IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jagris/v9y2019i7p145-d246326.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

How Soil Ecological Intensification by Means of Cover Crops Affects Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Pepper Cultivation

Author

Listed:
  • Roberto Mancinelli

    (Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (DAFNE), University of Tuscia—Via S. Camillo De Lellissnc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy)

  • Rosario Muleo

    (Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (DAFNE), University of Tuscia—Via S. Camillo De Lellissnc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy)

  • Sara Marinari

    (Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest System (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Via San Camillo de Lellissnc., 01100 Viterbo, Italy)

  • Emanuele Radicetti

    (Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (DAFNE), University of Tuscia—Via S. Camillo De Lellissnc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy)

Abstract

Ecological intensification, based on agricultural practices that promote ecosystem services, has been recently proposed to match crop yield and environmental concerns. Two-year experiments were conducted in a Mediterranean environment. The treatments were: (i) four intensification levels (common vetch (CV), ryegrass (RG), bare soil without Nitrogen (N) fertilization (Control-N0) and with 100 kg ha −1 of N fertilization (Control-N100) applied during pepper cultivation), and(ii) two soil tillage [soil tillage at 15 cm and 30 cm of soil depth (ST-15 and ST-30, respectively)]. The field experiment was disposed in a randomized block design with three replications. Cover crop, soil samples, and pepper samples were collected for analysis. Soil available nitrogen increased after soil tillage, especially in CV, which showed the highest fruit yield. The reduced soil N availability in RG decreased fruit yield and N uptake. The agro-physiological efficiency of pepper was similar in common vetch and Control-N100, while it was low in ryegrass. However, the adoption of RG increased the soil organic matter more than both control treatments, which, in turn, caused a depletion of soil organic matter. Moreover, reduced tillage practices for green manuring that both cover crops arepreferable to reduce external inputs in terms of fuel saving and farming operations.

