Cover Crops for Carbon Mitigation and Biodiversity Enhancement: A Case Study of an Olive Grove in Messinia, Greece

Ioanna Michail, Christos Pantazis, Stavros Solomos, Michail Michailidis, Athanassios Molassiotis and Vasileios Gkisakis ()
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Ioanna Michail: Institute of Olive Tree, Subtropical Crops and Viticulture, Hellenic Agricultural Organization (ELGO)—Dimitra, 24100 Kalamata, Greece
Christos Pantazis: Navarino Environmental Observatory (N.E.O.), 24001 Messenia, Greece
Stavros Solomos: Research Centre of Atmospheric Physics and Climatology, Academy of Athens, 10680 Athens, Greece
Michail Michailidis: Laboratory of Pomology, Department of Horticulture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 5700 Thessaloniki, Greece
Athanassios Molassiotis: Laboratory of Pomology, Department of Horticulture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 5700 Thessaloniki, Greece
Vasileios Gkisakis: Institute of Olive Tree, Subtropical Crops and Viticulture, Hellenic Agricultural Organization (ELGO)—Dimitra, 24100 Kalamata, Greece

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 8, 1-17

Abstract: Land desertification is becoming increasingly significant for the Mediterranean basin, particularly due to the rising pressures on agricultural land. Regarding the olive grove sector, intensive farming methods can have detrimental effects on the provision of various agroecosystem services. Conversely, agroecological approaches, such as reduced tillage/no tillage and the use of cover crops, can help mitigate soil degradation and enhance soil arthropod biodiversity. Herein, an experiment was conducted in a hilly olive grove in southern Peloponnese, a key olive production area in Greece. Different soil treatments were implemented across nine plots (three plots per treatment), including the following: (i) the use of a cover crop mixture ( Pisum sativum , Vicia faba , Hordeum vulgare ), (ii) herbicide application, and (iii) spontaneous vegetation (control). A comprehensive survey was performed at the plot level for monitoring carbon sequestration and ground-dwelling arthropod diversity. The results indicated that cover crops had a positive impact on soil fertility and structure, leading to an increase in total biomass production per plot, while also contributing to the preservation of key soil arthropod populations when compared to treatments that resulted in bare soil. The findings from this in situ study are meant to be integrated into the frames of a long-term monitoring process in order to be used for climate change mitigation and biodiversity management models, enhancing the resilience and regeneration of degraded land.

Keywords: cover crops; carbon sequestration; soil arthropod biodiversity (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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