The Mediterranean environment, characterized by poor soils, limited water availability, and increasing climatic stress, requires agronomic strategies oriented toward sustainability. Among them, the use of cover crops and the symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) may represent promising practices for improving soil ecosystem services and controlling weed flora. The experimental trials were conducted in Calabria (Southern Italy) on two vineyards and two bergamot orchards, either managed under organic or conventional crop management, within the framework of Horizon Europe project GOOD (AGrOecOlogy for weeDs). In each site, a randomized block experimental design with three replicates was adopted, by comparing three treatments: i) cover cropping with Vicia villosa Roth/Avena sativa L. inoculated with autochthonous AMF (CC-AMF); ii) cover cropping with V. villosa Roth/A. sativa L. without any inoculum (CC-noAMF); iii) an untreated control (UC). The cover crop was sown in November 2024; the mycorrhizal inoculum was applied directly at sowing time. In April, weed and cover crops monitoring consisted of the measurement of soil coverage (Braun-Blanquet scale), fresh and dried aboveground biomasses, and weed flora density. Statistical data analysis revealed an inverse relationship between cover crop coverage and weed density. In organic vineyards, CC-AMF and CC-noAMF had similar soil coverage percentages, in both cases with complete weed suppression than the UC. A similar pattern was observed in conventional vineyards, although lower values of aboveground cover crop biomass were experienced. In both the organically and conventionally managed bergamot orchard, CC-AMF well performed than CC-noAMF in terms of weed and cover crop aboveground biomass values. Overall, this research confirmed the synergistic effectiveness of cover crops and AMF in weed control, with more pronounced effects in organically management agroecosystems, and highlighted the importance of using integrated strategies to control the most resistant species, particularly Oxalis pes-caprae L. Future research should focus on the long-term impact of the studied treatments for their broad adoption in Mediterranean cropping systems.
Integration of cover crops and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for the sustainability of vineyards and citrus orchards in the Mediterranean environment
I. Pagliarani;M. Agnolucci;L. Avio;A. Turrini;
2025-01-01
Abstract
The Mediterranean environment, characterized by poor soils, limited water availability, and increasing climatic stress, requires agronomic strategies oriented toward sustainability. Among them, the use of cover crops and the symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) may represent promising practices for improving soil ecosystem services and controlling weed flora. The experimental trials were conducted in Calabria (Southern Italy) on two vineyards and two bergamot orchards, either managed under organic or conventional crop management, within the framework of Horizon Europe project GOOD (AGrOecOlogy for weeDs). In each site, a randomized block experimental design with three replicates was adopted, by comparing three treatments: i) cover cropping with Vicia villosa Roth/Avena sativa L. inoculated with autochthonous AMF (CC-AMF); ii) cover cropping with V. villosa Roth/A. sativa L. without any inoculum (CC-noAMF); iii) an untreated control (UC). The cover crop was sown in November 2024; the mycorrhizal inoculum was applied directly at sowing time. In April, weed and cover crops monitoring consisted of the measurement of soil coverage (Braun-Blanquet scale), fresh and dried aboveground biomasses, and weed flora density. Statistical data analysis revealed an inverse relationship between cover crop coverage and weed density. In organic vineyards, CC-AMF and CC-noAMF had similar soil coverage percentages, in both cases with complete weed suppression than the UC. A similar pattern was observed in conventional vineyards, although lower values of aboveground cover crop biomass were experienced. In both the organically and conventionally managed bergamot orchard, CC-AMF well performed than CC-noAMF in terms of weed and cover crop aboveground biomass values. Overall, this research confirmed the synergistic effectiveness of cover crops and AMF in weed control, with more pronounced effects in organically management agroecosystems, and highlighted the importance of using integrated strategies to control the most resistant species, particularly Oxalis pes-caprae L. Future research should focus on the long-term impact of the studied treatments for their broad adoption in Mediterranean cropping systems.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
