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Innovative crop and weed management strategies in organic spinach: machine performances and cultivation costs

FONTANELLI, DR. M.; FRASCONI, DR. C.; LULLI, DR. L.; ANTICHI, DR. D.; BIGONGIALI, DR. F.; CARLESI, DR. S.; BARBERI, PROF. P. and PERUZZI, PROF. A. (2008) Innovative crop and weed management strategies in organic spinach: machine performances and cultivation costs. 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

Weed competition is one of the most serious problems in vegetable crops. Physical and cultural methods represent the only adoptable solutions in organic farming systems. A two-year (2006-08) on-farm research is being carried out to test innovative operative machines for physical weed control on a typical vegetable crop sequence in the Arno Valley (Pisa, Italy). In this work we present the first results, obtained on organic fresh market spinach (Spinacia oleracea). The new strategy is compared with the standard crop and weed management system, characterised by the use of biodegradable maize starch mulch, and with a system in which the use of improved physical methods is coupled with the use of a subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) living mulch. Performances of the operative machines, labour time requirement and cultivation costs of the three crop and weed management systems are reported. The two innovative strategies showed interesting results, determining effective weed control and a significant reduction of costs for working and hand labour (-70%).


EPrint Type:Conference paper, poster, etc.
Type of presentation:Poster
Keywords:physical weed control, operative machines, vegetable crop rotation, fresh market spinach, biodegradable plastic mulch
Subjects: Crop husbandry > Weed management
Values, standards and certification > Assessment of impacts and risks
Research affiliation: International Conferences > 2008: IFOAM OWC: Research Track / ISOFAR > 8.2 Mediterranean crop production
Deposited By: Antichi, Dr. Daniele
ID Code:12315
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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