WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.152 --> 00:00:03.154 Welcome back to the Deep Seed Podcast. 2 00:00:03.654 --> 00:00:04.115 Last week, 3 00:00:04.175 --> 00:00:09.359 I visited a beautiful regenerative farm in Portugal called Monte Silveira. 4 00:00:10.120 --> 00:00:11.441 It was Joel Valente, 5 00:00:11.521 --> 00:00:12.942 the owner and manager of the farm, 6 00:00:13.042 --> 00:00:20.969 who brought us on a complete tour of the farm and gave us loads of explanations about how his system and his farming operation work. 7 00:00:22.030 --> 00:00:22.450 This week, 8 00:00:22.550 --> 00:00:23.671 I'm staying on the same farm, 9 00:00:23.691 --> 00:00:25.953 but this time I'm talking to Diogo Pinho, 10 00:00:26.153 --> 00:00:28.656 who's the research manager of the farm. 11 00:00:29.256 --> 00:00:35.761 We get a bit deeper into the science behind regenerative agriculture with focus on topics like soil health, 12 00:00:35.861 --> 00:00:36.742 biodiversity, 13 00:00:37.322 --> 00:00:38.223 water cycles, 14 00:00:38.924 --> 00:00:39.764 nutrient density, 15 00:00:40.064 --> 00:00:42.286 and economic prosperity. 16 00:00:42.727 --> 00:00:45.389 This episode was made in partnership with Soil Capital. 17 00:00:46.049 --> 00:00:46.690 I'm your host, 18 00:00:46.910 --> 00:00:47.350 Raphael, 19 00:00:47.991 --> 00:00:49.612 and this is the Deep Seed Podcast. 20 00:00:57.312 --> 00:01:02.856 So it would be great if you could start by introducing yourself and explaining what your role is here at the farm. 21 00:01:03.216 --> 00:01:03.476 Okay. 22 00:01:04.837 --> 00:01:06.758 So my name is Diogo. 23 00:01:07.619 --> 00:01:12.722 I work in the Montesilveira farm as the research director of the farm. 24 00:01:13.583 --> 00:01:17.446 And I have been working here since the last three years. 25 00:01:18.066 --> 00:01:25.271 And my main role is essentially to bring research for the farming reality. 26 00:01:25.971 --> 00:01:26.112 so 27 00:01:26.852 --> 00:01:27.353 We have 28 00:01:28.874 --> 00:01:32.877 16 R&D projects running in the farm. 29 00:01:33.518 --> 00:01:42.245 Most of them focus on regenerative farming in different perspectives that are mostly related to soil health, 30 00:01:42.926 --> 00:01:44.467 to biodiversity, 31 00:01:44.847 --> 00:01:54.836 water conservation and also focus on how the farming practices can be... 32 00:01:55.016 --> 00:02:00.840 profitable and at the same time have a positive impact in the system. 33 00:02:01.481 --> 00:02:01.741 Great, 34 00:02:02.121 --> 00:02:05.724 so maybe you could zoom in on some of these projects. 35 00:02:06.364 --> 00:02:08.286 Maybe we could start on the topic of soil health. 36 00:02:08.626 --> 00:02:12.949 What have you been measuring and what have been the findings and the results so far? 37 00:02:13.750 --> 00:02:16.752 So in terms of soil health, 38 00:02:17.693 --> 00:02:22.016 what we have been measuring runs from chemical perspective 39 00:02:22.416 --> 00:02:39.570 physical perspective but also biological perspective and we have what we have been seeing since the last six years is an increase on organic matter content so this is like our main soil 40 00:02:39.930 --> 00:02:51.600 metric that that we measure is organic matter because if we we build organic matter and over the years we improve organic matter we are improving. 41 00:02:52.268 --> 00:02:53.448 The soil biology, 42 00:02:53.708 --> 00:02:57.089 we are improving the soil chemical perspective, 43 00:02:57.229 --> 00:02:59.830 the soil physical parameters, 44 00:02:59.930 --> 00:03:04.991 like higher organic soils tend to be less compact. 45 00:03:05.171 --> 00:03:08.632 That is a problem that we have in the farm and we have been seeing. 46 00:03:09.633 --> 00:03:13.994 It is a problem that we still have and need to work a little bit more. 47 00:03:14.614 --> 00:03:21.776 And it is these projects that help us to get this data to understand. 