Processing Tomato–Durum Wheat Rotation under Integrated, Organic and Mulch-Based No-Tillage Organic Systems: Yield, N Balance and N Loss

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).

Orchard Floor Management Affects Tree Functionality, Productivity and Water Consumption of a Late Ripening Peach Orchard under Semi-Arid Conditions

“…In particular the rational management of soil can increase water use efficiency either through decreasing soil evaporation, using artificial [13][14][15] or natural [16,17] mulching material, and increasing soil water holding capacity, via decompaction and organic matter enrichment. Recent experiences in horticultural crops [18,19] reported that water and N recycling at agroecosystem level can be enhanced by cover crop practice and natural mulching covering techniques, independently from the soil management strategy. The authors pointed out that the improved nitrogen surplus was not sufficiently retained in the agroecosystem without cover crop.…”

Cover crops as a tool to reduce reliance on intensive tillage and nitrogen fertilization in conventional arable cropping systems

“…However, it is also important to note that a positive N balance can also indicate a higher risk of N leaching, because N surplus and, in case of mineralisation, enhanced soil N availability could potentially be lost if not synchronized with crop needs. On the other hand, one advantage of legume derived N is that it is generally less prone to leaching than mineral N, as organic N is better retained in the soil (Crews and Peoples, 2005;Tosti et al, 2019). Thus even if an important fraction is not recovered in the crop (Almeida Acosta et al, 2011), it has a lower potential to be lost in the environment in contrast to mineral fertilizers (Hansen et al, 2019).…”

Nitrogen management of vegetable crops

“…rainfall or irrigation); iii) the soil hydraulic characteristics. Nitrate leaching losses (and the associated potential risk of groundwater contamination) from intensive vegetable production has been studied extensively in a wide variety of pedo-climatic conditions and cropping systems (e.g., Thompson et al, 2007;Farneselli et al, 2018;Tosti et al, 2019;Rakotovololona et al, 2019;de Haan et al, 2019;Hefner et al, 2019).…”