6533b82bfe1ef96bd128d890

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Effectiveness of cover crops to reduce loss of soil organic matter in a rainfed vineyard

Sara ÁLvarezManuel López-vicenteArtemi CerdàElena Calvo-seas

subject

Water en LandgebruikEnrichment ratiocover crop010501 environmental sciencesvineyardVineyard01 natural sciencesVineyardlcsh:AgricultureSoilSoil Water and Land UseBodemsoil organic matterOrganic matterCover crop0105 earth and related environmental sciencesNature and Landscape Conservationchemistry.chemical_classificationGlobal and Planetary ChangeTopsoilSoil organic mattersoil erosionEcologyWater and Land UseSoil organic matterlcsh:S04 agricultural and veterinary sciencesSoil carbonBodem Water en LandgebruikTillageAgronomychemistry040103 agronomy & agriculturesediment trapSediment trapSoil erosion0401 agriculture forestry and fisheriesEnvironmental scienceenrichment ratioCover cropMediterranean climateSurface runoff

description

Cover crops (CCs) minimize the loss of soil in permanent cropping systems where the soil is usually bare due to intense tillage or overuse of herbicides. The topsoil, the richer layer in soil organic carbon and organic matter (OM), is affected by water erosion. Nature-based solutions appear as a suitable option for sustainable farming. In this study, the effectiveness of two years of CC management to reduce the OM loss is evaluated in a rainfed vineyard in a rolling landscape (Huesca, NE Spain). Two sediment traps collected runoff over 15 months. Topsoil OM contents (1.64% and 1.60%) and sediment/soil OM enrichment ratio (2.61 and 3.07) were similar. However, the average annual rate of OM loss was 3.6 times higher in the plot with lower vegetation cover than in the plot with CCs (1.29 vs. 0.35 kgOM ha&minus

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2020-07-16
10.3390/land9070230https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/effectiveness-of-cover-crops-to-reduce-loss-of-soil-organic-matte-2