Orchard recycling improves climate change adaptation and mitigation potential of almond production systems.
There is an urgent need to develop climate smart agroecosystems capable of mitigating climate change and adapting to its effects. In California, high commodity prices and increased frequency of drought have encouraged orchard turnover, providing an opportunity to recycle tree biomass in situ prior t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2020-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229588 |
| _version_ | 1818583752124661760 |
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| author | Emad Jahanzad Brent A Holtz Cameron A Zuber David Doll Kelsey M Brewer Sean Hogan Amélie C M Gaudin |
| author_facet | Emad Jahanzad Brent A Holtz Cameron A Zuber David Doll Kelsey M Brewer Sean Hogan Amélie C M Gaudin |
| author_sort | Emad Jahanzad |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | There is an urgent need to develop climate smart agroecosystems capable of mitigating climate change and adapting to its effects. In California, high commodity prices and increased frequency of drought have encouraged orchard turnover, providing an opportunity to recycle tree biomass in situ prior to replanting an orchard. Whole orchard recycling (WOR) has potential as a carbon (C) negative cultural practice to build soil C storage, soil health, and orchard productivity. We tested the potential of this practice for long term C sequestration and hypothesized that associated co-benefits to soil health will enhance sustainability and resiliency of almond orchards to water-deficit conditions. We measured soil health metrics and productivity of an almond orchard following grinding and incorporation of woody biomass vs. burning of old orchard biomass 9 years after implementation. We also conducted a deficit irrigation trial with control and deficit irrigation (-20%) treatments to quantify shifts in tree water status and resilience. Biomass recycling led to higher yields and substantial improvement in soil functioning, including nutrient content, aggregation, porosity, and water retention. This practice also sequestered significantly higher levels of C in the topsoil (+5 t ha-1) compared to burning. We measured a 20% increase in irrigation water use efficiency and improved soil and tree water status under stress, suggesting that in situ biomass recycling can be considered as a climate smart practice in California irrigated almond systems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T08:10:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b7f896a424ac469d9494e6882e4bdeb7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T08:10:16Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-b7f896a424ac469d9494e6882e4bdeb72022-12-21T22:38:21ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032020-01-01153e022958810.1371/journal.pone.0229588Orchard recycling improves climate change adaptation and mitigation potential of almond production systems.Emad JahanzadBrent A HoltzCameron A ZuberDavid DollKelsey M BrewerSean HoganAmélie C M GaudinThere is an urgent need to develop climate smart agroecosystems capable of mitigating climate change and adapting to its effects. In California, high commodity prices and increased frequency of drought have encouraged orchard turnover, providing an opportunity to recycle tree biomass in situ prior to replanting an orchard. Whole orchard recycling (WOR) has potential as a carbon (C) negative cultural practice to build soil C storage, soil health, and orchard productivity. We tested the potential of this practice for long term C sequestration and hypothesized that associated co-benefits to soil health will enhance sustainability and resiliency of almond orchards to water-deficit conditions. We measured soil health metrics and productivity of an almond orchard following grinding and incorporation of woody biomass vs. burning of old orchard biomass 9 years after implementation. We also conducted a deficit irrigation trial with control and deficit irrigation (-20%) treatments to quantify shifts in tree water status and resilience. Biomass recycling led to higher yields and substantial improvement in soil functioning, including nutrient content, aggregation, porosity, and water retention. This practice also sequestered significantly higher levels of C in the topsoil (+5 t ha-1) compared to burning. We measured a 20% increase in irrigation water use efficiency and improved soil and tree water status under stress, suggesting that in situ biomass recycling can be considered as a climate smart practice in California irrigated almond systems.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229588 |
| spellingShingle | Emad Jahanzad Brent A Holtz Cameron A Zuber David Doll Kelsey M Brewer Sean Hogan Amélie C M Gaudin Orchard recycling improves climate change adaptation and mitigation potential of almond production systems. PLoS ONE |
| title | Orchard recycling improves climate change adaptation and mitigation potential of almond production systems. |
| title_full | Orchard recycling improves climate change adaptation and mitigation potential of almond production systems. |
| title_fullStr | Orchard recycling improves climate change adaptation and mitigation potential of almond production systems. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Orchard recycling improves climate change adaptation and mitigation potential of almond production systems. |
| title_short | Orchard recycling improves climate change adaptation and mitigation potential of almond production systems. |
| title_sort | orchard recycling improves climate change adaptation and mitigation potential of almond production systems |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229588 |
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