The third live meeting of the project “TranSuMan – Advanced training on sustainable management of pastoral systems”, took place from 9 to 12 May 2023, in Camerino (Italy).
The participating Higher Education Institutions are made up of the University of Camerino (Italy), as coordinator, as well as three partners: the Catholic University of Valencia (Spain), the University of Thessaly (Greece) and Babes Bolyai University (Romania).
This third meeting served to develop a Joint Intensive Course on Grassland Management, attended by 32 students, eight (8) from each of the above four (4) participating universities.
The main topics of the meeting were climate change and its effects on pastures and in particular on animal productivity, on the biotic characteristics of grasslands (vegetation), and on the sustainable use of grasslands.
The participants, professors and students carried out a series of field activities, analyzing the grassland landscape and pasture conditions in the area of Arnano (province of Macerata). The participants then visited the Management Agency of the Monte Sibillini National Park. There they were informed about projects related to wildlife and its relationship with animal husbandry. This was followed by a meeting with a local wool farm business that comes from a local breed of sheep. The students were trained in the application of the Body Condition Score and watched step by step the process of making the famous local pecorino cheese from dairy sheep.
The last day was mainly dedicated to the application of the C-mapping technique, for sustainable grassland management.
The next project meeting will take place in Valencia, Spain in November 2023.
