1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Technology

Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

NEW LIFE Project (NEW LIFE)

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

m.c.m Ecosistemi (m.c.m Ecosistemi)

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Ja

1.4 Declaration on sustainability of the described Technology

Is the Technology described here problematic with regard to land degradation, so that it cannot be declared a sustainable land management technology?

Nee

Comments:

Reconstitution is a technology that counters land degradation and according to the theory of "Circular Economy" it's a sustainable land management technology

1.5 Reference to Questionnaire(s) on SLM Approaches (documented using WOCAT)

2.1 Short description of the Technology

Definition of the Technology:

Reconstitution of soils is a pedotechnique based on the treatment of organic and non-organic pedomaterials to achieve benefits in areas with barren, degraded, desertified and/ or sealed soils.

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

Reconstitution of soils to generate an Anthroposol is a technology based on the treatment of organic and non-organic pedomaterials or “matrices” (from “matrix” in Latin: everything that is the foundation of something) to achieve ecosystem benefits, especially in areas with degraded, desertified, barren and/or sealed soils. The technology applies a conceptual model based on the production of new soil aggregates with targeted environmental and soil characters generated via a chemico-mechanical process that entails reusing residues of specific origin. The activity is consistent with the principles of a “Circular Economy”, applying restoration ecology, use of compatible waste and saving the non-renewable resource of soil. Reconstitution is covered by two patents of the mcm Ecosistemi s.r.l. company.
Reconstitution applies the process to two groups of pedomaterials. Firstly, primary matrices (matrices I), represent the main material to be converted into fertile soil. These could be degraded soil itself or inorganic mineral pedomaterials. Secondly, secondary matrices (matrices II) refer to byproducts and waste from production activities. Secondary matrices are divided into two. First, organic - from wood and cellulose processing production activities and from textile and agro-food industries. These are characterized by a high organic component with a high carbon/nitrogen ratio, and a high presence of plant fibres. Second, mineral matrices - especially from mining, the preparation of drinking and industrial water and the management of hydroelectric reservoirs and internal canals. There are four stages.
1) Loading: After the chemico-physico-environmental and rheological characterization of matrices I and II, the materials are selected according to the type of soil desired and then loaded in the plant. Dosage is calculated through an application program (PEDOGÉNIA), which estimates the chemical properties of the finished product.
2) Mixing: The matrices undergo mechanical mixing under controlled humidity.
3) Disaggregation: Breakup and defibering through rotating movements at variable power.
4) Reconstitution: Specifically calibrated cyclic compression and formation of reconstituted soil aggregates.
The treatment generates an Anthroposol whose characters and properties are different from the materials of origin.
The properties of the reconstituted soils and the technical-economic sustainability of the pedotechnology have been demonstrated over the years with agronomical tests and experiments, as well as comparative analysis between degraded soils and reconstituted soils. This demonstrates the reconstituted soil’s ability to create a stable pedosystem to carry out its basic functions - storage, filtration, transformation of nutrients and biodiversity pools - for various forms of land use, and ecosystem benefits. Agroforestry restoration with reconstitution has social impact, as it is demonstrated by a EU project (“New Life”), where the Park of Trebbia river has increased utility to people after restoration. Agronomic restoration allows farmers to increase yields using less fertilizer and water. Another environmental and economic advantage is that manufacturing companies which produce waste can reduce costs through the recycling process of reconstitution. For reconstitution, a plant has to be installed near the land to be restored; an overview is presented in 4.1. In addition, earth moving vehicles are needed for the transport and placement of reconstituted soil.

2.3 Photos of the Technology

2.4 Videos of the Technology

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Technology has been applied and which are covered by this assessment

2.6 Date of implementation

If precise year is not known, indicate approximate date:

• less than 10 years ago (recently)

2.7 Introduction of the Technology

Specify how the Technology was introduced:

• during experiments/ research
• through projects/ external interventions

Comments (type of project, etc.):

Regional, National and International projects

3.1 Main purpose(s) of the Technology

• improve production
• reduce, prevent, restore land degradation
• adapt to climate change/ extremes and its impacts
• create beneficial economic impact
• create beneficial social impact

3.2 Current land use type(s) where the Technology is applied

Land use mixed within the same land unit:

Ja

Specify mixed land use (crops/ grazing/ trees):

• Agroforestry

3.3 Has land use changed due to the implementation of the Technology?

Has land use changed due to the implementation of the Technology?

