Agroecological practices for organic lettuce: effects on yield, nitrogen status and nitrogen utilisation efficiency

In this study, a field experiment was carried out on organic lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. longifolia Lam.). It was conducted in a coastal area of Southern Italy characterised by extreme rainfall events and temporary flooding of the soil, which usually occur after very dry summers. A vetch cover crop was grown before the lettuce and a conservative termination strategy, i.e. flattening by the no-till roller crimper method, was compared with the traditional green manure practice and a no-vetch control. In addition, different organic fertilisers were tested to sustain soil fertility