ACCESS Operational Group: Accessibility to eco-regimes with optimized solutions

Trials with Processed Tomatoes: Use of winter covers, implemented in autumn and completed in spring before the new planting. These covers will be managed in dry land, receiving only precipitation; they will not consume water from irrigation systems. They will consist of a mixture of brassicas, legumes, and grasses. They have several benefits: they generate a large amount of biomass that is incorporated into the soil and increases organic matter; they explore the soil with their roots and improve its structure; some have nematicidal and fungicidal effects, and allow the replacement of certain amounts of mineral fertilizer. Promotion of ecological infrastructure, perimeter flower strips, and also in the crop itself. These strips, in addition to their landscaping function, also have a functional purpose. They act as refuges for pollinators and other beneficial insects, promoting biodiversity and contributing to the overall health of the agricultural environment. Trials with Persimmon Establishing ground cover for the longest possible period: different alternatives are being considered, such as sowing forage crops, winter crops (chard, lettuce, spinach, broad beans, etc.) or sowing specific mixtures (either classic ones such as oats, mustard and vetch, or with a fungicidal effect).

These are covers that cannot be fertilized or treated with herbicides. In any of their forms, they improve the physicochemical conditions of the soil, increase microbiological activity, and improve fertility by reducing inoculum. They prevent erosion and allow access to the plot, even when wet, to perform basic harvesting or treatment operations. The improvement of ecological infrastructure through perimeter bands of flowers (functional borders). These areas act as refuges for pollinating insects and other beneficial organisms, promoting a balance in the ecosystem and improving the overall health of the crop. Trials with Pear: Implementation of plant covers (functional borders) with a composition that favors the natural enemies of Psyllium. Anthocorids (Anthocoris nemoralis) are its predators. There are commercial products with this natural enemy for biological control, with several releases carried out per campaign. However, the establishment of a specially designed vegetation cover can affect both the survival of the supplied anthocorids and the establishment of a native population. The trial will include monitoring the anthocorid population.

The use of technology to monitor the soil-air-tree system. Soil temperature and moisture sensors will be installed to measure water availability for the tree; environmental sensors will be installed to detect stress situations, especially during the fruit formation phase; a leaf wetness sensor will be installed to assess the risk of disease development; and a dendrometer will be installed to monitor plant growth. Corn trials: Rotations with improving species, particularly legumes such as vetch (Vicia sativa L.). On the one hand, this would allow, according to the CAP, compliance with the requirement for the crop rotation ecoregime. Furthermore, nitrogen fixation by legumes provides an additional contribution of nitrogen to the subsequent corn crop.

Furthermore, maintaining winter cover limits the effects of erosion during this period and increases the amount of organic matter in the soil. The use of technology for monitoring soil moisture content involves installing sensors that measure volumetric soil moisture. Maintaining a consistent soil moisture content is essential for optimal plant growth and grain filling in corn. Therefore, soil moisture monitoring allows for improved irrigation management, adapting it to the actual needs of the crop.