Since the 1980s, CiRAA has designed and manufactured equipment for the conservation of soil fertility and to reduce or eliminate the environmental impact of agricultural activities
Machines for planting crops on untilled (hard) soil
Design and creation of seed drills and precision planters for sowing different crops on untilled soil
Results: yields similar to those obtained using conventional techniques, increase in soil fertility, reduction in soil erosion.
A transplanter was designed and built for use with horticultural crops on untilled soil. The agronomic strategy includes:
- sowing a cover crop (which is usually a buried nutrient-rich not-for-sale crop)
- devitalization of the cover crop and its transformation into “dead mulch” with crimper rolls and flame weeders
Results: reduction in production costs, soil erosion processes and greenhouse gas emissions
Machines for the physical control of weeds
Design and creation of machines for the physical control of weed flora, particularly suitable for organic cropping systems:
- machines for soil tillage that eliminate weeds in the pre-planting phase, adaptable for hoeing
- equipment for thermal weed control: machines for flaming and for the distribution of steam activated with CaO (Calcium Oxide) before crop planting
- hoeing machines that perform selective weed control, after the emergence of the crop
Results: excellent weed control and yields comparable with those obtained under conventional management based on the use of herbicides
Automatic machines and use of robots in agriculture
Development of a smart machine for hoeing and flaming on maize using a variable flow rate. Thanks to the automation, the machine carries out accurate thermal weed control
Results: about 50-80% reduction in costs, comparable yields to those obtained with conventional techniques
Non-chemical systems for soil disinfection: the steam “pasteurizer”
Design of a soil disinfection machine based on the use of steam activated with low doses of CaO. This “pasteurization” system increases the soil temperature to about 50-60 °C for 3-5 hours, thus containing the populations of fungi, bacteria, soil nematodes and inhibiting the germination of weed seeds. The self-propelled machine is small in size and can be used inside very low tunnels
Results: very good control of soil-borne pathogens and weed seeds