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The main challenge of this work is to identify a novel approach to reuse and valorize brewers’ spent grain (BSG) to produce a new source of income for the brewers in terms of self-consumption or selling goods. Therefore, this study explored the composting behavior of BSG mixed with different organic materials: wheat straw with pig slurry solid fraction and wheat straw with sheep manure, MIX1 and MIX2, respectively. The composting process was carried out in bins by comparing two different composting strategies: manual turning (MT) and static composting xxx– without turning operations (ST). During the experimental trial, BSG mixtures were chemically analyzed for pH, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, ammoniacal nitrogen, nitrate-nitrogen, total organic carbon, volatile solids, carbon to nitrogen ratio, and moisture content. Furthermore, the final composted materials were evaluated according to the physicochemical and biological limits fixed by the European regulation (2019/1009) and the Italian law (D.Lgs 75/2010). At the end of the composting process, the C/N ratio ranged from 11.6 to 15.5, the humification ratio ranged from 12.4 to 13.8 and the NH4+-N/NO3−-N ratio was lower than 0.5 indicating, in all investigated treatments, a good degree of maturation. However, as evidenced by the high pH values and low Germination Index, the sheep manure, as starting material, proved less effective than the solid fraction of pig slurry, probably due to excessive trampling and slow litter change. Finally, concerning the two composting strategies investigated, the obtained results highlighted that the composting strategy did not affect the final compost quality.
Davide Assandri; Niccolò Pampuro; Giacomo Zara; Angela Bianco; Eugenio Cavallo; Marilena Budroni. Co-Composting of Brewers’ Spent Grain with Animal Manures and Wheat Straw: Influence of Two Composting Strategies on Compost Quality. Agronomy 2021, 11, 1349 .
AMA StyleDavide Assandri, Niccolò Pampuro, Giacomo Zara, Angela Bianco, Eugenio Cavallo, Marilena Budroni. Co-Composting of Brewers’ Spent Grain with Animal Manures and Wheat Straw: Influence of Two Composting Strategies on Compost Quality. Agronomy. 2021; 11 (7):1349.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDavide Assandri; Niccolò Pampuro; Giacomo Zara; Angela Bianco; Eugenio Cavallo; Marilena Budroni. 2021. "Co-Composting of Brewers’ Spent Grain with Animal Manures and Wheat Straw: Influence of Two Composting Strategies on Compost Quality." Agronomy 11, no. 7: 1349.
The foldable roll-over protective structure (FROPS) protects the operators against fatal injuries in tractor roll-over accidents. However, a rear-mounted FROPS is often folded down or removed. In the present study, the accessible zones and grasping areas in a rear-mounted FROPS were redesigned and adapted to the 5th, 50th, and 95th European human anthropometric percentiles to enhance its correct and comfortable use. Then, a rod was proposed as a design solution to make the roll-bar grasping areas fall within the new accessible zones. The rod prototype increased roll-bar reachability and facilitated the raising handling, especially for shorter users. The present study results and the accessible zones redesigned, taking into account the human percentiles, will be helpful in rethinking reachability issues in manual handling of machinery components, to support the correct behaviours, and make human-machine interaction more comfortable and safer for all.
Margherita Micheletti Cremasco; Lucia Vigoroso; Federica Caffaro; Giuseppe Paletto; Eugenio Cavallo. Considering Human Variability in the Design of Safe Interaction with Agricultural Machinery: The Case of Foldable Roll-Over Protective Structure (FROPS) Manual Handling. Agronomy 2021, 11, 1303 .
AMA StyleMargherita Micheletti Cremasco, Lucia Vigoroso, Federica Caffaro, Giuseppe Paletto, Eugenio Cavallo. Considering Human Variability in the Design of Safe Interaction with Agricultural Machinery: The Case of Foldable Roll-Over Protective Structure (FROPS) Manual Handling. Agronomy. 2021; 11 (7):1303.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMargherita Micheletti Cremasco; Lucia Vigoroso; Federica Caffaro; Giuseppe Paletto; Eugenio Cavallo. 2021. "Considering Human Variability in the Design of Safe Interaction with Agricultural Machinery: The Case of Foldable Roll-Over Protective Structure (FROPS) Manual Handling." Agronomy 11, no. 7: 1303.
Composting represents an alternative for the management of the organic fraction from municipal waste. However, the adoption of compost made from municipal waste is not yet widespread across all European countries, including Italy. Being ‘professional’ (i.e., farmers and gardeners) and ‘hobbyists’ the most representative categories of compost buyers in Italy, this study investigated their attitude toward municipal waste compost adoption and their purchasing pattern, pointing out criticalities and strategies to promote a wider use of this kind of compost. For the two categories of users, frequency of use of different information, buying habits, opinions on marketing issues, and factors which encourage compost utilization were investigated. The ‘professionals’ and ‘hobbyists’ reported different purchasing behaviors in terms of quantity, frequency, and preferred packaging format. The capability of compost from municipal waste to improve soil characteristics and its low environmental impact were identified as the most significant aspects for users, while availability of economic subsidies was not a determining factor for municipal waste compost adoption. With regard to the information sources, the broader use of personal communication channels like peers’ suggestions may have influence on compost adoption pointing out how social influence can promote sustainable behavior and influence users’ purchasing choices.
Lucia Vigoroso; Niccolò Pampuro; Giorgia Bagagiolo; Eugenio Cavallo. Factors Influencing Adoption of Compost Made from Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste and Purchasing Pattern: A Survey of Italian Professional and Hobbyist Users. Agronomy 2021, 11, 1262 .
