August 2013, Vol. 7, No. 8, pp. 892-900 Journal of Life Sciences, ISSN 1934-7391, USA D DAVID PUBLISHING Design and Development of a Forest Nursery, for the Enhancement of Multi-Functional Agriculture and for a Didactical Purpose Elena Valent1, Sirio Rossano Secondo Cividino2, Marco Barbaro2, Luisa Dalla Costa2, Stefano Santi3, Simona Rainis1 and Rino Gubiani2 1. CirMont - International Research Center for Mountain, Amaro (Ud) 33020, Italy 2. Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Udine, Udine 33100, Italy 3. Julian Prealps Nature Park, district of Prato di Resia, Resia (Ud) 33010, Italy Received: June 13, 2013 / Accepted: August 22, 2013 / Published: August 30, 2013. Abstracts: The experimental idea of the present project was elaborated in order to create a structure where different categories and institutions could collaborate, with the common aim to develop a sustainable and profitable agriculture in mountain and marginal areas. The target was the recovering of an abandoned agricultural site, throughout its re-organisation, re-qualification and auto-sustainability, involving local citizens. This approach was based on three further broad functions such as environmental, economic and social purposes. This cooperation, that allows the capitalization of local knowledge and the forging of relationships between local and external sources of expertise, information and advice, is fundamental to the future of existing rural communities, in particular in mountain areas. The model proposed, with the elaboration of a management software and technical agronomic sheets, could be an incentive for the activities already present in that region and to stimulate new ones. The enhancing of the native ecological system, the biodiversity tutelage and the valorization of the knowledge of the territory is the basic requirement for the successful of any land management. Key words: Innovative, sustainable and multi-functional agriculture, recovering of disused agronomic areas, biodiversity tutelage, horticulture. 1. Introduction but environmentally sustainable and that enhances natural capital. This eco-friendly farming often The primary role of agricultural research is to combines traditional knowledge with modern heighten knowledge and to improve technology, technologies, which are adapted to the needs of throughout understanding of the interactions and the small-scale producers and, above all, perfectly interdependence between production systems and integrated with the autochthonous context. It also farming communities. As FAO’s researchers underline, encourages the use of conservative agriculture, which this approach requires an innovative holistic and boosts yields while restoring soil health [2]. interdisciplinary method to problem identification, The recent guidelines of CAP 2014-2020 (Common analysis and solution-finding [1]. The new trend, Agricultural Policy) share the same principles, in fact suggested by the FAO’s publication called “Save and are oriented towards the development of low input Grow”, is a crop model production highly productive, agricultural productive systems, based on “typical”, “safe” and “traditional” productions, duly integrated Corresponding author: Simona Rainis, Ph.D., researcher, research fields: zootechnics, development of agro-food chains, by agro-touristic activities and ecological services [3]. study of models for the enhancement of agriculture in marginal The starting point are small farmers that are able to and mountain areas. E-mail: [email protected]. Design and Development of a Forest Nursery, for the Enhancement of 893 Multi-Functional Agriculture and for a Didactical Purpose produce, preserving local resources (for example understanding of biological principles, technical recovering native and traditional seeds) and, most of all, management knowledge and resources in farming biodiversity [4]. systems were integrated. This approach was based on In particular, in less favored areas, such as three further broad functions such as environmental, mountain regions, the agroecosystems are extremely economic and social purposes. The model proposed, fragile, bear and especially vulnerable to global with the elaboration a management software and changes all around the word [5-7]. The farming technical agronomic sheets, could be an incentive for activities cope with severe conditions of social and the activities already present in that territory and to economic marginality, sometimes so strict to stimulate new ones. determine the abandonment of any agricultural 2. Materials and Methods activity, with the subsequent irreversible territory degradation. For this reason, it is very important and The experimental field was the ex-forest green vital to consider that land management, related to the nursery, a brownfield, in the Municipality of Moggio primary sector production, has a multifunctional Udinese (Udine, Italy), situated in Friuli Venezia character that delivers a wide range of non-food goods Giulia, at the extreme Eastern edge of the Italian slope and services, influences the natural resource system, of the Alpine arc. The agronomic site acreage was shapes social and cultural systems, educates to almost 1.8 ha, as shown in Fig. 1. ecology, tutelages old rural values and can contribute From the agronomic point of view, the farming land significantly to economic growth [8, 9]. was characterized by an alluvial origin, with a loose On another level, the capitalization of local soil and with a predominant skeleton type, a good knowledge and the forging of relationships between pedological characteristics with consequent no particular local and external sources of expertise, information and need of fertilization. It had an optimal orientation (east advice are fundamental to the future of existing rural -west), protected by trees against wind, an available communities. Nowadays, a new impulse towards the water source and a good viability, as shown in Fig. 2. diversification of farming systems has been given, and The partners of the project were: the traditional production methods are addressed to a CirMont–International Research Center for new interest and it is considered a pillar of a Mountain, Amaro (Ud), Italy; sustainable development, because for farmers, it is Department of Agricultural and Environmental very profitable the integration of their activities for Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Udine example with tourism and other forms of land (Italy); exploitation, since it represents a significant part of Julian Prealps Nature Park (Resia, Udine, Italy); local economy [10-12]. Municipality of Moggio Udinese (Udine, Italy); The present project target is the recovering of an local farmers, as shown in Fig. 3. abandoned agricultural site situated in a low developed From the methodological point of view, the trial was region, throughout its re-organisation, re-qualification divided in 5 phases, as follows: and auto-sustainability, involving local citizens. The (1) analysis of the site, for the experimentation and experimental idea was elaborated in order to create a development of a multi-functional agriculture; structure where different categories and institutions (2) agronomic requalification of the area; could collaborate, with the common aim to develop a (3) creation of a management software, for the sustainable and profitable agriculture in mountain and evaluation of the species to farm and their relative costs marginal areas. In this context, contemporary scientific [13, 14]; 894 Design and Development of a Forest Nursery, for the Enhancement of Multi-Functional Agriculture and for a Didactical Purpose (a) (b) (c) Fig. 1 Localization of the agronomic experimental site (a): Italy; (b): Friuli Venezia Giulia; (c): aerial photo of the ex-forest green nursery in Moggio Udinese, Udine, Italy. (a) (b) Fig. 2 (a), (b): the agronomic site before the experimental trial. farmers; CIRMont (6) implementation and development of a replicable model [15-17]. 3. Results Department of Agricultural and Local Environmental Sciences Faculty of The site was suitable for the experimental project, in farmers Agriculture Ex-forest University of Udine fact its agronomic characteristics and its localisation green nursery presented good features for the development of the present trial. A preliminary requalification (specific equipment purchase, road accommodation, cutting of trees and Municipality Julian of Moggio Prealps bushes, etc.) of the site was indispensable, since the Udinese Nature Park site was abased and discarded for years. Some management instruments were appositely created (VivaioGest software), to help in: Fig. 3 Partners of the project. (1) the prevision of costs in the design phase (e.g. (4) agronomic cultivation; the species to grow); (5) elaboration of technical agronomic sheets, for the (2) the definition and planning of agronomic Design and Development of a Forest Nursery, for the Enhancement of 895 Multi-Functional Agriculture and for a Didactical Purpose practices, in particular the disposition of the plants in testing recovered autochthonous varieties and species, the field; typically farmed in mountain (ex. flax-Linum (3) the optimization of the activities, for an organic usitatissimum, pumpkin-Cucurbita spp., friulan future development of the project. cabbage-Brassica oleracea acephala), and other low The type of plants, reported in the following list, was impact plants, important from the economical and chosen strictly considering