Catalogue of Infrastructures and Facilities

The 10 hectares cultivated consist of a sequence of different techniques for irrigation, insect control, and soil nutrition, intending to test the best solutions in terms of productivity and environmental impact. On one hand, the company is working on the recovery of old fruit varieties with 40 species that are no longer cultivated, which need to be studied; on the other hand, it is involved in regional and European projects focused on identifying genetic markers that enable plants to resist diseases. There is also a 300-square-metre greenhouse for physiology and genetics projects related to grasses with the goal of studying new precision irrigation and fertilisation techniques. This involves integrating data collected from drones, mini scanners mounted on tractors, geophysical tools to assess soil stratigraphy, and a network of wireless sensors for moisture monitoring. There is also ample availability on the part of this company to host any experiments to be conducted in the context of fruit growing.

Facility

10-hectare cultivated area and 300-square-metre greenhouse

The 10 hectares cultivated consist of a sequence of different techniques for irrigation, insect control, and soil nutrition, with the aim of testing the best solutions in terms of productivity and environmental impact. There is also a 300-square-metre greenhouse for physiology and genetics projects related to grasses with the goal of studying new precision irrigation and fertilisation techniques.

Infrastructure

Az. Agr. Cascina Baciocca

In this farm, small-scale experiments are also conducted to produce high-quality goat milk, with a herd of approximately 40 goats. The innovative milking parlour allows real-time monitoring of various milk quality parameters, also aimed at early detection of any health issues related to the individual animals. The farm cultivates an area of about 23 hectares, entirely fenced, and we have, as a research group, the availability of a large warehouse with offices and laboratories for the shelter of tools and equipment. In June 2023, the ACRE competition took place in this company. This was a competition among robots involving autonomous weeding tests, mapping, and vegetation recognition using artificial intelligence.

Facility

23 hectares of experimental farm

An area of 23 hectares of arable land, with 2 hectares dedicated to agricultural experimentation, which can be further developed and optimised for new farming techniques or other purposes.

Facility

Greenhouse

The greenhouse has a structure and features that can be modified to meet specific experimental needs, allowing for the examination of environmental variables and agricultural practices under controlled conditions.

Facility

Soil Quality Analysis Laboratory

An equipped laboratory for performing common measurements, including moisture, dry matter, and other essential analyses to assess soil quality and optimise agricultural practices.

Facility

Tilting platform 4x6m

An inclined test bench platform designed to test and measure vehicle stability, allowing the evaluation of performance on various slopes and terrain conditions

Facility

Tractor ROPS Testing Laboratory

A specialised and equipped laboratory for conducting resistance tests on agricultural vehicle protection structures to ensure their effectiveness and durability under various environmental and stressful conditions.

Infrastructure

Az. Agr. Ciro Menozzi Cascina Marianna Landriano

There is also a small nucleus of cows for meat: 16 heads of Piedmont breed. 52 hectares of agricultural land used (AA), from which hay and silage are produced for the feeding of cows. The main crop is silage maize and mash (26 hectares), followed by over 11 hectares of Medicago sativa; 11 hectares of Italian ryegrass and 4 hectares of triticale for silage are also sown on the farm. In this company, research is conducted to develop methods that allow the reduction of pesticides, the decrease in the use of fertilisers and herbicides, and the conservation of water and energy. With the Life project and forage4Climate, cover crops are grown in the fields to establish a vegetative defence against specific weeds, making the use of pesticides less necessary. In this farm, there are also two advanced systems of robotic milking integrated with the online milk analysis system that allows continuous monitoring of parameters to assess the health status of the animal.

Facility

Cow barn

Additionally, there is a small herd of 16 Piedmontese cattle raised for meat. In this farm, there are also two advanced systems of robotic milking integrated with the online milk analysis system that allows continuous monitoring of parameters to assess the health status of the animal.

Facility

52 hectares of experimental farm