Sustainable forage system management
TAG: forage crops, forage quality, animal manure, soil fertility, environmental protection, agro-pastoral management, behavior of grazing livestock, characterization of forage systems
Design of sustainable forage systems capable of integrating feed quality and environmental quality - soil, water and air -, following a "One health" approach of the whole livestock and agronomic system:
- identification of agricultural practices that maximise the quality of farm forages,
- improved agricultural and environment-friendly use of animal manures,
- nitrates Directive, ammonia and GHG emissions,
- soil fertility ad health,
- agronomic management, conservation and restoration of meadows and pastures in lowland and mountain environments,
- characterisation of forage systems,
- relations between forage resource and animal grazing behaviour (tracking with GPS collars),
- relations between agro-pastoral management, vegetation and soil.
- 2021-2025, H2020-SFS-40-2020 TUdi (Transforming Unsustainable management of soils in key agricultural systems in EU and China. Developing an integrated platform of alternatives to reverse soil degradation), GA 101000224. Coordinator José Alfonso Gómez (ES), resp. U.O. L. Zavattaro. www.tudi-project.org
- 2020-2024, H2020-MSCA-ITN-2019: FertiCycle (New bio-based fertilisers from organic waste upcycling), GA 860127. Coordinator L.S. Jensen (DK), Unit responsible C. Grignani
- 2018-2023, H2020-SFS-2017-2 Super-G (Developing SUstainable PERmanent Grassland systems and policies), GA 774124. Coordinator P. Newell Price (UK, Unit responsible D. Sacco. www.super-g.eu
- 2012-2014, FP7 KBBE.2011.1.2-01 CATCH-C (Compatibility of Agricultural Management Practices and Types of Farming in the EU to enhance Climate Change Mitigation and Soil Health), GA 289782. Coordinator H. Ten Berge (NL), Unit responsible C. Grignani. www.catch-c.eu
- 2020 – 2024, PSR FILIERBA - Sviluppo di filiere zootecniche basate su foraggi polifiti per superare le difficoltà dei comparti carne e latte e migliorare la sostenibilità degli allevamenti. Coordinator G. Lombardi (IT)
- Dǎmǎtîrcǎ C., Moretti B., Bertora C., Ferrarini A., Lerda C., Mania I., Celi L., Gorra R., Zavattaro L.*, 2023. Residue incorporation and organic fertilisation improve carbon and nitrogen turnover and stabilisation in maize monocropping. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 342: 108255. DOI 10.1016/j.agee.2022.108255
- Abdalla M.*, Espenberg M., Zavattaro L., Lellei-Kovacsc E., Mander U., Smith K., Thorman T., Damatirca C., Schils R., Ten-Berge H., Newell-Price P, Smith P., 2022. Does liming grasslands increase biomass productivity without causing detrimental impact on net greenhouse emissions? Environmental Pollution 300: 118999. DOI 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.118999
- Pittarello M., Lonati M., Ravetto Enri S., Lombardi G. (2020). Environmental factors and management intensity affect in different ways plant diversity and pastoral value of alpine pastures. Ecological Indicators, 115, art. no. 106429
- Schils R.L.M.*, Bufe C., Rhymer C., Francksen R., Klaus V.H., Abdalla M., Milazzo F., Lellei-Kovács E., ten Berge H., Bertora C., Chodkiewicz C., Dǎmǎtîrcǎ C., Feigenwinter I., Fernández-Rebollo P., Ghiasi S., Hejduk S., Hiron M., Janicka M., Pellaton R., Smith K., Thorman R., Vanwalleghem T., Williams J., Zavattaro L., Kampen J., Derkx R., Smith P., Whittingham M.J., Buchmann N., Newell Price P., 2022. Permanent grasslands in Europe: land use change and intensification decrease their multifunctionality. Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment 330: 107891. DOI 10.1016/j.agee.2022.107891
- Mainetti, A., Enri, S.R., Pittarello, M., Lombardi, G., Lonati, M., 2023. Main ecological and environmental factors affecting forage yield and quality in alpine summer pastures (NW‐Italy, Gran Paradiso National Park). Grass and Forage Science. https://doi.org/10.1111/gfs.12609
- Ravetto Enri S.*, Petrella F., Ungaro F., Zavattaro L., Mainetti A., Lombardi G., Lonati M., 2021. Relative importance of plant species composition and environmental factors in affecting soil Carbon stocks of Alpine pastures (NW Italy). Agriculture 11: 1047. DOI 10.3390/agriculture11111047
