Integrating phytosociological and agronomic analysis to support the sustainable management of Mediterranean grasslands

The paper analyses the integration of different methodologies for assessing the grazing value of grasslands, aimed at supporting decisions for their sustainable management, that is, the long term preservation of their productive potential. The attribution of an agronomic value (specific index) to each species can be used for a preliminary evaluation of their productive potential. It can be also considered a first step in the exploitation of data already available from studies made on grasslands using a range of approaches, among them phytosociological tables. A data base file containing a collection of Specific indices for 1796 taxa, based on evaluations made by different authors, who applied the Grazing Value method in a range of environments in the Mediterranean area, has been made available on the web site http://www.agr.unian.it/(download area, ricerca)

The Use of the grassmeter as a simplified method to estimate dry matter yield on annual self-reseeding medics and clovers

BACKGROUND. The grassmeter non-destructive method was used to estimate dry matter yield (DMY) of 24 annual self-reseeding legumes. The possibility was evaluated of using the grassmeter as an alternative to conventional destructive quadrats for large field plot experiments. METHODS. The linear regressions between sward height measured by the grassmeter and DMY were analysed. Three types of regression equations were calculated: (i) ‘general’, a single equation including the three-year set of height/DMY pairs of data; (ii) ‘specific’, one regression equation for each species; (iii) ‘preliminary’, calculated from the data collected in the spring and autumn cuts of the first year. RESULTS. The ‘general’ calibration gave a satisfactory estimate of DMY (R2=0.55). The ‘specific’ calibration was particularly accurate for Trifolium brachycalicynum “Osilo” (R2=0.88), T. squarrosum “Chilivani” (R2=0.81) and Medicago polymorpha “Circle Valley” (R2=0.81), but not for M. rugosa “Sapo” (R2=0.22) and “Paraponto” (R2=0.26). The ‘preliminary’ calibration, which was based only on the destructive assessment of DMY at the first cut, provided reliable estimates of DMY until the sward conditions, namely cover rate and weeds, were comparable to those of the calibration period. The coefficient of variation of the DMY estimate based on the grassmeter ‘general’ calibration was about 10% lower than that of the DMY measured with conventional quadrats. CONCLUSIONS. Results suggest that the grassmeter could effectively replace destructive measurements for estimating the DMY of annual self-reseeding legumes, thus reducing labour requirements and number of samples to be processed, or increasing, when needed, the number of accessions to compare and hence the inference of the experiment

Strategies for engagement on adaptation and mitigation with national and EU policy makers and with the agro-food chain sector

A process for the strategic mapping of national and EU policy makers to be engaged in an interactive and iterative process of learning was designed, based on literature review and specific experience of some participants. In this first intermediate version, we propose a stakeholder mapping process design which will ideally lead to setting the boundaries of context-sensitive systems of interest for pilot actions or interdisciplinary case studies. The mapping exercise will be tested by participant

Managing Agricultural Greenhouse Gases Network (MAGGnet): Exploring Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Potential of Cropland Management Practices

Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases Established: December 2009, United Nations Climate Change Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark•Purpose: Facilitate research, development and extension of technologies and practices that will help deliver ways to grow more food (and more climate-resilient food systems) without growing greenhouse gas emissions.•Current Membership: 46 countries (Europe, Americas, Asia Pacific, Africa

Advances of nanotechnology in agro-environmental studies

With the increase in the world population and the demand for food, new agricultural practices have been developed to improve food production through the use of more effective pesticides and fertilisers. These technologies can lead to an uncontrolled release of undesired substances into the environment, with the potential to contaminate soil and groundwater. Today, nanotechnology represents a promising approach to improve agricultural production and remediate polluted sites. This paper reviews the recent applications of nanotechnologies in agro-environmental studies with particular attention to the fate of nanomaterials once introduced in water and soil, to the advantages of their use and their possible toxicology. Findings show that the use of nanomaterials can improve the quality of the environment and help detect and remediate polluted sites. Only a small number of nanomaterials demonstrated potential toxic effects. These are discussed in detail

Effetti dell'intensità di utilizzazione sulla produzione foraggera e sull'azotofissazione della sulla

