Sustainable Land Management in Mediterranean Agroecosystems: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Agricultural Management Practices

Research highlights the importance of sustainable land management in Mediterranean agroecosystems, where soil health, water use efficiency, and crop productivity are crucial under increasing climate extremes and drought periods. A study in southern Italy evaluated the effectiveness of four agricultural management practices (AMPs) in mitigating soil erosion and improving water dynamics. The research utilized the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT+) to assess the impacts of no-till farming, filter strips, crop rotation, and grassed waterways on soil conservation and hydrological processes.

Key Takeaways:

• The study evaluated the effectiveness of four AMPs - no-till farming, filter strips, crop rotation, and grassed waterways - on soil conservation and hydrological processes in the Cervaro river basin, a key grain-producing region in southern Italy.
• The research found that integrating no-till farming with filter strips and crop rotation can reduce soil loss by 81%, enhance topsoil water retention, and increase deep aquifer recharge due to improved percolation.
• Model validation was conducted using streamflow, remote sensing-based actual evapotranspiration, and field-scale winter durum wheat yield data, demonstrating the accuracy of the results.
• The study suggests that targeted AMPs can support agricultural productivity while improving environmental sustainability, particularly in Mediterranean and other semi-arid agricultural regions.
• The research provides science-based guidance for agri-environmental policies, particularly within the framework of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) greening interventions and broader global sustainability initiatives.

Statistics:

• Soil loss reduction: 81%
• Topsoil water retention enhancement: significant improvement
• Deep aquifer recharge increase: due to improved percolation
• Surface runoff increase: slight increase due to AMPs
• Crop yields: remained stable despite AMPs

Sources:

• Impacts of agricultural management practices on water cycle, soil erosion and crop yields in a Mediterranean agroecosystem. Science of The Total Environment, 2025;995:180111. Science of The Total Environment can be contacted at: Elsevier, Radarweg 29, 1043 Nx Amsterdam, Netherlands.
• Giuseppe Pulighe, CREA Research Centre for Agricultural Policies and Bioeconomy, Rome, Italy.
• Andreina Belocchi, Alice Carlotta Tani, and Flavio Lupia.
• NewsRx. Data on Agroecology Reported by Giuseppe Pulighe and Colleagues (Impacts of agricultural management practices on water cycle, soil erosion and crop yields in a Mediterranean agroecosystem). Agriculture Week. August 7, 2025; p 37.