Ozone distribution in central Italy and its effect on crop productivity

The focus of the present study was to assess the ozone levels in a typical area of the Mediterranean basin, viz. Tuscany (central Italy). Eighty-thousand hourly mean ozone concentrations were recorded by 10 automatic analysers in the districts of Florence, Pisa, Lucca and Prato, from May to September 1995 to 1997. The highest daily mean concentrations were reached in Florence, with a maximum hourly average of 197 ppb. In Lucca and Pisa, the peaks were close to 100 ppb. Data from Prato were much lower. Long-term critical levels for vegetation, as set by United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), were constantly exceeded in Florence and Pisa, occasionally in Lucca, never in Prato. The results were used to fit exposure/yield response relationships proposed by UNECE and US National Crop Loss Assessment Network for some important crops. The estimated yield losses varied in Florence from 8% for corn and alfalfa to 27% for soybean, in Pisa from 5% for corn to 24% for soybean, in Lucca from 3% for corn to 17% for soybean. A preliminary economic estimate for corn, wheat, barley, soybean, tomato and alfalfa, calculated annual damage to be 4.6 M Euro in Florence, 0.5 M Euro in Lucca and 3 M Euro in Pisa. The picture must be regarded as only partial, as exposure/yield response relationships for important Italian crops (such as grapevine and vegetables) are not available.