Progress 10/01/19 to 09/30/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The primary target audience of this project is constituted by vegetable growers operating in Pennsylvania and in the US.The group includes both beginning and more experienced growers, growers belonging to Plain Sect Communities, and growers of Hispanic origin. Other target audiences served by this project are the general public, undergraduate and graduate students, extension educators, and professionals operating within the horticultural industry. Changes/Problems:University closures due to COVID-19 interrupted the internships and arrival of a visiting scholar. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The research and outreach activities conducted within the project offered training and professional development opportunity to undergraduate and graduate students, extension educators, industry professionals, and growers. During this year, three undergraduate students did an internship in the PSU Vegetable Lab. One of them worked on microgreens with a scholarship of the 2020 Space Grant WISER/MURE/FURP and the Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP)program. The internship unfortunately was interrupted as a consequence of the temporary university closure aimed at limiting any risk of infection of COVID-19. Upon re-openingthe university, another two undergraduate students had the opportunity to work in the lab during the entire growing season and had the opportunity to work on different projects assisting in establishing and managing field experiments and conducting biometric assessments and data collection. The project also offered training opportunity to three master students: one from the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering who is working on developing and testing sensor-based irrigation systems, and two from the Department of Plant Science, one of which is working on soil monitoring tools and nutrient management of grafted and non-grafted tomatoes grown in a high tunnel, and the second working on the anaerobic soil disinfestation study. A visiting research scholar coming from Spain could not start his internship because of Covid-19. While a former visiting research scholar from Italy completed his master thesis and successfully graduated with a thesis on anaerobic soil disinfestation and contributed to the writing of a manuscript that has been submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. Other training and professional developing opportunities have been offered to a Plant Pathology Ph.D. student working on anaerobic soil disinfestation, and together with an extension educator, we are assisting high tunnel growers who are experiencing issues with root-knot nematodes and are interested inapplying anaerobic soil disinfestation treatment on their farm. We are about to test this biotechnology in one of those farms and are planning to conduct more testing next season. Additional training professional development opportunities have been offered and are currently ongoing for extension educators with which I am assisting high tunnel tomato growers who are experiencing issues with an excess of salinity or excess of nutrients and I am helping them to use the same soil monitoring tools and fertilization management strategies that we are testing in this project for the site-specific nutrient management of vegetable crops. So far this has been a good experience for the students, the extension educators, and the growers involved in these activities. On another high tunnel tomato farm, I am assisting growers in testing the efficacy of soil moisture sensors to establish a more rational and efficient irrigation system. Soil moisture sensors were installed in the soil at different depth and have been successfully used by the grower to monitor the soil moisture level and manage the irrigation for the entire crop season. So far, the results have been good, and the grower is pleased with the efficacy and usefulness of this technology. In the future, we plan on transferring the use of such technology to more growers and let them test fully automated sensor-based irrigation systems. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results of the project have been disseminated to growers, stakeholders, and the larger community through journal publications, extension articles, podcast, or magazine interviews, and through in-person and online workshops, seminars, lectures, and outreach activities. Two lectures were offered in different courses offered by faculty members within the Department of Plant Science at Penn State, one on anaerobic soil disinfestation and a second on sustainable vegetable production. Each class was attended by over 20 students. Several presentations were offered at grower meetings and conferences over the fall-winter season at the local level and later over the summer at national conferences. In occasion of the 2020 Virtual Penn State Ag Progress Days, four videoresearch updates were recorded with the participation of the students involved in each project and the recordings were