Residual Feed Intake (RFI) is defined as the difference between measured and predicted intake. Un... more Residual Feed Intake (RFI) is defined as the difference between measured and predicted intake. Understanding its biological regulators could benefit farm profit margins. The most-efficient animals (M-Eff) have observed intake smaller than predicted resulting in negative RFI, whereas the least-efficient (L-Eff) animals have positive RFI. Hence, this observational study aimed at retrospectively comparing the blood immunometabolic profile in calves with divergent RFI during the preweaning period. Twenty-two Italian Simmental calves were monitored from birth through 60 d of age. Calves received 3 L of colostrum from their respective dams. From 2 to 53 d of age, calves were fed a milk replacer twice daily, whereas from 54 to 60 d (i.e., weaning) calves were stepped down to only one meal in the morning. Calves had ad libitum access to concentrate and intakes were recorded daily. The measurement of BW and blood samples were performed at 0, 1, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 45, 54, and 60 d of age. Calves were ranked and categorized as M-Eff or L-Eff according to the median RFI value. Median RFI was −0.06 and 0.04 kg of DMI/d for M-Eff and L-Eff, respectively. No evidence for group differences was noted for colostrum and plasma IgG concentrations. Although growth rate was not different, as expected, (0.67 kg/d [95% CI = 0.57-0.76] for both L-Eff and M-Eff) throughout the entire preweaning period (0-60 d), starter intake was greater in L-Eff compared with M-Eff calves (+36%). Overall, M-Eff calves had a greater gain-to-feed ratio compared with L-Eff calves (+16%). Plasma ceruloplas-min, myeloperoxidase, and reactive oxygen metabolites concentrations were greater in L-Eff compared with M-Eff calves. Compared with L-Eff, M-Eff calves had an overall greater plasma concentration of globulin, and γ-glutamyl transferase (indicating a better colostrum uptake) and Zn at 1 d. Retinol and urea were overall greater in L-Eff. The improved efficiency in nutrient utilization observed in M-Eff was paired with a lower grade of oxidative stress and systemic inflammation. L-Eff may have had greater energy expenditure to support the activation of the immune system.
Gozo is rooted in its rural culture. However, the preservation of the Gozitan's rural culture is ... more Gozo is rooted in its rural culture. However, the preservation of the Gozitan's rural culture is challenging in the face of development pressures and it is a national priority to preserve the cultural tapestry that makes us unique as a rural community.
Water is a scarce substance in the Maltese islands because of geographic and climatic conditions.... more Water is a scarce substance in the Maltese islands because of geographic and climatic conditions. Malta has no surface waters that can be economically exploited; the islands depend on frail groundwater resources that are subject to fierce competition and constant pressure resulting from intense human activity over a relatively small territory. As a result, the status of groundwater in Malta is today under constant threat of anthropogenic activity that is reflected through quality and quantity depletion of the resource. Malta is among the first 10 top-ranking countries in global water scarcity with the highest competition index (Table 1) of 24,800 inh/hm 3 .yr in 1995 (Margat and Vallee, 2000).
The structure of the Maltese economy is the founding result of its geographic location and limite... more The structure of the Maltese economy is the founding result of its geographic location and limited natural resources, one of which is the agricultural area. Agriculture is a major land user and despite its limited economic size, Malta's agriculture provide significant basis of the national consumption pattern. Different authorities and institutional bodies perceived the importance of agriculture, as these have developed policies by which the agricultural sector could be safeguarded from urban development and in encouraging in the reduction of land abandonment. The aim of this article is to analyse past and present policies being the PA structure plan (Land use and development control), CAMP (Integrated Costal Area Management), the Rural Development Plan and the Maltese Code of Good Agricultural Practice. However, it recommends a Sustainable Rural Development Program, which gives an evaluation of the policy needed for the future. Such policy could address the ecological integrity, which should minimize and mitigate adverse environmental impacts, ensuring a sustainable use of agriculture as a resource and conserve and protects the rural landscape and land speculation, amongst others. Finally, this paper concludes by questioning if there should be a more consistent, rationalised, streamlined approach to rural land use management.
