'Gallo and Cuetar's experimental pasta field in Cordoba: Spain's great agricultural laboratory'

Finca Rabanales in Cordoba has become Spain's main agricultural laboratory. On an area of 170 hectares, research is being conducted to optimize water use and reduce fertilizer use.

A variety of crops such as wheat, barley, beans, corn, rapeseed and pistachios are also being researched here. In addition, Finca has more than 300 varieties of olive trees being studied for their resistance to disease and climate change, as well as irrigation systems that supply individual amounts of water to the land based on the soil's needs.

Finca is owned by the University of Cordoba and is considered one of the best in Spain for agrarian research. Since 2013, it has become an exemplary example''public-private partnerships and has successfully raised funds for research projects.

As the preferred location for the industry, specialized facilities for olive trees and a sensible approach to mill architecture have been developed here. The finca is also the site of practical research with various organizations and projects that have already lined up some twenty patents here.

One of the most important projects for the finca has been the development of intelligent irrigation systems in partnership with the American company Valmont, which allows the soil to be watered only where it is needed. This project is expected to be on the market in four or five''years.