Responsible Alessio Collalti

Via della Madonna Alta, 128 Perugia, Umbria

The Perugia Branch of ISAFOM (formerly the Institute for Olive Growing) is traditionally and primarily focused on the development of innovative solutions to support olive growing and the valorisation of by-products of the olive-growing chain.

MAIN ACTIVITIES

SKILLS AND KNOW-HOW:

• Prospecting and collecting olive germplasm (Italy and international);
• Bio-agronomic characterisation of olive germplasm;
• Genetic improvement and selection of new cultivars;
• Quality of oil and fats;
• Propagation and study of varieties, wild and subspecies of olive trees;
• Design of experimental fields to safeguard and study olive biodiversity and the nutraceutical components linked to the cultivar and cultivation area;
• Exploitation through legal and contractual instruments of research products such as new olive varieties, technology transfer and innovation, or related to the establishment of germplasm banks. (Sub-office of the Jean Monnet RIGHT&Science Competence Centre)
• Development and evaluation of innovative, eco-friendly and economically sustainable processes for the correct management and valorisation of agro-industrial waste, with particular reference to the wet pomace produced by oil mills equipped with modern and environmentally friendly two-phase extraction systems;
• Study of biological processes conducted in an aerobic environment (composting) capable of transforming agro-industrial waste into stable and mature products that are valid substitutes for peat and/or synthetic fertilisers, for environmentally friendly agriculture;
• Evaluation of the main analytical parameters related to the agronomic quality of the produced soil improvers: in particular, in addition to the elemental characterisation, the quality of organic carbon (humification indices), biological stability and maturity (static and dynamic respirometric indices, phytotoxicity) of the compost is also defined;
• Analysis of emissions and mass balance in the composting of agro-industrial waste, through the use of a pilot plant (COMPOSTER) designed ad hoc, built at laboratory scale and recently validated at ISAFOM-CNR in Perugia;
• Assessment of the environmental compatibility of bioplastics through the determination of specific tests (ultimate biodegradability in compost or soil, compostability) carried out using a little-used laboratory equipment (BIODEG), designed ad hoc, built and recently validated at ISAFOM in Perugia, capable of reproducing the operating conditions required by the European reference standards (UNI EN ISO 13432, 14855-1, 17556, 14045).
• It studies and analyses the quantitative and qualitative representation of the interactions that regulate the productivity, resistance and resilience of forest ecosystems to disturbances, as well as their responses to ecological and climatic forcing.
• It develops, parameterises, validates and uses empirical and/or process-based simulation models, both to deepen the understanding of the mechanisms that regulate the functioning of forest ecosystems and to assess their responses to the current climate and impacts related to future climate change scenarios.
• In addition, the Forest Modelling Laboratory studies the response of forests to current and alternative/adaptive management scenarios through modelling approaches according to defined protocols.

 TECHNOLOGICAL EQUIPMENT:

1. a) Tuoro sul Trasimeno field (breeding and cross-breeding).
   (b) Workshops:

• Characterisation of oils and fatty substances
• SOIL - organic matter and soil analysis
• Plant biotechnology;
• Laboratory for agronomic greenhouse and field trials
• Automatic lab-scale composting plants;
• Respirometry laboratory;

1. (c) Mini mill;
2. (d) Experimental greenhouse (264 m2).

ISAFOM-CNR Perugia makes use of state-of-the-art laboratory analytical instrumentation for both sample preparation and subsequent analysis aimed at detailed chemical characterisation of the matrices under investigation

Among the recently acquired equipment:

• Instrumentation for assessing SOUR (Sorption Oxygen Uptake Rate) in organic matrices;
• Respirometric reactor for calculating the IRDP - dynamic potential respirometric index;
• Elementar analyser for the determination of C, H, N, S in solid samples;
• Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectrometry (ICP-OES);
• ProStar 335 Diode Array Detector.

To further studies on composting, ISAFOM-CNR designed, built and experimentally validated an innovative prototype (COMPOSTER), capable of realising at laboratory level the static composting with forced aeration of biomass, operating in an ideal way through the automatic control and optimisation of all the main process parameters (including: mass humidity and temperature, inlet air flow rate, O₂ and CO₂ in the exhausted air escaping from the system).

During the activities of another PIF project (2013-15), ISAFOM-CNR in Perugia also designed and built another laboratory facility (BIODEG) capable of carrying out tests of ultimate biodegradability of bioplastics, both in compost and soil, in accordance with the relevant European standards (UNI EN ISO 13432, 14855-1, 17556).

