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Effect of Living Mulch on Soil Conditions and Morphometrical Indices of Sweet Cherry Trees

Received: 14 January 2021     Accepted: 22 January 2021     Published: 28 January 2021
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Abstract

In order to maintain natural biocenosis and to create optimal conditions for reproducing soil fertility, it is necessary to keep the soil under living mulch in organic orchards. But the effect of the living mulch on soil properties and biometric indices of trees has not yet been fully investigated. This work aimed at examining the effects of living mulch (compared with standard mechanical cultivation) on soil moisture, soil temperature and biometric indices of sweet cherry trees in the arid conditions of the Southern Steppe of Ukraine. The work was conducted from 2014 to 2019 in the Southern Steppe of Ukraine in Zelene village near the city of Melitopol (46°46’N, 35°17’E). In organic sweet cherry (Prunus avium L./Prunus mahaleb) orchard standard mechanical cultivation (MC) was compared with living mulch - spontaneous vegetation cover (LM). The soil moisture at 20 cm depth was significantly greater under LM (an average of 3,9%), the soil temperatures under LM plots were lower (an average of 1.5°C over 6 years of research), in comparison to MC. It was established that the trunk cross sectional area of sweet cherry trees was significantly reduced under LM - by 1.2-2.1 times. However, LM contributed to an increase in the shoot growth efficiency – by 1.5-2.9 times, compared to MC. The ratio of total leaf area to the trunk cross sectional area was also significantly greater in conditions of LM, since 2015 by 1.3-2.5 times. The weather conditions of the year significantly influenced the formation of the biometric indices of the trees - Year×orchard floor management system interactions were significantly throughout all years of research. Investigated sweet cherry cultivars (Valery Chkalov and Dilemma) respondend to the floor management systems in a similar way – their biometric indices did not differ significantly.

Published in International Journal of Applied Agricultural Sciences (Volume 7, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijaas.20210701.14
Page(s) 50-56
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Prunus avium L., Prunus mahaleb, Organic Orchard, Biometric Indices, Soil Moisture, Soil Temperature

References
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    Tatyana Gerasko, Svitlana Pyda, Iryna Ivanova. (2021). Effect of Living Mulch on Soil Conditions and Morphometrical Indices of Sweet Cherry Trees. International Journal of Applied Agricultural Sciences, 7(1), 50-56. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijaas.20210701.14

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    ACS Style

    Tatyana Gerasko; Svitlana Pyda; Iryna Ivanova. Effect of Living Mulch on Soil Conditions and Morphometrical Indices of Sweet Cherry Trees. Int. J. Appl. Agric. Sci. 2021, 7(1), 50-56. doi: 10.11648/j.ijaas.20210701.14

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    AMA Style

    Tatyana Gerasko, Svitlana Pyda, Iryna Ivanova. Effect of Living Mulch on Soil Conditions and Morphometrical Indices of Sweet Cherry Trees. Int J Appl Agric Sci. 2021;7(1):50-56. doi: 10.11648/j.ijaas.20210701.14

