Articles
COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF ECOLOGICAL INTENSIFICATION OF A NON-HEATED MEDITERRANEAN GREENHOUSE TOMATO CROP
Article number
1041_4
Pages
53 – 61
Language
English
Abstract
Organic greenhouse vegetable production in Europe has a key role in meeting the increasing demand for fresh vegetables.
However, the environmental impact of production in some organic greenhouse systems could be high.
The introduction of eco-functional intensification strategies in organic protected production is essential to increase sustainability of these systems.
A long-term experiment is underway at the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (South of Italy) to evaluate three organic farming production systems based on different amounts of on-farm/off-farm inputs for fertility management: 1) SUBST, the most widespread organic system in greenhouse production which mimics conventional production systems where there is no use of cover crops and nutrient requirements are met by substituting conventional fertilisers with off-farm organic fertilisers; 2) AGROMAN, which uses soil-incorporated animal manure and cover crops flattened with a roller-crimper to produce a natural mulch before transplanting the main crop; and 3) AGROCOM, which incorporates on-farm produced compost and cover crops into the soil prior to planting the main crop.
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa) will be the main crops used in the experiment, based on a two-year crop rotation.
As this paper was written early in the trial establishment, it will only present data from the first year of tomato production.
A complete randomised block was designed for each system in triplicate under one unheated tunnel.
The experiment began in June 2012 when experimental plots were established and a short-term summer cover crop was planted in the AGROMAN and AGROCOM plots.
The SUBST plots were left fallow.
After cover crop production was complete, plots were prepared for the main crop and tomato (Marmande) seedlings were transplanted into each of the plots.
Soil samples were collected for tomato at transplanting, flowering and at the end of production to analyse soil mineral nitrogen (SMN) content.
Nitrate concentration of the soil water solution, sampled below root level, was determined to assess nitrate leaching.
Yields from SUBST (1.4 kg plant-1) and AGROCOM (1.2 kg plant-1) plots were similar, while SUBST production was significantly higher than that of AGROMAN (0.7 kg plant-1). AGROCOM had significantly higher nutrient use efficiency from off-farm fertilisers than SUBST, and although SMN was significantly higher in AGROCOM (68.5 mg kg-1) plots than SUBST (45.3 mg kg-1) at 50 days after transplanting (DAT); there was no difference (47.8-56 mg kg-1) at harvest (100 DAT). Similar results were observed for NO3-N, where levels in AGROCOM (49.5 mg kg-1) plots were significantly greater than those in SUBST (25.7 mg kg-1) at 50 DAT, but did not differ at harvest (17.4 and 23.9 mg kg-1, respectively).
However, the environmental impact of production in some organic greenhouse systems could be high.
The introduction of eco-functional intensification strategies in organic protected production is essential to increase sustainability of these systems.
A long-term experiment is underway at the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (South of Italy) to evaluate three organic farming production systems based on different amounts of on-farm/off-farm inputs for fertility management: 1) SUBST, the most widespread organic system in greenhouse production which mimics conventional production systems where there is no use of cover crops and nutrient requirements are met by substituting conventional fertilisers with off-farm organic fertilisers; 2) AGROMAN, which uses soil-incorporated animal manure and cover crops flattened with a roller-crimper to produce a natural mulch before transplanting the main crop; and 3) AGROCOM, which incorporates on-farm produced compost and cover crops into the soil prior to planting the main crop.
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa) will be the main crops used in the experiment, based on a two-year crop rotation.
As this paper was written early in the trial establishment, it will only present data from the first year of tomato production.
A complete randomised block was designed for each system in triplicate under one unheated tunnel.
The experiment began in June 2012 when experimental plots were established and a short-term summer cover crop was planted in the AGROMAN and AGROCOM plots.
The SUBST plots were left fallow.
After cover crop production was complete, plots were prepared for the main crop and tomato (Marmande) seedlings were transplanted into each of the plots.
Soil samples were collected for tomato at transplanting, flowering and at the end of production to analyse soil mineral nitrogen (SMN) content.
Nitrate concentration of the soil water solution, sampled below root level, was determined to assess nitrate leaching.
Yields from SUBST (1.4 kg plant-1) and AGROCOM (1.2 kg plant-1) plots were similar, while SUBST production was significantly higher than that of AGROMAN (0.7 kg plant-1). AGROCOM had significantly higher nutrient use efficiency from off-farm fertilisers than SUBST, and although SMN was significantly higher in AGROCOM (68.5 mg kg-1) plots than SUBST (45.3 mg kg-1) at 50 days after transplanting (DAT); there was no difference (47.8-56 mg kg-1) at harvest (100 DAT). Similar results were observed for NO3-N, where levels in AGROCOM (49.5 mg kg-1) plots were significantly greater than those in SUBST (25.7 mg kg-1) at 50 DAT, but did not differ at harvest (17.4 and 23.9 mg kg-1, respectively).
Authors
H.T. Mihreteab, F.G. Ceglie, G. Dragonetti, G. Mimiola, A. Aly, G. Calabrese, L. Al Bitar, Y. Kullab, A. Coppola, F. Tittarelli
Keywords
agro-ecological practices, organic farming, crop rotation, cover crops, drainage, nitrate leaching, soil mineral nitrogen
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