Assembly of abundant and rare bacterial and fungal sub-communities in different soil aggregate sizes in an apple orchard treated with cover crop and fertilizer

2021 ◽  
pp. 108222
Author(s):  
Wei Zheng ◽  
Zhiyuan Zhao ◽  
Fenglian Lv ◽  
Runze Wang ◽  
Zhaohui Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crop ◽  
Soil Aggregate ◽  
Apple Orchard

Plant Growth Regulators Suppress Established Orchard Sod and Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) Population

1989 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 317-321
Author(s):  
Stephen S. Miller ◽  
B. Joe Eldridge
Keyword(s):  
Plant Growth ◽  
Plant Growth Regulators ◽  
Growth Regulators ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Apple Orchard ◽  
Mixed Species ◽  
Matter Production ◽  
Grass Growth

Several plant growth regulators applied to established sod driveways in an apple orchard suppressed growth of the ground cover sufficiently to eliminate one to three mowings. MH at 4.5 or 6.7 kg ai/ha applied spring and fall reduced the growth of a single species sod cover crop, ‘Kentucky 31’ tall fescue, the year after treatment. MH at both rates also reduced the dandelion population growing in the mixed species orchard sod. Paclobutrazol or EPTC applied in the spring before or during initial grass growth reduced dry matter production in the fescue sod cover crop and the number of mowings compared to the mowed and non-mowed control plots.

scholarly journals Impact of Cover Crop Monocultures and Mixtures on Organic Carbon Contents of Soil Aggregates

Soil Systems ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 43
Author(s):  
Daphne Topps ◽  
Md Imam ul Khabir ◽  
Hagir Abdelmagid ◽  
Todd Jackson ◽  
Javed Iqbal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Soil Aggregates ◽  
Aggregate Size ◽  
Soil Aggregate ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Hairy Vetch ◽  
Vicia Villosa ◽  
Size Classes ◽  
Oilseed Radish

Cover crops are considered an integral component of agroecosystems because of their positive impacts on biotic and abiotic indicators of soil health. At present, we know little about the impact of cover crop types and diversity on the organic carbon (OC) contents of different soil aggregate-size classes. In this study, we investigated the effect of cover plant diversity on OC contents of different soil aggregates, such as macro- (<2000–500 μm), meso- (<500–250 μm), and micro-aggregates (<250 μm). Our experiment included a total of 12 experimental treatments in triplicate; six different monoculture treatments such as chickling vetch (Vicia villosa), crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa), field peas (Pisum sativum), oilseed radish (Raphanus sativus), and mighty mustard (Brassica juncea), and their three- and six-species mixture treatments, including one unplanted control treatment. We performed this experiment usingdeep pots that contained soil collected from a corn-soybean rotation field. At vegetative maturity of cover plants (about 70 days), we took soil samples, and the soil aggregate-size classes were separated by the dry sieving. We hypothesized that cover crop type and diversity will improve OC contents of different soil aggregate-size classes. We found that cover plant species richness weakly positively increased OC contents of soil macro-aggregates (p = 0.056), whereas other aggregate-size classes did not respond to cover crop diversity gradient. Similarly, the OC contents of macroaggregates varied significantly (p = 0.013) under cover crop treatments, though neither monoculture nor mixture treatments showed significantly higher OC contents than the control treatment in this short-term experiment. Interestingly, the inclusion of hairy vetch and oilseed radish increased and decreased the OC contents of macro- and micro-aggregates, respectively. Moreover, we found a positive correlation between shoot biomass and OC contents of macroaggregates. Overall, our results suggest that species-rich rather than -poor communities may improve OC contents of soil macroaggregates, which constitute a major portion of soil systems, and are also considered as important indicators of soil functions.

Soil nitrate levels as influenced by apple orchard floor management systems

1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 343-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. D. Walsh ◽  
A. F. MacKenzie ◽  
D. J. Buszard
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crop ◽  
Soil Nutrient ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Apple Orchard ◽  
Straw Mulch ◽  
Orchard Floor Management ◽  
Manure Compost ◽  
Yield And Quality ◽  
Wild Carrot ◽  
Extractable Soil

Mulches are an alternative to herbicidal control of weeds in orchards. Mulches may affect soil nutrient levels and consequently alter tree growth, fruit yield, and quality. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of cultivation, straw mulch, geotextile mulch, grass cover, a cover crop mixture of lupin and wild carrot, and manure compost mulch on extractable soil nutrients in two newly established dwarf apple orchards in Quebec. In 1992, manure compost and straw mulches resulted in higher soil NO3−-N and K relative to those levels under ground cover. Levels of soil NO3−-N were related to soil water content under any particular mulch. Straw mulch resulted in high July NO3−-N levels and low September levels of soil NO3−-N. Geotextile and cultivation treatments resulted in higher September NO3−-N levels relative to July. Soil under manure compost tended to have higher P levels than soil under other treatments. There was little or no effect of mulch treatments on extractable levels of soil NH4+-N, Ca, or Mg. Key words: Orchard, apple, mulches, geotextiles, straw, nutrients, manure compost, grass sod

Soil aggregate sequestration of cover crop root and shoot-derived nitrogen

2005 ◽  
Vol 272 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 263-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasemin Kavdır ◽  
Alvin J. M. Smucker
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crop ◽  
Soil Aggregate ◽  
Crop Root

Impact of cover crop in pre-plant of apple orchards: relationship between crop health, root inhabiting fungi and rhizospheric bacteria

