Abstract
Long term traditional herbicide uses for soil management brings soil compaction, crusting, poor infiltration and week rooting trees, leading to orchard deterioration and poor soil sustainability. The amelioration of the soil properties and plant growing condition was evaluated on a young rainfed citrus orchard of Valencia late (NVA 036) grafted on Poncirus trifoliate rootstock during three years, planting on an Argisol Districo Ocrico soil. A combination of organic mulch (rows) and sod cultivation (between rows) were applied. A 75 cm wide row with two organic mulch sources was used: a) composted Eucalyptus wood chip (52 kg m-2) with a C/N ratio of 1.5, and b) commercial compost (30 kg m-2 ) with a C/N of 10. Between row treatments sod consisted in a) Ornithopus compressus, and b) Lolium multifl orum. The traditional herbicide application in the row and the spontaneous vegetation between rows were the control. Soil organic matter, nitrogen mineralization potential and soil biomass have not changed in the row for the first 4 years. However, the use of mulch significantly reduces the amplitude of soil temperature, at the 15 cm depth and holds up soil water availability more time than the herbicide application. During summer drought, stem water potential of the trees under mulch varies between -1.4 to -2.2 MPa compared with the - 3.5 to -3.8 MPa with the herbicide. Sod dry matter accumulation was variable between years, and has not significant effect in the physical and chemical properties to the present. Mulches have generated better tree growing conditions than the herbicide, resulting in significant increments in tree vigor, precocity, and yield. Wood chip mulch has increased 42% the accumulated crop yield, enhances fruit color and reduced the need of weed control. Mulch application seems to be a promising soil management measure for citrus young trees in this soil and climate conditions.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Row soil organic matter, nitrogen mineralization potential and soil biomass did not change during the first four years.
- Outcome
- Soil organic matter, nitrogen mineralization potential and soil biomasse0
- Direction
- have not changede0
CitrusOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Soil organic matter, nitrogen mineralization potential and soil biomass have not changed in the row for the first 4 years.”
t0“Citrus”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulch reduced the amplitude of soil temperature compared with herbicide application.
Not reportedOrgan / stageComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the use of mulch significantly reduces the amplitude of soil temperature, at the 15 cm depth”
t0“Citrus”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulch sustained soil water availability longer than herbicide application.
- Treatment
- mulche0
- Outcome
- soil water availabilitye0
- Direction
- more timee0
- Comparator
- herbicide applicatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the use of mulch significantly reduces the amplitude of soil temperature, at the 15 cm depth and holds up soil water availability more time than the herbicide application”
t0“Citrus soil management can reduce”
Claim · model-written summary
Trees under mulch had stem water potentials of -1.4 to -2.2 MPa during summer drought, versus - 3.5 to -3.8 MPa with herbicide.
- Treatment
- mulche0
- Outcome
- stem water potentiale0
- Value
- -1.4 to -2.2 MPae0
- Qualifier
- - 3.5 to -3.8 MPae0
- Comparator
- herbicidee0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“During summer drought, stem water potential of the trees under mulch varies between -1.4 to -2.2 MPa compared with the - 3.5 to -3.8 MPa with the herbicide.”
t0“citrus”
Claim · model-written summary
Sod dry matter accumulation varied among years.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Sod dry matter accumulation was variable between years”
t0“citrus”
Claim · model-written summary
Sod had no significant effect on physical and chemical soil properties.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Sod dry matter accumulation was variable between years, and has not significant effect in the physical and chemical properties to the present”
t0“Citrus soil management”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulches significantly increased tree vigor, precocity and yield compared with herbicide.
- Treatment
- Mulchese0
- Outcome
- tree vigor, precocity, and yielde0
- Direction
- incrementse0
- Comparator
- herbicidee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Mulches have generated better tree growing conditions than the herbicide, resulting in significant increments in tree vigor, precocity, and yield.”
t0“Citrus”
Claim · model-written summary
Wood chip mulch increased accumulated crop yield by 42%.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Wood chip mulch has increased 42% the accumulated crop yield”
t0“Citrus”
Claim · model-written summary
Wood chip mulch enhanced fruit color.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Wood chip mulch has increased 42% the accumulated crop yield, enhances fruit color”
t0“Citrus”
Claim · model-written summary
Wood chip mulch reduced the need for weed control.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Wood chip mulch has increased 42% the accumulated crop yield, enhances fruit color and reduced the need of weed control.”
t0“Citrus”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulch application is proposed as a soil management measure for young citrus trees.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Mulch application seems to be a promising soil management measure for citrus young trees in this soil and climate conditions.”
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3 papers more in this group
See all 7 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.