 EXPERIMENTATION |
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The experimental activity carried out by Alasia Franco Vivai since 1985 has allowed and
allows the company to meet the needs of the national and international market, becoming an
active protagonist in the choices of the industry and a certain reference for a clientele
which every day is more attentive and competent.
Thanks to an ambitious genetic improvement program aiming at selecting new clones of poplar
and willows (recently also extended to other fast growing species like Arundo donax,
Miscanthus, Eucalyptus, Tamarix), today Alasia Franco Vivai, the only Italian private
company carrying out an activity of this type, is able to propose a wide range of varieties
able to adapt to many growing systems and to different pedoclimatic conditions.
Amongst the topics the Company mostly cares about is the research on the mechanization and
the innovative uses of the lignocellulosic biomass in processes which would increase the
energetic yield guaranteeing a higher efficiency in the phase of transformation, like the
cogeneration and three-generation, the palletization, the gasification or the fermentation
aimed at the production of bioethanol.
Alasia Franco Vivai works closely with Italian and foreign research institutes
(in particular CNR and University), private companies, public bodies, which make use of its
collaboration to carry out projects aimed at the innovation and diffusion of the
wood-energy chain. Presently the plant material we have consists in 10 patented poplar
clones, in 4 poplar clones that are in an advanced experimental stage, and in 11 new clones
that will be soon entered in an advanced experimental stage.
>>> click on the keys below for the details
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Poplar and willow genetic improvement plan
The genetic improvement activity is concentrated on the salicaceae family and in particular on the Populus type for its distinguishing characteristics:
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• The arboreous species mostly productive in temperate climates
• Good attitude for the cultivation with different latitudes
• Facility of vegetative propagation
• Vigorous shoots emission
• Fast growth
• Possibility of increasing performances through the genetic improvement
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the plan we follow is aimed at the identification of two lines of selection (biomass and logs) which are brought forward parallely in accordance with the selection criteria differentiated on the basis of the final destination of the product: chipwood or veneer for the plywood industry;
in our genetic improvement program it is possible to identify 5 distinct stages:
• Germ plasm collection from natural populations in the various continents
• Comparison and selection of the best genotypes of each origin
• Controlled hybridization, progenytest
• Selection of the hybrids
• Field tests
1. Germ plasm collection from natural populations
The collection of the main poplar and willow species takes place starting from the natural populations in the respective areas of origin
which are in the temperate band of the northern hemisphere.
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2. Comparison and selection of the best genotypes of each origin
a) comparison amongst the various origins aimed at the selection of the best genotypes of each origin, for getting new parentals
b) parentals’ improvement through intraspecific crossings
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3. Controlled Hybridization
a) progeny-test for identifying the best hybrid combinations
b) attainment of a high number of genotypes from the best hybrid combinations already identified through the progeny-test
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4. Selection of the hybrids
a) preliminary evaluation of the year’s seedlings, in which the number of individuals reduces by 20% compared to the initial 15 – 20.000
b) selection of the best genotypes at the end of the first observation cycle (2 years of experimental seed plot) through which it goes from a few thousands to a few hundreds of individuals
c) further selection at the end of a subsequent biennial observation cycle in the experimental seed plots to reduce the chosen individuals to a few hundreds
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5. Realization of experimental fields
The clones which have passed all the previous selections are compared with core samples known in localities with different pedoclimatic characteristics in order to evaluate the adaptability.
The intense genetic improvement plan carried out by the company allows us to keep cyclically under collection more than 80.000 genotypes.
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Species for energy purposes
the experimental activity also extends to species different from poplar, both arboreous and herbaceous, which can be grown for energy purposes.
Arboreous species
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Willow: the work is concentrated on the willow species of the arboreous type and its hybrids. In particular, it is working on Salix alba, Salix caprea, Salix purpurea (European origin), Salix nigra (northern American origin)
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Eucalyptus: with the species E. globules, E. camaldulensis, E. occidentalis
Herbaceous species
Arundo donax: the breeding activity consists in collecting natural ecotypes among
which a selection of the best individuals is carried out.