2015 ◽  
Vol 95 (5) ◽  
pp. 947-958 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. M. Manici ◽  
M. Kelderer ◽  
F. Caputo ◽  
F. Nicoletti ◽  
F. De Luca Picione ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Growth ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Apple Orchard ◽  
Infection Frequency ◽  
Apple Orchards ◽  
Rhizospheric Bacteria ◽  
Replant Disease ◽  
Crop Health

Manici, L. M., Kelderer, M., Caputo, F., Nicoletti, F., De Luca Picione, F. and Topp A. R. 2015. Impact of cover crop in pre-plant of apple orchards: relationship between crop health, root inhabiting fungi and rhizospheric bacteria. Can. J. Plant Sci. 95: 947–958. Replant disease of fruit tree orchards has a multifactorial etiology, mainly due to the decline in soil biodiversity along with an increase in root rot pathogens, which can be principally countered with appropriate cropping practices. Therefore, a study on the impact of cover crops on plant health of young fruit trees in long-term orchards was performed. Bioassays were performed over two consecutive growing cycles using soil from a multigeneration apple orchard affected by replant disease. First, a cycle was performed with three cover crops (alfalfa, barley, marigold) and apple rootstock plantlets; at the end, the above-ground part of the plant was removed and root residues left in the soil. In the second cycle, an apple orchard planting was simulated upon the first experimental design. Changes of diversity and composition of root inhabiting fungi and rhizospheric bacteria were evaluated as well as apple plant growth response to the pre-plant treatments. Results suggest that one cycle with alternate plants was sufficient to induce changes at the rhizosphere level, despite soil microbial resilience caused by the same long-term soil management. Rhizospheric bacteria were generally affected by plant genotype. Findings suggest that all three different cover crops can harbor almost all fungal species that colonize apple in replanted orchards (Fusarium spp., Pythum spp., binucleate Rhizoctonia sp., Cylindrocarpon-like-fungi and a several nonpathogenic saprophytic fungi named “other”), but their infection frequency varied according to the host plant. A single pre-plant break treatment did not overall differ significantly in plant growth of subsequent apple tree; however, break with marigold, which increased abundance of nonpathogenic root inhabiting fungi more than other cover crops, gave significantly higher plant growth than obtained after barley. This study provides evidence about cover-crop potential to increase soil diversity in long-term permanent cropping systems and to manipulate root colonizing fungi involved in crop health.

The influence of different cover crop residues quantities on soil structural stability

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gheorghe Stegarescu ◽  
Endla Reintam ◽  
Tõnu Tõnutare
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Structural Stability ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Aggregate Stability ◽  
Soil Aggregate ◽  
Incubation Experiment ◽  
Soil Aggregate Stability ◽  
Substrate Induced Respiration ◽  
Soil Structural Stability

&lt;p&gt;Cover crops are widely known for their capacity to improve the soil biological properties and soil structural stability. Nevertheless, the cover crop residues quantity necessary to improve these soil properties is not yet really known. A 30-day incubation experiment was conducted to explore the effect of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) residues (ORR) as a cover crop on the soil aggregate stability of sandy loam soil. The fresh ORR was mixed with the soil at different rates starting from 1.0 to 6.0 g C kg&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; of soil. The experiment consisted of five treatments: bulk soil (I), soil mixed with ORR at a rate of 1 g C kg&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; of soil (II), soil mixed with ORR at a rate of 2 g C kg&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; of soil (III), soil mixed with ORR at a rate of 4 g C kg&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; of soil (IV), soil mixed with ORR at a rate of 6 g C kg&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; of soil (V). During 30 days of incubation the soil moisture, soil water stable aggregates, and microbial substrate induced respiration rates were measured. The aggregate stability significantly increased after 30 days only in the treatment with 1 g C kg&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; of soil. In turn, the ORR applied at a rate of 6 g C kg&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; of soil significantly decreased the soil aggregate stability. The higher the ORR addition rate the lower was the soil basal respiration and substrate induced respiration. The general conclusion was that the higher quantity of ORR increased the soil moisture which subsequently created unfavorable conditions for the soil microbial activity and led to soil aggregate stability degradation. However, this conclusion must be validated in a field study where the soil moisture and temperature conditions are much more variable compared to our incubation experiment.&lt;/p&gt;

Soil aggregate stability increased with a self-regenerating legume cover crop in low-nitrogen, no-till agroecosystems of Saskatchewan, Canada

2020 ◽  
Vol 100 (3) ◽  
pp. 314-318
Author(s):  
April Stainsby ◽  
William E. May ◽  
Guy P. Lafond ◽  
Martin H. Entz
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crop ◽  
Aggregate Stability ◽  
Soil Aggregate ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
Fertilizer Treatment ◽  
Soil Aggregate Stability ◽  
Grain Rotation ◽  
Medicago Lupulina ◽  
No Till ◽  
Legume Cover Crop

Black medic (Medicago lupulina L.) is a self-regenerating cover crop which was tested for its ability to improve soil physical properties. Soil aggregate stability was assessed in plots that included a black medic cover crop in a no-till grain rotation, which was fertilized with two levels of nitrogen (N), for 15 yr. In the wheat phase of the rotation, the medic cover crop increased mean weight diameter by 21% in the reduced N fertilizer treatment but not in the recommended N treatment. Generally, the addition of medic reduced the proportion of small aggregates and increased the proportion of large aggregates. This pattern was stronger in reduced N compared with recommended N fertilizer levels. This study provided evidence for medic to increase aggregate stability under low external N input grain production.

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