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The objective of this study was to compare the results of calcimetric and dry combustion methods for quantitative estimation of soil total inorganic carbon (TIC). To this aim, 117 soil samples from three localities in the Mediterranean area (one in Spain and two in Southern Italy), representing a wide range of total inorganic carbon contents (ranging from 1.9 to 54 g 100 g−1), were collected. TIC (expressed as CaCO3) was quantified using the volumetric calcimeter method, as reference, and dry combustion in order to find an accurate and rapid method, suitable for different types of soils. The results revealed a concordance between the two methods compared, as shown by the recovery values close to one, for the whole data set and for data grouped per experimental site. Specifically, the dry combustion method showed slightly greater values of TIC compared to volumetric method, probably due to soil acid pretreatments, in dry combustion, and to an incomplete decomposition of carbonates that would require more time for removal, in a calcimeter method. Linear regression equations between the two methods were not affected by different soil types. Overall, our study demonstrated that the dry combustion was a reliable method and could provide accurate estimates of TIC in soils with different calcium carbonate content.
Rita Leogrande; Carolina Vitti; Mirko Castellini; Marcello Mastrangelo; Francisco Pedrero; Gaetano Vivaldi; Anna Stellacci. Comparison of Two Methods for Total Inorganic Carbon Estimation in Three Soil Types in Mediterranean Area. Land 2021, 10, 409 .
AMA StyleRita Leogrande, Carolina Vitti, Mirko Castellini, Marcello Mastrangelo, Francisco Pedrero, Gaetano Vivaldi, Anna Stellacci. Comparison of Two Methods for Total Inorganic Carbon Estimation in Three Soil Types in Mediterranean Area. Land. 2021; 10 (4):409.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRita Leogrande; Carolina Vitti; Mirko Castellini; Marcello Mastrangelo; Francisco Pedrero; Gaetano Vivaldi; Anna Stellacci. 2021. "Comparison of Two Methods for Total Inorganic Carbon Estimation in Three Soil Types in Mediterranean Area." Land 10, no. 4: 409.
Organic agriculture can contribute to maintain the long-term sustainability of the agroecosystems, preserve and improve soil quality and guarantee good quality food products. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of different organic fertilizers and a biostimulant on crop performance and soil properties. The research was performed in an experimental farm in Southern Italy and covered a 2-year rotation of lentil and durum wheat for a period of 4 years. An organic commercial fertilizer and a compost, obtained from municipal wastes, with and without a commercial biostimulant, were compared in a randomized complete block design. The results showed that compost, as the only nutrient source, did not significantly decrease lentil and wheat grain yields, even though, in 2011 and 2012, wheat grain quality was better with the organic commercial fertilizer. Probably, the mineralization rate of compost, depending also on environmental conditions, and, consequently, the nutrient availability was not enough to meet the needs of wheat crop. Biostimulant significantly increased the straw yield of lentil by 20% and the weight of 1000 seeds of wheat by 4%. At the end of the experiment, the compost, applied at low doses, significantly increased soil TOC content (+ 3.4%) compared to the organic commercial fertilizers. Conversely, the biostimulant seemed to have no effect on the soil properties. Overall, under the local Mediterranean conditions, the compost may be used as an alternative nutrient source, with positive effects for lentil and wheat productivity, economic sustainability and soil fertility.
Rita Leogrande; Carolina Vitti; Alessandro Vittorio Vonella; Domenico Ventrella. Crop and Soil Response to Organic Management Under Mediterranean Conditions. International Journal of Plant Production 2019, 14, 209 -220.
AMA StyleRita Leogrande, Carolina Vitti, Alessandro Vittorio Vonella, Domenico Ventrella. Crop and Soil Response to Organic Management Under Mediterranean Conditions. International Journal of Plant Production. 2019; 14 (2):209-220.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRita Leogrande; Carolina Vitti; Alessandro Vittorio Vonella; Domenico Ventrella. 2019. "Crop and Soil Response to Organic Management Under Mediterranean Conditions." International Journal of Plant Production 14, no. 2: 209-220.
Rita Leogrande; Carolina Vitti. Use of organic amendments to reclaim saline and sodic soils: a review. Arid Land Research and Management 2018, 33, 1 -21.
