Istituto di Biometeorologia

We demonstrate a proof-of-concept approach for VOC detection based on the mechanical bending of acrylate-based composite polymer films. Under ambient conditions, methanol vapours induce a rapid and reversible defor- mation of the film, which is optically observable and quantitatively described through a viscoelastic three-parameter solid model coupled to pseudo-first- order adsorption kinetics. The bending response differs markedly between methanol, water, and mixed vapours, revealing a strong dependence on sur- face adsorption dynamics. The acrylate backbone is identified as the active sensing layer, capable of transducing molecular interactions into macroscopic deflection. These findings establish acrylate polymers as a simple, low-cost platform for passive VOC-responsive materials and highlight their potential for future development into calibrated sensing devices. • Acrylate composite films show reproducible ambient methanol vapours- induced bending. • Bending response is optically measurable without dedicated sensing hardware. • Differential MeOH vs water actuation demonstrated as proof-of-concept. • Viscoelastic–adsorption model accounts for the bending dynamics. • Low-cost materials enable future development of passive VOC-responsive actuators.

Valued above all others, the white truffle species (Tuber magnatum Picco) is highly dependent on the forest ecosystem and its underground biology. Despite its economic importance, knowledge of its biology and mycorrhizal symbioses remains limited; moreover, natural yields have sharply declined, and cultivation efforts have produced inconsistent results. This study evaluated various forest and mycorrhizal inoculation techniques to promote T. magnatum mycelium development in three Tuscan sites converted to truffle cultivation, using qPCR analysis. Alongside conventional practices like irrigation, mulching, and tillage, an experimental method with a sterile, spore-inoculated soil barrier was tested to improve host root establishment, enhance mycorrhization, and maintain long-term symbiosis for healthy truffle ecosystems. Soil analyses nine months after planting Quercus robur L. seedlings showed significant differences in Tuber magnatum mycelium abundance across sites and treatments. The MA treatment—mycorrhized seedlings combined with a sterile, inoculated substrate and separation diaphragm—produced the highest mycelial levels, underscoring the importance of initial mycorrhization and soil manipulation. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing forest management and improving truffle cultivation by enhancing mycelial development, a key step toward increasing truffle production.

The Iridaceae family comprises approximately 1800 species, including Iris pallida Lam., which is widely recognized for its ornamental and aromatic properties and particularly adopted in the perfume industry. In this study, we evaluated the effects of planting density and maturity age on biomass production, morphological traits, rhizome biomass, and orris concrete yield in Iris pallida grown in Tuscany (Italy). The experiment consisted of four agricultural parcels, each one containing six plots arranged to test combinations of two planting densities (low density [LD], 8 plants/m2 and high density [HD], 15 plants/m2) and harvesting age (2, 3, and 4 years). Results indicated that planting density significantly influenced biomass variables—including rhizome, bud, and stem biomass—with the low planting density (LD) exhibiting higher total biomass (5.48 ± 0.59 kg/m2) compared to that observed under high planting density (HD) (1.82 ± 0.54 kg/m2). Orris concrete yield varied significantly across planting densities and harvesting age, consistently favoring LD (0.055 ± 0.01%) over HD (0.045 ± 0.01%). Also, orris concrete yield showed a positive correlation with floral stem number (r = 0.73, p < 0.001), root biomass (r = 0.66, p < 0.01) and floral stem biomass (r = 0.63, p < 0.01), while no significant correlations were found between orris concrete yield and total biomass or rhizome biomass. A shorter production cycle under low-density planting may improve orris concrete yield without compromising biomass productivity.

This study presents the results of a long-term wave hindcast covering the period 1975–2024 overthe Mediterranean Sea. The hindcast was produced through a dynamical downscaling approach,based on a chain of numerical models. ERA5 global reanalysis data were downscaled using theBOLAM and MOLOCH atmospheric models, providing the wind forcing for the WW3 wave model,which simulated the sea state. WW3 adopts an unstructured computational grid with variableresolution, reaching up to 500 meters along the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian coasts (Italy), allowing fora detailed representation of the coastal wave climate.Although hindcasts do not assimilate observational data, validation against in-situ observationsshows that the generated wind and wave fields are robust and reliable, providing added valuecompared to global reanalyses. The resulting dataset represents a valuable resource for waveclimate studies, coastal risk assessment, and the analysis of long-term variability in theMediterranean region.The availability of such a long-term, high-resolution hindcast enables several potentialapplications. It provides a solid baseline for trend analysis and climate variability studies and cansupport the identification of suitable areas for offshore renewable energy development. Wepresent user cases in which the dataset was used to assess both atmospheric and marineconditions over sea areas involved in particularly sensitive operations, where atmosphericdynamics play a critical role. We show statistical analyses performed to produce monthly waitingtime tables (expressed in hours), estimating how long it typically takes for sea state conditions tofall within the operational thresholds required to safely carry out planned maritime activities.Finally, we conclude with some considerations on the computational efficiency of the modellingframework adopted, which makes the dataset particularly suitable for operational updates andfacilitates its regular extension to future years.

