MILLI G. (1), MIELE S. (2), BARGIACCHI E. (3)

(1) Fattoria Autonoma Tabacchi (FAT), I-06012 Città di Castello (Italy). (2) Dep. of Agronomy and Agroecosystem Management, Univ. of Pisa, I-56124 Pisa (Italy). (3) Consortium INSTM, I-50121 Firenze (Italy)

2012

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WHERE OPTA IS 2012

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OUTLINES CONSORTIUM OPTA

THE ROLES OF: THE REGION’s AGRO-ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURES, ACADEMY & OPTA

FROM ACADEMIC R&D TO GROWERS’ FIELDS

SUSTAINABILITY: MAJOR ISSUES CROP NUTRITION CROP PROTECTION WATER USE EFFICIENCY ENERGY SAVINGS & GREEN ENERGY

CONCLUSIONS

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WHAT IS CONSORTIUM OPTA OPTA = ORGANIZZAZIONE PRODUTTORI TABACCO (TOBACCO

GROWERS’ ORGANIZATION)

BORN IN 2012

INCLUDES THREE COOPERATIVES OF CENTRAL ITALY: Fattoria Autonoma Tabacchi (since 1911) Gruppo Agricooper Soc. Cooperativa (since 1970) Organizzazione dei Produttori ARPT Soc. Coop. Agricola (since 1989)

TOBACCO UNDER CROPPING Virginia Bright 4,000 ha Kentucky + Burley 150 ha Full tracing and tracking of the produced tobacco

2012

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WHAT AFFECTS GROWERS’ AGRO-TECHNICAL OPERATIONS

REGION’s AGRO-ENVIRONMENTAL

MEASURES (MANDATORY,

BEST STATE-OF-ART)

GROWERS

GROWERS

GROWERS

ACADEMIC R&D (INNOVATION, NEW

TRENDS, ROI-ORIENTED

PRACTICES)

OPTA’s TECHNICAL

BOARD

e.g. N-P2O5-K2O & WATER RATES, AGROCHEMICALS

e.g. PATENTS, NEW FERTILIZER & APPLICATION METHODS, MONITORING DEVICES, GREEN ENERGY

e.g. FIELD EXPERIMENTS & DEMONSTRATION TESTS

2012

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REGION’s AGRO-ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURES

1. FERTILIZATION BASED ON SOIL TESTS

(MAX. RATE kg/ha N=74 P2O5=80 K2O=160/240 )

2. REDUCTION OF THE HERBICIDE RATES (-50%), & ONLY THE MOST

ENVIRONMENTAL-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS ALLOWED

3. LOWER IRRIGATION WATER VOLUMES (-25%) (MAX. 2569 m3/ha)

4. CONTROL AND TUNING OF SPRAYING EQUIPMENT FOR AGROCHEMICALS

5. ON-A FIELD-BASIS, WEB FILING OF THE CROPPING PRACTICES &

APPLIED TECHNICAL MEANS (“e-FIELD NOTEBOOK”)

6. TIME LIMITED (MAX. 4 YRS) TOBACCO MONOCROPPING

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ACADEMIC RESEARCH (Univ. of Pisa)

PATENTS w/FAT

FERTILIZERS & APPLICATION METHODS

MONITORING DEVICES

GREEN ENERGY

Turfgrass sods in tobacco nurseries

(2008)

Infrared thermometers

Biogas CHP

Method to grow tobacco crop with reduced TSNA concentrations (2012)

2012

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OPTA’s ROLE

APPLIED RESEARCH PRECOMPETITIVE, PATENTABLE, SCALING-UP, INTERNAL EVALUATION (ROI)

DEMONSTRATED TECHNOLOGY EXPERIMENTAL FIELDS WHERE RESULTS ARE EVALUATED FOR THEIR REPEATABILITY, BEFORE BEING PROPOSED TO GROWERS

DEMONSTRATION PLOTS AT FARM LEVEL COMPARISON BETWEEN ESTABLISHED AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES, WITH THEIR FULL COST EVALUATION

DISSEMINATION LEVEL SMALL-LARGE PLOTS IN DIFFERENT CROPPING AREAS

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SUSTAINABILITY Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations [www.EPA.gov/] Use of the best conservative agronomic practices and wise exploiting natural cycles to economically produce, with full social and environmental responsibility, in the long run [OUR DEFINITION AS TOBACCO GROWERS]

CROP NUTRITION CROP PROTECTION WATER USE EFFICIENCY ENERGY SAVINGS & GREEN ENERGY

Courtesy BANFI Montalcino ©

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SUSTAINABILITY & CROP NUTRITION (1) USE OF LEGUME CROPS AS WINTER

COVER CROPS Protects soils and water quality

(less erosion)

30-45 kg/ha additional, non-fossil N

Side-effect on Orobanche spp.

