Resilience and variability in soil nematode communities under nickel contamination: the mitigating role of olive trees.

This study explores the effect of nickel contamination on the nematode community and assesses whether the presence of olive plants mitigates its impact. Soil samples were collected from both olive-cultivated and bare plots across a gradient of nickel concentrations (40, 70, and 120 ppm) in a Mediterranean agroecosystem. The results indicate that, even at high nickel concentrations (120 ppm), the presence of olive plants promoted the nematode community, while lower concentrations (40 ppm) favored the proliferation of bacterivorous nematodes (i.

The effect of anaerobic digestate as an organic soil fertilizer on the diversity and structure of the indigenous soil microbial and nematode communities.

Anaerobic digestate is a popular soil additive which can promote sustainability and transition toward a circular economy. This study addresses how anaerobic digestate modifies soil health when combined with a common chemical fertilizer. Attention was given to soil microbes and, a neglected but of paramount importance soil taxonomic group, soil nematodes.

Performance of graphene and traditional soil improvers in limiting nutrients and heavy metals leaching from a sandy Calcisol.

Given the large amount of Graphene produced in the last years, there is the need to introduce this new material into a green and circular economy loop. In this study, for the first time, the fate of nutrients and heavy metals in a sandy Calcisol amended with Graphene was monitored and compared to other traditional improvers such as Compost, Zeolites, and Biochar. This was performed via saturated and unsaturated columns' experiments with two different fertilization regimes: one with NPK fertilizer and one with an innovative fertigation water (FW) produced from a pilot wastewater treatment plant.

Screening of pesticides and emerging contaminants in eighteen Greek lakes by using target and non-target HRMS approaches: Occurrence and ecological risk assessment.

Lakes, albeit ecosystems of vital importance, are insufficiently investigated with respect to the degradation of water quality due to the organic micropollutants load. As regards Greece, screening of lake waters is scarce and concerns a limited number of contaminants. However, understanding the occurrence of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and other micropollutants in lakes is essential to appraise their potential ecotoxicological effects.

A soil parameter dataset collected by agricultural farms in northern Greece.

In this dataset we present soil data analyses with properties such as pH, organic matter (OM), salinity (EC), etc., major elements (N, P, K, Mg) as well as some microelements (Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, B) with significant impact on plant nutrition. The samples were collected from the top 30 cm of the soil depth through a period of 5 successive years.

The Role of Microbial Inoculants on Plant Protection, Growth Stimulation, and Crop Productivity of the Olive Tree ( L.).

The olive tree ( L.) is an emblematic, long-living fruit tree species of profound economic and environmental importance. This study is a literature review of articles published during the last 10 years about the role of beneficial microbes [Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF), Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR), Plant Growth Promoting Fungi (PGPF), and Endophytes] on olive tree plant growth and productivity, pathogen control, and alleviation from abiotic stress.

Run to the hills: exotic fish invasions and water quality degradation drive native fish to higher altitudes.

While the significance of anthropogenic pressures in shaping species distributions and abundances is undeniable, some ambiguity still remains on their relative magnitude and interplay with natural environmental factors. In our study, we examined 91 late-invasion-stage river locations in Northern Italy using ordination methods and variance partitioning (partial-CCA), as well as an assessment of environmental thresholds (TITAN), to attempt to disentangle the effects of eutrophication and exotic species on native species. We found that exotic species, jointly with water quality (primarily eutrophication) and geomorphology, are the main drivers of the distribution of native species and that native species suffer more joint effects than exotic species.

The effect of water velocity on nitrate removal in vegetated waterways.

The extended networks of canals and ditches in agricultural landscapes provide high buffer capacity towards nitrogen (N) excess. Their N mitigation potential depends on several biotic and abiotic factors, among which water velocity is poorly explored and generally omitted from the parameterization of this remarkable ecosystem service. The present work reports new insights on the role of flow velocity in regulating N removal via denitrification in sediments colonized by Phragmites australis.

Testing Spirotetramat as an Alternative Solution to Abamectin for Cacopsylla pyri (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) Control: Laboratory and Field Tests.

Aim of the study was to investigate the performance of the new insecticide "spirotetramat" as an alternative solution of "abamectin" for the control of Cacopsylla pyri L. (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) in the context of an IPM program in European pear, Pyrus communis L..

Water quality in irrigation and drainage networks of Thessaloniki plain in Greece related to land use, water management, and agroecosystem protection.

A representative agricultural area of 150 ha located in a protected ecosystem (Axios River Delta, Thermaikos Gulf-N. Aegean, Greece) was selected in order to investigate water quality parameters [pH, electrical conductivity (EC(w)), NO(3)-N, NH(4)-N, total phosphorus (TP)] in irrigation and drainage water. In the study area, the cultivated crops are mainly rice, maize, cotton, and fodder.