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Paper

Sportelli M., Frasconi C., Fontanelli M., Pirchio M., Gagliardi L., Raffaelli M., Peruzzi A., Antichi D.

2022

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

TESTED TACTIC

Mechanical weeding

Thermal weeding

Cover crops

DSS

REFERENCE SYSTEM

NO-HERBICIDE

UNTREATED

DON'T KNOW

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

PILAR

Monitoring and evaluation

TACTICS

Mechanical weeding

Thermal weeding

Cover crops

DSS

CROPS

FIELD VEGETABLE CROPS

COUNTRY

Italy