1,720,998 research outputs found
Agronomic performance of disc chain harrow as a conservation agriculture tool for a one-step cover crop termination and seedbed preparation
No full textCover crops and conservation soil tillage are reconsidered in cropping systems for their several
agronomical and ecosystem services. In this frame, an important role is played by cover crop termination
and seedbed preparation, which are crucial for a timely and successful establishment of the following cash
crop. This work was aimed at testing a disc chain harrow for terminating a cover crop of hairy vetch and
preparing a seedbed for soybean and defining its operational characteristics. A total of three trials were
carried out to (1) compare two types of discs in two different front + rear combinations and two different
working speeds (8 vs. 14 km h−1) in terms of efficacy of hairy vetch termination; (2) evaluate the seedbed
preparation by the disc chain in terms of soybean establishment as a following cash crop; (3) evaluate
operational characteristics (working speed, fuel consumption, absorbed power, etc.) of the disc chain at the
two different speeds. Results demonstrate that the disc chain is a valid tool for cover crop termination and
seedbed preparation in a conservation tillage approach. The quality of work was affected by the type of disc
and the working speed. The disc chain showed good operating performance, with low mechanical pulling
force, low energy requirement for traction, and low fuel consumption as compared to alternative conservation practices for cover crop termination and/or shallow soil tillage
Effetto della consociazione temporanea con il favino nel frumento duro in agricoltura biologica. II) accumulo di azoto, produzione e qualità della granella
No full textUsing coloured roots to study root interaction and competition in intercropped legumes and non-legumes
No full textRoot interactions between neighbour plants represent a fundamental aspect of the competitive dynamics in pure stand and mixed cropping systems. The comprehension of such phenomena places big methodological challenges, and still needs clarification. The objectives of this work were (i) to test if a species with coloured roots can be used to examine the interaction in a legume-non-legume intercropping system; (ii) to verify the importance of initial root growth on the successive root development of mixture component plants; (iii) to test if the root interaction in the shallow layers has consequences for deep root growth and (iv) to compare the effect of intraspecific and interspecific competition on root development and biomass growth. </p
The N Nutritional Status of Processing Tomato Grown after Green Manures
No full textProc. “10th Congress of the European Society for Agronomy - Agriculture as Resource for Energy and Environmental Preservation-Multifunctional Agriculture". Bologna, 15-18 September 2008. 275-27
Sustainable Intensification In Organic Agriculture Through The Use Of Intercropping, Cover Crops And Biostimulants: The GO.BIO Project
No full textBarley-hairy vetch mixture as cover crop for green manuring and the mitigation of N leaching risk
No full textAdopting mixtures of legumes and non-legumes can be an efficient tool to merge the advantages of the single species in the fall-sown cover crop practice. Cover crop mixtures are supposed to provide an additional benefit in reducing N leaching risks as compared to pure legume thanks to the N trapping skill of the non-legume companion, but to our knowledge no data are available on the effect of mixed cover crops on N leaching. For this reason, in a three-year study we investigated the effect of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.) grown in 100% pure stands or in 50:50 mixtures on the N leaching below the rooting zone as compared to the bare soil. The NO3-N concentration in the soil solution was monitored by suction cup lysimeters placed at 0.9 m depth during the whole growing cycle and after cover crop incorporation into the soil and the amount of leached N was calculated on the basis of estimated drainage.
The mixture showed variable biomass accumulation and proportion in the biomass accumulated by companion species across years, but a rather constant N accumulation, with a biomass C/N ratio intermediate between those of the pure crops. In all years, the N trapping effect of the mixture was clear as it decreased NO3-N leaching at the same level of pure barley, both during its own growing cycle and after cover crop incorporation into the soil. Pure vetch showed the highest N source potential as green manure but no NO3-N leaching mitigation effect as compared to the bare soil. Thus we demonstrate here that a mixture of barley and vetch, which was already known to be a “self-buffered system” able to guarantee a good and rather stable N accumulation, is also a “buffering system” for the agroecosystems in the Mediterranean conditions by acting as a N trapping crop able to reduce N leaching
Environmentally Sustainable Nitrogen Nutrition Management in Processing Tomato
No full textThe availability of nitrogen (N) is a key factor for ensuring optimum crop growth, high yield and a good quality of the marketable product in processing tomato. A well-balanced N fertilization rate should cover the gap between the crop N requirement for maximum yield and the soil N availability, while should avoid overfeeding. On the contrary, processing tomato is often over-fertilized because fertilizer costs are relatively low and the side effects of a too high N rate are often not visible. This implies well-known nitrate pollution risks. Developing integrated N management is crucial to optimize N fertilization and to protect the environment. This keynote is focused on results of several researches that have been carrying since 1996 at the University of Perugia, Italy. These researches provided useful information to develop an environmentally sustainable N management in processing tomato. In detail, our studies allowed to define: the crop N demand and partitioning throughout the growth cycle; the assessment of crop N status; the apparent recovery of broadcast and localised N-fertilizer application; the effect of the irrigation and/or fertigation frequency on the fate of N in the “soil-plant” system; the effect of mineral and organic fertilization on crop N nutrition, crop yield and N fate in the environment; the effect of cover crops and green manuring (with legumes and non legumes, as pure crops or mixtures) on soil N fertility and N leaching control; the effect of crop rotation and cropping system (i.e., conventional or organic) on efficacy and efficiency of N management
Risultati poliennali sulla coltivazione di mais e pomodoro in un sistema biologico e in uno convenzionale a basso input
No full textInterazione Precoce tra Specie nelle Consociazioni Frumento Tenero-Favino e Colza-Trifoglio Squarroso
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