Setting up new globe artichoke cropping systems to save resources and increase agronomic sustainability

Conventional crop management systems are increasing environmental risks through common practices including the excessive use of fertilizers, poor soil coverage, repeated cultivation, and excessive irrigation. For instance, the excessive application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer in conventional horticultural systems is increasing the risk of groundwater contamination by leaching. Moreover, this risk is amplified by intensive irrigation and/or strong rainfall events. Adopting new N management practices in organic and more sustainable cultivation systems could reduce the risk of N leaching and improve the productivity of horticultural crops. This thesis aims, in the first chapter, to test the ability of different management practices (i.e., crop rotation, incorporation of crop residues, use of cover crops, and limiting the use of chemical fertilizers) to reduce N leaching after heavy rainfall and/or excessive irrigation, while improving the productivity and earliness of globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus L. var. scolymus (L.) Fiori). Since knowledge of soil moisture levels is a key factor for the control of N leaching, this study also presents in the second chapter the calibration and validation of low-cost wireless sensors (SenseCAP) by the Diviner 2000 instrument for real-time soil moisture monitoring. The results of the first chapter showed that switching from conventional to organic management systems reduced N losses by leaching and improved head yield and earliness. Crop residue management proved to be an effective approach to control N leaching under irrigation and/or precipitation conditions. However, the perfect synchronization between the availability of N for the crop and the minimum N loss depends on the quality of crop residues and the time of burying. In the second chapter, the sensors underestimated the volumetric water content (VWC) compared with the Diviner 2000. However, after calibration, the sensibility of the sensor to variations in the soil moisture was validated by an increase in the detected VWC after a water supply mainly by irrigation. Overall, the thesis highlighted the importance of soil moisture monitoring for future investigation in precision irrigation techniques to prevent nutrient losses and groundwater contamination.