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Silvopasture is the combination of woody vegetation with forage and animal production on the same land that allows the diversification of agricultural income and productivity. In the silvopastoral systems, the fertilisation with sewage sludge could increase tree growth and pasture production at the same time that the pasture biodiversity is modify. The objective of this study was to evaluate the pasture biodiversity of a walnut silvopastoral system grazed by sheep and fertilized with three types of sewage sludge (anaerobic, composted and pelletized) and with mineral fertilisation after five years of establishment. At the beginning of the experiment all plots were sown with Dactylis glomerata L., Lolium perenne L. and Trifolium repens L. Nevertheless, their presence diminished over the years probably due to the shade generated by the trees, the competence with native and less demanding species and the cattle trampling. Moreover, the nitrogenous fertilisation benefited the native species such as Agrostis capillaris L., Bromus hordeaceus L. and Holcus lanatus L., which are less productive and of worse quality but more frugal and nitrophile shade-tolerant species with a higher soil seed bank compared with the sown species.

Sewage sludge use in agriculture is promoted by the European union since the normative of cleaning waters related to the compulsory use of depuration plants in all cities over 2000 inhabitants was finally implemented in 2005. The USC has been conducted long-term experiment research of application of different sewage sludge doses in silvopastoral systems. Main results shown that sewage sludge can be successfully used as fertilizer for both tree and pasture development, with reduced toxicity for animals when plant production is considered in both very acidic and acidic soils. However, the recycling of nutrients has to be considered as heavy metals uptaken by the trees appears in the soils when the leaves fall down. This paper provides an overview of the main findings in acidic soils of the long-term results after application of sewage sludge in soils.

In the EU, approximately 17.4% of the surface area is covered by grasslands. However, over the past years increasing areas have been abandoned or underutilized. Various innovative approaches to manage such grasslands for novel products are being investigated in the GO-GRASS project. This article reports on the approach of producing biochar. This approach is particularly suitable for late-harvest or other lignified grass, which has a very low quality for utilization as feed or as feedstock for biogas production. Chars have been produced from grasses via pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) on lab-scale as well as larger-scale equipment. The goal is to produce chars suitable for utilization as a soil amendment on the basis of the European Biochar Certificate (EBC). Multiple technological approaches are being investigated on lab-scale, including HTC and pyrolysis in an inert as well as autothermal pyrolysis in a controlled low oxygen environment (fixed bed). Furthermore, upscaling to existing commercial equipment for farm-scale production is being examined. The focus of this investigation is placed on evaluating the feasibility of utilizing grass in farm-scale plants and the suitability of the produced char as soil amendment. Additionally the required framework for the utilization of thermochemical conversion on farm level will be discussed and its economy assessed. It was found that good quality biochar can be produced from grass. The combined heat and biochar production, based on a farms heat requirements is very promising for the utilization of surplus biomass, may provide a multitude of benefits for the farm’s and can be economically feasible., Proceedings of the 30th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 9-12 May 2022, Online, pp. 986-992

In south-western Europe, the abandonment of traditional practices in mountains is causing a homogenization of the landscape and an increased risk of extreme wildfires, endangering ecosystems of high ecological value. The Interreg Sudoe Open2preserve project (2018-2021) aimed to develop a sustainable management model based on the principles of the pyric herbivory (combination of prescribed fires and targeted grazing) to preserve a mosaic of open landscapes in abandoned and high fire-prone areas. Thirteen partners from Spain, France and Portugal established eight pilot experiments in protected areas of contrasting environments in the SUDOE region (Atlantic mountains, Pyrenees, and Mediterranean areas). In these pilot experiments, we implemented a common management and monitoring design based on an initial removal of biomass and a multi-year targeted grazing with autochthonous horses and sheep. We monitored the intensity and severity of the burnings, the livestock welfare, the vegetation dynamics, and the soil function for two years, and tested drone and GPS technological tools. This multidisciplinary and international project gathered the main bases to implement pyric herbivory practices on mountain grasslands valuing prescribed burnings and targeted grazing, which promote the preservation of biodiversity and resilient ecosystems, while ensuring the environmental, social and economic sustainability of these practices. Open2preserve Project (SOE2/P5/E0804) was funded by the Interreg Sudoe Programme, the European Regional Development Fund of the European-Union. The authors are grateful to the rest of the partners and participants of the project. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Mixed pasture establishment is considered a key point to increase livestock production due to the higher quality it has compared with unmanaged shrubby species. They provide also a set of ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and higher biodiversity. Moreover, herbaceous pasture establishment effectively contribute to biomass production while replacing shrubs therefore reducing forest fire risk. One of the main factors promoting the establishment of the herbaceous pasture are sowing and fertilisation. This study evaluates the understory composition evolution of a silvopastoral system established with cocksfoot and clover in an acidic forest soil under Pinus radiata D. Don with four treatments that consist of no fertilization, fertilization with mineral fertilizers (500 kg of mineral 8:24:16) and fertilization with three doses of sewage sludge (160, 320 and 480 kg N ha-1), in Galicia (NW Spain). Botanical composition data were analysed through species abundance diagrams in a time window of 20 years. Results shown clear evolution in understory composition from the initial situation. Organic fertilization was found to ease sown-mixture persistence on time as well as avoiding shrub colonisation with regard to mineral and no fertilization treatments. Nutritional and sun light high-demanding species were mostly replaced in favour of autochthonous ones after sewage sludge fertilization stopped and tree canopy intercepted light that reached the understory.