48 00:03:22.076 --> 00:03:34.203 where we can improve and how we can or what we can do to keep going the farm and at the same time regenerate the soil. 49 00:03:35.663 --> 00:03:39.025 For the viewers and the listeners who are really new to this topic, 50 00:03:39.505 --> 00:03:47.310 could you maybe explain as a microbiology expert what is soil organic matter and why it's so important to soil health? 51 00:03:48.290 --> 00:03:51.392 So soil organic matter is essentially 52 00:03:52.428 --> 00:03:54.690 composed by degraded material. 53 00:03:55.310 --> 00:04:02.056 And this degraded material is mostly transformed by the soil biology. 54 00:04:02.376 --> 00:04:02.496 So, 55 00:04:02.857 --> 00:04:04.038 and by soil biology, 56 00:04:04.618 --> 00:04:10.003 I mean in the soil we have like what is called a soil food web, 57 00:04:10.803 --> 00:04:17.309 that the bases of this soil food web are the plants itself. 58 00:04:18.250 --> 00:04:19.351 What the plants does, 59 00:04:19.631 --> 00:04:20.752 the plants convert 60 00:04:21.132 --> 00:04:24.094 carbon dioxide through the sunlight, 61 00:04:24.815 --> 00:04:26.416 fix it in the soil, 62 00:04:26.617 --> 00:04:28.038 so sequester in the soil, 63 00:04:28.878 --> 00:04:30.640 and these root exudates, 64 00:04:30.720 --> 00:04:32.181 so mainly sugars, 65 00:04:32.882 --> 00:04:37.606 they will feed the soil biology that is in the soil. 66 00:04:38.586 --> 00:04:39.107 In turn, 67 00:04:39.447 --> 00:04:44.792 the soil microbiology take this sugar, 68 00:04:45.332 --> 00:04:47.474 these root exudates, 69 00:04:48.094 --> 00:04:49.916 and then they will 70 00:04:50.280 --> 00:04:57.712 Also help the plants by releasing and making available nutrients that plants need to grow. 71 00:04:58.828 --> 00:05:04.530 In this process what happens is there is always material that stays in the soil, 72 00:05:05.290 --> 00:05:07.751 that if it stays, 73 00:05:07.851 --> 00:05:08.331 let's say, 74 00:05:08.711 --> 00:05:09.691 on the surface, 75 00:05:09.951 --> 00:05:14.152 it can be easily released as carbon dioxide, 76 00:05:14.693 --> 00:05:18.414 but through biological process these, 77 00:05:19.494 --> 00:05:20.034 let's say, 78 00:05:20.494 --> 00:05:26.056 residues are converted in more stable compounds that 79 00:05:27.012 --> 00:05:31.655 have a complex structure and this is what we call organic matter. 80 00:05:31.755 --> 00:05:45.662 So it is essentially a degraded organic material that stays in the soil and keeps feeding and is also the house for all this soil biology. 81 00:05:46.743 --> 00:05:51.185 After the soil biology we have what we called the microfauna. 82 00:05:51.465 --> 00:05:56.308 So it is let's say the next trophic level within this 83 00:05:56.568 --> 00:06:13.395 food web that feed for example from the bacteria and from fungi for example or from the organic matter itself also after the micro bracrofauna we have the mesofauna that is between let's 84 00:06:13.415 --> 00:06:26.160 say the macrofauna and microfauna that for example can include small soil insects and stuff like that and then we also have the soil fauna that the most known one 85 00:06:26.460 --> 00:06:27.721 is the heartworms. 86 00:06:28.342 --> 00:06:34.367 The heartworms are essentially and they can be compared as the soil engineering. 87 00:06:34.887 --> 00:06:36.989 So they build galleries, 88 00:06:37.109 --> 00:06:48.098 they transport nutrients to the different parts and it is this complexity that we try to understand through this research project. 89 00:06:48.238 --> 00:06:49.759 That's why it is so important. 90 00:06:50.600 --> 00:06:51.060 That's great, 91 00:06:51.220 --> 00:06:51.520 thank you. 92 00:06:52.361 --> 00:06:55.824 We have a lot of sheep around behind you. 93 00:06:56.104 --> 00:07:09.511 right now and maybe that's a great opportunity to explain how grazing sheep on a pasture like this contributes to improving soil health and soil organic matter. 