Abstract
ABSTRACT In the tropics, water erosion is one of the most important factors leading to the degradation and deterioration of agricultural land. Olive orchards have a low canopy coverage, especially during the first years after planting, due to the low density of olive trees. Given the fast expansion of olive orchards in Brazil, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of cover vegetation on soil and water losses under natural rainfall. In addition, it was assessed the crop performance and [...]
Highlights
Soil is a finite natural resource, where more than one generation is necessary for natural recovery of soil, depending on the relationship between the rate of soil genesis and soil erosion (Lal, 2009)
The study was carried out in soil erosion plots, where water and sediment were sampled and measured over two crops season, under the following treatments: in the first season, bare soil with olive cultivation (OBS); olive trees intercropped with spontaneous vegetation (OSV); olive trees intercropped with jack beans (OJB); olive trees intercropped with millet (OM) and, as a control, only bare soil (BS)
This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between soil and water losses by water erosion and the crop performance in an olive orchard managed with or without cover crops in southern Minas Gerais, Brazil
Summary
Soil is a finite natural resource, where more than one generation is necessary for natural recovery of soil, depending on the relationship between the rate of soil genesis and soil erosion (Lal, 2009). Keesstra et al (2018) emphasized that the soil has a key component in Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) to achieve its ecosystem services. The LDN is part of the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations for sustainable exploitation of the planet’s resources to enhance food security, in a holistic approach aimed at reducing soil degradation and rehabilitation of degraded areas (Keesstra et al, 2016). Soil resources are threatened by various degradation factors, such as water and wind erosion, compaction, leaching, and pollution. Water erosion affects soil quality and induces soil deterioration due to the loss of its superface layer, which is usually the most fertile layer where organic matter and nutrients necessary for plant development are concentrated (Cerdà et al, 2018; Rodrigo-Comino et al, 2018; Keesstra et al, 2019)
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