Measuring water vapor (WV) in the troposphere, where nearly all atmospheric WV is concentrated, is critical for understanding atmospheric composition and dynamics comprehensively. A particularly challenging issue is conducting systematic WV measurements in the lower troposphere (approximately 5–6 km) on a global scale, as this would significantly enhance both climate modeling and numerical weather prediction (NWP) capabilities over short time scales.Based on theoretical studies conducted for the European Space Agency (ESA), some of the authors proposed an innovative approach - the Normalized Differential Spectral Attenuation (NDSA) - capable of retrieving integrated water vapor (IWV) from attenuation measurements taken in the 17–21 GHz frequency band along microwave links crossing the troposphere. The NDSA technique relies on estimating a parameter, called spectral sensitivity (S), which quantifies the differential attenuation experienced by a pair of tone signals separated by a fractional bandwidth of less than 2%. It has been demonstrated that S can be directly converted into IWV using a linear relationship. Through the aforementioned ESA studies, the authors have also shown that the NDSA method can successfully estimate WV vapor from space by utilizing sets of co-rotating or counter-rotating Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites.Recently, the Italian Space Agency supported the SATCROSS project, aimed at demonstrating the feasibility of a future space mission and to develop a prototype for NDSA measurements along terrestrial links operating at 19 GHz. A critical step toward consolidating progress and advancing the realization of a space-based measurement project using the NDSA approach is the performance analysis of the IWV estimates provided by prototype instruments. This includes validating those estimates by comparing them with results from other sensors and techniques, which was the objective of a four-month measurement campaign conducted from July to November 2024.In this work, we present the main results of the campaign, conducted in a ground-to-ground configuration, designed to compare IWV measurements from the NDSA prototype instrument with those obtained using the Multi-Axis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) technique. MAX-DOAS retrieves IWV in the visible spectral range, specifically at about 445 nm. The independent optical device used in this study was configured to observe the same air volume as the NDSA instrument. Measurements were made along a link connecting the meteorological station "Giorgio Fea," located at the rural site of St. Pietro Capofiume, Bologna, 10 m above sea level, to the WMO/GAW (World Meteorological Organization/Global Atmosphere Watch) Climate Observatory “Ottavio Vittori” at Mount Cimone, 2165 m above sea level.The link length is 91 km, with no physical obstacles interposed. In addition to MAX-DOAS data, measurements were also acquired and processed from radiosondes, hygrometers, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) and a tethered balloon.The research activities presented in this work were carried out with contribution of the Next Generation EU funds within the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), Mission 4-Education and Research, Component C2-From Research to Business (M4C2), Investment Line 1.1-Fund for the National research program and projects of significant national interest (PRIN), Project 2022JJJYTE -``Measuring tropospheric water vapor through the Normalized Differential Spectral Attenuation (NDSA) technique''

Carbon persistence in soil is a key issue in the context of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) policies and regulations: Soil Carbon Accumulation (SCA) is also included in the latest EU regulations on sustainable biofuels, and gaining attention at international level within ICAO and IMO. The long-lived nature of the durable carbon share in biochar can meet the most sever criteria set by relevant and ambitious CDR policies: however, the possibility to quantitatively assess the persistent carbon fraction in biochar has been highly debated in recent years. While lab-scale incubation experiments are intrinsically limited in providing information on long-term permanence, they do not address actual farm-scale persistence under real cultivation management practices. The deployment and combined use of recent analytical techniques allows instead to identify and quantitatively assess the persistence of the durable carbon fractions in biochar, and thus compliance of this carbon removal with the targets of CDR policies. The present work builds on one of the longest, almost unique, biochar experiments in the EU, originally developed for assessing the agronomic performances of biochar amended agricultural soil: for the first time, biochar distributed in a vineyard soil at 22 t/ha scale in 2009 was unearthed in 2024 and collected for full characterization. The agricultural soil was subject to conventional agricultural practices over the 15 years of vineyard cultivation. The scope of this research is to assess the permanence of biochar under these conditions. The present work shows the complexity of unearthing biochar from soil, applying a focused method to recover and clean the material before its characterization, without altering its chemical and physical properties. Both unearthed and original (i.e. before deployment) biochars were washed with water under same condition and procedures, and fully characterized. In addition to analytical practices commonly adopted for biochar characterization, FT-IR, SEM EDX, and Random Reflectance (Ro) techniques were used, quantifying the amount of the inertinite carbon component in biochar. Despite the dilution from the inclusion of exogeneous organic and inorganic matter from soil in the original biochar, the ratio of fixed carbon (Cfix) to total carbon (Ctot) showed minor variations (∼8 %). Moreover, the inertinite and semi-inertinite fractions in the washed original and unearthed biochars remained almost unchanged over 15 years of active use in agricultural soil, confirming the permanent nature of the inertinite share of carbon in biochar. This result, together with other recent findings in literature, provides scientific evidence supporting Biochar Carbon Removals (BCRs) as permanent removal in Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) regulations.

