This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.

Dr. Francesco Montemurro
Council for Agricultural Research and Economics - Research Centre for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (CREA-OF), Monsampolo del Tronto (AP), 00198 Roma, Italy

Basic Info


Research Keywords & Expertise

0 Agronomy
0 Organic Farming
0 Sustainable Development
0 Composting process, compost application and organic fertilization
0 Crop rotations and cropping systems

Fingerprints

Organic Farming
Crop rotations and cropping systems
Agronomy
Sustainable Development

Honors and Awards

The user has no records in this section


Career Timeline

The user has no records in this section.


Short Biography

The user biography is not available.
Following
Followers
Co Authors
The list of users this user is following is empty.
Following: 0 users

Feed

Journal article
Published: 15 May 2021 in Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The implementation of agroecology principles within organic farming research is a crux to redesign sustainable agri-food systems. To govern this transition, the local research demand should be addressed by direct engagement of all stakeholders in the research process. The first step is the involvement of farmers and technicians, with the aim of restoring their decision-making role, switching governance to local scale. The co-design/co-management of Long-Term Experiments (LTEs) can be crucial to govern the above-described transition through networking and participatory activities. In this study, we report the experience of co-designing a new LTE in Southern Italy by local actors and scientists. Through a participatory action research methodology, an LTE was considered as a biophysical component of an agroecological living lab, a public–private environment aimed to design a local food system. The setup of parallel field trials in satellite farms stands for the other biophysical component, whereas the stakeholder platform represents the social one. Through definition of common objectives, a step-by-step process is presented, which highlights the interest of local organic actors to share ideas and perspectives for the territory, pointing out the inclusion of end-users (the consumers) in the process to complete the transition to sustainable food systems.

ACS Style

Corrado Ciaccia; Elena Testani; Angelo Fiore; Ileana Iocola; Marta Di Pierro; Giuseppe Mele; Filippo Ferlito; Marcello Cutuli; Francesco Montemurro; Roberta Farina; Danilo Ceccarelli; Alessandro Persiani; Stefano Canali; Mariangela Diacono. Organic Agroforestry Long-Term Field Experiment Designing Trough Actors’ Knowledge towards Food System Sustainability. Sustainability 2021, 13, 5532 .

AMA Style

Corrado Ciaccia, Elena Testani, Angelo Fiore, Ileana Iocola, Marta Di Pierro, Giuseppe Mele, Filippo Ferlito, Marcello Cutuli, Francesco Montemurro, Roberta Farina, Danilo Ceccarelli, Alessandro Persiani, Stefano Canali, Mariangela Diacono. Organic Agroforestry Long-Term Field Experiment Designing Trough Actors’ Knowledge towards Food System Sustainability. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (10):5532.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Corrado Ciaccia; Elena Testani; Angelo Fiore; Ileana Iocola; Marta Di Pierro; Giuseppe Mele; Filippo Ferlito; Marcello Cutuli; Francesco Montemurro; Roberta Farina; Danilo Ceccarelli; Alessandro Persiani; Stefano Canali; Mariangela Diacono. 2021. "Organic Agroforestry Long-Term Field Experiment Designing Trough Actors’ Knowledge towards Food System Sustainability." Sustainability 13, no. 10: 5532.

Journal article
Published: 08 March 2021 in Biological Agriculture & Horticulture
Reads 0
Downloads 0

This research was carried out in an organic crop sequence of cauliflowers (Brassica oleracea L.) and tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) intercropped with different cover crop species (burr medic (Medicago polymorpha L) and crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.)) grown as living mulches and cultivated on a ridge system on a site characterised by extreme weather events (floods) in the Mediterranean environment. The objectives of the research were to: (i) investigate the impact of the combination of agro-ecological techniques (cover crops and organic fertilisation) on cash crops yield, biomass production and selected physical properties of the soil; (ii) evaluate the sustainability of the systems by using both energy inputs/outputs analysis and assessment of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Six treatment combinations were compared: intercropping with burr medic throughout the crop rotation, with and without organic fertilisers; growing crimson clover as a living mulch in the winter crop within the crop rotation, with and without organic fertilisers; cropping system without cover crops, with and without organic fertilisers. The findings highlighted that the introduction of cover crops in the rotation should be recommended since it resulted in higher crop production levels without negative impacts on soil physical properties, as well as in the best energy use efficiency and carbon efficiency in the system. The results of the soil physical quality assessment indicated that the agro-ecological practices had no significant effects on the soil properties. Therefore, in the Mediterranean conditions, the proposed agro-ecological approaches can be crucial to achieving sustainable organic agro-ecosystems.

ACS Style

Mariangela Diacono; Alessandro Persiani; Mirko Castellini; Luisa Giglio; Francesco Montemurro. Intercropping and rotation with leguminous plants in organic vegetables: crop performance, soil properties and sustainability assessment. Biological Agriculture & Horticulture 2021, 1 -27.

