IFVCNS Living Lab - SERBIA
Name / Location | Vojvodina Region, Serbia |
Lead Partner | Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops (IFVCNS)  |
Agroecological Zone | Continental |
Climate Type | Moderate continental climate |
Legumes Tested |
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Cropping System Type | Diversified cereal–legume rotations with strip intercropping and green manure strategies |
Agroecological Practices Applied |
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Living Lab Board Composition | Farmers, advisors, researchers, consumers, policy representatives and agri-food stakeholders (10 members) |
Duration of Field Trials | 3 growing seasons |
Key Ecosystem Services Targeted |
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Overview
The Serbian Living Lab, coordinated by Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, operates in the highly productive arable region of Vojvodina, where large-scale cereal and oilseed crops dominate agricultural landscapes.
The Living Lab focuses on integrating chickpea and soybean into crop rotations to enhance nitrogen cycling and improve system resilience. Special emphasis is placed on spatial diversification strategies, including crops strip intercropping and green manure incorporation.
Through participatory field experimentation and multi-actor engagement, the Serbian LL generates robust agronomic, environmental and economic evidence supporting sustainable crop diversification.
Main Challenges
Arable farming systems in northern Serbia face multiple structural pressures:
- Low number of crops in crop rotation (also crop monoculture)
- Soil fertility declines in high-intensive production systems
- Increasing weed pressure
- High fertiliser dependency
- Climate variability, including heat waves and irregular rainfall during vegetation season
These constraints challenge both environmental sustainability and long-term productivity.
Legume-Based Response
Agroecological Strategy
The IFVCNS Living Lab applies a diversification approach combining:
- Green manure incorporation improving soil parameters
- Grain legumes (chickpea and soybean) for nitrogen fixation
- Strip intercropping systems enhancing spatial diversity
- Genotype evaluation across three-year crop rotation
This integrated strategy enhances ecosystem services while maintaining high-yield arable production.
Cropping Systems Demonstrated
Indicative rotation scheme:
- Soybean, Barley, Chickpea
The Living Lab evaluates:
- Yield quantity, quality and stability
- Nodulation
- Weed suppression efficiency
- Soil biodiversity indicators
- Pest and disease monitoring
- Economic viability of diversified systems
Field data are collected under harmonised VALERECO protocols to ensure comparability across regions.
Demonstration & Co-Creation
The Serbian Living Lab functions as a regional innovation platform engaging:
- Agriculture producers
- Researchers
- Extension service providers
- Policy stakeholders
- Consumers
Demonstration events will enable stakeholders to assess and exchange practical solutions and identify adoption pathways suited to large-scale farming systems.
The results feed into:
- Cost–benefit analysis
- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
- Calibration of the Decision Support System (DSS)
- Policy recommendations supporting legume diversification
Expected Impact
The Serbia (IFVCNS) Living Lab contributes to:
- Reduced usage of mineral fertilizer dependency (e.g. nitrogen) by inclusion of legumes
- Improved soil health (physical and chemical properties)
- Enhanced weed regulation through spatial diversification and mechanical weed practices
- Increased resilience of arable systems in temperate regions
- Strengthened economic sustainability of legume-inclusive rotations
By integrating grain legumes into intensive continental farming systems, the Serbian Living Lab demonstrates scalable solutions supporting biodiversity, soil health and climate adaptation across Central and Eastern Europe.
