Sustainable management strategies focused on native bio-inputs in Amaranthus cruentus L. in agro-ecological farms in transition

Abstract In the province of Cordoba, Argentina, most crops are produced with a large volume of agrochemicals. Awareness of pollution and its implications has led to a social demand for the protection of the environment and for the provision of products free of contaminants. Small farmers are incorporating sustainable and ecological perspective into of production and management techniques and are currently in an agro-ecological transition process. The increased use of native bio-inputs and the incorporation of crops with high nutritional quality strengthen the expansion of agro-ecological farming in the sites in transition. The aims of this study in a transition agro-ecological area were to propose sustainable management strategies focused on the use of native bioinputs, comparatively evaluate the biological response of Amaranthus cruentus L. “amaranth” to the application of biodigester effluent, Trichoderma atroviride P. Karst. Alfacp8, vermicompost from horse and rabbit manure and control, and to evaluate the economic output of Amaranthus sp. by treatments. At a significance level of 0.05, no differences were detected between the average growth of effluent-treated plants and those treated with Trichoderma sp., and these averages were significantly higher than those obtained with vermicompost and control treatments. For the variables dry weight of leaves, stems and roots, inflorescences and seeds, no significant differences were detected between the treatments at a significance level of 0.05. The average yield with Trichoderma sp. was 700 kg ha−1 higher than the control; the average with vermicompost was 630 kg ha−1 higher and the digester effluent average was 490 kg ha−1 higher than control. These differences are economically important for farmers. Also, the estimated economic output was greater for plants treated with biodigester effluent and Trichoderma sp. than with vermicompost. Thus, native bio-inputs and ancestral culture can provide affordable and sustainable management strategies for farmers in agro-ecological transition.

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