AMA StyleLucia Vigoroso, Niccolò Pampuro, Giorgia Bagagiolo, Eugenio Cavallo. Factors Influencing Adoption of Compost Made from Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste and Purchasing Pattern: A Survey of Italian Professional and Hobbyist Users. Agronomy. 2021; 11 (6):1262.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLucia Vigoroso; Niccolò Pampuro; Giorgia Bagagiolo; Eugenio Cavallo. 2021. "Factors Influencing Adoption of Compost Made from Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste and Purchasing Pattern: A Survey of Italian Professional and Hobbyist Users." Agronomy 11, no. 6: 1262.
Fungi such as Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus are molds infecting food and animal feed, are responsible for aflatoxin contamination, and cause a significant problem for human and animal health. The detection of aflatoxin and aflatoxigenic fungi on raw material is a major concern to protect health, secure food and feed, and preserve their value. The effectiveness of image processing, combined with computational techniques, has been investigated to detect and segregate peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) seeds infected with an aflatoxin producing fungus. After inoculation with Aspergillus flavus, images of peanuts seeds were taken using various lighting sources (LED, UV, and fluorescent lights) on two backgrounds (black and white) at 0, 48, and 72 h after inoculation. Images were post-processed with three different machine learning tools: the artificial neural network (ANN), the support vector machine (SVM), and the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) to detect the Aspergillus flavus growth on peanuts. The results of the study show that the combination of LED light and a white background with ANN had 99.7% accuracy in detecting fungal growth on peanuts 72 h from infection with Aspergillus. Additionally, UV lights and a black background with ANFIS achieve 99.9% accuracy in detecting fungal growth on peanuts 48 h after their infection with Aspergillus.
Peyman Ziyaee; Vahid Farzand Ahmadi; Pourya Bazyar; Eugenio Cavallo. Comparison of Different Image Processing Methods for Segregation of Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Seeds Infected by Aflatoxin-Producing Fungi. Agronomy 2021, 11, 873 .
AMA StylePeyman Ziyaee, Vahid Farzand Ahmadi, Pourya Bazyar, Eugenio Cavallo. Comparison of Different Image Processing Methods for Segregation of Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Seeds Infected by Aflatoxin-Producing Fungi. Agronomy. 2021; 11 (5):873.
Chicago/Turabian StylePeyman Ziyaee; Vahid Farzand Ahmadi; Pourya Bazyar; Eugenio Cavallo. 2021. "Comparison of Different Image Processing Methods for Segregation of Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Seeds Infected by Aflatoxin-Producing Fungi." Agronomy 11, no. 5: 873.
Digital games have been successfully applied in different working sectors as an occupational safety training method, but with a very limited application in agriculture. In agriculture and other productive sectors, unintentional injuries tend to occur with similar dynamics. A literature review was carried out to understand how occupational risks are addressed during game-based safety training in different productive sectors and how this can be transferred to agriculture. Literature about “serious game” and “gamification” as safety training methods was searched in WEB OF SCIENCE, SCOPUS, PUBMED and PsycINFO databases. In the forty-two publications retained, the computer was identified as the most adopted game support, whereas “points”, “levels”, “challenges” and “discovery” were the preferred game mechanics. Moreover, an association can be detected between the game mechanics and the elements developed in the game. Finally, during the game assessment, much positive feedback was collected and the games proved to be able to increase the operators’ skills and safety knowledge. In light of the results, insights are provided to develop an effective, satisfying and engaging safety game training for workers employed in agriculture. Games can be best used to learn and they are certain to improve over the next few years.
Lucia Vigoroso; Federica Caffaro; Margherita Micheletti Cremasco; Eugenio Cavallo. Innovating Occupational Safety Training: A Scoping Review on Digital Games and Possible Applications in Agriculture. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2021, 18, 1868 .
AMA StyleLucia Vigoroso, Federica Caffaro, Margherita Micheletti Cremasco, Eugenio Cavallo. Innovating Occupational Safety Training: A Scoping Review on Digital Games and Possible Applications in Agriculture. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18 (4):1868.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLucia Vigoroso; Federica Caffaro; Margherita Micheletti Cremasco; Eugenio Cavallo. 2021. "Innovating Occupational Safety Training: A Scoping Review on Digital Games and Possible Applications in Agriculture." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 4: 1868.
The brewing industry is characterized by the large production of by-products. Following the fundamentals of a circular economy, several attempts to recycle brewers’ spent grain (BSG) have been investigated. However, little information is available on its use for composting. Considering the main parameters required for optimal development of composting, the objective of the present review was to analyze the literature to determine whether the microbial and physicochemical characteristics of BSG make it suitable for direct composting. As the main factors in the composting process, we considered the BSG moisture content, total carbon, total nitrogen, C/N ratio, and pH. As described in the literature, the BSG moisture content, C/N ratio, and pH range from 70.6% to 81.3%, 7.1 to 26.5, and 3.8 to 6.9, respectively. This C/N ratio range is lower than the composting target range (20–30). Instead, the mean moisture content in the literature is higher than the 60% to 65% recommended for composting. Optimum pH for aerobic stabilization of compost ranges from 5.5 to 7.5, while the BSG pH in the literature is typically more acidic. Therefore, BSG is not suitable for direct composting. Addition of lignocellulosic bulking agents improves the reduction of moisture content during composting, while also optimizing the substrate properties, such as C/N ratio, air spaces, and pH, to positively affect the composting process. Moreover, livestock manure should be included as a starting material to promote the composting process. In this context, two hypothetical initial mixtures of BSG plus a lignocellulosic bulking agent and livestock manure are presented.
