Barriers and Opportunities for the Implementation of Sustainable Farming Practices in Mediterranean Tree Orchards
Javier Calatrava,
David Martínez-Granados,
Raúl Zornoza,
Manuel González-Rosado,
Beatriz Lozano-García,
Manuela Vega-Zamora,
María Dolores Gómez-López
Affiliations
Javier Calatrava
Agricultural Economics Research Group, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Paseo Alfonso XIII, 48, 30203 Cartagena, Spain
David Martínez-Granados
Agricultural Economics Research Group, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Paseo Alfonso XIII, 48, 30203 Cartagena, Spain
Raúl Zornoza
Sustainable Use, Management, and Reclamation of Soil and Water Research Group, Department of Agricultural Engineering, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Paseo Alfonso XIII 48, 30203 Cartagena, Spain
Manuel González-Rosado
SUMAS Research Group, Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Soil Science and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Agrifood Campus of International Excellence-ceiA3, University of Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain
Beatriz Lozano-García
SUMAS Research Group, Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Soil Science and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Agrifood Campus of International Excellence-ceiA3, University of Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain
Manuela Vega-Zamora
Business Management, Marketing and Sociology Department, Campus Las Lagunillas s/n, University of Jaen, 23071 Jaén, Spain
María Dolores Gómez-López
Sustainable Use, Management, and Reclamation of Soil and Water Research Group, Department of Agricultural Engineering, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Paseo Alfonso XIII 48, 30203 Cartagena, Spain
This study identifies, through consultation with relevant stakeholders, low-input farming practices that can help to minimize the most pressing agronomic and environmental problems in some of the most relevant Mediterranean woody crops in Spain (almond, citrus, and olive) and enhance their sustainability. The results illustrate stakeholders’ perception regarding how each cropping system could be oriented towards a more sustainable production. Despite each case study’s particularities, there is consensus in the need for a shift towards the use of organic fertilizers, the maintenance of vegetation in the edges of plots and the use of integrated pest control strategies. On the contrary, stakeholders have selected different tillage and soil cover practices that are consistent with the characteristics and problems of each cropping system. This study also identifies relevant strengths and drawbacks for the implementation of low-input agricultural practices in each crop and study area. While stakeholders find the identified low-impact farming practices as easy and not costly, suggesting a significant potential for their successful implementation, the results also point out at the reduced knowledge of the practical benefits of some farming practices and the need for improved technical advice to foster the adoption of others.
