BASI DI PEDOLOGIA. Cos’è il suolo, come si forma, come va descritto e classificato.
Certini G., and F.C. Ugolini. Edagricole, Edizioni Agricole Il Sole 24 Ore, Bologna, 2010.
pp. 196. ISBN 978-88-506-5286-0. € 19.00.

At a time when the study of crops is increasingly refers to the soil characteristics in which
they grow, the text by Giacomo Certini and Fiorenzo Cesare Ugolini is unanimous and enthusi-
astically welcomed by the scientific world, and agricultural world in general. Knowing soil
texture, its constitution and origin is the first step to set up and rationally manage each crop.
Furthermore, in the context of fruit tree species, the optimal balance between vegetation and
production depends largely on the relationships between rootstock and soil and, therefore,
between plant and peculiar soil characteristics which for many years will host the root system.
The work of the aforementioned authors is, therefore, a long-awaited, scientific and technical
reference for those who want to deepen their knowledge in the “horizon” of soil.

The text is well articulated and the essential themes, accurately and deeply treated, reflect
the rigorous expertise of the authors in the field. The volume includes the following eight chap-
ters. 1. Che cos’è il suolo, a cosa serve e come si forma (What is soil, what is it for how does it
forms); 2. Le fasi del suolo (Soil phases); 3. Il profilo del suolo e la sua descrizione (The soil

profile and its description); 4. Le forme di humus (The forms of humus); 5. I fattori della formazione del suolo (Factors of soil for-
mation); 6. I processi pedogenetici (Pedogenic processes); 7. La Soil Taxonomy. Gli orizzonti diagnostici e i regimi pedoclimatici
(Soil Taxonomy. Diagnostic horizons and soil and climate regimes); 8. I dodici ordini della Soil Taxonomy (The Twelve Orders of
Soil Taxonomy).

The volume is completed by an ample and rich list of references and a useful analytic index.
Furthermore, the wide range of tables, figures in black and white and color make it easy to read and support the display of top-

ics. The text is an indispensable tool for students, to whom is addressed, but there is no doubt about the value it can bring to those
working in agriculture, either as scholars or direct operators.

Cinzia Silori

OLEUM. Manuale dell’olio da olive. Ricci A. (ed.) Edagricole, Edizioni Agricole Il Sole 24
Ore, Bologna, 2011. pp. 320. ISBN 978-88-506-5276-1. € 45.00.

With the release of “Oleum”, this interesting and qualified volume adds to those concerning
the complex and brood Agro-Industries topic. The text, written in the specific context of the
processing of olives into oil, has makes use of the collaboration, synergistic and additive, of the
most talented scholars in the field. The result obtained by the editor, Antonio Ricci, is that of a
harmonic fusion of scientific knowledge that, right from the first chapter, gives the reader a
broad and updated view of Knowledge and acquisitions. Each chapter, cleverly arranged in a
crescendo of technical and scientific horizons, deals with the specific issues by providing, in
addition to an up-to-date view of the topic, also a large repertoire of bibliographic references.
The topics are organized as follows. 1. La chimica dell’olio da olive (Chemistry of olive oil)
(G. Lercker); 2. Normativa sui requisiti chimici, fisici e organolettici degli oli di oliva
(Regulatory requirements on chemical, physical and organoleptic characteristics of olive oil)
(L. Conte); 3. I contaminanti e la filiera produttiva degli oli di oliva (Contaminants and the
olive oil production process) (L. Conte, S. Moret, G. Purcaro, T. Populin, A. Ermacora, and M. Marega); 4. Caratteristiche chimi-
co-fisiche dell’oliva e dell’olio con riferimenti alle cultivar più diffuse (Physical and chemical characteristics of olive and oil with
reference to the most cultivated cultivars) (G. Panelli); 5. L’olivo e l’olio nell’emisfero sud (Olive and oil in the southern hemi-
sphere) (G. Panelli); 6. Caratterizzazione molecolare delle varietà di olive e degli oli di oliva (Molecular characterization of olive
varieties and of olive oils (L. Baldoni, R. Mariotti, and N.G.M. Cultrera); 7. Tecnologie di estrazione, conservazione, packaging e
loro riflessi sulla qualità dell’olio vergine di oliva (Extraction, storage and packaging technologies and their impact on virgin
olive oil quality) (M. Servili, S. Esposto, A. Taticchi and R. Sacchi); 8. Utilizzazione dei reflui oleari (Use of oil wastewater pro-
duction) (M. Servili, S. Esposto, S. Urbani, A. Taticchi, and M. Petruccioli); 9. Caratteristiche meccaniche e funzionali degli
impianti di estrazione dell’olio di oliva (Mechanical and functional characteristics of olive oil extraction machinery and wastewa-
ter mills) (P. Amirante); 10. Modelli strutturali di frantoi e collocazione logistica degli impianti (Structural models of mills and
logistic location of facilities) (P. Amirante); 11. Oli aromatizzati (Aromatic oils) (L. Cerretani); 12. Utilizzo dell’olio nella prepa-
razione dei prodotti agroalimentari (Using oil in the preparation of foodstuffs) (L. Cerretani); 13. Valutazione sensoriale degli oli
vergini di oliva e loro classificazione (Sensory evaluation of virgin olive oils and their classification) (A. Giomo); 14. La valuta-
zione sensoriale degli oli vergini di oliva (Sensory evaluation of virgin olive oils) (B. Alfei); 15. Normativa relativa alla commer-
cializzazione dell’olio di oliva (Legislation on olive oil marketing) (R. Filo della Torre).

The elegant typographical presentation and the impressive range of tables and images in black and white and color make the
work not only attractive but also make reading it a pleasent and fuild experience. For its peculiar characteristics, the text addresses
a broad spectrum of readers: from student to scientists of the subject, from the technical crusher to the manufacturer of machinery
for olive oil extraction, and from traders to the legislators.

Enrico Rinaldelli

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