Soil Bio-Indicators in Different Pedoclimatic Regions of the Padana Plain (Northeast Italy)

Trying to compile a fertilization management plan, for example in Italy, biochemical indicators are never considered. Thus, the idea of this work was born in the framework of World needing for sustainability indicators, useful for reach ecological, social and economic efficiency and equity (EC, 2001). Therefore, while trying to reduce greenhouse gasses emission, like restoring wetlands that are globally recognized as carbon stocks and pool of biodiversity, other strategic plans are in need. Three distinct study areas at the eastern section of the Padana Plain were selected according to distinct pedoclimatic characteristics, including only those sites that were dedicated to HEINZ 1015 tomatoes cultivation. In the distinct investigated areas, two or three tomato fields were selected. In every site, soils, tomato plants and relative rhizosphere were collected. After the evaluation of the “health” status of the soils, using a specific index of biological fertility, the elemental composition of tomato crops was evaluated. The aim of the work was (1) to evaluate the effect of the same intensive land management on the biochemistry of different pedoclimatic conditions, (2) to determine whether or not a site-specific chemical signature remains in the different part of the plant, even under intensive land-use and (3) find relationships among biochemistry of soils and mineral composition of plant tissues. The idea that came out was that pedo-environmental superimposition on soil health was effective just in the range that land management allowed it and more, opinion of the author is that te recently reclaimed Mezzano Valley must be considered separately from the other sites due to its peculiar pedological characteristics. In fact seemed that such a drastic change of environment combined to intensive land exploitation did not allow soils to perform as good as they could, becoming slowly inconvenient either environmentally speaking or economically.