Name
CLAUDIO
Surname
MARZADORI
Date of
birth
19 October 1962
Place of
birth
Bologna
Home
address
Via Sant'Anna 17, 40128 Bologna, Italy. Tel.
+39-051-702911
Office
address
Viale Fanin 40, 40127 Bologna, Italy. Tel.
+39-051-2096211
e-mail
claudio.marzadori@unibo.it
Current employment
Full professor at the Department of Agro-Environmental
Science and Technology (DiSTA), Alma Mater Studiorum, University of
Bologna Faculty of Agriculture (SSD AGR/13).
Teaching
Agricultural Chemistry
as part of the Three-Year degree course in "Herbal Medicine"
at the University of Bologna Faculty of Pharmacy, Imola
campus.
Biochemistry of abiotic stresses and Biochemistry of
secondary metabolites
as part of the Second Level degree course in "Agricultural
Plant Biotecnologies" at the University of Bologna Faculty of
Agriculture.
Agricultural Chemistry and Biochemistry
as part of the Second Level degree course in "Agro-industrial
Systems Sciences" at the University of Bologna Faculty of
Agriculture.
Biochemistry of Secondary Metabolites
as part of the Second Level specialisation course
("magistrale") in Agricultural Sciences and Technologies at
the University of Bologna Faculty of Agriculture.
Research themes
After an initial period lasting about a year during which he
studied interactions between boron and organic substance in the
soil, his research has concentrated largely on the following
themes.
Nitrogen
He has studied the availability to plants of the nitrogen
present in the soil in the nitrogen reserve or coming from
fertiliser or soil conditioners.
The objective of research on the ammonia nitrogen reserve
interstratified in the clays was to: 1) improve analytical
techniques for its determination and 2) establish its dynamics as a
function of root absorption, microbial activity in the soil,
nitrogen fertilisation and soil working techniques.
The studies involved the processes by which the various forms
of nitrogen contained in natural slow release and synthetic
nitrogen fertilisers and biomass of agroindustrial, industrial and
civil origin are transformed in the soil. In particular,
isotopic techniques (N15) are used to examine the dynamics of
nitrogen release in mineral form from organic fertilisers and
biomass of various origins. Studies on the release of
nutrients from slow release or stabilised fertilisers into the soil
also include phosphorous with particular attention to the
mechanisms influencing its bioavailability when administered
together with humic substances.
Use and recycling of biomass
He carries out research into the use and recycling of biomass
of various origins with the aim of establishing the effect of these
materials on the principal biological properties of the soil.
In particular, he employs specific soil quality indicators to
try and establish a relationship between the distribution of
organic matrices and: 1) the activity of the microbial
biomass in the soil, 2) the activity of the enzymes in the soil, 3)
the dynamics of the C and N cycles. These aspects are of
fundamental importance to optimise the use of biomass as
fertiliser. The scope of these research projects is to: a)
encourage closure of the nutrient cycles in the soil and b) improve
the sustainability of agricultural products by reducing the use of
industrially produced mineral fertilisers obtained using
non-renewable energy sources.
Enzymes
The research examines use of urease and nitrification
inhibitors, phenomena associated with the mechanisms of enzyme
immobilisation and stabilisation in the soil and the influence of
heavy metals and humic substances on extracellular enzyme
activity.
The use of urease and nitrification inhibitors is one of the
solutions proposed to increase the efficiency of nitrogen
fertilisers by reducing the loss of nitrogen from the soil system.
The research involved setting up field trials and laboratory
experiments to assess the impact of the inhibitors on plant
production and the loss of nitrogen from the soil. The
techniques used for this purpose included the use of the stable
isotope 15N.
Studies on the functional characteristics of the urease
accumulated in the soil have less practical application than the
previous activities, but are without doubt relevant to both
agricultural and environmental issues. The research
concentrates on study of systems consisting of urease and
components of the soil. The main systems studied are: 1) root
urease-mucigel (Ca-polygalacturonate), 2) urease-hydroxyapatite
(the most stable form of inorganic phosphorous in the soil), 3)
urease-humic acids (the most stable form of organic carbon present
in the soil), 4) urease-hydroxyapatite-humic acids. The experiments
necessitated the development of techniques to form the compounds in
question and to purify urease of microbial origin and development
of suitable potentiometric assay techniques for the urease. His
research also covered the enzyme phosphatase and certain aspects of
the interaction between enzymes in the soil and metals.
