@article{fdi:010094214,
  title = {{E}arly-stage impacts of conservation agriculture on soil health in a {F}rench {M}editerranean irrigated system},
  author = {{D}ominguez-{B}ohorquez, {J}. {D}. and {W}ittling, {C}. and {F}elix-{F}aure, {J}im and {B}rauman, {A}lain and {B}ouarfa, {S}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{I}n {M}editerranean regions, climate change has intensified droughts and extreme weather events, accelerating soil degradation through organic matter loss, erosion, and nutrient depletion. {C}onservation agriculture ({CA}), involving practices like zero or reduced tillage, crop diversification, and soil cover maintenance, offers a resilient strategy for mitigating these challenges. {T}his study examines the short-term effects of irrigated {CA} on soil health in {M}editerranean conditions over 3 years (2021-2023). {U}sing the {B}iofunctool ({R}) field kit (assessing carbon transformation, nutrient cycling, and structure maintenance) alongside functional indicators from the laboratory, the study compares {CA} with conventional tillage ({CT}) under different water supply methods: sprinkler, subsurface drip, and rainfed conditions. {R}esults reveal that {CA} enhances soil health indicators from the first year, improving soil aggregation and carbon transformation compared to {CT}. {B}y 18 months, {S}oil {H}ealth {I}ndex ({SHI}) scores were 38% higher in {CA} than in {CT}. {M}inimal soil disturbance in {CA} addressed compaction and maintained {SHI} 23% higher than {CT}. {N}either the water supply mode nor temporality post-{CA} adoption significantly affected soil functions in the short term. {T}he complementary use of field-based and laboratory indicators provided a holistic view of soil functionality, confirming the potential of {CA} to improve soil health under irrigated {M}editerranean conditions.},
  keywords = {{S}prinkler irrigation ; subsurface drip irrigation ; {B}iofunctool ({R}) ; soil functions ; minimal tillage ; {FRANCE} ; {ZONE} {MEDITERRANEENNE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{A}rchives of {A}gronomy and {S}oil {S}cience},
  volume = {71},
  numero = {1},
  pages = {1--23},
  ISSN = {0365-0340},
  year = {2025},
  DOI = {10.1080/03650340.2025.2517183},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010094214},
}