available during the virtual event to the participants and have been disseminated later through the Pennsylvania Vegetable Grower Association newsletter and through social media. The videos are available on the Penn State Extension YouTube channel and since Mid-August have collectively achieved over 650 unique views. A webinar has been delivered through Penn State Extension on sensor-based irrigation systems and the recording is still available online. A podcast interview was recorded and then published by The Sustainable Flowers Podcast and then disseminated through social media on anaerobic soil disinfestation and other alternative soil disinfestation treatments. An interview was conducted on microgreens after publishing a couple of extension articles by a writer of the magazine SELF and was published online (https://www.self.com/story/what-are-microgreens?fbclid=IwAR1fgFbWTipYjCaXhaVD1H2RDRCQ4j0TKeUBrwGJGoKl-8M-o8vdQ-6NbCE) and then disseminated through social media reaching the wide public. The results of research activities conducted within this project have been disseminated through conferences and video recording of the presentations are available to the members of the Institute of Food Technologists and the American Society for Horticultural Sciences. More results of the research activities conducted through this project have been published in research articles, book chapters, and extension articles and are available online to growers and to the wider public. Theyhave been disseminated through social media and article collections such as ResearchGate where people interested inspecific subjects can read and download any article published. My articles published have recorded over 300 unique reads weekly,andevery week they are amongthe most read publications generated withinthe Department of Plant Science. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1.Experiments started in the summer of 2019 testing the effect of cover crops as an alternative source of carbon (sugar) to feed the microbes in the soil and defeat soilborne pests and pathogens have been completed in the spring of 2020 and generated results that have been presented at growers meetings, conferences, and through other initiatives generating great interest from the scientific community as well as from the grower community in Pennsylvania, at the national and international level. The research work demonstrated that it is possible to apply this technique using cover crops at the end of the summer despite the relatively lesswarm environmental conditions, using either clear or black totally impermeable film as a mulch. While most data have been collected, plant and soil sample analyses are still being collected. Meanwhile, a new study has been established in which we are looking at the potential of using several byproducts of the agri-food industry available locally as potential sources of carbon for the application of anaerobic soil disinfestation. Preliminary results are encouraging, and we are currently testing waste material like brewer's spent grain, spent mushroom compost, fresh plant residues, wheat middles, grape pomace, apple pomace. The aim of the study is to assess if it is possible to upcycle residues of different agri-food industry re-using them for the management of soilborne pests and pathogens affecting vegetable and other horticultural crops. In the ongoing experiments, we are testing five alternative sources of carbon at two rates in combination or not with pelleted composted chicken manure, in a repeatedstudy with four replicates. Using soil sensors we are monitoring the level of anaerobicity (absence of oxygen) achieved and the soil temperature;and we will plant a lettuce crop to evaluate effects on plant growth and quality over the fall-winter after covering the plot with a high tunnel. Objective 2.Experiments started in the summer-fall of 2019 have been completed and a new field experiment was established in the spring of 2020 to evaluate the effects of alternative irrigation management strategies employing soil moisture sensors and an automated irrigation system developed at Penn State as well as model-based fertigation management testing "GesCoN" a decision support system for the management of the fertigation under PA conditions. Preliminary results show that sensor-based and model-based irrigation systems have great potential for improving the management of the irrigation in vegetable crops allowing to achieve consistent crop yield and quality, while saving water and fertilizer, for the benefit of the growers and the entire communityto preserve the environment and reduce waste of water and fertilizer. Within the same objective, a study is ongoing to test soil monitoring tools for the site-specific, real-time on-farm management of the fertility of horticultural crops using portable (handheld) ion-selective electrodes capable of measuring nitrate-nitrogen and potassium along with other nutrients from soil water extracts and assist growers in making decisions regarding the fertilization of their crops especially in a protected