Abstract
Natural (hay, wood chips, recycled paper pulp) and synthetic (polypropylene film and polyester fabric) mulches were compared with mechanical tillage and residual herbicides as orchard groundcover management systems (GMSS). In two New York orchards-the Clarke farm and Hudson Valley Lab (HVL—GMSS were applied from 1990 to 1993 in 1.8-m-wide strips under newly planted apple ( Malus domestica ; `Liberty', `Empire', `Freedom', and advanced numbered selections from the disease-resistant apple breeding program at Geneva, N.Y.) trees. GMS impacts on soil fertility, tree nutrition and growth, yields, crop value, and vole ( Microtus spp.) populations were evaluated. After 3 years at the Clarke orchard, extractable NO 3 , Mn, Fe, B, and Zn concentrations were greater in soil with herbicides than synthetic mulches; soil K and P concentrations were greater with herbicides and wood chips than synthetic mulches. At the HVL orchard, topsoil NO 3 , K, and Mg concentrations were greater with hay mulch than herbicides or other mulches; Mg, Fe, and B concentrations were lower in soil with wood chips than other GMSs. Soil organic matter content was not affected by GMS. Apple leaf N, K, Cu, and Zn concentrations were greater with herbicides, hay mulch, and polypropylene mulch than cultivation or recycled paper mulch at the HVL orchard during hot, dry Summer 1991. Despite transient differences among GMSS during the initial years, after 4 years of treatments there were no consistent GMS trends in cumulative tree growth or gross yields. The higher establishment and maintenance costs of several mulches were offset by their prolonged efficacy over successive years; crop market values from 1992 to 1994 were considerably greater for trees with polypropylene film, polyester fabric, and hay mulches than herbicides, cultivation, or other mulches. Voles caused more serious damage to trees in synthetic and hay mulches, despite the use of mesh trunk guards and rodenticide bait.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
At Clarke, herbicides yielded higher soil NO3, Mn, Fe, B and Zn than synthetic mulches.
- Taxon
- apple
Malus domesticae1 - Treatment
- herbicidese0
- Outcome
- extractable NO 3 , Mn, Fe, B, and Zn concentrationse0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Comparator
- synthetic mulchese0
- Setting
- Clarke orcharde0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“After 3 years at the Clarke orchard, extractable NO 3 , Mn, Fe, B, and Zn concentrations were greater in soil with herbicides than synthetic mulches”
t0“Comparing Mulches, Herbicides, and Cultivation as Orchard Groundcover Management Systems”
e1“Apple leaf N, K, Cu, and Zn concentrations were greater with herbicides, hay mulch, and polypropylene mulch than cultivation or recycled paper mulch at the HVL orchard during hot, dry Summer 1991.”
Claim · model-written summary
At Clarke, herbicides and wood chips yielded higher soil K and P than synthetic mulches.
- Taxon
- appleMalus domesticae1
- Treatment
- herbicides and wood chipse0
- Outcome
- soil K and P concentrationse0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Comparator
- synthetic mulchese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soil K and P concentrations were greater with herbicides and wood chips than synthetic mulches.”
t0“Comparing Mulches, Herbicides, and Cultivation as Orchard Groundcover Management Systems”
e1“Apple leaf N, K, Cu, and Zn concentrations were greater with herbicides, hay mulch, and polypropylene mulch than cultivation or recycled paper mulch at the HVL orchard during hot, dry Summer 1991.”
Claim · model-written summary
At HVL, hay mulch yielded higher topsoil NO3, K and Mg than herbicides or other mulches.
- Taxon
- appleMalus domesticae1
- Treatment
- hay mulche0
- Outcome
- topsoil NO 3 , K, and Mg concentrationse0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Comparator
- herbicides or other mulchese0
- Setting
- HVL orcharde0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“At the HVL orchard, topsoil NO 3 , K, and Mg concentrations were greater with hay mulch than herbicides or other mulches”
t0“Comparing Mulches, Herbicides, and Cultivation as Orchard Groundcover Management Systems”
e1“Apple leaf N, K, Cu, and Zn concentrations were greater with herbicides, hay mulch, and polypropylene mulch than cultivation or recycled paper mulch at the HVL orchard during hot, dry Summer 1991.”
Claim · model-written summary
At HVL, wood chips yielded lower soil Mg, Fe and B than other systems.
- Taxon
- appleMalus domesticae1
- Treatment
- wood chipse0
- Outcome
- Mg, Fe, and B concentrationse0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Comparator
- other GMSse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Mg, Fe, and B concentrations were lower in soil with wood chips than other GMSs.”
t0“Comparing Mulches, Herbicides, and Cultivation as Orchard Groundcover Management Systems”
e1“Apple leaf N, K, Cu, and Zn concentrations were greater with herbicides, hay mulch, and polypropylene mulch than cultivation or recycled paper mulch at the HVL orchard during hot, dry Summer 1991.”
Claim · model-written summary
Groundcover systems did not affect soil organic matter.
