CROP PRACTICES AND TECHNIQUES: TRENDS AND NEEDS

In protected cultivation, crop practices and techniques should be addressed to the achievement of stated objectives by modifying and improving the relationship between the plant grown and the other components and factors involved in the productive process.
However, certain objectives, and as a consequence the technical management of the considered agrosystem, can, over time change their importance.
In the shift towards the new century the objectives to be considered most important for protected cultivation in mild winter climatic conditions rely on production cost, product quality, environmental impact, that are all linked to the sustainability of production process.
To achieve these objectives continuous adaptations of practices and techniques concerned with the basic components of the agrosystem are in progress; some examples are presented with reference to the following:

1. crop (species, cultivars, propagation, etc.);
   
2. soil (growing methods, fertigation, mulching, etc.);
   
3. greenhouse;
   
4. harmful or beneficial organisms other than the crop.

These adaptations are discussed in relation to the specific traits of protected cultivation under mild winter climate focusing attention on the weak points of this agrosystem mainly for aspects related to the improvement of its sustainability.

V International Symposium on Protected Cultivation in Mild Winter Climates: Current Trends for Suistainable Technologies

G. La Malfa, C. Leonardi

Sustainability, Crop, Greenhouse, Soil, Other biotic components

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2001.559.1