Abstract
Mediterranean soils are particularly threatened by salinization and low levels of organic matter content. In order to assess an edaphic sustainable use, we need to study its characteristics and better understand the temporal and spatial evolution. In this study, a total of 14,852 ha located in a western Mediterranean basin were selected as the study site where 1417 and 1451 topsoil samples were analyzed in 2001/2002 and 2011/2012, respectively, for Soil Organic Matter (SOM) content, pH water (pHw) and electrical conductivity (EC). Classical statistics and geostatistics techniques were used and the individual soil samples were related with the cultural system (CS) practiced–rainfed/irrigation–and the Reference Soil Group (RSG)–Cambisols, Calcisols, Luvisols, and Fluvisols. Predictive maps were created by interpolation using the Ordinary Kriging algorithm. The main results of this study were that, when transitioning from a rainfed to irrigation CS, SOM content is maintained in Cambisols but decreases in the other RSGs, pHw is maintained and EC increases in Fluvisols, Luvisols, and Cambisols. Over time in the rainfed CS all RSGs maintained SOM and pHw but EC increased in Fluvisols, Luvisols, and Calcisols and in the irrigation CS SOM decreased in Luvisols, pHw increased in Fluvisols and Calcisols and EC increased in all RSGs.
Highlights
Decreased in Luvisols, pH water (pHw) increased in Fluvisols and Calcisols and electrical conductivity (EC) increased in all Reference Soil Group (RSG)
Irrigation is a complex agricultural practice that is almost always related to other cultural aspects associated with intensification such as more frequent soil mobilizations and higher fertilization and phytopharmaceutical inputs, [4] and so, its study and management are of the utmost importance as this cultivation system (CS) is responsible for producing 2/5th of the world’s food and for the Agronomy 2019, 9, 132; doi:10.3390/agronomy9030132
Electrical Conductivity was determined in an aqueous extract with a ratio of one soil part to five parts water (1:5 (v/v)) with a WPA CMD 8500 conductivity meter according to the Manual for soil and water analysis by Buurman, Van Lagen & Velthorst [47] and cation exchange capacity was analyzed from soil samples following methods of soil analysis part 2 by Rhoades [48]
Summary
The best estimations point towards 10,000 million inhabitants by 2050, a 33% increase when compared with the actual 7500 million, that will need to be fed and clothed. In the Mediterranean basin, food production depends today more than ever on cultural intensification through the practice of irrigation, as in this agroclimatic system, water is the limiting factor. This is especially true in the summer months, where temperature and solar radiation are at its peak and crop production can be maximized if irrigated. Irrigation is a complex agricultural practice that is almost always related to other cultural aspects associated with intensification such as more frequent soil mobilizations and higher fertilization and phytopharmaceutical inputs, [4] and so, its study and management are of the utmost importance as this cultivation system (CS) is responsible for producing 2/5th of the world’s food and for the Agronomy 2019, 9, 132; doi:10.3390/agronomy9030132 www.mdpi.com/journal/agronomy
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