Combined agro-ecological strategies for adaptation of organic horticultural systems to climate change in Mediterranean environment

Agricultural biodiversity and related agro-ecological measures could play a crucial role in the agro-ecosystems adaptation to climate changes, thus sustaining crop production. The objective of this study was to assess the suitability (and the best combination) of agro-ecological techniques as potential resilience strategies in organic horticultural systems in a Mediterranean environment. A long-term experimental device called MITIORG (Long-term climatic change adaptation in organic farming: synergistic combination of hydraulic arrangement, crop rotations, agro-ecological service crops and agronomic techniques) is set-up at Metaponto (MT), testing the following agro-ecological measures as well as organic and conservation farming best practices: i) hydraulic arrangement by a kind of ridge-furrow system; ii) cash crop rotations; iii) agro-ecological service crops (ASC) introduction; iv) ASC termination techniques (green manure vs roller crimper); and v) organic fertilisation. The research here reported was carried out during the 2014-2015 season in the MITIORG device, on a rotation of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L.) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) crops. A detailed description of the scientific cognitive process that led to setup of the device, its components explanation, as well as preliminary yield results are reported. The outcomes suggest that organic vegetable cropping systems, designed following agro-ecological principles, are able to sustain yield of cash crops in rotation, in spite of changes in temperature and rainfall of the study site. Experimental data available in the next years will allow a deeper integrated analysis of the manifold effects of agro-ecological measures on horticultural systems.

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Crop Production and Soil Organic Matter in Long-Term Crop Rotations in the Semi-Arid Northern Great Plains of Canada

Soil Organic Matter in Temperate Agroecosystems ◽

10.1201/9780367811693-23 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 317-334 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

C.A. Campbell ◽

R.P. Zentner

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Soil Organic Matter ◽

Great Plains ◽

Crop Production ◽

Crop Rotations ◽

Northern Great Plains ◽

Semi Arid

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Crop responses to lime in long-term pasture-crop rotations in a high rainfall area in south-eastern Australia

Australian Journal of Agricultural Research ◽

10.1071/ar00087 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 52 (3) ◽

pp. 329 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

G. D. Li ◽

K. R. Helyar ◽

M. K. Conyers ◽

B. R. Cullis ◽

P. D. Cregan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Crop Production ◽

Acid Soils ◽

Crop Rotations ◽

Severe Drought ◽

High Rainfall ◽

South Eastern ◽

Permanent Pasture ◽

Eastern Australia ◽

South Eastern Australia

A long-term trial, known as ‘managing acid soils through efficient rotations’ (MASTER), commenced in 1992 to develop and demonstrate a cropping system that is economically viable on the highly acid soils of the traditional permanent pasture region in south-eastern Australia, so that their fertility is sustained or improved. There were 2 permanent pasture systems and 2 pasture–crop rotations, each with and without lime. This paper reports the effect of lime on crop production over the first cycle (6 years). On annual pasture–crop rotations, lime significantly increased the dry matter production at anthesis and grain yields of wheat (cv. Dollarbird) compared with the unlimed treatments. Averaged across years from 1992 to 1997 (excluding the severe drought year 1994), wheat crops produced 1.6 t/ha more grain on the limed treatments than on the unlimed treatments (3.6 v. 2.0 t/ha). On perennial pasture–crop rotations, the lime effects varied with crops grown at each phase and year. For example, despite being tolerant of acidity, oats (cv. Yarran) responded to lime in 1996. Likewise, triticale (cv. Abacus) responded to lime in 1997. Wheat (cv. Dollarbird) that is moderately tolerant to acidity responded to lime in phase 6 from 1992 to 1997 excluding 1994 (3.5 v. 1.7 t/ha). Acid-tolerant wheat varieties, triticale, and narrow-leaf lupins are considered the most viable crops for the soil and climatic conditions encountered in this high rainfall (5000—800 mm per annum) area of south-eastern Australia.