environment (high tunnel, greenhouse). The experiment is conducted on tomatoes in a high tunnel to monitor the soil nitrate and potassium content bi-weekly, and we are testing two sampling methods i) one employing suction lysimeters, and ii) one in which soil is sampled with a soil probe and then extracted with deionized water using 1 part of soil and 2 parts of water. For the same study, we are testing ion-selective electrodes employing different technologies from Horiba and Clean Grow. The preliminary results are encouraging, and this study will lead to the development of new fertilizer management recommendations for high tunnel vegetable growers, allowing them to avoid nutrient deficiencies or excess which cause substantial loss of yield and quality for their crops. When nutrients are in excess it causes a decrease of the soil fertility which sometimes is difficult to address unless the soil is not cultivated for a few years.Thismay reduce any risk of nutrient leaching/loss into the environment with substantial benefit for the future sustainability and food security of the entire community. Objective 3.We have completed a study started in the summer of 2019, in which we evaluated the effect of tomato grafted and non-grafted plants to alkalinity stress, showing that grafted plants are more tolerant to alkalinity stress and may provide a higher yield than non-grafted plants in presence of alkalinity stress, a condition affecting many tomato growers who use well-water in an area characterized by high alkalinity (determined by high levels of carbonate and bicarbonate) levels of the irrigation water. The use of grafted plants may allow growers to continue producing tomatoes of good quality even in soils and farms affected by this issue for the benefit of their income and for the benefit of the future food security and sustainability of the entire community. Meanwhile, we have started another study in which we are investigating in a high tunnel the response of fresh market tomatoes grafted or non-grafted to increasing levels of nitrogen (N) inputs in a high tunnel. The study started in April 2020, includes two grafting combinations and four levels of nitrogen applied via fertigation and each treatment is replicated four times. For each treatment plant growth and crop yield and quality are being monitored and the study will be completed by the end of October. The preliminary results show that the production potential of tomato grown in a high tunnel is much higher than in open field considering the long crop cycle and that the response to N inputs is different between grafted and non-grafted plants and that the N fertility should be adjusted accordingly. The study is showing that grafted tomato plants may be more efficient than non-grafted plants in using nitrogen fertilizer allowing them to produce more from the same unit of land and the same amount of results without any negative impact on the fruit quality. This could benefit growers assuring higher productivity and income, and in the long term may benefit the entire community by assuring food and nutrition security. For the same objective, an experiment was conducted on green and red basil comparing their yield and quality response to alternative cultivation systems. Both varieties were grown in soil and three alternative soilless systems, namely sub-irrigation system, a floating system, and a nutrient film technique system. Each treatment was replicated 3 times. Plants were grown using the same nutrient solution for all the treatments testedplant growth and yield were measured, and plant samples were collected and are currently being processed for additional analysis. The preliminary results revealed that soilless cultivation systems may allow higher production than soil cultivation and may be more efficient in terms of water and nutrient use efficiency. The adoption of soilless cultivation systems may benefit not only growers but also consumers and the entire community assuring food and nutrition security and lower environmental impact of horticultural systems. For the same objective, a study was established and is ongoing with two experiments: 1) evaluating the performance of 6 varieties of day-neutral cannabidiol (CBD) hemp planted or direct-seeded, 2) testing 9 genotypes of photoperiod sensitive CBD hemp, each experiment is replicated in two locations and soon we are going to harvest the plant to assess crop yield and content of cannabinoids and terpenoids. The results of this study will allow us to provide guidance to CBD hemp growers operating in Pennsylvania.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Elsa Sanchez, Thomas Butzler, Timothy Elkner, Robert Pollock, Francesco Di Gioia. Selecting Muskmelon Varieties. Penn State Extension. https://extension.psu.edu/selecting-muskmelon-varieties
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Elsa Sanchez, Robert Bergage, Thomas Ford, Francesco Di Gioia, Nick Flax. Hydroponics Systems and Principles Of Plant Nutrition: Essential Nutrients, Function, Deficiency, and Excess. Penn State Extension. https://extension.psu.edu/hydroponics-systems-and-principles-of-plant-nutrition-essential-nutrients-function-deficiency-and-excess
