Giovanni Cascone

Full Professor of Rural buildings and agro-forest land planning [AGR/10]

Updated on 25/01/2023

Education

He took in the academic year 1982-83 the degree with first class honours in Civil Engineering at the University of Catania.

Since 1983 he has cooperated in research with the Institute of Topography and Rural Buildings of the University of Catania. At the same University he was Associate Professor from the academic year 1992-93 and he is Full Professor from the academic year 2001-02.

Teaching activity

In the academic years 1987-88 and 1988-89, as professor by contract, he taught “Farm buildings and topography” in the degree course on “Agricultural sciences and technologies” at the University of Reggio Calabria.

From the academic year 1992-93 to the academic year 2000-01 he taught “Livestock housing” and “Greenhouse structures and climate control” in the degree course on “Agricultural sciences and technologies” at the University of Catania.

From the academic year 1994-95 to the academic year 2009-10 he taught “Tropical and sub-tropical agricultural buildings” in the degree course on “Tropical and sub-tropical agricultural sciences and technologies” at the branch office in Ragusa of the University of Catania.

From the academic year 2001-02 he teaches “Agricultural buildings” in the degree course on “Agricultural sciences and technologies” at the University of Catania.

Scientific affiliations

From 1986 he is a member of AIIA (Italian Society of Agricultural Engineering), former AIGR (Italian Association of Genie Rural), within the Second Technical Section “Rural Buildings, plant techniques and technologies”. From the same year he is a member of CIGR (International Commission of Agricultural Engineering), within the Second Technical Section “Farm Buildings, equipment, structures and environment”. Afterwards he became member of EurAgEng (European Society of Agricultural Engineering) and International Society of Horticultural Science (ISHS).

Institutional appointments

From the academic year 2004-05 to the academic year 2009-10 he was the head of the Department of Agricultural Engineering of the University of Catania.

In the years 2005-2013 he was a component of the scientific committee of the “Consorzio per la Ricerca nella Filiera Lattiero-Casearia” (Co.R.Fi.La.C.) of Sicily Region.

In the academic three-year 2008-11 he was a component of the Governing Board of the University of Catania.

In the academic four-year 2010-14 he was the head of the Department of Agri-food and Environmental Systems Management of the University of Catania.

In the years 2007-2014 he was a member of the Board of the Second Technical Section of CIGR (International Commission of Agricultural Engineering) on "Farm buildings, equipment, structures and environment" and in the four-year period 2011-2014 he was the Secretary of the Board.

From the first of January 2015 he is an honorary member of the Board of the Second Technical Section of CIGR (International Commission of Agricultural Engineering).

From the first of January 2015 to 31 December 2018 he was the coordinator of the international working group on “Animal Housing in hot climate” of the CIGR (International Commission of Agricultural Engineering).

Coordinating of research projects

During his career he has been the responsible of several research projects. In particular:

- he was the scientific leader of a research group on "Materials and techniques for optimization of greenhouse soil solarization", within a CNR (National Research Commitee) two-year project on "Systems and methods for soil solarization", nationally coordinated by Prof. C. R. Fichera of the University of Reggio Calabria;

- he was the scientific leader of a three-year research project on "Analysis of soil thermal fluxes in soil solarization", supported by the (ESF) European Social Fund, within a POM 1994-1999 Mis.2 project on "Alternative techniques to methyl bromide fumigation of agricultural soils";

- he was the scientific leader of a two-year research project on "Thermo-physical characterization of materials for greenhouse soilless cultivation", supported by the (ESF) European Social Fund, within a POP Sicily 94/99 Mis.10.4 project on "Soilless cultures for innovation in Sicily greenhouse horticulture";

- he was the scientific leader of a two-year research project on "Study of characteristics of nursery greenhouses", supported by the (ESF) European Social Fund, within a POP Sicily 94/99 Mis.10.4 project on "Improvement of Sicily vegetable and flower germplasm and qualification of materials for propagation";

- he had the responsibility of a local research unit on "Effectiveness of innovative plastic films for greenhouse soil solarization" within a two-year national research project PRIN 2002, supported by Italian Ministry of University and Scientific Research (MIUR), on "Innovative plastic materials for crop protection and for soil solarization", nationally coordinated by Prof. C. Manera of the University of Potenza;

- he was the national scientific leader of a two-year national research project PRIN 2003 on "Building solutions, plant and facilities for the improvement of the animal welfare in intensive farm", supported by Italian Ministry of University and Scientific Research (MIUR), within which he had also the responsibility of a local research unit on "Dairy houses and sheep shelters: building solutions to reduce heat stress";

- he was the scientific leader of a research unit on "Innovative techniques for soil disinfestation", within a three-year PON-Agroindustry project co-founded by UE;

- he was the scientific leader of a research unit on "Verify of mathematical modelling of mulching films by experimental trials", within a three-year PON-Environment project co-founded by UE;

- he was the leader of a research group of a two-year project supported by EU within the Programme Interreg III B Archimed 2000-2006 on "Tourism uses of the historic environment know-how transfer and quality management practices at community level".

- he was the scientific leader of the one-year project “La tenuta Fegotto di Chiaramonte Gulfi (Ragusa), esempio di villaggio industriale e 'fossile guida' per la conoscenza della cultura tecnico-scientifica tra ‘800 e ‘900”, founded by Italian Ministry of University and Scientific Research (MIUR);

- he was the scientific leader of the research unit on “Innovative techniques for behaviour analysis of dairy cows in barns equipped with automatic milking systems” among the two-year project PRIN 2008 , supported by Italian Ministry of University and Scientific Research (MIUR), nationally coordinated by Prof. M. Barbari of the University of Florence;

- he was the scientific leader of the two-year research project on 'Metodologie innovative per la lotta alla tristeza degli agrumi', founded by Sicily Region.

Last edit: 01/25/2023

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He is involved in research on different subjects related to agricultural buildings:

- environmental conditions in livestock buildings, with specific regard to microclimate modelling, animal welfare and functionality of spaces and equipment;

- application of ICT in livestock buildings for the analysis of the animal behaviour in intensive livestock farming;

- modelling of greenhouse microclimate and optimization of greenhouse building, materials and structures;

- materials, methods and analysis of soil solarization processes under greenhouse;

- application of ICT for traceability of certified plants;

- building materials and functional characteristics of buildings for storage and processing of agricultural products, with specific regard to energy behaviour of storage and processing environments, food hygiene and safety at work;

- rehabilitation of traditional rural buildings in the context of land planning, reuse of traditional rural buildings for tourist uses, interpretation of rural building heritage and structural strengthening of traditional rural buildings in seismic areas.