AMA Style

Mariangela Diacono, Alessandro Persiani, Mirko Castellini, Luisa Giglio, Francesco Montemurro. Intercropping and rotation with leguminous plants in organic vegetables: crop performance, soil properties and sustainability assessment. Biological Agriculture & Horticulture. 2021; ():1-27.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mariangela Diacono; Alessandro Persiani; Mirko Castellini; Luisa Giglio; Francesco Montemurro. 2021. "Intercropping and rotation with leguminous plants in organic vegetables: crop performance, soil properties and sustainability assessment." Biological Agriculture & Horticulture , no. : 1-27.

Editorial
Published: 25 January 2021 in Agronomy
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Within the new “European Green Deal”, the European Commission defined crucial challenges for the agriculture of future decades, such as making food production more sustainable by considering the local pedo-climatic and socio-economic specificities

ACS Style

Mariangela Diacono; Francesco Montemurro; Alessandra Trinchera. An Overview on Agroecology and Organic Agriculture Strategies for Sustainable Crop Production. Agronomy 2021, 11, 223 .

AMA Style

Mariangela Diacono, Francesco Montemurro, Alessandra Trinchera. An Overview on Agroecology and Organic Agriculture Strategies for Sustainable Crop Production. Agronomy. 2021; 11 (2):223.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mariangela Diacono; Francesco Montemurro; Alessandra Trinchera. 2021. "An Overview on Agroecology and Organic Agriculture Strategies for Sustainable Crop Production." Agronomy 11, no. 2: 223.

Research article
Published: 30 September 2020 in Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Anaerobic digestate (AD), a sub-product of cattle manure treatment to produce biogas, could be used for agricultural purposes after co-composting. The aim of this research was to evaluate in organic horticulture the co-composted AD, obtained using two different aerobic stabilization processes (not aerated and aerated composting), by assessing: i) the energy requirements and the GHG emissions of on-farm co-composting; ii) the agronomic performance of the co-composted AD, compared to a commercial organic (CF) fertilizer, on fennel, tomato and zucchini crops; iii) the environmental sustainability of the different analyzed systems, through the energy and the carbon footprint analyses. The AD co-composting was a feasible way to valorize organic wastes by producing organic fertilizers. These fertilizers could substitute the CF, leading to similar production capacity, energetic and carbon efficiencies. In particular, despite the greater carbon stocks generated by CF, the carbon efficiency was higher in co-composted AD than CF for both fennel and tomato cultivation systems. The GHG emission analysis for the agricultural operations indicated that CF treatment determined the highest CO2 emissions. Therefore, an appropriate management of the fertilization strategies could allow reducing the GHG emissions.

ACS Style

Alessandro Persiani; Francesco Montemurro; Angelo Fiore; Rosalba Scazzarriello; Mariangela Diacono. On-farm fertilizing materials in organic horticulture: agronomic performance, energy use and GHG emission evaluation. Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science 2020, 1 -17.

AMA Style

Alessandro Persiani, Francesco Montemurro, Angelo Fiore, Rosalba Scazzarriello, Mariangela Diacono. On-farm fertilizing materials in organic horticulture: agronomic performance, energy use and GHG emission evaluation. Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science. 2020; ():1-17.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alessandro Persiani; Francesco Montemurro; Angelo Fiore; Rosalba Scazzarriello; Mariangela Diacono. 2020. "On-farm fertilizing materials in organic horticulture: agronomic performance, energy use and GHG emission evaluation." Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science , no. : 1-17.

Journal article
Published: 15 July 2020 in Insects
Reads 0
Downloads 0

A key aspect in cover crop management is termination before the cash crop is planted. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of termination methods on ground-dwelling arthropods. The conventional mechanical termination method—i.e., green manuring by means of a disc harrow—was compared to flattening using a roller crimper. Two different crop systems were investigated for two growing seasons; cauliflower was grown in autumn after the termination of a mixture of cowpea, pearl millet, and radish, and tomato was cropped in spring and summer after the termination of a mixture of barley and vetch. Ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae), rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), and spiders (Araneae) were sampled by means of standard pitfall traps throughout the growing season of both cash crops. The roller crimper increased the overall abundance of ground beetles in the first growing season of both cash crops, whereas in the second year, no significant effect could be detected. Rove beetles were more abundant in plots where the cover crops were terminated by the roller crimper. Finally, green manuring increased the abundance of spiders, especially on the first sampling date after cover crop termination. Albeit different taxa showed different responses, the termination of cover crops by a roller crimper generally increased the abundance of ground dwelling arthropods. Given that most of the sampled species were generalist predators, their increased abundance could possibly improve biological control.

ACS Style

Laura DePalo; Giovanni Burgio; Serena Magagnoli; Daniele Sommaggio; Francesco Montemurro; Stefano Canali; Antonio Masetti. Influence of Cover Crop Termination on Ground Dwelling Arthropods in Organic Vegetable Systems. Insects 2020, 11, 445 .

