Field-crop research in organic farming is aimed as in conventional farming, at enhancing the effective use of land, labour and energy in achieving a desired output, while saving unnecessary, often non-renewable resources. A vast review of literature is available on the subject for organic crop science, often covering the same topics as in conventional one. More to that, organic cropping has stimulated the development of such tools as agro-ecological indicators and systems of environmental accountancy, which are progressively being extended to the evaluation of conventional cropping systems. In the present paper, the research is focused on a two-year rotation of feed crops, barley and soybean, as the first element of an organic food chain ranging from the field to the animal-based human food. Each crop’s most significant issue in organic farming was investigated: nitrogen nutrition in the cereal; weed control in the late-developing grain leguminous. The two fertilizers tested for barley, a compost of agro-industrial residues and a vinasse of distilled molasses, had a contrasting effect in the second year of trials, when the latter boosted plant biomass but also its sensitivity to a fungal disease, which in turn depressed grain yield at harvest. The problem of weeds in soybean was investigated by means of two sowing times some 15 days apart, each coupled with timely tillage in pre-seeding (harrowing) and in post-emergence (inter-row hoeing). In the first, hot and dry year, the later seeding incurred in a serious plant stress and in a very low yield at harvest. In the second, cool year, a much larger weed population was better controlled in the late seeding thanks to arrowing just prior to sowing. The inter-row hoeing provided a useful support in controlling residual weeds in the early seeding, quite negligible in the late one. On concluding, it is perceived as the farmer’s skill and knowledge are the key factors of success in organic cropping, since fewer means are available to tackle unexpected problems than in conventional cropping.

La ricerca agronomica in agricoltura biologica / Barbanti L.; Grigatti M.; Venturi G.. - STAMPA. - (2008), pp. 65-89.

La ricerca agronomica in agricoltura biologica

BARBANTI, LORENZO;GRIGATTI, MARCO;VENTURI, GIANPIETRO
2008

Abstract

Field-crop research in organic farming is aimed as in conventional farming, at enhancing the effective use of land, labour and energy in achieving a desired output, while saving unnecessary, often non-renewable resources. A vast review of literature is available on the subject for organic crop science, often covering the same topics as in conventional one. More to that, organic cropping has stimulated the development of such tools as agro-ecological indicators and systems of environmental accountancy, which are progressively being extended to the evaluation of conventional cropping systems. In the present paper, the research is focused on a two-year rotation of feed crops, barley and soybean, as the first element of an organic food chain ranging from the field to the animal-based human food. Each crop’s most significant issue in organic farming was investigated: nitrogen nutrition in the cereal; weed control in the late-developing grain leguminous. The two fertilizers tested for barley, a compost of agro-industrial residues and a vinasse of distilled molasses, had a contrasting effect in the second year of trials, when the latter boosted plant biomass but also its sensitivity to a fungal disease, which in turn depressed grain yield at harvest. The problem of weeds in soybean was investigated by means of two sowing times some 15 days apart, each coupled with timely tillage in pre-seeding (harrowing) and in post-emergence (inter-row hoeing). In the first, hot and dry year, the later seeding incurred in a serious plant stress and in a very low yield at harvest. In the second, cool year, a much larger weed population was better controlled in the late seeding thanks to arrowing just prior to sowing. The inter-row hoeing provided a useful support in controlling residual weeds in the early seeding, quite negligible in the late one. On concluding, it is perceived as the farmer’s skill and knowledge are the key factors of success in organic cropping, since fewer means are available to tackle unexpected problems than in conventional cropping.
2008
Gli alimenti biologici: dal produttore al consumatore
65
89
La ricerca agronomica in agricoltura biologica / Barbanti L.; Grigatti M.; Venturi G.. - STAMPA. - (2008), pp. 65-89.
Barbanti L.; Grigatti M.; Venturi G.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11585/36384
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