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijaas.20210701.14,
      author = {Tatyana Gerasko and Svitlana Pyda and Iryna Ivanova},
      title = {Effect of Living Mulch on Soil Conditions and Morphometrical Indices of Sweet Cherry Trees},
      journal = {International Journal of Applied Agricultural Sciences},
      volume = {7},
      number = {1},
      pages = {50-56},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijaas.20210701.14},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijaas.20210701.14},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijaas.20210701.14},
      abstract = {In order to maintain natural biocenosis and to create optimal conditions for reproducing soil fertility, it is necessary to keep the soil under living mulch in organic orchards. But the effect of the living mulch on soil properties and biometric indices of trees has not yet been fully investigated. This work aimed at examining the effects of living mulch (compared with standard mechanical cultivation) on soil moisture, soil temperature and biometric indices of sweet cherry trees in the arid conditions of the Southern Steppe of Ukraine. The work was conducted from 2014 to 2019 in the Southern Steppe of Ukraine in Zelene village near the city of Melitopol (46°46’N, 35°17’E). In organic sweet cherry (Prunus avium L./Prunus mahaleb) orchard standard mechanical cultivation (MC) was compared with living mulch - spontaneous vegetation cover (LM). The soil moisture at 20 cm depth was significantly greater under LM (an average of 3,9%), the soil temperatures under LM plots were lower (an average of 1.5°C over 6 years of research), in comparison to MC. It was established that the trunk cross sectional area of sweet cherry trees was significantly reduced under LM - by 1.2-2.1 times. However, LM contributed to an increase in the shoot growth efficiency – by 1.5-2.9 times, compared to MC. The ratio of total leaf area to the trunk cross sectional area was also significantly greater in conditions of LM, since 2015 by 1.3-2.5 times. The weather conditions of the year significantly influenced the formation of the biometric indices of the trees - Year×orchard floor management system interactions were significantly throughout all years of research. Investigated sweet cherry cultivars (Valery Chkalov and Dilemma) respondend to the floor management systems in a similar way – their biometric indices did not differ significantly.},
     year = {2021}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Effect of Living Mulch on Soil Conditions and Morphometrical Indices of Sweet Cherry Trees
    AU  - Tatyana Gerasko
    AU  - Svitlana Pyda
    AU  - Iryna Ivanova
    Y1  - 2021/01/28
    PY  - 2021
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijaas.20210701.14
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijaas.20210701.14
    T2  - International Journal of Applied Agricultural Sciences
    JF  - International Journal of Applied Agricultural Sciences
    JO  - International Journal of Applied Agricultural Sciences
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    EP  - 56
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2469-7885
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijaas.20210701.14
    AB  - In order to maintain natural biocenosis and to create optimal conditions for reproducing soil fertility, it is necessary to keep the soil under living mulch in organic orchards. But the effect of the living mulch on soil properties and biometric indices of trees has not yet been fully investigated. This work aimed at examining the effects of living mulch (compared with standard mechanical cultivation) on soil moisture, soil temperature and biometric indices of sweet cherry trees in the arid conditions of the Southern Steppe of Ukraine. The work was conducted from 2014 to 2019 in the Southern Steppe of Ukraine in Zelene village near the city of Melitopol (46°46’N, 35°17’E). In organic sweet cherry (Prunus avium L./Prunus mahaleb) orchard standard mechanical cultivation (MC) was compared with living mulch - spontaneous vegetation cover (LM). The soil moisture at 20 cm depth was significantly greater under LM (an average of 3,9%), the soil temperatures under LM plots were lower (an average of 1.5°C over 6 years of research), in comparison to MC. It was established that the trunk cross sectional area of sweet cherry trees was significantly reduced under LM - by 1.2-2.1 times. However, LM contributed to an increase in the shoot growth efficiency – by 1.5-2.9 times, compared to MC. The ratio of total leaf area to the trunk cross sectional area was also significantly greater in conditions of LM, since 2015 by 1.3-2.5 times. The weather conditions of the year significantly influenced the formation of the biometric indices of the trees - Year×orchard floor management system interactions were significantly throughout all years of research. Investigated sweet cherry cultivars (Valery Chkalov and Dilemma) respondend to the floor management systems in a similar way – their biometric indices did not differ significantly.
    VL  - 7
    IS  - 1
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Horticulture, Viticulture and Biochemistry, Faculty of Agricultural Technologies and Ecology, Dmytro Motornyi Tavria State Agrotechnological University, Melitopol, Ukraine

  • Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Chemical Biology, Volodymyr Hnatyuk Ternopil National Pedagogical University, Ternopil, Ukraine

  • Department of Horticulture, Viticulture and Biochemistry, Faculty of Agricultural Technologies and Ecology, Dmytro Motornyi Tavria State Agrotechnological University, Melitopol, Ukraine

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