A Model of Sicilian Environmentally Friendly Multifunctional Farm for Soil Protection

Abstract

Roccaforte farm is an example of the implementation of environmentally friendly best practices in inland Sicily. A model of environmentally friendly cultivation of wild asparagus, i.e. Asparagus acutifolius L. and Asparagus albus L., intercropping with walnut in a multifunctional farm, is described in this work: the methods for the propagation, cultivation and transformation of wild asparagus, as well as the best practices of conservation soil tillage, aimed at reducing soil degradation, i.e. compaction and erosion, are explained. These best practices can reduce fuel consumption, keep the active topsoil layer and soil organic matter, increase the water retention capacity and carbon sequestration in the soil and, therefore, reduce the emission of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs), i.e. CO2, into the atmosphere. Wild asparagus is used for the preparation of preserves in the form of tops or sauces and as an ingredient in soups, creams, risottos, puddings and omelettes. The bioactive compounds contained in Asparagus species have beneficial effects on human health, for their antitumoral and antioxidant activities. The cultivation of wild asparagus, above all intercropping with tree plants, could represent an interesting entrepreneurial opportunity, by promoting crop diversification or expanding the offer of agritourism. In fact, despite the low crop yield (1.3 t ha−1), it can be assumed that the current high price of the product (e 10– 20 kg−1), combined with a low working capacity of harvest (3.8 kg h−1 without cutting vegetation), allows economically viable cultivation. Thus, from the results of this work, it is possible to deduce that the production of wild asparagus and walnut can be combined with environmental protection, to enhance the marginal areas of the Sicilian Region.