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Diversified Arable Cropping Systems and Management Schemes in Selected European Regions Have Positive Effects on Soil Organic Carbon Content

Author

Listed:
  • Rosa Francaviglia

    (Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), 00184 Rome, Italy)

  • Jorge Álvaro-Fuentes

    (Estación Experimental de Aula Dei, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), 50059 Zaragoza, Spain)

  • Claudia Di Bene

    (Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), 00184 Rome, Italy)

  • Lingtong Gai

    (Soil Physics and Land Management Department, Wageningen University (WUR), 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands)

  • Kristiina Regina

    (Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE), 31600 Jokioinen, Finland)

  • Eila Turtola

    (Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE), 31600 Jokioinen, Finland)

Abstract

In the last few decades, various crop diversification strategies and management practices have been promoted to improve or at least maintain environmental quality and agroecosystem services. We conducted a data-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of alternatives for crop diversification and environmentally friendly farming management for arable crops in four selected European pedoclimatic regions and typical cropping systems in the Atlantic, Boreal, Mediterranean North, and Mediterranean South regions. The dataset was retrieved from 38 references and included data on site-specific environmental conditions, soil tillage, crop rotation, fertilization, and final soil organic carbon content (SOC). No tillage (NT) was more effective (7%) in increasing SOC content than minimum tillage (MT) across the studied depths (from 5 to 40 cm). Conservation tillage as whole, including NT, MT, and rotational tillage (RT) positively affected SOC content in the top 10 cm (28%) in comparison with conventional tillage (CT). Compared to monoculture, longer crop rotations (3–5 years) and the introduction of legumes resulted in higher increases in SOC contents (18%), that were higher in semiarid conditions (11%) than under humid and sub-humid climates (3.2%). The effect of fertilization on SOC contents was higher in the Mediterranean North region (28%), and organic fertilization showed the highest increases (25%) compared to the control with mineral fertilization. Higher increases in SOC contents with tillage and fertilization management were found in sites with lower SOC contents in the control treatment (conventional tillage and mineral fertilization respectively). The data analysis indicated that various European arable agroecosystems benefit both from diversified cropping systems and the adoption of environmentally friendly farming management and are thereby capable to increase SOC contents.

Suggested Citation

  • Rosa Francaviglia & Jorge Álvaro-Fuentes & Claudia Di Bene & Lingtong Gai & Kristiina Regina & Eila Turtola, 2019. "Diversified Arable Cropping Systems and Management Schemes in Selected European Regions Have Positive Effects on Soil Organic Carbon Content," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-18, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:9:y:2019:i:12:p:261-:d:297348
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Rosa Francaviglia & Claudia Di Bene, 2019. "Deficit Drip Irrigation in Processing Tomato Production in the Mediterranean Basin. A Data Analysis for Italy," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-14, April.
    2. Alexander Wezel & Margriet Goris & Janneke Bruil & Georges F. Félix & Alain Peeters & Paolo Bàrberi & Stéphane Bellon & Paola Migliorini, 2018. "Challenges and Action Points to Amplify Agroecology in Europe," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-12, May.
    3. Belcher, K. W. & Boehm, M. M. & Fulton, M. E., 2004. "Agroecosystem sustainability: a system simulation model approach," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 79(2), pages 225-241, February.
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    3. Shahin Nozari & Luboš Borůvka, 2023. "The effects of slope and altitude on soil organic carbon and clay content in different land-uses: A case study in the Czech Republic," Soil and Water Research, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 18(3), pages 204-218.
    4. Bernardo Martin-Gorriz & José A. Zabala & Virginia Sánchez-Navarro & Belén Gallego-Elvira & Víctor Martínez-García & Francisco Alcon & José Francisco Maestre-Valero, 2022. "Intercropping Practices in Mediterranean Mandarin Orchards from an Environmental and Economic Perspective," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-17, April.
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