Marino Palasciano

• Researcher at University of Bari Aldo Moro

Agrivoltaic (AV) is a new concept integrating both the production of agricultural crops and electric power on the same land area through the installation of photovoltaic panels some meters above the soil surface and the crop canopy. In the present situation of energy demand from renewable sources, agrivoltaic systems with vines and/or fruit trees u...

The sweet cherry is an important fruit species that is widespread globally. In addition to the well-known traditional and modern varieties, a myriad of landraces is present in Europe, as well as in southern Italy. This study aims to evaluate the population structure, genetic relationships, and cases of duplicate samples in a collection of 143 acces...

In the context of climate change, in which some extreme weather and climate events have increased in frequency and intensity because of global warming, adaptive techniques in viticulture have become necessary to reduce the resulting negative impacts. This study on four table grape cultivars has evaluated the effects of different winter pruning trea...

In the past years, near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has been applied to the agricultural industry as a non-destructive tool to predict quality parameters, e.g., ripeness of fruit, dry matter content, and acidity. In two years, 2019 and 2020, berries of four table grape cultivars (Cotton Candy™, Summer Royal, Allison™, and Autumncrisp®) were collect...

Almond cultivation has great traditional and economic relevance in Southern Italy, especially in the Apulia region, where almond trees feature an ample and ancient varietal richness. To contrast the loss of plant genetic erosion and to safeguard the available bioresources, as well as to reinforce the local production, the regional Re.Ge.Fru.P. proj...

Sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) trees are both economically important fruit crops but also important components of natural forest ecosystems in Europe, Asia and Africa. Wild and domesticated trees currently coexist in the same geographic areas with important questions arising on their historical relationships. Little is known about the effects of th...

The effect of polyphenols, recognized as the principal antioxidant and beneficial molecules introduced with the diet, extracted from sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.)on the recombinant human mitochondrial carnitine/acylcarnitine transporter (CACT)has been studied in proteoliposomes. CACT transport activity, which was strongly impaired after oxidation...

BACKGROUND Several authors studied the effect of harvest time on chemical and nutritional composition of almonds, but the results are partly conflicting, probably due to differences in the cultivars considered and to different agronomic and climatic conditions in the growing areas. In this paper the influence of harvest time and cultivar on the che...

In this study, 186 local sweet cherry accessions from 12 Italian regions, plus eight reference accessions, were analysed for the first time, using 13 microsatellite markers. Moreover, their S-incompatibility genotypes were identified with consensus primers for the S-RNase and SFB genes. A total of 161 unique genotypes were found; 18 groups of synon...

During their dormant period, fruit trees require a certain amount of relatively low temperatures to complete bud differentiation processes and regularly resume growth the following spring. Unsatisfied chilling needs can result in delayed foliation, severe yield and fruit quality losses. There is a need for a method to estimate accurately the chilli...

Alternate bearing is a typical behavior of various fruit tree crops and is common among olive cultivars (Olea europæa L. var. sativa Hoffm. e Lk.). Since this phenomenon affects yield and consequently oil production, it is a concern for olive oil industry in order to offer a constant olive oil amount each year. A 4-year field experiment was conduct...

The almond industry in Italy represents a high degree of structural variability that is determined and sometimes jeopardized by the coexistence of old, traditional orchards and new plantations that differ from each other not only in terms of age but also orchard systems. Apulia and Sicily remain the most important production areas where 90% of the...

Almond (Prunus amygdalus Batsch) is considered to be able to tolerate drought stress fairly well during all stages of fruit growth. Nevertheless, severe water stress together with high temperatures during summer can seriously reduce hull split and consequently promote the occurrence of hull-tight nuts. In this study we report the results of an inve...

The horticultural interest of self-compatible fruit tree cultivars depends on their ability to reach the optimal fruit set by self-pollination, thus making superfluous cross-pollination and related problems. In Apulia region (southern Italy) the olive cultivation is spread on about 370,000 hectares. ‘Coratina’ is the most popular olive cultivar in...

The horticultural interest of self-compatible fruit tree cultivars depends on their ability to reach the optimal fruit set by self-pollination, thus making superfluous cross-pollination and related problems. In Apulia region (southern Italy) the olive cultivation is spread on about 370,000 hectares. 'Coratina' is the most popular olive cultivar in...

In 2006 and 2007, the quality of pollen grains has been investigated in four Italian olive (Olea europaea L.) cultivars: ‘Ascolana Tenera’, ‘Cazzinicchio’, ‘Cima di Melfi’ and ‘Coratina’. Grains quality was estimated by using two different methods, acetic carmine (stainability) and fluorescein diacetate (viability), in comparison with germination....

The prevailing environmental conditions, temperature in particular, drive seasonal changes both in leaf development and stomatal characteristics. In order to ascertain the effect of increases in climatic water deficit on some leaf and stomatal parameters under field conditions, a study was carried out on two sets of leaves (spring and summer) on a...

