Reduction of Agronomic Inputs in Sunflower (Helianthus Annuus L.)

Abstract

A two-year field study was carried out in a Mediterranean environment (Foggia, Southern Italy) to assess the effects of two soil tillage depths (conventional and minimum tillage) and three strategies of nitrogen (N) fertilization (organic, mixed, mineral) on the growth, biometric parameters, yielding and qualitative characteristics of sunflower cropped with durum wheat in a two-year rotation. The fertilizer treatments applied were: 100com, with Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) compost; 100mix, with organic N (MSW compost) and mineral N; 100slow, with a slow release organic-mineral fertilizer; 100min and 50min, with mineral N; unfertilized control (Contr). The results obtained during the trial period have shown that the minimum soil tillage, MSW compost fertilization (as 100com and 100mix) and conservative practices were able to give good quantitative and qualitative responses. Furthermore, no increase of heavy metals has been found in the plots treated with MSW compost application. © 2005, by Walter de Gruyter Berlin/Boston. All rights reserved.