An analysis of agricultural sustainability of cropping systems in arable and dairy farms in an intensively cultivated plain |
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| Authors: | Mattia Fumagalli Marco Acutis Fabrizio Mazzetto Francesco Vidotto Guido Sali Luca Bechini |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Plant Production, University of Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, Italy;2. Institute of Agricultural Engineering, University of Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, Italy;3. Department of Agronomy, Forest and Land Management, University of Torino, Via Leonardo da Vinci 44, 10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy;4. Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Agro-alimentary Economics and Policy, University of Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, Italy;1. School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, United Kingdom;2. On-Farm Research Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Kushtia, Bangladesh;1. Institute for Agricultural and Earthmoving Machines (IMAMOTER), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Strada delle Cacce, 73, 10135 Torino, Italy;2. Dipartimento di Scienze Economico-Sociali e Matematico-Statistiche, University of Torino, Torino, Italy;3. Institute for Economic Research on Firm and Growth (CERIS-CNR), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Moncalieri, Italy;4. The Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT), United Nations University, Maastricht, The Netherlands;1. College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China;2. Key Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation (Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtze River), Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan 430070, China;1. Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Social Sciences Unit, Agricultural and Farm Development, Burg. Van Gansberghelaan 115, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium;2. Ghent University, Department of Agricultural Economics, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium;3. University of Antwerp, Ecosystem Management Research Group and IMDO, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium;1. Institute of Agronomy, Genetics and Field Crops, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy;2. STU Unit, JRC-IET – European Commission, Westerduinweg 3, 1755LE Petten, The Netherlands;3. ENEA–Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and the Environment, Via Anguillarese 301, Rome, Italy |
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| Abstract: | In Lombardy region (northern Italy) agricultural systems are mostly based on cereals and forage crops, and are normally intensively cultivated. To monitor and analyse the most important agri-environmental issue of this area (water pollution by nitrates and plant protection products, non-renewable fossil energy exploitation, weed dynamics), we conducted an integrated agronomic, environmental and economic assessment of arable and dairy farming using indicators.The structural and management data about farming and cropping systems were collected by periodic interviews over a 3-year period in seven (three arable and four dairy) representative farms.The nitrogen surplus calculated at field scale ranged from low (27 kg N ha?1) to high (339 kg N ha?1) values, depending by the amount of chemical and organic fertilisers applied. Fossil inputs ranged from 11.2 to 46.0 GJ ha?1; the highest values were due to the high use of machinery and chemical inputs. The efficiency factor in energy transformation (an indicator of the dependence of food and feed production on non-renewable energy) ranged from 5.0 to 12.2. Large variability was also observed for economic performance (gross margin; from -364 to 1078 € ha?1). The lowest values were observed where the total costs of production (fixed and variable) were elevated. The simplification of cropping systems was responsible for a high probability of weed populations development. The values of Load Index, an indicator describing the potential toxicity of plant protection products on non-target organisms, showed an elevated use of active substances due to the dominance of maize.The indicator-based assessment, founded on a relatively simple data collection procedure, described crop management by combining different aspects into few quantities and highlighted its critical environmental issues. The work represents a starting point for improving cropping system management in the study area; the same procedure could be re-applied if data about improved management scenarios were available. |
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