Vegetación cultivada y espontánea en sistemas hortícolas de base agroecológica y su potencial estímulo a la biota del suelo

Abstract

Vegetation is a key component in promoting soil biota by influencing the availability and diversity of resources. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of cultivated and spontaneous vegetation to stimulate soil biota in horticultural farms of the La Plata Horticultural Belt with different lengths of agroecological management. Seven horticultural farms were assessed, three with less than three years and four with more than eight years under agroecological management. Indicators of plant diversity, soil cover, and management practices such as crop rotation and intercropping were developed and applied. The results showed high variability among farms, particularly in cultivated diversity, with no association with the duration of agroecological management. It is concluded that vegetation heterogeneity and diversity do not respond to the duration of agroecological management, highlighting the importance of incorporating integrative approaches that consider interactions between vegetation and soil communities.