Azienda Sperimentale "Campo 7" - CREA AA (Metaponto, MT)

The experimental farm ‘Campo 7’ has an extension of 6 ha and is located in the “Arco Ionico Metapontino” area (40°24’ N; 16°48’ E ; 8 m elevation), which is one of the most vocated areas for the production of fruit and horticultural crops in Southern Italy. The soil is classified as a Typic Epiaquert, in accordance with the Soil Taxonomy. Low nitrogen (1.0g/kg) and organic matter (19.0g/kg) contents, and pH=8.4, characterize the soil of the experimental farm. The clay and silt contents (60 and 36%, respectively), as well as the electrical conductivity, increase with depth, whereas the organic matter content and the bulk density decrease with depth. The farm is equipped with a weather station, which allows the monitoring of climatic data: a class A PAN evaporimeter and an automated data-logger are located in the field area. There are some facilities to perform crop growth monitoring, and the experimental farm is also equipped with a conductivity meter and lysimeters for water quality monitoring. In the farm there is a pilot composting plant, allowing the researchers and technicians of the CREA to produce directly on-farm compost and compost "tea", which are used in the experimental field trials of the farm. The composting plant is laid out on a concrete platform to avoid the loss of percolates, in which static windrow with active aeration is used as a composting method. The aeration system consists of a 0.55 kW power, an electrical panel equipped with a timer and a 90 PE pipe for a 3-meter length perforated at regular distances to ensure the correct aeration of the biomass above the pipe. The working capacity is about 1–2 m3, allowing to produce about 0.5–1.5 m3 of finished product per each composting cycle, depending on the raw materials characteristics and amount