Davide Assandri; Niccolò Pampuro; Giacomo Zara; Eugenio Cavallo; Marilena Budroni. Suitability of Composting Process for the Disposal and Valorization of Brewer’s Spent Grain. Agriculture 2020, 11, 2 .
AMA StyleDavide Assandri, Niccolò Pampuro, Giacomo Zara, Eugenio Cavallo, Marilena Budroni. Suitability of Composting Process for the Disposal and Valorization of Brewer’s Spent Grain. Agriculture. 2020; 11 (1):2.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDavide Assandri; Niccolò Pampuro; Giacomo Zara; Eugenio Cavallo; Marilena Budroni. 2020. "Suitability of Composting Process for the Disposal and Valorization of Brewer’s Spent Grain." Agriculture 11, no. 1: 2.
Vineyards’ soils are especially threatened by the risk of soil compaction and soil erosion, with negative consequences for wine production and provisioning of ecosystem services. The adopted inter-rows soil management influences the response of vineyard to different types of rainfall events, in terms of runoff and soil erosion. Actually, the use of cover crops in vineyards is widely considered as an effective measure for conservation of water and soil. A 3-years study was carried out in Piedmont (NW Italy) to evaluate the effectiveness of grass cover as a soil water conservation measure, compared with tillage, and particularly the influence of different types of rainfall events and tractor traffic in determining hydrological and erosive response of the vineyard. During the investigation period (November 2016 - December 2019), climate variables, runoff, and soil losses were continuously monitored along with vineyard management operations. Very different yearly precipitation characterized the observed period, including the driest and wettest year in the last 20 years. Runoff and soil erosion caused by different types of rainfall events (long-lasting, intense and normal) in two vineyard’s plots managed with permanent grass cover and tillage, respectively, have been compared. In addition, the influence of the number of tractor traffic was taken into account. Runoff volume was principally affected by soil management, while sediment yield was influenced by the type of event. Both were higher in the tilled plot than in the grassed one, for all types of events, even if differences were not always significant. Grass cover reduced by 65% the runoff, with the highest efficiency during intense events. Soil losses were reduced on average by 72%, with 74% efficiency during the most erosive intense events and the lowest protection (56%) during long-lasting rainfall. Moreover, the response of grass cover plot was less influenced by traffication. The study demonstrates the efficiency of grass cover in reducing water and soil losses also during extreme events, that are predicted to be more frequent in the climate change scenario. Highlights - Runoff volume was principally affected by soil management. - Sediment yield was influenced by the type of event. - Intense events result in the highest sediment losses. - Grass cover reduced by 65% the runoff, with the highest efficiency during intense events. - Tractor traffic caused a significant reduction of water that could infiltrate into the soil, recharging it.
Giorgio Capello; Marcella Biddoccu; Eugenio Cavallo. Permanent cover for soil and water conservation in mechanized vineyards: A study case in Piedmont, NW Italy. Italian Journal of Agronomy 2020, 15, 323 -331.
AMA StyleGiorgio Capello, Marcella Biddoccu, Eugenio Cavallo. Permanent cover for soil and water conservation in mechanized vineyards: A study case in Piedmont, NW Italy. Italian Journal of Agronomy. 2020; 15 (4):323-331.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiorgio Capello; Marcella Biddoccu; Eugenio Cavallo. 2020. "Permanent cover for soil and water conservation in mechanized vineyards: A study case in Piedmont, NW Italy." Italian Journal of Agronomy 15, no. 4: 323-331.
Sorting is one of the most critical factors in the marketing development of fruit and vegetable and should be performed without any damage to the product. This article reports results of the development and testing of a prototype of a low-cost mechanical spherical fruit sorter based on a belt-and-roller device built at the State University of Tabriz, Iran. The efficiency and damage effect of the prototype of the machine was tested at different sorting rates on apples (Red Delicious and Golden Delicious) and oranges. Performance tests indicated that the speed of the feeding belt and transporting belt as well as the spherical coefficient significantly affect the machine’s sizing performance and damages. The results of the test showed a 95.28% and 92.48% accuracy in sorting for Red Delicious and Golden Delicious, respectively, and 94.28% for orange. Furthermore, the machine sorts fruits without any significant damage.
Vahid Farzand Ahmadi; Peyman Ziyaee; Pourya Bazyar; Eugenio Cavallo. Development and Testing of a Low-Cost Belt- and-Roller Machine for Spheroid Fruit Sorting. AgriEngineering 2020, 2, 596 -606.
AMA StyleVahid Farzand Ahmadi, Peyman Ziyaee, Pourya Bazyar, Eugenio Cavallo. Development and Testing of a Low-Cost Belt- and-Roller Machine for Spheroid Fruit Sorting. AgriEngineering. 2020; 2 (4):596-606.
Chicago/Turabian StyleVahid Farzand Ahmadi; Peyman Ziyaee; Pourya Bazyar; Eugenio Cavallo. 2020. "Development and Testing of a Low-Cost Belt- and-Roller Machine for Spheroid Fruit Sorting." AgriEngineering 2, no. 4: 596-606.
