Search Results (8)

The use of kaolin foliar treatments in olive growing is a well-established approach that aims at protecting crops from the negative impacts of environmental stresses and from insect pests. The use of zeolite particle films is a far more recent technique. The experimentation was carried out on Correggiolo cv. cultivated in the Emilia-Romagna region (Italy). Foliar treatments were performed in summer until olive harvest. Ripening index, weight, and the oil content of olives were measured. Acidity, peroxide numbers, K232, K270 and total phenols were evaluated as well as fatty acid profiles, determined via GC-FID and phenolic compounds; vitamins and pigments were determined via HPLC-DAD. Quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) sensory analysis and taint tests were performed. Olives treated with zeolite showed higher oil contents, and the oil obtained exhibited higher contents of total phenols, tyrosol and deacetoxy oleuropein aglycon with respect to the oils produced with kaolin and the control oil. Oils produced from kaolin-treated olives showed sensory profiles characterized by notes of berries (that are not typical of the Correggiolo cultivar). In the scenario of environment-friendly oil production, treatments employing zeolitite particle films represent both a valid alternative to chemical insecticide against olive fly attack and a practice that has a positive influence on the overall oil quality. Full article

In order to improve the sustainability and productivity of modern agriculture, it is mandatory to enhance the efficiency of Nitrogen (N) fertilizers with low-impact and natural strategies, without impairing crop yield and plant health. To achieve these goals, the ZeOliva project conducted an experiment using a zeolite-rich tuff as a soil amendment to improve the efficiency of the N fertilizers and allow a reduction of their inputs. The results of three years of experimentation performed in three different fields in the Emilia-Romagna region (Italy) are presented. In each field, young olive trees grown on zeolite-amended soil (−50% of N-input) were compared to trees grown on unamended soil (100% N-input). Soils and leaves were collected three times every year in each area and analyzed to monitor the efficiency of the zeolite treatment compared to the control. Vegetative measurements were performed along with analysis of pH, Soil Organic Matter and soluble anions in soil samples, whereas total C and N, C discrimination factor and N isotopic signature were investigated for both soils and leaves. Besides some fluctuations of nitrogen species due to the sampling time (Pre-Fert, Post-Fertilization and Harvest), the Total Nitrogen of leaves did not highlight any difference between treatments, which suggest that plant N uptake was not affected by lower N input in the zeolite treatment. Results, including vegetative measurements, showed no significant differences between the two treatments in all the observed variables, although the control received twice the N-input from fertilization. Based on these results, it is proposed that zeolite minerals increased the N retention time in the soil, allowing a better exploitation by plants which led to the same N uptake of the control notwithstanding the reduction in the N inputs. The use of zeolite-rich tuff in olive growing thus allows a reduction in the amount of fertilizer by up to 50% and improves the N use efficiency with many environmental and economic benefits. Full article

The progressive reduction in the quantities of copper regulated by the European Union is focusing the research on new formulations with a reduced copper content but equally effective. In this regard, the activity of an Italian copper chabasite-rich zeolitite, which proved to be effective against grapevine grey mold and sour rot, was assessed against downy mildew. A two-year study was carried out in the Abruzzo region, Italy, in a cv. Montepulciano vineyard. The applications of the copper zeolitite showed the same good results obtained by a standard integrated/conventional strategy based on contact and systemic fungicides. At harvest, in both trial years, the plants with infected bunches in the untreated control ranged from 86.25% to 100%, compared to 15–30% of the treated plants. Furthermore, infected bunches and berries of the untreated control vines were 70–100% while treated ones never exceeded 2.32%. Furthermore, an increase in the polyphenol content and color intensity in wines made from vines treated with copper zeolitite was confirmed and appeared to be particularly evident in hot and dry seasons. The activity of copper zeolitite towards downy mildew, the potential use against grey mold and sour rot and the protection of grapes from high temperatures indicate that this product is a promising tool for a viticulture environmentally friendly control strategy. Full article

The olive fruit fly is worldwide considered a major harmful pest of the olive agroecosystem. In Italy, the fruit fly infestation is traditionally countered by spraying chemical insecticides (e.g., dimethoate), but due to the recent ban of dimethoate by the Reg EU2019/1090 and the increasing awareness of consumers of food sustainability, the interest in developing chemical-free alternatives to pesticides, such as the use of particle-films, is rising. A field experiment was conducted to assess the effect of different particle films (kaolin-base and zeolitite-base) on leaf gas exchanges and leaf optical properties. Results showed that with the dust accumulation on the leaves’ surface, photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, transpiration and water use efficiency were significantly lower in kaolin-treated olive trees compared to those treated with zeolitite and to the control, while olive trees treated with zeolitite showed physiological parameters similar to the untreated plants. Microstructural differences of different particle film on the leaf and olive surfaces emerged by ESEM observations also influenced leaf optical properties. Oils produced by zeolitite-treated plants show higher intensities of gustatory and olfactory secondary flavors compared to kaolin and test oils. Full article

