Examining the Effectiveness of Catch Crops as a Nature‑Based Solution to Mitigate Surface Soil and Water Losses as an Environmental Regional Concern
Metadatos
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Springer
Materia
Citrus orchards Control measures Sustainability Regional geography Land management
Fecha
2021-12-27Referencia bibliográfica
Cerdà, A... [et al.]. Examining the Effectiveness of Catch Crops as a Nature-Based Solution to Mitigate Surface Soil and Water Losses as an Environmental Regional Concern. Earth Syst Environ (2021). [https://doi.org/10.1007/s41748-021-00284-9]
Patrocinador
Universidad de Granada/CBUA; European Commission 603498; Co-operative Research programme from the OECD (Biological Resource Management for Sustainable Agricultural Systems) OCDE TAD/CRP JA00088807Resumen
The main goal of this research was to conduct a biophysical, economic, social, and perception-based approach to foresee the
solutions that could be used to mitigate the soil loss problem cost-effectively in “La Ribera del Xúquer” district (Valencia
Region, Spain). To achieve these goals, a farmer perception survey was carried out, and an assessment of the biophysical
impact of catch crops on soil organic matter, bulk density, steady-state infiltration rate (double-ring infiltrometer) and runoff
generation, and soil erosion (rainfall simulation experiments) was carried out in 2016. For the biophysical approach, two
paired plots, i.e., catch crops vs. glyphosate herbicide treatment (in advance, control plot), were selected under clementine
citrus production. The results show that soil organic matter increased from 1.14 to 1.63%, and bulk density decreased from
1.47 to 1.27 g cm−
3 after 10 years of treatments using catch crops. They also facilitated higher infiltration rates from 16.7
to 171 mm h−
1 and a delay in runoff generation from 149 to 654 s for control and catch crop plots. Both runoff rates (from
50.6 to 3.1%) and soil erosion (from 3.9 to 0.04 Mg ha−
1 h−
1) were reduced once the catch crops were deployed in the field.
After surveying (2018–2019), farmers stated the use of catch crops as a speck of dirt and a cause of possible loss of reputation
when used. Moreover, farmers (N = 73) would accept the catch crops as an effective nature-based alternative only if a
subsidy of 131.17€ ha−
1 would be paid. The survey results also demonstrated that the farmers' community would see catch
crop more as a benefit for the planet's health and society. Few constraints, such as ageing of the farmers’ population, lack
of education and negative perception for other management factors, are the critical detrimental factors for adopting catch
crops as a nature-based solution to reduce soil and water losses. There is a need for an effective agrarian extension service
to change the fate of the current agriculture and achieve sustainability by adopting new management strategies in contemporary
agricultural practices.