Influence of Intensive and Super-Intensive Olive Grove Management on Soil Quality-Nutrients Content and Enzyme Activities

• Published in: Plants (Basel) Vol. 12; no. 15; p. 2779
• Main Authors: Reyes-Martín, Marino Pedro, Fernández-Ondoño, Emilia, Ortiz-Bernad, Irene, Abreu, Maria Manuela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 26.07.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Agricultural land; Agricultural practices; Biomass; carbon content; Cellulase; Climatic conditions; Comparative analysis; Crops; dehydrogenase; Dehydrogenases; Environmental aspects; Environmental impact; Enzymatic activity; Enzymes; Influence; Management; Manganese; Measurement; Mineralization; nitrogen content; Nutrient concentrations; Nutrients; Olive; Phosphatase; Physiological aspects; Soil chemistry; Soil fertility; Soil management; Soil properties; Soil quality; Soils; Tillage; Urease; β-glucosidase; Portugal; Spain; protease; cellulase; urease; carbon content; phosphatase; dehydrogenase; β-glucosidase; nitrogen content
• ISSN: 2223-7747; 2223-7747
• DOI: 10.3390/plants12152779

Agricultural soil quality is an issue that has been widely debated in the literature in recent decades. Three olive grove areas (one in Lisbon and the others in Santarém, Portugal) with different management techniques (intensive and super-intensive) were selected. Nutrient concentrations and enzyme activities of soils were determined, as well as the C and N of litter and pruning waste (mulch) to estimate the influence of management techniques on the quality of olive grove soils and to assess the extent to which they are affected by organic covers and different cultivation intensities. Organic C and total N concentrations in soils of the intensive olive grove in Lisbon were the highest when compared with those in the intensive and super-intensive olive groves soils of Santarém. The concentrations of Ca, Mg, Na, and K were the main differences between the Lisbon olive groves and the other two from Santarém. Phosphatase, cellulase, and urease activities were related to the Na, extractable K, extractable P, Zn, Mn, organic C, and total N soil concentrations. Soil management and agricultural practices are determining factors for these enzymatic activities of Santarém olive groves, although climate conditions and soil properties play an important role in the soil enzymatic activities.