Forest Modelling Laboratory

Forest Modeillist Laboratory

SERVICES AND PRODUCTS OFFERED:

• Study and valorisation of olive biodiversity at international level;
• Biochemical analyses by HPLC and GC of olives and olive oils;
• Propagation and study of varieties, wild and subspecies of olive trees;
• Analysis and identification of the best protocols at international level for morphological and biochemical studies in olive trees;
• Design of experimental fields to safeguard and study olive biodiversity and the nutraceutical components linked to the cultivar and cultivation area;
• Exploitation through legal and contractual instruments of research products such as new olive varieties, technology transfer and innovation, or related to the establishment of germplasm banks.
• Recovery and valorisation of agro-industrial by-products for the production of biofuels
• Applied study of the principles on the Free Movement of Goods, Persons and Capital and its effects in the realisation of the EU market, with a focus on the contractual activities of companies and public administration on the above topics.
• Optimisation of the co-composting of residues (digestates) resulting from biogas production processes (anaerobic digestion) from agricultural and agro-industrial wastes; preliminary studies may be proposed, to be conducted on a laboratory scale using COMPOSTER, subsequently evaluating a possible company scale-up.
• use of biochar (produced by pyrolysis of organic matrices) as an ingredient in the co-composting of agro-industrial waste, in order to optimise the process and improve the final agronomic characteristics of the compost obtained (biological stability, maturity, nutrient richness, etc.)
• preparation of peat-free compost-based potting soils for particular high added-value nursery uses: supervision of agronomic tests to be carried out at companies in the sector to assess the agronomic effectiveness of compost as a substitute for peat and fertilisation, also assessing, with the help of competent colleagues, the aspects related to the suppressiveness of compost against some important phytopathogens of potted crops
• Evaluation of the biodegradability of biopolymers and compostability of materials according to current standards (UNI EN ISO 13432, 14855-1, 17556).
• Analysis of long-term impacts of climate change on forest ecosystems.
  
• This research area focuses on assessing how climate change affects forest ecosystems on extended time scales. It includes analysing the influence of variables such as rising temperatures, changes in precipitation regimes, increased frequency of extreme events and increased atmospheric CO₂ concentrations on forest structure, composition, productivity and resilience. The aim is to understand potential changes in forest dynamics and carbon balance in light of different future climate scenarios.
• Analysis of long-term impacts of forest management practices on forest ecosystems
• This line of investigation examines the effects of different forest management strategies-such as thinning, cutting, reforestation and adaptive silvicultural techniques-on forest ecosystems in the long term. It aims to assess how these practices affect forest health, biodiversity, productivity and carbon sequestration capacity, particularly in combination with or in response to changing environmental conditions.
• Analysis and application of decision support systems for forest ecosystem management
• This area covers the development, implementation and evaluation of decision support systems (DSS) designed to assist forest managers and policy makers. These tools integrate ecological models, management scenarios and climate projections to support evidence-based decision-making processes. The aim is to improve the sustainability and adaptability of forest management by providing robust, data-driven analyses of the possible outcomes of different interventions under alternative future scenarios.

PATENTS:

• olive CVs. FROM 12 I RESISTANT

New Plant Variety (CNR patent no. 1164 NV)
Olive rootstock

• Olive CV. FS 17FAVOLOSA

New Plant Variety (CNR Patent No. 1165 NV)
New olive cultivar

• Olive CV. DON CARLO New Plant Variety (CNR patent no. RM 99NV000020)
• New olive cultivar
  Olive CV. GIULIA

New Plant Variety (CNR patent no. RM 2005NV000012)

• Process for producing hydroxytyrosol-rich eluates

CNR Patent No. RM 2000A000584

•  M.A.T.RE.F.O.

CNR Patent - Cilento and Vallo di Adriano National Park. no. RM 2004A000084
Method and Apparatus for the Treatment of Olive Mill Wastewater

The 3D-CMCC-FEM (Three Dimensional - Coupled Model Carbon Cycle - Forest Ecosystem Module) is a process-based simulation model developed by the National Research Council (CNR) to study the functioning of the forest ecosystems in relation to climate change, forest management and other environmental factors.

Here is a more detailed description:

What is 3D-CMCC-FEM?

The 3D-CMCC-FEM is a numerical ecophysiological model three-dimensional simulating the main biogeochemical and biophysical processes of forest ecosystems, with particular attention to the carbon cycle and the growth of forest biomass. The model considers in detail:

• Photosynthesis and respiration (both autotroph and heterotroph)

• Energy and water balance

• Carbon allocation between the different plant compartments (leaves, wood, roots, reserves)

• Growth and mortality

• Litter and soil dynamics

What is it for?

