Claudia Pisuttu

University of Pisa | UNIPI · Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (DAFE)

In this work, we assessed the effects of increasing ozone (O3) on four petunia varieties with different floral pigmentation (pink, red, rose-red, and white). Plants were exposed, in open-top chambers located in China, to three O3 concentrations, i.e., (i) ambient air (AA), (ii) AA + 60 ppb O3 (AA + 60), and (iii) AA + 120 ppb O3 (AA + 120), for 85...

In Mediterranean countries, late‐sown durum wheat ( Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum ) may face waterlogging (WL) at early stages. As mitigation of waterlogging by melatonin (MT) has been poorly explored, we analyzed the effects of exogenous MT foliar application to WL‐stressed durum wheat on its ecophysiological performance, growth and biomass pr...

Plants constantly face the environment that surrounds them and fight for survival against biotic and abiotic stress factors. To deal with harmful conditions, plants have developed a multilayer defence system, making them capable of recognising threats and promptly recovering from them. This phenomenon, which takes advantage of the “memory effect”,...

As there has been no scientific evidence of the bioactivity of Sambucus ebulus (Adoxaceae) extracts against insects, we chemically characterized S. ebulus leaves and flowers extracted in methanol and water. The crude extracts, phenolic compounds, and amino acids isolated were tested as larvicides against the fourth-instar larvae of Aedes albopictus...

Ozone (O3) pollution is a critical issue for human health, crop yield, vegetation growth biodiversity, and food safety. Several protection strategies from O3-induced injuries have been proposed for crops. Here, we investigated if the foliar application of wood distillate (WD), a plant-based biostimulant applied once a week (0.2%, v/v) for four cons...

Plants are constantly subjected to environmental changes that deeply affect their metabolism, leading to the inhibition or synthesis of “specialized” compounds, small organic molecules that play a fundamental role in adaptative responses. In this work, Melissa officinalis L. (an aromatic plant broadly cultivated due to the large amounts of secondar...

The necrotrophic fungus Seiridium cardinale is the main responsible for Cypress Canker Disease (CCD), a pandemic affecting many Cupressaceae worldwide. The present study aims to elucidate the signalling of the early responses in the bark and foliage of CCD‐susceptible and ‐resistant C. sempervirens clones to S. cardinale inoculation (SI and RI, res...

Environmental pollution, unintended harm to beneficial organisms, and the development of herbicide resistance among weeds are the main consequences of the massive and consistent use of chemical herbicides in recent decades. The growing need for alternative solutions has been reinforced by restrictive policies, leading to a search for natural herbic...

Municipal solid waste (MSW) represents a significant global threat, which has to be managed by a model of production and consumption involving the sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling of existing materials and products for as long as possible, otherwise known as a circular economy (CE). However, there is not a universal...

Ozone (O3) pollution is harmful to plants and ecosystems. Several chemicals have been evaluated to protect plants against O3 deleterious effects. However, they are not adequately efficient and/or the environmental safety of their application is questioned. Hence, new chemicals that provide sufficient protection while being safer for environmental a...

Plants of 16 Italian cultivars of durum wheat at the tillering stage were exposed to a single pulse of ozone (O3, 200 ppb, 5 h day−1) to reveal the mechanisms explaining their O3 tolerance/sensitivity by considering some leaf physiochemical traits [e.g., stomatal conductance, photosystem II (PSII) efficiency, antioxidant enzyme activity, and phytoh...

BACKGROUND The Eurasian magpie Pica pica is a resident bird species able to colonize farmlands and anthropized environments. This corvid shows a wide trophic spectrum by including fruits, invertebrates, small vertebrates and carcasses in its diet. A camera‐trap experiment was carried out to test the effect of different ozone (O3) concentrations on...

The use of biocontrol agents (BCAs) coping with fungal pathogens causing Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a compelling strategy for the disease management, but a better elucidation of their effectiveness is crucial. Meta-analysis is the analysis of the results of multiple studies, which is typically performed in order to synthesize evidence from many...

To investigate how plants cope with multi-stress conditions, we analyzed the biochemical and molecular changes of Vitis vinifera leaves subjected to single or sequential double stresses (infection by Botrytis cinerea (Bc) and ozone (O3, 100 ppb for 3 h) treatment). In Bc+/O3− leaves, the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) induction (observed at 12 and 24 h f...

Mycotoxins contamination and pest infestation of foods and feeds represent a pivotal threat for food safety and security worldwide, with crucial implications for human and animal health. Controlled atmosphere could be a sustainable strategy to reduce mycotoxins content and counteract the vitality of deleterious organisms in foodstuff. Ozone treatme...

Verticillium species are known as plant pathogens responsible for wilt diseases in a large variety of dicotyledon plants and crops in many parts of the world. Here we present the draft genome sequence of Verticillium dahliae Kleb. (strain VdGL16) isolated in Italy from the invasive alien species Ailanthus altissima (Mill.; commonly known as tree-of...

Natural infections of Verticillium spp. (Fungi, Ascomycota) on Ailanthus altissima have suggested to consider the biological control as a promising strategy to counteract this invasive plant, which is otherwise difficult to control by traditional mechanical and chemical treatments. Verticillium wilt is able to lead plants to death, throughout a pat...

Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum (Desf.) Husn) is a staple crop of the Mediterranean countries, where more frequent waterlogging events are predicted due to climate change. However, few investigations have been conducted on the physiological and agronomic responses of this crop to waterlogging. The present study provides a comprehensi...

Verticillium dahliae (Kleb.) is a soil-borne pathogen able to cause yield losses in eggplant, Solanum melongena L., one of the most important vegetable crops in the Mediterranean basin. In this study, an experiment was conducted to assess physiological and biochemical mechanisms modulating the interactions between S. melongena cv. Violetta di Rimin...

Verticillium spp., including V. nonalfalfae and V. dahliae, are known vascular wilt pathogens of the invasive Ailanthus altissima (tree-of-heaven) in the United States and in Europe. Herein we provide evidence of the presence of a previously unreported wilt disease of A. altissima in Tuscany (Central Italy). Several isolates were collected from two...

In August 2018, a tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima) showing symptoms of powdery mildew was found in Pisa, Italy. Morphological characteristics of the anamorph and molecular sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region of rDNA verified the fungus as Erysiphe platani. In a pathogenicity test, powdery mildew patches were present on l...

BACKGROUND Consumer preference today is for the consumption of functional food and the reduction of chemical preservatives. Moreover, the antimicrobial properties and health‐promoting qualities of plant secondary metabolites are well known. Due to forecasted climate changes and increasing human population, agricultural practices for saving water ha...