Eco-Sustainability of Soils in Baby-Leaf Crop Systems under Tunnel through the Application of C-Rich Inputs: Towards Combating Soil Degradation
Enrica Picariello,
Flavio Fornasier,
Maurizio Bilotto,
Emiliana Mignoli,
Salvatore Baiano,
Luigi Morra
Affiliations
Enrica Picariello
Department of Sciences and Technologies, University of Sannio, 82100 Benevento, Italy
Flavio Fornasier
Unit of Gorizia, Research Centre for Viticulture and Enology, Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’analisi dell’Economia Agraria (CREA), Via Trieste 23, 34170 Gorizia, Italy
Maurizio Bilotto
Laboratory of Caserta, Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops, Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria (CREA), Via Torrino, 3, 81100 Caserta, Italy
Emiliana Mignoli
Laboratory of Caserta, Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops, Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria (CREA), Via Torrino, 3, 81100 Caserta, Italy
Salvatore Baiano
Laboratory of Caserta, Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops, Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria (CREA), Via Torrino, 3, 81100 Caserta, Italy
Luigi Morra
Laboratory of Caserta, Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops, Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria (CREA), Via Torrino, 3, 81100 Caserta, Italy
Fresh-cut leafy vegetables are produced in Southern Italy in very intensive crop systems under tunnel greenhouses in which continuous cropping has triggered soil organic carbon (SOC) depletion and the risk of degradation of soil fertility. A two-year trial of soil organic amendment was carried out on a private farm producing baby-leaf crops on a very poor OC soil (−1 as fresh matter without integration of mineral fertilizers. In our study, the SOC stock improved in the amended soils in a range of 4–6 Mg ha−1, except for dose 30 of buffalo manure, with the highest values where biowaste compost was applied. Our data showed an increase in biological parameters in all the amended soils with respect to Control. In soil amended with olive pomace, however, compost mineralization rates likely did not match crops’ nutrient needs so the yields of rocket were lower than with the biowaste compost and buffalo manure. Biowaste compost showed the best results as it balanced the best C conversion efficiency, the higher increment of SOC and yields of rocket.
