At this initial stage, the project aimed to perform two priority general goals: selecting study orchards representing various modes of olive cultivation in the Mediterranean area and conducting tasks to assess the current status of olive cultivation in soil health and olive oil quality. Diagnostic-related goals align with the soil degradation descriptors defined by the European Commission in the Soil Monitoring Law. In this respect, we offer some key deliverables (e.g. D.3.1 D.2.1) demonstrating soil degradation across multiple cultivation methods and geographical regions. In addition, we also summarize the results and findings of tasks conducted to enhance soil health from the perspective of organic amendments, electro-remediation, microbiome inoculation, and optimal plant cover restoration, which will be the basis of the next phase of the Soil O-live research program. In addition, during this period, we have developed a strong communication and dissemination program comprising many outreach activities of a diverse nature that have allowed us to expand important messages for sustainability and quality enhancements during olive oil production at regional, national, and international levels. We can propose now a comprehensive causal scheme that explains in full, for the first time, the direct and indirect links between soil health, soil functionality, plant status, and olive oil quality holistically, the primary goal of the Soil O-live project. Remarkably, from the tasks performed in the WP2, we have identified critical issues contributing to land degradation in olive cultivation, such as pollution due to metal accumulation (copper), soil compaction, erosion, lack of organic material and fertility, etc. Each one of these factors were analyzed to explore the variation between modes of cultivation (organic, traditional, and high-density) across countries and regions. This analysis is crucial for implementing tailored restoration actions for each cultivation method (GO3). The bridge between GO1 and GO3 will be developed in the project's second stage, although some pilot restoration experiments (GO3) were already underway on selected farms. Noticeably, a new full genus of free-living nematode has been described for the first time for science; this remarkable finding has been published in a specialized journal, Zoosystematic and Evolution. A new method for assessing olive trees' water status and leaf pigment content was described using multispectral and thermal data and published in Remote Sensing journal. We have determined soil respiration, an important proxy for soil biodiversity and functionality. Likewise, we have estimated the Organic Stock Carbon variation of olive orchards related to promoting soil health in olive groves within the framework of farmer behavior and gender roles, will commence in September 2024 with the launch of surveys. Finally, some pilot experiments linked to the next operational stage (GO3) have already been set up in selected farms during this first period.