AMA StyleRita Leogrande, Carolina Vitti. Use of organic amendments to reclaim saline and sodic soils: a review. Arid Land Research and Management. 2018; 33 (1):1-21.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRita Leogrande; Carolina Vitti. 2018. "Use of organic amendments to reclaim saline and sodic soils: a review." Arid Land Research and Management 33, no. 1: 1-21.
A field experiment was carried out in Southern Italy from 2007 to 2010 adopting a two-year rotation of tomato and maize. In this paper, the results of maize cultivation were reported, with the aim to investigate the effects of different water qualities and fertilizers on yield and soil properties. The following treatments were compared: mineral nitrogen (N) fertilizer and irrigation with fresh water (FWF); mineral N fertilizer and irrigation with saline water (SWF); Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) compost and irrigation with fresh water (FWC); MSW compost and irrigation with saline water (SWC). These treatments were compared with an unfertilized control and irrigation with fresh-water (FW0) and an unfertilized control and irrigation with saline water (SW0). At harvest, yield, grain moisture content, dry matter, grain protein, starch, fat content and soil characteristics were determined. The treatments with compost increased the average grain yield of the 11% compared to mineral fertilizer treatments. Furthermore, the grain yield in SWC increased of the 19% respect to average of SWF and SW0, indicating that MSW compost applied as amendment mitigated the adversely effects of saline water. Compost application significantly increased the Total Organic Carbon (TOC). In particular, the FWC and SWC treatments showed an average increase of the 25% compared to the mean TOC value of FWF and SWF. Moreover, at the end of the experiment, electrical conductivity decreased in SWC treatment respect to the SWF (−21%).
Rita Leogrande; Carolina Vitti; Ornella Lopedota; Domenico Ventrella; Francesco Montemurro; Leogrande Rita; Vitti Carolina; Lopedota Ornella; Ventrella Domenico; Montemurro Francesco. Saline Water and MSW Compost: Effects on Yield of Maize Crop and Soil Responses. Journal of Plant Nutrition 2016, 39, 1863 -1873.
AMA StyleRita Leogrande, Carolina Vitti, Ornella Lopedota, Domenico Ventrella, Francesco Montemurro, Leogrande Rita, Vitti Carolina, Lopedota Ornella, Ventrella Domenico, Montemurro Francesco. Saline Water and MSW Compost: Effects on Yield of Maize Crop and Soil Responses. Journal of Plant Nutrition. 2016; 39 (13):1863-1873.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRita Leogrande; Carolina Vitti; Ornella Lopedota; Domenico Ventrella; Francesco Montemurro; Leogrande Rita; Vitti Carolina; Lopedota Ornella; Ventrella Domenico; Montemurro Francesco. 2016. "Saline Water and MSW Compost: Effects on Yield of Maize Crop and Soil Responses." Journal of Plant Nutrition 39, no. 13: 1863-1873.
Carolina Vitti; Anna Maria Stellacci; Rita Leogrande; Marcello Mastrangelo; Eugenio Cazzato; Domenico Ventrella. Assessment of organic carbon in soils: a comparison between the Springer–Klee wet digestion and the dry combustion methods in Mediterranean soils (Southern Italy). CATENA 2016, 137, 113 -119.
AMA StyleCarolina Vitti, Anna Maria Stellacci, Rita Leogrande, Marcello Mastrangelo, Eugenio Cazzato, Domenico Ventrella. Assessment of organic carbon in soils: a comparison between the Springer–Klee wet digestion and the dry combustion methods in Mediterranean soils (Southern Italy). CATENA. 2016; 137 ():113-119.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCarolina Vitti; Anna Maria Stellacci; Rita Leogrande; Marcello Mastrangelo; Eugenio Cazzato; Domenico Ventrella. 2016. "Assessment of organic carbon in soils: a comparison between the Springer–Klee wet digestion and the dry combustion methods in Mediterranean soils (Southern Italy)." CATENA 137, no. : 113-119.
