Cover Crops and No-Tillage in an Olive Grove (Andalusia, Spain)

General

National Id:

Spain_04

Site name:

"La Conchuela"; commercial olive orchard, 10 km west of Córdoba, Andalusia, south-western Spain.

Summary:

Cover Crops and No-Tillage in an Olive Grove (Andalusia, Spain). "La Conchuela" is commercial olive orchard (Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain) in which alternative soil management practices (no-tillage and green cover) to reduce soil erosion and runoff have been studied during 7 years. This case study shows how the use of a cover crop can be a simple, feasible soil and water conservation practice in olive groves on rolling lands in the region.

NUTS Code:

Andalucía

RBD code:

ES060

Transboundary:

Data provider:

Fernanda Milans (IMDEA Water) in close cooperation with José Alfonso Gómez (IAS-CSIC) whose valuable contribution is acknowledged and very much appreciated.

Source(s):

Soil management effects on runoff, erosion and soil properties in an olive grove of Southern Spain.

Hydrological and erosive response of a small catchment under olivecultivation in a vertic soil during a five-year period: Implications forsustainability

Application of the water erosion prediction project (WEPP) in olive orchards on Vertic soil with different management conditions

Curve number values for olive orchards under different soil management

The influence of cover crops and tillage on water and sediment yield, and on nutrient, and organic matter losses in an olive orchard on a sandy loam soil

Francia Martínez, J. R., Durán Zuazo, V. H., & Martínez Raya, A. (2006). Environmental impact from mountainous olive orchards under different soil-management systems (SE Spain).

The role of ancillary benefits on the value of agricultural soils carbon sequestration programmes: Evidence from a latent class approach to Andalusian olive groves.

Evaluating the demand for carbon sequestration in olive grove soils as a strategy toward mitigating climate change

Medidas beneficiosas para las aves ligadas a medios agrícola - Sugerencias para su diseño y aplicación en NATURA 2000, en el marco de la programación de desarrollo rural 2007-2013

EU policies for olive farming. Unsustainable on all counts

NWRM(s) implemented in the case study:

No till agriculture

Green cover

Longitude:

-4.8980556

Latitude:

37.815

Site information

Climate zone:

warm temperate dry

Mean rainfall:

577

Mean rainfall unit:

mm/year

Average temperature:

Mean runoff:

25,8999996185303

Mean runoff unit:

450 - 600 mm

Average runoff coefficient:

3,09999990463257

Type:

Actual Test Site

Light or indepth?:

Light

Average slope range:

10-15%

Monitoring maintenance

Monitoring impacts effects:

Performance

Performance impact estimation method:

Edge of Field/Plot

Performance impact estimation information:

Rainfall, runoff and soil loss were recorded during 7 years under three different soil management systems: no tillage, conventional tillage and cover crops. The results of the three alternatives on soil properties and on runoff and sediment losses were thus compared.

Biophysical impacts

Information on retained water:

This is still to be defined in co-operation with practitioners. We are working with researchers on soil conservation measures on this water retention potential.

Information on increased water storage:

Cover crops increase the infiltration rate and surface storage

Information on runoff reduction:

Lower runoff coefficient in the Cover Crop treatment as compared to the Conventional Tillage and No-Tillage treatments. Higher runoff coeficient in the No-tillage system compare to the base line (Conventional Tillage). Average values (200-2006) runoff coefficient: NT: 11.9% / CT: 3.1% / CC:1.2%

Water quality overall improvements:

Positive impact-WQ improvement

Information on Water quality overall improvements:

In the cover crops treatment the water infiltrated more easily into the soil (under the protective plants) and at the same time the increased flow resistence dissipated the energy of the surface water. The aereal part of the plant intercepted part of the sediment particles carried by the water (Gómez et al., 2009)

Soil quality overall soil improvements:

Positive impact-SQ improvement

Information on Soil quality overall soil improvements:

Positive impacto on soil quality under Cover Crops soil management (the capacity of plant covers in intercepting rainfall is a determining factor in the reduction of soil erosion, which subsequently avoids the development of impermeable crusts at the soil surface). No tillage treatment, bare soil with herbicide, does not benefit soil and water conservation compared to the traditional, Convemtional tillage, or the innovative, Cover crop.

Lessons, risks, implications...

