REPORT ON OPERATIONAL GROUP "NEWTON" - Agroforestry Network in Tuscany: a regional Operational Group to spread agroforestry knowledge and innovations

The Operational Group "NEtWork for agroforestry in TUSCANY" (NEWTON) has been included in the list of eligible projects financed with DD n. 13600 of 07/08/2018, under the Partenariato Europeo per l’Innovazione in materia di produttività e sostenibilità dell’agricoltura Misura 16.2 del PSR 2014-2020 Regione Toscana Bando PS-GO 2017 (Italy). The start of work took place on 01/13/2020 and the partners were: PEFC, Università di Pisa, Consiglio Nazionale dele Ricerche, CREA, Anci Toscana, Tenuta di Paganico, Il Rennovament Agricolo - Soc. Coop. and Institute of Life SciencesSant’Anna. The Covid pandemics was an obstacle to finish all the tasks as they were initially planned. The OG NEWTON's main objective was to promote agroforestry practices in Tuscany as an innovative system for "sustainable agricultural intensification" (see EIP-AGRI Agroforestry Focus Group—Final Report, 2018), through the participatory dissemination of innovative technical-scientific knowledge among all stakeholders, to: (i) enhance traditional ASC (Agro-Selvi-Colturali) agroforestry systems, such as the mixed olive growing and (ii) promoting innovative ASC agroforestry systems such as "silverable systems with polycyclic rows". This objective was achieved through two operational lines: one relating to the transfer of knowledge and the other relating to the demonstration and dissemination of innovations. The specific objectives of the OG NEWTON were: a) the creation of the regional knowledge network for agroforestry the ASC; b) the development of the innovation network through the use of case studies in private and public companies; c) the dissemination of knowledge and innovations through the opening of a web portal dedicated to ASC agroforestry systems in Tuscany and d) the identification of innovative strategies for the valorisation of agro-forestry and agrosilviculture. Silvopastoralism is a prevalent practice in Italy, often seen as influencing forest regeneration. However, its sustainability depends on livestock management strategies and grazing intensity. The proposal aimed to apply and disseminate agroforestry (ASC) innovatively, referring to the set of production and management practices that integrate the cultivation of tree or shrub species with crops and/or the breeding of animals on the same plot. Historically, such systems were integral to the Italian and Tuscan landscape, particularly representing complex and resilient systems that ensured the multifunctionality of the land and diversification of production. This complexity was diminished by the rise of intensive agriculture, which has resulted in the loss of numerous ecosystem services. Today, it serves as an innovation to combat climate change (carbon storage, control of atmospheric agents, enhancement of the microclimate, soil fertility, conservation of biodiversity), as shown by many European and global studies (www.agroforestry.eu and www.worldagrforestry.org). The OG NEWTON project analysed four wooded areas, featuring over 80-year-old Turkey oak stands (Quercus cerris L.) with varying grazing intensities. The study evaluated the effects of these grazing intensities on soil biological quality, tree regeneration, and biodiversity, incorporating vegetation structure analysis and assessment of soil mesofauna. Authors: Ana Maria Ventura; César Almeida (SolutopusRecursos e Desenvolvimento, Lda. ASC agroforestry practices have been considered a means of “sustainable agricultural intensification”. For this reason, GO NEWTON proposed a new comparison at a regional level on these systems strongly linked to the history of the Tuscan territory from an innovative perspective, transferring and disseminating to farmers the technical-scientific knowledge relating to the environmental benefits and productivity of these systems. REPORT ON OPERATIONAL GROUP “NEWTON” Agroforestry Network in Tuscany: a regional Operational Group to spread agroforestry knowledge and innovations Introduction Materials and methods This evidence, also supported by monitoring activities of environmental and production parameters, was used to continuously improve the territories and support targeted market choices that bring consumers closer to ASC agroforestry production. Through participatory methods, the system was built to start a network of farmers and stakeholders who were able to discuss the issues of agroforestry and to make use of the demonstration sites, the functioning of the ASC systems and the WEB platform (www.gonewton.it), complete with information tools. Applications for smartphones/iPhones/tablets as marketing tools, such as gamification, have allowed access to virtual demonstration site itineraries implemented with game techniques, methodologies, and design for interactive user involvement in the animation and discovery activities of places and products. The network was managed in connection with the networking activities of community projects with similar purposes, such as the H2020 AFINET project (https://euraf.isa.utl.pt/pt-pt/afinet), the