Vineyards show some of the largest erosion rates reported in agricultural areas in Europe. Reported rates vary considerably under the same land use, since erosion processes are highly affected by climate, soil, topography and by the adopted soil management practices. Literature also shows differences in the effect of same conservation practices on reducing soil erosion from conventional, bare soil based, management. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) is commonly adopted to estimate rates of water erosion on cropland under different forms of land use and management, but it requires proper value of soil cover and management (C) factors in order to obtain a reliable evaluation of local soil erosion rates. In this study the ORUSCAL (Orchard RUSle CALibration) is used to identify the best calibration strategy against long-term experimental data. Afterwards, ORUSCAL is used in order to apply the RUSLE technology from farm based information across different European wine-growing regions. The results suggest that the best strategy for calibration should incorporate the soil moisture sub-factor (Sm) to provide better soil loss predictions. The C factor, whose average values ranged from 0.012 to 0.597, presented a large spatial variability due to coupling with local climate and specific local management. The comparison across the five wine-growing regions indicates that for the soil protection management, permanent cover crop is the best measure for accomplishing sustainable erosion rates across the studied areas. Alternate and temporary cover crops, that are used in areas of limited water resources to prevent competition with vines, failed to achieve sustainable erosion rates, that still need to be addressed. This raises the need for a careful use of C values developed under different environmental conditions.
M. Biddoccu; Gema Guzmán; G. Capello; T. Thielke; P. Strauss; S. Winter; J.G. Zaller; A. Nicolai; D. Cluzeau; D. Popescu; C. Bunea; A. Hoble; Eugenio Cavallo; J.A. Gómez. Evaluation of soil erosion risk and identification of soil cover and management factor (C) for RUSLE in European vineyards with different soil management. International Soil and Water Conservation Research 2020, 8, 337 -353.
AMA StyleM. Biddoccu, Gema Guzmán, G. Capello, T. Thielke, P. Strauss, S. Winter, J.G. Zaller, A. Nicolai, D. Cluzeau, D. Popescu, C. Bunea, A. Hoble, Eugenio Cavallo, J.A. Gómez. Evaluation of soil erosion risk and identification of soil cover and management factor (C) for RUSLE in European vineyards with different soil management. International Soil and Water Conservation Research. 2020; 8 (4):337-353.
Chicago/Turabian StyleM. Biddoccu; Gema Guzmán; G. Capello; T. Thielke; P. Strauss; S. Winter; J.G. Zaller; A. Nicolai; D. Cluzeau; D. Popescu; C. Bunea; A. Hoble; Eugenio Cavallo; J.A. Gómez. 2020. "Evaluation of soil erosion risk and identification of soil cover and management factor (C) for RUSLE in European vineyards with different soil management." International Soil and Water Conservation Research 8, no. 4: 337-353.
Rainfall is the key factor to understand soil erosion processes, mechanisms, and rates. Most research was conducted to determine rainfall characteristics and their relationship with soil erosion (erosivity) but there is little information about how atmospheric patterns control soil losses, and this is important to enable sustainable environmental planning and risk prevention. We investigated the temporal and spatial variability of the relationships of rainfall, runoff, and sediment yield with atmospheric patterns (weather types, WTs) in the western Mediterranean basin. For this purpose, we analyzed a large database of rainfall events collected between 1985 and 2015 in 46 experimental plots and catchments with the aim to: (i) evaluate seasonal differences in the contribution of rainfall, runoff, and sediment yield produced by the WTs; and (ii) to analyze the seasonal efficiency of the different WTs (relation frequency and magnitude) related to rainfall, runoff, and sediment yield. The results indicate two different temporal patterns: the first weather type exhibits (during the cold period: autumn and winter) westerly flows that produce the highest rainfall, runoff, and sediment yield values throughout the territory; the second weather type exhibits easterly flows that predominate during the warm period (spring and summer) and it is located on the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula. However, the cyclonic situations present high frequency throughout the whole year with a large influence extended around the western Mediterranean basin. Contrary, the anticyclonic situations, despite of its high frequency, do not contribute significantly to the total rainfall, runoff, and sediment (showing the lowest efficiency) because of atmospheric stability that currently characterize this atmospheric pattern. Our approach helps to better understand the relationship of WTs on the seasonal and spatial variability of rainfall, runoff and sediment yield with a regional scale based on the large dataset and number of soil erosion experimental stations.
D. Peña-Angulo; E. Nadal-Romero; J.C. González-Hidalgo; J. Albaladejo; V. Andreu; H. Bahri; S. Bernal; M. Biddoccu; R. Bienes; J. Campo; Miguel Ángel Campo-Bescós; A. Canatário-Duarte; Y. Cantón; J. Casali; V. Castillo; E. Cavallo; A. Cerdà; P. Cid; N. Cortesi; G. Desir; Elvira Diaz Pereira; T. Espigares; J. Estrany; J. Farguell; M. Fernández-Raga; C.S. Ferreira; V. Ferro; F. Gallart; R. Giménez; E. Gimeno; J.A. Gómez; A. Gómez-Gutiérrez; H. Gómez-Macpherson; O. González-Pelayo; O. Kairis; G.P. Karatzas; S. Keesstra; S. Klotz; C. Kosmas; N. Lana-Renault; T. Lasanta; J. Latron; R. Lázaro; Y. Le Bissonnais; C. Le Bouteiller; F. Licciardello; J.A. López-Tarazón; A. Lucía; V.M. Marín-Moreno; C. Marín; M.J. Marqués; J. Martínez-Fernández; M. Martínez-Mena; L. Mateos; N. Mathys; L. Merino-Martín; M. Moreno-De Las Heras; N. Moustakas; J.M. Nicolau; V. Pampalone; D. Raclot; M.L. Rodríguez-Blanco; J. Rodrigo-Comino; A. Romero-Díaz; Encarnación Taguas Ruiz; J.L. Rubio; S. Schnabel; J.M. Senciales-González; A. Solé-Benet; E.V. Taguas; M.T. Taboada-Castro; F. Todisco; X. Úbeda; E.A. Varouchakis; L. Wittenberg; A. Zabaleta; M. Zorn. Relationship of Weather Types on the Seasonal and Spatial Variability of Rainfall, Runoff, and Sediment Yield in the Western Mediterranean Basin. Atmosphere 2020, 11, 609 .
