Innovative Living Mulch Management Strategies for Organic Conservation Field Vegetables: Evaluation of Continuous Mowing, Flaming, and Tillage Performances

By rest-user, 18 October, 2023
Authors
Sportelli M., Frasconi C., Fontanelli M., Pirchio M., Gagliardi L., Raffaelli M., Peruzzi A., Antichi D.
Year
2022
IWM Tactic
Mechanical weeding
Thermal weeding
Cover crops
DSS
DOI
10.3390/agronomy12030622
URL
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85125844474&doi=10.3390%2fagronomy12030622&partnerID=40&md5=7328199b0a3e8c6ceaef9e8c701d90d4
Country
Italy
Crop
FIELD VEGETABLE CROPS
Description of Tested Tactic
No till + Autonomous continuos mowing (living mulch management); No till Flaming (Living mulch management)
No till in living mulch managed with mowing (autonomous mower); No till in living mulch managed with flaming.
The aim of this trial was to evaluate the suitability and efficiency of three different organic farming management systems. Specifically, tests have been carried out on a 2 yr crop rotation of a fall–winter growing cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L.var botrytis) and spring–summer growing eggplants (Solanum melongena L.) planted on a conventional tillage system (TILL), an LM-based system managed with flaming (LM-FL), and an LM-based system managed with an autonomous mower (LM-AM).
mulching, mowing, mechanical methods, flaming
Description of Reference System
Bare soil and 2 pass Inter-row cultivation
No living mulch tillage interow cultivations
Control treatment without cover crop
yield, energy consumption, weed cover
Reference System Type
NO-HERBICIDE
UNTREATED
DON'T KNOW
IWM Pillar
Monitoring and evaluation
Availability
Free