Are Cover Crops Affecting the Quality and Sustainability of Fruit Production?

Giovanna Giacalone, Cristiana Peano, Deborah Isocrono and Francesco Sottile
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Giovanna Giacalone: Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (DISAFA), University of Torino, Largo Paolo Braccini, 3, 10195 Grugliasco, Italy
Cristiana Peano: Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (DISAFA), University of Torino, Largo Paolo Braccini, 3, 10195 Grugliasco, Italy
Deborah Isocrono: Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (DISAFA), University of Torino, Largo Paolo Braccini, 3, 10195 Grugliasco, Italy
Francesco Sottile: Department of Architecture (DARCH), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 11, 90128 Palermo, Italy

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 11, issue 12, 1-10

Abstract: The study of the interaction between fruit trees and cover crops has been addressed in numerous works over the last 50 years or more, evidencing the need to evolve from a productive orchard to an orchard that plays different ecosystem roles in terms of environmental sustainability rather than just productivity. This review, through an analysis of the scientific literature since the 1950s, highlights the development of sustainable soil management models in fruit tree orchards, mostly considering the relationship with fruit quality traits and with the ecosystem services that result from the adoption of cover crops, aiming at identifying and formulating technical recommendations in perennial orchards. Cover crop management surely improves soil features and positively influences fruit quality in perennial woody species, but also helps to develop a better habitat for beneficial insects, thus influencing pollination. A large number of scientific approaches highlight the beneficial use of a mixture of seeds in order to enhance biodiversity, aiming at improving ecosystem services for a transition towards more sustainable systems based on agroecological management.

Keywords: cover crops; fruit orchards; quality; sustainability; ecosystem services (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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