Suggested Citation

  • Roberto Mancinelli & Rosario Muleo & Sara Marinari & Emanuele Radicetti, 2019. "How Soil Ecological Intensification by Means of Cover Crops Affects Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Pepper Cultivation," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-12, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:9:y:2019:i:7:p:145-:d:246326
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/9/7/145/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/9/7/145/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bertrand Hirel & Thierry Tétu & Peter J. Lea & Frédéric Dubois, 2011. "Improving Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Crops for Sustainable Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 3(9), pages 1-34, September.
    2. Schipanski, Meagan E. & Barbercheck, Mary & Douglas, Margaret R. & Finney, Denise M. & Haider, Kristin & Kaye, Jason P. & Kemanian, Armen R. & Mortensen, David A. & Ryan, Matthew R. & Tooker, John & W, 2014. "A framework for evaluating ecosystem services provided by cover crops in agroecosystems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 12-22.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Mariano Fracchiolla & Massimiliano Renna & Miriana Durante & Giovanni Mita & Francesco Serio & Eugenio Cazzato, 2021. "Cover Crops and Manure Combined with Commercial Fertilizers Differently Affect Yield and Quality of Processing Tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) Organically Grown in Puglia," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-10, August.
    2. Dorota Gawęda & Małgorzata Haliniarz & Urszula Bronowicka-Mielniczuk & Justyna Łukasz, 2020. "Weed Infestation and Health of the Soybean Crop Depending on Cropping System and Tillage System," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-20, June.
    3. Mohamed Allam & Emanuele Radicetti & Valentina Quintarelli & Verdiana Petroselli & Sara Marinari & Roberto Mancinelli, 2022. "Influence of Organic and Mineral Fertilizers on Soil Organic Carbon and Crop Productivity under Different Tillage Systems: A Meta-Analysis," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-19, March.
    4. Valentina Quintarelli & Emanuele Radicetti & Enrica Allevato & Silvia Rita Stazi & Ghulam Haider & Zainul Abideen & Safia Bibi & Aftab Jamal & Roberto Mancinelli, 2022. "Cover Crops for Sustainable Cropping Systems: A Review," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-21, December.
    5. Md Nafiul Islam & Md Zafar Iqbal & Mohammod Ali & Milon Chowdhury & Md Shaha Nur Kabir & Tusan Park & Yong-Joo Kim & Sun-Ok Chung, 2020. "Kinematic Analysis of a Clamp-Type Picking Device for an Automatic Pepper Transplanter," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-17, December.
    6. Mohamed Allam & Emanuele Radicetti & Verdiana Petroselli & Roberto Mancinelli, 2021. "Meta-Analysis Approach to Assess the Effects of Soil Tillage and Fertilization Source under Different Cropping Systems," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-16, August.
    7. Jolanta Bojarszczuk & Janusz Podleśny, 2020. "Segetal Diversity in Selected Legume Crops Depending on Soil Tillage," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-14, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Navarro-Miró, D. & Iocola, I. & Persiani, A. & Blanco-Moreno, J.M. & Kristensen, H. Lakkenborg & Hefner, M. & Tamm, K. & Bender, I. & Védie, H. & Willekens, K. & Diacono, M. & Montemurro, F. & Sans, F, 2019. "Energy flows in European organic vegetable systems: Effects of the introduction and management of agroecological service crops," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    2. Shen Yuan & Shaobing Peng, 2017. "Exploring the Trends in Nitrogen Input and Nitrogen Use Efficiency for Agricultural Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-15, October.
    3. Hasan Mirzakhaninafchi & Manjeet Singh & Anoop Kumar Dixit & Apoorv Prakash & Shikha Sharda & Jugminder Kaur & Ali Mirzakhani Nafchi, 2022. "Performance Assessment of a Sensor-Based Variable-Rate Real-Time Fertilizer Applicator for Rice Crop," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-25, September.
    4. Ming Tang & Huchang Liao & Zhengjun Wan & Enrique Herrera-Viedma & Marc A. Rosen, 2018. "Ten Years of Sustainability (2009 to 2018): A Bibliometric Overview," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-21, May.
    5. Saka Habeebah Adewunmi & Uzoho Bethel Ugochukwu & Ahukaemere Chioma Mildred & Nkwopara Ugochukwu Nnamdi, 2023. "Dynamics of Nitrate- Nitrogen of Poultry and Sheep Manures Amended Degraded Ultisols in Ihiagwa, Southeastern, Nigeria," International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation, International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI), vol. 10(8), pages 59-72, August.
    6. Luís Silva & Luís Alcino Conceição & Fernando Cebola Lidon & Benvindo Maçãs, 2023. "Remote Monitoring of Crop Nitrogen Nutrition to Adjust Crop Models: A Review," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-23, April.
    7. Władysław Szempliński & Bogdan Dubis & Krzysztof Michał Lachutta & Krzysztof Józef Jankowski, 2021. "Energy Optimization in Different Production Technologies of Winter Triticale Grain," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-12, February.
    8. Michael Friedrich Tröster, 2023. "Assessing the Value of Organic Fertilizers from the Perspective of EU Farmers," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-11, May.
    9. Oliveira, Eduardo & Leuthard, Jasmin & Tobias, Silvia, 2019. "Spatial planning instruments for cropland protection in Western European countries," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    10. Fanny Boeraeve & Marc Dufrêne & Nicolas Dendoncker & Amandine Dupire & Grégory Mahy, 2020. "How Are Landscapes under Agroecological Transition Perceived and Appreciated? A Belgian Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-16, March.
    11. Gollakota, A.R.K. & Kishore, Nanda & Gu, Sai, 2018. "A review on hydrothermal liquefaction of biomass," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P1), pages 1378-1392.
    12. Andrzej Sałata & Gaetano Pandino & Halina Buczkowska & Sara Lombardo, 2020. "Influence of Catch Crops on Yield and Chemical Composition of Winter Garlic Grown for Bunch Harvesting," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-14, April.
    13. Erin M. Silva & Virginia M. Moore, 2017. "Cover Crops as an Agroecological Practice on Organic Vegetable Farms in Wisconsin, USA," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-15, January.
    14. Tatiana Kaletová & Luis Loures & Rui Alexandre Castanho & Elena Aydin & José Telo da Gama & Ana Loures & Amélie Truchy, 2019. "Relevance of Intermittent Rivers and Streams in Agricultural Landscape and Their Impact on Provided Ecosystem Services—A Mediterranean Case Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-16, July.
    15. Berti, Marisol & Johnson, Burton & Ripplinger, David & Gesch, Russ & Aponte, Alfredo, 2017. "Environmental impact assessment of double- and relay-cropping with winter camelina in the northern Great Plains, USA," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 1-12.
    16. Shimbahri Mesfin & Girmay Gebresamuel & Mitiku Haile & Amanuel Zenebe & Girma Desta, 2020. "Mineral Fertilizer Demand for Optimum Biological Nitrogen Fixation and Yield Potentials of Legumes in Northern Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-13, August.
    17. Ramcharan, Amanda M. & Richard, Tom L., 2017. "Carbon and nitrogen environmental trade-offs of winter rye cellulosic biomass in the Chesapeake Watershed," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 85-94.
    18. Niccolò Pampuro & Christian Preti & Eugenio Cavallo, 2018. "Recycling Pig Slurry Solid Fraction Compost as a Sound Absorber," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-13, January.
    19. Sara Marinari & Emanuele Radicetti & Verdiana Petroselli & Mohamed Allam & Roberto Mancinelli, 2022. "Microbial Indices to Assess Soil Health under Different Tillage and Fertilization in Potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) Crop," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-12, March.
    20. Andrzej Sałata & Halina Buczkowska & Rafał Papliński & Anna Rutkowska, 2021. "The Effects of Using Sulfur and Organic Bedding on the Content of Macro- and Micronutrients and Biologically Active Substances in Winter Garlic Bulbs," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-23, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:9:y:2019:i:7:p:145-:d:246326. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.