• Yes (Please fill out the questions below with regard to the land use before implementation of the Technology)

Land use mixed within the same land unit:

Ja

Specify mixed land use (crops/ grazing/ trees):

• Agroforestry

3.4 Water supply

Water supply for the land on which the Technology is applied:

• mixed rainfed-irrigated

3.5 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

• integrated soil fertility management
• waste management/ waste water management

• ecosystem rehabilitation

3.6 SLM measures comprising the Technology

3.7 Main types of land degradation addressed by the Technology

3.8 Prevention, reduction, or restoration of land degradation

Specify the goal of the Technology with regard to land degradation:

• reduce land degradation
• restore/ rehabilitate severely degraded land

4.1 Technical drawing of the Technology

4.2 General information regarding the calculation of inputs and costs

Specify how costs and inputs were calculated:

• per Technology area

other/ national currency (specify):

EUR

If relevant, indicate exchange rate from USD to local currency (e.g. 1 USD = 79.9 Brazilian Real): 1 USD =:

0.89

4.3 Establishment activities

	Activity	Timing (season)
1.	characterization of the intervention site	no timing
2.	morphological planning	no timing
3.	environmental planning	no timing
4.	pedo-agronomic planning	no timing
5.	moving-plant placement only if the area to be restored is distant from the area where the permanent plant is located	no timing
6.	degraded soil removal and collect	after harvest of crops, if there are
7.	reconstitution	no timing
8.	replacement of reconstituted soil	no timing
9.	final soil placement	no timing
10.	site-specific planting to make soil ready for use	dependence of plants species
11.	land use	no timing

Comments:

The reconstitution plants are 2: one is fixed that is located in an area, the other is a moving-plant: that is it can be located near the area to be restored.
According to the distance between the intervention site and the fixed plant it can be more useful using the moving-plant

4.4 Costs and inputs needed for establishment

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Labour	3 Workers	person/day	232.0	123.0	28536.0	100.0
Equipment	Construction area - mobile plant	number	1.0	30000.0	30000.0	100.0
Equipment	Earth moving vehicles	number	2.0	20000.0	40000.0	100.0
Other	Matrices to be used	m3	75000.0	15.0	1125000.0
Other	Reconstitution	m3	100000.0	2.5	250000.0	100.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology					1473536.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology in USD					1655658.43

If land user bore less than 100% of costs, indicate who covered the remaining costs:

Costs related to the matrices to be used and transport (1125000.00 EUR) are covered by company producing waste used. The costs to dispose of matrices II are much higher than taking them to the reconstitution plant.

Comments:

degraded land value 0 EUR
restored area value 390000 EUR
restoration using allocation of natural soil (8 EUR/m3, cost of natural soil in Piacenza) added to transport costs = 2100000.00 EUR
restoration using reconstituted soil technology = 28536 + 30000 + 40000 + 250000.00 EUR because 1125000.00 EUR are covered by company producing waste and so not spent for restoration.
Cost related to construction area and mobile plant are the costs for the set up of the area where to put the mobile plant and for it' transport to the intervention site.

4.5 Maintenance/ recurrent activities

	Activity	Timing/ frequency
1.	Ordinary plant maintenance	every 6 months or when needed
2.	Reconstituted soil analysis	every 6 months

4.6 Costs and inputs needed for maintenance/ recurrent activities (per year)

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Labour	1 Worker	person/day	20.0	123.0	2460.0	100.0
Labour	3 Laboratory staff	person/day	100.0	115.0	11500.0	100.0
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology					13960.0
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology in USD					15685.39

4.7 Most important factors affecting the costs

Describe the most determinate factors affecting the costs:

The most important factor affecting costs could be the transport of degraded soil or matrices I to be used to the restoration site in the case of soil sealed

5.1 Climate

5.2 Topography

Indicate if the Technology is specifically applied in:

• not relevant

5.3 Soils

If available, attach full soil description or specify the available information, e.g. soil type, soil PH/ acidity, Cation Exchange Capacity, nitrogen, salinity etc.

