Spain: Introducing thyme among almond trees mitigates climate change and increases the production of the land

The introduction of perennial crops in the alleys of rainfed Mediterranean almond trees reduces the emission of greenhouse gases and increases carbon sequestration in the soil, according to the latest study of the Diverfarming project. This research has introduced thyme and capers between the alleys of a rainfed almond field in Murcia, with reduced tillage. A team made up of research staff from the Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT) together with CEBAS - CSIC have evaluated the short-term effect of these diversifications compared to monoculture with tillage in terms of CO2 emissions from the soil and the content organic carbon from it. For two years, they measured carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions and found that carbon dioxide emissions decreased in diversified systems, in relation to the no-till practice compared to monoculture. The system in which thyme was introduced was the one that produced a greater increase in total organic carbon in the soil, due to the ...