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Can Organic Farming Contribute to Carbon Sequestration? A Survey in a Pear Orchard in Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy

Ciavatta, C.; Gioacchini, P. and Montecchio, D. (2008) Can Organic Farming Contribute to Carbon Sequestration? A Survey in a Pear Orchard in Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy. Poster at: Cultivating the Future Based on Science: 2nd Conference of the International Society of Organic Agriculture Research ISOFAR, Modena, Italy, June 18-20, 2008.

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Summary

The effect of organic fertilisation on the level of total organic carbon (TOC) in an 18-years old pear orchard (cv. Abate Fetel) was evaluated vs. a conventional pear orchard mineral fertilized (control). In both orchards soil samples (Typic Udochrept loamy soil) were taken at two depths (0-15 and 30-50 cm) along the row (tilled and mainly amended with compost) and in the inter-row space (grassed with different Graminaceae species in the organic orchard, bare in the conventional orchard). The area (elevation 20 m), located in Bologna province, Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy), is characterised by mean annual temperature 13.1 °C and rainfall around 750 mm.
In the horizon 0-15 cm of the row an increase of about 14 tons ha-1 of TOC has been calculated after 18-years of cultivation and amendment compared to the control soil, which had received just mineral fertilisation. A significant increase of TOC (about 6.3 tons ha-1) was also measured in the top layer (0-15 cm) in the grassed inter-row, where this C sink is exclusively due to the cover crop. A survey of the role of organic vs. conventional farming on soil C sink/source is started in 2007 in 8 typical organic orchard farms located in Emilia-Romagna Region and it is still running.


EPrint Type:Conference paper, poster, etc.
Type of presentation:Poster
Keywords:Organic Carbon Sequestration, Organic farming, Pear orchard
Subjects: Soil > Nutrient turnover
Research affiliation: International Conferences > 2008: IFOAM OWC: Research Track / ISOFAR > 2.1 Soil fertility
Deposited By: Tommasini, Dr M.Grazia
ID Code:12101
Deposited On:23 Sep 2008
Last Modified:12 Apr 2010 07:36
Document Language:English
Status:Published
Refereed:Peer-reviewed and accepted
Additional Publishing Information:This paper is published in the conference proceedings:
Neuhoff, Daniel; Halberg, Niels; Alfldi, Thomas; Lockeretz, William; Thommen, Andreas; Rasmussen, Ilse A.; Hermansen, John; Vaarst, Mette; Lck, Lorna; Carporali, Fabio; Jensen, Henning Hgh; Migliorini, Paola and Willer, Helga, Eds. (2008) .Cultivating the Future Based on Science. Proceedings of the Second Scientific Conference of the International Society of Organic Agriculture Research (ISOFAR), held at the 16th IFOAM Organic World Congress in Cooperation with the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) and the Consorzio ModenaBio, 18 . 20 June 2008 in Modena, Italy.. International Society of Organic Agriculture Research (ISOFAR), c/o IOL, DE-Bonn, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, CH-Frick. http://orgprints.org/13672 and http://orgprints.org/13674

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