The role of soil characteristics, soil tillage and drip irrigation in the timber production of a wild cherry orchard under Mediterranean conditions

摘要

Over the last decade high-quality timber plantations have increased in Europe because of the constant high market price of timber and economical incentives from the EU. These latter are mainly due to timber plantations' role in CO2 capture. Noble wood plantations have also been established in Mediterranean areas, but many of them suffer from low growth rates due to deficient plantation management and/or non-optimal environmental conditions. Furthermore, little information exists about soil and water management in these plantations and how different soil characteristics may affect management results. In this study, a trial was established in a pure wild cherry plantation under Mediterranean conditions. The trial evaluated the effects that soil type (low soil quality versus good performance for woody crops), soil management (soil tillage versus no tillage), irrigation regime (drip irrigation versus no irrigation) and their interactions may have on wood production. Soil water content and the spontaneous vegetation that appeared in the alleys of the no-tillage treatments were also measured.