agronomy Review The Role of Peat-Free Organic Substrates in the Sustainable Management of Soilless Cultivations Giulia Atzori 1,*, Catello Pane 2 , Massimo Zaccardelli 2, Sonia Cacini 3 and Daniele Massa 3 1 Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 18, 50144 Florence, Italy 2 CREA Research Centre for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Via Cavalleggeri 25, 84098 Pontecagnano Faiano, Italy;
[email protected] (C.P.);
[email protected] (M.Z.) 3 CREA Research Centre for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Via dei Fiori 8, 51012 Pescia, Italy;
[email protected] (S.C.);
[email protected] (D.M.) * Correspondence: giulia.atzori@unifi.it Abstract: Vegetable and ornamental crops require high input demand to adequately support their standard commercial quality and yield. For these crops, a very high level of agronomic use efficiency of many productive factors can be achieved in soilless culture. For example, the benefits derived from the adoption of soilless closed loops for the recirculation of the nutrient solution are well known as a benchmark of excellence for nutrient and water use efficiency. The challenges that we now face are as follows: (i) making soilless systems more inclusive of sustainable and eco-friendly growing substrates, possibly available at a local level; (ii) replacing chemicals with more sustainable products (e.g., organic active compounds) as much as possible for plant nutrition and protection. Citation: Atzori, G.; Pane, C.; These goals can be addressed by following different approaches, but the adoption of peat-free organic Zaccardelli, M.; Cacini, S.; Massa, D.