AMA StyleD. Peña-Angulo, E. Nadal-Romero, J.C. González-Hidalgo, J. Albaladejo, V. Andreu, H. Bahri, S. Bernal, M. Biddoccu, R. Bienes, J. Campo, Miguel Ángel Campo-Bescós, A. Canatário-Duarte, Y. Cantón, J. Casali, V. Castillo, E. Cavallo, A. Cerdà, P. Cid, N. Cortesi, G. Desir, Elvira Diaz Pereira, T. Espigares, J. Estrany, J. Farguell, M. Fernández-Raga, C.S. Ferreira, V. Ferro, F. Gallart, R. Giménez, E. Gimeno, J.A. Gómez, A. Gómez-Gutiérrez, H. Gómez-Macpherson, O. González-Pelayo, O. Kairis, G.P. Karatzas, S. Keesstra, S. Klotz, C. Kosmas, N. Lana-Renault, T. Lasanta, J. Latron, R. Lázaro, Y. Le Bissonnais, C. Le Bouteiller, F. Licciardello, J.A. López-Tarazón, A. Lucía, V.M. Marín-Moreno, C. Marín, M.J. Marqués, J. Martínez-Fernández, M. Martínez-Mena, L. Mateos, N. Mathys, L. Merino-Martín, M. Moreno-De Las Heras, N. Moustakas, J.M. Nicolau, V. Pampalone, D. Raclot, M.L. Rodríguez-Blanco, J. Rodrigo-Comino, A. Romero-Díaz, Encarnación Taguas Ruiz, J.L. Rubio, S. Schnabel, J.M. Senciales-González, A. Solé-Benet, E.V. Taguas, M.T. Taboada-Castro, F. Todisco, X. Úbeda, E.A. Varouchakis, L. Wittenberg, A. Zabaleta, M. Zorn. Relationship of Weather Types on the Seasonal and Spatial Variability of Rainfall, Runoff, and Sediment Yield in the Western Mediterranean Basin. Atmosphere. 2020; 11 (6):609.
Chicago/Turabian StyleD. Peña-Angulo; E. Nadal-Romero; J.C. González-Hidalgo; J. Albaladejo; V. Andreu; H. Bahri; S. Bernal; M. Biddoccu; R. Bienes; J. Campo; Miguel Ángel Campo-Bescós; A. Canatário-Duarte; Y. Cantón; J. Casali; V. Castillo; E. Cavallo; A. Cerdà; P. Cid; N. Cortesi; G. Desir; Elvira Diaz Pereira; T. Espigares; J. Estrany; J. Farguell; M. Fernández-Raga; C.S. Ferreira; V. Ferro; F. Gallart; R. Giménez; E. Gimeno; J.A. Gómez; A. Gómez-Gutiérrez; H. Gómez-Macpherson; O. González-Pelayo; O. Kairis; G.P. Karatzas; S. Keesstra; S. Klotz; C. Kosmas; N. Lana-Renault; T. Lasanta; J. Latron; R. Lázaro; Y. Le Bissonnais; C. Le Bouteiller; F. Licciardello; J.A. López-Tarazón; A. Lucía; V.M. Marín-Moreno; C. Marín; M.J. Marqués; J. Martínez-Fernández; M. Martínez-Mena; L. Mateos; N. Mathys; L. Merino-Martín; M. Moreno-De Las Heras; N. Moustakas; J.M. Nicolau; V. Pampalone; D. Raclot; M.L. Rodríguez-Blanco; J. Rodrigo-Comino; A. Romero-Díaz; Encarnación Taguas Ruiz; J.L. Rubio; S. Schnabel; J.M. Senciales-González; A. Solé-Benet; E.V. Taguas; M.T. Taboada-Castro; F. Todisco; X. Úbeda; E.A. Varouchakis; L. Wittenberg; A. Zabaleta; M. Zorn. 2020. "Relationship of Weather Types on the Seasonal and Spatial Variability of Rainfall, Runoff, and Sediment Yield in the Western Mediterranean Basin." Atmosphere 11, no. 6: 609.
Smart Farming Technologies (SFTs) can improve production output while minimising costs and preserving resources; however, they are scarcely adopted by farmers. In the present study, the factors affecting farmers' intentions to adopt two types of SFTs (Type 1: drones, sensors for data acquisition and automatic download, and agricultural apps; Type 2: agricultural robots and autonomous machines) were investigated within the framework of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), considering the role played by different sources of information, Perceived Ease of Use (PEU), and Perceived Usefulness (PU). A questionnaire assessing the PEU and PU of the two types of SFTs, farmers' previous exposure to different impersonal and personal (formal and informal) sources of information, and farmers' intentions to adopt SFTs was administered to a sample of Italian farmers (n = 314). A mediated model, built on the TAM, showed that the PU affected farmers’ intention to adopt a technology and that personal sources of information, both formal and informal, affected the PU; however, while formal sources increased the PU, informal sources decreased the PU. The model was invariant across the two types of SFTs considered. The implications for the proposal of new technologies are discussed.
Federica Caffaro; Margherita Micheletti Cremasco; Michele Roccato; Eugenio Cavallo. Drivers of farmers’ intention to adopt technological innovations in Italy: The role of information sources, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use. Journal of Rural Studies 2020, 76, 264 -271.