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Crop production research in multifunctional agriculture

Acta Agronomica Hungarica ◽

10.1556/aagr.51.2003.1.12 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 51 (1) ◽

pp. 91-99 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Z. Berzsenyi

Keyword(s):

Crop Production ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Simulation Models ◽

Wheat Varieties ◽

Maize Hybrids ◽

Long Term Experiments ◽

Small Plot ◽

Production Research ◽

Set Up

The research agenda for crop science in the 21st century will depend largely on whether the present conditions regarding the global food surplus continue, or whether a food scarcity recurs. Crop production research is based chiefly on small-plot field experiments, the majority of which are either long-term experiments or experiments set up to investigate the specific agronomic responses of Martonvásár maize hybrids and wheat varieties. The sustainability of crop production is examined in long-term experiments. The agronomic responses of maize hybrids and wheat varieties are studied at various levels of biological organisation. Growth analysis facilitates the exact characterisation of agronomic responses and the grouping of response effects and types using multivariable methods. Continued experimentation coupled with crop simulation models and decision support systems are an ever more useful framework for analysing the complexity of agricultural systems.

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Soil-Biodegradable Plastic Mulches Undergo Minimal in-Soil Degradation in a Perennial Raspberry System after 18 Months

Horticulturae ◽

10.3390/horticulturae6030047 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 47

Author(s):

Huan Zhang ◽

Markus Flury ◽

Carol Miles ◽

Hang Liu ◽

Lisa DeVetter

Keyword(s):

Production System ◽

Crop Production ◽

Production Systems ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Biodegradable Plastic ◽

Perennial Crop ◽

Soil Burial Test ◽

Soil Burial ◽

Soil Exposure

Soil-biodegradable plastic mulches (BDMs) are made from biodegradable materials that can be bio-based, synthetic, or a blend of these two types of polymers, which are designed to degrade in soil through microbial activities. The purpose of BDMs is to reduce agricultural plastic waste by replacing polyethylene (PE) mulch, which is not biodegradable. Most studies have evaluated the breakdown of BDMs within annual production systems, but knowledge of BDM breakdown in perennial systems is limited. The objective of this study was to evaluate the deterioration and degradation of BDMs in a commercial red raspberry (Rubus ideaus L.) production system. Deterioration was low (≤11% percent soil exposure; PSE) for all mulches until October 2017 (five months after transplanting, MAT). By March 2018 (10 MAT), deterioration reached 91% for BDMs but remained low for PE mulch (4%). Mechanical strength also was lower for BDMs than PE mulch. In a soil burial test in the raspberry field, 91% of the BDM area remained after 18 months. In-soil BDM degradation was minimal, although the PSE was high. Since mulch is only applied once in a perennial crop production system, and the lifespan of the planting may be three or more years, it is worth exploring the long-term degradation of BDMs in perennial cropping systems across diverse environments.

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Covariance Structures in Conventional and Organic Cropping Systems

International Journal of Agronomy ◽

10.1155/2013/494026 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2013 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Abdullah A. Jaradat

Keyword(s):

Coefficient Of Variation ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Management Practices ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Block Design ◽

Crop Rotations ◽

Covariance Structures ◽

Cumulative Yield ◽

Temporal Variance

Guidelines are needed to develop proper statistical analyses procedures and select appropriate models of covariance structures in response to expected temporal variation in long-term experiments. Cumulative yield, its temporal variance, and coefficient of variation were used in estimating and describing covariance structures in conventional and organic cropping systems of a long-term field experiment in a randomized complete block design. An 8-year database on 16 treatments (conventional and organic cropping systems, crop rotations, and tillage) was subjected to geostatistical, covariance structure, variance components, and repeated measures multivariate analyses using six covariance models under restricted maximum likelihood. Differential buildup of the cumulative effects due to crop rotations being repeated over time was demonstrated by decreasing structured and unstructured variances and increasing range estimates in the geostatistical analyses. The magnitude and direction of relationships between cumulative yield and its temporal variance, and coefficient of variation shaped the covariance structures of both cropping systems, crop rotations, and phases within crop rotations and resulted in significant deviations of organic management practices from their conventional counterparts. The unstructured covariance model was the best to fit most factor-variable combinations; it was the most flexible, but most costly in terms of computation time and number of estimated parameters.

