Management of pruning residues for soil protection in olive orchards

Erosion is one of the main environmental problems affecting soil in olive orchards. The present research aims to study the protection effect against soil erosion of three different managements of pruning residues in olive orchard. The investigation was carried out in an olive orchard with a total production of 0.39 kg m(-2) of dry weight of pruning residues every 2 years. These pruning were chopped and scattered in 2 m-wide strips through three different managements. Management A, with densities of 1.56 kg m(-2) distributed in all the inter-rows of olive orchard. Management B, with densities of 3.12 kg m(-2) distributed on half of the inter-rows of olive orchard. And management C, with densities of 3.12 kg m(-2) distributed on half of the inter-rows of olive orchard, alternating this application every 2 years with another half of the inter-rows. The influence of the residues on soil protection has been measured through the evolution of three parameters of the residues over 4 years: residues mass degradation, soil cover percentage, and spatial distribution. The results of the study have shown that the management C is the one that best protects the soil from erosion in olive orchard. This management maintains a protecting cover over inter-rows of olive orchard above 40%, maintaining homogeneity of the cover twice as much as the management in which pruning residues are left in all inter-rows.