Climate change is threatening Greece’s centuries-old olive-growing communities and the timeless traditions they cultivate. It’s not hard to find olive groves in Greece. They are—quite literally—everywhere. I’ve spent hundreds of hours in the car traveling through the country: from Athens in the south to my grandma’s native Thrace, a region that sits on the border…
Olive (Olea europaea L.) is one of the main crops in the Mediterranean area, with Spain leading its production. The majority of the plantations are on rainfed land, poor soils with steep slopes. Regarding to soil, tillage (T) is the main management system used by farmers. Consequently, erosion and the resulting soil organic carbon (SOC)…
A team from the Department of Agronomy proposes a method to calculate, compare and communicate how different crops affect the loss of agricultural soil, with the aim of raising awareness of this problem and promoting solutions to preserve this vital resource Agriculture faces a challenge on which the future of the planet depends, to a…
The agricultural industry is intensifying production methods to increase crop yields. Olive cultivation, the prevalent permanent crop in Europe and the Mediterranean area, involves intense practices with heavy agrochemical use. This significantly impacts agroecosystem biodiversity and its ecosystem services. In this study, we explore how biodiversity influences the adult olive fly (Bactrocera oleae (Rossi)) population…
Since the time of ancient civilizations, the synchronization of alternate (or biennial) bearing of olive has been a well-known phenomenon in the Mediterranean region. The pattern of alternate bearing has been synchronized in certain orchards or nearby regions where horticultural trees grow … >>> Kashiwagi, K., Sato, M., Kamiyama, H. J. Arid Land Studies 34(S),…
The agricultural sector has been intensifying production systems to increase yields. Olive cultivation is the most widespread permanent crop in Europe and the Mediterranean region >>> Stavrianakis, G., Sentas, E., Stattegger, S.R., Tscheulin, T., Kizos, T. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, pp.1-24 (2024) Recent related articles in this category All articles in this category >>>
In order to evaluate the potential of climate change mitigation measures on soil physiochemical properties, an experiment based on the application of five agroecological practices such as the addition of composted olive-mill wastes, recycling pruning residue, cover crops, organic insect manure, and reduced soil tillage, solely or combined, was conducted over two years (2020 to…
Dry periods in semi-arid regions constitute one of the greatest hazardous features that agriculture faces. This study investigates the effects of using a new device called ‘Hydroinfiltrator Rainwater Harvesting System (HRHS) on the water balance of soils. It was designed for arid and semi-arid zones affected by long periods of drought punctuated by heavy rainstorms….
Although the negative effects of insecticides and herbicides on beneficial and non-target invertebrates are well documented, there is limited information on potential negative impacts of pest and weed management practices used in organic farming on invertebrate activity. Using established field experiments designed to compare different ground cover crops (used to suppress weeds and increase nitrogen…
The Mediterranean Basin is evolving due to human – nature interactions. The management of agroecosystems strongly affects plant diversity. Olive groves cover 19% of the cultivated area in Greece of which 8% is organic, cultivated using environment-friendly farming practices, while the rest includes conventional (intensive) or abandoned olive groves. Lesbos, the third largest island of…