Following the soil characterization (data are mean of 30 soil samples) of the last area of intervention with reconstitution; the data describes soil condition before reconstitution.
The soil texture is silty-loam
The aggregate stability index describes soils with poor stability
pH (1:2.5 in H2O) 6.98 ± 0.37
EC (saturated paste) 0.93 ± 0.41 dS m-1
tot CaCO3 10.33 ± 4.36 g kg-1  SS
active CaCO3 3.08 ± 1.24 g kg-1  SS
tot C 10.62 ± 3.68 g kg-1  SS
organic C 10.26 ± 3.44 g kg-1  SS
tot N 1.47 ± 0.43 g kg-1  SS
HA + FA 2.54 ± 1.26 g kg-1  SS
Olsen P 87.83 ± 44.19 mg kg-1  SS
available Fe 74.68 ± 32.97 mg kg-1  SS
available Mn 27.92 ± 15.78 mg kg-1  SS
available Zn 2.30 ± 1.72 mg kg-1  SS
available Cu 4.32 ± 1.34 mg kg-1  SS
soluble B 0.71 ± 0.25 mg kg-1  SS
assimilable K 21.61 ± 34.72 mg kg-1  SS
assimilable Mg 92.68 ± 28.13 mg kg-1  SS
CEC 26.22 ± 4.42 cmol(+) kg-1
exch Mg2+ 2.39 ± 0.50 cmol(+) kg-1
exch K+ 0.42 ± 0.33 cmol(+) kg-1
exch Na+ 0.48 ± 0.22 cmol(+) kg-1
exch Ca2+ 11.82 ± 4.75 cmol(+) kg-1
Chemical fertility is low, intrinsec fertility is poor, global fertility lower-intermidiate
In the link other data about soil analysis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Hb0PcmSYGY&list=PLXcG4R_rAdFaqGnKCa0qaL6FcrafvU0VE

5.4 Water availability and quality

Is water salinity a problem?

Nee

Is flooding of the area occurring?

Nee

5.5 Biodiversity

5.6 Characteristics of land users applying the Technology

5.7 Average area of land used by land users applying the Technology

5.8 Land ownership, land use rights, and water use rights

Land ownership:

• state
• individual, titled

Land use rights:

• open access (unorganized)

Water use rights:

• communal (organized)

Are land use rights based on a traditional legal system?

Ja

5.9 Access to services and infrastructure

6.1 On-site impacts the Technology has shown

Socio-economic impacts

Production

Income and costs

Socio-cultural impacts

Ecological impacts

Water cycle/ runoff

Soil

Biodiversity: vegetation, animals

Climate and disaster risk reduction

6.2 Off-site impacts the Technology has shown

6.3 Exposure and sensitivity of the Technology to gradual climate change and climate-related extremes/ disasters (as perceived by land users)

Gradual climate change

Gradual climate change

	Season	increase or decrease	How does the Technology cope with it?
seasonal rainfall	wet/ rainy season	decrease	well

Climate-related extremes (disasters)

Meteorological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
local rainstorm	well

Climatological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
extreme winter conditions	moderately

6.4 Cost-benefit analysis

How do the benefits compare with the establishment costs (from land users’ perspective)?

How do the benefits compare with the maintenance/ recurrent costs (from land users' perspective)?

Comments:

The recycle of suitable waste materials used defrays the reconstitution technology in short and long term

6.5 Adoption of the Technology

• 1-10%

Of all those who have adopted the Technology, how many did so spontaneously, i.e. without receiving any material incentives/ payments?

• 91-100%

6.6 Adaptation

Has the Technology been modified recently to adapt to changing conditions?

