Articles
Apricot roots development in different conservative soil managements
Article number
1450_11
Pages
83 – 88
Language
English
Abstract
Conservation agriculture techniques aim to maintain a vegetal soil cover, either with spontaneous or sown species.
The green cover can help the grower to maintain soil health, but investigation is needed to understand the effect on fruit trees, and particularly the effect on root development.
The objective of this experimental work was to evaluate apricot root development and architecture in response to different soil managements: a) two mowing interventions per year and a superficial tillage in autumn, b) superficial tillage and seeding of selected herbaceous species in autumn, and c) two mowing interventions per year.
The trial started in the first year of planting.
In October 2017, July 2018, and October 2019, soil samples were collected at 30 cm from the trunk along the row at two different depths.
The roots were washed, separated from the soil, divided in fibrous (fine absorbing roots) and pioneer (thicker and explorative roots) and total length and weight were measured.
During the three years all the treatments showed an increase in fibrous roots, the no-tillage treatment showed the higher increase (0.43 g kg‑1). The ratio between fibrous and pioneer roots was 0.67 in the superficial soil layer and 0.21 at 20 cm depth, especially in the no-tillage treatment.
In conclusion, the no-tillage treatment presented more fibrous roots in the superficial layers and a general higher root development than the other tilled treatments.
The presence of selected herbaceous species allowed an intermediate response of apricot root growth, indicating a possible reduction of competition.
The green cover can help the grower to maintain soil health, but investigation is needed to understand the effect on fruit trees, and particularly the effect on root development.
The objective of this experimental work was to evaluate apricot root development and architecture in response to different soil managements: a) two mowing interventions per year and a superficial tillage in autumn, b) superficial tillage and seeding of selected herbaceous species in autumn, and c) two mowing interventions per year.
The trial started in the first year of planting.
In October 2017, July 2018, and October 2019, soil samples were collected at 30 cm from the trunk along the row at two different depths.
The roots were washed, separated from the soil, divided in fibrous (fine absorbing roots) and pioneer (thicker and explorative roots) and total length and weight were measured.
During the three years all the treatments showed an increase in fibrous roots, the no-tillage treatment showed the higher increase (0.43 g kg‑1). The ratio between fibrous and pioneer roots was 0.67 in the superficial soil layer and 0.21 at 20 cm depth, especially in the no-tillage treatment.
In conclusion, the no-tillage treatment presented more fibrous roots in the superficial layers and a general higher root development than the other tilled treatments.
The presence of selected herbaceous species allowed an intermediate response of apricot root growth, indicating a possible reduction of competition.
Publication
Authors
V. Giorgi, M. Zucchini, D. Neri, E.M. Lodolini, M. Cutuli, C. Ciaccia, D. Ceccarelli
Keywords
mowing, superficial tillage, no-tillage, fibrous root, pioneer root
Online Articles (59)