Relation between environmental quality and agricultural production
2004
Fagnano, M.; Quaglietta Chiarandà, F. (Naples Univ., Portici (Italy). Dipartimento di Ingegneria Agraria e Agronomia del Territorio)
Main problems of air, water and soil quality in Italy are discussed, with particular attention to their effects on crop yield and to effects of cropping systems on environmental quality. The main research methods and the still open questions which need further research activities are also reported. The aspect of air quality more dangerous for vegetation is tropospheric ozone pollution. Ozone, modifying stomata functioning and photosynthesis, can reduce yield up to 40% in the more sensitive species. There is still uncertainty about interaction with other stresses typical of Mediterranean area (heat, drought and salt) which could influence crop responses to ozone pollution. As regards water quality, salinity is the problem which mainly can reduce crop yields in Italy, reducing gas exchanges and leaf area. There is still uncertainty about estimation methods of damages and management techniques to reduce salt injuries to crops. Agricultural activity can damage water quality mainly through nitrate leaching due to wrong fertilisation techniques. Soil quality is at the same time cause and effect of agriculture activity. Problems due to wrong cropping systems which then influence the total soil fertility are very spread. Soil organic matter decrease mainly influences a series of processes which interact with agricultural activity: soil structure stability, erosion, chemical fertility and biological activity. From a scientific point of view, a very stimulating topic is definition and modelling of interactions and cross resistance among different stresses. These interactions are very important in Mediterranean environments, in which different stresses often happen at the same lime: drought, salt, heat, radiative and oxidative stress
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