The cultivation of legumes improves citrus quality


* This article has been translated into English using Google Translate and may contain errors.

On March 20, a technical workshop will be held at the MBG-CSIC facilities in Pontevedra to present some of the results of the MaxiCoberLEG project.

MaxiCoberLEG aims to improve the quality of citrus production by using winter cover legume crops, which help prevent erosion, suppress weeds, add organic matter to the soil, and fix nitrogen in the soil.

MaxiCoberLEG is an innovation project that seeks to improve the quality of citrus production by providing new solutions to the challenges posed by climate change in agricultural production. The key tool to achieve this is the use of winter cover legume crops.

Some of the current challenges in citrus production include the increasing frequency of invasive pests and diseases, soil desertification, and erosion.

Among the winter crops, we can find annual legumes, with lupin being one of the most notable. These crops stand out for their ability to prevent erosion, suppress weeds, add organic matter to the soil, and fix nitrogen in the spring.

Lupin is a crop from the legume family.

Thus, the use of winter cover legume crops emerges as a valuable tool to improve soil structure and sustainability, increase water and nutrient retention, promote microbial activity, reduce weed growth and pest incidence, and foster plant growth.

These benefits make legumes a key agronomic tool for sustainable production, although currently, there is little information available on how to apply this strategy in citrus production.

The technical workshop to be held on March 20 aims to address this lack of information, inviting all interested individuals and entities (farmers, producers, companies, associations, etc.) to participate.

Workshop Program

The workshop will begin at 4:15 PM at the MBG-CSIC facilities in Pontevedra with the following schedule:

4:15 PMWelcome to attendees
4:30 PMProject Presentation
Beatriz Calviño (FEUGA)
4:40 PMNative biodiversity of legumes: lupin and its potential in winter cover crops
Marta Santalla (MBG-CSIC)
4:55 PMRole of winter legume covers in the conservation of natural enemies in citrus
César Monzó (IVIA)
5:10 PMQ&A session
5:20 PMVisit to the experimental trial plots and the Seed Collections Germplasm Bank
6:10 PMNetworking aperitif

Participation can be either in person or online. In any case, prior registration is required through the following link.

For more information

Misión Biológica de Galicia | Technical Transfer Deputy Directorate | Pedro Peón (pedro.peon@csic.es)