OUR STORY IN THE MAKING ACCOUNTABLE BY NATURE
STEWARDS OF THE LAND
TREASURE TROVE OF TALENTS
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
LIFE VITISOM: DEVELOPING NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR SUSTAINABILI- TY AND SAVING RESOURCES
Our projects
This project is part of the LIFE programme (https:// www.lifevitisom.com), the European Union’s fund- ing mechanism for the environment and climate ac- tion aimed at contributing to the development of an EU environmental and climate policy by co-financing projects with European added value. The project is co- ordinated by the University of Milan (Department of agrarian and environmental sciences) in partnership with the Italbiotec Consortium, the University of Pad- ua, three organisations operating in the wine sector in- cluding Guido Berlucchi & C. SpA, and two engineering companies operating in the agricultural and environ- mental sector. The project was launched in 2016 and concluded in 2019, and was centred on experimenting a dedicated variable rate fertiliser applier : one that, relying on a
GPS system keyed into vigour maps, distributes organ- ic fertiliser according to the vineyard’s actual vigour. As well as leading to savings in product use, the system optimises the use of machinery in the vineyard: a re- duction in the number of passes leads to fewer green- house gas emissions as well as less soil compaction, thus benefitting soil biodiversity and vitality . In just a few years, this project has generated benefits that are still valid today when it comes to the uniform- ity of vineyard vigour, an increase in organic matter in the vine soil (by an estimated 5%) and an increase in the level of biodiversity (again by an estimated 5%). Our business strategies, also improved through the knowl- edge generated by the project, will ensure a continua- tion of the improvements initiated.
LIFE VITISOM, BIOPASS, F.A.RE.SU.BIO. Putting into practice activities based on studies of vineyard conditions is a complex operational process, and participation in projects that put the most cutting-edge precision viticulture techniques to the test has made it possible to experiment with this new frontier of vine cultivation.
BIOPASS ® : MEASURING AND PROTECTING BIODIVERSITY IN VITICULTURE
Most notable in this sense are LIFE Vitisom, Biopass and F.A.Re.Su.BIO, which investigate the agricultural system on multiple fronts and translate into active as well as passive approaches to understanding the intricate relationship between climate, soil and vine.
as to identify increasingly targeted interventions to ensure vine health and grape quality.
Biodiversity is essential for the balanced growth of natural environments. The Biopass ® project (now certified to ISO 9001) was launched together with the University of Milan as well as agronomic organisa- tions and companies in the sector, with the goal of measuring and protecting biodiversity in viticulture by zoning the biodiversity and soil functional quality. Beginning in 2014, it covers 10 parcels, seven of Gui- do Berlucchi and three of Agricola della Franciacorta, while Sata Studio Agronomico handles the scientific aspects. The investigation monitors the evolution of organic matter in the soil in relation to each winery’s agronomic practices for several consecutive years so
The project’s evaluation method provides a detailed picture of conditions, in particular concerning soil biodiversity and vitality. The investigation also aims to compare the differences between organic and integrated management in terms of soil quality and copper present. This is a medium- to long-term process that requires at least six years to have com- parable data. Analyses to monitor progress will be conducted every two years.
F.A.RE.SU.BIO: STUDYING SOIL MANAGEMENT AND ITS EFFECT ON BIODIVERSITY
The project started in 2017 with Guido Berlucchi and Sata Studio Agronomico, then in 2019 it was incor- porated into a broader wine industry project in col- laboration with the Consortium and several wineries in Franciacorta plus nine others outside the area. Its operations ended with the 2021 harvest. In collabo- ration with the University of Milan, the University of Brescia and the Edmund Mach Foundation, grape and soil samples were taken and analysed, and the results obtained were subsequently processed for statistical analysis and communicated in a final report planned for 2022 by Sata Studio Agronomico.
This project was developed with the Consortium for the Protection of Franciacorta and Sata Studio Agro- nomico. Its objective is to observe the complexity of all organisms in the soil and the content of organic mat- ter both in the “stable” portion (the part that improves soil structure and captures CO 2 from the atmosphere, reducing the greenhouse effect) and the “unstable” portion (which is depleted as it releases nutrients to the roots). Three experimental scenarios were set up to assess the effectiveness of natural cover cropping, manuring and multi-purpose seeding in the Guido Berlucchi vineyards.
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