Cristina Menta

Agrivoltaic (AV) systems represent a promising strategy for integrating renewable energy production and agricultural activity on the same land unit, while contributing to soil water conservation under increasingly frequent drought conditions. This preliminary, single-site case study investigates the effects of a horizontal biaxial tracking AV system on soil water dynamics in a durum wheat field in the Po Valley (Borgo Virgilio, Mantua, Italy) over a full monitoring period, covering the final crop growth stages and the post-harvest bare soil phase (May–December 2024). Monitoring of soil temperature, volumetric water content (VWC), and soil water potential (SWP) was conducted at four depths (15, 30, 45, and 60 cm) at one representative monitoring station per treatment, comparing soil under AV cover (AVC) and in unshaded conditions (UC), located 10 m apart. Paired VWC and SWP measurements were used to derive site-specific soil water characteristic curves (SWCCs) and to calibrate the agro-hydrological model CRITERIA-1D, which was used to estimate available water (AW) in the first 80 cm of depth for both treatments. Measured VWC values were higher in the AVC profile than in the UC profile at all monitored depths throughout the May–September period, with differences persisting, although at lower values through October–December. Estimated AW was consistently higher under AVC than in UC during both the dry and wet periods. Despite higher VWC, the AVC profile showed more negative average SWP values at all depths during summer. This pattern is consistent with the shape of the derived SWCCs and may point to differences in water-retaining capacity between the two profiles, possibly related to structural modifications induced by 13 years of AV system operation. These preliminary findings suggest that AV systems could potentially improve soil water availability in the root zone of rainfed cereal crops and propose the hypothesis that long-term AV cover may act as a driver of changes in soil hydraulic properties, with implications for the sustainability and climate resilience of dryland farming systems. However, given the design of this case study, with only one monitoring point per treatment, the observed differences reflect the specific monitored locations and cannot fully disentangle the AV treatment effect from pre-existing spatial heterogeneity in soil properties. The preliminary results obtained in this study should therefore not be generalised beyond the specific conditions of this case study, and the interpretations proposed here should be treated as unproven hypotheses rather than established conclusions. Further studies with spatial replication and multi-year monitoring are needed to confirm these patterns.

Soil arthropods play a crucial role in soil functioning, contributing to organic matter decomposition, nutrient cycling, soil structure formation, and microbial regulation. The Soil Biological Quality index based on arthropods (QBS-ar) is widely used to assess soil quality through the eco-morphological adaptation of soil microarthropods. However, Eco-Morphological Index (EMI) attribution often relies on qualitative criteria and operator experience, highlighting the need for more standardized and transparent scoring procedures. Similar limitations affect Collembola-based approaches, where trait interpretation and score assignment may vary among users. Here, we present two web-based tools designed to support a more standardized and transparent attribution of EMI scores in QBS-ar and QBS-c. The first is an interactive identification key for major soil arthropod groups linked to explicit EMI scoring rules and automatic QBS-ar calculation. The second is a trait-based framework for Collembola (QBS-c) that translates the original rationale of Parisi’s approach into a quantitative procedure based on seven morphological traits. The QBS-c framework can also support EMI assignment for Collembola within QBS-ar when direct attribution is uncertain. The tools transform expert-based qualitative criteria into structured decision pathways, standardized trait classes, and reproducible outputs, with built-in consistency checks to improve traceability. Together, they provide a standardized and openly accessible framework for EMI assignment in soil arthropod bioindication, supporting methodological transparency, training, and future inter-operator validation of QBS-based methods.

Biochar, a carbon-rich residue produced by controlled biomass decomposition in oxygen-deprived conditions, like pyrolysis or gasification, has gained attention as a soil enhancer for improving fertility and sequestering carbon. In this study, we analyzed a biochar produced from woody and herbaceous biomasses resulting from river cleaning operations. The potential impacts of biochar on fauna and flora were evaluated through tests on two soil invertebrates (Folsomia candida and Eisenia fetida/E. andrei) and several agricultural plant species. Toxicological assessments included the Ames test using Salmonella typhimurium; the Comet Assay, conducted on Cucumis sativus, Cichorium endivia, Lactuca sativa, Lepidium sativum, Sorghum saccharatum; and the MTS assay, performed on various human cell lines. Results showed that biochar did not negatively impact the collembolans or earthworms’ survival, even at high concentrations. However, reproductive capacity declined significantly at concentrations above 2%. In plant assays, higher concentrations generally inhibited growth, while lower concentrations (1% to 2%) commonly used in agriculture promoted root elongation and, in some cases, increased germination rates. No harmful effects were detected in Ames test or in the cytotoxicity assay on human cell lines. Biochar did not negatively affect plant species survival or cause DNA damage, making it suitable as an agricultural soil conditioner.