- Taxon
- appleMalus domesticae1
- Treatment
- GMSe0
- Outcome
- Soil organic matter contente0
- Direction
- not affectede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Soil organic matter content was not affected by GMS.”
t0“Comparing Mulches, Herbicides, and Cultivation as Orchard Groundcover Management Systems”
e1“Apple leaf N, K, Cu, and Zn concentrations were greater with herbicides, hay mulch, and polypropylene mulch than cultivation or recycled paper mulch at the HVL orchard during hot, dry Summer 1991.”
Claim · model-written summary
At HVL, herbicides, hay and polypropylene raised apple leaf N, K, Cu and Zn over cultivation or paper mulch.
- Taxon
- AppleMalus domesticae0
- Treatment
- herbicides, hay mulch, and polypropylene mulche0
- Outcome
- leaf N, K, Cu, and Zn concentrationse0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Comparator
- cultivation or recycled paper mulche0
- Setting
- HVL orcharde0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Apple leaf N, K, Cu, and Zn concentrations were greater with herbicides, hay mulch, and polypropylene mulch than cultivation or recycled paper mulch at the HVL orchard during hot, dry Summer 1991.”
Claim · model-written summary
After four years, groundcover systems showed no consistent cumulative tree growth trend.
- Taxon
- appleMalus domesticae1
- Treatment
- GMSe0
- Outcome
- cumulative tree growthe0
- Direction
- no consistente0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“after 4 years of treatments there were no consistent GMS trends in cumulative tree growth or gross yields.”
t0“Comparing Mulches, Herbicides, and Cultivation as Orchard Groundcover Management Systems”
e1“Apple leaf N, K, Cu, and Zn concentrations were greater with herbicides, hay mulch, and polypropylene mulch than cultivation or recycled paper mulch at the HVL orchard during hot, dry Summer 1991.”
Claim · model-written summary
After four years, groundcover systems showed no consistent gross-yield trend.
- Taxon
- appleMalus domesticae1
- Treatment
- GMSe0
- Outcome
- gross yieldse0
- Direction
- no consistente0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“after 4 years of treatments there were no consistent GMS trends in cumulative tree growth or gross yields.”
t0“Comparing Mulches, Herbicides, and Cultivation as Orchard Groundcover Management Systems”
e1“Apple leaf N, K, Cu, and Zn concentrations were greater with herbicides, hay mulch, and polypropylene mulch than cultivation or recycled paper mulch at the HVL orchard during hot, dry Summer 1991.”
Claim · model-written summary
Several mulches had higher establishment and maintenance costs offset by prolonged efficacy.
- Taxon
- appleMalus domesticae1
- Outcome
- higher establishment and maintenance costse0
- Qualifier
- prolonged efficacy over successive yearse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The higher establishment and maintenance costs of several mulches were offset by their prolonged efficacy over successive years”
t0“Comparing Mulches, Herbicides, and Cultivation as Orchard Groundcover Management Systems”
e1“Apple leaf N, K, Cu, and Zn concentrations were greater with herbicides, hay mulch, and polypropylene mulch than cultivation or recycled paper mulch at the HVL orchard during hot, dry Summer 1991.”
Claim · model-written summary
Polypropylene film, polyester fabric and hay had greater crop market values than herbicides, cultivation or other mulches.
- Taxon
- appleMalus domesticae1
- Treatment
- polypropylene film, polyester fabric, and hay mulchese0
- Outcome
- crop market valuese0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Comparator
- herbicides, cultivation, or other mulchese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“crop market values from 1992 to 1994 were considerably greater for trees with polypropylene film, polyester fabric, and hay mulches than herbicides, cultivation, or other mulches.”
t0“Comparing Mulches, Herbicides, and Cultivation as Orchard Groundcover Management Systems”
e1“Apple leaf N, K, Cu, and Zn concentrations were greater with herbicides, hay mulch, and polypropylene mulch than cultivation or recycled paper mulch at the HVL orchard during hot, dry Summer 1991.”
Claim · model-written summary
Voles caused more severe tree damage in synthetic and hay mulches.
- Taxon
- appleMalus domesticae1
- Treatment
- synthetic and hay mulchese0
- Interactor
- Volese0pest
- Outcome
- damage to treese0
- Direction
- more seriouse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Voles caused more serious damage to trees in synthetic and hay mulches”
t0“Comparing Mulches, Herbicides, and Cultivation as Orchard Groundcover Management Systems”
e1“Apple leaf N, K, Cu, and Zn concentrations were greater with herbicides, hay mulch, and polypropylene mulch than cultivation or recycled paper mulch at the HVL orchard during hot, dry Summer 1991.”
The same questions in other papers
poly(propylene) · nutrient: content · Malus domestica (apple)Results agree
1 paper in the same direction as this paper
- positive
herbicide · nutrient: content · Malus domestica (apple)Positive and negative results
3 in the opposite direction
- negative
- no effect
- negative
mulching · nutrient: content · Malus domestica (apple)Positive and negative results
14 papers in the same direction as this paper · 3 in the opposite direction
- negative
- positive
- positive
14 papers more in this group
See all 18 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.