Res Uvae is an experimental-demonstration farm in the heart of the Arda Valley, near the medieval village of Castell’Arquato.

The vineyards, covering about 16 hectares, principally grow local varieties: Barbera, Bonarda, Malvasia and Ortrugo, as well as several international cultivars, such as Cabernet Sauvignon.

Demonstration sites
Hi-tech Grapes Project

The purpose of the project “Hi-Tech Grapes: your plants on screen” was to show that monitoring vineyards remotely in real time is not only possible, but it improves their management by:

  • installing a complete monitoring system with air – soil – plants sensors;
  • integrating the monitoring complex’s data with Hort@’s scouting-pad;
  • using a plot as a case study by students participating in the international Master’s certificate program “Viticulture & Enology: innovation meets tradition”;
  • inserting all the data gathered into the vite.net DSS and using them for calibrating the decision-making computer models.

Fertigation

Fertigation distributes the correct dosage of nutritional elements for each specific phenological phase. In the absence of rainfall or when the vegetation needs more support, the fertilisers and water are combined to maintain the right level of humidity in the soil; whereas, when the soil is already adequately moist, only a minimal amount of water is needed to deliver water-soluble fertilisers (2-3 mm). So fertigation does not alter the water status of the soil (since it uses targeted micro-irrigation), while still providing the necessary nutrients. Water-soluble fertilisers for fertigation, compared to traditional granular fertilisers, are also more efficient due to their purity and complete assimilability, so dosages can be low for sustainable vineyards. This project was created with the ultimate goal of reducing the pollutants released into the soil and water by modulating inputs based on weather conditions, and thus help farmers adapt to climate change. Moreover, tailoring supplements on an as-needed basis enables healthy canopies, which permit better pesticide management and more effective control over adversities.

Sustainable usage of phytosanitary products

Pursuing the three objectives of innovation, sustainability and respect for the surrounding environment, at Res Uvae a demonstration plot has been set up with different Biobed systems for rinsing the field equipment used for treatments, thus preventing contaminated waste liquids from being dispersed into the environment.

Res Uvae Biobed EN
BIOMASSBED PHYTOSEC ECOBANG PHYTOBAC OSMOFILM AGRI-BIOBED HELIOSEC

BIOMASSBED

Principle

The plant treats washing water from distribution equipment and exploits the principle of the purification of beds of biological contamination (Biomassbed).

Advantages

Limited costs; easy to construct all over Europe; higher disposable volume. Biomassbed has been designed by Aeifora and Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. The plants were constructed by Acqua&Co.

PHYTOSEC

Principle

Evaporation/drying procedure for a "greenhouse effect", accelerated via forced ventilation and with treatment of volatile compounds.

Advantages

No need for any pretreatment; ensures double-wall retention; facilitates the removal of dry residue at the end of the drying process; easy to install; maximum purification efficiency also for the "volatile" part of the waste that is treated via adsorption on a special activated carbon filter.

PHYTOSEC is an Axe-Environnement product.

ECOBANG

Principle

Forced ventilation at room temperature, which accelerates evapotranspiration inside the tank.

Advantages

Economical, simple, flexible and efficient.

ECOBANG is an Vento-Sol product.

PHYTOBAC

Principle

Phytobac is a safe, closed and isolated system which uses microorganisms naturally present in the soil to enable biodegradation of excess phytosanitary products/agrochemicals and/or present in waste water from washing agricultural equipment and from excess volumes of plant protection mixtures not distributed in the field.

Advantages

Minimal ordinary maintenance; adjustable biobed, patented technology; monitoring and safety systems, closed and isolated environmental systems; no water control because it is disposed of through evaporation; no annual disposal of special waste.

PHYTOBAC is a Mybatec product.

OSMOFILM

Principle

Evaporation/drying procedure by "osmosis" through a semipermeable membrane.

Advantages

The solution is very practical inasmuch as the residues at the end of the treatment are ready to be delivered to specialised companies inside special bags; there is no energy consumption; the solution is flexible and can adapt to the individual needs of the farm.

OSMOFILM is an Axe-Environnement product.

AGRI-BIOBED

Principle

An entirely biological filtration system which exploits the unique ability of plants and soil microorganisms to naturally degrade the phytosanitary active principles present in waste water at the end of treatments.

Advantages

Simple and quick to create, no need for electrical or plumbing connections, no mechanical components; limited maintenance over time; no landscape impact; personalization according to the farm's characteristics.

AGRI-BIOBED is a Bio Soil Expert product.

HELIOSEC

Principle

Naturaò drying of waste water from treatments and washing equipment through a combined effect of sunlight and wind.

Advantages

Waste water management from all types of phytosanitary treatments (including copper-based ones), the possibility to manage large volumes of solution, simple to use and maintain, uses renewable energy.

HELIOSEC is provided by Syngenta Italia.

Drainage water quality

In the fertigation pilot site, as part of the European LIFE project called SOIL4WINE,a subsurface drainage system has been installed for the deep disposal of excess water. A tubular drainage system was mounted by laying perforated pipes (the “drains”), 90 mm in diameter, at a depth of 70 cm, down the center of the inter-row. The drains are made of porous plastic material and have a protective filter to prevent fine soil from clogging the pores, which would reduce drainage efficiency. The drains were laid at such a slope as to ensure the water flows towards the collector pipe at the head of the vineyard. The distance between the drains was calculated both in relation to the porosity of the soil and in order to obtain a sufficient number of drains to guarantee a statistically significant comparison between the different agronomic managements of the vineyard. Downstream from the drainage pipes, water collection systems were installed to measure both the quantity of water drained and the quality of the water. This way, it is possible to study the effects of various factors — soil management (e.g. grassed or tilled), fertilization types (fertigation, regular mineral or organic fertilisations), and the phytosanitary management of the vineyard on the extent of erosion, the loss of organic matter and nutrients, and the presence of residues from phytosanitary products and other pollutants (e.g. nitrites) in the drainage water. These are all very important facets for assessing vineyard management techniques not just from a production point of view or one based on the quality of the grapes but, instead, with a more well-rounded approach which considers the environmental sustainability of the production processes.

Res Uvae is even more….
Wines of quality and longevity

The vineyards are planted with local varieties, which gave rise to Piacenza’s traditional wines. Gutturnio, a wine that perfectly blends the acidity of Barbera and the softness of Croatina. Ortrugo, which is used to produce the now famous Piacenza “bubbly” that has nothing to envy more famous sparkling wines, and Malvasia, a historic grape from which we obtain fragrant and long-lived wines. To these we add Cabernet Sauvignon, a variety that adapted to our valleys decades ago, in a habitat that enhances all its characteristics. 

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