94 00:07:09.932 --> 00:07:10.212 Okay, 95 00:07:11.432 --> 00:07:23.979 besides the crop production we also have a grazing operation and this grazing operation has has two main functions. 96 00:07:24.500 --> 00:07:24.940 It is 97 00:07:25.740 --> 00:07:26.260 Of course, 98 00:07:26.461 --> 00:07:27.641 in terms of economic, 99 00:07:27.901 --> 00:07:31.103 to be profitable and make money to eat, 100 00:07:31.203 --> 00:07:33.365 to keep running these kind of farms, 101 00:07:33.425 --> 00:07:34.745 these regenerative farms, 102 00:07:35.326 --> 00:07:40.449 but also animals are essential tool to improve soil health. 103 00:07:40.769 --> 00:07:41.809 And how they do it? 104 00:07:42.650 --> 00:07:43.210 Basically, 105 00:07:44.011 --> 00:07:52.876 we do it through rotational grazing or regenerative grazing and it's essentially we keep the animals very 106 00:07:53.256 --> 00:08:14.567 close so we do like a short term intense grazing with long times of or long periods of resting and by that this allows this the system and especially the soil to recover from this impact so absorb all these nutrients that 107 00:08:14.688 --> 00:08:22.812 are released by the by the animals and also will feed the soil microbiology and 108 00:08:23.820 --> 00:08:37.246 will make nutrients and structure the soil even better and of course will also contribute for the soil organic matter building that is very important. 109 00:08:38.146 --> 00:08:40.147 As we don't have predators here, 110 00:08:41.107 --> 00:08:44.369 what we do is the animals when they are, 111 00:08:45.249 --> 00:08:46.590 let's say in the wildlife, 112 00:08:47.330 --> 00:08:51.632 they don't stay for too much long. 113 00:08:51.892 --> 00:08:55.835 in the same place because they need to run away from the predators. 114 00:08:56.536 --> 00:08:57.997 And in the other hand, 115 00:08:58.277 --> 00:08:59.058 the animals, 116 00:08:59.719 --> 00:09:04.943 they compete with each other to have as much food as possible. 117 00:09:05.464 --> 00:09:06.304 And in this way, 118 00:09:06.404 --> 00:09:17.554 the animals also contribute to increase the biodiversity because as they feed or they graze from all the species without selection, 119 00:09:17.974 --> 00:09:20.156 we keep promoting this kind. 120 00:09:20.436 --> 00:09:28.478 this kind of biodiversity that is also important for the soil because if we have, 121 00:09:28.899 --> 00:09:29.479 let's think, 122 00:09:29.599 --> 00:09:31.639 imagine in a pasture, 123 00:09:31.739 --> 00:09:47.524 if we have a high diverse pasture that means we have different plant species injecting different compounds in the soil and this one will benefit the soil biology because as the subbiology. 124 00:09:48.145 --> 00:09:50.017 It will also be diverse because 125 00:09:50.662 --> 00:09:52.022 you have different kinds, 126 00:09:52.102 --> 00:09:54.803 different sources of different materials. 127 00:09:55.363 --> 00:09:58.064 The more diverse our diet is, 128 00:09:58.464 --> 00:09:59.985 the more healthy we are. 129 00:10:00.305 --> 00:10:03.926 So it is exactly the same with the soil. 130 00:10:04.406 --> 00:10:08.867 The more diverse we feed the soil with the diversity of plants, 131 00:10:09.467 --> 00:10:17.049 the more diverse will be the soil biology and then the more resilient and functional will be the ecosystem. 132 00:10:17.970 --> 00:10:18.230 Great, 133 00:10:18.910 --> 00:10:19.230 thank you. 134 00:10:20.623 --> 00:10:25.446 What have the measurements shown so far in terms of soil health, 135 00:10:25.666 --> 00:10:26.486 soil organic matter? 136 00:10:27.667 --> 00:10:30.929 What have you been measuring and what are the actual results of those measurements? 