A field experiment was carried out in southern Italy to investigate the effects of irrigation and salinity on a maize crop and soil properties. The experiment was laid out comparing different irrigation rates (I1, I2, I3—re-establishing 50, 75 and 100% of the calculated maximum evapotranspiration) and water quality (FW, fresh water and SW, saline water).Grain yield was significantly greater by 60% in 2008 than in 2010. No significant difference was shown for grain yield between the irrigation treatments, whereas water productivity decreased significantly with increasing irrigation rates. Irrigation with saline water did not significantly reduce grain yield compared with fresh water, but it improved grain quality with higher protein content (9.1%) and lower grain moisture percentage (13.3%).Saline water determined a significant increase of saturated soil paste extract Na, ECe, SAR, some exchangeable cations and ESP compared with FW in both years. Furthermore, at the end of the experiment these parameters were lower than those at the end of the first maize crop. Lastly, in the saline treatment, at the end of the trial, the ECe and ESP values were below the critical threshold for soil salinization and/or sodification. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.RésuméUne expérience de plein champs a été mené au sud de l'Italie pour étudier les effets de l'irrigation et de la salinité sur la culture de maïs et sur les propriétés du sol. Cette étude a pour objectif de comparer différents taux d'irrigation (I1, I2, I3—correspondant à 50, 75 et 100% de l'évapotranspiration maximale calculée) et différentes qualités de l'eau (FW, eau douce et SW, eau salée).En 2008, la production en grains a augmenté de manière significative de 60% par rapport à l'année 2010. Par contre, aucune différence significative n'a été observée pour la production en grains pour les traitements d'irrigation, alors que la productivité de l'eau a diminué de façon significative avec les taux d'irrigation les plus élevés. L'irrigation avec l'eau saline n'a pas réduit de façon significative la production en grain par comparaison avec l'eau douce, mais a amélioré la qualité du grain, avec teneur en protéines la plus élevée (9.1%) et le plus faible pourcentage d'humidité du grain (13.3%).L'eau salée a entrainé une augmentation significative de l'extrait de pâte saturée du sol, Na, ECe, SAR, certains cations échangeables et ESP, par rapport à l'eau douce, durant les deux ans. En outre, à la fin de l'expérience, ces paramètres ont montré des valeurs plus basses par rapport à la fin de la première récolte de maïs. En tout cas, avec le traitement salin, et à la fin de l'essai, ECe et ESP étaient au-dessous du seuil de salinité critique et/ou de sodification des sols.
Rita Leogrande; Carolina Vitti; Ornella Lopedota; Domenico Ventrella; Francesco Montemurro. Effects of Irrigation Volume and Saline Water On Maize Yield and Soil in Southern Italy. Irrigation and Drainage 2016, 65, 243 -253.
AMA StyleRita Leogrande, Carolina Vitti, Ornella Lopedota, Domenico Ventrella, Francesco Montemurro. Effects of Irrigation Volume and Saline Water On Maize Yield and Soil in Southern Italy. Irrigation and Drainage. 2016; 65 (3):243-253.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRita Leogrande; Carolina Vitti; Ornella Lopedota; Domenico Ventrella; Francesco Montemurro. 2016. "Effects of Irrigation Volume and Saline Water On Maize Yield and Soil in Southern Italy." Irrigation and Drainage 65, no. 3: 243-253.
Within the Project MO.NA.CO. the Environmental effectiveness of GAEC cross-compliance standard 2.2 ‘Maintaining the level of soil organic matter through management of stubble and crop residues’ and economic evaluation of the competitiveness gap for farmers were evaluated. The monitoring was performed in eight experimental farms of the Council for agricultural research and economics (CREA), distributed throughout Italy and with different soil and climatic conditions. Yield parameters and several components of soil organic matter were evaluated in two contrasting treatments applied to one-year rotation of winter durum wheat and maize: i) incorporation into the soil of crop residues (Factual treatment) and ii) burning or removal of crop residues (Counterfactual treatment). The application of the standard ‘crop residue management’ has showed contrasting results with differences (for yield and soil) between the two treatments resulted almost always non significant. The analysis of economic competitiveness gap showed that the CR incorporation is more expensive than CR burning or removal, but the economic disadvantage can be considered rather small and thus easily compensated by Community aids. Therefore, the soil incorporation of crop residues can be considered a ‘good agricultural practice’ that does not penalize farmers in terms of production and cost and at the same time contributes to the maintenance of fertility and soil biodiversity. On the contrary, the removal and burning of residues result in a low or no-addition of organic matter into the soil. Moreover, burning can contribute to decrease the biodiversity and to increase the risk of air pollution, fires and road accidents.