Local breeds represent an important and often unique pool of endangered sources of genetic variab... more Local breeds represent an important and often unique pool of endangered sources of genetic variability, particularly when confined to an isolated geographic area. The Maltese breed of cattle is considered to be of ancient origin. Late Pleistocene Oxen skeletal remains and Neolithic representations of primitive cattle have been suggested as proof of a possible local domestication. The objective of the present study is to explore the current mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) diversity of this breed in order to reconstruct its maternal origins and to identify any residual genetic variants to be preserved. A mtDNA control-region analysis performed on the entire Maltese cattle population identified only two different mtDNAs (out of a total amount of 19 samples), one encompasses about 90% of the current population and confirms a strong founder effect on the mitochondrial gene pool; the remaining 10% seems to testify for the importation of British cattle, documented in historical records since 1809. The complete mtDNA has defined two novel clades T3c and T3d, both dated to ~9.5 thousand years ago, encompassing the Maltese breed and only a few other breeds of Northern European ancestry. This new piece of information does not support the hypothesis of a local domestication in Malta since the Maltese cattle mtDNAs are nested within the known domestic founding lineage T3, but confirms a strong maternal influence from Northern Europe rather than from the African coastline.
The Bactrian camel includes various domestic (Camelus bactrianus) and wild (Camelus ferus) breeds... more The Bactrian camel includes various domestic (Camelus bactrianus) and wild (Camelus ferus) breeds that are important for transportation and for their nutritional value. However, there is a lack of extensive information on their genetic diversity and phylogeographic structure. Here, we studied these parameters by examining an 809-bp mtDNA fragment from 113 individuals, representing 11 domestic breeds, one wild breed and two hybrid individuals. We found 15 different haplotypes, and the phylogenetic analysis suggests that domestic and wild Bactrian camels have two distinct lineages. The analysis of molecular variance placed most of the genetic variance (90.14%, P < 0.01) between wild and domestic camel lineages, suggesting that domestic and wild Bactrian camel do not have the same maternal origin. The analysis of domestic Bactrian camels from different geographical locations found there was no significant genetic divergence in China, Russia and Mongolia. This suggests a strong gene flow due to wide movement of domestic Bactrian camels.
When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding ins... more When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given e.g.
The amounts of livestock manure produced in Malta surpasses the application rate as stipulated by... more The amounts of livestock manure produced in Malta surpasses the application rate as stipulated by the Nitrates Directive with the consequence of having an accumulation on farms. In such cases, manure becomes a liability instead of a benefit, incurring significant risk in creating environmental pollution. Pyrolysis of manure is an interesting alternative to land application, as it has the ability to render organic nitrogen into inert nitrogen gas and reduces manure biomass volumes. This technology utilises high temperature, thereby destroying any potential pathogens that may be present in the manure, has the potential of extracting useful energy and generates potentially high value products, e.g. biochar. The functions and application of biochar when used as a soil amendment to improve soil physical, chemical and biological properties depend on its structural and physicochemical properties. Such understanding is crucial for its sustainable use and application. Manure feedstock origin...
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is has recently lost relevance especially when utilised to study specie... more Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is has recently lost relevance especially when utilised to study species that are characterised with a history of several migrations. Nonetheless, mtDNA can still represents a useful additional tool in the study of molecular genetic diversity. The reason for the adoption of mtDNA is that it is easy to amplify because it appears in multiple copies in the cells and the mitochondrial gene content is strongly conserved across generations. Thousands of published studies have reached conclusions about population history, patterns of gene flow, genetic structure, and species limits, on the basis of mtDNA sequence variation. MtDNA has been used to study phylo-geographic structure of avian species, and to identify the number of maternal lineages and their geographic origins. Most studies of chicken mtDNA rely on sequences of partial control region but recent researches used the complete mtDNA genome to reconstruct the history of animal domestication. The first genet...
