Contributing Authors: Paola Cassiano, Stefano Carlesi, Federico Leoni, Irene Balducci, Anna Camilla Moonen. All from the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna.
How can we grow food in ways that restore the land, support biodiversity, and remain viable for farmers? At the heart of this question lies the work of the Agroecology Group (GoA) at Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa, Italy, led by Professor Camilla Moonen. As part of the VALERECO project, the Living Lab in Tuscany is turning agricultural fields into spaces of experimentation and collaboration—where farmers, researchers, technical advisors and local consumer organisations collaborate to field test and deepen the intercropping of legumes and cereals.
The Pisa Living Lab focuses on crops such as chickpeas, vetch, and camelina, aiming to develop solutions that are both ecologically beneficial and economically viable. Current trials include six different cropping systems combining grain legumes, fodder legumes, and cover crops. The goal is to identify practices that support weed control, improve soil fertility, and strengthen pest and disease resistance—while meeting market demand for legumes like chickpeas.
Since March 2025, the team has begun crop and weed sampling. Vetch is being assessed as both a forage and cover crop, and camelina is being incorporated into the soil ahead of chickpea sowing. Researchers are evaluating different soil management techniques, including the use of spontaneous winter vegetation, to support sustainable cultivation.
Leguminous plants offer important benefits to agroecosystems. Due to their ability to enrich the soil with organic nitrogen, they help improve soil fertility. In addition, they attract pollinators and favour an increase in biodiversity, creating a more balanced environment rich in beneficial insects and organisms for crops. However, the main challenge in incorporating leguminous crops into crop rotations is finding the right balance. These crops compete poorly with weeds, can have lower profitability than other crops and can only be grown on the same field every 3-4 years. Thus, the Living Lab in Pisa fosters collaboration between researchers, farmers and technicians, combining scientific studies and field trials, to develop optimal intercropping strategies and select varieties that are more effective in controlling weeds, as well as improving resistance to pests and diseases.
Agroecology Day 2025 – Open Field Visit
On 23 May 2025, the Pisa Living Lab invites farmers, stakeholders, and the general public to visit the experimental fields during the Agroecology Day at CiRAA. During this event, visitors will be able to take a close look at the trials in progress and talk directly with researchers and Living Lab members. It is a valuable opportunity to discover, discuss and develop new solutions to integrate legumes into agricultural systems more sustainably and effectively.
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