The combination of crop diversification and no tillage enhances key soil quality parameters related to soil functioning without compromising crop yields in a low-input rainfed almond orchard under semiarid Mediterranean conditions

Crop diversification effects on soil organic carbon and nitrogen storage and stabilization is mediated by soil management practices in semiarid woody crops

“…The pH (H2O, 1:5) showed values of 8.5 and 7.5 in the rainfed and irrigated monocrop, respectively, while the electrical conductivity oscillated between 0.20 and 1.37 dS m -1 under rainfed and irrigated conditions, respectively. For more details on the initial soil characteristics of all crop management treatments see Sánchez-Navarro et al (2022) and Almagro et al (2023). Soils in the study area have suffered severe degradation and erosion processes due to a combination of geomorphological factors (lithology, topography, and climatology), land use history and plant cover changes typical of Mediterranean regions (García-Ruiz, 2010).…”

Intercropping Perennial Fruit Trees and Annual Field Crops with Aromatic and Medicinal Plants (MAPs) in the Mediterranean Basin

“…Rising temperatures in the MB are currently compromising the chilling unit requirements, leading to developmental abnormalities affecting yield and quality specifically in the temperate tree crops [7,17,54]. Since fruit trees in the MB are often grown in marginal and unfertile lands with low levels of soil organic matter [13] and are also traditionally cultivated at a low plant density [25,39], increased temperatures combined with variable and unpredictable precipitation events (drought, flooding) have accelerated water erosion and worsened soil degradation [18,26]. Moreover, the implementation of non-sustainable agronomic practices such as tillage to remove weeds on exposed land between trees, as well as the use of chemical fertilizers have collectively contributed to anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and reduced agro-ecosystem fauna services [10,13,26].…”

“…Spain represents the second largest global producer, with Morocco, Türkiye, Italy, Algeria and Tunisia all ranking within the top ten global producers for 2023 [55]. The articles on intercropping MAPs with almond trees were all performed in semi-arid rainfed regions of Spain, facing severe land degradation problems [18]. The first published article in 2008 was aimed at identifying the best soil management strategy, using non-tillage strip intercropping with rosemary, sage and thyme, compared to conventional tillage with no intercrops over a four-year period on hill slopes [39].…”

“…Focusing on perennial nut and fruit tree crops, there is no return in investment until several years after planting. Hence, climate change and non-sustainable management effects on phenology, physiological processes, disease-pest frequency, yield and product quality specifically represent major challenges to producers of this agricultural sector within the MB [9,10,[13][14][15][16][17][18]. Important staple cereal and legume field crops in the region, intrinsically linked to food security, are similarly subject to yield fluctuations [19,20] and increasing pathogen/pest pressure [5,[21][22][23].…”

Climate change impacts on temperate fruit and nut production: a systematic review

“…While a number of adaptation and mitigation strategies to cope with the effects of climate change on agriculture are being explored by scientists in warm temperate regions, many of these strategies may take as long as 10 to 20 years to be implemented ( Bruinsma, 2003 ). Promising strategies may include shifts to more suitable cultivation areas ( Drogoudi et al., 2020 ; Fernandez et al., 2020a ; del Barrio et al., 2021 ; Rojas et al., 2021 ; Noorazar et al., 2022 ; Meza et al., 2023 ), crop replacement and diversification ( Valverde et al., 2015 ; Almagro et al., 2023 ; Rezgui et al., 2024 ), the introduction of new cultivars ( Funes et al., 2016 ; Ruiz et al., 2019 ; Arenas-Castro et al., 2020 ; Cantin et al., 2020 ; Drogoudi et al., 2020 ), water management strategies ( Fraga et al., 2020 ; Aguirre-Garcia et al., 2021 ; Gutierrez-Gamboa et al., 2022 ; Lulane et al., 2022 ; Espinoza-Meza et al., 2023 ; Rojano-Cruz et al., 2023 ), and technological adaptation ( Luzio et al., 2021 ; Mazis et al., 2021 ; Rojas et al., 2021 ; Teker, 2023 ). However, as the impacts of climate change become increasingly severe, the adaptation and adoption of such strategies will require local and regional research, as well as effective governmental policies focused on the implementation of sustainable management practices and the adoption of new technologies.…”