Syntropic Farming in citrus fruits:

An original cultivation technique in the experimental field of the company ANYFION

Enthalpy (translation of the term Syntropy) is a word derived from the ancient Greek language, and describes all the energy contained / trapped inside a system. It is the opposite of Entropy.
The processes that take place in such a system help the system itself (in this case the field) to self-organize and acquire a complex form, creating an environment with accumulated energy, which has many forms and possibilities for how it can expressed. This energy is fed back by the system itself and concentrated towards its center, where it is utilized to the maximum, without disturbing the whole balance. Colonization, Accumulation, Abundance and Harmony are the key concepts in its mode of operation. The case of photosynthesis is the most well-known process in nature that works by this logic.




The purpose of the ANYFION experimental field, to which the principles of Syntropic Farming are applied, is to study whether this cultivation technique can have positive results in the cultivation of citrus fruits. Specifically, the co-cultivation of citrus fruits with various forest plants, shrubs, fruit and annual crops, can have multiple benefits at the field level. Increasing biodiversity is the key strategy, which is achieved uninterruptedly throughout the year. Each species individually, and according to its biological cycle and physiology, contributes to the improvement of soil quality, the operation of microorganisms in it, the improvement of the microclimate and the preservation of soil moisture, the protection from adverse weather conditions. and extremes, to protect against citrus pests and diseases and to minimize (if not eliminate) the inputs required (fertilizers, plant protection products, irrigation water).
All the above parameters will be measured, evaluated and compared with the usual way of growing citrus, monoculture. The income that the cultivated land can have per acre, in the two different systems (syntropic farming / monoculture) will also be measured. The viability of this original citrus growing system is key.
It is worth mentioning that there has already been interest in participating in this project from universities and research institutes / companies, both in Greece and abroad. The principles of Syntropic Farming have been studied, developed and applied by the Swiss researcher Ernst Goetsch for the last 40 years, with different species as the main crops. In Greece this is the first time such an effort is made and the expected benefits may be applicable to systems with different main crops (eg kernels, vines, etc.).