Rice crop systems in Vercelli area: pedological traits, land use apability and soil fertility

Information on soil characteristics is essential to implement more rational and efficient agronomic practices; although this concept should be always highlighted in agriculture, the importance of soil information increases if the crop management, like in the case of rice, is particularly complex and involves a careful use of water resources. The Vercellese rice production area that includes Vercelli, Saluggia and Santhià can be considered particularly important and representative of rice production in Piemonte and covers plain soils which show a significant variability from the point of view of geomorfology, land use capability and potential protection for groundwaters. A comparison between the main sources of information on Vercellese soils allowed to understand better their characteristics and to compare their chemical pattern with their origin and evolution level.