Soil quality of organically managed citrus orchards in the Mediterranean area.

Summary

Soil quality can be defined as the capacity of a soil to function, whilst maintaining the environmental quality and promoting plant and animal health. It also refers to the capability of soil to function at present and in the future for an indefinite period of time. Soil quality is a basic concept in the sustainable management of any agricultural system aimed at producing, avoiding or reducing negative effects on the environment, preserving resources and saving energy on a medium- or long-term basis and its assessment might be considered a means for the evaluation of the environmental sustainability of agricultural systems. A study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the contribution of the introduction of organic farming system to the environmental sustainability of citrus production in southern Italy, with the assessment of soil quality of conventionally and organically managed citrus orchards. The study was carried out by a field survey, based on a comparative approach at a regional basis and by a farm-level experimental trial. The results obtained indicate an increase of the soil quality on organically managed citrus orchards, thus indicating that the introduction of an organic farming management system may contribute to the increase of the environmental sustainability of citrus production in southern Italy.