AMA Style

Laura DePalo, Giovanni Burgio, Serena Magagnoli, Daniele Sommaggio, Francesco Montemurro, Stefano Canali, Antonio Masetti. Influence of Cover Crop Termination on Ground Dwelling Arthropods in Organic Vegetable Systems. Insects. 2020; 11 (7):445.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Laura DePalo; Giovanni Burgio; Serena Magagnoli; Daniele Sommaggio; Francesco Montemurro; Stefano Canali; Antonio Masetti. 2020. "Influence of Cover Crop Termination on Ground Dwelling Arthropods in Organic Vegetable Systems." Insects 11, no. 7: 445.

Journal article
Published: 09 May 2020 in Agronomy
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Sustainability of agricultural practices is one of the most important issues in organic agriculture and its assessment is crucial. To this aim, evaluating the balance between the energy inputs and outputs in crop rotations could be a valuable tool. Therefore, we compared different management strategies in a four-year organic cropping system, by estimating the energy balance of crop production. Two different living mulches with no-till (B1) and green manure (B2) were compared with a cropping system without cover crop (B3), performing both energy analysis and energy balance. Energy parameters were also evaluated. The energy input of fertilizers and water was more than 55% of the total energy required by the cropping systems, suggesting that these agronomic practices should be tailored by farmers to decrease total energy inputs. The potential energy output was significantly higher in the B1 than the B2 and B3 cropping systems (20% and 54%, respectively). Results indicated that B1 and B2 could enhance the energy outputs without negatively affecting the energy consumption, since these cropping systems also showed higher energy efficiency. The introduction of the cover crop as living mulch combined with no-till could be a powerful tool to enhance systems sustainability, without compromising the crop yields.

ACS Style

Francesco Montemurro; Alessandro Persiani; Mariangela Diacono. Cover Crop as Living Mulch: Effects on Energy Flows in Mediterranean Organic Cropping Systems. Agronomy 2020, 10, 667 .

AMA Style

Francesco Montemurro, Alessandro Persiani, Mariangela Diacono. Cover Crop as Living Mulch: Effects on Energy Flows in Mediterranean Organic Cropping Systems. Agronomy. 2020; 10 (5):667.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesco Montemurro; Alessandro Persiani; Mariangela Diacono. 2020. "Cover Crop as Living Mulch: Effects on Energy Flows in Mediterranean Organic Cropping Systems." Agronomy 10, no. 5: 667.

Journal article
Published: 10 April 2020 in Agronomy
Reads 0
Downloads 0

In sustainable or organic vineyard systems, the introduction of cover crops could represent a powerful tool for farmers to influence, positively, the agro-ecosystem by promoting the whole soil-plant system equilibrium. Concerning table grape production, nitrogen fertilizers are medium-high; for environmental aspects, organic viticulturists are more interested in legume inter-row cover crops. Research on cover crop effects was carried out in 2015–2016, on organic table grapes (the Sugranineteen variety) in Mediterranean conditions. Three inter-row soil management techniques were compared: (TR) inter-row spacing was cultivated with subterranean clover; (V) inter-row spacing with common vetch incorporated in the soil as green manure, and (RC) inter-row spacing with common vetch flattened by the roller crimper technique, making a living mulch. No significant difference was recorded in grapevine water status among the treatments. RC vines performed the highest net photosynthesis rate from shoot growth to veràison. Cover crops did not affect cluster weight, berry weight, and juice composition; however, they influenced berry detachment force. Our research findings confirmed that legume cover crops (subterranean clover and common vetch) increased soil organic matter and could represent an economic and sustainable soil use to reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizers applied in table grape production.

ACS Style

Luigi Tarricone; Giambattista DeBiase; Gianvito Masi; Giovanni Gentilesco; Francesco Montemurro. Cover Crops Affect Performance of Organic Scarlotta Seedless Table Grapes Under Plastic Film Covering in Southern Italy. Agronomy 2020, 10, 550 .

AMA Style

Luigi Tarricone, Giambattista DeBiase, Gianvito Masi, Giovanni Gentilesco, Francesco Montemurro. Cover Crops Affect Performance of Organic Scarlotta Seedless Table Grapes Under Plastic Film Covering in Southern Italy. Agronomy. 2020; 10 (4):550.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luigi Tarricone; Giambattista DeBiase; Gianvito Masi; Giovanni Gentilesco; Francesco Montemurro. 2020. "Cover Crops Affect Performance of Organic Scarlotta Seedless Table Grapes Under Plastic Film Covering in Southern Italy." Agronomy 10, no. 4: 550.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2020 in Scientia Agricola
Reads 0
Downloads 0

There is an increasing interest in the application of geophysical surveys to assess the soil water content (SWC) variation in both spatial and temporal scales. In this work, a geophysical survey was carried out at an experimental farm in dry and wet conditions. We determined the SWC data measured with the gravimetric method, apparent electrical conductivity by electromagnetic induction (EMI) and amplitude of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) data at different frequencies. Geophysical sensors are an efficient tool for soil mapping at high resolution; however; there is a need to improve the knowledge on their capabilities and limitations under field conditions, especially for GPR. The geophysical survey provides an example of the application of these techniques to evaluate the spatial variability of SWC in two different water conditions. The contribution of geophysical data in understanding the spatial variability of SWC was investigated applying both the traditional analysis and spatial techniques. The results indicated that the geophysical data captured the spatial variation of SWC in non-invasively way especially in dry condition. However, they also showed the complex interplay between factors controlling SWC and geophysical responses and the drawbacks of geophysical sensors under inhomogeneous water conditions. Our findings also highlighted that EMI survey provides the potential to map the SWC variability within a relatively short time. The results obtained in this research are important from the agronomical viewpoint, since they allow increasing efficiency of irrigation practices, which is important in times characterized by climate change.

