The use of pre-seeded biotextiles in organic farming

Basil and lamb’s lettuce: two different growing experiences

Organic production means farming without the use of synthetic chemicals for the control of spontaneous vegetation and the prevention and treatment of various pathogens.

Viresco® Olus is a technical means that aims to benefit the organic farmer in both these respects.

It is a very light and easy-to-use productthat guarantees effective weed control, precision seeding, high germination and excellent productivity. It expresses considerable utility in all cutting horticultural crop, a very difficult type of cultivation in organic farming.

Virens applications

As can be seen in the example illustrated here, simply unrolling the Viresco® Olus on the soil prepared for sowing and watering regularly is sufficient to achieve excellent establishment with the associated mulching.

Two different examples are shown here:

• a crop for milder climates such as classic Italian basil
• a crop for cooler climates such as lamb’s lettuce

The Basil, in this case, was sown in the open field with a row distribution and dense planting pattern, while the lamb’s lettucewas sown in scatter plots in a greenhouse.

Germination and harvesting proceeded in the normal way, but with excellent protection from the most problematic weeds in particular.

With the valerian, it was possible to see the additional advantage of the bio-fabric in limiting soil residues in the plant collar, which are difficult to remove completely even with the most thorough washing.

Without the use of pest control practices that can affect the environment, Viresco® Olus keeps the soil healthy and rich in all its components, while at the same time it does not suffer from competition from wild grasses.

Seeding densities, and therefore higher yields per surface area, can be utilised, as there is no longer any need for periodic clearing.

The crop grows in a healthy and protected manner, according to the best species practices, with the possibility of making several cuts at the same sowing time. In this way, there is an overall saving in manual labour, at the initial sowing-laying stage, in the production cycle during maintenance, cleaning, weeding, and in the final harvesting and sieving.