- Bechini L., Costamagna C., Zavattaro L.*, Grignani C., Bijttebier J, Ruysschaert G. - Drivers and barriers to adopt best management practices. Survey among Italian dairy farmers - 2019 J. Clean. Prod. 245: 118825 Doi 10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.118825
- Xu H.*, Vandecasteele B., Zavattaro L., Sacco D., Wendland M., Boeckx P, Haesaert G., Sleutel S. - Maize root-derived C in soil and the role of physical protection on its relative stability over shoot-derived - 2019. C. Eur. J. Soil Sci. 70(5): 935-946. DOI 10.1111/ejss.12792
- Svensk, M., Pittarello, M., Nota, G., Schneider, M.K., Allan, E., Mariotte, P., Probo, M., 2021. Spatial Distribution of Highland Cattle in Alnus viridis Encroached Subalpine Pastures. Front. Ecol. Evol. 9, 626599. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2021.626599
- Hijbeek R.*, Pronk A., van Ittersum M.K., Verhagen A., Ruysschaert G., Bijttebier J., Zavattaro L., Bechini L., SchlatterN., ten Berge H.F.M. - Use of organic inputs by arable farmers in six agro-ecological zones across Europe: Drivers and barriers - 2019. Agric. Ecosys. Environ. 275: 42-53. DOI 10.1016/j.agee.2019.01.008
- Pittarello, M., Ravetto Enri, S., Lonati, M., Lombardi, G., 2021. Slope and distance from buildings are easy-to- retrieve proxies for estimating livestock site- use intensity in alpine summer pastures. PLoS One 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259120
- Sandén T.*, Zavattaro L., Spiegel H., Grignani C., Sandén H., Baumgarten A., Tiirola M., Mikkonen A. - Out of sight: Profiling soil characteristics, nutrients and bacterial communities affected by organic amendments down to one meter in a long-term maize experiment - 2019. Appl. Soil Ecol. 134: 54-63. DOI 10.1016/j.apsoil.2018.10.017
- Hou Y.*, Velthof G.L., Case S.D.C., Oelofse M., Grignani C., Balsari P., Zavattaro L., Gioelli F., Bernal M.P., Fangueiro D., Trinidade H., Jensen L.S., Oenema O. - Stakeholders' perceptions of manure treatment technologies in Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain - 2017 Journal of Cleaner Production 172: 1620-1630. DOI 10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.10.162
- Pittarello M., Lonati M., Gorlier A., Perotti E., Probo M., Lombardi G. (2018). Plant diversity and pastoral value in alpine pastures are maximized at different nutrient indicator values. Ecological Indicators, 85, pp. 518-524
- Zavattaro L., Bechini L*. Grignani C., van Evert F.K., Mallast J., Spiegel H., Sandén T., Pecio A., Giráldez Cervera J.V., Guzmán G., Vanderlinden K., D’Hose T., Ruysschaert G., ten Berge H.F.M. - Agronomic effects of bovine manure: A review of long-term European field experiments - 2017 European Journal of Agronomy 90: 127-138. DOI 10.1016/j.eja.2017.07.010
- Zavattaro L.*, Assandri D., Grignani C. - Achieving legislation requirements with different nitrogen fertilization strategies: results from a long term experiment - 2016 Eur. J. Agron. 77: 199-208. DOI 10.1016/j.eja.2016.02.004
- Zavattaro L.*, Monaco, S., Sacco D., Grignani C. - Options to reduce N loss from maize in intensive cropping systems in Northern Italy - 2012 Agric. Ecosys. Environ. 147: 24-35. DOI 10.1016/j.agee.2011.05.020
- Bassanino M., Sacco D., Zavattaro L.*, Grignani C. - Nutrient balance as a sustainability indicator of different agro- environments in Italy - 2011 Ecol. Indic. 11: 715-723. DOI 10.1016/j.ecolind.2010.05.005
- Perotti E., Probo M., Pittarello M., Lonati M., Lombardi G. (2018). A 5-year rotational grazing changes the botanical composition of sub-alpine and alpine grasslands. Applied Vegetation Science, 21 (4), pp. 647-657
- Svensk, M., Nota, G., Mariotte, P., Pittarello, M., Barberis, D., Lonati, M., Allan, E., Perotti, E., Probo, M., 2022. Use of Molasses-Based Blocks to Modify Grazing Patterns and Increase Highland Cattle Impacts on Alnus viridis-Encroached Pastures. Front. Ecol. Evol. 10, 849809. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.849809
- Nota, G., Berretti, R., Ascoli, D., Barberis, D., Ravetto Enri, S., Pittarello, M., Motta, R., Battaglini, L.M., Lombardi, G., Lonati, M., 2022. Plant species selection and impact on tree resprouts by semi-free ranging pigs in a temperate deciduous forest. Agroforest Syst. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-022-00792-1
- Prof. Carlo Grignani (UniTO-Disafa)
- Prof. Giampiero Lombardi (UniTO-Disafa)
Team
Pr. Laura Zavattaro (Coordinator)
Pr. Manuela Renna (Coordinator)
Dr. Marco Pittarello
Contacts
laura.zavattaro@unito.it
manuela.renna@unito.it