ACS Style

Daniela De Benedetto; Francesco Montemurro; Mariangela Diacono. Repeated geophysical measurements in dry and wet soil conditions to describe soil water content variability. Scientia Agricola 2020, 77, 1 .

AMA Style

Daniela De Benedetto, Francesco Montemurro, Mariangela Diacono. Repeated geophysical measurements in dry and wet soil conditions to describe soil water content variability. Scientia Agricola. 2020; 77 (5):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniela De Benedetto; Francesco Montemurro; Mariangela Diacono. 2020. "Repeated geophysical measurements in dry and wet soil conditions to describe soil water content variability." Scientia Agricola 77, no. 5: 1.

Articles
Published: 18 December 2019 in Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems
Reads 0
Downloads 0

In a two-year experiment, agroecological service crops (ASCs) introduction before organic zucchini and lettuce vs no-ASCs (CT), and two ASCs termination strategies (green manure, GM vs roller crimper, NT) were compared. The objective was to assess the environmental sustainability in a Mediterranean environment. Agronomic performance, energy analysis and carbon footprint were assessed. Although lower zucchini and lettuce yields than GM, the NT strategy was more sustainable than GM and CT, showing energy efficiencyof 0.64, 0.31 and 0.13%, respectively, and showing the highest carbon stored in the soil. NT can reach a good compromise between crop production and impact of agricultural activities.

ACS Style

Mariangela Diacono; Alessandro Persiani; Elena Testani; Francesco Montemurro. Sustainability of agro-ecological practices in organic horticulture: yield, energy-use and carbon footprint. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems 2019, 44, 726 -746.

AMA Style

Mariangela Diacono, Alessandro Persiani, Elena Testani, Francesco Montemurro. Sustainability of agro-ecological practices in organic horticulture: yield, energy-use and carbon footprint. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems. 2019; 44 (6):726-746.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mariangela Diacono; Alessandro Persiani; Elena Testani; Francesco Montemurro. 2019. "Sustainability of agro-ecological practices in organic horticulture: yield, energy-use and carbon footprint." Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems 44, no. 6: 726-746.

Articles
Published: 19 November 2019 in Biological Agriculture & Horticulture
Reads 0
Downloads 0
ACS Style

Elena Testani; Francesco Montemurro; Corrado Ciaccia; Mariangela Diacono. Agroecological practices for organic lettuce: effects on yield, nitrogen status and nitrogen utilisation efficiency. Biological Agriculture & Horticulture 2019, 36, 84 -95.

AMA Style

Elena Testani, Francesco Montemurro, Corrado Ciaccia, Mariangela Diacono. Agroecological practices for organic lettuce: effects on yield, nitrogen status and nitrogen utilisation efficiency. Biological Agriculture & Horticulture. 2019; 36 (2):84-95.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Elena Testani; Francesco Montemurro; Corrado Ciaccia; Mariangela Diacono. 2019. "Agroecological practices for organic lettuce: effects on yield, nitrogen status and nitrogen utilisation efficiency." Biological Agriculture & Horticulture 36, no. 2: 84-95.

Journal article
Published: 15 October 2019 in Agronomy
Reads 0
Downloads 0

A growing interest in proximal sensing technologies for estimating soil water content (SWC) will be highlighted. On this matter the objectives of this study were: (1) to use both the combined electromagnetic induction (EMI) sensor and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to characterize an innovative field experiment located in southern Italy, in which different agricultural practices are tested, including a soil hydraulic arrangement; (2) to implement a geostatistical approach in order to merge different geophysical sensor data as auxiliary variables for SWC estimation. The multi-sensor recorded data were: (1) SWC data measured by gravimetric method; (2) Differential Global Positioning System height; (3) apparent electrical conductivity measured by an EMI sensor; (4) depths of soil discontinuities individuated by GPR radargrams interpretation; and (5) amplitude of GPR signal data at two different frequencies. Geostatistical techniques were used both to map all variables and improve the SWC estimation. The findings of this research indicate that: (1) the GPR radargrams identified four reflection events as a consequence of interfaces; (2) the EMI and GPR mapping provided identification of areas with high potential for water stagnation; and (3) the outputs of geophysical sensors can be effectively used as auxiliary tools to supplement the sampling of the target variable and to improve water content estimation.

ACS Style

Daniela De Benedetto; Francesco Montemurro; Mariangela Diacono. Mapping an Agricultural Field Experiment by Electromagnetic Induction and Ground Penetrating Radar to Improve Soil Water Content Estimation. Agronomy 2019, 9, 638 .