Environmental stressors have, over generations, influenced the morphology, anatomy, behaviour, ph... more Environmental stressors have, over generations, influenced the morphology, anatomy, behaviour, physiology, and genetic structure of small ruminants. The widespread dispersal of small ruminants over vast geographical areas occurred along with human migration, thereby promoting the adaptative process to different environmental conditions mainly through natural selection. Ongoing global warming prompted scientific efforts to deepen the knowledge and understanding of adaptation traits in small ruminants. Compared to other ruminants, sheep and goats seem to have a better adaptation ability to environmental stressors, as evident by their presence across different geographic areas on a global level. Adaptation to a specific environment leads to variations in precise genomic regions, allowing for the identification and selection of animals with a high capacity of adaptation to environmental stressors. Rapid development in sequencing technologies, together with bioinformatics tools, make it ...
The aim of this work is to evaluate the potential production of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) fr... more The aim of this work is to evaluate the potential production of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) from livestock wastes that are commonly found on Mediterranean islands, by using the island of Malta as a case study. Organic wastes in the form of livestock manure and slurry, as well as other by-products originating from the food transformation industry in the making of alcoholic beverages and the processing of olives, tomatoes and other streams, if mixed in such a way to achieve a correct C/N ratio, can be subjected to anaerobic co- digestion for the production of biogas and digestate. Biogas can be further transformed into biomethane, a fuel that can be used to power surface transportation and agricultural machines, producing heat through burners, or co-generating electric and thermal energy through Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants. Moreover, the digestate, if treated and transformed into a dry form, can be applied to soils as biofertiliser. Anaerobic co-digestion process can be co...
In the last one hundred years, Maltese agriculture genetic resources were dispersed throughout th... more In the last one hundred years, Maltese agriculture genetic resources were dispersed throughout the Mediterranean basin. The introduction of modern varieties of livestock and plants has led to the complete disregard of all local populations in favour of these imported new exotic hybrids. The end result is that our local genotypes have already been lost or are in danger of becoming extinct. Most are well suited for extensive production systems and also well suited for integration into organic or free range type of production. Projects focusing on the rehabilitation of Mediterranean Woodlands and the use of Treated Sewage Effluent were also discussed.
… of Agricultural Engineering in Europe; a …, 2005
This paper gives a detailed review of the internal academic audit of the existing courses offer b... more This paper gives a detailed review of the internal academic audit of the existing courses offer by the Institute of Agriculture of the University of Malta. A description of a new joint degree between the universities of Malta and Perugia in Mediterranean Agro-ecosystems Management is also included. Under the Maltese context, a single accreditation authority is not considered advisable. 1. Introduction The University of Malta (UoM) is the only university serving the whole of the Maltese territory. It traces its origins to 1592 with the founding of the Collegium Melitense by the Jesuits to cater for non-Jesuit students. The Jesuits were empowered by Pope Gregory XIII in 1578 to confer the degrees of Magister Philosphiae and Doctor Divinitas. However, other subjects such as Grammar and the Humanities were also taught. Although part of university, the Institute of Agriculture is relatively young. It was founded in response to recommendations by Dr Alessandro Bozzini of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1988 while on mission to Malta to review the state of Maltese Agriculture and Fisheries. The Institute of Agriculture was established within the University of Malta in February 1993 by Legal Notice 20 of 1993. As an entity within university, the Institute adheres to all guidelines issued by the University of Malta. The Institute of Agriculture is the only centre that offers Agricultural research, training and education at territory level. The fast pace and extent of change in higher education have created a scenario of continuous challenges to which the University of Malta had to respond in a determined manner. In its mission statement for 1999-2001 the University acknowledges the reality of these challenges and pledged to increase student numbers and enhance the variety of courses offered by placing emphasis on the harmonisation of courses, quality education, and on excellence in research. To succeed in its mission for quality education, the university opted to adopt an approach characterised by a self-critical attitude towards its procedures. These internal procedures are complemented by external evaluation. Statute 11 empowers university to establish and regularly review policies on academic standards. It also provides for the setting up of a Quality Assurance Committee (QAC) and an Academic Audit Unit (AAU) to guarantee that policies are put in force and to meet the desired quality standard. The QAC, and the AAU were set up and are directly responsible to the Rector and the Council of the University. The objective of this paper is to give a general overview of the academic quality assurance evaluation processes in place at the University of Malta to and to make reference to the Institute of Agriculture.
