CLEANSED Innovative integrated methodology for the use of decontaminated river sediments in plant nursing and road buil

1. CLEANSED Innovative integrated methodology for the use of decontaminated river sediments in plant nursing and road buildingLIFE12ENV /IT/000652 ACTIONS B.3 – Demonstration of the use of decontaminated river sediments as a substrate for plant nursing ACTION C.2 – Monitoring and validation of the use of decontaminated sediments for plant nursing Institute of Biometeorology, Firenze April 3, 2014. Pisa

2. BACKGROUND: Plant nursing is a productive field activity which demands high quantity of soil. A European estimation calculates that every year plant nursing consumes about 5,2·106 m3 of soil. OBJECTIVE: Test decontaminated sediments as agronomic substrates in plant nursing, to replace the soil when the plant is explanted for sale April 3, 2014. Pisa

3. LIST OF ACTIVITIES UNTIL NOW: Fellowship contract to Francesca Ugolini for the measurements field campaign and dissemination Contract to Ce.Spe.Vi. (Centro Sperimentale per il Vivaismo) for experimental plan setting Experiment planning Preparation of abstracts: Ugolini F., Massetti L., Martelli F., Sabatini F., Macci C., Doni S., Masciandaro G. Reuse of decontaminated river sediments for plant nursing (CLEANSED-LIFE+). European Forum on UrbanForestry 2014, June 3 - 7, Lausanne, Switzerland. Ugolini F., Massetti L., Martelli F., Sabatini F., Macci C., Doni S., Masciandaro G. Recycling of river sediments for plant nursery. An experimental study in Europe: CLEANSED - LIFE+ project. Urban Environmental Pollution, 12-15 June, Toronto, Canada. April 3, 2014. Pisa

4. EXPERIMENTAL SETTING: Location: • ~50 Km • ~30 Km Pistoia province : top level for tree nursery production in the world(more than 4000 hectares) April 3, 2014. Pisa

5. EXPERIMENTAL SETTING: LOCATION: • Director: dr. Paolo Marzialetti April 3, 2014. Pisa

6. DETAILED OBJECTIVES • ASSESSMENT OF HYDRAULIC AND PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF THE SUBSTRATES • EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTS OF THE SUBSTRATES ON PLANT GROWTH AND PHYSIOLOGY 3. ASSESSMENT OF THE AGGREGATING POWER OF SEDIMENTS WHEN PLANTS ARE EXTRACTED FOR SALE (root ball soil cohesion) April 3, 2014. Pisa

7. DETAILED OBJECTIVES In order to: ASSESS THE DOSE-EFFECT RELATIONSHIP AIMING TO IDENTIFY THE BEST PROPORTION BETWEEN GROUND AND DECONTAINATED SEDIMENTS April 3, 2014. Pisa

8. EXPERIMENTAL SETTING: • Materials for substrates April 3, 2014. Pisa

9. EXPERIMENTAL SETTING: • TEST: 5 m3 OF DECONTAMINATED SEDIMENTS AVAILABLE April 3, 2014. Pisa

10. EXPERIMENTAL SETTING: 2 WOODEN FRAMES per TREATMENT DEPTH: 0.5m 2m 3m April 3, 2014. Pisa

11. EXPERIMENTAL SETTING: • Ornamental species: April 3, 2014. Pisa

12. EXPERIMENTAL SETTING: • Ornamental species: April 3, 2014. Pisa

13. MEASUREMENTS ON SUBSTRATES PHYSICAL PROPERTIES: texture, bulk density HYDRAULIC PROPERTIES: water retention capacity, soil moisture, temperature CHEMICAL ANALYSIS: pH , EC C, N, P April 3, 2014. Pisa

14. MONITORING OF PLANT GROWTH PHYSIOLOGICAL BEHAVIOUR AND STRESS SIGNALS Photosynthesis rate, water use efficiency (leaf gas exchanges) PSII efficiency (chlorophyll a fluorescence) Leaf water potential Ψp & Ψm GROWTH AND BIOMASS Elongation and branching Biomass allocation Leafage colour & aesthetic value April 3, 2014. Pisa CLEANSED, Oct, 11, 2013. Pisa

15. EVALUATION OF ROOT BALL SOIL COHESION ROOT BIOMASS & DISTRIBUTION ROOT VITALITY April 3, 2014. Pisa

16. CONTACTS Scientific responsibility and project management: Eng. Luciano Massetti l.massetti@ibimet.cnr.it Financial management: dr. Francesca Martellif.martelli@ibimet.cnr.it Field measurement campaign: dr. Francesca Ugolinif.ugolini@ibimet.cnr.it April 3, 2014. Pisa CLEANSED, Oct, 11, 2013. Pisa