Abstract
Agricultural biodiversity and related agro-ecological measures can help agro-ecosystems adapt to climate variability while supporting crop production. This study assessed combinations of techniques intended to improve resilience in Mediterranean organic horticultural systems.
The work used a long-term experimental platform designed to study climate adaptation in organic farming through coordinated hydraulic arrangements, crop rotations, agro-ecological service crops and agronomic practices. The reported season focused on a cauliflower and tomato rotation.
The preliminary findings indicate that organic vegetable systems designed around agro-ecological principles can maintain cash-crop yields under the temperature and rainfall variability observed at the study site. Continued measurements were expected to support a more integrated assessment of the techniques and their interactions.
Strategies assessed
- A ridge-and-furrow hydraulic arrangement intended to manage field water.
- Cash-crop rotations structured for the organic production system.
- Introduction of agro-ecological service crops within the rotation.
- Comparison of green manure and roller-crimper methods for terminating service crops.
- Organic fertilisation integrated with conservation-oriented field practices.
Study context
The experimental framework brought individual practices together rather than evaluating climate adaptation as a single intervention. Its design allowed researchers to consider how water movement, crop sequence, soil cover, residue management and nutrient inputs interact over time.
The research described the reasoning behind the experimental setup, explained its main components and presented preliminary crop-yield observations. Longer-term data were identified as necessary for examining the wider agronomic and ecological effects of the combined measures.
Keywords
Agro-ecological service crops; crop rotations; cover-crop termination; living mulch; long-term experiment; organic fertilisation.
