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Suitable orchard floor management strategies in organic apple orchards that augment soil organic matter and maintain tree performance

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Abstract

Aims

Organically-certified orchard floor management was assessed for its ability to improve soil fertility and biological activity and apple orchard performance.

Methods

‘Ambrosia’/B9 apple was maintained for the first six growing seasons with four orchard floor treatments, including 1) annual compost application; 2) in-row application of mown alfalfa grown between the rows; 3) bark mulch plus in-row application of mown hay; and 4) black plastic mulch.

Results

Soil collected from 0 to 10 cm indicated high soil organic matter and exchangeable K were measurable for all treatments by the second year. After 6 years, highest organic matter, total-, particulate- and mineral–C were associated with soil beneath the bark mulch treatment which also had most vigorous trees, decreased leaf N and elevated leaf P and K. Addition of alfalfa and bark mulch were equally effective at maintaining high exchangeable K and soil phosphatase enzymes, high total and particulate-N by the fourth year.

Conclusions

Despite measurable improvements in soil properties among treatments, fruit yield and quality were minimally affected by management implying no limitations to adoption of any of the assessed strategies.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful for financial support provided by a collaborative agreement between the Canadian Organic Centre and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Developing Innovative Agri-Food Products (DIAP) Program. The authors are grateful for technical assistance from Bill Rabie, Shawn Kuchta and numerous summer co-operative education students.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre, Summerland, BC, V0H 1Z0, Canada

    Gerry Neilsen, Tom Forge, Denise Neilsen & Eugene Hogue

  2. Soil and Crops Research and Development Centre, Sainte-Foy, Quebec, G1V 2 J3, Canada

    Denis Angers

Authors
  1. Gerry Neilsen
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  2. Tom Forge
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  3. Denis Angers
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  4. Denise Neilsen
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  5. Eugene Hogue
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Correspondence to Gerry Neilsen.

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Responsible Editor: Peter Christie.

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Neilsen, G., Forge, T., Angers, D. et al. Suitable orchard floor management strategies in organic apple orchards that augment soil organic matter and maintain tree performance. Plant Soil 378, 325–335 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-014-2034-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-014-2034-8

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