The Use of Pruning Residue Mulch and Spontaneous Groundcovers to Control Erosion and Carbon Loss in Olive Orchards

Miguel A. Repullo-Ruibérriz de Torres (), Francisco Pérez-Serrano, Manuel Moreno-García, Rosa M. Carbonell-Bojollo, Rafaela Ordóñez-Fernández and Antonio Rodríguez-Lizana
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Miguel A. Repullo-Ruibérriz de Torres: European Conservation Agriculture Federation (ECAF), 1040 Brussels, Belgium
Francisco Pérez-Serrano: Area of Agroforestry Engineering, Department of Aerospace Engineering and Fluid Mechanics, University of Seville, Ctra. de Utrera, Km. 1, 41013 Seville, Spain
Manuel Moreno-García: Natural Resources and Forestry Area, Andalusian Institute for Research and Training in Agriculture and Fishing (IFAPA), Alameda del Obispo Centre, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
Rosa M. Carbonell-Bojollo: Natural Resources and Forestry Area, Andalusian Institute for Research and Training in Agriculture and Fishing (IFAPA), Alameda del Obispo Centre, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
Rafaela Ordóñez-Fernández: Natural Resources and Forestry Area, Andalusian Institute for Research and Training in Agriculture and Fishing (IFAPA), Alameda del Obispo Centre, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
Antonio Rodríguez-Lizana: Area of Agroforestry Engineering, Department of Aerospace Engineering and Fluid Mechanics, University of Seville, Ctra. de Utrera, Km. 1, 41013 Seville, Spain

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 7, 1-16

Abstract: Many olive orchards are rainfed and located on poor and sloping soil. Tillage is the most common soil management system, leaving the soil vulnerable to erosion. Pruning is a frequently used field operation in olive orchards that generates biomass; thus, pruning residue can be shredded and used as mulch to cover and nourish the soil. Several strategies using pruning residue mulch and spontaneous groundcovers were established to study their effect on controlling runoff, erosion and soil organic carbon (SOC) loss under simulated rainfall. The simulation trials were conducted under two different intensity rainfalls: high-intensity rainfall and medium-intensity rainfall, which averaged 36.8 and 16.4 mm/h, respectively. A tillage system was compared to spontaneous vegetation using two doses of pruning residue mulch, 10 and 30 t/ha, and a mixture of 10 t/ha of pruning residue applied on spontaneous vegetation. Runoff was reduced to a higher degree with spontaneous groundcovers as infiltration was favoured. Soil loss was reduced by more than 95% and SOC loss by more than 85% regarding tillage with any type of groundcover for both rainfall intensities. Spontaneous vegetation with a pruning residue mulch system kept the soil protected to a greater degree against erosive processes, making the system more sustainable.

Keywords: rainfall simulator; soil loss; soil organic carbon; enrichment ratio; soil cover (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: 2025
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