Ricerc@Sapienza

An assessment of the natural value of some extensively managed agroecosystems in Latium region (central Italy) has been made, through the collection of floristic and phytosociological data and the development of new indices (Floristic Naturalness Index – FNI and a set of synthetic indices). The survey allowed the evaluation of the study areas as High Natural Value Farmland areas. In a GIS environment, a mapping of the naturalness levels was then carried out.

The interest in the ecological role of weed communities within arable fields has increased greatly in recent years. The aim of this work was to provide an original tool for arable land naturalness estimation, based on the many features of plants that colonize crops. Taking account of taxonomic, structural, chorological and ecological features of weed taxa as exoticism, Raunkier life-form and edaphic preference, a new index (Arable Land Naturalness Index – ALNI) was developed, which allowed for an evaluation score to be obtained for a given field.

Il “Peperone di Pontecorvo” (Capsicum annuum L. ‘Cornetto di Pontecorvo’) e il “Fagiolo cannellino di Atina” (Phaseolus vulgaris L. ‘Cannellino di Atina’) (Fig. 1) sono due colture annuali a ciclo estivo-autunnale della Provincia di Frosinone (Lazio), che hanno ottenuto il marchio D.O.P. nel 2010. I disciplinari di produzione prevedono la semina primaverile (peperone) o estiva (fagiolo), l’irrigazione e, infine, la raccolta estiva o autunnale. Per quanto riguarda le concimazioni e il diserbo chimico, questi sono consentiti per il peperone, mentre vengono vietati per il fagiolo.