137 00:10:31.710 --> 00:10:31.830 So, 138 00:10:32.190 --> 00:10:33.751 in terms of soil health, 139 00:10:34.712 --> 00:10:36.533 we measure different parameters. 140 00:10:36.633 --> 00:10:37.514 One is specific, 141 00:10:37.574 --> 00:10:38.715 it's organic matter. 142 00:10:39.455 --> 00:10:40.536 Here in this area, 143 00:10:40.576 --> 00:10:41.997 in the Mediterranean region, 144 00:10:42.617 --> 00:10:46.220 it is very difficult to build organic matter, 145 00:10:46.540 --> 00:10:49.302 but still we have been improving it. 146 00:10:50.423 --> 00:10:51.864 in a quite rude pace. 147 00:10:52.024 --> 00:10:58.448 So in the last five years we were able to increase our organic matter in 50% 148 00:11:00.690 --> 00:11:04.273 and right now we have around 2% 149 00:11:04.953 --> 00:11:06.134 on average in the farm, 150 00:11:06.294 --> 00:11:06.554 2% 151 00:11:07.275 --> 00:11:08.456 of organic matter. 152 00:11:09.056 --> 00:11:17.062 Just to have an idea in this region and also all over Portugal the average organic matter 153 00:11:17.362 --> 00:11:18.562 is around 1% 154 00:11:19.163 --> 00:11:20.263 sometimes less. 155 00:11:20.983 --> 00:11:21.963 So having 2% 156 00:11:22.683 --> 00:11:28.225 is quite a good achievement because here we have two main factors. 157 00:11:28.685 --> 00:11:33.986 So we still have a good amount of water, 158 00:11:34.747 --> 00:11:39.788 but still we don't have water every single year. 159 00:11:39.928 --> 00:11:46.810 So in this region we have quite hot summers that even if we don't protect 160 00:11:47.210 --> 00:11:50.591 this organic matter through maintaining the soil cover, 161 00:11:51.112 --> 00:11:55.614 we can easily release this organic matter and lose this organic matter. 162 00:11:55.754 --> 00:11:59.055 That's why the practices we have been applying, 163 00:11:59.155 --> 00:12:00.976 like cover crop, 164 00:12:01.336 --> 00:12:04.317 keep the soil covered as much as possible, 165 00:12:04.857 --> 00:12:06.698 bring diversity to the soil, 166 00:12:07.338 --> 00:12:11.880 have been helping us to increase the organic matter year after year. 167 00:12:12.601 --> 00:12:15.962 And I can say with a little bit of proud, 168 00:12:16.266 --> 00:12:16.646 having 169 00:12:17.347 --> 00:12:22.611 2% of organic matter in a large-scale system like this, 170 00:12:22.951 --> 00:12:24.653 in these climatic conditions, 171 00:12:25.133 --> 00:12:27.495 is already a quite good achievement. 172 00:12:27.795 --> 00:12:28.336 It's amazing, 173 00:12:28.476 --> 00:12:30.578 in just five years and you still have... 174 00:12:31.418 --> 00:12:33.060 We used to have like 175 00:12:33.700 --> 00:12:34.201 1%, 176 00:12:34.841 --> 00:12:43.068 1.5%, now we have on average around 2%. 177 00:12:43.108 --> 00:12:45.730 percent but if we go 178 00:12:45.970 --> 00:13:01.274 to Montado these values are much higher because it is a totally undisturbed system so we don't we don't touch the soil at all not even to seed and in Montado we 179 00:13:01.334 --> 00:13:14.978 have some areas that we already have five percent of organic matter so this is a huge value that have been helping us to increase the number of animals so 180 00:13:15.198 --> 00:13:16.459 to increase the impact, 181 00:13:16.639 --> 00:13:34.366 the positive impact that the animals have in Montado and at the same time be more profitable because if we have healthy soils with healthy pastures and high dense pastures that means we can bring more animals to the system and 182 00:13:34.626 --> 00:13:37.908 we can generate more profit from it. 183 00:13:38.168 --> 00:13:38.708 It makes sense, 184 00:13:38.948 --> 00:13:39.088 yeah. 185 00:13:40.068 --> 00:13:42.089 And what about biodiversity? 186 00:13:42.409 --> 00:13:43.310 What do you monitor? 