New apricot cultivars are yearly introduced in Italy by nurseries and growers. These cultivars come from both Italian and foreign breeding programmes and most of them have been selected in climatic and environmental conditions noticeably different from those of the main Italian apricot growing areas. So far, acquired experience on apricot has shown...

Research to ascertain the effectiveness of hydrogen cyanamide (Dormex®) to advance bloom and fruit ripening of two sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) cultivars was carried out in the Apulia region (southeastern Italy) during 2002 (964 chill hours), 2003 (592 chill hours) and 2004 (834 chill hours). The effects of four concentrations of hydrogen cyanami...

The spread of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) orchards in Apulia (southern Italy) mainly depends on the limited height of mature trees. Tree growth is controlled naturally as a consequence of several interrelated factors: poor and shallow soils, non-irrigated (rainfed) conditions, and the use of P. mahaleb Mill. 'St. Lucie' as the sole rootstock. Th...

Nowadays, Apulia (Southern Italy) is the most important sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) producer in Italy. New cultivars are introduced by growers to complement those traditionally grown, often without ascertaining their adaptability to local environmental conditions. Among disregarded characteristics is the susceptibility to rain-induced fruit crac...

When choosing pollinator cultivars and breeding programs, both the quality and the quantity of viable pollen produced per flower should be considered. In some cases, some cultivars might be preferred as pollinator because of a more abundant and effective pollen production. The aim of the present study was the evaluation of the viable pollen product...

The olive industry of Apulia (Southern Italy) is based on about 370,000 hectares and is designed according to traditional and centuries-old training systems. This olivecultural model is characterized by limited yield levels and high production costs. The possibility of reducing harvesting costs – the main production cost – by means of the superinte...

To support and co-ordinate the regular development of national horticulture, in 1993 the Italian Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestall launched and funded a national project for evaluating the performance of new and old cultivars of strawberry (Fragaria × spp.), pome and stone fruits, including sweet cherries (Prunus avium L.). Eighty-thre...

The production of the total and stainable number of pollen grains per flower and per inflorescence of 13 olive cultivars (Olea europaea L.) has been investigated. Grains stainability was evaluated by using the acetic carmine staining method whereas the production of pollen grains was calculated by using a Bürker haemocytometer. All pollen character...

– Stomatal size and frequency are features commonly related to plant water stress tolerance. In general, size and number are negatively correlated and may vary greatly among species and genotypes. The number of stomata per leaf area unit is considered a peculiar characteristic of species and plant varieties. In order to provide information concerni...

In Apulia (Southern Italy), about 50 supposedly different olive cultivars are grown on about 358,000 hectares. Over the past twenty years there has been an increase in the Apulian nursery industry and today it produces over 1.5 million olive plants annually. About 70% of these plants belong to 6 cultivars, but the region retains century-old varieti...

Apulia (Southern Italy) is outstanding nationally in olive acreage and production with a surface of more than 350,000 hectares and an estimate annual yield of about 1,500,000 tonnes. Apulian olive nursery industry is very active and produces annually over 1,500,000 olive young trees, 90% as grafted plants and 10% as self-rooted. Besides very import...

Almond (Amygdalus communis L., or Prunus dulcis Miller) occurs throughout Southern Italy while A. webbii Spach is a wild species found only in marginal areas and is thought to be closely related to the cultivated almond. The study of the relationship between these species is important in breeding programs as well as in germplasm maintenance and con...

Self-fruitful Apulian almonds 'Falsa barese', 'Genco', 'Scorza Verde' and 'Tuono' and self-unfruitful 'Cristomorto', 'Ferragnés', 'Mission' and 'Nonpareil' were budded in the nursery in September 1980 onto peach x almond hybrid GF 677, sweet almond seedling cv. 'Don Carlo' and homozygotic peach seedling GF 305. The orchard was established at Valenz...

Fruit set coming from i) open pollination, ii) hand cross-pollination 100% of counted flowers, iii) hand self-pollination 100% of counted flowers and iv) unassisted self-pollination were compared in order to ascertain the behavior of the following self-compatible cherry cultivars: 'Celeste', 'Lapins', 'New Star' and 'Sunburst'. About 2,000 flowers...

SUMMARY - The more than 100 almond cultivars grown in Apulia (South Italy) could be a source of genetic variation adapted to the Mediterranean environment, provided that a proper classification, identifying similar characteristics and synonymous cultivars, is made. DNA-based assays could integrate traditional classifications based on morphology. In...

A study to ascertain the highest possible fruit set following self-pollination of eight self-compatible cultivars of almond (Amygdalus communis L. = Prunus dulcis Mill) was carried out in Apulia (southern Italy). Fruits set from daily hand-selling were high, compared to those from unassisted self-pollination. The results support growing most of the...

– In order to support and coordinate the regular development of Italian horticulture, the Italian Department of Agriculture launched and funded in 1993 a national programme aiming to the evaluation of the performance of new and old cultivars of pome and stone fruits, including almonds. The author of the present paper succeeded in 1998 Francesco Mon...