The short-term (three years) effects of four sustainable orchard management schemes were evaluated in an experimental olive orchard in Crete, Greece, in terms of mineral content of soil and trees, soil microbial populations and mycorrhizal colonization. The study was performed between 2013 and 2015 in a forty-year-old olive plantation (Olea europaea L., cv. Kalamata). The orchard management schemes included: a) compost application (COMP), b) recycling of pruning material (PRUN), c) a mixed (legumes and Avena sativa) cover crop (COVER), d) combination of a, b and c (ALL), and e) control (CON), with no application of organic material and maintenance of weed-free orchard. Although alteration of basic soil properties including increase of organic matter and water and nutrient holding capacity are slow processes that require several years to be achieved, some positive effects were recorded during the first 3 years of application. Soil organic matter, was significantly increased in ALL treatment as compared to single-factor treatments, where differentiation from control was still not clear. Nitrate-N availability was higher in COMP and ALL treatments, while sole application of PRUN treatment seemed to act negatively in N availability as compared to control. Phosphorus availability was also increased in COMP and ALL treatments, while ALL treatment resulted in higher N and P content in olive tree leaves. A positive effect on mycorrhizal colonization was recorded in ALL treatment, while all sustainable schemes seemed to favor the populations of azotobacters and actinomycetes, as compared to the control. The adoption of the sustainable management schemes applied during this study, is in complete agreement with the European policy on the transition from a linear to a circular economy and could provide significant benefits for rural stakeholders and ecosystems in the long term.
Effect of different sustainable orchard management strategies on soil properties, nutrient uptake and soil microbiological aspects in an olive orchard
SOFO, Adriano;
2017-01-01
Abstract
The short-term (three years) effects of four sustainable orchard management schemes were evaluated in an experimental olive orchard in Crete, Greece, in terms of mineral content of soil and trees, soil microbial populations and mycorrhizal colonization. The study was performed between 2013 and 2015 in a forty-year-old olive plantation (Olea europaea L., cv. Kalamata). The orchard management schemes included: a) compost application (COMP), b) recycling of pruning material (PRUN), c) a mixed (legumes and Avena sativa) cover crop (COVER), d) combination of a, b and c (ALL), and e) control (CON), with no application of organic material and maintenance of weed-free orchard. Although alteration of basic soil properties including increase of organic matter and water and nutrient holding capacity are slow processes that require several years to be achieved, some positive effects were recorded during the first 3 years of application. Soil organic matter, was significantly increased in ALL treatment as compared to single-factor treatments, where differentiation from control was still not clear. Nitrate-N availability was higher in COMP and ALL treatments, while sole application of PRUN treatment seemed to act negatively in N availability as compared to control. Phosphorus availability was also increased in COMP and ALL treatments, while ALL treatment resulted in higher N and P content in olive tree leaves. A positive effect on mycorrhizal colonization was recorded in ALL treatment, while all sustainable schemes seemed to favor the populations of azotobacters and actinomycetes, as compared to the control. The adoption of the sustainable management schemes applied during this study, is in complete agreement with the European policy on the transition from a linear to a circular economy and could provide significant benefits for rural stakeholders and ecosystems in the long term.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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