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Long-Term Monitoring of Soil Carbon Sequestration in Woody and Herbaceous Bioenergy Crop Production Systems on Marginal Lands in Southern Ontario, Canada

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12093901 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (9) ◽

pp. 3901 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Amir Behzad Bazrgar ◽

Aeryn Ng ◽

Brent Coleman ◽

Muhammad Waseem Ashiq ◽

Andrew Gordon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Crop Production ◽

Production Systems ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

System Level ◽

Bioenergy Crops ◽

Marginal Lands ◽

Biomass Crops

Enhancement of terrestrial carbon (C) sequestration on marginal lands in Canada using bioenergy crops has been proposed. However, factors influencing system-level C gain (SLCG) potentials of maturing bioenergy cropping systems, including belowground biomass C and soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation, are not well documented. This study, therefore, quantified the long-term C sequestration potentials at the system-level in nine-year-old (2009–2018) woody (poplar clone 2293–29 (Populus spp.), hybrid willow clone SX-67 (Salix miyabeana)), and herbaceous (miscanthus (Miscanthus giganteus var. Nagara), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)) bioenergy crop production systems on marginal lands in Southern Ontario, Canada. Results showed that woody cropping systems had significantly higher aboveground biomass C stock of 10.02 compared to 7.65 Mg C ha−1 in herbaceous cropping systems, although their belowground biomass C was not significantly different. Woody crops and switchgrass were able to increase SOC significantly over the tested period. However, when long term soil organic carbon (∆SOC) gains were compared, woody and herbaceous biomass crops gained 11.0 and 9.8 Mg C ha−1, respectively, which were not statistically different. Results also indicate a significantly higher total C pool [aboveground + belowground + soil organic carbon] in the willow (103 Mg ha−1) biomass system compared to other bioenergy crops. In the nine-year study period, woody crops had only 1.35 Mg C ha−1 more SLCG, suggesting that the influence of woody and herbaceous biomass crops on SLCG and ∆SOC sequestrations were similar. Further, among all tested biomass crops, willow had the highest annual SLCG of 1.66 Mg C ha−1 y−1.

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Significance of the 50-year-old long-term experiments in Martonvásár in improving crop production

Acta Agronomica Hungarica ◽

10.1556/aagr.58.2010.suppl.1.4 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 58 (Supplement 1) ◽

pp. 23-34 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Z. Berzsenyi

Keyword(s):

Crop Production ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Wheat Varieties ◽

Present Generation ◽

National Heritage ◽

Long Term Experiments ◽

Scientific Results ◽

Carry Over ◽

Set Up

Long-term experiments are indispensable for investigations on the long-term effects of various crop production methods and technologies. The long-term experiments set up in Martonvásár by Béla Győrffy are now 50 years old and can be considered as part of the national heritage. The most important of these experiments involve crop rotation vs. monoculture trials, the comparison of fertilisation systems, studies on the interactions and carry-over effects of organic and mineral fertilisers, fertiliser rate experiments and polyfactorial experiments. The long-term experiments in Martonvásár form an integral part of maize and wheat research and provide a place for testing the agronomic responses of maize hybrids and wheat varieties. Valuable scientific results are obtained from these experiments regarding the reasons for yield depression in monocultures, the yieldincreasing effect of crop rotations, the comparative benefits of organic and mineral fertilisation, the agronomic responses of genotypes, the sustainability and yield stability of crop production techniques, and the interaction between various crop production factors. These results promote the improvement of maize and wheat production and are regularly incorporated into recommendation systems. The present generation of scientists has a responsibility to maintain these experiments, so that they can continue to serve their purpose in the coming decades.

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Irrigation of maize (Zea mays L.) in relation to fertilization in a long-term field experiment

Acta Agronomica Hungarica ◽

10.1556/aagr.53.2005.1.5 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 53 (1) ◽

pp. 41-46 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

A. Megyes ◽

J. Nagy ◽

T. Rátonyi ◽

L. Huzsvai

Keyword(s):

Field Experiment ◽

Crop Production ◽

Strongly Correlated ◽

Growing Seasons ◽

Production Factors ◽

Maize Yields ◽

Set Up ◽

Fertilizer Rates ◽

Term Field

The objectives of this study were to examine the correlation between factors of great significance for crop production, especially between irrigation and fertilization, and to evaluate the effects of irrigation and fertilization on maize yields over four growing seasons (2001-2004) in a long-term field experiment set up at the Látókép Experimental Station of the Centre for Agricultural Sciences of Debrecen University. The results showed that irrigation and fertilization were strongly correlated with the yield. The effect of irrigation depended on the natural water and nutrient supplies of the soil, and on the specific fertilizer rates. The results indicated that both fertilization and irrigation had a significant effect on the yield. The correlation between the year and the crop production factors was also significant. The yield-increasing effect of irrigation and fertilization differed significantly in the experimental years.

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