Region

The Piacenza province is a rural region in the North-West of Italy with a diverse landscape of plain, hills and mountain areas. The main crop grown is grapes for wine (viticulture), and the average farm is 18 hectares. The “Colli Piacentini” is a wine district in the Piacenza province. It comprises around 90 wineries. Four of these are large scale cooperative wineries. The rest are small or medium-sized family vineyards and wineries. The farm advisory system in the region consists of the Universities of Milano and Piacenza, private advisory services, farmers’ unions (associations) and a few private companies (machinery and input providers).

Study focus

Viticulture is one of the most important sectors of the Italian economy, but the associated advisory system faces some challenges. This case study focused on using permanent cover cropping as an innovative alternative to herbicide use or ploughing for weed control between the rows of vines. This inter-row cover cropping was first introduced by farmers in “Colli Piacentini” in the early 1990s, and they are still gradually adopting it.

Traditional weed control in the vineyard is being replaced step-by-step in several phases using different cover crops and combinations of tillage and mulching. In addition to suppressing weeds, the cover crops reduce soil compaction and erosion, improve soil water retention, increase soil organic matter, facilitate machinery access (even in rainy periods), reduce pests and disease, and enhance biodiversity.

More than 75% of farmers in the region are now using permanent inter-row cover crops in their vineyards. The innovation is not linked to input or equipment sales. Suppliers or other business actors did not drive its introduction. The large majority of farmers adopted the innovation by following the example of peers, both from the region and from other viticulture areas in Italy. Private agronomic consultants supported the introduction and spread of the practice. At the same time, public advisory services seemed to have no role in this process. The lack of public advisory and training services resulted in relevant complaints voiced by the farmers. This experience highlights the need for assistance in developing i) instruments facilitating peer-to-peer knowledge exchange and ii) public advisory services to access up-to-date and reliable information on innovation in viticulture.

The full report (in English) is here

Partner and responsible person contact

VINIDEA SRL

Ekaterina Kleshcheva, ekaterina.kleshcheva@siveonline.it

Lessons learned

1. The two most important triggers for the adoption of the innovation in the “Colli Piacentini” wine district are climate change and the change of production and business model that took place in the Piacenza region in the last decades.
2. The most important source of information for farmers was other vine-growers (neighbours and colleagues in neighbouring regions). They raised awareness of the innovation and engaged several pioneers. The University also played a significant role in training vine-growers and advisors on the innovation. Private independent advisors also provided support to those farmers who had access to paid professional advice. Other informal sources of advice included University technicians and researchers sharing information via local networks etc.
3. Some farmers participated in EIP-AGRI Operational Groups and other EU-funded projects. This created synergy between farmers and researchers and started lively interactions regarding different types of innovation.
4. The farm advisory system in the region is very weak. There are very few remaining public farm advisors. This leaves small farms without any independent support since they have limited possibility to pay for private consultants. Opportunities were missed for using the rural development funding available in 2014-2020 to introduce a strategic approach to innovation support in the region.