Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 26, 2026
10:31
Isolation and Analysis of Microbial Communities in Soil, Rhizosphere, and Roots in Perennial Grass Experiments
Published on: July 24, 2018
56.9K
Geese Reared in Vineyard: Soil, Grass and Animals Interaction
Luisa Massaccesi1, Alice Cartoni Mancinelli2, Simona Mattioli3
1Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Science, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno 74, 06124 Perugia, Italy. luisa.massaccesi@gmail.com.
Animals : an Open Access Journal From MDPI
|April 24, 2019
Summary
Integrating geese into organic vineyards improved soil microbial biomass and reduced copper levels in soil. However, copper accumulation was primarily observed in goose liver, not significantly affecting meat quality.
Area of Science:
- Sustainable agriculture
- Viticulture
- Soil science
Background:
- Agroforestry systems enhance productivity and sustainability.
- Integrating geese in vineyards offers potential farm income and land use benefits.
Purpose of the Study:
- Evaluate geese impact on organic vineyard soil chemical/biochemical properties.
- Assess the effect of copper (Cu) fungicide treatments.
- Investigate Cu accumulation in goose tissues.
Main Methods:
- Three vineyard areas: High Geese Density (HGD), Low Geese Density (LGD), and Without Geese (WG).
- Soil chemical and biochemical properties analyzed.
- Copper (Cu) content in soil and goose tissues (liver, breast, drumstick) measured.
Main Results:
- Geese density (HGD, LGD) did not alter main soil chemical properties.
- LGD enhanced soil microbial biomass amount and efficiency.
- Geese grazing reduced soil Cu, accumulating it in their livers.
- No significant Cu difference in breast and drumstick meat compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- Geese integration in vineyards can improve soil health and reduce copper contamination.
- Copper accumulation in goose liver is a key finding, with no adverse effect on meat.
- Agroforestry with geese presents a viable strategy for sustainable viticulture.
Related Concept Videos
02:23The Soil Ecosystem
24.6K
Plants obtain inorganic minerals and water from the soil, which acts as a natural medium for land plants. The composition and quality of soil depend not only on the chemical constituents but also on the presence of living organisms. In general, soils contain three major components:
24.6K
00:59Tonicity in Animals
123.4K
The tonicity of a solution determines if a cell gains or loses water in that solution. The tonicity depends on the permeability of the cell membrane for different solutes and the concentration of nonpenetrating solutes in the solution within and outside of the cell. If a semipermeable membrane hinders the passage of some solutes but allows water to follow its concentration gradient, water moves from the side with low osmolarity (i.e., less solute) to the side with higher osmolarity (i.e.,...
123.4K
01:16Tonicity in Animals
5.2K
Tonicity describes the amount of solute in a solution. The measure of the tonicity of a solution, or the total amount of solutes dissolved in a specific amount of solution, is called its osmolarity. Three terms—hypotonic, isotonic, and hypertonic—are used to relate the osmolarity of a cell to the osmolarity of the extracellular fluid that contains the cells. In a hypotonic solution, such as tap water, the extracellular fluid has a lower concentration of solutes than the fluid inside...
5.2K
02:59Animal Mitochondrial Genetics
9.0K
Among all the organelles in an animal cell, only mitochondria have their own independent genomes. Animal mitochondrial DNA is a double-stranded, closed-circular molecule with around 20,000 base pairs. Mitochondrial DNA is unique in that one of its two strands, the heavy, or H, -strand is guanine rich, whereas the complementary strand is cytosine rich and called the light, or L, -strand. Compared to nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA has a very low percentage of non-coding regions and is marked by...
9.0K
02:39Predator-Prey Interactions
21.2K
Predators consume prey for energy. Predators that acquire prey and prey that avoid predation both increase their chances of survival and reproduction (i.e., fitness). Routine predator-prey interactions elicit mutual adaptations that improve predator offenses, such as claws, teeth, and speed, as well as prey defenses, including crypsis, aposematism, and mimicry. Thus, predator-prey interactions resemble an evolutionary arms race.
21.2K
02:57piRNA - Piwi-interacting RNAs
7.6K
PIWI-interacting RNAs, or piRNAs, are the most abundant short non-coding RNAs. More than 20,000 genes have been found in humans that code for piRNAs while only 2000 genes have been found for miRNAs. piRNAs can act at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels and have a vital role in silencing transposable elements present in germ cells. They are also involved in epigenetic silencing and activation. Previously, they were thought to function only in germ cells but new evidence suggests...
7.6K