Domenico Ventrella; Nino Virzì; Francesco Intrigliolo; Massimo Palumbo; Michele Cambrea; Alfio Platania; Fabiola Sciacca; Stefania Licciardello; Antonio Troccoli; Mario Russo; Rosa Francaviglia; Ulderico Neri; Margherita Falcucci; Giampiero Simonetti; Olimpia Masetti; Ginaluca Renzi; Marisanna Speroni; Lamberto Borrelli; Giovanni Cabassi; Luigi Degano; Roberto Fuccella; Francesco Savi; Paolo Tagliabue; Marco Fedrizzi; Roberto Fanigliulo; Mauro Pagano; Giulio Sperandio; Mirko Guerrieri; Daniele Puri; Francesco Montemurro; Vittorio Alessandro Vonella; Luisa Giglio; Francesco Fornaro; Mirko Castellini; Rita Leogrande; Carolina Vitti; Marcello Mastrangelo; Angelo Fiore; Mariangela Diacono; Francesca Chiarini; Francesco Fracasso; Erica Sartori; Antonio Barbieri; Francesco Fagotto; Paolo Bazzoffi. Environmental effectiveness of GAEC cross-compliance standard 2.1 ‘Maintaining the level of soil organic matter through management of stubble and crop residues’ and economic evaluation of the competitiveness gap for farmers. Italian Journal of Agronomy 2015, 10, 1 .
AMA StyleDomenico Ventrella, Nino Virzì, Francesco Intrigliolo, Massimo Palumbo, Michele Cambrea, Alfio Platania, Fabiola Sciacca, Stefania Licciardello, Antonio Troccoli, Mario Russo, Rosa Francaviglia, Ulderico Neri, Margherita Falcucci, Giampiero Simonetti, Olimpia Masetti, Ginaluca Renzi, Marisanna Speroni, Lamberto Borrelli, Giovanni Cabassi, Luigi Degano, Roberto Fuccella, Francesco Savi, Paolo Tagliabue, Marco Fedrizzi, Roberto Fanigliulo, Mauro Pagano, Giulio Sperandio, Mirko Guerrieri, Daniele Puri, Francesco Montemurro, Vittorio Alessandro Vonella, Luisa Giglio, Francesco Fornaro, Mirko Castellini, Rita Leogrande, Carolina Vitti, Marcello Mastrangelo, Angelo Fiore, Mariangela Diacono, Francesca Chiarini, Francesco Fracasso, Erica Sartori, Antonio Barbieri, Francesco Fagotto, Paolo Bazzoffi. Environmental effectiveness of GAEC cross-compliance standard 2.1 ‘Maintaining the level of soil organic matter through management of stubble and crop residues’ and economic evaluation of the competitiveness gap for farmers. Italian Journal of Agronomy. 2015; 10 (1):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDomenico Ventrella; Nino Virzì; Francesco Intrigliolo; Massimo Palumbo; Michele Cambrea; Alfio Platania; Fabiola Sciacca; Stefania Licciardello; Antonio Troccoli; Mario Russo; Rosa Francaviglia; Ulderico Neri; Margherita Falcucci; Giampiero Simonetti; Olimpia Masetti; Ginaluca Renzi; Marisanna Speroni; Lamberto Borrelli; Giovanni Cabassi; Luigi Degano; Roberto Fuccella; Francesco Savi; Paolo Tagliabue; Marco Fedrizzi; Roberto Fanigliulo; Mauro Pagano; Giulio Sperandio; Mirko Guerrieri; Daniele Puri; Francesco Montemurro; Vittorio Alessandro Vonella; Luisa Giglio; Francesco Fornaro; Mirko Castellini; Rita Leogrande; Carolina Vitti; Marcello Mastrangelo; Angelo Fiore; Mariangela Diacono; Francesca Chiarini; Francesco Fracasso; Erica Sartori; Antonio Barbieri; Francesco Fagotto; Paolo Bazzoffi. 2015. "Environmental effectiveness of GAEC cross-compliance standard 2.1 ‘Maintaining the level of soil organic matter through management of stubble and crop residues’ and economic evaluation of the competitiveness gap for farmers." Italian Journal of Agronomy 10, no. 1: 1.
