Lombardy Starts Italy’s First Vineyard Agroforestry Trial

A new research project in Lombardy is testing whether adding trees and shrubs to vineyards can reduce biodiversity loss, protect soils and help grapevines cope with heat, drought and other climate pressures.

The project, called VitiSilvA, brings together the agronomy firm Sata, the University of Milan, the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, and six wineries in Franciacorta and Oltrepò Pavese. It was presented on Tuesday, November 3, at regional offices in Brescia and was reported Wednesday, November 4, by Giornale di Brescia.

According to the participants, the work is examining agroforestry in viticulture, a system that integrates trees, hedges and other vegetation into farmland that is otherwise dominated by a single crop. In this case, researchers want to measure how those added plants affect vineyard ecosystems, from soil conditions and insect life to the vines’ resistance to climate stress.

The project involves three wineries in Franciacorta — Corte Bianca in Provaglio d’Iseo, Mosnel in Passirano and Villa Franciacorta in Monticelli Brusati — and three in Oltrepò Pavese: Frecciarossa, Cordero San Giorgio and Tenuta Mazzolino. Sata is coordinating the work. The scientific lead is Lorenzo Rossi, a professor at the University of Milan. Funding comes from the Lombardy region through its PEI Agri operational groups program.

The project starts from a problem that is widely recognized in modern winegrowing: large areas planted continuously with vines can weaken the surrounding environment over time. Giornale di Brescia reported that monoculture in viticulture has been linked to biodiversity loss, a decline in pollinators and other beneficial insects, greater vulnerability of vines to pests and disease, and gradual soil depletion. Those conditions can also push growers to rely more heavily on crop protection products, with further effects on soil, water and air quality.

The VitiSilvA team says it wants to test whether a different vineyard layout can ease some of those pressures. Piero Donna, an agronomist and founder of Sata, said winegrowing is becoming more exposed to heat waves, drought, late frosts and extreme weather events, and that new strategies are needed to balance production quality with environmental protection. He said the project aims to study, on a scientific basis, the potential of agroforestry to reduce climate stress, improve soil health and make vineyards more resilient.

Researchers plan to monitor how vines interact with nearby vegetation. Their work will focus on root development, canopy and bud temperatures, plant growth and grape ripening. A major part of the study will also look below ground, where the team wants to understand how roots compete for water and how different planting systems affect access to soil resources.

Rossi said soil is a central issue in the project. He noted that Europe loses an estimated 970 million tons of soil a year to erosion and said one way to limit that damage is to avoid extensive monocultures. He said the VitiSilvA project will use advanced underground observation tools to study root dynamics and water competition in more detail.

The initiative also has a broader policy and business context. At the Brescia presentation, Lombardy agriculture councilor Alessandro Beduschi said the trial fits into a wider push to strengthen the reputation of the region’s wine industry in an increasingly complex and competitive international market. He said the ability to innovate is becoming a distinguishing factor for wine businesses.

Organizers describe VitiSilvA as the first project of its kind in Italy and the second in Europe after France. That framing reflects the project’s ambition to move beyond general discussion of sustainable viticulture and produce field data from working vineyards. Rather than treating trees and hedges as decorative or marginal features, the study is looking at whether they can become part of the production system itself.

That matters for the beverage sector because the results could help guide how wine producers adapt vineyards to rising temperatures, water stress and changing growing conditions. If the approach improves soil function and reduces climate stress on vines, it could influence future decisions on vineyard design, water management and long-term grape quality. Those possible benefits, however, still need to be tested in the field.

The participation of wineries from both Franciacorta and Oltrepò Pavese gives the study a wider regional base. Franciacorta is one of Italy’s best known sparkling wine areas, while Oltrepò Pavese is a major wine-producing zone with a mix of sparkling and still wines. By working across different estates, the researchers may be able to compare how agroforestry performs under varying conditions.

The project also comes as growers across Europe face pressure to cut environmental impacts while keeping production stable. In vineyards, that often means dealing at the same time with hotter summers, more irregular rainfall and the need to protect soils from erosion and compaction. In that setting, interest has grown in farming systems that restore habitats and make fields less ecologically uniform.

VitiSilvA is designed to measure whether that shift can work in practice for winegrowing. For now, the researchers are framing the effort as an experiment, not a proven solution. Their findings will determine whether integrating trees and shrubs into vineyard landscapes can deliver measurable gains for biodiversity, soils and vine resilience without undermining grape production.