Soil Physical-Hydrological Degradation in the Root-Zone of Tree Crops: Problems and Solutions

The diffusion of tree crops has continuously increased during the last decades all over the world. The market boost has favored the adoption of intensive and highly mechanized cultivation, often triggering the degradation of the soil physical-hydrological qualities, mainly through enhanced soil eros...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Agronomy (Basel) 2021-01, Vol.11 (1), p.68
Main Authors: Priori, Simone, Pellegrini, Sergio, Vignozzi, Nadia, Costantini, Edoardo A. C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural practices
Carbon
Charcoal
Cover crops
Crops
Cultivation
Ecological function
Economic conditions
ecosystem services
erosion
Hydrology
Perennial crops
plant available water
Plantations
Restoration strategies
Rooting
Runoff
Soil compaction
soil conservation
Soil degradation
Soil erosion
Soil quality
soil restoration
structure
Tree crops
Trees
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Summary:The diffusion of tree crops has continuously increased during the last decades all over the world. The market boost has favored the adoption of intensive and highly mechanized cultivation, often triggering the degradation of the soil physical-hydrological qualities, mainly through enhanced soil erosion and compaction. Several papers have been published on soil degradation and restoration strategies in specific perennial crops and environments. This review paper collects such studies showing the sensitivity of soil under tree crops to the degradation of their physical-hydrological qualities. Then it reports the state of the art on the methodologies used for the evaluation of the physical-hydrological qualities in the field and in the laboratory, also suggesting an improved methodology for estimating the actual available water capacity. Some updated and promising experiences to recover the physical-hydrological qualities of soil are then illustrated. In particular, subsoiling and placement of drainages, spreading of organic amendments, compost, biochar, using of cover crops, and biological inoculants. A key point in applying the restoration practices is that they should not only be specific for the soil and tree rooting system, but also tailored according to the ecosystem functions that need to be improved besides plant health and yield.
ISSN:2073-4395
2073-4395
DOI:10.3390/agronomy11010068