Abstract
Soil degradation constitutes a limiting factor for fruit production in the “Oasis Sur” region of Mendoza (Argentina). Conversely, seeding cover crops is an important practice to reduce the production risks. The objective of this research was to quantify the effects of different cover crops seeded between the peach trees rows on the soil properties and water potential and mineral composition of the leaves of peach. The study was carried out in Mendoza, during two cover crops growing cycles. Treatments were control (CT), lucerne cover crop (LT), and a mixture of common vetch and oat (VOT). The experimental design was a randomized complete three blocks with three replications per treatment. In LT, biomass production was three-fold higher than in VOT and significantly increased the coarse fraction of the soil organic carbon. In LT and VOT, the soil showed a 16% of increase in the volumetric moisture content compared to CT. Both cover crops improved the soil easily available water content, total porosity, and air-filled porosity. Peach trees showed better water status in LT and higher leaves nitrogen content in VOT. The practice of seeding cover crops between the rows of peach trees is a very useful alternative for semi-arid areas since they improve the efficiency in the use of water and nutrients by fruit trees.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data Availability
The data obtained in this work will be available upon request to the author.
References
Baizhao R, Xia L, Shuting D, Peng L, Bin Z, Jiwang Z (2018) Soil physical properties and maize root growth under different tillage systems in the North China Plain. Crop J 6:669–676. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cj.2018.05.009
Basche AD, Kaspar TC, Archontoulis SV, Dan Jaynes B, Sauer TJ, Parkin TB, Miguez FE (2016) Soil water improvements with the long-term use of a winter rye cover crop. Agric Water Manag 172:40–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2016.04.006
Van den Bosch ME (2020) Sistemas de producción agropecuarios en el norte de Mendoza: evaluación económica / María Eugenia Van den Bosch. – Buenos Aires: Ediciones INTA, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Mendoza, p 83. Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/8112 [Accessed 14 th Feb 2021].
Carrizo ME, Alesso CA, Cosentino DJ, Imhoff S (2015) Aggregation agents and structural stability in soils with different texture and organic carbon. Sci Agric 72:75–82. https://doi.org/10.1590/0103-9016-2014-0026
Castellano-Hinojosa A, Strauss SL (2020) Impact of cover crops on the soil microbiome of tree crops. Microorganisms 8:328–344. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8030328
Cheng Y (2018) Soil–water retention curves derived as a function of soil dry density. GeoHazards 1:3–19. https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards1010002
De Nobile FO, Calero Hurtado A, Prado RD, de Souza HA, Anunciação MG, Palaretti LF, Dezem LA (2021) A novel technology for processing urban waste compost as a fast-releasing nitrogen source to improve soil properties and broccoli and lettuce production. Waste Biomass Valorization 12:6191–6203. https://doi.org/10.1007/S12649-021-01415-Z
De Paula BV, Sete PB, Berghetti ÁLP, Stefanello da Silva LO, Jung JP, Nicoloso FT, Mayer AN, Kulmann MS, Brunetto G (2022) Kinetic parameters related to nitrogen uptake in ‘Okinawa’ peach rootstocks are altered by ‘Chimarrita.’ J Sci Food Agric. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.12203
Demir Z, Işık D (2019) Effects of cover crops on soil hydraulic properties and yield in a persimmon orchard. Bragantia 78:596–605. https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-4499.2010197
Dillchneider A, Frasier I, Funaro D, Fernández R, Quiroga A (2019) Estrategias de fertilización nitrogenada para incrementar el rendimiento y proteína de trigo en la región semiárida pampeana. Semiárida 29:53–62. https://doi.org/10.19137/semiarida.2019(01).53-62 (in Spanish, with abstract in English).
Farney JK, Sassenrath GF, Davis C, Presley DA (2018) Growth, forage quality, and economics of cover crop mixes for grazing. Kans Agric Exp Stn 4:1–8. https://doi.org/10.4148/2378-5977.7576
Franco TCR, Ferraz GAS, Carvalho LCC, Da Silva FM, Alves MC, Marin DB (2022) Spatial variability of soil physical properties in longitudinal profiles. An Acad Bras Cienc 94(2):e20200411. https://doi.org/10.1590/0001-3765202220200411
Giménez M, Quiriban A, Fernández R, Pereyra Cardozo M (2020) Effects of nitrogen fertilizer on flour protein composition and dough quality in wheat cultivated in La Pampa province. Semiárida 30:63–77. https://doi.org/10.19137/semiarida.2020(02).63-77
Global Environmental Facilities (GEF) (2019) Land degradation. Available at: https://www.thegef.org/topics/land-degradation [Accessed 14 th Feb 2021].
