Resumen
Soil loss and runoff over a three-year period were monitored in hillside erosion plots (35% slope and 144 m2 in area) with almond (Prunus amygdalus) trees under three soil-management systems: no-tillage with sage (Salvia lavandulifolia L.) strips 3 m wide; no-tillage with rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) strips, and no-tillage with thyme (Thymus baeticus L.) strips in south-eastern Spain. Also, the nut yield from almond trees, and the biomass and essential oils from aromatic-shrub strips were measured. Thus, this paper highlights the beneficial impact of cultivated plant strips in hilly areas by the association the soil- and water-conservation measures with production in traditional almond orchards.