and Protection against Pathogens.

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.

Risk management tools and the case study Brassica napus: evaluating possible effects of genetically modified plants on soil microbial diversity.

The cultivation of GMPs in Europe raises many questions about the environmental risks, in particular about their ecological impact on non-target organisms and on soil properties. The aim of a multidisciplinary group engaged in a LIFE+project (MAN-GMP-ITA) was to validate and improve an existing environmental risk assessment (ERA) methodology on GMPs within the European legislative framework on GMOs. Given the impossibility of evaluating GMO impact directly, as GMPs are banned in Italy, GMPs have not been used at any stage of the project.

Use of arsenic contaminated irrigation water for lettuce cropping: effects on soil, groundwater, and vegetal.

The present study investigated the effects of using arsenic (As) contaminated irrigation water in Lactuca sativa L. cropping. Two different arsenic concentrations, i.