Soils at Imaggeo: soil erosion in olive groves

Artemi Cerdà, Spain

Soil erosion effects in olive-cropped soils, by Artemi Cerdà. Click to see the original picture at Imaggeo.

Olive-cropped soils in Spain cover more than 2.4 million ha, 75% in southern Spain. Historically, high soil erosion rates have been determined in olive groves due to soil management, mostly.

Due to Mediterranean climate conditions and low water inputs, traditional management is based on reduced tree density, canopy size control by pruning, and intensive weed control. Weed control by conventional tillage is a traditional practice and only very recently alternative methods have been considered, as reduced tillage, no tillage or cover crop strips.

In the picture, the effects of intense tillage during decades are evident after trees have been removed.

This post was also published simultaneously in G-Soil.