From November 2025 to June 2026, the SUNRISE project carried out a field trial at Bioagriturismo Il Cerreto in Pomarance, Val di Cecina, Tuscany, a multifunctional organic farm with more than 20 years of experience in integrating plant and livestock production, recycling farm resources and enhancing biodiversity. The farm is also a reference farm in Italy for the OrganicYieldsUP project, focused on developing organic arable cultivation methods.
Within SUNRISE and ALL Tuscany, the Tuscan Living Lab, the trial tested intercropping between cereals and clover, as well as lentils and camelina, to explore its potential to improve soil fertility and strengthen the resilience of cropping systems.
The first observations highlighted the importance of adapting crop species and sowing rates to specific farm conditions, as differences in soil, climate and management can significantly influence results. The trial also demonstrated the value of on-farm experimentation, allowing farmers to test new approaches on part of their land without compromising overall production.
Bringing together farmers, agronomists, contractors and researchers, the activity reflects the participatory approach at the heart of SUNRISE: combining practical farming experience and scientific knowledge to develop and share locally adapted agroecological solutions.
