FARM MANAGEMENT MODELS FOR ARABLE CROPS TO ENHANCE SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE IN DIFFERENT AGRICULTURAL SCENARIOS

Intensive arable farming is increasingly challenged by climate change, soil degradation, and the need to reduce external inputs while maintaining high levels of productivity and crop quality. In this context, regenerative agriculture has emerged as a promising approach to enhance the sustainability and resilience of cropping systems by promoting soil conservation and optimizing biological processes. This doctoral thesis evaluated the effects of introducing two of the main pillars of regenerative agriculture—reduced tillage and cover crops—within intensive cereal production systems of the Po Plain (Northern Italy). The research integrates three long-term field studies conducted under different agronomic scenarios. The first study, carried out over a twelve-year period, investigated the effects of alternative crop residue management strategies through different tillage systems, combined with fungicide application, on the agronomic performance of soft wheat and on the occurrence of both regulated and emerging mycotoxins. The second study assessed the introduction of summer cover crops into a continuous soft wheat system after three years, evaluating their effects on soil properties, soil organic matter dynamics, nitrogen use efficiency, grain yield, and grain quality. The third study examined the introduction of winter cover crops into a continuous maize system over four growing seasons, comparing different species and sowing dates in terms of cover crop establishment, maize productivity, nitrogen use efficiency, and economic sustainability. The results demonstrate that regenerative practices can rapidly improve soil functionality by increasing soil organic carbon accumulation and stabilization while enhancing nutrient cycling. However, the effectiveness of cover crops strongly depended on species selection, biomass production, and the synchronization between nitrogen release and the nutrient demand of the subsequent cash crop. Legume cover crops proved more effective in improving nitrogen use efficiency, whereas grass species produced greater biomass and promoted carbon sequestration, although they also increased the risk of temporary nitrogen immobilization. Reduced tillage confirmed its potential to improve soil conservation and mitigate the environmental impacts of agricultural production. Nevertheless, it also highlighted important agronomic and phytosanitary constraints. In maize–wheat rotations, crop residue retention increased the risk of Fusarium head blight and grain contamination by mycotoxins, emphasizing the need to integrate residue management with targeted plant protection strategies and adaptive agronomic practices. Overall, this thesis demonstrates that the successful implementation of regenerative agriculture requires a systemic and site-specific approach in which tillage, cover crops, fertilization, and crop protection are integrated according to local soil, climatic, and production conditions. Regenerative agriculture therefore represents a valuable management framework for strengthening the sustainability and resilience of intensive cereal cropping systems, provided that individual practices are carefully adapted to the specific farming context and supported by integrated agronomic strategies