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Wild cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.) is a promising crop for biomass production. A nursery trial was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of mycorrhizal inoculation on the biomass yield of wild cardoon seedlings and the effect of the pesticides fosetyl-Al, folpet and propamocarb, as fungicides, and isofenphos, phoxim and oxamyl, as insecticides, on cardoon plant growth and the mycorrhization. The arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi inocula were: commercial inoculum with Glomus mosseae spores, and an inoculum of a Glomus sp. strain (AMF-i) isolated locally. Mycorrhizal inoculation with either inoculum increased cardoon shoot biomass compared to non-inoculated control plants. The pesticide applications had a neutral or positive effect on cardoon seedling growth. However, the AM fungi colonisation did not decrease except for plants colonised by G. mosseae and treated with the insecticides isofenphos and oxamyl. Thus, the mycorrhiza can survive to pesticide concentrations employed in commercial nursery, and enhance cardoon plant productivity.

Cover crops may improve vineyard soil properties, grapevine nutrient status and berry composition, however, factors such as cover crop type, annual rainfall, climate and irrigation may change their effects on vineyards. From 2008 to 2011, the effects of a non-permanent cover crop and two pruning techniques on soil as well as vine nutrients and grapevine performance of two vineyards (cv. Tempranillo and cv. Bobal) were evaluated. For that purpose, two legumes were sown in inter-rows of hand-pruned vines in February and were tilled at flowering.Soil tillage, or cover cropping, was combined with either light pruning or severe pruning to study foliar nutrient variations. Soil N, P, K and total organic carbon (TOC) were determined in samples taken from the Ap1 horizon in January prior to vine pruning. Foliar N, P, K contents

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