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Smouldering fires are slow, low temperature, flameless and the most persistent form of combustion of organic matter (OM) in porous form. Although smouldering fires of peatlands represent a large perturbation of the atmospheric chemistry, to date, most studies on smouldering focused on ignition, carbon (C) losses or emissions, whereas the literature still lacks understanding of the OM evolution following these events.

The effect of organic fertilisation on the level of total organic carbon (TOC) in an 18-years old pear orchard (cv. Abate Fetel) was evaluated vs. a conventional pear orchard mineral fertilized (control). In both orchards soil samples (Typic Udochrept loamy soil) were taken at two depths (0-15 and 30-50 cm) along the row (tilled and mainly amended with compost) and in the inter-row space (grassed with different Graminaceae species in the organic orchard, bare in the conventional orchard). The area (elevation 20 m), located in Bologna province, Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy), is characterised by mean annual temperature 13.1 °C and rainfall around 750 mm. In the horizon 0-15 cm of the row an increase of about 14 tons ha-1 of TOC has been calculated after 18-years of cultivation and amendment compared to the control soil, which had received just mineral fertilisation. A significant increase of TOC (about 6.3 tons ha-1) was also measured in the top layer (0-15 cm) in the grassed inter-row, where this C sink is exclusively due to the cover crop. A survey of the role of organic vs. conventional farming on soil C sink/source is started in 2007 in 8 typical organic orchard farms located in Emilia-Romagna Region and it is still running.

The effect of organic fertilisation on the level of total organic carbon (TOC) in an 18-years old pear orchard (cv. Abate Fetel) was evaluated vs. a conventional pear orchard mineral fertilized (control). In both orchards soil samples (Typic Udochrept loamy soil) were taken at two depths (0-15 and 30-50 cm) along the row (tilled and mainly amended with compost) and in the inter-row space (grassed with different Graminaceae species in the organic orchard, bare in the conventional orchard). The area (elevation 20 m), located in Bologna province, Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy), is characterised by mean annual temperature 13.1 °C and rainfall around 750 mm. In the horizon 0-15 cm of the row an increase of about 14 tons ha-1 of TOC has been calculated after 18-years of cultivation and amendment compared to the control soil, which had received just mineral fertilisation. A significant increase of TOC (about 6.3 tons ha-1) was also measured in the top layer (0-15 cm) in the grassed inter-row, where this C sink is exclusively due to the cover crop. A survey of the role of organic vs. conventional farming on soil C sink/source is started in 2007 in 8 typical organic orchard farms located in Emilia-Romagna Region and it is still running.

The effect of organic fertilisation on the level of total organic carbon (TOC) in an 18-years old pear orchard (cv. Abate Fetel) was evaluated vs. a conventional pear orchard mineral fertilized (control). In both orchards soil samples (Typic Udochrept loamy soil) were taken at two depths (0-15 and 30-50 cm) along the row (tilled and mainly amended with compost) and in the inter-row space (grassed with different Graminaceae species in the organic orchard, bare in the conventional orchard). The area (elevation 20 m), located in Bologna province, Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy), is characterised by mean annual temperature 13.1 °C and rainfall around 750 mm. In the horizon 0-15 cm of the row an increase of about 14 tons ha-1 of TOC has been calculated after 18-years of cultivation and amendment compared to the control soil, which had received just mineral fertilisation. A significant increase of TOC (about 6.3 tons ha-1) was also measured in the top layer (0-15 cm) in the grassed inter-row, where this C sink is exclusively due to the cover crop. A survey of the role of organic vs. conventional farming on soil C sink/source is started in 2007 in 8 typical organic orchard farms located in Emilia-Romagna Region and it is still running.

In this study, the distribution of the total and humified organic carbon in a peach orchard tilled-irrigated on the row and perennial grassed on the inter-row space after 16 years of cultivation were evaluated. The TOC has shown differences not statistically significant in the 0-20 cm horizon, whereas the difference in the row vs. inter-row 20-40 cm horizon was significant. The highest content of humic substances was found in the 0-20 cm of the inter-row with perennial grass vs. row tilled soil: the absence of tillage increases the accumulation of humified compounds. DRIFT and TG-DTA analysis pointed out only some small structural variation in the humic fraction of the samples taken from the layer at depth 20-40 cm.

In this study, the distribution of the total and humified organic carbon in a peach orchard tilled-irrigated on the row and perennial grassed on the inter-row space after 16 years of cultivation were evaluated. The TOC has shown differences not statistically significant in the 0-20 cm horizon, whereas the difference in the row vs. inter-row 20-40 cm horizon was significant. The highest content of humic substances was found in the 0-20 cm of the inter-row with perennial grass vs. row tilled soil: the absence of tillage increases the accumulation of humified compounds. DRIFT and TG-DTA analysis pointed out only some small structural variation in the humic fraction of the samples taken from the layer at depth 20-40 cm.