Informe: Finca Experimental La Higueruela (Spain)

Summary

The experimental farm La Higueruela is located in Santa Ollala (Toledo, Spain), 80km far from Madrid. It has a 90 hectares surface. It belows to the Environmental Sciences Center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)since 1972. During this period many scientists from this organism and other institutions (University, National and Regional public research centers and private enterprises) have developed their trials here. The orchard is inserted in a typical Spanish dryland. Unirrigated lands represent the 80 percent of the Spanish territory and it is one of the most complex systems to study. One square meter of surface has more biodiversity than one hectare in humid Europe. Extensive arable crops and fallow lands mosaic constitutes one of the more important semi-natural habitats of the West Europe. Organic long term trials in semiarid conditions is one of the main areas among all the experimentations carried out in this farm during the last 38 years. At this moment, 10 research projects and 11 experimental trials are being developed in La Higueruela, regarding agronomy and natural resources and making a better technology transfer to farmers.