Alfalfa for a Sustainable Ovine Farming System: Proposed Research for a New Feeding Strategy Based on Alfalfa and Ecological Leftovers in Drought Conditions

Carlo Viti, Agnese Bellabarba, Matteo Daghio, Alessio Mengoni, Marcello Mele, Arianna Buccioni, Gaio Cesare Pacini, Abdelkader Bekki, Khalid Azim, Majida Hafidi and Francesco Pini
Additional contact information
Carlo Viti: Department of Agronomy, Food, Environmental and Forestry Sciences (DAGRI), University of Florence, I-50144 Florence, Italy
Agnese Bellabarba: Department of Agronomy, Food, Environmental and Forestry Sciences (DAGRI), University of Florence, I-50144 Florence, Italy
Matteo Daghio: Department of Agronomy, Food, Environmental and Forestry Sciences (DAGRI), University of Florence, I-50144 Florence, Italy
Alessio Mengoni: Department of Biology, University of Florence, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
Marcello Mele: Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Agro-Ambientali, University of Pisa, I-56124 Pisa, Italy
Arianna Buccioni: Department of Agronomy, Food, Environmental and Forestry Sciences (DAGRI), University of Florence, I-50144 Florence, Italy
Gaio Cesare Pacini: Department of Agronomy, Food, Environmental and Forestry Sciences (DAGRI), University of Florence, I-50144 Florence, Italy
Abdelkader Bekki: Laboratory of Rhizobia Biotechnology and Plant Breeding, University Oran1, Es Senia 31000, Algeria
Khalid Azim: National Institute of Agricultural Research (INRA), Regional Center of Agadir, Inzegane Principale, Agadir CP 80350, Morocco
Majida Hafidi: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Moulay Ismail University, Zitoune Meknés BP 11201, Morocco
Francesco Pini: Department of Biology, University of Bari—Aldo Moro, I-70124 Bari, Italy

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 7, 1-13

Abstract: In the past 10 years, the average demand for meat and milk across the world has significantly increased, especially in developing countries. Therefore, to support the production of animal-derived food products, a huge quantity of feed resources is needed. This paper does not present original research, but rather provides a conceptual strategy to improve primary production in a sustainable way, in relation to forthcoming issues linked to climate change. Increases in meat and milk production could be achieved by formulating balanced diets for ovines based on alfalfa integrated with local agricultural by-products. As the central component of the diet is alfalfa, one goal of the project is increasing the yield of alfalfa in a sustainable way via inoculating seeds with symbiotic rhizobia (i.e., Sinorhizobium meliloti ). Seed inoculants are already present on the market but have not been optimized for arid soils. Furthermore, a part of the project is focused on the selection of elite symbiotic strains that show increased resistance to salt stress and competitiveness. The second component of the experimental diets is bio-waste, especially that obtained from olive oil manufacturing (i.e., pomace). The addition of agro-by-products allows us to use such waste as a resource for animal feeding, and possibly, to modulate rumen metabolism, thereby increasing the nutritional quality of milk and meat.

Keywords: legume; alfalfa; crop yield; rhizobia; nitrogen fixation; livestock; milk and meat; climate change; circular economy; food loss and waste (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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