Centro di Ricerche Agro-Ambientali “Enrico Avanzi” (CiRAA), Italy

The research activity of the Centre of Agro-Ecological Research “Enrico Avanzi” CiRAA (www.avanzi.unipi.it) is characterised by: on-farm demand-driven research, long-term experiments, multidisciplinary research with systems approach. CiRAA extensive acreage (700 hectares) allows to conduct on-farm research at field scale. Plot-scale experiments are usually included in the layout of larger scale (fields) experiments. Main research topics of CIRAA include: cropping systems, soil tillage, cover crops, organic farming, agricultural mechanisation, animal husbandry, food quality, biomass and bioenergy.

In the early 1980s, CiRAA initiated a series of long-term experiments; at present, one on cropping systems, two on soil tillage, one on cover crops, one on organic farming (i.e. the MASCOTLTE) and one on short rotation forestry are present. To ease the setting up of multidisciplinary research teams, CiRAA has stipulated dedicated conventions with the Sant'Anna Higher School for Advanced Studies of Pisa (SSSA).

Scientists involved

• Daniele Antichi
• Marco Mazzoncini

Links

• University of Pisa
• Organic farming pages at the website of CiRAA/University of Pisa