This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Bologna, Italy
About
The farm is equipped with a full scale meteorological station to collect data for the project. Within the farm there is a lab to carry out measurement on crop’s biometrics, soil humidity and texture.
The whole demo area is drained in a single ditch. The farm applies precise irrigation and therefore the only drainage that is present is due to the excess precipitation that infiltrates through the soil. Drainage water is treated by a full-scale surface flow constructed wetland (SFCW), which has an area of 0.4 ha.
A pilot plant based on constructed wetland technology was built near the full-scale SFCW. It is intended to study different types of CWs (surface and horizontal flow constructed wetlands, enhanced with the application of biochar as a substrate) and their effect on nutrient removal and recovery from agricultural drainage water, also in combination with other solutions (e.g. nutrient adsorbing nanocellulose membrane, microfluidic nutrient recovery technology).
Run by
Contact
Stevo Lavrnic
Francesco Cavazza
Tested Solutions
At Bologna case study site two solutions are tested:
Remote sensing pipeline
Irrigation management and agrometeorological monitoring solutions
Precision irrigation system
Dewaterability estimation test apparatus
Bio-based nutrient-collecting membranes
Solutions Test Progress
- 2020
- May: Beginning of the monitoring campaign for a full-scale Farm constructed wetlands for water retention and nutrient recovery; Beginning of the data collection procedures for the geodatabase creation
- June: Beginning of the trials with the Dewaterability estimation test apparatus
- 2021
- March: Soil preparation and seedling of corn for Water retainer tests – First Water retainer treatment
- April: Beginning of the 2021 irrigation season and data collection for Irrigation practices
- May: Beginning of the second experimental trial on infiltration in the full-scale Farm constructed wetlands for water retention
- June: Second Water retainer treatment
- July: End of the monitoring campaign for full-scale Farm constructed wetlands for water retention
- August: End of the second experimental trial on infiltration in the full-scale Farm constructed wetlands for water retention
- September: Harvest of corn for Water retainer trials
- December: Collected the first set of samples for Microfluidics solution
- 2022
- March: Collected the second set of samples for Microfluidics solution
- April: First experimental trial with Membrane-based solution applied in the real environment; Soil preparation and seedling of soybean for Water retainer tests – First Water retainer treatment
- May: Start of the pilot plant for further testing of Farm constructed wetlands for nutrient recovery and Biochar for nutrient removal
- June: Second experimental trial with Membrane-based solution applied in the real environment
- July: Second Water retainer treatment
- September: Harvest of soybean for Water retainer trials
- December: Collected the third set of samples for Microfluidics solution
Publications
- Mancuso, G., Bencresciuto, G.F., Lavrnić, S., Toscano, A. (2021) Diffuse Water Pollution from Agriculture: A Review of Nature-Based Solutions for Nitrogen Removal and Recovery. Water 13, 1893. Article in Journal.
- Laura García-Herrero, Stevo Lavrnić, Valentina Guerrieri, Attilio Toscano, Mirco Milani, Giuseppe Luigi Cirelli, Matteo Vittuari. (2022) Cost-benefit of green infrastructures for water management: A sustainability assessment of full-scale constructed wetlands in Northern and Southern Italy. Ecological Engineering. Article in Journal.
Show stakeholders ACQUA CAMPUS activities and innovations, including WATERAGRI solutions.
Camile Emiliano Romagnolo presented WATERAGRI solutions tested at pilot site at the international fair Macfrut. Poster had been presented to interested stakeholders passing by out in order to get information about the project.
Young farmers visited the experimental farm and the demonstrative area to see the latest innovations, including WATERAGRI's solutions.
Camile Emiliano Romagnolo presented WATERAGRI solutions tested at pilot site at the international fair Macfrut.
Open day at the experimental farm hosting students from schools of agronomy.