Agricultural water consumption, constituting 70–80 % of global water usage, faces critical challenges due to climate change, diminishing rainfall, and a burgeoning population. This research presents the development and implementation of a low-cost automatic smart irrigation system for tomato and melon crops in the Tuscany region, Italy. The initiative, embedded within the DATI project, aims to revolutionize water management in agriculture, particularly addressing challenges posed by climate change, drought, and an expanding population. The study spans three vegetative seasons (2021–2023) and focuses on optimizing irrigation efficiency through innovative technologies. The smart irrigation system evolved from a conventional setup to a comprehensive solution, integrating evapotranspiration models, wireless sensor networks, and advanced control algorithms. Different irrigation treatments were applied, representing varying levels of water reduction. Results demonstrate a significant reduction in water consumption, particularly in the 2023 season, where the smart system utilized 50 % less water compared to conventional practices in the area. The system's evolution involved addressing and troubleshooting various issues, including sensor calibration, hardware challenges, and soil moisture variations. Soil moisture sensor data revealed the system's impact, showcasing higher levels in treatments with more water. The study emphasizes the economic viability of the smart irrigation system, with total costs below €6000. The scalability of the system, capable of managing multiple irrigation lines remotely, underscores its potential for widespread adoption across different field sizes. In conclusion, the developed smart irrigation system, driven by evapotranspiration models and wireless sensor networks, emerges as a promising and sustainable solution. The system offers precise irrigation based on crop water needs, enhancing water use efficiency and overall yields. While challenges in sensor calibration and maintenance persist, the study highlights the potential of smart irrigation to address water scarcity and contribute to sustainable agriculture practices.

Climate services are recognized as an essential tool for sustainable development in strategic and climate-sensitive sectors. In developing countries, particularly in Africa, the literature offers successful examples of application, especially in the agricultural sector, which is dramatically sensitive to climate variability and change. While, initially, particular emphasis was placed on the outcomes of these services and the benefits they provide to users, several authors have recently focused their attention on the process. A climate service is understood as a cyclical process in which various actors interact, exchange knowledge, and establish relationships and mutual trust. This co-production process primarily serves to bridge the gap between science and society, making it particularly suitable for developing countries. While several authors claim that the  co-production process improves the service usability, the intrinsic value of the process is rarely recognized. This study aims to describe the process and document its added value using the example of Niger as a case study. In Niger two services addressing drought and floods have recently been developed, tested, and operationalized. This experience provides valuable lessons that can benefit researchers and practitioners in both developed and developing contexts. The value of the collaboration between different disciplines (transdisciplinarity) and roles (complementarity), along with the iterative and interactive learning process, emerge as key elements allowing a continuous improvement of the services and strengthening relationships among actors.Based on the experience and perception of the stakeholders involved in Niger, we suggest considering the following four dimensions in evaluating the added value of the co-production process in climate services:Value added to the Climate Service co-production: the value created beyond more conventional approaches in service production, as well as the progressive technical enhancement resulting from the co-production process; Value added to the Climate Service functioning: on the service efficiency/effectiveness in terms of access to information, uptake of the services, action by users and Monitoring/Evaluation; Value added to the expansion of the service: on the service scaling-up, expansion and financial sustainability of the service beyond the initial funding period; Value added toward new services: capacity building among actors and stakeholders to envision and develop new services. While the results of this process are qualitatively described in the paper, they could serve as guidance for researchers and practitioners in adopting such an approach. Additionally, they could represent a tangible example for funders and policymakers of the  added value of the process. Finally, the paper recommends the capitalization of pilot experiences through the national and global frameworks for climate services.