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Elsa Sanchez, Robert Bergage, Thomas Ford, Francesco Di Gioia. Hydroponics Systems: Calculating Nutrient Solution Concentrations Using the Two Basic Equations. Penn State Extension. https://extension.psu.edu/hydroponics-systems-calculating-nutrient-solution-concentrations-using-the-two-basic-equations
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
H. Zhang, L. He, F. Di Gioia, D.D. Choi, P. Heinemann. Internet of Things (IoT)-based Precision Irrigation with LoRaWAN Technology Applied to High Tunnel Vegetable Production. 2020 ASABE Annual International Virtual Meeting
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
L Vecchia, F Di Gioia, JC Hong, C White, A Ferrante, E.N. Rosskopf. Cover Crops As a Source of Carbon for Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation in Pennsylvania High Tunnel Production Systems. 2020 ASHS Annual Conference.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
F Di Gioia, � Fernandes, N Polyzos, SA Petropoulos et al. Nutritional Value and Chemical Composition of Various Brassicaceae Microgreens. 2020 ASHS Annual Conference
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
LRO Cruz, N Polyzos, F Di Gioia, � Fernandes et al. Salinity Effect on Yield, Nutritional and Chemical Content of Red Basil Varieties (Ocimum basilicum L.). 2020 ASHS Annual Conference.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Francesco Di Gioia. Modern Vegetables: Enhancing Quality by Exploiting Agrobiodiversity and Agronomic Biofortification. Presented during the workshop 219: Sustainable Vegetable Supply: From Farm to Table organized within the Virtual Conference of the Institute of Food Technologists (SHIFT20). https://shift20.iftevent.org/posts/219-sustainable-vegetable-supply-from-farm-to-table
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Di Gioia, F. (2020). A Glimpse into European Strawberry Production and Marketing. 2020 Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention Proceedings. (pp. 145). Richfield, PA: Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers Association.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Di Gioia, F. (2020). Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation Application to Pennsylvania High Tunnel Production Systems. 2020 Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention Proceedings. (pp. 94-95). Richfield, PA: Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers Association.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Di Gioia, F. (2020). Current and Future Research on High Tunnel Vegetable Production at Penn State. 2020 Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention Proceedings. (pp. 106-107). Richfield, PA: Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers Association.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Rosskopf EN, Di Gioia F, Hong J, Pisani C, Kokalis-Burelle N. Organic Amendments for Pathogen and Nematode Control. Annual Review of Phytopathology:
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Petropoulos SA, Di Gioia F, Polyzos N, Tzortzakis N. 2020. Natural Antioxidants, Health Effects and Bioactive Properties of Wild Allium Species. Current Pharmaceutical Design 26 (16), 1816-1837.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Di Gioia F, Hong J, Ozores-Hampton M, Zhao X, Wilson CP, Thomas J, Li Z, Pisani C, Guo H., Paudel BR, Albano J, Butler DM, Rosskopf EN. Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation: Nutrient Cycling and Potential Environmental Impact. Acta Horticulturae 1270, 51-62.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Rosskopf EN, Di Gioia F, Hong J, Ozores-Hampton M, Zhao X, Black Z, Gao Z, Wilson CP, Thomas J, Jones J, Sattanno K, Delong A, Swisher M, Kokalis-Burelle N, Wang J, Li Z, Shi L, Pisani C, Guo H, Zhu Q, Paudel B, Johns CW, Finley N, Muramoto J, Albano J, Shennan C. Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation: Areawide Project on Obstacles and Adoption. Acta Horticulturae 1270, 23-36.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Hong J, Di Gioia F, Jones JB, Turechek W, Kokalis-Burelle N, Johns CW, Finley N, Ozores-Hampton M, McCollum G, Rosskopf EN. Defining Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation through Changes in the Microbiome. Acta Horticulturae 1270, 97-110.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Rosskopf EN, Hong J, Kokalis-Burelle N, Pisani C, Di Gioia F, Jones JB, Booker B, Keely M, Aglave B, Yates-Yarbrough S, Sances F. 2020. Evaluation of Dominus (registered) (allylisothiocyanate) for tomato and bell pepper production. Acta Horticulturae 1270, 337-345.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Di Gioia F, Tzortzakis N, Rouphael Y, Kyriacou MC, Sampaio SL, Ferreira ICFR, Petropoulos SA. 2020. Grown to be Blue - Antioxidant Properties and Health Effects of Coloured Vegetables. Part II: Leafy, Fruit, and other Vegetables. Antioxidants 9(2), 97.