AMA Style

Daniela De Benedetto, Francesco Montemurro, Mariangela Diacono. Mapping an Agricultural Field Experiment by Electromagnetic Induction and Ground Penetrating Radar to Improve Soil Water Content Estimation. Agronomy. 2019; 9 (10):638.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniela De Benedetto; Francesco Montemurro; Mariangela Diacono. 2019. "Mapping an Agricultural Field Experiment by Electromagnetic Induction and Ground Penetrating Radar to Improve Soil Water Content Estimation." Agronomy 9, no. 10: 638.

Journal article
Published: 03 October 2019 in Applied Sciences
Reads 0
Downloads 0

In the last decade, there has been an increasing interest in sustainable agricultural techniques and the environmental evaluation of the effects of agricultural practices. In the present study, we evaluated both the production capacity of organic horticultural systems, and the ex-post sustainability through a new multi-attribute decision model named “DEXi-met”. This qualitative model is able to estimate the environmental sustainability of cropping systems managed with different agro-ecological approaches. In particular, we compared the following three horticultural systems: (i) ECO, an organic system with full implementation of agro-ecological strategies (agro-ecological services crops (ASC), strip cultivation, and organic amendment); (ii) GM, an organic system with the introduction of the ASC; (iii) NO ASC, an organic system without ASC. The treatments with ASC presence (ECO and GM) showed similar total energy outputs (substantially higher than the NO ASC), indicating the positive effect of this agro-ecological practice. The findings pointed out that the ECO system, which followed the principles of natural ecosystems, can contribute to building up more complex agro-ecosystems, increasing both resilience and biodiversity. This management strategy reached a good compromise between the production of vegetable cropping systems and environmental sustainability achievement. Then, it is possible to optimize the use of natural resources, support climate adaptation, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

ACS Style

Francesco Montemurro; Alessandro Persiani; Mariangela Diacono. Organic Vegetable Crops Managed with Agro-Ecological Practices: Environmental Sustainability Assessment by DEXi-met Decision Support System. Applied Sciences 2019, 9, 4148 .

AMA Style

Francesco Montemurro, Alessandro Persiani, Mariangela Diacono. Organic Vegetable Crops Managed with Agro-Ecological Practices: Environmental Sustainability Assessment by DEXi-met Decision Support System. Applied Sciences. 2019; 9 (19):4148.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesco Montemurro; Alessandro Persiani; Mariangela Diacono. 2019. "Organic Vegetable Crops Managed with Agro-Ecological Practices: Environmental Sustainability Assessment by DEXi-met Decision Support System." Applied Sciences 9, no. 19: 4148.

Journal article
Published: 12 July 2019 in Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The Circular Economy concept implies the re-design of existing production systems in agriculture, by promoting agricultural waste recycling. In an organic zucchini—lettuce rotation, two different agroecological tools were considered: biofertilizer and presence or absence of green manure (GM+ and GM−). In particular, we compared: (i) anaerobic digestate from cattle manure, co-composted with vegetable wastes, with the presence of GM (AD GM+); (ii) olive pomace compost, re-composted, with the presence of GM (OWC GM+); (iii) municipal waste compost with GM (MWC GM+); (iv) municipal waste compost without GM (MWC GM−). These materials were tested with a commercial organic fertilizer without GM (COF GM−) as a positive control. The objectives were: (i) assessing the environmental sustainability of biofertilizers through carbon footprint analysis by greenhouse gas—GHG—emissions; (ii) evaluating the agronomic performance on the vegetable rotation, by energy output assessment. The total carbon emissions of biofertilizers production was 63.9 and 67.0 kg of CO2 eq Mg−1 for AD and OWC, respectively. The co-composting and re-composting processes emitted 31.4 and 8.4 kg CO2 per Mg of compost, respectively. In AD the ventilation phase of composting accounted for 37.2% of total emissions. The total CO2 emission values for the two-crop cycles were the highest in COF GM− and the lowest in OWC GM+, due to different fertilizer sources. On the average of the treatments, the input that induced the highest CO2 emission was irrigation (37.9%). The energy output assessment for zucchini and lettuce highlighted similar performance for all the treatments. Our findings demonstrated the validity of the tested processes to recycle agro-industrial wastes, and the potential of agroecological practices (GM) to mitigate GHG emissions.

ACS Style

Mariangela Diacono; Alessandro Persiani; Elena Testani; Francesco Montemurro; Corrado Ciaccia. Recycling Agricultural Wastes and By-products in Organic Farming: Biofertilizer Production, Yield Performance and Carbon Footprint Analysis. Sustainability 2019, 11, 3824 .

AMA Style

Mariangela Diacono, Alessandro Persiani, Elena Testani, Francesco Montemurro, Corrado Ciaccia. Recycling Agricultural Wastes and By-products in Organic Farming: Biofertilizer Production, Yield Performance and Carbon Footprint Analysis. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (14):3824.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mariangela Diacono; Alessandro Persiani; Elena Testani; Francesco Montemurro; Corrado Ciaccia. 2019. "Recycling Agricultural Wastes and By-products in Organic Farming: Biofertilizer Production, Yield Performance and Carbon Footprint Analysis." Sustainability 11, no. 14: 3824.

