Considering that pesticides have been used in Europe for over 70 years, a system for monitoring pesticide residues in EU soils and their effects on soil health is long overdue. In an attempt to address this problem, we tested 340 EU agricultural topsoil samples for multiple pesticide residues.

Modern investigation through botanic, vegetation and soil analyses allowed us to establish, for the frst time, the maximum herd size of grazing Italian river bufalo that would allow the preservation of habitats defned by Directive 92/43/EEC in a coastal area of the Mediterranean basin.

Article published in the Journal of Environmental Management. Organic farming practices have been promoted as, inter alia, reducing the environmental impacts of agriculture. This meta-analysis systematically analyses published studies that compare environmental impacts of organic and conventional farming in Europe. The results show that organic farming practices generally have positive impacts on the environment per unit of area, but not necessarily per product unit.

The study is published in “Frontiers in sustainable food systems”. Sea-water level rise leads to increased saltwater intrusion causing soil salinity on arable land with negative effects on soil microbial processes. Organic amendments are known to reduce the effects of salinity on soil microorganisms, therefore positively influencing microbial activity and nutrient cycling. However, the extent of this effect in paddy rice soils under aerobic compared to anaerobic conditions is unknown.

The study is published in the journal Agronomy. Despite the essential roles of soil dissolved organic matter (DOM) and soil microbes in agro-ecosystems, we still have a limited understanding of the extent by which they are impacted by agronomic strategies in ecological and conventional farming.

The study is published on Nature Plants.  Reduced insect pest populations found on long-term organic farms have mostly been attributed to increased biodiversity and abundance of beneficial predators, as well as to changes in plant nutrient content. However, the role of plant resistance has largely been ignored. Here, we determine whether host plant resistance mediates decreased pest populations in organic sys-tems and identify potential underpinning mechanisms.

The production of a biomass as a feedstock for biorefinery is gaining attention in many agricultural areas. The adoption of biorefinery crops (i.e., perennial cardoon) can represent an interesting option for farmers and can contribute to increase soil organic carbon stock (SOCS). The study aimed to assess the potential effect on long-term SOCS change by the introduction of cardoon in a Mediterranean marginal area (Sassari, Italy).