Multiple eco-efficiency solutions in tomatoes simulating biostimulant effects
Global agricultural systems are increasingly moving towards organic farming to satisfy consumers’ increased environmental awareness. Yet, shortage of fertilizers and more frequent water stresses are challenging agricultural systems to minimize their environmental impact without compromising producti...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Cleaner Environmental Systems |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666789424000035 |
| _version_ | 1797247710542168064 |
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| author | Teresina Mancuso Panagiotis Kalozoumis Anastasia Tampakaki Dimitrios Savvas Anastasios Gatsios Lucia Baldi Massimo Peri Maria Teresa Trentinaglia Jacopo Bacenetti |
| author_facet | Teresina Mancuso Panagiotis Kalozoumis Anastasia Tampakaki Dimitrios Savvas Anastasios Gatsios Lucia Baldi Massimo Peri Maria Teresa Trentinaglia Jacopo Bacenetti |
| author_sort | Teresina Mancuso |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Global agricultural systems are increasingly moving towards organic farming to satisfy consumers’ increased environmental awareness. Yet, shortage of fertilizers and more frequent water stresses are challenging agricultural systems to minimize their environmental impact without compromising productivity and economic sustainability. This study discusses how greenhouse organic tomato production behaves when multiple eco-sustainable solutions are applied. In particular, organic tomato cultivation was supported by a specific biostimulant treatment that included a microbial solution, based on Rhizobium, which was distributed onto faba bean seeds; once a suitable fava bean biomass had been obtained, the plants were chopped and incorporated into the soil in order to release nitrogen. In the trials considered, microbial solutions reduced organic tomato production costs by 5 %. Considering that fertilization accounted for up to 7 % of total production costs, a large-scale preparation of the microbial solution could trigger significant economic savings. The Life-Cycle Assessment shows that organic tomatoes, with a lower yield, have a lower environmental impact than conventional production only for 7 of the 15 evaluated impact categories. Combined agro-technical growing solutions are economically viable in the presence of yields in organic compared to conventional, and their environmental impact is attractive in both scenarios. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T09:01:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f40b30af17294ccca2b49dcd8c8d70cc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-7894 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T20:03:01Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cleaner Environmental Systems |
| spelling | doaj.art-f40b30af17294ccca2b49dcd8c8d70cc2024-03-24T07:01:55ZengElsevierCleaner Environmental Systems2666-78942024-03-0112100165Multiple eco-efficiency solutions in tomatoes simulating biostimulant effectsTeresina Mancuso0Panagiotis Kalozoumis1Anastasia Tampakaki2Dimitrios Savvas3Anastasios Gatsios4Lucia Baldi5Massimo Peri6Maria Teresa Trentinaglia7Jacopo Bacenetti8Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Braccini n. 2, Grugliasco, TO, ItalyLaboratory of Vegetable Crops, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855, Athens, GreeceLaboratory of Biological and Biotechnological Applications, Department of Agriculture, School of Agricultural Sciences, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 71004, Heraklion, GreeceLaboratory of Vegetable Crops, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855, Athens, GreeceLaboratory of Vegetable Crops, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855, Athens, GreeceDepartment of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, Milan, ItalyDepartment of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, Milan, ItalyDepartment of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, Milan, Italy; Corresponding author.Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, Milan, ItalyGlobal agricultural systems are increasingly moving towards organic farming to satisfy consumers’ increased environmental awareness. Yet, shortage of fertilizers and more frequent water stresses are challenging agricultural systems to minimize their environmental impact without compromising productivity and economic sustainability. This study discusses how greenhouse organic tomato production behaves when multiple eco-sustainable solutions are applied. In particular, organic tomato cultivation was supported by a specific biostimulant treatment that included a microbial solution, based on Rhizobium, which was distributed onto faba bean seeds; once a suitable fava bean biomass had been obtained, the plants were chopped and incorporated into the soil in order to release nitrogen. In the trials considered, microbial solutions reduced organic tomato production costs by 5 %. Considering that fertilization accounted for up to 7 % of total production costs, a large-scale preparation of the microbial solution could trigger significant economic savings. The Life-Cycle Assessment shows that organic tomatoes, with a lower yield, have a lower environmental impact than conventional production only for 7 of the 15 evaluated impact categories. Combined agro-technical growing solutions are economically viable in the presence of yields in organic compared to conventional, and their environmental impact is attractive in both scenarios.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666789424000035Organic tomatoesLCARhizobiumBiostimulantN fertiliserEconomic |
| spellingShingle | Teresina Mancuso Panagiotis Kalozoumis Anastasia Tampakaki Dimitrios Savvas Anastasios Gatsios Lucia Baldi Massimo Peri Maria Teresa Trentinaglia Jacopo Bacenetti Multiple eco-efficiency solutions in tomatoes simulating biostimulant effects Cleaner Environmental Systems Organic tomatoes LCA Rhizobium Biostimulant N fertiliser Economic |
| title | Multiple eco-efficiency solutions in tomatoes simulating biostimulant effects |
| title_full | Multiple eco-efficiency solutions in tomatoes simulating biostimulant effects |
| title_fullStr | Multiple eco-efficiency solutions in tomatoes simulating biostimulant effects |
| title_full_unstemmed | Multiple eco-efficiency solutions in tomatoes simulating biostimulant effects |
| title_short | Multiple eco-efficiency solutions in tomatoes simulating biostimulant effects |
| title_sort | multiple eco efficiency solutions in tomatoes simulating biostimulant effects |
| topic | Organic tomatoes LCA Rhizobium Biostimulant N fertiliser Economic |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666789424000035 |
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