The DSpace digital repository system captures, stores, indexes, preserves, and distributes digital research material. http://http://dspace.unitus.it:80 2013-05-25T15:34:32Z 2013-05-25T15:34:32Z Cereti, Carlo Fausto Rossini, Francesco Ruggeri, Roberto http://hdl.handle.net/2067/1891 2011-06-30T17:41:17Z 2008-12-31T23:00:00Z

Title: Reduction of irrigation on tall fescue and bermudagrass turfs in a mediterranean environment. Authors: Cereti, Carlo Fausto; Rossini, Francesco; Ruggeri, Roberto Abstract: Irrigation supplies are considerable and expensive to maintain a good turfgrass quality during summertime in a Mediterranean environment. Consequently, prudent irrigation greatly influences both management cost and environmental impact of turfgrasses. This study was conducted to determine water quantities required for normal growth and an aestheticly pleasing appearance of two turfgrass species in the Central Italy. Five restoration levels of Maximum Evapotranspiration (ME) were applied to bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. and tall fescue Festuca arundinacea Schreb. The data collected over two years indicated that a periodical irrigation replenishment (two times a week), equal to 60% of water deficit, was the best solution. This maintained a sufficient aesthetic appearance, not significatively different from daily irrigation replacement, even in extremely dry climate conditions. Bermudagrass resulted in a more acceptable appearance than tall fescue when water stress lasted for a long period of time, while tall fescue recuperated a good aesthetic appearance as soon as climatic conditions became less severe. Adopting a 60% ME replacement level, we can save about 120 mm of water (7-year mean) per irrigation season in central Italy.

2008-12-31T23:00:00Z Danieli, Pier Paolo Primi, Riccardo Ronchi, Bruno Ruggeri, Roberto Rossini, Francesco Del Puglia, Salvatore Cereti, Carlo Fausto http://hdl.handle.net/2067/1850 2011-06-21T16:53:42Z 2010-12-31T23:00:00Z

Title: The potential role of spineless safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L. var. inermis) as fodder crop in central Italy Authors: Danieli, Pier Paolo; Primi, Riccardo; Ronchi, Bruno; Ruggeri, Roberto; Rossini, Francesco; Del Puglia, Salvatore; Cereti, Carlo Fausto Abstract: The present study aimed at assessing how nitrogen (N) fertilization affects nutritional characteristics of spineless safflower grown under Mediterranean conditions and evaluating a 2-days wilting treatment on moisture reduction and pH before ensiling. Spineless safflower, sown in November 2008, was grown in 3 m x 18 m plot (45 plants m–2). A randomized complete block design (RCBD) one cultivar x four N-fertilization levels (N0=0 kg/ha, land allocation, N1=35 kg/ha, N2=70 kg/ha, N3=105 kg ha–1) (3 replicates each level) was adopted. At mowing (May 2009, before blooming) the crop biomass production was recorded. Wilted plant material for each plot was collected and pH was measured. Dried and ground samples (1 mm mesh) were analyzed for crude protein (CP), lipids (EE), crude fibre (CFom), neutral detergent fibre (aNDFom), acid detergent fibre (ADF), lignin (ADL) and ash (ASH) content. All data were analyzed by ANOVA and differences among means were declared significant at P<0.05. Biomass production showed a N dose-dependent relationship [from N0=1.80±0.29 to N3=2.71±0.20 t ha–1 dry matter (DM), P<0.01]. N-fertilization significantly affected the CP content, with the highest values (17.52±0.26% DM) observed for the N3 fertilization level. The other nutritional characteristics (EE: 1.36±0.23% DM; CFom: 41.70±3.65% DM; aNDFom: 44.6±2.71% DM; ASH: 12.74±0.74% DM) were not or only slightly affected (ADF: 34.15±2.14%; ADL: 9.53±2.35) (P<0.05) by the N-fertilization. After the 2-day wilting treatment, the highest pH (5.99±0.08) was found for N2 treatment, while the lowest one (5.85±0.06) was recorded for the N0 level (P<0.01). The wilting treatment gave a sufficient moisture reduction, allowing satisfactory preservation of safflower by ensiling. Spineless safflower shows an interesting potential to be grown for ruminants feeding in Mediterranean area. N-fertilization plays an important role as far as productivity of safflower and its CP content are concerned. Further studies are in progress to fully characterize safflower as fresh and preserved forage resource for crop-livestock production systems in central Italy.

2010-12-31T23:00:00Z