Journal article
Published: 02 March 2019 in Agronomy
Reads 0
Downloads 0

A Multi-parent Advanced Generation Intercross (MAGIC) tomato population was developed by crossing eight founder lines chosen to include a wide range of variability. The lines were previously genotyped by a genotyping by sequencing approach. The MAGIC population was used to develop genotypes with important agronomic traits and to perform the Participatory Plant Breeding (PPB). Among the 400 plants of generation 4 (G4) of the MAGIC population cultivated in an organic field experiment, 22 individuals were phenotypically selected and a molecular analysis was done for both presence of resistance genes and fruit shape (marker assisted selection) on G5 seedlings. Three selected plants showed both the pyramiding gene of resistance to the main diseases and the ovate gene for pear shape typology. The 400 G10 stable lines that obtained from single seed descent will represent an important genetic resource for the tomato scientific community. The MAGIC population G4 was also cultivated in three organic farms located in North, Central and South Italy to carry out the PPB. The plants showed significant phenotypic differences in development, productivity and fruit color. This variability was used to select families of tomato adapted to low input crop management, different environments, agricultural practices and market conditions.

ACS Style

Gabriele Campanelli; Sara Sestili; Nazzareno Acciarri; Francesco Montemurro; Daniela Palma; Fabrizio Leteo; Massimiliano Beretta. Multi-Parental Advances Generation Inter-Cross Population, to Develop Organic Tomato Genotypes by Participatory Plant Breeding. Agronomy 2019, 9, 119 .

AMA Style

Gabriele Campanelli, Sara Sestili, Nazzareno Acciarri, Francesco Montemurro, Daniela Palma, Fabrizio Leteo, Massimiliano Beretta. Multi-Parental Advances Generation Inter-Cross Population, to Develop Organic Tomato Genotypes by Participatory Plant Breeding. Agronomy. 2019; 9 (3):119.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gabriele Campanelli; Sara Sestili; Nazzareno Acciarri; Francesco Montemurro; Daniela Palma; Fabrizio Leteo; Massimiliano Beretta. 2019. "Multi-Parental Advances Generation Inter-Cross Population, to Develop Organic Tomato Genotypes by Participatory Plant Breeding." Agronomy 9, no. 3: 119.

Journal article
Published: 22 October 2018 in Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Organic agriculture is perceived as environmentally sustainable, but, under its umbrella, different production systems exist ranging from simplified organic productions to well diversified systems with a full implementation of agro-ecological approaches. Among several developed tools for agriculture sustainability assessment, multi-criteria models are increasingly gaining importance. In this study, we evaluated the use of the multi-criteria DEXi-BIOrt tool, coupled with data from long-term experiments, for the sustainability assessment of different organic vegetable production scenarios. These scenarios were applied in two Italian areas: the Adriatic coast of Marche Region and the Metaponto plan of Basilicata Region. Despite the presence of some critical issues, DEXI-BIOrt proved to be a valid tool for the sustainability evaluation of organic vegetable productions. In both areas, the most sustainable scenarios resulted the well diversified organic systems characterized by proper rotations, inclusion of agro-ecological service crops, cultivation of local and different cultivars, and presence of short supply chain mechanisms. Conversely, the implementation of the simplified organic substitution scenarios does not guarantee a suitable level of sustainability. The findings of this study could support decision makers in the implementation of appropriate measures for enhancing organic production sustainability in the framework of post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy.

ACS Style

Ileana Iocola; Gabriele Campanelli; Mariangela Diacono; Fabrizio Leteo; Francesco Montemurro; Alessandro Persiani; Stefano Canali. Sustainability Assessment of Organic Vegetable Production Using a Qualitative Multi-Attribute Model. Sustainability 2018, 10, 3820 .

AMA Style

Ileana Iocola, Gabriele Campanelli, Mariangela Diacono, Fabrizio Leteo, Francesco Montemurro, Alessandro Persiani, Stefano Canali. Sustainability Assessment of Organic Vegetable Production Using a Qualitative Multi-Attribute Model. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (10):3820.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ileana Iocola; Gabriele Campanelli; Mariangela Diacono; Fabrizio Leteo; Francesco Montemurro; Alessandro Persiani; Stefano Canali. 2018. "Sustainability Assessment of Organic Vegetable Production Using a Qualitative Multi-Attribute Model." Sustainability 10, no. 10: 3820.

