For a current and modern model of sustainable agriculture, it is necessary the adequate use of a vegetation cover as a soil maintenance system and to increase the degree of biodiversity of the agricultural ecosystem.
At CANTUESO Natural Seeds we produce a wide range of plant covers of native species specially designed to the particular conditions of each of our clients (climate, orography, soil quality) that ensure a personalized and adequate response to each situation that may arise, producing specific seed mixtures for the creation of VEGETABLE COVERS suitable for olive groves, almond trees, citrus, fruit trees and horticultural crops.
Designed for a sustainable agricultural model, they are suitable for creating biodiversity, maintaining soil structure and fertility, controlling erosion and reducing the risk of transferring phytochemicals to aquifers by limiting the use of herbicides and pesticides.
Advantages of its use
The use of vegetation covers in agricultural ecosystems presents a series of environmental advantages, which have a direct and very beneficial impact on crop production:
- Prevents erosion and loss of fertile soil.
- Increases the degree and capacity of moisture retention.
- Increases fertility of the soil (providing nutrients and organic matter) and therefore, crop yields.
- Creates competition with "unwanted weeds".
- It favors the realization of agricultural work.
- Increase the number of pollinating insectsand improve their natural habitats.
- It favors the creation of suitable reserve areas for wildlife and improves the degree of biodiversity of the ecosystem.
- Facilitates access to training programs environmental benefits.
- Increases the added value of crops.
Ground covers for olive and almond groves
The effects of erosion associated with the cultivation of olive and almond trees are evident throughout our geography.
In this sense, and in order to solve this serious environmental problem, the sowing of suitable mixtures of herbaceous plants for the crop alleys has proven to be an effective, economical and sustainable solution, which represents an interesting added value for one of the most important products of our agriculture.
Vineyard canopies
Plant cover is a very interesting tool in vineyard management, which has a direct impact on the vigor, yield and quality of the vineyard and, therefore, on its productivity.
In addition to the recognized benefits on soil erosion, similar to vegetative covers for other agro-systems, vineyard covers favor an adequate soil structuring, increasing its fertility and improving the productivity ratio, a vital issue to ensure the production of top quality wine products.
The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) considers that a green cover is an important parameter for sustainable viticulture.
When there is a vegetative cover there is a decrease in the leaf surface, which has a positive effect on the microclimate since there is an increase in the porosity of the foliage and greater insolation received by the leaves and clusters. There is also an improvement in the microclimate of the plant, which has a favorable effect on the sanitary state of life and, therefore, on the quality of the grapes.
From a qualitative point of view, plant cover has an impact on the polyphenolic content of must and wine from red grape varieties.
Generally, the content of antiocyanins and polyphenols tends to increase with the soil maintenance system, leading to an increase in wine color.
Therefore, at CANTUESO Natural Seeds, we are committed to offer different compositions of plant covers according to the different soil and climatic conditions of each wine-growing region.
Vegetative covers for citrus and fruit trees
- Comprehensive soil management to prevent loss of soil quality
- Ecological pest control
- Strengthening the biodiversity associated with the crop.
- Biological fertilization of the fruit, especially.
These four pillars are achieved with an integral management of the territory on which the rows of fruit trees are located, with the vegetation associated with the crop rows playing a fundamental role in their achievement.
The appropriate use of suitable cover crops, which include the soil characteristics, climatic conditions and the type of fruit tree for which they are intended, will easily and economically achieve a very important added value to fruit production.
In this sense, ground covers not only play a valuable role in soil structuring, preventing erosion losses, favoring root hydration and fixing nutrients to the soil, but they are also vital for the maintenance of the fruit crop, providing an ideal associated entomofauna for its fertilization, which ensures an abundant and quality harvest.
These covers for fruit crops are established as green strips in the center of the rows of trees and must be kept alive during the fall and winter, and withered or mowed in the summer, so as not to compete with the crop.
In CANTUESO Natural Seeds, we are committed to the quality and adaptability of wild vegetation, developing native ground covers, tailored to the farmer, which help to care for agricultural soils while being attractive plant species for pollinating insects and improve the degree of biodiversity associated with the crop.
