Giuseppe Enne

Mitigating land degradation in Mediterranean agro-silvo-pastoral systems: a GIS-based approach

Agro-silvo-pastoral systems were studied in central–eastern Sardinia (Italy) to assess their environmental impact in marginal Mediterranean areas. Land cover changes between 1955 and 1996 were assessed by using multitemporal aerial coverages. The shift from extensive to semi-extensive production systems resulted in a decrease in woodland and in a marked increase in artificial pastures. Related field surveys highlighted widespread land degradation processes in areas where pasture amendment actions on land characterised by steep or fairly dissected morphology had been carried out. Starting from a past land suitability classification developed at farm level, a scheme for the evaluation of the land suitability to the creation of new pastures at regional scale was developed by using GIS methodologies. The scheme classifies the land into five land suitability classes as defined in the FAO Framework for Land Evaluation (highly suitable, moderately suitable, marginally suitable, currently not suitable, permanently unsuitable). The land suitability classification performed by the GIS model showed high accuracy if compared to the traditional procedure. The comparison between the land suitability and current land uses allows the identification of areas sensitive to land degradation where land resource conservation programmes can be proposed.

Ultrasound technique for measuring mammary cistern size of dairy ewes.

Sarda ewes, ∼4·5 million animals producing 500 000 tonnes milk annually, are one of the most important breeds of dairy sheep in the Mediterranean area. Several studies (Casu & Labussiere, 1972; Labussiere et al . 1981; Gallego et al . 1983; Rebello de Andrade et al . 1989; Bencini, 1993) have shown that milk production is influenced by mammary gland size and cistern dimension. The size of the mammary cistern affects both milk secretion rate and milk emission kinetics during milking. Milk secretion rate is controlled at the mammary gland level mainly by a protein feedback inhibitor of lactation (FIL), which is produced by mammary epithelial cells and secreted together with milk into the alveoli (Wilde & Peaker, 1990). As the alveoli are the site of action of the FIL (Henderson & Peaker, 1984), the FIL affects the rate of secretion when the milk is stored in the secretory tissue, whereas it is inactive in the milk stored in the cistern. As a consequence, the action of the FIL should be less in animals with a greater cistern volume, because a large proportion of milk is stored in the mammary cistern and the time during which the milk is in contact with the alveoli is reduced. This hypothesis is supported by the finding that the milk production of cows (Dewhurst & Knight, 1992; Knight & Dewhurst, 1992, 1994) and sheep (Karam et al . 1971; Enne et al . 1972) with large cistern storage capacities was almost unaffected by changes in the frequency of milking. Cistern volume also affects milk emission kinetics and the proportion of stripped milk obtained at milking (Labussiere, 1988). Cisternal milk is immediately available for removal, whereas alveolar milk is available only after operation of the ejection reflex, necessary in dairy ewes for complete udder emptying (Bruckmaier et al . 1997). Therefore, in animals readily able to expel alveolar milk into the cistern before the whole cisternal milk fraction is removed (Pazzona et al . 1978; Bruckmaier et al . 1997), a larger cistern volume enables milking time to be reduced by eliminating or restricting the need for stripping. On the basis of the above considerations, the volume of the mammary gland cistern could be proposed as a selection objective to improve milk production and milking ability of dairy ewes. For this purpose, a quick, accurate and economic method for measuring it is needed. The ultrasound technique allows the internal structure of the mammary gland cistern to be observed clearly in sheep (Ruberte et al . 1994; Pulina et al . 1996; Bruckmaier et al . 1997), cows (Bruckmaier et al . 1994 b ) and goats (Bruckmaier et al . 1994 a ). Cistern size has been measured by ultrasound in dairy cows (Bruckmaier et al . 1994 b ) and sheep (Pulina & Nudda, 1996), where a positive correlation between milk yield and cistern area calculated from the ultrasound images of mammary glands was found. However, area estimation requires the use of expensive ultrasound equipment or of a digitizing tablet. In both cases, area measurement is difficult owing to the irregular shape of the cistern. The aim of this study was to test the use of linear measurements taken directly from ultrasound images to estimate cistern size in dairy ewes.

Genetic traceability of the geographical origin of typical Italian water buffalo Mozzarella cheese: a preliminary approach

Aims:  To distinguish Italian Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) water buffalo Mozzarella from different producers on a molecular basis in relation to the place of manufacturing within the production district, and to develop a tool for genetic traceability of typical dairy products.

Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis): Complete Nucleotide Mitochondrial Genome Sequence

In this work, we report the whole sequence of the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) mitochondrial genome. The water buffalo mt molecule is 16.355 base pair length and shows a genome organization similar to those reported for other mitochondrial genome. These new data provide an useful tool for many research area, i.e. evolutionary study and identification of food origin.

Investigating the relationship between raw milk bacterial composition, as described by intergenic transcribed spacer–PCR fingerprinting, and pasture altitude

Aims:  To assess the bacterial biodiversity level in bovine raw milk used to produce Fontina, a Protected Designation of Origin cheese manufactured at high‐altitude pastures and in valleys of Valle d’Aosta region (North‐western Italian Alps) without any starters. To study the relation between microbial composition and pasture altitude, in order to distinguish high‐altitude milk against valley and lowland milk.

Why does the increase of plasmin worsen the coagulation properties of milk in dairy sheep

Riassunto Perché il maggiore contenuto in plasmina peggiora la coagulabilità del latte ovino? Sono stati analizzati 448 campioni individuali di latte ovino prelevati da 105 pecore di razza Sarda. I campioni di latte sono stati suddivisi in classi rispetto al contenuto in plasmina (PL). Nei campioni di latte con tempo di coagulazione <30 min sono state osservate relazioni positive fra PL, NCN, SCC e pH, mentre sono risultate negative le relazioni fra PL e lattosio. Il contenuto di caseina non è stato influenzato dalla PL. Questo andamento è stato osservato anche per i campioni di latte che non hanno coagulato entro 30 minuti. I parametri di coagulazione sono peggiorati all’aumentare del contenuto in PL nel latte. In conclusione i risultati confermano che il contenuto in caseina non è un valido indicatore per valutare la coagulabilità del latte. Il peggioramento dei parametri di coagulazione è fortemente influenzato dagli indici di alterazione della permeabilità dell’epitelio secretivo quali l’aumento di pH e NCN e la riduzione del lattosio.

Land cover changes in Sardinia (Italy): the role of agricultural policies in land degradation

During recent decades in European Mediterranean Countries the shift from traditional to modem agricultural systems, favoured by national and common agricultural policies, has led in many cases to the overexploitation and degradation of natural resources. This is particularly true for Sardinia, where the growing demand for sheep cheese has caused the cultivation of unsuitable areas for forage production.