Abstract
Olive groves are one of the most important agro-systems in the Mediterranean basin, and the Andalusia region produces the highest quantity of olive oil in Europe. The aim of this work was to evaluate the long-term (15 years) influence of two management practices in olive orchards—conventional tillage (CT) and no tillage with bare soil and herbicide application (NT + H)—on soil physical properties, infiltration capacity, erosion rates, and soil productivity. In addition, the short-term (2 years) influence of no tillage with cover crop management (NT-CC) on these parameters was also assessed. In the study area, CT and NT + H management practices showed unsustainable erosion values, 9.82 and 13.88 Mg ha−1 year−1, respectively, while NT-CC inclusion decreased the erosion rates (2.06 Mg ha−1 year−1). The implementation of NT-CC not only reduced erosion rates but also caused a change in the trend of soil productivity loss observed under CT and NT + H. In this sense, NT-CC showed a positive influence on soil quality. However, tillage removal led to a significant reduction in the infiltration capacity of soils under NT + H and NT-CC, which will be a serious handicap for water storage in an environment with continuous processes of water deficit.
Highlights
The field work was conducted in Southern Spain (Torredelcampo, Jaen, Andalusia), and the farm studied comprised an area of 10 ha of traditional olive groves (Olea europaea)
Regarding the NT management systems (NT + H and no tillage with cover crop management (NT-CC)), the highest macroporosity values were found in the two first horizons (Ap and Bw), while the highest microporosity values were found in the two deep horizons (BC or C)
After 15 years of land management under conventional tillage (CT), the continuous erosion process estimated in this plot caused a decrease in the soil quality, which was demonstrated by a decrease in soil productivity and high soil erosion rates, CT1 obtained the highest infiltration capacity and maintained similar values to the initial situation (CT0)
Summary
Governmental strategies, such as the European Green Deal and an awareness increase in relation to environmental health and the long-term sustainability of agroecosystems, require the implementation of management strategies that preserve soil, air, and water resources. In Mediterranean areas, woody crop soils, e.g., olive, almond, or vineyards, have a high potential to provide ecosystem services [4,5,6]. They are usually installed on hillsides and shallow soils that are exposed to prolonged drought periods and torrential rainfall episodes [7,8,9]. The implementation of non-conservative agronomic practices in woody crop soils (deep tillage or bare soil maintenance), leads to soil degradation processes and calls their properties relative to the provision of ecosystem services into question [10,11,12]
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