This operational group aimed to develop agronomic practices that reduced nitrate losses in the vulnerable Ferrara Province by increasing soil organic matter and minimising water leaching and runoff in representative soils.
On demonstrative fields, the group tested the application of organic soil improvers (compost) and conservation agriculture techniques, comparing them with standard practice.
Management guidance was provided on the timing of fertiliser applications and on increasing the organic nitrogen fraction—slower to release mineral nitrogen and therefore less prone to losses.
The enhanced availability of organic matter promoted bacterial denitrification, converting nitrates into molecular nitrogen. As a result, nitrate leaching was markedly reduced—thereby curbing nutrient loss and water pollution—and the water footprint decreased by around 5%.
