In strawberry farming in Trentino (Italy), the interaction between mountain micro-climate and the... more In strawberry farming in Trentino (Italy), the interaction between mountain micro-climate and the traditional programmed transplant technique has historically helped preventing the problematic due to thermo-hygrometric conditions adverse to summer crop. The long-lasting cropping cycle of the recently introduced everbearing cvs subjects to those risks, stimulating an increasing interest in air-conditioned systems. A trial was carried out in rain shield high tunnels of a common everbearing strawberry orchard in a mountain environment in Trentino, in order to test a sprinkler irrigation system with low flow rate (Coolnet 22 l/h) and automatic start management based on relative humidity. The proposed system was evaluated analyzing environmental and management aspects. The treatments succeeded in increasing the relative humidity, except during very dry days, but the effects on the tunnel micro-climate seem to not legitimate such a water consuming techniqu
Powdery mildew (Podosphaera aphanis) is the main pathogen of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) gro... more Powdery mildew (Podosphaera aphanis) is the main pathogen of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) grown under high tunnels and can infect all the aerial parts of the plant. Increasing restrictions on the use of chemical fungicides make necessary to develop new technologies and to evaluate the efficacy of alternative substances such as natural, microbial or low-impact products. Starting from 2013, greenhouse and field trials have been carried out in Trentino region (Northeastern Italy) to evaluate the efficacy of alternatives to chemical fungicides on strawberry. Their integration into strategies against powdery mildew was also tested. On the June-bearing cultivar Elsanta, repeated applications of products based on potassium bicarbonate and orange essential oil showed a good efficacy against powdery mildew, both in field and in semi-field trials. Other substances such as vegetal extracts, whey and fertilizers were not sufficiently effective in controlling P. aphanis. Everbearing varieties, given the long production cycle and susceptibility, showed greater problems in containing the disease. Further trials, integrating different agronomical and disease management practices, will be necessary to achieve an effective control of powdery mildew on these cultivar
The trial enhances the sustainability of an extension of soilless strawberry mobile orchard techn... more The trial enhances the sustainability of an extension of soilless strawberry mobile orchard technique from mountain to hill or valley floor environments. The vegeto-reproductive parameters and productive potentiality were evaluated on seasonal migrated plants from cultivation to more favourable climatic environments and on control plants of four pedo-climatic zones. For the migrated plants, results showed an advanced phenological stage of the primary inflorescence first flower, an increase in the total flower and inflorescence number. As the altimetric height decreases, there was a reduction in the quantitative productive parameters and consequently in the economical sustainability. This reduction is due to a drop in the synergic effect of induction process earliness and differentiation period lengthening, and it is as higher as lower is the thermo-climatic Δ between the migration environment
Drosophila suzukii, or spotted wing drosophila (SWD), is a highly polyphagous invasive pest which... more Drosophila suzukii, or spotted wing drosophila (SWD), is a highly polyphagous invasive pest which has recently invaded Europe and the Americas. Its huge economic impact is due in part to the lack of specialised natural enemies suppressing population outbreaks in newly invaded areas. By establishing new associations, endemic parasitoid species native to the invaded areas can play an important role in controlling the pest. This study aims to provide a range of baseline information on the developmental parameters and parasitisation efficacy of three Italian populations of D. suzukii parasitoids at different temperatures. The species tested were a larval parasitoid, Leptopilina heterotoma (Thomson), and two pupal parasitoids, Pachycrepoideus vindemiae (Rondani) and Trichopria drosophilae (Perkins). Two comparative experiments were set up: the first assessing longevity and the lifetime fecundity of each species at 23°C, and the second investigating the effect of temperature on parasitisation efficacy, developmental time and sex-ratio. The results revealed different fecundity patterns for the three parasitoids, probably due to a different level of synovigeny. For T. drosophilae and P. vindemiae, the lifetime sex ratio was biased towards an increasing number of males, whereas L. heterotoma showed the opposite trend. Moreover, temperature markedly affected host-parasitoid interaction and was positively correlated with the parasitoid's developmental time, whereas the sex-ratio was not significantly influenced. On the basis of these experiments, T. drosophilae appears to be the best candidate for developing a biological control strategy.
Flower induction and differentiation processes of everbearing strawberry occur throughout a long ... more Flower induction and differentiation processes of everbearing strawberry occur throughout a long period and are therefore naturally subjected to variable environmental conditions. Thus, it is fundamental to understand the influence of photoperiod and temperature on the development of the inflorescence architecture and on the receptacle morphometrics, which together determine the potential crop load. Hence, a trial was set up growing one-leaf runner cuttings of 'Capri' strawberry in natural environmental condition and in two controlled climatic chambers, set respectively at 15 and 25°C with two photoperiods: 10 h (SD) or 24 h (LD) a day with fixed light intensity. On August 23, 2013, plants grown in natural environment were transplanted in soilless culture in Pergine Valsugana (525 m a.s.l.), Italy. Temperature had the strongest influence on inflorescence architecture: 15°C produced more primary branches and a higher total flower number. However, the plants that reached the highest value, with 4 secondary flowers, were those grown in natural environment. Finally, the 15°C LD resulted in trusses with the highest hierarchical flower order, being the only treatment that produced a significant quinary flower number, and the highest total flower number. Temperature strongly affected also the receptacle size: flowers developed at 15°C had both larger diameters and heights than those at 25°C. SD decreased receptacle diameter. The environmental-growing treatment showed an intermediate behaviour, in a different way for flower number and receptacle size, and produced the largest receptacle diameters. The trial highlighted both the strong influence of the temperature and the minor effect of the photoperiod on the truss architecture and on receptacle morphometric response. However, the variability of these conditions in the natural environment could result in a more complex plant response.
