Be a
Diverfarmer
Be part of the change
Diversifying citrus
The cultivation of citrus such as oranges or mandarins is typical in the east of Spain. Mandarin industry in Región de Murcia occupies vast fields and it is key in the agribusiness from the area.
Traditional irrigation monoculture and intense tillage together with pesticides, herbicides and mineral fertilizers generate negative effects.
High soil erosion rates, low quality and organic matter shortage causes economic damages for the farmers. In Diverfarming, we propose two different crop diversifications in order to end up this situation.
Proposals
Diversification
Multiple crops
Intercropping with multiple crops of vetch, barley or oat with fava beans
Crop rotation
Intercropped with rotations of:
- multiple crop of barley, vetch or oat with fava beans
- multiple crop of bladder campion for food, purslane for food and cardoon for food
- multiple cropping of cowpea for food and rocket for food.
Management
- Addition of compost
- Green manure
- Integrated pest control
- Reduce tillage
- Ground cover
- Regulated deficit irrigation