Drought and climate change are causing a reduction of the grazing season in Mediterranean areas. Otherwise, the increasing of animal performances, the precision agriculture, the adaptation to climate change and the mitigation of methane emission from livestock chains, as well known, will beneficiate from increases in crop good practices and digestibility of forages. The production of haylages and fermented forages from grass and legumes copes with both objective and their use is increasing in Mediterranea areas. However the production of fermented forages has some constraints at agronomic level and increases risk of food safety in milk and dairy chains. The aim of this study will focus i) the optimization of crop productivity of forages under climate adaptation frameworks (genetic, crop cultivation practices, water efficiency) ii) optimizing the haulage production process at file level under mediterranean conditions. Effect on the temperature range and climate patterns will be focused to ptimize the perfect window of forage cut and harvesting. Optimum haylage conservation techniques and Fermentation patterns will be defined and monitored with use of inoculum of probiotics. In vitro trials using dairy sheep as animal model will include the estimation of nutritive values and digestibility of haulages in comparison with conventional dry hays at the experimental farm of the University of Sassari. The project will define sustainable feed production under climate change scenarios.

Aptitude for field and lab work, skills for data analytics, motivation to work in team

The research team is coordinated by Prof. Alberto Stanislao Atzori (Animal Science) and Prof Pier Paolo Roggero (Agronomy) and has large experience in animal nutrition and crop cultivatio, management and environmental impact of ruminant production systems. Improvement of production techniques, forage production, dairy nutrition, evaluation of farming good practices to adapt to climate change, applied mathematical modeling are focused. The team collaborates with a microbiology unit. The research team also involves the use of an experimental farm with technological equipments and a feed and microbiological lab.