Conventional management practices in horticulture allow obtaining high standard of productivity in terms of quantity and quality although their long-term impacts on the agricultural soils are often negative and responsible for the loss of substantial amounts of soil organic matter. On the other hand sustainable agricultural practices such as minimum tillage promote the conservation of the native soil organic matter improving progressively the soil fertility. The objective of this study was to compare in a tomato-lettuce rotation the effect of 1) management practices (conventional or sustainable) and 2) biochar additions (with or without biochar) on total productivity and quality of tomato and lettuce. The two-year-experiment was conducted in a tunnel on 24 lysimeters (1.44 m2 each), 12 cultivated with lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and the other 12 with tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). The lysimeters that during the first year were used for tomato in the second year were cultivated with lettuce. Biochar was obtained from pirolysis at 500°C of fruit trees pruning residues and added at a dose of 30 ton ha-1. Total commercial productivity was higher in tomato only in the second year grown with sustainable practices compared to traditional ones. This was mainly due to the less incidence of brown rot on the fruit, probably for the better management of water availability with sustainable practices. Although biochar did not influenced total commercial productivity its addition significantly reduced the amount of brown rot. Differently, lettuce productivity was not influenced by the management practices in the two year. Addition of biochar improved the productivity in the sustainable management practice of 14% and 36% in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Also the amount of nitrate in lettuce leaves was significantly reduced in presence of biochar (14% and 10% less in the sustainable and traditional treatment, respectively). The use of biochar in combination with sustainable practices seems to be a promising alternative to improve quality of the commercial product especially in case of leaf vegetable crops like lettuce, spinach and rocket.

Effect of soil management and Biochar addition on productivity and vegetable quality on a tomato-lettuce rotation

DALLA COSTA, Luisa;
2012-01-01

Abstract

Conventional management practices in horticulture allow obtaining high standard of productivity in terms of quantity and quality although their long-term impacts on the agricultural soils are often negative and responsible for the loss of substantial amounts of soil organic matter. On the other hand sustainable agricultural practices such as minimum tillage promote the conservation of the native soil organic matter improving progressively the soil fertility. The objective of this study was to compare in a tomato-lettuce rotation the effect of 1) management practices (conventional or sustainable) and 2) biochar additions (with or without biochar) on total productivity and quality of tomato and lettuce. The two-year-experiment was conducted in a tunnel on 24 lysimeters (1.44 m2 each), 12 cultivated with lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and the other 12 with tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). The lysimeters that during the first year were used for tomato in the second year were cultivated with lettuce. Biochar was obtained from pirolysis at 500°C of fruit trees pruning residues and added at a dose of 30 ton ha-1. Total commercial productivity was higher in tomato only in the second year grown with sustainable practices compared to traditional ones. This was mainly due to the less incidence of brown rot on the fruit, probably for the better management of water availability with sustainable practices. Although biochar did not influenced total commercial productivity its addition significantly reduced the amount of brown rot. Differently, lettuce productivity was not influenced by the management practices in the two year. Addition of biochar improved the productivity in the sustainable management practice of 14% and 36% in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Also the amount of nitrate in lettuce leaves was significantly reduced in presence of biochar (14% and 10% less in the sustainable and traditional treatment, respectively). The use of biochar in combination with sustainable practices seems to be a promising alternative to improve quality of the commercial product especially in case of leaf vegetable crops like lettuce, spinach and rocket.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11390/872397
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