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Strawberry Living Mulch in an Organic Vineyard

Neri, Davide; Polverigiani, Serena; Zucchini, Matteo; Giorgi, Veronica; Marchionni, Fabio and Jebu Mia, Md (2021) Strawberry Living Mulch in an Organic Vineyard. Agronomy, 11 (11), pp. 2-11.

[thumbnail of agronomy-11-01643.pdf] PDF - Published Version - English
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Document available online at: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/8/1643


Summary in the original language of the document

A living mulch system can provide beneficial biodiversified phytocoenoses and spatial
competition against weeds; however, it may also compete for water with the main cultivated crop
under Mediterranean climate conditions. Strawberries employed as living mulch in a rain-fed hill
vineyard of central Italy were evaluated for two years through a participative approach involving the
farmer. A local wild strawberry was propagated by stolons to obtain small plantlets easily uprooted
after the summer and then transplanted to a one-year-old vineyard. The densities of two and four
strawberry plants per grapevine were compared with no living mulch in a randomized complete
block design. A horizontal blade weeder was used once a year in all treatments. The results showed
that strawberries as living mulch plus application of a blade weeder avoided the need for further soil
tillage and assured a full soil cover during winter for both initial planting densities. The strawberry
living mulch did not alter the grapevine transpiration during an incident of water stress in summer.
Moreover, the yield per vine and the grape quality were comparable with those of the soil without
living mulch. The growth of strawberry mulch was relevant in the area surrounding the vines.
Furthermore, the living mulch guaranteed a constant soil cover reducing the risk for soil erosion
while increasing the vineyard’s biological diversity. This may imply a higher resilience.


EPrint Type:Journal paper
Keywords:phytocoenosis; weed management; soil cover; Fragaria vesca; sustainability
Agrovoc keywords:
Language
Value
URI
English
UNSPECIFIED
UNSPECIFIED
Subjects: Soil > Soil quality
Crop husbandry > Crop combinations and interactions
Soil > Soil quality > Soil biology
Crop husbandry > Production systems > Fruit and berries
Crop husbandry > Crop health, quality, protection
Crop husbandry > Weed management
Crop husbandry > Production systems > Fruit and berries > Viticulture
Research affiliation: European Union > CORE Organic > CORE Organic Cofund > Domino
Deposited By: Ponzio, Dr Carlo
ID Code:42398
Deposited On:27 Sep 2021 08:34
Last Modified:27 Sep 2021 08:34
Document Language:English
Status:Published
Refereed:Peer-reviewed and accepted

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