Download the PDF about the 2° generation ethanol production from Arundo donax
Miscanthus sinensis
Collaborations
" The innovation, always been amongst the prerogatives of our group, cannot disregard a close collaboration with universities and research
institutes. Amongst the main ones, there are the :"
University of Tuscia in Viterbo and CNR of Porano: a project to evaluate the productivity of various poplar clones in a network of
experimental plantations, which spreads all over the Po Plain (Pianura Padana), is underway. The stations which are monitored in order to
evaluate the productivity in terms of biomass been produced are Vinovo (TO), Zinasco (PV), Bigarello (MN), Mira (VE), Osoppo (UD)
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CRA - ISMA (Experimental Institute for the Agricultural Mechanization):
a project aimed at monitoring the storage of chipwood and srf mottled poplar is underway.
The tests have been carried out at the operational headquarters of Alasia Franco Vivai,
in Savigliano (CN) and started in February 2007 all the way to October 2007; the physical parameters of moisture content and temperature of the heaps will be monitored throughout the whole period. The material consists of a hybrid poplar, which is at least two years old, gathered with a Jaguar picking and wood-chipping machine set up by Claas, stored in the open according to the following theses:
• uncovered storage heaps;
• storage heaps protected by a non-woven fabric material;
• uncovered storage heaps, but provided with a natural ventilation system
• uncovered pressed woodchip storage heaps.
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In addition to the above, there is a test made of a heap of “mottled” material and by a heap of whole plants. The aim of the
experimentation is:
• to know, for each storage methodology, the dynamics of the values relating to the parameters of the internal air humidity, its temperature,
humidity and temperature of the air in the environment, also on the basis of the weather conditions existing in the period being examined;
• to verify the loss of the product’s humidity in time, correlating to that the attainment of a biological stability at storage”, understood as a moment in which the trigger of fermentation processes (besides the initial ones, which are inevitable if not against an uneconomic thermal treatment) may be considered irrelevant for the purposes of the loss of dry substance;
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Green Wood Resources, Portland - OREGON:
in March 2007 an exclusive
in March 2007 an exclusive collaboration agreement has been initialled between Alasia Franco Vivai and Green Wood Resources,
an American multinational committed in the genetic improvement and the short cycle cultivation of poplars. The agreement provides the
reciprocal commitment in increasing the genetic improvement work and selection of poplar hybrids for energy purposes and is aimed at the production
of cellulose pulp. The countries in which the collaboration takes place are: China, Chile, United States, and in Europe.
Joint Research Centre (Institute for the Environment and Sustainability) and Science Department of the Environment and the Territory (University of the Studies of Milan Bicocca):
in the plantation of the Sforzesca of Vigevano, directly managed by Alasia Franco Vivai, there is a work underway which has the aim of evaluating the greenhouse effect gas balance in a poplar SRF plantation and the role undertaken by the bioenergetic cultivations at the Protocol of Kyoto.
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The test started in 2005 and since then a series of samplings, aimed at determining the carbon present in the various components
of the biomass (hypo/epigeal), are carried out. Early results have pointed out that the quantity of carbon dioxide absorbed in a
year exceeds 15 tonne/ha, whilst the direct and indirect emissions determined by the plantations’ cultivation mechanical operation are
equal to 1,3 tonne/ha of the equivalent Co2, with a definitely favourable ratio.
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Marani Experimental Farm
There are experimental tests of phytodepuration of the wastewater of Ravenna’s aqueduct been carried out, through a filtration system through a short-rotation poplar plantation
Moreover, there are frequent contacts between Alasia Franco Vivai and the universities of Perugia, Bologna, Salerno, Udine for the supply of replication material destined to variety trials.
Moreover, there are frequent contacts between Alasia Franco Vivai and the universities of Perugia, Bologna, Salerno, Udine for the
supply of replication material destined to variety trials.
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