Objectives of this research were (I) to quantify nitrogen fixation under field conditions of sweetvetch in relation to the cutting intensity; (II) to evaluate the effect of the control species on the reliability of the estimate of nitrogen fixation, using the nitrogen balance method (NB); (III) to verify the possibility of application of the natural abundance method (NA) in the environmental conditions of the experimental site. Two cutting intensities were compared: intensive (2 early cuts in spring and 1 autumn cut) and extensive (1 cut in spring + possible cleaning cut in summer). Three control species were tested: Lolium hybridum, Cicorium inthybus and Phalaris aquatica. The intensive cutting regime showed higher levels of nitrogen fixation in the above ground phytomass compared to those achievabie through extensive utilization (about 300 vs. 235 kg N ha-1). The nitrogen fixation assessed by the NB method was underestimated when Phalaris aquatica was used as control species, while nitrogen fixation was not affected by the control species using the NA method. The results show that soil δ 15N in the experimental site was sufficient for the application of NA method. The δ 15N of sulla cultivated in a soil without combined nitrogen was obtained indirect1y (B = -2,4) by assuming that the percentage of nitrogen fixation on total nitrogen of sulla is never higher than 95%. Further investigations are required to verify this parameter and to evaluate the fate of fixed nitrogen in the following crop after a legume crop. The dynamics of the morphological stage of deveIopment, of the leaf to stem ratio and of the total nitrogen of the aboveground phytomass influenced the reliability of the control species using the NB method

Stakeholder Analysis for Sharing Agro-environment Issues Towards Concerted Action: A Case Study on Diffuse Nitrate Pollution

There is increasing need for participatory approaches to support the development of sustainable farming systems, based on the active involvement of stakeholders in the definition of research objectives and priorities. This paper reports the experience of a team of agronomy researchers involved in the SLIM project (http://slim.open.ac.uk), around a case study of nitrate pollution. The agro-ecosystem analysis included biophysical processes at microcatchment scale and the stakeholders' perceptions, interests and practices related to the nitrate issue (stakeholders analysis). The conceptual SLIM framework model supported new interactions among stakeholders, that were facilitated by researchers, using dialogical tools to enable them to use scientific data and to integrate their own knowledge on the farming system. The agro-environment policies, based on compulsory prescriptions, revealed weak assumptions and insufficient integration of scientific knowledge. The stakeholder analysis contributed to the identification of priorities both for scientific research and agro-environment policies. Researchers provided the site-specific scientific knowledge, in a way that enabled stakeholders to identify the relationships between agricultural practices, landscape values and the nitrate pollution issue and to elaborate shared strategies to develop concerted actions. New spaces for interaction between researchers and stakeholders should be created to face complex agro-environment issues at catchment scale, such as the nitrate pollution of groundwater. The implication for agronomy research is that the experiments should be designed to produce suitable results to facilitate participatory sessions and that it is worthwhile to invest in specific skills of communication science and group dynamics management within the agronomy researchers' community, in order to integrate agronomy knowledge into high quality participatory processes

Developing adaptive responses to contextual changes for sustainable agricultural management: The role of social capital in the Arborea district (Sardinia, Italy)

This article investigates the role played by social capital (in terms of bonding, bridging and linking social capital) in developing adaptive responses to contextual changes (environmental, social and economic) at the local scale. Three questions guided the research: can social capital produce resilience and collective action? Could environmental barriers be turned into opportunities? Can social capital contribute to long-term adaptation to change? Results obtained from a qualitative research conducted in the Arborea district (Sardinia, Italy) show how collective actions to adapt to contextual changes are both results and generators of robust social capital. On the one hand, social capital contributes towards increasing resilience by generating collective responses to contextual changes without compromising the structural functions of the system; on the other hand, the lack of a clear regulatory framework for facilitating the development of local collective adaptive responses, depresses foresight strategies

Analisi spazio-temporale della produzione di praterie secondarie nell'Appennino umbro-marchigiano (Italia)

The paper shows the results of a study conducted in the Apennine region of Umbria and Marche (central Italy), to assess the forage production of native pastureland and grazed meadows analysing its space-time variations. The ultimate objective of the study was to gain useful information to promote a sustainable management of these pastureland. The grassland production was low, due to the rainfall distribution during the growing season. The space-time analysis of grass heights showed that the grazing intensity was high. However, the current management allowed the maintenance of the grassland and of its potential production, which could be constrained by the abandonment. The weighted plate meter proved to be effective in estimating grass production and its space-time variations in wide areas