Key lessons:

The study shows that the use of a cover crop can be a simple, feasible soil and water conservation practice in olive groves on rolling lands in the region. A key factor in its practical use is to establish it early enough to protect the soil in the critical initial years of the grove, when most of the soil is unprotected by the small olive canopy. The no-tillage treatement, bare soil with herbicide, does not benefit soil and water conservation. Despite this work, long-term studies that simultaneously assess the effects of different soil management on soil properties and on soil and runoff losses in olive groves are lacking. The sutdy is based on 7 years of data collection; results may change over a longer period.

Success factor(s):

Type	Role	Comments
Specific incentives for stakeholder involvement	main factor

Financing:

Type	Comments
Local funds	The Autonomous Andalusian Government through projects CAO 01-001-C4-0, AGR2005- 00595 and AGR2349.
Private funds	INIA through project CAO98-15

Barrier:

Type	Role	Comments
Other	main barrier

Driver:

Type	Role	Comments
Balancing different objectives	main driver

Socio-economic

Direct benefits information:

Economic benefits of improving productivity and avoided cost of improving the soil quality. Economic benefit from reducing tillage (reduce working hours, fuel consumption, machine fix cost).

Ancillary benefits information:

CO2 sequestration, reduction in soil erosion, increase soil and water storage capacity and enhanced biodiversity

Information on Economic costs - income loss:

Economic cost of increase in the use of herbicide and application cost

Ecosystem improved biodiversity:

Information on Ecosystem improved biodiversity:

Changing from bare soil managements (CC and NT) to the use of CC (where the amount of herbicide and frequency of tillage is reduced) increase the biodiversity of the agricultural system (De la Concha et al., 2007). Reducing tillage and heavy herbicide enhance the specturm ground flora and on insect populations. Moreover a permanent grass cover, managed by mowing or grazing, benefits soil and wildlife conservation (Beaufoy, 2001).

Ecosystem provisioning services:

Ecosystem impact climate regulation:

Impact on GHGs (net emissions and storage) including soil carbon

Information on Ecosystem impact climate regulation:

Soil carbon sequestration in olives grove derived from the implementation of agricultural practices, mainly by reducing tillage (as in the case of CC management practices) significantly increase by up to 0.3 tons per hectare and year (Rodríguez et al., 2012). Changing from bare soil practices to the use of plant covers in combination with tillage or residual herbicide application, improves soil structure due to an increase in the organic matter (Gómez-Calero et al., 2009) thus allowing for the improvement of the carbon sink capacity of the olive agricultural system.

Policy, general governance and design targets

Policy description:

To date, 31% of the olive acreage in Andalusia is located on very steep terrains, on slopes of above 15%; 38% of the acreage is on moderate slopes, in the 7-15% range; the rest on slopes of under 7%. Traditional olive production is based on low tree densities weed control via frequent tillage and canopy size limited by pruning, to ensure the productivity and survival of the plantation in a limited rainfall environment. Olive production in the region has been associated with severe soil erosion problems accompanied by fertility depletion and loss of biodiversity.

Policy pressure:

Policy requirement directive:

Policy impact:

Policy wider plan:

Policy area:

Policy target:

Target purpose
Runoff control
Erosion Control

Design & implementations

Application scale:

Plot

Lifespan:

Age:

Performance timescale:

1 - 4 years

Area (ha):

0,0287999995052814

Area subject to Land use change or Management/Practice change (ha):

0,0288800001144409

Design capacity description:

Sediment losses: Cover Crops: 0,8; No-Tillage: 6,9 (t ha-1 year -1)

Constraints:

Cover crops should be sown in early autumn after the onset of rains. Also the choice of the correct killing date to avoid water competition. They should be mown in early spring in order to prevent competition with the olive tree for water and nutrients. Cover crops can increase the probability of the development of pests an diseases associated to cover crops and increase the probability of wildfires. There are some technical problems related to the seed selection and its maintenance.

Favourable preconditions:

The risk of competition for soil, water and nutrients between the tree and the cover crops is minimal in the initial years of the plantation (small and less trees density). Also in the case of irrigated groves that are adequately fertilized.

Design contractual arrangement:

Design consultation activity:

Design land use change:

Design authority:

Last updated: 13 Jan 2015 | Top

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Cover Crops and No-Tillage in an Olive Grove (Andalusia, Spain)

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