The Effect of Organic and Inorganic Mulches on Soil Environment, Root Development and Nutrient Uptake of Mature Apple Trees

Lötze, E.; Kotze, W.P.

doi:10.17660/actahortic.2014.1018.42

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Consequently, orchard floor management practices such as mulching and the use of localized irrigation systems e.g. drip irrigation are being widely used in orchards to reduce undesirable water losses (Hussain et al, 2018;Lötze and Kotze, 2014). In recent years however, two developments have influenced orchard floor management practices.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contribution of understorey vegetation to evapotranspiration partitioning in apple orchards under Mediterranean climatic conditions in South Africa

Ntshidi

Dzikiti

Mazvimavi

et al. 2021

Agricultural Water Management

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Orchard evapotranspiration (ET) is a complex flux which has been the subject of many studies. It often includes transpiration from the trees, cover crops and weeds, evaporation from the soil, mulches and other orchard artefacts. In this study we investigated the contribution of the orchard floor evaporative fluxes to whole orchard ET focusing on the transpiration dynamics of understorey vegetation which is currently not well known. Data on the partitioning of ET into its constituent components were collected in apple (Malus Domestica Bork) orchards with varying fractional canopy cover. The study orchards were in the prime apple growing regions in South Africa. The orchards were planted to the Golden Delicious/Reinders and the red cultivars (i.e. Cripps' Pink/ Royal Gala/ Fuji). Tree transpiration was quantified using the heat ratio method and the thermal dissipation sap flow techniques. Understorey transpiration was measured at selected intervals using micro stem heat balance sap flow gauges calibrated against infrared gas analyser readings. Orchard ET was measured using an open path eddy covariance system while the microclimate, radiation interception, and soil evaporation were also monitored. Orchard floor evaporative fluxes accounted for as much as 80% of the measured ET in young orchards with dense understorey vegetation that covered most of the orchard floor. In these orchards the understorey transpiration was of the same order of magnitude as the bare moist soil evaporation suggesting that water use by the understorey vegetation was substantial. However, in mature orchards with a high canopy cover (>55% fractional cover), orchard floor water losses were less than 30% of the measured ET. Understorey transpiration rates were much lower, contributing less than 10% of the whole orchard ET. Significant volumes of water can be saved, especially in young orchards, by keeping the orchard floor vegetation short, reducing the area occupied by understorey vegetation, and by reducing the wetted ground surface area.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contribution of understorey vegetation to evapotranspiration partitioning in apple orchards under Mediterranean climatic conditions in South Africa

Ntshidi

Dzikiti

Mazvimavi

et al. 2021

Agricultural Water Management

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Mulches changed the minimum temperature in the top 50 mm by 1°C, and as much as 5°C for maximum temperature during summer (Lotze and Kotze, 2014). The plastic-film mulch improved soil hydrothermal conditions (Hai et al, 2015) and (Wang et al, 2016) and these improved soil hydrothermal conditions and nutrient availability comprise the basic mechanisms for the increase in plant productivity under plastic-film mulch.…”

Section: Effect Of Orchard Floor Management Practices On Soil Hydrothermal Conditionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Effect of Orchard Floor Management Practices on Fruit Production

Hussain¹,

Bashir²,

Sharma³

et al. 2018

Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Effect of Organic and Inorganic Mulches on Soil Environment, Root Development and Nutrient Uptake of Mature Apple Trees

Cited by 2 publications

References 0 publications

Contribution of understorey vegetation to evapotranspiration partitioning in apple orchards under Mediterranean climatic conditions in South Africa

Contribution of understorey vegetation to evapotranspiration partitioning in apple orchards under Mediterranean climatic conditions in South Africa

Effect of Orchard Floor Management Practices on Fruit Production

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About