AMA StyleFederica Caffaro, Margherita Micheletti Cremasco, Michele Roccato, Eugenio Cavallo. Drivers of farmers’ intention to adopt technological innovations in Italy: The role of information sources, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use. Journal of Rural Studies. 2020; 76 ():264-271.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFederica Caffaro; Margherita Micheletti Cremasco; Michele Roccato; Eugenio Cavallo. 2020. "Drivers of farmers’ intention to adopt technological innovations in Italy: The role of information sources, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use." Journal of Rural Studies 76, no. : 264-271.
Lectures are the most commonly used training method but may not be effective in communicating safety information among migrant workers because of language and cultural barriers. The comprehension of safety information is particularly urgent in highly hazardous sectors such as agriculture, which has a high migrant workforce rate. In this study, an ergonomic user-centred approach was adopted to develop and evaluate safety training material targeting migrants employed on Italian farms. Focus groups with both trainers and migrants were carried out to collect information on critical issues in traditional training material, the most and least comprehended topics and suggestions for training improvement. Based on the focus group analysis, the training material was developed considering several visual factors and more engaging interaction between trainers and migrant trainees. The usability of the developed material was then evaluated in a group of 20 migrant farmworkers through a questionnaire assessing the knowledge of safety information before (T0) and after (T1) the training (effectiveness), perceived effort in learning (efficiency) and user satisfaction after training. The results showed improved knowledge, low perceived effort and high satisfaction, pointing to the positive effects of active user involvement when designing targeted training materials.
Federica Caffaro; Giorgia Bagagiolo; Margherita Micheletti Cremasco; Lucia Vigoroso; Eugenio Cavallo. Tailoring Safety Training Material to Migrant Farmworkers: An Ergonomic User-Centred Approach. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2020, 17, 2104 .
AMA StyleFederica Caffaro, Giorgia Bagagiolo, Margherita Micheletti Cremasco, Lucia Vigoroso, Eugenio Cavallo. Tailoring Safety Training Material to Migrant Farmworkers: An Ergonomic User-Centred Approach. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17 (6):2104.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFederica Caffaro; Giorgia Bagagiolo; Margherita Micheletti Cremasco; Lucia Vigoroso; Eugenio Cavallo. 2020. "Tailoring Safety Training Material to Migrant Farmworkers: An Ergonomic User-Centred Approach." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 6: 2104.
Rollover Protective Structures (ROPS) are the most effective solution to prevent fatalities in case of tractor rollover. Foldable Rollover Protective Structures (FROPS) have been developed to facilitate tractor operation in low overhead clearance zones. However, many of the fatalities and serious injuries in tractor rollover accidents occur when the FROPS is left by the operator in the folded-down position. Little is known about the reasons of such behavior and few solutions have been suggested to overcome this issue. Adopting a user-centred approach, in the present study a group of farmworkers (n = 21) was observed and interviewed while handling the FROPS on their own tractor, to point out critical behaviors, perceptions of effort and suggestions for technical solutions to support the manual operation of FROPS. A set of FROPS-related objective measurements were also taken. The participants reported moderate levels of perceived effort, as the entity of the force required to operate the FROPS was minimized by the low handling frequency. The observations pointed out that participants adopted some spontaneous strategies to facilitate the handling of the roll-bar during lowering and raising operations. Based on the present results some recommendations for technical adjustments are proposed to encourage the correct use of FROPS to prevent fatal accidents due to tractor rollover.
Lucia Vigoroso; Federica Caffaro; Margherita Micheletti Cremasco; Ambra Giustetto; Giuseppe Paletto; Eugenio Cavallo. A Bottom-Up Approach to Tractor Safety: Improving the Handling of Foldable Roll-Over Protective Structures (FROPS) Through User-Centred Design. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering 2020, 645 -652.
AMA StyleLucia Vigoroso, Federica Caffaro, Margherita Micheletti Cremasco, Ambra Giustetto, Giuseppe Paletto, Eugenio Cavallo. A Bottom-Up Approach to Tractor Safety: Improving the Handling of Foldable Roll-Over Protective Structures (FROPS) Through User-Centred Design. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering. 2020; ():645-652.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLucia Vigoroso; Federica Caffaro; Margherita Micheletti Cremasco; Ambra Giustetto; Giuseppe Paletto; Eugenio Cavallo. 2020. "A Bottom-Up Approach to Tractor Safety: Improving the Handling of Foldable Roll-Over Protective Structures (FROPS) Through User-Centred Design." Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering , no. : 645-652.
Smart Farming Technologies (SFTs) can increase the sustainability of agricultural production, based on a more precise and resource-efficient approach. However, previous studies pointed out a low level of SFTs adoption, often highlighting that technologies and innovations successfully adopted may be rejected by the users, who go back to the traditional practices even where benefits were being enjoyed. This study aimed at investigating the role played by individual variables, farming system characteristics, and perceived barriers in affecting the adoption of SFTs in a sample of Italian farm operators. Three-hundred and ten participants were administered a paper-and-pencil questionnaire addressing perceived economic, market and data management barriers in the adoption of SFTs. At the same time a set of user and farm-related variables was collected. The analyses showed that farm size and the perception of economic barriers affected the adoption of SFTs. Larger farms were more likely to adopt the SFTs investigated. The present results pointed out some critical aspects which may benefit from tailor-made interventions in terms of policies, work re-organization and/or operators’ training, to support and widen the use of SFTs in the Italian context.
Federica Caffaro; Eugenio Cavallo. Perceived Barriers to the Adoption of Smart Farming Technologies in Piedmont Region, Northwestern Italy: The Role of User and Farm Variables. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering 2020, 681 -689.
