Monitoring results of extensive soil analyses on Central European apple orchards

The objective of the project is to evaluate soils of apple orchards, identify deficits and investigate correlations on the basis of analyzing soil chemical, soil physical and soil biological properties in pilot farms.
The orchards differ in the age (planting time between 2009 to 2020), the area history, the soil type and the inter-row planting.
Samples were taken at a depth of 0-30 cm, separately for interrows and tree rows.
The humus content, pH value, lime content, nutrient content and soil life were examined.
Based on the deficits identified in the soils, which were found in the pH value, humus, lime and boron content, proposals for measures to improve soil quality and fertility were developed for the participate farms.
The focus of the first monitoring evaluation presented here is the identification of differences between the tree row and the interrow and the relationship between soil properties and microbial biomass.
The nutrient contents for phosphorus, potassium and magnesium are higher in the tree row than in the interrow.
Corg and C/N ratio are the same, but the microbial biomass is significantly higher in the interrow.
In addition to the dependence of the microbial biomass with the Corg content, the correlation to the clay content is shown.

V Balkan Symposium on Fruit Growing

S. Münzel, C. Feller

soil fertility, nutrient supply status, soil microbial biomass, orchards, soil organic carbon, soil health

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2026.1449.29