He W, Yang JY, Qian B, Drury CF, Hoogenboom G, He P, Lapen DR, Zhou W (2018) Climate change impacts on crop yield, soil water balance and nitrate leaching in the semiarid and humid regions of Canada. PLoS One 13. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0207370
Imhoff S, da Silva AP, Ghiberto PJ, Tormena CA, Pilatti MA, Libardi PL (2016) Physical quality indicators and mechanical behavior of agricultural soils of Argentina. PLoS One 11:e0153827. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0153827
Kraut-Cohen J, Zolti A, Shaltiel-Harpaz L, Argaman E, Rabinovich R, Stefan J, Minz D (2019) Effects of tillage practices on soil microbiome and agricultural parameters.Sci Total Environ 705–135791. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135791
Ladan S, Jacinthe PA (2017) Nitrogen availability and early corn growth on plowed and no-till soils amended with different types of cover crops. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 17:74–90. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-95162017005000006
Li J, Li M, Dong L, Wang K, Liu Y, Hai X, Pan Y, Lv W, Wang X, Shangguan Z, Deng L (2020) Plant productivity and microbial composition drive soil carbon and nitrogen sequestrations following cropland abandonment. Sci Total Environ 20:744–140802. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140802
Li S, Xie Y, Xin Y, Liu G, Wang W, Gao X, Zhai J, Li J (2020) Validation and modification of the Van Genuchten model for eroded black soil in northeastern China. Water 12:2678. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12102678
Liu M, Han G, Zhang Q (2019) Effects of soil aggregate stability on soil organic carbon and nitrogen under land use change in an erodible region in southwest China. International Int. J Environ Res Public Health 16:1–14. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16203809
Martínez JM, Galantini JA, Duval ME, López FM (2017) Tillage effects on labile pools of soil organic nitrogen in a semi-humid climate of Argentina: a long-term field study. Soil till Res 169:71–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2017.02.001
Martínez JM, Galantini JA, Duval ME (2018) Contribution of nitrogen mineralization indices, labile organic matter and soil properties in predicting nitrogen mineralization. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 18:73–89. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-95162018005000401
Martínez JM, Galantini JA, Duval M, López FM (2020) Soil quality assessment based on soil organic matter pools under long-term tillage systems and following tillage conversion in a semi-humid region. Soil Use Manag 36:400–409. https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.12573
Mayer NA, Ueno B, Silva VA, Valgas RA, Da Silveira CM (2015) A morte precoce do pessegueiro associada à fertilidade do solo. Rev Bras Frutic 37:773–787. https://doi.org/10.1590/0100-2945-156/14
Medori I, Acciarri P, Balducci F, Mazzoni L, Mezzetti B, Capocasa F (2022) Effects of the application of water stress-controlled technique on productive, qualitative and nutritional parameters on a late peach cultivar. Acta Hortic 1335:483–490. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2022.1335.60
Melo GW, Sete PB, Ambrosini VG, Feitas RF, Basso A, Brunetto G (2016) Nutritional status, yield and composition of peach fruit subjected to the application of organic compost. Acta Sci Agron 38:103–109. https://doi.org/10.4025/actasciagron.v38i1.25638
Novák V, Hlaváčiková H (2019) Modelling of water flow and solute transport in soil. In: Applied Soil Hydrology, Springer, Cham, pp 319–337. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01806-1_21
Nunes MR, van Es HM, Schindelbeck RR, Ristow A, Ryan MR (2018) No-till and cropping system diversification improve soil health and crop yield. Geoderma 328:30–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.GEODERMA.2018.04.031
Ogilvie CM, Ashiq W, Vasava HB, Biswas A (2021) Quantifying root-soil interactions in cover crop systems: a review. Agriculture 11:218. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11030218
Ranjan P, Patle G, Prem M, Solanke K (2017) Organic mulching- a water saving technique to increase the production of fruits and vegetables. Agric Res J 5:371–380. https://doi.org/10.12944/CARJ.5.3.17
Rebora C, Barros A, Ibarguren L, Bertona A, Antonini C, Arenas F (2015) Effect of different winterhardiness cultivars on alfalfa’s yield grown in northern oasis of Mendoza. Rev FCA UNCUYO 47:43–51. Available at: https://bdigital.uncu.edu.ar/7508 [Accessed 14 th Feb 2021] (in Spanish, with abstract in English).
Sadzawka A, Grez R, Carrasco M, Mora M (2007) Métodos de análisis de tejidos vegetales. CNA Comisión de Normalización y Acreditación, Sociedad Chilena de la Ciencia del Suelo Santiago, Chile, p 53 (in Spanish)
Sánchez E, Giayetto A, Cichón L, Fernández D, Aruani MC, Curetti M (2007) Cover crops influence soil properties and tree performance in an organic apple (Malus domestica Borkh) orchard in northern Patagonia. Plant Soil 292:193–203. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-007-9215-7
Sierra J, Desfontaines L (2018) Predicting the in situ rate constant of soil carbon mineralisation from laboratory-based measurements in tropical soils under contrasting tillage management systems. Soil till Res 180:175–181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2018.03.008
Storr T, Simmons RW, Hannam JA (2018) Soil water and available nitrogen during cover crop growth. Asp Appl Biol Ser 40. https://www.aab.org.uk. Accessed July 2019
Vincent-Caboud L, Peigné J, Casagrande M, Silva EM (2017) Overview of organic cover crop-based no-tillage technique in Europe: farmers’ practices and research challenges. Agriculture 7:1–16. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture7050042
Wertebach TM, Hölzel N, Kämpf I, Yurtaev A, Tupitsin S, Kiehl K, Kamp J, Kleinebecker T (2017) Soil carbon sequestration due to post-Soviet cropland abandonment: estimates from a large-scale soil organic carbon field inventory. Glob Chang Biol 23:729–3741. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13650
Yang Y, Zhang Y, Jia G, Wang L, Yu X (2022) Contributions of biotic and abiotic factors to soil aggregation under different thinning intensities. Ecol Indic 139:108958. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2022.108958
Zhu K, Li W, Yang S, Ran Y, Lei X, Ma M, Wu S, Huang P (2022) Intense wet-dry cycles weakened the carbon sequestration of soil aggregates in the riparian zone. CATENA 212:106117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2022.106117
Acknowledgements
Author Belen Ciacci has received research grants from Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria of Argentina; author Silvia Imhoff has received research grants from the Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Argentina (CAID+D 2020, PI: 50620190100010LI) and the Agencia de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica of Argentina (PICT 4168).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Ciacci, M.B., Micheloud, N.G., Levy, M.R.S. et al. Advantages of Seeding Annual and Perennial Cover Crops Between Peach Rows. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 23, 683–692 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-022-01074-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-022-01074-6