ANALYSIS OF AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT DYNAMICS AND IDENTIFICATION OF AGRONOMIC STRATEGIES FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF MARGINAL AREAS IN CENTRAL SARDINIA (GENNARGENTU-MANDROLISAI AREA)

Aims of the research and outline of the thesis According to many Authors, the search for the reasons behind the farmland abandonment in mountain areas is a crucial point to properly interpret the phenomenon, but also to tailor an effective strategy able to foster agricultural development in the involved areas. Complying with this principle, this thesis is divided into two main chapters. The first chapter aims to analyze the main dynamics of farmland observed within the study area. The research activity involved engaging a group of young local farmers who, through semi-structured interviews, provided a large amount of data useful for understanding the driving forces that affect farm management. Furthermore, these data were joined with land-cover data collected for the area during the 1990-2018 timespan allowing us to verify the effects on the recovery and/or abandonment rate of agricultural lands. The second chapter was aimed at testing an innovative low-input cropping system for the area. The main crop selected was cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L. var. altilis), which is generally suitable for oil production in marginal areas, but its adaptability to mountain areas is not well known. We proposed its cultivation in temporary intercropping with two fodder species (Ornithopus sativus Brot. and Raphanus sativus L. var. oleracea) to achieve two results: I) contribute to livestock feeding, which is widespread in the area, and II) increase the profitability of agricultural activity through the production of oilseeds.