Papers by Giuseppe Di Miceli
Multi-function grasslands: quality forages, animal products and landscapes. Proceedings of the 19th General Meeting of the European Grassland Federation, La Rochelle, France, 27-30 May 2002., 2002
Scorpiurus muricatus L. is an annual legume, widely distributed in Mediterranean pastures, that i... more Scorpiurus muricatus L. is an annual legume, widely distributed in Mediterranean pastures, that is appreciated by farmers for its productivity, forage quality, and palatability. It is characterised by long flowering and ripening periods and by pod shedding. These characteristics cause high seed losses, which could reduce its seed harvest efficiency in terms of seed yield and quality. In this study, we investigated the effects on seed yield and quality of different harvesting methods (windrowing at different times with subsequent combining was compared with direct combining). Our results show that direct combining when the pods were fully ripened reduced pod losses compared with swathing methods, producing the highest yield of seed actually harvested. However, in this study, the unique climatic conditions during the pod development stage (extremely high temperatures) accelerated the ripening process, presumably limiting pod shedding.
Agronomy Journal, Mar 31, 2023
In semiarid environments of the Mediterranean region, intercropping is a sustainable agricultural... more In semiarid environments of the Mediterranean region, intercropping is a sustainable agricultural system of long standing. In this area, the pea (Pisum sativum L.) is one of the most commonly grown legume crops. Little information is available on the quality of silages to be obtained from forage mixtures of pea intercropped with cereals or annual grasses. In this study, two experiments were conducted over the course of two growing seasons in Sicily (Italy) with the aim to determine the biomass production of forage crop mixtures and assess, only in the second experiment, the silage quality of grass and legumes. Four cereals and one annual grass species were grown in pure stand and in mixture with pea, and their main agronomic traits were determined. The land equivalent ratio (LER), competitive ratio, and aggressivity index were also calculated. A number of parameters were considered to assess the quality of silage obtained from fermented biomasses derived from pea–ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam. var. Westerwoldicum) intercropping. In the first experiment, the best performance between the intercrops was recorded for the pea–wheat mixture. The total LER calculated for fodder yields was always greater than 1, indicating crop yield advantages ranging from 2.0% to 47.0%. In the second experiment, the pea–ryegrass mixture appeared to respond well, depending on plant arrangement and seeding ratio factors: the ratios 50:50 and 100:50 showed the greatest crop yield advantages, of 12.0% and 11.0%, respectively. All silages revealed a very good suitability of a pea–ryegrass intercropping system with high‐quality silage production in the Southern Mediterranean region.
PLOS ONE, Jul 15, 2022
In recent years, climate change has greatly affected rainfall and air temperature levels leading ... more In recent years, climate change has greatly affected rainfall and air temperature levels leading to a reduction in water resources in Southern Europe. This fact has emphasized the need to focus on the use of non-conventional water resources for agricultural irrigation. The reuse of treated wastewater (TWW) can represent a sustainable solution, reducing the consumption of freshwater (FW) and the need for mineral fertilisers. The main aim of this study was to assess, in a three-year period, the effects of TWW irrigation compared to FW on the biomass production of bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] plants and soil characteristics and to estimate the nutritional input provided by TWW irrigation. TWW was obtained by a constructed wetland system (CWs) which was used to treat urban wastewater. The system had a total surface area of 100 m 2 . An experimental field of bermudagrass was set up close to the system in a Sicilian location (Italy), using a split-plot design for a two-factor experiment with three replications. Results highlighted a high organic pollutant removal [five days biochemical oxygen demand (BOD 5 ): 61%, chemical oxygen demand (COD): 65%] and a good efficiency in nutrients [total nitrogen (TN): 50%, total phosphorus (TP): 42%] of the CWs. Plants irrigated with TWW showed higher dry aboveground dry-weight (1259.3 kg ha -1 ) than those irrigated with FW (942.2 kg ha -1 ), on average. TWW irrigation approximately allowed a saving of 50.0 kg TN ha -1 year -1 , 24.0 kg TP ha -1 year -1 and 29.0 kg K ha -1 year -1 on average with respect to commonly used N-P-K fertilisation programme for bermudagrass in the Mediterranean region. Soil salinity increased significantly (p � 0.01) over the years and was detected to be higher in TWW-irrigated plots (+6.34%) in comparison with FW-irrigated plots. Our findings demonstrate that medium-term TWW irrigation increases the biomass production of bermudagrass turf and contributes to save significant amounts of nutrients, providing a series of agronomic and environmental benefits.
