Conservation Practices Boost Soil-Protected Organic Carbon Stocks in Olive Orchards

Evangelina Pareja-Sánchez, Pablo Domouso, Beatriz Gómez-Muñoz, María T. Heras-Linares and Roberto García-Ruíz ()
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Evangelina Pareja-Sánchez: Ecology Unit, University Institute of Research in Olive Grove and Olive Oil (INUO), University of Jaén, Campus Universitario de Las Lagunillas s/n, 23071 Jaén, Spain
Pablo Domouso: Ecology Unit, University Institute of Research in Olive Grove and Olive Oil (INUO), University of Jaén, Campus Universitario de Las Lagunillas s/n, 23071 Jaén, Spain
Beatriz Gómez-Muñoz: Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (EEZ-CSIC), Profesor Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
María T. Heras-Linares: Ecology Unit, University Institute of Research in Olive Grove and Olive Oil (INUO), University of Jaén, Campus Universitario de Las Lagunillas s/n, 23071 Jaén, Spain
Roberto García-Ruíz: Ecology Unit, University Institute of Research in Olive Grove and Olive Oil (INUO), University of Jaén, Campus Universitario de Las Lagunillas s/n, 23071 Jaén, Spain

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 8, 1-15

Abstract: Carbon farming practices are pivotal for enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) storage in agricultural systems. This study focuses on evaluating the effects of spontaneous cover crops as a conservation strategy compared to conventional management practices on total, non-protected, and protected SOC fractions, as well as carbon saturation, in olive groves across 13 paired sites (26 sites in total) in Andalucía, Spain. The research evaluates organic carbon concentrations in different soil fractions: non-protected (250–2000 µm), physically protected (53–250 µm), and chemically protected (<53 µm). The results reveal that olive groves managed with temporary spontaneous cover crops (CC) over the last 8–12 years generally exhibit higher SOC concentrations compared to those managed conventionally (BS), with significant differences observed across multiple sites. CC sites exhibited higher carbon stocks, with protected carbon averaging 42.6 Mg C ha −1 compared to 29.7 Mg C ha −1 in BS, and non-protected carbon at 10.3 Mg C ha −1 versus 4.8 Mg C ha −1 . A direct relationship was identified between total SOC and both protected and non-protected carbon fractions, indicating that the soil of the studies olive orchards is far from being saturated in protected SOC. Moreover, the soil of the CC olive farms had a lower carbon saturation deficit (45.3%) compared to BS (67.2%). The findings show that maintaining the cover crops in olive orchards significantly contributed to carbon sequestration and reduced carbon saturation deficits by increasing the stocks of protected SOC.

Keywords: soil organic carbon fractions; olive groves; carbon sequestration; carbon saturation deficit (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: 2024
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