AMA StyleFederica Caffaro, Eugenio Cavallo. Perceived Barriers to the Adoption of Smart Farming Technologies in Piedmont Region, Northwestern Italy: The Role of User and Farm Variables. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering. 2020; ():681-689.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFederica Caffaro; Eugenio Cavallo. 2020. "Perceived Barriers to the Adoption of Smart Farming Technologies in Piedmont Region, Northwestern Italy: The Role of User and Farm Variables." Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering , no. : 681-689.
This study aimed at exploring the frequency of use and perceived benefits of application of organic matter to the soil in a group of Italian farmers, investigating also the preferred sources of information, to identify potential interventions to promote the improvement of the soil organic matter. The study has been carried out administering a 21-item paper-and-pencil questionnaire to 44 farmers. The results of the study highlighted that the main perceived benefit linked to soil organic matter application is related to its capacity of increasing productivity, while the aspects related to work pace, production costs, and implications with the climate change appeared to be less relevant. According to the results of the study, web targeted information campaigns for the smaller farms operators and training activities for the bigger farms operators are the most effective solutions to make farmers aware of the importance of increasing soil organic matter content.
Niccolò Pampuro; Federica Caffaro; Eugenio Cavallo. Farmers’ Attitudes toward On-Farm Adoption of Soil Organic Matter in Piedmont Region, Italy. Agriculture 2020, 10, 14 .
AMA StyleNiccolò Pampuro, Federica Caffaro, Eugenio Cavallo. Farmers’ Attitudes toward On-Farm Adoption of Soil Organic Matter in Piedmont Region, Italy. Agriculture. 2020; 10 (1):14.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNiccolò Pampuro; Federica Caffaro; Eugenio Cavallo. 2020. "Farmers’ Attitudes toward On-Farm Adoption of Soil Organic Matter in Piedmont Region, Italy." Agriculture 10, no. 1: 14.
Wood chips represent one of the most popular biomass fuel in latest cogenerating plants and in small heating systems. This fuel, being characterized by low bulk density, requires high transportation costs. This obstacle can be overcome by wood chips densification. The authors investigated the energy benefit of wood chips densification for transport operations for “short supply chain” as defined by the Italian government for the biomass fuel subsidy scheme. Three different woods (poplar, chestnut and a mixture of spruce and eastern white pine) chips and six different tractor’s trailed trailers were investigated. The total specific energy (kJ kg−1) required to transport a defined quantity of wood chips, the energy saving ratio (%) from chips’ compaction and the break-even distance (km) between raw and compressed chips were calculated. The results highlights that densification process of wood chips is an interesting opportunity to improve the transport energetic convenience. The benefit of wood chips densification is strongly affected by raw wood chips density values and by trailer characteristics: the benefit is maximum when the density of compressed wood chips to be transported attains the vehicle theoretical density.
Niccolò Pampuro; Giorgia Bagagiolo; Eugenio Cavallo. Energy requirements for wood chip compaction and transportation. Fuel 2019, 262, 116618 .
AMA StyleNiccolò Pampuro, Giorgia Bagagiolo, Eugenio Cavallo. Energy requirements for wood chip compaction and transportation. Fuel. 2019; 262 ():116618.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNiccolò Pampuro; Giorgia Bagagiolo; Eugenio Cavallo. 2019. "Energy requirements for wood chip compaction and transportation." Fuel 262, no. : 116618.
The comprehension of safety signs affixed to agricultural machinery is fundamental to warning users about the residual risks which cannot be eliminated with machinery design and the adoption of protections. This is particularly relevant for the migrant workforce, which may encounter some language barriers with written safety communication. The present study aimed to investigate the comprehension of safety signs affixed to agricultural machinery in a group of migrants from both European and non-European countries employed in Italian agriculture. Thirty-seven migrant farmworkers (12 Indians, 17 Pakistanis, and eight Romanians) were individually interviewed to test the comprehension of four safety signs referring to the main causes of fatal and non-fatal injuries caused by interactions with farm machinery. Romanians obtained the highest comprehension performance (68.8% of correct answers), followed by Indians (35.4%), with Pakistanis being last (32.4%). The nationality and the previous experience as a farmworker significantly affected the comprehension of safety signs. The results pointed out the importance of adequately training migrants on the meaning of safety signs. Beside this, the study suggests a redesign of the signs, considering some signs’ features to enhance pictorials’ cross-cultural comprehension.
Giorgia Bagagiolo; Lucia Vigoroso; Federica Caffaro; Margherita Micheletti Cremasco; Eugenio Cavallo. Conveying Safety Messages on Agricultural Machinery: The Comprehension of Safety Pictorials in a Group of Migrant Farmworkers in Italy. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2019, 16, 4180 .
AMA StyleGiorgia Bagagiolo, Lucia Vigoroso, Federica Caffaro, Margherita Micheletti Cremasco, Eugenio Cavallo. Conveying Safety Messages on Agricultural Machinery: The Comprehension of Safety Pictorials in a Group of Migrant Farmworkers in Italy. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2019; 16 (21):4180.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiorgia Bagagiolo; Lucia Vigoroso; Federica Caffaro; Margherita Micheletti Cremasco; Eugenio Cavallo. 2019. "Conveying Safety Messages on Agricultural Machinery: The Comprehension of Safety Pictorials in a Group of Migrant Farmworkers in Italy." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16, no. 21: 4180.