The island of Malta has a typical Mediterranean climate with an annual precipitation of circa 500... more The island of Malta has a typical Mediterranean climate with an annual precipitation of circa 500mm spreading over the October to March period. The semi arid environment has always provoked the indigenous population to develop and adopt techniques that would maximise water harvesting and distribution efficiency. Within the nine year span (1991-2000), the agricultural land in Malta decreased by an estimated 1,164 hectares, reaching a total land base of 10,738 hectares. Despite this loss, the National Statistics Office registered an increase of 420 hectares in irrigated land. This could be interpreted as 1) water availability has increased or 2) efficiency in water distribution has increased. Furthermore, protected cropping through the use of greenhouses and cloches equipped with drip irrigation systems are now increasing in use and popularity. The use of treated sewage water was a key factor in stimulating agricultural development in the south region. Irrigation efficiency may be measured using a variety of indicators, such as: area under irrigation, amount of produce marketed, volume of water storage, and deterioration of ground water resources. A review of irrigation under a Maltese context is presented.
e evolu tion of water cu ltu re in Malta: an an alysis of th e ch an gin g perception s towards w... more e evolu tion of water cu ltu re in Malta: an an alysis of th e ch an gin g perception s towards water th rou gh ou t th e ages.
Cirneco dell'Etna is an old Italian breed of scent hunting dogs. Commonly used genomic measures s... more Cirneco dell'Etna is an old Italian breed of scent hunting dogs. Commonly used genomic measures such as heterozygosity, fixation indexes, and runs of homozygosity can help to improve knowledge about its genetic diversity. This study aimed to: (i) investigate Cirneco's genomic background, (ii) quantify its genomic inbreeding, and (iii) detect genomic regions differentiating the Cirneco's two allowed coat colours, self-coloured fawn and tan and white. Canine 230 K SNP BeadChips was used to investigate 24 Cirneco (19 self-coloured fawn, and 5 tan and white) and other 106 dogs from eight phylogenetically and historically related breeds. The genetic distance, ancestry, and relationship among breeds were explored by multidimensional scaling, Reynolds distances, phylogenetic tree, and admixture analysis. The genomic inbreeding (F ROH) was calculated for each breed. Averaged Wright's fixation index F ST was used to identify the genes that most differentiated the two groups of Cirneco. All analyses highlighted that Segugio Italiano and Kelb tal Fenek are the closest breeds to Cirneco. Within the breed, tan and white subjects showed a more heterogeneous genetic background and a lower inbreeding in comparison with self-coloured fawn ones, even though more than half of the latter presented a superimposable admixture. The gene that most differentiated these two groups is Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor (MITF), previously associated with white spotting in other breeds. Given the small size of the Cirneco population and its open registry, its management should carefully combine morphological and genealogical evaluations with genetic tools to identify the best breeders while maintaining an acceptable genetic pool. HIGHLIGHTS The genomic analysis demonstrated that Segugio Italiano and Kelb tal Fenek are genetically related to the Cirneco. The MITF gene is responsible for white blazing in Cirneco as in many other dog breeds. Genomic tools should be integrated with phenotypic and genealogic evaluations in the management of Italian autochthonous dog breeds to safeguard their welfare and biodiversity.
