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The European bioeconomy is steadily driving an industrial, economic, and social growth looking for sustainable biobased feedstocks able to replace fossil-based materials. In this scenario, there is an urgent and increasing need to produce locally industrial crops, with multiple applications and broad suitability to different pedo-climates. Furthermore, the actual EU legislation imposes to produce industrial crops not competing with food ones, and one possibility is to grow them on marginal land. Among others, camelina [ Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz] has been identified as one of the most suitable options for marginal land in Europe, but so far there is a lack of studies conducted in such conditions able to provide reliable production data, on which it will be possible to build plausible business plans. At this scope different field trials have been established in four European countries, i.e., Italy, Greece, Germany, and Poland, in multiple growing seasons from 2018 to 2021, under different types of marginality. In details, in Italy camelina was tested under steep slopes (25% and 15%), in Greece in a soil with low fertility (pH < 5.5) and adverse terrain conditions (steep slope >12%); in Germany in a soil with limitations in rooting, i.e., rooting depth < 30 cm + stoniness > 15%, and in Poland in two sites one with sand > 40%, and the other with clay > 50% of the texture. Camelina was grown with an autumn cycle in Italy and Greece, and with a spring one in Germany and Poland. Camelina production was impacted by the marginal land, seed yield was on average 0.94 Mg DM ha−1, ranging from 0.38 Mg DM ha−1 for camelina sown in spring in Poland in the sandy soil, up to 1.93 Mg DM ha−1 for camelina sown in autumn in Italy on a 15% slope. Camelina completely failed only in one growing season in the clay soil in Poland, in relation to extreme weed pressure, while in all the other situations it was able to produce seed. Seed quality, that was surveyed only in Italy and Poland, was not negatively impacted by marginality, demonstrating its capacity to cope with harsh growing conditions. Growing camelina in southern European marginal land, in autumn sowing, seemed the most conservative and safe strategy to achieve profitable yields. In terms of agronomic management, the most important choices to optimize the crop in marginal land resulted: weed management, N fertilization, and the harvesting phase. • Camelina confirmed to be adapt to European marginal land. • Under marginal land camelina seed yield ranged between 0.38 and 1.93 Mg DM ha-1. • Seed oil content and 1000-seed weight were not negatively impacted by marginality. • Growing camelina in southern European marginal land was the most conservative and safe strategy to achieve profitable yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Syncronizing plant available water with soil nitrogen (N) remains a critical aspect of agronomic management to enhance crop yield, grain quality, farmers' profit, and environmental sustainability. Their interaction is essential expecially in landscapes characterized by a highly spatial and temporal range of pedoclimatic conditions. To support farmers in making more informed decisions, validate dynamic process based crop simulation models have been successfully used to optimize N fertlization. In this study, we aimed to develop a tactical N fertilizer management strategy to increase profitability, improve grain quality and reduce N losses. The SALUS model was tested against measured durum wheat grain yield and grain quality data collected across independent farmers' fields in Tuscany (Italy). The model was then used to optimize N fertilization under different potential plant extractable soil water (PESW) conditions at the second topdressing N fertilization timing. The model was tested against measurements of grain yield and protein concentration at harvest, as well as phenological stage, biomass, and plant N content during the growing season. Simulations were carried out for 30 years of available weather, using different N rates. The simulations allowed the identification of optimal N rates for each PESW condition and soil type concerning economic and environmental sustainability. Results showed higher yield and higher leaching for the silty clay soil (Quercia; QUE) than for the loamy soil (Arbia; ARB). No major differences were predicted for protein content across soils. Profitability and emissions increased as N rate increased. The N fertilization strategy locally adopted by farmers was also analyzed across different PESW conditions at 2nd topdressing fertilization in comparison to other adopted N management strategies (timing of application and fertilization rates). The model showed that the conventional fertilization strategy does not maximize socio-ecological benefits, but was also the lowest among all the strategies tested. The maximum economic benefit for farmers was reached by applying 90 kg N at 1st and 60 kg N at 2nd topdressing fertilization, both in dry (due to sufficient soil water storage in the soil) and wet years. These results provide valuable insights for developing strategies that balance sustainability, resilience, quality, and profitability in wheat crop production in central Italy. • Use of SALUS model to optimize nitrogen (N) fertilization. • Simulation of different potential plant extractable soil water (PESW) conditions. • Simulations were carried out for 30 years, using different N rates. • Identification of N fertilization strategy that maximizes economic returns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Spatialized data were used for a more accurate analysis of hopyard production traits. • A weak negative relation was found between clay content of the soil and hop yields in a Mediterranean environment. • Shoot production before training was positively and strongly related to cone yield of cultivar Cascade. • Cultivar Cascade proved to be well adapted to the Mediterranean environment. • Organic hop production is feasible under the Mediterranean climatic conditions. The cultivated hops are recently moving towards new growing areas in Southern Europe, boosted by the increasing number of craft breweries and by the higher vulnerability to climate change observed, for this crop, in the traditional growing regions. Despite this clear market and geographic trend, there is a lack of knowledge about pedoclimatic needs and agronomic performances of hops grown in the Mediterranean environment. Particularly, the agronomic potential of a new hopyard during its establishment period is poorly studied even in traditional growing zones. Moreover, a restricted number of plants were usually sampled to gather the few data available, thus leading to a probable overestimation of yield performance. A commercial organic hopyard in central Italy was established and a 2-year (2018–2019) field experiment was set-up to accurately investigate the cone and shoot yield potential of cultivar 'Cascade' and to understand how such yields are related to each other and to soil texture. Hop plants were two-years old when the experiment started; plant population was 4,000 plants ha−1. Forty points within the hopyard were sampled for soil analysis and yield traits. Data were analyzed accounting for spatial dependence of the sampling points. Results show a negative relation between clay content in the soil and hop yields, even though it was significant only in the exceptional rainy season of 2018. Shoot and cone yield were positively and strongly related, suggesting the green shoot yield in spring as a good predictor of hop production. Both shoot and cone yield significantly increased from the second to the third year (+11% and +16%, respectively); however, the unseasonably high rainfall of 2018 probably lowered the yield of the first experimental year. Cone yield attained over this 2-year study (1.24 t ha−1 and 1.44 t ha−1 for 2018 and 2019, respectively) was within the published ranges for mature plants. Similarly to cone production, shoot dry matter yield was lower in 2018 (197 kg ha−1) than in 2019 (218 kg ha−1). This study provides the first reliable information on both cone and shoot yield potential of a young organic hopyard under Mediterranean climatic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]