Soil erosion is affected by rainfall temporal patterns and intensity variability. In vineyards, machine traffic is implemented with particular intensity from late spring to harvest, and it is responsible for soil compaction, which likely affects soil hydraulic properties, runoff, and soil erosion. Additionally, the hydraulic and physical properties of soil are highly influenced by vineyards’ inter-rows soil management. The effects on soil compaction and both hydrological and erosional processes of machine traffic were investigated on a sloping vineyard with different inter-row soil managements (tillage and permanent grass cover) in the Alto Monferrato area (Piedmont, NW Italy). During the investigation (November 2016–October 2018), soil water content, rainfall, runoff, and soil erosion were continuously monitored. Field-saturated hydraulic conductivity, soil penetration resistance, and bulk density were recorded periodically in portions of inter-rows affected and not affected by the machine traffic. Very different yearly precipitation characterized the observed period, leading to higher bulk density and lower infiltration rates in the wetter year, especially in the tilled vineyard, whereas soil penetration resistance was generally higher in the grassed plot and in drier conditions. In the wet year, management with grass cover considerably reduced runoff (−76%) and soil loss (−83%) compared to tillage and in the dry season. Those results highlight the need to limit the tractor traffic, in order to reduce negative effects due to soil compaction, especially in tilled inter-rows.
Giorgio Capello; Marcella Biddoccu; Stefano Ferraris; Eugenio Cavallo. Effects of Tractor Passes on Hydrological and Soil Erosion Processes in Tilled and Grassed Vineyards. Water 2019, 11, 2118 .
AMA StyleGiorgio Capello, Marcella Biddoccu, Stefano Ferraris, Eugenio Cavallo. Effects of Tractor Passes on Hydrological and Soil Erosion Processes in Tilled and Grassed Vineyards. Water. 2019; 11 (10):2118.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiorgio Capello; Marcella Biddoccu; Stefano Ferraris; Eugenio Cavallo. 2019. "Effects of Tractor Passes on Hydrological and Soil Erosion Processes in Tilled and Grassed Vineyards." Water 11, no. 10: 2118.
Objectives: Safety pictograms are important graphic elements that are useful for rapidly conveying messages in workplaces. The purpose of this study was to investigate the comprehension of safety pictograms affixed to agricultural machinery among a group of Pakistani migrant farmworkers employed in Italy. Methods: Interviews about the meanings attributed to four standardized safety pictograms affixed to agricultural machinery depicting the most frequent causes of farm accidents were administered to 29 Pakistani migrant farmworkers employed on Italian farms. Results: There was high variability in pictogram comprehension. None of the participants interpreted all the pictograms in accordance with the definitions provided by the international standards. Higher comprehension rates were reported for pictograms related to the risks of tractor rollover and foot injury, while pictograms referring to the need to consult a technical manual and the risk of entanglement yielded lower comprehension scores. Previous farming experience in the country of origin and the number of years of education were significantly associated with comprehension scores. Conclusion: A discussion of pictogram features that may be critical for comprehension is provided, and (re)design suggestions are given to improve the cross-cultural comprehension of these safety signs.
Lucia Vigoroso; Federica Caffaro; Margherita Micheletti Cremasco; Giorgia Bagagiolo; Eugenio Cavallo. Comprehension of Safety Pictograms Affixed to Agricultural Machinery among Pakistani Migrant Farmworkers in Italy. Journal of Agromedicine 2019, 25, 265 -278.
AMA StyleLucia Vigoroso, Federica Caffaro, Margherita Micheletti Cremasco, Giorgia Bagagiolo, Eugenio Cavallo. Comprehension of Safety Pictograms Affixed to Agricultural Machinery among Pakistani Migrant Farmworkers in Italy. Journal of Agromedicine. 2019; 25 (3):265-278.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLucia Vigoroso; Federica Caffaro; Margherita Micheletti Cremasco; Giorgia Bagagiolo; Eugenio Cavallo. 2019. "Comprehension of Safety Pictograms Affixed to Agricultural Machinery among Pakistani Migrant Farmworkers in Italy." Journal of Agromedicine 25, no. 3: 265-278.
Sustainability is defined as meeting the human needs of current as well as future generations. This anthropocentric perspective leads to joint objectives between sustainability and ergonomics. In the present study, we adopted a systems ergonomic approach and, based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, we analyzed the paths by which the information environment can affect farmers' adoption of sustainable measures through the mediation of attitudes, social pressure, and behavioral control. One hundred ninety‐nine Italian farmers completed a questionnaire assessing exposure to impersonal, personal‐formal, and personal‐informal sources of information on the one hand and attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms toward the adoption of two types of sustainable innovations (technological solutions and organizational/managerial practices) on the other. The results showed that attitudes and perceived behavioral control were the dominant determinants of farmers' adoption behavior, and personal‐formal sources of information were positively associated with perceived behavioral control. Possible interventions are discussed for farmers' information environment to promote the adoption of sustainable innovations.
Federica Caffaro; Michele Roccato; Margherita Micheletti Cremasco; Eugenio Cavallo. An ergonomic approach to sustainable development: The role of information environment and social‐psychological variables in the adoption of agri‐environmental innovations. Sustainable Development 2019, 27, 1049 -1062.
AMA StyleFederica Caffaro, Michele Roccato, Margherita Micheletti Cremasco, Eugenio Cavallo. An ergonomic approach to sustainable development: The role of information environment and social‐psychological variables in the adoption of agri‐environmental innovations. Sustainable Development. 2019; 27 (6):1049-1062.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFederica Caffaro; Michele Roccato; Margherita Micheletti Cremasco; Eugenio Cavallo. 2019. "An ergonomic approach to sustainable development: The role of information environment and social‐psychological variables in the adoption of agri‐environmental innovations." Sustainable Development 27, no. 6: 1049-1062.