The MIDAS project’s demo sites across Europe are in full activity this summer, here are a few snapshots we received from our partners.
In Italy, a colorful tapestry of industrial crops thrives on marginal lands at the MIDAS demo site near Bologna. These snapshots were taken during our last visit in June: safflower in full bloom, crambe ripe for harvest (which was successfully completed on July 8th), and hemp and miscanthus flourishing. Located inside the experimental farm of the University of Bologna in Ozzano dell’Emilia, this demo site is entirely rainfed and it is managed with organic farming. The feedstock from all these crops can be effectively used to produce a variety of biobased products, ranging from biodegradable mulching films to lubricants and bio-composites. Beyond yields, researchers are closely monitoring insect biodiversity for the second consecutive year, comparing the activity in these fields with the neighboring alfalfa field, which was also in full bloom.
In Germany, a range of annual crops are also grown in strip cropping at the demo site of the University Hoennheim, near Stuttgart. The photos in the gallery below were taken during one of the field visits in June, you can see melilot, crambe and industrial hemp thriving on a marginal land characterized by shallow and stoney soil.
Stay tuned for more updates from the MIDAS demo sites.