Rhizosphere (soil/root interface)
The bioavailability of nutrient or toxic elements is heavily
influenced by the interaction at rhizosphere level between roots
and soil. Further studies into the dynamics of nutrient and
toxic elements in the rhizosphere and in particular at the
soil/root interface are therefore necessary.
An interface model consisting of calcium polygalacturonate
gel (calcium pectate) was employed to study processes associated
with the mobilisation/immobilisation and flow of certain elements
above and through the gel. In particular, studies were
carried out:
a) to establish the
effect of the accumulation of aluminium, a well known toxic agent,
on the fibrillar structure of the soil/root interface and the flow
of phosphate through it.
b) the effect of the
degree of methyl-esterification of pectic substances on their
capacity to immobilise toxic metals (Al and Cd) in the presence or
absence of chelating agents of root origin;
c) recently, on the
influence of chelating agents of protein-amino acid origin on the
mobility of Cr at the soil/root interface.
Research involving in vivo experiments is underway to assess
the effect of specific farming practices, such as the distribution
of new concept fertilisers containing inhibitors and/or
biostimulants, on the secretory activity of roots (organic acids
and nitrogen compounds) associated with the mobilisation of
nutrients with poor availability (e.g. P and Fe). The studies
involve application of particular techniques for sampling the
rhizospheric soil and development of specific analytical
methods.
Nutrients and river sediments
In collaboration with the Department of Experimental
Evolutionary Biology, University of Bologna, he has been involved
in research into the role played by river sediments on the
bioavailability of phosphate and nitrogen in eutrophication
phenomena.
Organic C in the soil
As part of activities in his own department, he has taken
part in numerous projects studying the transformation of organic C
in the soil, with particular attention to humic C. A number
of these activities were preliminary to obtaining the humic
substances used to study interaction with the enzyme
urease.
Scientific responsibilities
In 1999 he was project leader of a research project financed
by the University of Bologna entitled "Progetto Giovani
Ricercatori" ("Young Researchers Project").
He was scientific manager of an operational unit as part
of the PRIN 2002 project. The research project was
entitled "Trasporto di nutrienti ossianionici all'interfaccia
suolo-radice e nell'apoplasto ed influenza di interferenti
metallici: un modello di studio" ("Transport of oxyanionic
nutrients at the soil-root interface and in the apoplast and the
influence of interfering metals: a study model").
He was scientific manager of an operational unit as part of
the PRIN 2004 project. The research project was entitled "Ruolo
di leganti organici e del mucigel radicale sulla mobilità di
elementi nutritivi e non all'interfaccia suolo-radice: un modello
di studio" ("The role of organic binders and root mucigel in
the mobility of nutrient and other elements at the soil-root
interface: a study model").
He was joint scientific manager (2007/2008) of a convention
signed between the Department of Agro-Environmental Science and
Technology (DiSTA) and SICIT S.p.A. entitled "Valutazione della
biodisponibilità del cromo e del tasso di mineralizzazione
dell'azoto organico in suoli trattati con prodotti secondari del
processo di produzione di idrolizzati proteici" ("Assessment of
the bioavailability of chromium and the rate of mineralisation of
organic nitrogen in soils treated with by-products from the
hydrolysed proteins production process").
He was joint scientific manager (2008/2009) of a convention
signed between the Department of Agro-Environmental Science and
Technology (DiSTA) and SICIT S.p.A. entitled "Valutazione
chimica e biochimica delle trasformazioni dell'azoto organico in
suoli trattati con idrolizzati proteici" ("Chemical and
biochemical assessment of the transformation of organic nitrogen in
soils treated with hydrolysed proteins").
Institutional appointments
He is faculty delegate for the Leonardo Programme.
He is a member of the University of Bologna Faculty of
Agriculture commission for internationalisation.
Scientific associations
§ Since 1990,
member of S.I.C.A. (Società Italiana di Chimica Agraria,
Italian Society of Agricultural Chemistry).
§ Member of
I.H.S.S. (International Humic Substances Society).
§ Member of
S.I.S.S. and I.U.S.S. respectively the Italian
Association of Soil Sciences and the International Union of Soil
Sciences.