Residual Feed Intake (RFI) is defined as the difference between measured and predicted intake. Un... more Residual Feed Intake (RFI) is defined as the difference between measured and predicted intake. Understanding its biological regulators could benefit farm profit margins. The most-efficient animals (M-Eff) have observed intake smaller than predicted resulting in negative RFI, whereas the least-efficient (L-Eff) animals have positive RFI. Hence, this observational study aimed at retrospectively comparing the blood immunometabolic profile in calves with divergent RFI during the preweaning period. Twenty-two Italian Simmental calves were monitored from birth through 60 d of age. Calves received 3 L of colostrum from their respective dams. From 2 to 53 d of age, calves were fed a milk replacer twice daily, whereas from 54 to 60 d (i.e., weaning) calves were stepped down to only one meal in the morning. Calves had ad libitum access to concentrate and intakes were recorded daily. The measurement of BW and blood samples were performed at 0, 1, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 45, 54, and 60 d of age. Calves were ranked and categorized as M-Eff or L-Eff according to the median RFI value. Median RFI was −0.06 and 0.04 kg of DMI/d for M-Eff and L-Eff, respectively. No evidence for group differences was noted for colostrum and plasma IgG concentrations. Although growth rate was not different, as expected, (0.67 kg/d [95% CI = 0.57-0.76] for both L-Eff and M-Eff) throughout the entire preweaning period (0-60 d), starter intake was greater in L-Eff compared with M-Eff calves (+36%). Overall, M-Eff calves had a greater gain-to-feed ratio compared with L-Eff calves (+16%). Plasma ceruloplas-min, myeloperoxidase, and reactive oxygen metabolites concentrations were greater in L-Eff compared with M-Eff calves. Compared with L-Eff, M-Eff calves had an overall greater plasma concentration of globulin, and γ-glutamyl transferase (indicating a better colostrum uptake) and Zn at 1 d. Retinol and urea were overall greater in L-Eff. The improved efficiency in nutrient utilization observed in M-Eff was paired with a lower grade of oxidative stress and systemic inflammation. L-Eff may have had greater energy expenditure to support the activation of the immune system.
Gozo is rooted in its rural culture. However, the preservation of the Gozitan's rural culture is ... more Gozo is rooted in its rural culture. However, the preservation of the Gozitan's rural culture is challenging in the face of development pressures and it is a national priority to preserve the cultural tapestry that makes us unique as a rural community.
Water is a scarce substance in the Maltese islands because of geographic and climatic conditions.... more Water is a scarce substance in the Maltese islands because of geographic and climatic conditions. Malta has no surface waters that can be economically exploited; the islands depend on frail groundwater resources that are subject to fierce competition and constant pressure resulting from intense human activity over a relatively small territory. As a result, the status of groundwater in Malta is today under constant threat of anthropogenic activity that is reflected through quality and quantity depletion of the resource. Malta is among the first 10 top-ranking countries in global water scarcity with the highest competition index (Table 1) of 24,800 inh/hm 3 .yr in 1995 (Margat and Vallee, 2000).
The structure of the Maltese economy is the founding result of its geographic location and limite... more The structure of the Maltese economy is the founding result of its geographic location and limited natural resources, one of which is the agricultural area. Agriculture is a major land user and despite its limited economic size, Malta's agriculture provide significant basis of the national consumption pattern. Different authorities and institutional bodies perceived the importance of agriculture, as these have developed policies by which the agricultural sector could be safeguarded from urban development and in encouraging in the reduction of land abandonment. The aim of this article is to analyse past and present policies being the PA structure plan (Land use and development control), CAMP (Integrated Costal Area Management), the Rural Development Plan and the Maltese Code of Good Agricultural Practice. However, it recommends a Sustainable Rural Development Program, which gives an evaluation of the policy needed for the future. Such policy could address the ecological integrity, which should minimize and mitigate adverse environmental impacts, ensuring a sustainable use of agriculture as a resource and conserve and protects the rural landscape and land speculation, amongst others. Finally, this paper concludes by questioning if there should be a more consistent, rationalised, streamlined approach to rural land use management.
