Abstract
Spain is the world's leading producer of olive oil, with the largest number of olive agro-systems in the Andalusia region. However, rural migration, low profitability, and biophysical limitations to production have compromised their sustainability. Soil erosion is the main cause of declining production and must be controlled to sustain production and keep soil loss below a threshold (soil loss tolerance, SLT). In this paper, the Soil Loss Tolerance Index (SLTI) for non-specific crops was calculated, theoretically, in different Andalusian olive-growing areas. A new Soil Loss Tolerance Index specifically for olive groves was developed (SLTIog) using soil variables related to erosion corresponding to the Estepa region. This index and the Soil Productive Index (SPI) were estimated. Andalusian olive groves with severe erosion were unsustainable for a 150-year period according to SLTI. However, applying the SLTIog in olive groves of Estepa, soil loss was not unsustainable. Although no statistically significant differences were detected between the two SLT indices, the consideration of specific soil variables in the SLTIog made it more accurate and reliable for the assessment of potential long-term sustainability. The use of specific indices for olive groves can inform the adoption of management measures to maintain productivity and support conservation.
Highlights
Olive grove landscapes form socio-ecological systems typical of Mediterranean environments and are notable given their extensive presence in Spain, exceeding 2.5 M ha, 1.5 M in Andalusia [1]
There were no significant differences between the applied indices (p = 0.983 (> 0.05); F < 0.001), the consideration of soil variables related to erosion in the Soil Loss Tolerance Index for Olive Groves (SLTIog) allows us to see that the potential long-term sustainability of these crops is greater than that measured with the Soil Loss Tolerance Index (SLTI)
The results show that the current erosion level and irrigation played an important role in soil loss tolerance
Summary
Olive grove landscapes form socio-ecological systems typical of Mediterranean environments and are notable given their extensive presence in Spain, exceeding 2.5 M ha, 1.5 M in Andalusia [1] These Andalusian landscapes serve multiple functions, including both olive oil production (around 1 M t year−1 ) and a socio-economic role in employment generation representing. World Heritage status [3,4] This institutional recognition would have a positive effect on the current market value of the region’s olive oil products and would increase their international relevance [5]. Sustainability must be evaluated around three main axes, considering demands of farmers, political decision-makers (territorial planning and agricultural management), and practitioners in the olive sector This means ensuring the economic viability of the crop by maintaining a level of production that sustains a good quality of life for farmers [6,7], and involves management
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