The model is used for:

• Simulate the forest growth under different climatic and management conditions

• Assessing the impact of climate change (e.g. CO₂ increase, extreme events).

• Supporting strategies of sustainable forest management

• Contributing to the estimates of carbon balances in terrestrial systems

• Participating in model comparison and intercalibration exercises (e.g. ISIMIP projects)

Main features

• Based on the principles offunctional allocation (Functional Balance Theory)

• Parameterisation species-specific and adaptable to various bioclimatic contexts

• Supports simulations local, regional or global scale

• It can be integrated into decision support systems for forest management

INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS:

• ForestNavigator (H2020) (Project duration: 2022-2026) ForestNavigator aims to assess the climate mitigation potential of European forests and forestry sectors by modelling policy pathways and to inform public authorities on the most appropriate approach to forest policy and the bio-economy. In the field of multiscale forest modelling, the Forest Modelling Laboratory of the CNR is responsible for the simulation of the dynamic growth of Mediterranean forests, in the presence of environmental changes and management scenarios, by means of the 3D-CMCC-FEM forest model  https://www.forestnavigator.eu/ 
• OptFor-EU (H2020) (Project duration: 2023-2026)The project OPTimising FOREST management decisions for a low-carbon, climate resilient future in Europe (OptFor-EU) aims to build a decision support system (DSS) to provide customised options to optimise decarbonisation and other forest ecosystem services (EES) in Europe. The Forest Modelling Laboratory is responsible, for the CNR, for WP2 which aims to use a combination of forest, land surface and climate models to quantify forest-climate interactions and develop a better representation of forest management practices. https://optforeu.eu/
• Living Laboratories for Agroforestry - LIVINGAGRO"funded under the ENI CBC MED Programme. September 2019- September 2022. The main objective of the project is the transfer of innovations for the Multifunctional Olive Tree System and Grazed Arboretums.
• BEFORE HORIZON2020 MSCA-RISE, BIORESOURCES FOR OLIVE GROWING - BEFORE, 2015-2019. The BeFOre project set up a network of researchers with the aim of identifying common protocols to characterise olive varieties genotypically and phenotypically www.beforeproject.e
• FFW, FPVII, Environment, Collaborative project two stage. 2012-2016. The project LIQUID AND GAS FISCHER-TROPSCH FUEL PRODUCTION FROM OLIVE INDUSTRY WASTE: FUEL FROM WASTE (FFW) had as its overall objective the economic and industrial optimisation of a process for the co-production of synthetic natural gas (SNG) and diesel from olive tree cultivation residues (prunings) and olive oil production residues (olive pomace) using the 'Fischer-Tropsch' synthesis process as the main production process. fuelfromwaste.eu

NATIONAL PROJECTS:

• Waterstem (PRIN2020) (Project duration: 2022-2025) The objective of WATERSTEM is to analyse the interactions between the carbon and water cycles in order to understand the modulating effect of vegetation on the water supply deficit and its impact on natural ecosystems in Mediterranean climates. The Forest Modelling Laboratory, together with CNR-IRPI, is in charge of the implementation, development and calibration modelling activities for the creation of a coupling between the 3D-CMCC-FEM ecosystem model and the simplified grassland model and its subsequent integration into the hydrogeological model https://www.waterstem.org
• Multifor (PRIN2020) (Project duration: 2022-2025) "Multi-scale observations to predict forest response to pollution and climate change" MULTIFOR - is a research project aimed at studying the effects of pollution and climate change on forest growth and productivity. The Laboratory of Forest Modelling deals with WP4 of the assimilation of Big Data to predict the response of forests to environmental disturbances and climate change in order to propose innovative statistical sampling designs and the application of forest models to predict growth and impacts in future scenarios https://www.multifor.eu/
• LIFE ENVIRONMENT. project: 00ENV/IT/000223 TIRSAV (Tecnologie Innovative per il Riciclaggio delle Sanse e delle Acque di Vegetazione) in cooperation with: Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park (SA), (2001-04)
• LIFE TIRSAV PLUS project"coordinated by Parco Nazionale del Cilento e Vallo di Diano (2007-10). European Union, Framework Program (FP) 7, 

Regions Coordination Action Project: "Sustainable Innovation and Treatment in Industrial Waste Water Clusters" (STInno), (2009-2012).