In strawberry farming in Trentino (Italy), the interaction between mountain micro-climate and the... more In strawberry farming in Trentino (Italy), the interaction between mountain micro-climate and the traditional programmed transplant technique has historically helped preventing the problematic due to thermo-hygrometric conditions adverse to summer crop. The long-lasting cropping cycle of the recently introduced everbearing cvs subjects to those risks, stimulating an increasing interest in air-conditioned systems. A trial was carried out in rain shield high tunnels of a common everbearing strawberry orchard in a mountain environment in Trentino, in order to test a sprinkler irrigation system with low flow rate (Coolnet 22 l/h) and automatic start management based on relative humidity. The proposed system was evaluated analyzing environmental and management aspects. The treatments succeeded in increasing the relative humidity, except during very dry days, but the effects on the tunnel micro-climate seem to not legitimate such a water consuming techniqu
Powdery mildew (Podosphaera aphanis) is the main pathogen of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) gro... more Powdery mildew (Podosphaera aphanis) is the main pathogen of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) grown under high tunnels and can infect all the aerial parts of the plant. Increasing restrictions on the use of chemical fungicides make necessary to develop new technologies and to evaluate the efficacy of alternative substances such as natural, microbial or low-impact products. Starting from 2013, greenhouse and field trials have been carried out in Trentino region (Northeastern Italy) to evaluate the efficacy of alternatives to chemical fungicides on strawberry. Their integration into strategies against powdery mildew was also tested. On the June-bearing cultivar Elsanta, repeated applications of products based on potassium bicarbonate and orange essential oil showed a good efficacy against powdery mildew, both in field and in semi-field trials. Other substances such as vegetal extracts, whey and fertilizers were not sufficiently effective in controlling P. aphanis. Everbearing varieties, given the long production cycle and susceptibility, showed greater problems in containing the disease. Further trials, integrating different agronomical and disease management practices, will be necessary to achieve an effective control of powdery mildew on these cultivar
The trial enhances the sustainability of an extension of soilless strawberry mobile orchard techn... more The trial enhances the sustainability of an extension of soilless strawberry mobile orchard technique from mountain to hill or valley floor environments. The vegeto-reproductive parameters and productive potentiality were evaluated on seasonal migrated plants from cultivation to more favourable climatic environments and on control plants of four pedo-climatic zones. For the migrated plants, results showed an advanced phenological stage of the primary inflorescence first flower, an increase in the total flower and inflorescence number. As the altimetric height decreases, there was a reduction in the quantitative productive parameters and consequently in the economical sustainability. This reduction is due to a drop in the synergic effect of induction process earliness and differentiation period lengthening, and it is as higher as lower is the thermo-climatic Δ between the migration environment
Drosophila suzukii, or spotted wing drosophila (SWD), is a highly polyphagous invasive pest which... more Drosophila suzukii, or spotted wing drosophila (SWD), is a highly polyphagous invasive pest which has recently invaded Europe and the Americas. Its huge economic impact is due in part to the lack of specialised natural enemies suppressing population outbreaks in newly invaded areas. By establishing new associations, endemic parasitoid species native to the invaded areas can play an important role in controlling the pest. This study aims to provide a range of baseline information on the developmental parameters and parasitisation efficacy of three Italian populations of D. suzukii parasitoids at different temperatures. The species tested were a larval parasitoid, Leptopilina heterotoma (Thomson), and two pupal parasitoids, Pachycrepoideus vindemiae (Rondani) and Trichopria drosophilae (Perkins). Two comparative experiments were set up: the first assessing longevity and the lifetime fecundity of each species at 23°C, and the second investigating the effect of temperature on parasitisation efficacy, developmental time and sex-ratio. The results revealed different fecundity patterns for the three parasitoids, probably due to a different level of synovigeny. For T. drosophilae and P. vindemiae, the lifetime sex ratio was biased towards an increasing number of males, whereas L. heterotoma showed the opposite trend. Moreover, temperature markedly affected host-parasitoid interaction and was positively correlated with the parasitoid's developmental time, whereas the sex-ratio was not significantly influenced. On the basis of these experiments, T. drosophilae appears to be the best candidate for developing a biological control strategy.
Flower induction and differentiation processes of everbearing strawberry occur throughout a long ... more Flower induction and differentiation processes of everbearing strawberry occur throughout a long period and are therefore naturally subjected to variable environmental conditions. Thus, it is fundamental to understand the influence of photoperiod and temperature on the development of the inflorescence architecture and on the receptacle morphometrics, which together determine the potential crop load. Hence, a trial was set up growing one-leaf runner cuttings of 'Capri' strawberry in natural environmental condition and in two controlled climatic chambers, set respectively at 15 and 25°C with two photoperiods: 10 h (SD) or 24 h (LD) a day with fixed light intensity. On August 23, 2013, plants grown in natural environment were transplanted in soilless culture in Pergine Valsugana (525 m a.s.l.), Italy. Temperature had the strongest influence on inflorescence architecture: 15°C produced more primary branches and a higher total flower number. However, the plants that reached the highest value, with 4 secondary flowers, were those grown in natural environment. Finally, the 15°C LD resulted in trusses with the highest hierarchical flower order, being the only treatment that produced a significant quinary flower number, and the highest total flower number. Temperature strongly affected also the receptacle size: flowers developed at 15°C had both larger diameters and heights than those at 25°C. SD decreased receptacle diameter. The environmental-growing treatment showed an intermediate behaviour, in a different way for flower number and receptacle size, and produced the largest receptacle diameters. The trial highlighted both the strong influence of the temperature and the minor effect of the photoperiod on the truss architecture and on receptacle morphometric response. However, the variability of these conditions in the natural environment could result in a more complex plant response.
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