Within the Project MO.NA.CO was evaluated the Environmental effectiveness of GAEC cross-compliance standard 2.2 “Maintaining the level of soil organic matter through crop rotation” and economic evaluation of the competitiveness gap for farmers who support or not the cross-compliance regime. The monitoring was performed in nine experimental farms of the Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA) distributed throughout Italy and with different soil and climatic conditions. Were also evaluated the soil organic matter and some yield parameters, in a cereal monocropping (treatment counterfactual) and a two-year rotation cereal-legume or forage (treatment factual). The two-years application of the standard “crop rotations” has produced contrasting results with regards to the storage of soil organic matter through crop rotation and these were not sufficient to demonstrate a statistically significant effect of treatment in any of the farms considered in monitoring, only in those farms subjected to more years of monitoring was recorded only a slight effect of the standard as a trend. The variations of organic matter in soils in response to changes in the culture technique or in the management of the soil may have long lag times and two years of time are not sufficient to demonstrate the dynamics of SOM associated with the treatment, also in consideration of the large inter annual variability recorded in different monitored sites.
Lamberto Borrelli; Roberta Farina; Paolo Bazzoffi; Antonio Melchiorre Carroni; Paola Ruda; Mauro Salis; Silvia Carnevale; Andrea Rocchini; Nino Virzì; Francesco Intrigliolo; Massimo Palumbo; Michele Cambrea; Alfio Platania; Fabiola Sciacca; Stefania Licciardello; Antonio Troccoli; Mario Russo; Marisanna Speroni; Giovanni Cabassi; Luigi Degano; Roberto Fuccella; Francesco Savi; Rosa Francaviglia; Ulderico Neri; Margherita Falcucci; Giampiero Simonetti; Olimpia Masetti; Gianluca Renzi; Domenico Ventrella; Vittorio Alessandro Vonella; Luisa Giglio; Francesco Fornaro; Rita Leogrande; Carolina Vitti; Marcello Mastrangelo; Francesco Montemurro; Angelo Fiore; Mariangela Diacono; Lorenzo Furlan; Francesca Chiarini; Francesco Fracasso; Erica Sartori; Antonio Barbieri; Francesco Fagotto; Marco Fedrizzi; Giulio Sperandio; Mauro Pagano; Roberto Fanigliulo; Mirko Guerrieri; Daniele Puri; Michele Colauzzi. Environmental effectiveness of GAEC cross-compliance standard 2.2 "Maintaining the level of soil organic matter through crop rotation" and economic evaluation of the competitiveness gap for farmers. Italian Journal of Agronomy 2015, 10, 1 .
AMA StyleLamberto Borrelli, Roberta Farina, Paolo Bazzoffi, Antonio Melchiorre Carroni, Paola Ruda, Mauro Salis, Silvia Carnevale, Andrea Rocchini, Nino Virzì, Francesco Intrigliolo, Massimo Palumbo, Michele Cambrea, Alfio Platania, Fabiola Sciacca, Stefania Licciardello, Antonio Troccoli, Mario Russo, Marisanna Speroni, Giovanni Cabassi, Luigi Degano, Roberto Fuccella, Francesco Savi, Rosa Francaviglia, Ulderico Neri, Margherita Falcucci, Giampiero Simonetti, Olimpia Masetti, Gianluca Renzi, Domenico Ventrella, Vittorio Alessandro Vonella, Luisa Giglio, Francesco Fornaro, Rita Leogrande, Carolina Vitti, Marcello Mastrangelo, Francesco Montemurro, Angelo Fiore, Mariangela Diacono, Lorenzo Furlan, Francesca Chiarini, Francesco Fracasso, Erica Sartori, Antonio Barbieri, Francesco Fagotto, Marco Fedrizzi, Giulio Sperandio, Mauro Pagano, Roberto Fanigliulo, Mirko Guerrieri, Daniele Puri, Michele Colauzzi. Environmental effectiveness of GAEC cross-compliance standard 2.2 "Maintaining the level of soil organic matter through crop rotation" and economic evaluation of the competitiveness gap for farmers. Italian Journal of Agronomy. 2015; 10 (1s):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLamberto Borrelli; Roberta Farina; Paolo Bazzoffi; Antonio Melchiorre Carroni; Paola Ruda; Mauro Salis; Silvia Carnevale; Andrea Rocchini; Nino Virzì; Francesco Intrigliolo; Massimo Palumbo; Michele Cambrea; Alfio Platania; Fabiola Sciacca; Stefania Licciardello; Antonio Troccoli; Mario Russo; Marisanna Speroni; Giovanni Cabassi; Luigi Degano; Roberto Fuccella; Francesco Savi; Rosa Francaviglia; Ulderico Neri; Margherita Falcucci; Giampiero Simonetti; Olimpia Masetti; Gianluca Renzi; Domenico Ventrella; Vittorio Alessandro Vonella; Luisa Giglio; Francesco Fornaro; Rita Leogrande; Carolina Vitti; Marcello Mastrangelo; Francesco Montemurro; Angelo Fiore; Mariangela Diacono; Lorenzo Furlan; Francesca Chiarini; Francesco Fracasso; Erica Sartori; Antonio Barbieri; Francesco Fagotto; Marco Fedrizzi; Giulio Sperandio; Mauro Pagano; Roberto Fanigliulo; Mirko Guerrieri; Daniele Puri; Michele Colauzzi. 2015. "Environmental effectiveness of GAEC cross-compliance standard 2.2 "Maintaining the level of soil organic matter through crop rotation" and economic evaluation of the competitiveness gap for farmers." Italian Journal of Agronomy 10, no. 1s: 1.
