Soil ecosystem functions in a high-density olive orchard managed by different soil conservation practices

Abstract

The long-term effects of two different soil management practices, natural grass cover (NC) and conservation tillage (CT), on soil functions (carbon sequestration, habitat for organisms, and water movement and retention) were determined in a high-density, mature olive orchard (Olea europaea L. cv.Frantoio) growing in a sandy loam soil (Typic Haploxeralf) in a Mediterranean environment. Ten years after the beginning of the different soil management, soil samples were collected at 0-10 and 10-20 cm depth and at two distances from the trunk, underneath the olive canopy (UC) and in the inter-row (IR).There were no differences in fruit yield, oil yield, and yield efficiency between the two soil management systems during the 2011-2013 period. CT negatively affected soil organic carbon pools (total and humified), but only at the IR position. The distance from the plant did not significantly influence soil structure and hydrological properties, while NC treatment increased water movement and retention.Tillage reduced the microarthropod diversity, namely Collembola and 'Other arthropods', which were the most sensitive groups to soil perturbation. We conclude that natural grass cover was more effective than conservation tillage in maintaining or improving elements of soil functionality.

Soil Health and Arthropods: From Complex System to Worthwhile Investigation

“…Pauropoda and Symphyla are two groups often reported together within the microarthropod community. Both groups generally show high sensitivity to stress in soil habitat and generally characterize undisturbed soils [149,150].…”

“…Some studies noted that species diversity and abundance decline in intensive agricultural systems; above all, differences have been observed between organic and conventional management, where hedgerows have proved to be important in maintaining biodiversity providing a refuge and a source of woodlice for Isopoda community [151,158]. Vignozzi et al [149] reported a higher presence of this group in the less impacted natural cover soil than in the conservational tillage soil, highlighting the high sensitivity of Isopoda to habitat stress. Different grassland management has different impact on Isopoda, which are sensitive to botanical composition not only for food but also for vegetation structure, with increased mortality resulting from simplification of the habitat [159]; so that cutting, for example, is a non-selective method that differs from grazing, where impact depends on the herbivores present [158,160].…”

“…Up to now, several papers have reported the results of the QBS-ar application, and elaborating the QBS-ar data reported in numerous papers, Menta et al [167] highlighted the relationship between soil quality, expressed as QBS-ar, and different land uses. In a study aimed to evaluate the effects of two soil conservation management practices in a long-term (10 years) olive orchard management, Vignozzi et al [149] reported a multiple approach. The authors determined BF (Biological Forms) richness, Shannon (H'), Margalef (d), QBS-ar index and feeding morphotype diversity classification.…”

Soil Macrofauna: A key Factor for Increasing Soil Fertility and Promoting Sustainable Soil Use in Fruit Orchard Agrosystems

“…In orchards, the presence of ground beetles on the soil surface over the entire growing season renders them highly sensitive to the long-term effects of plant protection products sprayed onto the trees [88]. Furthermore, Staphylinidae, one of the largest families of Coleoptera, includes species that are mostly predacious and have a role as biological regulators of crop pests [89]. Environmental conditions, wide-spectrum insecticides and soil management type have a significant effect on species richness and modify the dominance structures of the beetle communities [90].…”

Estimating the Soil Hydraulic Functions of Some Olive Orchards: Soil Management Implications for Water Saving in Soils of Salento Peninsula (Southern Italy)

“…There is experimental evidence that soil property assessments can represent an effective approach to investigate the influence of soil management on water storage [10], or to evaluate the impact of different soil conservation practices on soil functions [11,12]. Such studies have increased our knowledge on the sustainable management of orchards, but further investigations are needed for specific arid areas of the Mediterranean basin.…”