Quinoa: An Innovative Crop to Tackle Abiotic Stress
Within the Water Living Lab Friuli Venezia Giulia, we are testing quinoa as an alternative crop for farming systems exposed to abiotic stress. To this end, over the course of two years (2024 and 2025), we conducted a pot experiment at the A. Servadei agricultural farm in Udine using two quinoa varieties to evaluate their…
Maize and Resilience: The Water Living Lab Friuli Venezia Giulia Explores the Maize of the Future
Within the Water Living Lab Friuli Venezia Giulia, as part of a collaboration between partners UNIPD and UNITO, new drought-tolerant maize genotypes were tested in both 2024 and 2025, compared with conventional hybrids of the same FAO class. This activity is conducted through on-farm experiments (OFE) and at the A. Servadei experimental farm of the…
ERSA–LL Friuli Venezia Giulia Collaboration: Ecological Footprint Analysis with AgriCS
Since 2025, a collaboration has begun with ERSA (Regional Agency for Rural Development of Friuli Venezia Giulia) to test the AgriCS platform—a regional decision support system designed for farmers in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region. Among its capabilities, the platform enables assessments of carbon and water footprints, as well as energy balances at the farm…
Forage system management to support barn operations and enhance the sustainability of dairy farms
Efficient management of the forage system is a strategic factor in enhancing the economic and environmental sustainability of dairy livestock farms. A careful farm-level planning of the forage system should aim to maximize the self-production of protein- and energy-rich feed for the herd, thereby reducing dependence on market-purchased raw materials. It should also improve the…
Turning Soil into a Water Buffer: Sustainable Practices – The “Podere Fiorentina” Case Study
Water management in a reclaimed area like Eastern Veneto is of crucial importance—not only because water is a vital resource, but also because it can become a challenge when present in excess. The idea behind the experimental project involving the “Podere Fiorentina” farm is that soil should not be seen merely as a passive element…
Irrigation Innovation in Rice Farming
Flood irrigation, once the most widespread method for growing rice, is gradually being abandoned in many regions traditionally dedicated to this crop. The main reason is its high water consumption—an increasingly scarce resource due to ongoing climate change and growing competition among agricultural, industrial, and civil uses. In response to this challenge, the Living Lab Acqua…
Cover Crops in Agriculture: Opportunities and Management
The experiment involved three farms participating in the Living Lab, each of which chose to adopt cover crops through a participatory approach. This meant that each trial was tailored to the specific needs of the individual farm, both in terms of the cover crop species selected and the management practices applied. The main goal was…
Use of Legume-Based Cover Crops for Sustainable Soil Management in Olive Orchards
The Living Lab experiment evaluates four different treatments:i) a cover crop composed of an innovative mix of self-reseeding annual legume species (native),ii) a cover crop using a commercial seed mix,both compared with the most common traditional practices in Mediterranean environments:iii) spontaneous ground cover, andiv) periodic soil tillage. The main components of the agroecosystem—soil, herbaceous layer,…
Conference – Irrigation and Sustainability: Innovative Solutions
November 8, 2024 – Conference “Irrigation and sustainability: innovative solutions” On November 8, 2024, in Arborea, as part of the Istòria Festival Culturale 2024, the conference entitled “Irrigazione e sostenibilità: soluzioni innovative” was organized. It was included in the cycle of events “Nell’acqua: il futuro e il cammino verso l’identità”. Three researchers from Agritech Task…
A wise irrigation to contribute to integrated water resource management
A wise irrigation to contribute to integrated water resource management Irrigated agriculture accounts for about 20% of cultivated lands worldwide while currently generating an estimated 40% of crop production, and two-thirds of future gains in crop production are expected to come from irrigated lands. Therefore, irrigation is strategic to ensure food for the world’s increasing…