From Greece to Italy to collaborate on weed research in winter wheat

From 21 August to 21 September 2026, Metaxia Kokkini from the Agricultural University of Athens (AUA) carried out a secondment at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment of the University of Pisa (UNIPI), as part of the NeutraWeed project.

During her stay, Metaxia worked with Prof. Nicola Silvestri, Dr. Silvia Pampana, and their research team, focusing on crop-weed interactions in winter wheat. Discussions on experimental design and research methods provided valuable insights to support the experiments planned at AUA.

The secondment also included field days and research activities at the CiRAA “E. Avanzi” experimental centre in San Piero a Grado, offering an opportunity to explore field research practices in a different agricultural context and exchange knowledge with the local team.

On 10 September 2026, Metaxia and her colleague Nikos Antonopoulos delivered two Visiting Fellows’ seminars at the University of Pisa. In her presentation, “WEST (Weed Science Team) activities: crop and weed management in annual cropping systems”, Metaxia introduced the research activities of the Weed Science Team at AUA, sharing its work on crop and weed management with students and researchers.

During her stay, she also attended the 55th National Conference of the Italian Society of Agronomy (SIA) in Pisa, where she explored current developments in agronomic research and established new professional connections.

Overall, the secondment provided an important opportunity to exchange scientific knowledge, strengthen research collaboration, and develop new ideas for ongoing and future activities within NeutraWeed. This experience also helped reinforce connections between the research teams at AUA and UNIPI, supporting the project’s broader goals of advancing sustainable and agroecological weed management.

Many thanks to Prof. Nicola Silvestri, Dr. Silvia Pampana, and the entire University of Pisa team for their warm hospitality and support throughout the secondment!