Research article
Published: 29 September 2018 in Environmental Science and Pollution Research
Reads 0
Downloads 0

In recent years, the massive exploitation of agricultural land intended to meet growing food demand has led to a reduction in soil fertility through the depletion of nutrients and organic matter. To implement sustainable agriculture, it is necessary to reduce soil tillage and use residual biomasses that are easily available in the region as soil amendments. Furthermore, it is important to test these residual biomasses in order to exclude a possible increase of heavy metals in soils due to the incorporation of the aforementioned biomasses. The current study aimed to evaluate the effects on soil fertility and health following the application of organic fertilizers combined with different soil tillage practices and the agronomic response of Brassica carinata A. (Braun). The soil tillage treatments consisted of conventional (CT) and minimum tillage (MT), whereas the fertilization treatments were mineral fertilizer (Nmin), municipal solid waste compost (Ncomp), mixed compost and mineral fertilizer (Nmix), and sewage sludge (Nss). These treatments were compared with an unfertilized control (N0). The Ncomp and Nss treatments enhanced soil fertility, increasing the organic carbon and available phosphorus concentrations compared with N0 and Nmin, whereas no significant difference was showed between the soil tillage treatments in terms of soil fertility. In addition, Nss did not show any significant difference compared to Nmin in terms of crop biomass, whereas this parameter appeared higher in CT compared with MT. A principal component analysis showed that the concentrations of toxic elements applied by the organic amendments did not change the dynamic equilibrium of the soil–plant system. Over the short term, the replacement of CT and Nmin with MT and Nss can be achieved, thus guaranteeing the sustainable cultivation of Brassica, without significant changes in heavy metal concentration in soil.

ACS Style

Giambattista DeBiase; Andreina Traversa; Francesco Montemurro; Marcello Mastrangelo; Angelo Fiore; Gianrocco Ventrella; Gennaro Brunetti. Minimum tillage and organic fertilization for the sustainable management of Brassica carinata A. (Braun) in the Mediterranean environment. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 2018, 25, 33556 -33565.

AMA Style

Giambattista DeBiase, Andreina Traversa, Francesco Montemurro, Marcello Mastrangelo, Angelo Fiore, Gianrocco Ventrella, Gennaro Brunetti. Minimum tillage and organic fertilization for the sustainable management of Brassica carinata A. (Braun) in the Mediterranean environment. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2018; 25 (33):33556-33565.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Giambattista DeBiase; Andreina Traversa; Francesco Montemurro; Marcello Mastrangelo; Angelo Fiore; Gianrocco Ventrella; Gennaro Brunetti. 2018. "Minimum tillage and organic fertilization for the sustainable management of Brassica carinata A. (Braun) in the Mediterranean environment." Environmental Science and Pollution Research 25, no. 33: 33556-33565.

Original article
Published: 07 July 2018 in Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems
Reads 0
Downloads 0

A 2-year field trial was carried out in a climate change context on organic tomato crop. The objectives were: (1) to study the best synergistic combination of a set of agro-ecological techniques, as potential adaptation strategies in Mediterranean environment [i.e.: soil surface shaping; crop rotations; cover crops introduction (barley, vetch and their mixture); cover crop termination techniques (roller crimper—RC vs green manure—GM) and organic fertilization]; (2) to evaluate the sustainability of these techniques by assessing energetic performance. In both years, the barley-RC and mixture-RC combinations reduced weeds fresh and dry weights. In 2014, the combination of commercial organic fertilizer and vetch gave both the highest tomato marketable and total yields (26.88 and 31.97 t ha−1, respectively). In 2015, these production parameters decreased by 30.7 and 35.4%, respectively compared to 2014, and GM-cover crop produced on average more than twice as much as RC-cover crop. The cover crop termination by RC reduced soil mineral N peak than GM treatment, at full flowering in particular in plots after vetch and in the mixture plots in 2014 and 2015 respectively, thus reducing the potential environmental impact by nitrate leaching. The highest energy consuming input was fertilizers (by 57%). The highest energy efficiency and net energy were found in the vetch-GM combination (with low fertilizer input). The research points out that agronomic practices must be fine-tuned to the specific pedoclimatic condition for an efficient use of energy. Moreover, agronomic input reduction is not only feasible, but also creates environmental benefits.

ACS Style

Mariangela Diacono; Alessandro Persiani; Stefano Canali; Francesco Montemurro. Agronomic performance and sustainability indicators in organic tomato combining different agro-ecological practices. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 2018, 112, 101 -117.

AMA Style

Mariangela Diacono, Alessandro Persiani, Stefano Canali, Francesco Montemurro. Agronomic performance and sustainability indicators in organic tomato combining different agro-ecological practices. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems. 2018; 112 (1):101-117.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mariangela Diacono; Alessandro Persiani; Stefano Canali; Francesco Montemurro. 2018. "Agronomic performance and sustainability indicators in organic tomato combining different agro-ecological practices." Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 112, no. 1: 101-117.

Journal article
Published: 22 June 2018 in Agronomy
Reads 0
Downloads 0

An increasing interest and sensitivity of consumers and public opinion toward high-quality food products obtained with environmentally-friendly production methods has recently been detected. To this end, one of the key roles could be played by an environmental evaluation of the crop production. This research was performed to test a new multi-attribute decision model (DEXi-met) that is able to estimate the environmental sustainability of different agronomic practices in horticultural rotations. The model was used at the cropping system level on the basis of data from a long-term experiment in organic horticulture. It was tested on different cropping managements under climate change conditions. The DEXi-met mixed model (qualitative and qualitative basic attributes) generated four aggregated attributes to assess sustainability indicators (production capacity, soil, water and resources preservation, and biodiversity conservation) and the overall environmental sustainability. The model validation indicated that the introduction of agro-ecological services crops can increase the environmental sustainability of an organic cropping systems by promoting the whole soil–plant system equilibrium. The application of this tool could help maximize the efficient use of agronomical practices and quantify their environmental sustainability. DEXi-met could help agricultural advisors and policymakers schedule their decisions to find the right compromise between crop yield increase and the impact of agricultural activities.