187 00:13:43.950 --> 00:13:45.150 what have you observed so far? 188 00:13:45.530 --> 00:13:45.691 Yeah. 189 00:13:47.091 --> 00:13:49.732 In the previous project that we ran here, 190 00:13:49.892 --> 00:13:53.733 it was like a local project called Montado Plus. 191 00:13:54.633 --> 00:14:01.435 We were able to assess the biodiversity that we have in Montado. 192 00:14:02.335 --> 00:14:06.856 And one of the metrics that was most important for us, 193 00:14:06.996 --> 00:14:11.178 it was the diversity of plants that we have in Montado. 194 00:14:11.898 --> 00:14:12.638 We were able to 195 00:14:12.639 --> 00:14:21.502 to identify more than 100 different species in Montado and some of them were very specific of Montado. 196 00:14:21.622 --> 00:14:39.829 So they are endemic species that normally we just found in healthy and sustainable Montado and we were able to identify species that are nowadays very difficult to find Montado but but 197 00:14:39.830 --> 00:14:41.430 here hundreds of years ago, 198 00:14:41.970 --> 00:14:44.212 they were quite common in Montado. 199 00:14:44.393 --> 00:14:58.027 So it shows like the kind of grazing that we are doing is promoting these endemic species that were previously found in Montado that nowadays 200 00:14:58.851 --> 00:15:02.754 are being lost due to the Montado decline, 201 00:15:03.275 --> 00:15:04.736 but we are able to, 202 00:15:05.396 --> 00:15:06.717 only by grazing, 203 00:15:06.958 --> 00:15:10.020 and the right grazing times, 204 00:15:10.561 --> 00:15:13.963 the right grazing resting periods, 205 00:15:14.384 --> 00:15:23.871 we were able to increase this biodiversity and bring back to life these endemic species from Montado. 206 00:15:24.392 --> 00:15:25.192 That's incredible. 207 00:15:26.333 --> 00:15:28.255 How do these improvements in 208 00:15:29.119 --> 00:15:35.121 biodiversity and soil health contribute to an increase in economic efficiency. 209 00:15:36.881 --> 00:15:38.081 So if you think, 210 00:15:38.322 --> 00:15:46.424 and this is just a small example on how promoting biodiversity can increase the economic perspective, 211 00:15:46.984 --> 00:15:51.225 if you focus for example on the pollinators, 212 00:15:52.405 --> 00:15:58.267 if we create the conditions to increase the pollinators, 213 00:15:58.855 --> 00:16:14.644 you are increasing the pollination rate and if you increase the pollination rate you are likely to develop more crops more food because you are increasing the chance for these plants to 214 00:16:16.705 --> 00:16:26.251 to to be pollinated across across them other example and it is also related with economics it is if 215 00:16:26.571 --> 00:16:29.613 over the years you increase the biodiversity, 216 00:16:29.833 --> 00:16:36.678 if over the years this diversity can convert material into organic matter, 217 00:16:37.359 --> 00:16:41.421 that means the soil will act like a sponge. 218 00:16:42.242 --> 00:16:46.885 If you have more organic matter and the soil acts like a sponge, 219 00:16:47.445 --> 00:16:55.411 that means you will be able to infiltrate more water and to 220 00:16:55.551 --> 00:16:56.671 keep this water, 221 00:16:56.792 --> 00:16:58.592 hold this water in the soil. 222 00:16:59.152 --> 00:17:06.936 It is a cost that you can decrease all over the years by promoting the biodiversity, 223 00:17:07.276 --> 00:17:10.537 because biodiversity means building organic matter, 224 00:17:10.997 --> 00:17:17.740 and organic matter means water infiltration and water retention. 