Rita Leogrande; Ornella Lopedota; Carolina Vitti; Domenico Ventrella; Francesco Montemurro. Saline water and municipal solid waste compost application on tomato crop: Effects on plant and soil. Journal of Plant Nutrition 2015, 39, 491 -501.
AMA StyleRita Leogrande, Ornella Lopedota, Carolina Vitti, Domenico Ventrella, Francesco Montemurro. Saline water and municipal solid waste compost application on tomato crop: Effects on plant and soil. Journal of Plant Nutrition. 2015; 39 (4):491-501.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRita Leogrande; Ornella Lopedota; Carolina Vitti; Domenico Ventrella; Francesco Montemurro. 2015. "Saline water and municipal solid waste compost application on tomato crop: Effects on plant and soil." Journal of Plant Nutrition 39, no. 4: 491-501.
An inadequate replacement of organic matter in agricultural lands progressively leads to soil fertility reduction and therefore, soil application of organic fertilizers and amendments should be promoted. The objectives of this 3-year research project on organic lettuce were to investigate the agronomic performance of experimental organic amendments obtained by using agro-industrial wastes in comparison with a commercial organic fertilizer, and to evaluate their short-term effects on soil mineral-N and soil organic carbon changes. Two types of olive pomace mixtures, with different initial C/N ratios, were composted and either stopped at the active phase (A1 and B1) or processed until maturation (A2 and B2). Also an anaerobic digestate (DA) and the B2 in combination with mineral fertilizer (B2-MIN) were studied. The four composts, DA and B2-MIN were compared with a commercial organic fertilizer (Org), and an unfertilized control (N0). Results suggested that the best compromise for organic lettuce yield and soil fertility could be obtained with the B2 compost, thus highlighting the need for choosing a good stage of maturity of the compost, along with an appropriate C/N ratio of composting mixture, to improve the fertilizing efficiency of agro-food residues in organic farming. Furthermore, the application of immature amendments did not increase (B1) or significantly reduce (A1) marketable lettuce yield, indicating that the choice of organic fertilizer is an important concern in sustainable agriculture, especially in organic vegetable production.
Francesco Montemurro; Corrado Ciaccia; Rita Leogrande; Francesco Giovanni Ceglie; Mariangela Diacono. Suitability of different organic amendments from agro-industrial wastes in organic lettuce crops. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 2015, 102, 243 -252.
AMA StyleFrancesco Montemurro, Corrado Ciaccia, Rita Leogrande, Francesco Giovanni Ceglie, Mariangela Diacono. Suitability of different organic amendments from agro-industrial wastes in organic lettuce crops. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems. 2015; 102 (2):243-252.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFrancesco Montemurro; Corrado Ciaccia; Rita Leogrande; Francesco Giovanni Ceglie; Mariangela Diacono. 2015. "Suitability of different organic amendments from agro-industrial wastes in organic lettuce crops." Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 102, no. 2: 243-252.