Local breeds represent an important and often unique pool of endangered sources of genetic variab... more Local breeds represent an important and often unique pool of endangered sources of genetic variability, particularly when confined to an isolated geographic area. The Maltese breed of cattle is considered to be of ancient origin. Late Pleistocene Oxen skeletal remains and Neolithic representations of primitive cattle have been suggested as proof of a possible local domestication. The objective of the present study is to explore the current mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) diversity of this breed in order to reconstruct its maternal origins and to identify any residual genetic variants to be preserved. A mtDNA control-region analysis performed on the entire Maltese cattle population identified only two different mtDNAs (out of a total amount of 19 samples), one encompasses about 90% of the current population and confirms a strong founder effect on the mitochondrial gene pool; the remaining 10% seems to testify for the importation of British cattle, documented in historical records since 1809. The complete mtDNA has defined two novel clades T3c and T3d, both dated to ~9.5 thousand years ago, encompassing the Maltese breed and only a few other breeds of Northern European ancestry. This new piece of information does not support the hypothesis of a local domestication in Malta since the Maltese cattle mtDNAs are nested within the known domestic founding lineage T3, but confirms a strong maternal influence from Northern Europe rather than from the African coastline.
The Bactrian camel includes various domestic (Camelus bactrianus) and wild (Camelus ferus) breeds... more The Bactrian camel includes various domestic (Camelus bactrianus) and wild (Camelus ferus) breeds that are important for transportation and for their nutritional value. However, there is a lack of extensive information on their genetic diversity and phylogeographic structure. Here, we studied these parameters by examining an 809-bp mtDNA fragment from 113 individuals, representing 11 domestic breeds, one wild breed and two hybrid individuals. We found 15 different haplotypes, and the phylogenetic analysis suggests that domestic and wild Bactrian camels have two distinct lineages. The analysis of molecular variance placed most of the genetic variance (90.14%, P < 0.01) between wild and domestic camel lineages, suggesting that domestic and wild Bactrian camel do not have the same maternal origin. The analysis of domestic Bactrian camels from different geographical locations found there was no significant genetic divergence in China, Russia and Mongolia. This suggests a strong gene flow due to wide movement of domestic Bactrian camels.
When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding ins... more When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given e.g.
The amounts of livestock manure produced in Malta surpasses the application rate as stipulated by... more The amounts of livestock manure produced in Malta surpasses the application rate as stipulated by the Nitrates Directive with the consequence of having an accumulation on farms. In such cases, manure becomes a liability instead of a benefit, incurring significant risk in creating environmental pollution. Pyrolysis of manure is an interesting alternative to land application, as it has the ability to render organic nitrogen into inert nitrogen gas and reduces manure biomass volumes. This technology utilises high temperature, thereby destroying any potential pathogens that may be present in the manure, has the potential of extracting useful energy and generates potentially high value products, e.g. biochar. The functions and application of biochar when used as a soil amendment to improve soil physical, chemical and biological properties depend on its structural and physicochemical properties. Such understanding is crucial for its sustainable use and application. Manure feedstock origin...
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is has recently lost relevance especially when utilised to study specie... more Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is has recently lost relevance especially when utilised to study species that are characterised with a history of several migrations. Nonetheless, mtDNA can still represents a useful additional tool in the study of molecular genetic diversity. The reason for the adoption of mtDNA is that it is easy to amplify because it appears in multiple copies in the cells and the mitochondrial gene content is strongly conserved across generations. Thousands of published studies have reached conclusions about population history, patterns of gene flow, genetic structure, and species limits, on the basis of mtDNA sequence variation. MtDNA has been used to study phylo-geographic structure of avian species, and to identify the number of maternal lineages and their geographic origins. Most studies of chicken mtDNA rely on sequences of partial control region but recent researches used the complete mtDNA genome to reconstruct the history of animal domestication. The first genet...
