Sustainable agricultural practices for Mediterranean olive groves. The effect of soil management on soil properties

The olive is one of the most important crops grown in the Mediterranean region, both in terms of total surface area and its socioeconomic and environmental impact. In the present work, the main soil parameters of olive groves under different management systems are compared to an uncultivated area. Soil samples were collected and analysed from native vegetation (NV) and olive groves under three different soil management systems: conventional tillage (T), no-tillage bare soil (NT) and cover crop (CC). The groves (T, NT, and CC) increased the calcium carbonate content in the uppermost part of the soil profile with respect to NV. The lowest calcium carbonate concentrations were recorded in the top few centimetres of NV soil, with concentrations increasing with depth, while in the cultivated soils, no depth-related variations were found. The results showed an accumulation of soil organic carbon (SOC) in the shallowest soil layer resulting in a high stratification value in the NV; however, this diminished in the cultivated soil and particularly in the tilled plots. The plots under these types of soil management also presented the lowest SOC, nitrogen, potassium and C/N values. CC was the soil management system that showed the best soil properties. Our results indicate that using cover crops and eliminating tillage practices significantly improve soil quality in Mediterranean olive groves.