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Carbon Footprint of By-Product Concentrate Feed: A Case Study
No full textUsing by-products in livestock feed can be an additional strategy for safeguarding land use in agriculture and reducing the environmental impact of animal production. Studies conducted on farms to assess the environmental impact of milk and meat production using life-cycle assessment (LCA) tools reveal that feeding accounts for approximately one-third. This study aimed to calculate the carbon footprint (CF) of three different concentrated feeds for livestock, both with and without the inclusion of by-products in the formulation. Three different formulations of concentrated feeds for dairy cows were developed homogeneously regarding energy content and crude protein. The LCA approach assessed CF in kg CO2 eq.; the functional unit was 1 kg of concentrate feed. A sensitive analysis of soybean meal’s association with deforestation was formulated. The concentrated feed with by-products demonstrated a lower impact on CF of 23.7% and 37.0% compared to concentrated feed with a mix of raw material and by-products, and solely with raw material, respectively. Using agricultural by-products to produce concentrated feed for livestock sectors can be an environmentally sound alternative in terms of carbon footprint
Effects of Biostimulant Foliar Applications on Morphological Traits, Yield, Antioxidant Capacity, and Essential Oil Composition of Thymus vulgaris L. Under Field Conditions
Get PDFPlant biostimulants are used to promote plant growth by increasing tolerance to abiotic stressors and improving the efficiency of natural resource use. In the present two-year research (2022–2023 and 2023–2024), the effects of biostimulant foliar applications on the morphological parameters, fresh and dry yields, antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content, and chemical composition of the essential oil of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) were studied. For this purpose, four commercial biostimulants, Biostimol Plus + Peptamin-V Plus®, Acadian MPE®, Megafol®, and BlueN®, were evaluated on thyme cultivated in field conditions. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with five treatments and with three replications. During the second growing season, the plants treated with BlueN®, composed of the bacteria Methylobacterium symbioticum SB23, showed the highest plant weight (152.1 g plant−1), fresh biomass yield (501.9 g m−2), and dry yield (172.2 g m−2). BlueN® was the biostimulant that also obtained the highest essential oil yield in both years (0.47 and 0.53%), and for all biostimulants, the amount of thymol and carvacrol increased in the second year, especially with Megafol® (63.75 and 3.16%). The antioxidant capacity was enhanced in the second year by all biostimulants, according to the ABTS assay, but in particular, by BlueN® and BPPVP (26.97 μmol/g and 25.01 μmol/g), while the phenolic content was higher in the first year, especially with BlueN® (65.98 mg GAE/g Extract). The other biostimulants had less intense effects. In conclusion, the biostimulants influenced some characteristics of the essential oil, but the greatest influencers were BlueN®, Megafol®, and BPPVP. © 2025 by the authors
Carlo Lauberg fra farmacia e politica: una militanza nascosta, ma non dimenticata
No full textCarlo Lauberg (1762-1834), a leading figure of late eighteenth-century Italian patriotism, is primarily known thanks to Benedetto Croce, whose interpretation has reinforced the idea of 1799 as a clear watershed, dividing his life into an earlier phase devoted to political struggle and a later period marked by a retreat into private life. This study sheds light on the lesser-explored second phase of Lauberg’s life: his career as a military pharmacist in France, where he arrived as an exile in 1799 and remained until his death in 1834. Rather than dismissing the political dimension of his involvement in Napoleonic institutions, this analysis reexamines both the significance of his professional recognition and the difficulties he encountered. These challenges played a crucial role in shaping his actions during the Restoration when he deliberately sought to obscure his politically compromising past
Digitalization and analysis of fragile and inaccessible architectural heritage: the case study of Masseria del Cristo in Matera, Italy
No full textDigital 3D survey and modelling technologies allow to acquire easily and quickly high
quality information, which together with traditional research techniques help to
provide a very precise picture of Architectural Heritage and to catalogue its
typologies, techniques and construction materials. These technologies are also useful
for effectively disseminating the obtained results through consultation of 3D models
available online useful for scholars, technicians and other users. The use of remote
and “non-invasive” detection techniques can be applied for the protection of the
Architectural Heritage at risk of disappearing and especially for inaccessible sites. The
rural landscape of Matera preserves precious abandoned artifacts that are in critical
conservation status. For these reasons their documentation and timely recovery are
indispensable before an irreparable disappearance. The historical farmhouse known
as Masseria del Cristo, which today is in a state of ruin, is an effective test bench for
the proposed methodology. The study made it possible to understand the
evolutionary phases of the case study through careful literature and archival searches
on the topic. The case study was carried out with a UAV digital survey to elaborate a
3D digital model through Structure From Motion (SFM) processes, which formed the
basis for an analysis of traditional materials and construction technologies. All the
information acquired through the methodological steps has been merged into the
model, in order to quickly and easily disseminate the acquired information through
an existing web platform
From insect lipids to biodiesel through the bioconversion process of vegetable by-products
No full textLinking sustainable management to soil functions: physico-chemical and biological dynamics in a differentially managed wheat field.
