Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
laser soil leveling in February, in March sugar beet industrial slops (2,250 kg ha
−
1
)
and urea (75 kg ha
−
1
) are incorporated and compacted before sowing in April
into water with 210 kg ha
−
1
of seed. Weed control in May, top dressing with Urea
(90 kg ha
−
1
) in June. The average depth of standing water was maintained at about
5 cm in 2007 and 10 cm in 2008. The standing water level fluctuates during the
flooded periods due to the continuous water flow through the rice field, a typical
management practice for this crop. At the beginning of September the water is
removed from the field and the harvest takes place in October. The final rice pro-
duction was about 9 tree ha
−
1
. The soil originating from fluvial deposits is poorly
drained and characterized by a ground water table very close to the surface. In most
parts of the field it is a Calcic Gleysol (FAO
2008
), with a loam to clay-loam tex-
ture, in other parts of the field we find Haplic and Mollic Gleysols. The A-horizon
shows pH (H
2
O) values ranging at 6.4-7.1, the organic carbon content is between
1.6 and 2.4 %. The gleyic color pattern of soil materials indicates dominant water
saturation for most of the year in combination with poor drainage due to cultivation
tillage and agricultural practices. During the observation period the average annual
rainfall was 704 mm while the average annual temperature was 13.0 °C.
2.2.6 Castelvetrano (IT-Ctv)
The site is an olive orchard (cv. Nocellara del Belice) located in western Sicily at
Castelvetrano (37.64416° N; 12.84638° E). The orchard has an extension of about 11 ha
and has four different plots characterized by trees of different age (75 % 12-16 years
old, 25 % 150 years old) but similar LAI (2.6-3.4) and trees height (3.4-3.7 m).
The soil texture is clay-loam with a volumetric water content at a field capacity
of 36.1 and 17.4 % at
−
1.5 MPa soil water potential.
All of the plots were equipped with an irrigation system characterized by two
micro sprinklers (8 liters hour
-1
) per tree. During the vegetative season, the total
volume of water varied between 1,500 and 2,000 m
3
ha depending on summer
weather conditions. In accordance with the cultural practice adopted in this tra-
ditional olive-growing area, soil is clean cultivated during the vegetative season,
whereas no weed control is undertaken during the rain season (autumn and winter).
The adopted tillage in the soil during the year allowed the growth of sponta-
neous annual herbaceous crops, characterized by the prevailing presence of grass
(
Graminaceae
spp).
2.2.7 Castelporziano (IT-Cpz)
The experimental site was a 60 years-old coppice under conversion to high for-
est, inside the Presidential Reserve of Castelporziano (41.70525° N; 12.37611° E),
2.8 m.a.s.l., 25 km West of Rome. The natural Reserve covers about 4,800 ha, of