Vicia faba L.

Trifolium squarrosum L. (clover) sod-sown in tobacco fields

2012

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SUSTAINABILITY & CROP NUTRITION (2) ORGANIC AMENDMENT FROM ANAEROBIC

DIGESTION OF CORN SILAGE Applied after Winter cereals preceding tobacco crop,

according to soil test On soils low in OM or high in lime to improve

microporosity (water capacity) and macroporosity (internal drainage)

Restitution of P-K-Ca-Mg previously absorbed by corn silage

METHANE TO CHP

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SUSTAINABILITY & CROP NUTRITION (3) NP STARTER FERTILIZATION Dry (UMOSTART) or liquid (10.34.0

solution) fertilizers

To efficiently reduce P rates below the permitted rates (40-80 kg/ha) by Region’s agro-environmental measures

It increases growth and earliness no temptation to overapply N in cold Springs

TEST UM 30 kg

10.34 30 l

10.34 70 l

10.34 100 l

NO SOIL PLACEMENT OF UMOSTART:

TOBACCO STARVED IN A COLD SPRING

ALTHOUGH PT BROADCAST

APPLICATION OF 7.16.21 (500 kg/ha)

SIMPLE OPERATION • Low rates (30-40 kg/ha) • Easy logistics • No delay in transplanting

2012

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SUSTAINABILITY: CROP NUTRITION & WATER QUALITY (4)

TOBACCO CROP IMPACT ON LEACHED WATER QUALITY vs. OTHER CROPS BY LYSIMETER SAMPLING AND TESTING

THROUGH CROP GROWING SEASON

RESULTS: LESS IMPACT OF TOBACCO THAN ANY OTHER SUMMER CROP IN THE AREA

ORDER OF IMPACT: CORN >> SORGHUM > CEREAL STUBBLE > SUNFLOWER > TOBACCO

Virginia Bright tobacco impact on water quality

2012

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SUSTAINABILITY: CROP NUTRITION & PROTECTION

Tannins @2% drench water

Fertilizer 5.20.0 @0.5% drench water

CHESTNUT TANNINS A “NUTRACEUTICAL FOR CROPS” A PLANT NATURAL EXTRACT HIGH IN HYDROLYSABLE TANNINS

(HTs) - MOSTLY GALLOTANNINS & RELATED MOLECULES- WHICH ARE ANTIOXIDANT & BROAD ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS

POSITIVELY AFFECTS PLANT EARLY GROWTH BY MOBILIZING PHOSPHATES IN SUB-ALKALINE SOILS AND INCREASING PLANT P UPTAKE

IMPROVES PLANT TOLERANCE TO GALL NEMATODES BECAUSE HAS A NEMASTAT ACTION ON L2 FORMS (AT LAB LEVEL) AND PROMOTES PLANT ROOTING & RENOVATION OF THE ROOT SYSTEM (AT FIELD LEVEL)

2% TANNINS IN DRENCH WATER

100 L/ha PreT TANNINS w/Herbicide

+2% TANNINS IN DRENCH WATER

2012

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SUSTAINABILITY, CROP NUTRITION & PROTECTION CHESTNUT TANNINS TO COUNTERACT GALL NEMATODES (M. incognita)

WHERE NO CHEMICALS ARE PERMITTED OR THEY ARE TOO EXPENSIVE

ACTION ON J2 FORMS (IN VITRO) Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid et White) Chitwood

• Barker (1985) 0=0-10%; 1=11-20%; 2=21-50%; 3=51-80%; 4=81-90%; 5=91-100% ** Goodey (1963)

