Abstract
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) crop is often labelled as environmental-friendly for many objective reasons: limited amounts of N fertiliser, no irrigation, and limited use of pesticides. In addition, sunflower has a potential for providing multiple ecosystem services in diverse cropping systems (e.g. pollinators feeding). However agroecological innovations have been less developed or disseminated than for cereals or oilseed rape. Based on results from the sunflower research consortium in Toulouse (Mestries and Debaeke. 2016. Journees d’echanges Tournesol, 28 et 29 juin 2016, Toulouse (France)), we illustrate some innovating and promising approaches for more agroecological practices in sunflower cropping. Our results suggested that: integrated crop management could be proposed to limit the use of pesticides and mitigate crop damages; cover crops could be used as biofumigants to control soilborne diseases in sunflower; intercropping sunflower with soybean could be a valuable option for maximizing resource-use efficiency in low-input environments; sunflower yield could be maintained at good level in very low input cropping systems. Previous examples point out how agroecological principles could be applied to sunflower crop to improve its production in low-input conditions, and enhance the ecosystem services deliverable by this oilseed crop.
Highlights
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) crop is often labelled as ‘environmental-friendly’ for many objective reasons (Blanchet, 1992; Ceccon et al, 2000; Pilorgé, 2010)
Our results suggested that: integrated crop management could be proposed to limit the use of pesticides and mitigate crop damages; cover crops could be used as biofumigants to control soilborne diseases in sunflower; intercropping sunflower with soybean could be a valuable option for maximizing resource-use efficiency in low-input environments; sunflower yield could be maintained at good level in very low input cropping systems
Previous examples point out how agroecological principles could be applied to sunflower crop to improve its production in low-input conditions, and enhance the ecosystem services deliverable by this oilseed crop
Summary
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) crop is often labelled as ‘environmental-friendly’ for many objective reasons (Blanchet, 1992; Ceccon et al, 2000; Pilorgé, 2010). Average organic yield may reach up to 90% of conventional one in sunflower (Lieven and Wagner, 2012) This crop is the main oilseed species grown in organic systems (15 000 ha in France) which still highlights its adaptation to ecological agriculture using no pesticides and no mineral fertiliser. Sunflower owns the features of an ecological crop, agroecological innovations applied to this crop have not been extensively reported in the literature, probably because sunflower is a relatively minor field crop mainly grown in drought-prone areas or still under low-input management In such situations, the motivation and opportunity to change current practices and adopt substitutive ones are less developed. Following results will show that (i) integrated crop management could be proposed to limit the use of pesticides and mitigate crop damages; (ii) cover crops (Brassicas) could be used as biofumigants to control soilborne diseases in sunflower; (iii) intercropping sunflower with soybean is an option for maximizing resource-use efficiency in low-input environments; (iv) sunflower yield is maintained at good level in very low input cropping systems
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