In WP2, RUs will test innovative SBCS at two different levels: plot and farm. The plot-level experiments will be carried out in the two experimental farms of the RUs “L. Toniolo” at UNIPD and “A. Servadei” at UNIUD (task 2.1), while the OFE will be co-designed with farmers and developed in commercial farms (task 2.2). Specific technical and yard-organizational solutions (e.g., machines, controlled traffic strategies), aimed at mechanizing the field operations on such a type of cultivation system, will be studied.

At plot level, RUs will test 15 different treatments resulting from the combination of two factors: the cropping system and the pest control. These experiments will help the researchers to precisely quantify the effectiveness of the increased diversification provided by SBCS on the monitored AES and to preliminary test some technical solutions that will be subsequently transposed at farm level.

In OFE, scientists and farmers will co-design cropping systems following at least one of SBCS tested at plot level. This action will apply, as far as possible, EIP-AGRI and demo-farm methodologies developed at the EU level to boost the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS). OFE will test the feasibility, the manageability of SBCS, thus helping the optimization of the intercropping in real world (i.e., farm) conditions and strengthening farmer-researcher crosstalk.

It is important to strengthen that the plot-level experiments and OFE will be carried out for two consecutive years in different sites, thus spanning diverse pedo-climatic conditions.