Agriculturae Conspectus Scientificus, Vol 82, No 1 (2017)

Influence of Biodiversity Measures on the Improvement of Integrated Vegetable Production

Ines POHAJDA, Slavica DUDAŠ, Ana VRANKULJ, Katarina LUKŠIĆ, Iva PAVIĆ

Pages: 1-6

Summary


Integrated vegetable production is based on a balanced application of agrotechnical measures taking into account economic, environmental and toxicological measures, while at the same time the economic effect, ecological and toxicological acceptable measures such as biodiversity conservation are preferred. Safety and sustainability of an ecosystem is maintained by increasing agro-biodiversity, which includes preserving local cultivated varieties of vegetables, maintaining agro-biodiversity in the soil, green manure, intensification of crop rotation, low allopathic relations in polyculture, planting useful plants for biodiversity conservation and providing habitat for beneficial organisms. Under Professional supervision by Advisory Service in Croatia integrated vegetable production in continental Croatia is mostly represented in Osijek-Baranja, Virovitica-Podravina and Međimurje County and in the Mediterranean area in Istria. Th e implementation of agro-biodiversity friendly measures was monitored over three-year period on farms engaged in the integrated vegetable production. Results have shown that biodiversity measures were mainly maintained in: Međimurje, Krapina-Zagorje and Bjelovar-Bilogora counties. Production of cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, pumpkins and lettuce was predominant in the above mentioned counties. Th e total of 76.5% of farms under professional supervision of the integrated vegetable production fully implemented the measure, which is a proof of producers being educated and informed about the importance of maintaining biodiversity.


Keywords


agro-biodiversity, integrated production, vegetables

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