ECOLOGICAL METHODS OF SOIL MANAGEMENT IN SCAB RESISTANT APPLE ORCHARD

Scab resistant apple cultivar ‘Sawa’ on M. 26 was grown under different soil management treatment, i.e. herbicide in the rows compared to pine bark mulch or overall sward.
In the first and second year after planting use of pesticides was limited to pirimicarb applied against apple aphids.
Apple powdery mildew was effectively controlled by pruning of infected shoots.
Overall grass reduced growth of trees to a great extent, reduced leaf N, K and Ca and increased leaf P concentration.
Bark mulch in the rows resulted in the best growth and overall grass in the worst one.
N fertilisation at the dose of 100 kg ha^-1, used over all area or in the strips only had a less pronounced effect on growth or on leaf mineral content than methods of soil management.
N fertilisation did not influence soil nitrate and ammonium content in the topsoil and subsoil.
After the first year of study, N fertilisation lowered soil pH on plots where herbicides were used.
In the second year, N fertilisation enhanced leaf green colour index on overall grassed and mulched plots.
On non-fertilised plots mulching and especially overall grass diminished leaf green colour index.
The serious problem of the weeds on the bark mulched rows appeared in the second year.

International Conference on Integrated Fruit Production

K. Scibisz, A. Sadowski

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1996.422.111