- Type:
Book Chapters
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Correa RCG, Di Gioia F, Ferreira ICFR, Petropoulos SA. 2020. Wild greens used in the Mediterranean diet. In The Mediterranean Diet Second edition. Edited by Victor R. Preedy and Ronald R. Watson. Publisher: Elsevier Academic Press. Pp. 209-228. ISBN: 978-0-12-818649-7
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Petropoulos SA, Sampaio SL, Di Gioia F, Tzortzakis N, Rouphael Y, Kyriacou MC, Ferreira ICFR. 2019. Grown to be Blue - Antioxidant Properties and Health Effects of Coloured Vegetables. Part I: Root Vegetables. Antioxidants 8(12), 617.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Paudel BR, Di Gioia F, Zhu Q, Zhao X, Ozores-Hampton M, Swisher ME, Sattanno K, Hong JC, and Rosskopf EN. (2019). Implementation of Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation in Florida Tomato. HS1345, EDIS, UF/IFAS Extension http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/HS/HS134500.pdf
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Luca Vecchia, Francesco Di Gioia, Antonio Ferrante, Jason C. Hong, Charles White and Erin N. Rosskopf. Integrating Cover Crops as a Source of Carbon for Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation. Agronomy
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Luis R.O. Cruz, Nikolaos Polyzos, Angela Fernandes, Francesco Di Gioia, Maria In�s Dias, Jose Pinela, Marina Kostic, Marina Sokovic, Isabel C.F.R. Ferreira, Lillian Barros. The effect of saline conditions on the chemical profile and the bioactive properties of three red-colored basil cultivars. Food Chemistry
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Luis R.O. Cruz, Angela Fernandes, Francesco Di Gioia, Spyridon A. Petropoulos, Nikolaos Polyzos, Maria Ines Dias, Jose Pinela, Marina Kostic, Marina D. Sokovic, Isabel C.F.R. Ferreira, Lillian Barros. The Effect of Nitrogen Input on Chemical Profile and Bioactive Properties of Green- and Red-Colored Basil Cultivars. Antioxidants
- Type:
Book Chapters
Status:
Awaiting Publication
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Rubia C. G. Correa, Francesco Di Gioia, Isabel C.F.R. Ferreira, Spyridon A. Petropoulos. Halophytes for Future Horticulture: The Case of Small-scale Farming in the Mediterranean Basin. In: Handbook of Halophytes
From Molecules to Ecosystems towards Biosaline Agriculture
Editors: Grigore, Marius-Nicusor (Ed.)
- Type:
Book Chapters
Status:
Awaiting Publication
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Francesco Di Gioia, Spyridon A. Petropoulos. Glucosinolates. In: Food Bioactives and Health. Editors: Galanakis, Charis M. (Ed.)
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
S.J. Goetz, D. Meadowcroft, C. Schmidt, P. Mitra and F. Di Gioia. 2020. In the Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Industry, Market Workers and Local Specialized Freight Truckers May be at Greatest Risk NERCRD COVID-19 Issues Brief No. 2020-10, May 12, 2020
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Shelby Fleischer, John Esslinger, Swede Midge: Now in Pennsylvania. Penn State Extension. https://extension.psu.edu/swede-midge-now-in-pennsylvania
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Luca Vecchia. Examining cover srops as alternative carbon sources for the application of anaerobic soil disinfestation in high tunnel vegetable production systems. MS Thesis
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
F. Di Gioia. The ABCs of Microgreens. Penn State Extension. https://extension.psu.edu/the-abcs-of-microgreens
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
F. Di Gioia. A Step-By-Step Guide for Growing Microgreens at Home. Penn State Extension. https://extension.psu.edu/a-step-by-step-guide-for-growing-microgreens-at-home
|
Progress 09/01/19 to 09/30/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The primary target audience of this project is constituted by vegetable growers operating in Pennsylvania and in the US. The groupincludesboth beginning and more experienced growers, growers belongingto Plain Sect Communities and growers of Hispanic origin.Other target audiences served by this project are the general public, undergraduate and graduate students, extension educators, and professionals operating within the vegetable industry. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?A two-day in-service training was conducted with the participation of 20Penn State Extension educators plus 15 other people between technicians, graduate students, and industry professionals on high tunnel production systems and soilless production systems.The first day was conducted at the PSU High Tunnel facility to provide basic knowledge on high tunnelproduction systems. The second day organized to provide more advanced knowledgewasdivided into two portions; the first half was conducted in a classroom and presentations were delivered to cover different aspects of water quality, nutrient management, soil health,sustainable soil management practices, high-tunnel production systems, and soilless production systems. The second session in the afternoon was conducted at the PSU Horticulture Research Farm for 6 different demonstration activities including media-based and water-culture soilless systems, nutrient solution calculation and preparation, pH and EC meter calibration, anaerobic soil disinfestation method, and high tunnel production systems. The project offered the opportunity to also train two undergraduate students that did an internship in the PSU Vegetable Lab within the 2019SpaceGrant WISER/MURE/FURP and the SROP program. The project also offered a training opportunity for a visiting research scholar (M.S. graduate student) from the University of Milan (Italy) who worked in the lab doing research on anaerobic soil disinfestation for 6 months. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results of the project have been disseminated to communities of interest through publications and outreach activities. During Penn State Ag Progress Days a demonstration station was set up for three days during the morning to talk and show people/master gardeners and anyone interested how and why to graft tomato plants showing them grafted plants and also the technique and tools required. Over 100 people visited our demo stand during the event. At the same time, a"High Tunnel Tour" was organized for 2 hours twice a day for three days in collaboration with the Penn State Small Fruit specialist Kathy Demchak and the collaboration of Dr. Elsa Sanchez. Over 150 people among growers, home gardeners, master gardeners, and some professionals attended the tour and learned about high tunnel vegetable production systems and ongoing research in both soil and soilless systems. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The Pennsylvania Vegetable Industry with an annual vegetable production value of $187,319,000 plays a fundamental role in assuring the availability of fresh, high-quality vegetables in the entire NE US region. The last AG Census revealed an increased vegetable production value (+44.8% in the last 5 years) and at the same time a decrease of vegetable acres in PA, thus, increasing the dependence of the NE US population on imported produce of lower quality and higher cost. To counteract this phenomenon, it is very important to support the PA Vegetable Industry by assisting vegetable growers in the adoption of more efficient and competitive production systems, technological innovations, and sustainable agronomic practices. The higher vegetable production value observed despite the decrease of vegetable acres is largely due to increased productivity per unit of land, adoption of more efficient production systems (high tunnel, greenhouse, soilless systems), and increased investment in higher-value crops. In such a phase of change, beginning growers require special assistance, while established growers are facing new challenges due to unpredictable adverse weather conditions, the introduction of new pests and diseases, lack of qualified workers, new regulations and restrictions in the use of agrochemicals. This project aims to assist the PA Vegetable Industry in generating science-based knowledge and solutions to support vegetable growers in the adoption of new production systems, the introduction of new crops, technical innovations, and more efficient agronomic practices, which in turn will contribute to improve the long-term sustainability of PA vegetable production systems. The project will also contribute to generate value and create new market opportunities by improving vegetable quality. For example, by developing and optimizing the process of Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation (ASD) the project can provide a new organic tool for the management of soil-borne pests and pathogens and reduce the application of synthetic agrochemicals benefiting consumers, farmworkers, and the environment. Rationalizing irrigation and fertilization of vegetable crops, this project will contribute to a more efficient use of resources, reducing production costs and risks for the environment, without decreasing yield and quality. Developing agronomic solutions that allow improvements in the quality and nutritional properties of vegetable products, this project can generate more value for the industry and contribute to enhancing consumer's health. In relationship toobjective 1, two preliminary greenhouse and field experiment allowed to identify cover crop species that could serve as a source of carbon (C) to activate the soil microbes and initiate the ASD process. Twelve species were compared in terms of fresh and dry biomass, content of total C and nitrogen (N), total sugars, and fraction of oxidizable C. Buckwheat resulted to be the best cover crop producing the largest biomass and C in the shortest time. In a follow-up high tunnel experiment, buckwheat has been tested as a C source alternative to molasses or in combination with molasses applied at half rate. Soil treatments were tested using black mulching film or clear film to examine the effect of the temperature on the anaerobic soil disinfestation process. Soil redox potential data collected for six weeks after treatment application revealed good efficacy of the treatment demonstrating that ASD could be applied at the end of the summer under PA conditions using buckwheat as a C source either by itself or in