Using nitrogen-fixing bacteria in forage legumes for animal feed

The aim of “RE-FARM” Project is to evaluate the effectiveness of forage legumes inoculated with different Rhizobium bacteria. The inoculation with these bacteria, which are naturally occurring but not in all cultivation environments, can enhance soil fertility through the legumes’ ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen in their roots, accumulating it in root nodules (Figure 1). This technique of regenerative and sustainable agriculture reduces the need for chemical fertilization, by increasing grain yield, the proteins content of forage legumes, and improving the long-term soil health.

Acknowledgements: This work was supported in part by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs andInternational Cooperation”, grant number US23GR18 (RE-FARM project “REgenerative agriculture techniques assisted by proximal sensing to enhance sustainability and quality of wheat FARMing systems in Italy and USA”; CUP: J43C23000110001).

PARTECIPANTI: Marianna Oteri, Danilo Scordia, Francesca Calderone, Aurora Maio, Tommaso La Malfa, Fabio Gresta