225 00:17:18.260 --> 00:17:25.163 And of course this one also prepares us for these current contexts and that 226 00:17:25.343 --> 00:17:40.367 will be worst in the future year that is the climate change that we need to be ready because the what is happening is even if we have the same amount of water per year this 227 00:17:40.467 --> 00:17:54.011 water is not so distributed all over the year so is more intense in vents so you have the same water but very heavy rains and if we have a soil 228 00:17:54.715 --> 00:18:01.480 that is covered with full grass or full crops and if these crops are very diverse, 229 00:18:02.060 --> 00:18:04.402 you can infiltrate more water, 230 00:18:04.962 --> 00:18:16.371 you can prevent also soil erosion through the water and that means also you can keep more organic matter and more nutrients in the soil. 231 00:18:17.311 --> 00:18:22.455 By that you don't need to fertilize so much the soil or the crops. 232 00:18:23.003 --> 00:18:28.908 because the soil has the resources that the crops need to grow and to produce food. 233 00:18:29.569 --> 00:18:30.069 Fantastic. 234 00:18:30.089 --> 00:18:30.710 That was very, 235 00:18:30.870 --> 00:18:32.191 very clear and informative. 236 00:18:32.952 --> 00:18:37.436 Just a really quick post to tell you about the official partner of the Deep Seed podcast, 237 00:18:37.736 --> 00:18:38.377 Soil Capital. 238 00:18:38.937 --> 00:18:48.145 Soil Capital is a company that accelerates the transition to regenerative agriculture by financially rewarding farmers who improve things like soil health or biodiversity. 239 00:18:48.966 --> 00:18:49.787 It's a company I... 240 00:18:50.175 --> 00:18:53.876 personally really like and I'm super proud to be partnering with them for the podcast. 241 00:18:55.737 --> 00:18:56.977 There's probably three, 242 00:18:57.017 --> 00:19:01.898 four hours worth of conversations to have about the 16 different R&D projects you have, 243 00:19:01.958 --> 00:19:03.719 but to close this conversation, 244 00:19:03.759 --> 00:19:08.000 maybe you could tell us about one more that you find super important and that you would like to share. 245 00:19:08.500 --> 00:19:09.801 Yeah, 246 00:19:09.802 --> 00:19:10.781 one that is very, 247 00:19:10.881 --> 00:19:17.103 very important for us and it is affecting our region here. 248 00:19:18.095 --> 00:19:20.436 It is the Arboinova project. 249 00:19:20.617 --> 00:19:20.737 So, 250 00:19:21.017 --> 00:19:27.741 Arboinova project is a five years project that was initially founded by the 251 00:19:28.081 --> 00:19:45.911 Avena Foundation and what we built and what we want to show in this project it is related with the installation of intensive almonds and olive production. 252 00:19:47.151 --> 00:19:49.452 Most of these intensive systems, 253 00:19:50.393 --> 00:19:52.514 they don't care about biodiversity, 254 00:19:52.894 --> 00:19:54.595 they don't care about soil health, 255 00:19:54.775 --> 00:19:57.236 they essentially are focused on one target, 256 00:19:57.396 --> 00:20:02.639 that is profit and return to the investors. 257 00:20:03.379 --> 00:20:04.780 So in this project, 258 00:20:05.736 --> 00:20:08.358 What we are doing is, 259 00:20:09.579 --> 00:20:14.003 we have established an almond plot here in the farm, 260 00:20:15.184 --> 00:20:22.230 that we are testing different approaches on how we can manage an almond orchard. 261 00:20:23.130 --> 00:20:23.250 So, 262 00:20:24.892 --> 00:20:25.612 the system, 263 00:20:26.153 --> 00:20:27.734 it is exactly the same, 264 00:20:28.555 --> 00:20:30.096 so the number of trees, 265 00:20:30.496 --> 00:20:31.777 it is exactly the same, 266 00:20:31.778 --> 00:20:33.219 the number of trees per hectare, 267 00:20:33.899 --> 00:20:34.660 but the way 268 00:20:35.096 --> 00:20:37.698 that we manage these trees, 269 00:20:37.878 --> 00:20:41.400 it is completely different the way our neighbors, 270 00:20:41.461 --> 00:20:42.101 for example, 271 00:20:42.361 --> 00:20:42.701 do it. 272 00:20:43.622 --> 00:20:45.183 Just for you to have an idea, 273 00:20:46.744 --> 00:20:49.186 just in the installation step, 274 00:20:49.306 --> 00:20:51.307 so when we established this plantation, 275 00:20:52.068 --> 00:20:53.649 we were able to save 276 00:20:54.430 --> 00:20:59.933 50% of the costs that the normal, 277 00:21:00.114 --> 00:21:03.296 conventional almonds normally do. 278 00:21:04.948 --> 00:21:07.790 The kind of practices that we are testing, 279 00:21:08.090 --> 00:21:10.572 they range from cover crops, 280 00:21:10.692 --> 00:21:19.357 so we are testing different cover crop mix to make sure we are building soil organic matter, 281 00:21:19.917 --> 00:21:30.824 but also we can use these cover crops that we grow in the interline to put them in the line to have this weed suppression. 