European Federation for Agroforestry (EURAF) (www.euraf.net), and the European Innovation Partnership (EIP-AGRI). At the Italian level, through the National Rural Network, it was possible to bring together the stakeholders of the various regional GOs to encourage the exchange of knowledge and innovations. At a regional level, however, a series of actions shared with the other GO proposals were identified, with which information actions were shared, dedicating part of the available funds to the organisation of shared workshops. The innovations proposed by the GO were applied through demonstration tests at four companies in the Tuscan territory. Environmental and production parameters were monitored at a field scale, aimed at disseminating specific information regarding adopting ASC agroforestry systems. Regarding the dissemination and transfer of knowledge, work has been done to establish a network of farmers and stakeholders through the implementation of comparison activities based on participatory methods and the development of interactive information tools such as the web-GIS portal and gamification. Furthermore, training and information means such as seminars, meetings, courses, and "study visits" were used, and, above all, through the creation of the first Agroforestry School, a dedicated Work Package inside NEWTON was justified. GO NEWTON has therefore tried to promote and enhance production models by adopting ASC systems on farms in the Tuscany region. The work was organised in 8 work packages, where all partners had different roles and an involving responsibility. As examples, from the UNIPI side, the major innovation developed in this operational group was the study of agroforestry systems regarding the provision of ecosystem services. From SSSA, the main work was addressed to improving the sustainability of agricultural processes, as the contemporary increase in demand for food in a context of climate change has stimulated research in agrarian sciences aimed at deepening knowledge regarding complex and integrated agricultural systems such as agroforestry. CNRIBE developed various monitoring methods of soil fertility (through continuous inspections and sampling) to evaluate the effects of agroforestry on the soil in the sites covered by the demonstrations. CREATE FL’s activity was essentially focused on monitoring the case studies planned in the project partner companies; consequently, the innovations developed essentially concerned the preparation of a methodology capable of discriminating the structural, functional and productive aspects of the tree component based on the intensity and type of "disturbance factor" affecting the forest. The innovations proposed by PEFC Italia concerned agroforestry-pastoral companies' economic, environmental and social spheres equilibrium. These goals can be pursued by implementing systems with lower emissions of climatechanging gases, conserving the biodiversity and fertility of the soil, having significant stability and giving more added value in the market and, at the same time, having products with sustainability certificationall aspects that fall within the membership of certification schemes. The project activities were divided into two operational lines, one relating to the transfer of knowledge and the other relating to the demonstration and dissemination of innovations, following the defined objectives and considering the development of the innovation network through case studies in private and public companies. The key steps were disseminating knowledge and innovations through a web portal dedicated to ASC systems and searching for innovative strategies to valorise agroforestry production. A primary focus was the interrelationships among plants, soil, water, and nutrients, emphasising the enhancement of the biological efficiency of plant production and the critical management aspects, including cattle, fruit, seed, and vegetable production systems. Specifically regarding soils, the methodology incorporated applied chemical, physical, and biological soil indicators, such as the Soil Biological Quality Index (QBS-ar) and fungal metabarcoding analysis to assess biodiversity. This was supported by various grazing intensities: high-intensity cattle grazing (0.50 LU), medium-intensity cattle grazing (0.32 LU), low-intensity cattle grazing (0.30 LU), and a nongrazed area. All these aspects aimed to increase farmers’ profitability, improve soil health, and enhance water quality. The data obtained from questionnaires, interviews, and territorial databases concerning agroforestry systems in the area and the agronomic suitability of the Tuscan territory for these systems enabled this project. An interactive web-GIS platform was created (https://newtonagroforestry.eu) to enhance the dissemination of knowledge and innovations related to regional agroforestry systems. In agroforestry, incorporating the tree component must consider the site's conditions and the selection of the most suitable clone or species based on established cultivation objectives. The two case studies have partially addressed the environmental, landscape, and ecological functions; however, the production