Hybrid poplars for timber with arable crops in Italy: innovating the tradition facing Global Changes

This paper reports the study at a SA site with a traditional poplar clone (I214). Biophysical experimental data, collected for the first 5 years, are currently implemented with bibliographic data, back to the '70, for an economic analysis of poplar SA system in Italy. New financial simulations are carried out using the new MSA clones. Material and methods. The site was established in 2014 by the Casaria Farm, in the Po valley. The SA area is ca. 9 ha large, on reclaimed alluvial land with permanent drainage ditches (depth of 1 m and spaced at 30-35 m). The tree rows, planted along the outer ditch edge, have an orientation of 5° N. In the SA area, 9 experimental transects of 300 m2 were formed, with measurements on tree growth and intercrops yield, and for studying tree-crop interactions for solar radiation, soil moisture and nitrogen (N) (Paris et al., 2018). For the financial analysis, long terms data, concerning the effect of adult tree shade on intercrops, is obtained by literature.