Temporary Intercropping With Forage or Industrial Crops Improves Yield and Weed Control in Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus var. altilis DC)

ABSTRACT Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus var. altilis) is a promising perennial energy crop for Mediterranean areas. Implementing temporary intercropping with selected species during the long establishment phase of the cardoon can enhance ecosystem services by promoting crop diversification, suppressing...

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Main Authors: Giorgia Raimondi, Pietro Todde, Pier Paolo Roggero, Laura Mula, Vittoria Giannini
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-08-01
Series:GCB Bioenergy
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.70062
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author Giorgia Raimondi
Pietro Todde
Pier Paolo Roggero
Laura Mula
Vittoria Giannini
author_facet Giorgia Raimondi
Pietro Todde
Pier Paolo Roggero
Laura Mula
Vittoria Giannini
author_sort Giorgia Raimondi
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus var. altilis) is a promising perennial energy crop for Mediterranean areas. Implementing temporary intercropping with selected species during the long establishment phase of the cardoon can enhance ecosystem services by promoting crop diversification, suppressing weeds, and increasing biomass production. A three‐year field experiment conducted in Sardinia, Italy, compared three intercropping systems: (i) rocket (Eruca sativa), (ii) camelina (Camelina sativa), and (iii) hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) with a monocropped control. The study assessed the effects of temporary intercropping on weed suppression and cardoon development and production. The biomass production of the intercropped species was also measured. Temporary intercropping reduced weed biomass by 24.2% on average (compared to the control) without hindering cardoon establishment in the first year of cultivation. V. villosa and E. sativa were the most competitive against the main weeds. V. villosa had the highest yield. Temporary intercropping with V. villosa, in the following year after its establishment, increased cardoon production by an average of 55.1% compared to the other intercropped species.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1757-1693
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language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series GCB Bioenergy
spelling doaj-art-deb04bbd1d7c41b2bc129524b4d63fbd2025-08-20T03:34:53ZengWileyGCB Bioenergy1757-16931757-17072025-08-01178n/an/a10.1111/gcbb.70062Temporary Intercropping With Forage or Industrial Crops Improves Yield and Weed Control in Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus var. altilis DC)Giorgia Raimondi0Pietro Todde1Pier Paolo Roggero2Laura Mula3Vittoria Giannini4Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment – DAFNAE University of Padua, Agripolis Campus Legnaro Padua ItalyDepartment of Agricultural Sciences and Desertification Research Center (NRD) University of Sassari Sassari Sassari ItalyDepartment of Agricultural Sciences and Desertification Research Center (NRD) University of Sassari Sassari Sassari ItalyDepartment of Agricultural Sciences and Desertification Research Center (NRD) University of Sassari Sassari Sassari ItalyDepartment of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment – DAFNAE University of Padua, Agripolis Campus Legnaro Padua ItalyABSTRACT Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus var. altilis) is a promising perennial energy crop for Mediterranean areas. Implementing temporary intercropping with selected species during the long establishment phase of the cardoon can enhance ecosystem services by promoting crop diversification, suppressing weeds, and increasing biomass production. A three‐year field experiment conducted in Sardinia, Italy, compared three intercropping systems: (i) rocket (Eruca sativa), (ii) camelina (Camelina sativa), and (iii) hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) with a monocropped control. The study assessed the effects of temporary intercropping on weed suppression and cardoon development and production. The biomass production of the intercropped species was also measured. Temporary intercropping reduced weed biomass by 24.2% on average (compared to the control) without hindering cardoon establishment in the first year of cultivation. V. villosa and E. sativa were the most competitive against the main weeds. V. villosa had the highest yield. Temporary intercropping with V. villosa, in the following year after its establishment, increased cardoon production by an average of 55.1% compared to the other intercropped species.https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.70062Camelina sativaEruca sativahairy vetchrelative competitive indexVicia villosaweed control
spellingShingle Giorgia Raimondi
Pietro Todde
Pier Paolo Roggero
Laura Mula
Vittoria Giannini
Temporary Intercropping With Forage or Industrial Crops Improves Yield and Weed Control in Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus var. altilis DC)
GCB Bioenergy
Camelina sativa
Eruca sativa
hairy vetch
relative competitive index
Vicia villosa
weed control
title Temporary Intercropping With Forage or Industrial Crops Improves Yield and Weed Control in Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus var. altilis DC)
title_full Temporary Intercropping With Forage or Industrial Crops Improves Yield and Weed Control in Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus var. altilis DC)
title_fullStr Temporary Intercropping With Forage or Industrial Crops Improves Yield and Weed Control in Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus var. altilis DC)
title_full_unstemmed Temporary Intercropping With Forage or Industrial Crops Improves Yield and Weed Control in Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus var. altilis DC)
title_short Temporary Intercropping With Forage or Industrial Crops Improves Yield and Weed Control in Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus var. altilis DC)
title_sort temporary intercropping with forage or industrial crops improves yield and weed control in cardoon cynara cardunculus var altilis dc
topic Camelina sativa
Eruca sativa
hairy vetch
relative competitive index
Vicia villosa
weed control
url https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.70062
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