RATES & APPLICATION METHODS (DRY TANNINS): 2% IN DRENCH WATER + 4 TREATMENTS IN

MICROIRRIGATION (IN TOTAL 18 kg/ha) = 25 Kg/ha

GREENHOUSE TESTS Univ. Pisa (Miele et al. 2012) M. incognita (Kofoid et White) Chitwood 4000 J2 inoculum in 10 ml water, steam-sterilized soil, ITB 678

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SUSTAINABILITY, CROP PROTECTION & ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION FIELD BUFFER STRIPS TO PROTECT WATER AND NATURAL FAUNA & FLORA

(ACTIVITY CARRIED OUT IN THE EUROPEAN NETWORK “OPERATION POLLINATOR” OF SYNGENTA 2011)

EACH EXPERIMENTAL FIELD HAD A BUFFER STRIP OF 2,000 sqM, SOWN WITH 1/3 OILSEED RAPE AND 2/3 LEGUME FORAGE PLANTS

TOBACCO CROP ADJACENT TO A FALL-SOWN BUFFER STRIP: MORE POLLINATORS PRESENT AND FIELD DAY WITH GROWERS

PLANTS BLOOMING SEASON

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SUSTAINABILITY & WATER USE EFFICIENCY(1) Kc DETERMINED IN THE AREA (Miele et al., 2003)

TOBACCO AREA UNDER MICROIRRIGATION: 2-DIGIT ANNUAL INCREASE 10% of the cropped area in 2012, >90% post-transplant fertigated

9100 m/ha tapes (row distance: 116 cm)

“Light” tape, Ø 16 mm, thickness 0,15 mm, max. field length 200 m Costs €/m 0,036 €/ha 328

+30% 100% ET

Microirrig.80-60% ET

Microirrig.+Mulching 70-

50% ET

WATER CONSUMPTION m3/ha

Sprinkler

TOBACCO YIELD (T/ha) & QUALITY

Miele et al., 2003

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SUSTAINABILITY & WATER USE EFFICIENCY(2) VALIDATION OF INFRARED THERMOMETER

DETERMINATION OF TOBACCO WATER STRESS BY TENSIOMETER MEASUREMENTS

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SUSTAINABILITY & ENERGY SAVINGS (1)

NEW CURING BARNS TO REDUCE METHANE CONSUMPTION

AN INCREASING No. OF CURING BARNS AT GIOVE & BONSCIANO PARTIALLY WARMED UP WITH HOT WATER OF BIOGAS PLANTS

CURING COSTS PER kg TOBACCO (INDEX)

2012

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SUSTAINABILITY & GREEN ENERGY (2) • PHOTOVOLTAICS ON CERBARA

THRESHING PLANT AND LOCAL SERVICE UNIT ROOFS

• PRODUCING POWER FOR THE GRID: 2,800 MW /y

THE ANAEROBIC DIGESTION PLANTS AT GIOVE AND BONSCIANO IMPROVE TOBACCO ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT (LCA) BY REDUCING FOSSIL FUEL EMISSIONS OF: CO2 (11,600 t/y) SOx (22 t/y) NOx (30 t/y)

THEY PRODUCE POWER (16,000 MWh/y) AND HEAT (19,200 MWh/y) FROM BIO-METHANE BY A CHP CYCLE

10 CURING BARNS PARTIALLY WARMED UP WITH HOT WATER

2012

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CONCLUSIONS TOBACCO IS GROWN IN CENTRAL ITALY BY OPTA ACCORDING TO THE

MOST ADVANCED AGRONOMIC TECHNIQUES, KEEPING SUSTAINABILTY AS A PIVOT FACTOR

REGION’s AGRO-ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURES, AND ACADEMIC R&D ARE EASILY FIELD-APPLIED, EVALUATED (short & long-term effects) AND TRANSFERRED TO GROWERS

CROP NUTRITION AND PROTECTION, WATER USE EFFICIENCY AND ENERGY ARE THE FOUR TOP ITEMS UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR PRESENT AND NEXT TOBACCO CROPPING ACTIVITIES

Acknowledgements: Past and Present Tobacco Growers of Central Italy and Regione Umbria ENTERING IN THE 500 YEAR OF TOBACCO CROP HISTORY IN THE HIGH TIBER VALLEY CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF FATTORIA AUTONOMA TABACCHI

2012

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION!

2012

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