Agroforestry (AF) is a climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practice of deliberately integrating woody vegetation (trees or shrubs) with crop and/or animal systems to benefit from the resulting ecological and economic interactions. It is recognized as a proactive “negative emissions technologies” (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change (IPCC) 1.5SR) that can foster sustainability in the current changing climate conditions. However, there are knowledge gaps to be filled regarding agroforestry, as well as bottlenecks and challenges. These could be solved by providing greater access to research findings (either published or unpublished) and identifying and extending good practices that farmers are already implementing.

In 2014, FAO suggested five principles to guide strategic global development to provide 'a basis for developing national policies, strategies, programs, regulations and incentives that will guide the transition to an agriculture that is highly productive, economically viable, environmentally sound, and which is based on the principles of equity and social justice'. The first principle can be related to Agroforestry (AF). This paper aims to describe the main reasons linking AF and ecointensification.

Agroforestry (AF) is the practice of deliberately integrating woody vegetation (trees or shrubs) with crop and/or animal systems to benefit from the resulting ecological and economic interactions. The appropriate application of AF practices is a key avenue to help the European Union to achieve more sustainable methods of food production. However, there is a lack of agroforestry knowledge among end-users. The project AFINET (AgroForestry Innovation NETworks) is a thematic network to foster knowledge exchange between scientists and practitioners on agroforestry. During the initial stage of the project, an assessment of positive (benefits) and negative aspects (limitations) on the implementation of AF systems was conducted among AFINET stakeholders in Galicia (north-west Spain). The reduction of fire risk, the enhancement of biodiversity and the improvement of landscape aesthetics values were perceived as the main benefits of implementing agroforestry by the stakeholders. On the other hand, the possibility of obtaining grants to establish AF systems was perceived as less important. When asked about the limitations, a lack of knowledge and professional advice were identified as the main barriers for the implementation of AF systems in the region, along with the risk of incompatibilities with the common agricultural policy (CAP).

This book contains the abstracts of the 4th European Agroforestry Conference carried out in the city of Nijmegen (The Netherlands) during the European Green Capital 2018. The book has plenty of extraordinary information and experiences about agroforestry practices and systems around the world including Africa, America and Europe.

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AFINET is one of the seventeen thematic networks that the European Union has financed under the H2020 framework and it is supervised by the EIP-Agri in order to foster innovation in Europe. The main topic of AFINET is agroforestry a practice of deliberately integrating woody vegetation with crops and/or animal systems and the promotion of this practice to foster climate changes. AFINET follows a multi-actor approach linked to the nine Regional Innovations Networks created to identify main challenges and develop main innovations about agroforestry. Main challenges were related to technical, economic, communication and policy issues.

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Submitted by Margarida Galamba (galamba@isa.utl.pt) on 2018-01-29T14:46:13Z No. of bitstreams: 1 REP-CEF-4-Deliverable 6.17 Updated October 2017.pdf: 6016263 bytes, checksum: f3d745f09adc8d4c49f13fe302e5f284 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2018-01-29T14:46:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 REP-CEF-4-Deliverable 6.17 Updated October 2017.pdf: 6016263 bytes, checksum: f3d745f09adc8d4c49f13fe302e5f284 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-10 N/A

There is increased consumer demand for food products with a perceived positive image. Product quality can be assessed in terms of food safety, nutritional composition, technological and sensory characteristics and ethics. In order to summarise the current knowledge linking quality traits and management practices, a literature review was performed in relation to seven types of management practice: four concerning animal feeding, one concerning breeds and two concerning ethical aspects of the production, and information is presented as seven tables. Literature on use of authentication and traceability for marketed grassland-based products is summarised in a further five tables. Scientific evidence of the differentiation of grassland-based products is currently consolidating, but some practices lead to uncertain results and deserve further research. Authentication is possible but is used to a relatively small extent because of high costs or the lack of analytical techniques suitable for routine use. Marketing appears to be successful without authentication, but this may lead to product counterfeiting. Research and development should be targeted to find viable low-cost solutions to introduce authentication practices to safeguard the added value of grassland-based products and ensure fair remuneration for producers.

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