ACS Style

Francesco Montemurro; Alessandro Persiani; Mariangela Diacono. Environmental Sustainability Assessment of Horticultural Systems: A Multi-Criteria Evaluation Approach Applied in a Case Study in Mediterranean Conditions. Agronomy 2018, 8, 98 .

AMA Style

Francesco Montemurro, Alessandro Persiani, Mariangela Diacono. Environmental Sustainability Assessment of Horticultural Systems: A Multi-Criteria Evaluation Approach Applied in a Case Study in Mediterranean Conditions. Agronomy. 2018; 8 (7):98.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesco Montemurro; Alessandro Persiani; Mariangela Diacono. 2018. "Environmental Sustainability Assessment of Horticultural Systems: A Multi-Criteria Evaluation Approach Applied in a Case Study in Mediterranean Conditions." Agronomy 8, no. 7: 98.

Journal article
Published: 15 May 2018 in Italian Journal of Agronomy
Reads 0
Downloads 0

In organic horticultural systems, cover crops could provide several ecological services, therefore, they can be defined agroecological service crops (ASCs). The objective of this two-year research was to study the suitability on melon production of different ASC termination strategies, in combination with organic fertilisers application. In a split-block design, the main-plot was the ASC management, comparing: i) green manure, in which the vetch was chopped and plowed into the soil; and ii) roller-crimper (RC), in which the vetch was flattened by a roller-crimper; with iii) fallow control, without vetch. The subplot consisted of offfarm organic inputs: i) commercial humified fertiliser; ii) anaerobic digestate fertiliser; iii) composted municipal solid wastes; which were compared to iv) unfertilised control (N0). At vetch termination, above soil biomass and nitrogen (N) content were determined. At harvesting, crop yield performance and quality, N status and N efficiency were investigated. Also, main soil characteristics were assessed at the end of the trial. Among the ASC managements, the slightly reduced yield in the RC plots particularly in combination with N0 might have been the result of less N supplied by the vetch during the melon cycle. Anyway, no negative effects were observed for yield quality. The use of the RC showed a great potential in enhancing soil fertility. Our study suggests the suitability in organic farming of properly matching management of ASC and fertilisation strategies on melon crop.

ACS Style

Mariangela Diacono; Corrado Ciaccia; Stefano Canali; Angelo Fiore; Francesco Montemurro. Assessment of agro-ecological service crop managements combined with organic fertilisation strategies in organic melon crop. Italian Journal of Agronomy 2018, 172 -182.

AMA Style

Mariangela Diacono, Corrado Ciaccia, Stefano Canali, Angelo Fiore, Francesco Montemurro. Assessment of agro-ecological service crop managements combined with organic fertilisation strategies in organic melon crop. Italian Journal of Agronomy. 2018; ():172-182.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mariangela Diacono; Corrado Ciaccia; Stefano Canali; Angelo Fiore; Francesco Montemurro. 2018. "Assessment of agro-ecological service crop managements combined with organic fertilisation strategies in organic melon crop." Italian Journal of Agronomy , no. : 172-182.

Journal article
Published: 15 December 2017 in Agriculture
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of agro-ecological practices on soil losses, by assessing experimental field topography changes and cauliflower crop yield after an artificial extreme rainfall event. Data were collected in an innovative experimental device in which different combined agronomic strategies were tested such as hydraulic arrangement, crop rotations and agro-ecological service crops (ASC) introduction. The collection of elevation data was carried out in kinematic way before rainfall, and in punctual surveys to evaluate the effects of artificial event on this parameter. Non-parametric tests were performed to evaluate differences between samples. High-resolution digital elevation models were generated from independent data using kriging, and elevation difference maps were produced. The results indicated that the data before and after the artificial rainfall were statistically different. The raised strips suffered soil loss showing that the strip with permanent intercropping was higher than that in the absence of ASC. A significant rise of elevation was registered in the furrowed strips after rainfall, and deposition of soil occurred at the lowest areas of the experimental field. Moreover, the study showed a relationship between cash crop yield and elevation: the areas with lower elevation (higher flooding) were characterized by the lowest yield.

ACS Style

Daniela De Benedetto; Francesco Montemurro; Mariangela Diacono. Impacts of Agro-Ecological Practices on Soil Losses and Cash Crop Yield. Agriculture 2017, 7, 103 .

AMA Style

Daniela De Benedetto, Francesco Montemurro, Mariangela Diacono. Impacts of Agro-Ecological Practices on Soil Losses and Cash Crop Yield. Agriculture. 2017; 7 (12):103.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniela De Benedetto; Francesco Montemurro; Mariangela Diacono. 2017. "Impacts of Agro-Ecological Practices on Soil Losses and Cash Crop Yield." Agriculture 7, no. 12: 103.