combination with molasses. Higher levels of anaerobicity were achieved using clear mulch. Cabbage has been planted to evaluate the effect of soil treatments on yield and quality. Thus far, no phytotoxic effects were observed. Regardingobjective 2, an irrigation study was conducted over the 2019 growing season testing different irrigation management strategies (conventional management, evapotranspiration-based, soil moisture sensor-based with two types of sensors, and decision support system (DSS) based irrigation). The study conducted on fresh-market tomato allowed to verify the advantages and disadvantages of each method, fruit yield data were collected and are currently being analyzed. Biometric assessments were performed on plant growth to calibrate and evaluate under PA environmental conditions the efficacy of the DSS "GesCoN" through the collaboration with a team of researchers from the University of Foggia (Italy) who developed the DSS). Plant tissue are being analyzed for total N content. In September, a second study has been established in a high tunnel at the Hort Research Farm to evaluate the performance of two types of soil moisture sensors (volumetric content and water potential) and compare different sensor-based or timer-based irrigation strategies using cabbage as a test crop. For the same objective a laboratory experiment is ongoing to assess the efficacy of nitrate-N and potassium (K) ion selective electrodes and determine the occurrence of any ionic interference caused from other ions. The experiment was conducted preparing solutions of specific salts at different concentrations which allowed to assess interferences of single ions or combination of different ions at different concentration levels within the reading range of each instrument. Collected data are currently being analyzed performing regression analysis. These portable tools could be used for the in-season, real-time, and site-specific management of the fertilization of vegetable crops grown in open field and under protected environment. The adoption of such tools has the potential to reduce costs of production, increase crop yield and quality and reduce the risks on nutrient loss in the environment by both conventional and organic systems. Regardingobjective 3, a greenhouse experiment started over the summer and is on-going to test the effect of alkalinity stress (an abiotic stress common for vegetable growers in areas of PA characterized by alkaline irrigation water) on tomato yield and quality. Tomato plants (cv Brandy Boy) non-grafted, self-grafted, or grafted into two alternative commercial rootstocks (Estamino and DRO141TX) and grown in pots filled with perlite are tested in response to fertigation with standard or alkaline nutrient solution for plant growth, fruit yield, and quality. For the same objective over the summer an experiment was conducted at the Penn State High Tunnel facility (part of the PSU Horticulture research Farm) aimed at assessing the effect of different plastic cover films (characterized by different profiles of transmittance to solar radiation) on yield and quality of two varieties of basil (green and red). Plants were grown in bags filled with a peat-perlite mix and assessments were conducted on crop yield at harvest. Plant tissue samples (stored in a -80°C deep freezer) are currently being freeze-dried and will be used for nutritional analyses. Besides observing yield differences between plants exposed to different types of cover, different incidence of downy mildew was observed between treatments. The same experiment is now being repeated using red cabbage as a test crop.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Di Gioia F.*, Petropoulos S.A., Ozores-Hampton M., Morgan K., Rosskopf E.N. 2019. Zinc and Iron Agronomic Biofortification of Brassicaceae Microgreens. Agronomy. 9, 677.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Shi L., Wang J., Gao Z.*, Zhao X., DI Gioia F., Guo H., Hong J., Ozores-Hampton M., Pisani C. Rosskopf E.N. 2019. Economic Analysis of Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation for Open-field Fresh-market Tomato Production in Southwest and North Florida. HortTechnology. 6, 1-11. Published online. Article in press.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Sanchez E., Butzler T., Elkner T., Pollock R., Thomas C., Di Gioia F. 2019. Pennsylvania State University Statewide Cultivar Evaluation Program. Horttechnology. Article in press.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Li Z.*, Di Gioia F., Hwang J.-In, Hong J., Ozores-Hampton M., Zhao X., Pisani C., Rosskopf E.N., Wilson P.C. 2019. Dissipation of Fomesafen in Fumigated, Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation-Treated, and Organic-Amended Soil in Florida Tomato Production Systems. Pest Management Science. Published online. Article in press.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Petropoulos S.A.*, Fernandes �., Calhelha R.C., Di Gioia F., Kolovou P., Barros L., Ferreira L.C.F.R. 2019. Chemical composition and bioactive properties of Cichorium spinosum L. in relation to nitrate/ammonium nitrogen ratio. Journal of Food Science and Agriculture. Published online. Article in press.
