BF EDUCATIONAL: THE FIRST LABORATORY INTEGRATING AGRONOMY AND PHYSICS TO STUDY SOILS

At the BF Educational Campus in Jolanda di Savoia, in the province of Ferrara, a project marking a turning point in applied agricultural research has got underway. This is the world's first transdisciplinary laboratory integrating physics, engineering and agronomy to study the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum.

This unique initiative is part of the mission of BF Educational, a company of the BF Spa group, committed to the development of training and research projects in agriculture. The centre not only promotes innovation through the integration of different scientific disciplines, but also aims to train a new generation of experts capable of using advanced technologies to manage natural resources in the first place.

From field to lab

BF Educational's research laboratory uses advanced diagnostic techniques based on digital imaging and spatial analysis tools that can be applied on a large scale through the use of satellites. Technologies such as magnetic resonance imaging or PET (positron emission tomography) are adapted to agronomic needs, making it possible to obtain extremely accurate diagnoses of crop health without resorting to invasive methods. 

Thanks to the miniaturisation of these instruments, the lab has developed portable devices that can be used directly in the field in the coming years, providing real-time data to farmers and researchers. In addition, the research centre makes extensive use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to estimate the spatial variability of soils and to analyse scenarios of how agricultural management can affect the exchange of gases with the atmosphere.

A new frontier for agricultural research and training

In this context, training plays a key role: masters, technology courses and summer schools are aimed at the application of the most innovative technologies in agriculture. Here, students can exchange ideas with experts and participate in international research projects. This is possible thanks to collaboration with research centres and some of the leading Italian and European universities, including those in Florence, Teramo, Naples, Bologna, Tuscia, Padua, Magdeburg, Maastricht and Oxford.