A three-year field experiment was carried out in Mediterranean conditions to study the effects of different irrigations and organic fertilizers on yield, quality and nitrogen utilization of eggplant crop and on soil properties. In a split-plot design, two irrigation treatments (re-establishing 100% and 50% of the calculated maximum evapotranspiration) and four fertilizer treatments (mineral fertilizer, commercial stable manure, anaerobic digestate and municipal solid waste compost) were compared. The highest water volume increased significantly the total and marketable yield, the number of marketable fruits, the dry matter of fruits and the nitrogen-use efficiency with respect to the treatment with the lowest irrigation. Nevertheless, the same treatment decreased significantly the fruit dry matter percentage and total soluble solid content. The lowest water volume led to an improvement of fruit quality. Anaerobic digestate increased significantly the total and marketable yield and dry matter compared with compost. Harvest index, nitrogen harvest index, pH, acidity and total soluble solids did not show significant differences among all fertilizer treatments. N translocation ability of plants and fruit quality were not influenced by the type of fertilizer. At the end of experiment, anaerobic digestate and compost reached the highest levels of soil total organic carbon and humic and fulvic acids content. Besides, anaerobic digestate increased the total extractable carbon, phosphorus and nitrogen content compared to all other treatments. Soil copper, nickel and lead content in all treatments enhanced compared to that at the beginning of experiment, but this accumulation did not represent a possible environmental risk. The content of heavy metals in the soil, after 3 years of application, did not exceed the limits imposed by the Italian law. This study showed that the organic wastes, after being adequately processed, could be applied successfully in agriculture especially in arid environments, characterized by quick mineralization and very low organic matter content.
Rita Leogrande; Ornella Lopedota; Carolina Vitti; Domenico Ventrella; Francesco Montemurro. Effects of irrigation volumes and organic fertilizers on eggplant grown in Mediterranean environment. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B — Soil & Plant Science 2014, 64, 518 -528.
AMA StyleRita Leogrande, Ornella Lopedota, Carolina Vitti, Domenico Ventrella, Francesco Montemurro. Effects of irrigation volumes and organic fertilizers on eggplant grown in Mediterranean environment. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B — Soil & Plant Science. 2014; 64 (6):518-528.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRita Leogrande; Ornella Lopedota; Carolina Vitti; Domenico Ventrella; Francesco Montemurro. 2014. "Effects of irrigation volumes and organic fertilizers on eggplant grown in Mediterranean environment." Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B — Soil & Plant Science 64, no. 6: 518-528.
A three-year field experiment (2006–2008) was carried out in Mediterranean conditions to study the effects of organic fertilizers application on yield performance and plant nitrogen (N) status of melon crops. Soil properties at the end of experiment were further investigated. In a strip-plot experimental design, two irrigations and the following four fertilizer treatments were compared: mineral fertilizer (Min); commercial stable manure (Org); anaerobic digestate (WDD); composted municipal solid organic wastes (SUW). The results showed no statistical differences among the four different treatments on melon yields. Conversely, the highest irrigation treatment showed a significantly higher total yield (34%) and fruits number (26%). During cropping cycles, the Min treatment reached the highest mean nitrate content with an increase of about 59% and 154% respectively compared with Org and mean of WDD and SUW. The WDD and SUW significantly increased soil total, extracted and humified organic carbon of the 14, 22 and 12% compared with Min. Among treatments, no significant difference was found for heavy metals excepted for Cu, which reached the highest level in WDD treatment.
Ornella Lopedota; Rita Leogrande; Angelo Fiore; Giambattista DeBiase; Francesco Montemurro. YIELD AND SOIL RESPONSES OF MELON GROWN WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIC FERTILIZERS. Journal of Plant Nutrition 2013, 36, 415 -428.
AMA StyleOrnella Lopedota, Rita Leogrande, Angelo Fiore, Giambattista DeBiase, Francesco Montemurro. YIELD AND SOIL RESPONSES OF MELON GROWN WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIC FERTILIZERS. Journal of Plant Nutrition. 2013; 36 (3):415-428.
Chicago/Turabian StyleOrnella Lopedota; Rita Leogrande; Angelo Fiore; Giambattista DeBiase; Francesco Montemurro. 2013. "YIELD AND SOIL RESPONSES OF MELON GROWN WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIC FERTILIZERS." Journal of Plant Nutrition 36, no. 3: 415-428.
