Cover Crops and Manure Combined with Commercial Fertilizers Differently Affect Yield and Quality of Processing Tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) Organically Grown in Puglia

Mariano Fracchiolla, Massimiliano Renna, Miriana Durante, Giovanni Mita, Francesco Serio and Eugenio Cazzato
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Mariano Fracchiolla: Department of Agricultural and Environmental Science, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70126 Bari, Italy
Massimiliano Renna: Department of Agricultural and Environmental Science, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70126 Bari, Italy
Miriana Durante: Institute of Sciences of Food Production (ISPA), CNR, Via Lecce-Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Giovanni Mita: Institute of Sciences of Food Production (ISPA), CNR, Via Lecce-Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Francesco Serio: Institute of Sciences of Food Production (ISPA), CNR, National Research Council of Italy, 70126 Bari, Italy
Eugenio Cazzato: Department of Agricultural and Environmental Science, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70126 Bari, Italy

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 11, issue 8, 1-10

Abstract: Nitrogen is crucial for the productivity of agricultural systems, although there is a growing demand for alternative cultural practices that reduce the off-farm inputs of this fertilizer. Cover crops provide a suite of services; among these, they can affect soil nitrogen content. In addition, the use of manure can contribute to a decrease in nitrogen loads from external inputs. The aim of this study was to evaluate, in processing tomato grown under an organic system, the combined use of cover crops (i.e., Vicia faba var. minor , Triticum aestivum , and Raphanus sativus ) or cattle manure, with reduced rates of commercial nitrogen fertilizers. The yield and some important qualitative characteristics of the tomato fruits were considered. V. faba was able to enhance the effects of the external input of nitrogen with respect to the yield. External inputs increased tocopherol content with respect to the control but only when it was integrated with manure. The content of carotenoids was not affected by commercial fertilizer alone; however, when it was supplied in addition to cattle manure or incorporation of R. sativus , a decrease in β-carotene was observed. Moreover, lycopene also decreased when T. aestivum or R. sativus were used as cover crops. We conclude that the sowing of nitrogen-fixing cover crops or the use of manure are good strategies for combining internal and external inputs for the sustainable production of processing tomato.

Keywords: ecological intensification; carotenoids; fruit color; nitrogen fertilization; external input; commercial fertilizers; Raphanus sativus; tocopherols; Triticum aestivum; Vicia faba (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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