- Type:
Book Chapters
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Di Gioia, F., Pinela, J., de Haro Bailon, A., Fereira I.C.F.R., Petropoulos, S.A.* 2019. The dilemma of good and bad glucosinolates and the potential to regulate their content. In Glucosinolates: Properties, Recovery, and Applications edited by Galanakis C.M. Publisher: Elsevier Academic Press, pp 1-45. ISBN: 9780128164938
- Type:
Book Chapters
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Zhao X.*, Di Gioia F., Delate K., Rosskopf E.N., Guan W. 2019. Advances in organic cultivation of vegetable. In Ed. George Hochmuth, Achieving sustainable cultivation of vegetables Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, pp 1-31.
- Type:
Book Chapters
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Di Gioia, F., Petropoulos, S.A.* 2019. Phytoestrogens, phytosteroids and saponins in vegetables: Biosynthesis, functions, health effects and practical applications. In Functional Food Ingredients from Plants edited by Isabel C.F.R. Ferreira and Lillian Barros. Book series: Advances in Food and Nutrition Research, pp 352-421.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Luca Vecchia, Francesco Di Gioia*, Jason C. Hong, Charles White, Antonio Ferrante, Erin N. Rosskopf. 2019. Examining Cover Crops as Carbon Sources for Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation. 2019 Methyl Bromide Alternative Outreach Conference Proceedings
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Di Gioia F., Paudel B.R., Pisani C., Hong J.C., Zhao X., Ozores-Hampton M., Rosskopf E.N. 2019. Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation: Supplementary Soil Amendments Impact on Soil Nutrient, Plant Growth, Nutrient Uptake, and Yield in Fresh-Market Tomato. Annual Conference of the American Society for Horticultural Sciences July 21 25, 2019, Las Vegas, NE, USA.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Di Gioia F., Pisani C., Hong J.C., Rosskopf E.N. 2019. Variation of Minerals Concentration in a Selection of Seventeen Microgreens Species. Annual Conference of the American Society for Horticultural Sciences July 21 25, 2019, Las Vegas, NE, USA.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Paudel B.R., Guo H., Zhao X., Rosskopf E.N., Di Gioia F., Hong J.C., Mcnear D.H.Jr. 2019. Influence of Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation on Soil Microbial Community Changes in Field Tomato Production. Annual Conference of the American Society for Horticultural Sciences July 21 25, 2019, Las Vegas, NE, USA.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Di Gioia F. 2019. Getting your crop off to the best start: Nutrient placement & management. Mid-Atlantic fruit and vegetable convention proceedings. 29 January 2019, Hershey, PA, USA.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Petropoulos S.A.*, Fernandes �., Stojkovi D., Pereira C., Taofiq O., Di Gioia F., Tzortzakis N., Sokovic M., Barros L., Ferreira I.C.F.R.* 2019. Cotton and cardoon byproducts as potential growing media components for Cichorium spinosum L. commercial cultivation. Journal of Cleaner Production. 240, 118254.
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