Abstract
Living mulch gives many benefits to agro-ecosystems such as erosion control, nitrogen fixation and nutrient recycling, increasing of organic matter, weed and pest control, and increasing of soil organism. The experiment, carried out in Puglia, Southern Italy on transplanted broccoli raab (cv. Grossa fasanese), evaluated four soil management systems (SMSs): Trifolium subterraneum and T. repens used as living mulch, undisturbed weedy, and conventional tillage. For each SMS, four rates of nitrogen and phosphorous (NP0, NP1, NP2, and NP3) were supplied, using an organic fertilizer. The following data were collected: weed infestation, leaf chlorophyll in the plants (as SPAD units), weight, diameter, and colour of the inflorescences, anion and Mg, Fe, Na, K, Ca content. Fertilization showed prominent effects on most of parameters evaluated. The Sufficient Index of broccoli raab plants was higher in fertilized plots. With the increasing of fertilization rates, weight of primary inflorescences and the marketable yield linearly increased, confirming the great influence of nitrogen fertilization on the yield of Brassicaceae vegetables and highlighting the importance of combining living mulch and fertilization. By increasing fertilization rates, some elements, such as Mg and Fe, increased, whereas a decrease of Na, K, and Ca was observed. The nitrate content in the inflorescences was different only between the fertilized and unfertilized plots, although it was very low. In NP2 and NP3 a greener colour was found. Living mulch did not clearly affect quality and yield of broccoli raab but was effective in weed control. Results show the positive effects of living mulch and organic fertilization in the sustainable production of broccoli raab.
Highlights
IntroductionOne of the main objectives of sustainable farming is the safeguard of soil health in agro-ecosystems.This principle is mentioned in Regulation 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council [1], containing the basic objectives and general principles of organic farming, as well as in the “Soil ThematicStrategy”, which sets out common principles for protecting soil across the European Community [2].Soil health can be defined as “The ability of a specific type of soil to function within natural or managed ecosystem boundaries, to sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain or improve air quality and water to support human health and liveable” [3].Appropriate soil management and tillage systems are able to take care of the soil health, plant growth, and environment simultaneously [4]
Living mulch gave positive effects on weed management, without affecting yield and quality of broccoli raab: the lowest level of infestation was obtained with Trifolium subterraneum
Weight and size of broccoli raab inflorescences and marketable yield linearly increased with the increasing of organic fertilization levels
Summary
One of the main objectives of sustainable farming is the safeguard of soil health in agro-ecosystems.This principle is mentioned in Regulation 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council [1], containing the basic objectives and general principles of organic farming, as well as in the “Soil ThematicStrategy”, which sets out common principles for protecting soil across the European Community [2].Soil health can be defined as “The ability of a specific type of soil to function within natural or managed ecosystem boundaries, to sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain or improve air quality and water to support human health and liveable” [3].Appropriate soil management and tillage systems are able to take care of the soil health, plant growth, and environment simultaneously [4]. One of the main objectives of sustainable farming is the safeguard of soil health in agro-ecosystems. This principle is mentioned in Regulation 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council [1], containing the basic objectives and general principles of organic farming, as well as in the “Soil Thematic. Appropriate soil management and tillage systems are able to take care of the soil health, plant growth, and environment simultaneously [4]. In this framework, cover cropping can be an important. There is a growing interest in considering cover crops as a component of alternative practices to conventional agriculture [5]
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