High temperatures and the anomalous distribution of rainfall during the growing season may have a negative impact on grapevine yield and berry composition. In recent years, many studies have focused on the application of agronomical techniques to reduce the negative impact of heat waves on secondary metabolites such as phenols. In particular, treatments with kaolin have shown positive effects on reducing canopy temperatures, enhancing the accumulation of anthocyanins. In regard to the above, three treatments were evaluated: untreated control (C), kaolin (CAO), and chabasite-rich zeolitites (ZEO) applications on cv. Sangiovese in order to verify the cooling effects on leaves and bunches, and the impact on gas exchange, yield parameters, berry composition, and on both chemical and sensory notes of wine. Minerals were sprayed twice around the veraison on the entire canopy at a 3% concentration. The results showed that the application of the minerals was able to reduce the berry temperatures in both years of the trial as compared to the untreated control (C), without affecting vine gas exchange, yield, and soluble solid accumulation. Furthermore, the cooling effect determined an increase in anthocyanin on both the grapes and the wine. At testing, CAO and ZEO wines stood out regarding greater color intensity and were preferred by the judges. Full article

The activity of two zeolitites, differing in the presence of copper and their particle size, was assessed in a Trebbiano d’Abruzzo white berry cultivar, towards grapevine grey mould and sour rot, a serious problem in almost all grapevine-growing areas. In 2018 and 2019, zeolitites were applied before forecast of rainfalls, which likely induce infection. In 2019, further applications were carried out 10 or 2 days before harvest, regardless of the rainfall, in order to verify the effect of the zeolitite residue on leaf reflectance and composition of grapes and wines. Both zeolitites significantly reduced the infections. Only the vines treated 2 days before harvest, especially with copper zeolitite, showed a decrease in leaf reflectance. However, no differences in the yield composition related to the time of zeolitite application, as well as a decrease of yield quality, were ever recorded. Furthermore, analysis of samples collected from vines treated with zeolitites showed increases in grape soluble solids and in wine alcohol content. Our results suggest the use of zeolitites against grapevine rots as a possible effective alternative to the application of synthetic fungicides in the development of environmentally friendly control strategies. Full article

Notwithstanding the widespread use of natural and pre-exchanged zeolites for zootechnical effluent treatment, little attention has been dedicated to the variation in the chemical composition of the treated slurries, besides the effects on their NH₄⁺ content. This paper aimed at elucidating the compositional variations in terms of major and trace elements of a raw pig-slurry (PS) after three sequential treatment cycles (TC) with three different grain sizes of natural and Na-exchanged zeolite-rich volcanic tuffs (natural ZTs and NaZTs). A series of laboratory batch experiments revealed that all ZTs had profoundly influenced the final PS chemical composition. As expected, the NaZTs were more efficient in terms of NH₄⁺ removal than the natural ZTs, reaching almost 60% reduction of the initial content after three TCs. A parallel effect of this efficient removal was the remarkable increase in Na⁺. The Na-forms of ZTs led also to stronger competition with K⁺ ions, resulting in adsorption of this macronutrient and hence in a reduction of the fertilization value of the PS. In terms of heavy metals and other trace elements, all the treatments with ZTs had significantly increased the Li, Ba, Rb, Sr, Ga, and U content in the PS. Full article

The use of rocks containing high amounts of natural zeolites (zeolitites) as soil amendment has been found as a valuable method for increasing agriculture sustainability. However, the potentialities and the effects of zeolitites on the biogeochemical cycles of nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) have still not been clearly addressed in the literature. The objective of this study was therefore to investigate the N and C pools and ¹⁵N distribution in an agricultural soil amended with both natural and NH₄⁺-enriched zeolitites with the aim of understanding their effects on the soil-plant system, during sorghum cultivation, under fertilization reductions. Zeolitites were applied to an agricultural soil both at natural state (5 and 15 kg m⁻²) and in an enriched state with NH₄⁺ ions from pig slurry (7 kg m⁻²). Both zeolitites at natural and enriched state increased soil cation exchange capacity and affected microbial biomass, causing an initial decrease of microbial C and N and then a possible increase of fungal population. N-NO₃⁻ content was lower in natural zeolitite treatments, that lead to a lower NO₃⁻ availability for denitrifying bacteria. Zeolitites slightly affected the fixed N-NH₄⁺ pool. δ¹⁵N turnover indicated that N from NH₄⁺-enriched zeolitites remained in the soil until the growing season and that fertilizers partially substituted the fixed pool. Leaf δ¹⁵N content indicated that plants assimilated N from NH₄⁺-enriched zeolitites and evidenced a higher fertilization recovery in natural zeolitite treatments. Organic C tended to be higher in all zeolitite treatment rhizospheres. In soils amended with zeolitites at natural state (at both application rates) sorghum yield was similar (+3.7%) to that obtained in the control while it was higher (+13.9%) in the plot amended with NH₄⁺-enriched zeolitites. Full article