Above- and below-ground morpho-physiological traits indicate that biochar is a potential peat substitute for grapevine cuttings nursery production.

The growing demand for grapevine planting materials, due to growing global viticulture, is promoting research studies to improve vineyard sustainability. In greenhouse nurseries, peat is the most common growing medium component used although is an expensive and non-renewable material. Indeed, the reduction of peat exploitation is receiving great attention, and currently, several materials are being investigated as peat substitutes for composing the cultivation substrates.

Plant functional traits mediate the response magnitude of plant-litter-soil microbial C: N: P stoichiometry to nitrogen addition in a desert steppe.

Global nitrogen deposition is significantly altering the carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) stoichiometry in terrestrial ecosystems, yet how N deposition simultaneously affects plant-litter-soil-soil microbial stoichiometry in arid grassland is still unclear. In a five-year experimental study conducted in a desert steppe in Northern China, we investigated the effects of N addition on the C:N:P stoichiometry of plants, litter, soil, and soil microbes. We also used structural equation modelling (SEM) exploring the direct or indirect effects of N addition, plant species diversity, functional traits and diversity, soil microbial diversity, soil pH, soil electrical conductivity (EC) and moisture on the stoichiometry in plant-soil system.

Discriminant analysis as a tool to classify farm hay in dairy farms.

Hay is one of the primary constituents of ruminant feed, and rapid classification systems of nutritional value are essential. A reliable approach to evaluating hay quality is a combination of visual combined inspection by NIRS analysis. The analysis was carried out on 1,639 samples of hay collected from 2016 to 2021 in northern Italy.

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions from Honey Production: Two-Year Survey in Italian Beekeeping Farms.

The objective of this study was to quantify the climate change (CC) impact of the honey supply chain in different beekeeping systems and farms, over two consecutive years. The CC impact category is quantified as kg CO equivalent and it evaluates the GHG emissions, mainly CO, NO, and CH. The results ranged from 0.

Extreme drought does not alter the stability of aboveground net primary productivity but decreases the stability of belowground net primary productivity in a desert steppe of northern China.

Extreme droughts strongly impact grassland ecology, both functionally and structurally. However, a comprehensive understanding of the drought impacts on the ecosystem stability is critical for its sustainable development under changing climate. We experimentally report the impact of extreme drought on the temporal stability of aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) and belowground net primary productivity (BNPP) in a desert steppe of northern China.

Long term effect of biochar on soil plant water relation and fine roots: Results after 10 years of vineyard experiment.

Biochar is widely suggested to improve soil physical properties and soil-water-plant interactions. Furthermore, the application of biochar to the soil can alter the dynamics of the roots and, in turn, affect the performance of the plant. Nevertheless, the long-term evolution of these effects is unknown and of critical importance because biochar persists in soil for centuries.

Effects of a Ceiling Fan Ventilation System and THI on Young Limousin Bulls' Social Behaviour.

The study investigated the relationship between the temperature humidity index (THI) and the behaviour of 24 young fattening Limousin bulls reared in two farms in Tuscany, Italy. In each farm, six animals were undergone to ceiling fans (switched on at THI values up to 72), and six animals represented the control group. The trial lasted three days for two consecutive weeks in August 2020.

Performances of Limited Area Models for the WORKLIMATE Heat-Health Warning System to Protect Worker's Health and Productivity in Italy.

Outdoor workers are particularly exposed to climate conditions, and in particular, the increase of environmental temperature directly affects their health and productivity. For these reasons, in recent years, heat-health warning systems have been developed for workers generally using heat stress indicators obtained by the combination of meteorological parameters to describe the thermal stress induced by the outdoor environment on the human body. There are several studies on the verification of the parameters predicted by meteorological models, but very few relating to the validation of heat stress indicators.

Microbiomes in Soils Exposed to Naturally High Concentrations of CO (Bossoleto Mofette Tuscany, Italy).

Direct and indirect effects of extremely high geogenic CO levels, commonly occurring in volcanic and hydrothermal environments, on biogeochemical processes in soil are poorly understood. This study investigated a sinkhole in Italy where long-term emissions of thermometamorphic-derived CO are associated with accumulation of carbon in the topsoil and removal of inorganic carbon in low pH environments at the bottom of the sinkhole. The comparison between interstitial soil gasses and those collected in an adjacent bubbling pool and the analysis of the carbon isotopic composition of CO and CH clearly indicated the occurrence of CH oxidation and negligible methanogenesis in soils at the bottom of the sinkhole.