IRRIGATION, SOIL AND CROP MANAGEMENT AREA

In this area called AI-Irrigation, Soil and Crop Management Area, the main research streams include themes inherent: irrigation, soil and crops management in irrigated and not irrigated environment, crop simulation models use and conservative agronomic practices.

In particular:

-         with regard to irrigation we study the effects of irrigation methods and volumes on crops productive answer, on products qualitative characteristics, and on the impact of this practice on soil fertility and on environment. In this theme the study of crops hydric consumption is very important, and it is target-oriented to determine the crop coefficient and to optimize irrigation.

View of our Experimental Fields

-         “soil and crop management” theme deals with those research aspects concerning crops organic and mineral nutrition, their defence, agronomic practices and management strategies to reduce crops impact on environment, and crop yields quality related to crop environment and agronomic techniques.

-         "crop simulation models use" theme deals with the aspects related to the application of models to simulate different agricultural and technical settings, in order to individuate for a certain environment and a certain crop the management criteria which allow the best compromise among productivity, quality and environmental impact.

-         "conservative agronomic practices" theme deals with all the problems related to extensive crops (cereals for example) aimed to individuate the agronomic strategies which link crop competitiveness to the need of reducing the pressure on environment. Organic matter conservation, soil erosion and soil fertility elements wash away are particurarly important.

Experimental device to study some garden-crops coefficients