function cannot yet be guaranteed. In silvopastoral systems, grazing simplifies the population structure, affects undergrowth growth, hinders natural regeneration, and reduces biodiversity. Yet, these systems offer undeniable environmental and production benefits. They can be preserved by maintaining appropriate livestock intensity, regularly monitoring forest stands, and excluding grazing before initiating the forest regeneration phase. Some key results from NEWTON can be mentioned as follows: a) From the Soil quality and biological indicators, the results showed that: Higher grazing intensity (PVA1) was associated with lower soil respiration and reduced biological quality, likely due to compaction and decreased soil porosity; Moderate grazing intensities (PVA2 and PVA3) supported higher mesofauna diversity and ecological stability, enhancing soil resilience and carbon sequestration; The QBS-ar index proved to be an effective monitoring tool for evaluating soil quality in long-term agroforestry systems (LTA), reinforcing the importance of adaptive grazing management. b) For the vegetation and forest regeneration, it was concluded that: Grazing significantly influences understory vegetation composition and tree regeneration. Two groups of heifers and steers (Maremma breed) were divided and managed under pastoral or silvopastoral regimes, and the differences in performance and animal welfare were evaluated. At the project's outset, protocols were drafted to develop demonstration tests in the selected sites; these were essential for disseminating agroforestry knowledge. Main findings resulting from the OG activities Higher tree and shrub biodiversity was observed in non-grazed areas, while herbaceous regeneration benefited from moderate grazing due to reduced competition and increased nutrient cycling. The presence of livestock contributes to soil fertilization through manure, but excessive grazing can hinder natural tree regeneration and structural development. c) For the implications for sustainable silvopastoralism, the results suggest that: An optimal livestock load of approximately 0.30 LU supports tree vegetation development and soil conservation, but this threshold should be adjusted based on specific forest management objectives; To ensure sustainable forest-grazing integration, key recommendations include: i) maintaining moderate grazing levels to enhance soil biodiversity and organic carbon stabilisation; ii) applying rotational grazing strategies to prevent soil degradation while benefiting from livestock-driven nutrient cycling; iii) utilising biological indicators (e.g., QBS-ar, fungal analyses) as long-term monitoring tools to evaluate ecosystem health and adaptive management efficiency. Final Remarks Additionally, the NEWTON project has established a knowledge network and an innovation network focused on agroforestry, generating insights among stakeholders within the affected supply chains and verifying in situ the effects of intercropping on crops, trees, and animals. Furthermore, the OG NEWTON has become essential for implementing participatory research activities within the HORIZON2020 AGROMIX (https://agromixproject.eu) and HORIZON EUROPE DIGITAF (https://digitaf.eu) projects. Thanks to the funding received through these projects, the network of actors in the Tuscan territory focused on agroforestry development will be consistently engaged, leading to positive impacts on the territory regarding innovation and the development of sustainable agricultural systems. Overall, the management objective in silvopastoral systems is crucial for defining the appropriate livestock load. The coexistence of sustainable forest management and grazing within the forest is achievable but requires careful integrated planning that equally considers both agropastoral and silvicultural needs, especially during the final phase of forest regeneration. More specifically, searchable territorial information maps have been made available on the web-GIS platform, integrating information collected about the agroforestry systems present in the area with details on potentially implementable agroforestry systems. This allows visualisation of areas suitable for agroforestry, a recurring theme in the considerations made in the "pilot areas" covered by the project. FOREST4EU Project FOREST4EU Project [email protected] forest4eu.eu Contacts Funded by the European Union (Grant n. 101086216). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or REA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. partners: Further information Francesca Giannetti (Università degli Studi di Firenze), [email protected] Ana M. Ventura (Solutopus), [email protected] Operational Group NEWTON additional information Forest4Eu SharePoint, NEWTON CREDIT FOR AGROFORESTRYIT Hub 5, sheet 26, UNIFI Relazione tecnica finale del Gruppo Operativo NEWTON - NEtWork per l’agroselvicoltura in TOscaNa Maienza, A., AGROFORESTAZIONE PER LA FILIERA ZOOTECNICA: IL BENESSERE DEL SUOLO NEWTON - NEtWork Operational Group for agroforestry in Tuscany: Criteria and indicators for the certification of the sustainable management of an agroforestry system PEFC Based on