Abstract
In a 4-year study, the biannual crop rotation processing tomato–durum wheat was applied to three cropping systems: (i) an innovative organic coupled with no-tillage (ORG+) where an autumn-sown cover crop was terminated by roller-crimping and then followed by the direct transplantation of processing tomato onto the death-mulch cover; (ii) a traditional organic (ORG) with autumn-sown cover crop that was green manured and followed by processing tomato; and (iii) a conventional integrated low-input (INT) with bare soil during the fall–winter period prior to the processing tomato. N balance, yield and N leaching losses were determined. Innovative cropping techniques such as wheat–faba bean temporary intercropping and the direct transplantation of processing tomato into roll-crimped cover crop biomass were implemented in ORG+; the experiment was aimed at: (i) quantifying the N leaching losses; (ii) assessing the effect of N management on the yield and N utilization; and (iii) comparing the cropping system outputs (yield) in relation to extra-farm N sources (i.e., N coming from organic or synthetic fertilizers acquired from the market) and N losses. The effects of such innovations on important agroecological services such as yield and N recycling were assessed compared to those supplied by the other cropping systems. Independently from the soil management strategy (no till or inversion tillage), cover crops were found to be the key factor for increasing the internal N recycling of the agroecosystems and ORG+ needs a substantial improvement in terms of provisioning services (i.e., yield).
Highlights
Several studies have pointed out the urgent requirement to reduce the impact of the food system on the environment, and such a challenge has to be faced in the framework of climate change [1] and the increasing world population [2]
N derived from atmosphere via symbiotic fixation (Ndfa) was considered equal to 90% of the total N accumulation in the pea and faba bean above-ground biomass, according to the findings reported by Antichi [25] and Saia et al [26] for similar climatic conditions
In order to give an overview of the whole cropping system scale, N budgets were calculated for of extra-farm N fertilizer distributed to durum wheat (160 kg N ha−1 yr−1 ) and processing tomato each cropping system as yearly averages on a 4-year basis
Summary
Several studies have pointed out the urgent requirement to reduce the impact of the food system on the environment, and such a challenge has to be faced in the framework of climate change [1] and the increasing world population [2]. Social, economic and political components at local, national and global scale are needed [3]. Focusing on the farming system, an increasing importance has been attributed to a number of agroecological services (other than yield) that could be supplied and/or enhanced by implementing appropriate technical choices in cropping system management [4]. Among the most interesting practices, the introduction of cover crops (CCs) in the crop rotation represents a key strategy to ensure several agroecosystem services [5]. CCs are important when dealing with organic farming as they are a crucial element for fertility management and weed control [6,7].
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