Photosynthesis, Yield, Nutrient Availability and Soil Properties after Biochar, Zeolites or Mycorrhizal Inoculum Application to a Mature Rainfed Olive Orchard

João Ilídio Lopes, Margarida Arrobas, Soraia Raimundo, Alexandre Gonçalves, Cátia Brito, Sandra Martins, Luís Pinto, José Moutinho-Pereira, Carlos M. Correia and Manuel Ângelo Rodrigues
Additional contact information
João Ilídio Lopes: Direção Regional de Agricultura e Pescas do Norte, 5370-347 Mirandela, Portugal
Margarida Arrobas: CIMO—Centro de Investigação de Montanha, Instituto Politécnico de Braganca, 5300-253 Braganca, Portugal
Soraia Raimundo: CIMO—Centro de Investigação de Montanha, Instituto Politécnico de Braganca, 5300-253 Braganca, Portugal
Alexandre Gonçalves: CIMO—Centro de Investigação de Montanha, Instituto Politécnico de Braganca, 5300-253 Braganca, Portugal
Cátia Brito: CITAB—Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta dos Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Sandra Martins: CITAB—Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta dos Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Luís Pinto: CITAB—Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta dos Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
José Moutinho-Pereira: CITAB—Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta dos Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Carlos M. Correia: CITAB—Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta dos Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Manuel Ângelo Rodrigues: CIMO—Centro de Investigação de Montanha, Instituto Politécnico de Braganca, 5300-253 Braganca, Portugal

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 2, 1-15

Abstract: Soil conditioners and beneficial microorganisms are important tools that can be used to increase the sustainability of agro-systems. However, the high diversity of conditions where they can be applied may influence the results, which requires extensive field research. In this study, a field trial of four years was conducted in olive ( Olea europaea L.) to assess the effect of biochar, zeolites and a commercial mycorrhizal inoculum in the photosynthetic performance, nutritional status of trees, olive yield and soil properties. The experimental design also included a fertilizer treatment with nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and boron (B), which nutrients were applied at 50 kg ha −1 of N, P 2 O 5 and K 2 O and 2 kg ha −1 of B, and an untreated control. The mineral fertilizer treatment increased significantly the dry mass of pruning wood and the average olive yield by 21% over the control treatment. The mineral treatment increased plant N nutritional status, the most likely reason why the trees of this treatment performed better. Overall, the soil treatments had net photosynthetic rates similar to each other and higher than the control treatment, from the second year onwards. Biochar increased soil organic matter, as a result of the carbon (C) contained in the amendment itself, and probably by stimulating soil biological activity. Biochar and zeolites did not improve the productive performances of the tress, but increased the soil cation exchange capacity (CEC), which can benefit the system in the long-term. Mycorrhizal fungi did not show any benefit for soil or plants, which could mean that mycorrhization was not established, or their effect was not better than that of native microorganisms. In the conditions of this study, the interest of using commercial mycorrhizal fungi in a mature olive orchard seems to be low.

Keywords: Olea europaea; soil conditioners; soil improvers; biofertilizers; plant biostimulants (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/2/171/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/2/171/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jagris:v:12:y:2022:i:2:p:171-:d:734033

Access Statistics for this article

Agriculture is currently edited by Ms. Leda Xuan

More articles in Agriculture from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().