Agrivoltaics represents a crucial technology and an innovative solution to promote sustainability. After a cropping season in an agrivoltaic system in Northern Italy, this study investigated the floristic composition and biomass of weed communities across three crops, evaluating their variation under shaded and full light conditions. In addition, the research assessed the role of uncultivated grassland areas in agrivoltaic-shaded conditions by quantifying their biomass and evaluating their potential feed value. Weed floristic diversity and biomass were surveyed at three different times. Soil and canopy parameters were analyzed in relation to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Grassland biomass was assessed after four different cuts and its suitability as a feed source was evaluated by the pastoral value and near infrared (NIR) spectroscopic analysis. Results showed that tomato had the lowest weed presence, and Setaria italica and Sorghum halepense were predominant in rice, while in durum wheat, higher nutrient availability favored Echinochloa crus-galli and Cirsium arvense. In weed community composition and biomass, no significant differences were observed for the effect of different light conditions (sun/shadow), and this may be attributed to their high environmental plasticity. PAR was strongly correlated with both soil and canopy temperatures. The analysis of floristic composition, biomass yield, pastoral value and nutritional quality of grassland vegetation indicated that spring cuts can be effectively used as forage, including for grazing. These findings suggest that integrating livestock activities could offer a win–win strategy for managing uncultivated areas within agrivoltaic systems, thereby enhancing their sustainability under organic farming practices.

This study investigates the effects of the 2018 Vaia windstorm on the evolution of humus profiles in forest soils of the north-eastern Italian Alps five years after the disturbance. The humipedon in five soil conditions was compared: intact forest (IF) and permanent meadow (M) for undisturbed soils, and soil under herbaceous cover (G), under dead wood (W), and bare soil (B) for windthrow-affected areas. No difference in pH and soil organic matter content (SOM) emerged within the same soil horizon between IF and windthrow-affected soils. When compared to IF, however, in G and B, a thinning of all O horizons (OL, OF, and OH) was detected, resulting in SOM loss and an increase in pH in the top 15 cm of the humipedon, conditions approaching the values found in M. Amphi was the most frequently occurring humus system in IF, with a shift towards a Mull system observed in all windthrow-affected soils—a shift more marked in G and B, approaching M conditions, but less marked in W, where the O horizon remained thicker. This study underscores the importance of considering soil heterogeneity and humus dynamics when assessing forest recovery and resilience after a severe disturbance.

The ecological impact of windthrow disturbance on humipedons and soil microarthropod communities is examined in two areas of the Italian Alps (Val di Fassa and Cansiglio) five years after the Vaia Storm. The following soil coverage conditions were identified: herbaceous vegetation (G), decaying wood (W), no vegetation (B) in windthrow areas; and these were compared with conditions in adjacent undisturbed intact forests (IF) and, only in Val di Fassa, with permanent meadows (M). Soil pH, soil organic matter content (SOM), humus systems and microarthropod communities were analyzed. In Val di Fassa, SOM loss was observed in windthrow areas vs. IF, moving toward a Mull humus system, while G evolved toward M-like conditions, W maintained a thicker O horizon and lower pH and B exhibited severe soil erosion and the lowest SOM. In Cansiglio, windthrow areas showed a slower transition to a Mull system, with a trend toward increasing pH and decreasing SOM. A clear relationship between microarthropod communities and humus systems could not be established because the consistency and biological origins of the humus diagnostic horizons were not considered. Microarthropod communities under different conditions exhibited significant dissimilarity, with varying responses across groups; Shannon and QBS-ar indices remained stable except for a significant decrease in B. Community dissimilarity thus appears to be enhanced by post-windthrow disturbance, suggesting that destructive windstorms may also present an opportunity for enriched microarthropod diversity.

Under the increasing global energy demand, the new European Union Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 encourages combinations of energy production systems compatible with biodiversity conservation; however, in photovoltaic parks, panels shadowing the effects on soil health and biodiversity are still unknown. This study (location: Northern Italy) aimed to evaluate the effect of ground-mounted photovoltaic (GMPV) systems on soil arthropod biodiversity, considering two parks with different vegetation management: site 1—grassland mowed with tractor; site 2—grassland managed with sheep and donkeys. Three conditions were identified in each park: under photovoltaic panel (row), between the panel rows (inter-row), and around the photovoltaic plant (control). The soil pH and organic matter (SOM), soil arthropod community, biodiversity, and soil quality index (e.g., QBS-ar index) were characterised. Differences between the two GMPVs were mainly driven by the SOM content (higher values where grazing animals were present). No differences were observed in site 1, even if a high heterogeneity of results was observed for the soil biodiversity parameters under the panels. In site 2, SOM and pH, as well as arthropods biodiversity and QBS-ar, showed low values in the row. Soil fauna assemblages were also affected by ground-mounted panels, where Acarina, Collembola, Hymenoptera, and Hemiptera showed the lowest density in the row. This study suggests that ground-mounted solar panels had significant effects on below-ground soil fauna, and was more marked depending on the system management. Furthermore, the results obtained for the inter-row were similar to the control, suggesting that the area between the panel rows could be considered a good hotspot for soil biodiversity.