282 00:21:32.284 --> 00:21:42.490 This technique is also important to show to the tree crop industry that they will be able to decrease, 283 00:21:42.550 --> 00:21:43.250 for example, 284 00:21:43.410 --> 00:21:46.072 the application of herbicides, 285 00:21:46.152 --> 00:21:54.857 that is also a problem for biodiversity and for soil contamination and probably also for food contamination. 286 00:21:55.877 --> 00:22:00.360 And we are testing different approaches that can be 287 00:22:01.280 --> 00:22:06.421 that we want to show they are positive in terms of environment, 288 00:22:06.582 --> 00:22:09.142 in terms of soil health and ecosystem health, 289 00:22:09.782 --> 00:22:11.903 but also in terms of economics. 290 00:22:12.043 --> 00:22:12.163 So, 291 00:22:12.723 --> 00:22:13.683 in the long term, 292 00:22:14.264 --> 00:22:29.708 what we want to show is like you can be positive in terms of environmental impact and at the same time and probably be more profitable compared to a high input system that 293 00:22:30.048 --> 00:22:48.003 only the great biodiversity the great soil and of course the great these the region where we are located in okay very interesting i actually have one more question for you and then yeah but 294 00:22:48.944 --> 00:22:54.886 I read on your website that your olive oil has a really high polyphenol content which is really good for health. 295 00:22:55.567 --> 00:23:00.189 And we're sitting here in one of your beautiful olive groves and I wanted to ask you this question. 296 00:23:00.789 --> 00:23:00.929 Well, 297 00:23:00.930 --> 00:23:01.369 first of all, 298 00:23:02.330 --> 00:23:03.470 what is a polyphenol? 299 00:23:04.030 --> 00:23:04.470 And second, 300 00:23:04.951 --> 00:23:06.871 how do you explain this high content? 301 00:23:08.532 --> 00:23:17.816 So here in Montesilveira we produce extra virgin olive oil and as you mentioned very well with high phenolic content. 302 00:23:19.228 --> 00:23:19.349 So, 303 00:23:20.429 --> 00:23:22.591 high phenolic content olive oils, 304 00:23:22.811 --> 00:23:24.813 they are essentially composed, 305 00:23:25.614 --> 00:23:29.317 or they have like in their content, 306 00:23:31.298 --> 00:23:33.720 high level of phenols, 307 00:23:33.961 --> 00:23:34.681 and phenols, 308 00:23:35.142 --> 00:23:42.508 they are already scientifically proven as they have health benefits for human consumption. 309 00:23:42.788 --> 00:23:43.668 So essentially, 310 00:23:44.389 --> 00:23:47.732 they decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases. 311 00:23:48.376 --> 00:24:02.347 they also make better the lipid profile of our blood and also they have antioxidant properties that for example if we think about cancer, 312 00:24:02.928 --> 00:24:14.777 so they also decrease the changes of developed cancer because of these antioxidant properties related with the high phenolic compounds. 313 00:24:15.618 --> 00:24:18.100 I see multiple 314 00:24:20.101 --> 00:24:25.102 or several explanations to reach this kind of level. 315 00:24:25.782 --> 00:24:33.464 One of them it is the way that we take care and we manage our olive groves. 316 00:24:33.964 --> 00:24:43.927 So essentially we don't touch the soil at all in the olive grove and I can bring it back related with organic matter. 