Articles
Effects of cover crops on soil quality and agronomical performances in a peach organic orchard in South-East France
Article number
1427_17
Pages
131 – 140
Language
English
Abstract
Cover crops in organic horticulture can have beneficials effects on ecosystemic services, such as carbon storage and pest control, but also negative effects, such as competition for nutrients and water with crops.
Different cover-crops were compared with a tilled reference during two years in an organic peach orchard, in order to quantify their effects on soil quality and agronomical performances under Mediterranean climate in South-East France. Phuopsis stylosa, Thymus serpilum, Achillea millefolium and Melilotus officinalis were assessed as living mulches grown in the tree row.
Moreover, the effect of a mixture of cereals (e.g. ×Triticosecale, Triticum aestivum, Avena sativa) and leguminous (e.g. Pisum sativum, Vicia sativa) grown between the tree row, and mulched on the tree row, was also examined.
We showed that P. stylosa cover-crop had strong effects on the soil microbial biomass (+42%), the soil respiration (+41%) and nematodes population compared to the tilled reference.
With the exception of the Thymus cover, the cover-crops favored organic matter decomposition because of a balanced decomposition pathway between fungal and bacterial decomposition by nematodes.
Nitrogen dynamic suggests a release of nitrogen from the plant mixture mulched on the tree row.
One year after cover-crops implantation, a significant decrease of tree growth (-26%) was observed on Phuopsis, Melilotus and Thymus treatments.
Two years after cover-crops implantation, peach yield was decreased from -17 to -28% in cover crops treatments, in comparison to the tillage reference.
Different cover-crops were compared with a tilled reference during two years in an organic peach orchard, in order to quantify their effects on soil quality and agronomical performances under Mediterranean climate in South-East France. Phuopsis stylosa, Thymus serpilum, Achillea millefolium and Melilotus officinalis were assessed as living mulches grown in the tree row.
Moreover, the effect of a mixture of cereals (e.g. ×Triticosecale, Triticum aestivum, Avena sativa) and leguminous (e.g. Pisum sativum, Vicia sativa) grown between the tree row, and mulched on the tree row, was also examined.
We showed that P. stylosa cover-crop had strong effects on the soil microbial biomass (+42%), the soil respiration (+41%) and nematodes population compared to the tilled reference.
With the exception of the Thymus cover, the cover-crops favored organic matter decomposition because of a balanced decomposition pathway between fungal and bacterial decomposition by nematodes.
Nitrogen dynamic suggests a release of nitrogen from the plant mixture mulched on the tree row.
One year after cover-crops implantation, a significant decrease of tree growth (-26%) was observed on Phuopsis, Melilotus and Thymus treatments.
Two years after cover-crops implantation, peach yield was decreased from -17 to -28% in cover crops treatments, in comparison to the tillage reference.
Publication
Authors
C.-E. Parveaud, M. Jacquot, S.-J. Ondet, S. Drusch, M. Szczech
Keywords
cover crops, peach growth, Phuopsis stylosa, Thymus serpilum, Achillea millefolium, Melilotus officinalis, Pisum sativum., Vicia sativa, nitrogen, leguminous, nematodes, microbial biomass, soil biological functions
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