Ja

other (specify):

the Technology is partly modified to face every restoration project

Specify adaptation of the Technology (design, material/ species, etc.):

design, matrices to be used

6.7 Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities of the Technology

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
Strengths: to change soil class in Land Capability Classification, to improve soil workability, to create new soil aggregates (the organic matter is covered by fine soil mineral fractions)
Advantages: to increase soil fertility, to implement Circular Economy
Opportunities: to create a non-renewable resource (soil) and/or to restore it, to implement Circular Economy

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
Strengths: to produce the suitable soil for the environment where it will be placed
Advantages: to reduce the use of fertilizers
Opportunities: to restore soil using suitable waste, Circular Economy

6.8 Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks of the Technology and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the land user’s view	How can they be overcome?
Weaknesses: restoration of soil in very steep slope	studies about the physical behavior of reconstituted soil in steep slope
Disadvantages: demand exceed supply, concerning current number of workers employed in the reconstituted plant	formation of new workers
Risks: crisis of industries producing suitable waste	non-stop search for suitable waste to use

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
Weaknesses: restoration of soil in very steep slope	studies about the physical behavior of reconstituted soil in steep slope
Disadvantages: contamined soils	studies about possibility of using reconstitution to clean soils
Risks: the pedotechniques include all the anthropic activities that determine a growing influence of man on pedogenesis and pedolandscapes; they have to satisfy man needs while avoiding any undesirable environmental consequences (Dazzi et al., 2010). This is the main core of reconstitution of soils, but sometimes, the use of waste material, even if, environmental suitable, isn't understood because of waste are considered materials only for disposal.	Dissemination concerning the laboratory analysis before the waste use, studies and research projects with University to test environmental suitability of reconstituted soils

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

The reconstitution pedotechnique: Applications, Manfredi P., Cassinari C., Trevisan M., 10.1016/j.eti.2021.102246

Available from where? Costs?

Scientific Journal

Title, author, year, ISBN:

The reconstitution: environmental restoration assessment by means of LCC and FCC, 10.6092/issn.2281-4485/8500

Available from where? Costs?

Scientific Journal

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Trees and shrubs monitoring using an ecological approach: the conclusion of the restoration project of Borgotrebbia landfill (Northern Italy), Manfredi P., Cassinari C., Meloni F., Stragliati L., Trevisan M., Giupponi L., 10.31031/EAES.2019.06.000635

Available from where? Costs?

Scientific Journal

Title, author, year, ISBN:

A new technology to restore soil fertility: Reconstitution, Manfredi P., Cassinari C., Francaviglia R., Trevisan M., 10.12871/00021857201933

Available from where? Costs?

Scientific Journal

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Growth and yield response of tomato (Solarium lycopersicum L.) to soil reconstitution technology, Manfredi P., Cassinari C., Gatti M., Trevisan M., 10.12871/00021857201916

Available from where? Costs?

Scientific Journal

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Test on the effects of reconstituted soil on emergency speed and root growth in maize, Manfredi P., Cassinari C., Salvi R., Battaglia R., Marocco A., Trevisan M., 10.1515/contagri-2018-0035

Available from where? Costs?

Scientific Journal

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Osservazione di Lycogala terrestre Fr. e Stemonitis axifera (Bull.) T. Macr. su suoli ricostituiti sabbiosi, Manfredi P., Salvi R., Bersan M., Cassinari C., Marocco A., Trevisan M.

Available from where? Costs?

Scientific Journal

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Relationship between hydraulic properties and plant coverage of the closed-landfill soils in Piacenza (Po Valley, Italy), Cassinari C., Manfredi P., Giupponi L., Trevisan M., Piccini C., 10.5194/se-6-929-2015

Available from where? Costs?

Scientific Journal

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Soil temperature fluctuations in a degraded and in a reconstituted soil, Manfredi P., Cassinari C., Trevisan M., ISBN 20385625

Available from where? Costs?

Scientific Journal

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Confronto tra dati produttivi di mais coltivato su terre ricostituite e terre naturali, Manfredi P., Tassi D., Cassinari C.

Available from where? Costs?

Scientific Journal

7.3 Links to relevant online information

Title/ description:

Ecosistemi web site

URL:

https://www.mcmecosistemi.com/

Title/ description:

Paolo Manfredi ResearchGate

URL:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paolo-Manfredi-2

Title/ description:

Chiara Cassinari ResearchGate

URL:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Chiara-Cassinari

Title/ description:

All the publications with DOI mentioned above

Title/ description:

Ecosistemi YouTube channel

URL:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOloFv-BLgvIVt9kBZuZyZg

7.4 General comments

Very useful questionnaire