No full textAmong today’s global challenges, soil degradation demands urgent and effective solutions. Investigating soil ecological dynamics and comparing farming practices can offer critical insights into soil health and support the design of resilient agroecosystems. This study evaluated the effects of different management practices on soil biological and physicochemical properties through a two-year field experiment featuring a wheat–chickpea rotation and pollinator-friendly plant mixes aligned with EU Common Agricultural Policy ecoschemes.
The experiment was conducted in Caselle in Pittari (Salerno, Italy), using three replicates across six treatments (Fig. 1): wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv Ardito) under sustainable management with organic amendment (P1); chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) in rotation with P1 (P2); wheat under conventional management with mineral fertilizer (NPK) (P3); O.P. RUSTICO mix (P4); O.P. ECO-5 PLUS mix (P5); and native spontaneous vegetation (P6). Soil samples were collected before sowing (control) and at flowering (F), and analyzed in the first year for bulk physicochemical parameters and enzymatic activities in rhizosphere (MRP) and rhizosheath (MRS) compartments, following protocols of the Italian Ministry of Agriculture.
Principal Component Analysis (PCA) accounted for 59% of the total data variance, with PC1 (37%) driven by biological activity and organic matter, and PC2 (22%) reflecting soil textural and chemical traits. Sustainable management (P1) aligned with vectors of biological indicators (β-GLU, DHA, URE, organic C), whereas conventional management (P3) samples appeared more dispersed and oriented toward mineralogical variables. Control samples distinctly differed from flowering samples. Notably, F-MRP-P3 and F-MRS-P3 clustered in a PCA region opposite to enzymatic activity and organic nutrient indicators, suggesting a mineral-dominated soil with reduced biological function under conventional practices. In contrast, F-MRP-P4 and F-MRS-P4 diverged from other treatments, influenced by clay content, cation exchange capacity (CEC), magnesium, and pH, indicating an improvement in mineral nutrition.
These PCA outcomes were corroborated by cluster analysis and chi-square testing, which demonstrated a statistically significant association between treatment type and cluster grouping (p = 0.041). Overall, these preliminary results underscore that sustainable farming practices measurably enhance soil quality by fostering both biological activity and chemical balance
Semi-Automated Extraction and Geomorphic Analysis of Flat Surface Landforms in Large Areas
No full textThe semi-automated extraction of flat surface landforms was carried out, merging a GIS tools application and a geomorphic analysis. The study focuses on seven areas in southern Italy, characterized by different physical landscapes, using a 5 m resolution digital elevation model (DEM). The GIS application allowed the selection of polygonal areas of flat surfaces from diverse arrays of landforms and was implemented using a filtering process to minimize noises. Subsequently, the mean elevation and mean slope of the detected surfaces were extracted and visualized using scatter plots, which helped in determining the elevation ranges and average slope angles for various flat-floored and terraced surfaces. To enhance the reliability of the results, a detailed geomorphic analysis and field survey were conducted to differentiate between fluvial and marine flat surfaces
across different physical landscapes. This comprehensive approach included statistical analyses and comparisons with the existing literature to validate the identified flat surfaces, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the semi-automated extraction procedure. The integration of GIS technology with field investigations not only streamlines the detection of flat landforms but also contributes to a deeper understanding of their geomorphic characteristics, ultimately enhancing geomorphic analysis efficiency