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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
The olive sector has an important economic, social, cultural and ecological relevance in the
Mediterranean region, where tillage still is a generalized practice, although the
recommendations of UE policy for a more sustainable agriculture. In fact, tillage has negative
side-effects, including increased soil erosion and high labor and fuel requirements, and relevant
changes on soil quality indicators, as bulk density, porosity, water-holding capacity, organic
matter content and microbial activity. The study conducted in two different rainfed orchards (cv.
Cobrançosa) of Northeast Portugal revealed that cover crops with self-reseeding legumes of
short-cycle, with mulch of dead vegetation during the dry season, and a permanent sward
grazed with a flock of sheep, are better options for soil management in olive tree rainfed
orchards. Both practices influence positively the olive tree water status during the drought
season, as well the nutritional status, contributing to greater physiological performance during
the summer, as evidenced by higher net photosynthetic rate, mainly due to inferior stomatal
limitations, and enhanced yield. Moreover, these less disruptive agronomic practices increased
the levels of total and easily extractable glomalin, a thermostable hydrophobic glycoprotein
produced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, that play an important role in the stability of soil
aggregates and in the sequestration of nitrogen and carbon. These results indicate that these
practices should be included in the portfolio of management strategies against climate change,
contributing to the sustainability of rainfed orchards under a changing environment.
Description
Keywords
Climate change Soil management practices, Olive tree Sustainability
Citation
Correia, Carlos M.; Martins, Sandra; Silva, Ermelinda; Brito, Cátia; Pinto, Luís; Moutinho-Pereira, J.M.; Arrobas, Margarida; Rodrigues, M.A.; Gonçalves, Alexandre (2019). Managing soils for mitigation and adaptation of rainfed olive trees to climate change. In 3rd Agriculture and Climate Change Conference. Budapest