Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Hedgerow Olive Orchard Versus Traditional Olive Orchards: Impact on Soil Selected Chemical Properties

José Rato-Nunes
* ORCID logo ,
José Telo da Gama
,
David Peña
ORCID logo ,
Luís Loures
,
Angel Albarrán
,
Damian Fernández-Rodríguez
ORCID logo ,
Luis Vicente
ORCID logo ,
Antonio López-Piñeiro
ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 15 December 2023 / Approved: 15 December 2023 / Online: 18 December 2023 (07:16:15 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Rato-Nunes, J.; Telo-da-Gama, J.; Peña, D.; Loures, L.; Albaran, A.; Fernández-Rodríguez, D.; Vicente, L.; López-Piñeiro, A. Hedgerow Olive Orchards versus Traditional Olive Orchards: Impact on Selected Soil Chemical Properties. Agriculture 2024, 14, 251. Rato-Nunes, J.; Telo-da-Gama, J.; Peña, D.; Loures, L.; Albaran, A.; Fernández-Rodríguez, D.; Vicente, L.; López-Piñeiro, A. Hedgerow Olive Orchards versus Traditional Olive Orchards: Impact on Selected Soil Chemical Properties. Agriculture 2024, 14, 251.

Abstract

Olive orchards cover over 10 million hectares worldwide, with production techniques undergoing significant changes in the past three decades. The traditional rainfed approach, involving minimal inputs, has given way to irrigated super-intensive systems with higher planting density, in-creased productivity, greater use of fertilizers and phytopharmaceuticals, and total mechaniza-tion. Its impact on soil chemical properties remains a topic of great debate and no definitive consensus has been reached. Our main objective was to examine the different effects of traditional olive orchards and super-intensive ones on soil chemistry over a decade. We collected and ana-lyzed 1500 soil samples from an irrigation perimeter in southern Portugal in 2003 and 2013. Our findings indicate that compared to traditional olive orchards, super-intensive ones show, in a decade, a significant decrease in soil organic matter (less 22.8% - p<0.001) and an increase in so-dization (more 33.8% of Ext Na - p<0.001) highlighting the importance of monitoring this factor for soil fertility. In comparison to other irrigated crops in the region, super-intensive olive orchards promote a significant soil acidification (from 7.12 to 6.58), whereas the pH values of the other crops increase significantly (more 3.3%, 13.5%, 3.0% in corn, tomato and cereals, respectively). Mainly because organic matter levels decrease, soil acidification and soil sodization we can un-derline that hedgerow olive orchards can affect soil characteristics negatively when compared with traditional ones.

Keywords

Hedged olive grove; Mediterranean region; soil chemical characteristics; traditional olive grove

Subject

Environmental and Earth Sciences, Soil Science

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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