Plants, Apr 22, 2023
Productive Performance of High Oleic Carthamus tinctorius L. under Rainfed Conditions in a Semi-A... more Productive Performance of High Oleic Carthamus tinctorius L. under Rainfed Conditions in a Semi-Arid Environment of Sicily (Italy).
L'INFORMATORE AGRARIO, 2017
L'INFORMATORE AGRARIO, 2015
L'INFORMATORE AGRARIO, 2006
Italian Journal of Animal Science, 2019
The beneficial properties of mushrooms bioactive compounds indicate their potential use as perfor... more The beneficial properties of mushrooms bioactive compounds indicate their potential use as performance enhancing natural additive for livestock animals. This paper reports the preliminary results of a research on the effects of diets supplemented with fungus myceliated grains (FMG) to lactating ewes in terms of intestinal parasites control, milk production and cheese oxidative stability. During 8 weeks, 21 ewes were divided into 3 groups fed with hay ad libitum and 1.3 kg/day per head of one of 3 concentrates with 0, 10 or 20% of FMG. In front of analogous DM and nutrients intake, the ewes fed FMG at higher levels showed a reduction of intestinal parasite infection, a tendency to improve milk yield and a higher milk casein content. The increase of FMG in the diet was responsible of production of cheeses with a lower secondary lipid oxidation and a higher antioxidant capacity, suggesting a major oxidative stability of cheese fat and an enrichment of cheese in antioxidant compounds induced by the FMG. These preliminary results appear to be promising, and further investigations are recommended
Agronomy, Apr 20, 2024
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Horticulturae
The onion is one of the most widespread bulb vegetables worldwide. Onion cultivation is common in... more The onion is one of the most widespread bulb vegetables worldwide. Onion cultivation is common in Sicily, as is the use of local genotypes. Cultivation practices are of particular interest in optimizing yield, quality, and profits. The aim of this study was to assess the agronomic response of a Sicilian landrace (Bianca Calda di Comiso, coded L1) and a commercial variety (Bianca di Maggio, coded V1) to different planting dates and N fertilization rates. An economic appraisal was also performed. The two genotypes were assessed using an experimental split-split-plot design with four levels of nitrogen rates (0, 80, 160, and 220 kg N ha−1) and two different planting dates (8 October 2005 to 9 October 2006 for the early planting date, and 27 December 2005 to 30 December 2006 for the traditional planting date). The marketable yield and production parameters were significantly influenced by the nitrogen dose: higher doses led to a higher total yield, with yield peaks above 60 t ha−1 and t...
PLOS ONE
Green roof systems, aimed at reducing anthropic impact on the environment, are considered environ... more Green roof systems, aimed at reducing anthropic impact on the environment, are considered environmental mitigation technologies and adopted by many countries across the world to strengthen urban ecosystem services. This study evaluates two mixtures of succulent: one of Crassulaceae and the other of Aizoaceae, used in the creation of a continuous and homogenous plant groundcover in Mediterranean environments. To assess the species mixtures, the parameters plant height, growth index, cover percentage and flowering were observed. Hydrological observations were also carried out to evaluate the rainfall retained by the test system in any given month. All data were subjected to analysis of variance. Growth indicators in the study showed trends characteristic of xeric plants, which tend to slow down in dry, summer climate conditions to the point of halting plant vertical growth and ground cover development completely. The Aizocaeae mix, during the initial stage, showed prevalent horizontal...
Agronomy, Feb 18, 2024
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
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Papers by Giuseppe Di Miceli