Characterization of Cover Crops for use in Olive Groves and Vineyards in Certified Systems under Mediterranean Conditions

摘要

Olive groves and vineyards are two of the most widespread crops in the Mediterranean region. In Andalusia (southern Spain) they occupy 18% of the regional surface (98% of this is olive groves), shaping the landscape and impacting the regional economy.The olive-growing areas in Andalusia have been pointed out repeatedly as heavily degraded areas by water erosion (e.g. Bennett, 1960). In the vineyards, experimental work in other Mediterranean regions (e.g. Gomez et al., 2011) indicated high soil degradation when the management system was based on bare soil. Soil management in olive orchards using cover crops in lanes has shown its effectiveness at reducing erosion, increasing biodiversity and improving soil properties at experimental farms (Gomez etal., 2009a; 2009b). However, numerous practical problems still remain when trying to disseminate and introduce cover crops in commercial plantations. For example, one problem is risk of competition with the olive or vine crops for soil water when management of the vegetative cover is inadequate, because of the large variability in optimal mowing date depending on soil, climate and olive orchard characteristics. In studies on the sustainability of Andalusian olive groves (e.g. Barea and Ruiz, 2009) the need for expansion of certified production systems (e.g. organic, integrated, etc.) linked to quality labels with large commercial imprints to achieve higher prices is highlighted. These certified systems are absolutely dependent on the use of cover-cropswith beneficial species for agroecosystems, in the deeper biological sense.