What is the future for agroforestry in Italy?

Abstract

The successful promotion of agroforestry in Italy depends on both a recognition of tradition and the opportunities for innovation. In Italy, agroforestry has traditionally been a key component of landscape management. Complex systems, based on the integration among crops-livestock-fruit/forest trees, provided a wide variety of products (e.g. food, feed, fibers, fuelwood and timber) and other ecosystem services (e.g. soil erosion control and biodiversity preservation). Silvopastoral systems have been used for centuries and are still managed in marginal areas. The integration of fruits trees (in primis olive trees) with crops and grazing was widely practiced and is still profitable. Coltura promiscua was historically developed integrating fruit and forest trees and particularly multifunctional trees (e.g. Juglans regia and Prunus avium) to support vines and intercrops. Building on recent research, projects have also focused on innovation in agroforestry. The adoption of shade tolerant forage species and crops has been studied in silvopastoral and olive systems. Silvopastoral systems can significantly offset the CO 2 emissions produced by livestock and shield grazing animals from "heat waves". Integration of fast growing timber trees (like Populus) in arable systems can help reverse the decline in plantation forestry in Italy. Finally, the constraints imposed by the EU agricultural policy, especially the prevalent provisions for monocrops severely limiting the introduction of innovative agroforestry approaches, are discussed. New political measures and certification actions are strongly required.

Effect of Tree Presence and Soil Characteristics on Soybean Yield and Quality in an Innovative Alley-Cropping System

“…Conversely, soybean quality was affected by soil characteristics, since crude fat significantly correlated with soil nutrients, pH, soil organic matter and soil texture.Agronomy 2020, 10, 52 2 of 15 the majority of farmers are not attracted to bioenergy plantations with fast-growing tree species such as Populus spp., Salix spp. and Robinia pseudoacacia L., because of the poor financial returns and the depressed Italian market [5]. The conversion of existing Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) stands to silvoarable ACS, in which the hedgerows are managed as a SRC, is proposed as an option for the implementation of sustainable cropping systems by combining the production of food and wood at the farm level in the temperate regions of Europe [6,7].In recent years, the European Commission has been fostering the cultivation of soybean, and it has promoted the necessity to reduce consistently the dependence from imports of protein supply for animal feeding.…”

“…Agronomy 2020, 10, 52 2 of 15 the majority of farmers are not attracted to bioenergy plantations with fast-growing tree species such as Populus spp., Salix spp. and Robinia pseudoacacia L., because of the poor financial returns and the depressed Italian market [5]. The conversion of existing Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) stands to silvoarable ACS, in which the hedgerows are managed as a SRC, is proposed as an option for the implementation of sustainable cropping systems by combining the production of food and wood at the farm level in the temperate regions of Europe [6,7].…”

Agroforestry and ecological intensification

“…Le attuali prospettive dell'agroselvicoltura in Italia sono state recentemente discusse da Paris et al (2019), per i tre principali sottoinsiemi: i sistemi silvopastorali, i sistemi ad olivo e, infine, i sistemi silvo-arabili.…”

“…I sistemi silvo-pastorali in Italia coprono circa 1.3 milioni di ettari, prevalentemente in zone montuose di Alpi, Appennini ed isole maggiori (Paris et al 2019). La componente arborea varia dal larice per le quote alpine più alte, al faggio e castagno per le quote inferiori, sino alle querce caducifoglie e sempreverdi dei piani basali e mediterranei.…”

Photosynthetic Characterization and Response to Drought and Temperature in Wild Asparagus (Asparagus acutifolius L.)

“…This species is widely distributed in semidry areas and as understory vegetation (Conversa and Elia, 2009), showing high phenotypical plasticity with its ability to grow in both sunny or semishaded areas and also under adverse edaphic conditions. In particular, as a result of its adaptability to different light conditions, the species has recently been proposed as an understory crop for agroforestry systems (Dupraz et al, 2018;Paris et al, 2019). Nonetheless, this wild asparagus has not been cultivated until recently, and the market is sustained mostly by harvesting spears from naturally occurring plants, so the price can be four times greater than that of the spears of the cultivated species Asparagus officinalis L. (Benincasa et al, 2007;Rosati, 2001).…”