Life Resilience, a project co-financed by the LIFE program of the European Union, whose main objective is the prevention of Xylella fastidiosa in high-density olive and almond farms; has held an online conference under the title «Sustainable agriculture: efficient use of water in olive groves». During the session, several experts analyzed the benefits of the application of good sustainable irrigation practices in crops to reduce water consumption, energy and CO2 emissions without reducing production and obtaining a benefit in terms of oil quality. made of olives.
The first presentation of the day was given by Emilio Camacho, professor of Hydraulics and Irrigation. Unit of Excellence María de Maeztu. Department of Agronomy of the University of Córdoba, who presented the topic of the efficient use of water in olive groves: «New technologies are sufficiently developed and mature to support precise water management based on knowledge, which offers us a great opportunity to establish a sustainable management of crops saving water, energy and reducing CO2 emissions”.
Óscar Veroz, executive director of the Spanish Association of Living Soils Conservation Agriculture (AEACSV), highlighted the benefits that are achieved by mitigating climate change with a better use of soils in irrigated olive groves, where he highlighted the advantages of plant covers : “Good vegetation cover is the one that best adapts to the edaphoclimatic conditions of the area, is easily controllable, has the capacity to cover the ground throughout the year and does not compete with the crop. In addition, it is scientifically proven that plant covers in woody crops are a powerful tool to sequester atmospheric CO2”, explained Veroz.
Finally, Teresa Carrillo, director of the Life Resilience project, shared some practical examples that have been carried out in the demonstration farms of the project to improve the health of the crops and offer them the resilience they need to face the Xylella fastidiosa bacteria. “One of the specific objectives of the project is to demonstrate that sustainable cultivation practices, which include natural vector control methods, will help prevent the spread of Xylella, making intensive plantations less susceptible to attack by pests and diseases. These practices should increase biodiversity and reduce water consumption, the carbon footprint and the incidence of pests and diseases without compromising the performance of the farm”.
Full video of the conference (Spanish): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBF6RNGpkTg