The use of organic amendments in agriculture could sustain crop production and preserve the agroecosystem, due to their importance in the conservation of organic matter in soil. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of differing organic fertilizers and of previous crops on lettuce growth, nutritional status and yields. The effects on soil characteristics were further investigated. The research was carried out during two years (2006 and 2007) at Metaponto (MT) in southern Italy, on lettuce crops cultivated after eggplant and melon to avoid their continuous cropping. The effects of application of a mineral fertilizer (MF), and of three treatments with organic fertilizers (commercial stable manure - OM; anaerobic digestate based on wine distillery wastewater - AD; composted municipal solid organic wastes coming from the separate collection - MSW) were studied. Head average weight, leaf area index, nitrate content and SPAD readings during the cropping cycles did not show significant differences among fertilizer treatments. On the contrary, marketable yield and head average weight at the harvest presented significantly different among the three organic fertilizers. The average marketable yield and head average weight of organic fertilizers experimental (AD and MSW treatments) decreased of 16 and 17%, respectively, compared to OM treatment. The previous melon crop influenced positively all analyzed parameters of the lettuce compared with previous eggplant crop. The previous melon crop reached the highest marketable yield with an increase of 59% compared with previous eggplant crop. Compared to the mineral fertilizer, the organic ones significantly increased the extracted fraction of soil organic carbon (6.9, 10.7 and 14.9% for OM, AD and MSW, respectively), without significant changes for the humic and fulvic content.
Rita Leogrande; Ornella Lopedota; Angelo Fiore; Carolina Vitti; Domenico Ventrella; Francesco Montemurro. PREVIOUS CROPS AND ORGANIC FERTILIZERS IN LETTUCE: EFFECTS ON YIELDS AND SOIL PROPERTIES. Journal of Plant Nutrition 2013, 36, 1945 -1962.
AMA StyleRita Leogrande, Ornella Lopedota, Angelo Fiore, Carolina Vitti, Domenico Ventrella, Francesco Montemurro. PREVIOUS CROPS AND ORGANIC FERTILIZERS IN LETTUCE: EFFECTS ON YIELDS AND SOIL PROPERTIES. Journal of Plant Nutrition. 2013; 36 (13):1945-1962.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRita Leogrande; Ornella Lopedota; Angelo Fiore; Carolina Vitti; Domenico Ventrella; Francesco Montemurro. 2013. "PREVIOUS CROPS AND ORGANIC FERTILIZERS IN LETTUCE: EFFECTS ON YIELDS AND SOIL PROPERTIES." Journal of Plant Nutrition 36, no. 13: 1945-1962.
A field experiment was conducted in Mediterranean conditions to evaluate the effects of different irrigation volumes and water quality on yield performance of tomato crop. The tomato crop was irrigated re-establishing 50 (I1), 75 (I2) and 100% (I3) of the crop evapotranspiration (ETc) with two water quality: fresh water with EC 0.9 dS m-1 (FW) and saline water with EC 6 dSm-1 (SW). At harvest, total and marketable yield, weight, number, , total soluble solids (TSS) and dry matter of fruit were calculated, The results showed no statistical differences among the three different irrigation volumes on tomato yield and quality. The salinity treatment did not affect yield, probably because the soil salinity in the root zone on average remained below the threshold of tomato salt tolerance. Instead, salinity improved fruit quality parameters as dry matter and TSS by 13 and 8 %, respectively. After the first field application of saline water, soil saturated extract cations (SSEC), electrical conductivity of soil paste extract (ECe), sodium absorption ratio (SAR) and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) cations increased; the largest increase of cations, in particular of Na, occurred in the top layer. At the end of the experiment, the absolute value of SSEC, ECe and SAR, for all the effects studied, were lower than those recorded in 2007. This behavior was suitable to the reduced volumes of treatments administered in 2009 in respect to the 2007. Furthermore, the higher total rainfall recorded in 2009 increased the leaching and downward movement of salts out of the sampling depth.
Rita Leogrande; Ornella Lopedota; Francesco Montemurro; Carolina Vitti; Domenico Ventrella. Effects of irrigation regime and salinity on soil characteristics and yield of tomato. Italian Journal of Agronomy 2012, 7, 8 .
AMA StyleRita Leogrande, Ornella Lopedota, Francesco Montemurro, Carolina Vitti, Domenico Ventrella. Effects of irrigation regime and salinity on soil characteristics and yield of tomato. Italian Journal of Agronomy. 2012; 7 (1):8.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRita Leogrande; Ornella Lopedota; Francesco Montemurro; Carolina Vitti; Domenico Ventrella. 2012. "Effects of irrigation regime and salinity on soil characteristics and yield of tomato." Italian Journal of Agronomy 7, no. 1: 8.