Grass Species as Living Mulches – Comparison of Weed Populations and Their Biodiversity in Apple Tree Rows and Tractor Alleys
The durability of four grass living mulches, population of annual and perennial weeds, and their biodiversity in tree rows and tractor alleys were evaluated in the first 4 years after cover crop sowing. The experiment was established in a young semi-dwarf apple orchard 1 year after the planting of t...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Polish Botanical Society
2022-10-01
|
| Series: | Acta Agrobotanica |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://pbsociety.org.pl/journals/index.php/aa/article/view/9070 |
| _version_ | 1817977028605902848 |
|---|---|
| author | Urszula Barbara Bałuszyńska Magdalena Rowińska Maria Licznar-Małańczuk |
| author_facet | Urszula Barbara Bałuszyńska Magdalena Rowińska Maria Licznar-Małańczuk |
| author_sort | Urszula Barbara Bałuszyńska |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The durability of four grass living mulches, population of annual and perennial weeds, and their biodiversity in tree rows and tractor alleys were evaluated in the first 4 years after cover crop sowing. The experiment was established in a young semi-dwarf apple orchard 1 year after the planting of the tree ‘Chopin’ cv. Soil coverage was satisfactory for the three cover crops: red fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass. The sods of the grasses exhibited 100% soil surface cover in the tree rows and drive alleys, starting from 1 year after sowing to the end of the study period. Only the maintenance of the blue fescue resulted in low average soil development.
Annual and perennial weed populations were lower in the tree rows than in the drive alleys. It was determined meticulous and manual soil preparation prior to all grass sowing under tree crowns, followed by precise mowing of grasses and nitrogen fertilization in subsequent years. The highest soil surface cover by the total annual taxa was observed immediately after the emergence of the living mulch. Total perennial weed populations increased in the following vegetation seasons. Trifolium repens L. and Taraxacum offcinale (L.) Web. dominated all the grass living mulches evaluated. Only the red fescue sod effectively limited the infestation of perennial weed after 4 years of living mulch maintenance in the tree row. More than half of the annual and perennial weed taxa occurred sporadically in all living mulches. In both the tree rows and tractor alleys, the soil surface cover was not more than 1%, and these species contributed to the increase in orchard biodiversity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T22:11:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5f71beabb8404577882838924dd57929 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2300-357X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T22:11:51Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | Polish Botanical Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Agrobotanica |
| spelling | doaj.art-5f71beabb8404577882838924dd579292022-12-22T02:27:43ZengPolish Botanical SocietyActa Agrobotanica2300-357X2022-10-0175010.5586/aa.7587196Grass Species as Living Mulches – Comparison of Weed Populations and Their Biodiversity in Apple Tree Rows and Tractor AlleysUrszula Barbara Bałuszyńska0Magdalena Rowińska1Maria Licznar-Małańczuk2Wrocław University of Environmental and Life SciencesWrocław University of Environmental and Life SciencesWrocław University of Environmental and Life SciencesThe durability of four grass living mulches, population of annual and perennial weeds, and their biodiversity in tree rows and tractor alleys were evaluated in the first 4 years after cover crop sowing. The experiment was established in a young semi-dwarf apple orchard 1 year after the planting of the tree ‘Chopin’ cv. Soil coverage was satisfactory for the three cover crops: red fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass. The sods of the grasses exhibited 100% soil surface cover in the tree rows and drive alleys, starting from 1 year after sowing to the end of the study period. Only the maintenance of the blue fescue resulted in low average soil development. Annual and perennial weed populations were lower in the tree rows than in the drive alleys. It was determined meticulous and manual soil preparation prior to all grass sowing under tree crowns, followed by precise mowing of grasses and nitrogen fertilization in subsequent years. The highest soil surface cover by the total annual taxa was observed immediately after the emergence of the living mulch. Total perennial weed populations increased in the following vegetation seasons. Trifolium repens L. and Taraxacum offcinale (L.) Web. dominated all the grass living mulches evaluated. Only the red fescue sod effectively limited the infestation of perennial weed after 4 years of living mulch maintenance in the tree row. More than half of the annual and perennial weed taxa occurred sporadically in all living mulches. In both the tree rows and tractor alleys, the soil surface cover was not more than 1%, and these species contributed to the increase in orchard biodiversity.https://pbsociety.org.pl/journals/index.php/aa/article/view/9070apple orchardcover cropfescuekentucky bluegrassryegrass |
| spellingShingle | Urszula Barbara Bałuszyńska Magdalena Rowińska Maria Licznar-Małańczuk Grass Species as Living Mulches – Comparison of Weed Populations and Their Biodiversity in Apple Tree Rows and Tractor Alleys Acta Agrobotanica apple orchard cover crop fescue kentucky bluegrass ryegrass |
| title | Grass Species as Living Mulches – Comparison of Weed Populations and Their Biodiversity in Apple Tree Rows and Tractor Alleys |
| title_full | Grass Species as Living Mulches – Comparison of Weed Populations and Their Biodiversity in Apple Tree Rows and Tractor Alleys |
| title_fullStr | Grass Species as Living Mulches – Comparison of Weed Populations and Their Biodiversity in Apple Tree Rows and Tractor Alleys |
| title_full_unstemmed | Grass Species as Living Mulches – Comparison of Weed Populations and Their Biodiversity in Apple Tree Rows and Tractor Alleys |
| title_short | Grass Species as Living Mulches – Comparison of Weed Populations and Their Biodiversity in Apple Tree Rows and Tractor Alleys |
| title_sort | grass species as living mulches comparison of weed populations and their biodiversity in apple tree rows and tractor alleys |
| topic | apple orchard cover crop fescue kentucky bluegrass ryegrass |
| url | https://pbsociety.org.pl/journals/index.php/aa/article/view/9070 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT urszulabarbarabałuszynska grassspeciesaslivingmulchescomparisonofweedpopulationsandtheirbiodiversityinappletreerowsandtractoralleys AT magdalenarowinska grassspeciesaslivingmulchescomparisonofweedpopulationsandtheirbiodiversityinappletreerowsandtractoralleys AT marialicznarmałanczuk grassspeciesaslivingmulchescomparisonofweedpopulationsandtheirbiodiversityinappletreerowsandtractoralleys |