Research topics
The research activities of the Animal Production unit are focused on the following topics:
- research in innovative rearing techniques in equids aiming to improve production and guarantee animal welfare.
- researching innovative processes and products for improving quality of food of animal origin (milk and meat).
- farm animal welfare (bovine, ovine, caprine, swine, equine) in relation to farm facilities and micro-environmental conditions.
- chemical, nutritional, nutraceutical, sensory evaluation of food of animal origin (milk and meat, and related processed food).
- employing of genetic markers aiming to improve physical and sensory traits in beef cattle.
- Use of genomic tools for the characterization and management of biodiversity
- testing functional additives in fattening fish diet and its effect on stress and product qualitative traits.
- nutritional evaluation of animal foods. The influence of feeding on in vivo performance of farm animals and on the qualitative/quantitative characteristics of their products.
- Wild boar management: population containment and quality of short supply chain productions (animal welfare, slaughter management, chemical-physical and quality characterization of meat, packaging, and aging)
- Use of co-products and waste products of vegetable processing in animal feeding: effects on rumination and greenhouse gas production, on productive performance and product quality.
- characterization of the quality of sheep's wool and its genetic basis.
- management and definition of biological indicators on the well-being of farmed fish species.
- Research on reproduction of Paracentrotus lividus aimed at restocking