Environmental stressors have, over generations, influenced the morphology, anatomy, behaviour, ph... more Environmental stressors have, over generations, influenced the morphology, anatomy, behaviour, physiology, and genetic structure of small ruminants. The widespread dispersal of small ruminants over vast geographical areas occurred along with human migration, thereby promoting the adaptative process to different environmental conditions mainly through natural selection. Ongoing global warming prompted scientific efforts to deepen the knowledge and understanding of adaptation traits in small ruminants. Compared to other ruminants, sheep and goats seem to have a better adaptation ability to environmental stressors, as evident by their presence across different geographic areas on a global level. Adaptation to a specific environment leads to variations in precise genomic regions, allowing for the identification and selection of animals with a high capacity of adaptation to environmental stressors. Rapid development in sequencing technologies, together with bioinformatics tools, make it ...
The aim of this work is to evaluate the potential production of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) fr... more The aim of this work is to evaluate the potential production of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) from livestock wastes that are commonly found on Mediterranean islands, by using the island of Malta as a case study. Organic wastes in the form of livestock manure and slurry, as well as other by-products originating from the food transformation industry in the making of alcoholic beverages and the processing of olives, tomatoes and other streams, if mixed in such a way to achieve a correct C/N ratio, can be subjected to anaerobic co- digestion for the production of biogas and digestate. Biogas can be further transformed into biomethane, a fuel that can be used to power surface transportation and agricultural machines, producing heat through burners, or co-generating electric and thermal energy through Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants. Moreover, the digestate, if treated and transformed into a dry form, can be applied to soils as biofertiliser. Anaerobic co-digestion process can be co...
In the last one hundred years, Maltese agriculture genetic resources were dispersed throughout th... more In the last one hundred years, Maltese agriculture genetic resources were dispersed throughout the Mediterranean basin. The introduction of modern varieties of livestock and plants has led to the complete disregard of all local populations in favour of these imported new exotic hybrids. The end result is that our local genotypes have already been lost or are in danger of becoming extinct. Most are well suited for extensive production systems and also well suited for integration into organic or free range type of production. Projects focusing on the rehabilitation of Mediterranean Woodlands and the use of Treated Sewage Effluent were also discussed.
… of Agricultural Engineering in Europe; a …, 2005
This paper gives a detailed review of the internal academic audit of the existing courses offer b... more This paper gives a detailed review of the internal academic audit of the existing courses offer by the Institute of Agriculture of the University of Malta. A description of a new joint degree between the universities of Malta and Perugia in Mediterranean Agro-ecosystems Management is also included. Under the Maltese context, a single accreditation authority is not considered advisable. 1. Introduction The University of Malta (UoM) is the only university serving the whole of the Maltese territory. It traces its origins to 1592 with the founding of the Collegium Melitense by the Jesuits to cater for non-Jesuit students. The Jesuits were empowered by Pope Gregory XIII in 1578 to confer the degrees of Magister Philosphiae and Doctor Divinitas. However, other subjects such as Grammar and the Humanities were also taught. Although part of university, the Institute of Agriculture is relatively young. It was founded in response to recommendations by Dr Alessandro Bozzini of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1988 while on mission to Malta to review the state of Maltese Agriculture and Fisheries. The Institute of Agriculture was established within the University of Malta in February 1993 by Legal Notice 20 of 1993. As an entity within university, the Institute adheres to all guidelines issued by the University of Malta. The Institute of Agriculture is the only centre that offers Agricultural research, training and education at territory level. The fast pace and extent of change in higher education have created a scenario of continuous challenges to which the University of Malta had to respond in a determined manner. In its mission statement for 1999-2001 the University acknowledges the reality of these challenges and pledged to increase student numbers and enhance the variety of courses offered by placing emphasis on the harmonisation of courses, quality education, and on excellence in research. To succeed in its mission for quality education, the university opted to adopt an approach characterised by a self-critical attitude towards its procedures. These internal procedures are complemented by external evaluation. Statute 11 empowers university to establish and regularly review policies on academic standards. It also provides for the setting up of a Quality Assurance Committee (QAC) and an Academic Audit Unit (AAU) to guarantee that policies are put in force and to meet the desired quality standard. The QAC, and the AAU were set up and are directly responsible to the Rector and the Council of the University. The objective of this paper is to give a general overview of the academic quality assurance evaluation processes in place at the University of Malta to and to make reference to the Institute of Agriculture.
