The Portuguese partners in MIXED organised the 2nd field Day addressing “The challenges of the Montado”
On the 9th of November 2022, ISA-UL and CONSULAI organised their 2nd Field Day and gathered more than 40 participants, including the presence of the Portuguese network, farmers and other interested stakeholders such as researchers and advisors
The Portuguese network is composed of a group of farmers practicing Mixed Farming and Agroforestry Systems, Montado, a UNESCO protected Mediterranean mixed system, comprising agroforestry activities and extensive livestock production. This network is managed by CONSULAI and ISA-UL.
The Field Day took place in APORMOR – a producers organization located in Montemor-o-Novo and focused on the challenges that the Montado faces currently and possible strategies for the future. It also included a visit to Herdade da Lage, where the participants were able to observe the impact of soil management practices on the Montado, one of the main challenges raised.
The field day started with a presentation by key-note speaker Professor Mário Carvalho, from the University of Évora, on “Soil fertility management in the Montado”. Then, Carolina Ramos, from CONSULAI, presented the MIXED project, the Portuguese network and the main results obtained so far. Professor Ana Fonseca, from University of Lisbon, presented the case study on Assessment of oak silvopastoral agroforestry systems (Montado) in Portugal.
Then, all the participants went to the field, to Herdade da Lage, where many ideas and experiences on cork oak and soil management were exchanged.
The 1st Field Day took place on the 19th of October 2021, in Companhia das Lezírias, and focused on the demonstration of good practices in the management of the Montado.