Soil cover management: initial development of pear trees hosui cultivar and its effects on soil and weeds

Abstract

Soil management is a practice that influences the development of fruit trees. In this sense, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different soil cover/mulching types on weed control and on the early development of pear trees Hosui cultvar. The experiment was conducted in two consecutive cycles: 2015/2016 and 2016/2017. Treatments consisted of the following soil covers in pear tree planting rows: natural cover, ryegrass straw intercropped with millet, pine sawdust, shading cover (70%), rice husk, Curauá fiber and weeding. Soil infestation by weeds was evaluated in the spring-summer period for two years, as well as the vegetative pear tree development (plant height and diameter and SPAD chlorophyll index). Managements using Curauá fiber and ryegrass straw + millet had the greatest suppression effects on weeds. The height and diameter of pear trees were smaller with natural cover and pine sawdust, while higher plant growth was observed with Curauá fiber and with weeding. Higher SPAD indexes was observed with Curauá fiber, weeding and ryegrass + millet. Curauá fiber also stood out for Fe and Mn leaf contents, while Zn contents were higher with ryegrass + millet and rice husk. Ryegrass straw + millet and rice husk can be highlighted for the chemical attributes of soil fertility and soil macrofauna indexes. It could be concluded that Curauá fiber and azevem + millet weed control weeds in the orchard, thus promoting better initial development of pear trees Hosui cultivar.