The island of Malta has a typical Mediterranean climate with an annual precipitation of circa 500... more The island of Malta has a typical Mediterranean climate with an annual precipitation of circa 500mm spreading over the October to March period. The semi arid environment has always provoked the indigenous population to develop and adopt techniques that would maximise water harvesting and distribution efficiency. Within the nine year span (1991-2000), the agricultural land in Malta decreased by an estimated 1,164 hectares, reaching a total land base of 10,738 hectares. Despite this loss, the National Statistics Office registered an increase of 420 hectares in irrigated land. This could be interpreted as 1) water availability has increased or 2) efficiency in water distribution has increased. Furthermore, protected cropping through the use of greenhouses and cloches equipped with drip irrigation systems are now increasing in use and popularity. The use of treated sewage water was a key factor in stimulating agricultural development in the south region. Irrigation efficiency may be measured using a variety of indicators, such as: area under irrigation, amount of produce marketed, volume of water storage, and deterioration of ground water resources. A review of irrigation under a Maltese context is presented.
e evolu tion of water cu ltu re in Malta: an an alysis of th e ch an gin g perception s towards w... more e evolu tion of water cu ltu re in Malta: an an alysis of th e ch an gin g perception s towards water th rou gh ou t th e ages.
Cirneco dell'Etna is an old Italian breed of scent hunting dogs. Commonly used genomic measures s... more Cirneco dell'Etna is an old Italian breed of scent hunting dogs. Commonly used genomic measures such as heterozygosity, fixation indexes, and runs of homozygosity can help to improve knowledge about its genetic diversity. This study aimed to: (i) investigate Cirneco's genomic background, (ii) quantify its genomic inbreeding, and (iii) detect genomic regions differentiating the Cirneco's two allowed coat colours, self-coloured fawn and tan and white. Canine 230 K SNP BeadChips was used to investigate 24 Cirneco (19 self-coloured fawn, and 5 tan and white) and other 106 dogs from eight phylogenetically and historically related breeds. The genetic distance, ancestry, and relationship among breeds were explored by multidimensional scaling, Reynolds distances, phylogenetic tree, and admixture analysis. The genomic inbreeding (F ROH) was calculated for each breed. Averaged Wright's fixation index F ST was used to identify the genes that most differentiated the two groups of Cirneco. All analyses highlighted that Segugio Italiano and Kelb tal Fenek are the closest breeds to Cirneco. Within the breed, tan and white subjects showed a more heterogeneous genetic background and a lower inbreeding in comparison with self-coloured fawn ones, even though more than half of the latter presented a superimposable admixture. The gene that most differentiated these two groups is Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor (MITF), previously associated with white spotting in other breeds. Given the small size of the Cirneco population and its open registry, its management should carefully combine morphological and genealogical evaluations with genetic tools to identify the best breeders while maintaining an acceptable genetic pool. HIGHLIGHTS The genomic analysis demonstrated that Segugio Italiano and Kelb tal Fenek are genetically related to the Cirneco. The MITF gene is responsible for white blazing in Cirneco as in many other dog breeds. Genomic tools should be integrated with phenotypic and genealogic evaluations in the management of Italian autochthonous dog breeds to safeguard their welfare and biodiversity.
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Papers by George Attard