Characterization of pedological parameters that influence almond productivity

Abstract

Several almond orchards have been studied in south-eastern Spain to characterize and evaluate the soils dedicated to the cultivation of different cultivars in order to identify the parameters that most affect yield. The percentage of gravels, high in several of the soils studied, correlated negatively with the clay content and Water Holding Capacity (WHC) as did the percentage of CaCO3 with available potassium. The greatest yield corresponded to soils with higher surface porosity and lower subsurface porosity, enaulic or gefuric related distribution in the surface horizons and porphyric related distribution in the subsurface horizons. Both for the Fertility Capability Classification as well as for the Agricultural Productivity Evaluation (FAO), the soils with the best characteristics for the crop did not coincide with those in which the greatest yield was found (Ferragnès registering the highest yield), due to the flowering period of the rest of the cultivars selected, which was more influenced by the climatic characteristics of the zone, especially temperature.