The main ideas of the research are: 1) the study of the composition of the microbiome (fungi and bacteria) of the cow or chicken manure 2) its evolution during the maturation steps; 3) a comparative study of the evolution of the microbiome and the gas production; 4) the effect of the use of manure, under different pedo-climatic conditions, on cereal health (diseases suppression) and quality, in terms of agronomic, technological, and nutritional characteristics of grain and pasta.
A partnership for the point 3) is needed.
Two Centers of the Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA, Italy), namely the Research Centre for Plant Protection and Certification (CREA-DC of Rome) and the Research Centre for Engineering and Agro-Food Processing (CREA-IT of Rome) are interested in the search of partnership for this Call. A private Company, FOMET, Italian leader in manure production, could participate in-kind.
CREA-DC has the competence for the analysis of microbiome by NGS long-reads technology and a vast experience in the study of soilborne plant pathogens, mainly those affecting cereals.
CREA IT has decades of experience in the coordination of Italian network for cereal (wheat, barley, triticale) quality control.
CREA-IT owns laboratories equipped for nutritional, rheological and sensorial assessment of cereals and derivative products (Storage proteins analysis, Chopin alveograph, Brabender Farinograph, Glutomatic System, Falling Number, Minolta Colorimeter, Single Kernel Characterization System, TAXT2 structure analyzer. Sensory analysis of pasta by a panel test). The laboratory is also equipped with pilot plants for milling, pasta - making (experimental press and drying cell at low and high temperature); pilot plants for debranning, micronization and air-classification. Moreover, CREA IT owns a well-equipped experimental farm (200 ha).
FOMET Spa manufactures and distributes organic and special Fertilizers since 1973. From the very start, natural methods and work systems on an industrial scale are applied. One of the company goals is to create products which bring biological activity and humic parts in order to counter the increasing productive decline of soils, their progressive decay and difficulty of cultivation. Methods which today still foresee the controlled withdrawal of organic matrixes from manure, the processing of same with a multi-month monitored dessication-concentration-humification treatment in environments completely covered and stanched, with the consequential formulation of multiple fertilizing products suitable to satisfy the most varied and difficult needs of the land. Fomet Spa has implemented a laboratory for chemical analysis with the purpose of continuously monitoring the section of fertilizer production, succeeding to provide test results quickly. In addition, CFPN (Center for Plant Nutrition), represents the research and agronomic trial hub of Fomet Spa. It's located on the outside and adjacent to the plant, it covers a fenced area of 4.800 sq.m.