317 00:24:44.987 --> 00:24:47.668 In the last five years we were able 318 00:24:48.084 --> 00:24:54.186 to increase our organic matter in our olive groves in 150 percent, 319 00:24:54.646 --> 00:24:56.367 so it's more than double. 320 00:24:58.148 --> 00:24:59.928 And how we did it? 321 00:25:00.328 --> 00:25:01.189 We essentially, 322 00:25:02.309 --> 00:25:04.250 all the prunings that we do, 323 00:25:04.850 --> 00:25:05.631 In the olives, 324 00:25:06.431 --> 00:25:09.973 we shred them and we keep them in the soil, 325 00:25:10.233 --> 00:25:16.237 so it can be decomposed and converted in organic matter, 326 00:25:16.537 --> 00:25:21.960 so it is food for the soil that then will be again food for the tree. 327 00:25:23.281 --> 00:25:23.661 Also, 328 00:25:24.201 --> 00:25:32.746 we keep a high diversity of pasture within our olive grove that again will feed our soil. 329 00:25:33.306 --> 00:25:43.374 our soil biology and also most important is the way that we recycle the nutrients in our olive grove. 330 00:25:43.835 --> 00:25:51.041 So we have the animals that graze and the animals are the best nutrient recyclers in the world. 331 00:25:51.561 --> 00:25:55.384 So basically they convert the grass, 332 00:25:55.444 --> 00:26:02.570 the pasture in manure that then will feed the soil and also will feed the tree. 333 00:26:04.466 --> 00:26:13.510 Other factor that make us able to produce high phenolic olive oils is because the time of harvesting. 334 00:26:14.091 --> 00:26:18.232 So instead of letting the olives to rip too much, 335 00:26:18.993 --> 00:26:22.694 we harvest the olives still quite green. 336 00:26:23.615 --> 00:26:27.296 Because the olives when they start to ripen, 337 00:26:27.556 --> 00:26:31.118 so when they start to be let's say more brown and black, 338 00:26:31.978 --> 00:26:36.280 the phenolic content starts also to decrease. 339 00:26:36.960 --> 00:26:39.061 So we harvest it quite early, 340 00:26:39.721 --> 00:26:42.543 so our productions are not, 341 00:26:43.783 --> 00:26:47.805 or our investment is not in high production, 342 00:26:48.045 --> 00:26:50.726 so high quantity of production, 343 00:26:50.886 --> 00:26:54.428 but instead high quality of production. 344 00:26:54.488 --> 00:26:56.529 So our production is lower, 345 00:26:57.109 --> 00:26:58.970 but it is of high quality, 346 00:26:59.070 --> 00:26:59.630 that's why 347 00:27:00.230 --> 00:27:06.034 we also can reach this kind of phenolic content. 348 00:27:06.975 --> 00:27:11.137 And one last point that contributes for the phenolic content, 349 00:27:11.358 --> 00:27:13.199 it is the water management. 350 00:27:14.660 --> 00:27:15.200 This is, 351 00:27:17.001 --> 00:27:17.582 let's say, 352 00:27:18.723 --> 00:27:24.426 easier to achieve high phenolic content in traditional olive groves. 353 00:27:24.607 --> 00:27:25.027 And why? 354 00:27:25.547 --> 00:27:29.530 Because in the summer the trees are not 355 00:27:29.670 --> 00:27:33.952 not so able to get access to water, 356 00:27:34.532 --> 00:27:51.979 so they are a little bit under water stress and this water stress promotes the production of phenolic compounds because it is also a way that the tree has to defend itself from this water 357 00:27:52.059 --> 00:27:52.459 stress. 358 00:27:52.579 --> 00:27:53.460 So this is like, 359 00:27:54.360 --> 00:27:59.162 it's not a factor that make us able to produce a high phenolic 360 00:27:59.322 --> 00:28:16.387 content but it is several combination so the holistic management that make us available to produce this extra vision olive oil with high phenolic content that 361 00:28:16.388 --> 00:28:26.369 was great thank you so much diogo for your time for all of these great explanations thank you thank you thank you so much for watching or listening to this episode. 362 00:28:26.709 --> 00:28:28.530 I really hope you enjoyed it. 363 00:28:29.234 --> 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