The core of the SMOCA project is represented by the field trials, displaced at 4 different sites, covering different pedo-climatic conditions and also a variety of different cropping systems (i.e. field vegetables, arable crops, tree orchards).
At each site, three different treatments at increasing level of ecological intensification are tested:
- INTEGRATED SYSTEM (INT);
- INTERMEDIATE ORGANIC (ORG);
- CONSERVATIVE ORGANIC (ORG+).
| TILLAGE | COVER CROPS | FERTILIZATION | WEED CONTROL | CROP PROTECTION | ||||||||||
| INVERSION TILLAGE | MINIMUM TILLAGE | STRIP TILLAGE | NO-TILLAGE | DEAD MULCH | LIVING MULCH | GREEN MANURES | MINERAL FERTILIZERS | ORGANIC FERTILIZERS | HERBICIDES | NON-CHEMICAL | PESTICIDES | BIOCONTROL AGENTS | IPM | |
| INT | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||||
| ORG | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||
| ORG+ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
The components of each cropping systems are varied according to each specific site and crop.