Effetti della coltivazione di piante aromatiche sulla conservazione del carbonio organico e della fertilità biologica del suolo: il caso studio di due ambienti della Regione Lazio
Author(s)
Lucibelli, Andrea
Date Issued
July 29, 2020
Type
Doctoral Thesis
Abstract
The effect of the biennial cropping of 4 medicinal species (MAPs) on soil fertility were studied in
two sites of Lazio, a mountain and a coastal one, respectively, by comparing 3 fertilizers and a
control. The microbial activity of soils was monitored before MAPs cultivation (with and without
fertilizers at the initial time T0) and after the 1st farming year (time T1, with fertilization and
plants). The comparison of soil microbial activity (microbial C, microbial Respiration) and soil
organic matter content (SOM) before (T0), during (T1) and after two crop years (T2) allowed to
evaluate the impact of cropping MAPs on Total Organic C (TOC) of the soil. The mapping
processing of data allowed the spatio-temporal evaluation of the total TOC and N content of the soil during the 2 farming years. MAPs cropping did not affect the C/N ratio, but determined a decrease of SOM and inhibited the microbial growth, with a lower soil microbial size sustaining the
physiological activity. A not destructive method was also developed to determine the MAPs canopy cover using downward-looking photography. The method was effective on 3 MAP species. In conclusion, results showed that the impact of MAPs cropping and fertilization on soil fertility
depends on soil and climate conditions. Therefore, for sustainable cropping of MAPs, for SOM
conservation, it is necessary to balance organic inputs specific for the soil-climate environment.
Additional information
Dottorato di ricerca in Scienze delle produzioni vegetali e animali
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