Immersive Exploration of Veneto-Water and Veneto-Carbon Living Labs in the Copparo Area
In this OFE, frost-sensitive winter cover crops are being implemented — species that naturally die with winter cold, leaving the soil ready for sowing the cash crop in the following spring. In this photo, the researchers are doing a qualitative and quantitative survey of the weeds present before the cover crop sowing (about two months after wheat harvest, i.e., at the end of August).
In each plot, where different cover crop mixes will be sown, sensors have been installed to monitor soil temperature, moisture, and salinity in real time. Near each sensor, soil samples were collected to be analysed to determine physical–chemical characteristics. A second sampling will be carried out after the cover crops termination to check for any improvements.
Winter cover crops must be sown before mid-September so they can develop before the cold stops their growth and triggers natural termination. In the photo, the researchers are checking the growth and soil coverage of a cover crop mix composed of sinapis and daikon around mid-October, about a month and a half after sowing.