Agriculture consumes 70% of global freshwater, and rising food demand by 2050 will further strain these resources. Mulching can improve water productivity (WP) by reducing evaporation and stabilizing the soil microclimate. This study evaluated the effects of biodegradable mulch on irrigation efficiency, yield, and quality of processing tomato (
Solanum lycopersicum
L.) under Mediterranean open-field conditions. Trial was conducted over two consecutive spring–summer seasons (2024–2025), at Portici, Southern Italy. Three mulching treatments: a paper mulch (PPR) and two biodegradable films (BM1, starch-polymer blend; BM2, copolyester), were compared with bare soil (BS, control). Soil volumetric water content and soil temperature were monitored to schedule irrigation and restore field capacity. Mulching, regardless of type, increased commercial yield in both years: +48% in 2024 and +24% in 2025 compared to BS, mainly due to higher fruit number. Mulched fruits showed greater firmness and higher °Brix values (+3–9%), although the latter was statistically significant only in the second year. Biodegradable films significantly increased ascorbic acid content (+46% vs. PPR), while PPR, due to its cooling effect, promoted a statistically significant lycopene (+52%) and carotenoids (+24%) content. Nitrogen content of fruits was lower under PPR (−26% in 2024; −3.6% in 2025). Moreover, mulching reduced water volumes and improved WP
c
, particularly in 2024 (PPR: 83.78 vs. BS: 48.80 kg m
-3
). Despite lower overall WP
c
in 2025, mulched plots maintained more stable efficiency. Biodegradable mulches could represent a sustainable alternative to polyethylene for Mediterranean processing tomato cultivation.
M. Pelosi, L. Ottaiano, I. Di Mola et al.· Frontiers in Sustainable Foo...· 0 citations
This study presents the first integrated multi-compartment assessment linking soil heavy- metal contamination and satellite-derived tropospheric air pollution in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. Six metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) were measured in 295 agricultural topsoils using DTPA extraction—which targets the labile, bioavailable pool most relevant to food-chain transfer in calcareous soils—and were compared with Sentinel-5P TROPOMI vertical columns of SO2, NO2 and HCHO extracted at point, 1000 m and 5000 m scales. Chromium was the dominant element, and composite pollution indices indicated overall good but transitional soil quality, with a majority of sites at warning level. Principal component analysis, spatial autocorrelation and land-use analysis converged on three plausible source groupings—predominantly geogenic (Cr, Ni), localized anthropogenic (Cd, Pb) and agricultural (Cu)—although, in the absence of isotopic or other direct source tracing, these assignments remain indicative rather than confirmed. Soil metals and atmospheric columns were largely uncorrelated (|r| < 0.3 for 17 of 18 pairs); this decoupling is consistent with the contrasting temporal integration and spatial support of the two compartments rather than with a single shared pathway. Multi-scale analysis supported a parsimonious dual-scale (point + 5000 m) sampling framework. The study offers a transferable assessment framework for other Mediterranean regions and underscores the need for locally calibrated, total-metal soil background values. Because these indices and threshold comparisons are computed from DTPA-extractable concentrations, they serve here as one-directional, bioavailability-based screening tools rather than regulatory determinations: an exceedance conservatively flags a site for confirmatory total-metal analysis, whereas a non-exceedance does not establish compliance.
Marie Therese Abi Saab, Elie Saliba, S. Fahed et al.· Applied Sciences· 0 citations
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