BACKGROUND Traditional alcoholic beverages (TABs) have only received marginal attention from researchers and ethnobotanists so far, especially in Italy. This work is focused on plant-based TABs in the Alta Valle del Reno, a mountainous area on the border between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna regions. The aims of our study were to document local knowledge about TABs and to analyze and discuss the d...

Tetraploid sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) exhibits gametophytic self-incompatibility (GSI) whereby the specificity of self-pollen rejection is controlled by alleles of the stylar and pollen specificity genes, S-RNase and SFB (S haplotype-specific F-box protein gene), respectively. As sour cherry selections can be either self-compatible (SC) or self-incompatible (SI), polyploidy per se does not...

In this study the sensitivity of peach tree (Prunus persica L.) to three water stress levels from mid-pit hardening until harvest was assessed. Seasonal patterns of shoot and fruit growth, gas exchange (leaf photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and transpiration) as well as carbon (C) storage/mobilization were evaluated in relation to plant water status. A simple C balance model was also develo...

Nonchemical quarantine treatments, using a combination of short-duration high temperatures under low oxygen, elevated carbon dioxide atmospheric environment were developed to control codling moth in sweet cherries, Prunus avium (L.). The two treatments developed are a chamber temperature of 45 degrees C for 45 min and a chamber temperature of 47 degreesC for 25 min under a 1% oxygen, 15% carbon...

We studied relationships between diurnal patterns of stem water potential (PsiSTEM) and stem extension growth of the same scion cultivar growing on three rootstocks with differing size-controlling potentials. The peach trees (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) used in this field experiment consisted of an early-maturing freestone cultivar, 'Flavorcrest,' grafted onto three different rootstocks: Nemagu...

In the present study, chemical composition and in situ rumen dry matter degradability (DMD) of some tree species (cherry, apricot and almond tree leaves) were determined. Crude protein (CP) concentration varied from 6.76% for almond tree to 2.76% for cherry tree, neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF), from 29.2, 20.8% for apricot tree to 20.8 and 15.8% for almond tree lea...

Microsatellite markers were used to describe the genetic variability of four seed stands of wild cherry (Prunus avium L.). One hundred and thirty one individuals were genotyped at ten nuclear microsatellite loci. Total genetic diversity was high (H(E) = 0.704), while differences between stands were small but significant (F(ST) = 0.053, G'(ST) = 0.234). There was a significant amount of clonal r...

To break dormancy and increase the germination of Prunus avium L. (mazzard cherry) seeds, various methods were tested including the removal of the seed coat after cold moist stratification and treatment with GA3, KNO3, or thiourea. Treatments with 7,500 ppm KNO3 after 120 days of stratification were more effective, yielding 64.54% germination of seeds with coat. In seeds without coat, 500 ppm G...

The capability of Prunus amygdalus L. (almond) shell for dye removal from aqueous solutions was investigated and methyl orange was used as a model compound. The effects of operational parameters including pH, ionic strength, adsorbent concentration and mesh size, dye concentration, contact time, and temperature on the removal of dye were evaluated. The adsorption kinetics conformed to the pseud...

ABSTRACT Peaches and nectarines are frequently attacked by the green peach aphid Myzus persicae (Sulzer), with significant negative impacts on fruit production. The genetic variability of resistance to this aphid among commercial cultivars of Prunus persica (L.) Batsch and Prunus persica variety nectarina was evaluated in this study. In total, 16 cultivars of P. persica were selected to evaluat...