Abstracts |
Soil microbial communities play several important ecological and physiological functions (e.g., soil organic matter decomposition and control of its cycle, regulation of mineral nutrient availability, atmospheric nitrogen fixation, formation of mycorrhiza, production of biologically active substances able to stimulate plant growth) ameliorating soil physical and chemical conditions and, consequently, soil habitability for plants. There is a growing interest in maintenance of agrosystem functionality. It seems that soil microbiota, particularly its biodiversity, allows systems to better overcome natural and anthropic perturbations, improving their recovery capacity (i.e., resilience concept). Soil quality loss occurs especially in areas subjected to intensive agricultural practices and to indiscriminate use of external input (e.g., fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation water). This is the reason why the optimization and the innovation of low-impact horticultural techniques should be facilitated. As a matter of fact, sustainable practices can allow normal soil fertility levels to return in the agrosystems with benefits on both soil fertility and crop yield quality and quantity. The olive tree (Olea europaea L.) is one of the most important crops in the Mediterranean Basin. In such a wide area, olive orchard management can be very different depending on pedoclimatic and socioeconomic conditions and resource availability. This chapter surveys soil microbiological data of olive orchards subjected to different soil management systems that have been applied for variable time periods under different pedoclimatic conditions. Particular attention is given to changes in the structure, dynamics, and complexity of microbial communities to evaluate soil health status. Among the agronomic sustainable practices, the input of organic matter as compost is one of the most important factors affecting soil fertility. For this reason, instances of in situ compost production in olive groves are discussed. |