The Tenuta di Paganico farm in Tuscany consists of forests, pastures, olive groves, vineyards and arable crops. Research focuses on the productive and adaptive response of Maremmana steers to high temperature as well as the analysis of the composition, biomass and nutritive value of herbage and shrubs for cattle feeding.
Farming system
Silvoarable
Silvopastoral
Size
1.100
ha
Temperature
15.6º
C
MAT*
840
mm
MAP**
Treatments
-
Components
Trees
Crops
Animals
Design
Farm trial Field trial
* MAT: Medium Average Temperature
** MAP: Medium Average Precipitation
Aim
The main objective of the experiment is to evaluate the effect of heat stress on beef cattle welfare and productivity according to the presence or not of trees on pasture (silvopastoral system vs. open pasture system).
We are proud of our experiment because it can contribute to better understand the thermal comfort effect of the agroforestry systems on livestock in the Mediterranean area and to contrast the effect of climatic change on livestock production”
Marcelo Melle University of Pisa
If we could establish the experiment again, we would adopt smart collars instead of visual observation, in order to monitor more accurately individual animal behavior in response to heat stress”.
Alice Ripamonti University of Pisa
Key findings
During the spring season, silvopastoral treatment did not seem to provide any benefit to cattle in terms of animal welfare, due to the lack of thermal stress and the abundance of herbage biomass in the open pasture. The average daily gain was higher in open pasture group compared to silvopastoral.
During the summer period, the heat stress resulted in a sharp decrease of average daily gain for cattle in the open pasture, whereas cattle in the silvopastoral group maintained the same value of average daily gain for large part of the hot season.
The average heat load values of animals were significantly higher and above the danger threshold for animals of the open pasture group during the whole hot season, resulting in a worsening of animal welfare condition, if compared to cattle in silvopastoral group.
Discover our eight agroforestry and mixed farming trial sites
Antichi, D., Mazzoncini, M., Tramacere, L. G., Sbrana, M., Bàrberi, P., Moonen, A. M., Carlesi, S., Mantino, A., Ragaglini, G., and Mele, M. (2019). Agroforestry systems for adaptation to and mitigation of climate change: Effects on soil fertility. Agrochimica, Special Issue 2019, 139-144. Mele, M., Mantino, A., Antichi, D., Mazzoncini, M., Ragaglini, G., Cappucci, A., Serra, A., Pelleri, F., Chiarabaglio, P., Mezzalira, G., and Bonari, E. (2019). Agroforestry system for mitigation and adaptation to climate change: Effects on animal welfare and productivity. Agrochimica, Special Issue 2019, 91-98.
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