UNIFI Living Lab - ITALY
Name / Location | Tuscany Region, Italy |
Lead Partner | University of Florence (UNIFI)  |
Agroecological Zone | Mediterranean |
Climate Type | Mediterranean, temperate with dry summers |
Legumes Tested |
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Cropping System Type | Multi-legume diversified rotations combining grain and forage species |
Agroecological Practices Applied |
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Living Lab Board Composition | Farmers, researchers, advisors, regional stakeholders and value-chain actors (10 members) |
Duration of Field Trials | 3 growing seasons |
Key Ecosystem Services Targeted |
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Overview
The Italian Living Lab coordinated by University of Florence combines field-level agroecological experimentation with advanced genetic and molecular analysis to optimize the performance of multi-legume systems.
Operating in a Mediterranean agricultural context characterized by soil degradation and increasing climate variability, the Living Lab evaluates diversified cropping systems that integrate both grain and forage legumes. A distinguishing feature of this LL is the integration of transcriptomic and physiological analyses to better understand how different legume genotypes respond to agronomic practices and environmental stress.
By bridging agronomic performance with genetic insight, the Living Lab supports evidence-based optimization of legume-based systems aligned with EU biodiversity, soil and climate objectives.
Main Challenges
Mediterranean cropping systems face persistent structural and environmental constraints:
- Soil nutrient depletion in cereal-dominated rotations
- Increased vulnerability to drought and temperature extremes
- Limited use of perennial legumes in mainstream farming
- Yield variability linked to genotype–environment interactions
- Insufficient knowledge on how genetic diversity enhances ecosystem services
Addressing these challenges requires both field experimentation and improved understanding of crop physiological responses.
Legume-Based Response
Agroecological Strategy
The UNIFI Living Lab applies a multi-species diversification approach, combining:
- Grain legumes (chickpea, pea) for market production
- Forage legumes (sulla, clover) for soil improvement and nitrogen transfer
- Rotational integration of perennial and annual species
- Genotype evaluation under contrasting management and environmental conditions
This approach strengthens ecosystem service delivery while improving system resilience.
Genetic & Physiological Innovation
A distinctive element of this Living Lab is the integration of advanced analyses to:
- Assess genotype performance under field conditions
- Investigate molecular and physiological responses to environmental stress
- Identify traits linked to nitrogen fixation efficiency and stress tolerance
- Support selection of varieties best suited for diversified systems
Samples from field trials are analyzed to link agronomic outcomes with plant-level responses, strengthening the scientific basis for legume optimization.
Cropping Systems Demonstrated
Indicative rotations include:
- Sulla → Sulla → Maize
- Clover → Maize → Chickpea
The Living Lab evaluates:
- Nitrogen fixation capacity
- Yield and grain quality
- Soil biodiversity indicators
- Climate adaptation performance
- Economic feasibility
Demonstration & Co-Creation
The UNIFI Living Lab operates as a multi-actor platform, integrating:
- Farmers testing diversified systems
- Researchers conducting agronomic and molecular assessments
- Advisors supporting implementation
- Regional stakeholders contributing to policy dialogue
Through co-creation meetings and technical exchanges, stakeholders validate practical feasibility while scientific assessments refine genotype and system selection.
The outputs directly support:
- Calibration of the Decision Support System (DSS)
- Data inputs for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
- Cost–benefit analysis
Policy recommendations for CAP eco-schemes
Expected Impact
The UNIFI Living Lab contributes to:
- Enhanced nitrogen use efficiency through genotype-informed selection
- Improved resilience of Mediterranean cropping systems
- Increased soil fertility and biodiversity indicators
- Reduced fertilizer dependency
- Strengthened scientific basis for legume diversification policies
By combining field-level agroecological innovation with molecular-level insight, this Living Lab advances the optimization and scalability of legume-based systems across Southern Europe.
