Dr. Francesco Di Gioia

a headshot of Dr. Di GioiaDr. Francesco Di Gioia

Assistant Professor

Department: Plant Science
College:  Agricultural Sciences
Address: 207 Tyson Building
Phone: 814-863-2195
E-mail: fxd92@psu.edu
Website: https://plantscience.psu.edu/directory/fxd92

 

Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation and Soil Health

Horticultural crops are subject to several soilborne pests and pathogens typically managed using chemical fumigants. As the use of synthetic chemistry continues to raise concerns about its impact on the environment and human health, more sustainable solutions are needed. Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation (ASD) is a biological soil disinfestation approach employing alternative organic amendments and their anaerobic decomposition to manage a range of soilborne pests and pathogens in different horticultural crops. The method initially developed in Japan and The Netherlands has been tested and employed primarily in warmer environments. Our lab is working on optimizing the use of this biotechnology under the conditions of the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region, while contributing also to expand our understanding of the mechanisms involved in the suppression of soilborne pests and pathogens through ASD. In this context, we are working on upcycling by-products of the local agri-food industry that otherwise are considered waste, for the management of soilborne pests and pathogens.

Plasma Agriculture Solutions

Plasma is the fourth state of the matter and has been used for many industrial applications. Recently with the development of solutions to generate non-thermal plasma and plasma activated water, Plasma Agriculture is developing as a new discipline. Working in collaboration with engineers our lab is developing and testing novel plasma agriculture technologies with the goal of improving the sustainability of current vegetable production systems and improving the nutritional value of vegetable products.

Microgreens as a Functional Food

Microgreens have gained great popularity among consumers for their nutritional profile and high content of antioxidant compounds. The wide range of species used to produce microgreens is associated with the rich variety of colors, shapes, textural properties, and flavors that microgreens can offer. Microgreens are considered nutrient-dense crops and their short growth cycle and little space required allow to produce microgreens even indoor and at the household level. Our lab is developing sustainable microgreens production solutions and is developing novel approaches for the agronomic biofortification of microgreens in order to obtain functional fresh greens that may be used to address specific dietary needs.